《Becoming The Real Rich Daughter After Divorce》 Chapter 1 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the month of March, in a small city in Ancient Southern China, it was drizzling. In a small riverside restaurant in Lin¡¯an City, raindrops dripped from the eaves outside. The spring rain had been falling for about half a month, and the willow tree in front of the restaurant had sprouted. At the Eight Immortal Table in the house, a young woman who was about 17 to 18 years old was clenching a piece of paper in her hands tightly. There were two striking words on the paper, ¡°Divorce Paper¡±. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s usually bright eyes had lost their sparkle and were currently filled with hatred. She couldn¡¯t help gnashing her teeth. ¡°How dare he, how dare he!¡± The maid on her side said indignantly, ¡°Miss, how could he do this to you?! If you hadn¡¯t rescued him from the river back then, he would have lost his life. Although he lost his memory, you still took him in and even married him, but as soon as he recovered his memory, he wanted to divorce you. This kind of b*stard should be chopped up and eaten as human meat buns!¡± ¡°Oh, Nuomi, what are you talking about?! If others heard what you said, they might think our Myriad Taste sells human meat buns! But Miss¡¯ husband is outrageous indeed. He even took Young Master away.¡± Qiao Jinniang bit her lower lip silently. Three years ago, her parents were both severely sick and in critical condition. At that time, her uncles and aunts wanted to seize their family restaurant, Myriad Taste. Her parents only had a daughter, and she just happened to rescue a stunningly handsome young man from the river. He was luxuriously dressed but had lost his memory. Seeing this, her parents deceived him that he was their son-in-law-to-be. They made him marry Qiao Jinniang in order to make Qiao Jinniang¡¯s uncles and aunts give up the plan to snatch their restaurant. After Jinniang got married, her parents passed away not long after, and soon Qiao Jinniang found herself pregnant. After that, she gave birth to a son and lived a happy life with her husband. However, several months ago, her husband suddenly recovered his memory. He immediately told Qiao Jinniang that he was born in an aristocratic family in the capital, and that if he wanted to marry Qiao Jinniang as his wife, he had to first make some preparations. After that was said, her husband took their son back to Chang¡¯an first. She waited for two long months, from the Lantern Festival to the Qingming Festival. However, after waiting for two months, what she finally got was not his proposal letter and a dowry but a divorce paper sent from Chang¡¯an City. The messenger didn¡¯t even place the divorce paper in an envelope, which allowed a lot of people to spot it along the way. Undoubtedly, it would not be long before the news of her divorce spread throughout the entire Lin¡¯an City. And she, the young hostess of Myriad Taste, would definitely become the laughing stock of Lin¡¯an City! ¡°Qiao Jinniang! Come out!¡± ¡°Now that your ex-husband has left with your child and given you your divorce paper, you, as a woman, are not qualified to inherit this restaurant of our Qiao Family. Come out, and hand over Myriad Taste to us!¡± Hearing the noise outside, Qiao Jinniang went outside only to see it was filled with the clansmen of the Qiao Family and the thugs they hired, from the door of the restaurant all the way to the river. The sound of drizzling rain couldn¡¯t cover up their noisy protest. ¡°Why? My father was driven out of the Qiao Family, helpless and penniless when he was young. Fortunately, he followed his master to go to Chang¡¯an City and worked as a cook for Duke Anyuan and his family. He married my mother and earned some money before he returned back to his hometown and opened this restaurant. Myriad Taste is the fruit of my parents¡¯ lifelong painstaking labor, so what does it have to do with your Qiao Family?¡± Qiao Jinniang walked out of the restaurant holding an umbrella. Before her father died, he told her that even if she sold Myriad Taste, she could never give it to the Qiao Family. Her father was forced to leave his hometown to make a living when he was only ten years old. Fortunately, he was taken in by Duke Anyuan before he finally enjoyed a good life. ¡°Heh! Anyway, your father¡¯s surname is Qiao. Moreover, you¡¯re childless now, aren¡¯t you? Your husband has run away with your son. If you don¡¯t want any trouble, quickly hand over the restaurant to us! ¡± ¡°Oh my god, we are all your uncles and aunts. You should show respect to your elders! No matter whether you agree or not, Myriad Taste will not belong to you, a childless divorcee!¡± The dozens of people below were all shouting unabashedly. Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands. He was really hateful! Even if he wanted to leave her, why did he have to make it known to everyone that he had divorced her? She looked at the restaurant behind her. ¡°You want this restaurant? Over my dead body!¡± In the misty rain, Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes were resolute. One of her uncles said, ¡°This is the property of the Qiao Family. As a woman, do you even deserve to inherit it?¡± ¡°Moreover, the Qiao Family never keeps a divorced woman. ¡°And considering that you are from the Qiao Family, the patriarch has already generously betrothed you to the son of the prefect as his eighteenth concubine!¡± Maid Nuomi said angrily, ¡°It is common knowledge that the son of the prefect is an obese and lascivious person. ¡°No one knows how many girls he has ruined! ¡°How can you force Miss to marry that kind of a man as a concubine?!¡± The shabbily-clothed second aunt of the Qiao Family bared her yellow teeth. ¡°He¡¯s the son of the prefect! And Qiao Jinniang is a divorced woman! It¡¯s her blessing to marry the son of the prefect as a concubine.¡± ¡°Exactly, her husband has abandoned her, but she can still marry the son of a government official. How lucky she is!¡± ¡°Here comes the bridal sedan chair of the son of the prefect.¡± Qiao Jinniang then saw a fat man with cloudy eyes coming over from the bridge. This man was the son of the Prefect of Lin¡¯an. The Prefect of Lin¡¯an was a good official, but his son was a dandy. As lecherous as he was, he had raped a lot of women. ¡°Today, we must stuff Qiao Jinniang into the sedan chair! The son of the prefect has given a lot of dowries!¡± The women of the Qiao Family rushed up, holding a rope in an attempt to tie up Qiao Jinniang. In the rain, the servants, maidservants and chefs of the restaurant all came out to stop the people of the Qiao Family. However, they were outnumbered. For the first time, Qiao Jinniang felt so desperate that she took out a lighter in a flurry. ¡°Don¡¯t come over. If anyone comes over, I will burn down the Myriad Taste today. Let¡¯s die together!¡± However, even God didn¡¯t help her, as the drizzling rain got heavier and heavier. A middle-aged man of the Qiao Family said triumphantly, ¡°With such a heavy rain, I¡¯m afraid the fire won¡¯t be able to spread!¡± The lighter in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hands fell to the ground, and just when she was being held down by the women of the Qiao Family, she heard the stomps of horse hooves near her. Clatter! Clatter! Qiao Jinniang listened, wondering if it was her husband coming back. However, a carriage suddenly stopped, from which an old maid came out. At the very first glance of Qiao Jinniang, the old maid immediately burst into tears and said, ¡°Miss, Miss, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault to let you suffer so much in Lin¡¯an City!¡± The old maid of Duke Anyuan¡¯s mansion confirmed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s identity at a single glance. She looked exactly the same as Duchess Anyuan when she was young, although she was more beautiful than her mother. ¡°You lousy old women, what are you doing to our Miss?¡± The old maid could tell that these shabby village women were harboring malicious intentions. ¡°She is the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan. Do you think she is someone you can insult at will?!¡± Qiao Jinniang was confused to hear the old maid¡¯s words. The guards brought over by the old maid were all armed. They quickly drove the disgusting people of the Qiao Family away. Seeing this, Qiao Jinniang thought even if the old maid was a swindler, she would regard her as her benefactor. Inviting the old maid and the guards into the restaurant, Qiao Jinniang poured tea for the old maid. ¡°Thank you for helping me today, Madam. However, I¡¯m not the daughter of Duke Anyuan. Is there some kind of misunderstanding?¡± ¡°My mother used to be a maid in Duke Anyuan¡¯s mansion, and my father worked as a cook there, but they returned to Lin¡¯an City to open this restaurant 18 years ago.¡± The old maid wiped away the tears from her eyes with a brocade handkerchief. ¡°Yes, Miss, back then when the Duchess went back to the Duke¡¯s hometown with the Duke, they suddenly came across a group of bandits on the way. ¡°In such a situation, she had to hide and give birth to you on the road. ¡°It just so happened that a cook¡¯s wife was giving birth to her child too. With that in mind, a bad person came up with a vicious idea and swapped the daughters of the Duchess and the cook.¡± ¡°That bad person had only confessed what she did back then before she died. ¡°Only then did the Duchess know that you are her biological daughter, so she ordered me to bring you back to the Duke Mansion! ¡± Qiao Jinniang was stunned.. She had never thought that a sequence of events that only novels had would happen to her! Chapter 2 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Although Qiao Jinniang was shocked, hearing the sincere words of the old maid, she felt that what the latter said didn¡¯t seem to be fake¡­ Was she really the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan? How was this possible! For the people in Lin¡¯an City, a prefect was already a high-ranking official, let alone a duke! When her mother was still alive, she had talked about the strict rules and the luxurious life in the Duke Mansion, which was completely a different world to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Miss, the Duke and the Duchess are eager to see you, so please go back to Chang¡¯an with me as soon as possible.¡± Chang¡¯an? Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay, but the Qingming Festival is coming soon. Although my foster parents are not my biological parents, they still treated me as their biological daughter. ¡°They regarded me as the apple of their eyes, so I want to visit their graves before I leave. ¡± The old maid said, ¡°As it should be. I remember eating the food Cook Qiao made 18 years ago. His cooking skills are as good as a royal cook¡¯s.¡± The next day, holding an umbrella, Qiao Jinniang went to her foster parents¡¯ grave. ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll be going to Chang¡¯an soon. ¡°Tuan¡¯er was taken to Chang¡¯an by that b*stard. ¡°But with the help of Duke Anyuan, I may be able to find Tuan¡¯er sooner. ¡°Thus, Myriad Taste needs to temporarily close for a while. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the servants and maids will be abused by the people of the Qiao Family while I¡¯m not around, so I¡¯ll take them to Chang¡¯an with me. ¡°Mom, Dad, please rest assured. I¡¯ll open a new Myriad Taste in Chang¡¯an. ¡°I heard from Maid An that the girl who was swapped with me is now married to the eldest son of another duke and lives a happy life now. ¡°When I go back to Chang¡¯an, I¡¯ll take good care of her for you. ¡°Please bless Tuan¡¯er to be safe, and bless me to find Tuan¡¯er as soon as possible.¡± Qiao Jinniang knelt on the futon, knocked her head three times, and left. Myriad Taste was closed, and no one knew where Qiao Jinniang had gone. The people of the Qiao Family didn¡¯t believe that Qiao Jinniang was the daughter of Duke Anyuan, so they didn¡¯t take that old maid¡¯s words to heart. They just told others that Qiao Jinniang had eloped with a man after being divorced. Several guards in black brocade arrived in front of Myriad Taste only to see the door closed. They asked around, but no one knew where the people of Myriad Taste had gone. ¡°Head, they¡¯re gone. How should we report to Master?¡± ¡°Report truthfully. Come on, let¡¯s return to Chang¡¯an!¡± With great difficulty, Master had secured this lady the position of a concubine, but it seemed that the young hostess of Myriad Taste didn¡¯t have the luck to enjoy it. ¡­ Qiao Jinniang took the waterway, so it would take half a month before she could arrive in Chang¡¯an. Along the way, she had seen a lot of scenery, but she had no time or mood to enjoy it. All she could think about was her Tuan¡¯er. She hadn¡¯t seen Tuan¡¯er for three months. She didn¡¯t know if he had lost or gained weight, or if he could speak more fluently now. When he left her side, Tuan¡¯er still couldn¡¯t speak fluently. The clearest words he could say were ¡°Mommy¡± and ¡°Eat¡±. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ll be arriving at the dock tomorrow. The Duke Mansion has delivered four maids to you. ¡°Two of them grew up close to the Duchess, while the other two were newly bought. ¡± Qiao Jinniang had heard from her foster mother that each of the Duke¡¯s daughters would have four maids, eight second-class maids, and a maid-in-charge. ¡°Mammy, Nuomi has been serving as my maid since I was a child. I am used to her, and I plan to let her follow me into the Duke Mansion.¡± Maid An said, ¡°So as it should be. I¡¯ll let Miss Nuomi serve you together with them, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang named the four maids Hongling, Luhe, Yingtao, and Yuyan. Hongling and Luhe used to serve the Duchess, so they were quite steady. Yingtao and Yuyan were young, only 13 years old, but they looked adorable. For the past half a month, Qiao Jinniang roughly learned about the current situation of the Duke Mansion from Maid An¡­ Her father had two brothers. Her father, Duke Anyuan, had a wife and two concubines. One of the concubines died abruptly during the last Chinese New Year. She was the one who swapped her with the cook¡¯s daughter. The duke had three daughters and two sons. The eldest daughter, Qiao Ruoyun, was the girl who was swapped with Qiao Jinniang, and was now the daughter-in-law of another duke. The second daughter, Qiao Ruoshui, was 15 years old this year, and she didn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦ yet. Qiao Ruoyi, who was born from a concubine, was 14 years old, and she was very famous in Chang¡¯an for her talent. The two sons were both born by the Duchess. The eldest son was 16 years old, and the second son was only six, not much older than Tuan¡¯er. The Duke¡¯s second brother was from the same mother as him, and he had four daughters. On the other hand, the Duke¡¯s third brother was from another mother, and he had three sons. These were the masters of the Duke Mansion. Maid An said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. The Duchess has been in charge of the Duke Mansion for 18 years. You are her biological daughter, so no one in the Duke Mansion will dare to disrespect you.¡± Qiao Jinniang was not afraid of being disrespected. What she worried about was how to ask the Duke and the Duchess to find Tuan¡¯er for her. The next day, Qiao Jinniang rode the carriage to the central street of Chang¡¯an City. She had thought that Lin¡¯an was a very prosperous land for fish and rice, but she didn¡¯t expect Chang¡¯an to be even more prosperous. The Emperor had been working very hard to make the country prosperous, so now Chang¡¯an was flourishing. Qiao Jinniang lowered the curtain. It turned out that Chang¡¯an was so lively. The carriage continued on for another two-quarters of an hour before stopping at an imposing mansion. This mansion occupied an astonishing amount of land, and the gate was so wide that Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t even imagine such a wide gate existed. The carriage entered the Duke Mansion through the side door. After Qiao Jinniang got off the carriage, she saw a winding corridor. Following Maid An to a courtyard, she walked through a moon gate and saw a lady sitting in front of the hall. The lady wore a luxurious silk dress, and her hair was done up in a high, elegant bun. Her aura reminded Qiao Jinniang of the peonies that were blooming on both sides of the road when she was coming here. As Qiao Jinniang approached, she saw the lady¡¯s face clearly. Only then did she know why Maid An was so sure of her identity. It was because this lady looked very similar to her. The Duchess stood up excitedly and quickly walked toward Qiao Jinniang. If it weren¡¯t for maintaining her graceful demeanor, she might have already run up to her. She walked up to Qiao Jinniang with tears in her eyes. ¡°My child, my baby girl, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s due to my negligence that you suffered for 18 years.¡± Perhaps it was because of her bloodline, or perhaps because Qiao Jinniang thought about her own child. She couldn¡¯t help but hug the noble lady in front of her tightly. There was a faint scent on her, which smelled very nice. ¡°Mother.¡± Hearing it, the Duchess cried more bitterly. ¡°My child, I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you. I will never let you suffer again.¡± Qiao Jinniang knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Mother, in all fairness, my foster parents have treated me very well for the past 18 years. I also live a well-to-do life in Lin¡¯an.¡± ¡°My foster parents taught me how to read and write, so I didn¡¯t suffer at all. ¡°But they passed away three years ago. And bullied by the people of the Qiao Family, I had to marry a matrilocal husband. ¡°However, that man is faithless. He divorced me and took my child to Chang¡¯an. Mother, please help me find my child. He is only two years old¡­¡± When the Duchess heard Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words, she almost fainted in shock. ¡°My poor girl, how can you say you didn¡¯t suffer at all?! I didn¡¯t expect you to already have a child.¡± Maid An comforted the Duchess. ¡°Madam, Miss is already 18 years old. Even if she has a child¡­¡± The Duchess clenched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°My child, settle down in the Duke Mansion first, okay? ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about your former marriage. ¡°I¡¯ll ask your father to look for your Tuan¡¯er in secret.¡± Qiao Jinniang used to hear from her foster mother that the nobles valued their reputation very much. Thus, she replied obediently, ¡°Okay, Mother, there is one more thing. ¡°My foster parents ran a restaurant called Myriad Taste in Lin¡¯an, and I brought some of the restaurant¡¯s staff to Chang¡¯an with me. ¡°Myriad Taste has made me some money all these years, so I want to open a restaurant in Chang¡¯an to help settle down these people..¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang looked up at the Duchess, fearing that she would not agree. Noble families had many rules, and the Duchess might just not let her out to make money. Surprisingly, the Duchess simply said, ¡°Okay, okay, ask me if you need any money.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°I have enough money to open a shop.¡± The members of the Qiao Family coveted Myriad Taste greedily because Myriad Taste was doing very well financially. Over the years, Qiao Jinniang had earned a lot of money and bought a lot of shops in Lin¡¯an to rent out. In fact, she was not short of money. The Duchess personally took Qiao Jinniang to the courtyard prepared for her, which was right beside the Duchess¡¯ courtyard, NingXin Garden. This new courtyard hadn¡¯t been named yet. ¡°Jinniang, name this courtyard as you like.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought for a while before saying, ¡°How about Jin Garden?¡± The Duchess smiled and said, ¡°What a nice name you picked.¡± Qiao Jinniang entered the boudoir and found that it was full of precious decor. ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± The Duchess said with tears in her eyes, ¡°All these things can¡¯t make up for anything. I¡¯m just glad that you like it. If you need anything, just tell Mammy An. Don¡¯t be shy.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. In the blink of an eye, it was time for lunch, and Qiao Jinniang arrived at Ningxin Garden with the Duchess. When they arrived at Ningxin Garden, Qiao Jinniang saw a well-dressed young woman donning the hairstyle of a married woman. When she saw this woman, Qiao Jinniang was a little dazed. Her nose started to sour as she saluted. ¡°Nice to meet you, lady.¡± This woman looked exactly like her foster mother, so she recognized her at a glance. ¡°Oh, I really don¡¯t deserve this. I¡¯m sorry. I took the high position and great wealth that were supposed to be yours.¡± Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly helped Qiao Jinniang up. Qiao Ruoyun said with red eyes. ¡°Ever since I knew about what happened to us back then, I¡¯ve been feeling guilty. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang was frightened by Qiao Ruoyun. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t say this. When we were swapped, you were only a baby. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°And I lived a happy life in Lin¡¯an, so please don¡¯t feel guilty.¡± The Duchess patted Qiao Ruoyun on the shoulder. ¡°Ruoyun, you have always thought too much ever since you were a child. This has nothing to do with you. I raised you up, so you are also my daughter too. Jinniang¡¯s suffering has nothing to do with you. Jinniang doesn¡¯t blame you, neither do I. Don¡¯t think too much about it and hurt yourself.¡± Qiao Ruoyun wiped her tears with a handkerchief. ¡°Sister, my parents¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang pursed her lips and said, ¡°They died of illness three years ago¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyun cried again. ¡°Sister, you must have gone through a lot of hardship.¡± The Duchess also wiped her tears and said, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t cry. Today is a good day. Tell the cooks to make a few more dishes to welcome Jinniang back.¡± At lunch, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t see her two younger sisters, so she asked the Duchess, ¡°Mother, where are my younger sisters?¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Today is the Crown Prince¡¯s capping ceremony, and your younger sisters have both gone to the East Palace to celebrate the ceremony. Originally, Ruoyun and I were going there too, but I didn¡¯t want to make you wait, so I pleaded illness.¡± After that, Qiao Jinniang lowered her head to eat without saying a word. There were strict dining etiquettes in the Duke Mansion, but the maids were serving attentively. Even if Qiao Jinniang¡¯s dining etiquette was not perfect, no one dared to laugh at her. It wasn¡¯t until after the meal that the Duchess said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°You are just too honest. Why did you tell the truth to your husband¡¯s family? Your two sisters-in-law are not easy to get along with. ¡°And now that the entire Chang¡¯an has realized that you¡¯re not the biological daughter of your father, you¡¯ll have to get pregnant as soon as possible.¡± Qiao Ruoyun lowered her head and nodded. The Duchess said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, you must be tired from the long trip. Go to sleep for a while. I think your father, grandmother and sisters might not be back until night falls. You can meet them tomorrow.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted and said, ¡°Mother, I want to find a suitable store in Chang¡¯an City first, in order to reopen Myriad Taste as soon as possible.¡± Feeling guilty towards Qiao Jinniang, the Duchess certainly wouldn¡¯t reject her request. ¡°I will have the butler go with you. Unlike Lin¡¯an, in Chang¡¯an, if you want to buy a store, you need to have someone powerful behind you. If you find the store you want to buy, just tell them you¡¯re from Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± The central street of Chang¡¯an Main was very lively. It was a warm breezy spring day, and the merchants and vendors on both sides of the street were peddling. Hongling helped Qiao Jinniang out of the carriage. ¡°Chang¡¯an is divided into five streets and twelve lanes. The central street is connected to the imperial city, and those living on it are all dignitaries. Therefore, the central street is very lively. Beside it, there are many stores along the moat, including countless restaurants and tea houses.¡± ¡°Miss, if you want to open a restaurant, this is the most suitable place.¡± At first glance, Qiao Jinniang took a liking to a two-story restaurant next to a bridge. ¡°This location is very good. It¡¯s noon now, but why aren¡¯t there any customers in this restaurant?¡± Compared to the other bustling stores, this restaurant was indeed deserted. Hongling asked a footboy to inquire. Soon, the footboy came back and said, ¡°Miss, this restaurant is called Tasty Pavilion. It used to be famous in Chang¡¯an, and it was opened during the reign of the former emperor with a history of 40 to 50 years. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that the shopkeeper has no son but only three daughters, so he married his youngest daughter to a matrilocal husband. ¡°Unexpectedly, after his son-in-law learned the good cooking skills of the shopkeeper, he was favored by the daughter of an imperial chef. Then, he hooked up with that woman and divorced his wife. ¡°After that, he opened a ¡®Guest Welcoming Building¡¯ not far from Tasty Pavilion and poached many cooks from Tasty Pavilion.¡± ¡°So Tasty Pavilion¡¯s business is getting worse every day.¡± ¡°Life is tough for women in this world.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look!¡± Hearing this poor woman¡¯s story, Qiao Jinniang thought of the b*stard who divorced her and stole her son! She and Tasty Pavilion¡¯s young shopkeeper had the same experience. ¡­ The Crown Prince¡¯s capping ceremony was a big event for the East Palace, so all the civilian, military officers and noble families had come to celebrate it. Nowadays, men would receive their capping ceremony when they were 20, but if a male royal family member was exceptionally favored by the Emperor, he could have his capping ceremony in advance. His Majesty wanted to hold the capping ceremony for the Crown Prince when he was 17, but the Crown Prince disappeared abruptly. For the last three years, the Crown Prince had been missing. His Majesty had seven sons. The Crown Prince was the youngest, but he was also the one most favored by the Emperor. For the past few years, many ministers demanded to change the Crown Prince, and for this, His Majesty severely punished many senior ministers. But, 20 days ago, the Crown Prince suddenly came back. At this news, the Emperor was overjoyed and decreed to hold a capping ceremony for him, so the ceremony was very grand and lively. In the Tang Dynasty, the restrictions on women were not as harsh as before, so standing among the noble young ladies, Qiao Ruoshui and her friends looked at the young man in the middle of the hall. ¡°His Royal Highness has become even more handsome than before.¡± ¡°As God¡¯s favored one, he certainly looks different from ordinary men. But, Sister, as an unmarried woman, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate for you to comment on the Crown Prince¡¯s appearance like this.¡± A girl in a pink dress greeted Qiao Ruoshui. Qiao Ruoshui snorted. She really disliked this sister whose mother was a concubine. His Majesty loved the Crown Prince very much, and the Queen even came to the East Palace in person to attend the capping ceremony. At the moment of capping, the Crown Prince¡¯s nose was itchy, so he couldn¡¯t help but sneeze. The sneeze was indecent but the Crown Prince was so handsome and graceful that Qiao Ruoshui felt that he was very charming even when he was sneezing. ¡­ ¡°Humph, no man in the world is good.¡± In the Tasty Pavilion, a woman in her early twenties cursed men with Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re right, but I believe they¡¯ll get their retribution sooner or later! Getting back on topic, Sister, I¡¯d like to buy the Tasty Pavilion.¡± When the girl surnamed Lin heard Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words, she said, ¡°Tasty Pavilion¡¯s business is poor now, but I inherited it from my father after all. If¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang could understand her concerns. If someone asked her to sell Myriad Taste, she would refuse too. ¡°Sister, Tasty Pavilion¡¯s business is so poor now that it is useless to hold on. It is better to sell it and make other plans.¡± Miss Lin sighed. ¡°Firstly, this restaurant is my ancestral property. Secondly, my ex-husband has Earl Cheng¡¯en behind him, and Earl Cheng¡¯en is the Queen Dowager¡¯s brother. The imperial cook was very appreciated by the Queen Dowager, so she married his eldest daughter to the eldest son of Earl Cheng¡¯en as his concubine¡­¡± ¡°The restaurants nearby that have no powerful people behind them are no match for the Guest Welcoming Building run by my ex-husband.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Sister Lin, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not afraid of Earl Cheng¡¯en..¡± Chapter 4 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang sympathized with Miss Lin, so she kept all the staff of Tasty Pavilion. Being able to resist the temptation of Miss Lin¡¯s ex-husband, these people must be faithful, and she didn¡¯t change the name of Tasty Pavilion. After all, it was an old brand in Chang¡¯an. As for Myriad Taste, she could open it once she gained a foothold in Chang¡¯an. After going through all the transfer procedures with Miss Lin through the government, Qiao Jinniang handed her notes worth 50,000 taels of silver, but Miss Lin refused to take them. ¡°This is too much. Isn¡¯t the transfer fee just 30,000 taels of silver? Even when Tasty Pavilion was at its best, it was only worth 50,000 taels of silver.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Tasty Pavilion is worth it.¡± Looking at the extra 20,000 taels of silver notes, Miss Lin bowed to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Thank you.¡± After returning to Tasty Pavilion, Qiao Jinniang arranged accommodation for the staff from Myriad Taste and put up a sign that the restaurant would be closed for a few days. Qiao Jinniang sat on the table and said to the waiters. ¡°Tasty Pavilion needs to be refurbished, so let¡¯s refurbish the restaurant in the next few days. After that, I¡¯ll choose a good day to reopen it.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Qiao Jinniang assigned separate jobs for the staff members, negotiated and set their wages with them, and made it clear to them about the rules of the restaurant. She didn¡¯t return to the Duke Mansion until the sun was about to set. When she returned to the Duke Mansion, she was told the Duchess had gone to the East Palace. ¡°Miss, something happened to the Little Ancestor of the East Palace, which happened to concern Third Miss, so Madam could only go¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Little Ancestor?¡± Hongling replied, ¡°Miss, Little Ancestor is His Majesty¡¯s grandson, the Crown Prince¡¯s two-year-old son. His Majesty and Her Majesty are very fond of him, so everyone in Chang¡¯an calls him ¡®Little Ancestor¡¯.¡± Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. The operas she heard when she was in Lin¡¯an often mentioned that to be in the king¡¯s company was tantamount to living with a tiger, so offending the emperor¡¯s grandson was no trifling matter. ¡­ In the East Palace. Qiao Ruoshui was stunned. After being missing for three years, the Crown Prince came back with a child who was very adorable. Although she wanted to become the crown princess, it didn¡¯t mean that she would apple-polish this illegitimate child. However, after the child saw her, he ran over crying and called her Mom, asking her to hug him. As the daughter of Duke Anyuan, Qiao Ruoshui immediately scolded him angrily when she heard that. The little imperial grandson was so frightened by her that he kept crying. But even so, the little imperial grandson still called Qiao Ruoshui ¡®Mom¡¯ and dragged her to stop her from leaving. Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s maidservant was afraid something bad would happen and hurriedly sent someone back to call the Duchess over, and a maid of the little imperial grandson also went to invite the Crown Prince over. ¡°Little Ancestor, don¡¯t cry, Miss Qiao is not leaving.¡± His nanny hurriedly comforted him. ¡°Miss Qiao, could you please say something to comfort him?¡± Qiao Ruoshui was annoyed. ¡°What are you talking about, you lowly servant? How can I, an unmarried woman, pretend to be his mother just to please him? This will tarnish my reputation! Do you think I¡¯m someone you can bully¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The Duchess happened to arrive at this time. Hearing what Qiao Ruoshui said, she suddenly had a headache. Her second daughter was way too wayward and unruly. When Qiao Ruoshui saw the Duchess, she said angrily, ¡°Mother, you are finally here. This bad servant wants to ruin my reputation!¡± The Duchess saluted the little imperial grandson, but as soon as he saw her, his big eyes blinked and he ran at her, calling her Mom. The Duchess certainly didn¡¯t dare to respond. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid you got the wrong person¡­¡± The little imperial grandson stretched out his chubby little hand and grabbed the Duchess¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mom, Mommy.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince has arrived.¡± As an imperial maid chanted, the Duchess and the crowd who was watching on the side all knelt on the ground. The Crown Prince, dressed in an embroidered gold and black robe, picked up his son who was still crying. ¡°My son is still too young. Duchess, Miss Qiao, I¡¯d like to apologize in his place. You two look a bit like his mother, so he mistook you for his mother. Please forgive him for his offence.¡± The Duchess didn¡¯t dare to make the Crown Prince apologize, so she hurriedly said, ¡°No problem, no problem.¡± After leaving the East Palace, Qiao Ruoshui was still annoyed. ¡°I wonder which woman of unknown origin gave birth to that b*stard child¡­¡± The Duchess raised her hand and slapped Qiao Ruoshui. ¡°Are you crazy? If your words reach the Crown Prince, everyone in Duke Anyuan¡¯s household will be executed because of you!¡± Qiao Ruoshui covered her face and cried. ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t like me anymore because you got Sister back, do you?¡± The Duchess warned Qiao Ruoshui. ¡°It is a blessing for you to look like the little imperial grandson¡¯s mother. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be the crown princess? Isn¡¯t it a good thing that the little imperial grandson likes you?!¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a b*stard child born by a concubine.¡± Hearing it, Qiao Ruoyi on the side looked a bit unhappy. The Duchess patted Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You have always been steady. Take care of your elder sister when you attend banquets with her.¡± Qiao Ruoshui was very annoyed, which increase her ire for that little b*stard even more. ¡­ It pained the Queen to see the little imperial grandson constantly crying. She asked the Crown Prince, ¡°Haven¡¯t the people sent to Lin¡¯an come back?¡± The Crown Prince sighed. ¡°She¡¯s no longer in Myriad Taste, and no one knows where the people of Myriad Taste have gone.¡± The Queen finally crooned her lovely little grandson to sleep. ¡°Then make the third daughter of Duke Anyuan your concubine first. ¡°As a daughter of Duke Anyuan, she is worthy of the position of the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine. Most importantly, Tuan¡¯er likes her.¡± The Crown Prince shook his head and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s inappropriate. I¡¯ll order all my men to search for Jinniang all over the country.¡± The Queen asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring her back to Chang¡¯an with you?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s look gave the Queen the answer. ¡°You¡¯re really my good son. Do you think me, your kind mother, will look down on her just because she was not born in an aristocratic family?¡± The Crown Prince saluted and said, ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t mean that, but I was afraid that the Queen Dowager and Imperial Concubine Xian might cause troubles, so I wanted to gain an imperial decree from Father first before bringing her back, but who knew¡­¡± The Queen sighed, ¡°Okay, forget it. You better find her soon. I don¡¯t want to see my little grandson cry himself hoarse again.¡± Once a two-year-old child started to understand people¡¯s words, he would cling to his mother the most. ¡­ Qiao Jinniang was startled awake at mid-night because she just had a nightmare of her Tuan¡¯er being tortured by that b*stard. Hongling and Luhe, who were guarding outside, heard her crying and hurriedly came inside, asking, ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang coughed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s the time? Is my mother back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 11 pm, and Madam has already returned. The Crown Prince¡¯s son mistook the Third Miss as his mother, so there was some trouble.¡± Hongling poured a glass of water for Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang took a sip of water. Even the little imperial grandson who was coddled by so many people clung to his mother this much, so how could her poor Tuan¡¯er not miss his mother? Qiao Jinniang had made up her mind. Once she met the duke tomorrow, she would kneel down and beg him to help find Tuan¡¯er. She was living a luxurious life in the Duke Mansion, but she didn¡¯t even know if her Tuan¡¯er would have enough to eat. She didn¡¯t know if that b*stard could take good care of Tuan¡¯er. Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t fall asleep anymore and stayed awake all night. The maids were dressing her up. Qiao Jinniang had thought that grooming on the boat was cumbersome, but she didn¡¯t expect this to be truly cumbersome. It was no wonder that she was given four maids. It took nearly a quarter of an hour to just comb her hair. And after that, the maids applied some hair cream on her hair and continued to comb it. A maid at the side took a hot towel and gently applied it onto Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face. Two other maids poured out some hand lotion and gently smeared them on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hands. Watching this, Nuomi was stunned and said, ¡°Miss, I was too useless. I¡¯m sorry that I took poor care of you.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°I liked to sleep late, so I didn¡¯t have enough time for this. Even if you can do all these, I still want to save the time for sleep.¡± Her foster parents died three years ago, and although she had the b*stard help her, she was still very busy. After all, Myriad Taste was a very famous restaurant in South China. Hongling also smiled and said, ¡°Miss, you can sleep late from now on. The Duchess is so kind to you. You definitely won¡¯t have to get up early.¡± After that, she put Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hair in a beautiful winding snake bun, inserted a golden hairpin into her hair, and helped her put on a red dress embroidered with auspicious clouds. All dressed up, Qiao Jinniang looked very elegant and charming. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so beautiful. You¡¯re the best looking girl in the Duke Mansion,¡± Luhe said fawningly.. Chapter 5 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang arrived at the Duchess¡¯ courtyard, only to find out that the duke had gone to the barracks last night and hadn¡¯t returned. At the news of that, she could only follow her mother to her grandmother¡¯s courtyard. In the courtyard of the Duchess Dowager, there was a faint scent of sandalwood. Qiao Jinniang guessed that the Duchess Dowager must be a Buddhist. Qiao Jinniang, supported by a maid, knelt down to the Duchess Dowager and greeted, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m Jinniang.¡± The Duchess Dowager hurriedly helped Qiao Jinniang up. ¡°My girl, come sit next to me. You look exactly like your mother. That damned vicious woman made you suffer!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Grandma, that person is already dead. Don¡¯t be angry. My life was not bad in Lin¡¯an.¡± The Duchess Dowager said to the Duchess, ¡°Since Jinniang is back, the ranking of the girls needs to be changed. From now on, Jinniang will be called Second Miss, and the other girls¡¯ ranking will move down one place. ¡°And we shall hold more banquets to introduce Jinniang. We must not let the noble girls in Chang¡¯an look down on my eldest granddaughter. ¡°As for Ruoyun, visit her more. She¡¯s a good girl. Don¡¯t let her be wronged for this. ¡± ¡°Yes, Mother, I know,¡± the Duchess replied respectfully. The Duchess Dowager waved her hand, motioning the servants and maids to leave before she asked the Duchess, ¡°Last night, when I was chatting with the Duchess Dowager of Duke Anning¡¯s Mansion, I heard that the little imperial grandson mistook Little Third¡­, oh, no, Little Fourth, as his mother?¡± ¡°Alas, he¡¯s just a child who doesn¡¯t know anything and can¡¯t even speak clearly. According to the Crown Prince, Little Fourth looks a bit like his mother.¡± The Duchess Dowager was turning the Buddha beads in her hand as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for being biased. If Ruofeng or Ruowan marries into the East Palace, I won¡¯t be worried at all, but if it¡¯s Ruoshui, it¡¯s not a good thing for our family.¡± The Duchess nodded. ¡°Ruoshui is not fit to marry the Crown Prince, but if the Crown Prince asks to marry her because of the little imperial grandson¡­¡± The Duchess Dowager was still turning the Buddhist beads. ¡°The Crown Prince went missing for three years in the South and suddenly came back with a child. ¡°But he didn¡¯t say whether the child¡¯s mother was dead or alive. A woman who gave birth to the eldest son of the Crown Prince, whether she becomes the first concubine or the second concubine, even the Crown Princess will have to take her seriously. ¡°If she¡¯s dead, it¡¯ll be even more troublesome. His Majesty and Her Majesty love the little imperial grandson very much. If Ruoshui marries into the East Palace and the Crown Prince wants Ruoshui to raise this child up¡­ You know, it¡¯s always difficult to be a stepmother¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang suddenly said, ¡°The Crown Prince was missing for three years in the South? When did he return to Chang¡¯an?¡± ¡°Around early February.¡± The Duchess Dowager asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡± This was probably a coincidence. How could the dignified Crown Prince agree to marry into a merchant family? However, being missing for three years and the age of the little imperial grandson¡­ Was it really a coincidence? Qiao Jinniang felt that she must be missing Tuan¡¯er too much, so she came up with such a delusion. The Duchess Dowager pondered for a while and said, ¡°Our family doesn¡¯t need to have an imperial concubine to add glory to our family. Choose a good young man for Ruoshui as soon as possible and make her give up the thought of marrying the Crown Prince.¡± After that, the Duchess Dowager began to ask Qiao Jinniang about her life in Lin¡¯an. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t mention her former marriage and her son as her mother told her not to tell anyone about it. She only talked about how happy her life was in Lin¡¯an. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang had no complaints at all, the Duchess Dowager liked her even more and endowed her with a lot of her personal jewelry. Qiao Jinniang bowed and accepted her gifts. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Grandmother.¡± It was time for the Duchess Dowager to chant Buddhist scriptures, so Qiao Jinniang left with the Duchess. Qiao Jinniang tentatively asked the Duchess, ¡°Mother, does the little imperial grandson look like His Royal Highness?¡± ¡°Yes, they look very much alike, especially their phoenix eyes, which are exactly like the Queen¡¯s eyes. No wonder His Majesty loves him so much.¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart trembled. Tuan¡¯er also had a pair of phoenix eyes, making him look a lot like that b*stard¡­ The Duchess asked gently, ¡°It¡¯s normal that children look like their parents. Why are you asking about this?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m just curious about the Crown Prince¡¯s appearance. Yesterday, I heard on the street that the Crown Prince was very favored by His Majesty, and I¡¯ve never seen a royal family member, so I got a bit curious.¡± Qiao Jinniang was self-aware, so she wouldn¡¯t be so cheeky as to fantasize that she was the little imperial grandson¡¯s mother. Even with so many coincidences, she didn¡¯t think it was likely. After all, he was the Crown Prince! How could she possibly make the Crown Prince marry into her family? Besides, that unfaithful b*stard could never be the Crown Prince! The Duchess patted her daughter¡¯s hand and said, ¡°His Majesty met the Queen not long after he ascended the throne. Although he was much older than the Queen, he was very affectionate to her. His harem exists only in name over the past two decades, so you can tell how much His Majesty likes the Crown Prince.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°His Majesty is really a good husband.¡± The Duchess sneered. ¡°It¡¯s true for the Queen, but for other imperial concubines¡­ ¡°I know I may get myself killed for saying this, but the imperial palace is not such a good place to go. Your sister is obsessed with becoming the crown princess and refuses to listen to me. Now she is already fifteen but hasn¡¯t gotten a fianc¨¦ yet.¡± Surprised at the Duchess¡¯s bold words and her insight, Qiao Jinniang comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. Nowadays, many girls don¡¯t get married until they¡¯re seventeen or eighteen. All my friends in Lin¡¯an haven¡¯t got married yet.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for the sudden illness of her foster parents, Qiao Jinniang wouldn¡¯t have married someone so early. Nowadays, in Chang¡¯an, girls wouldn¡¯t be laughed at even if they got married at the age of seventeen or eighteen. The Duchess said, ¡°This is true. You are only 18 years old now. Nowadays, women are not treated as harshly as before. Many women can even get divorced and remarried. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely find you a good husband.¡± Qiao Jinniang was slightly taken aback. ¡°Mother, I just want Tuan¡¯er.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°We¡¯ll find Tuan¡¯er, but his father is really a bad guy! Just bring Tuan¡¯er back. We¡¯ll take good care of him!¡± Qiao Jinniang never thought that her mother had already planned her future. But she didn¡¯t want to fall in love again. The b*stard had vowed that he would love her forever, but in the end, their marriage ended up like this. Qiao Jinniang followed the Duchess back to her courtyard and saw Qiao Ruoshui and Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao Ruoshui looked up and down at the woman in front of her who was wearing a thin spring dress with a slender figure and a prettier face than hers. She sympathized with her when she learned that she had a sister raised up by servants a few months ago. But when she learned that her parents wanted to take her back, she threw a tantrum. How could they let a slave-raised girl who grew up in the countryside come to Chang¡¯an? This would definitely disgrace her. Yesterday, many noble girls congratulated her ironically that she was going to have one more sister. Qiao Ruoshui thought that she would see a vulgar, shabbily-clothed woman, but it turned out that her temperament was very good. Qiao Ruoyi took the lead in saluting. ¡°Mother, is this Eldest Sister?¡± Qiao Jinniang inferred from her appearance that this should be the Fifth Miss, so she saluted back. ¡°Hi, Fifth Sister, this is a small gift I bought in Lin¡¯an for you.¡± Behind her, Nuomi took out an exquisitely carved wooden box and handed it to Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao Ruoyi smelled the scent and asked, ¡°Is this an ink stick?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°This is Gold Thread Ink, a specialty of Huizhou. I heard that you like painting and calligraphy, so I prepared this for you.¡± Qiao Ruoyi was overjoyed and saluted. ¡°Thank you, Sister. I like it very much.¡± Gold Thread Ink was even more expensive than gold. Only fifty pieces could be produced every year, and they were almost all bought by officials as gifts for their superiors. It could be seen how expensive the ink was and how carefully Qiao Jinniang prepared the gift for her. Qiao Ruoshui snorted, ¡°What is the big deal of a small piece of ink?¡± The Duchess glared at Qiao Ruoshui. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you saluted your sister yet?¡± ¡°My sister is Qiao Ruoyun, the future Duchess of Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion, not a wild girl from the countryside!¡± Qiao Ruoshui said with her head high. The Duchess was very annoyed, and she slammed the table. ¡°Humph, if you don¡¯t respect Jinniang, don¡¯t call me Mother anymore!¡± Qiao Jinniang had never seen the Duchess be so angry, so she hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, Fourth Sister is still a child. Don¡¯t be angry at her. This is the pearl head ornament I prepared for her.¡± When Nuomi handed the gift to her, Qiao Ruoshui unexpectedly slammed the box to the ground, causing the pearl head ornament to fall to the ground and shatter.. Chapter 6 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Duchess was truly angered now. ¡°You! Mammy An, take her to kneel at the ancestral hall. Don¡¯t give her anything to eat until she apologizes!¡± Qiao Jinniang picked up the head ornament on the ground. ¡°What a pity. It¡¯s broken. I don¡¯t know if it can be repaired.¡± Unconvinced, Qiao Ruoshui shouted angrily, ¡°Mom, do you know how I was laughed at by the other girls in the East Palace yesterday? ¡°They said I was going to have a slave-raised sister and told me not to be contaminated by her air of lowliness¡­¡± The Duchess slammed the table and said, ¡°Who said that? I¡¯m going to ask their parents how they educate their daughters! ¡°I¡¯d like to see, in Chang¡¯an City, who dares to disrespect the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan!¡± Qiao Ruoshui said in an unconvinced attitude, ¡°Even if they don¡¯t say such words anymore, they will think it in their hearts. I¡¯m going to marry into the East Palace, and having a slave-raised sister will affect my reputation. ¡°We have so many farms. She can live on a farm. Why do you have to bring her home!¡± The more the Duchess listened, the angrier she was. Fearing that Qiao Jinniang would be sad, she hurriedly held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Jinniang, you must feel very wronged. Don¡¯t take her stupid nonsense to heart. No matter who brought you up, you are my good daughter. .¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled with relief. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m very happy. After my foster parents left, I thought that no one in this world loves me anymore. But now that I have Father, Mother, Grandmother, Sister Ruoyi, and Sister Ruoyun, there is no reason for me to feel wronged.¡± Qiao Jinniang could tell the Duchess really loved her and Qiao Ruoyun truly felt guilty about her situation. This was enough. As for those people who said nasty things about her, she wouldn¡¯t take their words seriously. She wouldn¡¯t take those words to heart. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was so sensible, the Duchess was even more annoyed at Qiao Ruoshui and urged Mammy An to quickly take her to the ancestral hall. ¡°Mother.¡± A child¡¯s soft, cute voice came from outside. Qiao Jinniang looked over and saw a cute little boy in a red round-necked robe trotting over. When he saw Qiao Jinniang, he was slightly taken aback. The Duchess said, ¡°Ali, this is your eldest sister.¡± The boy called her ¡®sister¡¯ sweetly. Qiao Jinniang was 12 years older than this younger brother of hers. She motioned Nuomi to take out a gold-inlaid jade longevity lock and gave it to him. The Duchess said, ¡°You must have spent a lot of money on these gifts. Let me take you to buy some clothes and jewelry this afternoon.¡± ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve already prepared a lot of clothes and jewelry for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough. It¡¯s spring, so you should wear brighter colors. Ruoyi, if you¡¯re free in the afternoon, let¡¯s go together.¡± Qiao Ruoyi nodded obediently. Qiao Jinniang thought that the one most difficult to get along with would be this half-sister of hers. However, although this sister was only 14 years old, she was polite and sensible, who reminded Qiao Jinniang of her former female teacher. In the afternoon, Qiao Jinniang followed the Duchess to the central street to buy some jewelry and clothes. ¡°Mother, the head ornament for Fourth Sister is of great value, so I want to find a shop to repair it. Which store is the best jewelry store in Chang¡¯an?¡± The Duchess sighed when she thought of her annoying younger daughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what she did to you, Jinniang. There is no need to fix it. I will buy you a new one.¡± ¡°Mother, I got it with a lot of effort. It¡¯s very precious. It¡¯ll be a pity to throw it away.¡± The Duchess thought Qiao Jinniang simply didn¡¯t want to waste money, so she took her to the most popular jewelry store in Chang¡¯an, Treasure Pavilion. They sold the best jewelry in Chang¡¯an. Qiao Jinniang entered the store and looked around at the jewelry here, discovering they were similar to those sold in Lin¡¯an City. She took out the head ornament shattered by Qiao Ruoshui and asked a staff member, ¡°Do you have any hard-gold craftsman who can repair this pearl head ornament?¡± ¡°Hard gold? Is it the new jewelry-making technique invented in the South?¡± The shopkeeper hurriedly came over. ¡°This is hard gold indeed. This kind of gold is very precious. I guess this head ornament costs you at least 10,000 taels of silver, right?¡± The Duchess was surprised. Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s hard gold. Do you have a craftsman who can fix it.¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°There is no hard gold in Chang¡¯an yet. Hard gold normally won¡¯t break like this, so this thing must have been smashed really hard.¡± Qiao Jinniang said helplessly, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll have it repaired after I go back to Lin¡¯an.¡± The Duchess asked the shopkeeper to take out the newest batch of jewelry that the shop had and let Qiao Jinniang choose at will. Qiao Jinniang really didn¡¯t like jewelry, but she didn¡¯t want to disappoint the Duchess. Pretending to be interested, she picked four to five pieces and then chose a set of jewelry for the Duchess. ¡°Mother, you look really beautiful in this piece of jewelry.¡± The Duchess was very happy to hear it, so she generously paid for it. ¡°I just saw the carriage of Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion. Has their slave-raised eldest daughter who grew up in the countryside returned?¡± ¡°Such a vulgar woman. I¡¯m afraid that sooner or later, she will be disgusted by the people of Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion after coming to Chang¡¯an!¡± A group of noble girls in colorful clothing shook their fans, laughed and talked in small voices. The Duchess was picking jewelry with the shopkeeper in the store so she didn¡¯t hear these words, but Qiao Jinniang heard them clearly. Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t mind them. They are nothing but a bunch of snobs. The most senior official among the elders of those people is no more than a deputy minister. They¡¯re just jealous of you.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled at Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just ignore them.¡± At such a young age, they already talked so viciously. Paying attention to these kinds of people would abase herself. ¡°The spring hunt will be coming in a few days. I heard that the Crown Prince will go on the spring hunt this year. The Crown Prince has received his capping ceremony and is about to choose his wife and concubines. We can¡¯t be the crown princess, but if we can become his concubine¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang was shocked by the boldness of the girls in Chang¡¯an. They even dared to say those words so loudly. Qiao Ruoyi said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°His Majesty loves the Crown Prince very much, so even just becoming his concubine means a bright future, so Sister Ruoshui¡­ ¡°After the Crown Prince came back, many noble girls in Chang¡¯an got into conflicts with each other. ¡°Daughters and sisters of aristocrats wanted to be the crown princess, and daughters and sisters of those government officials wanted to be the Crown Prince¡¯s concubines¡­¡± Hearing this, Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Dangerously handsome!¡± Qiao Ruoyi laughed too. ¡°Exactly, dangerously handsome. There will be a lot of interesting things happening in this year¡¯s spring hunt. Sister, I think we will have a lot of fun this spring hunt.¡± Qiao Jinniang was amused. ¡°What about you, Sister? Don¡¯t you want to make it to the sky in one step?¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Daddy is a duke, a marshal and the Defense Minister. Our family is already very high up in Chang¡¯an, so why bother to take the risk?¡± Qiao Jinniang finally understood why Duke Anyuan was so powerful in Chang¡¯an. It turned out that his position was so high. Being already so powerful, he really didn¡¯t have to rely on his daughter to advance his career. It was no wonder that her grandmother asked her mother to pressure Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s husband¡¯s family to treat Qiao Ruoyun nicely, which made her relieved. After the Duchess settled the bill, she took Qiao Jinniang to a clothing store, where many noble young ladies were choosing their clothes, most of whom came to tailor riding outfits. In the Tang Dynasty, people held the military arts in high regard, so most women could ride horses. The spring hunt was just around the corner, so many young ladies came to tailor themselves a riding outfit. The Duchess also gave a set of tailor-made riding outfits to Qiao Jinniang. Seeing this, she hurriedly declined. ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t ride a horse¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. My daughter has to have what anyone else¡¯s daughter has.¡± When the Duchess and Qiao Jinniang entered, they attracted the attention of many ladies and girls. One of the ladies came over and said, ¡°Duchess Anyuan, this is your second daughter, right? She looks so much like you, as if she was brought up by you personally.¡± Qiao Jinniang realized that this lady looked a little similar to the girl who insulted her just now. Qiao Ruoyi whispered to her, ¡°She is the wife of a deputy minister of defense. You saw her daughter in the Treasure Pavilion just now.¡± The Duchess was happy when others praised her daughter, ¡°Yes, Jinniang, be it temperament or appearance, is similar to me when I was young.¡± Mrs. Lin sighed. ¡°You must have suffered a lot, poor girl, but fortunately, after suffering comes happiness. Second Miss, please study etiquette hard so as not to disgrace the Duke Mansion.¡± Qiao Jinniang simply said, ¡°I¡¯ve never suffered. My foster parents treated me like the apple of their eye. ¡°Also, they have long redeemed themselves from slavery, but your daughter keeps calling me a ¡®slave-raised girl¡¯. May I ask you, Madam, does your daughter think that government documents are not valid?¡± Mrs. Lin looked utterly embarrassed. Hearing this, the Duchess was immediately annoyed, ¡°Did Miss Lin really say that just now?¡± Chapter 7 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang nodded. She was never one to swallow insults. She didn¡¯t want to waste time on these people, but since Mrs. Lin had provoked her, if she tolerated it, others would think she was a pushover. Everyone in the Duke Mansion all felt guilty towards her. With them behind her, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t have to tolerate this person at all. No matter what kind of a person she was, Mrs. Lin was in no position to lecture her. And this woman was obviously implying that she was vulgar! The Duchess¡¯s face darkened. She then said, ¡°Mrs. Lin, you really educate your daughter well!¡± With that, she brought Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi back to the Duke Mansion. After they entered the Duke Mansion, the concierge hurried forward and said, ¡°Madam, the Duke is back, and he specifically set aside two hours of his time to see Third Miss today. The spring hunt is just around the corner, so he might not have time to come back in the near future.¡± The spring hunt was an important event in the Tang Dynasty where the emperor would lead the civil and military officials to hunt. Among the four major hunting events in the year, the spring hunt was the most important. Qiao Jinniang followed the Duchess to a hall and saw a handsome and majestic man who looked still young. In his armor, it seemed as though he had just returned from the barracks. ¡°Is she Jinniang?¡± At those words, Qiao Jinniang immediately knelt and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯m Jinniang.¡± Duke Anyuan hurriedly helped Qiao Jinniang up and said, ¡°Get up quickly. Sorry, my daughter.¡± The Duchess snorted. Duke Anyuan was to blame for her daughter¡¯s suffering. If he hadn¡¯t indulged that little b*tch, her daughter would not have been separated from her for so many years. Fortunately, her daughter¡¯s foster parents had treated her well. Moreover, they were in a period filled with peace and prosperity, so Jinniang didn¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t get up. She instead knocked her head on the ground hard, saying, ¡°Father, please help me find Tuan¡¯er back.¡± Duke Anyuan asked in surprise, ¡°Tuan¡¯er?¡± Qiao Jinniang recounted what had happened in Lin¡¯an. ¡°That jerk brought Tuan¡¯er to Chang¡¯an a few months ago, and what was sent back to Lin¡¯an was only a divorced letter¡­¡± Duke Anyuan clenched his hands. ¡°B*stard, how dare that guy insult my daughter like this! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll have my men to look for your son. Although there are many nobles in Chang¡¯an City, it¡¯s easy to find someone who had been missing for three years and came back with a child. ¡°Well, I remember His Royal Highness has just come back from the South with a two-year-old child. ¡± The Duchess snorted. ¡°Even if you want to be the Crown Prince¡¯s father-in-law, I don¡¯t think my daughter is that lucky. How can the Crown Prince possibly marry into a merchant family? You must be dreaming.¡± Duke Anyuan felt very guilty for his wife, so he had been avoiding her in the past few months. He simply said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that the man is the Crown Prince. I just gave an example. ¡°Jinniang, just wait in the Duke Mansion. I¡¯ll have my men investigate this matter secretly, so don¡¯t worry.¡± How could Qiao Jinniang not worry? But in Chang¡¯an, all she could rely on was the Duke Mansion. Although she had money, in Chang¡¯an, money didn¡¯t work as well as power. ¡°Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad.¡± After Qiao Jinniang left, Duke Anyuan said to the Duchess, ¡°His Majesty seems to intend to let Ruoshui marry into the East Palace, but I heard that she is grounded?¡± ¡°She is spoiled by you. I¡¯ve already discussed it with Mother. Ruoshui is not fit to marry into the East Palace. Our family doesn¡¯t have to get involved in the harem fight at the East Palace.¡± Duke Anyuan thought in the same way. ¡°Yes, it might not be a good thing for Ruoshui to marry into the East Palace. As my daughter, she doesn¡¯t need to marry just for the sake of power.¡± ¡°Get her a fiance.¡± The Duchess said with a frown, ¡°It¡¯s time to get her a fiance, but Jinniang is older than her. And she has just come back, so I want her to stay by my side longer. I don¡¯t want to let her marry so soon, but if she isn¡¯t married, it¡¯s inappropriate to let Ruoshui marry first.¡± ¡°Then get Jinniang a fiance first. Choose a scholar who has a good personality and doesn¡¯t mind her former marriage. You can get them engaged first and hold the wedding for them in two years.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know that her parents had already planned to choose a new husband for her. She went to tell Duke Anyuan¡¯s subordinates what that jerk looked like. Qiao Jinniang learned guqin, chess, calligraphy and painting since she was a child. She had learned everything well, except for painting. With that in mind, she drew a rough outline with an ink brush before saying in satisfaction, ¡°This is what he looks like.¡± Duke Anyuan¡¯s subordinate took the portrait, feeling sorry for Qiao Jinniang. Why did Miss marry such an ugly man? And he even dared to divorce her! ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find the Little Master as soon as possible.¡± Before the spring hunt, a flower viewing feast would be held in the palace, and the event was meant to select wives and concubines for the princes. However, this time the flower viewing banquet was held by the Queen Dowager and Imperial Concubine Xian, with the Queen not participating, so some noble ladies were not quite interested. No river was wide enough when you had crossed the sea. Which prince could be compared to the Crown Prince? It just so happened that the day of the flower viewing banquet was the same day that the Duke Mansion would host a banquet for their second miss. The noble ladies and girls in Chang¡¯an all used the banquet of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion as an excuse to reject the feast held by Imperial Concubine Xian. On this day, Qiao Jinniang got up very early and was dressed up by several maids. When she finally stood in front of a bronze mirror, even she was slightly taken aback. Was this noble woman in the mirror really her? The dress on her was as exquisite and beautiful as what fairies wore. Even her embroidered shoes were decorated with two big pearls. In this outfit, she looked really elegant and noble. ¡°Miss, not good, the Third Miss of the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion and Princess Fulu both came today.¡± Yingtao hurried in and reported in a panic. Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Is that bad?¡± Hongling explained to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°There are many large and small cliques among the noble ladies in the capital, and the two largest cliques are respectively headed by Qin Miaomiao, the Third Miss of the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion, and the only daughter of Princess Shou¡¯an, Princess Fulu. ¡°Princess Shou¡¯an is the Emperor¡¯s sister and the Queen Dowager¡¯s beloved little daughter. She had a difficult delivery of Princess Fulu, and so she only had this daughter. Thus, she doted on her very much. Princess Fulu was known as the First Female Dandy in Chang¡¯an. ¡°The daughters of military officials were headed by Princess Fulu. ¡°On the other hand, the Third Miss of the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion was famous for her talent in literature and graceful manner since childhood, and had been the model of noble women. Therefore, she is the head of the daughters of civil officials who called themselves aristocrats or those who tried to act like aristocrats. ¡°Whenever these two parties meet, it was like diamond cut diamond, there would definitely be trouble!¡± Hearing this, Qiao Jinniang just smiled. ¡°Chang¡¯an City is really lively.¡± At the gate of the Duke Mansion, Princess Fulu got off her horse and spotted Miss Qin who had just gotten off the carriage. She teased, ¡°Qin Third, did you come so early today to see the girl who should have become your sister-in-law? Tsk, you always claim to be the head of the noble girls, but unfortunately, you have a slave girl as your sister-in-law!¡± Miss Qin shook her fan hard and said, ¡°I can¡¯t be compared to someone who is obsessed with marrying her cousin, the Crown Prince. Moreover, the Crown Prince actually forbids her from entering the East Palace in case she leads the little imperial grandson astray!¡± Fulu and Qin Miaomiao would try their best to humiliate each other every time they met. Without considering the consequences at all. Fulu was furious. ¡°I really feel sorry for you. The blood of slaves will flow in the veins of the descendants of your Qin family forever.¡± Just then, Qiao Ruoyun happened to get off the carriage, and her eyes were instantly red when she heard this. Fulu caught a glimpse of Qiao Ruoyun and stomped her feet. ¡°Ah no, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m talking about Qin Third. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡± The quarrel at the gate passed from the mouth of the maids to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ears. At that moment, Qiao Jinniang had a hunch that today¡¯s banquet would be very lively. When she went out, the noble ladies and girls were all amazed. ¡°She¡¯s gorgeous!¡± ¡°Girls who grow up in the South all look so gentle.¡± ¡°She¡¯s worthy of being the daughter of Duke Anyuan. Look how graceful she is.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like she grew up in the countryside at all..¡± Chapter 8 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations These flattering words were certainly spoken in the Duchess¡¯ presence. The Duchess was very happy to hear them, but she didn¡¯t know as soon as she left, many people turned their heads and whispered to their friends, ¡°Her beautiful appearance is an illusion created with money.¡± ¡°Even a beggar will look like a fairy in that cloud brocade dress. She is just a countryside girl. I wonder when the Duke Mansion will throw her out.¡± Qiao Jinniang obediently followed the Duchess to greet the guests and try to remember their identities. It might be difficult for others to remember so many people at once, but Qiao Jinniang had been in charge of a restaurant for three years, so she had a good memory. After introducing the ladies, the Duchess asked Qiao Ruoyun to take her to play with the girls. ¡°Duchess Anyuan, where is Sister Ruoshui? Why is she absent on such a big day?¡± The person who was speaking was Li Lingling, the daughter of Earl Cheng¡¯en. The Duchess really didn¡¯t like this girl, but Ruoshui considered her as her best friend. ¡°She is sick, so she can¡¯t be present today.¡± Qiao Ruoyun took Qiao Jinniang to meet the noble girls, but many of them dodged away as if the two of them were monsters. Some people took the initiative to curry favor with them, but most of these people had fathers who worked in the Ministry of Defense that was led by Duke Anyuan. Qiao Ruoyun took Qiao Jinniang to her sister-in-law, Miss Qin Third. Qin Miaomiao was still angry, but she couldn¡¯t vent on her delicate sister-in-law, so she shouted at Qiao Jinniang, ¡°What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at me?¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Jinniang, Miaomiao has a quick tongue, but in fact she is very kind.¡± Qin Miaomiao snorted. ¡°Forget it, you are poor too. If you are willing to be my friend and help me teach Fulu a good lesson, I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± ¡°If you are her ¡®friend¡¯, you¡¯ll have to put up with her bad temper every day!¡± Princess Fulu walked up to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Be my friend instead, and I will take you to eat, drink and have fun every day.¡± Qin Miaomiao sneered coldly. ¡°What a dandy.¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°Are you not a dandy as well? If not, why don¡¯t you get first place in the Imperial Examination? If you do, I¡¯ll ask my imperial uncle to make you a female prime minister.¡± ¡°Stop bragging, okay? His Majesty doesn¡¯t even allow you to marry the Crown Prince. Don¡¯t speak as if His Majesty is close to you.¡± Qin Miaomiao hit the nail on the head. Qiao Jinniang looked at Fulu and Qin Miaomiao. They were really different from the noble ladies in the capital that she had imagined. Fulu couldn¡¯t beat Qin Miaomiao in this topic, so she tried to save face as she asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Hey, whose friend do you choose to be?¡± Qiao Jinniang tentatively asked in a quiet tone, ¡°Can I not choose?¡± ¡°No!¡± Qin Miaomiao and Fulu shouted at the same time. Qiao Jinniang was already a mother, so she really didn¡¯t want to get involved in the childish quarrels of these two little girls. ¡°Decide quickly.¡± But neither of them was to be trifled with, so Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Third Sister, stop it. The banquet is about to start.¡± After Qiao Ruoyun took Qin Third away, the other girls dispersed. With her gone, only Princess Fulu walked up to Qiao Jinniang and asked, ¡°Have you decided whose friend you want to be?¡± But at this moment, the voice of Li Lingling, the daughter of Earl Cheng¡¯en, was heard. ¡°That fool Qiao Ruoshui is tricked by me again. She provoked her sister, causing her to be grounded and scolded by Duchess Anyuan. I have one less competitor now.¡± ¡°But what about Princess Fulu?¡± ¡°Fulu? How can she, the First Female Dandy in Chang¡¯an, be worthy of the Crown Prince?!¡± Fulu was immediately annoyed. ¡°If I¡¯m not worthy of the Crown Prince, is she worthy then? Earl Cheng and his family are nothing but a bunch of jerks!¡± Qiao Jinniang wanted to say, ¡°Your grandmother is also from Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s Mansion¡±, but she was afraid that she might be decapitated for saying that. However, perhaps it was because of Li Lingling¡¯s instigation that Qiao Ruoshui hated her so much. A handsome man could be really dangerous! Fulu brought Qiao Jinniang closer to hear what Li Lingling and her maidservant were saying more clearly. Li Lingling said to the maid, ¡°Find a way to continue to sow discord between Qiao Ruoshui and Miss Countryside. The Duchess loves Miss Countryside so much, so she will definitely not let Qiao Ruoshui marry into the East Palace.¡± ¡°Miss, why do you care about Qiao Ruoshui so much ?¡± Li Lingling said, ¡°I tried every means to get close to that little b*stard in the East Palace, but he ignores me constantly, but yet he calls Qiao Ruoshui ¡®Mom¡¯. ¡°So I told Qiao Ruoshui that this would ruin her reputation, and as I expected, she started to dislike that little b*stard. ¡°If Qiao Ruoshui wins that little b*stard¡¯s favor, considering how powerful her father is, she is almost certainly going to be the crown princess.¡± The more Fulu listened, the angrier she was. She walked around the artificial hill and confronted Li Lingling. ¡°Great, how dare you call Tuan¡¯er a b*stard. I must report this to my imperial cousin!¡± Qiao Jinniang was stunned when she heard ¡°Tuan¡¯er¡±. Li Lingling said disdainfully, ¡°Apart from you, who else has heard it? I can say that you are framing me!¡± Princess Fulu looked behind and pulled Qiao Jinniang out. ¡°Jinniang heard it too. You framed Qiao Ruoshui with such a dirty trick. Duke Anyuan won¡¯t let you off easily!¡± Li Lingling said ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡± and left. Princess Fulu spat. ¡°No wonder Tuan¡¯er dislikes her.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang stunned, she asked, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Princess Fulu, you just said that the young master of the East Palace is called Tuan¡¯er, right?¡± Princess Fulu nodded. ¡°Yes, Tuan¡¯er is his pet name, but my imperial uncle hasn¡¯t given him a formal name yet. ¡°My imperial cousin said that a Taoist priest in the South once told him not to give Tuan¡¯er a name until he was three. ¡°He¡¯s called Tuan¡¯er because he was born on the Mid-Autumn Festival and looks like dough. ¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard this, there seemed to be thunder rumbling in her ears. How could there be so many coincidences! The Crown Prince was missing for three years in the South, his son was two years old, Tuan¡¯er was two years old too, and they both had a pair of phoenix eyes. The Emperor¡¯s grandson mistook her sister for his mother¡­ Their birthdays were both on the Mid-Autumn Festival¡­ Seeing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s strange expression, Fulu hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? ¡°Why do you shed tears as easily as Qiao Ruoyun? ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t force you to be my friend anymore. ¡°I¡¯m most afraid of girls that cry. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Qiao Jinniang reached out and touched the corner of her eyes. No wonder he gave her a divorce letter. How could she possibly make the Crown Prince marry into her family? But if Tuan¡¯er was the Emperor¡¯s grandson, how could she snatch him back? ¡°Princess Fulu, I want to be your friend, but can you do me a favor? I¡¯d like to see the little imperial grandson. I just want to see him.¡± She just wanted to confirm whether the little imperial grandson was her Tuan¡¯er. Princess Fulu took a look at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Huh? Do you want to be the crown princess too?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head in denial. If the Crown Prince was not that jerk, she was not worthy. But if the Crown Prince was that jerk, then she was even more unlikely to marry into the East Palace. Not only would she not marry into it, she would also have to hide her identity. What if that b*stard wanted to kill her to silence her? ¡°Then why do you want to see the little imperial grandson?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°As your friend, I¡¯d like to remind the little imperial grandson to be careful of that vicious woman just now.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. I will take you to see the little imperial grandson in the spring hunt.¡± Then Fulu suddenly smelled the fragrance on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s body. ¡°What kind of perfume do you use? It smells good.¡± Qiao Jinniang replied, ¡°It¡¯s fresh jasmine from the South. If you like it, I¡¯ll have my maid to give you some. You can make tea with it or put it in your sachet.¡± Girls¡¯ friendship could start from talking about sachets, rouge and gossip in Lin¡¯an and Chang¡¯an. At the end of the day, she and Fulu were like very good friends who had known each other for a long time. After Qiao Jinniang returned to her room, she counted with her fingers how many days were left before the spring hunt. When the spring hunting started, she would be able to see the little imperial grandson. Then she could find out whether that Tuan¡¯er was her Tuan¡¯er.. Chapter 9 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Everyone in Chang¡¯an City said that the spring hunt was just a few days away. But Qiao Jinniang counted with her fingers and found that there was still half a month left! Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want to wait for half a month. But how could she enter the Imperial Palace with her current status? Without being summoned, she could not enter the Imperial Palace at all, nor could she enter the East Palace. The spring hunt was her only chance. No matter how much she missed Tuan¡¯er, she had to wait until the spring hunt to have a chance to see the little imperial grandson. ¡­ The next day, Jinniang went to the Duchess¡¯ courtyard. Just when she was about to enter the room, she saw Qiao Ruoshui crying on the Duchess¡¯ lap. The Duchess looked quite distressed. ¡°Ruoshui, I never said I don¡¯t want you. I just want you to be nicer to your sister.¡± ¡°The Duke Mansion owes her a lot after all.¡± Qiao Ruoshui said with tears, ¡°So you want to ruin my reputation for her, Mother? ¡°I am your daughter too. Just because you owe her does not mean I have to suffer! ¡°I don¡¯t owe her anything. She should be grateful that the Duke Mansion provides her with food and clothing. ¡°Does the Duke Mansion have to make her the crown princess to make it up to her? She is just here to collect debts!¡± At that moment, Qiao Jinniang entered the room and said, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to feel like you owe me. ¡°And Sister, I¡¯m not here to collect debts. ¡°Although the members of the Qiao family had bullied me, that¡¯s just because the status of women in Lin¡¯an is not as high as here. ¡°I can still live well even if I leave the Duke Mansion. After all, I own a whole street in Lin¡¯an. ¡°Even if the Myriad Taste can¡¯t be opened again, I still have a lot of properties, so I don¡¯t need to depend on the Duke Mansion. ¡°I still stay in the Duke Mansion because after my foster parents were gone, I have been missing them very much, so God pitied me and bestowed upon me with another pair of parents who treat me very well. Therefore, I wish to stay with you all. ¡°But if Mother feels like you owe to me, or mistreats Sister just to make up for me, causing her to feel that I am here to collect debts, I can leave.¡± Qiao Jinniang said gently. The two of them were both the Duchess¡¯ daughters, but Qiao Ruoshui was brought up by her after all. She held a deeper affection for Qiao Ruoshui. If the Duchess just felt that she owed Qiao Jinniang, and what she was doing for her was out of guilt instead of love, then the guilt would be exhausted one day. At that time, she would feel guilty towards Qiao Ruoshui even more. What Qiao Jinniang asked for had always been a sincere heart. She preferred the Duchess to be partial to Qiao Ruoshui rather than this kind of ¡°compensation¡±. The Duchess was a wise person. She immediately understood what Qiao Jinniang meant and said in distress, ¡°Jinniang, I don¡¯t only feel like I owe you but I also love you, the kind of love a mother has for her daughter. ¡°As soon as I saw you, I knew you were my daughter. My girl, don¡¯t say you want to leave again.¡± Qiao Jinniang hugged the Duchess and said, ¡°Mother, I know you love me.¡± Qiao Ruoshui was very angry. She wanted to make her mother feel guilty for her, so that she would grant her anything she demanded. But with a few words, Qiao Jinniang ruined her plan. This vulgar woman from the countryside was really scheming! At this time, Qiao Ruoyi came in and greeted. ¡°Mother, Sisters.¡± The Duchess wiped the tears from her eyes and said, ¡°Ruoyi.¡± ¡°Mother, my concubine mother has gotten seriously ill. The doctor said that she needs millennium ginseng slices. Just five slices will be enough¡­¡± Qiao Ruoshui sneered. ¡°Is she that important? Even Grandmother only has a hundred-year ginseng. And you want millennium ginseng slices? Only in your dreams!¡± The Duchess said with a sigh, ¡°Ruoyi, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to save Concubine Wang. ¡°However, even in the entire Chang¡¯an, it¡¯s highly unlikely to find two millennium ginseng roots. ¡°There may be some in the Imperial Palace, but if the Duchess Dowager needs it, I can ask the royal family for it¡­ However, if it is going to be used on Concubine Wang, it would be disrespectful to the royal family¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes were red as she said, ¡°I see. Thank you, Mother..¡± Immediately after, the Duchess ordered her maid to fetch some hundred-year ginseng slices. ¡°I¡¯ve got some hundred-year ginseng slices here. Hope it will help¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi said in a small voice, ¡°The doctor said that hundred-year ginseng slices are already useless¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Ruoyi, wait a minute. Nuomi, go get my millennium ginseng. When I was in Lin¡¯an, I happened to buy a single millennium ginseng root from an oriental merchant. Ruoyi, take and use it first.¡± Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you crazy? Why don¡¯t you instead present the millennium ginseng to Mother, rather than waste it on a little concubine?!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I only know that ginseng is a medicine, and medicine is used to save lives. Even if it¡¯s a beggar on the road, I¡¯ll save him, let alone Ruoyi¡¯s biological mother!¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes were full of gratitude. After Qiao Ruoyi took the ginseng slices and left, Qiao Ruoshui left in a huff too. The Duchess asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, I never asked you how much money you have. ¡°According to Mammy An, you could hardly keep your restaurant in Lin¡¯an, but the gifts you gave to your sisters and brothers and today¡¯s ginseng are all very expensive¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t hide it from the Duchess. ¡°I only had the Myriad Taste that my foster parents left me to start with. ¡°After they died, the jerk took over the restaurant, and he was very good at managing it, so we made a lot more money and bought two more shops. ¡°Then we began to do business with oriental merchants and made a fortune. After that, we opened a jewelry shop. ¡°As we made more and more money, we bought a whole street in Lin¡¯an last year to collect rentals. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the members of the Qiao family and the local government covet my wealth, so I keep these businesses a secret, so not many people know that I own these shops. ¡°In total, I have an income of about 30,000 taels of silver every month.¡± The Duchess gasped in shock. The monthly income of the entire Duke Mansion was only about 30,000 taels. And Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion was already one of the richest families in Chang¡¯an. She never knew that Qiao Jinniang was so rich. ¡°Those shops were previously managed by that jerk.¡± Although Jinniang hated him, she had to admit that his talent for making money was excellent. The Duchess thought so too, but no matter how good he was at making money, a man who dumped his wife and took their son away from his wife was still a jerk! The spring hunt was just around the corner, and the Duchess was busy directing the maids and servants to pack. Only then did Qiao Jinniang know that the spring hunt would be in the paddock of the North Mountain Palace, and most aristocratic families had manors around there. The spring hunt would last three days and the womenfolk would stay there for five or six days. ¡­ East Palace. The Crown Prince finally got the little boy in his arms to sleep. He placed him on a small bed and sighed. He walked out and ask his guard, ¡°Still no news about Jinniang?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve searched the entire Lin¡¯an but failed to find her. Please punish us, Master.¡± The Crown Prince waved his hand. ¡°Forget it, it has been so many days¡­¡± He looked at the bright moon in the sky. It was the full moon again. It had been almost four months since he left Lin¡¯an. He should hate that woman for making him marry into her family, but occasionally he would think of her smiling face. She had a pair of nice almond eyes, which looked so beautiful and gentle when she smiled. The Myriad Taste was so important to her, so why did she leave abruptly? ¡­ The spring hunt that everyone was looking forward to had finally come. One carriage after another left Chang¡¯an. It was so lively on the street. When the carriage of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion left, Qiao Ruoshui pouted. ¡°Mother, why do we have to humor Qiao Jinniang to go to the North Mountain first? If we leave half a day later, we can see the Crown Prince riding a horse!¡± Qiao Jinniang asked curiously, ¡°Will the Crown Prince ride to the paddock?¡± Qiao Ruoshui stared at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t you even think of being the crown princess, you slave-raised lowly woman. ¡°Although you¡¯re technically my sister, you grew up in a vulgar place and are not worthy of the Crown Prince!¡± The Duchess scolded. ¡°Ruoshui, get out!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± The Duchess said with a straight face, ¡°I have been too tolerant with you, resulting in you insulting your sister over and over again! You¡¯re not joining in the spring hunt this year!¡± Qiao Ruoshui was flustered. The Crown Prince was coming to the spring hunt, so how could she be absent? ¡°Mammy, take Qiao Ruoshui home,¡± the Duchess shook her fan and said angrily. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t try to persuade the Duchess. Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s words were indeed getting more and more outrageous. Qiao Jinniang was not kind enough to intercede on behalf of Qiao Ruoshui who repeatedly insulted her.. Chapter 10 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Qiao family¡¯s mansion in the North Mountain was not as magnificent as the Duke Mansion in Chang¡¯an, but it was still spacious. The Duchess left the best courtyard to Qiao Jinniang. From the decoration inside, one could tell how well the Duchess was treating her. ¡°Miss, Madam loves you very much. She scolded Fourth Miss so hard, and she didn¡¯t even allow her to come to the paddock because of you.¡± Yingtao said while sorting Qiao Jinniang¡¯s luggage. Qiao Jinniang sighed. Now Qiao Ruoshui must resent her even more. It was getting dark, and tomorrow the Emperor would bring the Crown Prince and the little imperial grandson to the North Mountain paddock, and then she would be able to see the little imperial grandson. With so many coincidences, she was almost certain that the little imperial grandson was her Tuan¡¯er. At night, Qiao Jinniang tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She wanted to see Tuan¡¯er, but was afraid that Tuan¡¯er was the little imperial grandson. If that jerk was the Crown Prince, it made sense for him to give her a divorce letter. How could the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty marry into a merchant family? In fact, when she thought about it carefully, she realized that the graceful bearing he occasionally revealed and his money-making ability were not what an ordinary man could have. The daughter of the Xie family in Lin¡¯an had once said that Qiao Jinniang, a girl of humble birth, was not worthy of him. ¡°Miss, you haven¡¯t slept yet?¡± Hongling came in with a lamp and asked, ¡°Are you nervous about the spring hunt tomorrow?¡± ¡°His Majesty and Her Majesty are both tolerant people. You don¡¯t have to worry about tomorrow¡¯s royal banquet.¡± ¡°A royal banquet?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Can I see His Majesty at the banquet?¡± Hongling smiled and said, ¡°Sure, Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion is one of the most important noble families, so we won¡¯t sit too far from His Majesty. You will certainly see His Majesty and Her Majesty.¡± Qiao Jinniang was stunned. ¡°Then will I see His Royal Highness too?¡± Hongling nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why every noble girl in Chang¡¯an is busy making new riding outfits and buying new jewelry these days, all because the Crown Prince will attend the spring hunt!¡± Qiao Jinniang was a little worried. She wanted to see Tuan¡¯er, but she didn¡¯t want to see the Crown Prince¡­ If the Crown Prince was really that b*stard, would he kill her to silence her when he learned that she had come to Chang¡¯an? Perhaps it would even implicate the Duke Mansion. Now Qiao Jinniang was completely restless. It was a bit cold in the mountains in April, so she looked pale after a night without sleep. When the Duchess came to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room and noticed her pale face, she blamed Hongling. ¡°Why does your miss look so haggard?¡± Hongling lowered her head and said, ¡°Madam, Sorry, I didn¡¯t take good care of Miss.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled at the Duchess. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t blame them. I couldn¡¯t sleep last night, so I feel very tired today. May I be absent from the royal banquet today? I¡¯d like to rest for the day.¡± The Duchess nodded. ¡°Okay, take a good rest. If you need anything, have a maid call me over.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Okay, Mother.¡± In the end, she was a fragile woman. Without sleep a whole night, Qiao Jinniang was sleepy now, so she fell asleep soon. ¡­ The Emperor and the Queen were coming to the paddock, so both sides of the roads were crowded with the villagers on the North Mountain, wanting to see what the Emperor looked like. The Emperor was very kind and didn¡¯t forbid commoners from seeing his wife and concubines. Thus, people started gathering on both sides of the roads just to see the appearance of the nobles. It was the first time Nuomi came to Chang¡¯an, so Yingtao brought Nuomi here to have fun. Nuomi looked from a distance and followed the crowd to kneel down. When she saw the Queen who was even more beautiful than fairies, she asked, ¡°Sister Yingtao, who are the seven young men in python robes in front?¡± ¡°They¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s seven princes, and the one in the front should be His Royal Highness.¡± From a distance, Yingtao could only see their clothes but not their faces, so she guessed. Since Nuomi came to Chang¡¯an, she had been hearing from the little maids in the Duke Mansion about how handsome the Crown Prince was, but now she was a bit disappointed. The Crown Prince was not even as handsome as Miss¡¯ a*shole ex-husband! The man in the front was actually Junior Duke Rong. Although he found that the people were mistaking him for the Crown Prince, he couldn¡¯t stop and explain that he was not the Crown Prince. The real Crown Prince had seized his carriage and made him ride a horse under the scorching sun. As a Crown Prince, didn¡¯t he even have his own carriage? When Qiao Jinniang woke up, the sound of drumming was all in her ears. When Nuomi saw her wake up, Noumi said, ¡°Miss, Miss, it¡¯s so lively outside. I saw His Majesty and Her Majesty. Her Majesty is so beautiful!¡± Hearing her words, Qiao Jinniang asked sleepily, ¡°Then have you seen His Royal Highness?¡± Nuomi said, ¡°Yes. The princes were all riding horses, each more handsome than another, but the Crown Prince is not as good-looking as it was rumored. He¡¯s not even one-tenth as handsome as your ex-husband.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard Nuomi¡¯s words, she realized that her guess was wrong. Qiao Jinniang blushed. What was wrong with her? How could she think that His Royal Highness would be her ex-husband? Fortunately, she didn¡¯t tell anyone about her guess. Otherwise, she would definitely become a laughingstock for others. Maybe it was just a coincidence. ¡­ In Junior Duke Rong¡¯s carriage. Listening to his secret guard¡¯s report, the Crown Prince said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang is not invisible, but you still can¡¯t find her? Can she hide underground?¡± The head of the secret guards said in shame, ¡°Your Royal Highness, we¡¯ve already checked all the travel permits at the piers and city gates. Qiao Jinniang must have not left Lin¡¯an. Perhaps she has hidden herself to avoid trouble from the members of the Qiao family.¡± If it was possible, the Crown Prince really wanted to look for her himself. Tuan¡¯er wanted her mother more and more at night. When he saw Qiao Ruoshui on the road just now, he called her ¡°Mom¡± and even dragged her into the carriage. So the Crown Prince had to go to Junior Duke Rong¡¯s carriage. He was busy all night last night, causing him to miss Qiao Jinniang a bit, who often made him a bowl of dim sum when he was busy late at night¡­ Amidst the beating of drums, the Emperor announced the beginning of the spring hunt. When Qiao Ruoshui got off the Crown Prince¡¯s carriage, countless envious gazes fell on her. Li Lingling clenched her hands hard, causing her nails to dig deep into the flesh of her palm. ¡°Didn¡¯t the people of Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion come to the North Mountain yesterday? Why did Qiao Ruoshui come with the little imperial grandson?¡± Duke Anyuan frowned when he saw Qiao Ruoshui. Qiao Ruoshui was holding Tuan¡¯er, thinking that this boy was quite a little heavy. Currently, her parents doted on that slave-raised woman from the countryside, which was a great disgrace for her. Since she couldn¡¯t count on her parents anymore, she could only rely on herself to become the crown princess. The Duchess hurried forward and greeted the Crown Prince. ¡°Thank you for giving my daughter a ride, Your Highness.¡± Tuan¡¯er nestled into Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s shoulder, and when he saw Duchess Anyuan, he opened his arms and wanted her to hug him. The Duchess had a terrible headache, but she could only hug him. For some reason, she liked the little imperial grandson very much at the first glance she saw him. Princess Fulu walked to the Duchess and asked, ¡°Where is Jinniang? Why didn¡¯t Qiao Jinniang come today? I want to bring her to Qin Miaomiao to annoy her!¡± The Duchess said with a fawning smile, ¡°Princess, Jinniang is from a small place. Please don¡¯t give her a hard time.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give her a hard time. She¡¯s my good friend.¡± Fulu stretched out her hand and rubbed the little imperial grandson¡¯s face. ¡°Tuan¡¯er, you¡¯re getting more and more adorable.¡± Tuan¡¯er called her sweetly, ¡°Auntie!¡± Fulu took out cakes and teased him. ¡°Tuan¡¯er, do you want to come play with me?¡± The little imperial grandson nodded hurriedly. Ignoring the obstruction of the eunuchs and imperial maids, Fulu took Tuan¡¯er in her arms and left the palace. She had promised to let Qiao Jinniang see the little imperial grandson. Coming from the countryside, Qiao Jinniang must be very curious. But the eunuchs and imperial maids suddenly knelt in a row in front of her when Fulu was about to walk out the gate of the palace. ¡°Princess, please, please don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°If His Royal Highness knows that you took away the little imperial grandson, we will be severely punished!¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Princess Fulu snorted but could only put down the little imperial grandson and go to Qiao Jinniang alone. During the spring hunt, the people of the Duke Mansion would usually have their dinner in the palace. However, today, Qiao Jinniang stayed in the manor alone, and the cooks actually forgot to make food for Qiao Jinniang. Even the stove was turned off. Obviously, they didn¡¯t want to cook for Qiao Jinniang. Yingtao said angrily, ¡°The servants and the maids in the manor are really outrageous! They heard from someone that Miss came from the countryside and was raised by slaves, so they are unwilling to cook for us. Sister Hongling, what should we do?¡± Hongling was also annoyed. ¡°These people really lacked discipline, but it will be too late to wait for Madam to come back. Miss needs to eat!¡± ¡°Shall we go to the imperial banquet to report this to Madam? She is so nice to Miss, surely she will come back to give her justice.¡± Hearing what they said outside, Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. You haven¡¯t eaten either. Let me go to the kitchen to see if there are any ingredients. I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± Nuomi¡¯s eyes widened as she said cheerfully, ¡°Great, it¡¯s been a long time since I ate the dishes Miss made.¡± On the other hand, the other maids tried to stop Qiao Jinniang, but they failed. Qiao Jinniang entered the kitchen and asked Nuomi to light a fire. Although they were manor here, it was still the manor of the Duke Mansion. There were many seasonal vegetables grown here, with chickens and ducks being raised here too. Qiao Jinniang asked Nuomi to kill a chicken. When Nuomi was chopping the chicken, the other maids looked frightened. Hongling and the other maids grew up in the Duke Mansion. How could they ever see such a scene? When Princess Fulu arrived, she was frightened too when she saw Qiao Jinniang¡¯s maidservant killing a chicken. ¡°This, this, this¡­¡± When Qiao Jinniang saw that Princess Fulu had arrived, she asked, ¡°Princess, isn¡¯t the royal banquet about to begin? Why did you come to our manor?¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°The hunt hasn¡¯t begun yet, so the dinner will definitely be unpalatable. When we get prey tomorrow, we¡¯ll be able to eat roasted venison, which will be very delicious.¡± ¡°Why do you have to cook by yourself? Are you already disliked by the people of the Duke Mansion so quickly?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled helplessly. ¡°Princess, would you like to join us for dinner? If you¡¯d like, I will make you the famous Lotus-Leaf Beggar¡¯s Chicken.¡± ¡°Beggar¡¯s Chicken?¡± Little Princess Fulu was taken aback. Nuomi was almost drooling. ¡°The Beggar¡¯s Chicken Miss makes is a must-eat!¡± Princess Fulu snorted. ¡°I am a famous gourmet in Chang¡¯an. I don¡¯t believe there is any chicken that is a must-eat.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°The way the South makes the Beggar¡¯s Chicken is different. We don¡¯t bloodlet the chicken or pluck its feathers. My foster father and mother have improved on the recipe a bit. They would soak the chicken in Yuezhou rice wine, brush it with a layer of honey, wrap it with a few layers of lotus leaves, and then cover it with red mud and salt before putting the chicken in an earth pit and starting a fire on the ground.¡± Qiao Jinniang said while wrapping the chicken with lotus leaves. Seeing Qiao Jinniang applying the mud on the chicken, Fulu gasped in surprise. ¡°Is this still edible?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jinniang kneaded the dough and rolled out noodle strands of equal size. Then she placed another chicken into a casserole and boiled a pot of chicken broth. After that, she poured a lot of water in the pot and placed the noodles in it when the water boiled. Fulu waited outside, and when the firewood burned for about a quarter of an hour, she smelled a strong fragrance. The scent was really mouth-watering. Qiao Jinniang took out the noodles, distributed them evenly in six bowls, then poured the chicken broth into the bowls, and garnished the noodles with chopped green onion. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, are you just feeding me a bowl of plain noodles?¡± Fulu had never eaten such plain noodles before. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Princess, why don¡¯t try it out? The Beggar¡¯s Chicken is done too. Let me take it out.¡± Seeing that the mud had become lumpy, Princess Fulu felt nauseous. ¡°Even if I jump down to the lotus pond today, I will definitely not eat your Beggar¡¯s Chicken!¡± ¡°It¡¯s wrapped in mud. Look how dirty it is!¡± Qiao Jinniang just smiled. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then forget it.¡± Qiao Jinniang beckoned the maids to sit down and eat together with her, but Hongling didn¡¯t dare to sit and eat together with her. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°We don¡¯t have so many rules between masters and servants in Lin¡¯an. Nuomi has been eating at the same table with me all the time. ¡°Besides, I¡¯d like you to help me try my cooking skill. I haven¡¯t cooked for a long time after all.¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°I, a princess, don¡¯t mind sitting with you. Why do you mind? Do you look down on me?!¡± Hearing that, Hongling and the other maids could only sit down. After Qiao Jinniang cracked the mud shell open, the fragrance was overflowing. She washed her hands, peeled off the lotus leaves, and cut the chicken that had the fragrance of lotus leaves with a knife. The fragrance of the lotus leaf had seeped deep into the chicken. Princess Fulu tasted the noodles and exclaimed, ¡°Oh, the noodles are really tasty and juicy. How did you make it? How can such plain noodles be so delicious?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Just put in a few eggs when kneading the dough. Princess, would you like a drumstick?¡± Although the chicken smelled very fragrant, considering that it was previously covered in mud, Fulu refused. But then she saw Nuomi looking at the drumstick eagerly. Obviously, she really wanted to taste it. Qiao Jinniang cut a small piece of chicken thigh for Fulu. As a princess, Fulu ate it elegantly. After she finished eating, she gently pursed her lips and said, ¡°The skin is crispy, and the chicken is tender and juicy. There is the fragrance of lotus leaves in the chicken. This chicken is really yummy, completely different from the chicken I usually eat, which is very chewy!¡± Qiao Jinniang gave the whole drumstick that had been cut open to Princess Fulu. ¡°Have more if you like it.¡± ¡°Hehe, no wonder they said you were slave-raised. You even cooked for the maids? How cheap is this!¡± A female voice dripping with sarcasm sounded. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s maids were all infuriated. Qiao Jinniang asked Nuomi, ¡°Are you full?¡± Nuomi nodded. ¡°Then catch that person, as well as those kitchen stewards and servants who refused to cook for us, and hand them to my mother when she comes back.¡± Qiao Jinniang was never a person to swallow insults. Princess Fulu patted Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I really feel sorry for you. As the daughter of the Duke, you lived a miserable life for eighteen years, and after coming back, you¡¯re still bullied by the servants. ¡°If you can¡¯t bear the life in the Duke Mansion, you can go to the Princess Mansion. I can take you in! ¡± ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯m the best princess in the Tang Dynasty. For the sake of your dinner, I will hunt you a hare tomorrow!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°I¡¯m way past the age when I liked hare.¡± Fulu was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that roasted hare is a true delicacy?¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Fulu said, ¡°My imperial cousin is good at roasting hare. Tomorrow I¡¯ll ask him to roast a hare for you.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang suddenly remembered when she was on an outing with that jerk in the Qingming Festival last year, they were trapped in a mountain by heavy rain. The jerk felt that catching fish was too dangerous, so he caught a hare, preparing to roast it. But hearing that she was born in the Year of the Rabbit, he let go of the hare and ¡°ate¡± her in the cave instead¡­ When Qiao Jinniang remembered this, her face blushed red.. Chapter 12 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After Qiao Jinniang finished the meal, she felt that she ate too much, so she was asked by Princess Fulu to take a walk together. The palace was heavily guarded, so there was no danger even at night. Princess Fulu kicked the pebbles on the road as she walked and said, ¡°Actually, I am not attending the royal banquet today because I am afraid that Her Majesty will choose the crown princess for my imperial cousin. ¡°Today your sister came out of the carriage of my imperial cousin. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it won¡¯t be long before she becomes the crown princess. ¡± Qiao Jinniang rarely saw Princess Fulu ever be so serious. Fulu continued, ¡°I¡¯ve known since I was a child that my imperial cousin is a very excellent man. ¡°He is beyond the reach of mortals like the brilliance of the sun and the moon, so I think if I become his wife, I¡¯ll be envied by everyone. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m not sad that my imperial cousin doesn¡¯t like me. I just don¡¯t want to be laughed at by Qin Miaomiao and her gang. ¡°But I don¡¯t want Qiao Ruoshui to be the crown princess. She doesn¡¯t like Tuan¡¯er at all. ¡°When Qiao Ruoshui has a child of her own, given that she has Duke Anyuan behind her, what will happen to Tuan¡¯er? Although Tuan¡¯er was not born by the crown princess, he is still my imperial cousin¡¯s eldest son, so he¡¯ll be a thorn in Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s side. ¡°I said all these things to you because I think you are different from Qiao Ruoshui.¡± Qiao Jinniang carried the lantern and said, ¡°Princess, I know you¡¯re worried about the little imperial grandson. But he is still His Majesty¡¯s grandson and is much loved by His Royal Highness. Even if Qiao Ruoshui marries into the East Palace, it will not necessarily affect his status.¡± Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help thinking whether that jerk would find Tuan¡¯er a stepmother since he had divorced her. Would he love Tuan¡¯er like the Crown Prince? ¡­ After sending the princess back to the palace, Qiao Jinniang was about to go back to the manor. From afar, she heard a group of mammies shouting, ¡°Little imperial grandson, please don¡¯t run so fast.¡± Qiao Jinniang quickly looked back and saw a little chubby boy who was about two years old. Tuan¡¯er was a little chubby too, but he looked completely different from this little imperial grandson. Sure enough, she thought too much. After Qiao Jinniang left carrying the lantern, Princess Consort Qi (Prince Qi¡¯s wife) hurried over and hugged her son, Bao¡¯er. ¡°This is the paddock. Don¡¯t run around. If your grandfather knows about this, he will scold you!¡± ¡°If only you could be favored by your grandfather like Tuan¡¯er.¡± When Qiao Jinniang returned to the manor, the Duchess and Qiao Ruoshui had both returned. At the gate of the manor, Qiao Jinniang saw a few men in palace costumes. With different voices from normal men, they seemed to be eunuchs. When Qiao Jinniang entered, she heard some maids in the manor talking triumphantly. ¡°Her Majesty actually granted our Fourth Miss an agate head ornament, which is very valuable!¡± ¡°It seems that it won¡¯t take long for the Fourth Miss to become the crown princess.¡± Several maids and mammies were talking happily. ¡°That slave-raised woman from the country locked up Qian Gui¡¯s wife! Her mother-in-law is Fourth Miss¡¯s nanny!¡± Qiao Ruoshui was in the limelight at the royal banquet today. When the banquet was over, the Queen rewarded her with many jewels. Qiao Ruoshui was very smug about this, but when she returned back to the manor, her nanny came up and said, ¡°Miss, please save my daughter-in-law! She was caught by the Second Miss.¡± Qiao Ruoshui shouted angrily, ¡°That lowly b*tch from the countryside! I was laughed at because of her and now she even dares to touch my maid?¡± The Duchess hurried to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s courtyard as soon as she came back, but there was only Luhe in the courtyard. ¡°How is Jinniang? Why doesn¡¯t she stay in her room since she¡¯s sick?¡± The Duchess looked quite worried. Qiao Jinniang came in from outside the courtyard and saluted the Duchess. ¡°Sorry to make you worry, Mother. I was walking with the princess after dinner. I¡¯ve already recovered.¡± The Duchess patted her hand. ¡°That¡¯s great. Is the princess you are talking about Princess Fulu?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Yes, Princess Fulu is different from the women I¡¯ve seen before.¡± The Duchess smiled and said, ¡°Fulu is cheerful and straightforward. Although she is not on good terms with Miss Qin, they are both good girls. You are about the same age as them. You should hang out with them.¡± Qiao Ruo rushed into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s yard huffily and yelled, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, how dare you! Who the hell do you think you are?¡± ¡°How dare you detain my nanny¡¯s daughter-in-law?¡± Qiao Jinniang held the Duchess¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mother, I was just about to tell you about it. The cooks in the manor said that I was not worthy to eat the food they cooked and humiliated me for being raised by slaves¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t mind it, but if these words spread to the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion, what trouble will Ruoyun face?¡± The Duchess was infuriated when she heard Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words. ¡°You are not worthy? Then who is worthy? Those damn servants are getting more and more outrageous!¡± The Duchess immediately ordered to catch those cooks. Qiao Jinniang beckoned Nuomi to bring those people up. ¡°Mother, these are the people who insulted me just now. I¡¯ve already caught them.¡± Qiao Ruoshui took a look. ¡°That one is my nanny¡¯s daughter-in-law. Qiao Jinniang, what do you mean?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know that this woman had such a relationship with Qiao Ruoshui. No wonder this woman was so arrogant and even dared to insult her. The Duchess glared at Qiao Ruoshui. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your mistakes first. I grounded you at home, but you sneaked out and deliberately appeared in front of the little imperial grandson. ¡°Qiao Ruoshui, you are the daughter of Duke Anyuan. Take a look at your current style. How is it different from a prostitute¡¯s? ¡± Qiao Ruoshui snorted and said agitatedly, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you to be so unfair, I wouldn¡¯t have done this! ¡°Now His Royal Highness likes me, so does his son! ¡°Her Majesty even granted me a phoenix hairpin today! ¡°Mother, just go ahead and dote on that precious daughter from the countryside of yours! ¡°When I become the crown princess, let¡¯s see who can bring you greater honor! ¡± The Duchess clutched her heart. ¡°How did I teach a daughter like you! You, you¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly offered the Duchess a cup of tea. ¡°Mother, calm down. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Qiao Ruoshui said, ¡°Mother, you have educated a crown princess. Countless people in Chang¡¯an city envy you!¡± The Duchess said angrily, ¡°What are you talking about? Are these words what a noble young lady in Chang¡¯an should say? Do you think it¡¯s so easy to be the crown princess?¡± Qiao Ruoshui said disapprovingly, ¡°My father is a marshal, and my sister will be the next Duchess Qin. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Qiao Jinniang, this slave-raised b*tch, who ruined my reputation, isn¡¯t it for sure that I¡¯ll be the crown princess?¡± The Duchess almost fainted in anger but she still remembered to comfort Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Jinniang, don¡¯t take her words to heart¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang gently patted the Duchess¡¯s back and said, ¡°Mother, I won¡¯t.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ruoshui, ¡°Yes, Father is a marshal. But what if you compare this title with a princess? ¡°Or Earl Cheng¡¯en, who is the Queen Dowager¡¯s nephew. ¡°Not to mention that the daughters of some of the most powerful families in the Tang Dynasty also want to be the crown princess. ¡°Sister, do you think your family background is better than theirs? ¡°If you blame me for your inability to be the crown princess, that really does me wrong. ¡°You don¡¯t take me as your sister, it¡¯s fine, but I can¡¯t bear this injustice in vain.¡± Qiao Ruoshui couldn¡¯t refute what Qiao Jinniang said, but being scolded by Qiao Jinniang, she was utterly upset. ¡°Stop cursing me. I must be the crown princess!¡± At that time, she would show her mother which daughter was better. ¡°If you dare to touch Qian Gui¡¯s wife today, I will never let you off!¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Duchess said, ¡°It is I who want to punish Qian Gui¡¯s wife. Do you have a problem with it?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t punish this lousy slave who even dares to insult her master, I can¡¯t imagine how terribly my daughter will be insulted again!¡± ¡°Come, flog these servants ten times and sell them. Flog those who insulted Jinniang thirty times before selling them.¡± As for most of the servants in the manor, their whole families were slaves of the Duke Mansion. Being flogged and sold, their future lives were bound to be miserable. Mammy Qian looked at Qiao Ruoshui anxiously. ¡°Fourth Miss¡­¡± Qiao Ruoshui hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, Qian Gui¡¯s wife is my nanny¡¯s daughter-in-law. If you punish her, people will look down on me because I can¡¯t even protect my nanny¡¯s family!¡± ¡°Qiao Jinniang is your daughter, but I¡¯m your daughter too!¡± The Duchess said solemnly, ¡°No one in this Duke Mansion can hurt my Jinniang. She is your sister. She was humiliated by the servants, but you actually spoke up for the one who humiliated her! Ruoshui, you are abasing yourself!¡± With that, the Duchess said to Jinniang, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. The hunt tomorrow will be very lively. You¡¯re still sick, so go to bed early.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted. ¡°Mother, please go to bed early too.¡± ¡­ Spring hunt. There were many small tables placed outside the paddock for the nobles to rest and watch the heroic bearings of the people hunting in the paddock from a distance. Many women joined in on the hunt. Princess Fulu and Qin Miaomiao always liked to compete with each other, so they certainly wouldn¡¯t let go of such a good battlefield. Qiao Ruoshui and the other girls of the Qiao Family also went hunting. Qiao Jinniang sat at the table of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion and tasted the pastries from time to time. The pastries were not quite delicious, so she stopped after eating only two pieces. ¡°Here comes Her Majesty!¡± An eunuch chanted. All the people resting here saluted the Queen. Qiao Jinniang had learned about some palace traditions these few days, so she didn¡¯t dare to look up at the Queen. When she was about to take her seat after saluting, she heard the Queen ask, ¡°Duchess Anyuan, is this your daughter who was swapped when she was a child? She looks very similar to you, and judging from her bearing, she really deserves to be the daughter of the Duke Mansion.¡± Although Qiao Jinniang had been doing business for a few years, causing her to be natural and graceful in her dealings, this was the first time she had met such a distinguished person, so she didn¡¯t know what to do for a while. The Duchess saluted and replied, ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re right. This is my daughter, Jinniang.¡± Signaled by the Duchess, Qiao Jinniang saluted the Queen respectfully. ¡°Nice to meet you, Your Majesty. I¡¯m Qiao Jinniang.¡± ¡°Qiao Jinniang?¡± The Queen almost dropped the cup in her hand. It was the first time that the noble ladies and girls present had seen the Queen have such a gaffe. The queen continued to ask, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only read about babies being swapped in novels before. I guess Miss Qiao must have suffered a lot being separated from your parents. Judging from your accent, you¡¯re not from Chang¡¯an, right?¡± Qiao Jinniang replied, ¡°I grew up in Lin¡¯an, so I have a Southern accent. Please don¡¯t mind it, Your Majesty.¡± When the Queen heard this, there was a hint of shock on her beautiful face. ¡°Raise your head.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked up at the Queen and was a bit surprised. The Queen¡¯s eyes were very similar to Tuan¡¯er¡¯s as if they were carved out of the same mold. However, Nuomi had already said that the Crown Prince was not that jerk¡­ She must be thinking too much. The Queen smiled. ¡°Jinniang, I¡¯m very fond of you. Mammy, take the golden-threaded phoenix hairpin that I often wear and give it to Jinniang.¡± Qiao Jinniang was stunned. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to do. Although the Queen also gave Qiao Ruoshui a head ornament and a phoenix hairpin yesterday, they were not what the Queen wore. Now the Queen was granting her the jewels she wore, which was a great honor. Although Qiao Jinniang was from the South, she knew the value of this hairpin. Although the Duchess didn¡¯t know why the Queen gave Jinniang such a valuable item, seeing Jinniang stunned, she knelt and thanked on her behalf. ¡°Thank you for your generous reward, Your Majesty.¡± Even the mammy beside the Queen didn¡¯t know why the Queen gave Qiao Jinniang such a precious gift either. The Duchess loved Jinniang, but one tree far taller than others might fall victim to a strong wind more easily. Unlike Qiao Ruoshui, Qiao Jinniang had just come to Chang¡¯an but had received such a precious reward from the Queen. When those noble ladies came back from the hunt, they would definitely pick on Qiao Jinniang, and she might not be able to protect herself. So the Duchess asked Qiao Jinniang to go back to rest. Knowing the Duchess was worried about her, Qiao Jinniang left. There was a mountain road from the paddock to the manor, and Qiao Jinniang only brought Nuomi and Yuyan with her. It was a good spring day, and just like when they were still in the South, Nuomi begged Jinniang to make dishes with wild vegetables for her. Yuyan was the youngest among the maids, so she didn¡¯t abide by the rules as strictly as Hongling and Luhe. Hearing Nuomi describe how delicious the wild vegetables were, the little maid, who had never tasted them, was tempted. So Qiao Jinniang took the two maids to climb up the hill to find wild vegetables. However, the climate here was different. Chang¡¯an was not as humid as Lin¡¯an, so there were much less wild vegetables here than in Lin¡¯an. Qiao Jinniang saw a blooming locust tree from a distance and said, ¡°Let¡¯s pick some locust flowers and make some Locust Flower Honey Cake and Golden Locust Flower.¡± Nuomi nodded happily. Qiao Jinniang held the hem of her skirt. The clothes for noble ladies were beautiful but wearing them made it difficult to move. When they got under the tree, a gust of wind came, and a rain of locust flowers fell. Few people had trod here, so the locust flowers on the upper layer were all clean. Qiao Jinniang took off her outer silk coat and used it to bag the locust flowers. ¡°Help, help!¡± Suddenly, Qiao Jinniang heard someone crying for help. Then she saw a well-dressed man crying for help not far away from the locust tree. He was carrying a sword on his back. Nuomi looked over and said, ¡°Miss, he is the Crown Prince.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the man from a distance. The Crown Prince was not as handsome as she had imagined. Maybe what was more tempting was the high status of the crown princess. ¡°Miss, should we save him?¡± ¡°No!¡± Qiao Jinniang said coldly. Last time she kindly saved that jerk, she ended up being divorced by him and even her son was taken away by him. Because of the Crown Prince, the noble ladies in the capital fought each other desperately, causing a lot of trouble. Why should she bother to save him? Besides, he was the Crown Prince, so his guards would come to save him soon. ¡°Lady, Young Lady! Help me!¡± Spotting Qiao Jinniang, Junior Duke Rong hurriedly waved his hand and shouted. Qiao Jinniang couldn no longer pretend she didn¡¯t see him. If she didn¡¯t save him, the whole Duke Mansion might be blamed. Qiao Jinniang walked over only to see a snake as thick as a baby¡¯s arm lying in front of the ¡°Crown Prince¡±. So he couldn¡¯t move at all! Yuyan screamed after seeing the snake. Qiao Jinniang walked over, abruptly pressed the snake on the ground, and saluted, saying, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. This is a non-toxic Caihua Snake. It is very delicious once steamed with lotus leaves.¡± Junior Duke Rong opened his eyes wide. ¡°This, this, this¡­¡± Among the noble ladies in Chang¡¯an, there was no lack of girls who excelled in martial strength, but it was the first time that he had seen a woman who dared to catch a snake with her bare hands! Chapter 14 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Nuomi said very happily, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I ate snake meat. Snake meat is cold in nature. After eating it, you won¡¯t get heat rashes in the summer. It¡¯s a pity that Tuan¡¯er isn¡¯t here¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang thought of Tuan¡¯er and said with affection, ¡°Tuan¡¯er had a lot of heat rashes in the summer last year. I don¡¯t know how he is in Chang¡¯an this year¡­¡± It was very hot in summer in Chang¡¯an. When Junior Duke Rong heard the two women talking about eating snake meat, he was startled. ¡°Do you dare to eat this snake?¡± Seeing that the ¡°Crown Prince¡± was still here, Qiao Jinniang saluted and said, ¡°Snake meat is a delicacy. And among them, the Caihua Snake is the most delicious.¡± Princess Rongxiao couldn¡¯t help swallowing. ¡°Which family are you from?¡± During the spring hunt, the North Mountain was heavily guarded. The girls who could enter here were mostly nobles or daughters of officials. Besides, this girl was dressed in fine brocade. However, Junior Duke Rong could recognize most of the noble ladies in Chang¡¯an, but he had never seen her before. ¡°My surname is Qiao. It¡¯s getting late. Please allow me to leave first, Your Highness.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want to talk to the Crown Prince too much. If it was known by Qiao Ruoshui, she would make a scene again. When she returned to the manor, Princess Fulu had also come. She said huffily, ¡°They don¡¯t allow us to hunt hares! Then there is nothing fun about hunting!¡± Women usually hunted hares. But this year, somehow His Royal Highness ordered that hare hunting was not allowed. Although there were other small wild animals, they weren¡¯t as easily hunted as hares. Princess Fulu hadn¡¯t had a good catch for a long time, so she came to Qiao Jinniang dispirited. ¡°I heard that my imperial aunt gave you the hairpin she often wears. Do you know how wonderful the expressions of the women who mocked you behind your back were when this news came out.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°I have no grievances with them, and I have never even talked with them. Why did they mock me?¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°Many people want to take the opportunity to mock your elder sister, Qiao Ruoyun. ¡°She married Mr. Qin more than a year ago, but she hasn¡¯t been pregnant yet. You know, her husband is renowned as the First Child of Chang¡¯an. ¡°Qin Miaomiao often showed off how excellent of a brother she has to me!¡± At this time, Qin Miaomiao¡¯s voice suddenly came, and she snorted. ¡°How do you have the cheek to criticize others? Didn¡¯t you mock my sister-in-law? Because of your remarks, she didn¡¯t even come to North Mountain this time!¡± ¡°She has a bad appetite recently and has lost a lot of weight. This is all because you said the descendants of our Qin family will have the blood of slaves in their veins¡­¡± Fulu touched her nose and said awkwardly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her. I just said that to disgust you.¡± ¡°Although you didn¡¯t mean that, my sister-in-law is suffering because of your words!¡± Qin Miaomiao¡¯s voice was cold. When Qiao Jinniang was in Lin¡¯an, if she wanted to visit someone, she would have to make an appointment first, but these two noble ladies in Chang¡¯an just came and left freely as if this manor was their own home. ¡°Miss Qin, why did you come here?¡± Qin Miaomiao knew that she was rude to come without making an appointment, but she still sat on the stone stool beside Fulu gracefully. ¡°Why, your Qiao family doesn¡¯t welcome me to come?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°No, it¡¯s a pleasure to have you here. I happen to be making Golden Locust Flower and Locust Flower Honey Cake. Now that you two are here, let me make you some snake broth.¡± Qin Miaomiao frowned. ¡°Do you cook by yourself?¡± ¡°Does the Qiao family not even have a cook?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°That¡¯s not true, but I¡¯m interested in cooking. Princess, Miss Qin, please wait a while.¡± Qiao Jinniang took the spring water from Hongling, washed the locust flowers, and began to chop the snake. Watching Qiao Jinniang killing the snake without batting an eye, Fulu shuddered, and Qin Miaomiao leaned slightly toward her mortal enemy Fulu. When a mammy of the Duchess came over to deliver food to Qiao Jinniang, she saw Qiao Jinniang cutting the snake meat and hurriedly said, ¡°Miss, the Duchess has brought you some royal dishes. You don¡¯t need to cook yourself.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Mammy, I¡¯m doing this out of the craving for these dishes.¡± The mammy could only tell the maids not to let Qiao Jinniang hurt her hand. Qiao Jinniang fried the snake meat, added the white fungus and shiitake mushrooms, and stewed the snake broth in a casserole. After mixing the flour and eggs with a pair of chopsticks to form a rice paste, she wrapped the locust flower with the rice paste, then dipped it into the hot oil and fried it. Nowadays, cooking methods like stir-frying, frying and boiling were popular for only ten years. So the nobles rarely saw food cooked this way. The fried locust flowers were like gold. After sprinkling a handful of salt onto it, Qiao Jinniang put a platter of locust flowers in front of Princess Fulu and Qin Miaomiao. Princess Fulu had tasted the food Qiao Jinniang made, so without a word, she picked the chopstick and tasted the dishes. The more she tasted it, the more delicious she felt it was. ¡°I never knew that locust flowers could be eaten.¡± Seeing Fulu eating mouthful after mouthful, Qin Miaomiao picked the chopsticks and tasted it too. The deep-fried crispy food mixed with the scent of locust flower gave the taste buds on the tip of her tongue the ultimate pleasure. After Qiao Jinniang smashed the remaining locust flowers and put them in honey, she grabbed some flour and kneaded them into dough. Then she shaped the dough into small balls like flowers before steaming them on the steamer. At this time, the snake broth was done. Qiao Jinniang ordered Nuomi to place the snake broth on the stone table and serve Fulu and Qin Miaomiao each with a bowl of snake broth. The two of them didn¡¯t know that it was snake broth. Thinking it was some chicken soup, they tasted it and a savory taste instantly filled their mouths. Fulu said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you have such great cooking skills. It is indeed a pity not to open a restaurant in Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°It happens that my restaurant in Chang¡¯an will open in about half a month. You are most welcome to come to my restaurant.¡± Princess Fulu said tauntingly, ¡°Miss Qin is a noble lady from a distinguished family. She doesn¡¯t have any mortal desire for food, and a graceful young lady like her will certainly not go to the restaurant to make a pig of herself.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°That¡¯s okay. In addition to the wine and food, our restaurant also has the finest West Lake Longjing, Lu¡¯an Maofeng and other fine teas, as well as delicate pastries.¡± Qin Miaomiao retorted, ¡°Your fine Longjing is probably to be wasted. After all, someone drinks tea like a cow drinking water and doesn¡¯t understand what good tea is like at all!¡± Seeing that Fulu and Qin Miaomiao were about to fight, Qiao Jinniang quickly said, ¡°If you two like the snake broth, please have some more.¡± ¡°What? Snake broth? What I just ate was snake meat?!¡± Qin Miaomiao and Fulu were both in shock. The two shouted in unison, ¡°I pity you, so I treat you as my good friend. How can you feed us snake meat? Humph!¡± ¡°Exactly, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore!¡± Qin Miaomiao walked away in a huff. Qiao Jinniang touched her nose awkwardly and told herself that she was already a mother and shouldn¡¯t be angry at the two children, so she sat down and began to eat the snake broth. However, halfway through the meal, she saw Qiao Ruoshui hurry over. She shouted rudely, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, hand out the gold phoenix hairpin Her Majesty gave you!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Ruoshui rushed over, extending her hand, signaling Qiao Jinniang to give her that hairpin. If it were an ordinary gold hairpin, Qiao Jinniang would just give it to her. She had a jewelry shop in Lin¡¯an, so she had no shortage of these things. But this was a reward from the Queen, which had to be kept very carefully and couldn¡¯t be given to others. How could Qiao Jinniang give it to Qiao Ruoshui? Seeing that Qiao Jinniang ignored her, Qiao Ruoshui simply sat in front of her and said, ¡°Her Majesty meant to give the golden hairpin to me. It was for the sake of me that she gave it to you!¡± Qiao Jinniang scooped out a spoonful of snake broth and savored it casually. It was delicious. Why did Princess Fulu and Qin Miaomiao not like it? Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was still ignoring her, Qiao Ruoshui was furious. ¡°Come, search her!¡± Hongling, Yuyan and other maids hurriedly stepped forward to stop Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s maids. Qiao Jinniang put down the spoon and said, ¡°Sister, what are you talking about? How come the golden phoenix hairpin that Her Majesty gave me is yours?¡± Qiao Ruoshui said proudly, ¡°Her Majesty was just afraid of rewarding me too much, so she rewarded me with this gold phoenix hairpin through you! ¡°Otherwise, how could Her Majesty give such a grand reward to you who just came from the countryside and met her for the first time?¡± At the gate, Princess Fulu looked awkwardly at Qin Miaomiao and suddenly said, ¡°Actually I feel that snake broth is quite delicious.¡± Qin Miaomiao couldn¡¯t deny her words. Fulu said, ¡°I, Princess Fulu, am brave and invincible. How can I be afraid of snake broth like a delicate little girl like you?¡± ¡°I must be out of mind if I choose to attend the royal banquet in the palace instead of enjoying that delicious snake broth!¡± It was undeniable that the imperial meals were delicious, as the best cooks in the world were in the imperial palace, but royal banquets were another story. The dishes in the royal banquet were prepared in advance because they were used to entertain the ministers and their families, so most of them were cold by the time of the banquet. And although they looked exquisite and the ingredients were very good, their taste was in fact plain and dull. Fulu turned around and went back to the manor of the Duke Mansion. Seeing this, Qin Miaomiao hesitated and followed. She certainly couldn¡¯t let Princess Fulu hog all that the delicious snake broth. After the two went back, they heard Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s voice. Qiao Ruoshui continued disdainfully. ¡°Do you really think you are favored by Her Majesty? Who the hell do you think you are? You¡¯re just a slave-raised lowly b*tch! Mother is being too kind, letting you return to ruin the Duke Mansion¡¯s reputation! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d definitely become the crown princess. ¡°I¡¯m the one who Her Majesty likes. How dare you take the golden phoenix hairpin and not return it to me?¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she got up and suddenly slapped Qiao Ruoshui hard. ¡°I am the real eldest daughter of the Duke Mansion. Just like you, I¡¯m the owner of the Duke Mansion too! ¡°If Her Majesty really likes you, why did she bother to give you the golden phoenix hairpin through me? ¡°As His Majesty¡¯s beloved wife, if she has to do that, what¡¯s the point for her to become the Queen? ¡°I came from the grassroots. When the people of the Qiao family came to harass me, I would drive them away with a broom, and when my restaurant was blackmailed by gangsters, I would fight with them. ¡°You look down on me, saying that I have no manners of noble ladies. Yes, I came from the grassroots. ¡°But if you keep insulting me, I won¡¯t just swallow it.¡± Princess Fulu clapped her hands and walked over, saying, ¡°Good point. Now I like not only the dishes you make, but also your personality. Qiao Ruoshui, Jinniang is my good friend. You¡¯re insulting me, Princess Fulu, if you insult her again!¡± Qin Miaomiao used to be good friends with Qiao Ruoshui. After all, her brother and Qiao Ruoyun had a marriage engagement ever since they were young. Before their marriage, when his elder brother invited Qiao Ruoyun out, he would ask her to bring Qin Miaomiao and Qiao Ruoshui too. Qin Miaomiao didn¡¯t know when childhood friend had become such a person. Qiao Ruoshui didn¡¯t dare to really offend Fulu, but how could she endure this slap. She covered her face and ran to complain to her parents. She must make everyone in Chang¡¯an know that Qiao Jinniang was a shrew. After Qiao Ruoshui left, Jinniang said, ¡°Sorry for the embarrassing scene, but I¡¯m not a fair lady in the first place, and I can no longer put up with Qiao Ruoshui.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she needed the Duke Mansion to help find Tuan¡¯er for her, she wouldn¡¯t have tolerated her for so long. Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Ruishui was not like this before, but she has become crazier and crazier ever since the Crown Prince came back.¡± ¡°The position of the crown princess really drives many girls in Chang¡¯an crazy.¡± Princess Fulu sneered coldly. ¡°Are you talking about me? My imperial cousin is so handsome and in such a high position that any decent woman would want to marry him! Don¡¯t play the holier-than-thou card!¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°I won¡¯t be as shameless as you anyway.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Third Miss, not good.¡± A mammy of the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion rushed in. ¡°Your eldest sister-in-law had a miscarriage at home. The masters are all in the palace, and we servants can¡¯t go in¡­¡± Qin Miaomiao glared at Fulu bitterly. ¡°This is all your fault! Mammy, I will go to the palace to find my mother and Duchess Anyuan to see what to do.¡± Fulu¡¯s face was slightly pale. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡± Although Qiao Jinniang had never suffered from a miscarriage, she knew that miscarriage was extremely hurtful for women, not to mention that Qiao Ruoyun was a person easy to be psychologically burdened. ¡°Miss Qin, I want to visit my elder sister.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I am afraid it¡¯s not easy for your mother and my mother to leave. No offense, but I heard that your other two sister-in-laws are not easy to get along with. I¡¯m more suitable to take care of my sister than the servants.¡± Qin Miaomiao knew what kind of person her other two sister-in-laws were. And just as Qiao Jinniang said, his mother and the Duchess might not be able to leave here for the next two days. ¡°Okay, take my name card and go.¡± Princess Fulu said in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Qin Miaomiao snorted. ¡°Are you going to anger my sister-in-law to death?¡± ¡°I really know that I was wrong.¡± Fulu was so anxious that she almost cried. ¡°I only meant to ridicule you, but I didn¡¯t expect she would hear it.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Let¡¯s be quick. It¡¯s not bad that Princess Fulu wants to go with me.¡± After all, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know what was going on in the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion and whether the people there were easy to deal with. With Fulu with her, they wouldn¡¯t dare go too far. Princess Fulu told her maid to deliver a message to Princess Shou¡¯an, and then followed Qiao Jinniang to take the carriage back to Chang¡¯an. It took them nearly two hours, and it was already dusk when they rushed to the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion. The setting sun was shining, dyeing everything golden, and the concierge ushered Fulu and Qiao Jinniang in after checking Qin Miaomiao¡¯s name card. Qiao Jinniang entered the courtyard of the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion. It was even bigger than the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion and was more exquisitely decorated. Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s nanny came out and saluted, saying, ¡°Second Miss, Princess Fulu, Miss had no appetite these days, so she didn¡¯t even go to the palace on the North Mountain. This morning, she was provoked by that damn bitch again, I mean her husband¡¯s concubine maid, so as soon as she went back to her room, she¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang felt that it was really inappropriate for the nanny to say these foul words to them, two ¡°unmarried¡± girls. Why did the Duchess give Qiao Ruoyun such a dumb mammy? When Qiao Jinniang entered, she saw Qiao Ruoyun, who was lying in her bed, looking extremely haggard. She didn¡¯t see Qiao Ruoyun for only a few days, but the latter looked skinny now. Her appearance reminded Qiao Jinniang of her foster mother when she was seriously ill.. And she died when she was only thirty¡­ Chapter 16 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Ruoyun was surprised when she saw Jinniang. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at the Spring Hunt Paddock? Why are you here?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone in North Mountain, and I don¡¯t know how to hunt. I was bored all day long, so after getting the message from the people of the Qin family, I came over with Princess Fulu. Why do you become so thin?¡± A mammy on the side cried. ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t eat or drink these days. The doctor just came and said that Miss might die in a few days¡­¡± Princess Fulu said with red eyes, ¡°Mrs. Qin, I shouldn¡¯t have said those words to you on that day. I just wanted to laugh at Qin Miaomiao. I didn¡¯t mean anything else¡­¡± Seeing Qiao Ruoyun look like a mere bag of bones, Princess Fulu felt extremely guilty. Qiao Ruoyun said with dull eyes, ¡°Princess, you¡¯re not to blame. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve heard the same words. Even if you don¡¯t say it, others will.¡± Looking at Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s worried look, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Why do you have to take those people¡¯s words to heart, Sister? Are you blaming Mom and Dad for having humble origins? ¡°Although they were not nobles, they treated me very well. I don¡¯t allow anyone to look down on them or you¡­ ¡°If you even look down on them, how sad they will be in heaven.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said in a small voice, ¡°I never look down on them¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang came up and wiped Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s tears. ¡°So don¡¯t be sad. They have long redeemed themselves from slavery, and they are not humble. Sister, don¡¯t care about birthright so much. ¡°If you don¡¯t eat or drink, you¡¯re ruining your own health. ¡°If Mom and Dad knew about this, they would be sad and worried about you in heaven.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said bitterly, ¡°Jinniang, you haven¡¯t been married, so you don¡¯t understand the difficulties of a married woman¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for visiting me, but you should go back to North Mountain as soon as possible!¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and asked, ¡°Did the people of the Qin family bully you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion, which has been recorded in their genealogy, and you¡¯re their eldest son¡¯s wife. If they bully you, the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion will definitely uphold justice for you!¡± As soon as Qiao Jinniang said so, a woman came in from outside. ¡°Phew, the real daughter of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion really talks big!¡± ¡°My cousin is supposed to marry the real eldest daughter of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion, but now, what is Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s identity?¡± Seeing this woman wearing silk and jewels, Qiao Jinniang guessed she was probably not a servant. Qiao Ruoyun sat up with difficulty and asked, ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you know your identity? How dare you come and make trouble here?¡± Yuzhui saluted without any respect and said, ¡°Madam, do you still consider yourself as the daughter of a duke? But you¡¯re nothing but a servant¡¯s daughter¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang got up and asked, ¡°Are you a concubine of my brother-in-law?¡± Yuzhui said arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯m his concubine maid!¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled when she heard the words ¡°concubine maid¡±. Over the years, many people tried to persuade her foster father to get a concubine maid to give birth to a son so as to inherit the family business, but her foster father refused. He said that there was no need to ruin an innocent girl¡¯s life. Qiao Jinniang was still young at the time, so after hearing that, she went to ask one of her friends, Miss Xie, what a concubine maid was. The Xie Family was one of the most powerful families in Lin¡¯an, and Miss Xie had been taught how to manage a big family since she was a child. Miss Xie loved the pastries she made, so she was never stingy to teach Qiao Jinniang this kind of knowledge. She explained to her the difference between a concubine and a concubine maid. A concubine had more or less the status of a master, while a concubine maid was still a maid, and her master could even kill her. In the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion, a mere concubine maid dared to speak to the mistress like this. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the other masters looked down on the mistress, would a maid dare to do this? Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t do anything in the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion, and she was not in a position to do so. But if she waited two days for the Duchess to come over, Qiao Ruoyun would defintely be tortured to death. Qiao Jinniang walked to Princess Fulu and whispered to her, ¡°Princess, if you do me a favor, the best private room in the Tasty Pavilion will be yours and all the drinks will be free for you.¡± Princess Fulu could guess that the restaurant¡¯s business must be very good with Qiao Jinniang¡¯s culinary skills. Besides, she had played a part in Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s tragedy. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Ruoyun for a long time, and I really miss her. It just so happens that the Princess Mansion has no guests today. I want to invite her to the Princess Mansion today!¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at Princess Fulu in shock, but Qiao Jinniang nodded at her. Princess Fulu had always been free-willed and capricious, and was a mortal enemy with Miss Qin. No matter what she did, the people of the Qin family wouldn¡¯t be surprised. A little maid in the courtyard hurried to the courtyard of the Duchess Dowager Qin. The Duchess Dowager was drinking medicine, and when she saw the little maid hurry in, she snapped, ¡°Watch your manners! How is Qin Ruoyun doing now?¡± It happened that Qin Shu and Duke Anyuan were not in Chang¡¯an these days, so this was the best time to make Qiao Ruoyun die. It was simply a disgrace for a slave¡¯s daughter to be the next Duchess Qin! The little maid kowtowed and said, ¡°Old Madam, Princess Fulu wants to take Madam away!¡± ¡°Fulu? Why is she here? Why does she want to take Qin Ruoyun away?¡± A ferocious gleam flashed across Duchess Dowager Qin¡¯s eyes. Qiao Ruoyun was already dying. If Yuzhui went to anger her every day, she would not be able to survive until the people of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion came. Even though the people of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion would definitely confront them, she could just say that Qiao Ruoyun had died because she was too pressured to eat and drink, and her death had nothing to do with the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion. Even if the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion was angry, they had no evidence to blame the Qin family. The Duchess Dowager hurriedly stood up with a crutch and tried to stop Fulu, but Fulu was very quick and had already taken Qiao Ruoyun into her carriage. To be exact, she had her carriage stop directly in front of Qin Ruoyun¡¯s courtyard. After getting on the carriage, Fulu asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Shall I really take Ruoyun to my home?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Of course not. She had just had a miscarriage. Your mother might think she would bring bad luck to the Princess Mansion. Please circle around the Princess Mansion to let the people of the Qin family believe that she is in the Princess Mansion, and then send her to the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion.¡± Fulu said, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll bring bad luck, neither do my parents.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said weakly, ¡°Sister, why are you taking me out of the Qin family?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Can¡¯t you still realize it? You are seriously ill, but even a mere concubine maid dares to laugh at you, and your mammies have no authority at all. ¡°Although it¡¯s not cold now, there is still cold wind at night. You¡¯ve just had a miscarriage, but the windows and doors in your room are all wide open. ¡°You¡¯ve just had a miscarriage, and you couldn¡¯t eat anything these days. What¡¯s worse, this concubine maid provokes and mocks you every day. In such an environment, how long can you hold on? ¡°If you don¡¯t leave there, when Mother comes back, I am afraid what awaits her will be your corpse.¡± Princess Fulu said in surprise: ¡°This, this¡­ how can it be?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t grow up in a big family, I ran a restaurant. This kind of thing is not uncommon in big families in the South. In a battle between women, sometimes they don¡¯t need to poison or kill their enemies with a knife. They can just kill with dirty tricks instead. ¡°If the Qin family really regards you as their family member, how could they let a concubine maid bully you? ¡°And Qin Shu, your husband, I don¡¯t think he is a good husband! How can he indulge his concubine maid like this? Men are all b*stards!¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Although Fulu was already seventeen, it was the first time she had heard of such a horrible dirty trick. Qiao Ruoyun blushed and said, ¡°Jinniang, my husband is not that kind of person¡­ Are you thinking too much?¡± Qiao Jinniang tucked Qiao Ruoyun in and said, ¡°Even if I really am thinking too much, the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion is not a good place for you to recuperate. If you keep pining away, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to see Mother again.¡± Qiao Jinniang arranged for Qiao Ruoyun to live in her old courtyard. The servants in the Duke Mansion were all shocked when they learned the news. Qiao Jinniang said to them, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about it. If it is leaked, I will definitely not let any of you off.¡± With that, Qiao Jinniang went to her grandmother. The Duchess Dowager was already asleep at the moment, but she still came out wearing clothes after she heard the report from her mammy. Qiao Jinniang knelt to the Duchess Dowager and said, ¡°Please forgive me for my recklessness, Grandma. I did one thing without asking for your permission.¡± The Duchess Dowager hurriedly asked a mammy to help Qiao Jinniang up. ¡°Get up quickly, didn¡¯t you go to the North Mountain for the spring hunt? Why did you come back?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I happened to hear a Qin Family¡¯s servant report to Miss Qin that Sister Ruoyun had a miscarriage, so I went to the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion only to see that she was very gaunt and almost dying¡­ ¡°And her husband¡¯s concubine maid was repeatedly provoking her, purposely irritating her. ¡°Sister Ruoyun¡¯s mammies are incompetent and the maids were slacking off, letting the windows wide open, and with the wind blowing into the room, it is very harmful for a woman who had just had a miscarriage. ¡°So I asked Princess Fulu to do me the favor of taking Sister Ruoyun into the Princess Mansion, but in secret, I took her back home to recuperate! ¡± The Duchess Dowager clenched her hand and pounded her fist on the table angrily. ¡°That old witch from the Qin Family wants to kill my Yun¡¯er!¡± Among her granddaughters, the Duchess Dowager had special feelings for Ruoyun. After all, as the eldest daughter of the Duke, she was brought up by the Duchess Dowager. ¡°Good girl, you did the right thing. Come on, take me to see Ruoyun.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to the Duchess Dowager, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry. If anything happens to you, Sister Ruoyun will feel guilty, but you really should persuade her to eat and drink. Otherwise, she might lose her life.¡± The Duchess Dowager ordered someone to bring the sedan chair and went to Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s courtyard with Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Ruoyun was so skinny and ghastly pale that she looked a bit scary. Seeing the Duchess Dowager come over, Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Grandma¡­¡± The two of them cried on each other¡¯s shoulder until the doctor came. After examining Qiao Ruoyun, the doctor said, ¡°She has just had a miscarriage and has been depressed, so she is currently very weak. If she still doesn¡¯t eat or drink, she might die. You should take care of yourself, lady.¡± Qiao Jinniang took out the locust cake that she had just made. ¡°Sister, this is the locust cake I made. Please have a taste of it.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°I really can¡¯t eat. Ever since I learned about what happened to us back then, my appetite has been poor, causing me to vomit every time I ate. Seeing this, my grandmother-in-law gradually began to dislike me. In order to avoid vomiting, I simply stopped eating. And in the end, I couldn¡¯t even drink medicine anymore. Now I can¡¯t even drink any water¡­¡± The doctor said, ¡°This is anorexia!¡± As Qiao Jinniang ran a restaurant before, she had heard of anorexia. ¡°Anorexia can be cured. ¡°However, Sister Ruoyun, vomiting should be a symptom of pregnancy. Even if you didn¡¯t know that, how could the elders in the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion not know it? ¡°And how could your mammies and maids not even notice that you got pregnant? This doesn¡¯t make sense. The only explanation is that the people at the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion did it on purpose!¡± Qiao Ruoyun panicked when she heard her words. The Duchess Dowager looked at Qiao Jinniang appreciatively. ¡°Jinniang is right. Ruoyun, take a good rest first. When your mother comes back, we¡¯ll go to the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion to settle the accounts with them.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to the Duchess Dowager, ¡°Grandma, I had met anorexics when I ran my restaurant in the past. Let me cook some dishes that an anorexic can eat¡­¡± The Duchess Dowager said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it yourself. Just let the cooks do it. Good girl, the Duke Mansion owes you a lot, but you don¡¯t mind it at all and even try to help your sister.¡± ¡°Grandma, Sister Ruoyun¡¯s biological parents were very kind to me. I can¡¯t be an ingrate.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Sister, you don¡¯t have to put too much pressure on yourself. I¡¯ve never suffered. But if you just pass away, this will only sow a discord between the Duke Mansion and I.¡± In tears, Qiao Ruoyun took the pastry and forced herself to swallow it. ¡°Jinniang, please rest assured. I will definitely live well.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to eat. It will damage your body even more. Anorexia needs to be treated slowly.¡± ¡­ In the palace. Junior Duke Rong was talking about the woman he had just met to the Crown Prince. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t know her name. She is so courageous that she just grabbed such a long snake without batting her eyes. If you find her, please reward her for me!¡± The Crown Prince nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°She appeared under a locust tree. If she hadn¡¯t spoken, I would have thought she was a Fairy Locust Flower!¡± Sitting next to Junior Duke Rong were Qin Shu and Qin Miaomiao. Hearing his words, Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Junior Duke Rong, are you talking about the Second Miss of the Qiao Family? She made Golden Locust Flowers and snake broth that day.¡± ¡°Yes, she said her surname is Qiao, but didn¡¯t the Second Miss of the Qiao Family marry to the Southwest a long time ago?¡± As soon as he said so, the people of the Qin Family present all looked a bit embarrassed. Qin Shu said frankly, ¡°Well, as a matter of fact, the eldest daughter of the Qiao Family was swapped with a cook¡¯s daughter when she was born, so the real eldest miss of the Qiao Family is not my wife but someone else. ¡°The people of the Qiao family took her back from Lin¡¯an, and claimed that she was the second daughter of Duke Anyuan and my wife was the eldest daughter.¡± This matter was known to all in Chang¡¯an, so Qin Shu didn¡¯t need to conceal it. Junior Duke Rong flipped open his folding fan and said, ¡°So is she your wife? But the Second Miss is really pitiful. With such a graceful demeanor, she turns out to be raised by a cook in Lin¡¯an. Destiny makes fools of the people!¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°No, Junior Duke Rong, my wife is not her but Ruoyun, the one who was engaged with me in our childhood.¡± The Crown Prince narrowed his deep dark eyes. ¡°Is Miss Qiao from Lin¡¯an?¡± Qin Shu nodded. ¡°Yes, she seemed to have run a restaurant in Lin¡¯an, which is quite famous. I remember it¡¯s called the Myriad Taste¡­¡± The Crown Prince almost dropped the wine cup in his hand. ¡°What is Miss Qiao¡¯s name?¡± Qin Shu certainly didn¡¯t know it. Qin Miaomiao was surprised the Crown Prince would ask this but she still answered, ¡°Jinniang.¡± The Crown Prince swept his gaze to the people of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion, but didn¡¯t see that familiar face. ¡°Did she not come to the North Mountain for the spring hunt?¡± ¡°Your Royal Highness, my eldest sister-in-law had a miscarriage. She was worried about her so she returned to Chang¡¯an.¡± Qin Miaomiao noticed that the Crown Prince didn¡¯t look right.. Chapter 18 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Crown Prince clenched his jade ring with a jerk. Jinniang, this explained everything. It was no wonder no matter how hard his men searched in Lin¡¯an, they couldn¡¯t find Jinniang. It turned out that she had come to Chang¡¯an and became the second daughter of Duke Anyuan¡­ The Crown Prince couldn¡¯t wait to go back to Chang¡¯an to find her. Qin Shu was surprised. ¡°Did Ruoyun have a miscarriage? Why did no one tell me about it?¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Perhaps Mother didn¡¯t want to make you worry. We¡¯re going back to Chang¡¯an the day after tomorrow anyway.¡± The Crown Prince said to the Junior Duke Rong, ¡°Take care of Tuan¡¯er. I need to return to Chang¡¯an right away.¡± Junior Duke Rong: ¡°¡­¡± In the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang carved flowers on a melon and made two nice and appetizing snacks. Making sure Qiao Ruoyun didn¡¯t vomit after eating them, she got up and returned to the Jin Garden. Walking on the way, Qiao Jinniang somehow felt a pair of eyes staring at her. For the first time, the Crown Prince, throwing aside his demeanor, climbed up the wall of the Duke Mansion and finally confirmed that she was really Qiao Jinniang¡­ Qiao Jinniang turned out to be the daughter of Duke Anyuan? The Crown Prince thought it was really incredible, but it was not the time to check this matter tonight. The spring hunt was tomorrow and he was tied up. He wouldn¡¯t have time to see her before everyone returned to Chang¡¯an. ¡­ In the manor of the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion, North Mountain. Qiao Ruoshui cried and complained to Duke Anyuan, ¡°Sister Jinniang actually slapped me. You see, the handprint hasn¡¯t disappeared yet. Mother dotes on her blindly. You know, I¡¯m going to be the crown princess. How could she slap me like that?¡± Looking at the mark on his daughter¡¯s face, Duke Anyuan slightly frowned. The Duchess said on the side, ¡°Qiao Ruoshui, the maid has reported to me what actually happened between you two. ¡°The golden phoenix hairpin was bestowed by Her Majesty to your sister. How could you demand her to give it to you?! ¡°And this slap still can¡¯t wake you up? ¡°Don¡¯t you feel ashamed to keep saying you¡¯re going to be the crown princess?¡± Qiao Ruoshui raised her face with the red mark. ¡°Qiao Jinniang is a scourge. If it weren¡¯t for her, Sister Ruoyun would not have had a miscarriage!¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Jinniang is not a scourge, but you are like a scourge. If you keep being like this, I¡¯ll just marry you off far away instead of finding you a husband in Chang¡¯an, which will just save me a lot of trouble!¡± The Duchess felt utterly disappointed that her daughter who she had been carefully educating became what she was now. But Jinniang, her poor daughter, had been separated from her family for so long and had suffered so much. How could she let her be wronged again? Qiao Ruoshui yelled, ¡°Mother, everyone says that I¡¯ll be the crown princess, but you and Father are so partial to Qiao Jinniang, and even want to marry me off far away?!¡± The Duchess frowned. ¡°Crown princess, crown princess, whenever it comes to the Crown Prince, all your manners and sanity are gone. It will save us a lot of trouble to marry you off far away!¡± ¡­ In the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion. Qiao Ruoyun recuperated for two days and looked better than the day she came home. Today, all the nobles returned from the North Mountain. As soon as the Duchess entered the door, she ordered a servant to make an appointment with the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion to visit Qiao Ruoyun only to be told that the latter was right in the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion. When the Duchess hurried to Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s courtyard in surprise, she saw Qiao Jinniang telling Qiao Ruoyun about the local customs and practices of the South. ¡°Ruoyun, Why did you come back?¡± Qiao Jinniang told her what happened. ¡°Mother, I know I have no right to take Sister Ruoyun home, so I asked Princess Fulu to do me the favor. ¡°In that case, even if the Qin family wanted to refuse, they couldn¡¯t. ¡± The Duchess was furious. ¡°Humph, how dare the Qin family torture their eldest daughter-in-law like that? Do they not want their face anymore?!¡± Qiao Ruoyun bowed her head and said nothing. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, I know I shouldn¡¯t gossip about the relationship between Sister Ruoyun and her husband, but that concubine maid, Yuzhui, claimed to be Qin Shu¡¯s cousin¡­ ¡°If she is not driven out, even if Sister Ruoyun goes back, there would be no peace. ¡± The Duchess asked Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°When did Qin Shu take in that concubine maid?¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°I have been unwell recently, so my grandmother-in-law wanted to give my husband a concubine, but he refused. Then my grandmother-in-law directly gave Yuzhui to him as a concubine maid. She is the granddaughter of my grandmother-in-law¡¯s half cousin, who was born by a concubine¡­¡± Even the Emperor had poor relatives. Duchess Dowager Qin dug out this so-called ¡°cousin¡± just to make things difficult for Qiao Ruoyun. The Duchess patted Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s hand. ¡°Just have a good rest in the Duke Mansion. The Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion must give us an explanation for this matter. If they don¡¯t, you can divorce your husband.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at the Duchess in shock. ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°No men in the world are reliable.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Your husband couldn¡¯t even protect his child and allowed his concubine maid to humiliate you. If you don¡¯t divorce him, do you want to be angered to death by him?¡± The Duchess swallowed after hearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words. ¡°Jinniang, this is just an angry remark. You don¡¯t have to take it seriously.¡± Qiao Jinniang knew that Sister Ruoyun¡¯s miserable experience had reminded her of that jerk. Hongling hurried in and said, ¡°Miss, Duke Rong¡¯s daughter, Princess Fu¡¯an, sent you an invitation, inviting you to visit her.¡± ¡°Princess Fu¡¯an?¡± In Qiao Jinniang¡¯s memory, she had never seen this princess. The Duchess said, ¡°Princess Fu¡¯an has been in poor health since childhood, so she rarely sees guests. Why did she invite Jinniang to visit her?¡± Hongling nodded and said, ¡°The concierge said that Princess Fu¡¯an just said, ¡®Second Miss, please do come¡¯.¡± The original Second Miss of the Qiao Family had already been married to the Southwest, so the Second Miss she referred to must be Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang asked the Duchess, ¡°Mother, should I go?¡± The Duchess said with worry, ¡°Duke Rong and His Majesty are brothers of the same mother and are very close, and Junior Duke Rong is very close to the Crown Prince¡­ ¡°But if you don¡¯t want to go, I can refuse it for you. ¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ve just come to Chang¡¯an after all. It¡¯s not bad to get to know more nobles.¡± Qiao Jinniang got into the carriage of the Duke Mansion, wondering why Princess Fu¡¯an invited her to visit her. When she arrived at Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion, Qiao Jinniang was still upset. A maid of the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion led her in, but the more they walked, the more Qiao Jinniang felt it was not right. Normally, the backyard and the front yard of a family were separated, and the womenfolk would usually live in the backyard. But the maid was clearly guiding her to the front yard. After guiding Qiao Jinniang to the Kirin Pavilion, the maid left. Qiao Jinniang frowned and entered, only to hear someone call her ¡°Mother¡±. Tears immediately gushed out of her eyes. Her little Tuan¡¯er who she had been missing all this time ran staggering towards her from a distance. ¡°Tuan¡¯er.¡± Qiao Jinniang hurried forward and picked up Tuan¡¯er, holding and kissing his little face. ¡°My dear Tuan¡¯er!¡± Tuan¡¯er rubbed his chubby little face against Qiao Jinniang¡¯s neck and said sweetly. ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much.¡± Qiao Jinniang burst into tears. ¡°I miss you too. I will not let anyone take you away this time.¡± Qiao Jinniang wiped her tears with her handkerchief, but then she spotted the man standing under the cypress trees in the courtyard. He was as handsome as she remembered. Undeniably, his face was even more beautiful than a woman¡¯s. Everyone said he was so handsome that he was like an immortal banished to the mortal world.. Chapter 19 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Crown Prince walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I finally found you.¡± However, Qiao Jinniang put down Tuan¡¯er, raised her hand, and heavily slapped the man¡¯s face. At that moment, she exerted the greatest strength she could muster in her life. ¡°You b*stard!¡± Being slapped abruptly, Lu Chen frowned. ¡°You¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Nuomi to take Tuan¡¯er aside. Tuan¡¯er still remembered Nuomi and followed her away obediently. Qiao Jinniang tried to slap Lu Chen again, but this time Lu Chen was prepared and grasped Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. Her wrist was much slenderer than when she was in Lin¡¯an. And she was a lot thinner. Lu Chen asked, ¡°What are you doing? Do you know how long I¡¯ve been searching for you? How can you leave Lin¡¯an without even leaving me a message?¡± Qiao Jinniang tried to break free from Lu Chen¡¯s hand huffily. ¡°Not leave you a message? You had given me a divorce letter. Why should I leave you a message? I just didn¡¯t expect you to be so heartless!¡± Lu Chen¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. ¡°A divorce letter? I never gave you a divorce letter.¡± ¡°What a lame excuse! I can recognize your handwriting. And you also snatched Tuan¡¯er from me. Do you know how hard I tried to find him for the past month?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Calm down. Listen to my explanation¡­ I didn¡¯t know the situation in Chang¡¯an back then. You know, my identity is special, and I was afraid you might not adapt if I rashly took you to Chang¡¯an. ¡°But if I left Tuan¡¯er in Lin¡¯an, he might be in danger if someone found out he¡¯s my son. ¡°Therefore, I took Tuan¡¯er away and left you in Lin¡¯an. ¡°As soon as I returned to Chang¡¯an, I begged my imperial father to give a decree, marrying you to me as my Second Concubine, but when the decree arrived at Lin¡¯an, you were gone. I didn¡¯t know that you are actually the daughter of Duke Anyuan¡­¡± Hearing ¡°my imperial father¡±, Qiao Jinniang was finally certain of his identity. It turned out that she had not guessed wrong. He was the Crown Prince! That ¡°Crown Prince¡± Nuomi saw must not be the true one. His Second Concubine¡­ Lu Chen, this b*stard, how dare he make her his concubine¡­ Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t write the divorce letter. I can believe you for the time being. But what do you mean by your Second Concubine? You¡¯ve married into my family, haven¡¯t you? Do you want to demote your wife to a concubine?¡± Lu Chen got a headache when he heard Qiao Jinniang mention he had married into her family. ¡°My Second Concubine will be recorded in the genealogy of the royal family. It¡¯s different from ordinary concubines¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a concubine, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qiao Jinniang roared in a low voice, ¡°In Lin¡¯an, I am your wife! But now you want me to be your concubine?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, calm down. Since your identity is different now, I¡¯ll ask my imperial mother and imperial father to grant you to be my First Concubine¡­¡± A teardrop rolled down from the corner of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eye. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Your Royal Highness, if you think it is a disgrace that you had married into my Qiao family when you were in Lin¡¯an, then just grant me death. Then no one will know about this.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t force me to be your concubine.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If you want to be my crown princess, it¡¯s not impossible, but it will take some time!¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your crown princess. Since you said that the divorce letter was not written by you, okay, I¡¯ll give you a divorce letter instead, and we¡¯ll have nothing to do with each other from now on!¡± Lu Chen refrained from his anger. ¡°Don¡¯t push me too hard. I¡¯ve already agreed to make you my crown princess¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Qiao Jinniang bit her lower lip. ¡°When you left Lin¡¯an, you didn¡¯t even tell me your real identity. Do you even have the slightest bit of respect for me?¡± ¡°Why do you think that you can make me your Second Concubine?¡± ¡°Why do you think that I want to stay in your harem and become one of your future countless concubines?¡± ¡°When you married into my family, you had promised that you wouldn¡¯t take a concubine in this life! ¡°Now, why do you think I will share my husband with other women?¡± Lu Chen was silent. Qiao Jinniang wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, for the sake that I once saved your life, please pretend you don¡¯t know me at all from now on. I¡¯ll just take that divorce letter as your writing. ¡°As for those properties in Lin¡¯an, let¡¯s split them fifty-fifty¡­ Tuan¡¯er¡­¡± When it came to Tuan¡¯er, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know what to do. Everyone knew Tuan¡¯er was an imperial grandson, and it was literally impossible for her to get him back¡­ ¡°If you still have some conscience, let Princess Fulu take Tuan¡¯er to the Princess Mansion from time to time so that I can go visit him.¡± When Qiao Jinniang finally stopped, Lu Chen clasped her wrist, his eyes full of rage. ¡°So you have it all planned out?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen unyieldingly. ¡°In this way, no one will know that the Crown Prince has once married into a merchant family, and you don¡¯t have to see me, an eyesore, anymore.¡± Lu Chen was annoyed. ¡°When did I say you were an eyesore to me?¡± ¡°If not, why do you think I¡¯m only worthy of being your Second Concubine?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that even the position of the Second Concubine is to buy me to shut up and not to expose your secret, right? But let me tell you, you can just rest assured. ¡°I will never tell anyone that because you make me sick. ¡± Lu Chen¡¯s face was livid. ¡°Make you sick?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t what you did sickening enough?¡± He gave her a divorce letter but didn¡¯t admit it. He demoted her to his concubine but still put on that condescending attitude. He was utterly disgusting. Now Qiao Jinniang really regretted not listening to the advice of others. A handsome man who was willing to marry into your family could never be a good choice! Lu Chen lowered his voice and said, ¡°If I am really disgusting, considering your disrespect to me today, you would have died a few times. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time to calm down. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I have to go back to the East Palace. ¡°When you calm down, if you want to see me, just send a message to Princess Fu¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Tuan¡¯er¡­ is he going back too?¡± Seeing her face was still streaked with tears, Lu Chen gently wiped her tears off with his thumb. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Tuan¡¯er with you for a while, and Junior Duke Rong will send him back to the East Palace later.¡± After Lu Chen left, Nuomi brought Tuan¡¯er over. ¡°Miss, he is wearing a python robe. Only the Crown Prince can wear a four-clawed python robe¡­¡± After seeing Qiao Jinniang, Tuan¡¯er threw himself into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s arms and stretched out her chubby little hand to wipe the tears from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t cry.¡± Qiao Jinniang hugged Tuan¡¯er tightly and forced a smile. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t cry. I¡¯m gonna be seeing a lot more of you from now on.¡± When Lu Chen left the Kirin Pavilion, Junior Prince Rong stepped forward only to see a red handprint on the handsome face of the Crown Prince. ¡°Miss Qiao is really fierce! Not only can she catch a snake, but she can really slap!¡± Only then did Lu Chen notice the burning pain on his face. With this handprint on his face, he couldn¡¯t meet anyone temporarily. Lu Chen said to Junior Duke Rong.¡±Take Tuan¡¯er back to the East Palace in an hour. Don¡¯t tell anyone about Qiao Jinniang¡¯s identity.¡± Junior Duke Rong nodded. ¡°Okay, but your face¡­ shall I get you some medicine?¡± Lu Chen covered his face and nodded. Without applying medicine, he might not even be able to see the Emperor now.. Chapter 20 - Went Back to Linan Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang never thought that an hour could be so short. It seemed like only the blink of an eye before Junior Duke Rong came in from outside the courtyard and said, ¡°Second Miss Qiao, the imperial grandson has to go back to the East Palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang hugged Tuan¡¯er tightly. Although she had been holding him for an hour and her arm was almost numb, she didn¡¯t feel tired at all. Seeing this familiar face, she asked: ¡°Who are you?¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°I am Junior Duke Rong. Thank you for saving me in the North Mountain.¡± ¡°Since you and the Crown Prince have met again, there¡¯ll be plenty of opportunities for you to meet in the future. It is getting late. If you stay too long outside, the Duchess may be worried about you.¡± Qiao Jinniang reluctantly handed Tuan¡¯er to Junior Duke Rong. ¡°Tuan¡¯er, go home first. I¡¯ll bring you your favorite Orange Red Cake next time.¡± Tuan¡¯er didn¡¯t want to leave Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Mommy, stay with me.¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched the handkerchief in her hand and tears started to appear in her eyes again. ¡°Tuan¡¯er, be good. I¡¯ll come to see you tomorrow.¡± Junior Duke Rong held Tuan¡¯er and left, but when Tuan¡¯er saw that his mother didn¡¯t follow, he cried out to his mother in tears. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart broke when she heard him crying. She hurried forward and said to Junior Duke Rong. ¡°Wait, let me put him to sleep first.¡± She really couldn¡¯t bear to hear Tuan¡¯er¡¯s sad cries. He had always been as good as gold and seldom cried when he was with her. For the sake of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s life-saving grace, Junior Duke Rong handed Tuan¡¯er back to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang held Tuan¡¯er with one hand and wiped his sweat from crying with a handkerchief. Tuan¡¯er squeezed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s collar tightly, fearing that Jinniang would give him to others again. Qiao Jinniang sat down and began to sing a Southern folk song softly. In the past, Tuan¡¯er would fall asleep soon when he was listening to this song. But today, Tuan¡¯er¡¯s watery phoenix eyes were wide open, and he hummed the song with Qiao Jinniang from time to time. Seeing that another quarter of an hour passed, Junior Duke Rong was afraid that the gates of the imperial palace would be locked up. ¡°Second Miss Qiao, it¡¯s getting late¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Junior Duke Rong, ¡°May I take him to the gates of the East Palace?¡± Even a little more time with Tuan¡¯er would be good. Junior Duke Rong nodded and had someone drive the Crown Prince¡¯s extravagant carriage over. When Qiao Jinniang carried Tuan¡¯er inside, she was surprised at the spaciousness of the carriage. The carriage was made of precious Gold Phoebe wood. The carriage was covered with fine silk blankets inside, looking very luxurious. There were fruits, pastries, and fine tea in the carriage. Qiao Jinniang looked at the luxurious carriage. She had never imagined these items could be placed in a small carriage in the past. After getting on the carriage, Tuan¡¯er gradually closed his eyes. Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief. However, Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion was not far away from the East Palace, so it took less than two quarters of an hour to reach the gates of the East Palace. Hearing the voice of Junior Duke Rong coming from outside, Qiao Jinniang gently kissed Tuan¡¯er¡¯s forehead. No matter how reluctant she was to leave her son, she could only leave. When getting off the carriage, Qiao Jinniang looked at the majestic palace gates, which was heavily guarded and looked very solemn and awe-inspiring. So this was the imperial palace¡­ Nuomi supported Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Miss, shall we return to the Duke Mansion?¡± Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion was not far from here. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t get on a carriage but walked back step by step. She needed to adjust her emotions on the road. The Duchess cared about her so much that she would definitely notice that her emotions were not right. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want the people of the Duke Mansion to know what happened between her and the Crown Prince. ¡°Nuomi, don¡¯t tell anyone that my ex-husband is the Crown Prince.¡± Nuomi nodded and said indignantly, ¡°Yes, Miss. Even if he is the Crown Prince, he shouldn¡¯t dump his wife and seize the child¡­ How could he do this to you?!¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s nails that were painted with nail polish dug deep into her palm. God made jokes with her one after another. The man who had been her husband for three years turned out to despise her. From the time Lu Chen regained his memory, he treated her with nothing but contempt. If he had the slightest bit of affection for her, he would not have hidden his identity from her. And he even gave her a divorce letter. He had agreed to let her be his First Concubine only because he learned that she was actually the long-lost daughter of Duke Anyuan. In Lu Chen¡¯s eyes, she was never his wife¡­ Although her heart was bleeding, Qiao Jinniang still tried to look calm. As soon as she was back in the Duke Mansion, she heard Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s scoffing voice. ¡°Oh, you finally came back from Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion. Qiao Jinniang, you¡¯re really scheming. It¡¯s been only a few days since you returned to Chang¡¯an but you¡¯ve already planned to steal Sister Ruoyun¡¯s husband?¡± ¡°You claim that you did everything for Sister Ruoyun¡¯s own good, but you took her back to the Duke Mansion, which would only make the Qin family hate her. I know what you¡¯re thinking of. You just want to take Sister Ruoyun back to the Duke Mansion so that you can be Qin Shu¡¯s wife in her place, right?¡± Qiao Ruoshui deliberately waited at the gates of the Duke Mansion. Both her grandmother and her mother thought Qiao Jinniang was clever and praised that she dealt with this matter perfectly. However, Qiao Ruoshui felt that only she knew what Qiao Jinniang was up to. ¡°You are really vicious. Because of your return, Sister Ruoyun had a miscarriage, and now you even want to steal her husband!¡± Hearing these shocking words, the concierge and the servants all bowed their heads and wished that they were deaf. Nuomi blushed with anger. ¡°Fourth Miss, you¡¯re going too far. Miss has never done anything to you, but you humiliated her repeatedly !¡± ¡°How could you, a distinguished young lady, have such dirty thoughts?!¡± Qiao Ruoshui frowned, raised her hand, and was about to slap Nuomi hard. ¡°You lowly slave, you don¡¯t get to talk to me!¡± Before Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s hand fell, Qiao Jinniang held her hand tightly and pushed her to the ground. ¡°Idiot, do you think you¡¯re humiliating me? ¡°What good will you have if the Duke Mansion¡¯s reputation is tarnished? Do you think it won¡¯t affect you if you ruin my reputation?¡± Qiao Ruoshui cried when she caught a glimpse of a corner of a red cloud brocade skirt. ¡°How can you beat me over and over again? Your maid insulted me first. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m bullied like this in my own home. Let me die!¡± The Duchess came over and said angrily, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why do you make such a scene at the gates of the Duke Mansion?¡± Qiao Ruoshui cried. ¡°Mother, ask your beloved daughter what a vicious plan she has. After being exposed by me, she was exasperated and tried to beat me. Why don¡¯t you send such a person away to a manor? It¡¯ll only bring us trouble to keep her in the Duke Mansion!¡± The Duchess noticed that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face was pale. ¡°Jinniang, were you wronged in the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Mother, if Sister really can¡¯t stand me, I can go back to Lin¡¯an¡­¡± Chapter 21 - The Crown Prince Will Choose His Crown Princess Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang really disdained Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s trick of playing weak, but she had to admit that this trick worked best. She had been enduring Qiao Ruoshui for long enough. Today, hearing Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s malicious speculation about her, most people would believe her words and doubt that she was innocent. If she struck back hard, her reputation would be completely ruined. When the Duchess heard ¡°return to Lin¡¯an¡±, she hurriedly held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wrist tightly. ¡°No, don¡¯t mention that ever again!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, ever since I came to the Duke Mansion, I¡¯ve never done anything wrong, but Sister Ruoshui continues to speculate about me maliciously. If I don¡¯t return to Lin¡¯an, I won¡¯t have the face to show up in public again.¡± She could play weak too. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s tears then fell. ¡°I think it will be better for me to go back to Lin¡¯an.¡± Nuomi cried sadly. ¡°Madam, I have been serving Miss since I was a child, and she has never suffered such a grievance. Miss just tried to save Miss Ruoyun¡¯s life. ¡°She personally cooked for Miss Ruoyun every day, but in the eyes of Fourth Miss, Miss took Miss Ruoyun back to the Duke Mansion with the intent to steal her husband. ¡°Although Miss grew up in an ordinary family, she was well-educated. How can she have such nasty thoughts?¡± The Duchess looked at her youngest daughter who was sitting on the ground, crying. ¡°How, how dare you frame your sister like this?¡± Qiao Ruoshui cried. ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t you believe me despite the fact that I have lived with you for 15 years? Even if you feel guilty about Jinniang, you don¡¯t have to go so far, do you? I am the one who you brought up by yourself, not her! Do you know what vicious thoughts Qiao Jinniang has?!¡± ¡°Why did you say I framed her? That¡¯s just what she thinks!¡± ¡°Mother, quickly send her away to a manor. Don¡¯t let her ruin the reputation of the Duke Mansion.¡± Qiao Jinniang wiped away her tears. ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to bother to find a manor for me. I¡¯ll just return to Lin¡¯an.¡± The Duchess said angrily, ¡°Those Qiao Family bullies are still in Lin¡¯an. How can you go back? The one who should be sent away to a manor is not you. ¡°Mammy Liu, take Fourth Miss to a manor to stay for a month. If she still doesn¡¯t change her attitude toward her sister, she¡¯ll stay in the manor for the rest of her life!¡± Qiao Ruoshui was dumbfounded, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her. ¡°Mother¡­ I¡¯m going to become the crown princess. How can you send me away to a manor now? Have you ever considered my reputation?¡± The Duchess said to Mammy Liu, ¡°Fourth Miss lost her mind temporarily because of an illness. She¡¯s not allowed to take a step out of the manor until she recovers!¡± Qiao Jinniang noticed that the Duchess¡¯ eyes were full of distress even though her expression was calm. She knew that she should intercede for Qiao Ruoshui, but she didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going back to my room first.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Have you had dinner¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve had dinner in Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted and returned to the Jin Garden. As soon as she entered her room, she couldn¡¯t help but hold the quilt and cry. Everyone in Lin¡¯an said that she was so blessed that her husband was so handsome and that they had a cute son soon after their marriage. She cried when she received the divorce letter he gave her. But now what embarrassed her more was that in her husband¡¯s eyes, she never deserved to be his wife¡­ After the Duchess had Qiao Ruoshui brought away, she immediately felt regretful as she walked into the Jin Garden. She wanted to defend Qiao Ruoshui a bit, but then she heard sad cries from the room. Jinniang must feel so wronged. The Duchess quickly went in. ¡°Jinniang, tell me if you feel wronged. Don¡¯t cry alone. It¡¯s not good for your health¡­ ¡°Ruoshui had insulted you so terribly. She should reflect on her mistake in the manor for two months. I won¡¯t bring her back unless she admits her mistake.¡± Hearing it, Qiao Jinniang hugged the Duchess and cried. ¡°Mother.¡± The Duchess hugged Qiao Jinniang tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jinniang. I should have punished Ruoshui sooner. If I had done so, you wouldn¡¯t have been bullied by her over and over again.¡± ¡°Good girl, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s not worth crying over those who bullied you. You have me by your side.¡± Qiao Jinniang was reluctant to leave her mother¡¯s warm embrace. Yes, she had got to move on, and it was really not worth it to cry for that jerk¡­ Her tears were as worthless as her in that jerk¡¯s eyes. ¡­ Imperial Palace. The Queen ordered to serve the dishes, and when Lu Chen sat down, the Queen stared at her son¡¯s face. ¡°Why did you apply make-up like those dandies?¡± The Emperor looked at his face carefully. ¡°Is your face swollen?¡± Knowing that he couldn¡¯t hide it from his parents, Lu Chen could only say, ¡°I had a fall just now.¡± The Queen said coldly, ¡°A fall? Then why is there a handprint on your face? Who dares to slap the Crown Prince? Why are you covering up for that person?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Just take it as I slapped myself!¡± The Queen said, ¡°I guess the one who slapped you is a girl but you want to protect her, right? By the way, I didn¡¯t tell you in the North Mountain, but I suspect that the second daughter of Duke Anyuan is that Jinniang you are looking for.¡± Lu Chen responded. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen her.¡± The Emperor raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is she that daughter of Duke Anyuan who was swapped by Duke Anyuan¡¯s concubine?¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± The Emperor said, ¡°I think she can be your second concubine. If she gives birth to another child for you, she can be promoted to your first concubine.¡± The Queen frowned. Which woman would be willing to be demoted from a wife to a concubine? Everyone said that the concubines of the crown prince were not ordinary concubines but were considered masters of the country, but after staying in the harem for so many years, she knew that a concubine would always be a concubine. Although she felt pity for Qiao Jinniang, the Queen knew the rules of the imperial family. The Queen Dowager and Imperial Concubine Xian would definitely not agree to let her be the crown princess. It was already the best result for Qiao Jinniang to be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine. The emperor said, ¡°You should select your crown princess now, and then I¡¯ll grant a decree to Qiao Jinniang, making her your second concubine, so as not to arouse any suspicion.¡± It was a scandal that the Crown Prince had once married into a merchant¡¯s family, so it would save a lot of trouble to grant Qiao Jinniang to be the second concubine after declaring who was the crown princess. Thinking of Qiao Jinniang, who tearfully scolded him for demoting her to be his concubine in Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion, Lu Chen said to the Emperor, ¡°Father, Jinniang is Duke Anyuan¡¯s daughter after all. And Duke Anyuan is one of your favorite subjects. Isn¡¯t the position of the second concubine too low for her?¡± The Emperor looked at Lu Chen. ¡°Then what position do you think is appropriate?¡± Lu Chen said in a low voice. ¡°The crown princess.¡± The emperor said, ¡°Choosing a crown princess is not a trivial matter. Although she gave birth to Tuan¡¯er, she was brought up by a merchant. A girl who grew up in a restaurant doesn¡¯t deserve to be the crown princess.¡± Hearing this, Lu Chen pursed his lips and said nothing more. ¡­ Since the Queen entered the imperial palace, the Emperor hadn¡¯t picked any more concubines. As suggested by the Ministry of Rites, the date for the Crown Prince to choose his crown princess would be June 21, which was only two months away. This event instantly became the hottest news. Qiao Jinniang was recuperating in her room for three days before she came out. It was a coincidence that she ran into Princess Fulu who came to the Duke Mansion when she walked out of the Jin Garden.. Chapter 22 - The Crown Princes Harem Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang saluted Princess Fulu. ¡°Princess Fulu.¡± Fulu tilted her head and looked at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Your sister went too far. I can¡¯t believe she made you so gaunt. It has only been four or five days since I last saw you but you look so thin now. How poor you are!¡± Qiao Ruoshui was making a scene at the gate of the Duke Mansion. With so many people coming and going at the gate of the Duke Mansion, this news quickly spread as Qiao Jinniang had guessed. However, people just talked about Qiao Ruoshui, not daring to gossip that Qiao Jinniang tried to steal Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s husband. After all, Qiao Ruoshui who spread this rumor had been sent away to a manor¡­ No one in Chang¡¯an dared to offend Duke Anyuan. Qiao Jinniang had indeed lost a lot of weight in the past few days. Hearing Fulu¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t explain. ¡°Princess, sorry for troubling you and your mother for Sister Ruoyun¡¯s affair.¡± Fulu said, ¡°My mother often feels bored. The people of the Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion come to beg my mother to return their daughter-in-law every day, which gives my mother a lot of fun. ¡°Besides, my mother was very angry when she heard what they did to your sister. ¡°The Qin Family had spread a lot of rumors about me for Qin Miaomiao, so my mother is happy to see them in trouble¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang still thanked her. ¡°I still have to thank you, Princess. My Tasty Pavilion will open soon. You can eat for free in my restaurant.¡± Princess Fulu smiled at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°If you really want to thank me, just tell me what the daughter of the Xie Family is like. ¡°I heard that she is so stunningly beautiful that is considered the number one beauty in the South. ¡°You are already so beautiful, but no one calls you the number one beauty in the South. Since that is the case, I wonder how shockingly beautiful she would be?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Is it Xie Yun?¡± Fulu nodded. ¡°Yes, the Crown Prince is going to choose his crown princess soon, so the Xie Family sent their daughter to Chang¡¯an. Now all the noble ladies in Chang¡¯an are guessing that she might have an 80% chance of being the crown princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang was surprised that the Crown Prince was going to choose his crown princess soon. And when she heard Xie Yun¡¯s name, she paused. Xie Yun liked eating pastries, and Qiao Jinniang often sent pastries to her. Despite the difference in status between them, Xie Yun treated her very well. Qiao Jinniang remembered that she once heard a matchmaker, who often came to her restaurant, say that the people of the Xie Family planned to marry Xie Yun into the imperial family, so the young men of the wealthy families in Lin¡¯an shouldn¡¯t waste time courting her. ¡°Jinniang, Jinniang?¡± Hearing Fulu¡¯s voice, Qiao Jinniang said gently, ¡°Miss Xie Yun is extremely beautiful, like a fairy descending from the heavens!¡± Fulu asked, ¡°Although the crown princess would be selected on June 21, a casino has already opened a gamble on who will be the crown princess. The earlier I bet, the higher the odds. I plan to bet on Xie Yun to win.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°Are you going to bet too?¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°No, thanks.¡± But she was thinking, if Xie Yun was the crown princess, what would happen to her Tuan¡¯er? When she once asked Xie Yun what a concubine maid was, Xie Yun had taught her how to overawe and punish concubines and their sons. At that point, Qiao Jinniang listened to her with relish and was shocked that there were so many dirty tricks in the strife among women in the high-ranking families. But if those tricks were used on her Tuan¡¯er¡­ Qiao Jinniang suddenly got chills all over her body. She didn¡¯t know if Xie Yun would treat her Tuan¡¯er kindly for the sake of the friendship they once had. Princess Fulu put her arm around Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That casino is run by Junior Duke Rong, and it has a good reputation. Plus, I¡¯ve done such a big favor for you, so just accompany me to make a bet! ¡°Last time when your family hosted the banquet for you, there was also a flower viewing banquet in the imperial palace to choose the wives and concubines for the princes. ¡°However, none of the top noble ladies in Chang¡¯an attended the flower viewing banquet, so it failed. ¡°This time, after the Crown Prince chooses his crown princess, the royal family would choose wives and concubines for the other princes. ¡°My friends who want to marry into the royal family don¡¯t go out at all these days for fear that their reputation will be tarnished. None of them dare to accompany me to a casino! ¡°Even those noble girls who don¡¯t want to marry into the royal family are busy finding their fiances before the royal family starts to choose wives and concubines for the princes, so they don¡¯t have time to go to the casino either.¡± ¡°So only you can accompany me to the casino.¡± Since Princess Fulu said so, Qiao Jinniang could only go with her. Lucky Casino had a good reputation just as Fulu Princess said. There were a lot of women and old people in it. There were even people playing leaf cards here, with the stakes being no more than a penny. It could be seen how prosperous Chang¡¯an was. ¡°Why is the youngest daughter of Duke Anyuan not included? The little imperial grandson is very close to Qiao Ruoshui, and she got off the Crown Prince¡¯s carriage previously in the North Mountain.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear the news, right? Qiao Ruoshui had offended her sister, the long-lost daughter of Duke Anyuan, and was driven away to a manor. Thus, she won¡¯t have the time to return to join in on the selection.¡± ¡°Will Duke Anyuan send his daughter who was born by a concubine, Qiao Ruoyi, or his brother¡¯s daughter to join in on the selection?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t it be that long-lost daughter of Duke Anyuan? She is Duke Anyuan¡¯s daughter too, right?¡± Hearing their words, Qiao Jinniang walked over. One of the women said, ¡°Although she is Duke Anyuan¡¯s daughter, she was raised by slaves. ¡°I heard that she used to run a restaurant. Raised by slaves and did business, if her father weren¡¯t Duke Anyuan, she doesn¡¯t even deserve to be the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine. ¡°Even if she is a noble lady now, she can at most be the fifth concubine of the Crown Prince.¡± Hearing what they said, Princess Fulu took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to their nonsense. If Xie Yun is really as beautiful as rumored, she will definitely win.¡± ¡°Why are your hands so cold?¡± Princess Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t recovered from my illness. On another note, how many concubines can the Crown Prince have?¡± Qiao Jinniang only knew that a crown prince would have concubines, but she didn¡¯t know that he could have so many of them. Fulu explained to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°You may not have been informed of it in the South. Except for the crown princess, a crown prince can have: ¡°Two first concubines, two second concubines, who are equal to level-three officials. ¡°Six third concubines, who are equal to level-four officials; ten fourth concubines, who are equal to level-five officials. ¡°16 fifth concubines, who are equal to level-seven officials; 24 sixth concubines, who are equal to level-nine officials, as well as many concubine maids who have no official ranks.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince should have chosen his crown princess in the year he disappeared, so now his harem is empty, and he doesn¡¯t even have a concubine. ¡°This time, no matter what, the royal family will select for him a crown princess, a first concubine, two second concubines, and one for each of the other ranks¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang had been running a restaurant, so she was very good at arithmetic, but it took her quite a while to count the number of women that would be in the harem of a crown prince. So the Crown Prince could have one wife and sixty concubines in total! Even if as Fulu said, there would be at least seven women selected into the East Palace this time, and it was considered not many¡­ Although Qiao Jinniang knew that rich men would have many concubines and an emperor could have a huge harem, she grew up in an ordinary family, and most ordinary families were monogamous. She could never imagine sharing her husband with so many women. ¡°Seventh Brother, what are you looking at?¡± On the second floor of the casino, Junior Duke Rong saw Lu Chen stop and asked. Following Lu Chen¡¯s gaze, he looked down. ¡°Fulu and Miss Qiao?¡± Qiao Jinniang felt someone was looking at her, so she looked up, then her and Lu Chen¡¯s eyes met.. Chapter 23 - Disrespect Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the casino, it was very noisy. Qiao Jinniang could hear people were guessing who would be the crown princess: ¡°I think Princess Fulu has a chance. Although she and the Crown Prince are cousins, and she is a dandy, she is still the niece of His Majesty. Wouldn¡¯t it be great to be extra related?¡± ¡°If you want to talk about being extra related, wouldn¡¯t Li Lingling from Empress Dowager¡¯s family, Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion, be a better choice? Plus, she¡¯s famous for being talented.¡± ¡°Qin Miaomiao from Duke Qin¡¯s Mansion¡­¡± Princess Fulu squeezed her way up and said, ¡°If you bet on Qin Miaomiao, you¡¯ll definitely lose. I¡¯ll bet on Xie Yun.¡± ¡°Princess Fulu? You came to bet too? Why not bet on yourself?¡± Princess Fulu smiled and said, ¡°If I can¡¯t be chosen, I should still win some money. Jinniang, are you going to bet as well?¡± Qiao Jinniang shifted her gaze to the name of Qin Miaomiao. Princess Fulu was annoyed. ¡°How can you bet on Qin Miaomiao? Don¡¯t you know that she is my most hated person? Pick another one.¡± At this point, Junior Duke Rong suddenly walked up to Fulu and Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Fulu, Miss Qiao, what a coincidence. I have a private room on the second floor. Would you like to have a cup of tea there?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t see Lu Chen coming downstairs, so she guessed that he should still be in the private room. She didn¡¯t want to see Lu Chen, but it would be rude to refuse Junior Duke Rong¡¯s invitation. On the other hand, Fulu happily responded. ¡°Okay.¡± At the door of the private room, Qiao Jinniang entered, and Junior Duke Rong said to Fulu, ¡°There is a new game in the casino. Miss Qiao, please wait here for a while. Let me take Princess Fulu to try the new game.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Is it good? Jinniang, let¡¯s go together?¡± ¡°Ms. Qiao has just returned to Chang¡¯an, so don¡¯t ruin her reputation. There is a Guqin player in the room. With her there, Miss Qiao won¡¯t be bored.¡± With that, Junior Duke Rong pulled Fulu¡¯s sleeves and went downstairs. Fulu and Junior Duke Rong were cousins, so with no qualm, Fulu broke free from him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t drag me. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± After Fulu and Junior Duke Rong left, the door of the private room closed. In the room, Lu Chen was sitting at the table with a teacup in his hand as he said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s been three days. Can we talk now?¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve said what I want to say. ¡°I¡¯ll just take that divorce letter as the truth, then you and I will have nothing to do in the future. ¡°Anyway, I still have the opportunity to see Tuan¡¯er in Duke Rong¡¯s mansion or the Princess¡¯ Mansion. ¡°As for you, you make me sick whenever I see you. ¡° They had been together for three years, so Qiao Jinniang wasn¡¯t in awe of him at all, even though he was the Crown Prince. Lu Chen¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°Do you want Tuan¡¯er to cry himself hoarse every time he separates from you?¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her handkerchief and said, ¡°If you really love Tuan¡¯er, let him feign death. And I will take him to Lin¡¯an and will never step into Chang¡¯an again!¡± When Lu Chen heard her words, he sneered. ¡°Did you get some inspiration from some random novel you read?¡± ¡°Tuan¡¯er is my eldest son. Do you think you can hide his identity?¡± Qiao Jinniang knew how fierce the fight for the throne could be, but she could only say, ¡°Tuan¡¯er is still young, so he cries after separating from me, but it¡¯ll be better as he grows up.¡± Lu Chen stood up and approached Qiao Jinniang step by step. ¡°Am I that disgusting to you? You don¡¯t want to marry into the East Palace even for the sake of Tuan¡¯er?¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t look at you without throwing up.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked straight into Lu Chen¡¯s eyes, without flinching. ¡°Even a pig won¡¯t mate with more than a dozen sows!¡± In the past three days, she tortured herself into such a pining state, but Lu Chen was happily preparing to choose his wife and concubines¡­ Lu Chen¡¯s face became darker and darker, and his deep dark eyes lost the usual elegance. He said with a dark look, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, are you aware who you¡¯re talking to?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You can kill me to silence me so that no one can tarnish your reputation!¡± Lu Chen suppressed his anger and said, ¡°It seems that you still haven¡¯t calmed down. I¡¯ve already discussed it with my father. In two months, he will grant you to be my second concubine. You will enter the East Palace as soon as the imperial decree is issued¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang spat on Lu Chen. ¡°Bah, no way! His Majesty is kind and benevolent. He will definitely not force a meritorious minister¡¯s daughter to be a concubine! Besides, my dad is the Defense Minister. His Majesty will not let a loyal minister down.¡± Lu Chen simply said, ¡°Then what if your father has agreed?¡± Qiao Jinniang was stunned. She only said a few words with her so-called father, so she didn¡¯t know if he would support her. Maybe he wanted her to enter the East Palace? At this point, Fulu¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside. ¡°The new game you said is just dice. It¡¯s not fun at all.¡± With a squeak, Fulu pushed the door open. ¡°Imperial Cousin, why are you here?¡± Lu Chen restored his elegant and gentle mask again. He said, ¡°Well, you can enjoy yourself but don¡¯t lead other girls astray. Although this casino is very popular, you¡¯d better not come here too frequently.¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°I don¡¯t come often. Imperial Cousin, choose Xie Yun as your crown princess, okay? I bet a whole hundred taels of silver on her. ¡°I heard that Xie Yun is from Lin¡¯an, and you stayed in Lin¡¯an for three years, so you should have met Xie Yun, right? ¡°Is she better-looking than my friend, Jinniang? ¡° Lu Chen glanced at Qiao Jinniang lightly and said, ¡°Your friend looks better.¡± Princess Fulu stared at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°You lied to me?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°No, he is blind.¡± Princess Fulu hurriedly covered Qiao Jinniang¡¯s mouth. ¡°Imperial Cousin, Jinniang comes from the countryside and doesn¡¯t know the rules. I will take her away and make her aware of how big a mistake she just made.¡± Fulu quickly took Qiao Jinniang out of the room and scolded Qiao Jinniang in a low voice at the door, ¡°Are you crazy? How dare you say the Crown Prince is blind?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Xie Yun is prettier than me.¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°Alas, you have to know that there are a lot of nobles in Chang¡¯an. Not everyone is as beautiful and kind-hearted as me, so be careful in the future. Don¡¯t say that about His Royal Highness again.¡± Qiao Jinniang finally smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± When Qiao Jinniang returned to the Duke Mansion, she went to Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s courtyard. Qiao Ruoyun was already in a much better state, but she was still weak after the miscarriage. After checking up on her, she went back to the Jin Garden. There, the Duchess was waiting for her in the room. Seeing Qiao Jinniang come back, she said, ¡°I heard that you could get out of bed today, so I came to see you, but I was told that you were taken away by Princess Fulu. ¡°Fulu is a straightforward girl but is a bit capricious. If you can¡¯t handle her, just tell me and I¡¯ll refuse for you. ¡°Some noble girls can go to a place like a casino, but it¡¯s not good for their reputation. ¡°Your father is already looking for a husband for your fourth younger sister, and your fifth younger sister and sixth younger sister will have their coming-of-age ceremony next month. Maybe they will be married into the royal family. ¡°I plan to find you a fiance first and let you marry in one or two years so that you can stay by my side longer.¡± If it were not for Lu Chen¡¯s words, Qiao Jinniang would definitely reject it. She had lost faith in men, so she didn¡¯t want to meet another jerk. But what she was more reluctant to do was to enter the harem of Lu Chen, that b*stard. It would be better for her to engage with a man first, then cancel the engagement after Lu Chen chose his wife and concubines. So Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay, Mother, when it comes to marriage, you can decide for me..¡± Chapter 24 - Cannot Take Any Concubine Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Duke Anyuan was usually very busy, but after returning from the trip to the North Mountain, he had a few days free. Although he knew that the Duchess was still angry at him, he had to discuss with her about the selection of the crown princess. When the Duchess came back from the Jin Garden, she saw Duke Anyuan waiting for her, and she asked coldly, ¡°Why are you here, Your Excellency?¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°This is my mansion. Why can¡¯t I be here? Now that we¡¯ve found Jinniang back, can¡¯t you just forgive me?¡± The Duchess sneered coldly. ¡°Forgive you? For the sake of my children, especially my poor Jinniang, I¡¯ve already forgiven you. Otherwise, I would have divorced you and gone back home!¡± ¡°Your beloved little concubine ruined my daughter¡¯s life. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Jinniang would be blamed if I divorce you and that Nian¡¯er is still young, I wouldn¡¯t have tolerated you anymore!¡± Duke Anyuan sighed. ¡°She has been beaten to death for what she did. Why are you still so angry? I came to you because His Majesty said today that he wanted to become in-laws with me.¡± The Duchess was surprised to hear this. ¡°Really?¡± Duke Anyuan nodded. This afternoon, in the imperial study, the Emperor suddenly said this to him. Duke Anyuan thought the Emperor wanted Qiao Ruoshui to marry the Crown Prince. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we can¡¯t decide on Ruoshui¡¯s marriage. Since His Majesty has said so, let Ruoshui come back from the manor as soon as possible!¡± In fact, for the past few days when Qiao Ruoshui was in the manor, the Duchess had been worrying about her every single day. After all, she was her daughter. But thinking that Qiao Jinniang had been ill for three days and had become so gaunt, the Duchess felt that Ruoshui deserved it. The Duchess said, ¡°If Ruoshui comes back, what should Jinniang do? I don¡¯t care. Jinniang has been away from me for eighteen years. I will never let her return to Lin¡¯an. Ruoshui needs to be taught a lesson.¡± ¡°With such a personality, even if she marries into the East Palace, how long can she survive? Xie Yun is the most renowned girl among those powerful families¡­¡± Duke Anyuan asked, ¡°Has Jinniang recovered from her illness?¡± ¡°Do you still have Jinniang in your eyes? If you didn¡¯t favor that b*tch, my poor daughter wouldn¡¯t have suffered for so many years¡­¡± The conversation returned to the previous subject. Duke Anyuan sighed secretly and left the courtyard. A mammy tried to persuade the Duchess: ¡°Madam, why are you still angry at His Excellency? Although he used to like that b*tch, he still respects and loves you. Who doesn¡¯t envy you in Chang¡¯an?¡± Duke Anyuan had only one wife and two concubines. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s mother was a maid who took care of Duke Anyuan since he was a child. They were more like families than lovers. This was why Duke Anyuan allowed her to give birth to Ruoyi. As for the concubine who swapped Jinniang and Ruoyun, she was forced to drink sterilizing medicine when she entered the Duke Mansion. All the noble ladies in Chang¡¯an envied the Duchess for her husband¡¯s deep affection for her. The Duchess sneered. ¡°Respect? Love? Women in this world are only allowed to have one husband, but men can love two to three women at the same time!¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m going to choose a husband for Jinniang, the most important thing is that he must vow not to take any concubines or concubine maids. ¡°If there is no such man, it would be better to let Jinniang raise gigolos like those princesses do. Having the Duke Mansion behind her and with the care of her younger brother, she can live happily in this life.¡± The mammy was shocked at her words and hurriedly said, ¡°Second Miss will definitely find her Mr. Right. I heard that the Buddha in Yuanxi Temple outside the city is very effective in facilitating marriages¡­¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Then go prepare. I¡¯ll take Jinniang to Yuanxi Temple tomorrow.¡± The mammy responded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Qiao Jinniang was leafing through the almanac and trying to pick an auspicious day to reopen the Tasty Pavilion, but in the end, she felt that she should go to a temple for advice. She was about to go out to tell the Duchess that she was going to a temple tomorrow when she saw Duke Anyuan coming over. Seeing him, Qiao Jinniang saluted. ¡°Father.¡± Duke Anyuan was only thirty-five years old. Although he had a beard, he still looked very handsome. When Duke Anyuan saw Jinniang, a gleam of guilt flashed across his eyes. It was not unreasonable for the Duchess to hate him. If it hadn¡¯t been for him to indulging in that b*tch too much, she would not have the chance to swap his daughter. ¡°Jinniang, are you going to your mother?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Father. I¡¯d like to open a restaurant in Chang¡¯an, so I want to go to a temple and ask for an auspicious day to open it.¡± Duke Anyuan asked, ¡°Which restaurant? Tell me the opening day when it¡¯s decided, I¡¯ll bring my colleagues to visit your restaurant.¡± Qiao Jinniang had thought that the Duke would not allow her to open a restaurant, but to her surprise, her father was very supportive of her. ¡°Tell me when you decide the opening day.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± Duke Anyuan looked at Qiao Jinniang kindly. ¡°Is it about Tuan¡¯er? I¡¯ve ordered my men to search for him in Chang¡¯an according to his portrait that you painted. But they can¡¯t find him. Did your ex-husband lie to you? Maybe they didn¡¯t come to Chang¡¯an?¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her handkerchief and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯ve made up my mind. Since that¡­ jerk had given me a divorce letter, I¡¯ve nothing to do with him anymore. ¡°But if he comes and forces me to marry him as a concubine, will you protect me, Father?¡± Duke Anyuan was instantly irritated. ¡°If I see that guy, I will break his legs! ¡°How dare he make such a ridiculous demand? You can rest assured that I must not let him humiliate you.¡± Qiao Jinniang was relieved to hear that. The Emperor was wise and benevolent. If Duke Anyuan refused, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t force her to marry the Crown Prince as a concubine. After saluting the Duke, Qiao Jinniang went into the Duchess¡¯s courtyard and explained her intentions. A mammy said, ¡°Oh, Second Miss, you really have a telepathic connection with your mother. Madam is also going to go to Yuanxi Temple tomorrow to offer incense.¡± The Duchess held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°You can inquire about the auspicious day there, but I¡¯ll beg the Buddha to bless you to find a good husband. His Majesty intends to let Ruoshui marry into the East Palace. So before that, we have to choose a fianc¨¦ for you.¡± Qiao Jinniang was surprised. Lu Chen, that b*stard! Did he want her and her sister to marry him together?! She didn¡¯t know if she should tell the truth. Even if she did so, Qiao Ruoshui would not give up marrying into the East Palace, and she would be involved in it, so it would be for her better not speak it out. It was a sunny day the next day. In late April, it was a bit hot. Yuanxi Temple was on a mountain outside Chang¡¯an. There were already many noble madams and girls who came to offer incense early in the morning, as well as many commoners. The road was so crowded that the carriages could not move at all. The Duchess opened the carriage curtain and asked a maid outside, ¡°How come we haven¡¯t arrived yet?¡± The maid replied. ¡°Madam, the abbot is holding a dharma assembly in Yuanxi Temple today, so there are many people who came to offer incense.¡± Qiao Jinniang also opened the curtain to look at the long queue in front, and said to the Duchess, ¡°Mother, shall we get off the carriage and walk to the temple? It may take a long time for the carriage to pass.¡± The Duchess nodded. ¡°Okay..¡± Chapter 25 - Apologize Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When Duchess Anyuan got out of the carriage, many noble ladies greeted and complimented her. ¡°Duchess Anyuan, did you come to offer incense too? This is your second daughter, right? She looks so beautiful.¡± ¡°Duchess, you two look as if you both are carved out of the same mold. We can tell she is your daughter just from a glance.¡± The madams had all heard that the Duchess drove her youngest daughter who was expected to become the crown princess to a remote manor for this daughter who they found from the countryside. It could be seen how much she loved this daughter, so they all came up to flatter Jinniang. Among them, some wanted to match Jinniang and their sons. After all, the Buddha in this Yuanxi Temple was very proficient in promoting marriages. Qiao Jinniang was already 18 years old, so the Duchess probably wouldn¡¯t keep her for long and must be currently selecting a fiance for her. Although Qiao Jinniang was raised by servants, the Duchess obviously loved her very much. If their sons could marry Qiao Jinniang, with Duke Anyuan¡¯s support, they would definitely have a promising career. Besides, Qiao Jinniang looked beautiful and graceful. It would be great if their sons could marry her. During this time, the wife of Foreign Minister came forward and said, ¡°If my son could marry a beautiful wife like Miss Second, it must be our ancestors blessing him.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. These words were a bit rude. The Duchess held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I may have to let you down, Madam. My daughter has suffered for so many years due to a concubine. Any man who wants to marry Jinniang can¡¯t take any concubine or concubine maid!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the Duchess gratefully. At this moment, she believed there was a telepathic connection between mother and daughter. The other ladies looked at each other in embarrassment. Apart from the sons-in-law of the royal family, was there any official in Chang¡¯an who didn¡¯t have concubines or concubine maids? The ladies soon left awkwardly one after another. The Duchess patted Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Jinniang, your sister and I both suffer because of concubines. ¡°Therefore, I hope that your future husband won¡¯t have any concubines even if his family is not as powerful as our Duke Mansion. It doesn¡¯t matter if his family is rich or not. Mom and Dad will always help you in the future.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Mom, I think so too.¡± When they came to the temple, there were even more people here. After finally drawing a divination stick, the Duchess wanted to ask the abbot to explain it, but the abbot was at the dharma assembly, so the Duchess decided to join the dharma assembly first and then ask the abbot to explain the divination stick when he was free. Qiao Jinniang was not quite interested in the dharma assembly, so she decided to go to the monks who set up a stall in the temple to ask which day was a good day for her restaurant to open. The Duchess said to her, ¡°Be careful. When you¡¯re done, wait for me at the gate of the temple.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. There were so many people in the temple today, so Qiao Jinniang waited for quite a while before it was her turn. ¡°Master, I¡¯d like to pick an auspicious day to open my restaurant.¡± Qiao Jinniang handed the divination stick she drew to the monk. The monk looked at it and said, ¡°This is a good draw. April 28 is a good day.¡± Qiao Jinniang handed over a piece of silver and said, ¡°Thank you for your explanation, Master.¡± ¡°When did you start to believe these things?¡± Hearing the contemptuous voice, Qiao Jinniang turned around and saw Lu Chen. And Tuan¡¯er was in his arms. Fortunately, the noble ladies and girls in Chang¡¯an had all gone to the dharma assembly. At this moment, the people here were all ordinary people who didn¡¯t recognize the Crown Prince. Today, Qiao Jinniang brought Hongling and Luhe with her. Both of them had met the Crown Prince before, so they quickly saluted him. Afraid that Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know this man was the Crown Prince, Hongling whispered into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear. ¡°Miss, he is the Crown Prince.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted him reluctantly. As soon as Tuan¡¯er saw Qiao Jinniang, he kept staring at Jinniang with his round little eyes, but he didn¡¯t call her ¡°Mommy¡± this time. Qiao Jinniang really wanted to hug Tuan¡¯er but with the two maids here, she could only refrain herself from doing so. Lu Chen handed Tuan¡¯er to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Give him to my secret guard in half an hour.¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly hugged Tuan¡¯er and saluted Lu Chen. ¡°Yes.¡± Both Hongling and Luhe were shocked by the prince¡¯s move. After he left, Hongling asked, ¡°Why did His Royal Highness give you the little imperial grandson, Miss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to find Madam,¡± Luhe said. Qiao Jinniang quickly stopped her. ¡°No need, I met the little imperial grandson in the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion, and we seem to like each other. I saw there was a fair outside the temple. Let¡¯s go take him there for fun.¡± Hongling felt it was not proper, but since Qiao Jinniang was her master, she could only listen to her. Tuan¡¯er suddenly whispered into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear. ¡°Mommy.¡± His voice was as soft as a mosquito¡¯s hums, so only Jinniang could hear it. Hearing this, she couldn¡¯t help but tighten her hug, reluctant to let go of Tuan¡¯er. With Hongling and Luhe here, it was not convenient for Qiao Jinniang to talk to Tuan¡¯er, so she tried her best to make Tuan¡¯er laugh while she brought him around the fair. Fairs in Chang¡¯an were very lively, selling all kinds of trinkets. As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, sachets and the like were also sold in the fair. In the past, Qiao Jinniang would make a sachet for Tuan¡¯er at each Dragon Boat Festival. Now that she had found Tuan¡¯er, she planned to make a sachet for him again, so she went to a brocade shop. ¡°Madam, what would you like?¡± Hongling said, ¡°Our miss has not married yet!¡± The hawker touched his head and said awkwardly, ¡°The little boy looks similar to this young lady, so I thought they were mother and son. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jinniang looked at Tuan¡¯er and said, ¡°Everyone says that this child looks like his father. Why did you say that he looks like me?¡± The hawker said, ¡°The little boy¡¯s eyes are not like yours, but the contours of his face and nose are like yours very much. Are you brother and sister? This piece of red silk suits you very well.¡± Hearing this, Hongling and Luhe looked at Jinniang and Tuan¡¯er and were surprised to find that they looked similar indeed. Since the birth of Tuan¡¯er, everyone said that he was like Lu Chen. This was the first time that someone said Tuan¡¯er looked like her. Very pleased, she generously bought two bolts of silk. However, a sneer suddenly sounded behind her. ¡°Humph, someone thinks she has changed from a sparrow into a phoenix, but a sparrow is always a sparrow. Even my slaves won¡¯t use this rough kind of cloth to make shoes!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked back. The woman who spoke looked a little familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember who this woman was. Hongling and Luhe glanced at each other. Neither of them recognized this woman as well. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know her, so she didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to her. But the woman continued, ¡°You¡¯re really good at acting. With a small trick, you sent Ruoshui to a manor to suffer. How can you still have the cheek to come here to have fun?¡± At this point, Qiao Jinniang remembered that this woman was one of Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s friends. Her father should be a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Defence, so she didn¡¯t even know who Tuan¡¯er was. ¡°Tong¡¯er, don¡¯t mess around.¡± At this moment, a man in his twenties suddenly came over and scolded Yu Tong. Then he turned to salute Qiao Jinniang politely. ¡°Miss Qiao, I¡¯m sorry. My sister is worried about her friend, so she offended you. Please allow me to apologize for her..¡± Chapter 26 - A Toad Lusting After A Swans Flesh Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang looked at the man who saluted her. He was in his twenties. Although he was not as handsome as the damn Crown Prince, he did not look bad. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was silent, the man said, ¡°I¡¯m Yu An, the son of an official in the Defense Department. Today, I came to Yuanxi Temple with my sister to pray for the Buddha to bless me to pass the Imperial Examination.¡± ¡°My sister misses your sister too much, so she said those improper words. Please forgive her. ¡°As an apology, I¡¯ll pay for the two bolts of silk you chose. ¡° Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°No need, your sister looks about fifteen to sixteen years old, and she is obviously not dumb. If she really wants to apologize, why does she let you apologize to me in her place?¡± Yu An was slightly stunned. Why was Qiao Jinniang different from what he guessed? He originally thought that this woman from the countryside would grow interested in him when she heard that he was going to pass the Imperial Examination. After all, a countryside girl hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. He believed that he was good-looking and his temperament was good, so she would definitely fancy him. However, to his surprise, Qiao Jinniang was so cold to him. Yu An thought that it must be because she was annoyed by his sister¡¯s words, so he tugged at Yu Tong¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, apologize to Miss Qiao!¡± Yu Tong snorted. ¡°No way! When Ruoshui returns and becomes the crown princess, she will definitely punish this sparrow.¡± Tuan¡¯er asked with a cute voice in Jinniang¡¯s arms, ¡°Is she talking bad about you?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want Tuan¡¯er to hear these lousy words, so she said, ¡°Good boy, do you want to eat candied haws?¡± Tuan¡¯er kept nodding. Qiao Jinniang smiled and left with Tuan¡¯er. Yu An and Yu Tong were left where they were. Yu Tong said disdainfully, ¡°That village girl knows no manners. How could she just leave like that? Brother, why were you so polite to her?¡± ¡°What do you know?!¡± The gentle smile suddenly disappeared from Yu An¡¯s face and he said angrily, ¡°She¡¯s a good choice for me, but you ruined everything!¡± Hearing it, Yu Tong stomped her feet and shouted, ¡°Brother, how can that countryside woman be worthy of becoming your wife? ¡°How could the future mistress of our Yu family be an ill-mannered woman from the countryside? ¡°People will laugh at us!¡± Looking at his stupid sister, Yu An regretted coming out with her today. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how much the Duke and the Duchess love her? The clothes and jewelry she wears are all the most fashionable pieces in Chang¡¯an. ¡°Her younger sister offended her and was sent away to a manor. ¡°However, after all, she grew up in the countryside, so it¡¯s not easy for her to marry a high-ranking husband. She can only marry into a family that is not as powerful as the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion. ¡°Even if I pass the Imperial Examination, I¡¯ll still have to climb up the ladder slowly. ¡°But if I can marry Qiao Jinniang, how could Duke Anyuan not help his son-in-law? Even if I fail to pass the Imperial Examination, he¡¯ll help me get a place in court. ¡°And Father may also be promoted to be the Deputy Minister of Defense. Why were you so stupid as to offend her?!¡± Yu Tong said with disdain, ¡°Ruoshui is my friend. If she becomes the crown princess, she will definitely help Father and you for my sake.¡± ¡­ Qiao Jinniang held Tuan¡¯er and bought him a bunch of candied haws. Luhe paid and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Miss, that girl from the Yu family is really rude, but her brother is gentle and polite. If he passes the Imperial Examination, his future must be bright.¡± Hongling scolded Luhe, ¡°Don¡¯t say these improper words to Miss.¡± Qiao Jinniang stopped at a pavilion, put down Tuan¡¯er, and said to Luhe with a chuckle. ¡°You are so young that you probably think Mr. Yu is a good person.¡± Luhe lowered her head and said, ¡°Miss, isn¡¯t he? It¡¯s his sister who was rude to you, but he apologized to you and made his sister apologize to you as well.¡± Qiao Jinniang took the fan from Hongling¡¯s hand and gently fanned Tuan¡¯er. ¡°It¡¯s the first time we met, so why did he bother to mention that he was going to pass the Imperial Examination? He thought he hid his real thoughts well, but a discerning person can see him through at a glance.¡± Yu An mentioned that just to attract her attention. There were many novels in which noble ladies fell in love with young scholars at first sight and were desperate to marry them. And girls from wealthy or powerful families threw aside their family and eloped with young scholars. Qiao Jinniang had read so many of such novels. How could she not tell what Yu An was thinking? Luhe said in surprise, ¡°Miss, do you mean that Mr. Yu was seducing you?¡± Qiao Jinniang took her handkerchief and wiped off the sugar crumbs on Tuan¡¯er¡¯s lips. Her silence said it all. Luhe said in annoyance, ¡°How is he deserving of marrying you? It is like a toad lusting after a swan¡¯s flesh.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Tuan¡¯er¡¯s cute face and sighed. If she guessed right, there would be more and more young men like Yu An appearing around her in the future. After all, she was a divorced woman. With this badge, she could only marry into a lower-class family. But if a young man from a lower-class family had some dignity and ability, he wouldn¡¯t choose to marry her, while those who were willing to marry her probably just wanted her father¡¯s help¡­ After Tuan¡¯er ate two candied haws, Jinniang forbade him from eating more. Both Hongling and Luhe were surprised that the little imperial grandson was so obedient to Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang had a lot of words to say to Tuan¡¯er, but with the two maids here, she couldn¡¯t say much to him. So she just bought lots of trinkets from the street stalls for Tuan¡¯er. Then she saw a dough figurine stall. Jinniang decided to buy one for herself and one for Tuan¡¯er. The dough figurine master was very dexterous, and the dough figurines he made were very vivid. Qiao Jinniang gave her dough figurine to Tuan¡¯er and said, ¡°I will keep your dough figurine, and Your Highness, please keep mine. If you miss me, you can play with my dough figurine, and when I miss you, I can look at yours.¡± Tuan¡¯er asked innocently, ¡°Where is Daddy¡¯s dough figurine? Why no Daddy¡¯s? Qiao Jinniang stroked Tuan¡¯er¡¯s head. ¡°Your daddy is not here, so the Master can¡¯t make one for him.¡± Tuan¡¯er nodded somewhat confusedly. Half an hour was too short. Before Qiao Jinniang could look at her Tuan¡¯er more, a secret guard from the East Palace appeared in front of Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Miss Qiao, the time is up.¡± There was no telling what Lu Chen said to Tuan¡¯er. When Tuan¡¯er was taken away, he didn¡¯t cry at all. Qiao Jinniang, however, had tears in her eyes. She hid Tuan¡¯er¡¯s dough figurine in her handkerchief and went to the Duchess. ¡­ Tuan¡¯er was carried back to the Crown Prince¡¯s carriage, and he put the little dough figurine in front of his father like he presenting a treasure, ¡°Mommy, beautiful.¡± The Crown Prince took the dough figurine and looked at it carefully. It looked like Qiao Jinniang indeed. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it for you. You¡¯ll break it if you keep holding it.¡± Seeing that the dough figurine was taken away, Tuan¡¯er climbed onto Lu Chen¡¯s body and shouted anxiously, ¡°Mommy gave it to me. It¡¯s mine.¡± Lu Chen took out the pastry wrapped in oiled paper from the side. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll keep the dough figurine and this pastry will be yours, okay?¡± Tuan¡¯er weighed the importance of the pastry and the dough figurine in his heart before stretching out his little hand to reach for the latter. ¡°I want Mommy¡¯s dough figurine.¡± Lu Chen, ¡°¡­.¡± Chapter 27 - Sachet Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Enduring the sadness of separating from her son, Qiao Jinniang adjusted her emotions and went to the courtyard where the dharma assembly was held. After the dharma assembly finished, the Duchess took the divination stick to the abbot of Yuanxi Temple. The Duchess was a generous donor, so the abbot didn¡¯t dare to take it lightly. He held the divination stick and said, ¡°Congratulations, Duchess, this divination stick forebodes good luck. All your wishes will come true.¡± The Duchess chuckled when she heard it. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± The abbot looked up the divination book and transcribed the explanation to this divination stick to the Duchess. ¡°There was once a phoenix playing in the Phoenix Palace. The palace was empty after the phoenix left, and now only the river is still running. ¡°The flowers and grasses in the palace shade desolate paths, and the aristocrats of the old days have become the bones in the tombs. ¡°Three mountains are looming in the clouds and the river is divided into two streams by egret island. ¡°Those clouds always blot out the brilliance of the sun, so when I climb high, I can¡¯t see Chang¡¯an City anymore, which makes me sad and depressed.¡± ¡°Duchess, although this divination stick forebodes good luck, there are also tribulations in the good luck. Once the tribulations are transcended, your daughter will surely dispel the clouds and see the sun, and then the phoenix will be hovering over Chang¡¯an City.¡± Hearing his words, the Duchess¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Phoenix? Chang¡¯an? At this time when the Crown Prince was going to choose his crown princess, others might be overjoyed to draw this divination stick, but the Duchess wasn¡¯t so happy about it. At this moment, Qiao Jinniang walked to the Duchess and said, ¡°Mother.¡± The Duchess smiled at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I¡¯ve drawn a divination stick for you, and it¡¯s a very good one. It seems that the Buddha has blessed you to find a good husband.¡± Qiao Jinniang was surprised to see the word ¡°phoenix¡± in the explanation of the divination stick, wondering if the Yuanxi Temple was trying to fawn on the Duchess. Knowing that the Crown Prince was going to choose his crown princess, they thought that the Duchess came for Qiao Ruoshui. Did the abbot say this on purpose? Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t quite believe in Buddhism in the past, but after God made two jokes with her, she had to believe in fate. Perhaps what the divination stick was foreboding was true. After all, His Majesty had already told the Duke that he wanted Qiao Ruoshui to marry into the East Palace. After returning home, the Duchess got down to selecting a suitable fianc¨¦ for Qiao Jinniang. However, Qiao Ruoyi and their cousin sister, Ruofeng, were going to have their coming-of-age ceremonies soon, so the Duke Mansion also had to prepare for their ceremonies. As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, the people of the Qin Family finally came to Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion instead of continuing to pretend not to know Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s real whereabouts. Faced with so many issues, the Duchess could only temporarily put aside the matter of selecting a fianc¨¦ for Qiao Jinniang. Currently, Qiao Jinniang was embroidering a Dragon Boat Festival sachet for Tuan¡¯er in her room. In the end, the small sachet looked very exquisite, and she sent the sachet to Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion along with a letter. Although she said it was for Princess Fu¡¯an, Qiao Jinniang assumed that the people in the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion would know who to give the sachet to. In the afternoon, Nuomi came in with mung bean soup, saying, ¡°Miss, today even the old madam of the Qin Family came. I think Miss Ruoyun is going back to the Qin Family.¡± With the Duchess and the Dowager Duchess here, even if the old madam of the Qin Family came, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. The Duchess and the Dowager Duchess would definitely not let Qiao Ruoyun go back to the Qin Family unless they punished that concubine maid, Yuzhui, and promised to treat Qiao Ruoyun well. Hearing that the Qin Family had left, Qiao Jinniang went to the Duchess. The Duchess looked sullen. Only when she saw Jinniang come in did she no longer frown. Qiao Jinniang handed a sachet to the Duchess and said, ¡°Mother, this is a Dragon Boat Festival sachet that I made for you. I¡¯ve made a sachet for you, Father and Grandmother. I hope you like it.¡± The Duchess took the sachet and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Jinniang. Is your restaurant going to open tomorrow?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all ready. If you are free tomorrow, can you go to the Tasty Pavilion with me?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m free.¡± The Duchess held the sachet, feeling very warm in her heart. ¡°But I¡¯ve just quarreled with the people of the Qin Family, and Ruoyun is still recovering from the miscarriage, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to go to a restaurant for dinner. ¡°I will write to your aunts and ask them to attend the opening ceremony of your restaurant.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Okay, did the people of the Qin Family refuse to drive Yuzhui out?¡± The Duchess sneered and said, ¡°Old Madam Qin said that Yuzhui is her relative, so she must protect Yuzhui. The people of the Qin Family don¡¯t respect us at all!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, I have an idea. It may be improper, but since we are a family, I want to speak it out even if you blame me. ¡°I don¡¯t go out frequently, but every time I go out, I will definitely be mocked. Even though our family is powerful and is favored by His Majesty, we can¡¯t do anything to those gossip mongers. ¡°All because they don¡¯t think that Father would make things difficult for their husbands or fathers just because of their gossip. ¡°The people of the Qin Family must have heard those gossips, and Old Madam Qin certainly doesn¡¯t want any ¡°stains¡± on the Qin Family¡¯s reputation. ¡°If this time, we can¡¯t make them admit their mistake, even if Sister Ruoyun goes back, she would definitely continue to be tortured. ¡°Judging from Old Madam Qin¡¯s attitude, Sister Ruoyun will definitely have a hard time if she goes back. ¡°But if she doesn¡¯t go back, the Qin Family won¡¯t care either. They can take the chance to get rid of the ¡°stain¡± on their family¡¯s reputation, which in their eyes is Sister Ruoyun.¡± The Duchess nodded. ¡°Then what do you think we should do, Jin¡¯er?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°The reason why Mrs. Qin did this is for their reputation, so we should fight them back with reputation too. I have a selfish idea. It will save Sister Ruoyun and me from any embarrassment in the future, but may make things difficult for Mother and Father¡­¡± The Duchess asked, ¡°What is the idea?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°My adoptive father is also surnamed Qiao. ¡°Why don¡¯t we tell others my adoptive father is Father¡¯s sworn brother? ¡°People laugh at Sister Ruoyun and I because of my adoptive father¡¯s identity as a servant. ¡°But if Father acknowledges him as his sworn brother, then Sister Ruoyun is the daughter of a duke¡¯s sworn brother. ¡°At this point, no one would dare to laugh at her bloodline again, including the people of the Qin Family.¡± The Duchess thought for a while before saying, ¡°But your adoptive father is just a cook¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang bowed her head and said, ¡°Mother, the founding emperor of Tang Dynasty also had a sworn brother who was a commoner. After ascending to the throne, he granted his sworn brother to be a duke. ¡°Even the founding emperor of our country had a commoner as his sworn brother, so it should be fine for Father to do the same. ¡°If Father does the same, those gossip mongers can no longer laugh at my adoptive parents¡¯ identity. ¡°And I won¡¯t be ridiculed for being raised by slaves anymore, because I was brought up by Father¡¯s sworn brother.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°I need to discuss this matter with your father.¡± ¡­ East Palace. Lu Chen looked at the letter and the sachet sent by Junior Duke Rong and played with the sachet. The sachet was very small but was very delicate. It had the same fragrance as those made in previous years. Lu Chen took it and tied it to his jade belt. Junior Duke Rong said in a small voice, ¡°Seventh Brother, this sachet seems to be for Tuan¡¯er¡­¡± Lu Chen glanced sideways at Junior Duke Rong. ¡°Only one sachet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s for me.¡± Lu Chen read the letter, which read that ¡°My restaurant will open tomorrow. I can go to the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion tomorrow afternoon, and I hope to see Tuan¡¯er there.¡± Lu Chen said to Junior Duke Rong, ¡°I¡¯ll take Tuan¡¯er to the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion tomorrow afternoon. Write her back.¡± Lost for words, Junior Duke Rong looked at the sachet on Lu Chen¡¯s waist¡­ No matter how he looked at it, such a small sachet must be made for Tuan¡¯er.. Chapter 28 - Where Is My Sachet? Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations On April 28th, it was a good day. It was a sunny day but it was not hot at all. Today, Qiao Jinniang arrived at the Tasty Pavilion, wearing a long red silk skirt with a fan embroidered with peacocks in hand. The layout of the Tasty Pavilion was the same as the Myriad Taste in Lin¡¯an. The restaurant was opening today, and the waiters and waitresses were wearing new clothes. Qiao Jinniang waited for the firecrackers to be set off in an auspicious hour. Outside of the restaurant, there were already many people standing outside waiting for the shopkeeper to scatter coins. In the Guest Welcoming Building not far from the Tasty Pavilion, a thin man with very high cheekbones looked at the Tasty Pavilion in the distance with disdain. ¡°That countryside girl is ill-bred indeed. I can¡¯t believe the Duke is actually indulging her with a restaurant.¡± A servant next to him fawned on him. ¡°Exactly, how can a countryside woman know anything about running a restaurant? Master, don¡¯t worry. Your wife¡¯s sister is the concubine of the first son of Earl Cheng¡¯en. For Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s sake, the nobles in Chang¡¯an will definitely come to our Guest Welcome Building.¡± Although the Duke and the Duchess both said they would invite their friends to attend the opening ceremony of the Tasty Pavilion, Qiao Jinniang was still a bit worried. But at noon, Qiao Jinniang found her worries unnecessary. Duke Anyuan personally came to the Tasty Pavilion, and he brought his subordinates in the Defense Ministry with him. Princess Fulu even brought over her mother, Princess Shou¡¯an. To add to that, even the Duchess¡¯ brothers and sister-in-laws also came. The Duchess was from the Zheng Family, the Duke Dingbei¡¯s Mansion. Duke Dingbei¡¯s Mansion had declined and only had the title of duke, so as soon as they were invited by the Duchess, the whole family immediately came. However, this put even more stress on Jinniang. These people, who were accustomed to delicacies, must be very picky about their food. ¡°Jinniang, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ve tasted the dishes you made. I think the chefs in your restaurant can¡¯t be bad either.¡± Princess Fulu dragged Qiao Jinniang into the No.1 private room. Qiao Jinniang saluted Princess Shou¡¯an and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Your Highness. Sorry for troubling you for the matter of my sister Ruoyun.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an smiled and said, ¡°Please arise. I often hear Fu Lu talk about you. Today, I finally see you, and you¡¯re much more polite than my little monkey-like daughter. Is the tea Mingqian Longjing Tea?¡± Qiao Jinniang replied. ¡°Yes, this tea is a new product produced in my tea farm. It was specially prepared for you.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said, ¡°Oh, I forgot that you came from Lin¡¯an. Do you have a tea farm of your own?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yes, the tea used in my restaurant was produced there. If Your Highness likes the tea, I¡¯ll have my maid send some to your mansion.¡± The princess smiled. ¡°Then Fulu and I would eat, drink and take tea from you for free. That¡¯s not good.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Please give me a chance to express my gratitude to you, Your Highness. The tea was produced in my own tea farm, so it won¡¯t cost me anything. I¡¯m very glad you like it.¡± The princess looked at Qiao Jinniang kindly. When Fulu talked about Qiao Jinniang, she was a bit disdainful of Jinniang¡¯s identity. But today, when she saw Qiao Jinniang in person, she found that although Qiao Jinniang was not raised by the Duchess, her temperament and manners were even better than ordinary noble girls. She gave away the precious Mingqian Longjing Tea without hesitation. There was nothing petty about her at all. The Tasty Pavilion combined Chang¡¯an-style cuisine and southern style cuisine. But today, most people order the latter. The nobles in Chang¡¯an could rarely eat fresh shrimps, but the stir-fried shrimp with Longjing tea was the most popular dish today. Many guests came to the restaurant when they heard that many nobles had come here. Soon, there were no empty seats in the restaurant. There were still some guests in the Guest Welcoming Building, but they came just because there were already no seats left in the Tasty Pavilion. The shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building was so angry about this that he went back to discuss it with his wife. ¡°That Tasty Pavilion¡¯s new shopkeeper is not as useless as I thought. I thought that the people of the Duke Mansion would disdain her for running a restaurant herself. ¡°Unexpectedly, Duke Anyuan actually came to join the opening ceremony in person, so did the noble ladies from Duke Dingbei¡¯s Mansion, as well as Princess Shou¡¯an and her daughter.¡± His wife shook her fan and said, ¡°What are you afraid of? They just went there today for the sake of Duke Anyuan, but no one is stupid. If the dishes in the Tasty Pavilion are unpalatable, will they still go there to waste their money?¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°Why not? Do you know how many people in Changan who want to get to know Duke Anyuan but can¡¯t find a way? ¡°Now that his daughter has opened a restaurant, they can just go to the Tasty Pavilion and order many dishes to please Duke Anyuan. ¡°No officials in Chang¡¯an aren¡¯t afraid of offending Duke Anyuan. They will definitely all patronize the Tasty Pavilion!¡± His wife thought his husband was overthinking it and said carelessly, ¡°His Majesty hates corrupt officials the most. If there is such a thing, I¡¯ll ask my brother-in-law to report Duke Anyuan¡¯s misdeed to His Majesty!¡± ¡­ Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t expect the restaurant¡¯s business to be so good on the first day. Even the shrimps she prepared were sold out quickly. Therefore, when she took Nuomi to the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion, she was in a very good mood. However, her good mood was instantly gone as soon as she stepped into the Kylin Garden and saw Tuan¡¯er crying. She hurried over and took Tuan¡¯er from Lu Chen. ¡°Honey, why are you crying?¡± Tuan¡¯er complained to Qiao Jinniang with his cute voice, ¡°Mommy, your dough figurine is gone. Daddy snatched it.¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen. ¡°How old are you already? How could you snatch your son¡¯s toy?¡± Lu Chen frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t. He was holding that dough figurine constantly, even when he was sleeping. It was just that it was so hot that the dough figurine melted and was squashed by him when he fell asleep on the carriage.¡± Tuan¡¯er said pitifully, ¡°Daddy wanted to snatch it. Tuan¡¯er didn¡¯t let go¡­¡± Although Tuan¡¯er couldn¡¯t speak clearly, Qiao Jinniang figured out what Tuan¡¯er meant. Lu Chen tried to snatch the dough figurine from him, so Tuan¡¯er was holding it tightly. Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen and wiped away the tears from the corners of Tuan¡¯er¡¯s eyes. Then she softly comforted him. ¡°Mom will have the master make a new one for you, okay? Don¡¯t cry. I made a sachet for you, right? It smells so good. Why don¡¯t you wear it, Tuan¡¯er?¡± Tuan¡¯er blinked his innocent phoenix eyes. ¡°Daddy is wearing it.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked over. Lu Chen was wearing a white round-necked robe today, and the little tiger sachet she made was hanging on his waist! Qiao Jinniang scolded, ¡°Shame on you! Give it back to Tuan¡¯er.¡± There were only the three of them in the courtyard now. Lu Chen sat on the round stool in the courtyard and asked, ¡°Where is mine?¡± Qiao Jinniang was stunned for a while, not knowing what Lu Chen meant. Lu Chen poured himself a cup of tea. ¡°In previous years, I was always the first to get the sachet you made, so I thought this sachet was for me. Since this one¡¯s for Tuan¡¯er, where is mine?¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°Hmph, in your dream.¡± This b*stard planned to demote her from his wife to his concubine. What made him think she would still make a sachet for him? He must be daydreaming.. Chapter 29 - Grant Her To Be the Crown Princess Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lu Chen frowned. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, just because I indulge you for old times¡¯ sake doesn¡¯t mean you can do whatever you want to me.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted coldly. ¡°Indulge? How do you have the cheek to say you ¡®indulge¡¯ me?¡± She went over, tore off the sachet from Lu Chen¡¯s waist and placed it on Tuan¡¯er¡¯s waist before saying softly, ¡°My little dough is fragrant now.¡± Tuan¡¯er snuggled against Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mommy is fragrant too.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled gently. Looking at them, Lu Chen was surprised by the speed Qiao Jinniang changed her face. She treated him and Tuan¡¯er with completely different faces! Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked my father to grant you the position of my first concubine. Your father has already known about it too. The imperial decree will be issued on June 21.¡± Qiao Jinniang was stunned. Her father had known about it? But her mother said her father told her His Majesty intended to let Ruoshui marry into the East Palace. Qiao Jinniang thought that perhaps Duke Anyuan misinterpreted His Majesty¡¯s words? Duke Anyuan didn¡¯t know what happened between her and the Crown Prince, so he subconsciously thought the Emperor was talking about Qiao Ruoshui. If this is the case, she should urge the Duchess to find her a fianc¨¦ as soon as possible. Yes, His Majesty was wise and benevolent and wouldn¡¯t force anyone to marry the Crown Prince, but she was different. She had a child with Lu Chen. Moreover, His Majesty had said to Duke Anyuan that he wanted to be in-laws with him. With Duke Anyuan¡¯s misunderstanding, His Majesty must think that Duke Anyuan had agreed to marry Qiao Jinniang to the Crown Prince. If the imperial decree was issued at the end of June, she could only be the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine and there would be nothing she could do! If the imperial decree was issued, since Duke Anyuan had already agreed to it, it would be a punishment of decapitation if she dared to refuse¡­ Therefore, she had to be engaged to another man as soon as possible and make it known to everyone in Chang¡¯an before the imperial decree was issued. Then His Majesty could only give up. Qiao Jinniang was lost in thoughts and didn¡¯t notice that Lu Chen had Tuan¡¯er taken away. In the huge courtyard of Kylin Garden, only Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were left. Qiao Jinniang came back to her senses only to see that Lu Chen was only one foot away from her. He put his dirty hands around her waist, his voice hoarse. ¡°Since we were separated, not only Tuan¡¯er is missing you, but I have also been thinking of you.¡± Qiao Jinniang mocked. ¡°Thinking of how to make me your concubine or how to kill me so as not to tarnish your reputation?¡± ¡°Jin¡¯er.¡± Lu Chen sighed. ¡°You didn¡¯t grow up in an aristocratic family, so you don¡¯t know the position of my first concubine means. Although your father is Duke Anyuan, it¡¯s not a bad position for you.¡± Hearing Lu Chen called her Jin¡¯er, Qiao Jinniang was so disgusted that she raised her hand and slapped Lu Chen hard in his left cheek, on which the swelling had not subsided yet. ¡°I only know that my husband must treat me wholeheartedly, just like my foster father only loves my foster mother. ¡°You want to be a breeding pig and sleep more than a dozen sows, but I don¡¯t want to be a sow! ¡°Your first concubine? If you have other women, even if you make me the crown princess, I¡¯ll disdain it!¡± Lu Chen covered his left face, thinking that Qiao Jinniang really went too far¡­ ¡°Master.¡± His secret guard¡¯s voice sounded from the darkness. Lu Chen walked to the side, his face livid with anger. The secret guard had reported something to him, causing him to hurry away. Only a little eunuch was left. He plucked up the courage and said to Qiao Jinniang carefully, ¡°Miss Qiao, His Royal Highness said, if you want to see the little imperial grandson during the Dragon Boat Festival, you¡¯ll have to make a dragon boat sachet for him.¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her handkerchief and cursed Lu Chen over and over again in her heart, but she still had to make a sachet for him! It worked really well to threaten her with Tuan¡¯er. ¡­ After Qiao Jinniang went back to the Duke Mansion, she was called over by the Duchess. Seeing Qiao Jinniang come over, the Duchess said, ¡°Your aunts came to visit me this afternoon. They all praised your chef¡¯s cooking skills. What a pity, if it weren¡¯t for the people of the Qin Family, I would have gone to taste it.¡± ¡°Mother, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll cook for you myself later.¡± The Duchess held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°How can I let you cook? I just want to ask you, did you see Mr. Yu in Yuanxi Temple not long ago?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Yes, her younger sister had said some rude things to me, but Mr. Yu apologized for her.¡± The Duchess smiled. ¡°His Majesty was very happy that the Crown Prince who has been missing for years returned to Chang¡¯an, so he decided to hold an imperial examination this autumn. ¡°Mr. Yu is confident of finishing in the top three in this imperial examination. ¡°Moreover, his father is a high-ranking official in the Defense Ministry. If he is promoted, he may become the Deputy Secretary of Defense in the future. You don¡¯t have to be shy. Tell me, how do you think of Mr. Yu?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve already married once, and I know I shouldn¡¯t be picky. ¡°But just because it will be my second marriage, I don¡¯t want to marry another jerk. ¡°Mr. Yu seems gentle and polite but is actually very shrewd and calculating. I don¡¯t think he is a good choice for me. ¡°If he speaks frankly that he wants to make a deal with me, with him giving me marriage in exchange for a career, I may admire his frankness. ¡°But he deliberately approached me in the temple harboring ulterior motives. I don¡¯t think this kind of man is a good choice for me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry a rich or powerful husband. I just want an honest and sincere man.¡± At least that man must not be like Lu Chen, who said he missed her but wanted her to be his concubine. The Duchess nodded. ¡°Jinniang, I¡¯m glad you think so. ¡°On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, there will be a dragon boat race in Chang¡¯an. At that time, members of the royal family, children of aristocratic families, and sons of courtiers will all go to the Imperial River. ¡°When the time comes, we can go over there, and I¡¯ll definitely pick a good man for you. ¡° Qiao Jinniang nodded shyly and left. Back in the room, she took out the fabric left last time. If that jerk weren¡¯t the Crown Prince, she really wanted to stuff poison instead of spice into the sachet! Qiao Jinniang thought about it carefully. She would be decapitated if she put poison into the sachet. Instead, she should put in some special spices. She remembered that there was a spice that was extremely fragrant at first, but as time went by, it would become extremely foul. The jerk disgusted her so much, and she should pay him back a little! ¡­ In the imperial palace, the emperor looked at his beloved youngest son¡¯s swollen face and said in anger, ¡°You still want to protect her? You are the Crown Prince of our Tang Dynasty, how could she slap you repeatedly? ¡°Were you beaten by her every day in the three years when you were in Lin¡¯an?¡± The emperor had heard that the men who married into their wives¡¯ families had a low status and would even be beaten by their wives. Just look at the princesses, which one of them didn¡¯t bully their husbands? Lu Chen said, ¡°No, she is mad at me because I want her to be my concubine. Father, if you really worry about me, can you just grant her the title of crown princess, so that she won¡¯t beat me anymore?¡± The emperor was annoyed. ¡°What are you talking about? How can you be so spineless? You are the Crown Prince. If she beats you, can¡¯t you punish her?¡± That being said, the emperor¡¯s face was full of worry but no anger. Lu Chen paused and said, ¡°If Mother slaps you, will you punish her?¡± The emperor said, ¡°As the motherly model of the entire nation, your mother is so gentle and virtuous. How could she possibly hit me?¡± ¡°But why did I hear that when I was missing, every time you went to Mother¡¯s palace, you came out with injuries, Father?¡± Chapter 30 - Prince Mediocre Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When the emperor heard Lu Chen¡¯s words, he was angry. ¡°How do you have the nerve to say that? You were happily enjoying your family life in the South, but do you have any idea how I and your mother got through the past three years¡­¡± Lu Chen bowed his head and said, ¡°I know. That was why I rushed back to Chang¡¯an as soon as I recovered my memory, not daring to delay for half a day. ¡°But Father, do you really think that the person who assassinated me was my eldest brother?¡± The emperor certainly knew that his eldest son was just a scapegoat. ¡°But there is no evidence pointing to your fifth brother. I have ordered your fifth brother to go guard the border, which had already made your grandmother very unhappy. Now that you are back, your grandmother and Earl Cheng¡¯en have petitioned me many times, asking me to let him back, so I can no longer make him stay at the border.¡± Lu Chen saluted and said, ¡°I see, Father.¡± Lu Chen left the imperial study, applied a layer of powder on his cheek to cover the swelling, and went to the Queen¡¯s palace. When the Queen saw Lu Chen coming in, she hurriedly got up from the chaise lounge, ¡°Chen¡¯er.¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Lu Chen respectfully bowed. ¡°Prince Mediocre will return to Chang¡¯an before the Dragon Boat Festival.¡± The Queen clenched her hands. ¡°How dare he come back!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯ve received a message that he is already in Luoyang.¡± The Queen said with annoyance. ¡°Nice, just let him come back. The Queen Dowager sacrificed your eldest brother to protect him. I¡¯d like to see what trouble he can make with the title of Mediocre!¡± ¡­ As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, it got hotter. After Qiao Jinniang finally made a sachet two days later, she decided to send it to the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion by herself. She could go check how Tasty Pavilion¡¯s business was on the way there. As soon as she arrived on the street holding a sunshade umbrella, she saw a four horse-drawn carriage entering the city, followed by a great flood of troops. This was the first time Nuomi saw such a scene. She raised herself on tiptoe to get a better view. ¡°Miss, who is in the carriage?¡± Qiao Jinniang saw a flag hanging on the carriage with the character ¡°Mediocre¡± on it, but she didn¡¯t know who was in the carriage. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the curtain of the carriage, revealing the face of the man inside. He seemed to be around twenty-four or twenty-five. The people watching on the streets all praised, ¡°Prince Mediocre is really good-looking. He still looks the same after being at the border for three years!¡± ¡°Prince Mediocre is not as handsome as the Crown Prince! Among all the princes, the best looking one is still the Crown Prince!¡± Qiao Jinniang listened to the crowd¡¯s words, wondering why this prince was titled ¡°Mediocre¡±¡­ After all, he was the emperor¡¯s son. How could the emperor give his son such a title? When she arrived at the Tasty Pavilion, there happened to be literati officials talking about Prince Mediocre in the lobby. Some of them felt sorry for Prince Mediocre. ¡°Prince Mediocre¡¯s former title was ¡®Wise¡¯. He was famous for his smartness and was known as a virtuous prince. Unfortunately, someone envied him and made his title be changed to ¡®Mediocre¡¯. What a pity!¡± ¡°Prince Wise is virtuous, polite, and caring for the people, but His Majesty is too partial to, alas¡­¡± ¡°Shhh, don¡¯t talk about that. The officials who spoke for Prince Mediocre were either demoted or dismissed¡­¡± ¡°Master, Princess Fulu is in the No.1 private room. Are you going to meet her?¡± A waiter greeted her. Qiao Jinniang nodded and went to the private room on the second floor. Today, in addition to Princess Fulu, there were also Junior Duke Rong, and two handsome young men. Qiao Jinniang entered and saluted. Fulu waved her hand and said, ¡°Jinniang, you don¡¯t have to salute me. Let me introduce, this is Lin Mo, the son of the Left Prime Minister, and Zhou Siming, the eldest son of Duke Wuguo, the Queen¡¯s nephew.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know that the two young men¡¯s family background was so prominent, so she wanted to leave. But Fulu held her hand. ¡°This is the little shopkeeper of this restaurant. Her cooking skills are even better than the cooks here. It¡¯s a pity that I am a woman. ¡°If the three of you are smart, quickly marry her, and then you will be able to eat the delicacies she makes every day. What a blessing it¡¯ll be!¡± Qiao Jinniang, ¡°¡­¡± If it wasn¡¯t for her knowing the straightforward personality of Princess Fulu, she would leave immediately after hearing these words. Junior Duke Rong said with a smile, ¡°I want to marry her but I¡¯m not that lucky!¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°Do you also pick on her for being raised by a servant and running a restaurant to make a living? Hmph, you¡¯re just a dandy!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Princess Fulu always managed to say the wrong thing. Junior Duke Rong said with a knowing smile: ¡°How dare I pick on Miss Qiao? I may have to rely on her in the future!¡± Zhou Siming also said, ¡°Miss Qiao is bound to have an uncommon future, so I don¡¯t dare to marry her.¡± Princess Fulu looked at Lin Mo. Lin Mo turned to Qiao Jinniang and saluted. ¡°Miss Qiao, forgive me. I prefer a lively woman.¡± Junior Duke Rong hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Why did you call the three of us here?¡± Princess Fulu bowed her head and sighed. ¡°You know that Prince Mediocre is back, right?¡± ¡°My imperial grandmother wants to marry me off to Prince Mediocre, but I don¡¯t like him!¡± ¡°Which of you is willing to pretend to be married to me? After Prince Mediocre marries someone else, we can divorce and I will give you half of my dowry as payment!¡± ¡°Puff.¡± Zhou Siming spat out the liquor in his mouth. ¡°Princess, are you kidding me?!¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°No, this is a life-threatening matter. If I were to marry Prince Mediocre, I might as well just jump down from here.¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly stopped Fulu Princess. ¡°No! Princess, if you jump down here, my fifty thousand taels of silver will be gone.¡± Fulu: ¡°¡­Very good, Qiao Jinniang, I take you as my good friend, but you don¡¯t care about my life at all. All you worry about is your Tasty Pavilion. Seeing that Fulu could still joke, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°When I came over, I came across Prince Mediocre on the road. He was really handsome and charming. If he had come out of the carriage, there would have been a lot of women throwing themselves into his arms¡­¡± Before Qiao Jinniang finished speaking, she suddenly felt a cool breeze behind her. She looked back¡­ Lu Chen stood behind her, but fortunately, the powder on his face covered his angry livid face. When Fulu saw Lu Chen, she saluted him. ¡°Imperial Cousin, Grandmother wants me to marry Prince Mediocre. You have to save me!¡± Lu Chen glanced at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°I think the one blind is not me but Miss Qiao.¡± Fulu remembered that Qiao Jinniang had scolded the crown prince for being blind last time, and said, ¡°Jinniang, quickly apologize to His Royal Highness. He is very kind. If you apologize, he will definitely not be angry at you.¡± Qiao Jinniang coldly snorted in her heart, Kind? However, under the gazes of the others, she had to salute and say, ¡°Your Royal Highness, please forgive me. This sachet was made by me. Please accept it as my apology to you.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Then I¡¯d like to trouble Miss Qiao to put it on for me.¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched the sachet, her nails going deep into the flesh of palm. If the son of the Left Prime Minister and the son of Duke Wuguo were not here, she would definitely slam the sachet and spit on Lu Chen¡¯s face. But now she could only walk up to Lu Chen obediently and tie the sachet to his jade belt.. Chapter 31 - Qiao Ruoshui Is Seriously Ill Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lu Chen looked down at Qiao Jinniang. He remembered that when they just got married, she would always adjust his belt for him. When she was doing that, her little face would always be blushing with shame, making her look so cute. Three years later, Qiao Jinniang had grown a lot, becoming more glamorous. In this room, only Princess Fulu wasn¡¯t aware of the real relationship between the two. Fulu said with worry, ¡°My mother said that Queen Mother is already determined to marry me to Prince Mediocre. But even if Prince Mediocre is good-looking, he is just a hypocrite. I would rather die here than marry him. Imperial Cousin, you¡¯ve gotta help me.¡± Lu Chen chuckled. ¡°I think Prince Mediocre is even more reluctant to marry you.¡± Fulu, ¡°?¡± Was she so undesirable? Junior Duke Rong said to Lu Chen, ¡°Seventh Brother, only half a year after you disappeared, Prince Mediocre, his followers and some veteran officials couldn¡¯t wait to force His Majesty to pick another crown prince. ¡°They almost forced His Majesty to abdicate. If it were not for the fact that the Queen threw away her manners and quarreled crazily with them in the court, and the State Preceptor stating that the Queen¡¯s madness was caused by Prince Mediocre, he might have already become the crown prince. ¡° Zhou Siming nodded and said, ¡°Many literati still feel sorry for Prince Mediocre even now.¡± Qiao Jinniang had figured out that this Prince Mediocre was probably a deadly foe of Lu Chen. Prince Mediocre had a good reputation among courtiers and was considered a virtuous prince. There were often novels about a talented, virtuous prince who was not favored by the emperor and was persecuted by an incompetent crown prince and an evil queen, but successfully seized the throne in the end. Prince Wise became Prince Mediocre due to the Queen¡¯s manipulation. This prince must have borne a deep grudge. Holding the sachet in his hand, Lu Chen was in a good mood. ¡°It must be for the throne that he returned before I could select my crown princess. ¡°But unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t have a good mother. If he couldn¡¯t get it when he was born, he won¡¯t get it in his entire life.¡± ¡°Even if those literati feel pity for him, so what? Can they change his title back to ¡®Wise¡¯?¡± Lu Chen spoke arrogantly, but Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart did a flip. This was exactly the way those arrogant and incompetent crown princes spoke in those novels! Qiao Jinniang would be happy if this jerk¡¯s position was snatched by others, but she was worried about Tuan¡¯er¡­ After all, he was Lu Chen¡¯s son. If Lu Chen was no longer the Crown Prince, wouldn¡¯t Tuan¡¯er have to suffer too? Lin Mo, the son of the Left Prime Minister, smiled gently. ¡°Your Royal Highness, you¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s favorite son. No matter how hard Prince Mediocre tries, it won¡¯t get him anywhere. Don¡¯t be distracted by him, Your Royal Highness.¡± Junior Duke Rong winked at Lin Mo. Unfortunately, Lin Mo didn¡¯t notice it. He continued. ¡°The Queen Dowager wants Princess Fulu to marry Prince Mediocre because she wants Princess¡¯ mother to shelter him. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that Prince Mediocre and his mother won¡¯t accept her kindness and will marry the daughter of an important minister to win his support. ¡°Your Royal Highness, I think the daughter of the Xie Family is most suitable to be the crown princess.¡± Hearing that they began to talk about the choice of the crown princess, Qiao Jinniang saluted and left. As soon as she went out, she saw her servant, Bajiao, and some other servants. Bajia hurriedly said, ¡°Master, Xiaohui said that she just saw your husband.¡± ¡°But when Xiaohui called him, he just ignored her.¡± Xiaohui nodded and said, ¡°Master, I can¡¯t be wrong about this. The man who entered the No.1 private room just now is your husband.¡± Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°He is not my husband. My husband is dead. He is the Crown Prince, so don¡¯t say any improper words. Otherwise, you may be executed.¡± Xiaohui was surprised. ¡°Oh, His Royal Highness really does look alike to your husband, Master.¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at the people in the private room, who were still discussing the choice of the crown princess. She knew that no matter what, the crown princess wouldn¡¯t be her. However, even if Lu Chen begged her to be his crown princess, she would disdain it. Back at the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang saw one of her mother¡¯s mammies, Mammy An, who was responsible for watching Qiao Ruoshui in the manor. ¡°Mammy An.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang, Mammy An said a bit guiltily, ¡°Second Miss, Fourth Miss accidentally fell into a river in the manor and suffered from a high fever for two days. And since the manor is not a place to recuperate, Madam let her back. ¡° Just at that moment, Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s maid helped the pale-faced Qiao Ruoshui out of the carriage. She seemed to be seriously ill indeed. Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s former arrogance was gone. She coughed. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry. I was being stupid. I shouldn¡¯t have said those words to you. ¡°But now I am seriously ill and the manor is not a place to recuperate. ¡°I already know that I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have been so unfriendly to you. I beg you to allow me to come back home to recuperate, please!¡± With that, Qiao Ruoshui was about to kneel down. It was bustling at the entrance of the Duke Mansion, so Qiao Jinniang hurriedly stopped Qiao Ruoshui from kneeling down. Qiao Jinniang gently wiped the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief and sobbed. ¡°What are you talking about, Ruoshui? I¡¯ve been missing you ever since you went to the manor. As your elder sister, even if you bullied me and insulted me, I should have endured it! Please come in, my dear sister!¡± Qiao Ruoshui glared at Qiao Jinniang, gnashing her teeth. This countryside lowly b*tch was really cunning. She planned to give people an impression that Qiao Jinniang had bullied her, but she didn¡¯t expect Qiao Jinniang to cry before she did. If it weren¡¯t for the upcoming selection of the crown princess on June 21, she would definitely not endure Qiao Jinniang. What her mammy said was right. She should endure Qiao Jinniang for now. Once she became the crown princess, she would have plenty of time to take revenge on Qiao Jinniang. After Qiao Jinniang entered the Duke Mansion, she didn¡¯t put down her handkerchief and went to the Duchess¡¯ courtyard. She squeezed out tears. ¡°Mother, the fault is all mine. If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have punished Fourth Sister and she wouldn¡¯t have fallen into a river and become seriously ill.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty, Jinniang. You were ill too. Don¡¯t be sad anymore. Your Fourth Sister just got what she deserves.¡± How could the Duchess not love Qiao Jinniang who was so caring and sensible? However, she was also worried about her seriously ill youngest daughter. She entered Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s room only to see that Qiao Ruoshui was pale. Qiao Ruoshui shouted, ¡°Mother, I miss you so much. Why were you so cruel to me? Cough, cough!¡± The Duchess came up to her. ¡°It was because you insulted your sister. I sent you away to the manor to reflect on your mistake.¡± ¡°She must be very happy to see me become seriously ill!¡± Qiao Ruoshui said. Thinking of Qiao Jinniang who was panicking just now, the Duchess said with distress, ¡°Happy? Jinniang was very worried about you when she heard that you were seriously ill. How could you talk about her like that behind her back? Treat your sister better. Otherwise, even if you are sick, I won¡¯t let you come back.¡± Qiao Ruoshui was exasperated. Thinking that if she could become the crown princess, she would definitely make her mother regret that she petted the wrong daughter! After the Duchess left, Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s mammy, Mammy Zheng, said, ¡°Miss, why were you so hasty to talk badly about Qiao Jinniang in front of Madam? It would only annoy her. ¡°Be patient. My son overheard that His Majesty wanted to become in-laws with His Excellency. ¡°Just endure her for this period of time. It won¡¯t take long before you become the hostess of the Eastern Palace. Then you can punish whoever you want. At that time, you will have plenty of chances to teach that countryside woman a lesson..¡± Chapter 32 - Bayberries and Crabs Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When Prince Mediocre and his party arrived at the gates of the imperial palace, Prince Mediocre lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the palace that he left three years ago and a sharp gleam flashed across his eyes. When he got off the carriage, he, dressed in white, looked really graceful and handsome. At this time, the courtiers just happened to finish the morning report and come out of the imperial palace. When they spotted Prince Mediocre, most of them sighed for him in their hearts. Duke Anyuan and other courtiers saluted Prince Mediocre. Prince Mediocre said elegantly, ¡°Lords, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± Then he said to Duke Anyuan. ¡°I had been on the border all this time, so only when I arrived in Luoyang did I hear that Your Excellency has found your eldest daughter back. Congratulations.¡± Duke Anyuan was a bit surprised at his words, but he still smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± After a few words of pleasantries, Prince Mediocre went to the Hall of Diligent Governance. He knelt down and kowtowed towards Emperor Huilin. ¡°Father, I¡¯m back.¡± Thinking of the Queen¡¯s indifference last night, Emperor Huilin said indifferently to Prince Mediocre, ¡°Arise.¡± ¡°Your grandmother is not feeling very well. To get you back to Chang¡¯an, she really suffered great pains. Now that you¡¯ve returned to Chang¡¯an, spend more time with her!¡± Prince Mediocre could see the indifference in Emperor Huilin¡¯s eyes, but he was used to it. When the Crown Prince was born, he was only four or five years old. He couldn¡¯t figure out why his father, who had always treated him coldly, would love this baby so much. As soon as the baby called him ¡°Father¡± for the first time, he ignored all objections and made him the Crown Prince. Only when the Crown Prince disappeared three years ago did he realize that perhaps in Emperor Huilin¡¯s eyes, he only had one son. Prince Mediocre bowed his head and said, ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Emperor Huilin waved his hand. ¡°Take your leave.¡± ¡­ When Duke Anyuan returned to the Duke Mansion and went to visit his mother, he talked about the Prince Mediocre, ¡°Prince Wise used to be brilliant indeed, but it is a pity¡­ Today he asked about Jinniang, and I feel that it can¡¯t be simple.¡± The Duchess Dowager turned the Buddhist beads in her hand and frowned. ¡°Although Prince Mediocre is very talented, he was too hasty back then. Soon after the Crown Prince disappeared, he tried to make His Majesty make him the new crown prince. Did the Imperial Concubine Xian and the Queen Dowager think His Majesty was stupid? ¡°As for why he asked about Jinniang, I think he may intend to win our support by marrying Jinniang. ¡°Ruoyi¡¯s mother is a concubine. As for Ruoshui, he knows that we won¡¯t marry her to him¡­ ¡°But if he makes Jinniang his first concubine, he can win our support without annoying the Crown Prince.¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°I think so too, so we¡¯ve gotta find Jinniang a husband as soon as possible, but my wife, she is determined to find Jinniang a man who will never take any concubines. But except for those poverty-stricken villagers, which man in the world won¡¯t take a concubine¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t persuade her. Mother, please talk to her. If she continues to delay, Jinniang might be involved in the princes¡¯ fight for the throne.¡± The Duchess Dowager also felt that her daughter-in-law went too far, so she said, ¡°The Yu Family¡¯s son is the most suitable for Jinniang, but he was too hasty. I will take this matter to heart.¡± ¡­ The fourth day of May. Qiao Jinniang was checking the accounts of the Tasty Pavilion during the past few days in her courtyard. The daily net profit was about 500 taels of silver, which was much better than in Lin¡¯an. Nuomi hung wormwood leaves, peach branches and calamus leaves at the door. When she turned around, she saw Qiao Ruoyi coming over. ¡°Fifth Miss.¡± The maid behind Qiao Ruoyi was carrying a plate of rice dumplings, and Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°My mother and I made a few rice dumplings by ourselves, so I brought some for Second Sister.¡± Hearing Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s voice, Qiao Jinniang hurriedly came out. ¡°Ruoyi, you don¡¯t have to bother. The kitchen has made rice dumplings, so has my Tasty Pavilion.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Most of the rice dumplings the kitchen made are sweet rice dumplings. I think you may not like it, so I specially made salty rice dumplings.¡± Jinniang smiled. ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you, Ruoyi.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said with gratitude, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your thousand-year ginseng, I am afraid that my mother might have already died. These trivial rice dumplings are really nothing.¡± ¡°Sister, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me if you need me to do anything for you. I¡¯m willing to go through hell for you.¡± ¡°Phew, it seems that I came at the wrong time. I just wanted to deliver Sister the crabs and the bayberries that His Royal Highness specially sent to me!¡± As soon as Qiao Ruoyi finished speaking, Qiao Ruoshui entered the Jin Garden without being allowed in. Qiao Ruoshui stared at the precious antiques placed in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room. When she saw that even the curtains were made of precious Smoke Cloud Gauze, she gnashed her teeth in anger. She had asked her mother to give her the gauze to make clothes but was rejected, and yet Qiao Jinniang was using it as curtains! ¡°His Royal Highness must be thinking about me so much. Bayberries are so rare to see that even the imperial concubines don¡¯t have many chances to eat it.¡± ¡°Everyone says that fresh lychees are precious, but compared to fresh lychees, even fewer people in Chang¡¯an have seen fresh bayberries.¡± Qiao Ruoshui put a plate of red iced bayberries in front of Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Ruoyi asked in surprise, ¡°Are crabs sold this early? Aren¡¯t crabs sold around the Mid-Autumn Festival?¡± The maid of Qiao Ruoshui, Hongxiu, said smugly, ¡°His Royal Highness must be missing our Miss so much. It turns out that crabs are sold in all seasons in the South. ¡°These are May Yellows just taken from Taihu Lake, so they are very fresh. It is extremely difficult to deliver bayberries and crabs all the way here. ¡°In particular, bayberries rot easily. Even if it is iced, it will rot in just five days. ¡°So they were delivered via Royal Express to ensure the freshness of the bayberries. ¡°This is all because the little imperial grandson wanted to eat them. Although there aren¡¯t many of them, His Royal Highness still gave two plates of bayberries and a basket of crabs to the Duke Mansion!¡± Qiao Jinniang said indifferently, ¡°Since these were gifted to you by His Royal Highness, how can I take them?¡± Qiao Ruoshui raised her head and said triumphantly, ¡°After I become the crown princess, is there any delicacy that I can¡¯t eat? But you¡­ ¡°Mother is trying to pick a husband for you among the young students who came to Chang¡¯an to participate in the Imperial Examination¡­ ¡°When you get married, I¡¯m afraid you may not be able to taste these precious foods.¡± Nuomi snorted. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about these? In the South, bayberries can be picked everywhere at this time. In the Myriad Taste, hundreds of jars of bayberry wine would be made every season. ¡°Not to mention crabs, which can be easily caught in any river. Are they really precious?¡± Jinniang glanced at Nuomi and said, ¡°Say no more. Ruoshui, please take the bayberries back and eat it yourself.¡± Qiao Ruoshui never intended to give the bayberies and crabs to Qiao Jinniang. She just wanted to show the Duchess how nicely she treated Qiao Jinniang and show off to Qiao Jinniang. After Qiao Ruoshui left, Qiao Ruoyi also left. Nuomi said indignantly, ¡°Had His Excellency and Madam mistaken? How is it possible that the barberries and crabs were for Fourth Miss? I remember you like eating bayberries and crabs. Your husband must have sent them to you.¡± Qiao Jinniang liked to eat bayberries. When she left the South, it was during the Qingming Festival when the bayberries hadn¡¯t matured yet. Now it was the maturing period of bayberries in the South, but she couldn¡¯t get any barberries here. After all, even the Duke Mansion couldn¡¯t use the Royal Express¡­ Qiao Jinniang said to Nuomi, ¡°He¡¯s not my husband now. Don¡¯t call him that anymore. Today, Qiao Ruoshui is in a good mood, so she didn¡¯t care about your disrespect, but you should speak and act cautiously in the future. This is the Duke Mansion after all.¡± Nuomi pouted and said, ¡°Yes, Miss, but I still think the bayberries and crabs are for you¡­ Miss, he still cares about you.¡± After all, Tuan¡¯er didn¡¯t like sour bayberries, but Jinniang liked to eat bayberries very much.. Chapter 33 - Dragon Boat Festival Family Banquet Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang advised Nuomi. ¡°Don¡¯t say those words again.¡± Tomorrow was the Dragon Boat Festival, so the Duke Mansion held a family banquet today. Qiao Jinniang finally saw her cousin brothers and cousin sisters. Her second uncle and his family should have come to her welcoming banquet, but back then, her second aunt returned to her parental home to attend her mother¡¯s birthday banquet, so they missed it. And her third uncle whose mother was a concubine didn¡¯t come to the banquet either. Qiao Jinniang also saw her first younger brother, who would inherit the title of duke. Her second uncle had four daughters. One of them was married to the Southwest. And the remaining three were Ruofeng, Ruowan and the youngest sister who was only seven or eight years old. When the three saw Qiao Jinniang, they saluted. ¡°Nice to meet you, Second Sister.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered Nuomi to give the gold locks that she had prepared a long time ago to the three younger sisters. Her second aunt smiled and said, ¡°How can they accept such a precious gift from you? It seems that the gift I prepared for you is too meager now.¡± Qiao Jinniang had long received a gift from her second aunt, a red coral ornament, which was valuable and not as ¡°meager¡± as she said. She chuckled. ¡°Second Aunt, if your gift is cheap, no gift can be called precious.¡± Watching Qiao Jinniang and Second Aunt exchange pleasantries, Qiao Ruoshi snorted coldly in her heart. There were three large tables in the hall to accommodate all these people. Qiao Ruoyun had finally been able to get up from bed after a long period of recuperation, so she came to the banquet. After learning what happened to her, Second Aunt angrily cursed the Qin Family. The Duchess Dowager said, ¡°It¡¯s a big day today. Don¡¯t talk about this.¡± Third Aunt said, ¡°Second Sister-in-law is right. But Ruoyun¡¯s father-in-law is a duke after all, and the other girls of our family have reached marriageable age. ¡°I don¡¯t think Ruoyun should divorce. Since that¡¯s exactly what the Qin Family wants.¡± The Duchess glanced at Third Aunt indifferently and said coldly, ¡°Even Second Sister-in-law doesn¡¯t care, why do you care? After all, you don¡¯t have any daughters, right? The girls of our family are able to easily find good husbands.¡± Third Aunt certainly didn¡¯t dare to offend the Duchess, so she hurriedly complimented,¡±Yes, yes. Thanks to Ruoshui, we can taste such fresh and red bayberries. I only saw bayberry preserves before. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Ruoshui, how could we have eaten crabs during the Dragon Boat Festival? ¡°She is bound to have a bright future!¡± The Duchess Dowager didn¡¯t like the fake compliments from the Third Aunt. Somehow she felt it strange that the Crown Prince granted the bayberries and crabs to the Duke Mansion. The seven girls of the Qiao Family were sitting at one table, and Qiao Ruoshui purposely had the bayberries and crabs placed at the most conspicuous place. With Qiao Ruoshui generously asking them to taste them, the Eighth Miss reached out to get one, but Qiao Ruoshui knocked her hand away with chopsticks. Qiao Ruoshui said arrogantly, ¡°This is a reward from His Royal Highness. How can you just touch it with your hands¡­ Do you know how difficult it is to get bayberries in Chang¡¯an? How do you have the cheek to eat it?¡± Seeing her sister being beaten, Ruowan taunted. ¡°It¡¯s just due to the Little Imperial Grandson. Anyway, his mother is not dead, and you are just a substitute for his mother. ¡°When his mother comes back, you will only be thrown aside!¡± Qiao Ruoshui said, ¡°After I marry into the East Palace. I can give birth to my own son!¡± Ruofeng said with a frown, ¡°Fourth Sister, please be cautious with your words and deeds. This is not what an unmarried girl should say. ¡°Besides, even if you give birth to your own son, so what? ¡°What matters is whether the Crown Prince loves you or not. Can¡¯t you see what happened to Prince Wise¡­¡± ¡°Qiao Ruofeng, shut up!¡± At this moment, Second Aunt came over and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re going to have your coming-of-age ceremony. How could you say that?¡± Qiao Ruoshui was even more complacent seeing Ruofeng being scolded. Who in the Duke Mansion does not envy her now? Only Qiao Ruoyun was whispering to Jinniang, ¡°You told me about bayberries in the South some time ago, and I didn¡¯t expect to see it today. ¡°Aren¡¯t these your favorite fruit? If you want some, talk to Mother. His Royal Highness only said that it was a gift for the Duke Mansion and did not specify that it was for Qiao Ruoshui.¡± Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No need.¡± She would choke if she ate the bayberries that jerk gave. Looking at Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s smug face, however, Jinniang thought, if Qiao Ruoshui found out about the truth¡­ The sisterhood between her and Qiao Ruoshui would be completely severed. But she didn¡¯t want to tell the truth now. After the banquet, Second Aunt came to the Duchess and said, ¡°Are you selecting a fianc¨¦ for Jinniang? I have a good candidate in mind. ¡°It¡¯s the third son of my sister. My brother-in-law will be transferred back to the capital in a few days. Although he is only a member of the Imperial Academy, he has a promising future. ¡°Most importantly, their family tradition is very good, and the men in their family are not allowed to take concubines unless their wives don¡¯t give birth to a son when they are forty. He is a good choice for Jinniang.¡± The Duchess was a little tempted. Firstly, the man was Second Aunt¡¯s nephew, and secondly, they could know the man through and through. Second Aunt smiled and said, ¡°My nephew will participate in the Imperial Examination this year, although he is only in his early twenties. ¡°My sister has already arrived in Chang¡¯an. If you think it is suitable, I will talk to my sister tomorrow.¡± The Duchess waved the maids to leave and said, ¡°We¡¯ve been sisters-in-law for more than ten years. To tell you the truth, Jinniang was actually married when she was in the South and had a son.¡± Second Aunt was surprised. ¡°Huh? Where are her husband and children?¡± The Duchess said bitterly, ¡°My girl is unfortunate. Her husband is a scum. He divorced Jinniang and took her son. That¡¯s why I¡¯m only picking among the young scholars whose families are not rich. ¡°Go ask your sister. If she can accept it, Jinniang¡¯s father and I will definitely support her son as much as we can. ¡°If she can¡¯t accept it, it doesn¡¯t matter. If your nephew is a talented young man, Jinniang¡¯s father will still help him.¡± Second Aunt thought for a while and said, ¡°I will go to discuss this with my sister tomorrow. Alas, poor Jinniang¡­ ¡°I¡¯m afraid that my sister will mind it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if she can¡¯t accept it.¡± The Duchess didn¡¯t want to force anyone to marry Jinniang because that would only harm Jinniang. The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival. Qiao Jinniang woke up early because she could see Tuan¡¯er today. She knitted Tuan¡¯er a bracelet with colorful ropes and asked Nuomi to fetch realgar wine. Before the Dragon Boat Race of the Dragon Boat Festival began, she went to Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion early. After waiting for half an hour, Lu Chen finally came over with Tuan¡¯er. Qiao Jinniang stepped forward, put the bracelet on Tuan¡¯er¡¯s wrist, and dipped her finger with realgar wine and wrote the ¡°King¡± character on Tuan¡¯er¡¯s forehead. Lu Chen lowered his head to look at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Do the crabs and bayberries yesterday taste good?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to eat them because I was afraid of being poisoned.¡± Lu Chen put down Tuan¡¯er and chuckled. ¡°You little ingrate, do you know how much effort it took me to transport the bayberries here for you?¡± Nuomi laughed on the side and said, ¡°Miss, just like I guessed, the bayberries and crabs are for you, but Madam and His Excellency thought it was for the Fourth Miss and gave them all to her. You didn¡¯t even get any.¡± When Lu Chen heard Nuomi¡¯s words, he stared at Qiao Jinniang.. ¡°Up till now, haven¡¯t you told Duke Anyuan and his wife about our real relationship yet?¡± Chapter 34 - Dragon Boat Festival Evil Day Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Do you want me to tell my parents that my ex-husband is His Royal Highness? It would only make them worry.¡± As long as she found a fianc¨¦, Lu Chen definitely wouldn¡¯t admit that he had once married into her family. This matter could be kept secret from her parents for her lifetime. Hearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s explanation, Lu Chen also felt that before Qiao Jinniang¡¯s status was determined, there was no need to tell their real relationship to Duke Anyuan and his wife. He then said, ¡°There are still some iced bayberries in the East Palace. I will have someone fetch them for you.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t like to eat bayberries anymore.¡± Qiao Jinniang turned to hug Tuan¡¯er. Tuan¡¯er smiled at her. ¡°Mother, row a boat!¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at the sun. The Dragon Boat Race held by the court would begin in half an hour. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you to see the boat rowing, but Tuan¡¯er, you¡¯ll have to put on a mask.¡± Qiao Jinniang took two masks from Nuomi, one for Tuan¡¯er and the other for herself. Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s mask that covered only half of her face. This mask was bought during the Lantern Show of this year¡¯s Lantern Festival, so he had one as well. The Lantern Show in Lin¡¯an that day was very lively. In the Lantern Festival of previous years, she had always missed her parents, but this year¡¯s Lantern Festival was the happiest Lantern Festival she had ever experienced. It was just in that Lantern Festival he accidentally fell into the water, which helped him recover his memories. ¡°Where is my mask?¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°You are now the Crown Prince. Shouldn¡¯t you sit on the seat prepared for the Crown Prince to watch the Dragon Boat Race? ¡°In case the people find out that I¡¯m holding Tuan¡¯er while watching the Dragon Boat Race, I will also put on a mask.¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°When did I allow you to take Tuan¡¯er to watch the Dragon Boat Race?¡± Qiao Jinniang pointed to the sachet on Lu Chen¡¯s waist. ¡°When you asked for the sachet, didn¡¯t you say that you would allow Tuan¡¯er to accompany me for the Dragon Boat Festival?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I mean you can see Tuan¡¯er, not you taking Tuan¡¯er to squeeze in the crowd to watch the Dragon Boat Race. You know, Tuan¡¯er¡¯s identity is unusual now. If something happens to him, can you be responsible for it?¡± ¡°He is my son. How can I let anything happen to him?¡± Qiao Jinniang hugged Tuan¡¯er tightly. Lu Chen said in a low voice, ¡°My father will also come to watch the Dragon Boat Race today. Moreover, Tuan¡¯er has long been saying that he wants to watch the Dragon Boat Race. If he is not there today, how can I explain to my father? ¡°If you want to accompany Tuan¡¯er to watch the Dragon Boat Race and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, you can only stay by my side.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t expect Lu Chen to be so shameless. ¡°But you promised to allow me to accompany him during the Dragon Boat Festival.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that you can¡¯t accompany him around. Anyway, in two months, you will be my concubine. It won¡¯t be a problem for you to accompany me to watch the Dragon Boat Race.¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands, but as soon as she raised her hand, Lu Chen grabbed her wrist. ¡°No third time! If you slap me again, you will be punished.¡± Qiao Jinniang held Tuan¡¯er in her arms with one hand with difficulty and said, ¡°Let go of me. I can¡¯t hold Tuan¡¯er with one hand. Okay, I¡¯ll go with you, but I need to change my clothes first.¡± Lu Chen then let go of Qiao Jinniang and took Tuan¡¯er back, with the corners of his lips slightly curled. ¡°Okay, be quick.¡± In Lin¡¯an, the Dragon Boat Festival was called ¡°Evil Day¡±. The legend of the White Snake was widespread in Lin¡¯an, and it was at the Dragon Boat Festival that the White Snake showed its true serpent form. The climate was humid in the South. During the Dragon Boat Festival, mosquitoes and flies bred and epidemics broke out, so the Dragon Boat Festival was called ¡°Evil Day¡±. People would put bracelets made of colorful ropes on their children and write the character ¡°King¡± on their foreheads to protect them. When Qiao Jinniang was a little girl, she once forgot to wear the colorful-rope bracelet during the Dragon Boat Festival and fell ill. Since then, her foster parents were so scared that they would close the restaurant and look after her every year during the Dragon Boat Festival. After Qiao Jinniang gave birth to Tuan¡¯er, she would keep close to Tuan¡¯er all day during the Dragon Boat Festival, fearing that he might fall ill. Lu Chen gently stroked the tassel under the sachet. He knew that because of Tuan¡¯er, Qiao Jinniang wouldn¡¯t refuse to stay by his side today. Qiao Jinniang sent Nuomi to buy a new dress for her at a ready-to-wear store, as well as a head curtain, a white gauze that hung down to cover her face. When Lu Chen saw Qiao Jinniang dressed like this, he just thought she was shy. When Qiao Jinniang got off the Crown Prince¡¯s carriage with Tuan¡¯er, both sides were already full of people. When an eunuch announced that His Royal Highness arrived, all the civilian, military officers and their families on the viewing platform saluted Lu Chen. There were some young noblemen under the platform, who were the teams coming to compete in the Dragon Boat Race today. Dressed like this, standing beside Lu Chen and holding Tuan¡¯er in her arms, Qiao Jinniang caught a lot of attention, but those around were all noblemen and officials. Even if they were curious, they didn¡¯t dare to look straight at her. The seats of the people of the Anyuan Duke Mansion were not far from the viewing platform. Qiao Ruoshui stared at the woman in the pink dress, clenching her handkerchief in anger. Princess Fulu came over and asked the Duchess, ¡°Duchess, where is Jinniang?¡± The Duchess smiled and said, ¡°Princess Fu¡¯an of Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion invited Jinniang to visit her early in the morning.¡± Fulu said in surprise, ¡°Princess Fu¡¯an? She hides in her room all year round and would cough for several days every time she goes out. How can she become friends with Jinniang?¡± The Duchess was also surprised, but it was a princess, and Duke Rong was very trusted by His Majesty, so even if she felt that it was strange, she didn¡¯t ask. Fulu looked at the woman next to the Crown Prince. ¡°It turns out that she is in the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion. I thought the person next to the Crown Prince was Jinniang!¡± Qiao Ruoshui sneered coldly. ¡°How is Qiao Jinniang worthy of sitting next to His Royal Highness? Moreover, how is she worthy of holding the little imperial grandson?¡± Hearing Fulu¡¯s words, the Duchess looked at the woman next to the Crown Prince, who looked like Jinniang indeed, but why was she wearing a head curtain? Fulu snorted. ¡°Then are you worthy?¡± Qiao Ruoshui didn¡¯t dare to argue with Fulu, so she just took out the bayberries and flaunted. ¡°Princess, you must not have seen this fruit, right? These are fresh bayberries. His Royal Highness granted them to me!¡± The Duchess¡¯s head instantly ached. She didn¡¯t expect Qiao Ruoshui to act so rudely. Isn¡¯t it enough for her to show off the bayberries at home? She even brought them here! Look how energetic she was. She didn¡¯t look seriously ill at all. Fulu thought silently, ¡®Jinniang was right. Her imperial cousin must be blind to grant bayberries to Qiao Ruoshui!¡¯ Qiao Ruoshui held the bayberries high, wishing to show them to all the noble girls in Chang¡¯an. Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s eyes were red with anger. Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s stupid boast would in turn ruin her reputation as well. If that man saw this, would he think that all the girls in the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion were all so ill-mannered¡­ Ruoyi was already used to it. She looked at the woman next to the Crown Prince. Actually, just like Princess Fulu, she thought that person looked very much like Jinniang too. How could there be so many coincidences in this world? The Crown Prince stayed in Lin¡¯an in the last several years, and Jinniang was also from Lin¡¯an. The little imperial grandson mistook the Duchess and Qiao Ruoshui for his mother, and Jinniang looked very alike the Duchess, so the answer was obvious¡­ Soon, the Emperor and the Queen arrived at the viewing platform, followed by four to five imperial concubines. The imperial guards on both sides displayed power and grandeur, and Qiao Jinniang followed the imperial maids beside her to get on her knees, listening to the deafening hails of ¡°Long Live Your Majesty¡±. This was the first time she experienced what imperial power was like ever since she arrived from the South. Qiao Jinniang looked at the imperial concubines behind the emperor. They could only sit aside, but the Queen could sit next to the Emperor. She was determined to never become like one of those women. After that, five princes including Prince Qi came one after another. Among the five princes, only Prince Qi and Prince Shu had wives, with the remaining three only having concubines. Among the people of the Anyuan Duke Mansion, Qiao Ruofeng looked at those princes. Even among his handsome brothers, that man was the most handsome.. Chapter 35 - Gang Up For Private Gain Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After the ritual music stopped, Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Race is an indispensable event of the Dragon Boat Festival. It can also display the bravery of our young men. I¡¯ll reward the winner of the Dragon Boat Race handsomely!¡± The young men in various uniforms underneath responded in unison, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked over and saw many familiar faces in the teams. The one dressed in red was Junior Duke Rong. Most of his team members were young male members of the royal family. And Lin Mo, the son of the Right Prime Minister, was in green. In his team, most of them were the sons of civilian officials. There were two other teams. One consisted of young noblemen, who were in brown. Her younger brother and cousins were in this team. The members of the fourth team were in blue, and this team received the most plaudits. When they boarded the boats, many bold girls on both sides threw handkerchiefs and fruits onto their boats. Seeing Qiao Jinniang looking at them, Lu Chen introduced, ¡°The captain of the blue team is Qin Shu. ¡°And the vice-captain is Zhou Siming, whom you saw last time in the Tasty Pavilion. ¡°The members of the blue team and the brown team were all young noblemen. They are divided into two teams according to their ages, that¡¯s why your younger brother is in the brown team.¡± Qiao Jinniang was wondering just now why her younger brother was not in Qin Shu¡¯s team. Now she knew the reason. Qin Shu, the eldest son of Duke Qin, was thrown a lot of silk handkerchiefs by the women on both sides of the river. Seeing this, Qiao Jinniang was annoyed. Ruoyun was still recuperating at home, but Qin Shu was dressed up like a peacock and flirting with other women. Sure enough, in this world, few men were loyal to their wives. After the Emperor hit the gong, rowers began to beat the war drums on the bows of the ships, and the dragon boats shot out like arrows. Qiao Jinniang thought of Lu Chen¡¯s first year in the restaurant. At that time, her foster parents had just passed away and she was just pregnant with Tuan¡¯er. She missed the past Dragon Boat Festivals when her foster parents were still alive. Noticing her sadness, Lu Chen took her to the river. It just so happened that a dragon boat team needed a rower, so Lu Chen was dragged over to participate in the Dragon Boat Race. And the prize for the winner was a jade hairpin. Lu Chen tried his best and won the jade hairpin. Then, he put it on for her in public. Everyone bantered about how sweet the young couple was. This dispelled the sadness in her heart. But just three years later¡­ the so-called sweetness turned out to be a joke. In Jinniang¡¯s arms, Tuan¡¯er was watching the Dragon Boat Race in relish. ¡°Mommy, will Uncle Rong win?¡± Jinniang looked over. It seemed that Qin Shu was more likely to win. But Tuan¡¯er¡¯s voice was not small, so many people on the viewing platform heard him call Qiao Jinniang ¡°Mommy¡±. Qiao Ruoshui was showing off about the bayberries with Li Lingling who was from Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s Mansion. Li Lingling secretly gnashed her teeth when she heard the call. ¡°How can His Royal Highness be so extravagant and wasteful¡­¡± Qiao Ruoshui said triumphantly, ¡°There was once an emperor who had litchi transported from far away to please his beloved imperial concubine, and now His Royal Highness fetched bayberries for me. It¡¯s obvious that he loves¡­¡± At this time, Li Lingling¡¯s maid came over and said, ¡°Miss, the woman wearing the head curtain turns out to be the biological mother of the little imperial grandson. The little imperial grandson just called her ¡®Mommy¡¯.¡± Li Lingling stared directly at the woman on the viewing platform. How did this woman just pop up out of thin air? Although the plate of bayberries in Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s hands was such an eyesore to Li Lingling, she didn¡¯t mind using Qiao Ruoshui as a sharp blade. ¡°Ruoshui, His Royal Highness loves you so much. Even if the position of the crown princess is reserved for the daughter of the Xie Family, the position of his first concubine will definitely be yours. ¡°His Royal Highness loves you because the little imperial grandson likes you, but now¡­ the little imperial grandson¡¯s mother is back¡­¡± Qiao Ruoshui also felt that the woman was an eyesore. A woman who came from nowhere would never have a chance to snatch her place. ¡­ From the viewing platform, a female voice sounded, ¡°The Crown Prince is really capable. I heard that you had granted fresh bayberries to the fourth miss of Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion yesterday. I¡¯ve lived this long but I¡¯ve never seen fresh bayberries.¡± Her words were abrupt. Qiao Jinniang looked at the woman only to notice the wrinkles on her face that couldn¡¯t be concealed. She sat next to the Queen, and she looked like the Queen¡¯s mother. Imperial Concubine Xian said, ¡°Why not summon the Fourth Miss of Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion over and let me see what the bayberries that the Crown Prince took so many pains to transport all the way from the South look like!¡± Lu Chen said indifferently, ¡°Imperial Concubine Xian, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re mistaken. One of my subordinates went to the South and since my son has been missing his hometown, I asked that subordinate to bring bayberries back to Chang¡¯an on his way back. ¡°I am very grateful for Duke Anyuan¡¯s hard work for the country and the people. ¡°If it weren¡¯t because of his busy work, it wouldn¡¯t have taken him a full eighteen years to find his real daughter. ¡°Plus, I heard that his long lost daughter was from the South too, so I rewarded him with some bayberries. ¡°I just rewarded a meritorious official for my father, but why are you saying that the bayberries were for his fourth daughter?¡± Prince Mediocre gave Prince Lu, who was watching the fun, a sneaky kick under the table, forcing Prince Lu to say, ¡°Brother, why did you only reward Duke Anyuan? Are you trying to form a clique?¡± Prince Lu was confident that this would give the Emperor an impression that the Crown Prince was forming a clique for his private gains. However, as soon as he said so, Emperor Huilin suddenly smashed a rice dumpling onto his head. ¡°He is the Crown Prince. Why couldn¡¯t he reward a meritorious official for me?¡± Prince Lu hurriedly knelt down. ¡°Father, I was wrong.¡± Prince Mediocre looked at Emperor Huilin coldly. He was too partial to the Crown Prince! Almost all emperors were afraid of their sons forming cliques and wooing powerful officials, but he didn¡¯t care at all. Although Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know much about politics, she knew people well. His Majesty was clearly defending Lu Chen. Therefore, it showed that if Lu Chen really wanted her to be his wife, His Majesty would not refuse. Lu Chen said that she could only become his first concubine because she only deserved to be a concubine in Lu Chen¡¯s heart. The drums stopped, and unsurprisingly, the winner was Qin Shu¡¯s team. The Emperor rewarded Qin Shu and also praised him and Zhou Siming. After that, the Emperor returned to the imperial palace with the Queen and his concubines. Lu Chen asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°What are you planning to do in the afternoon?¡± Qiao Jinniang played with Tuaner¡¯s little hand. ¡°Of course to stay with Tuan¡¯er.¡± ¡°Tuan¡¯er will have a nap after lunch. Go to the East Palace with me. I will order someone to send you back to the Duke Mansion at night.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked down at Tuan¡¯er and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Chen wanted to help Qiao Jinniang down the viewing platform, but Qiao Jinniang would rather hold the wooden handrail on the side than hold Lu Chen¡¯s hand. Seeing this scene, Qiao Ruoshui who happened to come over was infuriated. The Duchess took Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s hand, signaled her not to make a fool of herself, and saluted to the Crown Prince. ¡°Thank you for granting the bayberries to us, Your Royal Highness. We deeply appreciate your kindness.¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°Duchess, I granted the Duke Mansion the bayberries for the sake of the Duke¡¯s service to the court. ¡°But you people took me wrong, spread wrong information, and made me look like a fatuous lecher. ¡°Moreover, your fourth daughter is not a beauty, but you people rumored about how much I love her, which is an insult to my taste. ¡°However, I will forgive you for the sake of the Duke.¡± Hearing his words, his secret guards silently laughed in their hearts. His Royal Highness was trying to please his beloved beauty with the bayberries indeed! It was just that the beauty was not Qiao Ruoshui. Hearing Lu Chen¡¯s words, the Duchess hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I failed to educate my daughter well. The fault is all mine. Thank you for your understanding.¡± Lu Chen¡¯s words were like a bolt from the blue for Qiao Ruoshui. ¡°But, Your Royal Highness, didn¡¯t His Majesty say that he wanted to be in-laws with my father?¡± Lu Chen grinned and said meaningfully, ¡°Duke Anyuan has more than one daughter, right?¡± Chapter 36 - Renounce Your Status As Crown Prince Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen through the veil. How could he¡­ Although everyone in the Duke Mansion was very nice to her due to their guilt for her, Jinniang believed that if his parents learned that that jerk was the Crown Prince, they would no longer stand on her side and scold him. After Lu Chen finished speaking, he got into the carriage and Qiao Jinniang followed behind. When she got into the carriage, she asked Lu Chen, ¡°How could you say that to my mother?¡± Lu Chen looked at her, who had taken off her veil, and said, ¡°Sooner or later, she will know. We¡¯re a family. Why hide it?¡± Qiao Jinniang certainly wouldn¡¯t tell Lu Chen that she still wanted to find a new husband before the imperial decree was issued. She had a headache, wondering how to explain it after returning home. However, just as the carriage started, there was a loud face-slapping sound outside. Hearing it, Lu Chen had a conditioned reflex and felt his face hurt¡­ Qiao Ruoshui felt as if being struck by a thunderbolt out of blue when she heard the Crown Prince say that the Duke Mansion had more than one daughter. She then glared at Qiao Ruoyi behind her and suddenly slapped her. ¡°Little b*tch, you¡¯re as slutty as your mother! All you know is to seduce men. How dare you seduce His Royal Highness, you b*tch¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi covered her face and her eyes turned red. The families of high-ranking officials and nobles who had not left all looked over. The Duchess felt so ashamed and immediately said to Mammy An, ¡°Ruoshui went crazy again. I am afraid that she hasn¡¯t recovered. Bind her up and send her home.¡± With that, the Duchess went over and wiped Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s tears gently with a handkerchief. ¡°Your sister is crazy. I apologize for her.¡± Qiao Ruoyi covered her face and forced her tears back. ¡°Mother, I did not¡­ I never seduced His Royal Highness.¡± The Duchess sighed helplessly. ¡°After all, you¡¯ve been calling me Mother for so many years, so I¡¯ll definitely uphold justice for you. You¡¯re famous for your talent in literature, which is known to almost everyone in Chang¡¯an, so it¡¯s not strange that His Royal Highness is interested in you.¡± Qiao Ruoyi bowed her head and wringed her handkerchief. She looked at the carriage of the Crown Prince. It was obvious that His Royal Highness was talking about Jinniang. She felt that she became Jinniang¡¯s scapegoat, but thinking of Jinniang¡¯s life-saving grace, she decided to keep it a secret for Jinniang. In the carriage, thinking of Ruoyi who was slapped for nothing, Qiao Jinniang felt very guilty. If she didn¡¯t speak up for her, Ruoyi would definitely have a hard time. Qiao Jinniang decided to explain to the Duchess after she returned so as not to tarnish Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s reputation. If her parents insisted on marrying her off to Lu Chen as his concubine, she would rather go to a Taoist temple and become a Taoist priest. When the carriage stopped in the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang found that Tuan¡¯er had already fallen asleep in her arms. There was no ice basin in the carriage, so his forehead was full of sweat. Lu Chen got out of the carriage first, took Tuan¡¯er from Qiao Jinniang, and reached out, intending to help Qiao Jinniang get off the carriage. Qiao Jinniang once again ignored him and jumped down the carriage herself. The East Palace neighbored the Imperial Palace, but had its own gate and courtyard. During the Dragon Boat Festival, the flowers in the courtyard rushed to bloom, and peonies, a flower rarely seen in the south, were also in full bloom. Lu Chen took Tuan¡¯er to a side palace and Qiao Jinniang followed in. There were luxurious decorations everywhere, and inside was a bed made of golden nanmu wood. Seeing Lu Chen put down Tuan¡¯er, she went to check the stitches of the quilt. Although she knew that the quilt in the East Palace must be carefully made, the bedding Tuan¡¯er used to use was all made by her own hands. She was afraid that the quilt would cut Tuan¡¯er¡¯s skin if it was not soft enough. Lu Chen ordered all the maids to leave and walked to Qiao Jinniang, saying, ¡°This is made by imperial embroiderers, whose skills are better than yours, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Qiao Jinniang tucked Tuan¡¯er in and said crossly, ¡°Yes, my needlework is not good enough. Since it is not good, why are you wearing my sachet?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that your needlework is not good. If you¡¯re worried about Tuan¡¯er, when you enter the East Palace in two months, I will let you raise Tuan¡¯er yourself.¡± Qiao Jinniang took off her veil and glared at Lu Chen. ¡°Are you saying that you planned to have someone else raise Tuan¡¯er?¡± Lu Chen said indifferently, ¡°Tuan¡¯er is my eldest son. If he is raised by the crown princess, it¡¯s easier for him to inherit the throne from me in the future¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang threw the veil onto Lu Chen and cursed unbearably, ¡°Damn you, I never want to marry into the East Palace! Even if I wanted to previously, after hearing this, I would rather kill you than marry you!¡± ¡°Do you think my Tuan¡¯er wants the throne? He has his mother. Why does he have to recognize another woman as his mother?¡± ¡°We were a legal couple for the past three years, but does it count for anything in your eyes?¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°Jin¡¯er, your husband in the past three years is Lu Chen, not the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty! ¡°Although we were married, I used the fake identity that you made for me. It¡¯s not my real identity¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands, picked up the teapot on the side, threw it at Lu Chen¡¯s forehead and cursed in a low voice: ¡°A*shole, didn¡¯t you agree when you were asked to marry into my family three years ago? You are a man after all. If you didn¡¯t want to marry me, could I force you? ¡°Isn¡¯t Lu Chen you?¡± The teapot hit Lu Chen¡¯s forehead, causing it to immediately drip with blood. Lu Chen clutched his forehead. Fearing to wake Tuan¡¯er up, he said in a lowered voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t you learn to control your temper? ¡°You have repeatedly humiliated me. Do you really think that I won¡¯t punish you?¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot and anger made her fearless. ¡°If you have what it takes, throw me in jail and cut me into pieces! ¡°I¡¯d like to ask the public to judge. I saved your life, gave you a well-to-do life for three years, married you and gave birth to a son for you! ¡°But you don¡¯t even want to admit that Tuan¡¯er was born by your wife? So you have never cared for him, right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re only willing to make me your concubine¡­¡± Lu Chen covered the wound on his forehead with his hand. ¡°Jin¡¯er, calm down. If I don¡¯t care for Tuan¡¯er, why did I bother to tell you these? ¡°As soon as I returned to Chang¡¯an, I immediately asked my father to designate him as my inheritor, but my grandmother felt it inappropriate. ¡°I have been holding Tuan¡¯er every day since he was born. He is my most beloved child. Is it wrong for me to try to make him my inheritor? ¡°Jin¡¯er, this is in Chang¡¯an, in the imperial palace, not in Lin¡¯an. If I¡¯m only a common prince, I won¡¯t make you my concubine, let alone let Tuan¡¯er call someone else mother. But I am the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty!¡± Qiao Jinniang spat on him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so high-sounding. If you really care about Tuan¡¯er and I, you should just renounce your status as the crown prince. ¡°In novels, those emperors were willing to abandon the throne for the sake of the peasant girls they loved. Are you willing to give up the throne?¡± Lu Chen helplessly said, ¡°I told you to read less novels.. How can I just renounce the status of crown prince so easily?¡± Chapter 37 - Full of Smell Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m the only son my mother has. If I abandon the position of the crown prince, no matter which one of my six brothers becomes the emperor, he won¡¯t easily spare me or Tuan¡¯er. ¡°In the royal family, the slightest carelessness would arouse a storm of blood¡­ ¡°Abandoning the position of the crown prince is not as easy as you think.¡± As Lu Chen explained, his forehead kept bleeding, so he had to leave Tuan¡¯er¡¯s palace. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t feel guilty at all when she saw the blood on the shards of the teacup on the ground. Although she knew who would be the crown prince was very important, if he really regarded her as his wife, he would never insult her! She only regretted her being nosy to save him from the river back then. She shouldn¡¯t have been deceived by his pretty face. All of him was extremely disgusting except for his good looks. After Tuan¡¯er woke up, Qiao Jinniang played with him for a while, and it was not until a servant of the East Palace said that the palace banquet was about to begin that Qiao Jinniang reluctantly handed over Tuan¡¯er. She earnestly asked the servant to take good care of Tuan¡¯er. After that, she endured the urge of burning the East Palace and left the palace bitterly. The palace banquet at the Dragon Boat Festival was very lively. There was a custom of shooting rice dumplings in the Imperial Palace. Whoever shot a rice dumpling could eat that rice dumpling. The rice dumplings made by the royal chef might not be delicious, but they were the rice dumplings bestowed by the royal family after all. Everyone had a great time playing. ¡°His Royal Highness is here.¡± When Lu Chen came in, all the nobles, officials and their families present saluted him. The Queen noticed the bright red scar on Lu Chen¡¯s forehead at a glance. ¡°Chen¡¯er, come here.¡± Lu Chen stepped forward and saluted her. ¡°Mother.¡± The Queen stood up, reached out to touch Lu Chen¡¯s forehead, and frowned angrily, ¡°Who did this?¡± Lu Chen lowered his eyes and said, ¡°I just fell.¡± ¡°Again? Last time, she slapped you, and this time you lost a lot of blood! Are you still protecting her? I will never allow my son to be so insulted!¡± The Queen was furious. ¡°How could she beat you over and over again? Has she ever shown any respect to the royal family? Even I have never beaten you! ¡°You didn¡¯t lose your life in the South, but I¡¯m afraid that you will lose your life in Chang¡¯an!¡± Noticing that the Queen was furious, Lu Chen quickly comforted her, ¡°Mother, I did accidentally fall. Don¡¯t be angry. If Father knows that I made you angry, he¡¯ll blame me.¡± Lu Chen winked at Emperor Huilin, but the latter ignored him. Instead, he said, ¡°What your mother said is right. After the palace banquet is over, I¡¯ll punish Qiao Jinniang!¡± The Queen frowned and looked at Lu Chen. ¡°Why do you smell?¡± The warm wind of early summer blew over, and the Yuhua Garden where the palace banquet was held suddenly filled with a strange smell. It smelled like slops in June and July, very disgusting. The closer one got to Lu Chen, the more obvious the smell was. Prince Lu gloated, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the Crown Prince? Why do you stink? Are you sick? Summon a royal doctor to examine you!¡± Prince Lu rolled his eyes. His seventh younger brother had always outshone them since he was a child. He knew that he would never become the crown prince, but he didn¡¯t want Lu Chen, who had always been unkind to his brothers, to ascend the throne smoothly. On the other hand, Prince Mediocre was kind, polite and very nice to his brothers. After getting demoted to Prince Mediocre and sent to the frontier, he still didn¡¯t forget to send gifts to them and never forgot about them. Prince Lu thought, as long as he didn¡¯t rebel, he would be a duke no matter what. He liked to cause troubles for the Crown Prince, which might help Prince Mediocre become the next emperor! If the Crown Prince really suffered from a foul-smelling illness, even if the father loved him the most, as a sick man, he couldn¡¯t become the next emperor. Lu Chen lowered his head and took away the sachet from his waist. The stench came from the sachet. He clenched the sachet and looked at Prince Lu sharply, asking coldly, ¡°Fourth Brother, why did you say the smell came from me? Do you have any evidence?¡± Prince Lu shuddered, angry yet a bit scared. Lu Chen was the youngest son of Emperor Huilin, but he always dwarfed the other sons. And unlike Prince Mediocre who respected them very much, he was very rude to them! Prince Lu said, ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about your health¡­ I¡¯m afraid everyone in this hall has smelled the stink, right?¡± Prince Mediocre stood up and said, ¡°Fourth Brother, maybe I was contaminated with the smell of fertilizer when I went to the outskirts today to check the growth of the farmers¡¯ wheat. This smell doesn¡¯t come from the Crown Prince.¡± The civil officials and Prince Lu all felt sympathetic for Prince Mediocre. The Queen had changed his title to the insulting ¡°Mediocre¡±, but Prince Mediocre still tried to protect the Crown Prince. He was such a noble man. It was a pity that he wasn¡¯t born by the Queen. However, Lu Chen didn¡¯t seem grateful and said with irony, ¡°There is still a month away from cutting the wheat. How could farmers possibly put fertilizer in the wheat fields? ¡°Fifth Brother, you need to go to the field and do some farm work. Don¡¯t talk nonsense. You know, talking nonsense in front of Father will get you punished¡­¡± Emperor Huilin asked Lu Chen, ¡°I remember you still couldn¡¯t tell the wheat from beans three years ago, but now you even know when the wheat fields are fertilized?¡± Lu Chen smiled meaningfully at Prince Mediocre. ¡°Thanks to Fifth Brother, I got to know it.¡± Prince Mediocre hurriedly said, ¡°Maybe I was mistaken. They were fertilizing fruits, not wheat¡­¡± After Lu Chen burned the spice in the sachet, the smell in the courtyard was gone. Lu Chen arched his hands and said, ¡°Father, this is an insect repellent made of mugwort leaves and realgar. ¡°Although it has a foul smell, it can repel insects. I don¡¯t know why Fifth Brother insisted that the smell came from him? ¡°But since Fifth Brother likes it, I¡¯ll have more sachets made and give them to Fifth Brother to repel insects.¡± Prince Mediocre clenched his hands, his eyes full of resentment after being humiliated. Emperor Huilin praised, ¡°That¡¯s very considerate of you, but don¡¯t play favorites. Your Fourth Brother easily attracts insects as well. Give him some too.¡± Lu Chen chuckled. ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Everyone in the garden could tell how much His Majesty favored His Royal Highness. Imperial Concubine Xian and other imperial concubines looked very embarrassed too. After the Dragon Boat Festival banquet was over, the Queen called Lu Chen over. She approached, picked up the sachet on Lu Chen¡¯s waist, and looked at it. ¡°This sachet is not made by the imperial embroiderers. Who tried to set you up?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Mother, maybe Jinniang didn¡¯t know that she used the wrong spices.¡± That being said, Lu Chen remembered the look in her eyes when she put on the sachet for him and knew that she definitely did it on purpose to let him make a fool of himself. The Queen¡¯s beautiful face turned gloomy. ¡°It¡¯s her again? I won¡¯t forgive her!¡± Lu Chen hurriedly said, ¡°She is upset because she doesn¡¯t want to be my concubine. She didn¡¯t mean to set me up.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t your father changed her title to your first concubine? Why is she still upset?¡± Looking at the scar on Lu Chen¡¯s forehead, the Queen was very angry. Lowering his eyes and sighing, Lu Chen told the Queen that Jinniang wanted to be his legitimate wife. ¡°Today, I said that I wanted to let my future crown princess raise Tuan¡¯er, so he¡¯ll be more justified to inherit my throne in the future. Hearing this, she was annoyed, but she didn¡¯t mean to harm me.¡± Hearing Lu Chen¡¯s explanation, the Queen paused before she said slowly, ¡°You really deserve it. If it were me, I would have burnt the East Palace down!¡± Lu Chen, ¡°?¡± Chapter 38 - The Handwriting of the Divorce Letter Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lu Chen wondered. ¡°Mother, am I wrong?¡± The Queen hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°Leave. I find you such an eyesore now.¡± Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m leaving.¡± After Lu Chen left, the Queen rubbed her temples. She had thought that the Crown Prince had informed Jinniang of his real identity when he was in the South. She had thought that Qiao Jinniang was willing to be the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine because they were a loving couple for three years and had Tuan¡¯er. After all, for the noble girls in Chang¡¯an, being the first concubine of the Crown Prince was not a bad choice. The biological mother of Prince Lu, who was a daughter of an aristocratic family, was married to Emperor Huilin as a concubine, who was only an unfavored prince back then. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Jinniang was unwilling to be a concubine, not to mention that her son actually sprinkled salt on Jinniang¡¯s wound. The Queen said to a mammy she trusted, ¡°I am such a smart person, but why did I give birth to such a silly son? Did someone swap my son too?¡± Since it was known that Duke Anyuan¡¯s eldest daughter was swapped, many nobles in Chang¡¯an also doubted the identities of their children. The mammy smiled and said, ¡°His Royal Highness is brilliant, handsome, and talented. He looks so much like you. How could he be possibly swapped? ¡°I think His Royal Highness is too proud to realize that he has fallen in love!¡± The Queen said, ¡°Sooner or later, he¡¯ll regret it, just like his dad did.¡± ¡­ When Qiao Jinniang returned to the Duke Mansion, the Duke and the Duchess hadn¡¯t come back from the palace banquet yet. Back in the Jin Garden, Jinniang saw Qiao Ruoyi waiting for her. Qiao Ruoyi saluted. ¡°Sister.¡± Jinniang hurriedly fetched an ointment and handed it to Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. This ointment can reduce the swelling.¡± Ruoyi took the ointment and said, ¡°Thank you, Sister, but you did nothing wrong. It was Fourth Sister who beat me. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault. That jerk was talking about me, but Qiao Ruoshui thought he was talking about you.¡± Ruoyi was a bit frightened when she heard what Qiao Jinniang called the Crown Prince. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t call His Royal Highness that. It may bring you trouble.¡± Jinniang said angrily, ¡°He is a jerk, a scum. Even if he is burnt to ashes, his bone ashes are dirty!¡± Ruoyi¡¯s heart trembled when she heard Qiao Jinniang scolding the Crown Prince. Her Second Sister, who was so gentle and nice, looked so fierce when she was cursing the Crown Prince. Qiao Ruoyi asked tentatively, ¡°Sister, did the Crown Prince do anything to harm you?¡± Jinniang didn¡¯t want to hide it from Qiao Ruoyi. Anyway, she had already decided to tell it to the Duke and the Duchess. ¡°After I had my coming-of-age ceremony, my foster parents were seriously ill and my relatives all coveted our restaurant. It happened that my father and I saved Lu Chen from a river. ¡°At that time, he lost his memory and had nowhere to go, and I needed a husband who was willing to marry into my family, so as arranged by my foster parents, he married into my family. ¡°We spent three happy years together, but at the last Lantern Festival, he accidentally fell into a river and remembered everything. Then without any explanation, he just took my son back to Chang¡¯an. ¡°I waited for him for a few months, only to get a divorce letter from him. When I returned to Chang¡¯an and finally met him, he actually said that he wanted me to be his concubine. ¡°Maybe he was afraid that I would cause trouble, so he said he would allow me to be his first concubine, but who f*cking cares? He divorced me, seized my son, and made me his concubine¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Sister, being the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine is different. ¡°To put it bluntly, you¡¯ll become an imperial concubine when the Crown Prince becomes the emperor. ¡°If you¡¯re his first concubine, you¡¯ll at least be one of the four major imperial concubines. Plus, you¡¯ve given birth to a son for him, so maybe you¡¯ll directly be canonized as the Noble Imperial Concubine. ¡°Although Father is Duke Anyuan, it¡¯s not an insult to you at all to become the Crown Prince¡¯s first concubine. ¡°Moreover, His Majesty hasn¡¯t taken any imperial concubines for 20 years, so the crown princess will probably be the daughter of a civil official or from a powerful family.¡± The more Qiao Ruoyi said, the gloomier she found Jinniang¡¯s face. She then coughed awkwardly and said, ¡°However, since you had formally married the Crown Prince, you should be his wife. How can he demote you to be his concubine?!¡± Qiao Ruoyi asked tentatively, ¡°But since you were once married to His Royal Highness, you may not be able to marry someone else. ¡°And since His Royal Highness is insisting you to marry into the East Palace, you may need to control your temper.¡± Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Even if I refuse, so what? When Father and Mother come back, I¡¯ll tell them about this matter. If they feel guilty for me¡­ they will definitely not force me to marry into the East Palace. ¡°If the Emperor is angry, then I will become a nun and spend the rest of my life in the temple.¡± Qiao Ruoyi hurriedly said, ¡°No, Second Sister, there is always a way out, but you must not tell Father and Mother about your relationship with the Crown Prince.¡± Qiao Ruoyi thought that even she felt that being the Crown Prince¡¯s first concubine was a very good choice for Jinniang. If Father and Mother knew about this, they probably wouldn¡¯t feel angry at all. What¡¯s more, there were so many things Father and Mother had to consider. Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Although Father and Mother love you, as a high-ranking official, Father is always very cautious. He will definitely not disobey the Crown Prince¡¯s order. ¡°Although Mother loves you very much, she still has to consider our two younger brothers¡­ ¡°And the entire Duke Dingyuan¡¯s Mansion is counting on her. She may not have a choice.¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her handkerchief. ¡°I wanted to keep it a secret and asked Mother to find me a fianc¨¦ before the imperial decree is issued. ¡°His Majesty won¡¯t force a woman who has already got a fianc¨¦ to marry into the East Palace, will he? ¡°But if I don¡¯t tell them now, everyone would misunderstand that the Crown Prince is interested in you. ¡°If that happens, it will tarnish your reputation and affect your marriage.¡± Ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about my reputation. Besides, I don¡¯t want to marry into a noble family. ¡°Second Sister, you should ask Mother to find a fianc¨¦ for you as soon as possible. ¡°Then you can spread what happened between you and the Crown Prince in the South throughout Chang¡¯an. ¡°Make that jerk lose face!¡± Qiao Jinniang felt what Qiao Ruoyi said made sense. She should find a fianc¨¦ first before wide-spreading this scandal of the Crown Prince. She would rather marry an ordinary man than marry the Crown Prince. This fact would definitely disgrace that jerk. ¡°But then you¡¯ll be wronged,¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Ruoyi. Qiao Ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m still young and my biological mother is sick. Mother has talked to me about my marriage, but I don¡¯t want to marry so early. ¡°I don¡¯t care about my reputation. Besides, when you are married, the truth will naturally come to light.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re very good at literature. I¡¯ve brought a lot of books out of print from the South, pick some.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered Nuomi to open the crate full of books. Qiao Ruoyi found that these were all precious books out of print. ¡°Sister, how come you have so many precious books? ¡°These are all handwritten copies and are rare to see.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Some were handwritten by the jerk from memory, and some were bought by him with my money!¡± Back then, Lu Chen often spent hundreds of taels of silver on books, and she always gave him the money without saying a word. Thinking of that, she really regretted it. When Qiao Ruoyi realized that the ¡°jerk¡± in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s mouth was the Crown Prince, she pursed her lips and said, ¡°The jerk¡¯s handwriting is similar to Master Liu¡¯s style and probably even better than his.¡± Jinniang asked Qiao Ruoyi, ¡°Master Liu?¡± Qiao Ruoyi explained, ¡°Master Liu is from the Liu Family in Longnan. He is a famous calligrapher. ¡°In Chang¡¯an, many young noblemen learned his handwriting. ¡°Among them, the Crown Prince learned his handwriting the best. His Majesty once praised His Royal Highness¡¯ handwriting, so everyone in Chang¡¯an scrambled to learn Master Liu¡¯s handwriting, but no one was as talented as the crown prince. So, his handwriting is better than anyone else.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at a handwritten book of Lu Chen and recalled the handwriting on the divorce letter¡­ Although they looked identical, it was obvious that Lu Chen¡¯s handwriting seemed to be more powerful, while the handwriting in the divorce letter seemed to be a little more elegant. Could there really be some misunderstanding about the divorce letter? But even if there was a misunderstanding, it was a fact that Lu Chen was a jerk! Chapter 39 - Cement the Old Ties by Marriage Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When Duke Anyuan and the Duchess left the palace gate, Qin Shu chased after them, saluted and said, ¡°Father-in-law, Mother-in-law.¡± The Duchess frowned when she saw Qin Shu. Considering the friendship between the two families, Duke Anyuan said politely, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, Son-in-law.¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°Ruoyun has been troubling you for a long time, so I¡¯d like to take her back home. Moreover, my grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet is approaching. As my wife, she is supposed to show up at the birthday banquet.¡± The Duchess sneered and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind Ruoyun staying in the Duke Mansion. We can afford a daughter. Didn¡¯t your grandmother and mother prefer to make you two divorce than punish your concubine maid? ¡°My daughter finally got pregnant, but because of your family, she almost lost her life. How can I let you take her back so easily? Although I did not give birth to her, she is still my precious daughter who stayed with me for 16 years. She is not someone your Qin family can humiliate at will!¡± When Qin Shu heard this, he hurriedly promised, ¡°I will be good to Ruoyun in the future. I¡¯ve never looked down upon her because of her change in identity¡­¡± The duchess snorted. ¡°Let your grandmother and mother come and talk about this matter with me. If they don¡¯t admit their mistakes, we¡¯d rather let you divorce!¡± Qin Shu sighed, and Qin Miaomiao stepped forward and said, ¡°Brother, it¡¯ll be Ruoyi and Ruofeng¡¯s coming-of-age ceremony in a few days. I will take the chance to go to the Duke Mansion to talk to Ruoyun. She¡¯s good-tempered. If she is willing to come back, I don¡¯t think the Duchess will stop her.¡± Qin Shu nodded helplessly. ¡­ On the day after the Dragon Boat Festival, it rained. Chang¡¯an rained less than Lin¡¯an. Jinniang held her umbrella and went to the Duchess¡¯s courtyard. When she entered, she heard Qiao Ruoshui crying bitterly. ¡°Mother, if you hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony for that little b*tch, Qiao Ruoyi, it¡¯ll be a slap on my face!¡± ¡°She seduced His Royal Highness and made me look like a joke! That concubine-born slut! How is she deserving of such a grand coming-of-age ceremony? It¡¯s almost as grand as mine.¡± ¡°Boohoo, it¡¯s all Qiao Jinniang¡¯s fault. Mother, the little imperial grandson likes me and His Royal Highness even let me ride in his carriage. It must be because of Qiao Jinniang, that village woman, causing His Royal Highness to change his attitude towards our family. ¡°If I marry into the East Palace, I can at least become the Crown Prince¡¯s first concubine, but if it¡¯s Qiao Ruoyi, she¡¯ll just be a concubine of the lowest rank!¡± Hearing it at the door, Qiao Jinniang was helpless. Did this have anything to do with her? She stepped inside and said, ¡°Mother.¡± Seeing her, the Duchess said, ¡°It¡¯s cold and raining today. You should wear more clothes. Are you cold? Cui¡¯er, serve hot tea for the miss.¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not cold. The rain today has dispelled the sultry heat of yesterday.¡± The Duchess looked at Qiao Ruoshuidao coldly. ¡°Your father has discussed with Deputy General Liu who is guarding the southwest border. In a few days, Deputy General Liu will have the betrothal gift sent over! After Jinniang is engaged, you¡¯ll be married off!¡± Qiao Ruoshui cried and said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve always loved me the most. Why do you have to treat me like this?¡± The Duchess sighed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I had been fighting with that b*tch all this while and neglected your education, causing you to become such a foolish and self-willed person. It¡¯s for your own good to marry you off to the Southwest. ¡°Your third sister is the daughter-in-law of the Southwest Governor. Moreover, you have the Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion behind you, and there are generals who used to be your father¡¯s subordinates there. Your life won¡¯t be hard in the Southwest.¡± Qiao Ruoshui glared at Qiao Jinniang fiercely and ran away crying. Qiao Jinniang literally ruined her life! Everything changed after she came back. After watching Qiao Ruoshui leave, Qiao Jinniang said to the Duchess, ¡°Mother, I¡¯d like to ask about the matter of Father recognizing my foster father as his sworn brother I mentioned last time¡­¡± The Duchess said, ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned this to your father, but let¡¯s talk about it when the people we sent to Lin¡¯an come back.¡± The Duchess still had some concerns. If, as Qiao Jinniang said, the chef and his wife treated Qiao Jinniang very well, she didn¡¯t mind the Duke acknowledging the chef as his sworn brother. By doing that, at least people wouldn¡¯t laugh at Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s identities anymore. But if they were bad people, it might cause trouble. Most importantly, those annoying kinsmen of the Qiao Family must be resolved. ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t have come at a better time!¡± Suddenly, Second Madam¡¯s voice came. Qiao Jinniang got up and saluted. ¡°Second Aunt.¡± Second Aunt smiled and said to the Duchess, ¡°My brother-in-law has returned to Chang¡¯an today and is inviting our family to dinner. They¡¯ve just returned to Chang¡¯an, and they planned to have their dinner in the Tasty Pavilion. They would like to invite you to dinner. Since Jinniang is already here, let¡¯s go together.¡± Looking at the smiling face of Second Madam, the Duchess remembered her third nephew she had mentioned last time. It would be nice to go and see that lad. ¡°Jinniang, do you have anything up for today?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go together then. I haven¡¯t been to the Tasty Pavilion yet. I can take this chance to visit your restaurant.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. She didn¡¯t think it was to save money that Second Madam invited her to dinner in the Tasty Pavilion. From the Duchess¡¯s attitude, she guessed that this was probably a blind-date dinner for her. ¡°Then go back and prepare.¡± the Duchess said to her. Qiao Jinniang saluted and said yes. After seeing Qiao Jinniang leave, Second Madam said to the Duchess, ¡°I told my sister that Jinniang has a child, and she seemed to be a little uncomfortable with it. ¡°But it happened that my sister¡¯s mother-in-law was there. She heard that Jinniang was a sensible and filial girl, and she felt pity for Jinniang¡¯s misfortune, so she said it would be good to let the two children meet and see each other.¡± ¡°My sister¡¯s husband¡¯s family name is Li, and at first he was just an ordinary scholar. But over the years, his mother helped him marry the daughter of a powerful family, helping him to become a high-ranking official. His mother is a very shrewd and clever woman. The Duchess said to Second Madam, ¡°From what Ruoyun has experienced, I understand that it¡¯s not enough if a woman¡¯s husband is nice to her. Her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law are important too. ¡°Since Old Madam Li has agreed, let the two children meet. If they¡¯re interested in each other, isn¡¯t it good to cement the old ties of our two families?¡± If Jinniang was married to a strange family, the Duchess was afraid that Jinniang might not be treated well. ¡­ In the No.1 private room of the Tasty Pavilion. Junior Duke Rong took Fulu¡¯s exclusive private room without any guilt. When he saw the person at the door, he said, ¡°Siming, come on in and take a seat. It¡¯s really difficult to order a private room in this Tasty Pavilion. But fortunately, Fulu gave me her private room.¡± Zhou Siming shook his fan and said, ¡°How dare you snatch her private room? Be careful of Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s anger being directed towards you.¡± Junior Duke Rong sat down. ¡°How come Lin Mo hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡± Speak of the devil. Lin Mo entered the door and said, ¡°I ran into my dad¡¯s prot¨¦g¨¦ when I was going upstairs. We talked for a while, so it took me some time. ¡°However, if the matter he is up to today can succeed, we won¡¯t have to steal the No.1 Private Room from Fulu when we come to the Tasty Pavilion in the future¡­¡± Junior Duke Rong asked, ¡°Your father¡¯s prot¨¦g¨¦? Is that Li Yun, the person most likely to win the first prize in this Imperial Examination?¡± Lin Mo nodded and said, ¡°Exactly, I heard that he seemed to be here for a blind date with the owner of the Tasty Pavilion. Li Yun¡¯s aunt is the Second Madam of Duke Anyuan¡¯s Mansion. So if they get married, the two families can cement their old ties. ¡°Plus, he calls me Senior Brother. If they click together well, won¡¯t it be a breeze to ask for a private room from him?¡± The tea in Junior Duke Rong¡¯s mouth suddenly spurted onto Lin Mo¡¯s face and he coughed hard.. ¡°What did you say?! Who will marry whom?¡± Chapter 40 - Be Cuckolded Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lin Mo wiped his face with a handkerchief in disgust. He said, ¡°Li Yun and Duke Anyuan¡¯s long-lost daughter. We saw her here last time. This matter may not succeed, so don¡¯t spread it. It¡¯ll damage Li Yun and that girl¡¯s reputation.¡± Zhou Siming also asked in surprise, ¡°Zishu, did you mishear something?¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°They¡¯re right next door. If you don¡¯t believe it, just go and see. Why are you both so shocked?¡± Junior Duke Rong was not only shocked, but his heart was beating fast. Isn¡¯t the long-lost daughter of Duke Anyuan Qiao Jinniang? Does His Royal Highness know that Duke Anyuan intends to cuckold him? Because Second Madam had no daughters or daughters-in-law, Qiao Jinniang was the only young girl present. Seeing them passing by the door of the room, Junior Duke Rong felt what Lin Mo said was probably true. Qiao Jinniang followed Second Madam and the Duchess into the room and saluted. ¡°Grandma Li, Aunt Li, and Cousin.¡± Li Yun¡¯s eyes brightened when he saw Qiao Jinniang who was wearing a light yellow embroidered dress. He saluted the Duchess while not forgetting to salute Qiao Jinniang too. ¡°Cousin.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded gently and sat down with the Duchess. On this kind of occasion, the juniors didn¡¯t need to talk much. Although this was a welcoming banquet for Li Yun¡¯s father in name, he didn¡¯t come. At the banquet, Old Madam Li and the Duchess were chatting the most. Old Madam Li asked about Qiao Jinniang occasionally. She was quite satisfied with Jinniang. She didn¡¯t believe in the nonsense that she was slave-raised. The South was a very rich and prosperous place, and the Myriad Taste in Lin¡¯an was quite famous among the literati in the South. A woman who could run such a restaurant must be sensible and smart. ¡°What is this? We didn¡¯t seem to order this dish.¡± Mrs. Li asked when she saw the waiter serve a bowl of food. Qiao Jinniang smiled and explained, ¡°This dish is called Crab Meat Tofu. I heard that Grandma Li was a Buddhist, so I deliberately replaced the crab meat with salted duck egg powder. It tastes smooth and is easy to digest. Please have a try, Grandma Li.¡± As soon as Qiao Jinniang finished speaking, Noumi served a bowl for Old Madam Li. Qiao Jinniang also served a bowl respectively for the Duchess and Second Madam. ¡°Mother, this dish was invented by me. Please have a try.¡± The Duchess tasted it and immediately realized that this restaurant¡¯s success was not completely because of the power of Duke Anyuan. This dish was even more delicious than the dishes in the Duke Mansion. Old Madam Li was aged, so her teeth weren¡¯t very good. After taking a bite of tofu, the scent hit the tip of her tongue. She smiled. ¡°This tofu is the best tofu I have ever tasted.¡± Qiao Jinniang introduced a few more signature dishes. The goal of this kind of banquet was not to eat, so the dishes would usually not be eaten up. But under Jinniang¡¯s introduction, the dishes on the table were all eaten up. This made the Duchess quite embarrassed. Nobles usually wouldn¡¯t finish the dishes in a banquet. Old Madam Li joked, ¡°The dishes are really delicious. Even wasting a little bit is a great loss. Unfortunately, I turned into a vegetarian recently. But I¡¯m definitely going to try the Fried Shelled Shrimps with Longjing Tea here in the future.¡± Mrs. Li followed. ¡°Yes, we must come back and taste it later.¡± After the meal, the bowls and chopsticks were removed and the tea was served. The Duchess said to Jinniang ¡°There is a rouge shop nearby. You rarely go out, so why don¡¯t you go pick some rouge?¡± Second Madam then said to Li Yun, ¡°You can accompany your cousin to go there.¡± With that, she handed her nephew a piece of silver and winked at him. Her third nephew was a very excellent young man but was a nerd. She was afraid that he might forget to pay for Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang went downstairs with Li Yun. Seeing them come downstairs side by side, Junior Duke Rong was stunned. Are they really having a blind date? He hurriedly followed them downstairs. Seeing Junior Duke Rong leave halfway through dinner, Lin Mo asked Zhou Siming, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him today? Why is he so absent-minded?¡± Zhou Siming saw Qiao Jinniang and Li Yun too, and he said, ¡°Maybe he is afraid that His Royal Highness will blame him.¡± ¡°Blame him? For what?¡± Lin Mo was confused. Zhou Siming heard from his father that Qiao Jinniang was the biological mother of the little imperial grandson. But the Crown Prince hadn¡¯t announced Qiao Jinniang¡¯s identity yet, so he certainly wouldn¡¯t tell Lin Mo. After all, Lin Mo¡¯s cousin was also going to marry into the East Palace. ¡­ After Qiao Jinniang and Li Yun went downstairs, she saw from the corner of her eye that Li Yun looked very embarrassed. He wanted to speak, but he didn¡¯t know what to say, so he just blushed. He looked just like a little dull goose that was raised in the kitchen of the Tasty Pavilion. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ve bought all the new products in the rouge shop. It¡¯s sunny now. Why don¡¯t we go to a bookstore?¡± ¡°Do you like reading too?¡± Li Yun looked at Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Yes, but I only read novels. Will you disdain me for that, Cousin?¡± ¡°Of course not. In fact, I liked to read novels when I was a kid. I liked reading novels about swordsmen, but my father thought that they were not orthodox books, so he threw them away.¡± Speaking of books, Li Yun was no longer embarrassed and became talkative. ¡°Have you ever read novels about swordsmen?¡± What Qiao Jinniang read were mostly romance novels, so she hadn¡¯t read any swordsmen novels. She said with a smile, ¡°Not yet. When we go to the bookstore, please pick some for me. I can read them to kill time.¡± Li Yun said, ¡°I only read those novels when I was a kid, so I don¡¯t know if there are any now.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll find some first. ¡°If they are interesting, when you finish the imperial examination, I¡¯ll lend them to you to read. ¡°But you¡¯d better not read these novels before the imperial examination because they may take up your time. After all, you¡¯re very likely to get first place in the imperial examination.¡± Li Yun smiled. ¡°I hope so.¡± Qiao Jinniang grew up in a restaurant. As long as she was willing, she could get acquainted with anyone soon. Soon, she and Li Yun entered a bookstore chatting and laughing. Junior Duke Rong hid in an alley and watched them, thinking to himself, ¡®Oh my god!¡¯ He knew Li Yun. He was Prime Minister Lin¡¯s favorite prot¨¦g¨¦ and was a nerd. He had never seen him so close to a woman. But this nerd was smiling at Qiao Jinniang! Do they have to be so close when they are just picking books? Junior Duke Rong shook his fan and walked into the bookstore. ¡°Miss Qiao, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± When Qiao Jinniang saw him, she saluted coldly. ¡°Junior Duke Rong.¡± Junior Duke Rong looked at Qiao Jinniang, thinking of her life-saving grace, while exclaiming in his heart, ¡®Oh, she is cuckolding His Royal Highness indeed!¡¯ She was smiling so sweetly at Li Yun just now but was so cold to him. Qiao Jinniang was cold to him because she thought Junior Duke Rong was here to deliver Lu Chen¡¯s message. But then she noticed the blaming look in the eyes of Junior Duke Rong¡­ As if she did something wrong? She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong to him, right? Chapter 57 - Break Up the Family Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Hearing the Duchess¡¯s scolding, Qiao Ruoshui didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. The Duchess said to Old Madam Qiao, ¡°Mother, I believe that Jin¡¯er is definitely not such a person.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Jinniang left the Duke Mansion without a word, knowing that you feel guilt towards her, but guilt is not connivance! ¡°Which family¡¯s daughter doesn¡¯t report to her mother when she goes out? Don¡¯t indulge her out of guilt.¡± Qiao Jinniang entered from outside the courtyard and knelt down to Second Madam. ¡°Grandmother, I know I should be punished for going out of home without permission and breaking the rules of the Duke Mansion, but I don¡¯t accept Sister Ruofeng and Sister Ruoshui¡¯s accusations of me of seducing Prince Mediocre!¡± Seeing Jinniang kneel down as soon as she came in, Old Madam Qiao couldn¡¯t vent her anger. After all, the Duke Mansion owed her a kit. She said, ¡°Get up. Can you explain the matter about Princess Fu¡¯an?¡± Qiao Jinniang certainly couldn¡¯t tell the truth. Qiao Jinniang stood up and lowered her head, saying slowly, ¡°It was Junior Duke Rong. He liked to eat the dishes I cooked, so he often invited me to the Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion. ¡°Because he was a junior duke, His Majesty¡¯s favorite nephew, and the best friend of the Crown Prince, I dare not refuse him. ¡°But if this matter was revealed, it would damage the reputation of Junior Duke Rong and I, so I used Princess Fu¡¯an as an excuse. ¡°The box of gold gifted by Princess Fu¡¯an was the money that Junior Duke Rong paid for the dishes I cooked. Grandmother, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can go ask Junior Duke Rong.¡± ¡°Junior Duke Rong agreed to use Princess Fu¡¯an as the excuse in case the reputation of the Duke Mansion gets damaged. Although I didn¡¯t grow up in the Duke Mansion, I knew the reputation of the Duke Mansion will affect everyone in the Duke Mansion. ¡°And now that the two sisters slandered me for seducing Prince Mediocre, what good will it do to them?¡± Qiao Ruofeng snorted coldly and said, ¡°I saw with my own eyes that you and Prince Mediocre were talking and laughing on the street. ¡°If you didn¡¯t seduce Prince Mediocre, why would Prince Mediocre bother to make Ruyu set up Third Cousin? ¡° ¡°Besides, how do you explain this mutton-fat white jade? I searched your room and found it!¡± Qiao Ruofeng ordered a maid to put the mutton-fat white jade in front of Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands and said, ¡°Searched? Grandmother, Mother, forgive me but I can¡¯t stay in the Duke Mansion any longer. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything serious, but the Duke Mansion actually searched my courtyard. What do they take me for? ¡°I¡¯ll leave the Duke Mansion right away so as not to be treated as a prisoner!¡± The Duchess hurriedly stepped forward and held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave. I really didn¡¯t know about this matter, and I wasn¡¯t aware that they searched your courtyard! ¡°Come, ask the Duke to come over! ¡°I would like to ask the Duke who is in charge of the Duke Mansion? ¡° Second Madam glared at Qiao Ruofeng. ¡°How could you search Qiao Jinniang¡¯s courtyard?¡± Qiao Ruofeng placed the jade heavily in front of Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Anyway, this filthy thing has been found! Do you dare to say that this was not given by Prince Mediocre?¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°How do you know this is from Prince Mediocre?¡± Qiao Ruofeng paused. She knew this jade belonged to Prince Mediocre because she had seen this thing when she went to Prince Mediocre¡¯s mansion a few days ago. However, she certainly couldn¡¯t say that she had seen it in Prince Mediocre¡¯s mansion. Noticing the panic in Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s eyes, Qiao Jinniang said to the Old Madam, ¡°Grandmother, this jade is indeed a birthday gift from Prince Mediocre to me. ¡°However, there¡¯s nothing between Prince Mediocre and I. I¡¯ve never violated any rules. ¡°Besides, if a girl has done something wrong, her family will only cover up for her. ¡°But why are Second Madam and Qiao Ruofeng so eager to plant the charge of adultery on me? ¡°Everyone said that I was lucky enough to be the daughter of a duke, but if as the daughter of a duke, I have to be slandered like this, I would rather leave the Duke Mansion.¡± When the Duke came in, he heard Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words, and he immediately came over and said, ¡°What happened? How could you say such stupid words?¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted and said, ¡°Father, Second Madam and her daughter slandered me for seducing Prince Mediocre and even searched my courtyard. ¡°If I still stay in the Duke Mansion, I don¡¯t know if something even worse will happen to me.¡± A servant reported to Duke Anyuan what happened, and the Duke frowned and said, ¡°So it¡¯s Second Brother who is in charge of the Duke Mansion now?¡± Old Madam Qiao said to Second Madam with anger, ¡°Apologize to Jinniang.¡± Qiao Ruofeng said unhappily, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s obvious that Qiao Jinniang and Prince Mediocre are having an affair. ¡°Look, this is the evidence I searched from her room. ¡°My mother is Qiao Jinniang¡¯s elder. Why should she apologize to Qiao Jinniang? My mother never said anything wrong!¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted the Duchess. ¡°Forgive me, Mother. ¡°As long as Second Madam and Qiao Ruofeng are in this Duke Mansion, I won¡¯t stay! ¡°Sister Ruoshui has insulted me several times, but I tolerated her because we are blood sisters after all. ¡°She has Mother protecting her, so she causes trouble with me from time to time. I can only accept it. ¡°But Second Madam and Qiao Ruofeng are not my immediate family, I don¡¯t have such a good temper to tolerate them!¡± ¡°Today, if you want me to stay, then break up the family and let them leave. If they don¡¯t leave the Duke Mansion, please let me leave!¡± Second Madam was shocked. ¡°You want to break up the family just for such a trivial matter? ¡°Your grandmother is still alive! How dare you be so unfilial to demand to break up the family?¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Nuomi, ¡°Go pack up. Just take what we brought from the South.¡± Nuomi nodded and didn¡¯t forget to say, ¡°Although my miss grew up from the grassroots, she has never suffered such grievances since she was a child. ¡°Even her clansmen in Lin¡¯an, who coveted the Myriad Taste, dared not search her room when her foster parents were still alive. The people in the Duke Mansion are even worse than those people!¡± The Duchess held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°I won¡¯t let you go alone.¡± Then she turned to the Old Madam and said, ¡°Mother, I know it¡¯s a bit unconventional to split up the family now, but if we don¡¯t, Sister-in-law and her daughter will definitely do things even more outrageous!¡± Second Madam hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s my fault this time. Sister-in-law, Jinniang, please forgive me.¡± Second Madam slapped herself a few times as she said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have talked such nonsense!¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Okay, Jinniang, your second aunt has apologized. You are your father¡¯s daughter, and no one dares to bully you.¡± Qiao Jinniang insisted. ¡°I will leave if they don¡¯t.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered that Lu Chen told her that Prince Mediocre and Qiao Ruofeng had an affair¡­ If this scandal was revealed, the reputation of the Duke Mansion would be ruined. In the eyes of everyone, Lu Chen had already said that he would take a daughter of the duke as his concubine, but the Sixth Miss of the Duke Mansion was in love with Prince Mediocre. People wouldn¡¯t think it was Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s personal conduct. They would only think that Duke Anyuan had used his daughter and niece to please the Crown Prince and Prince Mediocre. If Father became a fence-sitter in the eyes of the courtiers, his reputation would be ruined. If she hadn¡¯t known about this scandal, she would have endured Qiao Ruofeng. But Qiao Ruofeng who actually had an affair with Prince Mediocre slandered her as a slut with her mother and even went to search her courtyard, so she didn¡¯t need to save them any face. It was better to separate relations with them than let Qiao Ruofeng ruin the reputation of Duke Anyuan Mansion. Qiao Ruofeng said indignantly, ¡°My mother has already knelt down, yet you still want to split up the family?! ¡°You can leave. I¡¯d like to see if you really will go! ¡°You are nothing if you leave the Duke Mansion. Do you think Prince Mediocre will help you? ¡°Do you think Prince Mediocre will accept you, an abandoned woman who has once been married and had a child? ¡°Go, if you have what it takes, leave the Duke Mansion now!¡± Chapter 58 - I Am the Biological Mother of the Little Imperial Grandson Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Ruoshui said in shock, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, not only were you raised by servants, but you had once been married? ¡°Mom, just for this abandoned woman, you told everyone that I am crazy? How can you be so partial?¡± The Duchess said coldly, ¡°If I were really partial, I wouldn¡¯t have tolerated you pretending to be sick and always making trouble! She¡¯s your own sister. What¡¯s the benefit of you insulting her?¡± Running the rosary through the fingers of her hand, Old Madam Qiao took a few deep breaths and said, ¡°Jinniang, let me ask you, if the Duke Mansion doesn¡¯t split up today, you¡¯ll leave and never return to the Duke Mansion, right?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Ruofeng was smug. She was always Grandma¡¯s favorite granddaughter. Qiao Jinniang would definitely be disliked by Grandmother for making such a big fuss. ¡°Grandmother, Second Sister really disappointed us. Everyone in our family treats her so nicely, but she wants to destroy this family only a few days after she returned¡­¡± ¡°She is being unreasonable. Where can she go if she leaves the Duke Mansion? If she returns to Lin¡¯an in despair, she¡¯ll become a laughing stock in front of everyone in Lin¡¯an!¡± The Old Madam said slowly, ¡°Then break up the family.¡± Both Second Madam and Qiao Ruofeng thought they had heard wrong. ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Grandmother!¡± Second Madam got on her knees and kowtowed. Separating the family was the worst outcome for her. Although the Duke¡¯s third brother was not born by the Old Madam, he had as many as four sons. His eldest son was only ten now, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about his sons¡¯ marriage. But for her family, her husband was just a fourth-rank Deputy Minister of Court of State Ceremonials. Although this official position was not low, nobles wouldn¡¯t take it seriously in Chang¡¯an where it was full of officials. Second Madam knew very well that her parents¡¯ family¡¯s respect for her, or to be exact, everyone¡¯s respect for her was not based on her husband¡¯s official position but Duke Anyuan Mansion. Especially her daughters. Ruofeng and Ruowan, hadn¡¯t been married yet. Moreover, Ruofeng was already of age and it was time to find her a husband¡­ Ruowan was fourteen, and soon it would be time to find her a husband. If the family was broken up, Ruofeng would no longer be counted as a miss of the Duke Mansion. In terms of status, the daughter of a fourth-rank official and a miss of the Duke Mansion were completely different. Duke Anyuan hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, Jinniang just blindly said some words. If the family is split now¡­ I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be laughed at by other officials.¡± The Duchess was angry. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how they insulted Jinniang? Is your reputation the only thing that matters to you?¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Duke Anyuan, ¡°Father, I didn¡¯t blindly say some words. If the family is not split up, the damage to your reputation will be even greater.¡± Qiao Ruofeng said angrily, ¡°How is it possible? Are you out of your mind?¡± Old Madam Qiao glared at Qiao Ruofeng in disappointment and said, ¡°Except for Ruoyun, among my granddaughters, I dote on you the most. ¡°You used to be smart and lovely. I don¡¯t know why you have become so unreasonable today? ¡°It¡¯s good to split up the family lest you get lost in some ridiculous delusions!¡± Then she said to Duke Anyuan, ¡°Since you got the title of duke, your two brothers should get more shares of family property. ¡°Except for the ancestral lands and houses, the rest should be divided equally to your two brothers. Do you and your wife have any objections?¡± Duke Anyuan shook his head and said, ¡°Everything is up to you, Mother.¡± The Duchess echoed. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mother, but Third Brother was not born by you¡­¡± Second Madam fidgeted with the rosary and said, ¡°Although your third brother is not in Chang¡¯an, he has been quite filial to me. Besides, he has four sons, and the expenses are huge. Second Madam collapsed onto the ground. She had no son. After the family was split up, she would become the laughing stock of Chang¡¯an! After finishing speaking, Old Madam Qiao said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Come with me.¡± Qiao Jinniang went over to support Madam Qiao. When they got to the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard, the Old Madam waved all the servants and maids to leave. Old Madam Qiao sat down and said, ¡°Jinniang, let me ask you, is what you said about Junior Duke Rong real?¡± Qiao Jinniang lowered her head and said, ¡°Well¡­ yes.¡± The Old Madam threw the teacup in her hand beside Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shoes. ¡°Today I drove Ruofeng away not for you, but for the Duke Mansion¡¯s reputation. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t tell me, I know that the relationship between Ruofeng and Prince Mediocre is not normal. ¡°Ruofeng has always been sensible. If it weren¡¯t for Prince Mediocre, how could she possibly search your courtyard just for the sake of an unfamiliar cousin? ¡°When she looked at you, her eyes were burnt with jealousy. ¡°But if you don¡¯t tell the truth, I won¡¯t tolerate you either!¡± ¡°As for the box of gold that Princess Fu¡¯an gave you, where could the gold hairpin in it be obtained by Junior Duke Rong, a mere dandy?¡± ¡°Also, the ambergris tainted on your body can only be used by a few royal family members. Are you still not telling the truth?¡± Qiao Jinniang twisted the handkerchief in her hands and said, ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s not convenient for me to tell you the truth now.¡± The Old Madam said with a frown, ¡°Not convenient? Your father is now one of the highest-ranking officials. There are only two prime ministers who can sit on an equal footing with your father. What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give me a proper explanation now, I¡¯ll give you physical punishment!¡± Qiao Jinniang bit her lower lip, knelt down and said, ¡°Grandmother, I can tell you the truth, but please don¡¯t force me to do things I don¡¯t want to.¡± The Old Madam snapped, ¡°Speak!¡± Qiao Jinniang said slowly, ¡°I went to Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion, not to meet Junior Duke Rong, but the Crown Prince.¡± Old Madam Qiao asked, ¡°Did he give you the golden hairpin?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°How can you be so stupid, Jinniang! His Royal Highness is interested in you perhaps just because you look similar to the biological mother of the little imperial grandson. Was Ruyu also instigated by him?¡± Qiao Jinniang twisted her handkerchief and said, ¡°No, it should be Prince Mediocre. He seems to have some ulterior motive towards me. ¡°As for the Crown Prince, it¡¯s not because I look like the biological mother of the little imperial grandson. ¡°But because I am the biological mother of the little imperial grandson.¡± Running the rosary through the fingers of her hand, Old Madam Qiao suddenly froze. She looked a little surprised, and then she seemed to take a tumble. ¡°The Crown Prince came back from Lin¡¯an, so did you. The little imperial grandson mistook Ruoshui, who looks similar to you, as his mother¡­ ¡°I should have figured it out long ago. When did you discover it? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? ¡°So the bayberries and crabs were for you, which shows that the Crown Prince still has you in his heart. ¡°Has His Royal Highness told you about your future title? Is it First Concubine or Second Concubine?¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart was a little sour. No wonder Lu Chen always said that she wouldn¡¯t be wronged. It turned out that even her own grandmother thought she could only be his first concubine or second concubine. Qiao Jinniang said solemnly, ¡°Whether it is his first concubine or second concubine, I¡¯ve nothing to do with His Royal Highness. ¡°Her Majesty is also aware of this matter, and she has allowed me to marry another man.¡± The beads of the rosary in Old Madam Qiao¡¯s hands were scattered all over the floor, and she asked in shock, ¡°Does the Crown Prince refuse to accept you? ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be! Although our family is not as powerful as Duke Wu Mansion, we¡¯re still a first-class family in Chang¡¯an. ¡°And you¡¯ve given birth to a son for him. He is supposed to make you at least his second concubine no matter what¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s I who don¡¯t want to accept that jerk!¡± Chapter 59 - Who Said Jinniang Is Illiterate Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations While Old Madam Qiao was still thinking, she suddenly heard Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words. She lowered her voice and said angrily, ¡°Do you want to die? How dare you call His Royal Highness that?¡± Qiao Jinniang lowered her eyes and replied, ¡°Yes, I will not call the jerk ¡°jerk¡± anymore.¡± The Old Madam took a deep breath and told her to stop talking¡­ ¡°Did the Crown Prince do something bad to you?¡± Qiao Jinniang twisted her handkerchief and said, ¡°Grandmother, perhaps you think that being his first or second concubine is already good enough for me. ¡°But I never want to marry into a powerful family. All I want is to run the Myriad Taste well together with my husband. It¡¯s enough for me to live happily for the rest of my life like my foster parents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to marry into the East Palace as a concubine, not even if I can become an imperial consort in the future.¡± Old Madam Qiao shook her head and said, ¡°You silly girl, you have already given birth to the eldest son of the Crown Prince. Even if you can only be his first or second concubine now, in the future you will definitely be one of the imperial consorts when he becomes the emperor, not to mention that your father has reached the highest rank for officials. Your son is very likely to be the next emperor!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we women care about our children the most? If your son becomes the emperor, you¡¯ll be the most powerful woman in the world. ¡°Although I shouldn¡¯t say these words, with the support of the Qiao Family, it will not be difficult for you to become the queen mother in the future¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But if I have to suffer and live a lonely life for a lifetime just for that position, ¡°If I have to be trapped in the imperial palace for a lifetime, argue against other women, and stay subservient to my husband¡¯s wife, even if I can be the most powerful woman in the country when I am old, what¡¯s the point of it?¡± ¡°Grandmother, I didn¡¯t grow up in the Duke Mansion. I¡¯m just a commoner from the grassroots, so I don¡¯t want to be trapped in the Imperial Palace. ¡°Now our family is already very prosperous, so I don¡¯t think you need me to fight for our family¡¯s future. ¡°Grandma, I hope you can understand me. Please don¡¯t tell anyone this matter in case Mother and Father worry about me.¡± Old Madam Qiao had always felt that Qiao Jinniang was a very smart girl, but it was not until today did she realize that Qiao Jinniang was really not an ordinary woman. ¡°The little imperial grandson is your own flesh and blood. Do you have the heart to leave him in the East Palace alone?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I will often visit him.¡± Madam Qiao closed her eyes and said, ¡°Go back first and let me think about it.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted and went back to her courtyard. Hongling and the other maids had already knelt in a row to plead guilty. Today, they failed to stop Qiao Ruofeng from searching her room. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Since Qiao Ruofeng was determined to search my room, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop her. Get up.¡± The rain finally stopped, and Qiao Jinniang continued to cook stewed goose palms in wine sauce that she had not finished yet, but she was rather absent-minded. Her grandmother hadn¡¯t given her a clear answer, and she didn¡¯t know what she could do if her grandmother really forced her to marry Lu Chen. In the afternoon, Yuyan came in with a few boxes and said, ¡°Miss, these are the apology gifts from those women who gossip about you in the Tasty Pavilion yesterday.¡± Qiao Jinniang opened the boxes and checked them out. It was all jewelry and rouge. Those women were just pretending to feel guilty in case they offended his father, so she said, ¡°Divide these things up. If there is anything you don¡¯t want, give them to the maids and mammies doing heavy labor work.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss.¡± ¡­ After Xie Yun came to Chang¡¯an, very few people had seen her. As June 28 got closer, many noble ladies couldn¡¯t sit still. Li Lingling from Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s Mansion took the lead to hold a lotus appreciation poetry party and invited Xie Yun. The invitations were handed out to all the noble ladies in the homes of ministers and officials of the second rank and above in Chang¡¯an City. The Empress Dowager and Consort Xian were both from Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s Mansion. Even though it was gradually declining, it was still an important family in Chang¡¯an. People would still give them some face. Li Lingling also gave invitations to all the girls of the Duke Mansion. Qiao Ruoshui also got the invitation, but the Duchess rejected it for her with the excuse that she was still sick. Only Qiao Ruoyi and Qiao Jinniang were allowed to go, and the Duchess didn¡¯t forget to tell Qiao Ruoyi, ¡°Take good care of Jinniang. This is the first time she is going to a poetry party for noble girls. Don¡¯t let her be bullied.¡± Qiao Ruoyi nodded. Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re worrying too much. I¡¯m older than Ruoyi. I don¡¯t need her to take care of me.¡± The Duchess sighed helplessly. ¡°Earl Cheng¡¯en and his family run amuck because the Empress Dowager is from their family, so you have to be very careful.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± In such hot weather, Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi were wearing dresses made of top-quality Cloudy Smoke Silk today. This fabric was light and thin, so they would not feel too hot to wear it in the summer, so there wasn¡¯t much of this fabric for sale in Chang¡¯an. The two of them got off the soft sedan chair, which attracted the eyes of many noble ladies. As the host today, Li Lingling was wearing the Cloudy Smoke Silk awarded by the Empress Dowager, and she had shown it off just now. But she didn¡¯t expect that the Duke Mansion would give this expensive fabric to a daughter who came back from the countryside and a concubine-born daughter! What a disgrace to her! Li Lingling said unceremoniously, ¡°Miss Qiao, you¡¯re really capable. It¡¯s only been three months since you came back, right? ¡°You have driven your younger sister crazy and forced the Duke Mansion to break up. For god¡¯s sake, your grandmother is still alive! ¡°Your parents actually dote on you so much. How I envy you!¡± Although she said she envied Jinniang, the ridicule in her words couldn¡¯t be concealed. The other noble girls also taunted, ¡°It is normal for a man to have a concubine maid. Miss Qiao, you can¡¯t blame your second aunt just because your fianc¨¦¡¯s concubine maid came to the Tasty Pavilion for you!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so narrow-minded, who else will be willing to marry you in the future?!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Why, I¡¯ve just received your apology gifts. Do you want to give me apology gifts again?¡± When the noble girls heard this, they all fell silent. Li Lingling looked at her friends and felt angry that they were so useless, but she still didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Oh, I forgot that Miss Qiao is from the countryside. I¡¯m sorry I forgot that you are illiterate. ¡°If you feel bored at the poetry party, please tell me as soon as possible. Don¡¯t pretend to understand poems. ¡°Miss Xie will come to the poem party today, so we¡¯ll play the poem making games. If you can¡¯t make a poem, you¡¯ll be punished with three glasses of liquor. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t get drunk today.¡± ¡°Who said my little Jinniang is illiterate?¡± Xie Yun¡¯s sedan chair stopped in front of Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s Mansion. Qiao Jinniang looked back and saw that today Xie Yun was wearing a lake blue skirt and a snake bun, looking very tall and slender. With such a gorgeous face, he didn¡¯t look like a man at all. Xie Yun walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°It has been only a hundred years since the imperial examination was held for the first time. Among the thirty-two imperial examinations, five people who won first place were from Lin¡¯an and many officials were also from Lin¡¯an. ¡°How did Lin¡¯an, the land of talents and wealth, become the countryside in Miss Li¡¯s mouth?¡± The women present were all stunned when they saw Xie Yun¡­ After seeing her, Princess Fulu said to her maid, ¡°I had thought that my imperial cousin was the most beautiful person in the world, but today I finally see a beauty no weaker than him. Hurry up, take another hundred taels of silver to bet that Xie Yun will become the crown princess!¡± Fulu could imagine how beautiful a picture it would be when Xie Yun and the Crown Prince stood together in the future! Chapter 60 - Lu Chen and Dogs Not Admitted Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The moment Li Lingling saw Xie Yun, she only had three words in her heart: It was over. Both courtiers and His Majesty wanted Xie Yun to be the crown princess. Li Lingling and some noble girls still had the hope that Xie Yun was ugly. They felt that if Xie Yun was ugly, she would definitely not be loved by His Royal Highness. But when they saw her today, they found that no girl in Chang¡¯an was prettier than Xie Yun. Li Lingling said, ¡°Just because there are many talents in Lin¡¯an doesn¡¯t mean Miss Qiao is literate. Miss Xie, do you know Miss Qiao?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Miss Qiao and I have known each other for more than ten years. We grew up together.¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at Xie Yun in surprise. In fact, they were not so close. She just sent cakes to Xie Yun every now and then. However, since Xie Yun had said this, the noble ladies in Chang¡¯an who looked down on her wouldn¡¯t dare to despise her again. Li Lingling glanced at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°How come Miss Qiao never said that she knows you?¡± Fulu came over and said, ¡°Why does she have to tell you? Miss Xie is just someone Jinniang knows, not Jinniang¡¯s great aunt or aunt who can be mentioned every day¡­¡± Li Lingling pointed at Fulu angrily and said, ¡°How dare you! How dare you be disrespectful to the Empress Dowager and Consort Xian?!¡± Li Lingling mentioned the Empress Dowager and Consort Xian every day, reminding people that her great aunt was the Empress Dowager, and her aunt was Consort Xian. Fulu snorted. ¡°Yes, I am, so what? If you have what it takes, you can complain to my grandmother!¡± Li Lingling didn¡¯t dare to offend Fulu. After all, she was the Empress Dowager¡¯s favorite granddaughter. Fulu walked to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Now I know you didn¡¯t lie to me. Miss Xie is really stunningly beautiful. No wonder she didn¡¯t show her face that day. Otherwise, countless men would have been fascinated by her!¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°I¡¯m flattered, princess.¡± Li Lingling was furious, but as the host, she had to force a smile and guide them in. Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s Mansion was the smallest mansion that Qiao Jinniang had seen since she came to Chang¡¯an. The so-called lotus poetry party was held in a small pond¡­ And they even wanted to play the ¡°Winding Water and Poem Making¡± game in this pond that had a weird smell. With the strange smell of the pond water, even the liquor they drank on the small wooden boat was inevitably contaminated with a strange smell. Without any shelter, the scorching sun almost peeled off a layer of skin of the girls. Li Lingling already felt embarrassed, and the noble ladies could only endure it in order not to offend her. But Fulu said straightforwardly, ¡°Li Lingling, what are you up to? You know that the crown prince¡¯s consort selection banquet is approaching, but you made these candidate girls bask in the scorching sun. Your skin is rough and thick so you¡¯re not afraid of the sun, but don¡¯t get Miss Xie sunburned.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked helplessly at Fulu who was holding an umbrella for Xie Yun. Xie Yun just smiled at Fulu and said, ¡°Thank you, Princess Fulu. I really can¡¯t sunbathe¡­ The sun is really scorching. I haven¡¯t tasted the dishes of Myriad Taste for a long time. I heard that a new Myriad Taste was opened in Chang¡¯an, right?¡± Fulu said, ¡°It¡¯s called the Tasty Pavilion. Why don¡¯t we go to the Tasty Pavilion? I heard that there are several famous southern-style summer snacks in the Tasty Pavilion? I haven¡¯t tried them yet.¡± Xie Yun looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Why not go together?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and followed Fulu and Xie Yun to leave Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s Mansion with Qiao Ruoyi. Seeing them leave, Li Lingling smashed a cup in rage! She could tolerate Fulu and Xie Yun because one of them was the daughter of an old distinguished family admired by literati, and the other was the only daughter of a princess. But how dare Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi leave like this? The venue of the poetry party was not far from the Tasty Pavilion, so the four of them walked away side by side, and Fulu kept asking Xie Yun how she could be so beautiful along the way. Xie Yun had a good temper and answered her patiently. Qiao Ruoyi couldn¡¯t help but slow down, and Qiao Jinniang looked back at Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you walking so slowly?¡± Qiao Ruoyi sighed. ¡°Second sister, the temperament, family background and appearance of Miss Xie are all above yours, and she was raised with the standard of a future crown princess. I¡¯m afraid that she will be the crown princess, but then what about you?¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°I have nothing to do with Lu Chen.¡± Talk of the devil. He came. When the four of them arrived at the Tasty Pavilion, they saw Lu Chen, Junior Duke Rong, Zhou Siming, and Lin Mo who were here for lunch. At the door, seeing Lu Chen coming, Huixiang hurriedly put the sign that ¡°Lu Chen and dogs were not admitted¡± outside the door. When Junior Duke Rong saw the sign, he almost couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter. Zhou Siming and Lin Mo looked at each other and pretended not to see the sign. However, Fulu came over and read loudly, ¡°Lu Chen and dogs were not admitted. Jinniang, who is Lu Chen? Lu is the imperial family¡¯s surname, and the word ¡®Chen¡¯ also means emperor. Who would dare to take such a name in Chang¡¯an?¡± Qiao Ruoyi hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that some illiterate servant wrote it wrong. This means that dogs are not admitted at Chen Hours.¡± This explanation was far-fetched, but it was better than her second sister being punished by His Royal Highness! Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No, they didn¡¯t write it wrong. It means that Lu Chen and dogs were not admitted. Your Royal Highness, please leave. You¡¯re not welcomed here.¡± Fulu was shocked. ¡°So Lu Chen is the name of my imperial cousin!¡± ¡°Does this mean that the Crown Prince and the dog are not admitted?¡± Outside the door were all nobles and officials. Hearing Fulu¡¯s loud shout, many customers who were having dinner here looked over. Junior Duke Rong covered Fulu¡¯s mouth. ¡°Quiet! Why do you have to shout so loudly?¡± When everyone thought that Lu Chen was going to get angry, he just looked at the sign and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, go to the Guest-welcoming Building next door.¡± Everyone was shocked. Qiao Jinniang snorted. The jerk only deserved to eat the dishes made by scum. Junior Duke Rong almost burst into tears and said, ¡°Although the chefs in the Guest-welcoming Building were all from the Tasty Pavilion, the food they made is getting worse and worse, and I don¡¯t even know why? I would rather go back home than eat there!¡± Inside, the Duke hurriedly came out and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, please wait a minute. I¡¯m sorry for the offense. Jinniang, apologize to His Royal Highness!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t expect Duke Anyuan to be here today. Lu Chen said, ¡°Your Excellency, you don¡¯t have to blame Miss Qiao. I offended her, so it¡¯s okay for her to hate me.¡± The Duke glared at Qiao Jinniang and continued, ¡°No, Your Royal Highness, no matter how you treat her, it is her blessing. ¡°My daughter has never learned etiquette. If there is any offense, please forgive her! ¡°Jinniang, come here, invite His Royal Highness in.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought helplessly, ¡®Did her father obtain his high official position by licking boots?¡¯ Look how fawning he looked! Lu Chen said, ¡°Your Excellency, don¡¯t you want to know how I offended Second Miss Qiao?¡± Qiao Jinniang gnashed her teeth and glared at Lu Chen, afraid that he would say improper words to the Duke, so she could only grit her teeth and say, ¡°Please come in, Your Royal Highness!¡± Chapter 61 - Willingly Become My Crown Princess Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Xie Yun smiled slightly and said, ¡°Since we met by chance, how about having dinner together with us, Your Royal Highness?¡± Lu Chen nodded gently. ¡°Okay.¡± In the No.1 private room, it was very lively. Duke Anyuan was afraid that Qiao Jinniang was going to be rude to Lu Chen, so he served Lu Chen by side like a waiter. ¡°Your Royal Highness, you can taste the Magnolia Tofu in the Tasty Pavilion. It¡¯s a very delicious summer snack. This is the first time I have seen it in Chang¡¯an. It is very refreshing.¡± Duke Anyuan introduced enthusiastically. As for Qiao Ruoyi and Qiao Jinniang, they could only stand beside Duke Anyuan. Lu Chen said, ¡°Thank you, Your Excellency. But Miss Qiao seems to not want to see me, so I won¡¯t bother you.¡± Duke Anyuan thought that there were all young people here and they might not want him to stay, so he said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I¡¯ll take my leave soon. Jinniang, come out with me.¡± Qiao Jinniang went outside with Duke Anyuan. Duke Anyuan found an empty corner and said, ¡°Jinniang, you just came back recently, so you don¡¯t know the difficulties our family is facing.¡± ¡°In the eyes of outsiders, our family is very prosperous, but do please remember, to be in the king¡¯s company is tantamount to living with a tiger!¡± ¡°The Crown Prince is merciful, but it doesn¡¯t mean that we, as ministers, can do whatever we want. The royal family can easily wipe out our family. If we¡¯re disrespectful to them, His Majesty and His Royal Highness may doubt our loyalty.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Duke Anyuan said helplessly, ¡°You have to be respectful to His Royal Highness in the future. If it were another royal family member today, our family would have probably been accused of disrespecting the royal family. ¡°You have to remember not to offend His Royal Highness again. How could you let him say that he had offended you? The only people in the world who deserve this are only the Emperor, the Queen and the Empress Dowager.¡± Qiao Jinniang took a deep breath, ¡°I see, Father.¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°Good, remember to be polite to His Royal Highness.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded, thinking that fortunately, she didn¡¯t tell Duke Anyuan the truth. Otherwise, judging from Duke Anyuan¡¯s loyalty to the royal family, he would probably pack her up and send her to the East Palace immediately! Qiao Jinniang sighed. Anyway, there would always be a way out. Back in the No.1 private room, she heard Princess Fulu say, ¡°Miss Xie, why is there still an empty seat between you and my imperial cousin? Come on, sit next to him!¡± Princess Fulu thought happily, ¡®How beautiful a picture it would be if the two of them sat together!¡¯ At the sight of them together, she would definitely be able to eat three more bowls of rice today! Xie Yun said, ¡°I can sit next to you and Jinniang. Let Jinniang sit there.¡± Lu Chen gave Xie Yun an appreciative look. After Qiao Jinniang came back crest-fallen, she found that there was only an empty seat between Xie Yun and the Crown Prince. Although there was some space between Qiao Ruoyi and Zhou Siming, there was no stool. She had to sit between the Crown Prince and Xie Yun. Fulu had thought that when Qiao Jinniang sat there, the beautiful picture would be ruined, but when she took a closer look, she inexplicably found that this was even better. Jinniang was a beauty too. Whether she paired with the Crown Prince or with Xie Yun, it was very pleasing to the eye. Those present, except for Princess Fulu, were well aware of the relationship between Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen. Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°This is the first time I saw Miss Xie. She is really beautiful. It¡¯s boring to just eat. Why don¡¯t we play the drinkers¡¯ wager game?¡± Fulu was the first to agree. ¡°Okay, what shall we play? No poem making, okay? With the girl best at poem making in Chang¡¯an and the one best in the South, Jinniang and I will definitely lose.¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°That¡¯s true. There are also Lin Mo and Seventh Brother. They are both very good at literature, so we will definitely lose. How about playing the drum-and-pass game? Whoever loses shall do one thing or drink three bottles of liquor.¡± Fulu was a little surprised. ¡°Three bottles of liquor? Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°We¡¯ll drink Southern Yellow Wine. It¡¯s not intoxicating. If there is no objection, may I call my servant to come in and play the drums?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Alright, call him in.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys play and I play the drums?¡± ¡°No.¡± Junior Duke Rong hurriedly said, ¡°Just let my servant play the drums.¡± Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t played a game for a long time. Seeing that Fulu was very interested, she didn¡¯t want to disappoint her, so she said, ¡°Okay.¡± The drums sounded, and the flower made of handkerchief was passed from one person to another. When Lu Chen handed it to Qiao Jinniang, he secretly held her hand. Qiao Jinniang frowned, shook his hand away and threw the flower to Xie Yun. Xie Yun gave the flower to Fulu gracefully. The drumming stopped. Fulu said helplessly, ¡°Why is it me? Miss Xie, you cheated. You passed the flower to me so slowly.¡± Junior Duke Rong jeered, ¡°Hey, Fulu, just admit defeat. Let¡¯s think about what we should ask Fulu to do?¡± Fulu said, ¡°Humph, do you think I¡¯ll be afraid of you?¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°How about having Princess Fulu feed the person next to her?¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°That¡¯s too simple. Wouldn¡¯t it be too easy for her?¡± Lin Mo glared at Junior Duke Rong. Come on, their target was not Fulu but Qiao Jinniang! With Xie Yun and Qiao Ruoyi beside Fulu, Fulu certainly chose to feed the more beautiful one. Junior Duke Rong asked the servant to start playing drums again, and this time Xie Yun happened to hand the flower to Qiao Jinniang when the drums stopped¡­ Seeing that it was Qiao Jinniang, Junior Duke Rong didn¡¯t dare to mess around, but Lin Mo said, ¡°Miss Qiao, just like Princess Fulu, feed the person beside you, okay?¡± Princess Fulu glared at Lin Mo. ¡°No way! Between the sexes there should be a prudent distance. My imperial cousin is not lacking maids. It¡¯s okay for a woman to feed a woman, but what you suggest is not fun at all.¡± Lu Chen gave Lin Mo a warning glance and said, ¡°In this case, let Miss Qiao make us Magnolia Tofu!¡± Qiao Jinniang replied coldly, ¡°Okay.¡± Fulu was interested in Magnolia Tofu and went to watch Qiao Jinniang making the dish. Qiao Ruoyi went to help Qiao Jinniang with the dish too. In the private room, Xie Yun said to Lin Mo crossly, ¡°Young Master Lin, just because you¡¯ve been serving as a gigolo for a long time doesn¡¯t mean that you can treat Jinniang like a prostitute.¡± Lin Mo hurriedly explained, ¡°She and His Royal Highness are a couple. It¡¯s normal for a woman to feed her husband a mouthful of food, right?¡± Xie Yun glanced at Lu Chen meaningfully. ¡°A couple? If they¡¯re a couple, Jinniang should be the crown princess now. Where is the imperial decree?¡± Lu Chen said to Xie Yun, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t get an imperial decree from my father to make her my crown princess. It¡¯s just that she doesn¡¯t want to forgive me now. Granting an imperial decree is equivalent to forcing her with imperial power. I don¡¯t want to push her.¡± Xie Yun drank a bottle of wine and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s too late to say how much you love her now.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s not late. I know I was wrong, but my love for Jinniang is true. I¡¯ll make her willingly become my crown princess, instead of being forced by imperial power.¡± Princess Fulu held the Magnolia Tofu to the private room, only to hear Lu Chen¡¯s words. She was stunned and then glared angrily at Qiao Jinniang behind her. ¡°Very good, Qiao Jinniang, I don¡¯t care about your background and treat you like my friend from the moment I saw you, but you secretly seduced Miss Xie¡¯s future husband!¡± What made Fulu even more nervous were the hundreds of taels of silver she had betted! Qiao Jinniang was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect Lu Chen to say that¡­ This jerk! How could he tell such a complete lie just to eat Magnolia Tofu? Did he think that she would not do something to his Magnolia Tofu if he said that? Humph, impossible! Chapter 62 - I Must Marry Prince Mediocre Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang said to Fulu, ¡°Sorry, Princess, but I didn¡¯t seduce His Royal Highness.¡± Princess Fulu thought about the sign that read ¡°Lu Chen and dogs aren¡¯t admitted¡±. Perhaps, she really wronged Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Then what do you think of the Crown Prince?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t answer, but asked Huixiang for salt and threw a lot of salt on one of the bowls of Magnolia Tofu. This was a summer dessert. With so much salt sprinkled on it, it could be imagined how terrible the taste would be! Although Princess Fulu hadn¡¯t tasted it, she could imagine how salty this bowl of Magnolia Tofu would be. Entering the room, Fulu saw Qiao Jinniang place that bowl of Magnolia Tofu in front of the Crown Prince. Fulu: ¡°¡­¡± Now she believed that Qiao Jinniang must hate the Crown Prince very much. Junior Duke Rong took the plate handed over by Qiao Jinniang and saw a plum tree painted on the porcelain plate. There was a plum blossom-shaped transparent cake on the blooming plum blossom pattern. Some tiny gold foils were sprinkled on the cake, which looked like plum blossom stamens. Junior Duke Rong gently touched the cake with a golden spoon and found that it was similar to fish jelly. ¡°Is this the Magnolia Tofu that everyone in Chang¡¯an praised?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Exactly, you can take a taste, Your Highness.¡± Junior Duke Rong scooped up a spoonful of the plum blossom-shaped tofu and said, ¡°This is colorless like a crystal? Is it really edible?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. Eating this summer dessert can relieve summer heat. It is very popular in the South with officials, nobles, and from merchants to peddlers and menial servants. A penny can buy a big bowl of it.¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°But you charge 0.5 taels of silver in the Tasty Pavilion per plate, and two plates cost a tael of silver. I am afraid that Miss Qiao can make a lot of money!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This plate is troublesome to make, there are gold foils on it. Moreover, our Magnolia Tofu uses the best climbing fig fruit. ¡°Plus, unlike those sold on the street, our Magnolia Tofu is iced. Your Highness, I think you know how expensive the ice is in Chang¡¯an, right?¡± Junior Duke Rong thought that Qiao Jinniang was a profiteer. Even though she added gold foil and ice cubes, fifty cents would be enough. At such a piece, she was making ten times the profit. However, as soon as he tasted it, Junior Duke Rong knew that he was wrong. The dessert was sweet and icy with a little mint sweetness, which dissipated the summer heat. It was not expensive even if it cost a tael of silver per plate! Junior Duke Rong smiled at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Pack up two more plates for me. I want to give them to my royal uncle and grandmother to taste.¡± Fulu said, ¡°How could I have not thought of such a good opportunity to apple-polish my royal uncle? No, Qiao Jinniang, you can¡¯t sell it to him. Sell it to me! I¡¯m going to the Imperial Palace now.¡± Junior Duke Rong held his plate and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Fulu was annoyed, ¡°Apple polisher!¡± Qiao Jinniang replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Princess. There are many other good summer desserts we sell. I¡¯ll place them in an iced box, so they¡¯ll still be cold when you arrive at the Imperial Palace. ¡°Even if Junior Duke Rong took the Magnolia Tofu to the palace, they¡¯ll probably be no longer cold and won¡¯t taste so good. ¡° Fulu nodded. ¡°Okay, come on, prepare it for me.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and ordered Huixiang to prepare an iced box. Xie Yun asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t see this dish in Myriad Taste last year. Did you develop it in Chang¡¯an? But I don¡¯t think you can draw so well.¡± Lin Mo looked at the plate and said, ¡°The plum blossoms painted on this porcelain plate have quite the style of His Royal Highness, which perfectly portrayed the characteristic of plum blossom. It¡¯s thanks to this porcelain plate that the dessert can sell at such a high price.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It was drawn by me, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be made into a plate.¡± In fact, he painted it together with Qiao Jinniang. The South rarely snowed, and after it snowed last year, Qiao Jinniang was very excited and wanted to paint the plum blossoms in the snow, but her painting skills were really poor. After Qiao Jinniang painted for a little while, she gave up and went to pick plums, and while she was gone, he drew on the painting Qiao Jinniang made. At that time, Qiao Jinniang really liked this painting and hung it in her room. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I drew this, but a Fairy Plum Blossom touched it up for me. What does it have to do with you?¡± Lu Chen remembered that in order not to annoy her that day, he used this excuse to explain to her, but now she was using it to taunt him. Fulu suddenly said, ¡°My imperial cousin and you were both in Lin¡¯an in the last three years. Jinniang, is the little imperial grandson your child?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°I had to keep it a secret. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Fulu was shocked. ¡°Then why did you want to marry Li Yun? Oh my god, I even encouraged you to raise gigolos. What stupid things have I done?!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°You¡¯re not stupid. It¡¯s not bad to raise gigolos. After all, all men in the world are jerks.¡± Zhou Siming coughed. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Lin Mo immediately said, ¡°Me neither.¡± Both of them looked at Lu Chen¡­ Lu Chen scooped a spoonful of Mangolia Tofu, which was horribly salty, but he ate it calmly and said to Jinniang, ¡°Even if I was, I am willing to change.¡± ¡°Please tell me what you don¡¯t like about me. I¡¯m willing to change for you.¡± When Lu Chen said these words, everyone was surprised. This was the first time that Lu Chen was this humble. Qiao Jinniang only said, ¡°It¡¯s too late!¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Give me another chance, okay?¡± ¡°Can Your Royal Highness cancel the concubine selection ceremony that is in a few days?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook off Lu Chen¡¯s hand. ¡°Whether it¡¯s for my cooking skills or something else, can you promise that you will no longer look down on me in the future?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never regarded me as your wife, so why should I give you a chance?¡± ¡°Your Royal Highness, you¡¯re going to have your wife and a lot of concubines. You don¡¯t need me anymore. Just let me go.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Jinniang, I didn¡¯t know you cared so much about¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang interrupted Lu Chen. ¡°I don¡¯t care about you anymore. Although I can¡¯t marry Li Yun, I can marry someone else. Even if I am ridiculed by everyone, raising gigolos can make me happy.¡± As soon as Qiao Jinniang finished speaking, there was a burst of laughter from outside. ¡°Have you heard about the scandal between Qiao Jinniang and Prince Mediocre? That woman is from the countryside and was not brought up by the Duchess, leading to her being so muddle-headed as to seduce Prince Mediocre.¡± ¡°No, that countryside woman is quite smart. Li Yun is just a scholar. It will take twenty or thirty years for him to become a high-ranking official, but Prince Mediocre is already highly respected by the officials!¡± ¡°Yes, although His Royal Highness has returned to Chang¡¯an, he was outside the capital for more than three years. Maybe His Majesty is not as fond of His Royal Highness as before? ¡°Besides, the familial bonds in the royal family are weak, and the Crown Prince only relies on His Majesty¡¯s favor, but now that His Majesty is in his prime. He may not want His Royal Highness to be too powerful. ¡°But Prince Mediocre has the support of the Empress Dowager, so he may be able to win the throne in the future. ¡°Being a concubine of Prince Mediocre is better than marrying a poor scholar, right?¡± Hearing the chatter and laughter outside, Lu Chen gritted his teeth and asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°You said you would marry someone else.. Did you mean you would marry Prince Mediocre?¡± Chapter 63 - Confer Jinniang the Title of County Mistress Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Xie Yun smiled and said, ¡°Do I smell jealousy?¡± Fulu looked at Xie Yun curiously. Wasn¡¯t she said to be the future crown princess? She was really tolerant. How could she be in the mood for jokes? Was she really not afraid of her status being threatened? After all, Duke Anyuan was very powerful. Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen angrily and said, ¡°You¡¯ve done enough disgusting things. Don¡¯t disgust me again.¡± If Lu Chen was a scum, then Prince Mediocre was even worse than a scum in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes. The rumors outside were groundless, and Qiao Jinniang wouldn¡¯t allow such rumors to spread. It was not that she cared about her reputation, but that she just hated her name being tied together with Prince Mediocre. ¡­ In the Imperial Palace. The Emperor had a headache dealing with memorials in the Hall of Diligent Governance. Although the country was in its prime, the territory was vast and there were a lot of things to deal with. Emperor Huilin took a sip of water, feeling unbearably hot. It was useless although the hall was filled with ice. Eunuch Quan standing next to Emperor Huilin cautiously said, ¡°Your Majesty, there is a rumor widely circulating recently¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Eunuch Quan said, ¡°It is said outside that Miss Qiao canceled the engagement with Li Yun because of His Highness Prince Mediocre. It is also rumored that Miss Qiao loves His Highness Prince Mediocre and that she has an affair with him¡­¡± Emperor Huilin snorted coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve just conferred the title of Grand Mentor of the Crown Prince to Duke Anyuan and some people are already unable to sit still!¡± Emperor Huilin who felt very hot was immediately annoyed. ¡°Your Majesty, Junior Duke Rong asks to see you.¡± Emperor Huilin frowned and said, ¡°What is he doing here? Let him in.¡± Junior Duke Rong held a plate of Magnolia Tofu and placed it in front of Emperor Huilin like he was offering a treasure. ¡°Imperial Uncle, this is the most popular summer dessert in Chang¡¯an. I tasted it, and I just couldn¡¯t wait to bring it for you to taste.¡± Emperor Huilin glanced at him. ¡°Great.¡± ¡°The painting on this plate seemed to be made by Chen¡¯er. Is this dessert from the Tasty Pavilion?¡± ¡°Imperial Uncle, you¡¯re really wise. Yes, this is from the Tasty Pavilion.¡± After waiting for Eunuch Quan to test if it was poisonous, Emperor Huilin tasted a bit of it and immediately smiled. ¡°What is the name of this thing?¡± ¡°Magnolia Tofu.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°This dessert is refreshing and tender, sweet and cool. Qiao Jinniang is really good at cooking.¡± ¡°Eunuch Quan, pass on my imperial decree to bestow Qiao Jinniang as County Mistress Jia¡¯an.¡± Junior Duke Rong: ¡°???¡± It was him who presented this dessert to the Emperor. Shouldn¡¯t he be the one to be that was rewarded? He was even more filial to the Emperor than the Crown Prince, his own son! Why did His Majesty reward Qiao Jinniang for no reason? Seeing the shock in Junior Duke Rong¡¯s eyes, Emperor Huilin said, ¡°I know you¡¯re a good kid. Today, the Southwest presented lychees as tribute, and I will give you a box of it.¡± Junior Duke Rong¡¯s wounded heart was healed a little bit, and he said, ¡°Thank you, Imperial Uncle.¡± ¡­ When Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi returned to the Duke Mansion, they were called by the Duke into his study. Duke Anyuan said to Qiao Jinniang with a frown, ¡°Is the rumor about you and Prince Mediocre true?¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to marry a scholar, you can tell your mother. It¡¯s not difficult for you to marry into a powerful family.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t even think about marrying Prince Mediocre. Our family is currently at our prime, and many people are waiting to see us collapse.¡± ¡°Although Prince Mediocre has some abilities and a good reputation, he will never become the next emperor, and I won¡¯t help him get the throne. If you want to marry him, I can only disown you!¡± This was the first time that Qiao Jinniang was a little disappointed with her father. ¡°Father, am I such a stupid and greedy person in your eyes?¡± When Duke Anyuan saw the sadness in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes, he suddenly felt guilty. When Qiao Jinniang was born, he was only seventeen. At that time, his playmates were all young men, and he needed an heir to show his maturity when he inherited the position of Duke. At that time, he had not yet had the sense of responsibility of being a father, nor did he know that his childhood sweetheart he grew up with would hurt his daughter like that. When he saw Qiao Jinniang again, he was so full of guilt that he didn¡¯t dare to face her. Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, the Duke felt even more guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jinniang, I should have trusted you. I¡¯ll definitely find out who spread this rumor.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted. ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang leave, Qiao Ruoyi wanted to follow, but then she hesitated and said to the Duke, ¡°Dad, Second Sister has suffered a lot of grievances. Sister Ruoyun often says that she is to blame for the suffering of Second Sister, but I think you¡¯re the one to blame for that!¡± Duke Anyuan wanted to refute, but couldn¡¯t find a word to refute. After Qiao Ruoyi said that, she followed Qiao Jinniang to comfort her. They met Qiao Ruoshui on the way to the Jin Garden. Qiao Jinniang thought she would hear Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s sarcasm, but she didn¡¯t. Qiao Ruoshui just looked at her with sympathy. Qiao Jinniang frowned, feeling surprised. It was strange that Qiao Ruoshui didn¡¯t take the chance to taunt her when she had such a big scandal. ¡°Second Miss, Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, an imperial decree has arrived. Madam told you to quickly change clothes to receive the decree.¡± Hearing it, Qiao Jinniang frowned. Was it the imperial decree about making her Lu Chen¡¯s concubine? If so, would her family be executed if she refused to accept the imperial decree? ¡­ In Prince Mediocre Mansion. Qiao Ruofeng looked at the handsome man in front of her with blushing cheeks and said, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve already spread the news that Qiao Jinniang seduced you according to your instructions, and everyone is talking about this news now.¡± Prince Mediocre smiled with satisfaction. No matter how stupid Qiao Ruofeng was, she could still help him. This rumor was spread by the family of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s second uncle, so the public would definitely believe that Qiao Jinniang had seduced him. By now Qiao Jinniang¡¯s reputation had been ruined, so Duke Anyuan would definitely agree to marry Qiao Jinniang off to him as his concubine. Otherwise, which man in Chang¡¯an would marry a woman whose reputation had been ruined? Although Qiao Ruoyi would be a concubine of the crown prince, she was no match for Xie Yun and would be of no use to Duke Anyuan. But Qiao Jinniang was born by the Duchess and was very favored by her. As long as Qiao Jinniang gave birth to his eldest son, Duke Anyuan would definitely be his helper in the court. ¡°Ruofeng, you did a great job.¡± Qiao Ruofeng looked up at the prince who was nine years older than her. This was the man she had fallen in love with ever since she was thirteen years old. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. I¡¯m already an adult. Now my parents want to find me a husband. I wonder when you will¡­¡± Prince Mediocre said to Qiao Ruofeng, ¡°I¡¯ve always treated you as my younger sister. I¡¯ll find a good husband for you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± When Qiao Ruofeng heard this word, she felt as if being doused with a basin of cold water. ¡°Your Highness, do you forget that you said you would marry me as your wife in Luoyang? Are our affection over the years fake?¡± Prince Mediocre said, ¡°Ruofeng, I did want to marry you as my concubine, but now your family has been separated from Duke Anyuan Mansion. You are no longer a noble, so how can I marry you? What makes you think you¡¯re worthy of being my concubine?¡± Qiao Ruofeng felt a pain in her heart and almost blacked out in anger.. Chapter 64 - Qiao Jinniang Stole Everything from Her Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Ruofeng clutched her chest and looked at the man in front of her desperately. ¡°Your Highness, you just wanted to use me from the very beginning, didn¡¯t you?¡± Prince Mediocre nodded and said, ¡°Duke Anyuan is very powerful. His eldest daughter married into the Duke Qin Mansion, and his second daughter was too spoiled to gain Lu Chen¡¯s favor even if she could marry into the East Palace. ¡°Besides, when Lu Chen was missing, if I proposed to Qiao Ruoshui, I would have to make her my wife, but Miss Lin is more suitable to be my wife. ¡°Qiao Ruoshui is not qualified to be my wife, so you are a perfect choice for me because marrying you as my concubine can win over Duke Anyuan.¡± Qiao Ruofeng propped against the pillar beside her with a hand and asked slowly, ¡°Then don¡¯t you need to win over Duke Anyuan now?¡± Prince Mediocre smiled, his eyes full of calculation. ¡°But Qiao Jinniang appeared, right? Although she was born by the Duchess, she grew up in the countryside. She would only be grateful to me if I allowed her to be my concubine. By the way, she is more beautiful than you.¡± Even in Chang¡¯an, which was full of beauties, Qiao Jinniang¡¯s appearance was top-notch. At this moment, Qiao Ruofeng hated Qiao Jinniang to her guts. Qiao Jinniang stole everything from her! ¡°It turns out that Qiao Jinniang insisted on kicking us out of the Duke Mansion because of this!¡± When she was no longer a noble, Qiao Jinniang could make Prince Mediocre abandon her because she no longer had any value¡­ Qiao Jinniang was too ruthless! To become Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine, she simply had no regard for their sisterhood! ¡­ In the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang put on formal clothes and went to the gate to receive the imperial decree. There was an incense table placed at the door, and the Old Madam and the Duchess both knelt in front of it wearing formal uniforms. When the Duke saw Qiao Jinniang, he beckoned her to kneel in the front. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Was what she guessed right? ¡°The second daughter of Duke Anyuan is smart, knowledgeable, gentle, graceful, prudent, virtuous and beautiful¡­¡± When the eunuch was reading the imperial decree, the Duchess and the Duke were confused. Why did His Majesty issue an imperial decree to praise Jinniang? At the exact moment when Qiao Jinniang wanted to stand up and reject the imperial decree, Old Madam Qiao held her hand, her eyes seeming to be begging her. Qiao Jinniang could only listen helplessly. If she rejected the imperial decree, she would harm the entire Qiao family. ¡°I appreciate her very much, so I hereby bestow Miss Qiao with the title of ¡°County Mistress Jia¡¯an¡±.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief when the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, and then she followed the others to express their gratitude to the Emperor. Eunuch Quan handed the imperial edict to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Congratulations, County Mistress.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± The Duchess hurriedly asked a mammy to give Eunuch Quan a red packet, and then she asked Qiao Jinniang in confusion, ¡°Why did His Majesty bestow you the title of county mistress for no reason?¡± ¡°Regardless of the reason, this is great. There aren¡¯t many county mistresses and prefecture masters in Chang¡¯an. Now I¡¯d like to see who dares to gossip about you again!¡± The Duchess was also very annoyed when she heard about the rumors about Qiao Jinniang and Prince Mediocre. In the face of such rumors, this imperial decree would be a great support to Qiao Jinniang! Since Qiao Jinniang had become a county mistress, she had to enter the imperial palace to thank the Emperor. Thinking of this, the Duchess realized she had not yet taught Qiao Jinniang the palace etiquette. Now she could only hurriedly teach Qiao Jinniang some basic royal etiquette. Only then did Qiao Jinniang know that there were so many rules in the imperial palace, so many that they were almost suffocating. ¡°You can only call yourself ¡®this humble girl¡¯ in front of the Emperor and the Queen. You must never look directly at the Emperor and the Queen, but you still have to secretly pay attention to their emotions.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± The Duke said, ¡°Jinniang was only a county mistress, not the crown princess. She doesn¡¯t have to follow the rules so strictly.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°If she is a crown princess, there would be way more rules for her. Jinniang, when you salute, gently bend your legs. Keep it classy and don¡¯t be so stiff. ¡°If it was the crown princess, even the degree of her bow when she salutes will have to meet a certain standard, no more, no less. ¡°By the way, speaking of royal etiquette, I forgot to teach Ruoyi that. She is going to marry into the East Palace, so she has to learn some royal etiquette!¡± Qiao Jinniang unwillingly followed a mammy to learn the etiquettes. She was a quick learner in cooking, but why was it so difficult for her to learn etiquette? There was a prescribed gait when walking, the head couldn¡¯t move, and the hair ornament must not shake in the slightest¡­ ¡°Mother, but I didn¡¯t see Princess Fulu follow these rules,¡± Qiao Jinniang said. The Duchess said, ¡°Fulu is His Majesty¡¯s only niece, so she doesn¡¯t have to abide by these rules, but the other princesses and county mistresses in Chang¡¯an all strictly follow royal etiquette, don¡¯t they? ¡°Xie Yun is the recognized future crown princess because her manners are the template of noble girls, which are almost perfect.¡± Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with Tuan¡¯er. Would he have to learn so many royal etiquettes in the future? ¡°Duke, Madam, His Royal Highness came with the Minister of Public Security.¡± The Duke was stunned for a moment and hurriedly went out to greet them. The Duchess was surprised too and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Continue to learn royal etiquette. I¡¯ll go out and have a look.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Duke Anyuan was wondering why the Crown Prince came with the Minister of Public Security. Could it be that the prince was really annoyed by that sign of Tasty Pavilion? Did he feel that the Duke Mansion didn¡¯t respect the royal family enough, so he came to punish them? Frightened all the way, when he reached the front hall, he hurriedly saluted. ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Teacher, you don¡¯t have to be so polite to me. Is County Mistress Jia¡¯an around?¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°Your Majesty has granted the imperial edict, which is an honor for our family. Jinniang is currently learning royal etiquette to go to the Imperial Palace to thank His Majesty tomorrow. Did Jinniang do anything wrong?¡± Lu Chen said slowly, ¡°No. It¡¯s just that the Minister of Public Security has found the person who slandered County Mistress Jia¡¯an, so I came to tell her.¡± If Duke Anyuan still didn¡¯t discover which daughter Lu Chen liked, he must be a fool. He should have figured it out at the Dragon Boat Festival. But the Duchess and Qiao Ruoshui both thought it was Qiao Ruoyi, so he thought it was Qiao Ruoyi too. Bayberries and crabs were all popular in the South, so the Crown Prince actually wanted to give them to Jinniang! And at noon today, the name of the Crown Prince was clearly written on that sign. But His Royal Highness wasn¡¯t annoyed at all. Now he even had the Minister of Public Security find the person who slandered Jinniang. ¡°Thank you, Your Royal Highness, Brother Zhou. Come on, call Second Miss over.¡± After the Duke ordered, he felt a little proud. The Minister of Public Security was the second brother of Duke Wu and the Crown Prince¡¯s second uncle. If it weren¡¯t for the Crown Prince, how would he bother to deal with such a trivial matter? It could be seen how much the Crown Prince loved Jinniang.. Chapter 65 - Put Qiao Ruofeng In Jail Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Feeling proud, the Duke also felt that it was a pity. If it wasn¡¯t for him indulging his concubine back then, Jinniang would not have been swapped and gotten married so early. Even if the Crown Prince didn¡¯t mind that Qiao Jinniang had already given birth to a child, neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager would give Qiao Jinniang a high position. Before Qiao Jinniang came, a concierge came to report that Prince Mediocre had come to visit the Duke. Lu Chen put down the teacup in his hand and said, ¡°I heard that lotuses are blooming in the Duke Mansion. I want to go see it with my uncle.¡± Master Zhou got up and said, ¡°Okay.¡± The Duke ordered someone to invite Prince Mediocre in. When Qiao Jinniang arrived at the front yard, a servant stopped her and led her to a room beside the lobby. Here, she could just hear the conversation coming from the lobby. Prince Mediocre sat on the honored seat, took the tea handed by a maid and said to the Duke, ¡°Your Excellency, the rumor about me and your Second Miss is widely circulating these days. I appreciate your contribution to the country, so I don¡¯t want to see your daughter to be laughed at, thus I¡¯m willing to marry her as my concubine. I promise I will cherish her all my life.¡± Hearing this, Qiao Jinniang wanted to vomit. The Duke said calmly, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. Like you said, it¡¯s just a rumor. A rumor should not be taken seriously. As for whom Jinniang will marry, we¡¯ve our own plans.¡± Prince Mediocre frowned. He originally wanted to wait for Duke Anyuan to come to beg him to marry Qiao Jinniang, but he just heard that the Emperor had bestowed Qiao Jinniang to be a county mistress. In the previous dynasty, there were quite a lot of county mistresses and prefecture mistresses in Chang¡¯an, but now there were only five princesses and less than ten county mistresses and prefecture mistresses, so this title was quite valuable. Once this imperial decree spread, no ordinary people would dare to spread the scandal about Qiao Jinniang. Therefore, he came in person to propose to Qiao Jinniang, but to his surprise, the Duke refused. Prince Mediocre said, ¡°Oh, may I ask what your plan is? Now the entire Chang¡¯an is buzzing about this rumor. I¡¯m afraid that no decent man in Chang¡¯an won¡¯t mind it. If there is such a man, he must be coveting your power, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Lu Chen came from the door and said casually. Prince Mediocre frowned, but he had to stand up, salute, and give up the honored seat to Lu Chen. ¡°Your Royal Highness, may I ask what you mean?¡± Lu Chen sat down, glanced carelessly at Prince Mediocre and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind the rumor about Jinniang. A clean hand wants no washing. My uncle has already investigated this rumor. It¡¯s made by Qiao Ruofeng, the daughter of the Duke¡¯s second brother. I came here today to ask Jinniang how she would like to deal with those rumormongers!¡± Prince Mediocre gnashed his teeth. Lu Chen must have the same plan as him. ¡°Oh? It turns out that someone deliberately spread the rumor. ¡°I¡¯ll be very glad if the rumor can be clarified as soon as possible and Miss Qiao¡¯s innocence can be proven. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± The Duke ordered the housekeeper to send Prince Mediocre away, and had someone bring Qiao Jinniang here from the room beside the lobby. Qiao Jinniang asked in confusion, ¡°If Qiao Ruofeng hates me for splitting apart the family, the rumor she should have spread was that I was once married and abandoned. Why did she spread the rumor about Prince Mediocre and I?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No matter the reason, how do you think she should be punished?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Duke Anyuan, and he said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s about your reputation. As your father, I will definitely not be partial to her. Just speak as you see fit.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then follow the law.¡± Master Zhou looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Then she will have to stay in jail for half a month. As a noble girl, her reputation will be ruined. She¡¯s going to suffer a lot!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But because of her, I was almost regarded as a slut who seduced Prince Mediocre for money and power. Doesn¡¯t my reputation count?¡± Master Zhou smiled. ¡°Well-said. Then I¡¯ll deal with her according to the law.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, Master Zhou.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite. You can just call me Second Uncle,¡± Master Zhou smiled and said amiably. Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen. The Duke hurriedly explained for her. ¡°Brother Zhou, you must be joking, but Jinniang is not that lucky. To tell you the truth, my daughter is a poor girl. ¡°A few years ago, she married an ungrateful, despicable, shameless, scumbag, and was abandoned by that guy, so she may not be worthy of His Royal Highness now!¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± At this moment, he couldn¡¯t admit that he was that scumbag! Seeing Lu Chen look so aggrieved, Jinniang gave a complacent smile. ¡­ Qiao Jinniang returned to the Jin Garden and continued to learn royal etiquette. The Duchess looked at her with a look of guilt. If Jinniang was brought up by her, she would not miss such a good chance to marry into the royal family. The next morning, Qiao Jinniang was woken up early by Hongling to put on makeup. After dawn, she left the Duke Mansion and got into the carriage. Just before the carriage moved, a shrill cry was heard from outside. ¡°You goddamn slutty whore! Slave-raised b*tch! You drove your own sisters crazy! Broke the family! Shamelessly seduced Prince Mediocre but sent your cousin to jail!¡± ¡°Aunt, Jinniang is not this kind of a person. Please stop it!¡± Li Yun tried to stop Second Madam. Li Yun¡¯s mother, Mrs. Li, also said, ¡°Sister, I know that you are worried about Feng¡¯er, but don¡¯t curse¡­ You just woke up from coma¡­¡± Second Madam said, ¡°Feng¡¯er spent a night in jail. Her reputation has been ruined. It¡¯s all the fault of that scourge, Qiao Jinniang. She will destroy the Duke Mansion!¡± Mrs. Li said helplessly, ¡°Sister! Sober up. It was the Ministry of Public Security that took Feng¡¯er away. ¡°You have to think about your husband¡¯s career. If there is a censor who reports this to His Majesty, his career will be over. You should make up with Jinniang now instead of¡­¡± But Second Madam yelled even more loudly, ¡°Make up with that slave-raised vile thing? Bah!¡± This was a time when the morning market started to get lively. As such, there were many nobles, merchants and servants passing by. Many ordinary people stopped to watch the fun. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Second Madam of the Qiao family? How did she become so miserable?¡± ¡°I heard that the Minister of Public Security came to her home, took her daughter, Qiao Ruofeng, and threw her in jail yesterday for slandering a county mistress.¡± ¡°This lost daughter of the Qiao family is really capable. She seduced Prince Mediocre but forbade others from talking about it. She even threw her delicate younger sister in jail for this!¡± ¡°What a scheming and despicable woman!¡± Qiao Jinniang got down from the carriage. She was dressed so gorgeously that the gossiping old women thought they saw a fairy that descended to earth. Qiao Jinniang walked up to Second Madam and said, ¡°Aunt, if you think Qiao Ruofeng was wronged, shouldn¡¯t you go question the Ministry of Public Security?¡± Second Madam said, ¡°My daughter said that you seduced Prince Mediocre, and what she said is true! I saw it with my own eyes!¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°I only talked with Prince Mediocre for a while on a street, and you call it seducing?¡± Then she lowered her head to whisper to Second Madam in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Did you know Qiao Ruofeng made out with Prince Mediocre at her grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet in Luoyang? ¡°Did you know that Prince Mediocre had promised to marry her?¡± Mrs. Qiao looked at Qiao Jinniang in disbelief. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Qiao Jinniang continued. ¡°Second Aunt, you can go to the jail and ask Qiao Ruofeng. Did you know that Prince Mediocre came to the Duke Mansion yesterday to ask to marry me as his concubine only half a day after the rumor was spread? ¡°Second Aunt, think about it carefully, how could Prince Mediocre have come so quickly? ¡°Besides, did you know that bayberry was my favorite fruit when I was in Lin¡¯an?¡± Chapter 66 - Ill Never Stay in the Imperial Palace Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Second Madam was stunned for a moment, but she understood in an instant. Before the Dragon Boat Festival, the Crown Prince granted the Duke Mansion bayberries. They all thought it was granted to either Ruoshui or Ruoyi. But the Duke still had another daughter, Qiao Jinniang! Second Madam hurriedly went to the imperial prison. When she entered the damp, cold and dark imperial prison, she could even hear rats¡¯ squeaking sounds from the straw piles¡­ ¡°Mother!¡± Qiao Ruofeng quickly called her after seeing her. Second Madam walked up to Qiao Ruofeng and asked angrily, ¡°Tell me honestly why you were so sure that Qiao Jinniang seduced Prince Mediocre. Do you like Prince Mediocre yourself?¡± Qiao Ruofeng hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, come on! Save me. Get me out of here! ¡°My ancestors were the founders of the country! Doesn¡¯t our Qiao family still have an Absolution Token? ¡° Second Madam snapped, ¡°You already offended your uncle so much, and you still want to use the Absolution Token? Tell me, have you and Prince Mediocre fallen in love?¡± Qiao Ruofeng nodded and said, ¡°Yes, if it weren¡¯t for Qiao Jinniang, I would have been Prince Mediocre¡¯s wife now.¡± Second Madam¡¯s hand reached into the bars and slapped Qiao Ruofeng hard. ¡°Qiao Ruofeng, you are always smart. How can you be so stupid about the matter of Prince Mediocre? How is it possible for Prince Mediocre to marry you as his wife?¡± Qiao Ruofeng said, ¡°Mother, among the girls in the Duke Mansion, Qiao Ruoyun is dull and cowardly, Qiao Ruoshui is stroppy and wayward, and Qiao Ruoyi is cold and unapproachable although she is smart¡­ ¡°But every time we went out, these three people were always more respected than me. ¡°We¡¯re all girls of the Duke Mansion. Why are they more respected than me? Just because their father is a Duke? ¡°Why can¡¯t I become Prince Mediocre¡¯s wife? If I can become his wife, I¡¯ll be above them! ¡°My ancestors were founders of the country, and my uncle is one of the most powerful ministers! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Qiao Jinniang, that slut, I would have become Prince Mediocre¡¯s wife.¡± Second Madam said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? ¡°Prince Mediocre doesn¡¯t like you at all. He just used you! ¡°Even without Qiao Jinniang, you are only a tool to Prince Mediocre. ¡°Prince Mediocre dared to pick concubine among you and your cousins and abandoned you for choose Qiao Jinniang because you¡¯re stupid!¡± Qiao Ruofeng said, ¡°How is it possible?¡± Second Madam shook her head and said, ¡°Why is it impossible? Do you know that Prince Mediocre went to the Duke Mansion to propose to Qiao Jinniang yesterday? ¡°Do you think you are just spreading the rumor of Jinniang just to humiliate her? No! That¡¯s exactly what Prince Mediocre wants! ¡°If all things went according to his plan, in order to preserve Qiao Jinniang¡¯s reputation, the Duke Mansion can only agree to marrying Qiao Jinniang to him as a concubine!¡± Qiao Ruofeng was not hopelessly stupid. After hearing her mother¡¯s words, she immediately realized that she had been cheated. She collapsed to the ground and said, ¡°Then I¡­ Mother, what should I do? Now I¡¯ve been ruined by Prince Mediocre!¡± Second Madam said with tears, ¡°What else can you do? After you come out, apologize to Jinniang. She¡¯ll forgive you. ¡°And your grandmother will help you. At worst, you can marry far away. The Duke Mansion still has military influence in the Southwest. ¡°Your cousin is over there too, and the Duke also plans to marry Ruoshui to the Southwest, so you can find a decent man to marry and live well in the Southwest.¡± Qiao Ruofeng bit her lip and said, ¡°Then what about Prince Mediocre? Are we just letting him off?¡± ¡°Otherwise, what else can we do?¡± Second Madam said helplessly. ¡°If you dare to say anything bad about him, Prince Mediocre can just say that you seduced him. ¡°He can just say that you slander him because you¡¯re jealous of Jinniang. ¡°Besides, Prince Mediocre¡¯s protector in the Imperial Palace is still alive!¡± ¡­ Qiao Jinniang went to the Hall of Diligent Governance to see the Emperor and thank him. Emperor Huilin said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Arise. I tasted the summer desserts brought by Junior Duke Rong and Fulu yesterday. They tasted very good. It happened that a lot of fresh fish were sent to the imperial kitchen today¡­¡± When Emperor Huilin said this, he paused. Qiao Jinniang forgot the rules in the Imperial Palace, looked at Emperor Huilin, pondered for a moment, and said, ¡°I happen to be itchy to cook. I wonder if I can have the honor to cook for Your Majesty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Emperor Huilin said with a relaxed expression, ¡°Then please do that, County Mistress Jia¡¯an.¡± On the way to the imperial kitchen, Qiao Jinniang was thinking about the title the Emperor granted to her¡­ Did he give her this title to make her cook for him? Walking into the garden, Qiao Jinniang was reprimanded by a mammy. ¡°Where are you from? How can you be so rude? This is Her Highness Consort Xian, quickly get on your knees!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked up and saw Consort Xian was sitting high in a sedan. Seeing that she looked at Consort Xian, the mammy was immediately enraged. ¡°Which family are you from? Have you not learned court etiquette? How dare you look directly at Her Highness?¡± With that, she was about to slap Qiao Jinniang. Consort Xian didn¡¯t stop her. It was not that she wasn¡¯t afraid of offending the Duke Mansion. But yesterday, she learned from Prince Mediocre that this girl actually had the ability to win the Crown Prince¡¯s favor. Plus, she still had a trump card to use in the Duke Mansion, which was Qiao Ruoshui. And she didn¡¯t think the Duke Mansion would choose to fight against her and Prince Mediocre just because she slapped Qiao Jinniang. However, when the mammy¡¯s hand was about to touch her face¡­ Someone suddenly grabbed her waist and then she was brought to a man¡¯s back. Lu Chen glanced coldly at the mammy next to Consort Xian and said, ¡°She is a county mistress. Her grandfather and father are all the pillars of the country. Who do you think you are? How dare you slap her?¡± Consort Xian said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, you¡¯re wrong. According to the court etiquette, she is supposed to salute me!¡± ¡°I wonder when court etiquette is up to you. I allow the County Mistress Jia¡¯an to not salute in the Imperial Palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang heard a soft female voice. She looked over, only to see the Queen in a red dress, followed by Tuan¡¯er in a little red robe, who looked so cute. Consort Xian had to get out of the sedan chair and saluted reluctantly to the Queen. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The Queen glanced at Consort Xian coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have forgotten how to salute me, right? Now I order you to salute here for an hour!¡± Consort Xian stared at the Queen with vicious eyes. The sun was scorching. Saluting here for an hour? Her skin would be damaged by the glaring sun. Moreover, she was seven years older than the Queen. How could she boss around her like that? How dare she! Qiao Jinniang saluted the Queen, but she felt a bit scared. This was the imperial palace. It was basically a jungle. If she became Lu Chen¡¯s second concubine, then the crown princess and his first concubine would be able to punish her and bully her at will! Consort Xian still had the Empress Dowager to rely on, but what about her? The Queen walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I heard that you are going to cook? I¡¯d like to learn how to cook from you.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the kitchen is too messy and will get your clothes dirty, Your Majesty.¡± The Queen said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Although the palace is hierarchical, I¡¯m not an unreasonable person. ¡°Consort Xian hurt my son, so I picked on her. Don¡¯t sympathize with her.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought to herself, ¡®The queen is so loved by the Emperor but she still has to endure Consort Xian. And Consort Xian has to salute under the scorching sun for an hour even though she is protected by the Empress Dowager¡­¡¯ She was even more determined that she would never marry into the imperial palace and be involved in harem disputes. Finding that Lu Chen was still holding her hand, she quickly threw his hand away and wiped the wrist that Lu Chen had touched with a handkerchief in disgust. Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 67 - Consort Xian Never Considered You Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang entered the imperial kitchen. The Queen drove out all the royal chefs and imperial servants in the imperial kitchen. She just let her maids stay to help. Only then did Tuan¡¯er threw himself into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s arms. ¡°Mother!¡± Qiao Jinniang picked up Tuan¡¯er and kissed him on the head. ¡°Tuan¡¯er, you look so cute in red. Let me make some red clothes for you.¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°My father doesn¡¯t like to eat fish. He hates the fishy smell and fish bones. Why not make fish balls for him? Tuan¡¯er likes to eat them too.¡± But Qiao Jinniang remembered that he was the one who liked to eat fish balls the most. How dare he have the nerve to use Tuan¡¯er as an excuse? However, making fish balls was indeed the best choice. Yesterday, when Qiao Jinniang was studying court etiquette, she heard from the Duchess that fish was not generally eaten in the imperial palace. The royal chefs would never take the initiative to cook the fish. His Majesty¡¯s dislike of eating fish might also be because none of the royal chefs in the palace knew how to cook fish well. After all, the royal chefs didn¡¯t dare to make fish for the Emperor. If the fish bones were not cleaned up and it by some chance hurt the nobles, they might be beheaded. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang started to make fish balls, Lu Chen smiled slightly. She didn¡¯t hate him that much. At least she was willing to make fish balls for him. Qiao Jinniang was busy all morning, and eventually she made six dishes and one soup, plus cool and exquisite desserts and pastries. The meal was taking place in the Queen¡¯s palace. After Qiao Jinniang served the dishes one after another¡­ She divided the fish ball soup into small portions and brought a portion to the Emperor, the Queen, and Tuan¡¯er. Lu Chen looked up at Qiao Jinniang, and Qiao Jinniang scoop out a bowl of winter melon soup for Lu Chen. ¡°It is easy to get inflamed in summer, so it is most suitable for Your Royal Highness to drink winter melon soup.¡± Lu Chen clenched his fist. She knew that what he hated most was winter melon. The Queen chuckled and said, ¡°Jinniang, sit down and eat. You must be tired after working all morning.¡± Qiao Jinniang declined. ¡°I dare not.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is not a palace banquet, but just an ordinary meal.¡± The Queen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and let her sit beside Tuan¡¯er. Qiao Jinniang watched Tuan¡¯er cutely eating fish balls with a small spoon. Emperor Huilin looked at the dishes on the table and asked, ¡°Where are the fish balls?¡± Qiao Jinniang pointed at the white balls in the soup bowl and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this is the famous fish ball soup in the South. ¡°The fish balls will melt as soon as they enter your mouth, and they taste very delicious. One fish can only make ten fish balls.¡± Emperor Huilin tasted it and his eyes lit up. ¡°Is this dish available in the Tasty Pavilion?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°People in Chang¡¯an don¡¯t like eating fish very much, so this dish is not served. ¡°However, if Your Majesty likes it, it will definitely become a popular delicacy in Chang¡¯an soon. ¡°I¡¯ll add it to the menu of Tasty Pavilion when I go back.¡± Emperor Huilin turned his eyes to the winter melon soup in front of Lu Chen. ¡°This winter melon soup relieves heat? Let me try it!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t have time to stop him. But Emperor Huilin had already picked up the soup bowl and begun to drink, ignoring royal dining etiquette. The next minute, Emperor Huilin put down the soup cup and spat out all the soup in his mouth. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me. I may have added too much salt¡­¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang kneeling down, Tuan¡¯er also got on his knees and hugged Qiao Jinniang. Emperor Huilin took the water handed to him by Eunuch Quan. ¡°Is it because of the prevalence of illicit salt that you almost put a jar of salt into the soup? ¡°Chen¡¯er, go and check the status of salt tax all over the country, and then check whether there is any illicit salt circulating in Chang¡¯an.¡± The Queen said, ¡°Don¡¯t make such a fuss. Jinniang, get up quickly. ¡°Chen¡¯er has always loved salty food, so Jinniang specially made this for him. ¡°Chen¡¯er, don¡¯t let her down.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Maybe he wasn¡¯t born by the Queen? ¡­ After lunch, Qiao Jinniang went to the East Palace to play with Tuan¡¯er. She then accompanied him to take a nap. When Lu Chen entered, he saw that Qiao Jinniang was taking a nap¡­ Cupping her chin with her hand, she was lying on the couch and her beautiful figure was outlined¡­ His heart throbbed, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly. He knew how fair the skin under this beautiful dress was, and he could hold that slim waist with a single hand¡­ And after giving birth to Tuan¡¯er, her chest grew bigger¡­ Lu Chen clenched his fists, forcing himself to stop thinking about it. At this moment, if he touched Jinniang, he was asking for trouble. No matter what, he had to get her not to be so angry with him first. ¡­ After Qiao Jinniang woke up, she left the East Palace before Tuan¡¯er woke up. After she returned to the Duke Mansion, the Duchess hurriedly came to asked her, ¡°Why did you stay in the palace all day? The maids couldn¡¯t get in, and I could get no news about you from the imperial palace. I was so worried about you.¡± ¡°His Majesty asked me to cook for him. Don¡¯t worry, Mother.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Jinniang, there is one thing that I should have asked you yesterday, but I was afraid that you would be nervous when you entered the imperial palace today, so I didn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Do you want to marry the Crown Prince?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. The Duchess breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Fortunately, you don¡¯t want to. Otherwise, as a woman who has once married and given birth to a child¡­ I¡¯m afraid that you can only become a concubine.¡± ¡°However, if His Royal Highness really likes you, I¡¯m afraid that we can¡¯t refuse him!¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. His Majesty has agreed to not force me to marry the Crown Prince.¡± The Duchess was relieved to hear that. ¡°That¡¯s good, but you¡¯d better find a husband as soon as possible. ¡°Your father is so powerful that the princes might want to win over his support. ¡°I never wanted to marry you off so quickly¡­ ¡°But now I think that it will be better for you to get married as soon as possible to avoid being used by the Crown Prince and Prince Mediocre.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay.¡± Madam Hou sighed and said, ¡°Li Yun is a good boy. Yesterday he tried to defend you, saying that it was his fault, not yours. ¡°Qiao Ruofeng was thrown into jail, but the Li family didn¡¯t stay away from your second aunt. ¡°If he can pass the Imperial Examination, you won¡¯t be wronged if you marry him. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that your engagement has been annulled. You have to find someone else.¡± Qiao Jinniang was given the title of county mistress, which was a great plus. With such a title, the Duchess was not so worried about Jinniang¡¯s marriage. ¡­ The weather was getting hotter. The long-awaited selection day, June 21, also arrived unknowingly. On this day, the Duke Mansion was very busy. It turned out that Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s future husband had come to propose from the Southwest. Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s future husband was the nephew of the wife of the governor of the Southwest who grew up in the Governor¡¯s Mansion. The Duke and the Duchess were very satisfied with the man. Yuyan got the news and came to Jin Garden, saying, ¡°Miss, Mr. Xu is very strong and imposing. Although he is not that handsome, he is tall and looks very majestic in his armor.¡± Hongling laughed and said, ¡°You should tell Fourth Miss about this. Why did you tell our Miss?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me this either.¡± Qiao Ruoshui walked into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room without being allowed. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, do you really think that I will marry that man?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qiao Ruoshui laughed arrogantly and said, ¡°The consort selection banquet is over now, and the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree is already on the way to the Duke Mansion¡­ ¡°What you can¡¯t get is at my fingertips.¡± At this moment, Qiao Jinniang was embroidering a small red robe for Tuan¡¯er. Hearing Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s words, she accidentally poked her finger with the needle, causing blood to slowly ooze out. She didn¡¯t care about Qiao Ruoshui. She was just thinking how many more ¡°mothers¡± would Tuan¡¯er suddenly have¡­ Would Lu Chen¡¯s wife and concubines hurt her Tuan¡¯er? Alas! Seeing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s reaction, Qiao Ruoshui felt even more complacent. She had been enduring for so many days, and now she was finally able to avenge herself. Qiao Ruoshui snorted coldly.. ¡°You tried your best to seduce Prince Mediocre, but you didn¡¯t expect that Consort Xian and the Empress Dowager would never consider you, right?¡± Chapter 68 - The Consort Selection Banquet Canceled Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang suddenly realized, no wonder Qiao Ruoshui didn¡¯t come to ridicule her although she had heard the rumors about her. This turned out to be the reason! The Duchess hurriedly entered the Jin Garden, glared at Qiao Ruoshui, and asked,¡±Why did the Empress Dowager suddenly grant you to be the concubine of Prince Mediocre?¡± The Empress Dowager was a smart person. Although no one could reject an imperial decree, the Emperor was kind and would definitely communicate with them first before issuing an imperial decree. Qiao Ruoshui said with a look of grievance, ¡°Mother, since this slave-raised woman came to our home, you always side with her and no longer like me. You even claim that I have gone mad and want to marry me far away. I certainly have to take matters into my own hands!¡± The Duchess was extremely annoyed. ¡°Do you know that your father is the Grand Mentor of the Crown Prince? Do you know that Prince Mediocre set up Ruofeng to force Jinniang to marry him as his concubine a few days ago?¡± Qiao Ruoshui said disdainfully, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not that His Highness wanted to marry Qiao Jinniang but that Qiao Jinniang had seduced him. He was just being kind and didn¡¯t want to disappoint her.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Then what about the Crown Prince? What Ruofeng did won¡¯t affect us much, but you are your father¡¯s biological daughter. If you marry Prince Mediocre, how can the Crown Prince trust your father?¡± ¡°Hadn¡¯t you been insisting on marrying the Crown Prince? Why are you suddenly willing to become the concubine of Prince Mediocre?¡± Qiao Ruoshui raised her head and said proudly, ¡°The Crown Prince? He went missing for three years. At this point, he may not be able to secure the position of crown prince. ¡°Plus, His Majesty is still very healthy and strong. He¡¯ll inevitably suspect the Crown Prince for seizing his power. ¡°As for Prince Mediocre, he has always been wise and capable and admired by courtiers¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t Daddy also praise Prince Mediocre? It¡¯s not certain yet who will be the next emperor!¡± The Duchess: ¡°You refuse to become a general¡¯s wife but are willing to be a concubine? If only you have the slightest bit of Jinniang¡¯s wisdom!¡± ¡°Mother, you¡¯re wrong. Since I¡¯ve become Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine, even you¡¯ll have to salute me when you meet me!¡± Qiao Ruoshui looked at Qiao Jinniang sideways and said, ¡°A concubine of a royal family member will be recorded in the imperial genealogy and enjoys a very high status. How can a general¡¯s wife be compared to it? Mother, even you have to kneel to the lowest-grade imperial concubine when you enter the Imperial Palace, don¡¯t you? ¡°As for Qiao Jinniang, she grew up in the countryside and is hopelessly stupid, so she thinks that being a general¡¯s wife is great, but even so, didn¡¯t she seduce Prince Mediocre secretly as well? ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I¡¯m waiting for you to beg me!¡± Looking at Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s complacent look, the Duchess was almost out of breath. ¡°The imperial decree has been issued, and the Duke Mansion cannot reject it. ¡°But the Duke Mansion won¡¯t help you in the future. Whether you live a good or miserable life in Prince Mediocre¡¯s Mansion, you¡¯ll have nothing to do with the Duke Mansion!¡± Qiao Ruoshui said complacently, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m waiting for the day you regret it!¡± Qiao Ruoshui said and left. The Duchess burst into tears. Qiao Jinniang handed her a handkerchief and said, ¡°Mother, the imperial decree has been issued. We can do nothing about it. ¡°It must be for the power of Father that Prince Mediocre did this to Ruofeng and me. ¡°Even if he can¡¯t win over Father¡¯s support, he won¡¯t dare to offend Father easily, so I don¡¯t think Ruoshui will be abused by him.¡± The Duchess wiped away her tears gently and spotted the little red clothes that Qiao Jinniang put on the table. ¡°Why are you making such little clothes?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s for Tuan¡¯er.¡± The Duchess patted Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand gently and said, ¡°My poor girl, I know how difficult it¡¯s for you.¡± ¡°It must be very painful being separated from her own son. Qiao Jinniang went to the Tasty Pavilion in the afternoon with the hope to get some news about the future crown princess. She didn¡¯t care about Lu Chen but just wanted to know what kind of person Tuan¡¯er future stepmothers were. The Tasty Pavilion¡¯s business wasn¡¯t quite good today. It was not as busy as usual. Qiao Jinniang entered the No.1 private room and saw Princess Fulu and Princess Jinghua there. The two cousins were at different extremes of character, one quiet and one lively. ¡°Jinniang, I wanted to go to the Duke Mansion to find you just now but then I heard about my grandmother¡¯s imperial decree. ¡°It just so happens that you came. This is the money you bet last time in Junior Duke Rong¡¯s casino.¡± Qiao Jinniang had forgotten about the bet. ¡°I¡¯m not winning or losing?¡± Fulu said, ¡°You don¡¯t know yet, do you? It¡¯s been a few days since my imperial cousin left Chang¡¯an for the Shu Region, and he won¡¯t be back for a month or two. His consort selection banquet has been canceled.¡± Qiao Jinniang really didn¡¯t know it and asked, ¡°Did something happen in Shu?¡± Fulu shook her fan and said, ¡°The salt merchants in Shu colluded with the salt officials, sold illicit salt, extracted the salt tax from the imperial court, and raised the price of official salt, making the salt merchants in Shu cities a lot of money. ¡°Before my imperial cousin went to Shu to investigate the illicit salt, he had already executed two officials in charge of salt sales in Chang¡¯an, causing many officials don¡¯t dare come out to have dinner recently for fear of being implicated in this matter.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t expect that her bowl of winter gourd soup would arouse so many matters. Official salt was not expensive, and illicit salt would also be sold in the market occasionally. But what those salt merchants did in the Shu Region would undermine the foundation of the country. It was no wonder that the Crown Prince went there to investigate this matter personally. Fulu jested, ¡°Those salt officials and salt merchants are really hateful. Because of them, I can¡¯t make money. I heard that this time my imperial cousin only brought Lin Mo, Zhou Siming and Xie Yun with him. If he can return safely from Shu, Xie Yun will definitely become the crown princess.¡± Princess Jinghua took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Our country has been on a roll for too long, if it weren¡¯t for the Crown Prince who found that something was wrong with the salt sales, who would have thought that there is such a dark side hidden in this golden age. ¡°Plus, the Crown Prince seemed to really hate salt. His consort selection banquet is soon but he put aside all those beautiful girls and chose to examine the hundreds of salt tax journals. If it weren¡¯t for him, this matter wouldn¡¯t have been revealed!¡± Qiao Jinniang thought to herself, ¡®Lu Chen hates salt indeed.¡¯ Even a person who had lost his sense of taste would taste the saltiness after drinking that bowl of winter gourd soup. Yet, Lu Chen had drunk a whole bowl. It would be strange if he didn¡¯t hate salt. It seemed that that bowl of winter gourd soup she made had made a little contribution for the country and the people. Fulu was feeling impatient listening to Princess Jinghua talking about these state affairs and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°What imperial decree did the Empress Dowager give to your family?¡± Qiao Jinniang said slowly, ¡°To grant Qiao Ruoshui to be the concubine of Prince Mediocre.¡± Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang in surprise. ¡°Is Qiao Ruoshui crazy? ¡°Sometimes I really don¡¯t know whether my grandmother likes or hates Prince Mediocre? She actually granted such a concubine to him?¡± Jing Hua smiled and said, ¡°Sometimes I have such doubts too. After all, she wanted you to be his wife before.¡± ¡°Very good, how dare you laugh at me!¡± Fulu said angrily. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°The Empress Dowager wants to help Prince Mediocre. After all, my father can¡¯t just ignore Qiao Ruoshui.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Then I bet she¡¯ll be disappointed. After all, Tuan¡¯er is your father¡¯s grandson. He will definitely support his own grandson!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t think much about this. If it was possible, she just wanted Tuan¡¯er to be safe. She didn¡¯t want him to be involved in the struggle for the throne. ¡­ Qiao Ruoshui was going to marry into the Prince Mediocre Mansion on the eighth day of the seventh lunar month ahead of Prince Mediocre¡¯s wife, so as her elder sister, Qiao Jinniang had to get married as soon as possible. The Duchess was very worried about this matter. She originally thought that Jinniang could take her time finding a suitable husband since she was a county mistress now, but because of Qiao Ruoshui, she had to be in a rush. The Duke asked tentatively, ¡°Old Xu intends to let Xu Mingwei succeed him as the governor of Yunzhou. Xu Mingwei is a very good young man and has a very promising future.. How about marrying Jinniang off to Xu Mingwei?¡± Chapter 69 - Qiao Ruofeng Commits Suicide Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When the Duchess heard this, she said angrily, ¡°What do you take Jinniang for? Xu Mingwei was meant to marry Ruoshui. If the news spreads out, what will people think of Jinniang? More importantly, your niece Ruoyin who was born by a concubine is the daughter-in-law of the governor of the Southwest. If Jinniang marries Xu Mingwei, won¡¯t she be in a lower status than Ruoyin?¡± The duke frowned and said, ¡°Old Xu¡¯s son has no ability to lead troops and fools around with Ruoyin every day, so Old Xu has long said that Xu Mingwei will succeed his position. ¡°You have seen Xu Mingwei. No matter in demeanor, appearance, ability and family, he is a good choice for Jinniang. Besides, the Xu family¡¯s men are known for loving their wives. Ruoyin has been married to the Xu family for two years. Can¡¯t you see the difference between her life and Ruoyun¡¯s?¡± Although Qiao Ruoyin never came back, she often asked people to bring some gadgets from the Southwest to her sisters and cousins in the Duke Mansion. She and her husband were very in love, and she even gave birth to a boy the year before. This time, Xu Mingwei brought the good news that Qiao Ruoyin was pregnant again. What a joyous life she lived. The Qiao family used to be a very powerful family in the southwest, so the founding emperor of the dynasty granted Anyuan County of Yunzhou to Duke Anyuan. And most of the Duke¡¯s troops were stationed in the southwest, so the governor of the southwest was appointed by the Duke. Although Qiao Ruoyin was born by a concubine and her father was not the Duke but the Duke¡¯s brother, she was comparable to a princess in the southwest. The Duke: ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Xu family doesn¡¯t have many children, Xu Mingwei would have waited for Ruoshui to have her coming-of-age ceremony before marrying her. Now that Old Xu¡¯s son has no intention of taking his father¡¯s position, if Jinniang marries Xu Mingwei, she¡¯ll be the wife of the future governor of the southwest.¡± The duchess said unhappily, ¡°No matter what you said, Jinniang will be far away from me if she marries Xu Mingwei. She finally came back to me, and I don¡¯t want to let her go to the southwest!¡± ¡°Ruoshui is stubborn and willful. If she marries to the southwest, she¡¯ll have the Duke Mansion and Ruoyin behind her, so I won¡¯t be worried about her, but Jinniang is different!¡± Duke Anyuan frowned. ¡°This is not up to you. Ruoshui is going to marry Prince Mediocre. Do you want to see Jinniang being laughed at by everyone in Chang¡¯an?¡± The Duchess said, ¡°I married the wrong man, so I certainly have to keep my eyes open when I¡¯m selecting my son-in-law!¡± ¡°Duke, Madam, the Old Madam said that since Fourth Miss will be a concubine, there is no need for the Duke Mansion to hold a ceremony, so as not to annoy the future Consort Mediocre. In this case, we don¡¯t need to rush to marry off Second Miss.¡± One of the Old Madam¡¯s maidservants passed on this message. The Duchess was taken aback for a moment. ¡°Tell Mother, I know.¡± The Duke said to the Duchess, ¡°Right! If I take Ruoshui¡¯s marriage too seriously, wouldn¡¯t it be like announcing that I¡¯m on Prince Mediocre¡¯s side?¡± The Duchess said sadly, ¡°Since Ruoshui is only a concubine, just send her to the Prince Mediocre Mansion with a sedan chair.¡± ¡­ Qiao Jinniang made two clothes for Tuan¡¯er in the Jin Garden. Her eyes hurt, so she went for a walk in the garden. Suddenly, she found that the red silks that decorated the whole Duke Mansion had been taken off. She asked in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t Qiao Ruoshui going to get married? Why were the red silks taken off?¡± Hongling replied, ¡°Miss, the Old Madam said that since she¡¯ll only be a concubine, just send her to the Prince Mediocre Mansion with a sedan chair. Besides, our Duke is the Grand Mentor of the Crown Prince, so he can¡¯t be too friendly with Prince Mediocre. In this case, you don¡¯t have to rush to find a husband.¡± Qiao Jinniang went to the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard to greet her and heard the conversation inside from a distance. The Old Madam said to the duchess, ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush to find Jinniang a husband. Even if you¡¯ve got a good choice, decide it after the Crown Prince returns. The Crown Prince likes Jinniang. It¡¯s inappropriate if we marry off Jinniang when he is not around.¡± At the door, Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands. She didn¡¯t know what her grandmother was thinking. Her grandmother didn¡¯t force her to marry the Crown Prince, but why did she have to wait for Lu Chen to come back? The Duchess said, ¡°But Jinniang is unwilling to marry into the East Palace. His Majesty has allowed Jinniang to marry another man.¡± ¡°The Emperor is the Emperor, but the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince. Even if Jinniang doesn¡¯t marry the Crown Prince, she has to gain the Crown Prince¡¯s consent if she wants to marry someone else, understand?¡± The duchess nodded. ¡°I see, Mother. Are you afraid that the Crown Prince will be angry with us if we marry Jinniang off without letting him know?¡± The old madam said, ¡°Exactly. Let¡¯s just wait for the Crown Prince to return.¡± ¡­ With the advent of Qixi Festival, the maids in the Jin Garden were all very excited. Nuomi said excitedly, ¡°Miss, only after hearing what Yuyan told me did I realize that there are so many interesting things about the Girls¡¯ Festival in Chang¡¯an. ¡°There will be a ring competition at the gate of the imperial palace to make Qixi Festival snacks, and every girl in Chang¡¯an can participate in the competition. Miss, if you participate in it, I bet no one can match you!¡± Hongling came over with a dress. ¡°The Liuguang Dress has been made. Miss, if you wear this dress today, I am afraid that tons of young men will swarm into the Duke Mansion to propose to you!¡± During the Qixi Festival, there was no curfew at night, and the streets and alleys were full of lanterns, which were very beautiful. Snacks and fruits could be seen everywhere and many cute clay dolls were for sale. On the main street, the imperial court had set up several stages, some of which were competing in needle threading under the moonlight, and the woman who successfully threaded most needles within the specified time would be granted with the title of ¡°Skillful Hand¡±. Any girl in Chang¡¯an could participate in the competitions, so it was very lively. There were also stages competing in carving fruit and making snacks¡­ The atmosphere was fantastic everywhere. Qiao Jinniang went out with Qiao Ruoyi and her brother. They saw a lot of interesting things along the way. Qiao Jinniang always enjoyed the hustle and bustle of life. The Liuguang Dress that Qiao Jinniang was wearing today looked radiant and gorgeous under the candlelight, attracting the attention of many people. Qiao Ruoyi smiled at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Jinniang, you can try carving melons. Your carving skills are the best!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to join in the fun.¡± ¡°Come on, Jinniang. Today is the Qixi Festival. If you carve melons really well, maybe the Goddess of Weaver will reward you with your Mr. Right.¡± Qiao Jinniang was pushed to the stage by Qiao Ruoyi. The game was coming to an end, and there were only some crooked melons left. Qiao Jinniang used the carving knife to carve the pattern of a cowherd and a weaver girl meeting on the magpie bridge on a melon, which looked very lifelike. Fulu came over as the judge and said, ¡°County Mistress Jia¡¯an, if you participate in this competition, it will be unfair to other girls.¡± Fulu whispered in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°Zhou Siming¡¯s sister gave me 100 taels of silver to choose her as the winner of this competition. But if you participate in the competition, the others will scold me for being blind if I choose her as the winner. How about this? You quit the competition, and we can split the money equally.¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± Was her moral integrity only worth fifty taels of silver? At this moment, an exclamation came from the crowd. ¡°Oh no! The Sixth Miss of Duke Anyuan Mansion is committing suicide by jumping into the river!¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard it, she could only quit the competition even if she didn¡¯t want to. Jinniang¡¯s brother hurried over, only to see Qiao Ruofeng struggling in the river, about to sink. Just as Jinniang¡¯s brother was about to jump into the river to save Qiao Ruofeng, a black shadow swooped into the river with a big splash and brought Qiao Ruofeng out of the water.. Chapter 70 - Abandoned Woman Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Today was Girl¡¯s Day, so it was very crowded on the street. As soon as this incident happened, everyone gathered around. Jinniang¡¯s brother took off his jacket and took Qiao Ruofeng from the man in black. Jinniang¡¯s brother was only one year older than Qiao Ruofeng. The two grew up together. When he saw his cousin attempting suicide, he was very angry. ¡°Why did you do such a stupid thing?¡± Jinniang stepped forward, supported Qiao Ruofeng, and said to the man in black, ¡°Thank you for saving my sister. Duke Anyuan Mansion is very grateful to you. Please let my maid help you change wet clothes in case you catch a cold.¡± Xu Mingwei cupped his hands and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Second Miss, you¡¯re welcome. As a person who practices martial arts, I¡¯m not afraid of cold water.¡± Qiao Ruofeng was still a little conscious and couldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°Why did you save me? I¡¯ve lost my reputation. He would rather marry Qiao Ruoshui than me¡­ I¡¯m a joke.¡± Xu Mingwei cupped his hands and said, ¡°I often hear my sister-in-law mention Sixth Miss. She really misses you. Is reputation more important than life?¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard ¡°sister-in-law¡±, she knew who the man was. He should be Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s poor fianc¨¦, Xu Mingwei. Qiao Ruofeng still cried and said, ¡°I¡¯d rather die than be pointed and laughed at.¡± Jinniang said to Qiao Ruofeng,¡±Since you are not even afraid of death, why should you be afraid of losing your reputation? ¡°If I were you, I would take the man who cheated me to die with me. Even if you die, the man will still marry other women and will still be a high-ranking prince!¡± ¡°Your death will only hurt the people who love you. Your grandmother is already heartbroken after you made that mistake. She is old. Can she endure the pain of losing her granddaughter?¡± Qiao Ruofeng closed her eyes and said, ¡°But he is a prince. What can I do to him? If I take revenge, the whole Qiao Family will be implicated by me!¡± Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what others will think, but if you really can kill the man who cheated you, I won¡¯t blame you even if I am beheaded because of you.¡± Jinniang¡¯s brother said on the side. ¡°Me neither.¡± Qiao Ruoyi listened and shivered. She didn¡¯t want to die. She still wanted to live. She said weakly, ¡°Second sister, Sixth Sister is still wet, let¡¯s go back first?¡± Back in the Duke Mansion, after Second Madam heard the news, she rushed over, crying bitterly and cursing Prince Mediocre madly. The Duchess didn¡¯t quite sympathize with them because they slandered Qiao Jinniang. But she watched Qiao Ruofeng grow up. She didn¡¯t want Qiao Ruofeng to die at such a young age. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s humiliating to be thrown into jail, but it won¡¯t kill you.¡± The Duchess advised, ¡°You¡¯re still young. After you get married in a few years, people will probably forget about this matter. There will always be a way out. At worst, you can find a man to marry into your family. You can still live your life.¡± Second Madam hugged Qiao Ruofeng and said, ¡°Yeah, Feng¡¯er, don¡¯t be stupid. I only have two daughters. I want you to live happily.¡± On the night of Qixi Festival, because of Qiao Ruofeng, it was late into the night when Qiao Jinniang returned to the Jin Garden. Yuyan came in from the outside and said, ¡°Miss, this is the Qixi Festival gift from Princess Fu¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang took the wooden box and opened it, and inside was a silver hairpin. It was the silver hairpin that Lu Chen gifted her but she threw away during the Lantern Festival. ¡°Petty!¡± Qiao Jinniang closed the box. ¡°Throw it away.¡± Qiao Ruofeng even wanted to commit suicide because of a royal family member, so she wouldn¡¯t want to go on the same route as Qiao Ruofeng. Hence, this silver hairpin was such an eyesore. Nuomi said, ¡°Don¡¯t, Miss, this is worth a tael of silver anyway. It can buy a lot of food.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s yours. You can use it to buy food.¡± Nuomi smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Miss.¡± Nuomi excitedly went to the vendors on the street with the silver hairpin and traded it for a lot of snacks. She ate one but soon spat it out. This craftsmanship was far inferior to that of Miss. She regretted trading the silver hairpin for these unpalatable snacks. ¡­ The next day, in the early morning, Qiao Ruoshui left the Duke Mansion in a small sedan chair. If not told, who would have thought that this was the wedding of the daughter of a duke? Qiao Jinniang watched from a distance and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She turned and saw the burly man in black that she had met last night. ¡°Young Master Xu.¡± ¡°Second Miss, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. Just call me by my name.¡± Xu Mingwei smiled. ¡°After my sister-in-law heard about you, she wanted to go back to Chang¡¯an to meet you, but she is pregnant, so she has to wait until her child is older before she can return to Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled too. This younger sister of hers, who was only a few days younger than her, was rarely mentioned by people in the Duke Mansion. She just heard that when he was in the Duke Mansion, she was even duller than Qiao Ruoyun. ¡°I have never met her but I¡¯m looking forward to seeing her soon. Please give my regards to Third Sister, Young Master Xu.¡± Seeing the two of them from a distance, the Duke said to the Duchess who was beside him, ¡°Look at Jinniang and Xu Mingwei, aren¡¯t they a perfect match? Except for the fact that he is stationed far away from Chang¡¯an, Xu Mingwei is a perfect choice for a husband.¡± The Duchess snorted softly, ¡°Mother said that Jinniang is not in a hurry to get married. Let¡¯s wait for His Royal Highness to return.¡± The Duke said, ¡°Mother is always wise, but she is wrong this time. When His Royal Highness comes back, he¡¯ll definitely not allow Jinniang to marry another man. I think Xu Mingwei is very good.¡± The Duchess sneered. ¡°You can marry him yourself. Leave my daughter alone. I won¡¯t even allow Ruoyi to marry so far away, let alone Jinniang.¡± Ruoyin was indeed living a good life in the southwest, but it had been almost three years since she was married, and she couldn¡¯t even go home. The duchess couldn¡¯t bear the pain of separation. The Duke stroked his beard. ¡°Let me ask Jinniang. I think Jinniang has no bad feelings for Mingwei. If Jinniang is willing to marry him, don¡¯t stop her.¡± ¡­ The Prince Mediocre Mansion was decorated with red silk, and it was night time. Qiao Ruoshui sat on the bed, looking complacent. Although her wedding was shabby, she was still the concubine of Prince Mediocre who would become the next emperor. ¡°Come on, go check why His Highness hasn¡¯t come over.¡± ¡°Concubine Qiao, His Highness has gone to Hengwu Garden to sleep.¡± Qiao Ruoshui clenched her fist angrily. The third daughter of the right prime minister was granted to be Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine together with her, but in terms of family background, that b*tch was way inferior to her! Qiao Ruoshui ignored the obstruction of the servants and maids, hurried to Hengwu Garden, and heard the conversation inside. ¡°Your Highness, I know you treat me with sincerity. The last two years were the best time of my life, when we exchanged letters and expressed love to each other. Although I married you as a concubine, I am already satisfied. ¡°Qiao Ruoshui is insensible and wayward. If you want to win over Duke Anyuan¡¯s support, you should spend this night with her. ¡°I don¡¯t mind sacrificing myself for your future.¡± When Qiao Ruoshui heard this, she was furious. The person who was talking was the third daughter of the Jian family. This woman always liked to play vulnerable. Prince Mediocre said, ¡°The one I want to marry is Qiao Jinniang, but unfortunately I failed to make her marry me. Qiao Ruoshui is a crazy and unreasonable woman. I don¡¯t know why my mother and grandmother want me to marry her! ¡°Today, Duke Anyuan Mansion arranged her marriage so perfunctorily, which is a sign of them drawing a clear line with me. I don¡¯t want to see that disgusting woman. ¡°Moreover, I already don¡¯t like her in the first place. I just didn¡¯t know that my grandmother had issued such a decree. If I had known earlier, I would have made her cancel it.¡± Although Prince Mediocre cast a wide net among the noble girls in Chang¡¯an, he was not unselective. ¡°Qiao Ruofeng was raised by the Old Madam of Duke Anyuan Mansion. She is smart and obedient. Qiao Jinniang is graceful and approachable although she was raised outside, but Qiao Ruoshui is stupid, ignorant and incompetent. I don¡¯t want to have such a stupid woman as my concubine.¡± Qiao Ruoshui was infuriated. Does Prince Mediocre know that Qiao Jinniang is an abandoned woman? She must return this humiliation to Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruofeng in full.. Chapter 71 - Blocked the Knife for the Jerk Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang found that the Tasty Pavilion¡¯s business became a lot worse. Not only Tasty Pavilion, the business of the cosmetics, jewelry and clothing shops that were frequented by noble ladies in Chang¡¯an had become slack as well. While all this happened, many people came to visit the Duke every day, sending gifts and begging for the Duke to intercede for them. Qiao Jinniang went to the Duchess¡¯ courtyard, and when she walked in, she came across a noble lady. This woman was the wife of the Duchess¡¯ brother, Duchess Dingyuan. Jinniang saluted. ¡°Hi, Auntie.¡± Mrs. Zheng said indifferently, ¡°Arise. It¡¯s been almost half a year since you came back. You should try to persuade your mother to stop being angry with your father. ¡°Your father is only thirty-six years old and has no concubine, but your mother doesn¡¯t allow him to take a concubine and refuses him when he wants to enter her courtyard. ¡°There are a lot of women in Chang¡¯an who want to marry your father. Tell your mother not to put on airs anymore and not to give those little b*tches a chance.¡± ¡°Sister-in-law, why are you talking about this matter with Jinniang? She¡¯s still a child.¡± The Duchess was displeased. Mrs. Zheng said, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Just because you already have had a son doesn¡¯t mean that your position is secure! ¡°Now that you are having a cold war with the Duke, those little sluts will take advantage of it! ¡° Qiao Jinniang looked at Mrs. Zheng. She didn¡¯t see any kindness of her mother in this woman¡¯s eyes. There were only calculations in her eyes. ¡°Besides, Jinniang is not young. She is already a mother. It is time for her to know about these things. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be reconciled with your husband, he won¡¯t be willing to help your nephew. ¡°Your brother only has this son! Do you have the heart to see him suffer?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want to listen to this and was about to leave¡­ Then she heard Mrs. Zheng suddenly said with an inexplicable confidence that was very similar to Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s. ¡°I heard Jinniang can¡¯t find a husband, right? Didn¡¯t you want Jinniang to marry my son last time? ¡°If Bo¡¯er can return to Chang¡¯an unscathed this time, I will agree to Jinniang marrying my Bo¡¯er, and I won¡¯t mind her past.¡± Qiao Jinniang was confused. Who is this ¡°Bo¡¯er¡±? She went out every day these past few days because her father tried to fix her and Xu Mingwei up. From what he said after he saved Qiao Ruofeng, she knew that Xu Mingwei was a good man. But she didn¡¯t want to marry far away. When did her mother decide to marry her to this ¡°Bo¡¯er¡±? She never heard this from her mother. The Duchess angrily smashed the teacup to the ground and said, ¡°Just because I¡¯m polite to you doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a pushover, Sister-in-law! ¡°Zheng Bo was involved in selling illicit salt. This is a case personally handled by the Crown Prince in person. How can the Duke save him? ¡°The Duke has been helping the Zheng Family enough over the years. It¡¯s not that the Duke is unwilling to save Zheng Bo but he can¡¯t! ¡°He told me that since Zheng Bo was not the principal offender, he will at most lose his office or his title of nobility.¡± Madam Zheng said angrily, ¡°No, Bo¡¯er can¡¯t lose his office or his nobility title!¡± The Duchess said coldly, ¡°This case is handled by the Crown Prince himself, and it¡¯s about the foundation of the country. I heard that two men have already been decapitated. ¡°Zheng Bo should be thankful that he wasn¡¯t the principal offender. ¡°I heard that some people even tried to assassinate the Crown Prince in the Shu Region. If it weren¡¯t for Xie Yun who had blocked the knife for the Crown Prince¡­ ¡°His Majesty is already furious about this matter. Everyone in the royal court who is implicated in the matter is scared. Do you want to implicate the Duke Mansion into this matter?¡± Qiao Jinniang was shocked. The jerk and Xie Yun were almost assassinated? Although she would curse Lu Chen to die every day, she actually never wanted him to die. If he died, what would happen to Tuan¡¯er? Mrs. Zheng said, ¡°You can turn to Ruoshui for help. Ruoshui has married Prince Mediocre and Bo¡¯er is her brother¡­ no, cousin! Can¡¯t she help Bo¡¯er?¡± Mrs. Qiao glared at Mrs. Zheng. ¡°Sister-in-law, don¡¯t say anymore. I will help the Zheng Family if I can, but I can¡¯t help Zheng Bo this time!¡± Madam Zheng stood up angrily and said, ¡°Are you still angry that I didn¡¯t allow Jinniang to marry Bo¡¯er? ¡°But think about it, although Jinniang was born by you, she was brought up by slaves! ¡°How can this kind of stuff be my daughter-in-law?¡± The Duchess said angrily, ¡°Sister-in-law, wake up. Do you think the Zheng Family is still the same family before my grandparents died? ¡°Twenty years have passed, the Duke Dingbei Mansion has now become an insignificant family in Chang¡¯an! ¡°I proposed to my mother that I wanted to marry Jinniang off to Zheng Bo just because I thought that since Zheng Family is my natal family, they would treat Jinniang well. ¡°But after the Duke found out that Zheng Bo had taken ten concubines in the Shu Region, I immediately gave up the idea.¡± Mrs. Zheng sarcastically said, ¡°Oh, did you forget you¡¯re from the Zheng Family? Now that you¡¯ve become Duchess Anyuan, you look down on your own family? ¡°But no matter how much the Zheng Family has declined, Qiao Jinniang, this abandoned village woman who has already given birth to a child, isn¡¯t worthy of becoming my daughter-in-law! ¡° The Duchess was so angry that her hands trembled. Even Duchess Dingbei was like this. No wonder Duke Dingbei Mansion was declining day by day. Qiao Jinniang was puzzled. The first two times she saw Mrs. Zheng, she was very polite and courteous. But today she found that Mrs. Zheng¡¯s rude yet inexplicable confident demeanor was exactly the same as Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s! After Mrs. Zheng left, the Duchess said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Don¡¯t take her words seriously. She is such a snob. She was so rude just now because we refused to help her. If we are still useful to her, she will even be willing to kneel and kowtow to us.¡± Jinniang asked, ¡°Mother, was His Royal Highness assassinated?¡± The duchess nodded and said, ¡°Yes, but the Crown Prince is fine, but Xie Yun, who blocked the knife for him, is dying.¡± Qiao Jinniang was worried about Xie Yun. Although Xie Yun lied to her about his sex, he was very kind to her. Hearing that he was seriously injured, she hurriedly wrote a letter asking about Xie Yun¡¯s situation and sent it to the Shu Region. ¡­ The Shu Region had been raining for several days. In the palace, Lin Mo took the letter that was sent from Chang¡¯an and handed it to Lu Chen. ¡°Your Royal Highness, it¡¯s Qiao Jinniang¡¯s letter.¡± Lu Chen raised his head and took the letter from Lin Mo with a smile. The news of him being almost assassinated had spread to Chang¡¯an. This letter must be for him¡­ ¡°Miss Xie, thank you for reading the letter. ¡°I heard that you blocked the knife for that jerk and your life is now in danger? It¡¯s really not worth it. How are you doing now? ¡°I have sent you a thousand-year-old ginseng and Tianshan Snow Lotus. ¡°Hope you get better soon. Take care.¡± Lu Chen clenched the letter in his hand. Lin Mo leaned forward to take a look and jested, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Qiao¡¯s handwriting to be quite good¡­ Xie Yun would be happy to see this letter.¡± Lu Chen put the letter above the candle and burned it into ashes: ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you wait! I¡¯ll fix you when I return to Chang¡¯an!¡± Lin Mo heard Lu Chen¡¯s murmurs and thought to himself, ¡®It¡¯s uncertain who will fix whom.¡¯ Since Qiao Jinniang dared to write such a letter, she was definitely not afraid of Lu Chen. Lu Chen didn¡¯t look like a Crown Prince at all in front of Qiao Jinniang. If he was as resolute and awe-inspiring as he was in Shu in front of Qiao Jinniang, she would have been dealt with long ago.. Chapter 72 - Tuaner Gets Sick Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations As August approached, autumn rain fell, dissipating the heat in Chang¡¯an. There were several major events in Chang¡¯an in August. The first was the Imperial Examination in early August, and the second was the third-year-old birthday banquet for the little imperial grandson. His Majesty intended to give the little imperial grandson a name. Although the matter of illicit salt had not yet been solved, Chang¡¯an became lively again with the coming of the Imperial Examination. Before the Imperial Examination, Qiao Jinniang received a letter from Li Yun, asking her to meet in the Tasty Pavilion. Qiao Jinniang went to the Tasty Pavilion to see him. The restaurant had been full of imperial examinees recently, all inquiring about the test questions and discussing literary topics. ¡°I heard that this time, the Crown Prince will be responsible for setting the test questions. I think there will be some test questions about the illicit salt trafficking.¡± ¡°Brother Wu, it makes sense.¡± Qiao Jinniang went to the private room. Li Yun smiled when he saw her. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to see me anymore.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Although our marriage contract was canceled, we¡¯re still relatives. How can we pretend to be strangers? ¡°This is the pastry I prepared for you, Cousin. You¡¯ll take the Imperial Examination the day after tomorrow. Since it¡¯s getting cooler, food cannot be preserved for too long. ¡°But this pastry can be stored for ten days or even half a month. You can take it to the examination venue. When you¡¯re hungry during the examination, you can eat it to appease your hunger.¡± The Imperial Examination would take three days. Although food would be provided three times a day in the examination venue, the food portions were small, and some people might not be used to the food. If they were hungry before dinner time, it would inevitably affect their performance. Li Yun bowed his hands and thanked, ¡°Thank you, Cousin. If I can pass the Imperial Examination, will we still have a chance¡­ ¡°I have already driven Ruyu away. You can rest assured that I¡¯ll never take any concubine.¡± Qiao Jinniang bowed her head and said, ¡°My marriage will be up to my parents.¡± An anxious voice came from outside the door. ¡°Alas, Jinniang, why are you here? Come, follow me to the East Palace. ¡°It suddenly became cold, and Tuan¡¯er got a cold yesterday and is now suffering from a high fever.¡± Hearing Princess Fulu¡¯s words, Qiao Jinniang hurriedly said goodbye to Li Yun and followed Fulu to the East Palace. With Fulu and the secret guards who Lu Chen assigned to her around, Qiao Jinniang directly entered Tuan¡¯er¡¯s palace without being stopped. Tuan¡¯er¡¯s maids knew Qiao Jinniang¡¯s identity. After saluting Qiao Jinniang, she gave her the position by the bed. Qiao Jinniang hurried over and picked up the crying Tuan¡¯er. As soon as she picked him up, she felt that he was as hot as a small stove. ¡°Tuan¡¯er.¡± ¡°Mommy.¡± With tears in his eyes, Tuan¡¯er put his hands around Qiao Jinniang¡¯s neck. ¡°I feel so uncomfortable, so painful.¡± Qiao Jinniang touched Tuan¡¯er¡¯s head. With such a high fever, of course he felt uncomfortable. ¡°Where¡¯s the imperial doctor?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked the maid. The maid saluted and said, ¡°The imperial doctor has already come to examine His Highness and has prescribed the medicine, but His Highness refuses to drink it because it¡¯s too bitter¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Bring the medicine over.¡± It was easy for children to catch colds and get sick. Tuan¡¯er would become very clingy to her whenever he would be sick. At that point, no one could make him drink medicine except for Qiao Jinniang, not even Lu Chen could make him. Tuan¡¯er leaned on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t go. I won¡¯t drink the medicine unless you sleep with me.¡± Qiao Jinniang took a spoon from the maid and said with tearful eyes. ¡°Okay, Mommy will sleep with Tuan¡¯er today. Drink the medicine, okay?¡± ¡°Bitter.¡± Tuan¡¯er pouted. ¡°I want to eat candy.¡± Qiao Jinniang wiped his little runny nose with a handkerchief. ¡°Mommy will make you a sugar figurine after you recover.¡± ¡°I want it now.¡± ¡°Drink the medicine first.¡± Qiao Jinniang put the medicine close to Tuan¡¯er¡¯s mouth. She hadn¡¯t seen Tuan¡¯er for a few days, but he could already spoke much more fluently. Tuan¡¯er closed his eyes and drank the medicine, then frowned in a very exaggerated way. ¡°I¡¯ve already taken my medicine. Now I want a sugar figurine.¡± Fulu tittered. ¡°Tuan¡¯er is so cute.¡± Seeing that there was still a lot of medicine left, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You have to finish it.¡± The little rice ball drooped his head, simply took the medicine bowl and emptied it. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve finished it. Now I want the sugar figurine and Mommy has to accompany me.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered the servants to bring a stove and a pot over and began to boil sugar with Tuan¡¯er. Fulu said, ¡°Jinniang, you can even make sugar figurines? You¡¯re awesome! ¡°Your carving is already so exquisite. The sugar figurines you make must be very beautiful. Make one for me first.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. She then smeared a layer of oil on the empty plate and drew with the boiled syrup on the plate. ¡°Huh? Jinniang, why did you draw such an ugly person?¡± Qiao Jinniang was a little ashamed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to draw, so the sugar figurines I made are generally not good-looking, sorry!¡± Fulu: ¡°¡­¡± As night drew near, Fulu could not stay in the East Palace any longer, but Qiao Jinniang was in a dilemma. Tuan¡¯er had just drunk the medicine again and fell asleep in her arms, but as long as she moved slightly, he would wake up. He clutched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sleeve with tears in his eyes, not letting Qiao Jinniang leave. Although the fever had subsided, Tuan¡¯er¡¯s little face and nose were still red. Occasionally, he would cough, looking very weak. No matter how ruthless Qiao Jinniang was, she couldn¡¯t bear to leave at this time. A maid walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. I¡¯ve made proper arrangements. Princess Fulu will send you back to the Duke Mansion tomorrow, so please stay in the East Palace today. Can you leave when the little highness is better?¡± ¡°The little highness cried ¡®Mommy¡¯ all night yesterday. He looked so pitiful.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. Since Lu Chen was not in the East Palace, she could stay here for a night. After taking care of the little rice ball for a day, Qiao Jinniang was very tired. There was no telling if she caught a cold yesterday too or was infected by the little rice ball. She felt a little drowsy¡­ ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t mind, please wear my new clothes tomorrow.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Thank you very much then.¡± Qiao Jinniang held Tuan¡¯er and hurriedly groomed with the help of the maids. Then she lay down beside Tuan¡¯er and fell asleep. ¡­ Outside the gate of Chang¡¯an, a group of people were riding back as fast as they could. Lu Chen ordered Zhou Siming to arrange for soldiers to surround the Right Prime Minister¡¯s mansion, while he went to the Imperial Palace to see the Emperor. When he arrived at the Imperial Palace, he went straight to the Queen¡¯s palace. Seeing him, Eunuch Quan said with an embarrassed expression, ¡°Your Royal Highness, you can¡¯t go in! His Majesty and Her Majesty have already slept.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Eunuch Quan, I have something important to report.¡± Eunuch Quan¡¯s face blushed slightly red and asked, ¡°Does Your Royal Highness want to copy out the Historical Records ten times more?¡± Hearing this, Lu Chen blushed too. When he was a child, every time he made a scene and wanted to see his mother at night, he would be punished by his father to copy the Historical Records ten times. It was not until he accidentally broke into Lin Mo¡¯s room and caught him and a woman on bed when he was sixteen did he understand why his father punished him. For god¡¯s sake, his father was no longer young. Did he want to give him a younger brother or a younger sister? Lu Chen said to Eunuch Quan, ¡°Please tell my father that the Governor of Shu has confessed that the person behind the illicit salt trafficking is the grandfather of Prince Lu, Right Prime Minister Zhou. ¡°I¡¯ve already had soldiers surround the Right Prime Minister and Prince Lu¡¯s mansions.¡± Eunuch Quan broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness. By the way, the little imperial grandson got a cold last night.¡± Lu Chen frowned and went straight back to the East Palace.. After the exhausting journey, he wanted to take a good shower¡­ Chapter 73 - See No Evil Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After washing up, Lu Chen changed and went to Tuan¡¯er¡¯s palace. As soon as he entered, he smelled a strong and pungent medicinal smell. The little rice ball had never drunk medicine obediently, so he didn¡¯t know how he was doing. Lu Chen walked to the bed, and under the faint candlelight, he could clearly see the woman lying next to Tuan¡¯er, the woman who made him angry for half a month¡­ Her skin was still so fair and tender. Lu Chen¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and he went over and gently tucked Qiao Jinniang in. His hand inadvertently touched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face and felt that it was very hot. He gently placed the back of his hand on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s forehead and found it was very hot. ¡°Jinniang? Jinniang?¡± Qiao Jinniang was woken up by his voice and felt a severe headache. Blushing red, she raised her hand and slapped Lu Chen in the face. ¡°B*stard, A*shole, why do you even appear in my dreams?!¡± Jinniang¡¯s voice was hoarse and sleepy. Lu Chen took a deep breath. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s present appearance reminded him of the look when she was in bed with him. Perhaps because she was too tired, she slapped him as if she was messing with him. Lu Chen ordered the servants who rushed over. ¡°Go concoct some medicine for typhoid fever.¡± The servants hurriedly went down to concoct the medicine. Qiao Jinniang whispered vaguely, ¡°B*stard¡­ don¡¯t feign kindness.¡± Lu Chen was so angry that he laughed. ¡°How do you still have the strength to scold me?¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the medicine to be made, and Lu Chen took over the medicine bowl. After ordering all the servants and maids to leave, he carefully fed the medicine to Qiao Jinniang. It was much more difficult to feed medicine to Qiao Jinniang than to feed Tuan¡¯er. As long as Jinniang was around, Tuan¡¯er would drink medicine obediently. However, Qiao Jinniang was being too squeamish. She had to eat sugar every mouthful of medicine, and the sugar had to be maltose¡­ Qiao Jinniang woke up, and the bitter medicine was stuffed into her mouth. She suddenly felt an extremely bitter taste in her mouth. ¡°Bitter!¡± She looked back only to see Lu Chen. She frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°This is the East Palace. Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No matter how bitter the medicine is, you have to drink it. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid your brain will burn out.¡± Qiao Jinniang retorted, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want? Then no one will scold you!¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t argue with Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Since you¡¯re sick, don¡¯t sulk with me and delay treatment. Just drink the medicine.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt hot all over and wanted to drink the medicine, but the medicine was too bitter. ¡°Maltose.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Where can I find maltose at this time?¡± ¡°I just made a sugar figurine in the afternoon and didn¡¯t finish it.¡± Qiao Jinniang pointed to the table. Lu Chen looked over and saw that there were two strings of sugar figurines inserted into the sewing kit pad on the table. He took them and handed them to Qiao Jinniang. No matter how much Qiao Jinniang hated Lu Chen, she wouldn¡¯t torture herself. After eating some maltose, Qiao Jinniang wanted to empty the medicine bowl in one go like Tuan¡¯er. But after taking only two sips, she couldn¡¯t bear the bitter taste anymore. She coughed and accidentally knocked over the medicine bowl, and the medicine spilled and wet her neckline¡­ Qiao Jinniang hurriedly took off her shirt, revealing a large area of snow-white skin. When Lu Chen saw this scene, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly, and the candles beside the bed were reflected in his eyes¡­ Noticing that Lu Chen was staring at her chest, Qiao Jinniang snapped, ¡°You beast, pervert, don¡¯t you understand ¡®see no evil¡¯?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You and I are husband and wife. Does this have anything to do with ¡®see no evil¡¯? Besides, I have not only seen your chest, but also¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face turned red with anger. ¡°Bah, I¡¯m not your wife! You¡¯ve divorced me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The person who went to the South to investigate the divorce letter should be coming back soon.¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered coldly. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t divorce me, then I¡¯ll divorce you!¡± Lu Chen heard one of his subordinates calling him from outside, and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll have the maids make another bowl of medicine. Drink it obediently, okay? Don¡¯t wait for me to come back. You can sleep first. Don¡¯t say those foolish things about divorcing me again.¡± With that, Lu Chen kissed Qiao Jinniang gently in the corner of her lips. When Qiao Jinniang realized what the jerk had done to her, he had already gone far away¡­ She was left here, sulking. She didn¡¯t want to wait for him! And she didn¡¯t allow him to kiss her! ¡­ Early the next morning, Qiao Jinniang played with Tuan¡¯er for a while after he woke up and then went out of the East Palace in the clothes of the same style as hers given from the maid. When Qiao Jinniang went back to the Duke Mansion, she saw noticed that the main street was full of soldiers armed to the teeth. They surrounded the huge mansion of the Right Prime Minister. It was the first time that Qiao Jinniang had seen this many soldiers, and the first time she had seen such a horrible scene¡­ Just when she was about to put down the curtain of the carriage, she saw Lu Chen sitting at the entrance of the Right Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion. Lu Chen held a teacup in his hand, and a lot of people were on their knees in front of him. The person at the front was the Right Prime Minister¡¯s wife who had been flattered by everyone during the Yu Lan Festival at Yuanxi Temple a few days ago. On both sides of her were her beautiful daughters, who complacently showed their delicate hair accessories at the banquet not long ago. But now they were on their knees with their hair disheveled and without the bearing of noble ladies. ¡°Your Royal Highness, spare us! We really don¡¯t know anything about this matter.¡± Seventh Miss of the Jian Family stood up and said loudly, ¡°Your Royal Highness, His Majesty hasn¡¯t convicted us yet, and you are only the Crown Prince. How do you have the right to search our house and confiscate our property?¡± A eunuch on the side scolded, ¡°How dare you! Come on, teach Miss Jian how she should speak to His Royal Highness!¡± Then Qiao Jinniang saw a few burly men go over and kicked Miss Jian on the knee. After Miss Jian was forced to kneel down, she was slapped hard by the eunuch. ¡°Humph, do you think Your Royal Highness is someone you can offend?¡± In the carriage, Nuomi who came to the East Palace to pick up Qiao Jinniang saw this scene and took a deep breath. ¡°Miss, Miss Jian was tortured like this just for being a little rude to the Crown Prince, but we call the Crown Prince ¡°Jerk¡± every day. Will we be¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her handkerchief and asked, ¡°Did I scold him? Did you hear that?¡± Nuomi hurriedly shook her head. ¡°Miss is the kindest person in the world and never scolds anyone.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Good, remember, I didn¡¯t scold him, neither did you.¡± Just as Qiao Jinniang¡¯s carriage drove away, the Right Prime Minister¡¯s wife kept kowtowing. ¡°Your Royal Highness, this matter has nothing to do with my daughter. I will confess, I will confess all. Please forgive my daughter, Your Royal Highness!¡± Lu Chen raised his hand to stop the eunuch. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡­ When Qiao Jinniang returned to the Duke Mansion, she lay down. She had only been in Chang¡¯an for four months but had already been sick twice. The Duchess was so worried about her that she invited an imperial physician to treat Jinniang and went to the Buddhist hall to pray to Buddha. In the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang was a bit ashamed to say that she wanted maltose while drinking medicine, and she felt so bored lying in bed all day long. Qiao Ruoyi came over and told her about a lot of recent news that was bubbling in the royal court. ¡°I only heard about confiscating a family¡¯s property and exterminating the entire family, but I¡¯ve never seen one with my own eyes.¡± Hongling said from the side. ¡°My dear Fifth Miss, don¡¯t scare our miss. She¡¯s still sick.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It just so happens that I¡¯m bored right now and I can¡¯t read the novels.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Yuyan came over with a wooden box. ¡°Miss, Princess Fu¡¯an sent you a few novels, saying that they are the most popular recently in Chang¡¯an¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted softly. Lu Chen always didn¡¯t want her to read novels. Why did he send her these novels now? She almost blurted out ¡°jerk¡± but suddenly remembered the scene when Miss Jian was being slapped last morning. She shivered and shut up. Qiao Jinniang ordered Hongling to put the novels aside and asked Qiao Ruoyi, ¡°Do you know what the charges of Cousin Zheng are?¡± Chapter 74 - Old Madam Zheng Proposed Marriage Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Ruoyi replied. ¡°I heard that the title of Duke Dingbei was reduced to Earl Dingbei and Cousin Zheng Bo has no hope of becoming an official in this life, even his title has been withdrawn. ¡°From now on, Uncle is Earl Dingbei, and if he dies, the Zheng Family will have no nobility title.¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a low voice, ¡°Mother must be sad. I¡¯m sorry to make her worry about me at such a difficult time.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Zheng Bo should thank God for being able to survive this time. ¡°How many people involved in the illicit salt trafficking have already been killed this time? ¡°They embezzled the taxes of the imperial court and squeezed the workers in the salt wells, causing so many people to die in the salt wells. ¡°They killed the whole families of all the officials who refused to be complicit in the illicit salt deals. ¡°The involved local officials shielded one another and the Right Prime Minister and Prince Lu protected them in the imperial court. No, to be exact, it is not Prince Lu, but Prince Mediocre.¡± Qiao Ruoyi talked about political affairs with great interest. ¡°The Right Prime Minister has long since pledged allegiance to Prince Mediocre. ¡°When the Crown Prince was missing, the Right Prime Minister was the one who kept demanding His Majesty to appoint a new crown prince.¡± ¡°Everyone thought he was doing this for his grandson, but Prince Lu had no hope of becoming the Crown Prince. ¡°At that time, the likeliest candidate for the crown prince was Prince Mediocre. ¡°According to the ledger for illicit salt deals found in the mansion of the Right Prime Minister, a large amount of money was transferred away, and the Right Prime Minister confessed that he gave the money to Prince Lu, but none of the money was not found in the mansion of Prince Lu¡­ ¡°On the other hand, Prince Mediocre was spending money like water to recruit talents. ¡°It is clear who received the money, but the Right Prime Minister is still trying to cover for Prince Mediocre. ¡°And Prince Lu was stupid too. In order to save his grandfather, he even admitted that he was behind all these matters and helped his grandfather manipulate the Ministry of Revenue. ¡°But everyone knew those people in the Ministry of Revenue are inextricably linked with Prince Mediocre. ¡° Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°What a pity. If you¡¯re a man, you¡¯ll definitely be able to win first place in the Imperial Examination.¡± Qiao Ruoyi lowered her head and said, ¡°Sister, women can take it too, but I don¡¯t dare to take it. Plus, Father will never allow me to take it.¡± Jinniang asked curiously, ¡°Why not?¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Although there were many female officials in the Tang Dynasty, most of them have entered the harem. ¡°There are very few women still serving in the court, and our family is already powerful and doesn¡¯t need me to be a female official¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°That¡¯s true. Just look at what happened to the Right Prime Minister¡¯s family¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi was afraid that Qiao Jinniang would be too worried, so she said, ¡°Sister, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. We have the Absolution Token, which can save us from death penalty to some extent. ¡°Thanks to our ancestors, we¡¯re safe as long as we don¡¯t rebel. It doesn¡¯t matter how many times you scold the Crown Prince. If he wants to punish you, show him the Absolution Token.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± How could such a precious Absolution Token be wasted for scolding Lu Chen? It was not worth it. ¡°Then if I kill the Crown Prince, can the Absolution Token save me from death?¡± Qiao Ruoyi shivered. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t try it, OK?¡± Jinniang said, ¡°According to the novels I read, the Absolution Token is rewarded to founders of a country. It¡¯s really not worth using it on Lu Chen.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Exactly, our ancestors founded this country with the founding emperor. ¡°And our great-grandfather and grandfather also died guarding the border. When they died, Father was only 16 years old and was bullied by others. ¡°Only the old Duke Dingyuan helped him with all his might, and even married his granddaughter, Mother, who was brought up by him personally to Father.¡± Qiao Jinniang was angry when she heard this. ¡°So Father failed Mother, didn¡¯t he? Mother married him at the height of his difficulties but he indulged in his concubine and lost me!¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°It¡¯s more than that. When Mother gave birth to Brother and Qiao Ruoshui, she was so irritated by that woman that she returned to her parents¡¯ home. ¡°I heard from my mom that one of Mother¡¯s children was almost suffocated during childbirth, and Mother almost died¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°So Brother Lv and Qiao Ruoshui are twins? But they don¡¯t look alike at all. I always thought Brother Lu was a year younger than Qiao Ruoshui.¡± ¡°They¡¯re twins. When they were born, many people were envious of Mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Why did Mother forgive Father at that time?¡± Qiao Ruoyi sighed. ¡°At that time, Old Duke Zheng and his wife, who brought up Mother, had just passed away. ¡°And Mother¡¯s mother never liked her, and at that time, the Zheng Family was declining and was relying on Father. Without any support, Mother dared not divorce Father.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°It turns out that Mother had such a hard life.¡± While the two were talking, Yuyan came in and said, ¡°Miss, Fifth Miss, Madam asks you to see Old Madam Zheng in the hall.¡± Qiao Ruoyi supported Jinniang and said, ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go.¡± In the hall. Old Madam Zheng angrily said to the Duchess, ¡°Xiao¡¯er, Cheng¡¯er is my only grandson! ¡°What can he do if he loses both his nobility title and official position? Come on, beg the Duke to help him. The Duke is very trusted by His Majesty¡­¡± The Duchess said helplessly, ¡°Mother, the Duke has done his best on this matter.¡± Old Madam Zheng said, ¡°You refuse to help because you think the Zheng Family is useless to you, right? ¡°If Duke Anyuan hadn¡¯t married you back then, how could the Qiao Family be so prosperous today?!¡± Before Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi could go inside, they heard what Old Madam Zheng said. The Duchess¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. ¡°Mother, what are you talking about? How much have I done for the Zheng Family over all these years?¡± Old Madam Zheng slapped the table angrily and said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t look down on the Zheng family, then marry Jinniang to Zheng Bo! ¡°And the Tasty Pavilion should be given to the Zheng family as a dowry! At that time, we will see if the Duke will help his son-in-law!¡± The Duchess said, ¡°No, Mother, Jinniang is my life. Zheng Bo has so many concubines and children¡­ ¡°Jinniang doesn¡¯t want her husband to have any concubines.¡± Old Madam Zheng threatened the Duchess. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to marry Zheng Bo? Does she still want to be Consort Mediocre? ¡°If people in Chang¡¯an know that Qiao Jinniang had once married an ugly man in Lin¡¯an and was abandoned by him, wouldn¡¯t she be laughed to death? ¡°You should be grateful that Bo¡¯er doesn¡¯t despise this merchant cousin and is willing to accept her for the sake of you.¡± The Duchess could scold Mrs. Zheng but not Old Madam Zheng. ¡°Mother, we would rather raise Jinniang for her lifetime than let her marry an unsuitable man.¡± Old Madam Zheng said, ¡°What do you mean by unsuitable? Isn¡¯t Bo¡¯er an excellent young man?¡± Qiao Ruoyi took Qiao Jinniang aside and said, ¡°Sister, you have to be careful with Grandmother. Now that the Zheng family has declined, they will do anything to get what they want. ¡°They want you to marry Zheng Bo, because you are a county mistress and because of Father and the Tasty Pavilion.¡± Once the illicit salt case was over, the business of Tasty Pavilion became better and better. Someone once calculated that Tasty Pavilion had nearly a thousand taels of income per day. It was literally a cash cow, so some people coveted it. After Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi entered, they saluted Old Madam Zheng. Old Madam Zheng ordered Qiao Ruoyi to serve her and looked at Qiao Jinniang arrogantly and said, ¡°Jinniang, I know you want to marry your Cousin Zheng. Now I give you my consent.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± She wanted to marry Cousin Zheng? Why didn¡¯t she know it herself? Chapter 75 - Qiao Ruoshuis Oral Decree Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Old Madam Zheng took the tea cup and gently skimmed off the foam with the lid. ¡°But you had once been married after all, so we will not give you any betrothal gifts, but your dowry is indispensable. ¡°The dowry must be based on the standard for a Duke¡¯s daughter. After all, Bo¡¯er was a fourth-rank prefect in Shu. ¡°And you have also lost your virginity, so you¡¯ll have to abide by the Virtues of Women after marrying him.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said weakly, ¡°His Majesty has annulled the so-called the Virtues of Women. Now it¡¯s normal for women to divorce and remarry.¡± Old Madam Zheng snapped, ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m talking to your sister! What makes you think you, a concubine-born girl, can interrupt us? ¡°Your mother is too good-tempered, but I will not allow a concubine-born daughter to enjoy the same status as a biological daughter.¡± Qiao Ruoyi replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Old Madam Zheng ran the Buddha beads through her fingers and said, ¡°Where were we? Yes, you must abide by the Virtues of Women. After you marry Bo¡¯er, you can¡¯t leave the house, can¡¯t see any strange man, and can¡¯t talk with any man except your husband. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t know if you can still give birth to children. If you don¡¯t give birth to a child within a year, you¡¯ll have to recognize the eldest son of Bo¡¯er as your own son!¡± Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t believe that this mean old woman was her maternal grandmother! But somehow she felt that Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s bearing was very similar to this old woman¡¯s. So it seemed that she was indeed her maternal grandmother. The Duchess couldn¡¯t listen anymore. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t daydream. Jinniang would rather marry His Royal Highness as the lowest-rank concubine than marry Zheng Bo.¡± Old Madam Zheng laughed. ¡°Her? Marry His Royal Highness?¡± Qiao Jinniang lowered her head. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to marry Cousin Zheng, nor will I marry His Royal Highness.¡± Old Madam Zheng said, ¡°Phew, don¡¯t you feel ashamed to say this? I know you¡¯re jealous of your sister, but just because your sister can become the concubine of Prince Mediocre doesn¡¯t mean you can marry into the East Palace¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°I have never been jealous of anyone. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not feeling well, so I will take my leave so as not to infect Old Madam Zheng.¡± Old Madam Zheng slapped the table again and roared, ¡°I am your grandmother! How did you call me?! Where are your manners? Our country values filial piety. How dare you be so unfilial to me?¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Mother, Jinniang is suffering from a cold. She just doesn¡¯t want to infect you. Don¡¯t be angry. Jinniang, go back first.¡± Hearing the Duchess¡¯s words, Qiao Jinniang saluted and left. Qiao Ruoyi followed her and said, ¡°Sister, it seems that Grandmother won¡¯t give up. What are you going to do?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be disappointed.¡± Old Madam Zheng was only her maternal grandmother. Her paternal grandmother was still alive, so she didn¡¯t need to abide by the marriage contract Old Madam Zheng made. Back in the Jin Garden, autumn rain fell again. Qiao Jinniang lay on the couch and listened to the sound of autumn rain outside. She picked up a novel sent by Lu Chen today and began to read it. It was getting dark, so Qiao Jinniang could only read by the candlelight. As she read, her face was getting redder and redder¡­ What that jerk sent turned out to be a book full of porn poems that had been banned in the market. There were even erotic paintings in this book. Hearing the footsteps of the maids, Qiao Jinniang hurriedly closed the book. ¡°You can leave now.¡± Nuomi looked at Jinniang who looked very nervous and said, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t read so late into the night. You¡¯re still ill. It¡¯s not good for your eyes to stay up all night reading.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. You can leave now.¡± After all the maids left, Qiao Jinniang surreptitiously took out the book with her heart beating like a drum. ¡­ It was already dark. Lu Chen returned from the Imperial Examination Place Hall to the Hall of Diligent Governance and said to the Emperor, ¡°Father, during the Imperial Examination, there are some examinees who have diarrhea. After the imperial doctor investigated, he said that the food sent by Prince Mediocre was not clean.¡± Emperor Huilin who was processing memorials paused. ¡°Alas, why is he so stupid? ¡°Knowing that this Imperial Examination was held for you, his undisguised dirty trick will only damage his reputation among civil officials.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Prince Mediocre¡¯s original intention was to win over these examinees by giving him food in the examination venue. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the restaurant he ordered food from was not doing well, so they used rotten meat and vegetables in the food.¡± Emperor Huilin: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen continued. ¡°There are still two days left, but many promising examinees from Qingming Academy are suffering from serious diarrhea, which will definitely affect their grades.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°They¡¯re really unlucky. There will be another imperial examination in the spring of next year. Just be it so. There is no need to re-hold this Imperial Examination.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± When Lu Chen went back to the East Palace, Junior Duke Rong hurriedly came up to him and said, ¡°Seventh Brother, didn¡¯t you ask me to buy some novels for girls to read? ¡°My servant didn¡¯t know the books were bought for you, so all he bought were erotic books that had been banned in the market. Are the books still here? ¡°Come on, show them to me. Each book cost me 10 taels of silver! They¡¯re already not for sale in the market.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°Seventh Brother, you can¡¯t hide them! Those are some good stuffs. I heard that the paintings in the books are very realistic. ¡°The men in the paintings were modeled after the most famous gigolo in Chang¡¯an, Mr. Qinghe¡­¡± Lu Chen glared at Junior Duke Rong. ¡°How many of these books are still for sale in Chang¡¯an? Find them all.¡± Junior Duke Rong didn¡¯t know what was going on and blankly blinked at Lu Chen. ¡°Oh, Seventh Brother, I didn¡¯t expect you to be this kind of a person.¡± Lu Chen immediately said, ¡°Burn them all!¡± Junior Duke Rong touched his nose. This was typical of his seventh brother! He still remembered before Lu Chen went missing, he didn¡¯t know about anything about sex. Back then he and Lin Mo always laughed at him for this¡­ Even the imperial maid who was arranged to teach him about sex was mistaken as an assassin and thrown out by him. Even with a child, he still hadn¡¯t made much progress in this aspect. ¡­ Jinniang didn¡¯t recover from her illness until the day the result of the Imperial Examination was released. On this day, Old Madam Zheng and Mrs. Zheng came to the Duke Mansion again, and Old Madam Qiao called Qiao Jinniang over. When she went in, she saw Old Madam Qiao looking very angry. Old Madam Zheng said, ¡°Mrs. Qiao, it¡¯s for the sake of our kinship that we are willing to accept Jinniang. Besides, Consort Qiao has issued an oral decree.¡± Qiao Jinniang was puzzled, and Qiao Ruoyi whispered in her ear, ¡°According to the law, a prince¡¯s concubine can give an oral decree. Qiao Ruoshui has sent you an oral decree, ordering you to marry Cousin Zheng Bo.¡± Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s mammy who came to issue the oral decree said arrogantly, ¡°Her Highness hereby issued an order that Second Miss shall marry the son of the Zheng Family, Zheng Bo.. If you reject, it¡¯ll be taken as insulting Prince Mediocre!¡± Chapter 76 - Only When A Broken Mirror Joins Together Will I Forgive You Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Old Madam Qiao slapped the table angrily and said, ¡°She¡¯s really a good daughter of her father! How could she bully her own sister like this?! ¡°She is just a prince¡¯s concubine, while Jinniang is a county mistress. They¡¯re of the same rank. How can she issue a decree to Jinniang? What a joke! ¡° Qiao Jinniang walked up to Old Madam Qiao and said, ¡°Grandma, calm down. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Old Madam Zheng said, ¡°Old Madam Qiao, it¡¯s fine that you don¡¯t obey Consort Qiao¡¯s decree. ¡°But you can¡¯t ignore Jinniang¡¯s future! ¡°After she broke off with Li Yun, did you see any other man coming to propose to her? ¡°Now outsiders don¡¯t know that Jinniang had once been married and was divorced, but if this matter were to spread out¡­¡± Before she finished, the hurried voice of a little maid came from outside. ¡°Old Madam, Madam, the third son of the Li family, Li Yun won first place in the Imperial Examination. Mrs. Li and Old Madam Li came to tell the good news, and they also brought a matchmaker with them.¡± The exam results had just been released, but there was still a palace exam. Two days later, the final results would be decided after the palace exam, but winning the first place in this exam, Li Yun would have at least obtained the second place position in the palace exam. The Duchess was a little surprised. ¡°Li Yun really got first place? The Duke said that with his talent, he would pass the imperial exam but he might not rank very high.¡± ¡°Hurry up, invite Li Yun over and call Young Master over to get some luck.¡± The Duchess smiled. Old Madam Zheng said dismissively, ¡°Hadn¡¯t your family already been divided up? Why do you bother to entertain a poor relative of the Duke¡¯s sister-in-law? ¡°Twenty years ago, a child from such a poor family would have no chance of becoming an official without a noble¡¯s recommendation!¡± Annoyed by her words, Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Even if our family has divided up, they are still the Duke¡¯s brother and sister-in-law, so the Li family is still a relative of us!¡± Fortunately, her daughter-in-law wasn¡¯t like Old Madam Zheng, but Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s bearing was very similar to her maternal grandmother¡¯s. Mrs. Li brought the matchmaker over and said, ¡°Old Madam, Duchess, my son passed the imperial examination thanks to County Mistress Jia¡¯an. She is really a lucky star. ¡°Old Madam, Duchess, we were wrong about Ruyu last time. I hope you can forgive us. ¡°I swear with my life that if the County Mistress marries into our family, we will never let her be wronged. ¡°I promise there will be no Ruyu or any other woman. I wonder if you would be willing to talk about their marriage again?¡± Old Madam Zheng really gave the Duchess a headache. She asked Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, this is about your life. No more excuses. Tell me what you think.¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at Li Yun and said, ¡°I think Cousin has known my past. I have no other requirements for my future husband, except that he can¡¯t have any concubines. ¡°If we get married, I will definitely fulfill my duties as a wife¡­¡± Mrs. Li smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ruyu has already left.¡± Old Madam Qiao didn¡¯t have any objection either. She just said, ¡°In this case, we can discuss their marriage again.¡± Seeing that they had decided to discuss this matter again, Old Madam Zheng was anxious. ¡°Do you know that Qiao Jinniang has been married before? Moreover, she had even given birth to a child!¡± Mrs. Li nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s common for divorced women to re-marry in Chang¡¯an. Thanks to Jinniang, my son could pass the imperial examination.¡± Qiao Jinniang was confused. She didn¡¯t seem to do anything to help Li Yun pass the Imperial Examination, right? Old Madam Zheng had nothing to say, so she turned her eyes to Qiao Ruoyi. It was a pity that she was born by a concubine, but she was still the Duke¡¯s daughter, so she could relax her standard a little to let her be Zheng Bo¡¯s concubine. ¡­ Lu Chen had been busy with the illicit salt case and the Imperial Examination these days. When he finally got time to see Qiao Jinniang, he was called by the Emperor to the Hall of Diligent Governance. ¡°Xie Yun saved you with her life. You should take her as your crown princess. ¡°If you chose her as the crown princess, I¡¯ll declare on the Mid-Autumn Festival that Tuan¡¯er will be your heir.¡± Being announced by the Emperor to be Lu Chen¡¯s heir was of great significance. Lu Chen said, ¡°Father, only Jinniang can be my wife.¡± ¡°But she doesn¡¯t want to marry you at all.¡± The Emperor said in a slightly annoyed tone, ¡°You are the Crown Prince! You can have the best woman in the country. Why does it have to be her?¡± Lu Chen said: ¡°Father, you don¡¯t know how good Jinniang is.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so good about her? She¡¯s only a little good at cooking, isn¡¯t she?¡± When Emperor Huilin said it, he began to miss the dishes of the Tasty Pavilion. He decided to have Eunuch Quan go out of the imperial palace and pack some dishes back from the Tasty Pavilion later. Lu Chen said, ¡°Tuan¡¯er is about to be three years old. Please give him a name, Father.¡± Emperor Huilin wrote a few words on the decree. ¡°Pick one.¡± Lu Chen glanced at the words and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you my decision after I discuss it with Jinniang, Father.¡± When Lu Chen went to the Duke Mansion, he saw that betrothal gifts were being sent into the Duke Mansion like flowing water. Who took advantage of his busy days to send betrothal gifts over? The two geese in the betrothal gifts looked like such an eyesore¡­ Lu Chen climbed over the wall and entered the Jin Garden. Entering Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room, she was taking a nap. Her shirt slipped down, revealing her fair shoulders. Lu Chen walked up to her, gazed at her face, and heard the talk of some little maids from outside. ¡°After so many hurdles, Miss is still engaged to Young Master Li.¡± ¡°I think Young Master Li is a good man. Although he got first place in the imperial examination, he still didn¡¯t forget Miss. Many men would have gotten over their heads after passing the Imperial Examination.¡± ¡°Hope they can make it this time.¡± ¡°The road to happiness is strewn with setbacks..¡± Lu Chen was annoyed. ¡°Is Li Yun better than me? After that disgusting matter about Ruyu, you can still forgive him, why can¡¯t you forgive me?¡± Qiao Jinniang was taking a nap, but she suddenly opened her eyes when she heard Lu Chen¡¯s words. ¡°Your Royal Highness, you¡¯re really capable. Now you can even sneak into a girl¡¯s room!¡± Lu Chen approached Qiao Jinniang, but she dodged away in disgust. He said, ¡°Yes, since I¡¯ve sneaked into your room, I can¡¯t be scolded by you for nothing.¡± Qiao Jinniang pulled off a gold hairpin on her head and said to Lu Chen, ¡°I am engaged to be married now. If you dare to touch me, I will die with you!¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°Why do you insist on marrying someone else? Why don¡¯t you give me a chance to make up for it?¡± Jinniang said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t in a hurry, but you should have seen when you came in that someone came to propose to Ruofeng. ¡°As her elder sister, I should find a husband too.¡± Lu Chen sat on the chair. ¡°Jinniang, that divorce letter is fake, and the handwriting is just an imitation of mine. Since the divorce letter is not real, we¡¯re still husband and wife. So you can¡¯t marry another man.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Let me ask you, since we are still husband and wife, then your wife should be the crown princess, but am I?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°If you are willing, I will go back to the imperial palace to ask for an imperial decree right away.¡± Qiao Jinniang put down the golden hairpin and stared at Lu Chen. ¡°Look, it¡¯s so easy for you to ask for this imperial decree. ¡°Then why were you only willing to make me your concubine back then?¡± ¡°I know, you must be thinking that I¡¯m making a fuss just to become the crown princess. ¡°But listen up, I really disdain the position of the crown princess. ¡°Lu Chen, please let me go. I¡¯ll be Li Yun¡¯s wife and you will still be the Crown Prince. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we never disturb each other again?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not nice at all. You¡¯re still my wife. I can wait for you to forgive me, but you are not allowed to marry someone else.¡± Qiao Jinniang got up, walked to the dressing table, and threw a mirror on the ground. The bronze mirror fell to the ground and broke¡­ ¡°Only when a broken mirror joins together will I forgive you..¡± Chapter 77 - Questioning Lu Chen Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The maidservants outside heard the sound of mirror breaking and hurried in. When they saw Lu Chen, they were dumbfounded¡­ Why is His Royal Highness here? Lu Chen glanced at the fragments of the bronze mirror on the ground, frowned and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Tuan¡¯er will be three years old soon. Father has thought of several names for him. Take a look. Which one do you like?¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at the note that Lu Chen took out and thought for a while. ¡°This one, Lu Xi.¡± ¡°Will you come to Tuan¡¯er¡¯s birthday banquet?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yes.¡± Although she didn¡¯t like palace banquets, she wouldn¡¯t miss Tuan¡¯er¡¯s birthday banquet. After Lu Chen left, Qiao Jinniang said to the maids, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone that the Crown Prince came here.¡± Hongling took the lead to respond. ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± After Lu Chen left the Duke Mansion, he went to find Zhou Siming for a drink. Watching Lu Chen finish one bottle of liquor after another, Zhou Siming said to Lu Chen, ¡°Your Royal Highness, the palace exam is tomorrow. If you are drunk, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be inappropriate.¡± ¡°Is Li Yun better than me? But he is such an average-looking and average-talented man!¡± Lu Chen said as he finished another bottle. Zhou Siming said, ¡°If Your Royal Highness wants a woman, just ask His Majesty to issue an imperial decree. Why do you have to torture yourself like this?¡± Lu Chen was slightly drunk and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know her. She is very stubborn. If I force her, she may even kill herself. ¡°You don¡¯t know that she already dared to bring a group of servants to beat a hooligan and almost killed him when she was only fifteen. ¡°When she was six or seven months pregnant, she held the door bolt and fought with the refugees. She is a very tough woman.¡± Zhou Siming: ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t believe that such a violent girl could make his noble cousin so miserable to the extent that he had to drown his sorrows in alcohol. ¡­ The one who came to propose to Qiao Ruofeng was a relative from Old Madam Qiao¡¯s natal family. He came to Chang¡¯an to visit Old Madam during the Mid-Autumn Festival and happened to fall in love with Qiao Ruofeng. He was a merchant, and it was not easy for him to marry a noble girl, so he didn¡¯t care that Qiao Ruofeng had been in prison. As for the matter of Prince Mediocre, Old Madam and Qiao Ruofeng didn¡¯t tell anyone about it, so very few people knew about it. After the Qiao Family was divided up, Qiao Ruofeng and Jinniang were not family anymore. So what Jinniang told Lu Chen was just an excuse. Old Madam Qiao said to the Dhess with a happy smile, ¡°Now two girls of our family have got fianc¨¦s. The next one will be your son. Select a good girl for him.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Mother, my son is only sixteen years old!¡± ¡°He¡¯s already an adult. The Duke married you when he was sixteen years old,¡± Old Madam Qiao said to the Duchess. ¡°Xiao¡¯er, I know what you¡¯ve done for this family over the years. ¡°I know you still can¡¯t forgive the Duke because of what happened to Jinniang, but that b*tch has been dead for almost a year, so it¡¯s time for you to reconcile with the Duke. ¡°The Duke¡¯s birthday banquet is just around the corner, and he¡¯s only thirty-six. ¡°If you keep him from touching you, other women may take advantage of this. You¡¯re a grown-up. Don¡¯t be childish, okay?¡± The Duchess lowered her eyes and said, ¡°Mother, I see.¡± Old Madam Qiao turned the Buddha beads and said, ¡°I hope Li Yun can rank among the top three in the palace exam. Then Jinniang¡¯s wedding will be grander. ¡°However, I heard that the Crown Prince would be in charge of this palace exam. I hope he won¡¯t pick on Li Yun because of Jinniang.¡± ¡­ After the palace exam, Li Yun was full of sweat. Only after this exam did he realize how lucky he was to win first place in the previous exam. As everyone knew, the Imperial Examination this time was held to recruit talents for the Crown Prince, so many talented people attended it. The reputation of the famous Qingming Academy was really well-deserved, and the talent of its students was far above his own. Emperor Huilin who was sitting on a high seat asked, ¡°Where is Li Yun?¡± Li Yun knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m here.¡± Emperor Huilin asked, ¡°In the Imperial Examination this time, Prince Mediocre delivered meals to you. All the examinees had eaten the food and had diarrhea, but only you didn¡¯t eat it. Why?¡± Li Yun said, ¡°Your Majesty, I know County Mistress Jia¡¯an very well. I saw the logo of Guest Welcoming Building on the package of the food delivered to us, and Guest Welcoming Building is the opponent of Tasty Pavilion, so I didn¡¯t eat the food.¡± Emperor Huilin nodded. ¡°Then what did you eat during the three-day examination?¡± Li Yun took out two pieces of cakes from his pocket and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this is the pastry County Mistress Jia¡¯an made for me to eat for the Imperial Examination. It tastes very good, and I wasn¡¯t hungry after eating it.¡± Lu Chen stared at the pastry and had a headache! Emperor Huilin motioned to the eunuch beside him to bring the pastry up to him and took a bite. The aroma of glutinous rice melted on the tip of his tongue as soon as it entered his mouth. He said, ¡°This pastry is not bad.¡± Lu Chen explained to Emperor Huilin, ¡°This pastry is called the Champion Cake in the South, because the champion of the previous Imperial Examination also ate it during the exam, so when he returned to his hometown after winning the first place, he granted this pastry the name of Champion Cake.¡± After he finished speaking, Lu Chen looked at Li Yun and said, ¡°Unfortunately, according to Mr. Li¡¯s discourse on politics¡­ You didn¡¯t do quite well in this palace exam. I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t be the champion this time. She wanted to become Li Yun¡¯s wife? Even if he cherished talents, he couldn¡¯t relax the standard too much and let Li Yun be the champion! Li Yun cupped his hands and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Your Royal Highness. I¡¯ll study diligently and make persistent efforts.¡± Lu Chen grunted indifferently. ¡­ After the palace exam, the rankings would be announced on the very day, and the champion would parade through the streets on horseback. Therefore, on this day, the private rooms of Tasty Pavilion were even more crowded with women, who all wanted to watch the champion parade. Qiao Jinniang looked down in the No.1 private room, but didn¡¯t see Li Yun. Fulu stood on tiptoe and looked. ¡°Why is Li Yun not among them? Did my imperial cousin pick on him? Li Yun got first place in the previous examination, but why is he not even second place in the palace exam?¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. She thought too well of Lu Chen. She thought that at least Lu Chen would not use his power to pick on Li Yun. Yuyan hurried over and said, ¡°Congratulations, Miss, Young Master Li won eighth place in the palace exam!¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands. Li Yun was first place in the previous exam, but only eighth this time? She didn¡¯t believe that Lu Chen didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Jinniang.¡± Seeing Jinniang suddenly become angry, Fulu hurriedly chased after her. Qiao Jinniang went straight to Duke Rong¡¯s Mansion, and Junior Duke Rong welcomed her warmly. ¡°Miss Qiao, how did you make the Champion Cake? His Majesty really liked it!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If you like to eat it, I will make it for you another day.¡± Junior Duke Rong: ¡°¡­¡± After a long pause, Junior Duke Rong said helplessly to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°There is a banquet in the imperial palace, and His Royal Highness can¡¯t get away, so he had someone send Tuan¡¯er back.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Junior Duke Rong, ¡°Can you get me into the East Palace?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Junior Duke Rong. ¡°Please help me, Your Highness.¡± She must not ruin Li Yun¡¯s future. If he lost the championship because of her, she would feel guilty toward him the rest of her life. After the banquet, His Majesty would give these examinees official positions, so she must be quick. Qiao Jinniang disguised herself as a palace maid in the East Palace and entered Lu Chen¡¯s study with Junior Duke Rong. Lu Chen was writing the official positions to be granted to the examinees, and when he saw Qiao Jinniang come in, he was a little surprised. ¡°Why are you here? I¡¯m very busy today. I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow.¡± Qiao Jinniang waited until Junior Duke Rong went out and went straight to the point. ¡°If you hate me, come at me.. Why do you have to ruin Li Yun¡¯s future?¡± Chapter 78 - The Li Family Annulled Engagement for Marriage Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Blue veins burst out on the back of Lu Chen¡¯s hand. ¡°Did Li Yun complain to you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that he was first place in the previous exam, but why was he only the eighth place in the palace exam?¡± Qiao Jinniang said angrily, ¡°Your Majesty is so wise. How could he allow you to mess around with state affairs?¡± Lu Chen¡¯s throat was sore. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, do you think you are so peerlessly beautiful that I can¡¯t do without you? ¡°Do I need to play such a dirty trick on a minor scholar just for you? Are you a fairy? What makes you think you can make me ruin the Imperial Examination, which is the foundation of the country?¡± Qiao Jinniang trembled with anger. ¡°You, you dare to talk back to me?¡± Lu Chen taunted, ¡°Do you think you were still Miss Qiao in Lin¡¯an and I was still your husband who married into your family?¡± When Qiao Jinniang saw the look in Lu Chen¡¯s eyes, she suddenly thought of the scene she saw outside the mansion of the Right Prime Minister where Lu Chen looked so awe-inspiring. Qiao Jinniang immediately calmed down. ¡°Then I¡¯d like to ask Your Royal Highness to do what you say. Don¡¯t pick on Li Yun on the allocation of official positions.¡± When Qiao Jinniang walked out of the study, she almost bumped into the three people outside the door, who were the Duke, Li Yun, and Li Yun¡¯s father who came to thank the Crown Prince. The door of the study was open, so the three of them had heard what they said just now. The Duke¡¯s legs went soft after he saw Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Jinniang?¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted. ¡°Father, Uncle Li, Cousin.¡± Li Yun bowed his head in shame and said, ¡°Cousin, you misunderstood His Royal Highness. He didn¡¯t pick on me. I didn¡¯t do well in the exam indeed, but His Royal Highness made an exception to let me enter Hanlin Academy.¡± According to rules, only the top three of the palace exam can directly enter Hanlin Academy after the exam. Duke Qiao dragged Qiao Jinniang into the study, motioned her to kneel down and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I didn¡¯t educate my daughter well. If she offended His Highness, please punish her.¡± Qiao Jinniang had no choice but to kneel down and said with her head lowered, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me.¡± She counted secretly in her heart, and when she counted to eight, Lu Chen still didn¡¯t let her get up, so she looked up at Lu Chen. However, Lu Chen was indifferent. How could she think of him this way? He couldn¡¯t forgive her easily. The Imperial Examination had been started only a hundred years ago. It was the fruit of the efforts of three generations of people. How could he manipulate the Imperial Examination? Qiao Jinniang had never knelt on such hard ground for such a long time. Her knees ached, and she couldn¡¯t help but move her knees slightly. Seeing her small movements, Lu Chen said, ¡°Get up.¡± When Qiao Jinniang got up, she almost fell. The Duke glared at her and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, we¡¯ll take our leave.¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The Duke entered the Duke Mansion with a black face and snapped at Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Get on your knees! Why didn¡¯t you tell me the truth? You even dared to pretend to be a palace maid and enter the East Palace, and speak to His Royal Highness like that! Are you trying to kill our Qiao family?¡± Qiao Jinniang knelt down and said, ¡°Father, if you¡¯re afraid that I will implicate the Duke Anyuan Mansion, you can sever ties with me.¡± The Duke said, ¡°What are you talking about? You are my daughter. How can I sever ties with you? So His Royal Highness was your husband when you were in Lin¡¯an?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then you still let your mother and me find a husband for you?¡± Qiao Jinniang raised her head and said, ¡°Why not? He wants to demote me from his wife to his concubine and wants to keep a lot of concubines. Why should I tolerate it? Why can¡¯t I marry another man?¡± The Duke said helplessly, ¡°If he was just an ordinary prince, I could help you, but he¡¯s the Crown Prince!¡± Qiao Jinniang said disappointedly, ¡°So, this is the compensation Father talked about?¡± Duke Anyuan sighed and said, ¡°Jinniang, although our family looks prosperous, it will collapse if I¡¯m just slightly careless.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. The Emperor and the Queen have already known about this matter. They have already allowed me to marry someone else freely, so you can rest at ease.¡± Back in the Jin Garden, Qiao Jinniang went to bed after dinner. After closing her eyes, she tossed over and couldn¡¯t fall asleep. When she closed her eyes, her mind was full of Lu Chen¡¯s disappointed and aggrieved eyes. She didn¡¯t sleep well. Early in the morning, Mrs. Li came to annul the engagement. Mrs. Li said to Old Madam Qiao, ¡°Old Madam, I didn¡¯t know that Jinniang had such good fortune. Yun¡¯er is not worthy of her. That stupid child, he didn¡¯t even tell us about it.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°We should have told you about it.¡± Mrs. Li brought a lot of silk and satin and went to the Jin Garden to thank Qiao Jinniang in person. ¡°Yun¡¯er passed the Imperial Examination thanks to your Champion Cake. Your kindness will be remembered by the Li family for a lifetime. However, Yun¡¯er still has two brothers and our family is not a noble family. It is entirely because of His Majesty¡¯s favor that we are where we are today. Yun¡¯er is not worthy of you.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re too modest. We¡¯re still relatives.¡± After Qiao Jinniang¡¯s engagement was annulled, the Zheng family quickly came over like flies smelling meat. Jinniang didn¡¯t want to see the Zheng family, so she went to Tasty Pavilion with the excuse that she had something to tend to in Tasty Pavilion. When she arrived at Tasty Pavilion, she heard that Junior Duke Rong was there, so she went into the kitchen and planned to make a crab feast for Junior Duke Rong as a thank-you gift for helping her enter the East Palace. The period before and after the Mid-Autumn Festival, crab was the most delicious, and hairy crabs were shipped from Taihu Lake every day. Qiao Jinniang made Wine Preserved Crabs two days ago. In the No.1 private room. Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°Seventh Brother, I heard that the Li family has annulled the engagement. And Li Yun was almost beaten to death by his father¡­ ¡°My father also beat me, but never this hard. ¡° Lu Chen held the wine bottle and took a sip. At the door, Bajiao came in with a dish and was stunned when he saw Lu Chen. He placed a cup of Crab Stuffed Oranges in front of each of Junior Duke Rong, Lin Mo and Zhou Siming. Only Lu Chen didn¡¯t have one because Lu Chen wasn¡¯t here just now. Junior Duke Rong asked curiously, ¡°What is this? We didn¡¯t order this dish, did we?¡± ¡°This is our boss¡¯s thank-you gift to you. Our Tasty Pavilion has recently launched a lot of dishes made of crabs. These are all new products and are now presented to you, Your Highness.¡± Lin Mo handed his crab-stuffed orange to Lu Chen. Looking at the orange in the white porcelain cup, Junior Duke Rong took off the top of the orange, and the fragrance of crab mixed with the aroma of wine instantly wafted in the air. ¡°What is this?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Crab-stuffed Orange is made of crab meat, crab roe, pork, and orange, plus Kuaiji Yellow Wine.¡± Junior Duke Rong took a spoonful with a delicate small silver spoon and said, ¡°Wow, this is simply the most delicious food in the world.¡± Before long, Huixiang served a dark gray crab. Junior Duke Rong stepped back and said, ¡°Is the crab still alive?¡± Huixiang said, ¡°Your Highness, this crab is not alive. It is called Wine Preserved Crab. If Crab-stuffed Orange is the most delicious food in the world, then the Wine Preserved Crab our boss made is definitely a heavenly dish that can only be found at an immortal¡¯s banquet.¡± Huixiang opened the crab shell with a tool, and the aroma of wine came out, revealing the crab meat inside. Junior Duke Rong looked at the black crab paste and the golden crab roe and didn¡¯t dare to eat it, but seeing Lu Chen eating it without hesitation, he decided to bite the bullet to taste it¡­ After Junior Duke Rong swallowed it, he blinked and said, ¡°Seventh Brother, since Li Yun has broken off the engagement with Miss Qiao, can I marry her?¡± Chapter 79 - Portrait of Jinniangs Ex-husband Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou Siming smiled and said, ¡°Is it really so delicious? Isn¡¯t it just a Wine Preserved Crab? I ate it when I was in the South¡­¡± Junior Duke Rong picked up a piece of black crab paste with his chopsticks and put it into Zhou Siming¡¯s mouth. Zhou Siming pursed his lips and said, ¡°Since His Majesty and Aunt have already allowed Miss Qiao to marry someone else. I think I can marry her too?¡± Lu Chen indifferently glanced at the two of them and said, ¡°Unfortunately, you two have both got concubine maids, so you¡¯re not worthy of Jinniang.¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have them? Oh, yes, you don¡¯t¡­¡± The last soup dumpling was delivered by Qiao Jinniang herself. Entering the room, Jinniang paused when she saw Lu Chen. She put the little bamboo steamer on the table, opened the lid and said, ¡°This is Crab-roe Soup Dumpling. Would you like some, Your Highness?¡± Under the threatening stare of Lu Chen opposite him, Junior Duke Rong took a soup dumpling into his bowl and took a bite. The juice of the crab roe immediately came out, and it was so delicious. He took another bite, and it was the delicious and slightly sweet crab roe and crab meat¡­ Junior Duke Rong sighed. ¡°If I could marry you, I would be willing to give up my title of nobility. Some people are just blind.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled at Junior Duke Rong. ¡°You must be kidding, Your Highness.¡± Lu Chen wiped his hands with the handkerchief on the side and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°If these three dishes can be served at Xi¡¯er¡¯s birthday banquet, it would be great.¡± Qiao Jinniang grunted in response. ¡°You know how to make them. Just tell the royal chef how to make the dishes.¡± Lu Cheng found that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s attitude towards him had eased a lot, but it made him even more depressed. He would rather Qiao Jinniang be angry with him and scold him than treat him so calmly. It was as if he was a stranger to her. ¡°Hey, you guys are occupying my private room again. I smelled the fragrance from far away.¡± Fulu sat next to Junior Duke Rong. ¡°What¡¯s in this orange? Can oranges be a dish?¡± ¡°Give me something to eat. I¡¯m starving. ¡°Guess what good show I saw in the imperial palace just now! ¡°I thought I¡¯d be able to come out after greeting my grandmother, but who knows¡­ I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet.¡± Qiao Jinniang put the Crab-roe Soup Dumpling in front of Fulu and said, ¡°Help yourself, Your Highness.¡± When Fulu was eating, she didn¡¯t speak, which was dining etiquette. But after she finishing eating it, she said, ¡°Today, Prince Mediocre brought his two concubines into the imperial palace. Qiao Ruoshui¡­ hahahaha.¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°If you laugh like this, no man will marry you in the future.¡± Fulu clutched her stomach and continued, ¡°Qiao Ruoshui and Concubine Jian started a fight in front of the Empress Dowager and wouldn¡¯t give in to each other. ¡°Concubine Jian couldn¡¯t beat Qiao Ruoshui in an argument, so she pretended to have a headache, but Qiao Ruoshui insisted that Concubine Jian was feigning illness.¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°That Concubine Jian was already very pretentious even before she was married. Then what happened?¡± Fulu said, ¡°Consort Xian and the Empress Dowager both wanted to summon an imperial physician, but Qiao Ruoshui said that the imperial physician they summoned was not trustworthy and would be partial to Concubine Jian. She only believed in the head of the imperial physicians who was famous for being upright.¡± ¡°The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t want to offend Duke Anyuan Mansion and she was really annoyed by Qiao Ruoshui, so she summoned the head of the imperial physicians and said she would severely punish Qiao Ruoshui if Concubine Jian was diagnosed as sick. ¡°However, the head of the imperial physicians found that Concubine Jian had been pregnant for three months, but she was married to Prince Mediocre only a month ago.¡± ¡°If it were another imperial physician, he might have concealed the fact for Concubine Jian, but the head of the imperial physicians never lied. ¡°Qiao Ruoshui insisted that Concubine Jian fornicated with another man and got pregnant. ¡°Concubine Jian¡¯s father, the Right Prime Minister, had been put into jail but Concubine Jian was still Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine, so Consort Xian echoed Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s sentiment, trying to get rid of Concubine Jian. ¡°But although the Right Prime Minister is gone, Prince Lu and Imperial Consort Jian are still there. ¡°Imperial Consort Jian never disobeyed the Empress Dowager and Consort Xian, but this time she came out to defend her niece. ¡°She said her maids saw Concubine Jian and Prince Mediocre making love in the imperial palace with their own eyes, and¡­ hahahaha.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard what Fulu said, she only knew felt harems were too complicated. Qiao Ruoshui and Concubine Jian were only two concubines, but they could cause such big trouble¡­ Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°What did she say? Hurry up and say it?¡± ¡°She said Prince Mediocre¡¯s penis was as small as a teapot mouth, not even an inch long. ¡°The maid originally thought that a teapot mouth couldn¡¯t make Concubine Jian pregnant, but it turned out she was wrong! Hahaha.¡± Lu Chen glanced at Fulu and said, ¡°How can you, an unmarried girl, talk about this kind of matter?¡± Fulu clutched her stomach and laughed. ¡°As soon as Imperial Consort Jian said those words, my mother asked me to go. ¡°But I saw the letters Prince Mediocre wrote to Concubine Jian before they were married. Oh, the letters are really sappy. ¡°And in one letter, Prince Mediocre mistook Concubine Jian¡¯s name as Miaomiao. Qin Miaomiao is doomed!¡± Zhou Siming frowned and said, ¡°Your Highness, speak carefully. This concerns Miss Qin¡¯s reputation.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Okay, then I won¡¯t laugh at Qin Miaomiao. Let¡¯s just laugh at the teapot mouth, hahaha. I¡¯m afraid that tomorrow, the whole Chang¡¯an will know that Prince Mediocre¡¯s penis is as small as a teapot mouth. I will never drink tea in the future.¡± Qiao Jinniang wondered. ¡°Why teapot mouth?¡± Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°You really don¡¯t understand it, or are you faking it? Even I, who haven¡¯t been married, understand it.¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand it.¡± Lu Chen said to her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to understand it. Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Poor Jinniang, may I take you to a brothel to learn some knowledge?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary.¡± ¡­ Just as Fulu said, except for preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Everyone was talking about the teapot mouth these days. Some young girls didn¡¯t know what it meant. But older women all made fun of it. Consort Xian was so angry that she vented on Qiao Ruoshui and punished her every day. The day after tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet, but Consort Xian grounded Qiao Ruoshui. In Prince Mediocre¡¯s mansion, Qiao Ruoshui lay prostrate on the table and cried aggrievedly. ¡°Why don¡¯t they let me go to the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet? That slut hooked up with His Highness before marriage, and even when she was pregnant, she gave her maid to His Highness to stop him from coming to see me. But why is everyone blaming me?¡± Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s mammy said, ¡°Consort, please don¡¯t cry. Concubine Jian is pregnant with His Highness¡¯ child, so no one dares to do anything to her. ¡°If you want to be favored by His Highness, you have to rely on the Duke Mansion.¡± With tears in her eyes, Qiao Ruoshui said, ¡°But my parents are unwilling to help me.¡± The mammy said, ¡°Isn¡¯t there still the Zheng family? Old Madam Zheng has always loved you the most. If you help Zheng Bo marry Second Miss, the Zheng family can torture Second Miss, and by then it can help restore the Zheng family to its old days¡¯ glory, and after that they can provide you with great support.¡± Qiao Ruoshui felt what the mammy said made sense. Didn¡¯t Qiao Jinniang hate concubines? Then she would make Qiao Jinniang marry Cousin Zheng Bo who had a lot of concubines! ¡°Mommy, but how should I do it?¡± The mammy said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have the portrait of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ex-husband that she painted herself? It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t find her ex-husband.. Just find a man who looks like the person in the painting¡­¡± Chapter 80 - Qiao Jinniang Had A Husband And A Child in Linan Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang had been preparing gifts for Tuan¡¯er in the past few days. She had made a lot of small clothes and still wanted to make a few stuffed dolls for Tuan¡¯er. She couldn¡¯t accompany Tuan¡¯er at all times, but it would be good if these stuffed dolls could accompany him. The Duchess and Qiao Ruoyun entered the Jin Garden together. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was still making children¡¯s clothes, she sighed. ¡°Alas, are you missing Tuan¡¯er?¡± Qiao Jinniang had thought that the Duke had already told her mother about her real relationship with the Crown Prince, but now it seemed that the Duchess was still in the dark about this. ¡°My poor girl, the Li family broke faith with us and annulled the marriage. What should you do now?¡± the Duchess said with tears, ¡°The Li family is really hateful.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said in a low voice, ¡°Mother, Jinniang should have married into Duke Qin Mansion. I can return the marriage to her¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly raised her head and looked at Qiao Ruoyun. ¡°Sister, no!¡± The Duchess also said to Ruoyun, ¡°What are you talking about? How can you ¡®return¡¯ your marriage to her? ¡°Alas, neither of us is lucky enough to meet a good man.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked the Duchess, ¡°Mother, have you ever thought about divorcing Father?¡± The Duchess gently stroked Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hair and said, ¡°It¡¯s useless even if I think about it. I just hope you and your sisters can live happily and freely.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Why did you come over today, Sister?¡± Ruoyun smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that tomorrow is Dad¡¯s birthday party? I came back to help Mother with the banquet.¡± Qiao Jinniang had heard about the birthday party some time ago. However, after knowing what happened between her father and mother from Qiao Ruoyi, she didn¡¯t plan to prepare a birthday present for her father. She even forgot that tomorrow is the Duke¡¯s birthday. The Duchess said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so busy with the birthday banquet these days and even forgot to tell you about it. ¡°Your Father doesn¡¯t want a high-profile birthday banquet, so we just invited our relatives, friends and some of your father¡¯s colleagues. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the clothes and jewelry for you and your sisters to wear tomorrow, which are the same. Unfortunately, Ruoshui was grounded by Consort Xian because of the ¡®teapot mouth¡¯ thing.¡± Qiao Ruoyun tittered. ¡°Teapot mouth¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang became even more curious. Even Ruoyun knew the meaning of teapot mouth, and the entire city was laughing at it, but she didn¡¯t know what it meant. Although Duke Anyuan didn¡¯t want a high-profile banquet, there were still four or five tables of female guests. Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t imagine how grand the banquet would be if it was a high-profile one. When the guests saw Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi, they were full of praise, but it was only a compliment on the surface. Qin Miaomiao came over and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Miss Qiao, you became even more beautiful.¡± Qiao Jinniang noticed that Qin Miaomiao didn¡¯t look very good. She must have suffered because of Prince Mediocre¡¯s letter. ¡°You too, Miss Qin.¡± Someone suddenly shouted out loud from outside. ¡°Let me in! Qiao Jinniang, the daughter of Duke Anyuan, abandoned her husband and child!¡± ¡°Tuan¡¯er, come on, call Mother!¡± ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you¡¯ve already been married in Lin¡¯an and have a husband. Why do you still pretend to be an unmarried girl and get engaged to another man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your Second Miss¡¯s husband. Who the hell are you? How dare you stop me?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t hear the voices outside quite clearly, but she heard something like husband and what? Mrs. Zheng said, ¡°Oh, I hear someone is saying he is Jinniang¡¯s husband? Come on, let¡¯s go to the door and take a look.¡± The Duchess frowned and went to the gate of Duke Mansion, and saw a group of guards stopping a man and a child who was about three years old. The man and the child both looked very unsightly. It was crowded with people watching the fun at the gate. Mrs. Zheng followed out and said, ¡°Phew, this must be Jinniang¡¯s son. He looks exactly like Jinniang!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Aunt, find a doctor to check your eyes!¡± This kid looked very ugly, with tiny eyes, a flat nose and very thick lips, which wrinkled together. After seeing Qiao Jinniang, the man hurried forward and said, ¡°Jin¡¯er, I¡¯m your honey. You are really heartless. After you became the Duke¡¯s daughter, you just abandoned us!¡± The ugly man secretly pinched the little dirty boy in front of him. The child pounced on Qiao Jinniang and cried, ¡°Mommy, boohoo, Mommy.¡± Qiao Jinniang stepped back. Mrs. Zheng said sarcastically, ¡°So Jinniang was already married in Lin¡¯an? Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier? ¡°This is the Duke¡¯s son-in-law and grandson. Come on in!¡± Qiao Ruoyun held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand nervously and said, ¡°Sister, what should I do now?¡± The Duchess almost fainted. She pointed at the ugly man. ¡°It was you who divorced my daughter. How do you have the nerve to come at her?¡± Qiao Jinniang supported the Duchess and said, ¡°Mother, he is not my ex-husband.¡± The ugly man said crossly, ¡°Of course I am¡± Then he took out a portrait and said, ¡°This is the portrait of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s husband who she drew herself. Look, don¡¯t my son and I look exactly the same as the person in the portrait?¡± Seeing the painting in the man¡¯s hand, Qiao Jinniang covered her face in shame. She always knew that her painting skills were terrible¡­ But she didn¡¯t expect her poor painting skill would cause her such a big trouble. She drew the painting for the dark guards in the Duke Mansion to find Lu Chen not long after she returned. The man continued to shout, ¡°Jinniang, how could you be so cruel to abandon us?¡± Mrs. Zheng echoed, ¡°Yes, Jinniang, how could you be so cruel as to abandon your son? He¡¯s still so young. Look how dirty his face is.¡± Among the noble ladies who came today, only Mrs. Zheng dared to say these words. However, the people outside watching the fun began to curse. ¡°How can the Duke¡¯s daughter be so despicable? When she gained wealth and power, she just abandoned her husband and child!¡± ¡°Oh my god, she abandoned her husband and child! Tsk, fortunately, the Li family broke off the engagement with her!¡± ¡°How can an aristocratic woman do such a shameless thing?!¡± The ugly man continued. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, if you don¡¯t admit it, we can invite someone from Lin¡¯an to prove it. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to abandon us and live your happy and rich life.¡± Old Madam Zheng said to Old Madam Qiao from behind, ¡°Mrs. Qiao, as you can see, Jinniang¡¯s reputation has been ruined. I¡¯m her maternal grandmother after all. I¡¯m willing to let her marry Zheng Bo as a concubine¡­¡± How could Old Madam Qiao not figure out who arranged this show out today. She simply said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Old Madam Qiao had thought that since Jinniang had a child with the Crown Prince, it would be best for her to marry into the East Palace. But she didn¡¯t want to force Jinniang to do that. Firstly, she felt guilty to this granddaughter, and secondly, if she forced Jinniang to marry into the East Palace, she would only become an enemy of the Duke Mansion. But she didn¡¯t expect the Zheng family to arrange such a show. What happened between Jinniang and the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t be kept secret any longer, and the royal family had got to get Jinniang in the right place¡­ Chapter 81 - My Ex-husband Is His Royal Highness Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Old Madam Zheng said with joy on her face, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I am Jinniang¡¯s grandmother after all. ¡°Even if she can only be Bo¡¯er¡¯s concubine, as her grandmother, I will protect her! ¡° Hearing her words, the noble ladies around talked in a low voice. Mrs. Yu, whose husband had just been promoted, recalled that her son Yu An wanted to propose to Jinniang. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t succeed in Yuanxi Temple that day. Miss Yu said to Mrs. Yu proudly, ¡°Mother, Qiao Jinniang looked down on Brother and I back then. You saw it, right? ¡°Fortunately, she rejected Brother. Otherwise, she¡¯ll be a disgrace of our family!¡± Mrs. Yu nodded and said, ¡°Mrs. Li is really smart. Perhaps she had long discovered what kind of a woman Qiao Jinniang is.¡± Hearing their words, Mrs. Li explained, ¡°Jinniang had been married and had a child indeed, but she had long told us. The annulment of the marriage has nothing to do with this matter.¡± Mrs. Yu taunted, ¡°Oh? Really? Then why did you want to annul it?¡± Not only were the common people gathered at the door, but there were also some maids from the families of dignitaries and nobles who also came to inquire about the news. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang refused to admit it, the man pinched the child again and said, ¡°Come on, ask your mother to hug you.¡± The child, whose facial features were wrinkled into a ball, cried and broke free from the pull of the servants, and shouted loudly, ¡°Mother! Mother, give me a hug. I¡¯m your son.¡± ¡°You are talking nonsense. This is my mother.¡± Tuan¡¯er ran towards Qiao Jinniang in a bright little red robe. A large group of imperial maids and guards followed behind. The little rice ball had just recovered from a serious illness and was looking much better. Qiao Jinniang opened her arms and hugged the little rice ball in her arms. ¡°Good son.¡± The little rice ball placed his head on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shoulder, rubbed against it and said with a smile, ¡°Mommy, you smell so sweet.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to the guards of the Duke Mansion, ¡°Tie up these two people who pretended to be the Crown Prince and the little imperial grandson and came to slander me. Send them to the Ministry of Public Security for an investigation.¡± The Duchess was stunned, and couldn¡¯t help recalling when the imperial grandson had just returned to Chang¡¯an, he often called her and Ruoshui ¡°Mother¡±. The Duchess suddenly figured out everything. It turned out that the Crown Prince was the jerk who divorced her daughter. Mrs. Zheng hurriedly said, ¡°Slander? Pretend to be the Crown Prince and the little imperial grandson? Qiao Jinniang, this is your own son!¡± Qiao Jinniang arranged the bangs of the little rice ball in her arms and said, ¡°I know who my son is. Aunt, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know my ex-husband is the Crown Prince and my son is the little imperial grandson, do you?¡± As soon as she said so, it was dead silent and then there was an uproar. Who would have imagined that this long-lost daughter of the Duke was actually the wife of the Crown Prince? Of course Mrs. Zheng didn¡¯t know about it. Not only Mrs. Zheng, but Second Madam also almost fainted. Second Madam hated Prince Mediocre even more now. If Prince Mediocre hadn¡¯t made use of Qiao Ruofeng, given the fact that Ruofeng and Jinniang were on good terms before, she wouldn¡¯t have only married a merchant! Old Madam Zheng¡¯s expression changed, and she said flatteringly, ¡°Oh, is this Tuan¡¯er? I miss you so much, so does your mother. Let Grandma hug you.¡± Qiao Jinniang hugged the little rice ball tightly and secretly exclaimed that her grandmother¡¯s face had changed too quickly. Qin Miaomiao clenched Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I guessed right.¡± Mrs. Zheng snapped, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, how dare you get engaged to Li Yun with your husband as His Royal Highness? Were you trying to cuckold His Royal Highness?¡± ¡°I and the Crown Prince are already divorced!¡± Qiao Jinniang said casually, ¡°His Majesty and Her Majesty have allowed me to marry someone else. Do you have a problem with it?¡± Mrs. Zheng was relieved. Since they had already divorced, it meant that Qiao Jinniang was not favored by the Crown Prince Although she had borne the imperial grandson, the Emperor was still strong, and it would still be a long time before the Crown Prince¡¯s enthronement. In such circumstances, this imperial grandson might not necessarily be the future emperor. When he grew older, he might not be so close to Qiao Jinniang. Tuan¡¯er hugged Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Mother, why did that boy call you Mother? You are my mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang pinched Tuan¡¯er¡¯s little nose. ¡°Someone wanted to set me up. You¡¯re my one and only baby.¡± Old Madam Qiao took the lead to salute Tuan¡¯er. ¡°Little Imperial Grandson.¡± The people present saluted him one after another, and Tuan¡¯er casually waved his little hand. ¡°Arise.¡± Still holding Tuan¡¯er, Qiao Jinniang saluted the Duchess and Old Madam Qiao. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry. I had been hiding it from you because I didn¡¯t want to make you worry. Sorry for shocking you.¡± The Duchess smiled and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s great that you found Tuan¡¯er. No wonder I felt so close to him at the first sight of him.¡± It just so happened that Duke Anyuan and his colleagues had just returned from court. Duke Anyuan had heard the news from his servant on the way home, and he was relieved to hear that Qiao Jinniang had turned the two people to the Ministry of Public Security. But his colleagues had complicated feelings when they heard about this. Duke Qin really hated his mother now. She abused Qiao Ruoyun back then and offended the Qiao Family badly. Now with the little imperial grandson, the Qiao family was definitely on the rise! Qiao Jinniang would be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine at least. ¡°Congratulations, Your Excellency.¡± Thinking about Qiao Jinniang¡¯s attitude towards Lu Chen, Duke Anyuan said helplessly, ¡°No, we¡¯re going to lose our Absolution Token.¡± After Duke Anyuan came back, a banquet was held, and Qiao Jinniang sat next to Tuan¡¯er. The Duchess hurriedly ordered maids to serve Tuan¡¯er his dinner. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, no need. Tuan¡¯er could already eat by himself when he was two years old.¡± Tuan¡¯er picked up a small spoon and babbled, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a good baby. I should eat by myself.¡± The Duchess looked at her youngest son, a six-year-old boy, but he still needed two maids and a mammy to chase after him to feed him. What a shame. Old Madam Qiao said with a smile, ¡°The little imperial grandson is very well-behaved. There are very few children who can obediently eat by themselves.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°He didn¡¯t want to eat by himself when he was two years old, but after I starved him a few times, he surrendered.¡± At that time, Lu Chen felt that she doted on Tuan¡¯er too much, and Tuan¡¯er didn¡¯t want to eat obediently when it was time for dinner. Every time she finished feeding Tuan¡¯er, the dishes would go cold, so he made Tuan¡¯er eat by himself. If Tuan¡¯er refused, he would starve him once. In less than three days, Tuan¡¯er was able to eat by himself. Judging from the way he ate by himself now, Lu Chen must have not spoiled him when he was in the East Palace. When Mrs. Zheng heard this, she was surprised. ¡°Jinniang, you dare to starve the little imperial grandson? He is your son! How could you be so ruthless? ¡°No wonder His Royal Highness wants to divorce you! ¡°It must be for the sake of your father that he didn¡¯t punish you!¡± Mrs. Zheng didn¡¯t know why the people here were so afraid of Qiao Jinniang. She was abandoned and disliked by the Crown Prince! Chapter 82 - He Doesnt Like Mommy Anymore Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Duchess said angrily, ¡°Sister-in-law, Tuan¡¯er is Jinniang¡¯s son. How is it possible for her to abuse him? As for whether the Crown Prince will punish her or not, it¡¯s not up to you!¡± After being scolded, Mrs. Zheng finally shut up and awkwardly ate the food in front of her. In the afternoon, Qiao Jinniang took Tuan¡¯er to the Jin Garden to have him try on the clothes she made for him. The little rice ball tugged at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Mother, what about Daddy¡¯s clothes?¡± Qiao Jinniang pinched the little rice ball¡¯s face and said, ¡°You like Daddy so much?¡± The little rice ball sighed. ¡°No, if you don¡¯t make clothes for Daddy, he will snatch mine again. The dough figurine you bought for me last time was snatched by Daddy.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No, Daddy has divorced Mommy, so he won¡¯t grab your clothes again. Besides, your clothes don¡¯t fit him.¡± Tuan¡¯er held a doll in his hand and said, ¡°But these dolls, Daddy will snatch them away. The little bunny you made for me was snatched by him.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Daddy doesn¡¯t like Mommy anymore. He won¡¯t snatch your stuff again.¡± In the study of the East Palace that day, Lu Chen had already made it clear that he despised her, so he would definitely not snatch Tuan¡¯er¡¯s doll. The little rice ball smiled happily. ¡°Daddy said that I have a new name. It¡¯s called Lu Xi, which is from the Book of Songs.¡± The corners of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s lips curved slightly and she said, ¡°Oh, Tuan¡¯er knows a lot.¡± Tuan¡¯er said proudly, ¡°Yes! I can already recite the Book of Songs!¡± Qiao Jinniang thought Tuan¡¯er was bragging. When he left Lin¡¯an, he couldn¡¯t even speak clearly. How was it possible for him to recite the Book of Songs now? The little rice ball wagged his head rhythmically and began to recite a poem in the Book of Songs¡­ Qiao Jinniang was surprised to find that he recited it correctly. ¡°Who taught you this?¡± ¡°I went to find my cousins to play with me, but they all had to study in school, so I read articles with them.¡± Qiao Jinniang rubbed the little rice ball¡¯s head and said, ¡°Tuan¡¯er is awesome, but do you know the meaning of the word ¡°Xi¡±?¡± Tuan¡¯er shook his head. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It means dawn and implies new life. ¡°You will no longer be the young master of Myriad Taste in Lin¡¯an, but the imperial grandson Lu Xi.¡± The little rice ball hugged Qiao Jinniang, kissed her face and said, ¡°Tuan¡¯er will always be Mommy¡¯s baby.¡± Qiao Jinniang hugged the little rice ball tightly and a drop of tear fell from the corner of her eyes. Her son was so sensible, but she was so cruel. After the birthday banquet. Everyone gathered around to gossip about Qiao Jinniang and the Crown Prince. In just one afternoon, there were several versions of the story. The maids in the East Palace came to urge the little imperial grandson to return to the East Palace. Qiao Jinniang could only reluctantly send the little rice ball into the carriage, and Tuan¡¯er held her hands and said, ¡°Mom, can I still come to play with you tomorrow?¡± ¡°Of course, you can come if you want,¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Tuan¡¯er smiled while holding the rabbit doll in his hand and returned to the East Palace. Lu Chen had just returned from the imperial palace and saw Tuan¡¯er secretly hiding something into his secret wooden box. He walked over and found a few very delicate dolls. One of them was a white rabbit doll wearing a chest-length skirt, which looked a lot like Qiao Jinniang. Lu Chen picked up the doll, and Tuan¡¯er boy jumped up and shouted at Lu Chen, ¡°Mine, Mom gave it to me.¡± Lu Chen raised the doll high and said, ¡°You already have so many dolls. I will keep this for you.¡± ¡°Hmph, Mommy said you don¡¯t like her anymore, so you won¡¯t snatch my dolls. She is a liar, and you¡¯re bad. I¡¯m going to tell Granny!¡± Tuan¡¯er was about to go out to the East Palace with his short legs. Lu Chen picked up Tuan¡¯er, hugged him in his arms and said, ¡°Did you go to see your mother today?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Tuan¡¯er took the opportunity to take the rabbit doll back into his hand. ¡°There were bad people bullying Mommy today.¡± The maid next to Tuan¡¯er saluted Lu Chen. ¡°Your Royal Highness, a man and a child came to the Duke Mansion today, claiming that they were the husband and child of Miss Qiao when she was in Lin¡¯an¡­¡± Before the maid could finish, an eunuch came to report that the Emperor wanted to see Lu Chen. On the way to the Hall of Diligent Governance, Lu Chen learned that some people had pretended to be him and Tuan¡¯er in an attempt to ruin Jinniang¡¯s reputation. When Lu Chen arrived at the Hall of Diligent Governance, Minister Zhou of Public Security said to the Emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, that child is not actually that man¡¯s son. ¡°The man is just a hooligan in the outskirts of Chang¡¯an, and the child is just a child of an ordinary villager. ¡°They were hired by Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine, Qiao Ruoshui, to cause trouble at the gate of the Duke Mansion.¡± Emperor Huilin frowned and said to Lu Chen, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the whole of Chang¡¯an will know you had once married into a merchant¡¯s family in Lin¡¯an tomorrow.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not afraid of people talking about it behind my back.¡± Emperor Huilin said with worry, ¡°I don¡¯t think Qiao Jinniang seems to be willing to marry into the East Palace, so it will be difficult to put an end to this matter.¡± Minister Zhou cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Miss Qiao has announced that she has divorced His Royal Highness and that you have granted her freedom of marriage.¡± Emperor Huilin: ¡°She announced it herself?¡± Lu Chen¡¯s face was dark, but he simply said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry about me. I will try hard to make her willingly marry into the East Palace!¡± Emperor Huilin was full of doubts. When was he worried about this? ¡­ The next day, everyone was gossiping about Qiao Jinniang and the Crown Prince in Chang¡¯an. The story of a Duke¡¯s long-lost daughter being found back was already dramatic enough. Now her love story with the Crown Prince was even more dramatic. Many Pingshu performers made a lot of plays based on their story. For a time, the tea houses in Chang¡¯an were booming. The most widely spread version was that after Qiao Jinniang learned that she was the daughter of a duke, she abandoned her husband and her son and tried to find a new husband from noble families. After coming to Chang¡¯an and being engaged to Li Yun, however, she found out that her ex-husband turned out to be the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince divorced her. Qiao Jinniang was invited by Fulu to come to a teahouse to listen to Pingshu. She didn¡¯t expect to hear this. She fanned with a fan in anger, but instead of calming down, she got even more and more angry. Fulu grabbed a handful of melon seeds and handed them to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Take it easy. These Pinshu performers described me as a super ugly woman. They said when babies saw me, they were too scared to cry! ¡°Humph, I really want to put them all in jail! ¡° Eating the melon seeds, Qiao Jinniang heard the Pingshu performer on the stage say, ¡°In the royal banquet, Qiao Jinniang saw a handsome man slowly walk over, with fair skin, chiseled features and bright eyes. ¡°Only then did she know that her ex-husband who was despised by her was the Crown Prince! At this time, Qiao Jinniang quickly knelt down and begged tearfully. ¡®Honey, I know I was wrong. ¡®¡­¡± Then the Pinshu performer knelt on the ground and kowtowed to beg for mercy in imitation of a woman. The people below burst into laughter, clapping their hands and applauding¡­ Qiao Jinniang lunged to her feet in rage and said angrily, ¡°Was this Pinshu performer bought off by Lu Chen?¡± Chapter 83 - Can You Really Guarantee That You Will Not Take Any Concubines? Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Fulu said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if my imperial cousin bribed him but you can do it. ¡°As long as you give them enough money, these Pinshu performers can say anything you want to hear.¡± Qiao Jinniang was so angry that she kept drinking the tea to quench her anger. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Even if I pay them, would they dare to speak ill of the Crown Prince?¡± Fulu: ¡°¡­¡± This was true. Although they made stories about members of the royal family from time to time, if it were the Crown Prince, they would not dare to cross the red line. Qiao Jinniang was not interested in listening to the Pinshu performers smearing her, so she went to the street. Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the streets were already full of lanterns. Fulu looked at the lanterns and said, ¡°It should be the first time for you to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chang¡¯an. ¡°Tomorrow night, people will write their wishes on water lanterns and float water lanterns beside the moat to honor the moon god. ¡°After the imperial palace banquet is over, you can also come and have a look.¡± The imperial palace banquet on the Mid-Autumn Festival would end early. It was so that the nobles and ministers could go back home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and enjoy the full moon with their families. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Is she that woman? Tsk, shame on her. How could she be so stupid as to abandon the Crown Prince, who is such a perfect man?¡± ¡°But she is very lucky. She turned from a merchant girl to a duke¡¯s daughter, and even became the mother of the imperial grandson.¡± ¡°Bah, she¡¯s just a snob. The Pinshu performer probably didn¡¯t name all the bad things she had done. ¡°I¡¯ll just wait to see Qiao Jinniang kneel to His Royal Highness in tears and beg for his forgiveness tomorrow!¡± A few women in their forties gossiped about her behind her back. If Qiao Jinniang argued with them, she would be lowering herself. But if she didn¡¯t, she really couldn¡¯t swallow it. Back to the Duke Mansion. When she entered the Jin Garden, she saw Lu Chen pushing Tuan¡¯er on the swing in her courtyard. When Tuan¡¯er saw Qiao Jinniang, he reached out for her arms. ¡°Mother, Daddy wants a rabbit doll too. Can you make one for him too?¡± Qiao Jinniang picked up Tuan¡¯er and looked at Lu Chen suspiciously. ¡°How old are you, Your Royal Highness? You¡¯re already 20 years old. A rabbit doll?¡± Lu Chen said to the imperial maid beside him. ¡°Take Tuan¡¯er to play with the young master of the Qiao family.¡± The imperial maid nodded and left the Jin Garden with Tuan¡¯er. This was the first time that Lu Chen had come to the Jin Garden openly. He looked at the courtyard and said, ¡°You still miss Lin¡¯an. The layout here is very similar to the courtyard in Lin¡¯an.¡± ¡°Why are you here, Your Royal Highness? Didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯m not a fairy and I shouldn¡¯t shamelessly slander you for being interested in me?¡± Sensing the irony and the anger in Jinniang¡¯s words, Lu Chen said helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± ¡°Do you know that in the previous dynasty, the old distinguished families monopolized the opportunity to become an official and young men not from those families had no chance at all? Long had the common people suffered from the ills of this unfair system! ¡°My ancestors and yours founded the Tang Dynasty for the common people, and created the imperial examination system, giving the common people a chance to serve the court and creating this prosperous world. ¡°The imperial examination system is the most important foundation of the country. I was angry because you said that I manipulated the imperial examination. I didn¡¯t mean to humiliate you. Don¡¯t misunderstand me!¡± Qiao Jinniang bit her lip and said, ¡°Since I misunderstood you, why did you come here?¡± Lu Chen tentatively shook her hand and said, ¡°Now, everyone in Chang¡¯an knows that you are my wife, and from the attitude of the Li family, you should know that no one in Chang¡¯an dares to marry you except me¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll remain unmarried for the rest of my life. At worst, I have money and I can buy myself a house.¡± Seeing that she hadn¡¯t shaken off her hand, Lu Chen held it even more tightly, ¡°For the sake of Xi¡¯er, please don¡¯t be angry with me¡­ ¡°Tomorrow, my father will confer Xi¡¯er as my heir. If you don¡¯t want to become my crown princess and let some other woman be it, she may torture Xi¡¯er.¡± ¡°I know it was wrong for me to think of demoting you from my wife to my concubine. I shouldn¡¯t have thought that you were not qualified to be my crown princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked up at Lu Chen and said, ¡°I can forgive the fact that you wanted to demote me from your wife to your concubine, and the divorce letter is also fine. ¡°But I can¡¯t accept that I have to share my husband with many women. I don¡¯t want to be like my mother. She couldn¡¯t even protect her daughter from a concubine! ¡°Look at His Majesty¡¯s harem, a large group of women are fighting with each other and trying to kill each other¡¯s children. ¡°How many girls had Prince Mediocre harmed for the throne? Ruofeng almost died in the river.¡± Lu Chen sighed. ¡°Jin¡¯er¡­ As the Crown Prince, the future ruler of the world, if I only have one woman in my harem¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I know! But it¡¯s written in the novel I just read that Emperor Yang of the previous dynasty had only one woman in his life, who was his queen.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°So the previous dynasty was destroyed, because they only had an absurd son who caused the national subjugation.¡± Qiao Jinniang was angry. ¡°Are you saying that Xi¡¯er will be absurd in the future?¡± Lu Chen shook his head and said, ¡°Jin¡¯er, just because your foster parents didn¡¯t have a son, your relatives all coveted Myriad Taste, and the royal family owns the entire world. If we don¡¯t have a good descendant¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m still young. I can give birth to a lot of children!¡± Qiao Jinniang retorted, ¡°Besides, in the previous dynasty, there were some emperors who had countless concubines but were childless! Some had many children, but these children killed each other, so they still ended up being childless.¡± ¡°So this is just an excuse you men made to take concubines! Even if I end up like Miss Jian today, I will still call you ¡®Jerk¡¯!¡± Lu Chen was a little stunned at her words. Since he was a child, he had been told that as a man should have as many children as possible to carry on the family. Therefore, men took concubines not for themselves but for their families. Especially Junior Duke Rong had even more excuses¡­ After listening to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words today, however, he suddenly realized that this was just an excuse men made to have more women. Now that his position was stable and Qiao Jinniang¡¯s father was Duke Anyuan who had powerful military power. He didn¡¯t need to find a powerful wife from a powerful family like Prince Mediocre, nor did he need to balance the relationship between different powers like his father. Although his father said that if he married Qiao Jinniang, he couldn¡¯t explain to the ministers. His father was very healthy and could act as the emperor for at least 20 to 30 years. He could rely on his father. If the ministers tried to stop him, he could let Xi¡¯er take a few concubines. Qiao Jinniang wanted to take back her hand when she heard Lu Chen say, ¡°I can promise you that I¡¯ll never take any concubines. Then, are you willing to continue to be my wife?¡± Qiao Jinniang reached out and touched Lu Chen¡¯s forehead. ¡°Your Royal Highness, are you possessed?¡± Lu Chen put his hand around Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist. ¡°You wanted to marry Li Yun just because he promised not to take any concubines, right? I can do it too. If you agree, go with me. I¡¯ll ask my father to write the imperial decree!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I wasn¡¯t that attractive? Are you willing to give up all the beautiful women in the world?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want any other woman except you.¡± Lu Chen really disliked his father¡¯s concubines. It was troublesome enough to handle Qiao Jinniang. If there were a group of Qiao Jinniang, he was afraid that his lifespan would be much shorter. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s lips curled slightly.. ¡°Can you really guarantee that you won¡¯t take any concubines?¡± Chapter 84 - You Don’t Take Concubines Because You’re Impotent, Right? Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang was very shocked. What was Lu Chen¡¯s identity? How could he make such a promise? Lu Chen whispered into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear. ¡°Yes, I promise.¡± With that, he bit Qiao Jinniang¡¯s earlobe with his teeth¡­ Qiao Jinniang shivered, frowned slightly, and pushed Lu Chen away. ¡°Did you say that just to do that to me? When I marry into the East Palace, what can I do even if you take a concubine? I¡¯m not that stupid.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I can swear.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°I had a good friend, and her husband swore that he would never fail her and that if he did, he would be beheaded. ¡°But after she gave birth to five daughters in a row, he divorced her. ¡°And now that man is living happily. He sold his daughters and used the money to get a new wife. In February this year, he had a healthy son and happily held a celebration banquet. ¡°You know that woman too. She is Mrs. Qian of the Qian family. ¡°She¡¯s only five years older than me, but she looks like in her forties, so oaths are useless.¡± Lu Chen remembered that woman. He chuckled. ¡°I remember that when she was three-month pregnant, you tried to persuade her to have an abortion and divorce her husband, and in the end, didn¡¯t she beat you hard and drive you out?¡± At that time, he and Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t married yet. After Qiao Jinniang was beaten, her face was bruised, and she didn¡¯t dare to let her parents see her face¡­ So she was secretly rubbing her bruised face with an egg in front of his room to subside the swelling, but he had to listen to her scolding that man for a long time. At that time, Qiao Jinniang was only fifteen years old. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Why are you laughing? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, okay? She was pregnant only less than a month after the birth of her last daughter. The doctor said she was very likely to have a difficult birth¡­¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Oaths are not useless. If that man really sold his daughter, I will order the new prefect of Lin¡¯an to severely punish him to fulfill his oath. You see, oaths are not useless, right?¡± Lu Chen lowered his head and asked softly, ¡°Now, are you willing to marry me as my crown princess?¡± Jinniang still shook her head. Lu Chen¡¯s face turned dark. When he was a child, he had seen how his uncle pacified his aunt and how his father pacified his mother, it seemed easy, especially his mother, who always easily forgave his father. But he had been trying to make up with Jinniang for half a year, and he even gave up his bottomline for her¡­ Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Give me a little more time. Last time I entered the imperial palace to thank His Majesty, I was forced to learn a lot of etiquette. ¡°If I become the crown princess, it will be exhausting to master all the etiquette¡­ ¡°It is very pleasing to me when my hairpin clinks as I walk, but the women in the imperial palace can¡¯t let even their hairpin make the slightest sound. If I have to obey so many rules, what is the difference from imprisonment?¡± Lu Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was not because of him that she didn¡¯t want to be the crown princess. Qiao Jinniang asked weakly, ¡°Is it worthwhile to tolerate so much just for you?¡± Lu Chen was almost lost for words. ¡°Do you know what I have to pay for refusing to take any concubines? And you don¡¯t even want to learn some etiquette just for me?¡± Seeing the disappointment in his eyes, Qiao Jinniang clenched the handkerchief in her hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but I haven¡¯t had a good time in Chang¡¯an yet because I was in a bad mood. ¡°If I marry into the imperial palace, I am afraid I won¡¯t have any chance to have fun outside. Can¡¯t you wait for me to have enough fun?¡± ¡°Last time I saw His Majesty and Her Majesty went out to have fun, they only had time for one meal before they had to go back in a hurry. When I become the crown princess, it¡¯ll be like being in a big cage of gold and silver, which only allows me to come out for some fresh air occasionally.¡± Although women weren¡¯t confined like before, how could women of the royal family come out easily? ¡°I haven¡¯t learned to ride a horse yet. When I was a child, my foster parents dared not let me learn it. Sometimes I was really envious when I saw Fulu wearing a riding suit and riding a horse on the street.¡± ¡°I heard that there is a famous street in Chang¡¯an called Chunfeng Street, but I haven¡¯t been there. I haven¡¯t experienced enough of the prosperity of Chang¡¯an.¡± Listening to her, Lu Chen actually felt that it made some sense. His mother also always wanted to go out of the imperial palace to hunt, but hunting was at most held twice a year. After all, his father had so many state affairs to deal with. As for going out of the imperial palace to have fun, it was at most once every few months. If they were recognized and this news was passed into the ears of the four imperial concubines, they would rat on her to the Empress Dowager. Lu Chen said, ¡°Okay, but you have to tell me how long you need. You can¡¯t keep saying that you haven¡¯t had enough fun, right?¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about it for a while. ¡°To this Lantern Festival,okay? I can start learning imperial etiquette from the Lantern Festival.¡± Lu Chen frowned. ¡°It¡¯s too long. Chang¡¯an is not that big. It won¡¯t take you so long to travel all across Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°Do you have the heart to stop me from spending a Spring Festival with my biological parents? I¡¯ve never spent a Spring Festival with them.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°There is a palace banquet on New Year¡¯s Eve and the first day of the new year, and your parents will come, but in the Qiao family, you may not be able to see them. ¡°Besides, do you have the heart to see me sleep all lonely and cold these days?¡± Lu Chen sounded very seductive when he said ¡°sleep all lonely and cold¡±. Qiao Jinniang understood what she was implying at once, and she was annoyed. ¡°Bah, why do you think about this all day long? The novels you sent me are all these bad things. As the Crown Prince, can¡¯t you think about decent things? ¡°Are you pacifing me so humbly just for sex? ¡°Think about what you said to me, okay? It just serves you right to sleep lonely and cold for a full year.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang continued. ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered from your injuries. You should take a good rest and restore your kidney.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°What kind of stupid novels did you read??¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted softly. ¡°You sent those novels to me. Why are you saying they are stupid?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since you promised me not to take any concubines, I won¡¯t despise you! Is it because you are afraid that other women will find out that you are impotent so you promised me that?¡± Qiao Jinniang felt that she might have discovered the truth? With a dark face, Lu Chen pushed Qiao Jinniang against the osmanthus tree, and the osmanthus flower fell on their heads with the wind. Lu Chen gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m impotent? If I were not afraid of hurting you, I could do it seven times a night. Would you like to try it?¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly shook her head. ¡°This is in the Duke Mansion, and it¡¯s broad daylight. Let go of me. If someone comes in¡­ Lu Chen said, ¡°They know I¡¯m here. No one will come in.¡± As he said that, his eyes fell on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s red lips painted with lipstick, and just as he was about to kiss, the courtyard door was pushed open by Tuan¡¯er¡­ Tuan¡¯er walked in, holding Qiao Li¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°Mother, Little Uncle also wants a rabbit doll.¡± Qiao Li looked at Qiao Jinniang shyly and timidly, not daring to speak to her. Lu Chen glared at Tuan¡¯er.. It seemed that he also had to arrange for Tuan¡¯er to copy the Historical Records¡­ Chapter 85 - Qiao Ruoshuis First Night Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang stroked the head of her youngest brother, Ah Li. ¡°Does Ah Li also want a rabbit?¡± Qiao Li flinched in fear, and then looked at the doll rabbit in Tuan¡¯er¡¯s hand again, hesitating but not daring to speak. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know why her youngest brother was so afraid of her, so she could only say, ¡°I will make one for you tomorrow.¡± Tuan¡¯er tugged at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Make one for Daddy too. His eyes look so fierce.¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen. Lu Chen said to Tuan¡¯er, ¡°No need, your mother has already given me a big rabbit.¡± Hearing Lu Chen¡¯s ambiguous remarks, Qiao Jinniang gave him a warning look. ¡°How can you talk about that in front of children?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I just told the truth.¡± It was getting dark and an eunuch came to urge Lu Chen to leave. Lu Chen whispered to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Come to the East Palace early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Qiao Jinniang responded. ¡­ In the main hall of the Duke Mansion. The Duchess directed the servants to sort out the birthday gifts from yesterday¡¯s birthday banquet and put them into storage, and then she checked the list of the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts that would be sent to the imperial palace tomorrow. Then she returned to her courtyard, only to see the Duke looking very worried, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Duke Anyuan sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s because of Jinniang! His Royal Highness put aside his dignity to please Jinniang many times, but Jinniang still didn¡¯t show him any respect. ¡°Not only did she insist on marrying Li Yun, but she also wronged His Royal Highness for Li Yun, which really annoyed His Royal Highness!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The Duchess said in surprise, ¡°I had thought His Royal Highness still loves Jinniang.¡± The Duke sighed and said, ¡°That day, Jinniang even blamed His Royal Highness for manipulating the Imperial Examination and setting up Li Yun. How could the Crown {rince not be angered by her? ¡°Now you have to restrain everyone in the Duke Mansion and make sure no one gossips about the Crown Prince. ¡°And no one shall mention that Jinniang is going to marry into the East Palace. I don¡¯t think His Majesty and Her Majesty will allow it.¡± The Duke had pondered about this matter for a whole night yesterday. He said, ¡°They said that Jinniang could marry another man freely, which showed clearly that they didn¡¯t want Jinniang to marry the Crown Prince!¡± The Duchess¡¯s tears fell. ¡°My poor daughter, even if it is the Crown Prince, I don¡¯t think His Majesty will treat Jinniang like this, after taking into account Duke Anyuan Mansion and Earl Zheng Mansion¡¯s contribution to the country!¡± The Duke said, ¡°Earl Zheng Mansion is nothing in His Majesty¡¯s eyes. The Zheng family has been running amok over the years. That¡¯s why they were demoted from the Duke Zheng Mansion to the Earl Zheng Mansion.¡± ¡°Then what about our family? Will we just sit and watch Jinniang being laughed at?¡± The Duke said helplessly, ¡°Jinniang really doesn¡¯t want to marry His Royal Highness. If not, she would not have offended him. ¡°His Royal Highness was really angry in the East Palace that day. ¡°I should be grateful that His Majesty put me in such an important position. If I use my military power to threaten His Majesty to give Jinniang a good position, it will only make him suspicious of me. ¡°From now on, you must restrain everyone in our family from discussing this matter.¡± When the Duchess heard this, she began to cry again. ¡°Why is my girl¡¯s life so tragic?¡± ¡­ Prince Mediocre¡¯s mansion. Only then did Qiao Ruoshui hear the news from her mammy. ¡°What? Qiao Jinniang is actually the biological mother of the imperial grandson?¡± How could she be worthy of that? That slave-raised b*tch! The mammy said, ¡°Yes, Qiao Jinniang is really cold-blooded. She knew about this but she still let you make a fool of yourself and annoy the Duke and the Duchess.¡± Qiao Ruoshui smashed the teapot on the floor. ¡°Qiao Jinniang! How could she do that to me?!¡± Now she had become a joke. No wonder she felt uncomfortable whenever she saw Qiao Jinniang. It turned out that they were born to be enemies. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, she is really calculating, pretending to be weak in front of my mother and making me lose my mother¡¯s love. I will never spare her!¡± The mammy poured a cup of tea for Qiao Ruoshui and said, ¡°Miss, please calm down. Although Qiao Jinniang is the biological mother of the imperial grandson, now everyone is laughing at her for dumping His Royal Highness¡­¡± Qiao Ruoshui frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s not true. I heard from my mother that Qiao Jinniang was abandoned by the Crown Prince¡­¡± The mammy said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it great? If the Crown Prince wants Qiao Jinniang to marry into the East Palace, she would have long been in the East Palace. Why would he wait until now? Even though Qiao Jinniang is the mother of the imperial grandson, she will never be able to marry the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Mammy, Consort, good news! His Highness has come.¡± Qiao Ruoshui hurriedly asked the maids to clean up the broken pieces of porcelain on the floor, and went out to greet Prince Mediocre. Prince Mediocre looked at the woman under the lantern. To be honest, although Qiao Ruoshui was a stupid nuisance, she was really a beauty. Even in Chang¡¯an, she could be said to be one of the most beautiful women. More importantly, she looked like Qiao Jinniang very much! He wanted to make Qiao Jinniang his concubine previously, but it turned out that she was the Crown Prince¡¯s woman! This made him look like a fool! When the rumor about him and Qiao Jinniang was widespread in Chang¡¯an, he had thought that the Crown Prince defended Qiao Jinniang to win her father¡¯s support. Now it turned out that he just didn¡¯t want to be cuckolded by him. However, yesterday the Duchess said that the Crown Prince had divorced Qiao Jinniang in Lin¡¯an. Although the Duke was very perfunctory about Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s wedding, he was just being angry. Qiao Ruoshui was still his daughter after all! The Duke might have been trying to distance himself from him before, but now that the Crown Prince had no intention of marrying Qiao Jinniang¡­ The Duke was definitely annoyed! And if Qiao Ruoshui could win his favor, maybe the Duke would change his mind and turn to help him. Qiao Ruoshui was very nervous. This was her first night after all¡­ The mammy walked outside. Hearing the swaying sound of the wooden bed inside, she smiled. Facing the round moon, she folded her hands together. ¡°Moon God, please bless Miss with an imperial heir soon.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the mammy heard the sound stop. She was stunned for a while. It hadn¡¯t even been three minutes¡­ She remembered the ¡°teapot mouth¡± rumor. She had thought it was fabricated by Imperial Consort Zhou. But now when she thought about it carefully, she didn¡¯t think so. Consort Zhou would not dare to fabricate it! Consort Zhou had lost her natal family. If she slandered the prince, how could His Majesty tolerate her? No matter how much His Majesty disliked Prince Mediocre, he was still his son! So the ¡°teapot mouth¡± rumor must be true! In the room, Qiao Ruoshui didn¡¯t expect that her first night would pass so easily. When taking a bath, Qiao Ruoshui thought proudly, now she had won the favor of Prince Mediocre¡­ As for Qiao Jinniang, she was just a woman abandoned by the Crown Prince, and she would have plenty of chances to torture her in the future! ¡­ The next day, the Mid-Autumn Festival. Qiao Jinniang was woken up by Hongling early in the morning to dress up. Nuomi took out a set of gold silk headwear inlaid with top-quality pearls from the makeup niche, ¡°Miss, this was sent by His Royal Highness yesterday, do you want to wear this?¡± Qiao Jinniang reached out and touched the gorgeous headwear. What woman would not love such superb headwear? Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wear it today. It¡¯s Xi¡¯er¡¯s birthday today. I can¡¯t embarrass my son.¡± During the Mid-Autumn Festival, there would be a banquet for the ministers in the evening, while the birthday banquet of the imperial grandson would be held at noon. Only the royal family members could attend it. Qiao Jinniang went to the East Palace early in the morning. When she arrived, Lu Chen happened to come back from the imperial palace. Seeing Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. Today, she was wearing a red wide-sleeved skirt with a circle of top-quality pearls embroidered on the cuffs. Inside was a thin chest-length skirt, on which a white lotus flower was embroidered with pearls. Her hair was tied into a high cloud bun, which was then decorated with a top-quality gold filigree inlaid pearl headwear. He had never seen Qiao Jinniang dressed up like this, not even at their wedding. Although the Qiao family was rich at that time, they still couldn¡¯t afford such an expensive set of clothes. Qiao Jinniang walked up to Lu Chen, raised her chin and asked, ¡°Do I look like an immortal descended to Earth today?¡± Chapter 86 - Keep the Crown Princes Secret Chapter 86: Keep the Crown Prince¡¯s Secret Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lu Chen shook his head. Qiao Jinniang was a little annoyed. She had looked at herself in the mirror this morning and was very satisfied with her makeup today, but Lu Chen didn¡¯t even praise her beauty? Lu Chen took her hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re even more beautiful than an immortal descended to Earth. With you in the mortal world, even immortals wouldn¡¯t dare to go down to the mortal world.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°Are you saying this so that I¡¯ll keep that secret for you?¡± Lu Chen tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, if you dare to say I¡¯m impotent again, I¡¯ll prove to you that I¡¯m not right now!¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°No, it took me nearly two hours to do my makeup today. I even woke up before dawn for this. You can¡¯t mess it up.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°So, you¡¯d better not read so many novels.¡± Jinniang said in a small voice, ¡°You gave those novels to me, okay? I have never read this kind of novel before, but I have read all the ones you sent me. Are there anymore?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­No, you are not allowed to read those again!¡± They entered Tuan¡¯er¡¯s room. He had just got up and was wearing a bright yellow round-neck robe today. Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let him wear the little red robe I made for him? I specially wore a red skirt today just to match that robe.¡± Lu Chen whispered in Jinniang¡¯s ear. ¡°Did you forget that my father will announce Tuan¡¯er to be my heir today? So he should be wearing a bright yellow robe. If you want to wear the same color as Tuan¡¯er, become my crown princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Forget it then.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Those attending today¡¯s banquet will be my eight brothers and sisters, three aunts and their children, and the rest are the cousins of my father¡¯s side, as well as the people of Duke Wu Mansion and Earl Cheng Mansion.¡± Qiao Jinniang said softly, ¡°The royal family already has so many members, but you still use the heir as an excuse.¡± Lu Chen quickly changed the subject and said, ¡°With my mother and me at the banquet, whoever bullies you, you can just scold back and don¡¯t have to save him any face. ¡°But the Empress Dowager is my senior, so you¡¯ll have to show her respect and bear with her.¡± ¡°Will the Empress Dowager come today?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°I heard that the Empress Dowager doesn¡¯t seem to like the Queen and you?¡± Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t have to worry too much. You are from the Qiao family, so the Empress Dowager won¡¯t be too harsh to you.¡± Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen and Tuan¡¯er into the Chengxi Palace where the imperial banquet would be held. The palace was already full of people, and everyone was talking and laughing, so it was very lively. Hearing the eunuch announce that the Crown Prince and the imperial grandson had arrived, there was an instant silence in the palace. Everyone stood up to salute the two. Qiao Jinniang was a little nervous. After all, the people here were all the royal family members who were previously out of her reach. Li Lingling glared at Qiao Jinniang with hatred. If she knew it was her, she should not have destroyed that chess piece, Qiao Ruoshui. Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang to the seat above, and there were several seats above them. She guessed that it should be for the Emperor, the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines. Prince Qi¡¯s wife, Consort Qi whispered to her husband, ¡°Why is Tuan¡¯er wearing bright yellow clothes today? Isn¡¯t there a rumor that Qiao Jinniang is disliked by the Crown Prince? Look at what she is wearing today, if she is in bright yellow too, she will be dressed just like a crown princess.¡± Prince Qi motioned to Consort Qi to keep it down. ¡°Although Qiao Jinning was not brought up by the Duchess, her appearance and family background are not bad. The Crown Prince is not stupid.¡± Consort Qi glanced over, only to see the Crown Prince and Qiao Jinniang holding hands underneath the table, looking so affectionate. Tuan¡¯er, who was supposed to sit between them, could only sit aside with the rabbit doll in his arms as he played with the little ears of the rabbit doll. Not long after, an eunuch came to ask Lu Chen to go to the Hall of Diligent Governance, and Lu Chen said into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Qiao Jinning nodded. Only after Lu Chen left did people dare to look Qiao Jinniang up and down openly. Fulu walked over to Qiao Jinniang regardless of the etiquette and said, ¡°Have you made up with my imperial cousin?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Fulu smiled and said, ¡°Great, then I can visit you in the East Palace more often from now on. Last time I ate the acacia honey you made, I heard from your maid that you can also make sweet-scented osmanthus honey?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yes, the sweet-scented osmanthus in my courtyard is blooming well. I¡¯ve ordered my maids to collect all the sweet-scented osmanthus, and I will send you a bottle of sweet-scented osmanthus honey when I make it.¡± Fulu said, ¡°That¡¯s great. Do you know the people here?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. Fulu said, ¡°Those sitting next to my mother are the three sisters of His Majesty, the aunts of the Crown Prince, and next to them are the three sisters of the Crown Prince. You should know Jinghua, right? ¡°The other two princesses are very arrogant. They both think they¡¯re the most beautiful women in Chang¡¯an and hate women more beautiful than them. And you¡¯re so beautiful today, so be careful of them. ¡°The young men sitting on the left are Prince Chu, Prince Qi, Prince Lu, Prince Mediocre and Prince Su. They are the Crown Prince¡¯s brothers. ¡°Only Prince Qi and Prince Chu already have wives. Prince Lu has no wife just yet, and Prince Mediocre and Prince Su already have fianc¨¦es, so the women sitting beside them are all their concubines.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered carefully. The one sitting beside Prince Mediocre was not Qiao Ruoshui but a gentle-looking woman, who must be Concubine Jian. She tried to remember these royal family members when she suddenly heard the sound of Tuan¡¯er falling to the ground. Tuan¡¯er was feeding his rabbit doll water with a little spoon, but was bumped hard by a fat dark-skinned child, and the spoon fell to the ground. After that, the black-skinned kid snatched the rabbit doll from Tuan¡¯er and pushed him to the ground. The child didn¡¯t speak clearly. ¡°Bunny, give it to me.¡± Just when Qiao Jinniang was nervous and distressed, Tuan¡¯er suddenly got up and punched the child to the ground. Then Tuan¡¯er sat on him and bit the fat child¡¯s arm. Seeing his arm bleed, the fat child cried out in pain. ¡°Mother, it hurts.¡± Seeing this, Tuan¡¯er took the opportunity to take the doll rabbit back. Consort Qi immediately got up and hurriedly hugged her child. ¡°Bao¡¯er, you ill-bred brat, what is so valuable that you need to snatch it? Only a merchant-raised child would regard it as a treasure. Don¡¯t get your hands dirty!¡± Qiao Jinniang knew that Consort Qi was obliquely scolding Tuan¡¯er although she seemed to be scolding her son. Merchant-raised, could it be more obvious? At this time, an eunuch announced that the Empress Dowager came with a few imperial concubines. After everyone saluted, Prince Qi¡¯s mother, Imperial Concubine Wan, saw her grandson¡¯s arm bleeding and was immediately angry. ¡°Who did this?¡± Junior Prince Bao pointed at Tuan¡¯er crying. ¡°Boohoo, it hurts!¡± Tuan¡¯er hugged the doll rabbit and said, ¡°Yes, I bit you, so what?!¡± Imperial Concubine Wan glared at Tuan¡¯er. ¡°Little Highness, isn¡¯t there no brotherhood in the countryside?¡± Chapter 87 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ??? ???????? ?????????????? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ??????????? ???????????¡¯???????? ?????????? ????????????????? ???? ???????? ???????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????? ?????? ??? ?????????????? ??? ??????? ??????? ????? ¡°??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???¡± ???? ???????? ????? ???? ??? ????¡¯? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??? ??????? ???????? ?? ???? ????????? ????????????? ??????? ??? ????????????? ??? ?????????????????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????????????????????? ?????????????????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ????¡¯? ???? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ????¡¯??¡¯? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????¡­ ????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????¡¯??? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????? ????? ?? ????????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ??????? ??????? ????¡¯??? ????? ????? ?? ???????? ??????? ?????????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????????? ????¡¯?? ????? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ????????????????? ???????? ¡°???? ?????? ?¡¯? ???? ??????¡¯? ????????? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ?????????? ?????? ?? ????¡¯??? ? ???¡¯? ????? ??¡¯? ????? ??? ????¡¯?? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ¡°????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ????¡¯??¡¯? ???? ?????? ?? ????¡¯?? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??????¡± ??????????? ????¡¯?? ???????????????? ¡°??????? ??????????????? ????????? ??????? ???????? ????????????? ??? ??¡¯???? ????? ¡°??? ????¡¯?? ???????¡¯? ???? ??? ???????? ?? ?? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????????? ???? ???? ¡°??? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ???¡¯? ???? ??????????? ¡° ??????? ??????????????????¡¯? ????????? ???????¡¯???? ????¡¯?? ¡°???? ??????? ???????? ???? ???????????????????????? ? ????????????? ??????? ???? ????? ??????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??? ???????????????? ????????????????? ?????¡±?????????? ?? ????????????????????????????? ???? ???? ?????????? ???????????? ???????? ??????¡¯?? ?????? ??? ??????????????¡¯???????????? ?????? ??????????? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ¡°??? ??? ????? ?? ????????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ? ??????????¡± ???? ???????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ????? ¡°?????????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ????????? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ???????????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?????????? ?????????????? ???????¡¯?? ???? ???? ??????????? ??? ??? ??????????¡¯?¡±??????????????? ???????????????????? ????¡¯??¡¯??? ¡°????????? ?????????? ????????????? ??????? ?? ???? ???????? ¡°?????? ???????? ???¡¯??? ??? ??? ????????? ?? ???? ???¡¯?? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ???? ?????¡± ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ???????? ¡°???¡¯?? ?? ? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????? ????¡± ????¡¯????? ?????????????????????????? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ??????????????¡± ????????? ???¡¯?¡°?????????? ?????? ???¡¯???????????? ???????????????? ??????? ???????????????? ? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ????? ¡°???????????? ? ????? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ?????? ????¡¯?? ?? ??? ???????¡¯? ????????? ?? ?? ???¡¯? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ????????¡± ???????? ????????? ??? ???????? ¡°?? ????¡¯? ???? ?? ??? ??????????? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ?????? ?? ???¡¯?? ? ??????????¡± ??????????? ?? ??????????? ?? ????????? ???????????? ????????? ?????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ¡°???????????? ???????? ?? ???? ??? ?????????? ??? ?????¡¯? ???? ??? ????? ??????????? ?? ??? ???????? ???? ?¡¯? ??????? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ??????¡± ???????? ?? ???¡¯??? ??? ??? ?????? ????????? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ????¡¯??? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ???????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ¡°???? ?????????¡± ??????????? ????????? ?? ??????????¡¯???????????? ??? ??? ¡°?????? ?????? ????? ??? ????????? ??????? ???????????¡¯?? ?????????????? ????????????????????? ???????¡¯? ?????????????????? ???? ????????????¡¯?? ¡°??? ? ????? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ????¡¯?? ???¡¯? ???? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ?? ????¡¯?? ?????? ??? ?? ?????????¡± ??????? ?? ????? ???????????? ¡°??? ??? ?????? ???????¡¯? ???? ???¡¯?? ? ?????????? ???¡¯?? ?? ??? ???????¡¯? ???????? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??? ???¡¯???¡± ??????????? ??? ??? ????????????? ¡°????????? ?????? ???????? ????¡­ ?????????????????????????????????????????????? ???¡¯??????? ??????????? ???? ¡°???¡¯?? ?? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ????¡¯?? ???????¡¯? ???? ???? ??¡¯? ????? ?? ?????¡± ???????? ????????? ???? ???? ????? ¡°???? ??? ??????? ??? ???????? ???¡¯?? ?? ????? ????¡¯?? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ???????? ?????? ?? ????¡­¡± ???? ????????? ???????¡¯?? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ¡°???????? ? ????¡¯? ?? ???????? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ¡°???¡¯?? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ??¡­ ??? ?? ?? ?? ????? ???? ? ?????? ????? ¡° ????¡¯?? ????????????????? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ????¡¯?? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ???????????? ??????? ????????????????????????¡¯??? ???? ???? ????¡¯?????? ?? ?????????????????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???¡¯?? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ¡°? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??? ????? ??????¡¯? ????? ???¡¯?? ?? ???? ? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ???????? ¡°?? ??? ?????? ?????¡¯? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ? ???? ??? ???¡¯?? ?? ?? ??? ???? ?? ????????¡± ?????????? ??? ???????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??????? ???????? ??? ?????? ¡°???? ???????? ???¡¯?? ????? ???? ???????? ???¡¯? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ??????¡¯? ?????¡± ??????? ?????? ???????? ¡°??? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ????????¡± ?? ???? ???????? ????? ????????????????????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????????????????¡°???????? ???????? ¡°?????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? ??????¡¯? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????¡¯? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ????¡¯?? ?????? ?? ??? ???????¡± ???????? ????????? ??? ????????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ¡°???? ???????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?????????¡± ?? ?????? ??????????????????????¡¯?? ???????? ?????????? ??? ???¡¯?? ????? ??????? ¡°??????? ????? ???¡¯?? ????? ???¡± ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? ???????? ¡°???¡¯?? ?? ???? ? ???? ????? ???? ????¡¯??? ? ???????? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????????¡± ????????? ??? ???¡¯?? ????¡¯?? ¡°????????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?? ????????? ????? ¡°???? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ???????? ???????? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ??? ??¡¯?? ???¡¯? ????? ????¡± ????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ???? ???????? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????¡¯?? ?????????? ¡°??? ??? ???????? ??? ????¡¯? ??? ???? ??????¡± ? ???¡¯? ???? ?? ¡°????¡¯?? ? ??????¡± ???? ???????? ??????? ????¡¯??¡¯? ????? ¡°???? ????¡± ???????? ????????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????¡¯?? ????? ???? ????¡¯? ???? ?? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ?????????????????????????????? ????? ??????? ?????????????????????? ??? ????????? ??? ???????? ????¡¯?? ?????? ???????????????????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????¡¯? ???? ???? ?? ???? ? ???? ?? ??????????? ???¡¯?? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??????¡¯? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ???????????????? ????? ?????????????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ????¡¯?? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?????¡­ ?? ???????? ?????????? ??? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ???? ? ???? ?????? ?????? ¡°???¡¯?? ?? ? ????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ???????? ?? ???¡¯??? ??? ???¡¯? ??? ???? ??? ? ?????? ?????¡± Chapter 88 - Why Do You Care So Much About Ruoshui? Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ????? ???¡¯?? ??????????????? ????? ??????? ?????????????¡°????????¡¯? ????????? ??????????????????????????¡± ???? ??¡¯? ??? ???? ???¡¯?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ??????? ?? ???????? ?????? ??? ????? ¡°?????? ????????? ???¡¯? ?? ????? ???? ? ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ???¡¯?? ??? ??????????????¡± ??? ?? ????? ???????????????????????????????????? ????? ?? ????????????????????? ??????? ??????????????????????? ??????? ???? ???? ???????? ????¡¯? ?????? ???? ?? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ? ??? ?????? ¡°????? ?? ??? ????? ???????? ?? ?? ????? ??? ???? ???¡¯?? ???? ???????¡± ?????????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ??? ????? ???¡¯??¡¯??????????????????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????????? ?? ???? ????????? ?? ???????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ?????????¡¯?? ??????? ?? ??????????????????? ???? ????????????? ????? ??????????????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ????¡¯?? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????¡¯?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ¡°??????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??????¡± ???? ????????? ¡°¡­¡± ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ????? ???? ????¡¯?? ???? ???????? ??? ????¡¯? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ???¡¯????????? ??????? ?????? ?????????????¡±?????? ¡°???? ??????????????? ????????????????????????? ?? ????????????????? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ??????? ¡°??? ??? ? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???¡± ???? ????? ??????? ????¡¯??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????????????? ??????¡°????? ?? ?????????????¡± ????? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???????? ??????? ??? ??????? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ????? ???????¡¯ ???????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ???????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ????????????????? ??????? ?????????? ?? ??????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??????? ????????? ?????????????????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ???????¡­ ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ? ????? ??? ?? ?????????? ??????? ???? ???????? ????????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ??? ????? ¡°?? ??????? ???? ? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ?????????? ?? ? ???? ???? ????????? ????? ??? ????????? ?????¡± ????? ??? ? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ????¡¯? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ???????? ???????? ¡­ ?? ???????? ????????? ???¡¯? ??????? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ????? ??????¡¯? ??????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ???¡¯??¡¯? ????????? ¡°??? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ? ???? ????? ???? ????¡¯?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??? ????? ????¡¯?? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ?????????? ???????? ??? ????? ????¡± ??????????? ???? ????????????????? ??????????????? ????¡¯??? ??? ?????????? ????? ??????????? ??? ?? ????????? ??? ??? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ???????¡¯? ?????????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ?? ? ??????????? ????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ? ????????¡¯? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ???????? ????????? ??? ???????? ????????? ??? ????????? ??? ????? ¡°????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ????????? ???? ???????????????????????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?¡¯??? ??????? ?? ?????????? ?? ???? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????¡±???????????? ???? ????????? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ? ??? ?????????? ?? ???? ????????? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ??????¡¯? ?? ??? ????? ????????? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ????¡¯??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??????¡¯? ????? ????????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ????¡¯? ?????? ??? ???????? ???? ???????? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ??????? ???????? ?????????????? ?????? ????????????? ????????? ???????????? ???¡¯?? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ???????? ???? ?????? ??? ????????? ??? ????? ???????? ??????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ???????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ? ??? ?????????? ??????? ????????? ?? ??????????????? ?????????¡¯? ????????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ?? ????? ??????????? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ¡°???????????????? ???????? ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??????¡¯? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ????????¡± ? ???????? ??????????????¡°???? ????????????? ????????????¡±????? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????????????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ??????? ????????? ¡°? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ????????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?? ????¡± ?????????????? ??? ??????¡¯? ??? ??????? ?????¡­ ?? ????????? ??????????? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ??????????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?????????? ?? ????? ?????? ????????? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ???? ? ?????????????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??????????????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?????????? ????????? ????? ???? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ??????????????? ????? ???? ?????????????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ¡°?? ?????? ?????? ??? ? ????????? ?????????? ??? ? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ???????????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????¡± ??????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ??????????? ????? ?? ????? ????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ???????????????? ????? ??????????? ??? ??????? ?????? ?? ???? ?????¡¯? ???? ??? ?????????? ¡°???¡¯? ?? ??????????? ???????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ????? ????¡± ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ???¡¯???? ????¡°?????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????? ????? ?? ¡°??? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ????????? ????? ??? ????? ????????¡¯ ??????????? ?? ???? ??¡­ ¡°???? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ????????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ???????????????????? ??? ????????? ??¡¯??????? ??????????????? ?????????? ?????¡¯?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ???????? ????????? ??¡¯?? ????????? ??? ??? ????? ¡° ??? ??????? ???????? ¡°?????????????? ?? ???????¡¯? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ???? ?????¡± ?????????? ¡°??????? ?????? ??????????????????? ???? ??????????? ???????????? ??? ???? ????????????????? ????? ?????? ¡°??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ????????? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ???????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????¡¯? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ????????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????????¡± ???? ??? ??????? ????? ????? ??? ???? ?????????? ??? ?????? ¡°??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ????????? ???????????????¡¯???????? ????¡±???? ????? ?????¡°???¡¯????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ??????????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?? ??????¡¯? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?????????? ¡°? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ?????¡± ? ??????????????????????????? ??????????? ?? ???????????????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ????????????????????????????????????????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ¡°?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ???¡¯? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ¡°??? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????¡¯? ????? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ????¡± ???? ???? ??????????? ???????? ¡°???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ¡°?? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ????????? ??????? ?????¡°????????????? ??? ??????????? ??????????? ?????????????¡¯?????????? ?? ???????????? ????????????????? ?????¡¯????????? ?? ¡°????? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??????¡± Chapter 89 - Lu Chens Maternal Grandmother Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ????????????????¡¯?????? ?????? ??????? ??????????????? ????¡°?????????? ??????? ????????? ¡°?????? ?????? ??????????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ????????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ????????? ?? ?????? ????????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ?????????? ????????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??? ??? ?????????? ??????? ?? ?? ??????? ¡°??? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????¡± ??????? ?????????????? ????????? ?????????? ???¡­¡± ???? ?????????? ????????¡°?????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ???????? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???????????? ¡°???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ? ?????????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ????¡¯? ????????? ?????????????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ??? ????¡¯? ???????? ?????? ???¡¯? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????¡± ???? ????? ????????? ??? ????¡¯? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ??????????????????????? ?????? ???? ???????? ??? ???????????????????? ??????????? ??????? ???? ????????????? ????????? ?????? ?? ? ????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ¡°??? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???¡¯? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ???????? ????? ? ???? ?? ??? ????¡± ???? ????? ¡°? ??? ??? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ????????¡± ??? ???????? ????????? ??????? ??????????????????????? ???????????????? ?????? ????? ?????????????????????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ¡°??? ??? ???? ??? ???????????? ?????? ? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?????¡¯? ?????? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ??????¡± ?????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???????? ????? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ???????? ???????? ????????????????????¡°????? ???¡¯? ?? ????? ???? ??????????????????? ??????????? ??????????????? ????????????¡± ??? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????¡¯?? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?????¡¯? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???? ??? ?????¡± ???? ??????????????¡°??¡¯??? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ????????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ??????????? ???????? ??? ??? ??????? ????????? ???????????? ??? ????????????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ???????? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ??????? ????? ?????????? ¡°??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????¡± ¡°???????? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? ???? ?????????? ? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ?¡¯? ????? ??????? ? ??????? ???? ??? ????¡± ?????????? ????????????? ???????? ??????????????????????? ????????? ???? ????????????? ????????????????????????????????? ??? ??? ??? ?????????????????? ????????????????????????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????????¡¯? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????¡¯? ??? ? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ¡°??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ??? ? ?????¡± ???? ???????? ????? ¡°??? ???? ????¡¯? ????? ??? ? ???? ???????? ???? ? ???? ???????¡± ??????????????????????????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????? ????????? ¡°??????¡±?????????????????? ??????????????????? ????????????????????? ??? ?????? ??????????????? ??? ????????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???????? ?????????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????????? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ??????? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ? ???????? ??? ????¡¯????¡¯???? ???????? ??? ????????????¡± ??????????????? ??????? ??????? ???????¡°???????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ??????? ????????? ????? ¡°??? ????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????????? ???¡¯??? ????????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??????¡± ???? ???????? ??????? ? ??? ????? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ????????????? ????????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ????????????? ????????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ¡°????? ???????? ??????????? ??????¡±???? ? ??? ????? ???? ????¡¯? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ¡°??????? ???? ?? ??? ?????????? ?????? ?? ????¡¯??? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ???? ???????¡± ??? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ¡°???¡¯?? ?? ?????????? ?? ?????? ????¡¯?? ????? ??? ?? ?????¡± ??????????? ???????????? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ????????????? ????????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???? ? ????? ??? ??? ????????????? ????????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ¡°???? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ??????????¡± ??? ????? ???? ????? ¡°??? ????? ???? ????????? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ???? ?????????????????¡°???????? ?? ???? ????????????? ???????? ??? ? ????????????????? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???????¡±?? ???????? ????????? ????????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ¡°?? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ? ???? ???? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????????? ?? ???? ????? ¡°? ?????? ????¡¯? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ????????? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ?????????? ??? ???? ????????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ¡° ??? ????? ??? ??????????¡°?? ? ??????????????¡±???? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ???????????????? ?? ???????????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ? ????? ?? ????????????? ????????? ????? ???? ? ??? ?? ????????????? ????????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ? ?????? ¡°????¡¯?? ?? ??????¡± ???? ??? ???? ??? ? ???????? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????????¡¯? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ????????¡¯? ?????? ??? ?????????????? ???????¡±??¡°???? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ? ????????? ???? ?????????? ????????? ????????????????? ????¡¯? ??????? ???? ???????? ????????? ????? ¡°??? ???? ?? ??? ????????? ??? ??????¡± ??? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ????????¡¯? ???? ??? ????? ¡°????¡¯?? ?? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????????????????????? ?????? ???? ???¡± ???¡°?????????? ???? ??????????? ????????? ?????????????????? ??????????¡± ??????????????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ??????? ¡°???? ??? ? ????? ???¡¯? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ? ????? ? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ????¡± ???? ???? ???????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ????¡¯? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ????????? ??? ???? ¡°??????? ????????? ??????¡±????? ??? ??????????? ??????????????????????? ??? ¡°????? ??? ??????? ????¡¯?? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ????¡¯?? ???????¡¯? ???? ?????? ???? ????¡± ??? ????? ???? ???????? ¡°??? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ????????? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ????¡¯???¡± ??????? ?¡¯???????? ¡°???¡¯??????????????? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ¡°????? ???? ??? ??????¡± ??? ????? ???? ????????? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ????? ¡°??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ???????¡¯? ??? ???? ?? ????????¡± ???????????? ??? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????????¡°???????????¡±? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ??? ??????? ???? ??????? ?????????? ?? ??? ????? ????????? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ???????? ¡°??¡¯? ??? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?¡¯? ???? ?? ??????? ? ????? ?? ???????????? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ?????????¡± ????????????¡°?????¡±?????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ???????¡¯? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??????¡¯? ????? ???? ????? ????????? ?? ???? ????????? ¡°?? ???????? ?? ?????? ??? ???????? ?¡¯? ?????? ???¡¯? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????? ?????????¡± ???? ??????? ???¡¯? ????????¡¯? ??????? ???? ??????????????????? ¡°? ???? ??????????????????????¡¯?? ???????????????????? ¡°??? ??? ???? ?? ???????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????????¡± ???? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ¡°???? ?????¡¯?? ?????¡¯? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ???????? ????????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???????????¡¯???????¡¯?????¡°??? ???? ?????????????? ??????????? ??????????????????????¡¯ ¡°?? ?? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ????? ????????? ?? ?? ?????????? ?? ?????? ???? ?????¡¯?? ????? ?????????? ¡°???????? ???? ?????¡¯?? ????? ?? ?? ??????? ?????? ????????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????????? ??? ??? ????????? ¡°????????? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ??????????????? ???????¡±??????????? ????? ?????? ????????????? ??????? ?? ???????? ??????? ???? ? ??? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ?? ??? ????? ????????? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??? ????? ¡°????¡¯?? ?? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ?????????? ??? ?? ???? ? ???? ????? ? ?????? ???¡¯? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ??? ????? ??? ? ???¡°???? ???????????? ???? ???? ??? ?????????? ? ??????????¡± ??¡¯???????????¡¯?? ????? Chapter 90 - The Empress Dowager Wants to Give the Crown Prince A Concubine Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Empress Dowager¡¯s voice was not low. She obviously wanted everyone to hear this. The nobles and ministers who were sitting on the front heard the Empress Dowager¡¯s words, and many of them set their eyes on Qiao Jinniang to watch the show. According to the law, a prince could have two concubines at most. However, the other five princes all had already had two concubines except for the Crown Prince. So the Empress Dowager obviously wanted to marry Li Lingling to the Crown Prince. Qiao Jinniang drank a glass of fruit wine sullenly. She should not have believed Lu Chen. Since the Empress Dowager had said this, could Lu Chen refuse? Lu Chen said, ¡°Grandmother, you¡¯re right. It just so happens that my eldest brother had been guarding the tomb for Imperial Concubine Li for the past three years. He must be very lonely. ¡°If you grant Cousin to my eldest brother, he will no longer be lonely, and Cousin can also accompany Imperial Concubine Li who was very fond of her when she was alive.¡± Hearing this, the Empress Dowager said angrily, ¡°Your eldest brother made a huge mistake and caused you to disappear for three years. ¡°How could he be worthy of Ling¡¯er? I think she is more suitable for you. You¡¯re only in your twenties but you haven¡¯t had a woman around to take care of you. ¡°And Ling¡¯er is smart and beautiful. She is worthy of¡­¡± Lu Chen interrupted the Empress Dowager¡¯s words and said, ¡°When Imperial Concubine Li was still alive, she always wanted Cousin to marry my eldest brother. ¡°Now she has passed away. I think Cousin must be willing to grant her last wish. ¡°But the position of concubine is a little low for her. Father, please grant County Mistress Li from Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion as my eldest brother¡¯s wife.¡± ¡®When the people from Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion heard this, they all turned pale. Emperor Huilin sighed and said, ¡°My son is so kind-hearted. Your eldest brother treats you like that but you are still worried about him. ¡°Since this is Imperial Concubine Li¡¯s last wish, then I will grant Li Lingling to be the wife of my eldest son. The Ministry of Rites shall choose a good day, on which they will marry in the imperial mausoleum.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief and asked Qiao Ruoyi in a low voice, ¡°Is this eldest prince¡¯s mother also from the Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion?¡± Qiao Ruoyi nodded. ¡°The Eldest Prince is the real grandson of Earl Cheng¡¯en, and his mother, Imperial Concubine Li, is Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s daughter and His Majesty¡¯s cousin. ¡°Imperial Concubine Xian is also His Majesty¡¯s cousin, but she is the daughter of Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s sister. Since her mother died early, she grew up in the Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion. ¡°More than three years ago, the Eldest Prince was involved in the case of the disappearance of the Crown Prince. The evidence that the Eldest Prince harmed the Crown Prince was conclusive, so His Majesty took away his title and wanted to sentence him to death. ¡°But for some unknown reason, the Queen interceded on behalf of the Eldest Prince, so His Majesty forgave the Eldest Prince¡¯s death penalty. ¡°Not long after, Imperial Concubine Li died abruptly, and the Eldest Prince went to guard her tomb. ¡°But in fact, he was banished to the imperial mausoleum and wasn¡¯t allowed to enter Chang¡¯an again. ¡± Qiao Jinniang listened, feeling that it was really not easy to be the crown prince. Although Lu Chen was favored by His Majesty, all his brothers hated him to their guts. The kinship among the royal family members was really fragile. Before they could offer sacrifices to the moon, the Empress Dowager said she felt ill and left Chengxi Palace, apparently angry with the Emperor. Tomorrow, there would inevitably be imperial censors complaining about this. After the banquet, it was already dark, and the round and big bright moon hung high in the sky. The Emperor and the Queen led the ministers and their families to worship the moon, and after that, the palace banquet was over. Qiao Jinniang was going back with her family. When she arrived at the gate of the imperial palace, she was about to get on the carriage. Lu Chen came over, held her hand, and said to Duke Anyuan and his wife who were very surprised to see this, ¡°Duke, Duchess, I want to take Jinniang to float the river lantern. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll send her home after floating the river lantern.¡± How dare Duke Anyuan refuse. He quickly said, ¡°No problem, Your Royal Highness.¡± The Duchess felt that women should be more reserved, but since the two of them had even had a child, she shouldn¡¯t stop Jinniang. She could only say, ¡°Jinniang, don¡¯t annoy Your Royal Highness. Come home early.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. After watching the couple leave, the Duchess asked Duke Anyuan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that His Royal Highness hated Jinniang? But he didn¡¯t seem to hate Jinniang at all just now. ¡°Many ladies came to ask me about the pearls on Jinniang¡¯s head. Those pearls are all of the highest quality. Were they given by His Royal Highness?¡± Duke Anyuan frowned and was confused too. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Jinniang insulted His Royal Highness so terribly last time, but he didn¡¯t mind it at all?¡± It didn¡¯t look like that His Royal Highness did this to win over him. Lu Chen brought Qiao Jinniang all the way to the upper reaches of the moat. Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°Where is Tuan¡¯er?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep this afternoon, so he has fallen asleep now.¡± Qiao Jinniang said angrily, ¡°That Junior Duke Bao is such a bully, yet those people in the imperial palace were all partial to him. ¡°Lcan guess how they bully Tuan¡®er when you are not around! ¡°Just this afternoon, I saw a big bruise on his arm.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Tuan¡¯er is not a pushover. He had bitten Bao¡¯er hard. Bao¡¯er is just a kid after all.¡± ¡°He is a kid, but his parents aren¡¯t. They failed to educate their son well.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted to Lu Chen. ¡°You, the Crown Prince, can¡¯t even protect your own son! Isn¡¯t it sad? It seems that you¡¯re not only impotent¡­¡± Lu Chen covered Qiao Jinniang¡¯s mouth. ¡°How dare you talk nonsense in public? ¡°When did I say I would not take revenge on Prince Qi and his wife? ¡°But I am the Crown Prince after all. I can¡¯t do it openly.¡± Qiao Jinniang pushed Lu Chen¡¯s hand away and said, ¡°And the Empress Dowager. You refused to marry Li Lingling with Imperial Concubine Li as the excuse. ¡°But what if the Empress Dowager directly issues a decree and gives you a concubine?¡± Thinking of this, Qiao Jinniang felt like a fishbone stuck in her throat. After all, the Empress Dowager was the Emperor¡¯s biological mother, Lu Chen¡¯s grandmother. It was normal for her to give a concubine to her grandson. Besides, she was the Empress Dowager. It was completely justifiable for her to bestow a concubine to the Crown Prince. After all, it did not interfere in the selection of the crown princess, and she didn¡¯t need to discuss with the Emperor and the Queen to give Lu Chen a concubine. Qiao Jinniang took off the jade bracelet on her wrist and gave it to Lu Chen. ¡°Old Madam Zhou gave this to me. Take it back.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Since I¡¯ve promised you I won¡¯t take any concubines, I¡¯ll keep my word. ¡°If the Empress Dowager could do that, she would have done it much earlier. And my father won¡¯t let her force me. You can be rest assured. Just keep this bracelet.¡± Qiao Jinniang still didn¡¯t believe Lu Chen. Filial piety was advocated nowadays. Could Lu Chen keep saying no to the Empress Dowager? ¡°Even if you can refuse the Empress Dowager, what if your father wants you to marry a concubine in the future? ¡°Or what if your mother wants you to marry one? They are your parents and the most honorable people in the world. Can you disrespect their orders?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t take back the bracelet. She said dully, ¡°I¡¯m really afraid of the harem fight. Lu Chen, I grew up in Myriad Taste. ¡°although Myriad Taste is not a paradise, the troubles there are just trivial matters. ¡°But if I am just slightest careless in the harem fight, I may fall into an abyss. ¡°I¡¯m really scared.. Please let me go Chapter 91 - Lu Chen Ruined Their Engagement Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lu Chen hugged Qiao Jinniang in his arms, wiped her tears with his hands, and said, ¡°Jin¡¯er, why can¡¯t you trust me? ¡°My father and mother will not force me to marry a concubine. If they do, I would rather not be the Crown Prince.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked up at Lu Chen. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say earlier that giving up the crown for a woman was just the stuff of fiction?¡± At this time, there were more and more people on the street. Seeing that it was not far from Tasty Pavilion here, Lu Chen brought Qiao Jinniang to Tasty Pavilion. They entered a room. Lu Chen ordered the secret guards to guard outside and then said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jin¡¯er, although everyone says that there is no kinship in the royal family, my father is just an ordinary father in my eyes just like your parents to you. ¡°Will your parents force you to do something you don¡¯t like?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. Neither her foster parents nor her biological parents had ever forced her. Lu Chen said, ¡°If one day, my father forces me to take a concubine, I will definitely be greatly disappointed in him. ¡°At that time, it would still be impossible for me to give up the throne. After all, no matter which of my brothers becomes the emperor, he won¡¯t spare my life. ¡°But even if I have to force my father to abdicate to me, I will not violate my oath.¡± Qiao Jinniang quickly covered Lu Chen¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t say these ridiculous words to me! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± It turned out this was what he meant. Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you fear death when you offended me earlier?¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted softly. ¡°Who said I wasn¡¯t afraid? That day in the East Palace, you made me kneel for a full half an hour, and my knees were bruised.¡± Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Not that long, okay? I only counted to thirty.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°But you still made me kneel. Forget it. There are river lanterns for sale. I¡¯ll get even with you later. Let¡¯s float some river lanterns first¡­¡± There was a river in front of Tasty Pavilion, and it was already full of river lanterns. ¡®When the two reached the upper reaches of the moat, a bridge large enough to accommodate hundreds of people was full of men and women, and there were hawkers on both sides under the bridge. Qiao Jinniang bought a sky lantern from a hawker and wrote her wish on the lantern. Lu Chen craned his neck to look. ¡°What did you write?¡± Qiao Jinniang covered the written words. ¡°No peeping. The wish will not come true if you know it.¡± Lu Chen also bought a lantern from the hawker and wrote down his wish too. Qiao Jinniang took a look and frowned. She shouldn¡¯t have made that wish! She wrote that she wished she and Lu Chen could live happily forever. But he wrote ¡°May Datang be prosperous and the people of Datang be at peace¡±! Seeing Qiao Jinniang unhappy, Lu Chen said, ¡°Is my wish not good?¡± ¡°Good, it¡¯s very good.¡± Qiao Jinniang gritted her teeth and blacked out the wish she had just written, and wrote another one. ¡°May everyone in the world be at peace!¡± Lu Chen prayed only for the people of Datang, while she wished everyone in the world would be at peace, which showed that she was broader-minded than him. The sky lanterns were released one after another and the sky with the bright moon was decorated by spots of light. Inan instant, the entire Chang¡¯an was as bright as day. Looking at the scene, Qiao Jinniang thought to herself that she would never forget this scene in her life. Ina gaily-painted boat on the moat, Li Yun looked at the Crown Prince and Jinniang who were talking and laughing in the distance, and his head hurt slightly. ¡®The new champion of the Imperial Examination called Li Yun a few times. ¡°Brother Li, what are you looking at?¡± Today, some examinees that had passed the Imperial Examination were invited to write poems and draw paintings on the gaily-painted boat. Li Yun replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were a perfect match, and when the two of them were walking on the street, they attracted a lot of attention. Qiao Jinniang looked quite at ease in front of Lu Chen and looked completely different from when she was with him. Although Li Yun¡¯s heart ached, he knew he was not qualified to be jealous. He would never have a chance to own Qiao Jinniang. If his father hadn¡¯t known the relationship between Qiao Jinniang and the Crown Prince, there might still be a chance. Li Yun remembered when his father and Duke Anyuan saw the two in the Crown Prince¡¯s study a few days ago Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t see the three of them but the Crown Prince did. But he didn¡¯t try to conceal anything. Instead, he admitted his real relationship with Qiao Jinniang. Also, Li Yun knew that his literary talent was good, and he was confident he could pass the Imperial Examination. After all, it was not easy to beat so many competitors to pass the Imperial Examination. But Li Yun had never thought that he could make it to the top three. Although he was first place in the provincial examination, there were more than 30 people like him in the whole country. And he guessed that his ranking should be about 20th. This was already an excellent ranking. Although many people performed poorly because of the stale food, he would rank at most in the top ten! He had seen the articles of the first place and the second place winners of the Imperial Examination, which were both better than his, but instead he got first place? His Royal Highness said that Qiao Jinniang was not worthy of him manipulating the imperial examination? His Royal Highness must have deliberately placed him in first place. But in the palace examination, His Royal Highness gave him a ranking that he deserved. So Qiao Jinniang would mistakenly think that His Royal Highness manipulated the results of the palace exam. Then he would have to explain to Qiao Jinniang for the Crown Prince, and Qiao Jinniang would definitely feel guilty because of this. And on that day, they were invited to the study by the Crown Prince, so it was Lu Chen who wanted the three of them to be there. Lu Chen arranged everything so that both the Duke and his father would know that Jinniang was his wife. Lu Chen also pretended to be angry at Jinniang¡¯s accusation. In front of the Crown Prince¡¯s anger, the Duke was very cautious and his father was timid. If the Crown Prince hadn¡¯t acted angry, there would still be a slight possibility of him marrying Jinniang. But seeing the Crown Prince so angry, his father would never dare to talk about the marriage again! After figuring everything out, Li Yun had to say that the Crown Prince was really good at calculating. And after everything that happened, his father and he still had to be very grateful to the Crown Prince. ¡®With such a smart crown prince, the current prosperity in this country could definitely be continued! However, he didn¡¯t know if it was a blessing or curse for Jinniang to have such a husband. Once the Crown Prince no longer loved her, what would happen to Jinniang? No, he had to tell Qiao Jinniang about it lest she was kept in the dark. When Li Yun was about to go over, he saw that Qiao Jinniang had hurriedly left the crowd. ¡°Miss, Miss, I finally found you. Something bad happened at Tasty Pavilion.¡± Nuomi hurriedly ran over to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang let Nuomi take a break and said, ¡°Calm down. Tell me slowly. What happened?¡± She and Lu Chen had just come out of Tasty Pavilion, and Tasty Pavilion was about to close today. In such a short period of time, what could happen? Nuomi said, ¡°It was because of fresh meat mooncakes that a concubine of the eldest son of Earl Cheng¡¯en and Mrs. Zheng quarreled.¡± On the Mid-Autumn Festival, most nobles would hold a banquet at home after the palace banquet was over, which wouldn¡¯t end until 1 am. Now there were still two hours until 1 am. Therefore, Tasty Pavilion would sell fresh meat mooncakes late into the night. When Qiao Jinniang left Tasty Pavilion just now, she still saw a lot of people buying the fresh meat mooncakes. Unexpectedly, someone would quarrel over mooncakes. Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°Till go back and have a look. It¡¯s getting late. You¡¯d better go back to the East Palace first.¡± Lu Chen followed Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I told my father-in-law and mother-in-law that I would send you home. If I don¡¯t send you back to the Duke Mansion, they won¡¯t allow me to take you out next time.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°They¡¯re not your father-in-law and mother-in-law!¡± Lu Chen smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang arrived at Tasty Pavilion, she could hear the quarrel from far away. ¡°Open your dog¡¯s eyes and take a look, this is the beloved concubine of Young Master Li who is His Majesty¡¯s cousin. It¡¯s a blessing for you that our madam came to eat your fresh meat mooncakes!¡± Mrs. Zheng said, ¡°So what? My niece is the concubine of Prince Mediocre! ¡°And this restaurant belongs to another niece of mine. I don¡¯t care who you are¡­ You have to give the mooncakes to me first!¡± Chapter 92 - Teaching Aunt Zheng A Lesson Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen to wait for her in the restaurant. She didn¡¯t want Lu Chen to be bothered by the quarrel of shrews. Huixiang hurriedly explained when she saw Qiao Jinniang come over. ¡°Miss, the mooncakes should be ordered in advance, but there was a lot of pork and dough left in the kitchen, so we sold them, and everyone was only allowed to buy five. ¡°Now, there are only ten mooncakes left, but the two of them insisted on buying all ten, so they fought here.¡± Since the opening of Tasty Pavilion, customers would fight for private rooms or seats from time to time, but most customers were wealthy businessmen and officials in Chang¡¯an, so they usually wouldn¡¯t make a scene and would make peace in the end. Even if some of them were unwilling to yield, they would not cause trouble so as not to offend the Qiao Family. But today, the two were actually kicking up a fuss here. Seeing Qiao Jinniang come over, Mrs. Zheng said, ¡°Jinniang, I¡¯m your aunt. You won¡¯t ruin my face for a lowly concubine, right?¡± Concubine Li said, ¡°Mrs. Zheng, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that the Empress Dowager granted my father the surname Li! ¡°although I¡¯m just a concubine, I used to be a third-rank female official serving the Empress Dowager. I¡¯m afraid my status is not inferior to yours. ¡°Besides, I came to buy the mooncakes as ordered by Countess Cheng¡¯en, who is His Majesty¡¯s aunt, while you are only the aunt of a mere restaurant shopkeeper.¡± Mrs. Zheng was very annoyed and said, ¡°I¡¯m also the aunt of Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine!¡± Concubine Li smiled. ¡°You¡¯re just her aunt. Why do you speak as if you¡¯re her mother?¡± Mrs. Zheng¡¯s eyes dodged slightly and she said, ¡°Nonsense! Jinniang and Ruoshui look so similar that everyone can tell they are sisters! Qiao Jinniang, why don¡¯t you say anything? Tell me, who are buying these mooncakes?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Huixiang, ¡°Are these the last ten?¡± Huixiang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, we have bought all the pork left in Chang¡¯an today, and only some poor quality pork are left. The pork dealer said that the pork will be available earliest by tomorrow morning.¡± Concubine Li said arrogantly to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Country Mistress Jia¡®an, let me remind you, if you don¡¯t give the mooncakes to me, you are disrespecting the Empress Dowager!¡± Mrs. Zheng said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, if you don¡¯t give me the mooncakes and help a concubine instead, I may lose face, but you¡¯ll be laughed at harder.¡± ¡®They both threatened her. Qiao Jinniang said slowly, ¡°According to the rules of our restaurant, no matter who you are, you can only buy five mooncakes at most. ¡°If you two insist on buying ten, then bid for it. The one with the highest bid will get them.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to the onlookers, ¡°If any of you wants to buy the mooncakes, you can join the bid too. The money sold for these ten mooncakes will be donated to the foundling hall, and the starting bid price is ten taels of silver.¡± Mrs. Zheng said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m your aunt.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Auntie, the restaurant has its rules. If you ask me for ten tables of dishes for free, should I agree to that too?¡± Mrs. Zheng gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pay 11 taels of silver.¡± Concubine Li sneered. ¡°Oh, right, in order to get your son out of jail, the Zheng family must not have much money left. I will pay fifty taels.¡± How could Mrs. Zheng admit defeat by a concubine? She could only say, ¡°Fifty-five taels of silver.¡± Concubine Li said lightly, ¡°One hundred taels!¡± Mrs. Zheng frowned. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± One hundred taels of silver were enough to buy two pigs, or a whole house of ordinary mooncakes. Although she was the mistress of the Zheng family, her monthly salary was only 10 taels of silver. ¡®These mooncakes alone would cost her a year¡¯s worth of salary! Mrs. Zheng did not dare to bid again. Concubine Li said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Since you said that the one who bids the highest price will get the mooncakes, they are mine.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered Huixiang to pack the mooncakes for Concubine Li while thinking that Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion really had money to bum. They actually bought ten mooncakes for one hundred taels of silver! Getting the fresh meat mooncakes, Concubine Li left complacently. The onlookers in front of the restaurant also dispersed. Mrs. Zheng glared at Qiao Jinniang angrily. ¡°You really don¡¯t take me seriously at all. ¡°You stupid slave-raised b*tch! How could you fawn over a lowly concubine but bully me, your aunt?!¡± Qiao Jinniang gave Nuomi a look. Nuomi rushed over and slapped Mrs. Zheng severely in the face. Before Mrs. Zheng realized what happened, all her maids and mammies had been pushed into Tasty Pavilion by servants of the Tasty Pavilion. The door was then closed. Mrs. Zheng, who was luxuriantly dressed, fell to the ground, ¡°You, you, I am your aunt!¡± ¡°So what? Since you said I bullied you, I should really do it, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°My unscrupulous relatives in Lin¡¯an were much more disgusting than you.¡± ¡°Initially, I don¡¯t feel like bothering with your shrews, but you shouldn¡¯t insult my foster parents!¡± It was not the first time that the servants of the Tasty Pavilion had followed Qiao Jinniang to do this. They had long been used to it, and they proficiently tied up all the maids and mammies. Mrs. Zheng had never been humiliated like this. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, are you not afraid that I will publicize what you have done to me today? I¡¯ll sue you for beating me. If your parents know that you are so disrespectful to me, they would definitely send you to the countryside!¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°You can do it if you like if you don¡¯t mind others knowing that you, a countess, were humiliated like this by a group of restaurant servants.¡± ¡°And go ahead and complain to my mother. My foster parents brought me up and treated me like their own daughter. If I just let others insult them and do nothing, am I still a human? ¡°Bajiao, bring over my foster parents¡¯ spirit tablets.¡± After a while, Bajiao carefully brought the spirit tablets over. Qiao Jinniang said to Mrs. Zheng, ¡°I want you to kneel and apologize to my parents!¡± ¡°No way! I won¡¯t apologize to the two servants,¡± Mrs. Zheng stubbornly said. Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°You look down on me because I didn¡¯t grow up in a noble family, but you should know that a person like me has more guts than a noble lady like you. You don¡¯t want to apologize? Fine, I¡¯ll make you apologize!¡± Signaled by Qiao Jinniang, Nuomi came over and slapped Mrs. Zheng again. Mrs. Zheng was slapped several times in a row before she finally submitted. She looked at Qiao Jinniang full of fear. Most of the noble ladies in Chang¡¯an would scheme against their enemies behind their backs, but Qiao Jinniang dared to directly beat her! ¡°L apologize, I apologize.¡± Mrs. Zheng hurriedly kowtowed to the spirit tablets. Only then did Qiao Jinniang let go of her servants, Mrs. Zheng stumbled and almost crawled out of Tasty Pavilion. Lu Chen came out from behind the screen on the side and tapped Qiao Jinniang¡¯s head with his finger. ¡°Do you forget that you promised me on our wedding day that you will never bring your servants to fight someone again?¡± Qiao Jinniang pursed her lips and said, ¡°I really can¡¯t stand her anymore. She scolded my foster parents during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± Lu Chen said helplessly, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see you get in trouble. Fortunately, she only brought some maids and mammies with her today. What if she brought guards with her?¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°But she only brought some maids and mammies today. Besides, she started it first. Can¡¯t I teach her a lesson?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t teach her a lesson, but you can do that in a better way.¡± Qiao Jinniang raised her head and asked, ¡°What way?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°If you become the crown princess, you can even make her guard your parents¡¯ tomb.¡± Chapter 93 - Father Qiaos Title of Nobility Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang said with a sarcastic smile. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. If I become a princess, I will be constrained everywhere. ¡°Perhaps those imperial censors will be very glad to have the chance to scold me for not respecting my elders.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°How could that be? The crime of insulting the adoptive father of the crown princess will be enough for her to be put into jail.¡± Qiao Jinniang stared at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Even if I¡¯m not the crown princess, my father saved your life, right? ¡°You said that you would never forget my father¡¯s life-saving grace. ¡°Now you are the crown prince, but you have done anything to pay him back.¡± ¡°What an ingrate, humph!¡± Lu Chen pinched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s cheek. ¡°You slandered me again. I¡¯ve never forgotten it. ¡°That day, along with the imperial decree that would be granting you to be my second concubine, there was also another decree that confers the posthumous title of General Shundong to your father. ¡°But my men couldn¡¯t find you, so the imperial decrees were not issued. ¡°And you didn¡¯t want others to know what happened between us in Lin¡¯an, so the imperial decrees have been delayed.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°How dare you mention the imperial decree that will demote me to your second concubine again? If I had received that imperial decree, the first thing I would have done when I entered Chang¡¯an would be to beat the sky drum, bring an action against you to His Majesty and let the people all over the world uphold justice for me.¡± Seeing that she was annoyed again, Lu Chen hurriedly said, ¡°I know I was wrong, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang approached Lu Chen and said, ¡°Since you know you were wrong, shouldn¡¯t you make up for it? Don¡¯t you think the title of General Shundong is a little too low?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled ingratiatingly and said, ¡°I know only the nobility titles would only be awarded to the founders of the country. ¡°But you are the Crown Prince. If you had died, then the other six princes would have surely fought for the throne, which would have caused a lot of chaos. Looking at it in this way, my father indirectly maintained the stability of the country. Doesn¡¯t he deserve a higher title?¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Then what title do you think is suitable?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Can you really let me pick?¡± Lu Chen whispered to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°After you become the crown princess, you can choose as you like.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Stingy.¡± After Lu Chen sent Qiao Jinniang back to the Duke Mansion, he did not leave immediately, but went to Duke Anyuan. Seeing the Crown Prince come, Duke Anyuan hurriedly had tea and pastries placed in a pavilion. ¡°Your Royal Highness, please have some snacks.¡± After Lu Chen sat down, he said, ¡°Please take a seat.¡± Duke Anyuan sat down carefully and said, ¡°What can I do for you, Your Royal Highness?¡± Lu Chen held the jade pendant on his waist and said, ¡°When I went to the South to deal with the flood four years ago, I was set up by a traitor and fell into a river. If it weren¡¯t for Qiao Yu and Jinniang who saved me, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have been able to talk to you here today.¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°That¡¯s because Your Royal Highness is blessed by God.¡± Lu Chen chuckled. ¡°Anyway, Qiao Yu saved my life. That¡¯s why I can enjoy this Mid~Autumn Festival. ¡°I think I should repay him. Although Qiao Yu was a servant of the Duke Mansion twenty years ago, he had long since bought back his freedom. ¡°and now that I want to make Jinniang my crown princess, Qiao Yu¡¯s status can¡¯t be too low. ¡°Therefore, I¡¯d like to ask you to recognize Qiao Yu as your sworn brother. With the merits of the Qiao family¡¯s ancestors, coupled with his life-saving grace to me, I can ask my father to grant him the posthumous title of Earl. ¡°Then it would be more justified to give Jinniang the title of crown princess.¡± Duke Anyuan was surprised. He had never expected that. After all, Jinniang¡¯s background was not good enough. Unexpectedly, His Royal Highness was willing to give Jinniang the position of crown princess, and planned the future for Jinniang like this Duke Anyuan had never imagined the Crown Prince would treat his daughter so well. He said, ¡°To be honest, Jinniang had proposed this matter to me before. ¡°T¡¯ve sent my men to Lin¡¯an to handle this matter, but they said Qiao Yu¡¯s clansmen were very difficult people.¡± Lu Chen knew how disgusting those people were. Even after he married Jinniang, they still often came to make trouble. Those people would do anything to squeeze money out of them. Over the years, they had never stopped coveting Myriad Taste. It was impossible to reason with these unscrupulous people. Lu Chen said, ¡°Your Excellency, I know you¡¯re gentle and kind, but you don¡¯t need to treat those people with benevolence. The newly appointed prefect of Lin¡¯an is my man. You can ask him for help if you face any trouble.¡± Duke Anyuan was relieved to hear his words and said, ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± Lu Chen got up and said, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s getting late, so I won¡¯t disturb the reunion of your family.¡± Duke Anyuan quickly got up and escorted Lu Chen out of the Duke Mansion. When Lu Chen¡¯s figure receded, Duke Anyuan felt his feet go soft. He had never thought that Jinniang could be the crown princess. With his family already in its heyday, they didn¡¯t need a daughter to be a crown princess to add glory to the family. But which family wouldn¡¯t want it if their daughter could become the crown princess? Although this might arouse His Majesty¡¯s suspicion on the Qiao family, if he could prove his loyalty to His Majesty, nothing but good things would come out of it! In the backyard of the Duke Mansion, the Duke¡¯s second and third brothers and their families also attended the banquet today. During the family banquet, Qiao Ruoyi took the lead to make a poem, and the brothers and sisters followed to make poems with the moon as the theme, and at the end of it all, Qiao Ruoyi and Qiao Lu¡¯s poems were crowned the best. Qiao Ruowan chuckled and said, ¡°Everyone in Chang¡®an knows that Sister Ruoyi and Brother Lu are very talented in literature. ¡°How can we compete with them in making poems? Let¡¯s play Touhu game, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang went to take off the heavy headwear, changed into a casual suit, and came over to play Touhu with her brothers and sisters. The others wanted to pretend to be weak and let Qiao Jinniang win, but to their surprise, she was very good at playing the game. Qiao Ruoyi walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really good at Touhu.¡± It was Lu Chen who taught Qiao Jinniang how to play this game that was very popular among nobles. ¡°If you want to throw the wood piece into the wood canister accurately, you have to precisely control the strength your wrist exerts.¡± ¡°Come, let me teach you.¡± After Qiao Jinniang taught Qiao Ruoyi how to play this game, she saw her little brother Ah Li throw a few times but missed them all. Qiao Jinniang squatted down and asked Ah Li, ¡°Do you want Sister to teach you?¡± However, Ah Li was so frightened that he ran behind Qiao Lu. Qiao Jinniang was confused. Was she so scary? Qiao Lu said to Jinniang, ¡°Ah Li is too shy. Don¡¯t mind it, Sister.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned slightly. When they first met, Ah Li was affectionate towards her, but why was he so afraid of her now? There must be a reason for this, she thought. ¡°Ruoyi, can you do me a favor?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Jinniang glanced at Ah Li and said, ¡°Can you help me ask Ah Li why he is so afraid of me?¡± Qiao Ruoyi said awkwardly, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you. He doesn¡¯t like me either. He often calls me a ¡®concubine-born woman in private¡­ and says that I don¡¯t deserve to be called Sister by him.¡± Jinniang frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a younger-version of Qiao Ruoshui? He is just a little kid. There must be someone deliberately misleading him!¡± Jinniang had never seen the Duchess treat Qiao Ruoyi poorly, so Ah Li must not have learned this from the Duchess. There must be someone deliberately instigating him.. O left Chapter 94 - Uncle Came to Make Trouble Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang thought she should find time to have a good talk with her mother. Qiao Li was different from Qiao Ruoshui. No matter how arrogant and willful Qiao Ruoshui was, she couldn¡¯t harm the foundation of the Duke Mansion. But if Qiao Li wasn¡¯t educated properly, he might cause a disaster for the Qiao family once he grew up and became an official. While the brothers and sisters were frolicking, a rough voice came from outside. ¡°Don¡¯t stop me. I just want to ask my sister and brother-in-law how can a niece treat her own aunt like that? She hasn¡¯t become the concubine of the Crown Prince but she already dares to be so unfilial!¡± It was Earl Zheng who came, ignoring the obstruction of the guards of the Duke Mansion and barging in. When Qiao Jinniang saw Earl Zheng, she didn¡¯t doubt that he was her mother¡¯s biological brother. Although he looked a bit old, she could vaguely see the similarities in facial features between him and the Duchess. ¡°Brother, what are you talking about? What made you break into the Duke Mansion at night?¡± Duke Anyuan sounded annoyed. Although Earl Zheng was his brother-in-law, Duke Anyuan Mansion was not a place that people could break in at will. The Duchess stood up and asked, ¡°Brother, what happened?¡± Earl Zheng¡¯s eldest son, Zheng Bo, accused, ¡°Your good daughter humiliated my mother to please a concubine in Earl Cheng Mansion. ¡°My mother just said that she shouldn¡¯t have done that, but she ordered her servants to drag my mother into Tasty Pavilion and tortured her. ¡°When my mother returned home, she couldn¡¯t afford the humiliation and tried to commit suicide several times. If the maids hadn¡¯t found out about it, she would have hanged herself.¡± Earl Zheng gnashed his teeth and said resentfully, ¡°Sister, Brother-in-law, if you don¡¯t punish Qiao Jinniang. Boer¡¯s mother won¡¯t be able to live!¡± The Duchess looked at her delicate daughter in shock and asked in disbelief, ¡°Jinniang, did you really do that?¡± Qiao Jinniang said frankly, ¡°Yes.¡± The Duke and the Duchess looked at each other, but they didn¡¯t blame Qiao Jinniang. The Duchess knew her sister-in-law¡¯s temperament too well. If it weren¡¯t for their kinship, she would definitely ignore such a disgusting snob, but she was her relative so. ¡°Brother, if Jinniang has offended you, I apologize for her.¡± the Duke said, ¡°Brother, please have a cup of tea first.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Lord Zheng, I hit Madam Zheng for the sake of your Zheng family. After all, His Royal Highness also kowtowed to my foster parents and called them ¡®Mother and Father¡¯ back then. ¡°However, Madam Zheng said that my foster parents were vulgar stupid slaves. Then what was His Royal Highness who knelt down to them? ¡°Besides, my foster father had saved His Royal Highness¡¯ life, and he was also the father-in-law of the future duchess of Duke Qin Mansion. ¡°But Mrs. Zheng insulted my foster parents so terribly. If this is known by the Crown Prince and Duke Qin, she wouldn¡¯t have just been beaten! Zheng Bo looked lasciviously at Qiao Jinniang. This woman was really beautiful, and her eloquence was very seductive to him too. His mother forbade him to touch Qiao Ruoshui, but another cousin who was more beautiful than Qiao Ruoshui had returned to the Qiao family. With in this mind, he said flirtatiously, ¡°Are you still using His Royal Highness as an excuse? It¡¯s a pity that His Royal Highness doesn¡¯t take you seriously at all! But if you call me Dear Cousin, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Seeing this, the Duke got angrier. ¡°Qiao Yu is my sworn brother. There is nothing wrong with Jinniang defending his reputation.¡± Zheng Bo said, ¡°Uncle, are you serious? Do you think there aren¡¯t enough jokes in your family yet? Recognize a merchant as your swom brother? If so, forgive me for not being able to marry Ruoyi as my concubine. I am afraid of losing face!¡± Qiao Ruoyi: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s mother lost her breath and fainted. ¡°Mom!¡± The Duke glared at the Duchess. ¡°How come I don¡¯t know that Ruoyi will marry Zheng Bo as a concubine?¡± The Duchess hurriedly had someone to call the doctor over and said aggrievedly, ¡°My mother and sister-in-law have mentioned this matter to me, but I rejected them.¡± Seeing that Ruoyi¡¯s mom faint, the Zheng family were afraid of being held accountable, so they cursed and left. ¡°Sister, Brother-in-law, if you don¡¯t give us an explanation, then don¡¯t blame us for being rude. We¡¯ll expose Qiao Jinniang¡¯s true face to everyone in Chang¡¯an!¡± The Duchess couldn¡¯t believe what they said, then she said, ¡°I would rather I never had such relatives!¡± Then she wouldn¡¯t have to tolerate so much for the Zheng family. Seeing this farce had finally come to an end, Old Madam Qiao sighed and said, ¡°It can be seen how important it is for a family to properly educate their offspring. The Zheng family was so prosperous when your grandfather and grandmother were still alive. Unfortunately, it has been only two generations, and it has already declined to this point, alas.¡± ¡®When Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s mother woke up, she kowtowed to the Duchess and pleaded, ¡°Madam, Ruoyi grew up in front of you. Please don¡¯t make her a concubine.¡± The Duchess helped her up and said, ¡°If I do that, how can I still have the face to go out? You can be rest assured that I will find a good husband for Ruoyi.¡± After worshiping the moon, the crowd dispersed. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang returned to the Jin Garden, Yuyan gave Qiao Jinniang a letter. ¡°Miss, the concierge said this letter was from Mr. Li Yun.¡± Qiao Jinniang opened the letter and read the three-page letter. ¡°Jinniang, to sum up, His Royal Highness must have manipulated the Imperial Examination. ¡°In addition, after Ruyu left, I investigated Ruyu and found that she was very close to the two imperial maids His Royal Highness gave me. ¡°although Ruyu was instigated by Prince Mediocre to ruin your reputation, it was actually His Royal Highness who made Prince Mediocre notice Ruyu. ¡°Then, the two maids His Royal Highness gave me coerced and coaxed Ruyu into obeying Prince Mediocre. They said that if she didn¡¯t, disaster would befall me. ¡°As for the matter of Ruyu, Prince Mediocre was seventy percent responsible, with His Royal Highness taking the remaining thirty percent.¡± After Qiao Jinniang read the letter, she crumpled it into a ball. Lu Chen said that he never set her up?! She stupidly thought that she had misunderstood Lu Chen because of Li Yun and felt guilty toward him. She must be such a fool in his heart. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s late at night. It¡¯s time for you to sleep,¡± Hongling came over and said. Qiao Jinniang burned the letter on the candle and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± It was so late and she couldn¡¯t settle accounts with him now, so she could only go into her dreams and beat Lu Chen to relieve her anger. August 17th. Earl Zheng had a familiar censor to write a memorial, and before the morning court was held, he arrogantly showed this memorial to Duke Anyuan. ¡°Brother-in-law, have you thought of how you should compensate us? This is a memorial written by Censor Yang. If you don¡¯t care about our kinship, then don¡¯t blame me for showing this memorial to everyone.¡± However, Duke Anyuan didn¡¯t even give Earl Zheng a look. When the court was held, the Crown Prince took the lead and said, ¡°Father, Duke Anyuan¡¯s sworn brother, Qiao Yu, saved me when I was in Lin¡®an. Now that Mr. Qiao Yufu¡¯s death anniversary is approaching, I implore Father to grant him the posthumous title of Earl Lin¡¯an.¡± Officials of the Ministry of Rites: ¡°¡­¡± His Royal Highness really posed a difficult problem to them. His Majesty wanted to give Qiao Yu the title of General, but they all felt this title was too high and rejected. Besides, the posthumous title proposed by His Royal Highness, Earl Lin¡¯an, contained the ¡°Lin¡± in His Majesty¡¯s name, Huilin. Emperor Huilin glanced at Lu Chen. Just when everyone thought that His Majesty would not indulge Lu Chen this time, they heard the Emperor say, ¡°Okay.¡± Earl Zheng hurriedly took back the memorial he was about to hand over. In Prince Mediocre Mansion. Qiao Ruoshui looked at the scars on her aunt¡¯s face and listened to her tearful and bitter complaints. She said with pity, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely ask the prince to uphold justice for you, so you won¡¯t be hit in vain..¡± lo In B Chapter 95 - Lu Chen Admitted It Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations With that, Qiao Ruoshui went straight to Prince Mediocre who had just come back from the imperial palace. Seeing Prince Mediocre, Qiao Ruoshui blushed and said, ¡°Your Highness, this is my aunt. She had a dispute with the concubine of Earl Cheng¡®en¡¯s eldest son over mooncake yesterday. ¡°That concubine was really rude, and she is just a mere concubine! ¡± Prince Mediocre frowned and asked, ¡°Are you talking about Concubine Li?¡± Qiao Ruoshui nodded. ¡°Exactly, Your Highness, Mrs. Zheng is my aunt but was bullied by a concubine¡­¡± Prince Mediocre said coldly, ¡°Concubine Li¡¯s father is very important to the Empress Dowager. ¡°The Empress Dowager is very picky about food, and only the food made by Chef Li is to her taste. ¡°Murs. Zheng? How can she compare with the Empress Dowager¡¯s favorite chef?¡± Qiao Ruoshui no longer dared to say anything about that concubine and began to complain about Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Even so, my aunt just said a few words about Qiao Jinniang¡¯s adoptive father, but Qiao Jinniang ordered her servants to torture my aunt. Please uphold justice for my aunt, Your Highness!¡± Prince Mediocre snapped, ¡°Stay away from the Zheng family from now on! ¡°My father has already granted Qiao Jinniang¡¯s adoptive father the posthumous title of Earl Lin¡¯an, which is already greater than the title of Earl Zheng. ¡°You have to be careful with your words and deeds in the future. As for your uncle and aunt, don¡¯t have any more dealings with them.¡± Zheng Bo was disliked by his father because he was involved in the illicit salt dealings, so his father punished him without regard for his great-grandfather¡¯s face. Thus, the Zheng family was useless for his great cause, and such relatives would only become his burden. Qiao Ruoshui returned to her courtyard alone. Seeing her back, Mrs. Zheng asked Qiao Ruoshui happily, ¡°Has the prince promised to punish that little bitch Qiao Jinniang?¡± Qiao Ruoshui said, ¡°Mrs. Zheng, let¡¯s not meet again in the future.¡± When Mrs. Zheng heard Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s words, her heart shivered. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qiao Ruoshui said arrogantly, ¡°My mother has been helping your Zheng family for all these years, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right. ¡°Now that the prince doesn¡¯t like you, I don¡¯t think you should come here anymore!¡± Mrs. Zheng was annoyed by her words. ¡°Ruoshui, I am your¡­ your aunt. I¡¯ve been very kind to you since you were a child!¡± Qiao Ruoshui sneered. ¡°So what? You¡¯re just my aunt.¡± ¡®The imperial decree that granted Qiao Yu a posthumous title was issued in two copies. One copy was sent to Lin¡¯an, and the other was given to Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyun. Lu Chen brought the officials of the Ministry of Rites to the Duke Mansion to issue the imperial decree to Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyun. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang heard the title, she was shocked, especially by the title of Earl Lin¡¯an. Although Lin¡®an was a place name, His Majesty¡¯s era name was Huilin. How could the word ¡°Lin¡± be randomly used in a title? Even the nobles would avoid using this word ¡®Lin¡¯. Although the title of Earl was not high in Chang¡¯an, the word Lin¡¯an was extremely distinguished. After thanking the Emperor, Qiao Ruoyun held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Thank you, Sister.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This is what I should do as a daughter. With this imperial decree, you don¡¯t have to feel inferior anymore.¡± After Qiao Ruoyun left, Lu Chen entered Jinniang¡¯s room. When he came last time, he didn¡¯t look at her room carefully, but now he found that it looked exactly the same as their room in the South. Since it was already autumn, the curtain made of the precious yarn had been replaced by autumn leaf-colored satin. Lu Chen sat at the table and motioned for Nuomi to close the door. Nuomi glanced at Qiao Jinniang, and went out to close the door after Qiao Jinniang nodded. Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang who was holding the imperial decree and said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve already gotten the title of nobility you wanted, how will you thank me?¡± Qiao Jinniang carefully placed the imperial decree on whatnot. She planned to place the imperial decree in front of her adoptive parents¡¯ spirit tablets when she sent their spirit tablets to a temple for enshrinement. Hearing Lu Chen¡¯s words, Qiao Jinniang walked up to him and said, ¡°Then how do you want me to thank you?¡± Lu Chen put his arm around Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist, let her sit on his lap, and touched her red rouged lips. ¡°Guess.¡± In the afternoon of an autumn day, the sun shone through the window, filling the room full of an ambiguous aura. Qiao Jinniang approached Lu Chen¡¯s lips and called softly, ¡°Honey.¡± How could Lu Chen bear this? He had completely forgotten that it was in the daytime and that he was in the Duke Mansion. After all, she was his own wife. He didn¡¯t want to suppress his desire anymore! Lu Chen picked up Jinniang, strode over to the wooden couch, and put down the bed curtain, which blocked the dazzling autumn sun outside Lu Chen hadn¡¯t had sex in more than half year, and today Qiao Jinniang was even more captivating than when she was in the South ¡°Jin¡¯er.¡± However, Qiao Jinniang had just shown her shoulders when she said, ¡°Honey, I¡¯m in my period.¡± Seeing her smile, Lu Chen said with a dark face. ¡°Then why did you seduce me?¡± ¡®There was a tacit understanding between the two. She only called him ¡°Honey¡¯ in bed. Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Although you got my father a title of nobility and I should thank you, you fooled me. Are you secretly laughing how stupid I am?¡± ¡°Why did you say that?¡± Lu Chen put his hand on her lower abdomen. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You don¡¯t know why? Okay, let me ask you, do you have anything to do with the matter of Ruyu?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°But the two maids you gave to Li Yun instigated Ruyu to come to me!¡± Lu Chen was just gently warming her belly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell them to do that. They wanted to do it themselves.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°Would they have done it if you hadn¡¯t hinted at it? ¡°Regardless of the matter of Ruyu, who said that I wasn¡¯t that stunningly beautiful enough to make you manipulate the Imperial Examination? But Li Yun said that he could only rank tenth at best, so why did you make him first place?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I just liked his article. ¡°The gap between the top ten is small in the first place. Was it a mistake for me to give him the first position?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Do you dare to swear that you didn¡¯t trick me? You know that I will definitely misunderstand you, so you had already planned everything in advance, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lu Chen admitted it, ¡°Yes, I did it.¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen. ¡°You actually admitted it?¡± Lu Chen clenched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Yes, I admit it. It was also a show for the Duke that I was mad at you that day. ¡°But you refused to listen to my explanation and refused to give me time to get you the position of crown princess and insisted on marrying another man!¡± Qiao Jinniang sensed a trace of grievance in Lu Chen¡¯s words, but she was even more aggrieved. ¡°Tm more aggrieved than you, okay? I will never ever be a concubine. I had been separated from my biological parents for 18 years because of a concubine! ¡°You could take concubines, and I could marry a man who won¡¯t take any concubines. Was I wrong?¡± Lu Chen tried to pacify her. ¡°Alright, alright, since this matter is already over, neither of us shall mention it again. Let¡¯s forget about the matter about Li Yun, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You have to promise that you won¡¯t trick me again.¡± Lu Chen readily promised and asked, ¡°Can I accompany you to take a nap?¡± Qiao Jinniang hummed and lay down. Seeing that she was about to fall asleep, Lu Chen suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Tremember your period is normally at the end of the month, right? Now it¡¯s in the middle of the month. Shall I have an imperial doctor examine you?¡± Sleepy, Qiao Jinniang said with the last hint of sobriety, ¡°You tricked me. Why can¡¯t I trick you? I won¡¯t sleep with you this year. Just endure it, humph..¡± lo In B Chapter 96 - Tasty Pavilions Business Plummeted Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After hearing that the Crown Prince had stayed in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room for an hour before leaving, the Duchess was somewhat worried. When Qiao Jinniang came to the main courtyard, the Duchess saw that her face looked rosy and asked, ¡°Jinniang, did the Crown Prince say when he would take you into the East Palace? ¡°You are young so you don¡¯t know how seriously the royal family takes their descendants. If you get pregnant outside the East Palace¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Mother, we didn¡¯t do that. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± The Duchess was even more worried. ¡°I heard that the Crown Prince doesn¡¯t even have a concubine maid. He is a young man. How could he endure not touching you when he was alone with you for an hour? Is he really healthy?¡± Qiao Jinniang was really embarrassed to talk to the Duchess about this, so she changed the topic. ¡°Mother, I came to talk with you about Ah Li. He is six years old and already a big boy. He shouldn¡¯t be disrespectful to Ruoyi, who is his sister.¡± The duchess took a sip of tea and asked, ¡°Disrespectful to Ruoyi? Why don¡¯t I know about it? Ruoyi has never talked to me about it before.¡± ¡°Ruoyi was not born by you. How dare she complain to you about Ah Li?¡± The Duchess said, ¡°I see. I will teach Ah Li a good lesson.¡± After the Mid-Autumn Festival, restaurants were doing much better than in summer. However, Tasty Pavilion¡¯s business was plummeting. The newly launched Whole Crab Banquet was not popular at all. Qiao Jinniang could only put it down to the fact that people in Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t like eating crabs and thought that maybe she should hire a local chef. Qiao Jinniang was checking accounts in Tasty Pavilion, and found that the restaurant was barely breaking even. Mr. Tian, the accountant of Tasty Pavilion, said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Boss, all the ingredients we use are top quality. Now those officials and wealthy businessmen don¡¯t visit our restaurant, but the ingredients shipped from the South are very expensive¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang thought for a while and said, ¡°When Xie Yun recovers, I will go and talk to him. Their Xie family has special canal transport means. If we can cooperate with the Xie family, the cost will be reduced a lot.¡± ¡°Phew, isn¡¯t this Tasty Pavilion, a restaurant where many people couldn¡¯t even get a table a while ago? Why is it so deserted today?¡± ¡®The owner of the Guest Welcoming Building walked to the door of Tasty Pavilion and flaunted. Qiao Jinniang looked at the owner and said, ¡°Scumbags are not allowed to enter Tasty Pavilion. If you walk through the door, I will order someone to chop your feet!¡± The shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building took two steps back, baring his yellow teeth. ¡°Oh, County Mistress Jia¡¯an is angry? ¡°As a noblewoman, why do you have to be a merchant? Don¡¯t you think you are lowly? ¡°Why don¡¯t you sell Tasty Pavilion to me? I can offer you a good price.¡± Nuomi scolded, ¡°Bah, you traitor of Tasty Pavilion. You want to seize Tasty Pavilion? In your dreams!¡± ¡®The shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building was not in a hurry. The cost of running such a large restaurant must be huge. Once he snatched all the business from it, Tasty Pavilion could only be sold at a low price. Ina room on the second floor, Qiao Jinniang looked at the Guest Welcoming Building not far away. The business of the Guest Welcoming Building was surprisingly good. Tables were set up even at its gate with a long queue in front of it. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Qiao Jinniang was confused. Since she was a child, Myriad Taste¡¯s business had always been booming. ¡®When there were tea fairs and book fairs in Lin¡®an, there would also be long queues at the gate of Myriad Taste. But if the queue was too long, people would go to other restaurants. Now that Tasty Pavilion was not busy, why didn¡¯t they come to Tasty Pavilion? She didn¡¯t think the food here was terrible. Why did the customers go to the Guest Welcoming Building? Only some time ago, when the business of Tasty Pavilion was good and couldn¡¯t receive so many customers, many of the diners would go to the Guest Welcoming Building. ¡®The more Qiao Jinniang thought about it, the more she felt it was strange. ¡°Mom.¡± Hearing Tuan¡¯er¡¯s voice, Qiao Jinniang looked back, and saw Lu Chen come over with Tuan¡¯er in his arms. Lu Chen asked, ¡°What were you thinking about? Xi¡®er called you several times before you heard him.¡± Jinniang took over Tuan¡¯er and said, ¡°I was wondering if Tasty Pavilion¡¯s dishes are really so terrible?¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Even my father likes the dishes at Tasty Pavilion very much, and often had the dishes packed back to the imperial palace. How can they be terrible?¡± ¡°Then look, why is there such a long queue outside the Guest Welcoming Building?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked down only to see Junior Duke Rong, Lin Mo, Fulu and her girlfriends entering the Guest Welcoming Building. ¡°How unpalatable is the food at Tasty Pavilion that Fulu would rather go to the Guest Welcoming Building than eat the free dishes here?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Perhaps they just want to have a change in diet. ¡°Tl have my secret guards pack a few signature dishes of the Guest Welcoming Building for you to try, okay?¡± ¡°The shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building, after all, got the true inheritance of Tasty Pavilion. Before you came to Chang¡¯an, their business was very good.¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°No, don¡¯t bother. I¡¯ve already earned a lot, so I can still make ends meet, but it¡¯s a pity that those big fat crabs will be wasted.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If the crabs don¡¯t sell, you can give them to me, and I can grant them to my subjects.¡± ¡°OK¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want the crabs transported all the way from Taihu Lake to be wasted. Tuan¡¯er said cutely, ¡°Can you give me a few crabs, Mommy? I want to give it to my teacher. I¡¯ll go to school tomorrow.¡± Seeing that Tuan¡¯er was so happy to go to school, Qiao Jinniang said happily, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make some roast jerky for you, and you can give it to your teacher along with the crabs.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so troublesome. His teacher was my teacher when I was a child. He is called Elder Chen, and he doesn¡¯t like taking gifts from his students.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°He is Xi¡¯er¡¯s enlightenment mentor anyway. I should give him some gifts. Time flies. Even the little Xi¡®er is going to learn to read and write.¡± In late August, there was another event in Chang¡¯an, which was the wedding of Prince Mediocre and his consort. ¡®The wedding ceremony was very complicated. Even if Emperor Huilin ordered the Ministry of Rites to streamline the wedding, it still took two months to prepare for the wedding. On the day of the wedding, Qiao Jinniang was surprised to learn that Qiao Ruoyi and Consort Mediocre used to be good friends. Thus, Ruoyi decided to go to the Lin family to give her wedding gifts. Knowing this, the Duchess asked Jinniang to go with Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t now this Miss Lin, but as her mother said, they would be sisters-in-law in the future, so she wanted to see this Consort Mediocre. On the carriage. Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°I never thought that Qiaopan would become Consort Mediocre. She is already nineteen this year. ¡°Thad thought that she refused to get married because of the Crown Prince. ¡°After all, she fell madly in love with the Crown Prince four years ago. I never thought that she would become Consort Mediocre. ¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°The Empress Dowager wanted her to marry Prince Mediocre, so she couldn¡¯t refuse it, could she?¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Yes, I am afraid that the Lin family may not be satisfied with this marriage. ¡°After all, Prime Minister Lin is a civil official, and if he wants to keep his power, he has to marry his daughter into the royal family. ¡°However, His Majesty has never taken any concubines since he has had the Queen, so Lin Qiaopan has been trained since she was a child. ¡°Although she is only Prime Minister Lin¡¯s niece, she was raised like Prime Minister Lin¡¯s own daughter.. However, she didn¡¯t become the crown princess as she wished and just became a prince¡¯s wife. Chapter 97 - Deliver A Letters for A Love Rival Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Literati elegance pervaded the courtyard of the Lin Mansion, especially the rockery and bamboo forest. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi arrived at the Lin Mansion, Consort Qi happened to come out with Bao¡¯er in her arms. Seeing Qiao Jinniang, Consort Qi came over and said respectfully, ¡°County Mistress, are you also here to give Miss Lin wedding gifts?¡± Qiao Jinniang was really not used to Consort Qi¡¯s fawning smile. Not seemingly embarrassed at all, Consort Qi held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand affectionately and kept complimenting her as if not noticing how embarrassed Jinniang was. She even lowered her body to help Jinniang tidy up the tassels on her shoes despite her status as a prince¡¯s consort. This humble attitude made Qiao Jinniang doubt if Consort Qi was possessed by a ghost like how it was written in a novel she once read After Consort Qi left, Qiao Ruoyi whispered to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Theard that when Imperial Concubine Wan was demoted, so was Consort i¡¯s father. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Consort Qi, who was always arrogant, after experiencing the fickleness of the world, would be willing to fawn on you.¡± Not many people knew about what happened at the palace banquet. Qiao Jinniang had no sympathy for Consort Qi. However, since Consort Qi could judge the situation and come to pursue peace with her, Qiao Jinniang wouldn¡¯t bother with giving her a hard time. After entering Lin Qiaopan¡¯s courtyard, Qiao Jinniang saw many acquaintances. Among the people who came today, there were many royal family members. After seeing Qiao Jinniang, Fulu looked a bit ashamed and avoided eye contact with her. Princess Jinghua stood up to greet Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Jinniang.¡± Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi saluted Princess Jinghua and Fulu together. Qiao Jinniang looked at Fulu up and down and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for three days. You have lost a lot of weight, Princess.¡± Princess Fulu touched her face. ¡°Did I really lose weight? I have been eating a lot recently because I get really anxious when I don¡¯t eat. I thought I must have gained weight. I didn¡¯t expect I would lose weight instead.¡± Princess Jinghua asked, ¡°Is the food in the Guest Welcoming Building really so delicious? Lin Mo went to the Guest Welcoming Building at midnight last night to eat their dishes.¡± Fulu breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought I was the only one who was crazy about the dishes they made. Lin Mo made them cook for him at midnight? I should have done that too. I missed the dishes they made so much that I couldn¡¯t fall asleep last night.¡± ¡°There are a lot of people going to the Guest Welcoming Building at night.¡± Princess Jinghua was a little unhappy when she said it. ¡°My cook is from the imperial palace. How is it possible that the food he made is not comparable to a common restaurant? Does he have to go to the Guest Welcoming Building at midnight to eat the dishes they made?¡± Fulu said, ¡°That¡¯s because the dishes in the Guest Welcoming Building are really delicious, especially the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup. After drinking it, I felt like I was on cloud nine.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt that something was not right. No matter how delicious a dish was, it wouldn¡¯t make people feel like on cloud nine, right? Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi walked to the door of Lin Qiaopan¡¯s courtyard and waited for the maid to report to Lin Qiaopan, and soon the maid came out to invite them in. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang entered, she saw a simple but elegantly-decorated house, and an oppressing yet dignified sensation overwhelmed her. Lin Qiaopan, who was wearing an ornate golden headdress, walked over gracefully. Her legs seemed barely to move under her skirt when she walked Lin Qiaopan saluted Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Nice to meet you, County Mistress.¡± Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too polite. These are the wedding gifts Duke Anyuan Mansion prepared for you. I hope you¡¯ll like it, Miss Lin.¡± Lin Qiaopan had her maid take it, and she said, ¡°Thank you, County Mistress.¡± With that, Lin Qiaopan sized up Qiao Jinniang with the corner of her eye. This wasn¡¯t the first time Lin Qiaopan had seen Qiao Jinniang. She had seen her at banquets. At that time, she secretly exclaimed that bloodline mattered. Although Qiao Jinniang grew up as a commoner, with her bearing, she looked exactly like a real duke¡¯s daughter. But a few days ago, she learned that she was Lu Chen¡¯s wife when he was in Lin¡®an. After that, Lin Qiaopan became picky about Qiao Jinniang. When she saw her today, she felt that Qiao Jinniang was not dignified enough and her makeup was too coquettish. She was already His Royal Highness¡¯ woman, how could she not behave herself? How could women in the royal family wear such coquettish makeup? She was not dignified at all. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know what Lin Qiaopan was thinking. Even if she knew, she would just laugh it away. She didn¡¯t have much to talk with Lin Qiaopan anyway, so she just listened to her and Ruoyi chats. Qiao Ruoyi said to Lin Qiaopan, ¡°Sister Qiaopan, as you know, my fourth elder sister is very willful, please be careful of her mammies. ¡°Over the years, my mother had been busy fighting with Concubine Qian and had been negligent in the education of her children. She blindly trusted the mammies from the Zheng family. My fourth sister¡¯s petulance was due in large part to the instigation of her mammy from the Zheng family.¡± Lin Qiaopan said, ¡°I don¡¯t want Prince Mediocre¡¯s love, so I won¡¯t compete with Qiao Ruoshui for his favor. ¡°Ruoyi, you know my heart. Although I can¡¯t disobey the imperial decree, my heart still belongs to His Royal Highness. ¡°Lwill pry and deliver useful information for His Royal Highness in Prince Mediocre Mansion. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t marry His Royal Highness in this life, I¡¯ll make him remember me forever. ¡± Qiao Jinniang coughed and choked on water. Lin Qiaopan handed a letter to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°County Mistress, neither you nor Ruoyi are outsiders, so I don¡¯t have to hide my real thoughts from you. ¡°Here is a letter I wrote to His Royal Highness. Can you pass it on to His Royal Highness for me?¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Sister Qiaopan, it¡¯s not appropriate. Didn¡¯t you hear that His Royal Highness hates my second sister?¡± Lin Qiaopan said, ¡°Those are just stupid stories made up by stupid commoners. His Royal Highness asked His Majesty to confer the posthumous title of Earl Lin¡®an to Country Mistress¡¯ adoptive father, which shows that the relationship between the County Mistress and His Royal Highness is not as rumored by the outsiders.¡± ¡°Can you deliver this letter for me, County Mistress?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± Lin Qiaopan was stunned for a moment, not expecting Qiao Jinniang to refuse her so bluntly. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, County Mistress. I can assure you no word in the letter will annoy the Crown Prince. ¡°I just want to tell His Royal Highness that even after I become Consort Mediocre, I will still miss him. I¡¯ll be his eyes in the Prince Mediocre Mansion.¡± Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help you, Miss Lin, because I¡¯m a jealous woman! ¡°Although I can¡¯t stop you from liking my husband, I can¡¯t help you convey your feelings to him. ¡°By the way, Miss Lin, you¡¯d better give up on the idea of becoming my husband¡¯s spy. My husband doesn¡¯t take Prince Mediocre seriously at all. ¡°So he doesn¡¯t need you to ¡®pry and deliver useful information¡¯ for him. And I hope that Miss Lin can live your life and be your husband¡¯s good wife.¡± Hearing Jinniang keep calling Lu Chen ¡°my husband¡¯, Lin Qiaopan was stunned Qiao Jinniang glanced outside and said, ¡°Miss Lin, your wedding is tomorrow. I better not disturb you any longer. Ruoyi, let¡¯s go.¡± Qiao Ruoyi, who was dumbfounded, came back to her senses and quickly kept up with Qiao Jinniang. Was she too young to understand Lin Qiaopan¡¯s thoughts? She was going to be married tomorrow, but today she asked Jinniang to deliver a letter to His Royal Highness for her to tell him how much she loved him. If this news spread, she would only be laughed at by others.. If this was known by Prince Mediocre, wouldn¡¯t she have a hard time once she was married? Chapter 98 - Kick Zheng Bo Hard Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Even if Prince Mediocre was not favored by His Majesty, he was still a prince. In the early morning, many people waited on both sides of the main street to watch the grand wedding. Duke Anyuan and his family were also invited to attend the wedding, but none of them attended it. Qiao Ruoshui was waiting at the gate of her courtyard, but none of her family came. She felt sad. It had been almost a month. Why did her parents still not forgive her? ¡°It must be Qiao Jinniang who sowed discord between Father, Mother and I. They loved me so much before.¡± Her mammy echoed, ¡°How can Madam play favoritism like this?! Why doesn¡¯t she think about how difficult your life is in the Prince Mansion?¡± Qiao Ruoshui said, ¡°What¡¯s so good about that bitch? She¡¯s just coveting the wealth and power of the Duke Mansion. Father and Mother are really stupid!¡± Qiao Jinniang was in a private room of Tasty Pavilion, and in front of her was the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup that Lu Chen had his secret guard buy. The Guest Welcoming Building and Tasty Pavilion were not far apart, so the soup was still steaming. Qiao Jinniang took a sip and almost spat it out, ¡°This soup is so sour and bitter. How can it be the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup that everyone raves about how delicious it is?¡± Lu Chen also scooped a spoonful of the soup and tasted it. ¡°Sour and bitter? I can¡¯t taste the sourness or bitterness in it. But there seems to be a lot of pepper in the soup. A tael of pepper is even more expensive than gold. No wonder the soup is so expensive.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°They seem to be trying to cover up something with the smell of pepper.¡± Qiao Jinniang picked up some mutton in the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup, and when she took a bite, it was so tough that she doubted if her sense of taste had gone awry. In Myriad Taste, such tough mutton could only be fed to dogs, even beggars at the door didn¡¯t like to eat it. ¡°If my restaurant¡¯s business is bleak because of my cooking skills, I have nothing to complain about, but I really can¡¯t accept that it¡¯s because of this terrible soup.¡± Qiao Jinniang turned her eyes to a small brown fruit in the soup. She picked it up and looked at it carefully. ¡°Huixiang, go call Chef Yang over.¡± Chef Yang was a senior chef in Myriad Taste, and he and his whole family followed her to Chang¡¯an. ¡°Uncle Yang, look at this thing. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ordinary black cardamom.¡± When stewing mutton, adding black cardamom can remove the smell of mutton, but this fruit didn¡¯t look like black cardamom. Chef Yang came over and took a look, and then asked in surprise, ¡°Boss, where did you get this thing?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chef Yang said, ¡°These are poppy seeds that only the merchants from the Western Regions sell. It¡¯s also called Minanghua Fruit. ¡°This stuff is more addictive than Five Minerals Powder, the drug that was popular among nobles in the previous dynasty. ¡°When Datang was founded, Minanghua Fruit used to be very popular. However, the founding emperor had this plant wiped out in the country and forbade people from planting it. ¡°More than ten years ago, a businessman from the Southwest came to Lin¡®an to buy some tea, and he gave the shopkeeper a few Minanghua Fruit to stew soup. ¡°He told the shopkeeper about the origins of the Minanghua Fruit and that it is now planted among the tribes in the Southwest. ¡°People in those tribes would put one or two of this fruit into their soup every time they cooked. ¡°But if you ate too much of it, you would get addicted to it and become weak, sickly, and haggard. And it would be extremely difficult to quit it.¡± ¡°Hearing this, the shopkeeper was scared and threw those fruits away. He then specially told us to carefully distinguish the difference between black cardamom and Minanghua Fruit. If they were mixed up, the consequence would be dire.¡± ¡°After all, how can such harmful fruit be used in cooking?¡± Qiao Jinniang had already suspected there was something fishy about the Guest Welcoming Building in the first place. Initially, she suspected that they used Five Minerals Powder. However, Five Minerals Powder had already been banned. She didn¡¯t think the shopkeeper of Guest Welcoming Building dared to use it in Chang¡¯an. But it tured out to be Minanghua Fruit. Hearing this, Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m going to have the Ministry of Penalty investigate this matter. If it¡¯s really Minanghua Fruit, the Guest Welcoming Building has committed a heinous crime!¡± Qiao Jinniang said with worry, ¡°Five Minerals Powder is very harmful to one¡¯s health, and it seems that Minanghua Fruit is even more harmful. I wonder if those addicts can quit it.¡± ¡°Theard from Fulu yesterday that she and Lin Mo went to the Guest Welcoming Building at midnight just for the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup. I¡¯m afraid they are already addicted.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It was not easy to quit eating Five Minerals Powder either, but in the end, the addicts all quitted it. ¡°Fortunately, it has only been half a month since the Guest Welcoming Building launched the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup. Even if the diners are already addicted, it may not be impossible to quit.¡± Lu Chen had his guards escort Qiao Jinniang back to the Duke Mansion, and he went to the Ministry of Penalty to lead soldiers to go to the Guest Welcoming Building. The soldiers surrounded the Guest Welcoming Building and went to the kitchen, where they soon found a few sacks of Minanghua Fruit seeds. The shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building hurriedly said, ¡°My lords, what¡¯s wrong with this stuff? This is just seasoning, the same as black cardamom.¡± The Deputy Minister of Penalty angrily rebuked, ¡°These are clearly poppy seeds that were banned by the founding emperor of our country as recorded in the historical materials. Come, tie up this shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building and bring him back to the Ministry of Penalty for examination!¡± Seeing the Guest Welcoming Building surrounded by soldiers, the diners in it all ran away one after another. However, unable to drink the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup, they became very anxious and irritable. Some people even made a scene at Prince Mediocre¡¯s wedding banquet. Although no one from the Duke Anyuan Mansion appeared at the wedding banquet, the whole Zheng family had the cheek to come. Zheng Bo felt very uncomfortable because he couldn¡¯t eat the dishes from the Guest Welcoming Building at noon. Even worse was that the Zheng family was arranged to sit at the last table, which were the worst seats. Therefore, the maids in Prince Mediocre Mansion didn¡¯t serve them with care. A maid poured the wine for Zheng Bo a little slower, which prompted Zheng Bo to slap her fiercely. ¡°Are you blind? I¡¯m Concubine Qiao¡¯s cousin! How dare you show the cold-shoulder?¡± Although Mrs. Zheng was still annoyed that Qiao Ruoshui wanted to cut herself off from them, she still said to Zheng Bo. ¡°calm down. Your sister¡¯s life is not easy in the Prince Mansion. Today, Prince Mediocre is marrying his wife, so your sister must be very sad. Don¡¯t disgrace your sister.¡± Zheng Bo was very annoyed. Sister? She was just his cousin, not to mention the fact that this cousin looked down on him ever since she was a child. It was really stuffy to stay at this last table, so Zheng Bo got up to get some fresh air. On the edge of a rockery, he met Fulu who came out to get some fresh air too. Looking at Fulu who was in a sassy red riding suit, Zheng Bo couldn¡¯t help smiling lasciviously and came up to her. ¡°Princess.¡± Fulu looked at the man in front of her and felt disgusted. Seeing that Fulu was alone, Zheng Bo flirted, ¡°Princess, in front of the beautiful flowers, under the beautiful moon, I¡¯m so lucky to meet a beauty like you. Why don¡¯t we spend a beautiful night together here¡­¡± Fulu really wanted to eat the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup of the Guest Welcoming Building today. However, the Guest Welcoming Building was sealed up by the government, so she felt very uncomfortable now. To make things worse, she met Zheng Bo, this disgusting pervert. In rage, she kicked Zheng Bo hard. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you molest me?!¡± Zheng Bo let out a scream like a dying pig, which attracted the crowd over. Zheng Bo kept wailing. Luckily, there was an imperial doctor at the wedding banquet. After examining Zheng Bo, the imperial doctor said unabashedly, ¡°Mrs. Zheng, I¡¯m afraid Mr. Zheng¡¯s reproductive organ has lost its function.¡± Hearing this, Mrs. Zheng almost fainted. Junior Duke Rong came over and pulled Fulu behind him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Fulu said, ¡°He molested me.¡± ¡°Even if he molested you, you shouldn¡¯t make him a eunuch!¡± Fulu said aggrieved, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. I couldn¡¯t drink the Sorrow-Forgetting Soup today, so I was very irritable, and he just came to provoke me!¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang heard this news, it was already the afternoon of the next day, and Old Madam Zheng came to the Duke Mansion crying and cursing. ¡°How pitiful your nephew is! Fulu has ruined him. He hasn¡¯t even married yet! Now which woman in Chang¡¯an would be willing to marry him?¡± ¡°Now, we don¡¯t mind that Qiao Ruoyi was born by a concubine. Just let Qiao Ruoyi and your nephew get married as soon as possible!¡±2 Chapter 99 - I Owe the Zheng Family A Life Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Outside the Duchess¡¯s courtyard, Qiao Jinniang heard this shameless request from Old Madam Zheng. Qiao Ruoyi happened to come over, and when she heard this, she clenched her handkerchief tightly. Jinniang said to Qiao Ruoyi, Don¡¯t worry, Mother wont agree.¡± Qiao Ruoyi tried to force a smile but failed. The Duchess wouldn¡¯t have the heart to refuse the Zheng family. Besides, the Zheng family still had a trump card. ¡°Second Sister, it¡¯s okay. I know about Mother¡¯s difficulties. Fortunately, Zheng Bo is already a waste. ¡°Even if I marry him, he wont touch me. Besides, the Zheng family still wants to use me to get benefits from our family. * In the room, Old Madam Zheng continued to cry. ¡®Jinniang beat her aunt the other day, but our Zheng family is broad-minded and we can forgive her.¡± Qiao Jinniang entered the room and said, ¡®Old Madam, you are wrong. I did your family a favor by hitting Mrs. Zheng. ¡°If the imperial censors find out that Mrs. Zheng had insulted the Crown Prince¡¯s savior, Earl Lin¡¯an, I¡¯m afraid that Mr. Zheng¡¯s will even lose his featherbed job in the court, right?¡± Old Madam Zheng was very angry but couldn¡¯t refute her. She could only change the subject and said, ¡°Princess Fulu has always been on good terms with you. Everyone knows that you are friends. This time Princess Fulu seriously injured your cousin. This must have something to do with you!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Do you mean I asked Zheng Bo to molest the princess?¡± The Duchess sighed. ¡°Mother, your accusation is too much. Fulu is a princess. How is it possible for Jinniang to order her? ¡°Besides, this accident happened because Zheng Bo molested Fulu. She is the Empress Dowager¡¯s favorite granddaughter, and the Empress Dowager dotes on her even more than her own granddaughter. ¡®It¡¯s also because Bo¡¯er lost the reproductive function that Princess Fulu didn¡¯t punish him. If he was charged with molesting a princess, the whole Zheng family might suffer. ¡± Old Madam Zheng said to the Duchess sadly, ¡°You weren¡¯t brought up by me, so you are not filial to me, but I don¡¯t blame you. ¡°But Bo¡®er is the lifeblood of the Zheng family. Even his name was given by your grandfather! ¡°Do you have the heart to leave him disabled without a wife? ¡°Ruoyi was born by a concubine after all. It¡¯s her blessing to have the chance to marry a future ear! as his wife!¡± Qiao Jinniang reminded her. ¡°Old Madam, let me remind you, Zheng Bo can¡¯t inherit the title of nobility from his father. His father is the last Earl Zheng.¡± However, Old Madam Zheng had some inexplicable self-confidence. ¡°Now Qiao Ruoshui is quite favored by Prince Mediocre. If she can intercede for us, maybe our nobility title will return!¡± Qiao Jinniang really admired this old lady. She was still daydreaming at the moment. Old Madam Zheng said, ¡°Although Qiao Ruoshui is famous for her talent in literature in Chang¡¯an, she should be grateful to be able to marry Boer as his wife! Besides, do you have the heart to see your nephew live lonely through his life?¡± The Duchess said awkwardly, ¡°Mother, although Ruoyi was not born by me, she calls me ¡®Mother. She is a very sweet girl and has been very sensible since she was a child.¡± Old Madam Zheng snapped angrily, ¡®If she is really sensible, she shouldn¡¯t have made herself such a name and outshone Ruoshui! ¡°She is just a lowly concubine-born girl. Are you going to ignore my grief just for her? ¡°If you don¡¯t agree to this marriage today, I will kill myself here, and let everyone in Chang¡¯an see what a good daughter I have given birth to! * Saying that, Mrs. Zheng was about to bang her head against a pillar. The Duchess hurriedly stopped her. Her voice was a little tired. ¡°Mother, if I marry Ruoyi to Bo¡¯er, who everyone in Chang¡®an knows is a waste now, how will people think of me?¡± ¡°Is your reputation or your nephew¡¯s life more important?¡± Old Madam Zheng said. ¡°Now that little b*tch Concubine Qian has died, you don¡¯t need us anymore, right? ¡°when she was alive, if you didn¡¯t have the help of our Zheng family, how could you have the status you have today? ¡°If [hadn¡¯t forced Concubine Qian to drink the sterilization soup, would you have been able to keep your position as the Duke¡¯s wife? ¡°And when you almost died at home, who was there to take care of you day and night? ¡°Now that you have secured your position as the Duchess, you have become so ungrateful! ¡°Do you still remember that in order to take care of you, your sister-in-law lost her little daughter who had just been born for half a year! Can you return your little niece¡¯s life?¡± ¡®The Duchess closed her eyes, her hands shaking, ¡°Mother, I can help Bo¡¯er find a good wife. There are always some poor girls who are willing to marry him..¡± ¡°Lonly want a daughter of the Qiao family!¡± Old Madam Zheng said, ¡®If you think Qiao Ruoyi is not suitable to marry Zheng Bo, let Qiao Jinniang marry him!¡± Qiao Jinniang: *.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Mother, I need to discuss with the Duke about Ruoyi¡¯¡¯s choice of husband.¡± ¡°You are the mistress of the Duke Mansion, but you can¡¯t even decide who a concubine-born daughter will marry?¡± Old Madam Zheng said. ¡®Just tell me if you agree or not! If your poor niece who died so early because of you had known that her aunt is so ungrateful, she must have felt very sad. Your sister-in-law sacrificed her daughter¡¯s life to take care of you, but you still care about your reputation?¡± The Duchess closed her eyes and said, ¡°Mother, stop it. I agree, okay? You can ask a matchmaker to come to propose marriage.¡± With that, Old Madam Zheng left happily. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, you are literally pushing Sister Ruoyi into a fire pit. Today, Old Madam Zheng forced you to sacrifice Sister Ruoyi, and another day she will use this excuse to force you to do something else you don¡¯t want to. Are you still going to say yes?¡± Tears flowed out of the Duchess¡¯s eyes. ¡°Jin¡¯er, go back.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± The Duchess slumped on the stool, wiping the tears from her face with a handkerchief. Qiao Jinniang walked out to the gate of the courtyard and said guiltily to Qiao Ruoyi, ¡°The matchmaker hasn¡¯t come yet. There must be a way to solve this.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said calmly, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t blame Mother. Ever since Old Madam Zheng had turned her eyes on me, I knew that I couldn¡¯t escape. Now that Zheng Bo has lost his reproductive function, it¡¯s a good thing for me.¡± ¡°After all, the Zheng family not only gave birth and raised Mother, but Mother also owes thema life.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked curiously, ¡®Owes them a life?¡± Qiao Ruoyi asked Jinniang to follow her to a pavilion in another yard and ordered her maid to guard outside before she lowered her voice and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you last time? Brother and Qiao Ruoshui were born in the Zheng Mansion when Brother and Mother almost died.¡± ¡°Back then, Mother couldn¡¯t move, so she had to recuperate in the Zheng Mansion. Grandmother and Second Aunt couldn¡¯t go to the Zheng Mansion to take care of her, so it was Mrs. Zheng, who had just given birth to a child, took care of Mother. ¡°Mrs. Zheng took care of Mother and her twins day and night, but neglected her own daughter, so her daughter who was born half a year ago died due to her negligence. * ¡°For this reason, Mother felt a deep sense of guilt towards Mrs. Zheng. Every time the Zheng family demands something, Mother will always compromise as long as they mention this matter.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked in doubt, ¡°It¡¯s not like the Zheng family has no maids or mammies. Even if it was not convenient for Grandmother to go to the Zheng Mansion to take care of Mother, she could send mammies over. Why¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡®At that time, the Zheng family said that the mother¡¯s premature birth was caused by Concubine Qian, so they didn¡¯t trust the people sent over by the Qiao family. Only when I was about to be born did the Zheng family send Mother and her twins back.¡± Qiao Jinniang somehow felt that something was not right about this matter, but she couldn¡¯t find what it was..7 Chapter 100 - The Place Where Her Daughter Was Buried Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After dinner, Duke Anyuan said to the Duchess, ¡°Zheng Bo is really stupid. Does he think he can mess with anyone? ¡°He should thank God that Fulu kicked him. Otherwise, he would have ended up much more miserably.¡± The Duchess sorted out the official robe Duke Anyuan took off and said, ¡°Bo¡¯er has learned his lesson. Fortunately, he has already had children. Today, my mother came to propose to Ruoyi on Bo¡¯er¡¯s behalf, and I agreed.¡± The Duke was shocked and angry to hear that. ¡°You agreed? Don¡¯t you know what kind of a person your nephew is? Ruoyi called you ¡®Mother¡¯ for fifteen years. She has always treated you as her biological mother and her mom is seriously ill. But you agreed to marry her to Zheng Bo? Do you want to kill her and her mother?¡± The Duchess said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t let her mom know it for now.¡± ¡°Twill never allow this.¡± ¡®The Duchess hung up the Duke¡¯s official robe and said coldly, ¡°If you dont allowt, just divorce me.¡± Duke Anyuan said coldly, ¡°You are really unreasonable. Do you think I dare not divorce you? What did Ruoyi do to offend you? ¡°She has been very well-behaved and sensible since she was a child, and her mom has never done anything wrong. Why do you have to bully them like this?¡± ¡°Twill never allow this marriage.¡± Saying that, Duke Anyuan put on a random robe and said, ¡°Today I will sleep in the front yard.¡± Seeing Duke Anyuan walking away, Mammy An looked at the Duchess with worry and said, ¡°Madam.¡± ¡®The Duchess said to Mammy An, ¡°Mammy, I¡¯m tired. You can leave now.¡± Jinniang pondered for a long time in her room and decided to have a talk with her mother. She could make up for the Zheng family with something else but not Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s future. She went to her mother¡¯s courtyard only to bump into Mammy An who brought her back to the Duke Mansion from Lin¡¯an back then. Mammy An saluted Jinniang and said, ¡°Miss, why did you come here so late?¡± ¡°Mammy, I still want to persuade my mother not to marry Ruoyi to Zhengbo. Ruoyi is innocent.¡± Mammy An sighed. ¡°Alas, Miss, Madam¡¯s life is not easy either. Miss Zheng¡¯s death is a knot in Madam¡¯s heart. Although Miss Ruoyi is innocent, we can¡¯t just let Old Madam Zheng force your mother to death.¡± Jinniang said, ¡°No, I just think that Mother shouldn¡¯t indulge the Zheng family. This is not the only way to make up for them! ¡°This will only allow them to push Mother harder and harder. Their desire is like a bottomless pit that is impossible to fill. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that Old Madam Zheng has planned to ask Qiao Ruoshui to have Prince Mediocre restore the nobility title to them? ¡°What if they force Mother to have me ask His Royal Highness to restore their nobility title after I marry into the East Palace? Should my mother say yes or no?* Hearing the voice outside, the Duchess asked Jinniang in. Jinniang entered the room and said, ¡°Mother, although my words may sound selfish, Tuan¡®er is already the heir to the Crown Prince. It¡¯s very likely that the Zheng family will run amok in Tuan¡¯er¡¯s name.¡± The Duchess clenched her fist and said, ¡°I will never allow the Zheng family to hurt you and Tuan¡¯er.¡± ¡°But why did you allow them to hurt Ruoyi?* ¡°And Mother, I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time, but I really can¡¯t figure it out. ¡°Since Mrs. Zheng would rather neglect her own daughter to take care of you back then, why is she not considerate to you now?¡± The Duchess sighed. ¡°Your aunt took care of me, not out of affection for me. ¡°She just didn¡¯t want me and Lu¡¯er to die in the Zheng family. After all, the Zheng family had already begun to decline and needed your father¡¯s help. Without your brother and I, the Zheng family would not have been able to get any support from the Qiao family.¡± Qiao Jinniang still felt suspicious. ¡°Even if they didn¡¯t want to offend the Duke Mansion, they didn¡¯t have to neglect their own daughter, right? After all, there are so many servants in the Zheng Mansion.¡± ¡°Jinniang, don¡¯t say that.¡± The Duchess said with guilt, ¡°I didn¡¯t even see my little niece, but she died because of me.¡± ¡°Tknow you and Ruoyi are on good terms, but Jinniang, if I don¡¯t agree to this matter, people will gossip that I forced my own mother to die in the Duke Mansion!¡± Qiao Jinniang held the Duchess¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mother, think about it. Will you push me so hard for my brother in the future?¡± The Duchess shook her head and said, ¡°Of course not. You are my daughter.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°So Old Madam Zheng who pushed you so hard doesn¡¯t treat you as her daughter at all. ¡°Does she really dare to kill herself in the Duke Mansion? She just said that to frighten you. ¡°T saw too much of this kind of drama. In Lin¡®an, my adoptive father¡¯s clansmen would put on such a show every three to five days.¡± The Duchess sighed. ¡°But they are just your clansmen but this is my mother.¡± Helpless, Qiao Jinniang stopped persuading the Duchess. She would think of other ways, and at worst, she could help Qiao Ruoyi escape to Lin¡¯an. Back to her room. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang saw Lu Chen, she was stunned and asked, ¡°When did you come?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Just now. The source of the Minanghua Fruits in the Guest Welcoming Building has been identified. They were mixed with black cardamom and sent to Chang¡¯an by Southwestern merchants. But the shopkeeper insisted that they just mistook the Minanghua Fruits as black cardamom.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe him. The black cardamom has no strange taste while the sour taste of Minanghua Fruit needs to be covered up with a lot of pepper. It must be intentional.¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°The Ministry of Public Security has already taken over this case. You should go out less frequently. ¡°After those diners were cut off from the supply of Minanghua Fruits, most of them became irritable and even crazy, and there have been several incidents caused by them.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡®Was Fulu so irritable that day because she couldn¡¯t get the taste of Minanghua Fruit? Alas!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lu Chen noticed that she was in a bad mood today. Qiao Jinniang told Lu Chen about Old Madam Zheng¡¯s coercion against the Duchess. ¡°T feel closer to Ruoyi than to Qiao Ruoshui, although the former was not born by my mother. I can¡¯t just sit and watch her jump into a fire pit.¡± ¡°By the way, can you help me find out where Mrs. Zheng¡¯s deceased daughter was buried and where her spirit tablet is enshrined?¡± For children who die prematurely under one year old, their spirit tablets couldn¡¯t be placed at home, and they couldn¡¯t be buried in the ancestral graveyard. Most of them would instead be buried in temples. She could ask the Duchess about this, but Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want to arouse her guilt. Lu Chen called over a secret guard and ordered them to investigate. ¡°Why do you want to know this?¡± ¡± feel it is strange. How is it possible for a mother to ignore her own daughter in order to take care of others? ¡°And how could that baby suddenly die? Maybe it¡¯s not because of neglect, but a congenital disease or something, if that is the case, this can¡¯t be blamed on my mother.¡± ¡°Do you want to take a bone for an autopsy?¡± Lu Chen asked. Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡®Yes, even if there are only dry bones left, it can be detected.¡± Lu Chen chuckled and said, ¡°Are you inspired by some novels again? What can be detected from the bones of a child less than one year old?¡± ¡°Why not have a try?¡± Qiao Jinniang just wanted to try her luck. One of the regular customers of Myriad Taste was a coroner. He once said that a criminal case was solved because they found some evidence from the victim¡¯s bones although the victim died twenty years ago. This baby died only sixteen or seventeen years ago, so it might not be difficult to find some evidence from her bones. The secret guard was extremely fast, and came to report to Qiao Jinniang early the next morning. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the Zheng family just threw the baby¡¯s corpse to an old groom who once served your great-grandfather before becoming blind. 1 ¡°The Zheng family told him to throw the corpse in a mass grave without even erecting a tombstone for her. ¡°The blind old groom who was grateful to your great-grandfather chose a bamboo forest on the mountain to bury that baby. * Hearing it, Qiao Jinniang had a bold guess in her heart. ¡°How is it possible?¡± Ifher conjecture was true, the Zheng family was simply shameless. ¡°Please find a coroner to go to the baby¡¯s grave with me..¡± Chapter 101 - Qiao Ruoshui Is the Daughter of the Zheng Family Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The bamboo forest was on a small hill to the west of Chang¡¯an, with a dilapidated thatched cottage beside it. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang arrived, she saw that the thatched cottage was full of dust. It turned out that the old groom who buried the baby had died more than ten years ago. There were very few villagers here, and after inquiring about it, she finally found the place where the child was buried. Qiao Jinniang saw a small raised mound, and on top of the small mound, there was a trumpet creeper. Nuomi handed her the prepared joss sticks. Qiao Jinniang took the joss sticks and bowed to the small grave. ¡°Sister, if you can hear me in the underworld, I think you can understand, right? After all, you don¡¯t want to see someone using your name for evil deeds, right? Although I have to dig your bones out of your grave for an investigation, I will properly re-bury your bones, give you a good funeral and make you a memorial tablet.¡± After Qiao Jinniang offered the joss sticks, the lean coroner said to her, ¡°County Mistress, please go to the side in case the bones scare you.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No matter what, she is my younger sister. I don¡¯t need to shy away from it.¡± ¡®When the secret guard dug out the corpse, there was still a layer of rotten swaddle on it, but the phoenix embroidered with gold thread on the swaddle could still be vaguely seen. The coroner opened the swaddle, revealing the white rotten bones inside. When Qiao Jinniang sawit, she asked coroner, ¡®Master Coroner, do you think this corpse is a half-year-old child, or a child only one month old?¡± The coroner said, ¡°Judging from the size of the corpse, it is a baby about one month old. A half-year-old child should have already had deciduous teeth, so this corpse is a child only one month old.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt unspeakable sadness. Her guess was right! It wasn¡¯t Mrs. Zheng¡¯s daughter who died, but her biological sister! The girl of the twins! How dare the Zheng family swap the children so boldly? And her mother didn¡¯t even find out that neither of her daughters were her real daughters?! Qiao Jinniang asked again, ¡°Can you see the cause of this child¡¯s death?¡± She didnt think that the Zheng family would deliberately murder her sister so as to swap her with their own daughter. After all, although the Zheng family had gradually declined at that time, they still had the title of a duke, so there was no need for them to take such a risk. The coroner checked the little skeleton carefully, and when he saw the broken bones in the back of the body, he said, ¡°It seems that this child was killed by a fall.¡± Qiao Jinniang gave the coroner a silver note and said, ¡°Please help me put the corpse in the coffin and find a temple to store the corpse.¡± ¡°County Mistress, you can rest assured. I will definitely handle this matter with care.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I hope you keep this matter a secret, and don¡¯t reveal it to anyone.¡± This is a family scandal. No matter how bold Qiao Jinniang was, she dared not to publicize this matter, disregarding the opinions of her elders. Besides, her conjecture was really unbelievable, and it was not easy to make the Zheng family confess guilt just with a corpse. Back at the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang went to her grandmother¡¯s courtyard. Qiao Ruofeng was about to get married, so she had been staying with Old Madam Qiao recently. After the matter of Prince Mediocre, she seemed to have grown up overnight. Seeing Jinniang, Old Madam Qiao said, ¡®Jinniang, we are talking about the matter of the Guest Welcoming Building. I heard from maids that this matter was discovered by your Tasty Pavilion?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, our Chef Yang has seen Minanghua Fruit before. The business of Guest Welcoming Building suddenly becomes so weirdly booming, so I guessed there must be a reason.¡± After Old Madam Qiao asked Qiao Ruofeng to leave, she said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Actually, Minanghua Fruits appeared in Chang¡¯an a long time ago. ¡°The Empress Dowager has had a different taste from ordinary people since she was a child, and she is very picky about food. ¡°Her husband, the last emperor, once invited chefs from all over the country and held a culinary competition in Chang¡¯an for her. ¡°However, she lost her sense of taste after she was out of favor with her husband. ¡°After His Majesty ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager wasted away day by day. ¡°His Majesty is quite filial, and he had also invited chefs all over the country, but no chef could satisfy the Empress Dowager. ¡°Then a chef who came from the Southwest appeared, who is the father of that Concubine Li from Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion. ¡°The Empress Dowager then conferred on him the surname Li and only loved to eat the dishes he made. The status of Chef Li became unparalleled. ¡± Old Madam Qiao took a sip of water and continued. ¡°That day, on the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet, I found the Minanghua Fruit. ¡°When I was young, I lived in the Southwest with your grandfather for a period of time, so I knew Minanghua Fruit. I reminded the Empress Dowager but it tuned out that she knew about it all along.¡± ¡°Tam afraid that the Guest Welcoming Building will not be punished this time. In the end, His Majesty won¡¯t do anything to them for the sake of the Empress Dowager. So, don¡¯t dig any deeper into the matter, OK?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But the Empress Dowager seems quite healthy? She doesn¡¯t look like she is addicted to Minanghua Fruit at all.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Carefully control the amount and you won¡¯t become addicted to Minanghua Fruit.¡± Qiao Jinniang sat beside Old Madam Qiao and said, ¡°The matter of the Guest Welcoming Building will be handled by the Ministry of Public Security. I am not afraid that the Guest Welcoming Building will steal away my restaurant¡¯s business, so I won¡¯t bother with them. ¡°But there is something that I have to get to the bottom of.¡± Old Madam Qiao asked with a little doubt, ¡°What is it?¡± Qiao Jinniang said firmly, ¡®I¡¯m sure Qiao Ruoshui is not my mother¡¯s biological child, but Mrs. Zheng¡¯s daughter. ¡°And the girl of the twins, my own sister, has long since died.¡± Old Madam Qiao slapped the Buddha beads on the table angrily. ¡®Jinniang, even if Ruoshui is not on good terms with you, you shouldn¡¯t say that she is not your mother¡¯s daughter.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If Concubine Qian hadnt spoken out that Ruoyun was not Mother¡¯s daughter, would you believe that a merchant girl in the small town of Lin¡®an is your own granddaughter? ¡°Grandma, if you think I slander Qiao Ruoshui because I¡¯m at odds with her, then I have nothing to say. ¡°But then I will have to report this matter to the Ministry of Public Security to seek justice for my dead sister. ¡± Old Madam Qiao looked at the frank eyes of Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°But Ruoshui looks so much like you. How much alike are you two!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Earl Zheng and Mother look very much alike too. If she is Earl Zheng¡¯s daughter, we are cousins. Many cousins look alike.¡± ¡°Besides, Grandmother, why does Brother not look like Qiao Ruoshui at all? They are twins!¡± Old Madam Qiao really didn¡¯t want to believe it. None of the two daughters of Duke Anyuan was their own flesh and blood? The matter concerning Qiao Ruoyun had already been secretly laughed at by everyone in Chang¡¯an, and if this happened again, the Qiao family would definitely become a joke in Chang¡¯an. Qiao Jinniang told Old Madam Qiao about the corpse she saw today. ¡°Grandma, although only a corpse can¡¯t be the ironclad proof, there must be something unusual about that matter. After all, the corpse is a one-month-old child but the Zheng family¡¯s daughter was already half a year old when she ¡®died¡¯. I¡¯m sure we can find many clues.¡± ¡°A normal child would already have deciduous teeth when he is half a year old, can walk at one year old, and can speak at two years old..¡± Old Madam Qiao said helplessly, ¡°At that time, your mother gave birth to the twins at the Zheng family. When she gave birth to your brother, she had metrorrhagia. She didn¡¯t wake up until a month later, and the imperial physician said she¡¯d better not move and better recuperate where she was. I went to the Zheng family to visit your mother and your brother, and their lives were hanging by a thread. Iwas so worried about them that I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the baby girl. By the time your mother came back with your brother, the twins were already a year old. At that time, Ruoshui was stronger than your brother and spoke earlier¡­ But I just thought that it was because your brother almost died when he was born. * When I look back on this matter now, there were really a lot of strange things about it.. Chapter 102 - The Zheng Familys Plots Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Although the Duchess and Qiao Lu were dying, Qiao Ruoshui was healthy, and Old Madam Qiao asked to take her granddaughter back first. However, the Zheng family said that in case the Duchess would have an emergency, it would be better for her baby girl to stay with her. At that time, Old Madam Qiao felt very guilty for her daughter-in-law, so she agreed. Old Madam Qiao felt a terrible headache when she recalled this, and pressed her temples with her fingers. ¡°Tf you want to find evidence for this, you have to start with the mammies who served Ruoshui in the Zheng family, but it¡¯s been 16 years, and I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult to find any evidence.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No matter how difficult it is, I won¡¯t give up. If the daughter of the Zheng family replaces my younger sister who died early to become the daughter of a duke, then how can we just let the Zheng family make Mother suffer in guilt for the rest of her life?¡± Mammy An¡¯s panicking shouts suddenly rang outside. ¡°Madam, Madam, wake up!¡± Qiao Jinniang went out, only to see the Duchess, who had fainted. She had planned to tell the Duchess euphemistically after obtaining solid evidence, but unexpectedly she had heard it now. Old Madam Qiao ran the Buddhist beads through her fingers and sighed. ¡°Alas.¡± In the main courtyard. After taking the Duchess¡¯s pulse, the imperial physician said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°County Mistress, your mother fainted because of sudden rage and agitation. After I gave her acupuncture treatment, she has already woken up. Remember not to stimulate her anymore.¡± Qiao Jinniang paid the imperial physician and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± After the imperial physician left, Qiao Jinniang entered the room. The Duchess held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Is what you just told your grandmother true? Qiao Ruoshui is your aunt¡¯s daughter, not mine?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s true, I wanted to tell you after I get conclusive evidence. Mother, you must believe me.¡± The Duchess said bitterly, ¡°I believe you. Now all my doubts have been answered.¡± ¡°After giving birth, I was very weak, and it took me three months to recuperate before I could barely get out of bed. I wanted to hug Ruoshui, but my sister-in-law refused me with the excuse of my poor health. ¡°Tcould only take a look at her from a distance. ¡°My sister-in-law¡¯s attitude towards Ruoyun and Ruoshui has always been very different. I wondered why my always snobby sister-in-law fawned on Ruoshui instead of Ruoyun who was my eldest daughter and was treated more carefully by them. ¡°Two years ago, Zheng Bo molested Ruoshui, but was scolded hard by my sister-in-law. She warned him that he shall never touch Ruoshui. ¡°Zheng Bo said that since my sister-in-law liked Ruoshui, he could marry Ruoshui, but no one expected that my sister-in-law would flatly refuse it and say that he could not marry Ruoshui. ¡°My sister-in-law was originally reluctant to let Zheng Bo leave her to work out of the capital, but not long after that, she begged me to find a job for Zheng Bo in Shu to completely separate Zheng Bo from Ruoshui¡­¡± ¡°Looking back on it now, I just feel I¡¯m too stupid to guess that Qiao Ruoshui is her biological daughter! And I even feel guilty for her for 16 years!¡± Qiao Jinniang comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself, Mother. After all, who would have thought that your mother and your sister-in-law would trick you like this!¡± Thinking of her poor little daughter who died early, the Duchess just felt that she didn¡¯t deserve to be a mother. She let others ruin the lives of both of her daughters! ¡°Where is your sister¡¯s corpse?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯ve entrusted the corpse to a temple to enshrine it. Mother, do you want to announce Sister¡¯s real identity and give her a proper funeral or keep this family scandal a secret?¡± The Duchess asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, what do you think?¡± Qiao Jinniang only said, ¡°Although it¡¯s said that family scandals should not be made public, it depends. We are the victims. Even if people laugh at us, it¡¯s not our fault.¡± ¡°But if this matter is known to everyone, Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s life will be even more difficult.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t have any sympathy for Qiao Ruoshui. Although Qiao Ruoshui didn¡¯t know about the matter, there was nothing innocent about what she did. But she was afraid that the Duchess still cared about Qiao Ruoshui for the sake of the 16 years of their mother-daughter bonding The Duchess clenched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°If I still think of her, how can I face your deceased sister and you? ¡°She is different from Ruoyun. Ruoyun is completely innocent, and her biological parents are very kind to you. ¡°But the Zheng family is not. I can¡¯t just conceal this matter for the sake of Ruoshui. I want them to give me an explanation! ¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Mom. If you keep this a secret, it¡¯ll be committing the crime of deceiving the Emperor. I want to go to the government to sue the Zheng family tomorrow.¡± The Duchess closed her eyes and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡®When Qiao Ruoyun heard that the Duchess fainted, she hurriedly came back to visit her. She walked in and said worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Mother? What did the imperial doctor say?¡± The Duchess said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Are you alright in the Qin family? Does your husband¡¯s grandmother still bully you?¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°No, since my biological father was conferred with the title of Earl Lin¡¯an, no one in the Qin family dares to bully me anymore, but¡­ Mammy Mei offended my husband and was driven to a manor. I begged him to let her return but he refused.¡± ¡°Mammy Mei has been serving you since you were three years old. Why does your husband refuse to let her back?¡± the Duchess asked. Qiao Ruoyun said in a low voice, ¡°Mammy Mei asked me to choose some concubines for my husband, so I found a few suitable concubines for him, but he rejected. Mammy Mei went to persuade my husband to accept the concubines and annoyed him.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt it very strange and said, ¡°Since she is your mammy, why did she ask you to choose concubines for your husband? I felt she was very strange the last time I went to the Qin Family to visit you. ¡°As your mammy, she let a mere concubine maid bully you. You almost died but she didn¡¯t seem worried at all! ¡°Now she tried to persuade you to take concubines for your husband and claimed it was for your own good? I think your husband has done a good job! This kind of ill-intentioned person deserves to be driven away.¡± The young couple was in love with each other, but this old woman tried to persuade Ruoyun to take concubines for her husband? Qiao Ruoyun was simply too good-tempered! The Duchess said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I trust the Zheng family too much and thought that the mammy your grandmother prepared for you was controlled by Concubine Qian, so I gave you a mammy arranged by the Zheng family.¡± ¡°What I couldn¡¯t figure out before, I¡¯ve figured it out now. ¡°Mrs. Zheng must have been planning the future of her biological daughter long ago. She was afraid that Ruoyun would have a better life than Qiao Ruoshui, so she arranged Ruoyun a stupid and irresponsible mammy. ¡°On the other hand, Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s mammy used to be Mrs. Zheng¡¯s trusted maid, who was very capable. The Duchess really regretted it very much. What did she have to compete with Concubine Qian for? Now she realized that her biggest enemy was her most trusted family. ¡°Ma¡¯am, not good. The Duke came back with a girl who looks like Concubine Qian, and ordered the housekeeper to arrange a courtyard for her¡­¡± A little maid hurried in to report. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she felt so disgusted that she wanted to vomit. Duke Anyuan was really loyal to his lover, Concubine Qian, but had he ever thought of her and her mother¡¯s feelings? Despite the fact that he was separated from his own flesh and blood for so many years due to Concubine Qian, he soon took a woman who looked like Concubine Qian to the Duke Mansion? Is he still missing that concubine? Qiao Ruoyun said angrily, ¡°How can Daddy do this!¡± In the Duchess¡¯s eyes, Qiao Jinniang could not see the slightest loss and sadness, and only heard her say, ¡°I thought I had won, but it turns out I¡¯m the one who has completely lost!¡± Chapter 103 - Mrs. Zheng Admitted It Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Although Mrs. Zheng didn¡¯t feel a concubine-born girl was not worthy of her son. Her son had lost his reproductive function due to Princess Fulu, so Qiao Ruoyi was suitable to be his wife now. Early in the moming, Mrs. Zheng brought a matchmaker to the Duke Mansion with a mingy betrothal gift. ¡®When she came to the gate, she was stopped by the guards of the Duke Mansion. ¡°Mrs. Zheng, Madam has ordered us not to allow you to set foot in the Duke Mansion again. Please leave!¡± Mrs. Zheng was puzzled and said, ¡°Why? I¡¯m her sister-in-law!¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled at Mrs. Zheng at the gate and said, ¡°So what? The Zheng family murdered my sister and swapped her with your own daughter. We don¡¯t welcome a murderer. ¡°1m going to sue you to the Chang¡¯an Prefect. You Zheng family must take responsibility for murdering my sister.¡± Mrs. Zheng avoided eye contact with her and said, ¡°Nonsense! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°What is done by night appears by day. You know what you have done. My mother had always tried her best to help her natal family, but how did you pay her back?¡± Mrs. Zheng snapped, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, where did you hear such nonsense? Ruoshui looks so much like you. How could she not be your sister?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But I think Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s demeanor is more like yours. Let¡¯s hand over this matter to the government for investigation. Find all the maids who had witnessed this matter. Once we do this, evidence can definitely be found.¡± Madam Zheng panicked. She hurriedly said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Ruoshui is the daughter of the duke. I know that Ruoshui has offended you before. I apologize to you for her. She is truly your sister!¡± However, Qiao Jinniang walked out of the Duke Mansion, ignoring her. Mrs. Zheng hurriedly followed and suddenly got on her knees towards Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have insulted your adoptive parents, but Ruoshui is truly your sister. You¡¯re connected by blood. How do you have the heart to make her be laughed at by everyone in Chang¡¯an?¡± ¡°You can beat me and scold me again, but you can¡¯t report this to the government!¡± ¡°[ didn¡¯t murder your sister¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang was not moved at all. ¡°What are you doing, Mrs. Zheng? I¡¯m helping you reunite with your daughter! I heard that you¡¯re not allowed to go to Prince Mediocre Mansion to visit Qiao Ruoshui now? How can I sit still and watch you separate from your daughter?¡± Mrs. Zheng kowtowed to Qiao Jinniang in panic. ¡°Jinniang, Jinniang, it won¡¯t do your and our families any good if you report this matter to the government! If your father knows about it, he may get angry with your mother and divorce her!¡± ¡°Lbeg you. Please don¡¯t report this matter to the government. I didn¡¯t kill your sister. ¡°That was just a mistake, and I didn¡¯t want to be separated from my daughter either!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t expect Madam Zheng to admit it so quickly. She had thought it would take some work. It could be seen how aware Mrs. Zheng was of the appalling things she had done. Mrs. Zheng grabbed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sleeve and cried bitterly, ¡°That day, a mammy put your sister on the table and wanted to change her diaper, but no one expected her to roll down. No one would have thought that a one-month-old child would turn over herself. And after she fell, she didn¡¯t wake up no matter what. Your grandmother and I were afraid that the Qiao family would hold grudges, so we had to swap Ruoshui with that child. That child really fell to her death by herself.¡± Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°If it were your own child, would you put her on the table without anyone watching? ¡°How did you know she couldn¡¯t be saved? Why didn¡¯t you seek medical treatment from an imperial physician? ¡°But you threw her to a blind servant to bury her overnight, afraid that my sister would wake up and destroy the path you paved for your daughter, right? ¡°Even if what you said is true that my sister did fall by herself and you were forced to sacrifice your daughter to avoid trouble, ¡°How can you explain about the mammy the Zheng family arranged for Qiao Ruoyun? ¡°How can you explain the fact that you make use of the death of that child to arouse my mother¡¯s guilt for you and push her to meet your unreasonable demands? ¡°Your daughter is living happily in the Qiao family. How can you be so shameless to play victim and seek benefits? ¡°And why didn¡¯t you even set up a memorial tablet for my sister? ¡°It only shows that you have no regrets and no shame at all!¡± ¡°You are begging me just because you are afraid that your daughter will become a laughing stock and be abandoned by Prince Mediocre. But have you ever thought of my mother? She didn¡¯t even know that her daughter had already died!¡± Mrs. Zheng slumped on the ground and said, ¡°I was wrong. I do know I was wrong, but Ruoshui is your cousin after all!¡± ¡°But my own sister died lonely and miserably in the bamboo forest sixteen years ago, but no one knows it and no one has ever gone to see her!¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°If you want to apologize, you should go to the underworld and apologize to her yourself.¡± With that, ignoring Mrs. Zheng¡¯s pleas, Qiao Jinniang went to the Chang¡¯an Prefect to file a suit. Although it was the busy farming season of the year, there were many leisure people in Chang¡¯an who didn¡¯t do agricultural work and idled around. Seeing the gorgeously dressed Qiao Jinniang entering, many people said, ¡°That girl is so beautiful. She looks like a fairy, and the golden hairpin on her head is so beautiful.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know her? She is Qiao Jinniang, the famous long-lost daughter of Duke Anyuan who was swapped when she was born!¡± ¡°Oh, you mean that woman who abandoned her husband and son to find a richer husband?¡± ¡°Yes, is she here today to sue the Pinshu performers?¡± Hearing that County Mistress Jia¡¯an came, Chang¡¯an Prefect hurriedly came out and said, ¡°County Mistress Jia¡¯an, who do you want to sue? Do you have a plaint?¡± Hongling handed the plaint to Chang¡¯an Prefect. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°My lord, I want to sue the Zheng family for murdering my one-month-old biological sister and swapped her with Mrs. Zheng¡¯s half-year-old daughter, who is Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine, Qiao Ruoshui! The Zheng family has committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor.¡± Qiao Ruoshui is now Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine. The Zheng family concealed Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s true identity and deceived the royal family. As Prince Mediocre¡¯s concubine, Qiao Ruoshui has been recorded in the royal family¡¯s genealogy, so the Zheng family has even deceived the ancestors of the royal family. Hearing that, Mrs. Zheng, who had caught up, passed out. Chang¡¯an Prefect was shocked and said, ¡°Have both of Duchess Anyuan¡¯¡¯s daughters been replaced?¡± That¡¯s ridiculous! How can the Duke Mansion be so careless about their offspring? The onlookers all pushed forward for fear of missing any single word they said. Even people who wanted to go to the bathroom tried to hold back for fear of missing this shocking news. Chang¡¯an Prefect had the coffin containing the baby girl¡¯s corpse brought over. He looked at the golden thread-embroidered swaddle wrapped on the corpse and said, ¡°This golden thread embroidery is not something an ordinary family can afford, and this looks like a baby girl about one month old indeed. ¡°Come, go to Earl Zheng Mansion and bring over Earl Zheng, Mrs. Zheng, and Old Madam Zheng! Then go to Prince Mediocre Mansion and invite Concubine Qiao over.¡± ¡®An ordinary prefect couldn¡¯t interrogate an earl, but Chang¡¯an Prefect could. Qiao Jinniang could have filed the suit to the Ministry of Public Security, but she didn¡¯t think the Zheng family was worthy of being trialed there, nor were they worthy of staying in the prison of the Ministry of Public Security. ¡®When the police went to bring the Zheng family over, the onlookers all went to call for their neighbors and acquaintances to come over and watch the fun. ¡®When the Zheng family arrived, there was already a densely packed crowd of people outside. Mrs. Zheng was sent back to the Zheng family after she passed out, but soon the police arrived and she was carried to Chang¡¯an Yamen again while she was still fainted. Chang¡¯an Prefect ordered someone to pour a ladle of ice water on her face, and she woke up slowly. Old Madam Zheng sneered coldly. ¡°How dare you be so rude to us?! I have a first-class honorary title conferred by His Majesty, and I am the grandmother of Prince Mediocre¡¯s first concubine. How dare you take me here?¡± Chang¡¯an Prefect patted the table with the gavel and said, ¡°County Mistress Jia¡¯an sued the Zheng family for murdering her sister, swapping her with Mrs. Zheng¡¯s daughter, and committing the crime of deceiving the emperor. Do you plead guilty?¡± Madam Zheng was startled and glared at Madam Zheng. ¡°Of course not.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Old Madam, I advise you to admit what you¡¯ve done as soon as possible. If not, I am afraid it is not only the crime of deceiving the Emperor, but also the crime of despising the court.¡± Earl Zheng scolded Qiao Jinniang angrily. ¡°This is your biological grandmother. How can you say such unfilial words?¡± Qiao Ruoshui was invited to Chang¡¯an Yamen and was confused. When she saw Qiao Jinniang here and heard the words of Earl Zheng, she said complacently, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, I knew it! Sooner or later, your true color will be exposed! Being unfilial is a serious crime. You¡¯ll be thrown in jail! ¡°Lord Prefect, just punish Qiao Jinniang according to law. I won¡¯t stop you..¡± Chapter 104 - Not Her Biological Granddaughter Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang really admired Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s confidence. She said, ¡°Lord Prefect, Mrs. Zheng has already confessed to her crime of swapping my sister with her own daughter just now at the gate of Duke Anyuan Mansion.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chang¡¯an Prefect ordered someone to place the bones and the rotten swaddle in front of the Zheng family. ¡°After conducting an investigation, this corpse is indeed the baby you ordered your old groom at your home to dispose of. ¡°But this baby is not Mrs. Zheng¡¯s half-year-old daughter, but a baby girl who had just turned one month. ¡°Here¡¯s the physical evidence. The sinner, Zheng Wang Shi, confess to your crime of murdering this baby girl!¡± Qiao Ruoshui was confused but still confidently said, ¡°swapped? Like I said, you are not worthy of being the daughter of the Qiao family. ¡°It turns out that you were swapped. You are not my sister at all!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not your sister.¡± Qiao Ruoshui was triumphant. She thought to herself, I¡¯d like to see what Mother has to say. She treats me like this for Qiao Jinniang. She must feel so regretful now. Jinniang asked the coroner, ¡°Mrs. Zheng said that my sister fell off the table and died. Please check the cause of my sister¡¯s death again¡­¡± Jinniang didn¡¯t believe that a one-month-old child could turn over, nor did she believe anyone would fall to their death from the height of a table. A table was at most half the height of a person. Sometimes, people who didn¡¯t hold their babies well would drop their baby to the ground, but none of the babies would die. The coroner checked the corpse carefully and said, ¡°Judging from the bone fractures, I¡¯m afraid she fell more than once. It¡¯s more like that she was deliberately slammed to the ground several times and died.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Mrs. Zheng resentfully, ¡°You are still not telling the truth? Your family has committed a crime worthy of being beheaded!¡± Mrs. Zheng cried in fright. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her. That day, a mammy put her on the table to change diapers and accidentally knocked over the candlestick, which fell on your sister¡¯s face. ¡°Seeing that half of the baby girl¡¯s face and her eye were burned by the lamp oil on the table, Mother was afraid that the Duke Mansion would blame us, so she came up with the idea to swap the two children. ¡°She was afraid that the baby girl would be a scourge when she grew up, so she simply slammed her to death.¡± Qiao Jinniang was so furious that she felt chill all over. ¡°Old Madam Zheng, she is your biological granddaughter! How can you be so cruel?¡± Old Madam Zheng glared at Mrs. Zheng angrily. ¡°What are you talking about? My lord, this woman has been beaten crazy by Qiao Jinniang. What she said is nothing but nonsense.¡± Earl Zheng looked at his mother and his wife darkly. ¡°So Ruoshui is not my niece, but my daughter? ¡°and my niece was killed by you long ago?¡± Old Madam Zheng said, ¡°No! How could I have killed my own granddaughter?!¡± Qiao Ruoshui finally figured out what they were talking about. She rushed to Qiao Jinniang, raised her hand to slap her and yelled, ¡°You b*tch, nothing good has happened since you came back, and now you¡¯re slandering me for not being Father and Mother¡¯s biological daughter?¡± Qiao Jinniang grabbed Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s hand and slapped her back. ¡°I advise you to keep quiet. Otherwise, I will treat you the same way your mother treated my sister!¡± Earl Zheng angrily scolded Old Madam Zheng. ¡°Of course you won¡¯t kill your own granddaughter, because you are not the biological mother of my sister and I!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Earl Zheng. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Earl Zheng said angrily, ¡°Your grandmother, my mother also has a twin sister. ¡°That aunt married a lieutenant a few years ago, but he died on the battlefield at a young age. ¡°After she became a widow, she seduced her brother-in-law, pretended to be her own sister and became Duchess Dingyuan. Mother, no, Aunt, do you agree with what I said?¡± Old Madam Zheng said in horror, ¡°You actually know this? How is it possible?¡± Earl Zheng gnashed his teeth and said, ¡°Because I was in front of my mother before she died. She was secretly sent back to her natal home after she gave birth to my sister! And you replaced her! ¡°although I was only six years old, I knew what had happened!¡± Listening on the side, Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t believe that both of her mother¡¯s daughters were not her real daughters. This was simply the biggest joke in the world! And it turned out that even her mother¡¯s mother was not her own! There was indeed a reason for the decline of the Zheng family. Earl Zheng continued, ¡°Grandmother had already discovered the truth, but you and Father all insisted that she was wrong, so she had no choice but to raise my sister in person. ¡°Over the years, like my mother had asked me to do before she died, I took you as my own mother and have been filial to you. ¡°although I knew that this woman was your daughter from your first marriage, I still married her as my wife and loved her as you demanded. ¡°But I never expected you two to do such a terrible thing.¡± Mrs. Zheng looked at Earl Zheng in horror. ¡°What did you say? Mother-in-law, is my mother? How could it be possible? My mother is Mrs. Wang of the Wang family in the Northwest!¡± Earl Zheng retorted. ¡°No, Mrs. Wang is your aunt. ¡°After your father died in battle, your mother abandoned you and returned to her natal family in Chang¡¯an! ¡°Your aunt pitied you and raised you as her daughter.¡± Only then did Mrs. Zheng understand why her mother-in-law treated her so well¡­ Among Old Madam Zheng¡¯s daughters-in-law, she was the only one who hadn¡¯t been tortured by her. The onlookers outside were in an uproar. ¡°It turns out that Old Madam Zheng has already been used to swapping. She is quite skilled!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t Earl Zheng remind his sister since he knew the truth?¡± ¡°Poor Madam Qiao, not only both of her daughters, but also her mother are not her own.¡± ¡°This is even more unbelievable than novels! The younger sister of the twins replaced her elder sister and became a duchess. Many years later, she murdered her sister¡¯s granddaughter and swapped her with her own granddaughter so that the latter could have a better life!¡± ¡°She is simply shameless!¡± Filled with righteous indignation, the onlookers kept throwing rotten eggs and rotten vegetables at Old Madam Zheng. Chang¡¯an Prefect seemed to have long been accustomed to this scene and had his staff put an umbrella for him to block the thrown trash before he patted the table with the gavel again. ¡°Don¡¯t throw trash anymore. It¡¯s troublesome to clean the hall. Anyone throwing trash again will be put into jail!¡± ¡°That old b*tch is so evil. I have to throw trash at her even if I¡¯ll be put into jail!¡± ¡°Exactly. Since she had stolen her sister¡¯s identity, she should have treated her sister¡¯s children well, but she actually slammed her niece¡¯s daughter to death!¡± Qiao Jinniang had never seen such a scene before. Fortunately, a policeman held an umbrella to block the trash for her. ¡°Country Mistress Jia¡®an, the people in Chang¡¯an are imbued with a sense of justice. You will get used to it in the future.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± If she had known this, she would have not come in person. Although the trash didn¡¯t hit her, it smelled really bad. Although Qiao Ruoshui hadn¡¯t figured out what had happened, she was very angry that she was smashed by stinky trash, so she yelled angrily, ¡°Stop it, all of you! I¡¯m the first concubine of Prince Mediocre! How dare you lowlifes throw trash at me?!¡± Before she finished speaking, more trash was thrown at her. Chang¡¯an Prefect let out a long sigh. It was no wonder that his predecessor told him to prepare more clothes and always keep hot water on the stove. After the people were finally tired, Chang¡¯an Prefect said, ¡°This matter is of great importance with severe implications. These people have committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor. Come, put Old Madam Zheng, Earl Zheng and Zheng Wang Shi into prison.. I¡¯ll decide the punishment for them after reporting this case to His Majesty!¡± Chapter 105 - The Dukes Concubine Serves Tea Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang took a bath three times and used incense and flower lotion before the stinky smell of rotten eggs that was lingering on the tip of her nose was finally eliminated. Qiao Ruoyi came in and asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Sister, is the rumor wide-spreading outside true? ¡°When I first heard it, I couldn¡¯t even figure out the complicated relationship. It turned out that Old Madam Zheng is not our grandmother but our great-aunt, and she was Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s biological grandmother!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Ruoyi smacked her tongue in surprise. ¡°Everyone in Chang¡¯an thinks this is too unbelievable. Now everyone is laughing at Mother¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed helplessly. She didn¡¯t know how to tell the Duchess about this, but the Duchess probably had heard about it by now. She followed Qiao Ruoyi to the main courtyard. The Duchess had already got up from the bed, and kneeling in front of her was an elegantly-dressed woman, who looked gentle and fragile. ¡°Madam, please drink the tea.¡± ¡®When Qiao Ruoyi saw the woman kneeling on the ground, she was shocked. ¡°Qian Shi!¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qiao Ruoyi whispered in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear. ¡°Although this woman doesn¡¯t look very much like Qian Shi, her seemingly vulnerable demeanor exactly resembles hers.¡± ¡®The Duchess did not take the woman¡¯s tea but said, ¡°The Duke Mansion has our own rules. No matter what, the Qiao family will never accept an official prostitute as a concubine. Keep this cup of tea for yourself!¡± Qiao Jinniang entered the door and said, ¡°Mother.¡± ¡®The Duchess held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have let you go to Yamen and get yourself caught in public scrutiny.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the Duchess worriedly and said, ¡°Mother, if you are sad, just cry out. May I take you to play outside the city? I haven¡¯t had an outing since I returned to Chang¡®an, and it¡¯s autumn now. Let¡¯s go climbing.¡± The Duchess said with guilt, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s been almost half a year, but I haven¡¯t taken you out to have fun. ¡°We have an orchard on Tianyi Slope. The jujubes there are probably ripe now, so I will take your sisters to pick jujubes in the orchard in a few days.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay, I can make jujube mud cakes for you.¡± After Qiao Jinniang finished speaking, she glanced at the woman kneeling on the ground. In terms of appearance, she was not as beautiful as her mother, and her temperament was not as dignified as her mother¡¯s either. The Duke must be blind! 1 After coming out of the main courtyard, Yuyan came to report to her, ¡°Miss, His Royal Highness had someone come to tell you that he is waiting for you outside the Duke Mansion.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and went out. Seeing Lu Chen sitting in the carriage, she got on the carriage. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring Xi¡¯er out?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡± Since he already has a teacher, he should study hard, and shouldn¡¯t play around all the time.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°He just turned three years old. Why can¡¯t he leave the East Palace for a while to see his mother? I don¡¯t want him to live an exhausting life.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s playing with his playmate in the East Palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang suspected that Lu Chen deliberately did not bring Xi¡¯er out of the East Palace so that she could enter the East Palace earlier. ¡°Why did you come to me? Do you want to ask about the Zheng family? I had never thought that Old Madam Zheng was not my mother¡¯s biological mother.¡± ¡°If I were my mother, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to live.¡± ¡°If you were your mother, you wouldn¡¯t have been so foolish as not to find out the truth until now,¡± Lu Chen said. ¡°The Zheng family has committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor and provoked a public outrage. Old Madam Zheng and Mrs. Zheng will be exiled at the very least. Your sister can be avenged.¡± ¡°alas!¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°My mother is so pitiful. Duke Anyuan brought back a woman who looked very much like his dead concubine yesterday. ¡°When I went to my mother¡¯s courtyard just now, she was serving tea to my mother!¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. If he said something wrong, she would have a fight with him again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you hadn¡¯t been to Chunfeng Street? I¡¯ll take you to Chunfeng Street to play today.¡± Chunfeng Street was the most prosperous money-squandering den in Chang¡¯an. It was only two quarters of an hour from Tasty Pavilion by carriage, but Qiao Jinniang had never been there. ¡®There were many brothels in Chunfeng Street, and there were also places for women to have fun. Jinniang was afraid that it might be dangerous to go alone if not accompanied by a man. In the evening, Chunfeng Street gradually became lively, and pleasant-sounding music came from the serried gaily-painted pleasure-boats on the river. On the cruise ships, beautiful dancers danced adeptly on the bow. Entering a cruise boat, Qiao Jinniang saw Xie Yun, who she had not seen for a long time. Today, Xie Yun was wearing a jade-white loose robe, looking quite elegant and noble. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang saw Xie Yun and Lu Chen standing together, she couldn¡¯t help thinking of the words of Fulu that Xie Yun, who was wearing men¡¯s clothes, was handsome and elegant, while Lu Chen was masculine and domineering like a king. ¡®The two of them standing together were indeed pleasing to the eye and well matched. She felt that she shouldn¡¯t disturb the two of them. ¡°Jinniang, why do you keep looking at me?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Young Master Xie, you look so handsome in men¡¯s clothes, even more beautiful than in women¡¯s clothes.¡± Xie Yun glanced at Lu Chen¡¯s face and said, ¡°Who¡¯s more handsome, His Royal Highness or me?¡± Lu Chen also looked at Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Well, I need Young Master Xie to do me a favor, so I can only say that Young Master Xie is more handsome.¡± Lu Chen¡¯s face was all dark, and he said crossly, ¡°What do you need him to do for you? Why don¡¯t you turn to me for help?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°The ingredients of Tasty Pavilion are all shipped from all over the country, and the freight is a huge expense. ¡°Along the way, there are many checkpoints and I need to pay a lot of taxes and charges. ¡°So I want to cooperate with the Xie family. There are not many ingredients Tasty Pavilion needs, so can you please make room in the Xie family¡¯s ships for me?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°No problem.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and negotiated with Xie Yun about freight and shipping taxes, etc It was only after Xie Yun was called away by his subordinates that she noticed Lu Chen¡¯s dark face. Lu Chen emptied a glass of wine sullenly, stared at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it more convenient to ask me for help than to cooperate with Xie Yun?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I can¡¯t use your power to seek personal gain. If I asked you for help, wouldn¡¯t it give Prince Mediocre him something to use against you?¡± Glad to hear that she was worried about him, Lu Chen asked, ¡°Then tell me, who is more handsome, me or Xie Yun?¡± Qiao Jinniang said very sweetly at this moment, ¡°Of course my honey is the most handsome man in the world. That¡¯s why I married you.¡±1 Lu Chen, a little tipsy, whispered to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Honey again. You set the fire but refuse to put it out.¡± 1 Having said that, Lu Chen kissed Qiao Jinniang on the cheek. Perhaps considering that the people on the shore could see the scene inside the boat, he only kissed her face gently. Seeing this scene from the shore, Xie Yun felt slightly sour. If he had known that Jinniang would marry Lu Chen, he would have not been afraid of disturbing Jinniang¡¯s peaceful life and would have confessed his love for her. 1 Now he could only bury this love deep in his heart. ¡°Master, Second Young Master came to Chang¡¯an for two purposes. Firstly, to check out if you are still alive, and secondly, to propose to Princess Jinghua so as to seek support from the royal family.¡± Xie Yun said in a cool voice, ¡°Marry Princess Jinghua? In his dreams!¡± Chapter 106 - Pregnant Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It was very late when Qiao Jinniang went back to the Duke Mansion. Seeing her, Hongling immediately said, ¡°Congratulations, Miss. The imperial physician came to examine Madam today only to find that she was pregnant! But she has been pregnant for only about a month.¡± It was not easy for the doctor to find it out because the Duchess had only been pregnant for a month. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly went to the main courtyard. Old Madam Qiao was telling the Duchess to take a good rest, fearing what happened to the Duchess recently would affect this child. The Duchess said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m pregnant, so I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have the time and energy to manage the affairs of the Duke Mansion. I want to hand over the management power to Ruoyi so that she can learn how to manage a big family.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Ruoyi is not suitable. Let Jinniang do it. After all, she will marry into the East Palace soon.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Grandmother, please spare me. I just want to live a leisurely life. I can¡¯t manage the huge Duke Mansion.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Let me be frank, you¡¯ll have to manage the harem. Why don¡¯t you start getting some experiences now?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°His Royal Highness has promised me that he won¡¯t take any concubines. So I don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± Old Madam Qiao was shocked. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Old Madam Qiao almost couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°What are you talking about, Jinniang? If your husband is a common man, he can say that. ¡°But he is the Crown Prince! If he doesn¡¯t take concubines, can you bear the accusations of the entire world?¡± Qiao Jinniang said weakly, ¡°He has promised me anyway.¡± The Duchess smiled with relief. ¡°It seems that His Royal Highness is a man worthy of marrying.¡± Old Madam Qiao said worriedly, ¡°Perhaps His Royal Highness is afraid that his position is not that secure after he was away from Chang¡¯an for three years, so he promised that just to get the support of our Qiao family!¡± The Duchess said, ¡°But I think His Royal Highness is sincere to Jinniang.¡± Old Madam Qiao looked at her innocent daughter-in-law and could only shake her head helplessly. ¡°Alas, forget it. Just take good care of your baby. You¡¯re not young anymore. ¡°You had hemorrhage when you gave birth to Lu¡¯er, so you¡¯d better be careful this time.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought to herself, ¡®The Duchess is already thirty-five.¡¯ It was very dangerous for women to give birth, even for young women. But at this time, the Duke brought a prostitute home and wanted to take her as a concubine? This was simply disgusting. After Qiao Jinniang went out, she asked the maid at the door, only to hear that the Duke hadn¡¯t even returned to the Duke Mansion. The maid said to Qiao Jinniang in a low voice, ¡°Since Concubine Qian passed away, the Duke has rarely returned to the Duke Mansion but lives in the house that he had purchased for Concubine Qian in the past¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang really felt sorry for her mother. She looked at the cold moon in the sky and sighed. In the Imperial Palace. Emperor Huilin sighed, and the Queen handed Emperor Huilin a cup of tea. ¡°The Xie family wants to marry a princess. Why do you keep sighing?¡± ¡°As for the internal strife of the Xie family, I originally thought that Xie Yun had a greater chance to win. ¡°But now his uncle is in control of the Xie family and his uncle¡¯s son is proposing to a princess to express their loyalty to the royal family. I think I can agree, but Jinghua may not want to marry into the Xie family.¡± The Queen frowned and said, ¡°You have more than one daughter. Why must Jinghua? You know she and Lin Mo are in love with each other.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for Lin Mo to marry a princess.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°And the Xie family¡¯s son only wants to marry Jinghua.¡± ¡®The Queen said, ¡°Now that the Qian family in Lin¡®an is loyal to you, why do you have to worry about the Xie family? Why ruin Jinghua¡¯s life? ¡°Why not grant them a County Mistress or a Prefecture Mistress?¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°The Xie family is the leader of the literati, and they are very powerful in the South. How can I just ignore them? ¡°If only Xie Yun could become the crown princess. ¡°Xie Yun is just a woman. If she marries Chen¡¯er, wouldn¡¯t it be a cinch to win over the Xie family? ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Chen¡¯er is too stupid. He just wants Qiao Jinniang and even promises her that he will not take any concubines! ¡°Have I allowed that? As soon as Qiao Jinniang enters the East Palace, I will grant Chen¡¯er seventeen to eighteen concubines. I don¡¯t believe that she dares to defy an imperial decree!¡± The Queen snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that! Didn¡¯t Chen¡¯er tell you that if you force him to take concubines, he will rather not be the crown prince?¡± Emperor Huilin blurted out, ¡°Does he think he can threaten me with that? I have plenty of sons who want this position.¡± The Queen stood up calmly and said to Eunuch Quan, ¡°Today, His Majesty will sleep in the Hall of Diligent Governance.¡± Emperor Huilin: The punishment on the Zheng family was decided in early September. Old Madam Zheng murdered a baby and deserved to be executed, but for the sake of her old age, she was sentenced to exile to the frontier. Although Earl Zheng did not participate in the murder of the child, he failed to manage his family well and indulged his family in evil, so he was dismissed from his official position and his title of earl was withdrawn. Mrs. Zheng committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor and failed to educate her son well, but for the sake of her father¡¯s contribution to the country, she was exempted from the death penalty and also exiled to the frontier. In Prince Mediocre Mansion, Qiao Ruoshui had waited for many days, hoping that His Majesty would uphold justice for her, but the result was a complete disappointment. ¡°Mammy, what should I do? Qiao Jinniang has deceived so many people. How could I not be the daughter of the Qiao family?!¡± She couldn¡¯t be the daughter of the Zheng family that she had always despised. The mammy, who had long known the truth, didn¡¯t know how to comfort Qiao Ruoshui. She just said, ¡°Consort, don¡¯t worry. Although you are not the Duchess¡¯s biological daughter, you are her own niece after all. And you lived together for sixteen years¡­¡± Qiao Ruoshui suddenly screamed, ¡°No, it must be Qiao Jinniang¡¯s trick! I will find some evidence and prove my identity!¡± She simply could not accept that she was not the daughter of the Duke! ¡®When Qiao Jinniang heard the news from Yuyan, she said, ¡°So the Zheng family will be exiled to the frontier. Old Madam Zheng is used to the comfortable and luxurious life. I don¡¯t think she can make it to the frontier alive.¡± In Jinniang¡¯s opinion, His Majesty¡¯s punishment on the Zheng family was mild. Qiao Jinniang went to the main courtyard, and when she walked in, she saw Qiao Ruoyun and her mother-in-law talking with the Duchess. Mrs. Qin said proudly, ¡°My naughty daughter has been fighting with County Mistress Fulu and can¡¯t find a suitable husband. Everyone said it¡¯s because our requirements are too high, but which parent doesn¡¯t want their daughter to have a better life?¡± ¡°Fortunately, we¡¯ve just found a very excellent young man for her, who is Lin Mo, the son of Prime Minister Lin.¡± Qiao Jinniang was stunned. Was this a good choice for Qin Miaomiao? Although she hadn¡¯t inquired about it, she could sense that the relationship between Princess Jinghua and Lin Mo must be unusual. A maid hurried to the Duchess and reported, ¡°Madam, the one in the Furong Garden was found to be more than three months pregnant, and she suddenly bled just now. The one in the Furong Garden? That young fragile-looking woman? Chapter 107 - Business of the Restaurant Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Hearing the words, Mrs. Qin said with a smile: ¡°Congratulations, Duchess. The Duke has two children at the same time! You must be very happy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Qiao Jinniang saw the undisguised gloating on the face of Mrs. Qin. Very annoyed, she asked coldly, ¡°Mrs. Qin, do you know Princess Jinghua?¡± Lin Mo never concealed his relationship with Princess Jinghua. The Qin family had definitely known about Lin Mo¡¯s affair with Jinghua. Sure enough, after hearing this, Mrs. Qin smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Yes?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, I just think that we should put ourselves into other people¡¯s positions and not do what you don¡¯t want others to do to you. Mrs. Qin, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Mrs. Qin forced a smile and said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Oh, one of my husband¡¯s concubines is not feeling well. I must go now.¡± Qiao Ruoyun saluted and followed her away. The Duchess looked a bit gaunt, even her lips were pale. She said, ¡°Mrs. Qin¡¯s mother-in-law likes to give her son concubines, and those women gave birth to a lot of children for her husband. Her life is not easy. ¡°It is only recently that her son has gained the favor of the Emperor that her life has become easier. Although she has a poisonous tongue, she is not a bad person.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, I know, but since she¡¯s been through all this, why should she make fun of you? You are also a victim! ¡°What¡¯s more annoying is Father. His guilt is only a word.¡± The Duchess¡¯s face paled. ¡°Jinniang, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m too useless.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Do you want to divorce him?¡± The Duchess shook her head and said, ¡°Jinniang, if I divorced your father, he¡¯ll have a new wife soon. He never likes me anyway. Plus, if he marries a woman from a powerful family, what will happen to Luer and Ah Li? ¡°And you, you haven¡¯t entered the East Palace yet. With the Duke Mansion behind you, your life would be much easier in the East Palace. ¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Lu¡¯er has been recognized as the heir to Father by His Majesty, and he is already sixteen years old, and you can take Ah Li away with you because he is still a child and can¡¯t leave his mother. ¡°Mother, if you worry about your future life after divorce, I have some savings, which should be enough for you and Ah Li to live comfortably for a lifetime, unless you are reluctant to leave Duke Anyuan.¡± ¡®The Duchess said with a sarcastic smile, ¡°How could I be reluctant to part with him? I endured so much just for the sake of my children and the Zheng family. Now that the Zheng family is gone, I am just worried about you and your brothers.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t need you to sacrifice yourself for me. As for my brothers, I don¡¯t think they want you to continue to suffer.¡± The Duchess sighed and said, ¡°Let me think about it¡­¡± ¡®There was a great uproar in Furong Garden, but none of the masters of the Duke Mansion gave any response, so the maid could only hire a doctor herself to take the pulse of Qiangian. Yuyan came back after inquiring about the news. ¡°The doctor said that Qiangian¡¯s baby is safe, but she needs to take a good rest and keep a good mood. ¡°Miss Qiangian¡¯s mammy went to kneel at the door of Madam¡¯s courtyard, begging Madam to drink Miss Qiangian¡¯s tea to accept her as the Duke¡¯s concubine, so that Miss Qiangian could take care of her and her baby in peace.¡±1 Qiao Jinniang snorted coldly. ¡°Where¡¯s the Duke?¡± ¡°He is busy with work. It¡¯s said that a small tribe in the Southwest rebelled recently¡­ After the Duke brought Miss Qiangian back to the Duke Mansion, he never came back.¡± Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t seen Duke Anyuan for a long time. Even when the Zheng family¡¯s matter was floating about, Duke Anyuan didn¡¯t return to the Duke Mansion. ¡®The Guest Welcoming Building was still closed, so the business of Tasty Pavilion was ridiculously good. ¡®There was a long queue in front of its gate, and the pastries were sold out as soon as they came out of the oven. Expectedly, the diners scrambled to buy the pastries and had a fight. Receiving a message from Bajiao in the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang went to Tasty Pavilion. ¡®What she saw was a crowd gathering around the door of Tasty Pavilion, trying to push themselves inside. Bajiao almost cried at the door. ¡°Customers, customers, we¡¯re truly sorry, but we¡¯ve run out of ingredients. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to entertain you!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we bring our own ingredients?¡± 1 ¡°Exactly, Tasty Pavilion is just a restaurant. Why do you not allow us to enter? You¡¯ll cry if your customers are all gone!¡± Qiao Jinniang came up and said, ¡°Customers, I am the owner of Tasty Pavilion. ¡°Please listen to me, our business was not good a few days ago, so we didn¡¯t prepare enough ingredients. But in the past two days, we¡¯ve accelerated the purchase of ingredients in Chang¡¯an. ¡°Of course you can bring your own ingredients, but you came to the restaurant for the most delicious dishes, didn¡¯t you? So the ingredients we use are all first-class. ¡°Many kinds of meat can¡¯t be used for cooking before they are specially processed. Please understand us, dear customers. Although I want to make money, I can¡¯t serve you with substandard food.¡± The diners clamored, ¡°Not only are you out of meat, you don¡¯t even supply pastries. There are only a few sweet-scented osmanthus cakes with egg yolk filling served every day.¡± ¡°There¡¯s never a shortage of pastries in other restaurants, but what about your restaurant? Your pastries are not only expensive, but there are so few portions!¡± ¡°Why are the fresh meat mooncakes not for sale after the Mid-Autumn Festival?! Why is magnolia tofu not for sale too?! What kind of restaurant is this?!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®The Mid-Autumn Festival has passed. Why should we continue to sell mooncakes? And magnolia tofu is a summer snack. Eating it in autumn will give you diarrhea. Surrounded by these diners, Qiao Jinniang was quite helpless. Sometimes, being too popular could be an annoyance too. All of a sudden, the diners who were complaining dispersed. Qiao Jinniang looked back and found that it was Lu Chen. She pretended to complain, ¡°You scared all my guests away.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°They are just here to make trouble. You didn¡¯t add Minanghua Fruit in the pastries. How could they be so idle as to make a fuss about mere pastries?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No, they are all regular customers, and what they said is true. My restaurant always runs out of ingredients indeed.¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang was young, Myriad Taste¡¯s customers were mostly common people, so it used all kinds of ingredients. And gradually it had more merchants and officials as customers, so they began to use better ingredients. And after the death of her adoptive parents, Qiao Jinniang simply used the best ingredients. ¡®Whether it were vegetables or meat, she always used the best ingredients, never cheating on workmanship and materials. In this way, the food in her restaurant would always be very delicious but the supply was always low. Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°I want to open another Myriad Taste in Chang¡¯an, which will specialize in ordinary dishes without using those first-class and expensive ingredients. ¡°But Tasty Pavilion will still supply those delicate and expensive dishes. In this way, the diners don¡¯t have to all crowd to Tasty Pavilion. What do you think?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. You¡¯ll live in the East Palace anyway. ¡°If you run a restaurant outside, you can¡¯t manage it yourself. Even if you entrust it to others, they may not manage it as you want, and your enemies may use it to cause trouble for you. ¡°One Tasty Pavilion is enough. It¡¯s enough to give Huixiang, Bajia and the others a place to settle down.¡± Chapter 108 - Miserable Qiao Ruoshui Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang thought about it and sighed. ¡°Why are you the Crown Prince?¡± She knew from a young age that she was just a small shopkeeper of a restaurant. ¡®When she was studying in school, some girls from dignitary families would make fun of her for being just a restaurant shopkeeper in the future. But Qiao Jinniang never felt that there was anything wrong with being a restaurant shopkeeper. She could eat a lot of delicious food and meet a lot of interesting people. Now, for Lu Chen¡¯s sake, she couldn¡¯t even be a restaurant shopkeeper? Lu Chen noticed her sadness and immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you want to open a restaurant. I¡¯ll have my men help you.¡± Qiao Jinniang raised her eyes and asked Lu Chen, ¡°By the way, what about Xi¡¯er? Why didn¡¯t you bring him out? I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If you want to see him, you can come and see him in the East Palace.¡± Jinniang said, ¡°Under what name shall I enter the East Palace now? What if I can¡¯t come out once I enter it? ¡°Can I buy a house in Chang¡¯an? It just so happens that I don¡¯t want to live in the Duke Mansion anymore, and you can let Xi¡¯er come to live in my house.¡± ¡°Did someone in the Duke Mansion bully you?¡± Lu Chen hurriedly asked, ¡°How dare they?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°I went back to the Duke Mansion in order to live with my biological parents, but they are different from my parents anyway.¡± Lu Chen knew that the ¡°parents¡± that Qiao Jinniang spoke of were her adoptive parents in Lin¡¯an. Although he didn¡¯t have much contact with them, he knew how much they loved Jinniang. Everyone in Chang¡¯an said that the Duke and the Duchess doted on Jinniang, but they were not as good to her as her adoptive parents were. Qiao Jinniang said gloomily, ¡°The Duke kept saying that he feels guilty about me, and everyone says that he was very good to me, but I really can¡¯t feel it. ¡°If he is really good to me, how could he have a child with a woman who looked like that concubine so soon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can bear to call their child brother or sister and hear that child call me sister. That¡¯s too disgusting. ¡°It¡¯s best if my mother is willing to divorce with him, but if she isn¡¯t, I don¡¯t want to stay in the Duke Mansion either.¡± Lu Chen tried to persuade her. ¡°Duke Anyuan can be counted as a good man. He only has a wife and a concubine now. ¡°Whenever he returns to the Duke Mansion, the Duchess cold-shoulders him, so there is nothing wrong with him finding a woman outside. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it for you to leave the Duke Mansion for this.¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen. ¡°There is nothing wrong? Not worth it? So you think what the Duke did is right?¡± Lu Chen said, No, but if you leave the Duke Mansion because of this, everyone will say you¡¯re stupid. ¡°Jinniang, you should know that this is Chang¡¯an, not Lin¡®an. ¡°Besides, your father is Duke Anyuan, who is in charge of the military of the country. If he shows no interest in women, the first one who can¡¯t sleep will be my father.¡± Qiao Jinniang murmured in a low voice, ¡°Yes, this is Chang¡¯an. It¡¯s not the Duke who made a mistake, but me. I just don¡¯t fit in here. ¡°Now that you think the Duke has done nothing wrong, will you think that it¡¯s a matter of course to take a concubine since you are the Crown Prince? ¡°Besides, everyone will be on the men¡¯s side.¡± Lu Chen clenched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not Duke Anyuan.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If my mother can¡¯t be the exception, why can I be the exception?¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang into a room and said, ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t even have a concubine and you almost wanted to kill me. Do I still dare to take a concubine?¡± ¡°Tm not Duke Anyuan, and you¡¯re not your mother. After my father met my mother, he has been devoted to her.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If His Majesty is really wholehearted with the Queen, how are there Imperial Concubine Xian and the other imperial concubines? ¡°You know how much the Queen yearns for life outside the imperial palace. She is willing to compromise because she loves His Majesty, but I¡­¡± She liked Lu Chen, and in Lin¡¯an, everyone envied her for having a husband who was as handsome as a banished immortal. ¡®When they went out, everyone would praise Lu Chen for being so handsome. But she didn¡¯t think she loved him like the poem described ¡°be your love to me as strong as the rocks and be my love to you as tough as the creeping vine¡¯. She was not a creeping vine, and Lu Chen was not a rock. Lu Chen abruptly lowered his head and blocked her mouth with his lips. He didn¡¯t want to hear those words he didn¡¯t want to hear from her mouth. ¡®The door was suddenly pushed open. Princess Fulu looked at the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you!¡± Qiao Jinniang blushed red and glared at Lu Chen, saying to Fulu, ¡°Princess, wait a minute. I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡± Fulu chuckled and said, ¡°Please continue. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Qiao Jinniang awkwardly changed the subject. ¡°Princess, I happen to have something to ask you. ¡°Lwant to open another restaurant in Chang¡¯an, but I don¡¯t know where to open it. I don¡¯t want it to be too close or too far away from Tasty Pavilion. ¡°Do you have any suggestions?¡± If it was too far away from Tasty Pavilion, it would be inconvenient for her to go to the restaurants to check the account, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to arrive in time in case of any emergency. Fulu said, ¡°It¡¯s easy. Junior Duke Rong¡¯s casino is closed. ¡°His casino is at an intersection with a lot of traffic, there is a market nearby, and there are many merchants from outside Chang¡¯an, so it¡¯s a suitable place to run a restaurant.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Thank you, Princess. I¡¯ll talk to the Junior Duke about the transfer of the shop right away.¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Why talk to him? That shop belongs to me.¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°It turns out that the shop is mine. I¡¯ll have the carpenters refurnish it now. It¡¯s best to open the restaurant by the end of September.¡± Princess Fulu wondered. ¡°Isn¡¯t that shop owned by my imperial cousin? How did it become yours?¡± ¡°Even he is mine.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Of course his shop is mine too!¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°I remember someone still called him a jerk not long ago. ¡°But now you¡¯re playing lovey-dovey with him! Women are really unpredictable.¡± Qiao Jinniang was not annoyed at all. ¡°Princess, you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight. What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll make something for you.¡± Fulu said angrily, ¡°The shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building is simply a b*stard! I can¡¯t fall asleep, and I don¡¯t have any appetite these days. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t he been convicted yet? He deserves to be executed!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The Ministry of Public Security will tend to this matter. Jinniang, just let the cook cook for her. You don¡¯t have to cook.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯d like to thank the Princess for kicking Zheng Bo. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that kick, I wouldn¡¯t have known my sister had died long ago. ¡± Fulu said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about your sister until today. I can¡¯t imagine there is such an evil person in this world! ¡°Qiao Ruoshui always puts on a high air, acting more like a princess than me. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that she is locked in Prince Mediocre Mansion, so I can¡¯t see how miserable she is now. ¡°But I hate Prince Mediocre. Otherwise I would have gone to Prince Mediocre Mansion to visit her!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled, ¡°Prince Mediocre cherishes his reputation, so he may not abandon Qiao Ruoshui now. ¡°But now Qiao Ruoshui is of no value to him. I¡¯m afraid her life in Prince Mediocre Mansion won¡¯t be easy.¡± As soon as Qiao Jinniang finished speaking, Yuyan hurried over and said, ¡°Miss! Concubine Qiao, no, Concubine Zheng murdered Concubine Jian¡¯s unborn child and was given a glass of poisonous wine by His Highness Prince Mediocre!¡± Chapter 109 - Not the Dukes Child Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang handed Yuyan a glass of water. ¡°Drink a glass of water and speak slowly.¡± Yuyan took a sip of water and said, ¡°But Concubine Zheng refused to drink the poisonous wine and knocked it over. ¡°With the help of her mammy, she got out of Prince Mediocre Mansion from the doghole and escaped all the way to the Duke Mansion. ¡°She then cried to Madam that she didn¡¯t kill Concubine Jian¡¯s child, and that this was a framed accusation. After Sister Hongling heard it, she asked me to find you.¡± Fulu listened with relish and urged Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to your home to watch this good show.¡± Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t expect that Qiao Ruoshui would dare to escape back to the Duke Mansion. ¡®As soon as she and Fulu arrived at the Duke Mansion, they heard Qiao Ruoshui crying bitterly. ¡°Mother, save me, save me. I was framed by Qiao Jinniang. I am your daughter.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Concubine Jian¡¯s child. How dare I do that! ¡°It must be Qiao Jinniang! She saw that His Highness didn¡¯t abandon me because of the rumors, so she framed me again!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Fulu said sarcastically, ¡°Oh, Jinniang, I don¡¯t know you¡¯re so powerful! You can even manipulate Prince Mediocre! You¡¯re really awesome!¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Indeed, I am so powerful that I could even have Old Madam Zheng and Mrs. Zheng replace my sister with someone else as early as sixteen years ago!¡± Hearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s taunting words, Qiao Ruoshui yelled, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, it must be you.¡± ¡®The Duchess said angrily to Qiao Ruoshui, ¡°How could it be Jinniang? Are you so stupid that you haven¡¯t figured it out even now? ¡°Prince Mediocre just wants to make use of you. Concubine Jian and you have no value for him now, so he certainly can¡¯t let you two still occupy the positions of his concubines. ¡°Now that you¡¯re accused of killing Concubine Jian¡¯s unborn baby and Concubine Jian failed to protect her child, he can get rid of both of you in one fell swoop!¡± Qiao Ruoshui shook her head desperately and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe it. How could His Highness have the heart to kill his own child?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Because that child is a disgrace to Prince Mediocre. ¡°Besides, that child hasn¡¯t been born yet. Why doesn¡¯t he have the heart to kill it?¡± Qiao Ruoshui pointed at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°You fabricated the matter of the Zheng family! I am Mother¡¯s daughter. You fabricated it to make His Highness dislike me.¡± Qiao Jinniang was speechless. ¡°Mother, the murdered baby is Prince Mediocre¡¯s child. It would be inappropriate for us to protect Qiao Ruoshui. Why don¡¯t you send her back to Prince Mediocre Mansion?¡± Qiao Ruoshui said repeatedly, ¡°No, no, I will die if I go back!¡± The Duchess suddenly felt a huge pain in her lower abdomen. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Come here, send Concubine Zheng back to Prince Mediocre Mansion.¡± Qiao Ruoshui said desperately, ¡°Aunt, even if you are not my mother, you¡¯re still my aunt. How can you have the heart to send me to death? I really didn¡¯t kill that child.¡± Qiao Jinniang noticed that something was wrong with the Duchess, and hurriedly had someone call over an imperial physician. ¡°Blood, blood¡­¡± Amaid exclaimed. Mammy An supported the Duchess, only to see that her hem of skirt was already dyed red with blood. ¡°Your Excellency.¡± ¡°His Excellency is back.¡± ¡®As the voices of the maids came from the door, Duke Anyuan stepped inside and saw Qiao Ruoshui who was kneeling on the ground and crying desperately and the Duchess who had passed out. Duke Anyuan strode forward, picked up the Duchess into his arms, walked into her room, and kept calling her, ¡°Xiao¡¯er, Xiao¡¯er¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced coldly at Qiao Ruoshui on the ground and instructed the maids, ¡°Lock her in the woodshed. If Prince Mediocre sends anyone for her, tell them we didn¡¯t see her.¡± Although Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t like Qiao Ruoshui, she didn¡¯t think she deserved to die. Even if she died, it could not damage the reputation of the Qiao family. ¡®As Qiao Jinniang walked into the Duchess¡¯ room, she heard Duke Anyuan ask angrily, ¡°Why did no one report to me that Madam is pregnant?¡± Mammy An said, ¡°Your Excellency, it¡¯s our fault.¡± Duke Anyuan said anxiously, ¡°Where¡¯s the imperial physician? Why hasn¡¯t an imperial physician come yet?¡± ¡°Here I am. Here I am.¡± An imperial physician hurried in from the door and checked the Duchess¡¯ pulse. After a pause, he said with a frown, ¡°Your Excellency, Madam has suffered too many blows in the past few days, and she is not very healthy to start with. ¡°although the child is safe, she¡¯s in pretty bad shape, and she needs a good rest.¡± The Duchess slowly woke up, and when she heard the doctor¡¯s words, she thought she had a miscarriage, so she closed her eyes and said, ¡°Your Excellency, let¡¯s divorce. If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn¡¯t have married you in the first place.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief. Her mother finally made up her mind. She whispered to Fulu at the door, ¡°Princess, please help me find a house, preferably one that we can move in right away, closer to the East Palace, and costing less than 100,000 taels of silver.¡± Fulu asked in a low voice, ¡°One hundred thousand taels of silver? You can buy my Princess Mansion with so much money! I can sell my Princess Mansion to you. ¡°It¡¯s right next to my mother¡¯s Princess Mansion, and it¡¯s also close to the East Palace. ¡± ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± Inside the room, Duke Anyuan said to the Duchess, ¡°Divorce? Now that the Zheng family is gone, where can you go after divorcing me? If you leave the Duke Mansion, you won¡¯t even have a place to live.¡± Qiao Jinniang entered and said to Duke Anyuan, ¡°Although Mother¡¯s natal family is gone, she has me! Mother, I just bought a big house. Let me take you out of the Duke Mansion right away. Mammy An, please pack up!¡± Duke Anyuan looked at Qiao Jinniang, ¡°You, you, have you heard that it is better to tear down ten temples than destroy one marriage? How can you try to persuade your mother to divorce your father?¡± The Duchess said, ¡°It¡¯s I who wants to divorce you, and it has nothing to do with Jinniang. You already ruined her life. Don¡¯t ruin her reputation. ¡°have my own house. My grandmother gave me a very generous dowry. There is always a place for me to go.¡± Duke Anyuan was anxious. ¡°You are not young anymore, and you even have your grandson. Divorce me? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being laughed at?¡± ¡°Whatever. I can¡¯t stay in the Duke Mansion anymore.¡± ¡®The Duchess looked at Duke Anyuan with tears in her eyes. ¡°I should have agreed when you climbed over the wall of my home and came to force me to annul our engagement twenty years ago.¡± Then she wouldn¡¯t have been living as a joke for twenty years. Mammy An was always quick in her job, but now she was very slowly packing up. Old Madam Qiao hurried in while being supported by maids. Running the Buddha beads through her fingers, she angrily scolded Duke Anyuan, ¡°How can you treat Xiao¡¯er like this? Don¡¯t you feel guilty for her grandfather?!¡± Duke Anyuan said helplessly, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s she who wants to divorce.¡± Old Madam Qiao asked angrily, ¡°Who is that Qiangian in Furong Garden? If it weren¡¯t for her, Xiao¡¯er wouldn¡¯t have been so angry!¡± Duke Anyuan was stunned for a while before remembering there was such a person. ¡°Xiao¡¯er said earlier that she would marry Ruoyi to Zheng Bo, so I just wanted to show my dissatisfaction to her. Later, I was busy with business, so I forgot about this matter.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But Qiangian is three months pregnant.¡± Duke Anyuan frowned. ¡°Do you think the child is mine?¡± The women in the room all looked at him silently as if saying ¡°Of course!¡± with their eyes. Jinniang said, ¡°She has admitted that the child is yours..¡± Chapter 110 - Be Qiao Jinniangs Sister-in-law Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Duke frowned and went straight to Furong Garden. In the Furong Garden, Mu Qiangian was gently rouging her lips with a piece of lipstick paper. The mammy on the side said, ¡°Madam, the Duke is back. You said that this child is his. How can he acknowledge this child as his?¡± ¡®Mu Qiangian said, ¡°He will.¡± ¡®When the Duke entered the room, he saw Mu Qiangian who was very thin. ¡®Mu Qiangian was from Yunzhou in the Southwest. Her father was involved in the illicit salt dealings not long ago. All the men in her family were executed and all the women in her family were demoted to official prostitutes. ¡®Mu Qiangian¡¯s elder brother was the Duke¡¯s friend, so when he saw his sister became an official prostitute in Chang¡¯an, he helped redeem her.1 It happened that the Duchess wanted to marry Ruoyi to Zheng Bo, so the Duke wanted to use Mu Qiangian to show his dissatisfaction to the Duchess. But he had never touched her, so how could she be pregnant with his child? Concerning the time, Mu Qiangian should have already been pregnant when she was still in the Mu family, so this child had nothing to do with him. Seeing Duke Anyuan, Mu Qiangian saluted and said, ¡°Your Excellency, please forgive me for being rude. My unbor child is the only offspring of the Mu family. Since you and my brother are sworn brothers, please acknowledge this child as yours for the sake of my brother!¡± Duke Anyuan coldly glanced at Mu Qiangian¡¯s lower abdomen and said, ¡°Miss Mu, I redeemed you just because I can¡¯t bear to see my friend¡¯s sister be driven to prostitution, but you shouldn¡¯t have gone to provoke my wife. Do you know my wife almost had a miscarriage because of you?¡± ¡®Mu Qiangian was a bit stunned. Was the information she got about the Duke wrong? His Highness said that the Duke didn¡¯t like the Duchess and only loved his Concubine Qian. 1 So when Mu Qiangian saw Duke Anyuan, she deliberately imitated Concubine Qian. She had thought the Duke liked her. Otherwise, he would not have brought her to the Duke Mansion. Duke Anyuan said, ¡°No matter who is the child¡¯s father, you can¡¯t stay in the Duke Mansion anymore. I¡¯ve redeemed you, so you¡¯re free now. It¡¯s up to you whether you want to go back to the Southwest or stay in Chang¡¯an.¡± With that, he ordered mammies to pack up Mu Qiangian¡¯s belongings. ¡®Mu Qiangian panicked. Why didn¡¯t the Duke fall for her? Why was it different from what she expected? Now how would she explain to His Highness? Qiao Jinniang was a little helpless when she heard that Duke Anyuan ordered Miss Qianqian to leave the Duke Mansion. Because her mother would definitely hesitate again. Yuyan said, ¡°I heard the Duke¡¯s servant explaining to Madam that the Duke had never touched Miss Qianqian. ¡°He was just angry that Madam had wanted to marry Miss Ruoyi to Zheng Bo.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted coldly. ¡°So he used Mu Qiangian to piss Mom off? ¡°Mom is wrong about Ruoyi¡¯s matter indeed, but how could Father deliberately infuriate Mother with another woman?¡± Hongling combed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Miss, you may not know but that¡¯s the way the Duke and Madam get along. ¡°Their relationship is not as bad as rumored. ¡°Whenever the two of them had a fight, the Duke would go to Concubine Qian, and Madam would be more disappointed with the Duke, thinking that Concubine Qian was his true love. ¡°However, the Zheng family would persuade Madam to regain the favor of the Duke, and Madam could only surrender reluctantly. ¡°As this process repeated over and over again, the misunderstanding between the two deepened, and their relationship worsened. ¡°In fact, if the Duke didn¡¯t like Madam, why would he enter her yard? ¡°Moreover, since Miss Ruoyi¡¯s mother gave birth to her, the Duke had never set foot in her yard again.¡± Qiao Jinniang chose a gem necklace to put on and said, ¡°That¡¯s sick. If Father really loves Mom, how could he use another woman to deliberately piss her off and even ask the Zheng family to force Mom to submit to him?¡± If Lu Chen dared to do this to her, she would never forgive him. Fulu, who was sitting on the side and waiting for Qiao Jinniang to dress up, said, ¡°Exactly, my father will never do this to my mother. When they have a fight, they will just vent their anger on me, alas!¡± 1 Qiao Jinniang got up and said, ¡°Okay, Princess, let¡¯s go to see the house.¡± Even if the Duchess didn¡¯t divorce, Qiao Jinniang still wanted to have her own house in Chang¡¯an. It would be better if she could dig a tunnel from her house straight to the East Palace, but Lu Chen probably would not agree. Fulu¡¯s Princess Mansion was located opposite the Mansion of Princess Shou¡¯an, which was very close to the imperial palace. Several Princess Mansions were located here, and each was more luxurious than the other. Fulu said, ¡°This mansion was built when I was a child. ¡°However, I have been living in my mother¡¯s Princess Mansion, so I just use this Princess Mansion to entertain guests occasionally.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the huge mansion and asked Fulu, ¡°Are you willing to sell it to me?¡± Fulu said, ¡°Yes, after I sell it to you, I can ask my imperial uncle for a better one.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®The Princess Mansion was well-furnished and had a very beautiful view, and the yard was simply huge. And it was large enough to accommodate Huixiang and the others. Although they could live in the restaurant, it was too crowded. After receiving the silver note, Fulu enthusiastically invited Qiao Jinniang to be a guest in her mother¡¯s Princess Mansion. This was the first time Qiao Jinniang came to Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s Mansion. As Princess Shou¡¯an was His Majesty¡¯s biological sister, her mansion was even no worse than the East Palace. ¡®When they entered the mansion, they saw a couple embracing each other by the lake. The woman was beautiful, and the man looked a bit like Fulu. ¡°Father, Mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang went over and saluted. ¡°Princess, Prince Consort.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said, ¡°Arise. We will be family soon. Just call me Auntie.¡± Qiao Jinniang blushed slightly and said, ¡°Auntie.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Mother, I sold my unsalable Princess Mansion next door to Jinniang for a total of 100,000 taels of silver!¡± Princess Shou¡¯an tapped Fulu¡¯s head. ¡°Hand over the silver note. As a child, you can¡¯t have so much money with you.¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not a child. Qin Miaomiao is about to get married, and Jinniang is only two years older than me, but her son has already been able to recite Historical Records. ¡°Why do you always treat me as a child? Jinniang can spend 100,000 taels of silver at will, why can¡¯t I?¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said, ¡°If you are as smart as Qin Miaomiao and Jinniang, you can take as much money as you like. ¡°Ljust don¡¯t want you to waste your money. Don¡¯t worry, this will be your dowry in the future.¡± The Prince Consort asked, ¡°Miaomiao is about to get married, but you don¡¯t even have a young man to propose to you, alas!¡± Princess Shou¡¯an also looked distressed and said, ¡°There are many good young men in Chang¡¯an. Why are none of them interested in Fulu?¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°That¡¯s because they know they are not good enough for me, so they dare not come to propose to me.¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang saw the three of the family talking happily, she was really envious. ¡°Princess is so cute. She will definitely find a good husband.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Exactly. If no man proposes to me, I¡¯ll be Jinniang¡¯s sister-in-law!¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said, ¡°Oh, come on, spare Qiao Lu. He¡¯ll be the next Duke Anyuan.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ma princess. Am I not worthy of him? It¡¯s not bad to be Jinniang¡¯s sister-in-law. Mother-in-law is soft-tempered, Father-in-law is powerful, and Brother-in-law is still young, so don¡¯t have to deal with Brother-in-law¡¯s wife¡­¡± ¡°And Qiao Lu is only one year younger than me..¡± Chapter 111 - Qiao Ruoshui Died Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang thought that it would be good for Fulu to be her sister-in-law. But in the end, it was up to her brother. Besides, in her eyes, Qiao Lu was still a child. The Prince Consort said to Fulu, ¡°That¡¯s not what a girl should say. I told you not to fool around. ¡°Now you know how difficult it is to find a husband? Might as well behave yourself and whitewash your reputation.¡± Fulu hummed, ¡°I didn¡¯t fool around. Qin Miaomiao demeaned you in front of me first, so I started a fight with her. ¡°You were supposed to be Duke Qin. If you hadn¡¯t surrendered this position to your second uncle, how could Qin Miaomiao be the miss of Duke Qin Mansion today?!¡± Prince Consort Qin said, ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s all in the past. I always think it¡¯s worthwhile to give up the position of Duke Qin and marry your mother.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an looked at his husband tenderly. Fulu whispered to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Do you have a toothache because of their cloying words?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. Yes, she did feel a little sore in her teeth. After returning to Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang was called to the main courtyard by the Duchess. ¡°Jinniang, what are you going to do with Ruoshui? She has been locked in the woodshed for a day.¡± Qiao Jinniang covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said, ¡°Oh, I forgot about her.¡± The Duchess said, ¡°Ruoshui has never been respectful to you. Although she is my niece, I won¡¯t pity her. It¡¯s just that she doesn¡¯t deserve to die.¡± ¡°She is rude, stupid, and willful, but she hasn¡¯t done anything lawless.¡± Qiao Jinniang hummed. ¡°Qiao Ruoshui doesn¡¯t deserve to die, but since Prince Mediocre dares to frame her, he must have been fully prepared. ¡°Even if we ask the Ministry of Public Security to check the Prince Mediocre Mansion, nothing may be found out. ¡°I think we can claim that Qiao Ruoshui is already dead and send her to the frontier to reunite with the Zheng family. ¡°Prince Mediocre¡¯s purpose is to make Qiao Ruoshui vacate the position of his concubine, so he won¡¯t care whether she is truly dead. ¡± The Duchess held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°My daughter, you¡¯re really kind-hearted. You still want to send her to reunite with her family.¡± However, Qiao Jinniang knew that for Qiao Ruoshui, she would rather die than be sent to the frontier with the Zheng family! The Zheng family had just left Chang¡¯an for two days, and they walked extremely slowly. ¡®When the guards of the Duke Mansion sent Qiao Ruoshui to the Zheng family, Mrs. Zheng hurriedly shouted, ¡°Ruoshui, Ruoshui.¡± ¡°Are you here to save me? I don¡¯t want to go to the frontier!¡± Qiao Ruoshui snapped, ¡°You are not my mother. You are not worthy of my mother. You are just a bitch like Qiao Jinniang! ¡°If you¡¯re really my mother, you would have kept this secret with your life. ¡°Why did you speak out? You should have kept this secret even if you were to die! ¡± Uncle Zheng slapped Qiao Ruoshui in the face. ¡°She is your mother. How could you talk to your mother like that?¡± Qiao Ruoshui said, ¡°I am Consort Mediocre. How dare you hit me?¡± ¡®A guard of the Qiao family dismounted and said to Uncle Zheng, ¡°Mr. Zheng, Prince Mediocre intends to get rid of Concubine Zheng, and the Qiao family told Prince Mediocre that Concubine Qiao is already dead. ¡°And our Madam and Miss sent her to reunite with you.¡± Uncle Zheng cupped his hands to the guard. ¡°Thank you.¡± Qiao Ruoshui said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, Qiao Jinniang wants to frame me! I am clearly wronged. She didn¡¯t help me prove my innocence, but tried to send me to the frontier. She is up to no good! I¡¯m going back to ask her why she did this to me!¡± Uncle Zheng grabbed Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you out of your mind? If you go back to Chang¡¯an, you¡¯ll lose your life. Qiao Jinniang is saving you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe she is saving me! I want to go back!¡± Qiao Ruoshui broke free from Uncle Zheng¡¯s grasp. Mrs. Zheng was crying bitterly. If she had known that her daughter would point at her and scold her ¡°B*tch¡±, she would not have swapped her daughter with that baby. But just when Qiao Ruoshui was walking back, an arrow pierced her heart abruptly. She fell to the ground with her eyes wide open. ¡®Mrs. Zheng hurriedly ran over and screamed, ¡°Daughter, my daughter!¡± Then came the arrows one after another. Uncle Zheng gnashed his teeth and stared at the man who came on horseback. ¡°Prince Mediocre, my daughter has been married to you. How can you be so cruel to her?¡± The man on the horse looked at Qiao Ruoshui, who had not closed her eyes yet. ¡°A worthless idiot. She will only be a scourge if she lives.¡± Prince Mediocre turned around and coldly instructed his guards, ¡°Get rid of them. Leave no survivors!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When the news that the Zheng family encountered robbers and were all killed on the way, no one in the Duke Mansion dared to tell the news to the Duchess. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang heard the news from Yuyan, she froze. She didn¡¯t think it was done by robbers. Which robbers were stupid enough to rob people to be exiled to the frontier? Those people had no money left. Besides, this was openly opposing the imperial court. Did the robbers think that their lives were too long? After Qiao Jinniang learned the news, she went to the East Palace to find Lu Chen. Seeing Qiao Jinniang coming, Lu Chen asked, ¡°Are you here for the Zheng family?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Do you know who killed them?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Who else can it be except the person you think? ¡°Prince Mediocre has always been self-willed and ruthless. How could he allow Qiao Ruoshui to come back alive to ruin his plan?¡± ¡®When she saw the Right Prime Minister¡¯s home searched and his property confiscated, Qiao Jinniang felt the majesty of imperial power for the first time. Then this time learning that the entire Zheng family died miserably, Qiao Jinniang felt the cruelty of the imperial power. Lu Chen took her into his arms. ¡°Are you sacred? Don¡¯t worry. You have my secret guards protecting you. You¡¯re safe.¡± Qiao Jinniang pursed her lips. ¡°If my husband in Lin¡¯an was Prince Mediocre, maybe Xi¡¯er and I would have died by now.¡± Lu Chen frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Your husband in this life can only be me.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You must not surrender the position of crown prince to Prince Mediocre. ¡°Since you know that it was he who set you up, can¡¯t you get rid of him? ¡°He killed Qiao Ruoshui today. No one knows who he will kill tomorrow!¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I was away from Chang¡¯an for three years, so I need to make a lot of redeployment. ¡°If I rashly attack Prince Mediocre and fail to defeat him in one fell swoop, I¡¯ll be lashed by the ministers. ¡°Although my father favors me, Prince Mediocre is still his son. No father likes to watch his sons kill each other. ¡°However, Prince Mediocre is just a grasshopper after autumn to me. Just watch him jumping around blindly. It won¡¯t last long.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I only know that this autumn grasshopper can still kill. ¡°To you, he is indeed a mayfly and cannot shake you, a big tree, but to others, he is that big tree.¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s style of doing things had always been simple and straight. She only knew an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. ¡°[ don¡¯t care if he is your brother or not. I just want to see him dead.¡± Lu Chen rubbed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s bun. ¡°Since you can¡¯t tolerate him anymore, it¡¯s not that he can¡¯t be disposed of as soon as possible..¡± Chapter 112 - Not Worthy of Marrying into the East Palace Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± Prince Mediocre was considered a good person in the minds of folk literati. Otherwise, he would not have been able to deceive Qiao Ruofeng and other women. He was probably not so easy to deal with. Lu Chen touched her earlobe and said, ¡°Yes, do I have to wait until after the Lantern Festival?¡± ¡°Mommy.¡± Tuan¡®er stumbled into the study and threw himself into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s arms. ¡°I miss you so much.¡± Qiao Jinniang quickly stood up, picked up Tuan¡¯er and kissed him on the face. ¡°I miss you too. I bought a house not far from the East Palace. You can go to the house to play with me when you are free.¡± Tuan¡¯er said happily, ¡°Okay, I¡¯l go play with Mommy.¡± Being interrupted by Tuan¡¯er again, Lu Chen felt that he really should make Tuan¡¯er copy the Historical Records now. ¡°Xer, go out first. I have something to do with your mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen and said. ¡°You promised to wait until the Lantern Festival. You should keep your word.¡± Lu Chen counted the time. When he found that the Lantern Festival was still about 100 days away, he sighed. If he had known this, he shouldn¡¯t have said anything about making her his concubine. Now it was he who suffered. Lu Chen and Tuan¡®er sent Qiao Jinniang home together. Arriving at the Duke Mansion, Tuan¡¯er was still reluctant to let go of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Can I sleep with Xi¡®er tonight? I¡¯ll send him back tomorrow morning, okay?¡± Looking at Tuan¡¯er¡¯s expectant eyes, Lu Chen didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pick him up after the levee tomorrow.¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang entered the Jin Garden, Hongling hurriedly came up and said, ¡°Miss, Madam heard about what happened to the Zheng family and fainted several times from grief. ¡°And after she calmed down a bit, the Duke brought her out of the city to handle the funeral of the Zheng family. ¡°Old Madam has gone to the temple to pray for Madam¡¯s deceased child. ¡°But Miss Ruoyi¡¯s mother is seriously ill, and the imperial physician said that she might not be able to survive today. No master is home now, and Fifth Miss is still young¡­¡± The Duchess was the only survivor of the Zheng family, so only she could handle the Zheng family¡¯s funeral. Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but have a headache. Was her grandmother forcing her to manage the Duke Mansion? Did she really trust her so much? Qiao Jinniang went to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s yard. Her mother had been seriously ill for a long time. Although the ginseng Qiao Jinniang gave last time made her last for some time, she couldn¡¯t last any longer. ¡°Second Miss, cough, I¡¯m so worried about Ruoyi¡­ I hope you can find her a good husband for the sake of your sisterhood, cough. She is a very good child, but unfortunately, she was born from me.¡± ¡°Mom, no. Iam lucky to be your daughter, and you will get better,¡± Qiao Ruoyi said with tears. Lying on the bed, Ruoyi¡¯s mother stretched out her hand and slowly stroked Qiao Ruoy¡±s face. ¡°Don¡¯t disobey your father and mother in the future, and don¡¯t come to a concubine¡¯s belly in your next life.¡± After Ruoyi¡¯s mother finished speaking, her hand slowly drooped. ¡°Mother!¡± Qiao Ruoyi shouted loudly. A mammy wanted to remind Qiao Ruoyi that she shouldn¡¯t call a concubine her ¡°mother¡±, but was stopped by Qiao Jinniang. Her mother had died. Why couldn¡¯t she call her ¡°Mother¡± for the last time? ¡°sister, I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡± Qiao Ruoyi cried out of breath. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. If I had discovered what Concubine Qian did to my mom earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have died so early.¡± ¡°Qian Shi hated that Madam made her drink a sterilization drug, and hated that my mother, who she despised, could have a child, so she poisoned my mother.¡± ¡°She died too early, and she died too easily! I shouldn¡¯t have exposed what she had done so early! I should have let her die slowly and painfully.¡± From Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s words, Qiao Jinniang could tell that the downfall of Qian Shi was because of Qiao Ruoyi. No wonder. After all, the Duchess had fought her for eighteen years to no avail. The funeral of a concubine was usually not grand. Besides, the Duchess was pregnant, but since the Duchess and the Duke were not in the Duke Mansion, there was no such taboo. Qiao Jinniang went to invite Second Madam and Third Madam over to discuss how to conduct the funeral. Although a concubine was not important, this concubine gave birth to a daughter, and she had been serving the Duke since she was a child, so giving her face was equivalent to giving Qiao Ruoyi face. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t have any feelings for the concubine, but she thought that giving Ruoyi¡¯s mother a grand funeral would be good for Ruoyi in the future. Second Madam was busy with Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s marriage, so she said, ¡°Jinniang, she is just a concubine. ¡°If the news is released, people who are interested will naturally come to attend her funeral, but if the funeral is too grand, people will laugh at our family for valuing a concubine too much.¡± Third Madam also said, ¡°Yeah, Jinniang, normally, when a concubine dies, it¡¯s already kind enough to hire a Taoist priest to perform a ritual for her. It would be inappropriate to hold a large funeral for a mere concubine.¡± Qiao Jinniang stroked the tea cup and said, ¡°The funeral won¡¯t be too grand. Now that my parents and grandmothers are not home, it would be too impersonal to give Ruoyi¡¯s mom a perfunctory funeral. ¡°We¡¯ll just deliver the obituaries to the relatives and friends of the Qiao family. It¡¯s up to them who they will send to pay homage. ¡°Anyway, Sister Ruoyi is a grown-up. She should be given some face, and we should also invite the relatives of Ruoyi¡¯s mom. ¡°Thaven¡¯t held any banquets, so I hope you can help me, aunts.¡± Second Madam and Third Madam were reluctant, but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Since Ruoyi¡¯s mom was only a concubine, there was no need to hang white silk in the Duke Mansion, but the lanterns in the Duke Mansion were replaced with white ones. Qiao Jinniang studied the funeral customs in Chang¡¯an overnight. The banquet at the funeral was also very important. Qiao Jinniang wasn¡¯t familiar with the Duke Mansion¡¯s kitchen, so she simply transferred two chefs over from Tasty Pavilion. By the time she returned to the Jin Garden, Tuan¡¯er had fallen asleep. Nuomi was dozing off at the bedside. Seeing her, she said, ¡°Miss, Tuan¡¯er is already asleep. Why did you come back so late?¡± Qiao Jinniang yawned and said, ¡°Go to sleep. There will be many guests tomorrow, and we¡¯ll be busy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qiao Jinniang lay beside the little boy and slowly fell asleep. Not long after falling asleep, she was awakened by the sound of the Taoist priest performing a ritual. Qiao Jinniang got up slowly, and Tuan¡¯er also woke up, clamoring for Qiao Jinniang to hug him. Qiao Jinniang hugged him and said, ¡°Be good. Mommy has something to do.¡± Tuan¡¯er lowered his head and said, ¡°Okay, Mommy come hug me again when you¡¯re free.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled and rubbed Tuan¡¯er¡¯s little face. She went to the courtyard where Ruoyi¡¯s mom¡¯s body was placed. Many family members of the Duke¡¯s subordinates had come to pay their respects early in the morning. Those who came were mostly the daughters-in-law of the family, or favored concubines, but few mistresses came. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang came over, she heard some people laugh at her. ¡°The Duchess actually allowed the slave-raised Qiao Jinniang manage the Duke Mansion. It¡¯s simply a joke. ¡°She actually issued an obituary for a concubine. My mother-in-law scoffed at it.¡± ¡°Twonder how she could give birth to the Crown Prince¡¯s heir. She is really lucky.¡± ¡°Tf Qiao Jinniang was aware of the rules, how come His Majesty still hasn¡¯t let her stay in the East Palace? ¡°Exactly, since she has given birth to the Imperial Grandson, she should at least be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine. It can be seen that she is not welcomed by the royal family. ¡°And she even held a funeral for her father¡¯s concubine who was out of her father¡¯s favor. What a disgrace for nobles!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, she¡¯s not worthy of marrying into the East Palace at all.. When has a decent noble girl held a funeral for her father¡¯s concubine?¡± Chapter 113 - Chrysanthemum Tofu Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The people who were laughing at Qiao Jinniang were embarrassed when they saw Qiao Jinniang coming. Someone said sarcastically, ¡°Miss Qiao, you¡¯re really kind-hearted. It¡¯s unprecedented in Chang¡®an for a noble girl to hold a funeral for her father¡¯s concubine!¡± A general¡¯s daughter came out and said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, didn¡¯t you claim that your future husband is not allowed to take a concubine? ¡°But why are you holding a funeral for a concubine? Don¡¯t blame us for laughing at you. No family will hold a funeral for a concubine who was out of favor in Chang¡¯an!¡± Qiao Ruoyi who was wearing a pure-white mourning dress came over and said with red eyes, ¡°I begged my sister to hold the funeral.¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at the women and said, ¡°I heard that when Duke Qin¡¯s favored concubine passed away, mistresses of noble families all came to offer condolences, and what you emphasized is just the word ¡°out of favor¡±. ¡°If it were the funeral of a favored concubine of the Duke Mansion, I¡¯m afraid that all your mistresses would have come. Since you look down on Ruoyi¡¯s mom, why are you here? ¡°Although I hate men who take concubines, I don¡¯t resent the women who are forced to be concubines. ¡°Is there any woman in the world who would like to be a concubine? Until her death, she can¡¯t hear her own children calling her ¡®mother¡¯, and she has to watch her outstanding daughter suffer because of her. ¡°The root cause for the fight between wives and concubines is men. Women are just left with no choice. If my husband takes a concubine, I will hate my husband, not that woman. A wife and a concubine fight for a man who doesn¡¯t love either of them is the most ridiculous thing in the world. ¡°You said that I didn¡¯t know the rules because I held a funeral for a concubine, but if I hadn¡¯t given her a proper funeral, you would have called me cold-blooded and ruthless.¡± ¡°Life is not easy for women anyway. I¡¯d rather give my sister¡¯s mom a decent funeral for the sake of our sisterhood.¡± With that, Qiao Jinniang went to the mourning hall. The noble women and concubines were left looking at each other in shock. In Chang¡¯an, no woman had ever dared to say this publicly. ¡°How dare Qiao Jinniang say these words? With such ridiculous thoughts, she is very unlikely to be allowed to marry into the East Palace.¡± ¡°But she seems to be a kind-hearted person, and what she said makes sense.¡± ¡°Make sense? I think it¡¯s all absurd thoughts of commoners. Common men have no ability, so they only have wives and no concubines. Which capable men don¡¯t have concubines? Hate her husband? I¡¯d like to see if her future husband will tolerate her.¡± ¡°Exactly, only those incompetent men will yield to their wives.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t care what they thought. She only knew whether she held this funeral or not, people could always find fault. With this in mind, she just held the funeral for Ruoyi. If she didn¡¯t hold the funeral today, Ruoyi might not blame her, but there would always be a thorn in her heart. During lunch, Qiao Jinniang prepared about five tables of dishes in the yard, and reserved an extra table. There were no elders in the Duke Mansion, so everyone was waiting to see Qiao Jinniang make a scene of herself. It was not easy to hold a funeral banquet. The dishes couldn¡¯t be too lavish or too simple. If the dishes were too simple, it would be a disgrace for the Duke Mansion, but this was just the funeral for a concubine, so the dishes couldn¡¯t be too lavish. Preparing a five-table banquet was not easy even in ordinary times, not to mention this was the first time for Qiao Jinniang to handle a funeral. Qin Miaomiao had been engaged but her wedding day hadn¡¯t been decided, so she came over today. She sat on the main table and said, ¡°Jinniang, although the dishes are not very lavish today, I have never seen these dishes before.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Today, the banquet today is themed with chrysanthemums. This is Hangbai chrysanthemum tea, which is refreshing and good for your throat to drink in autumn. The cold dishes are chrysanthemum shortcake, chrysanthemum fish sashimi, and chrysanthemum salad chicken shreds. ¡°The hot dish is chrysanthemum hotpot. It is best to eat pork belly pot in autumn. With chrysanthemum in it, it won¡¯t feel too greasy. This is a Northern dish. ¡°And this chrysanthemum wolfberry black chicken soup can nourish skin. This wild chrysanthemum stewed turtledove can cure headaches, and the chrysanthemum sweet and sour fish is the most delicious. ¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°There is always tofu at the funeral banquets held in the South, so today¡¯s main dish is this chrysanthemum tofu, which is a Luoyang dish. Making this dish requires very good cutting techniques. Today, there are less than ten people who can make chrysanthemum tofu.¡± Seeing that the main dish was tofu, many people laughed. A square piece of tofu was placed on the plate. These noble women rarely ate tofu. ¡°The main dish is just a square tofu, which is ridiculous.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered a maid to carry a pot of chrysanthemum broth and gently pour it into the soup bowl. After that, everyone saw the tofu in the middle of the plate slowly blooming like a chrysanthemum. Each strand of this chrysanthemum tofu was as thin as a hair. and the tofu looked really like a chrysanthemum. The fragrance of the broth and chrysanthemums assailed their nostrils. This dish was so beautiful that people didn¡¯t want to ruin it but can¡¯t help but try it. Qin Miaomiao gracefully scooped a spoonful of tofu and soup and tasted it. Then she exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Is this really tofu? It¡¯s so delicious!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Our restaurant has improved the soup for this dish. We use half a ham, a chicken, an old duck, and pork bones to cook the soup overnight. It is naturally delicious.¡± This table of dishes was not luxurious, but was in line with the style that the Duke Mansion should have, and the taste was very delicious. The most important thing for noble families to hold a banquet was to make no mistakes, so sometimes the dishes looked beautiful but were actually tasteless. But today, when the banquet was over, everyone was ashamed to find that there was not even a soup left on the table. The dessert that was served last, sweet-scented chrysanthemum fermented rice balls, was also all eaten up. After this banquet, many people even wondered when the Duke Mansion would hold another funeral. When Ruoyi¡¯s mom¡¯s burial was over, the Duke and the Duchess had not come back yet. It was only then did Qiao Jinniang know that the Zheng family was from Kaifeng, so they had to hold the funeral in Kaifeng. Qiao Jinniang should have gone to attend the funeral too, but she didn¡¯t want to attend the funeral of those disgusting people, so she simply refused to go in the name of being busy managing the Duke Mansion. ¡°Miss, Miss, the Empress Dowager has ordered you to enter the imperial palace!¡± Yuyan hurried into the Jin Garden to report. Qiao Jinniang was confused. Why did the Empress Dowager summon her? She called Lu Chen¡¯s secret guards and asked them to report to Lu Chen before she changed into a formal suit and went to the Wufeng Hall where the Empress Dowager lived. Entering the palace, Qiao Jinniang smelled a faint scent of chrysanthemum tea. She saluted. ¡°Qiao Jinniang has come to meet Your Grace.¡± The Empress Dowager glanced at Qiao Jinniang and asked, ¡°I heard that you held a chrysanthemum banquet for your father¡¯s concubine a few days ago?¡± Qiao Jinniang replied, ¡°Yes, chrysanthemum are in full bloom now.¡± ¡®When the Empress Dowager heard this, she suddenly smashed the cup beside her hand at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s skirt. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Your Grace, please don¡¯t be angry, but may I ask what I did wrong?¡± ¡°Were you making fun of me?¡± The Empress Dowager snapped. ¡°Because I love chrysanthemums, the late emperor had once held a chrysanthemum palace banquet for me, and the chrysanthemum tofu on the banquet amazed everyone. ¡°After that, I banned all commoners from having chrysanthemum tofu, but you served chrysanthemum tofu at the funeral of a concubine. Were you mocking me?¡± Qiao Jinniang bowed her head and said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know about this.¡± Even Lu Chen was already in his twenties. How could the cooks far away in the South know about this order that the Empress Dowager issued when she was young? If Qiao Jinniang had known about this order, she would have never used chrysanthemum tofu at the banquet.. Chapter 114 - Lu Chens Cousin, A "Pigeon Demon" Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡®The Empress Dowager glanced at Qiao Jinniang fiercely and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t know? You mean you are exonerated just because you said you didn¡¯t know? ¡°No cook in Chang¡¯an dares to cook this dish, but you dare to use this dish as the main dish of a funeral banquet! I must not spare you! ¡± ¡°Grandmother, Jinniang really didn¡¯t know about this.¡± Lu Chen strode from outside the door, bowed to the Empress Dowager, and helped Qiao Jinniang up. Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Besides, Grandmother, you just banned commoners from making this dish, but Jinniang is my wife, so she is a member of the royal family. Her making chrysanthemum tofu should not be regarded as disobeying your order.¡± The Empress Dowager looked at their clasped hands and said, ¡°Your wife? Are you willing to make this salve-raised rude woman your crown princess?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Jinniang and I have already married. She is my wife.¡± ¡®The Empress Dowager snorted coldly and said, ¡°Even if she is your wife, she shouldn¡¯t hold the well-known chrysanthemum feast for a concubine¡¯s funeral. Has she had any respect for me?¡± Qiao Jinniang said sincerely, ¡°Your Grace, I grew up in a small town and really didn¡¯t know about the chrysanthemum feast. ¡°I think instead of enjoying the chrysanthemum tofu alone, why don¡¯t you popularize the chrysanthemum feast to let the common people admire the late emperor¡¯s deep affection and favor for you? ¡°Additionally, there are many literati who love chrysanthemums. A chrysanthemum feast will inspire them to make many beautiful poems. In this way, the commoners will not only know the deep love between the late emperor and Your Grace, but will also know your noble character that is just like chrysanthemum. ¡± ¡®The Empress Dowager¡¯s face softened a lot. Qiao Jinniang broke free from Lu Chen¡¯s hand and went over to pour another cup of tea for the Empress Dowager. ¡°Lhave a new name for chrysanthemum tofu, which is ¡®Outshining All Beauties¡¯. It means that the late emperor loved Your Grace so much that he wouldn¡¯t pay attention to any other woman. After all, in front of this chrysanthemum tofu, all other dishes will be outshone, just like the beauty of Your Grace.¡± ¡°Please give me a chance to make up for it and let me promote this dish to the people.¡± ¡®The Empress Dowager took the cup in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and the corner of her lips slightly hooked. ¡°Okay.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief before she saluted and left. Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wet skirt and asked, ¡°Did that cup hit you?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°Although the Empress Dowager is angry, she has her manners. How could she really smash the cup at me like a shrew? Only some water splashed over me.¡± Qiao Jinniang complained, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you remind me about the Empress Dowager¡¯s taboo?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this either, but if she summons you again, you can turn to my mother for help.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not a child. I don¡¯t need Her Majesty to rescue me. ¡°Lhave tons of ways to deal with an old lady like the Empress Dowager. Old people are like children. It¡¯s easy to make them happy. ¡°Plus, going against her won¡¯t do me any good. After all, our country advocates filial piety.¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang noticed that Lu Chen was staring at her, she waved her hand in front of Lu Chen¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You can¡¯t take your eyes away from me because you find me so gorgeous?¡± Lu Chen responded. ¡°Um, you are getting more and more beautiful.¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t dare to speak his mind. He chose not to tell Qiao Jinniang the truth after he regained his memory because he was afraid that she couldn¡¯t adapt to the court life and would offend the Empress Dowager and Imperial Concubine Xian. Even his mother was struggling to get along with the Empress Dowager, let alone her? But whether it was last time she protected Xi¡¯er, or today, Qiao Jinniang was different from what he thought. She could handle the Empress Dowager with ease and even make her very happy. Lu Chen regretted extremely in his heart. If only he had told her about his identity in the first place! Then at least he wouldn¡¯t have to endure it until the Lantern Festival. ¡°You don¡¯t come to the imperial palace much. Let¡¯s go to my mother¡¯s palace for dinner today?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to cook for His Majesty.¡± She liked to cook, but it was too troublesome to cook for the Emperor. ¡°Oh, my father offended my mother, so he hasn¡¯t been allowed to go to my mother¡¯s palace for dinner recently. You can be rest assured.¡± Qiao Jinniang somehow sensed a trace of gloating from Lu Chen¡¯s words. ¡°Are you happy that your parents are in a cold war?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m jealous of them. Why am I always alone?¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± In the Queen¡¯s palace, as soon as Qiao Jinniang entered, she saw the Queen and a girl carving a piece of wood. ¡®When the girl saw Lu Chen, she saluted and said cutely, ¡°Brother, you came just in time. Aunt and I are sculpting you. Does this sculpture look like you?¡± Lu Chen gave her a doting smile. ¡°Yes.¡± The Queen came over and said, ¡°Hi, Jinniang. This is my niece Zhou Sisi. She had a serious illness when she was a child, causing her to be only able to act like a child. Her hobby is carving.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered Zhou Sisi, the girl who bribed Fulu to select her as the first place in the melon carving contest at the Qixi Festival. ¡®The Queen said to the girl, ¡°Sisi, this is your cousin-in-law.¡± Zhou Sisi pouted and said, ¡°Aunt, in operas, only cousins can be a couple. Why do I have a cousin-in-law?¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she glared at Lu Chen. Lu Chen whispered in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°Just treat her as a six or seven-year-old child. Don¡¯t mind her words¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Zhou Sisi. She looked fifteen or sixteen years old. How could she treat her as a six or seven-year-old child? And she didn¡¯t think a six or seven-year-old child would bribe with money. It could be seen that she had bad moral standards. ¡®The Queen smiled at Zhou Sisi and said, ¡°You have so many cousins. Can you marry all of them?¡± Zhou Sisi stomped her feet and said, ¡°But Brother is the best looking one!¡± ¡®The Queen smiled again. ¡°Be good, I will find you a better-looking man in the future.¡± ¡®The Queen explained to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Sisi is just a child. Don¡¯t take her words seriously. Chen¡¯er just takes her as his sister.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Your Majesty, I see.¡± ¡®The Queen looked at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face full of jealousy and secretly smiled. At lunch, Qiao Jinniang really regretted agreeing to Lu Chen to come to the Queen¡¯s palace for dinner. According to table manners, no one should speak at dinner, but her ears were full of Zhou Sisi¡¯s voice. ¡°Brother, this soup is delicious!¡± ¡°Brother, eat this meat. It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Brother¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang was really upset. Brother, Brother, are you a pigeon demon? He is not your brother. Why not just call him Cousin? (¡°Brother¡± in Chinese sounds like cooing of a pigeon) Qiao Jinniang really wanted to pluck out all Zhou Sisi¡¯s feathers and make her into a roasted pigeon so that she didn¡¯t have to hear her cooing! Lu Chen put a piece of mutton into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s bowl and said to Zhou Sisi, ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t call me ¡®Brother¡¯ anymore. Call me ¡®Your Royal Highness¡¯: The Queen glanced at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Why is this?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Because I have only one sister.¡± The Queen wondered. ¡°When did you have a sister? Fulu? I don¡¯t think you take her as your sister.¡± Qiao Jinniang got what Lu Chen meant and pinched his waist, not allowing him to talk nonsense. But Lu Chen still said to the Queen, ¡°Not Fulu, but the one right in front of your eyes..¡± Chapter 115 - Settle Old Accounts Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡®The Queen shook her head and chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you young people. Sisi, be good. Don¡¯t call him ¡®Brother¡¯ anymore. Just call him ¡®Your Royal Highness¡¯. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t say anything. Since both Lu Chen and the Queen had agreed, she really didn¡¯t want to hear the pigeon cooing again. Zhou Sisi said with red eyes. ¡°But I¡¯ve been calling you ¡®Brother¡¯ since I was a child¡­¡± ¡®The Queen said softly, ¡°If you call Chen¡¯er ¡®Brother¡¯, wouldn¡¯t you mix him up with your own brother? Just call him ¡®Your Royal Highness¡¯ in the future.¡± Zhou Sisi burst into tears as if she had suffered great grievances. ¡®The Queen warned her. ¡°If you continue to cry, I won¡¯t allow you to come to the imperial palace again!¡± Only then did Zhou Sisi aggrievedly stop her tears, but she still pursed her lips pitifully. After lunch, Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang to the East Palace. Seeing that Lu Chen took her into his bedroom instead of the palace where Xi¡¯er studied, she looked at Lu Chen vigilantly and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take me to see Xi¡¯er?¡± ¡°He¡¯s studying. Don¡¯t distract him. I will accompany you to take a nap and then send you home.¡± Qiao Jinniang clutched her own neckline. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. I¡¯m in charge of the Duke Mansion now, so I have to go.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Am Ia lecher in your eyes?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°When you were in Lin¡¯an¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang was too shy to continue to speak. Lu Chen touched his nose and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, I will definitely not touch you.¡± Qiao Jinniang was relieved to hear that and said, ¡°Are you so idle? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to deal with Prince Mediocre? Do you still have time to accompany me for a nap?¡± Lu Chen hummed. ¡°I can work at night.¡± His father couldn¡¯t enter his mother¡¯s palace, so he became his father¡¯s punching bag. He had to accompany his father to handle political affairs late into the night every day, so it was fine for him to make some time to accompany her during the day. Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°Is Zhou Sisi¡¯s mental age really only six or seven years old?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t think Zhou Sisi¡¯s behavior was like that of a six- or seven-year-old child. Maybe she was precocious? Lu Chen said, ¡°After she fell into the water when she was a child, the imperial physician said that her intelligence would stay at the age of six or seven forever, and her behavior had always been like a child¡¯s. ¡°If you mind it, I won¡¯t allow her to call me ¡®Brother¡¯ anymore. Only you can call me ¡®Brother¡¯.¡± (Brother can also mean Darling in Chinese) Qiao Jinniang: ¡°Bah, who wants to call you ¡®Brother¡¯? I have my own elder brother.¡± ¡°When do you have an elder brother?¡± Lu Chen asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me your so-called cousin is your elder brother.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­ Li Yun is my second aunt¡¯s nephew, so he can be counted as my elder brother.¡± Lu Chen said angrily, ¡°You mention him again!¡± Qiao Jinniang said fearlessly, ¡°Why can¡¯t I? I haven¡¯t settled with you yet!¡± Lu Chen wondered. ¡°Why? Haven¡¯t I forbidden Zhou Sisi from calling me ¡®Brother¡¯?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Not because of that pigeon demon. ¡°Let me ask you, why didn¡¯t you tell me your real identity after you regained your memory? ¡°Since you said that you did not write the divorce letter, why didn¡¯t you tell me your real identity?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°When you want to complain about me, look at your own actions first. Even if I have seventeen or eighteen brothers today, you can blame no one but yourself!¡± ¡°Send me back to the Duke Mansion. I have to tend to the affairs of the Duke Mansion.¡± Lu Chen said to Jinniang, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jinniang.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Although I promise you to enter the East Palace after the Lantern Festival, it¡¯s not a sure thing. If you want to blame me for mentioning Li Yun, let¡¯s settle all the old accounts first and then I can find another man to marry.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I really don¡¯t care about Li Yun¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°You don¡¯t even care that I want to marry someone else?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Whatever he said was wrong. He knew that Qiao Jinniang was doing it on purpose, so he simply didn¡¯t explain it. Anyway, no matter how he explained, she could find fault. He could only say fawningly, ¡°There are a lot of treasures in the warehouse of the East Palace. Now that you¡¯ve come here, pick some. Managing the big Duke Mansion must be tiring. Remember to take rests. After your parents come back, I¡¯ll take you to climb mountains outside Chang¡¯an, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang hummed softly. ¡°Not bad.¡± Qiao Jinniang never thought that the Duchess and the Duke would be away for more than half a month, and Old Madam Qiao also spent more than half a month on the mountain before going back home. The Duchess looked much better than when she left, while the Duke looked a lot more haggard. When the Duchess learned that Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s mom was gone, she said guiltily to Qiao Ruoyi, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t agreed to the Zheng family to marry you off to Zheng Bo, she wouldn¡¯t have gone so fast.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t blame you. I know it was Qian Shi who killed my mom¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi turned her eyes to Duke Anyuan. Qiao Jinniang was right. The only one who benefited from the fight between the wife and concubines was the husband. Without Duke Anyuan¡¯s support, Qian Shi could not have done so much evil. Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Mother, you said last time that you want to divorce. If you divorce, please take me with you.¡± Duke Anyuan frowned. Why were both of his daughters inciting their mother to divorce him? Qiao Jinniang did so, but why did Qiao Ruoyi also do so? The Duchess said to Duke Anyuan, ¡°Ruoyi reminded me. Duke, let¡¯s divorce!¡± Duke Anyuan hurriedly explained, ¡°Mu Qiangian has nothing to do with me. I have never even touched her. I redeemed her just because her brother is my friend!¡± ¡®The Duchess listened and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about Mu Qiangian at all. I just think I¡¯m too stupid. ¡°For my beast-like family, I had been fighting with a concubine for your meaningless love and living a ridiculous life in the Duke Mansion, and ended up with both of my daughters not being my own. ¡°Now that the truth has come out and I have finally found my daughter back. I don¡¯t want to be the ¡®Duchess¡¯ anymore. I just want to be Zheng Xiao.¡± Qiao Jinniang was relieved to hear her mother¡¯s words. This time, her mother was finally not weak anymore. The Duke said, ¡°Are you serious? You are still pregnant with my child. Why should we divorce at this time? I¡¯ve already explained to you about Mu Qiangian. I was just angry that you wanted to marry Ruoyi to Zheng Bo.¡± Zheng Xiao clenched her hands and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this exactly what you want? After all, from the very beginning, you never wanted to marry me! ¡°If [hadn¡¯t married you, my daughter wouldn¡¯t have been separated from me for 18 years, nor would I know that the other daughter of mine had died 16 years ago!¡± Qiao Ruoyi added on the side. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve never blamed you for agreeing to marry me off to Zheng Bo. After all, if it weren¡¯t for Qian Shi, you wouldn¡¯t have been forced to give birth in the Zheng family, and you wouldn¡¯t have felt guilty for them. But after you had a difficult labor and almost died, Father still doted on Qian Shi.¡± Zheng Xiao shed a line of tears. ¡°Duke, even Ruoyi can see it clearly.. Let¡¯s just divorce!¡± Chapter 116 - The Duchess and the Duke Divorced Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Duke Anyuan was annoyed. ¡°Xiao¡¯er, why do you have to rake up grievances that are more than ten years old? And you, Ruoyi, do you hate your mother? Why are you trying to persuade her to divorce? ¡°If she divorces, she¡¯ll lose her nobility title and be no longer the mistress of a duke mansion. ¡°Moreover, the Zheng family is gone, and if she divorces, she will fall into dust from a noble lady respected by everyone in Chang¡¯an, and everyone will be able to bully her.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°The old grievances still exist, so why can¡¯t I rake them up? I had thought that at least my children were living a happy life, but it tus out that my little daughter had died! Old Madam Zheng is at fault, but what about you? You¡¯re the one who caused all this!¡± ¡°Jin¡¯er has been separated from me for 18 years, and that¡¯s your fault too! ¡°If I don¡¯t divorce you, I will be buried in your Qiao family¡¯s graveyard after I die. Then how can I face my poor daughter in the underworld?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing to divorce, that¡¯ll be great, but if you aren¡¯t, I won¡¯t stay in the Qiao family anyway!¡± ¡®The Duke was angry. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s divorce! I can marry whoever I want after divorcing you, but you will only become an abandoned woman who everyone can bully! ¡°Lbet you will regret divorcing me!¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to handle the procedures now,¡± Zheng Xiao said. Old Madam Qiao was helped over by the maids. She glared at Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi before saying to the Duke and the Duchess, ¡°Come on, neither of you are young, and your grandchildren are almost grown up. Why are you still fooling around? ¡°Xiao¡¯er, for the sake of me, a dying old woman, stay in the Qiao family. ¡°Ah Li is only six years old, not to mention your unborn child. It is not easy to give birth at your age. You¡¯d better stay at the Duke Mansion so that there will be more people to take care of you!¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Mother, I will remember your kindness to me, but I really can¡¯t stay in the Duke Mansion anymore. Staying here will only make me feel I am a joke. ¡°L know that Lu¡¯er is about to get married and I can enjoy my retirement, but I really don¡¯t want to be the Duchess anymore. ¡°Lendured for most of my life for the position of the Duchess, but in the end, even my daughter is gone. What¡¯s the point?¡± Duke Anyuan said to Old Madam Qiao, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t try to persuade her. Since she wants to divorce me, I¡¯ll just let her. One day, she will come back on her knees and beg me to take her back.¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered and said, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go. My house has been tidied up.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°I can¡¯t live in your house. There is a house in my dowry. I¡¯ll live there. Let¡¯s go.¡± Qiao Ruoyi held Zheng Xiao¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Mother, can you take me away with you?¡± Zheng Xiao nodded. ¡°Go and pack your things. Duke, let¡¯s go to the government.¡± Zheng Xiao and Duke Anyuan went to the government to sign the divorce letter, which made Madam Qiao so angry that she simply took Ah Li to the temple again. Old Madam Qiao couldn¡¯t control the grown-ups in the Qiao family, but at least she could keep her little grandson by her side. Her son was really annoying. She just hoped that her son wouldn¡¯t lose all his children. After Qiao Lu returned to Chang¡¯an, he went directly to school, so he didn¡¯t know what happened at home for the time being. Qiao Lu didn¡¯t know it, but as soon as the Duke and Zheng Xiao walked out of the government, the news had spread all over Chang¡¯an. Duke Anyuan was a marshal, the highest-ranking military attach¨¦ in the country, and the Minister of Defense. He was His Majesty¡¯s most trusted minister although he was only 36. Although he was not young, he was in his prime. Many women envied the Duchess who was respected by the Duke, and among her children, only Qiao Ruoyi was not born by her and she still respected her very much. Although it was said that the Duke once had a very favored concubine, a concubine was a concubine after all. But now the Duke and the Duchess were divorced?! No one believed that Zheng Xiao was willing to divorce the Duke. Ina teahouse, people were gossiping. ¡°Did you mishear it? Duchess Anyuan divorced Duke Anyuan? Her natal family is gone. Where can she go after the divorce?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the Duke who wants to divorce the Duchess. After all, the Zheng family has done a lot of evil. Perhaps the Duchess had known that her youngest daughter was swapped in the first place!¡± ¡°The Duke and the Duchess were originally at odds with each other. The Duchess must have been abandoned by the Duke!¡± ¡°But I heard that it was the Duchess who wanted to divorce, and a servant of the Duke Mansion said that the Duchess is pregnant! Even if the Duke wants to dump the Duchess, he shouldn¡¯t have done it at this time. Besides, there is Qiao Jinniang!¡± ¡°Yes, after the divorce, Qiao Jinniang must stay at the Duke Mansion. After all, if she wants to marry into the East Palace, she has to be the daughter of Duke Anyuan.¡± ¡°The news I heard is that Qiao Jinniang left the Duke Mansion with her mother. By the way, the Duke¡¯s other daughter who is famous for literary talent also left with the Duchess too.¡± ¡°Are they stupid?¡± ¡®When Zheng Xiao got married, the Zheng family was still rich. Although she gave a small half of her dowry to Qiao Ruoyun when she married, she was still rich. Zheng Xiao¡¯s mansion was located in the south of Chang¡¯an, which was full of officials and rich people. Although it was not like the area where the Duke Mansion was located, which was full of nobles, it was also a very good place. Mammy An quickly renovated the house and arranged the maids and mammies. Qiao Jinniang was making children¡¯s clothes with her mother. ¡°Mother, there will inevitably be some gossip mongers outside. Don¡¯t tolerate them.¡± Duke Anyuan said something right. Now her mother was not the Duchess, there might be some snobbish people who would come to bully her. Zheng Xiao said, ¡°I know.¡± Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyards were on opposite sides. She returned to her new courtyard, which was much smaller than the Jin Garden, but it was well furnished and decorated. Qiao Ruoyi came over and said, ¡°Second Sister, will you blame me for encouraging Mother to leave?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Duke Anyuan is really irritating. He even said that Mother is an abandoned woman and he is waiting for Mother to beg him on her knees. Humph, in his dreams!¡± Qiao Ruoyi chuckled. ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re right, but I¡¯m afraid the Duke Mansion won¡¯t help you to enter the East Palace now.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If I have to enter the East Palace at the expense of my mother, I would rather not enter it.¡± The next day, Qiao Jinniang held a housewarming banquet and invited Ruoyun and his husband, as well as Fulu and others. Qiao Jinniang had heard the rumors from the maids, and she didn¡¯t want anyone to pity her mother, so she decided to hold a good housewarming banquet for her mother. Fulu even brought her father and mother. Princess Shou¡¯an had already known Zheng Xiao, and she walked up to Zheng Xiao and said, ¡°I rarely admire your courage. I¡¯m glad the Zheng family still has someone who resembles the late Prime Minister Zheng.¡± ¡°Princess, I¡¯m flattered. I¡¯m just too disappointed with my ex-husband.¡± Zheng Xiao smiled. ¡°However, let bygones be bygones, and I¡¯ll live my life from now on.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said, ¡°Yes, I wish you a bright future. After you give birth to this child, you can find a gigolo. They might even be more handsome than the Duke.¡± Prince Consort Qin angrily glanced at Fulu. What did this dam girl teach her mother? Zheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± A cute little boy trotted over. ¡®There was a eunuch behind him, sweating profusely. ¡°Little Ancestor, run slowly. Don¡¯t fall.¡± Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t seen Tuan¡¯er for a long time. She picked up Tuan¡¯er and said, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Tuan¡¯er touched his head and said, ¡°Dad said that grandmother has a housewarming dinner, but he can¡¯t come, so he allowed me to come..¡± Chapter 117 - The Seventeen-Year-Old Woman At Duke Anyuans Side Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In Duke Anyuan Mansion. Duke Anyuan was off today. Working in the study, he felt very upset. Hearing the reply from the spy he put at Zheng Xiao¡¯s side, he realized that they were happily holding a housewarming banquet. Hearing the Imperial Grandson, Princess Shou¡¯an, and others had all attended the banquet, Duke Anyuan was very depressed. However, a man of no sense appeared. ¡°Your Excellency, my daughter is seventeen this year. Since she was a child, she has been proficient in zither, calligraphy, chess, and painting. She is also good at needlework. More importantly, she is very beautiful. Would you¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Duke Anyuan frowned and said, ¡°We¡¯re talking about official affairs. Why do you mention your daughter?¡± The subordinate said, ¡°Your Excellency, such a large Duke mansion needs a mistress!¡± Duke Anyuan frowned. ¡°I can even manage the Ministry of Defence. Can¡¯t I even manage a Duke Mansion? Besides, the Duke Mansion still has other women!¡± What made him angry was that Qiao Ruoyi and Qiao Jinniang left with Zheng Xiao, as well as many maids and mammies. As for those who did not follow Zheng Xiao away, they all followed Old Madam Qiao to the temple, so there were almost no women in the Duke Mansion now. The subordinate continued. ¡°But Your Excellency, you¡¯re still young. You need a wife¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t talk about the official affairs, leave!¡± However, Duke Anyuan seemed to think of something and said, ¡°Wait¡­¡± 1 At the housewarming banquet, Qiao Ruoyun didn¡¯t know Fulu had come over and brought Qin Miaomiao with her. Whenever Fulu and Qin Miaomiao were together, they would quarrel, but with Prince Consort Qin here today, they both restrained their temper a lot. Qin Miaomiao seemed to become more restrained. Fulu said to Qin Miaomiao, ¡°You never surrendered to me before, but why are you so quiet today?¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°I¡¯m going to get married after the spring. Who would quarrel with you, a child? I will marry ahead of you anyway.¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°What¡¯s so good about marrying a man, especially marrying a man who has someone else in his heart. ¡°The Duchess is a living example!¡± Qin Miaomiao said proudly, ¡°What matters between husband and wife is to respect each other. It doesn¡¯t matter if he loves me or not. I just need my husband to respect me.¡± Hearing Qin Miaomiao¡¯s words, Zheng Xiao recalled the past. ¡®When she had just turned fifteen, her grandmother said that the Qiao family had come to propose marriage to her. The young Zheng Xiao met the Junior Duke of the Qiao family. He held the military power at a young age, but everyone said that His Majesty was going to get rid of the Qiao family to take back military power And that the Qiao family might decline soon. But it was that year that the Junior Duke defeated the barbarians in the Northwest and uplifted the national prestige of the Datang Dynasty. Everyone said that the Junior Duke would be able to restore the glory of his ancestors. At that time, the sixteen-year-old Junior Duke desperately needed a wife who could support the Qiao family. After careful selection, Old Madam Qiao thought that Prime Minister Zheng¡¯s granddaughter was the most suitable. Firstly, Prime Minister Zheng was a man of moral integrity and wouldn¡¯t look down on their Qiao family¡¯s orphans and widowed mother. Secondly, Zheng Xiao was very pretty. Although she was a bit soft-tempered, she was brought up by Prime Minister Zheng¡¯s wife. On the day of the engagement, Zheng Xiao, as a young girl, also yearned for her future husband. But that night, he rudely broke into her boudoir and told her that he didn¡¯t like her as his wife and that he wanted to marry his cousin. Zheng Xiao told what he said to her grandmother the next day, but her grandmother said the same as Qin Miaomiao said today, ¡°Xiao¡¯er, what matters most between husband and wife is to respect each other. It¡¯ll be enough if he respects you. ¡°Even if aman and a woman who love each other get married, the marriage may not last long. ¡°Your mother-in-law is a good person, and the Junior Duke¡¯s cousin is only fourteen years old. After you marry him, his cousin can only be a concubine.¡± At that time, Zheng Xiao obeyed her grandmother and married the Duke. Later, the Duke made one outstanding achievement after another, and gradually became the youngest Minister of Defense. ¡®When he was only twenty-seven years old, the Duke became a marshal, and she became a marshal¡¯s wife respected by everyone. Although she suffered in the fight for favor with Qian Shi, she felt that her grandmother was right. But when she found out that one of her daughters had been separated from her for 18 years and her other daughter had been dead, she knew that her grandmother was wrong. Looking back on her memory, Zheng Xiao sighed and said, ¡°Miaomiao, I¡¯m afraid you will regret it in the future.¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Madam, unlike you, I have no choice. I don¡¯t want a mediocre man to be my husband. ¡°No man in the world will be loyal to only one woman, so I might as well find a man who can win me a nobility title.¡± Fulu taunted, ¡°Oh, you are really sober.¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she thought what Qin Miaomian said somewhat made sense, but it was just her personal choice, and she wouldn¡¯t say anything about it. A mammy hurried in and said, ¡°Madam, the Duke has brought a girl here. He said that since you are hosting a housewarming banquet, he has to come to give gifts. The girl looks about seventeen years ol Zheng Xiao said to the mammy, ¡°Tell him I already have nothing to do with him and I don¡¯t want him to appear in front of my eyes. If he wants to show off that he has got a young beauty to accompany him the very day after our divorce, he doesn¡¯t have to come.¡± As soon as she said so, Duke Anyuan had come over with that young girl. He saluted Princess Shou¡¯an and her husband first. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The Princess glanced at the woman beside Duke Anyuan and said, ¡°Your Excellency, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t have brought such a lousy woman with me and made a fool of myself.¡± Duke Anyuan just wanted to show off his attractiveness. Implying that without the Duchess, there were still tons of women throwing themselves on him. However, quality was more important than quantity. Although the Duchess was already thirty-five years old, she was still beautiful and graceful. Although this girl was young, her appearance was not comparable to the Duchess at all. Duke Anyuan was a little embarrassed. He just wanted to see Zheng Xiao¡¯s reaction, but Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t even blink an eye, without the slightest bit of anger. This made Duke Anyuan extremely annoyed. Qiao Jinniang watched from the side and couldn¡¯t help sighing. It was obvious that Duke Anyuan had her mother in his heart, but why did he treat her mother like that? 1 At this time, he didn¡¯t kneel down and beg for her mother¡¯s forgiveness, instead he went to find another woman to provoke her mother? Qiao Jinniang really wanted to see how much water was in Duke Anyuan¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t even know that her mother had long since fallen out of love with him, so she wouldn¡¯t care if he had another woman or not! Zheng Xiao said to Duke Anyuan, ¡°Your Excellency, we are already divorced, and I hope you won¡¯t come to me and disturb my peace.¡± ¡°Treally don¡¯t care how many women you have. I didn¡¯t even care about Qian Shi. I fought with her just to defend my position as the Duchess.¡± Duke Anyuan took a deep breath. ¡°Very good, I¡¯ll wait to see how you¡¯ll look when you regret it!¡± Everyone: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen, who had just come in, heard what Duke Anyuan said and mourned for his father-in-law in his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but doubt if such a Minister of Defense could really defend against foreign enemies for Datang?1 Seeing Lu Chen arrive, everyone stood up and saluted. Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s just a family banquet. Don¡¯t bother.¡± Saying that, Lu Chen walked up to Qiao Jinniang and had a maid put a chair beside Qiao Jinniang for him. ¡°Mother-in-law, this is a gift for you.¡± Zheng Xiao was a bit surprised to hear the Crown Prince calling her Mother-in-law, but when she saw Qiao Jinniang not take it seriously, she just treated him the same as Qin Shu. Watching this scene of harmony and happiness on the side, Duke Anyuan felt like a joke.. 1 Chapter 118 - Lu Chen Teaches Jinniang to Ride A Horse Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After the banquet, Lu Chen went to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s new courtyard. Sitting on the couch in the house, he asked her, ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy Fulu¡¯s Princess Mansion? Why are you living in such a small courtyard?¡± ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t want to go there. It¡¯s pretty good here. It¡¯s not far from the newly opened Myriad Taste,¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Lu Chen said helplessly, ¡°I had had my men dig a tunnel there so that it will be easier for you to leave the East Palace to have fun in the future.¡± Qiao Jinniang said in surprise, ¡°Did you really dig a tunnel? I thought you wouldn¡¯t agree! I didn¡¯t expect you to think the same as me!¡± How could Lu Chen not agree? But he couldn¡¯t let anyone discover the tunnel, not even his father. ¡°Besides you and me, don¡¯t tell anyone about the tunnel, not even Xi¡®er.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Chen gently tapped his fingers on the table and said, ¡°I took a big risk to dig the tunnel for you. Can¡¯t you pay me back a little?¡± ¡°Like making the deadline shorter?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You have to wait until the Lantern Festival. Not a day less.¡± Lu Chen sighed and stopped teasing her, asking, ¡°When are you going to return to the Duke Mansion?¡± ¡°Return to the Duke Mansion?¡± Qiao Jinniang wondered, ¡°Do you think my parents¡¯ divorce is fake? Of course we won¡¯t go back. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see what Duke Anyuan did to my mother? He brought a seventeen-year-old woman from nowhere with him to show off the day after their divorce.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Does Mother-in-law think the same?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°A woman has divorced at all costs. Do you think she will go back to the old days?¡± Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t take a concubine or what before meeting Qiao Jinniang again. Otherwise, from what he knew of Qiao Jinniang, she might never forgive him for the rest of her life. Lu Chen said, ¡°Are you free the day after tomorrow? Didn¡¯t you say you never learned to ride a horse last time? ¡°Tt just so happened that a few Ferghana horses were sent to Longhua Mountain by the Wan Kingdom as tribute. Shall I take you to learn how to ride?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m free.¡± Lu Chen continued, ¡°There will be winter hunting next month, and you will be able to hunt on horseback at that time. ¡°The last time I went hunting, I didn¡¯t see you. You must have been bored during the last hunt.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t even want to recall the last spring hunt. Fortunately, she couldn¡¯t hunt and ride horses at that time. If she could, she might have shot him to death with an arrow when she saw him! Then she might have been executed too. In September, the autumn wind was rustling and the weather was refreshing. It was a good time to climb a mountain. The stable on Longhua Mountain was divided into several parts, one of which was reserved for nobles and officials to play polo. From time to time, noble ladies would come here to play polo. Today¡¯s polo match was held by several princesses. Therefore, almost all the young masters and noble girls in Chang¡¯an had come. Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi were not in the Duke Mansion any longer, so they didn¡¯t receive the invitation. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang arrived at the Longhua Mountain stable, she saw many acquaintances heading for the racecourse. At the gate of the racecourse, she met a few noble girls. ¡°County Mistress Jia¡¯an, are you here to play polo too?¡± ¡°Can you ride horses, County Mistress Jia¡¯an? Duke Anyuan is a marshal. As his daughter, you must be very skilled at riding.¡± Qiao Jinniang simply said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse, so I came to leam it. Are you here to learn how to ride a horse too?¡± One of the noble girls said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you receive the invitation from the princesses? Today is a polo event held by the princesses. Almost all nobles in Chang¡¯an are here.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid you forgot that now County Mistress Jia¡¯an is no longer Duke Anyuan¡¯s daughter, so it¡¯s not surprising that you didn¡¯t receive an invitation, right?¡± ¡°Titer, County Mistress, I didn¡¯t mean to laugh at you. It¡¯s just that without the invitation, you can¡¯t enter the Longhua Mountain racecourse today. ¡°Although this racecourse was open to the public, it has been block-booked today and only nobles are allowed in. ¡°If random people can enter and leave at will, it will disturb the nobles inside, so you must have an invitation to enter.¡± These noble girls had long been jealous of Qiao Jinniang, who was nothing but a countryside girl but somehow became the daughter of Duke Anyuan, forcing them to have to compliment her. Now they finally didn¡¯t have to compliment her anymore, so they certainly would take the chance to make fun of her. ¡°County Mistress, please go back. After all, you can¡¯t go inside, and there¡¯s no fun outside. ¡°If too many people come later, I am afraid that you won¡¯t even be able to go down the mountain.¡± ¡°Itll be pathetic to watch longingly from the door.¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched the handkerchief in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to let you down, but I can assure you that I won¡¯t ¡®watch longingly from the door.¡± Not long after, the official of the stable hurried over and saluted Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Tm sorry I am late, County Mistress. I didn¡¯t know that you came to ride horses today. The tribute horses are all ready. You can pick a horse you like.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I came too early.¡± Lu Chen hadn¡¯t finished today¡¯s levee yet, and Qiao Jinniang had never ridden a horse before, so she was very excited to have a chance to learn to ride a horse. She was so excited that she got up early in the morning and simply came to the stable by herself. The noble girls who were laughing at Qiao Jinniang were very puzzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t Qiao Jinniang leave the Duke Mansion with Zheng Shi? Why is the official so respectful to her?¡± ¡°Although she has left the Duke Mansion, she is still the Duke¡¯s daughter. Don¡¯t go too far.¡± These noble girls regretted it a little. If they had known this, they wouldn¡¯t have taunted Qiao Jinniang so meanly. Qiao Jinniang entered the stable and saw several mighty horses in the manger. ¡®The white horse among them was taller than her and was quite majestic. It must feel good to ride on this horse. ¡°Can I ride this horse?¡± ¡®The official only dared to let Qiao Jinniang pick a horse, but didn¡¯t dare to let Qiao Jinniang mount the horse before the Crown Prince came. Qiao Jinniang was rather bored. If she had known this, she should have waited for Lu Chen at home. She was in a position where she could see the polo field on the gentle slope in the distance. The first polo match had already begun, and from a distance, the teams could only be distinguished from the color of their armor. After watching a match, Lu Chen arrived. ¡°I had something urgent to tend to after the levee. Sorry to make you wait.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s fun to watch them play polo here.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°When you learn to ride a horse, I will take you to play polo.¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°That¡¯s fine, but I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy for me to learn to ride a horse. Let¡¯s learn to ride first. ¡°Lhave already selected a horse, the big white horse.¡± Lu Chen looked over and smiled. ¡°You have sharp eyes. This horse is the king of the tribute horses. ¡°A Ferghana horse will only have one owner in its life. I am afraid this horse is not suitable for beginners. ¡°Ride my horse first, and then ride this white horse when you¡¯ve learned how to ride a horse.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen¡¯s jujube red horse and said, ¡°But your horse doesn¡¯t look good.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen¡¯s treasure horse: ¡°¡­¡± In the polo field, a noble lady turned her eyes to the distant stable that specialized in training tribute horses, which only royal family members could enter. Why was there a woman there? And it looked like Qiao Jinniang who they had just taunted at the door? Chapter 119 - Subordinates Wives Tried to Persuade Her Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Cousin, what are you looking at?¡± Zhou Sisi asked while sitting down beside Tong Xuan. Tong Xuan pointed to the racecourse in the distance and asked, ¡°Do you think the woman over there looks like Qiao Jinniang?¡± Zhou Sisi looked over and shouted excitedly, ¡°Brother! Brother Royal Highness!¡± Tong Xuan certainly knew that her retarded sister was calling the Crown Prince, but now she knew why the official of the stable was so respectful to Qiao Jinniang just now. She didn¡¯t know if Qiao Jinniang knew her. She probably didn¡¯t know her. ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s go find Brother Royal Highness!¡± Zhou Sisi tugged at Tong Xuan¡¯s arm excitedly. How dare Tong Xuan do that? She even wished that she would never appear in front of Qiao Jinniang again. Although Qiao Jinniang felt that Lu Chen¡¯s horse was not as handsome as the white horse, it was not ugly compared to other horses, so she got on the horse with Lu Chen¡¯s help. Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Look straight ahead. Don¡¯t look at the horse. I¡¯ll lead you to run a lap slowly first.¡± The official on the side came up and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, allow me to lead the horse for County Mistress.¡± ¡°How can His Royal Highness lead a horse for a woman? Lu Chen glanced at the official sullenly. No wonder he was only a horse official at such an old age. He really had no sense. ¡°No need, you can all leave.¡± Seeing that the horse began to trot, Qiao Jinniang clenched the reins in fright. ¡°Lu Chen, don¡¯t be so fast. Slow down.¡± Lu Chen was walking as slowly as possible while holding the reins, Hearing this, he raised his head and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Xiaohong is very gentle. Although you said it¡¯s ugly, it will never throw you off its back.¡± ¡°Your horse¡¯s name is Xiaohong?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Why is such a tall and mighty horse called Xiaohong?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Xier gave it this name. Don¡¯t laugh. Sit tight.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and rode slowly for two laps. Lu Chen let go of the pulling rope and let Qiao Jinniang slowly control the horse by herself. Qiao Jinniang was a quick learner, and when she felt she could control the horse, she sped up. The pasture was big enough, and she was the only one riding here, so she became more courageous and rode faster and faster. It wasn¡¯t until she stopped that she felt a burning pain in her thigh. There was also a touch of blood on the light-colored round-neck robe. ¡°Lu Chen, I seem to be injured.¡± Lu Chen helped Qiao Jinniang to get off the horse, lifted her robe and saw the blood on her trousers, and said, ¡°Perhaps the skin of your thigh was rubbed off. It¡¯s inevitable for beginners. I brought some medicine. Let me apply the medicine for you in that room.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt pain when she moved, ¡°Ouch.¡± Lu Chen picked up Qiao Jinniang and strode to the small yard on the side. The courtyard here was used by nobles to change clothes. ¡®When Qiao Jinniang saw Lu Chen lift up her robe to untie her belt, she hurriedly held Lu Chen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Go out. I¡¯ll apply the medicine myself.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°What kind of person do you think I am? You are injured. I¡¯m not such a beast.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted but obediently let Lu Chen apply medicine to her thigh. Her thigh skin was already frayed. No wonder it hurt so much. After taking the medicine, Qiao Jinniang no longer rode. Instead, she sat on the racecourse and watched the polo game. There was no such polo event in Lin¡¯an, but there was Cuju. Polo was similar to Cuju. The red and blue teams were fighting, She couldn¡¯t see clearly at this distance, but she saw that the ball was hit to the air, and soon after, a person in red armor was ¡°hit¡± by the ball and fell off the horse. Then Qiao Jinniang saw that everyone on the polo field ran over. Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°Did you see that? The ball didn¡¯t hit that person. She fell off the horse purposely.¡± Lu Chen¡¯s eyesight was better than Qiao Jinniang¡¯s and he said, ¡°Intrigue is common among the nobles in Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked down from a distance, and the person who just hit the ball seemed to be blamed by everyone. ¡°Alas, I don¡¯t know which unlucky person was wronged.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t get involved in their affairs.¡± Qiao Jinniang said crossly, ¡°I can¡¯t stand seeing others being bullied. It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t see it. But I saw it clearly just now. How can I ignore i If she was tricked by others and had no way of proving her innocence, she would definitely feel extremely upset. But because her legs hurt, she couldn¡¯t even walk, let alone ride a horse. Helpless, she could only turn her eyes to Lu Chen. ¡°Can you take me there?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The one who fell off the horse should be my sister, Jinghua, and the one who was wronged is Qin Miaomiao. Are you sure you want to uphold the injustice?¡± ¡°Well, forget it.¡± Qiao Jinniang flinched. Chivalry was not as important as her life. That was a princess. Even if she was not quite favored by the Rmperor, she was still one of the few daughters of the Emperor. Why should she seek trouble? Zheng Xiao was not in a good mood today. Early in the morning, the wives of Duke Anyuan¡¯s subordinates all came to persuade her. ¡°Madam, why are you surrendering the Duke to those little sluts? The daughter of the Yu family has been so pompous these days and claims to be the future mistress of the Duke Mansion.¡± ¡°Madam, you should think about your sons and Jinniang. Did you know that Jinniang was not invited to the polo game held by the princesses today? She wasn¡¯t even allowed to enter the racecourse and was ridiculed by many people!¡± Zheng Xiao listened to their words and said, ¡°Why should I care about the ridicule of those snobs?¡± ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t think that way. If you were still Duchess Anyuan, you would have still been one of the most distinguished noble ladies in Chang¡¯an, but if you let the daughter of the Yu family become the duchess, you¡¯ll be nothing.¡± Zheng Xiaodao: ¡°You don¡¯t have to try to persuade me. I have already considered the worst consequences before I divorced. It has nothing to do with me if the Duke wants to marry someone else!¡± ¡°Madam, look at Duke Qin, Duke Wu and the others, every noble man has at least four or five concubines, and Duke Anyuan has been the best in this aspect. ¡°You are no longer young. People will laugh at you for divorcing for the matter of concubine.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time.¡± These ladies sighed and left in disappointment. Alas, they failed to complete the task given to them by the Duke.1 ¡®When Duke Anyuan saw them coming out sighing, he simply climbed over the wall and entered Zheng Xiao¡¯s room. Zheng Xiao snorted coldly. ¡°It has been twenty years but you have never changed. Anyone here?!¡± Duke Anyuan walked forward and covered her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t call others over! I know I was wrong about Qian Shi¡¯s matter, but I¡¯ve punished her, and you shouldn¡¯t blame me anymore. ¡°Back then, my mother had found a husband for her, but your family forced her to drink sterilization medicine soup for no reason ¡°Qian Shi is my cousin who grew up with me, but she was forcibly sterilized! What could I do? Sit by and do nothing? No, I could only take her as my concubine!¡± Chapter 120 - Qin Miaomiao Was Wronged Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zheng Xiao was annoyed and said angrily, ¡°Although that old woman did do a lot of evil things, how could it be the Zheng family¡¯s fault to give Qian Shi sterilization medicine? ¡°Before I got married, I was ready to accept Qian as your concubine! ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t have secretly had sex with her without even telling me! ¡°Since you didn¡¯t treat me as your wife, why couldn¡¯t I give her sterilization medicine? ¡°Did I give sterilization medicine to Ruoyi¡¯s mom? I knew Qian Shi¡¯s existence before I married you. Even if you took her as your concubine the day after our marriage, I wouldn¡¯t say anything, let alone give her sterilization medicine. ¡± ¡°No, I took her as my concubine because you made her drink sterilization medicine!¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°Before I saw you, I already liked her, but that was just childhood affections not love.¡± ¡°wanted to marry her because I thought Qian Shi would be my wife since I was a child. ¡°But things changed. I couldn¡¯t cancel the marriage contract between you and me, but how would I let Qian Shi be my concubine? That would be humiliating to her. ¡°After I got married to you, I realized that I just treated her as my sister. At that time, my mother also found a good husband for her, but when she was about to get married, the Zheng family made her drink the medicine!¡± Zheng Xiao snorted. ¡°Bah, nonsense! When I was pregnant with Jinniang for seven months, she ran to me crying and said that you took her virginity, so she couldn¡¯t marry someone else and begged me to drink her tea and accept her as your concubine. ¡°After I drank it, the Zheng family made her drink sterilization medicine! If she weren¡¯t your concubine, how could I have the guts to make your cousin drink sterilization medicine?¡± Duke Anyuan shouted, ¡°That was not true! At that time, she had agreed to marry another man, and she even went for an outing with her fianc¨¦. How was it possible for her to say that she was my woman? And how could I be so beastly to take her virginity given the fact that she is my cousin and was not yet of age?¡± Qiao Ruoyi, who was eavesdropping outside the window, thought that Duke Anyuan really deserved it! After Zheng Xiao figured it out, she laughed. ¡°No wonder you have always felt guilty for her and doted on her. She made you believe that she was forced to drink sterilization medicine by me when she was about to marry another man so she had no choice but to become your concubine? What a joke!¡± ¡°If she hadn¡¯t come to provoke me, saying that you two had long since had sex, how could the Zheng family made her drink that medicine to defend my status as your wife? ¡°Even if I was jealous of her, why would I bother to do that to her when she was about to marry someone else?¡± Duke Anyuan had finally figured it out too. It turned out that it was all Qian Shi¡¯s trick to make him always feel guilty toward her and make him want to make up for her. On one side, she told him that she was going to marry another man, yet on the other side, she went to provoke Zheng Xiao and said that they had already had sex¡­ ¡°Xiao¡¯er, I didn¡¯t know¡­ Qian Shi had started to trick me at that time.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Your Excellency, it¡¯s meaningless to talk about this now! We¡¯ve already divorced. Even if you explain everything clearly, it will only make me think why I hadn¡¯t divorced earlier.¡± Duke Anyuan didn¡¯t feel any guilt for Qian Shi now. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have trusted her so much! But I¡¯ve only had you in my heart¡­¡± Zheng Xiao covered her mouth and threw up. ¡°Cough, Your Excellency, don¡¯t you disgust me. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by God and struck by lightning when you say this? ¡°Twenty years ago, you entered my boudoir like this, claiming that you¡¯ve already had someone you loved and that you wanted to marry your cousin! ¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Zheng Xiao vomited even harder. Qiao Ruoyi hurriedly came in and said, ¡°Father, hearing what you said, even I want to laugh. If you really only have Mother in your heart, then how can you explain about Qian Shi¡¯s matter? Now that Qian Shi is dead, you think you can cook up stories as you like?¡± ¡®When Qiao Jinniang came in, she happened to see Zheng Xiao vomiting. She was so worried that she hurriedly got off Lu Chen¡¯s back. ¡°Mother, are you okay?¡± Zheng Xiao glanced at Duke Anyuan and said, ¡°Why are you still not leaving? Are you waiting to see me vomit to death?¡± Duke Anyuan sighed and left, but he still remembered to call an imperial physician over. The imperial physician came to diagnose Zheng Xiao, only to find that it was just morning sickness. However, Qiao Jinniang still blamed Duke Anyuan for that. She returned to her courtyard, and Qiao Ruoyi told her what happened just now. Jinniang smiled sarcastically. ¡°It¡¯s always like this for men. Just like in novels, a man always wants two women at the same time. One is as soft as moonlight, and the other is as passionate as flames. ¡°Duke Anyuan said that he only had Mother in his heart, but why didn¡¯t he feel disgusted when he went to Qian Shi¡¯s courtyard? Before he found out about Qian Shi¡¯s true colors, he truly loved her.¡± Qiao Ruoyi nodded and said, ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re right!¡± Qiao Jinniang thought for a while and said, ¡°Duke Anyuan is really disgusting. Although this yard is good, it can¡¯t guard Mother against him. I must persuade Mother to move to my house, where the neighbors are all nobles. I¡¯d like to see if Duke Anyuan still dares to climb over the wall!¡± In the end, Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t want to be disturbed by Duke Anyuan¡¯s subordinates¡¯ wife, nor did she want to be harassed by Duke Anyuan again, so she moved to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s house. ¡®The housewarming banquet had already been held, so they didn¡¯t hold another banquet this time. But when Qiao Ruoyun heard about it, she came over with gifts to celebrate with them. ¡°You gave me a housewarming gift last time. How come you brought me a gift this time again? Don¡¯t waste your money.¡± Zheng Xiao smiled. Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t cost much money. Wish you good luck, Mother. I have something to tend to at home. I have to go now.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°I heard what happened to Miaomiao. She was never such a petty person. How could she possibly hit the Princess? That¡¯s a princess after all!¡± Qiao Ruoyun sighed and said, ¡°Yes. The mistress of the Lin family has come several times, demanding to annul the marriage contract, but Miaomiao insisted that she didn¡¯t hit the Princess. ¡°But the Princess broke her leg when she fell off the horse. My mother-in-law has been sending gifts to the Princess¡¯ mansion every day for fear that His Majesty would punish Miaomiao. ¡°My father-in-law blamed my mother-in-law for not disciplining her daughter well and even planned to make his concubine¡¯s daughter marry Lin Mo in place of Miaomiao¡­ alas. ¡°Moreover, this involves a princess, so my husband can¡¯t intervene although he wants to help his sister. I have to go back and keep an eye on Miaomiao in case she does stupid things.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned when she heard this. ¡°Sister, Qin Miaomiao didn¡¯t hit Princess Jinghua. His Royal Highness and I both saw it. That ball didn¡¯t hit the Princess. She fell off the horse purposely!¡± Qiao Ruoyun: ¡°Really?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I saw it on a gentle slope, where I could see more clearly than on the polo field. The ball didn¡¯t hit Princess Jinghua. ¡°I think the people around the princess should have seen it too, but no one is telling the truth.¡± Zheng Xiao sighed. ¡°Even if we know that Miaomiao is innocent, so what? After all, Jinghua is a princess! ¡°If she said she was hit, then she was hit.¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands and said, ¡°Mother, I thought the same thing at first, but Qin Miaomiao is innocent, and she shouldn¡¯t be despised by everyone in Chang¡¯an for this! You have been wronged for 20 years, and I don¡¯t want Qin Miaomiao to suffer like you did.¡± Chapter 121 - Xie Familys Internal Strife Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Telling the truth would definitely offend Princess Jinghua, and even Emperor Huilin. Princess Jinghua deliberately framed Qin Miaomiao. If this news was spread, it would be a disgrace to the royal family. But if the truth wasn¡¯t exposed, Qin Miaomiao¡¯s life would be ruined. Why should she suffer such humiliation if she was innocent? Just like her mother, she would live in grievances for the rest of her life. Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Jinniang, if you don¡¯t testify about this matter in person, I am afraid that no one will believe Miaomiao is innocent.¡± Struggling internally, Qiao Jinniang thought of Lu Chen and said, ¡°Just tell people that Lu Chen saw it.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at Qiao Jinniang even more in shock. ¡°But Princess Jinghua is His Royal Highness¡¯s sister. How could His Royal Highness possibly help an outsider against her own sister?¡± Qiao Jinniang thought for a while and said, ¡°But I can¡¯t just sit by and watch Qin Miaomiao kill herself for this, right?¡± The news about Qiao Miaomiao making Princess Jinghua fall off her horse was widespread. Everyone said that Qin Miaomiao was jealous that Princess Jinghua and Lin Mo were close, so she did it on purpose. Until someone from the Qin family said that His Royal Highness witnessed that Qin Miaomiao was wronged. The ball didn¡¯t hit the princess at all, and rumors were spread even more widely. But this involved a princess, so no one dared to gossip about it openly, which made commoners even more curious. After this was known to an imperial censor, he handed over a memorial in the levee. ¡°Your Majesty, Princess Jinghua deliberately framed the daughter of a high-ranking official, and used power to oppress others. She is not worthy of being a princess. Please punish her!¡± Emperor Huilin had been used to receiving memorials impeaching princesses, but he didn¡¯t expect that Jinghua, who had never caused trouble for him, would be impeached! And for such an outrageous matter. Emperor Huilin angrily summoned everyone on the polo field that day, but many noble girls shied away, saying that they didn¡¯t see it clearly. However, when they heard that the Crown Prince had already testified for Qin Miaomiao, they all told the truth ¡°Miss Qin¡¯s ball didn¡¯t hit the princess. The princess deliberately fell off the horse herself.¡± ¡°We thought we saw it wrongly.¡± Emperor Huilin was extremely annoyed. In the past, the princesses were usually impeached for keeping gigolos or what, but this was the first time a princess did something that could be considered a disgrace to the royal family. Emperor Huilin directly forfeited Princess Jinghua half a year of wages and demoted her one notch in honorary title. Since he didn¡¯t have many daughters, he doted on princesses a lot. Although Princess Jinghua didn¡¯t seem to lose anything, she kinda fell out of favor with the Emperor. Once Qiao Jinniang heard from Yuyan that Qin Miaomiao was cleared of her grievances, she breathed a sigh of relief. She began to be busy with the opening of Myriad Taste. She wanted to transport the old sign of Myriad Taste from Lin¡¯an to Chang¡¯an, but it would be too troublesome. She wanted to write the sign herself, but she was not good at drawing or calligraphy. The old sign of Myriad Taste was written by Lu Chen, which was very beautiful and impressive. Qiao Jinniang went to ask Lu Chen to write the words ¡°Myriad Taste¡± for her. This was the first time she walked through the tunnel and it was really dark. ¡®When she was about to reach the exit, she heard two people discussing outside. ¡°Your sister was too anxious, wasn¡¯t she? His Majesty has not agreed yet. Even if he agrees to marry her to the Second Young Master of the Xie family, she doesn¡¯t have to ruin her reputation, right?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°My sister has already been married to a faraway place once, so she doesn¡¯t want to experience it again. Even if her reputation is damaged, it¡¯s better than being married off far away to the South.¡± Another male voice said, ¡°Jin¡¯er¡¯s temper has never changed. ¡°Fortunately, this time, the result was exactly what Princess Jinghua wanted. ¡°Otherwise, Jin¡®er might be in trouble. ¡°Alas¡­ Chang¡¯an is not suitable for Jin¡¯er!¡± Lu Chen was annoyed. ¡°Xie Yun, do you think it¡¯s proper for you to still call her ¡®Jin¡¯er¡¯?¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve been calling her this since we were children. Even if you don¡¯t like it, this is a fact!¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°She is too chivalrous, so she doesn¡¯t fit in a place like Chang¡¯an where it is full of snobs.¡± Lu Chen looked straight into Xie Yun¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Whether she fits in here or not, she is my wife and will only stay in Chang¡¯an.¡± Xie Yun lowered his eyes. ¡°Then please take good care of her, Your Royal Highness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me that.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t go out of the tunnel. She pursed her lips. Why didn¡¯t Lu Chen explain to her about Princess Jinghua¡¯s plan in advance? Did he feel that she didn¡¯t deserve to know these affairs? If she hadn¡¯t made him her scapegoat, wouldn¡¯t she have caused His Majesty¡¯s dislike and Princess¡¯s grudge? Myriad Taste would be opened in early October. Qiao Jinniang wrote the sign herself and had someone carve it. However, before Myriad Taste opened, the shopkeeper of Guest Welcoming Building was acquitted because he claimed that he didn¡¯t know the fruit he used was Minanghua Fruit. Thus, the Guest Welcoming Building was still open, but not many people dared to patronize it again. Qiao Jinniang was in Myriad Taste, checking the layout inside. Huixiang said indignantly, ¡°The shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building victimized so many people. How could he be acquitted?¡± Qiao Jinniang had already known the reason from Old Madam Qiao, so she was not surprised. Your Majesty was filial. If he severely punished the shopkeeper of the Guest Welcoming Building, it would be known to commoners that the Empress Dowager had been consuming Minanghua Fruits, by then it would be hard to determine the punishment on the shopkeeper. ¡°Alas, this is Chang¡®an. He has a backstage.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. Huixiang said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°But Miss, your husband is the Crown Prince.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°He is not my husband. He is now the dignified Crown Prince and looks down on stupid people like us¡­¡± Lu Chen happened to come. Hearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words, he said, ¡°How dare I look down on you? Besides, you¡¯re not stupid at all. ¡°You are smart enough to make me your scapegoat. ¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Come with me.¡± Myriad Taste was not only a restaurant but also an inn, and there were rooms for accommodation upstairs. Lu Chen followed Qiao Jinniang into a room and said, ¡°Why are you angry again?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked bluntly, ¡°Twalked through the tunnel you dug the day before yesterday, and I heard what you said to Xie Yun. ¡°You knew it was Princess Jinghua¡¯s scheme, so why didn¡¯t you tell me about it earlier? ¡°You just watched me self-righteously expose this matter like a fool. ¡°Thad been struggling internally whether I should help Qiao Miaomiao, but it turned out it was a trap from the beginning!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The matter was too complicated, so I didn¡¯t explain it to you. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t get involved, so I didn¡¯t tell you. If you want to know, I can explain it to you.¡± Qiao Jinniang poured herself a cup of water. Lu Chen reached out to pick it up, but Qiao Jinniang emptied the cup herself. Lu Chen chuckled and said, ¡°T¡¯ll make this long story short, Xie Yun¡¯s father and his second uncle have been fighting for control of the Xie family. His father only has one son and after his father died, Xie Yun disguised as a woman to protect himself. ¡°And with the excuse of poor health, he went to the manor in Lin¡®an alone to recuperate. ¡°The head of the Xie family is more inclined to Xie Yun, but his second uncle has a lot of sons, and many hands provide great strength. Although the old distinguished families are declining, the Xie family is still quite prestigious among the civil officials, and it is very powerful in the South. ¡°My father always wanted to take down the Xie family. He originally wanted to choose Xie Yun. After all, Xie Yun is just a ¡®woman¡¯. If Xie Yun became the crown princess, the Xie family would be controlled by the royal family. ¡°But after Xie Yun¡¯s second uncle learned about my father¡¯s plan, he promised my father that he would be loyal to the royal family, as long as he could seize power in the Xie family, and to show his loyalty, he asked my father to marry my sister Jinghua to his son. ¡°Thus, my father is still considering whether to choose Xie Yun or his second uncle. ¡°If he chooses the latter, he will have to marry a princess off to the Xie family. And somehow my sister learned about this plan, so she came up with another plan. Anyway, the Xie family will definitely not marry a princess who has lost her reputation.¡± ¡°You are close to Xie Yun, Can¡¯t you convince your father to help Xie Yun?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked. Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Xie Yun is useful to me, so is his cousin. ¡°Moreover, his cousin is more stupid and more easily manipulated than him. If he is really willing to submit to the royal family, why should I help Xie Yun?¡± Xie Yun thought that he had hidden his feelings for Qiao Jinniang very well. But back when Lu Chen was in Lin¡¯an, he had found out about Xie Yun¡¯s crush on Qiao Jinniang when he first met Xie Yun! As aman, he could tell it. Lu Chen wasn¡¯t so broad-minded as to help his rival-in-love win the control of the Xie family.. Chapter 122 - This Gigolo Is the Crown Prince Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But when you went to investigate those illicit salt dealings, didn¡¯t Xie Yun block a knife for you? He saved your life.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It was fake. He did it to see what his cousin would do. If he saved the Crown Prince¡¯s life, his cousin would definitely not be able to sit still. ¡°At that time, when I was investigating the illicit salt dealings, the merchants under Xie Yun could provide some key evidence, so I made a transaction with Xie Yun. ¡°Lput on an act with him, and he provided me with evidence to help me check the accounts. ¡± Lu Chen pinched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s nose. ¡°But you weren¡¯t worried about me at all, asking about him and scolding me in the letter!¡± Qiao Jinniang sensed a trace of grievance in Lu Chen¡¯s words, and shook off his hand. ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t tell me anything. You were not like this when we were in Lin¡®an.¡± Lu Chen was helpless, ¡°I want to tell you, but you have to give me a chance. ¡°You are not in the East Palace, so how often can I see you every day? How do I have the time to say this? ¡°If you are in the East Palace and are always by my side, I will not hide anything from you if you want to know.¡± Qiao Jinniang listened to his explanation and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Xie Yun in great danger? ¡°Once it¡¯s exposed that he is actually a man, I am afraid that His Majesty will definitely not choose Xie Yun, who is very scheming, and choose his cousin.¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°Princess Jinghua thinks so too. She also knows that Xie Yun is a man, so she came up with this plan.¡± Qiao Jinniang had a childhood friendship with Xie Yun, but she wouldn¡¯t try to persuade Lu Chen to help Xie Yun. She knew that politics should not involve personal emotions. ¡°Xie Yun is right. I really don¡¯t fit in Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. Lu Chen clenched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°No, you will be the crown princess. You can just be yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that people in Chang¡¯an are mostly snobbish, but you don¡¯t need to cater to them. ¡°Because in the future, no one will be higher than you in status except my father and mother! ¡°You don¡¯t have to cater to anyone, but everyone has to cater to you. ¡°Besides, you have me standing in front of you, don¡¯t you¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°I took the blame for you, but you don¡¯t even have the confidence to be my crown princess?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yes, I do. I just got emotional. ¡°You don¡¯t want to let me go, so you can only make me, this out-of-place commoner woman, your crown princess! ¡°And you¡¯ll have to be my scapegoat from time to time!¡± Lu Chen said in an ambiguous tone, ¡°Then can the crown princess enter the East Palace earlier?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost October, and it¡¯s only three months away. Don¡¯t think about those kinds of things whenever you see me, okay?¡± Lu Chen blinked at her. ¡°No, there are still three months. I don¡¯t want to bear it for a single day.¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Caught off guard, Qiao Jinniang was suddenly picked up by Lu Chen, and she quickly put her hand around his neck. Lu Chen gently placed her on the wooden couch and kissed her red lips. Qiao Jinniang finally broke free from his embrace and complained tenderly, ¡°Are you crazy? This is in the daytime¡­ Besides, we¡¯re still in the restaurant, and there are many people downstairs!¡± ¡°They know that you and I are here and will not come upstairs.¡± In the end, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t refuse Lu Chen¡­ Although Lu Chen was not as capable in bed as those heroes described in novels, he made her. ¡°It¡¯s here. The sign reads Myriad Taste!¡± ¡°Qiao Jinniang, is Qiao Jinniang here? ¡°Is the rumor true that Qiao Jinniang has become the daughter of Duke Anyuan? ¡°How can she be so ungrateful as to forget us, her uncles and aunts?¡± ¡°Qiao Jinniang, come out!¡± Hearing the familiar voices downstairs, Qiao Jinniang pushed Lu Chen. ¡°Don¡¯t, listen to the voices downstairs¡­¡± Hearing the scolding voices below, Lu Chen paused and helplessly helped Qiao Jinniang fasten the belt that he had just taken off. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°They sound like my adoptive father¡¯s clan members. They have come all the way to Chang¡¯an?!¡± ¡®When she left Lin¡¯an, she didn¡¯t want to waste her time with those clansmen. Anyway, she would not returm to Lin¡¯an, so she simply ignored them. But she didn¡¯t expect that they dared to come to her! Lu Chen listened and said, ¡°Yes.¡± The people downstairs were the people of the Qiao family in Lin¡¯an, headed by the current Qiao family patriarch, Qiao Yu¡¯s elder brother, Qiao Ergou! Qiao Ergou and the others didn¡¯t know that Qiao Jinniang had actually returned to the Duke Mansion until the order that Qiao Yu was conferred to the title of Earl Lin¡¯an was announced in Lin¡¯an. They had thought it was a play that Qiao Jinniang hired a group of people to perform. After all, it was incredible for her to change from the daughter of a shopkeeper to the daughter of a duke. After Qiao Jinniang left, they kept smearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s reputation in Lin¡®an, and someone like an official came to look for Qiao Jinniang. They were afraid of causing trouble and said that she eloped with a man. Later, someone came to check on Qiao Yu, but they still didn¡¯t believe that Qiao Jinniang was actually a duke¡¯s daughter. It wasn¡¯t until the imperial decree that Qiao Yu was conferred the title of Earl Lin¡¯an arrived that they realized that everything was true. No wonder she was willing to give up Myriad Taste. They went through a lot of hardship and finally reached Chang¡¯an, but they couldn¡¯t find Qiao Jinniang. Fortunately, before they could find Duke Anyuan Mansion, they happened to see the sign of ¡°Myriad Taste¡± sent to this restaurant. Qiao Ergou¡¯s son-in-law was literate, so they followed the sign all the way to Myriad Taste. Qiao Jinniang straightened the bead hairpins in her hair, and helped Lu Chen wipe the rouge on his lips before going downstairs. There were about twenty members of the Qiao family standing at the door and shouted, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you ingrate! Did you forget how we helped you after your parents died? Now you become rich and want to ignore us?¡± ¡°We had thought that you had no brothers, so we wanted to inherit Myriad Taste. Now that you¡¯re not even the daughter of Qiao Yu, quickly spit out the money you earned from Myriad Taste over the years, and hand over the land deed of Myriad Taste!¡± Qiao Jinniang opened the door and looked at everyone at the door. ¡°Hi, long time no see.¡± Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was dressed much more luxurious than before, and her husband beside her even wearing a python robe, they hesitated. Qiao Jinniang said to them, ¡°Do you think that it¡¯s Lin¡¯an here? Do you think you can still bully me? Since you know that I am the daughter of Duke Anyuan, how dare you come to Chang¡¯an?¡± These people had never seen a duke, and the highest-ranking official they had ever seen was just a prefect. Hearing what Qiao Jinniang said, they were indeed a little scared. Qiao Ergou¡¯s son-in-law Xiucai Li said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, even if you are the daughter of a duke, you can¡¯t just ignore your poor relatives! ¡°And since you¡¯re not Qiao Yu¡¯s daughter, then Myriad Taste shouldn¡¯t be yours. You can¡¯t refuse if we want to take it back!¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang with a dark face, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time on them. I¡¯ll have my guards turn them over to the government.¡± Qiao Ergou said, ¡°You lowly gigolo, do you have the right to speak here?¡± 1 Qiao Ergou hated this man the most. If it weren¡¯t for this man, they would have already obtained Myriad Taste! Qiao Jinniang smiled¡­ ¡°Uncle, do you know that this ¡®gigolo¡¯ is the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty?¡± Chapter 123 - The Truth of the Divorce Letter Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Ergou widened his eyes. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, are you kidding me? If this gigolo is the crown prince, I am the emperor!¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°No one in this world has the courage to pretend to be me. Do you know what the crime is to pretend to be the crown prince?¡± Qiao Ergou knelt on the ground with a thud. ¡°Your Royal Highness, we, we don¡¯t know that you are the Crown Prince, but even if you are the Crown Prince, you have to be reasonable! ¡°Qiao Yu is a member of our Qiao family, and Myriad Taste is the property of the Qiao family. How can it be given to an outsider?¡± ¡°Besides, Qiao Jinniang is rich now and she simply ignored us. It¡¯s not justified, right? Since you are the Crown Prince, you should at least make me a prefect, right?¡± Qiao Jinniang was disgusted by these people. Lu Chen said to one of his secret guards, ¡°Put them in jail and interrogate them about that divorce letter!¡± Lu Chen had found out that the divorce letter didn¡¯t come from Chang¡¯an, so it could only be written by someone from Lin¡¯an. Only the disgusting Qiao family members might do this. ¡°You pretended to be me, which is a felony. You¡¯d better confess quickly if you don¡¯t want to be beheaded!¡± Qiao Ergou was stunned and looked at his son-in-law, who had already fainted in fright. Qiao Ergou knelt down and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, we didn¡¯t know that you were the Crown Prince at the time. The divorce letter was written by my son-in-law imitating your handwriting. We just wanted to get back the Myriad Taste that we deserve.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± divorce sosufferedtheand aturned was divorcesimple,Itorigin letter.been letter of the she angryout lotaboutthehadthatbut Lu Chen whispered in her ear. ¡°Now you believe me? How could I possibly divorce you?¡± Qiao Jinniang coughed and said to Qiao Ergou, ¡°According to Daddy¡¯s last words, Myriad Taste shall never be handed over to you. How did Myriad Taste become yours?¡± ¡°But daughter!¡±Qiao are biological Ergouyournot said,father¡¯syou Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°My father¡¯s biological daughter is the wife of the next Duke Qin. Do you dare to snatch Myriad Taste from her?¡± Aunt Qiao said to Qiao Ergou, ¡°Cousin, Qiao Jinniang has never obeyed us ever since she was a child. It is a waste of time to argue with her here. Why don¡¯t we go to Qiao Yu¡¯s biological daughter? ¡°Webenefits!¡± usto her She _bloodsomehasaregiverelatives.all ¡®When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she sneered. ¡°You guys have a good plan indeed, but unfortunately you will be punished severely for imitating the Crown Prince¡¯s handwriting. You want to see my sister? Nice try! But if I were you, I would hurry back and escape to Lin¡¯an!¡± Qiao Ergou and the others came all the way here for benefits. They were certainly unwilling to leave before they got what they wanted. son-in-lawwas Royaltheasdon¡¯twhoitfamily. imitatedhandwriting, us obediently, doyouryou us a mylfTaste and on ¡°It Myriad well as streets Lin¡®an!¡± with nothing homelessHighness¡¯s andin thebe of moneyYourruinto givereputationduke,Qiaowantour tohas daughterasa Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even care about my reputation when I was in Lin¡¯an, let alone now! Besides, in terms of reputation, I can invite my neighbors in Lin¡¯an City to come to tell the truth.¡± Qiao Ergou¡¯s youngest daughter said to him, ¡°Dad, forget it. Now that Sister is the daughter of a duke, it will get us nowhere to go against her.¡± comeErgou without tocargo leavehaveChang¡¯an the ¡°NoanygettingHow ship.said, wayallbenefits?!¡±in a way! WecanQiaowejust Qiao Yun¡¯er said, ¡°Father, just listen to me.¡± What benefits could they get to make trouble now? Qiao Jinniang was a duke¡¯s daughter now and her husband was the Crown Prince. Their old tricks wouldn¡¯t work here. Yun¡¯erleavetoofwasprosperity like having _ theseenChang¡¯an, willing However, certainlythis.Qiaonot She had to work out a good way! Then, Qiao Ergou and his party left, ignoring his son-in-law who had fainted in fright. After a while, Xiucai Li woke up with wetted pants. Lu drag Chen secret ground, into kneelinghandwriting hiswas He asked Taste.did¡±How youimitateLi Liguards and woodenonMyriadtomy the who thatthen aordered write satXiucailetter?¡±Xiucai ondivorce to chair Xiucai Li kowtowed and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I didn¡¯t want to write it. ¡°But the prefect¡¯s son forced me to write it. I worked as his staff, so I had no choice but to do so! Chang¡¯an, wayas ¡°Youimitated maybe theorfororderedletterto the I werethought Lin¡®an from killedawaythreeyour divorcebyin handwritingsowrite aon Imonths,almostson.you prefect¡¯s so were ¡°Ljust wanted to take Myriad Taste back. It was for Sister Jinniang¡¯s own good. Wouldn¡¯t it be a better choice for her to marry the prefect¡¯s son as a concubine? It was much better than being the shopkeeper of a restaurant. ¡°If I had known that you are the Crown Prince, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to do that no matter what!¡± Qiao Jinniangbedeepmy tookgood?¡±ForownDon¡¯t a breath. disgusting.¡± so Lu Chen said to his secret guard, ¡°Hand him over to the Governor of Chang¡¯an, imprison him for three years, and annul his title as ¡®Xiucai¡¯. He won¡¯t be allowed to participate in the imperial examinations in this life.¡± After Xiucai Li was taken away, Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Now you know you have mistaken me?¡± totheyou that¡¯l _youraboutconcubine.¡± fromnot demote thewronged most,want letter, youwe¡¯refacta ¡°Atwife Qiao tome even Jinniangnow.¡± but divorce snorted. about Qiao Jinniang was so angry at the time that she didn¡¯t even notice that the divorce letter was very suspicious. Immediately after the divorce letter reached her, the Qiao family and the prefect¡¯s son had come. Lu Chen hugged Qiao Jinniang in his arms and said, ¡°Can you trust me more in the future? You and I have been married for three years. How could I be willing to divorce you?¡± as aweak sorry.¡±as Jinniang¡±l¡¯maQiao whispered inmosquito¡¯s, voice himto Lu Chen smiled. It was not easy to make Qiao Jinniang bow her head and say sorry! the nature Qintherealizedlooked that mansion, yardgifts theQinfilled and Infickle how couldMiaomiao humanbe. at Duchess Qin looked at the gifts in the yard, held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand and said happily, ¡°Miaomiao, you¡¯re really Mother¡¯s good daughter. Now I¡¯d like to see what your concubine-bom sisters can do! ¡°The Lin family has repeatedly asked to break off the marriage contract. We should have agreed¡­ But His Royal Highness chose to go against his own sister to prove your innocence. He must have a crush on you!¡± frownedQin talk Miaomiaodon¡¯t_said,and ¡°Mother, nonsense.¡± ¡°I¡¯s not nonsense! It¡¯s said that the Crown Prince testified for you. If it weren¡¯t for him, you would have still been suffering all the grievances! It can be seen how much he loves you ¡°Now that he doesn¡¯t have a crown princess yet. It¡¯s not impossible for you to marry into the East Palace. ¡± Listening but end, knowdidn¡¯t to to of Prince.Crownsheonwantedin dareIn that sheQiaoQinhow. name the explain side, Jinniang tellthe theQiaotheRuoyun for Miaomiaodidn¡¯ttestified But hearing Duchess Qin¡¯s words, she was a bit angry. Qiao Jinniang risked offending the royal family to help Qin Miaomiao, but Duchess Qin coveted Jinniang¡¯s husband? This was disgusting! ononly feet.. and hadtheshe dropjinniang lifted rock theQin Prince hadliketoo, MiaomiaoataboutQiao rumorsherheardandshe moment feltathat Crowntoit own Chapter 124 - Treatment for the Crown Princess Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After the levee, even Duke Qin proudly said to Duke Anyuan, ¡°Your Excellency, can you do me a favor?¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°Yes? Duke Qin smiled and said, ¡°Have you heard that His Royal Highness testified for my daughter? ¡°My daughter is really lucky, and I want to thank His Royal Highness. ¡°This is a purse that my daughter made with her own hands. Can you pass it on to His Royal Highness?¡± How could Duke Anyuan not understand what Duke Qin meant? This old b*stard just wanted to show off. Many officials who passed by also congratulated Duke Qin. Duke Anyuan threw the purse back to Duke Qin. ¡°You can give it to him yourself¡± ¡®This old bstard wanted to steal his son-in-law, and even came to show off to him! He was being polite not to cut the purse open! In the Hall of Diligent Governance, Emperor Huilin said to Lu Chen, ¡°You finally figured it out. That¡¯s right. Although Qin Miaomiao is not as good as Xie Yun, she is a decent noble lady. Now that the Lin family has annulled the marriage contract with the Qin family, it¡¯s okay if you want Qin Miaomiao as your crown prince: Lu Chen said, ¡°Father, how can you believe the rumors?¡± Emperor Huilin frowned and said, ¡°Then why did you make your sister lose face for Qin Miaomiao?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I just wanted to right the wrongs. | have already promised Jinniang to make her my crown princess and never take a concubine. Emperor Huilin took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s early in the morning. Do you want to piss me off to death so that you can be enthroned? ¡°Cher¡¯er, you are not Qiao Jinniang¡¯s husband in Lin¡¯an now. You are the Crown Prince of Datang!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Father, I¡¯ve decided and I will never change my mind.¡± As Lu Chen¡¯s father, Emperor Huilin knew very well that once his son had decided on something, no one could make him change his mind. ¡°Forget it. Then let her enter the East Palace as soon as possible. When Qiao Jinniang entered the East Palace, at least he would be able to get a feast for his appetite every day. Lu Chen said, ¡°I want it, but she said there were too many court etiquettes for her to study. Well, can she be allowed not to learn those rules¡­¡± Emperor Huilin glared at Lu Chen. ¡°Now all you think about is your wife and have forgotten about your old father! Everyone has to learn those rul Duchess Qin happily held a banquet in autumn. Since Qiao Jinniang held a chrysanthemum banquet last time, flower banquets were the most popular in Chang¡¯an. Because holding chrysanthemum banquets could please the Empress Dowager, many people liked to hold chrysanthemum banquets. Duchess Qin held this chrysanthemum banquet today, firstly, to remove the bad luck from Qin Miaomiao, and s condly, she wanted to show off to Qiao Jinniang. Failing to dissuade her mother from doing this, Miaomiao was annoyed. Although Qiao Ruoyun didn¡¯t speak out, she could tell it. Why would His Royal Highness meddle in such a trivial matter? Only after Qiao Ruoyun went to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s house did she dare to clarify for her in the name of the Crown Prince. Qin Miaomiao certainly knew who the person who helped her was, but she couldn¡¯t tell it to her mother. Qiao Jinniang clarified for her in the Crown Prince¡¯s name, so she must not want others to know that she helped her. At this time, Qiao Jinniang wanted to take stock of the ingredients in Myriad Taste, which was prepared for the opening tomorrow. As soona he went out, she bumped into Fulu. Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang huffily and said, ¡°How can you let Qin Miaomiao win? No, I must not let you be beaten by Qin Miaomiao!¡± ¡°If Qin Miaomiao becomes the crown princess, Ill be angered to death!¡± ¡°Come, help County Mistress Jia¡®an wear better makeup. I must show the Crown Prince that Qin Miaomiao is not as good as Qiao Jinniang!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°My dear prin ., my restaurant will open tomorrow, so please spare me.¡± She also heard about the Qin family¡¯s chrysanthemum banquet today, and the Qin family didn¡¯t invite her. Even if they did, the restaurant was about to open tomorrow, and she didn¡¯t have time to go. Nonetheless, Fulu still took Qiao Jinniang to the Princess Mansion, and ordered her mother¡¯s maids to put on makeup and change clothes for Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang said helplessly, ¡°Princess, | have many things to tend to in Myriad Taste¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯l serve as a waitress at Myriad Taste tomorrow, okay?¡± Fulu asked Qiao Jinniang to sit in front of the mirror and picked up the rouge to rub it against Qiao Jinniang¡¯s lips. Fulu had always been running amok in the Qin family, so she took Qiao Jinniang straight in without waiting for the servants to report to Duchess Qin. Duchess Qin wanted to scold Fulu for being rude, but she didn¡¯t dare, so she could only mutter angrily in secret. On the surface, she still saluted. ¡°Welcome, Princess, but the banquet today is held to thank His Royal Highness. Later, His Royal Highness will come. You may disturb him by barging in like this. Fulu said, ¡°Oh? Where¡¯s Your Royal Highne: Duchess Qin was choked. ¡®The noble ladies whispered to each other, ¡°We¡¯ll have a good show to watch. Qiao Jinniang hasn¡¯t entered the ¡°However, she is the biological mother of the Crown Prince¡¯s heir. She must have come to make trouble.¡± ¡°What can she do? Who let her leave the Duke Mansion so stupidly? If she is still Duke Anyuan¡¯s daughter, she might be able to marry into the East Palace. :But she followed her mother out of the Duke Mansion, which was really stupid. ¡°phere hasn¡¯t been any imperial decree allowing her to enter the East Palace yet, so Qiao Jinniang probably won¡¯t be allowed to enter the imperial palace.¡± ¡°There must be a good show when the Crown Prince comes latet Qiao Ruoyun stepped forward and said, ¡°Sister, | heard that your restaurant is going to open tomorrow. I thought you must be busy, so I didn¡¯t invite you.¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at the cocky Fulu helplessly and said, ¡°Yes, Myriad Taste is of great significance to me. Please go to the opening ceremony tomorrow with Brother-in-law, $ Qiao Ruoyun smiled. ¡°Sure. When the Crown Prince arrives, the banquet will start. Sister, please take a seat.¡± Qiao Ruoyun took Qiao Jinniang to the table of honor, but before Qiao Jinniang sat down, Duchess Qin said, ¡°County Mistress Jia¡®an, you¡¯re not the daughter of Duke Anyuan now, so | am afraid that you can¡¯t sit at the table of honor. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just sit by the lotus pond. The scenery there is also good. ¡± Qin Miaomiao helplessly tugged at the sleeve of her mother and said, ¡°Mother!¡± Duchess Qin glared at Qin Miaomiao. Her nobility title was one level higher than Zheng Xiao, but people always respected Zheng Xiao more than her. Now that her daughter beat Zheng Xiao¡¯s daughter, how could she not avenge herself? Qin Miaomiao was very embarrassed. Her mother¡­ al: Fulu said, ¡°Jinniang is a distinguished guest brought by me. Why can¡¯t she sit beside me, but has to sit by the lotus pond Qiao Jinniang said to Fulu, ¡°Princess, the withered lotus has a special beauty. ¡®ll just sit by the lotus pond.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for Qiao Ruoyun. Just when everyone was seated, it was reported that His Royal Highness and Junior Duke Rong had arrived. Lu Chen came today, just to give fa to his future brother-in-law, Qin Shu. He didn¡¯t know the Qin family was holding a grand banquet for him until he arrived. He wanted to leave, only to see Qiao Jinniang sitting by the windy lotus pond alone. He strode over and sarcastically said to Qin Shu, ¡°Your family is so polite as to make your sister-in-law, who is a County Mistress, sit by the lotus pond? It has really opened my eyes.¡± It was very windy by the lotus pond, and Qiao Jinniang was wearing very thin clothes today. Lu Chen took off his cloak and put it on Qiao Jinniang. ¡°You have been sick twice since you came to Chang¡®an. How dare you sit in the wind wearing such thin clothes?¡± As soon as he said so, everyone was shocked, and even forgot to salute Lu Chen. ¡®The rumor had it that Qiao Jinniang was disliked by the Crown Prince, but now it seemed that it wasn¡¯t true at all! Qiao Jinniang¡¯s clothes were not thin, okay? And the Crown Prince just put his cloak embroidered with four-clawed golden pythons on Qiao Jinniang? Even the crown princess wouldn¡¯t receive such a treatment!. Chapter 125 - Winter Had Set In Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang smiled indifferently and said, ¡°I sat here because of the special beauty of the withered lotus here.¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°You still need to be careful. Chang¡¯an¡¯s winter is colder than Lin¡¯an¡¯s. Now it¡¯s late autumn, so you should wear more clothes.¡± Qiao Jinniang said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m not that delicate.¡± Seeing this scene, Duchess Qin was quite puzzled. She hurriedly brought Qin Miaomiao forward and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, thank you for clarifying for Miaomiao. Otherwise, Miaomiao will have been greatly wronged.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Earl Lin¡¯an had a life-saving grace for me, so I helped your family for the sake of her biological daughter.¡± Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly knelt down and thanked Lu Chen, and now everyone knew that the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t interested in Qin Miaomiao at all! It was funny that Duchess Qin treated Qiao Jinniang like that just now. Duchess Qin was full of remorse, so she could only force a smile and ask Lu Chen to sit on the seat of honor. Lu Chenyan said, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just sit next to County Mistress.¡± The other guests didn¡¯t dare to sit anymore and left the table one after another. As for Duchess Qin, she had to stand by and serve the Crown Prince and Qiao Jinniang. Fulu smiled smugly at Qin Miaomiao, came over and said to the Crown Prince, ¡°Imperial Cousin, when are you going to let Jinniang enter the East Palace? You know, some blind people think Jinniang is not worthy of you!¡± Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°If she agrees, she can enter the East Palace tomorrow.¡± Hearing it, everyone turned their eyes to Qiao Jinniang, and there was only one thought in their hearts. Is the Crown Prince joking? The Crown Prince was waiting for Qiao Jinniang to agree to enter the East Palace? And Qiao Jinniang refused?! Everyone was full of doubts, guessing that perhaps Qiao Jinniang was dissatisfied with the position given by His Royal Highness? But she was the biological mother of the Imperial Grandson after all. As long as she entered the East Palace, she would definitely live a very comfortable life. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t respond, but gracefully ate the dishes in front of her. She lost her appetite after just one bite. The chrysanthemum tofu was cold and had a beany smell. So she just ate some cold dishes to be polite. It wasn¡¯t until Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen left did everyone dare to discuss in twos and threes¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the first time I saw His Royal Highness, who was so handsome and unreachable, took such care of a woman!¡± ¡°The Crown Prince has never been so gentle and humble to a woman. Qiao Jinniang is so lucky! She was raised by commoners but she could still return to the Duke Mansion and now she can even be cared for by the Crown Prince!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you make fun of Qiao Jinniang in the racecourse that day? I told you not to do it. Now what are you going to do?!¡± Those noble ladies remembered what happened at the racecourse, regretted the big mistake they made, and were now all thinking how to make amends. It was said that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s Myriad Taste would be opening tomorrow, so they decided to attend the opening ceremony tomorrow. Early the next morning, Qiao Jinniang went to Myriad Taste. The band she hired had already started to play music, and at the doors of Myriad Taste, candies and pastries were distributed to passersby. When the sign was hung, there were already quite a few familiar noble ladies around the door, and as soon as the firecrackers went off, people went in one after another. When Qiao Jinniang saw Qiao Ruoyun coming over, she asked, ¡°Sister, did you invite these people over?¡± Qiao Ruoyun shook her head with a smile. ¡°No, yesterday, His Royal Highness showed everyone how much he cared for you. And seeing how you are so favored by the Crown Prince, how dare these people not come to flatter you?¡± Qiao Jinniang had been worried that business might not be good. Now it seemed that she had worried in vain. There was not only a queue at the door of Tasty Pavilion, but there was also a long queue outside Myriad Taste. Fortunately, there were plenty of ingredients in Myriad Taste. Even if there were many customers, the ingredients were enough. But there was a shortcoming for Myriad Taste. Next to Tasty Pavilion were silk shops, jewelry stores, bookstores and other shops. As for Myriad Taste, however, although there was a fair here, there were very few fancy shops, and the noble ladies who came to Myriad Taste had no place to go shopping. Moreover, there were many commoners at the fair, so noble ladies wouldn¡¯t set foot in such a place. Qiao Jinniang wanted to buy the shops on both sides, thinking that she could also open stores selling silk, jewelry, and rough here. Although the jewelry in Chang¡¯an¡¯s jewelry stores was beautiful, she had to wait for a long time if she wanted to customize the jewelry she liked in those stores because they were too busy. Besides, the masters in her jewelry shop in the South had mastered hard gold craftsmanship, which was not available in Chang¡¯an yet. During the lunch break, Qiao Jinniang went to the two shops next door and asked to buy the shops. The shopkeepers of those two shops knew Qiao Jinniang and saw that Qiao Jinniang was young, so they demanded an exorbitant price. Unexpectedly, Qiao Jinniang took out the silver note readily and asked them to go to the government with her and handle the procedures. The two shopkeepers regretted that they didn¡¯t demand an even higher price to rip Qiao Jinniang off more. Qiao Jinniang believed in her own judgment. Now the noble ladies usually went to the street beside Tasty Pavilion for shopping, and very few of them came here. But as Myriad Taste and her pastry shop opened, this street would surely prosper. There was a fair nearby. Those foreign merchants would come here to trade if they wanted to bring the popular rouge and jewelry in Chang¡¯an back to their hometowns. So although the two shopkeepers demanded very high prices, it could save unnecessary trouble. If they found their old shops¡¯ business was booming in the future, they might be jealous and make trouble, which Qiao Jinniang wanted to avoid. After Qiao Jinniang bought the shops, she wrote to Lin¡¯an and asked if the masters were willing to come to Chang¡¯an. If they weren¡¯t, they could send their apprentices over. It would take at least a month to get a reply. Thus, Qiao Jinniang simply found a few craftsmen first. She could not draw but she was good at carving. She carved the jewelry style she wanted with radish and gave it to the craftsmen, ordering them to make it. After she had been busy for more than half a month, the winter hunt was coming. She didn¡¯t realize it at all. In late October, Chang¡¯an began to snow. It snowed in Lin¡¯an sometimes too, but it wouldn¡¯t snow so early and heavily in Lin¡¯an. Nuomi went into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room holding a handful of white feather-like snow. ¡°Miss, this is the first time I have seen such heavy snow.¡± Hongling chuckled. ¡°The snow in Chang¡¯an has always been this heavy. I just hope it will not be as cold as last year. By the way, Miss, there are rules for the use of charcoal fire in Chang¡¯an. In the past, the Duke could get the best Silver Filament Charcoal from the imperial palace, but now we can only buy ordinary charcoal, which will produce more smoke than Silver Filament Charcoal. ¡°Although we have an under-floor heating system, it¡¯s getting colder. I am afraid that an under-floor heating system won¡¯t be enough, and we may still have to use a charcoal brazier.¡±. Chapter 126 - You Don’t Have Me in Your heart Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang rarely used charcoal fire in Lin¡¯an. After all, there were only a few days when it was really cold, and charcoal fire was easy to get people poisoned, so most people didn¡¯t use it. She hadn¡¯t thought of this. ¡°Can¡¯t we buy it even if you have money?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked. Hongling nodded and said, ¡°There was a cold disaster in Chang¡¯an in the early years, and the price of charcoal fire skyrocketed. Many people didn¡¯t even have firewood for the winter, and many people froze to death. Seeing this, the imperial court immediately regulated the sale of charcoal fire. ¡°The best Silver Filament Charcoal can only be distributed by the imperial palace to officials. ¡°Ordinary charcoal can only be purchased from places specified by the court. Although it is also divided into upper, middle and lower grades, it¡¯s not as good as Silver Filament Charcoal.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t mind it, but now that her mother was pregnant, they couldn¡¯t use poor charcoal. Yuyan came in from outside the door, shook off the snow flakes on her body and said, ¡°Miss, today a servant of the Duke Anyuan Mansion sent over two baskets of Silver Filament Charcoal and said it was the Duke¡¯s order.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Give mother and Ruoyi a basket each.¡± There was no reason to reject the Silver Filament Charcoal delivered to the door. But Qiao Jinniang was more concerned about the charcoal fire in the Myriad Taste and the Tasty Pavilion. Unlike ice cubes in summer, charcoal fire couldn¡¯t be bought even if you had money, so the heating in the Tasty Pavilion would be a problem. She couldn¡¯t sell such expensive dishes and use poor charcoal fire for customers. Only then did Qiao Jinniang think of Lu Chen, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a while. After she ordered the maids to leave, she opened the entrance of the tunnel, only to see Lu Chen coming out of the tunnel. After Lu Chen came out of the tunnel, he held her in his arms and said, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t come to you these days, why don¡¯t you come to see me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I bought a few shops next to Myriad Taste in Chang¡¯an to open a jewelry shop, a silk and satin shop, and a rouge shop. ¡°It is extremely difficult to customize jewelry in the jewelry store on the main street, and it usually takes several months. Some jewelry is already out of date when you finally get it. So, | want to open my own shop, which can not only make me money, but also make jewelry | like.¡± Lu Chen smiled helplessly and said, ¡°Did you know that there is the Shanggong Bureau in the imperial palace? You can ask the Shanggong Bureau to make whatever jewelry you want. Their craftsmanship is much better than the jewelry shops outside the imperial palace. You don¡¯t need to open a jewelry store yourself.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Although the craftsmanship in the Shanggong Bureau is good, it¡¯s not as convenient as making my own jewelry myself, and the most important thing is to make money. ¡°You know, many customers of Myriad Taste are all noble ladies. If | open these shops next to Myriad Taste, | will definitely make a lot of money. ¡°By the way, can you do me a favor? I want some Silver Filament Charcoal to be used in the Tasty Pavilion. There are only you and Tuan¡¯er in the East Palace. The excess Silver Filament Charcoal is not used. It is better to give it to me instead of wasting it, right?¡± Lu Chen sighed and said, ¡°Jin¡¯er, when you become the crown princess, you¡¯ll have as much money as you want. Why do you have to be so busy earning money yourself? And if you open so many shops now, what would happen when you enter the East Palace¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. ¡°I thought last time you had allowed me to open a restaurant and do business.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I know that Myriad Taste means a lot to you, and Huixiang and Bajia should have a place to settle. ¡°But now your business is getting bigger and bigger, and you even want to open a rouge shop, a silk shop and a jewelry shop. You won¡¯t have so much energy to manage them.¡± Qiao Jinniang left Lu Chen¡¯s arms, sat on the wooden couch, poured herself a cup of tea and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to rely on you all the time. Being the crown princess is good, but once I leave you, I¡¯ll be nothing. ¡°If I have my own shops and money, even if I leave the imperial palace, I can still live a good life. ¡°Just like my mother, she dared to divorce because she had her dowry, which included manors and shops.¡± Lu Chen¡¯s face also darkened. ¡°I¡¯m so humble to you. Do you want me to kneel down and beg you? ¡°But you still think about leaving the East Palace one day? You are already thinking of leaving it before you even enter it?¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Who knows if you will regret it one day and feel that I am not worthy of being your wife?¡± ¡°I have to find a way out for myself.¡± Lu Chen was annoyed. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°You are not as reliable as money.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I recited the famous poem when | was three years old, ¡®We vowed to grow old together, but before we became old, you fell in love with someone else! A surging river has its bank, and a wide marsh always has an end. Now I recall how happy we were in the past and your vows of eternal love for me are still ringing in my ears, but you¡¯ve broken your vows.¡± ¡°My father and mother only had each other in their lives, and when I married you, I thought we could be like them. ¡°Since you had thought that I was not worthy of being your crown princess. ¡°And I¡¯ve seen too many men in Chang¡¯an betray their wives. It is better to believe in money than in you!¡± Lu Chen took a deep breath. ¡°Jin¡¯er, can you put yourself in my shoes¡­¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you put yourself in my shoes?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You¡¯re right, if you didn¡¯t promise never to take a concubine and be humble to me, I wouldn¡¯t even have forgiven you right now.¡± ¡°But you have once hurt me, so I want to leave a retreat for myself. You can¡¯t even allow this?¡± Lu Chen let out a long sigh. ¡°We¡¯re not doing business. There shouldn¡¯t be something like a ¡®retreat¡¯ between us. ¡°I¡¯m annoyed because you have never put me in your heart. If you have me in your heart, how can you mention leaving so easily? How can you think of a ¡®retreat¡¯?¡± Qiao Jinniang held back her tears and said, ¡°How can you say that I don¡¯t have you in my heart? You are my husband and the person closest to me, but after you came to Chang¡¯an, you walked out of my heart.¡± ¡°Now you are blaming me for not having you in my heart. If you have me in your heart, you will never think of demoting me from your wife into your concubine!¡± Lu Chen sat next to Qiao Jinniang, took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. ¡°Haven¡¯t we agreed to let bygones be bygones? Why did you mention it again? ¡°Okay, I will allow you to do business and give you as much Silver Filament Charcoal as you want. I¡¯ll reserve some for Xi¡¯er, and if it¡¯s still not enough, I will send Xi¡¯er to my mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Why do I need your permission to do business? Even if you don¡¯t agree, I will do business.¡± ¡°After I came to Chang¡¯an, I realized how important money is, at least it¡¯s more useful than a man.¡± Lu Chen was silent. When will Qiao Jinniang know that power was much more useful than money? ¡°By the way, do you remember the winter hunt I told you about last time? We¡¯ll be going to the paddock in a few days. I also ordered the Shanggong Bureau to make you riding clothes and jewelry. Do you want to go to the racecourse to practice riding first?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Oh, I forgot about this. The winter hunt is imminent, and the noble ladies in Chang¡¯an will need new jewelry. ¡°| happen to open a jewelry store at this time, and the new styles will definitely make a lot of money.¡± Lu Chen smiled helplessly. It seemed that she only had money in her eyes now.. Chapter 127 - Jinniang Was Impeached by An Imperial Censor Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t tell anyone she opened a jewelry shop except for Lu Chen. Myriad Taste had been doing very well these days, and many noble girls came to check out what clothes and jewelry their peers would wear for the winter hunt. On these hunting grounds, hunting was important, but for women, what clothes and jewelry they wore was important too. As soon as the news of the winter hunt was spread, the satin shops and jewelry shops frequented by noble ladies became overcrowded. ¡°Huh? There is a new jewelry store here! There was no such shop yesterday!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± As soon as the girls entered, they were attracted by a novel golden tuinga in the shop. The golden tuinga was inlaid with red gems, and there were golden flowers at the bottom, decorated with small and shiny pearls. A lifelike butterfly made of gold filigree was situated on this tuinga. It was as if it was smelling the fragrance of the flower, which looked very chic. ¡°How much is this golden tuinga?¡± The shop assistant said, ¡°Ladies, this Flower Butterfly Tuinga has been ordered by County Mistress Jia¡¯an. If you want it, you will have to wait for half a month. The price is 10,000 taels of silver.¡± ¡°What? How much is it?!¡± ¡°10,000 taels.¡± The shop assistant said, ¡°This tuinga is not something that ordinary craftsmen can make, especially the gold filigree butterfly, which is very tiring to make.¡± ¡°10,000 taels is a robbery!¡± a noble woman exclaimed, ¡°Even in the best jewelry store in Chang¡¯an, the most expensive tuinga is only 1,000 taels. What¡¯s so special about this tuinga?¡± ¡°Yes, County Mistress Jia¡¯an owns two restaurants and has money to burn, so she dare to waste money like this!¡± ¡°She is quite favored by His Royal Highness, so she can certainly buy a tuinga worth 10,000 taels of silver without blinking an eye!¡± ¡°Exactly. How can His Royal Highness not afford a tuinga? But he indulges Qiao Jinniang too much.¡± He not only put his python robe on Qiao Jinniang, but also bought her jewelry worth 10,000 taels? In Chang¡¯an, the dowry of a noble lady was usually around 20,000 to 30,000 taels of silver. This tuinga cost half a normal dowry, so no one could buy it no matter how beautiful it was¡­ ¡°Do I have to wait for half a month? I want it now.¡± ¡°Miss Ren, are you crazy? Why are you wasting money like this? With 10,000 taels of silver, you can hire craftsmen and make one hundred golden gold tuingaas! ¡± Miss Ren said, ¡°I will get married next year, and this Flower Butterfly Tuinga symbolizes ¡°having a lot of children and grandchildren¡±, which is very auspicious. Besides, | will be married only once in my life. I want to wear this beautiful tuinga for my wedding.¡± Several noble ladies who were going to get married at the end of the year nodded silently. They couldn¡¯t afford this tuinga, but they could still walk around to see if there was other jewelry they liked. However, even the cheapest auspicious cloud-shaped jewelry costs nearly 1,000 taels of silver, not to mention other jewelry. Although the jewelry was expensive, the novel styles made their eyes glued to the jewelry. Currently, Qiao Jinniang was inside the store, and seeing that only one person bought a piece of jewelry, she wondered if the prices were set too high? But there were already enough jewelry shops in Chang¡¯an. If she copied the other jewelry shops, her shop might not be able to make money. Thus, she passed a note to the shop assistant outside. After the shop assistant got the note, he said to the girls, ¡°Ladies, for each style of jewelry in our shop, we¡¯ll only sell it to three people. After selling it to three people, this style of jewelry won¡¯t be sold again. ¡°If another craftsman imitates our store¡¯s jewelry, we will sue him. ¡°There is only one Flower Butterfly Tuinga available now. No one will have the same tuinga with you if you order it, except for County Mistress Jia¡¯an and Miss Ren.¡± The ladies who were still hesitating if they could hire craftsmen to copy this tuinga all stopped and placed their orders. Each style of jewelry would only be sold to three people, making it very exquisite and precious. They would gain face if they wore it. After the ladies left, the shop assistant walked up to Qiao Jinniang and placed the recorded orders in front of Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang took the small gold abacus decorated with pearls on the side, and she was stunned after she calculated the sum of the orders. ¡°One hundred thousand taels of silver?¡± Even if deducting the cost by one-third, it meant that she earned 60,000 taels a day¡­ Besides, the cost was not as high as one-third¡­ 60,000 taels of silver was almost equivalent to a month¡¯s tax in a wealthy town¡­ Qiao Jinniang said to the shop assistant, ¡°No matter who comes to inquire about your boss, you must not tell them anything about me!¡± Qiao Jinniang wanted to keep a low profile. Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste had already made many people jealous, not to mention such a profitable jewelry store. The shop assistant responded repeatedly, ¡°Boss, you can rest assured that I¡¯ll never tell anyone my boss is you.¡± Qiao Jinniang took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Serve guests with care. By the way, tell the customers that we¡¯ll renew and repair any jewelry they buy in our shop for a lifetime. If the beads fall off or the gold thread is broken, we can fix it for them.¡± The shop assistant saluted. ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± For two days in a row, the ledger sent from the jewelry store really made Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart skip a beat, and she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim that women in Chang¡¯an were really rich. She carved novel jewelry styles out of radish and sent it to the jewelry store. Yuyan trotted in and panted. ¡°Miss, not good, an imperial censor has impeached you today.¡± ¡°Impeach me?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked curiously, ¡°I¡¯m not an official, and now I¡¯m not the daughter of Duke Anyuan. Why did he impeach me?¡± ¡°The censor said that you were extravagant and wasteful, and that you didn¡¯t care about family affection, and causing your poor relatives in Lin¡¯an to live on the streets and become beggars, but you used Silver Filament Charcoal in the lobby of Tasty Pavilion. ¡°And that you spent 10,000 taels of silver to buy a Flower Butterfly Tuinga, setting a bad example for the noble ladies in Chang¡¯an! ¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t those people left Chang¡¯an? As for the tuinga, I bought it with my own money. What does it have to do with that censor?¡± At this moment, Hongling also hurried in and said, ¡°Miss, an eunuch came from the imperial palace and said that Her Majesty summoned you.¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang changed into a relatively low-key palace dress, and only wore some plain jewelry to enter the imperial palace. After entering the imperial palace, she was led into the Queen¡¯s palace by the eunuch. When Qiao Jinniang entered the palace, she saluted the Queen and said, ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Arise.¡± The Queen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I summoned you because I want to see what kind of tuinga would cost 10,000 taels of silver.¡± Qiao Jinniang bowed her head and said, ¡°I know I was wrong, and I must abide by diligence and thrift in the future¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not like Censor Tong who only set his eyes on women¡¯s tuinga. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°If Your Majesty wants to see it, I will bring the Flower Butterfly Tuinga over next time I come.¡± The Queen smiled and said, ¡°Okay, but Censor Tong is a censor after all. Since he has impeached you, I¡¯ll have to ¡°punish¡± you. You can donate some money. ¡°Also, give some money to the Qiao family and make them return to Lin¡¯an so that it won¡¯t affect your reputation. Otherwise, if you enter the East Palace in the future, those clan relatives will bring you trouble.¡±. Chapter 128 - Relief Workshop Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Qiao Jinniang lowered her eyes and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the Qiao family is insatiable. If I give them some benefits, they will only demand more.¡± ¡°If I give them money and ask them to return home, maybe tomorrow they will run amuck in the name of my sister and mine in Lin¡®an. ¡°Moreover, if they use up the money, they will definitely come to Chang¡¯an again. I will never be able to satisfy them!¡± Empress Zhou sighed. ¡°It is indeed unlucky to have such relatives, but they are your former relatives anyway. If you just sit by and watch them become beggars, I am afraid that your reputation will be affected.¡± ¡°Chang¡¯an is not Lin¡¯an. After all, it is necessary for you to maintain a good reputation. ¡°They can¡¯t cause you any serious trouble anyway. If you don¡¯t want to give them money, I¡¯ll give them some money and send them away.¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly said, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s not about money. You can rest assured that I will handle this matter properly. Even if I can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll bear the consequences alone and will not implicate His Royal Highness.¡± Empress Zhou chuckled and said, ¡°But he is your husband. Why did Censor Tong impeach you today? Isn¡¯t it because you are the biological mother of the imperial grandson and the future crown princess? ¡°You don¡¯t want to implicate Chen¡¯er, but it¡¯s not possible. Since you and Chen¡¯er got married, you two have been tied to the same boat.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But I haven¡¯t entered the East Palace yet. I can cut off all connections with His Royal Highness and bear the bad reputation alone.¡± Empress Zhou said helplessly, ¡°Jinniang, after Chen¡¯er returned, he has repeatedly angered his father who loves him the most for you. His Majesty is the Emperor after all. Although he is Chen¡¯er¡¯s father, he is also the Emperor of the country. He has disobeyed His Majesty for you many times, but what about you?¡± ¡°You want to cut off all connections with him just because of a few irrelevant clansmen? You said it was for the good of Chen¡¯er, but can you abandon Chen¡¯er so easily?¡± Qiao Jinniang pursed her lips. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t want to abandon His Royal Highness, but I think maybe I¡¯m not worthy of being the crown princess. ¡°Censor Tong is the elder brother of Your Majesty¡¯s sister-in-law and Your Excellency Duke Wu¡¯s brother-in-law, so he is certainly on His Royal Highness¡¯ side. ¡°He has impeached me because I am the mother of the imperial grandson, but wasn¡¯t it also to protect His Royal Highness?¡± Empress Zhou looked at Qiao Jinniang in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to know the complicated relations among the nobles and officials in Chang¡¯an?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°After all, 1 don¡¯t want to be blind. Your Majesty, I also want to be His Royal Highness¡¯ good wife, but I know why I, an insignificant woman, was targeted. ¡°Censor Tong must be trying to strike first, for fear that other imperial censors will impeach His Royal Highness for condoning my extravagance and ignoring poor relatives. ¡°Or maybe he didn¡¯t think I deserve to be favored by His Royal Highness. ¡°In any case, this impeachment is aimed at His Royal Highness. If His Royal Highness can¡¯t properly handle the officials, why should he blame me for giving up so easily?¡± Queen Zhou looked at Qiao Jinniang, took a sip of tea and said, ¡°If you have any idea, then try it first.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. After leaving the Queen¡¯s palace, Qiao Jinniang went to the Relief Workshop in the west of Chang¡¯an. The Relief Workshop was in the west side of Chang¡¯an, an area where there were poor childless elderly, abandoned children, and some crazy people who had been driven out by their families and had nowhere to go. In the Relief Workshop, there was a place called Jingci Garden, which accommodated old people who could no longer work. Additionally, there was a place called Disability Hall for disabled people, and Foundling Home. In the Foundling Home were all children under the age of 12, and for most of the children, once they were 12 years old, they would go out to work as servants, maids, laborers or embroiderers. Qiao Jinniang went to the Foundling Home. The chief of the Foundling Home was a 40-year-old lean woman. She said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Nice to meet you, County Mistress. The one hundred taels of silver you donated really helped us out, thank you!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s getting colder and colder. I came to donate some charcoal fire, and do you need books here?¡± The lady said, ¡°For the children here, it¡¯s just too much to hope for food and clothing. They dare not dream to learn how to read and write. Let me call the children out to thank you, County Mistress.¡± The chief came out with the children, and Qiao Jinniang found that they were all girls. ¡°Why are they all girls?¡± The chief said, ¡°These are times of peace and most ordinary people live well. Even if there are orphans, their clansmen can take care of them. ¡°But if some girls whose parents own some property but don¡¯t have any brothers, after their parents died, their clansmen would drive them out or abuse them to death so as to take possession of their parents! properties. ¡°Fortunately, well-intentioned people would send them to the Foundling Home. There are also some people who had many daughters but still wanted to have a boy. In the end, they couldn¡¯t afford their daughters but didn¡¯t want to be scolded for selling their daughters, so they sent their daughters here. ¡°Some were adulterous children and had nowhere to go. Some were the daughters of official prostitutes who didn¡¯t want their daughters to be official prostitutes as well, so they sent them here.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw only five boys, and most of the girls were skinny. Although the Foundling Home had subsidies from the government and donations, it was far from enough. Qiao Jinniang was a mother. Seeing the girls about the same age as Xi¡¯er dressed in tatters, she felt uncomfortable. She thought that if she had a daughter, she would never let her dress in such thin and tattered clothes. ¡°Wow, Sister, are you a princess? Your dress is so beautiful!¡± ¡°And the hairpin on your head is also very beautiful.¡± ¡°Can I be as beautiful as you when I grow up?¡± Surrounded and praised for being beautiful by a group of girls, Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but smile happily. She rubbed one of the girls¡¯ cheeks and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait to grow up. When the tailor makes your clothes, you will surely be beautiful.¡± The chief said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°This will cost you too much money. Besides, they are children, and they don¡¯t need to be dressed well. It¡¯s enough for them to wear some old cotton-padded clothes of the maids in rich families.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Girls should dress beautifully. I¡¯ll make a dress for each of them.¡± The chief sighed. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, County Mistress, but it¡¯s really unnecessary. The money and charcoal fire you donated earlier are already enough. ¡°Good and evil people mix around here. If the girls are dressed too beautifully, there may be some b*stards who¡­Well, it would be better for them to dress in tatters. ¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t get what she meant. ¡°What do you mean? Will those people steal their clothes and sell them?¡± The chief said, ¡°No, if these girls dress too beautifully, those beasts may harass them, and there are some old b*stards in Jingci Garden. ¡°There are many kinds of people living next to Relief Workshop, and some seriously ill jerks realized that they are going to die soon, so they¡­ alas!¡± Hearing her words, Qiao Jinniang felt sad. ¡°I still want to make them clothes. I¡¯ll give you more money. You can buy some strong mammies to protect these girls.¡±. Chapter 129 - Set Up A School Chapter 129 Set Up A School When Qiao Jinniang went back home, her mind was still full of those poor children. Just as the chief said, those children were really pitiful. If it was a time of war and turmoil, everyone was in danger, and they could only blame bad luck. But these children were born in times of peace but ended up with such a tragic fate. Just wearing new clothes could even bring them disasters. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lu Chen walked to Qiao Jinniang and asked, ¡°Why are you ignoring me? It is rumored that I gave you 10,000 taels of silver to buy a golden tuinga. I heard that Censor Tong impeached you today, but you don¡¯t have to take it seriously. I¡¯ll donate some money to the Foundling Home in your name.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°I went to the Foundling Home to donate some money to repair my reputation, but after I saw those poor children, I felt really sad.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°There are always some poor people in this world. Even in times of peace, it is inevitable. Now that the government has allocated money to the Foundling Home, they should be able to be fed and clothed.¡± Qiao Jinniang whispered, ¡°I think of Ruyi. Do you still remember her?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember any other woman!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Ruyi is my childhood friend. We played together until my parents sent me to school when I was four years old. ¡°She wanted to go to school too, but she couldn¡¯t afford pens and paper, so she could only ask me to teach her to read and write. At that time, I was too young and didn¡¯t want to touch pens when I got home, so I just asked her to play with me. ¡°And later, she and I grew distant from each other. And because she was illiterate, she was tricked by a man into signing a contract to sell herself, and she had to serve as a maid. ¡°If she weren¡¯t illiterate, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up as a poor maid. Maybe literacy is not a big deal, but it can at least save her from a disaster.¡± ¡°I remember this matter. The prefect punished that man severely later, right?¡± Lu Chen asked. lan sev Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yeah, but she was once a servant after all, so it was very difficult for her to find a husband. I think it would be nice if I could set up a school for the children in the Foundling Home. ¡°It will cost at least 50,000 taels of silver to set up a school, and after it¡¯s set up, it will still cost more than 10,000 taels of silver every year. ¡°I can afford this money, but I wonder if it¡¯s worth it¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be bad if they still become slaves and maids after they learn how to read and write?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Even if they become servants and maids, it will be easier to become higher-ranking ones if they are literate. ¡°Besides, the school can teach not only reading and writing, but also chess, calligraphy, painting and embroidery etc¡­ But if you want to run the school for the long term, it will be more laborious, and this is not something that can be solved just by spending money. ¡°You have to consider the teachers and so many children¡¯s food, clothing and shelter. If anything bad happens in the school, the reputation of the entire school may also be ruined.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You¡¯re right. By the way, I heard that after female officials and mammies leave the imperial palace, they will be hired by nobles and wealthy families to teach their daughters. Is it true?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t they ready-made teachers? Those noble and wealthy families only hire them for a period of time, but if I set up a school, those female officials and mammies can live in the school even after their retirement. ¡°Since they can be female officials in the imperial palace, they must be very good teachers. In terms of their salary, I think I can afford hiring them.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang so enthusiastic about this, Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Where did you get so much money?¡± ¡°Now the daily income of Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion is about a thousand taels of silver, and tens of thousands taels for Jewelry Pavilion. I can¡¯t spend so much money alone. Just as mentioned in the novels, the rich should help the poor!¡± Lu Chen was startled. ¡°How long has your Jewelry Pavilion been open? Tens of thousands of taels of silver a day?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can check the ledger¡­¡± Lu Chen flipped through the ledger and clenched his hands, saying angrily, ¡°The daughter of a mere Deputy Minister of Revenue can spend 5,000 taels of silver to buy jewelry> How can it be possible if her father isn¡¯t corrupt?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Oh, you are not allowed to read the ledger anymore. Do you want to confiscate all my customers¡¯ properties and put them in jail?¡± Lu Chen took the account book from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand, held her in his arms and said. ¡°Think about it. If I arrest these corrupt officials, you can still earn the money, and the jewelry will be charged to the state treasury. Isn¡¯t the jewelry still all yours?¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°But those jewelry have to be picked by the people in the imperial palace first.¡± Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will intercept all the jewelry from my father¡¯s side.¡± Qiao Jinniang whispered, ¡°Why do I think it¡¯s not good to do this? It¡¯s a bit like fraud.¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°In your account book, most of your customers are from aristocratic families. I will only catch a few big corrupt officials. It will definitely not damage the reputation of your Jewelry Pavilion.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After deciding to set up a school, she went to the outskirts of Chang¡¯an to find a manor, which was suitable to build a school. After Qiao Jinniang bought the manor, she went to find the chief in the Foundling Home and told her about the school. The chief¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°County Mistress¡­ running a school will cost a lot. It¡¯s not something that can be done overnight. Even if you spend hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, you may not get anything in return.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything in return. I just want to help those poor children. Besides, I¡¯m not short of money. I want to ask you to be the principal of the school, and I will hire many teachers to teach the children to read, write, cook and embroider and other skills. ¡°There are fish ponds, fruit forests and several acres of fields in the manor, and the children can also cultivate by themselves.¡± ¡°If you want to give me something in return, after some of them learn how to cook and make pastries, you can ask them to work in my Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion.¡± The chief knelt down to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°County Mistress, thank you for your grace! I don¡¯t know how these children should repay you!¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly helped the chief up and said, ¡°We are all women. Even in times of peace, women¡¯s lives are still difficult. Since I can help, I must help them as much as I can.¡± The chief called over all the children in the Foundling Home and had them kowtow to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°County Mistress, thank you.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Get up quickly. If you really want to thank me, then you should study skills well so that you can have a better future.¡± The winter hunt was imminent, and the small jewelry shop named Jewelry Pavilion opposite the Myriad Taste almost saw its threshold stepped flat by customers. Fulu pulled Qiao Jinniang inside and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about the Jewelry Pavilion when you bought the tuinga? Do you know we¡¯ll lose face if we don¡¯t wear the jewelry from the Jewelry Pavilion during the winter hunt?!¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled and said, ¡°Princess, you can wear jewelry made by the Shanggong Bureau in the imperial palace, which is better than the jewelry made in the Jewelry Pavilion.¡± ¡°Although the jewelry made by the Shanggong Bureau is exquisite, it¡¯s not as chic and novel as that in the Jewelry Pavilion!¡± Fulu said, ¡°Do you know now everyone is trying to find out who is the Jewelry Pavilion¡¯s boss and wants to establish a relationship with him!¡± As soon as Princess Fulu said so, a sarcastic voice was heard. ¡°County Mistress, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still in the mood to shop in the Jewelry Pavilion. Can¡¯t you see that your former relatives are about to freeze to death by the roadside! I¡¯m really disgusted by you!¡± A woman Qiao Jinniang had never seen before walked up to her and said. Tong Xuan, who was beside that woman, suddenly slapped the woman in the face. ¡°How dare you speak to County Mistress Jia¡¯an like that?!¡± Chapter 130 - You Should Return Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste to the Qiao Clan Chapter 130 You Should Return Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste to the Qiao Clan Slapped in the face, the woman still said loftily, ¡°Behind the vermilion gates, meat and wine go to waste while out on the road lie the bones of the frozen. Qiao Jinniang, how can you treat your relatives like this? You¡¯re get retribution sooner or later!¡± Tong Xuan said in a hurry and anger, ¡°If you want to court death, don¡¯t implicate me!¡± Qiao Jinniang knew Tong Xuan. She was the daughter of Censor Tong, who impeached her two days ago, and the niece of Mrs. Zhou, the Queen¡¯s sister-in-law. In the racecourse that day, Tong Xuan also satirized her, but when Myriad Taste opened, she came to attend the opening ceremony and presented gifts. Tong Yingying said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re too timid! She has not entered the East Palace yet, and even if she has, why can¡¯t I scold her for being extravagant and wasteful? The late Imperial Censor Wei once scolded Emperor Taizong¡¯s harem for extravagance, and Emperor Taizong felt extremely ashamed, but what about Qiao Jinniang? ¡°After being impeached by my father, she is still shamelessly extravagant, ignores her relatives, and is extremely cold blooded!¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°Did I spend your Tong family¡¯s money? I opened a restaurant by myself and earned money by myself. Why can¡¯t I buy jewelry I like? e are ¡°You keep mentioning frozen bones. Where are they? Miss Tong, if you¡¯re so benevolent, why don¡¯t you take off your clothes for the beggars to wear? ¡°You said there are still frozen bones on the roadside in Chang¡¯an. Are you saying that the courtiers are incompetent? ¡°I spent the money I earned. Who the heck are you? Oh, sorry, what makes you think you are entitled to preach to me?!¡± l are Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t seen such an unreasonable woman for a long time. If Qiao Ruoshui was just stupid and ignorant, this woman was purely disgusting. She took the moral high ground and accused Qiao Jinniang of being extravagant. This was not the first time Qiao Jinniang had seen this kind of woman. In Lin¡¯an, she also met some goody two-shoes, who advised her to reconcile with the Qiao clan. After all, she had so much money, so why not give out a little? But why would she give her money to those disgusting people?! Fulu chuckled, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, this is the first time I heard you scolding someone¡­ Good job!¡± Tong Xuan was so frightened that she almost knelt down, but thinking that Qiao Jinniang was not yet the crown princess, she said to Tong Yingying, ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene of yourself.¡± Tong Yingying snorted. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, Qiao Yu has no son, so that restaurant should be given to the Qiao clan. Besides, you are not even Qiao Yu¡¯s daughter!¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. ¡°But I have a husband who married into my family, so I have the right to inherit the restaurant.¡± Tong Yingying said with a condescending demeanor, ¡°But your so-called husband is His Royal Highness. How could he possibly marry into your family? And how can the imperial grandson be surnamed Qiao? ¡°Since the imperial grandson is not surnamed Qiao, you should return Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion that you bought with the money you earned from Myriad Taste to the Qiao clan. This has been our tradition since ancient times!¡± Qiao Jinniang was disgusted and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s our tradition, but now Qiao Yu is the sworn brother of Duke Anyuan, so he belongs to the Qiao clan from the Southwest, so what does he have to do with the Qiao clan in Lin¡¯an?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°That¡¯s what you did after Qiao Yu¡¯s death, and he didn¡¯t know about it. Qiao Jinniang, you don¡¯t put your clan relatives in your eyes at all. You are unkind, unrighteous and unfilial. You make me sick!¡± Fulu was extremely annoyed. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, what should I do? I want to scold her, but I think what she said makes sense.¡± Qiao Jinniang sarcastically said in a soft voice, ¡°When my father was a child, his clansmen bullied him and made him homeless. In the end, he had to sell himself as a slave in Chang¡¯an. After learning his cooking skills, he returned to Lin¡¯an and opened a restaurant. His last words were that the restaurant must not be given to the Qiao clan. ¡°If I give the restaurant to those people, I¡¯ll be truly unfilial! Datang governs with filial piety. What¡¯s wrong with me for abiding by filial piety?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°No, you are wrong again. As the saying goes, there are three forms of unfilial conduct, of which the worst is to have no descendants. Qiao Yu has no son, so he is not filial to begin with, and refusing to recognize his clansmen is also not filial to his ancestors. Your father is not filial, but you should admonish him to follow filial piety again. ¡°Besides, not to mention the clan rules, now you are the daughter of Duke Anyuan. Even if you leave the Duke Mansion with your mother, you are rich now. How can you sit by and watch your clansman struggle in poverty? ¡°You should return Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion to the Qiao clan!¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands. If this were in Lin¡¯an, she would have already beaten this bit*h. She said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re the one who is wrong. You mentioned the first part ¡®there are three forms of unfilial conduct, of which the worst is to have no descendants¡¯, but do you forget the latter part of it ¡®But Ancient Emperor Shun married without even telling his family, because his family doesn¡¯t deserve it, so he shouldn¡¯t be considered unfilial no matter if he has descendants or not¡¯? ¡°You¡¯re just making a deliberate misinterpretation out of scripture. ¡°Miss Tong, you have such a glib tongue, but you don¡¯t even know the most basic meaning of scriptures? How dare you come to preach to me? ¡°My father¡¯s clansmen almost forced my father to death, but you want my father to avenge his grievances with virtue and surrender his lifelong hard work to his enemy? You must be kidding!¡± Tong Yingying said arrogantly, ¡°I only know that you are cold-blooded and disregard kinship, and you are not worthy of being a human being!¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Yes, you are human. No, you should be a living Bodhisattva. Then please, this Bodhisattva, quickly take out all your jewelry and money to help the Qiao family!¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°Why should I? Those people have nothing to do with me. I only know that you are ruthless and inhuman. Even beasts know how to feed back, and you are even worse than beasts.¡± Everyone in the Jewelry Pavilion fell silent. Qiao Jinniang walked up to Tong Yingying and said, ¡°Then what is the imperial grandson I gave birth to? What is Duke Anyuan who gave birth to me?¡± Tong Xuan knelt on the ground with a thud. Tong Yingying said to Tong Xuan, ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t you always arrogant at home? Why do you kneel down? She is not the crown princess yet. My father and I will never allow such a person to become the crown princess!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Is Censor Tong so powerful as to be able to decide who can be the crown princess?¡± Tong Yingying raised her chin high and said, ¡°Of course, my father is an imperial censor and has the responsibility of supervising the royal family. If you don¡¯t return Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion to the Qiao clan, my father will keep impeaching you!¡± Tong Xuan almost cried. She was already frightened because of what she said to Qiao Jinniang in the racecourse, but her father and sister implicated her in this matter again. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then tell him to impeach me as he pleases. If I disobey my father¡¯s last words, I¡¯ll be the most unfilial person in the world!¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°Your father asked you to find a husband to marry into your family and help you give birth to a son in his last words, didn¡¯t he? But if you enter the East Palace, how can you do that? You can¡¯t just turn the properties of the Qiao clan to the Lu family¡¯s, can you?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Why can¡¯t I? All this land under heaven belongs to the Emperor, and all the people are the Emperor¡¯s servants! Miss Tong, everything in this world belongs to the Lu family. Do you dare to say Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste aren¡¯t the properties of the Lu family?¡± Fulu pointed at Tong Yingying and said, ¡°How dare you, Tong Yingying? Do you want to rebel with the Qiao clan?¡± Chapter 131 - What Tong Yingying Said Makes Sense Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Tong Yingying said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to think of rebellion, but clan inheritance is the eternal truth of China for thousands of years. If there is no clan, it is equivalent to a tree without roots. No matter how big the tree is, it will quickly fall to the ground! ¡°There will be chaos among the people, and the people will not be able to live in peace. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, if you covet the money Myriad Taste can bring to you and ignore the clan rites, you are committing a serious crime. His Majesty is a wise monarch, and he will definitely punish you!¡± Qin Miaomiao came over and said, ¡°Oh, County Mistress, you¡¯re here. I went to the Foundling Home and they said that all the children in the Foundling Home had been moved to the school you opened in a manor on the outskirts of Chang¡¯an, so I came to discuss with you about money donation. ¡°Such a large school must cost a lot of silver taels.¡± Princess Fulu asked curiously, ¡°School? What school?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Some people think that it¡¯s extravagant and cold-blooded for me to purchase a golden tuinga, so I donated some money to the Foundling Home, and spent tens of thousands of taels of silver to set up a women¡¯s school.¡± Upon hearing this, Princess Fulu said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you are not donating, you are harming those girls. Which girl would like to read those boring scriptures? Going to school was the most annoying thing for me when I was a child.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Going to school can make them literate and sensible. Princess, you¡¯re of noble birth, and even your maids are literate, but some women are born in poor families, and if they are illiterate, their lives can be even more difficult. ¡°Moreover, there are all kinds of people in the Relief Workshop, including many bad people, so it¡¯s not a good place for the girls to live. ¡± Qin Miaomiao nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. I always wanted to help them but I lack the power, but it¡¯s really benevolent of you to donate 50,000 taels of silver to set up a school for them, County Mistress.¡± ¡°50,000 taels!¡± ¡°Amitabha, 50,000 taels? I¡¯ve never even seen so much money!¡± Fulu frowned and looked at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°You just spent 100,000 taels to buy my mansion. Where did you get so much money to run a school?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I earned the money myself, and I¡¯ve paid taxes.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Ladies, if you want to help those poor girls, you can donate some money to them. If you don¡¯t have money, it¡¯ll be great to provide some books you¡¯ve read, and the brush and ink you don¡¯t need anymore. ¡± Pen, ink, paper and inkstone were extremely expensive. Many people couldn¡¯t go to school not because they couldn¡¯t afford the tuition fee but because they could afford the pen, ink, paper and inkstone. Especially books. The novels Qiao Jinniang were reading were not cheap either, some of which cost several taels, but they were not serious books. Those serious books for imperial examinations were even more expensive. Some poor scholars could only go to bookstores to transcribe them. The noble girls in the Jewelry Pavilion all agreed to provide some books. They all had a few books at home. Tong Yingying said, ¡°County Mistress, since you have opened a women¡¯s school to earn yourself a good reputation, you should set an example for women! ¡°Don¡¯t take the money that does not belong to you to live an extravagant life and earn a good reputation.¡± Tong Xuan angrily ordered someone to cover Tong Yingying¡¯s mouth and dragged her out of the Jewelry Pavilion, fearing that she would really offend Qiao Jinniang and implicate her. Tong Yingying completely ruined everyone¡¯s mood, and Fulu had lost interest in continuing to select jewelry. She said to Qin Miaomiao, ¡°Isn¡¯t Tong Yingying your good friend? Why did you allow her to scold your sister-in-law¡¯s sister like this?¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°I broke up with her a long time ago.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Fulu, ¡°Who is that woman?¡± Fulu said, ¡°Oh, she is very famous. When she was only ten years old, she dared to preach to the Empress at a palace banquet that she should not be a jealous woman, and women should make their husbands happy. ¡°When she was twelve years old, she pointed at my aunt, Princess Shouyang¡¯s nose and scolded her for keeping a gigolo and even fighting with her sisters for that gigolo, which was a disgrace to women, ¡± Qiao Jinniang asked curiously, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t His Majesty punish her?¡± Fulu said, ¡°She has always compared His Majesty to Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty and compared herself to the famous censor, Wei Zheng. My imperial uncle wanted the reputation as a wise monarch, so he certainly couldn¡¯t punish a little girl. ¡°Tong Yingying dared to do this because her father was an imperial censor. If His Majesty really punished her, he would leave a reputation in the history books that he could not tolerate a little girl. ¡°Besides, although Tong Yingying is sometimes irritating, what she says is all justified. And this Miss Qin also introduced her to literati, so Tong Yingying became famous and many people compared her to your sister Qiao Ruoyi, because they were both born by a concubine. ¡°In the past two years, Qiao Ruoyi became more famous than Tong Yingying, but before that, the literati who went to the Tong family to propose marriage to Tong Yingying almost trod their house¡¯s threshold flat.¡± Qin Miaomiao said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Tong Yingying has always been like this. She is not deliberately targeting you. Whenever she sees something that she thinks is going against ethics, she will always condemn it. ¡°When I was young, I thought she was daring and righteous, but then I gradually felt that she was just trying to build herself a good reputation, never considering others¡¯ difficulties. ¡®Gradually, I got distant from her. In fact, what Tong Yingying said about the Qiao clan was the currently prevailing code of ethics. ¡°You don¡¯t have a husband who married into your family now, nor does my sister-in-law, so in others¡¯ eyes, Myriad Taste should be inherited by the Qiao clansmen.¡± Qiao Jinniang bit her lip. She knew it, but what Tong Yingying said was really annoying. Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Alas, Jinniang, why don¡¯t you just return Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion to them? ¡°After all, even me¡­ my mother dies, everything in this princess mansion will no longer belong to me, but if I am a man, I can inherit the princess mansion. This is the rule.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But you don¡¯t know how many disgusting things those people have done. My father was forced to sell himself into a slave because they seized his land by force and he had nowhere to go, but when he came back with his cooking skills and opened a restaurant, they came to greedily seize benefits from my father again. ¡°When I was four years old, Myriad Taste¡¯s business was just picking up, and they came to demand to act as the purchaser of ingredients for Myriad Taste, but the ingredients they bought were all rotten. ¡°Some clansmen forced my father to hire them as cashiers, but they often charged more money from the guests and kept the overcharge for themselves. ¡°There was even an aunt, who collected the leftovers from guests and served it to other guests on the pretext of saving money, but it turned out tihat she packed the newly made dishes for her son to eat. ¡°There are countless things like this, and my father was finally disappointed with those people although he certainly didn¡¯t want to fall out with his clansmen. ¡°But later what the clansmen did was even worse, especially when my adoptive parents were seriously ill. My third aunt even wanted her lecherous nephew to marry me so as to seize Myriad Taste. ¡°I will certainly help them if they¡¯re not so disgusting. And when my dad was seriously ill, his greatest fear was that his clansmen would ruin Myriad Taste.¡±. Chapter 132 - Give the Qiao Clansmen Money Chapter 132 Give the Qiao Clansmen Money Perhaps this kind of trivial matter among commoners was too far away from Fulu and Qin Miaomiao, so they didn¡¯t know how to comfort her. Qin Miaomiao said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°The rule is the rule. If you don¡¯t handle this matter properly, there will be many people impeaching you. Then I am afraid even Your Majesty will have to compromise.¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands and said, ¡°I¡¯d rather die than surrender. If you force me to give Myriad Taste to them, I¡¯d rather die with Myriad Taste.¡± Fulu hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯s okay if you die, but if Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion are gone, where can I go to eat delicious food!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Was their sisterhood so fragile? Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Fulu, what are you talking about? Jinniang¡¯s cooking skills are better than those of those cooks. If she dies, we can¡¯t eat a lot of delicious food.¡± Fulu felt that her words made sense. ¡°Yes, yes, then don¡¯t die, Jinniang. There is always a way. You can ask my imperial cousin to marry into the Qiao family, or ask Qiao Ruoyun to divorce her husband and find another man to marry into the Qiao family!¡± Qin Miaomiao glared at Fulu, ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± n on ¡°Anyway, your family always looks down on Qiao Ruoyun. Wouldn¡¯t this have it both ways?¡± Fulu said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°If Qiao Ruoyun finds a man to marry into the Qiao family, the Qiao clansmen will have nothing to say.¡± Qin Miaomiao was very annoyed, ¡°Don¡¯t you try to instigate my sister-in-law to divorce my brother. My sister-in-law and my brother love each other very much. Why do you do this?¡± Fulu said, ¡°I knew it. You just want to persuade Qiao Jinniang to give up on my imperial cousin so that you can marry into the East Palace.¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. It was you who were desperate to marry His Royal Highness!¡± Seeing they were starting to quarrel again, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Alright, alright, stop arguing¡­¡± Neither of these two would surrender to the other. Qiao Jinniang simply followed her maids out of the Jewelry Pavilion and told Nuomi, ¡°Tell the shop assistant to keep an eye on Fulu and Qin Miaomiao. If they smash any jewelry in their quarrel, ask them to compensate.¡± After all, correct accountability kept good friendships. After Qiao Jinniang went out, she went to Duke Qin Mansion. Due to what happened last time, although Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t send a visiting card in advance, Duchess Qin still opened the front door to greet Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang was uncomfortable with her enthusiasm and went straight to Qiao Ruoyun. In Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s room, there happened to be an imperial doctor who was diagnosing her pulse, and Qin Shu was at the side. The imperial doctor stroked his goatee beard and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be pregnant. Don¡¯t worry. Take it easy. Besides, she has just had a miscarriage, so she should recuperate well first.¡± Qiao Ruoyun lowered her head with a hint of shame on her face. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Qin Shu went to see the imperial doctor out, and Qiao Jinniang walked up to Qiao Ruoyun and said, ¡°Why do you say that, Sister?¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Alas, if only I had kept that child! I have been married for three years but still haven¡¯t got a child. My husband needs a child¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang wanted to persuade Qiao Ruoyun to make one of her children inherit the Qiao family, which could be counted as Qiao Yu¡¯s grandson, but now she held it back. In Lin¡¯an, she had also seen many women who didn¡¯t have a son. She had Tuan¡¯er soon after she was married, so she had never experienced such difficulties, but she could understand their feelings. ¡°Sister, relax, you and Brother-in-law are in love. I¡¯m sure there will be good news soon.¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Qiao Ruoyun pursed her lips. ¡°I hope so. I heard that those people of the Qiao family in Lin¡¯an came to Chang¡¯an, and because of them, you were impeached? I haven¡¯t been in good health for the past two days, so I didn¡¯t go to see you, but I¡¯ve already got my maid to take some money from my dowry to give it to them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly said, ¡°Once you give them silver taels, they will be as hard to get rid of as gangrene attached to the bones. They will become blood sucking worms that cling to you!¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Sister, I know, but after all, they are my relatives. If I don¡¯t help them, I¡¯m afraid that it will affect my husband¡¯s reputation¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, we are not short of silver taels. We just spend silver to buy peace. I think they will return to Lin¡¯an as long as they get money.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. When Qin Shu returned, he said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Since County Mistress is here, you can have a good talk with her and stop thinking about the matter of children. We are still young, so don¡¯t worry.¡± But Qiao Ruoyun still looked anxious. After Qin Shu left, she asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re from the South. Have you heard of ¡®Yangzhou Thin Horses¡¯ (note: pretty girls for sale)?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Those ¡®Thin Horses¡¯ are poor women, most of them are poor people.¡± Qiao Ruoyun asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know where I can buy some ¡®Yangzhou Thin Horses¡¯? ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to give birth to a child for my husband, and I have to prepare early.¡± ¡°Sister, have you forgotten about Yuzhui, that concubine maid?!¡± Qiao Jinniang said angrily, ¡°And now you want to buy ¡®Yangzhou Thin Horses¡¯ for your husband as concubines?¡± ¡°Jinniang, I know you hate men taking concubines. ¡°But there are very few men in this world who don¡¯t take concubines. ¡°My husband will take concubines in the future anyway. Rather than someone like Yuzhui, I might as well find a few that I can handle. ¡°Originally, I wanted to select concubines for my husband from his maids and my maids. ¡°But he refused. I think maybe he wants prettier women. ¡°I heard that ¡®Yangzhou Thin Horses¡¯ are well-educated and very beautiful¡­ Maybe he¡¯ll like them.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed heavily. ¡°I don¡¯t know any thin or fat horses. If you want to buy thin horses, you can ask slave traders.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s expression, Qiao Ruoyun knew that she was asking the wrong person and stopped asking. The Qiao clansmen temporarily stayed in a deserted temple. Qiao Ergou counted the silver notes and said, ¡°There are actually one thousand taels of silver. Wow, Qiao Ruoyun is really generous!¡± ¡°Then Second Brother, are we going back to Lin¡¯an?¡± Other clansmen were a bit afraid of Qiao Jinniang. After all, she was a noble now, and they were only commoners. If they shared the thousand taels equally, they would be able to live a good life in Lin¡¯an. Qiao Yuner sneered and said, ¡°She thinks she can send us away with just a thousand taels of silver? Impossible! Qiao Jinniang spent ten thousand taels of silver to buy a golden tuinga. It shows how much money Myriad Taste can earn!¡± ¡°That Censor Tong I found is an imperial censor and the elder brother of the Queen¡¯s sister-in-law. Since he has promised to help us, we can surely take back Myriad Taste.¡± Qiao Ergou patted his thigh and said, ¡°Yes! Myriad Taste must be taken back, and the Tasty Pavilion in Chang¡¯an was opened by Qiao Jinniang with the money she earned from Myriad Taste. It should also belong to us.¡± Qiao Yun¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°I heard that the customers of Tasty Pavilion are all high-ranking officials and nobles. If Dad owns Tasty Pavilion, you can definitely select good husbands for my sisters and me from them!¡± The other Qiao clansmen who had planned to return to Lin¡¯an with the money all changed their minds when they heard this. If their daughters married officials, they might help their sons! Qiao Yun¡¯er looked at the silver note. ¡°The fact that Qiao Ruoyun is willing to give us money shows that she cares about her reputation. I¡¯d like to see how long Qiao Jinniang can hold on!¡± Chapter 133 - His Majesty Ordered to Give Myriad Taste to the Qiao Clansmen Chapter 133 His Majesty Ordered to Give Myriad Taste to the Qiao Clansmen The weather was getting colder, and there were fewer people coming and going on the main street than usual. The northwest wind was howling, but the business of those lively teahouses was booming Tong Yingying, the daughter of Censor Tong, had not been as famous as Qiao Ruoyi in the past two years, but she had a good reputation among literati. Today, she wrote an essay on filial piety, which was widely circulated among literati. In the article, Tong Yingying praised the clan system At the end of the article, she criticized Qiao Jinniang for ignoring her clansmen for money and scolded other imperial censors for not impeaching Qiao Jinniang for fear of offending her. In the end, she questioned that if there were no clan system, what was the difference between Datang and the barbarians? If there were no clansmen, there wouldn¡¯t even be an ancestral temple, and no one would worship you after your death. When literati read this article, they felt it was thought-provoking and all wrote poems and essays to criticize Qiao Jinniang for ignoring her clansmen. No matter how powerful Duke Anyuan was, he was a military officer, not a civil one. These literati always took maintaining feudal ethical code as their duty. Qiao Jinniang disobeyed the feudal ethical code, and they certainly wouldn¡¯t allow it. Even Prefect Chang¡¯an received a lot of complaints about Qiao Jinniang. This matter had caused the rage of literati. Even if Emperor Huilin wanted to help his son cover up for his future daughter-in-law, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. In the levee, he proclaimed a decree: ¡°According to the ethical code, clan has existed since ancient times, and women shall not inherit her parents¡¯ property. Now listen¡­ ¡°I ordered County Mistress Jia¡¯an to return the Myriad Taste in Lin¡¯an, which was left by her adoptive parents, to the Qiao clan and it shall be handed over to the adoptive son of Qiao Yu!¡± Lu Chen frowned but he didn¡¯t stop it. After all, this was a rule that had been left down from the ancestors. However, he also knew what Myriad Taste meant to Qiao Jinniang. He remembered that one day after they got married, she had just read a novel about a man penciling his wife¡¯s eyebrows. Because he didn¡¯t paint her eyebrows for her, she complained that if it weren¡¯t for Myriad Taste, she would definitely not marry an oblivious ¡°wood¡± like him. At that time, although Lu Chen was annoyed, he knew that Qiao Jinniang had always longed to marry a man who she loved. Instead of a man like him, who she only knew a few days ago but had to marry to defend Myriad Taste. Qiao Jinniang could even sacrifice her marriage for Myriad Taste¡­ Now that his father had issued an oral order, Qiao Jinniang must be extremely sad. But the rules that had been passed down for thousands of years couldn¡¯t be broken at will! At least for now, when the clan system was still entrenched deep in everyone¡¯s hearts, it couldn¡¯t be broken. Otherwise, women who had no brothers wouldn¡¯t even be able to find a man to marry into her family so as to inherit her parents¡¯ properties after her parents death. Moreover, the parents might be directly murdered by her clansmen. When Qiao Jinniang received the emperor¡¯s oral decree, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, and she couldn¡¯t come back to herself for a long time. Zheng Xiao comforted her. ¡°Jin¡¯er, just return the Myriad Taste in Lin¡¯an to those people, so that they can go back to Lin¡¯an as soon as possible, and won¡¯t be such an eyesore to you.¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°No, Mother, you don¡¯t understand what Myriad Taste means to me. I will never allow them to ruin Myriad Taste!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to Lu Chen. I¡¯d rather find a new husband who is willing to marry into my family. I¡¯ll never allow those people to get Myriad Taste!¡± The Crown Prince, who happened to come: ¡°¡­¡± After seeing Lu Chen, Qiao Jinniang said with red eyes. ¡°Why are you the Crown Prince? If only you were not!¡± ¡°I will not give them my adoptive parents¡¯ Myriad Taste. I am my parents¡¯ adopted daughter. Their last wish was to give me the Myriad Taste. As long as I find a man to marry into my family, I will definitely be able to take back Myriad Taste.¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Find a man to marry into your family? Do you think it¡¯s easy? What if that man doesn¡¯t treat you well?¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a low voice, ¡°Then can¡¯t Xi¡¯er continue to be the Xi¡¯er of the Qiao family?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°If you were Xi¡¯er, are you willing to be my heir or a little shopkeeper of a restaurant in the South?¡± Qiao Jinniang was a mother, and she certainly wanted Xi¡¯er to be an imperial grandson who could stay away from the fight for the throne. But now that he was already the Crown Prince¡¯s heir, how could she let Xi¡¯er be the shopkeeper of a small restaurant? Qiao Jinniang looked up at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Can we have another child? And let that child be surnamed Qiao and let him inherit Myriad Taste?¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t work either. ¡°But don¡¯t be anxious. Think about it, can those Qiao clansmen run Myriad Taste well? ¡°All they want is to make quick money. When they can¡¯t make ends meet, you can buy Myriad Taste back, right?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand them at all. They will never do this. They will definitely threaten me with Myriad Taste, and threaten me to fill that bottomless pit!¡± It was not that Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t seen something like this before. The same thing happened to one of her neighbors. Her neighbor married a silk merchant, and her adoptive brother was not able to manage the family business well, so he often forced his sister to use her husband¡¯s money to subsidize him. There were many such examples. When the Qiao clansmen got Myriad Taste in their hands, they could do whatever they wanted. How could they be willing to sell it? Qiao Jinniang complained about Lu Chen. ¡°I¡¯d rather you were not the Crown Prince. Being the Crown Prince, you are subject to a lot of restraints and have to be extremely careful about everything. ¡°Does those literati have nothing to do? Why don¡¯t they pay attention to political affairs? Why do they keep picking on me?!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Do you know why this matter has caused so much attention? ¡°It¡¯s not because you didn¡¯t just touch the interests of the Qiao clansmen. ¡°If you could inherit your parents¡¯ properties as a woman, what if the other women in the world follow suit? ¡°You have to know that although there aren¡¯t many women who have no brothers in this world, there aren¡¯t few. ¡°Besides, even if a woman has brothers, if her brothers are incompent while she is capable enough, she may be able to inherit the family business. ¡°If those women follow your example, or the parents prefer their daughters and give their properties to their daughters, what will the brothers think? ¡°This is not just a dispute between you and the Qiao clansmen. Most literati are men, and they certainly would fight for their own interests.¡± After listening to Lu Chen¡¯s words, Qiao Jinniang gradually calmed down. Chang¡¯an was not Lin¡¯an, and she was no longer a commoner. She sneered. ¡°If the clansmen are capable, who would covet an orphan girl¡¯s properties? They should help her instead! ¡°They are nothing but a group of incompetent waste who shamelessly snatch others¡¯ properties in the excuse of the ethical code that was passed down from their ancestors! It¡¯s ridiculous. ¡°And His Majesty always claims to be a sage emperor, but he¡¯s actually stu¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Lu Chen hurriedly covered her mouth. Lu Chen always felt that his father had put his men beside him, perhaps his father was afraid that what happened back then would repeat itself¡­ But who knew if these words would reach his father¡¯s ears. Lu Chen whispered to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, but it¡¯s not that there is no other way. Even if they won¡¯t sell Myriad Taste, there are so many Qiao clansmen, and they are not necessarily united. Did you forget how badly they fought to make their own sons to be your father¡¯s adoptive son back then?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook Lu Chen¡¯s hand away, blinked and said, ¡°Yes, if I tell them that I want to personally choose my adoptive father¡¯s heir, they will definitely have an internal strife first.¡± Chapter 134 - Determining the Heir to Qiao Yu Chapter 134 Determining the Heir to Qiao Yu After hearing about the Emperor¡¯s oral decree, without a moment¡¯s delay, the Qiao clansmen went to the Tasty Pavilion and entered with the air of masters. Most of the people in Tasty Pavilion knew them. Qiao Ergou said sternly, ¡°Bajiao, Huixiang, weren¡¯t you ferocious to us in Lin¡¯an before? ¡°Now, His Majesty has said that Myriad Taste belongs to our Qiao clan. Qiao Jinniang bought this Tasty Pavilion with the money she earned from Myriad Taste, so it should also belong to us! ¡°If you¡¯re smart, kneel down and call me Grandpa Ergou, and I will let you stay in Tasty Pavilion. Otherwise, leave Tasty Pavilion now!¡± It was almost noon, and many customers were already here. Bajiao ordered a newly recruited servant to notify Qiao Jinniang. But Qiao Ergou and the others have already pushed their way into Tasty Pavilion¡­ When Qiao Jinniang received the news and went to Tasty Pavilion, she saw that the Qiao clansmen were no longer in tatters but wore fine silk clothes. In particular, Qiao Yun¡¯er had a gold hairpin on her head. It must have been bought with the money given by Qiao Ruoyun. Seeing the Qiao clansmen greeting customers, Qiao Jinniang stepped forward and said, ¡°His Majesty¡¯s order is to give Myriad Taste in Lin¡¯an to the heir to my adoptive father, who will be selected from the Qiao clan. What does Tasty Pavilion have to do with you?¡± Qiao Ergou said arrogantly, ¡°Hmph, we¡¯ve all checked it out. It¡¯s been almost four years since your father and mother died. In the past four years, Myriad Taste must have earned you a lot of silver taels! ¡°Since this Tasty Pavilion was bought with the silver taels earned from Myriad Taste, it should also belong to our Qiao clan!¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted, ¡°If Myriad Taste was handed over to you four years ago, how could it earn any money? ¡°His Majesty ordered Myriad Taste to be given to the heir of my adoptive father. As his adopted daughter, I have the right to choose a suitable heir for him. ¡°First determine the heir, and then I¡¯ll hand over the Tasty Pavilion to him!¡± There were about twenty people brought by Qiao Ergou. Qiao Ergou had four daughters and one son. He certainly was reluctant to let his only son be Qiao Yu¡¯s heir. Hearing this, Qiao Yun¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but panic and said, ¡°My father is the patriarch. It should be up to him who the heir will be.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I have discussed this with the Crown Prince. Because my adoptive father saved the Crown Prince, His Majesty conferred him the title of Earl Lin¡¯an. Although the title can¡¯t be inherited, it is still a nobility title. ¡°So my adoptive father¡¯s heir cannot be chosen randomly. He should be worthy of becoming an earl¡¯s son! ¡°When the old patriarch was still alive, he wanted Sixth Brother to be the heir, but he had bad conduct and was not worthy of being the heir. ¡°Now I must choose a good heir for my adoptive father. I¡¯ve thought about it. The Qiao clan¡¯s men in my generation are mostly already married, so they are inappropriate to be the heir. It¡¯s better to choose from the next generation. ¡°This heir should recognize Qiao Ruoyun as his mother, and his surname should be Qiao, so you can bring your children over and let me pick one from them.¡± Qiao Ergou was annoyed. ¡°Why choose from the next generation?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Because I know what kinds of people my cousins are. ¡°Since you forced me to hand over Myriad Taste to the clan, that¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll hand it over, but I should choose the heir. What do you have to say now?¡± It was a pity that Qiao Ergou had only two granddaughters and no grandson. In this case, there was no chance for him to get Myriad Taste. Qiao Jinniang turned her eyes to the daughter-in-law of Qiao Laosi. Qiao Laosi was his father¡¯s cousin and was relatively honest among the Qiao clansmen, but his wife was a very stingy shrew. Back then, her adoptive mother pitied her and let her work in the restaurant, but she stole a lot of money from the restaurant. ¡°Fourth Aunt, I remember when I came to Chang¡¯an, your daughter-in-law was pregnant, right? It¡¯s been a few months. Is it a boy or a girl?¡± When Qiao Laosi¡¯s wife heard this, she felt as if she had been hit by a pie falling from the sky. ¡°It¡¯s a boy. And that child is not even a month old yet, so my son and daughter-in-law are taking care of him in Lin¡¯an!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Then please write a letter back and ask them to bring the child to Chang¡¯an. If this child can become my father¡¯s heir, I will definitely regard him as my own nephew.¡± Fourth Aunt, Liu Cuihua, folded her hands and recited Amitabha, and kept flattering Qiao Jinniang with beautiful words. Qiao Ergou and Qiao Yun¡¯er looked very angry. They had calculated for so long but got no benefit. How could they see this happen? Qiao Jinniang said to them all, ¡°This heir has not yet been decided. So, if you guys come to make trouble again, I¡¯ll sue you!¡± With that said, the Qiao clansmen did not dare to stay any longer. Walking out of Tasty Pavilion, Liu Cuihua was extremely complacent. ¡°Buddha finally blessed our family, and such a huge pie fell from the sky.¡± Qiao Yun¡¯er said, ¡°Fourth Aunt, don¡¯t forget who helped your grandson get Myriad Taste. You can¡¯t forget the Qiao clan!¡± ¡°Bah, you are just a girl. The Qiao family¡¯s properties have nothing to do with you.¡± Liu Cuihua snorted. Qiao Yun¡¯er was very annoyed. Qiao Jinniang went to Liu Cuihua and her husband in the afternoon, and arranged for a house for them. Although the house was not big, it was much better than their house in the countryside of Lin¡¯an. Liu Cuihua said to Qiao Jinniang with shining eyes, ¡°Jinniang, is this for us?¡± Qiao Jinniang sat in the seat of honor and said with a smile, ¡°Yes, the foundation of Myriad Taste is in Lin¡¯an, but Ruoyun and I are both in Chang¡¯an. If your grandson really becomes my adoptive father¡¯s heir, my nephew, I will definitely take good care of him.¡± ¡°So I don¡¯t want others to covet what should belong to my nephew. My nephew is your biological grandson. I guess you don¡¯t want your grandson¡¯s things to be touched by others either, right?¡± Of course Liu Cuihua thought so, but Qiao Laosi said, ¡°But Brother Ergou is the new patriarch.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Have you forgotten how many benefits they got from Myriad Taste?¡± Liu Cuihua said, ¡°Yeah, Qiao Laosi, do you want to give your own grandson¡¯s property to others?¡± Qiao Jinniang took a sip of the tea handed by Nuomi and said, ¡°Not just Myriad Taste. After your grandson becomes my nephew, I¡¯ll certainly give him a lot more benefits. I think Fourth Aunt knows whether you should listen to Qiao Ergou, the patriarch, or me, right?¡± Liu Cuihua said, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll listen to you, Jinniang. I didn¡¯t know you were such a kind-hearted person before. I took you wrong. I will definitely pray to the Bodhisattva and ask him to bless you!¡± Qiao Jinniang put down the teacup and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for this. Fourth Aunt, come, write the letter!¡± Chapter 135 - Internal Strife Chapter 135 Internal Strife When Qiao Jinniang left, she did not forget to tell Liu Cuihua, ¡°Fourth Aunt, you must be careful of them. Your grandson is only a month old. Don¡¯t let them kill him on the road. ¡°Otherwise, I can only choose the grandson of Fifth Uncle. Although that child is a little older, he is quite smart!¡± Liu Cuihua was indeed a little flustered when she heard this. Qiao Ergou and other Qiao clansmen were certainly unwilling to put the issue to rest when they saw that they would get no benefits. But Liu Cuihua certainly wouldn¡¯t flinch. Her father-in-law was the previous patriarch of the Qiao clan. He purposely chose Liu Cuihua as his daughter-in-law because he thought Liu Cuihua was a good choice for his timid son. Aunt Qiao, Qiao Yun¡¯er and other women of the Qiao family came to Qiao Laosi¡¯s house, only to be scolded by Liu Cuihua. ¡°My dear Yun¡¯er, why are you and your ill-intentioned family keep staring at the Qiao family¡¯s properties? Even Qiao Jinniang can¡¯t get Myriad Taste. What makes you think you can? ¡°Your useless brother slept with so many women, but only had two daughters. If he dies, your family will be extinct just like Qiao Yu¡¯s!¡± ¡°And you, Qiao Guixiang, you¡¯ve been married for more than 20 years. What do the Qiao family¡¯s matters have anything to do with you? You were no longer a member of the Qiao family since a long time ago!¡± Qiao Yun¡¯er trembled with anger and blurted out, ¡°Liu Cuihua, let¡¯s see how long you can be happy! It¡¯s not certain whether your grandson can arrive at Chang¡¯an safely or not!¡± Liu Cuihua was startled, ¡°What are you going to do? If you dare to take action against my grandson, I will not spare you!¡± Liu Cuihua and Qiao Laosi hurried back to Lin¡¯an, fearing that Qiao Yun¡¯er would do something to their grandson. And Qiao Jinniang seemed to be quite satisfied with Qiao Laowu¡¯s grandson. What if Qiao Jinniang chose that child instead of her grandson¡­ No, she had to find a way to get rid of Qiao Laowu¡¯s grandson to avoid future troubles. The heir to Qiao Yu hadn¡¯t come to Chang¡¯an yet. The mighty royal hunt had begun. It was already winter, and many beasts were hibernating. However, the beasts in the paddock were specially kept for the nobles to hunt. Otherwise, if the animals all hibernated, the hunt would be meaningless. Zheng Xiao was resting at home, and Qiao Ruoyi stayed to take care of Zheng Xiao. She had no interest in hunting. Qiao Jinniang went to the paddock with Fulu. Unlike the spring hunt when she was full of aggrievance and hatred, now she was riding on the wide official road with Fulu and others freely and happily. Fulu caught up with Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°You cheated. Your white horse is a new tribute horse. How can our horses compare to yours?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But I just learned to ride a horse.¡± Fulu asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I saw you worrying about Myriad Taste a while ago. Why don¡¯t you care now?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m still worried about Myriad Taste, but worrying about it isn¡¯t going to solve anything, so I might as well be hunting here. This is my first time hunting.¡± ¡°County Mistress, His Royal Highness asks you to go to his carriage.¡± An eunuch said to Qiao Jinniang. She hadn¡¯t seen Xi¡¯er for a long time. She missed him so much, so she went straight to Lu Chen¡¯s carriage. Lu Chen¡¯s carriage was very spacious. It was covered with a white cashmere blanket, and a charcoal brazier was burning under the small tea table in the middle. It was warm inside the carriage. When Lu Chen saw Qiao Jinniang come in, he took her hands and said, ¡°You just recovered from a disease. How dare you ride a horse outside on such a cold day?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s not cold to ride a horse. I¡¯m wearing a mink fur cloak! Where¡¯s Xi¡¯er? Why didn¡¯t Xi¡¯er come?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring him over this time.¡± Qiao Jinniang wondered. ¡°Why, isn¡¯t it pitiful for him to be alone in the East Palace? If I knew he didn¡¯t come, I wouldn¡¯t come either.¡± Lu Chen was warming Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hands with his own and said, ¡°This time the hunt is at the royal hot spring villa, and next door is the imperial mausoleum. You complained that Prince Mediocre¡¯s existence dirty your eyes. Then let¡¯s get rid of him so that we can have a clean Spring Festival.¡± More importantly, although he and Qiao Jinniang were married, he wanted to give Qiao Jinniang a real wedding. In their wedding, although he was the Crown Prince, he would still have to call Prince Mediocre Fifth Brother and salute him with Qiao Jinniang, which was really disgusting. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Won¡¯t it be very dangerous?¡± Lu Chen asked, ¡°Are you scared?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No, the wicked should get their retribution.¡± Just as the case with the Qiao clansmen who coveted her properties, although she didn¡¯t want to hurt innocent children, her scheme wouldn¡¯t work if the Qiao clansmen were not evil. But she knew the Qiao clansmen too well. They would never let her scheme go to waste. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Xi¡¯er will be bored in the East Palace alone.¡± Lu Chen approached Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Yes, he is too bored alone. We can give birth to a little boy or girl to accompany him.¡± ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s not what you said a year ago.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered that in the autumn of last year, her period didn¡¯t come and she thought she was pregnant again. But it turned out she wasn¡¯t, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. After giving birth to Xi¡¯er, she and Lu Chen were extremely careful, so it was almost impossible for her to get pregnant again. But she still wanted to have more children. However, Lu Chen said that Xi¡¯er was still young and needed the love of his parents. And he said that they shouldn¡¯t give birth to another child until Xi¡¯er was five or six years old. At that time, Qiao Jinniang thought it made sense, but now when she thought about it, she realized that he was just afraid that if she was pregnant, he would be unable to touch her for about a year! Now he wanted to tempt her to enter the East Palace as soon as possible with this excuse. Hmph, in his dreams! This time, the paddock was in the royal manor, and the palace was much better than that in the spring hunt. The late emperor often came to soak in the hot spring here in winter. wa Qiao Jinniang encountered a troublesome matter. The manor of the Zheng family here was granted to the Zheng family by the Emperor. Since the Zheng family was exiled, the manor was taken back. Duke Anyuan Mansion had a manor here, but Qiao Jinniang had left the Duke Mansion with Zheng Xiao, so she couldn¡¯t live there. Qiao Ruoyun had no say in the Qin family, so she couldn¡¯t lend her a house. Qiao Jinniang wanted to buy a house nearby, but no house was for sale here. Fulu had several courtyards here but she refused to lend her a house. Fulu said, ¡°Jinniang, I don¡¯t dare to offend my imperial cousin. You are husband and wife, and it¡¯s not against the rules for you two to live together. Even those annoying imperial censors won¡¯t say anything about it.¡± If the imperial censors impeached them for this, maybe the Crown Prince will immediately ask the Emperor to make Qiao Jinniang the crown princess, which neither the Crown Prince¡¯s hostile faction nor the Crown Prince faction would want to see. After all, the hostile faction was afraid that Duke Anyuan would get close to the Crown Prince, while the Crown Prince faction was afraid that the Crown Prince would give Qiao Jinniang the position of crown princess. Fulu said, ¡°There is a separate hot spring pool in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence in the palace. I wanted to marry my imperial cousin, and that hot spring pool was the biggest reason.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Sure enough, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t even compare to a hot spring. Fulu said, ¡°You have been husband and wife for so many years. Why are you still so shy? That hot spring is rumored to be very big.¡± Qiao Jinniang was not shy. She was just afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist Lu Chen¡¯s temptation and would break the promise of making him wait until the Lantern Festival. Last time, if it weren¡¯t for the Qiao clansmen, Lu Chen would have already got what he wanted. If she couldn¡¯t restrain Lu Chen even now, wouldn¡¯t she be completely defenseless to Lu Chen in the future? Chapter 136 - If You Want A Wife, Marry Tong Yingying Chapter 136 If You Want A Wife, Marry Tong Yingying Qiao Jinniang reluctantly lived in Lu Chen¡¯s Longquan Hall for the sake of the hot spring. They rested today, and the hunt would start tomorrow. However, some noble girls went to enjoy the hot spring in groups of twos and threes. Although this was a royal hot spring manor, there were hot spring pools open to the dignitaries. Like hot spring hotels outside, men and women were separated. There were large pools and several small pools. Tong Xuan and Fulu were soaking in a big pool, and Tong Xuan said, ¡°My concubine-born sister is really annoying, but my father praised her, saying that if only I was like her! I¡¯m really annoyed. As a woman, she took sides with a bunch of robbers instead of women, but was actually praised for this. That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Another girl said, ¡°Do you know that your concubine-born sister has a reputation among literati now, which is that if you want a wife, marry Tong Yingying.¡± ¡°Marry her? She¡¯s plain-looking and full of absurd crap. Those men are blind.¡± Tong Xuan said angrily, ¡°She seemed to have to quiet down in the past two years and stop fishing for fame, so I thought she had changed. ¡­ Who knew she was actually getting worse and worse.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Are you stupid? If I were your concubine-born sister, I would not dare to be famous in the past two years either! At that time, my imperial cousin was lost, and Prince Mediocre seemed very likely to replace him. If Tong Yingying became famous, what if Prince Mediocre wanted to marry her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Tong Xuan suddenly understood. ¡°No wonder my concubine-born sister attended the last crown princess selection banquet although she was already 19 years old, but my father didn¡¯t let me attend it. It turns out that my father wanted to marry her off to His Royal Highness! ¡°Hehe, I wanted to attend it. However, my father said that Zhou Sisi was very favored by the Queen, and she would definitely be able to marry into the East Palace in the future, so it was inappropriate for me to marry into the East Palace too! It¡¯s inappropriate for me to marry into the East Palace, but it¡¯s okay for my concubine-born sister to do that?¡± Fulu rolled her eyes at Tong Xuan. ¡°Otherwise, why doesn¡¯t your concubine-born sister get married at her age?¡± In Chang¡¯an, although many girls weren¡¯t married at the age of 18, most of them already had fianc¨¦s. Those who weren¡¯t married at the age of 18 or 19 must want to marry into the royal family. Tong Xuan couldn¡¯t figure out such a simple truth? She should interact less with Tong Xuan in case she would become silly. Qiao Jinniang lived in the main hall of Longquan Hall. This time she only brought three maids, Hongling, Yuyan and Nuomi, but there were imperial maids in the palace. She hardly had to move by herself, and was served everywhere she went. She had to admit that the service of imperial maids was very good. When she was soaking in the hot springs, there were sliced fruits, delicate pastries, and warm scented tea. Soaking in the hot springs, eating fruit, and reading a novel, she felt like in a fairyland on earth. ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± When Qiao Jinniang saw Lu Chen coming, she put down the novel in her hand. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lu Chen waved the maids to retreat, undressed and entered the hot spring pool. ¡°Of course I came to soak in the hot spring.¡± Qiao Jinniang picked up the novel and continued to read it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you went to deal with the person who dirtied my eyes? Why do you still have the time to soak in the hot spring?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°He is not as important as my honey.¡± When Qiao Jinniang saw Lu Chen approaching her shamelessly, she hurriedly took the book to block Lu Chen, so Lu Chen could see clearly what the novel was about. This book didn¡¯t use gorgeous rhetoric but simple and easy-to-understand vernacular, so Lu Chen never liked Qiao Jinniang reading this kind of book. ¡°Mr. Zhou turned around only to see his cousin who he hadn¡¯t seen in more than three years, and his cousin was still so handsome and attractive. He hurriedly ran up to his cousin and clenched his cousin¡¯s hands with tearful eyes. ¡°Cousin¡±. ¡°Cousin.¡± His cousin¡¯s eyes were full of love and expectation¡­ The bed curtain was slowly lowered, and the two¡­¡± ¡°Qiao Jinniang, what the hell are you reading?!¡± Lu Chen¡¯s forehead burst with blue veins, ¡°How can there be such a disgusting book in this world?¡± Qiao Jinniang quickly took back her book. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get wet. Men¡¯s love was so common in the previous dynasties. How could you say it¡¯s disgusting? Besides, I heard from Fulu that there are quite a few handsome young men in Chang¡¯an¡¯s brothels who specially serve men!¡± Lu Chen pointed to the book and said, ¡°Did you know that my cousin is also surnamed Zhou?¡± Qiao Jinniang touched her nose and put the book aside. Mr. Zhou hadn¡¯t seen his cousin for three years. What a coincidence! ¡°This book must be alluding to you.¡± Lu Chen thought so too. This kind of forbidden book was widely circulated in the market. If many people read it, it would inevitably make people think of him. Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen up and down and said, ¡°Honey, do you really love men as written in the novel?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t love men. I only love Jinniang.¡± With that, Lu Chen picked her up, wrapped her with a blanket and went into the bedroom not far away. The bedroom was warm, and before Qiao Jinniang could say something, she was pressed by Lu Chen on the bed¡­ Before the veil on the bed fell, Yuyan shouted outside the door, ¡°Miss, not good! The Qiao clansmen surrounded the Qin family¡¯s manor, demanding Miss Ruoyun to give them justice.¡± Qiao Jinniang was about to get up, but Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother with them.¡± This was already the second time. If Lu Chen didn¡¯t care about his father¡¯s reputation, he really wanted to directly execute those people to save trouble. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Ruoyun won¡¯t be able to handle them.¡± ¡°Old Madam Qin, the Duchess and Qin Shu are there too!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You promised me to wait until the Lantern Festival¡­¡± Lu Chen let out a long sigh and bit Qiao Jinniang¡¯s neck fiercely. ¡°Then why did you call me ¡®Honey¡¯?¡± Qiao Jinniang covered her neck. ¡°If you bite again, you¡¯ll have to wait longer.¡± Only then did Lu Chen let go of her and put on the clothes that the imperial maids had prepared for him. Qiao Jinniang put on clothes and a purple fox cloak, and went to the Qin family¡¯s manor. The Qiao clansmen who were causing trouble had already been invited into the manor by the Qin family. When Qiao Jinniang went in, she heard Qiao Laowu, Aunt Qiao and others saying, ¡°Ruoyun, we are relatives after all. You have houses everywhere, but we are homeless.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you one thousand taels of silver? It¡¯s enough for you to return to Lin¡¯an.¡± Aunt Qiao said, ¡°You gave the money to Ergou. We are all your relatives. You should give 1,000 taels to each of us!¡± Qiao Ruoyun was annoyed. ¡°What are you talking about? For an ordinary peasant family, 10 taels of silver is enough for a family of five to live very well for a year!¡± Aunt Qiao snorted coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Since we can¡¯t get any benefits from Myriad Taste, you have to give us money. ¡°Today, if you don¡¯t give us money, we will simply stay at the door and let the people who come and go see how cold-blooded your Qin family is.¡± Qiao Ruoyun was so anxious that his eyes were red. Old Madam Qin said angrily, ¡°When did you become our relatives?¡± Aunt Qiao said, ¡°We are related to Ruoyun by blood. She can¡¯t deny that, right? If you give each of us a thousand taels today, you¡¯ll no longer be bothered, and we can stay in Chang¡¯an and find a place to live.¡± Chapter 137 - Hunt Rabbits Chapter 137 Hunt Rabbits Old Madam Qin glared at Qiao Ruoyun and said, ¡°Are they your relatives? My granddaughter-in-law is the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan. If you admit they¡¯re your relatives, don¡¯t be my granddaughter-in-law!¡± Old Madam Qin didn¡¯t like Qiao Ruoyun at all because she didn¡¯t think Qiao Ruoyun was suitable to be Qin Shu¡¯s wife, but her grandson seemed to be fascinated by her and insisted on not divorcing her! Aunt Qiao only said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Hmph! I thought you were a good person, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be less conscious than Qiao Jinniang! You want to send us away without giving us money? No way!¡± Qiao Ruoyun sobbed helplessly. Qin Shu comforted Qiao Ruoyun. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not a big deal. Just give them money.¡± Then he called his servants. ¡°Come on, give them two thousand taels of silver.¡± After that, he said to the Qiao clansmen. ¡°This is the last time we give you money. Not again!¡± Qiao Laowu smiled fawningly and hurriedly saluted. ¡°The Duke Qin Mansion is conscientious, unlike that shameless iron rooster who won¡¯t even fluck a single feather. His Majesty has issued an imperial decree, but she still doesn¡¯t take it seriously!¡± Qiao Jinniang took a deep breath. Knowing that he was referring to her, she was not annoyed and simply said, ¡°Fifth Uncle, you really let me down. I had thought that if Fourth Uncle¡¯s grandson is not suitable, I would pick your grandson, Yuan¡¯er, to be my adoptive father¡¯s heir. Yuan¡¯er is so lively and cute, but he¡¯s a little older¡­¡± When Qiao Laowu heard this, he was moved. Yuan¡¯er was his third grandson ,and he had two elder brothers. If his grandson could become Qiao Yu¡¯s heir, wouldn¡¯t the Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion be his? He must not let Qiao Laosi and Liu Cuihua get their wish. It seemed that he should go and discuss it with Qiao Ergou. If Qiao Ergou could help him, he would have a higher chance to get Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion. ¡°Jinniang, I was just joking.¡± When Qiao Laowu and his wife saw the silver taels brought out by the butler of the Qin family, they grinned from ear to ear and kept flattering the Qin family. After seeing them leave, Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°They¡¯ll never stop. Sister, you shouldn¡¯t have given them money from the beginning.¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°Unlike you, Ruoyun cares about the words of others. She has her own difficulties.¡± Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°Do you mean I¡¯m being nosy? Fine, I¡¯m not going to meddle in this matter again.¡± Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly stepped forward and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Sister, I know you want to protect me, but I still have to maintain the Qin family¡¯s reputation. I¡¯m sorry, Jinniang.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°My adoptive parents already didn¡¯t treat them as relatives before they died. Why should you recognize these blood-sucking leeches as relatives? But no matter what, you¡¯ve given them money again. What can I say? From now on, I won¡¯t meddle in the matter between the Qiao clansmen and you, Sister!¡± After Qiao Jinniang finished speaking, she left the manor. Qiao Ruoyun complained to Qin Shu in a small voice, ¡°Why did you say that to my sister? She is saying that for my good.¡± ¡°I know, but she is not in a position to preach to you. She is alone and doesn¡¯t care about her reputation, but you are different from her!¡± Qiao Ruoyun sighed heavily, ¡°Alas.¡± Early the next morning, the ceremonial music band blew the horn. When Qiao Jinniang woke up, Lu Chen was long gone. She got up and looked at the sky. It looked like dawn had almost passed. No wonder the horns and the sound of horses¡¯ hooves stomping had already sounded outside. The hunt had already begun. Qiao Jinniang dressed up and went to the paddock in a red riding suit and a white ferret fur cloak. In the hot spring villa, men and women were not separated. When Qiao Jinniang arrived, Lu Chen was still waiting for her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen. Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve just learned to ride horses and your archery skills are not good. You can get hit by a stray arrow in the paddock, so II¡¯ll accompany you so that you¡¯ll be safer.¡± Qiao Jinniang could ride horses, but was really bad at archery. Although cooking was tiring and laborious, those laborious tasks were done by servants. She might not even be able to pull the bowstring. Into the depths of the forest, there were many dead trees. Lu Chen said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯d better not leave my sight in these next few days, and don¡¯t get involved in others¡¯ affairs.¡± Qiao Jinniang had heard about the cruelty of royal family members¡¯ fight for the throne, and she didn¡¯t want to die in vain, so she obediently followed Lu Chen¡¯s side. She saw a little gray hare in the distance. In this hunt, Lu Chen did not prohibit the hunting of hares. After all, in winter, there wouldn¡¯t be much prey if hares were not allowed to be hunted¡­ Although Qiao Jinniang was born in the Year of the Rabbit, she didn¡¯t have this taboo. Besides, it was her first time hunting, and she wanted to hunt rabbits more than to protect the life of the rabbits. Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen to teach her how to draw a bow. Lu Chen sat on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s horse, helped her to draw the bow, and aimed the arrow feather at a hare¡¯s leg, ¡°Release!¡± The arrow feather flew out at once. When Qiao Jinniang saw that the hare was shot, she was very happy. ¡°It was shot!¡± Qiao Jinniang got off the horse and picked up the little hare. The arrow feather hit the little hare¡¯s leg, and Qiao Jinniang was just about to pull the arrow off its leg. Then she saw Zhou Sisi come over surrounded by a group of noble ladies. Zhou Sisi dismounted and said, ¡°Bunny, the bunny I shot!¡± Lu Chen came over on horseback, and when the ladies saw Lu Chen, they all saluted him. Qiao Jinniang pointed to the arrow feather on the rabbit and said, ¡°I shot this rabbit. My name is written on the arrow feather.¡± In the paddock, in case someone intentionally wounded people with arrows, names were written on the arrows. Tong Yingying next to Zhou Sisi said, ¡°County Mistress, why are you so mean to a girl who is no different from a six-year-old child? Isn¡¯t this like bullying a child?¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°Did your father tell you that you can snatch other people¡¯s things at will just because you¡¯re younger?¡± Tong Yingying hurriedly said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, this is not what I mean, but I just think that instead of killing and eating the poor little hare, County Mistress might as well give it to Miss Zhou and save a living creature.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°If Miss Tong is so kind-hearted, why are you here hunting? Don¡¯t your family eat meat and fish? Saving lives in a hunt? How ridiculous!¡± Tong Yingying looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°His Royal Highness is kind-hearted. He once said that rabbits are pitiful and weak and that we should not hunt them. I¡¯m just following His Royal Highness¡¯ words.¡± Lu Chen put his hand on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t allow you to hunt rabbits in spring because Jinniang was born in the Year of the Rabbit. But since she doesn¡¯t care about rabbits being hunted, why should I care?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. It turned out that the reason Lu Chen didn¡¯t allow rabbits to be hunted at that time was because of her¡­ Tong Yingying, who was also born in the Year of the Rabbit, felt that this scene was quite upsetting! During the noon break, Qiao Jinniang smelled roasted meat. Junior Duke Rong and Lin Mo hunted a sika deer and made a venison pot. Junior Duke Rong said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Try our venison pot. It is no worse than the food you make.¡± Chapter 138 - Prince Mediocre Is Paralyzed In An Accident Chapter 138 Prince Mediocre Is Paralyzed In An Accident Roasted venison was a rare delicacy when sprinkled with salt, and Junior Duke Rong had cumin from the Yi people in the Northwest. When sprinkled with cumin, the venison became even more fragrant. The palace was filled with the aroma of venison. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t dare to eat it until Lu Chen ate some. It tasted really good. ¡°It took me a lot of energy to hunt this deer. Venison is a little firmer than beef. Roasted like this, the venison is very juicy and is not worse than the dishes in your Tasty Pavilion, right?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡± She thought that she could add roasted venison to the menu of Tasty Pavilion. This venison was quite simple to cook. ¡°I smelled the fragrance from your side from a mile away.¡± Zhou Siming came with Zhou Sisi and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me over?¡± Junior Duke Rong glanced at Zhou Sisi who was following Zhou Siming and winked. Zhou Sisi burst into tears and said, ¡°Brother, this little deer¡¯s eyes are so cute. How can you eat venison? The little deer is so pitiful!¡± Junior Duke Rong put down his chopsticks and said, ¡°Zhou Siming, why did you bring a fool here?¡± Zhou Siming clenched his fists angrily. ¡°Junior Duke, please respect yourself!¡± Junior Duke Rong snorted. ¡°We are eating venison happily, but she came and ruined our mood.¡± Zhou Sisi cried even harder, walked to Lu Chen¡¯s side, held Lu Chen¡¯s sleeve with both hands and shook it gently. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t let them eat little deer. You ce said that Sisi¡¯s eyes are as beautiful as a little deer¡¯s.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t expect that Lu Chen would praise another woman like this. Lu Chen had long since forgotten when he had praised Zhou Sisi. He hurriedly pulled out his sleeve and said seriously, ¡°I remembered I had warned you not to call me Brother again.¡± Zhou Sisi sobbed, ¡°But Brother¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang put down the chopsticks in her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that pigeons are not allowed to be hunted. When I return to Chang¡¯an, I must buy a few more pigeons to make pigeon soup and roast pigeons!¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°It turns out that you like to eat pigeons. It happens that I keep a lot of pigeons in my family. You can pick at will.¡± Qiao Jinniang sarcastically said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I like to eat pigeons, but some pigeons keep cooing and are very annoying. It¡¯s better to make her into pigeon soup.¡± Junior Duke Rong couldn¡¯t help tittering. Zhou Siming touched his nose, pulled his little sister over and said, ¡°Call Your Royal Highness in the future.¡± Zhou Sisi snorted and said angrily, ¡°Brother is bad. I¡¯ll go to my mother.¡± Zhou Siming said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°County Mistress, please don¡¯t mind it. We have no intentions to let Sisi marry into the East Palace. She has been calling His Royal Highness ¡®Brother¡¯ since childhood.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Although Sisi only has the intelligence of a child, she is not a child. Between the sexes, there should be a prudent reserve.¡± Zhou Siming grunted in response. In the afternoon, Qiao Jinniang went to the real hunting ground with Lu Chen. There were many prey in it. As evening approached, they even hunted a fox with pure snow-white fur. After seeing the fox, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°We can make a fox fur cloak for Xi¡¯er with this fox. Chang¡¯an is so cold. This is his first winter in Chang¡¯an so he must be cold.¡± Lu Chen responded, ¡°Okay.¡± The sky was getting dark, but there was a sudden exclamation not far away, and many soldiers in armor rushed past on horseback. Lu Chen clenched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°No matter what happens later, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Back at the main hall of the palace, it was supposed to be a happy banquet, but at this moment it was filled with the cries of Imperial Concubine Xian. ¡°Your Majesty, even if you don¡¯t like me, you should uphold justice for me. I only have this son. Although His Royal Highness was missing for three years, it was not done by my son. ¡°My son was named with the humiliating word ¡®Mediocre¡¯ and forced to stay in the freezing Northwest for the past three years. He has never coveted the position of the crown prince. Why does His Royal Highness have to get rid of my son?! Qiao Jinniang entered with Lu Chen, and when she heard the cry, she looked at Lu Chen with worry. Lu Chen said that he wanted to get rid of Prince Mediocre, but he wouldn¡¯t do it so straightforwardly, would he? Emperor Huilin angrily scolded Imperial Concubine Xian, ¡°Prince Mediocre was bitten by a poisonous snake. Perhaps it was an accident. There is no evidence. Why do you accuse the Crown Prince of doing it?¡± Imperial Concubine Xian said, ¡°Because I found a drug on my son that can attract snakes, and since it¡¯s winter, snakes are hibernating. If someone didn¡¯t deliberately wake them up, how could this happen? ¡°Apart from His Royal Highness, who else would hate my son so much? The snake venom caused my son to be paralyzed, and the imperial doctor said that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up again!¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang to take a seat on the side and said, ¡°Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s words are really funny. Since Prince Mediocre has never coveted the position of the crown prince, why do I have to do anything to him?¡± Imperial Concubine Xian said, ¡°You know that all the literati in the world feel indignant for my son. ¡°Some time ago, the literati united again to lash out at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°You were afraid that your reputation among the literati would get worse and worse, so you wanted to murder my son!¡± Emperor Huilin said angrily to Imperial Concubine Xian, ¡°Shut up, there is no conclusion on the matter. I will hand over this case to the Ministry of Public Security for an investigation in order to get to the bottom of it!¡± Imperial Concubine Xian grieved in tears. A minister who was close to Prince Mediocre came out and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the Minister of Public Security is His Royal Highness¡¯ uncle, so I am afraid that he won¡¯t be fair in this case! Prince Mediocre is obviously being set up by others!¡± Prince Mediocre, who had just woken up, after realizing that he was paralyzed in his lower limbs, ordered someone to carry him into the palace in a stretcher. Prince Mediocre whispered, ¡°Father, no matter how much you don¡¯t like me, I¡¯m also your child. Don¡¯t you have the slightest fatherly affection for me? The Crown Prince has made me paralyzed. Do you still want to cover up for him?¡± Emperor Huilin said coldly, ¡°There is no conclusion on this matter. Why do your mother and you insist that it was Chen¡¯er who did this?¡± The ministers bowed their heads and dared not speak, thinking that His Majesty was too partial to the Crown Prince. The Emperor ordered the Ministry of Public Security to investigate this matter. Even if it was found out that it was done by the Crown Prince, the Emperor would probably not punish the Crown Prince. No one dared to come out and say anything. Even the so-called Prince Mediocre Party was silent. Prince Mediocre had already lost his legs, and would never have a chance to ascend the throne. Wouldn¡¯t it stupid if they still stood up for Prince Mediocre? But there was a ¡°fool¡± who stood up. Tong Yingying cupped her hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to say. A clean hand wants no washing. If His Royal Highness is innocent, he won¡¯t be afraid of any investigation. ¡°I implore Your Majesty to let His Highness Prince Mediocre send someone to investigate this case to prove His Royal Highness¡¯ innocence!¡± Almost everyone present looked at Tong Yingying. Some people laughed at her stupidity in their hearts. Now she had offended both Qiao Jinniang and the Crown Prince. But in the hearts of some men, they felt that Tong Yingying was even more courageous than a man and couldn¡¯t help admiring her. Emperor Huilin glanced at Lu Chen, and when he saw Lu Chen nodded lightly, he said, ¡°Then let Prince Mediocre¡¯s men investigate this case!¡± ¡°Before this case gets investigated clearly, the Hot Spring Villa will be under martial law, and no one will be allowed to leave the Hot Spring Villa!¡± Chapter 139 - Lu Chen and Consort Mediocre Corresponded privately Chapter 139 Lu Chen and Consort Mediocre Corresponded privately The palace banquet continued, but no one had any appetite. Prince Mediocre was paralyzed by snake venom, and it concerned the fight over the throne, which was closely related to all the officials present. Those who still had an appetite must not be ordinary people. The Queen was not worried at all though. She hadn¡¯t said a word today, eating the roasted meat that Zhou Sisi put on her plate happily. Duke Wu and his family were calm too. Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen in a low voice curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you will get caught by Prince Mediocre?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as stupid as him.¡± Lu Chen put a piece of freshly roasted venison onto Qiao Jinniang¡¯s plate. Qiao Jinniang also ate happily. In less than an hour, the staff under Prince Mediocre found the little official in the paddock who released the poisonous snake. The little official in the paddock cried out. ¡°Your Majesty, please spare my life! His Royal Highness ordered me to release this poisonous snake. He said I just needed to release the poisonous snake, and he will have someone else put the sachet that attracted the poisonous snake on His Highness Prince Mediocre.¡± The staff under Prince Mediocre added, ¡°The sachet on His Highness Prince Mediocre was made by Consort Mediocre, Lin Qiaopan, with her own hands. Prince Mediocre cherished it very much, but he didn¡¯t know that His Royal Highness had colluded with his wife. That sachet was used to attract snakes. ¡°These are the letters that Lin Qiaopan wrote to His Royal Highness. Please read, Your Majesty.¡± Imperial Concubine Xian took the letters and took a look, and then said sternly, ¡°Come, bring that b*tch Lin Qiaopan over!¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered Lin Qiaopan. On her wedding day, she asked Qiao Jinniang to deliver a letter to Lu Chen, but Qiao Jinniang refused¡­ Did Lu Chen receive that letter and use Lin Qiaopan? Qiao Jinniang broke free from Lu Chen¡¯s hand. Lu Chen held her hand back. ¡°I¡¯m your husband. Why can¡¯t you trust me a bit?¡± Qiao Jinniang was a little relieved. After all, Lu Chen shouldn¡¯t be as stupid as Prince Mediocre. When Lin Qiaopan was brought up, there were still purple marks on her neck, looking as though she had tried to hang herself. She knelt down and admitted, ¡°The fault is all mine. I made Prince Mediocre get bitten by the poisonous snake. It has nothing to do with His Royal Highness!¡± Lin Mo and Prime Minister Lin both frowned, and Prime Minister Lin came out and got on his knees, admitting his mistake. ¡°I failed to educate my niece well. Please punish me, Your Majesty!¡± Imperial Concubine Xian threw a letter in front of Lin Qiaopan and scolded, ¡°You pair of adulterer and adulteress! ¡°You and the Crown Prince have been exchanging letters since the day you married my son. ¡°Look what was written in the first letter you wrote to him. ¡°I¡¯m willing to be a sword to get rid of Prince Mediocre for you. As long as you don¡¯t forget me in this life, I¡¯m willing to die.¡¯ Oh, it seems that you really love the Crown Prince!¡± Imperial Concubine Xian gave the letter to Lu Chen and asked, ¡°Crown Prince, how do you explain this letter!¡± There was an uproar among the courtiers. Lin Qiaopan admitted that she had harmed Prince Mediocre because she wanted to protect the Crown Prince! Everyone looked at Lu Chen with a strange look. Seeing this, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Is it so easy to imitate the Crown Prince¡¯s handwriting? Your Royal Highness, can¡¯t you change your handwriting? This is the second time someone imitated your handwriting!¡± Imperial Concubine Xian said, ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s handwriting is unique. Who can imitate it? Besides, if the letter is fake, why did she admit it?¡± Lin Qiaopan suddenly stood up like crazy and said, ¡°I imitated his handwriting. I hate Prince Mediocre. I don¡¯t like him at all, but he forced me to be his consort. ¡°I wanted to scapegoat the Crown Prince, but I didn¡¯t want to get the Lin family involved. It was me who planned all this. I¡¯m willing to die!¡± Having said that, Lin Qiaopan was about to hit the pillar with her head. Imperial Concubine Xian hurriedly asked the guards to stop Lin Qiaopan. Then she knelt down in front of Emperor Huilin and cried bitterly. ¡°Your Majesty, you have seen how desperate this b*tch is trying to protect the Crown {rince. Why don¡¯t you give her a piece of paper and ask her to write in the Crown Prince¡¯s handwriting? She must not be able to write it! ¡°Lin Qiaopan, you are very affectionate to the Crown Prince, but he is not even willing to say a word for you at this moment!¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°Why should I speak for a brainless, stupid and shameless woman?¡± Queen Zhou finally spoke, ¡°Chen¡¯er, a gentleman shouldn¡¯t speak like that. Miss Lin is so in love with you. Why are you scolding her like that? As the Crown Prince of Datang, you shouldn¡¯t be so mean to a woman.¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Imperial Concubine Xian looked at Queen Zhou. ¡°Queen, the Crown Prince wants to kill my son but what you care about is that he is mean to a woman?¡± Queen Zhou smiled coldly and said, ¡°Is there any evidence?¡± Prince Mediocre said weakly, ¡°Mother, my men have put the evidence in front of you. The Crown Prince and my consort conspired to kill me. Father, please give me justice. ¡°Lin Qiaopan made the sachet, and the Crown Prince ordered that official to release that poisonous snake, which is already solid evidence!¡± ¡°Father, I am also your son¡­ Over the years, I have been longing for you to praise me. I have always wanted to get closer to you. Please deal with this matter fairly!¡± Prince Mediocre¡¯s remarks made the other princes present sigh. But Lu Chen said, ¡°Are you blaming Father for being partial? ¡°But your so-called solid evidence simply won¡¯t stand up to scrutiny. How can Father give you justice? ¡°Firstly, let¡¯s talk about this small paddock official. If I wanted him to release a poisonous snake, why should I talk to him personally and give him the poisonous snake with my own hands? ¡°Won¡¯t I be afraid of being bitten by the poisonous snake? ¡°And since you had already had the sachet on you, why did I bother to find a small official to release the poisonous snake?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to directly ask my guard to release the snake? ¡°Why should I bother to bribe a small official to do that?¡± Prince Mediocre said, ¡°Perhaps you want to use this as an excuse to refute the charges against you? ¡°Besides, how can you explain the letters between you and Lin Qiaopan?! ¡°You can¡¯t deny these letters, can you?¡± Lin Qiaopan shook her head, weeping pitifully, and said, ¡°This matter really has nothing to do with His Royal Highness. It¡¯s done by me alone!¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°Shut up. You are being used as a knife against me but you think you sacrificed yourself for me. You only moved yourself. It¡¯s not wrong at all to call you brainless and stupid.¡± Prince Mediocre sneered and said, ¡°Lin Qiaopan, look, this is the Crown {rince you have been trying to defend. The Crown {rince you love doesn¡¯t want your love at all!¡± Lin Qiaopan had a look of loss, and she called lovingly, ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she had already figured it out. She looked at the letter in front of her. ¡°The ink in this letter has a faint scent of sweet-scented osmanthus. It must be sweet-scented osmanthus ink, but Lu Chen never uses flower ink.¡± Hearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words, Prince Mediocre said to Lu Chen, ¡°You are so lucky that women are all trying to defend you! Perhaps the Crown Prince purposely used osmanthus ink to cover it up!¡± Lu Chen ordered someone to bring up a wooden box and poured out all the letters in it. ¡°I¡¯m not as lucky as you, Fifth Imperial Brother. In Chang¡¯an, there are more than 20 noble girls who have privately corresponded with you. ¡°Can you recognize these letters? ¡°Can you smell the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus ink in these letters? ¡°In order to avoid damage to the reputation of these women, I¡¯ve covered up the noble girls¡¯ names. Father, Courtiers, please take a look! ¡°Although the handwriting can be imitated, it cannot be imitated exactly. Although you tried to imitate my handwriting, it was difficult to cover up some of your writing habits! ¡°The Ministry of Punishment has a calligraphy expert. We can ask him to come and identify the handwriting.¡± Chapter 140 - Prince Mediocre Was Demoted to A Commoner Chapter 140 Prince Mediocre Was Demoted to A Commoner When Prince Mediocre saw the letters that Lu Chen took out, he shook his head and said, ¡°You imitated my handwriting and wrote these letters. You are trying to frame me!¡± ¡°Fifth Brother, you¡¯re lying.¡± A thin and short man came slowly and knelt down to the Emperor. ¡°Long live my father and mother.¡± The man made a solemn kneeling salute. When Emperor Huilin saw his eldest son, he just sighed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came to plead guilty. That poisonous snake was kept beside the hot spring by me to treat diseases. I never expected that Fifth Brother would come to my place and take the poisonous snake away¡­¡± Hearing what the Eldest Prince said, Prince Mediocre angrily said, ¡°It was not me. It was the Crown Prince!¡± The Eldest Prince said, ¡°His Royal Highness has never come to my place. How could he have taken the snake¡­¡± Prince Mediocre froze all over. Only then did he realize that he had fallen for the trick designed by the Eldest Prince and the Crown Prince together! But how could the Eldest Prince be willing to cooperate with the Crown Prince? Prince Mediocre said, ¡°Do you mean I took away the poisonous snake and made myself paralyzed?!¡± The Eldest Prince said, ¡°That¡¯s because the venom of the poisonous snake has an antidote. ¡°I also told you about the sachet that could lure snakes, and it was meant to let you avoid these spices. ¡°I never thought that you would use this to frame the Crown Prince¡­¡± ¡°Lu Zheng! You are framing me!¡± Prince Mediocre glared at the eldest prince, ¡°You helped me forge those letters! You imitated the Crown Prince¡¯s handwriting and wrote those letters!¡± ¡°Prince Lu can testify for me!¡± Since the incident with the Right Prime Minister, Prince Lu had kept a low profile and never caused any trouble. Suddenly being mentioned, he came out and said, ¡°How could those letters be written by the eldest brother? ¡°I only saw that you went to the eldest brother¡¯s place and got a poisonous snake, and judging from the writing in these letters, these letters were clearly written by you!¡± Prince Mediocre realized that he was framed by the Eldest Prince, the Crown Prince and Prince Lu together. He said repeatedly, ¡°Father, I am being framed by them. ¡°Prince Lu gave the letter from Consort Mediocre to me. The plot of using the poisonous snake to set up the Crown Prince was also plotted by Prince Lu and the Eldest Prince together with me. ¡°It turns out that the Eldest Prince and Prince Lu¡¯s target is actually me!¡± Prince Mediocre cried bitterly. Emperor Huilin said with a headache, ¡°I named you ¡®Mediocre¡¯ to warn you to have some self-knowledge, but you, after staying in the Northwest for so many years, still don¡¯t stop making trouble. You blamed me for being partial, but you¡¯re always fond of playing these stupid tricks since you were a child. I tried to educate you, but you just thought that I was being harsh to you! ¡°You¡¯re my son after all. For the sake of the Empress Dowager, I have forgiven you over and over again over the years, but you have been going further and further astray. This time, I can¡¯t forgive you anymore! ¡°Pass down my oral decree that from today onwards: Prince Mediocre shall be demoted to a commoner, and Imperial Concubine Xian shall be deprived of her title and be put into the Cold Palace!¡± Prince Mediocre crawled down from the stretcher and said, ¡°Father, I am being framed by the Eldest Prince and Prince Lu. Father¡­ you can¡¯t demote me into a commoner!¡± Prince Lu also knelt down and said, ¡°Father, I did encourage Prince Mediocre and even plotted with him, but this has nothing to do with the Eldest Prince! ¡°I did this because Prince Mediocre¡­ killed my cousin, his concubine, Concubine Jian!¡± Imperial Concubine Jian also knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Concubine Jian was pregnant but was murdered by Prince Mediocre. He scapegoated Qiao Ruoshui and killed her cruelly outside Chang¡¯an, claiming that she was killed by robbers. Your Majesty, please investigate this case!¡± The Zheng family had already been exiled. Even if they were murdered by a prince, Emperor Huilin would not necessarily investigate their death. Even if there was real evidence, this matter was not important, but now that it had been revealed, it had to be tended to. ¡°I¡¯m willing to testify!¡± Disregarding Second Madam¡¯s obstruction, Qiao Ruofeng came out and knelt down. ¡°I had been in correspondence with Prince Mediocre for two years. ¡°Prince Mediocre implied that he was in love with me in his letters, and it almost led me to ruin my cousin¡¯s reputation out of jealousy, but then he told me that he didn¡¯t love me at all and all he wanted was just the support of Duke Anyuan. ¡°I have always wanted to speak out about this matter, but I¡¯m afraid that my reputation will be ruined if I speak about it, but I didn¡¯t know until today that it was not only me, but also many other poor girls!¡± ¡°Even if I would be despised by my fiance and have my reputation ruined, I have to speak out about the evil things committed by Prince Mediocre! If what I said is false, I¡¯ll be struck by lightning!¡± Qin Miaomiao took a deep breath and came out too. She got on her knees and said, ¡°Your Majesty, in the letters that Concubine Jian took out last time, there was my name, so I was laughed at by many people. ¡°That letter is true. I also corresponded with Prince Mediocre two years ago. ¡°Prince Mediocre vowed to love me forever, but then I found that one of my girlfriends also received the same letter from Prince Mediocre, so I broke up with him.¡± Seeing Qin Miaomiao come out, some other girls came out to testify too. Although there weren¡¯t as many as 20 girls to testify against Prince Mediocre, there were already eight witnesses including Imperial Concubine Jian and Qiao Ruofeng. Emperor Huilin hadn¡¯t been so angry for a long time. As a prince, if Prince Mediocre was just lascivious, it didn¡¯t matter, but the women Prince Mediocre was in correspondence with were all from powerful families in Chang¡¯an. He was trying to form his own clique to vie for the throne! Even when he was in the northwest, he still didn¡¯t forget to tempt and cheat the noble girls in Chang¡¯an. Emperor Huilin felt so ashamed. This was such a disgrace for the royal family! ¡°From now on, Prince Mediocre shall be demoted to a commoner and be exiled to the northwest frontier, and he can never return to Chang¡¯an!¡± Imperial Concubine Xian instantly fainted. She dreamed of being the next Empress Dowager for three years, but now her beautiful dream was shattered¡­ Prince Mediocre glared at Lu Chen and complained to Emperor Huilin, ¡°Father, since you love Lu Chen so much, why did you give birth to me? I have been smarter than Lu Chen since childhood. When we were children, every time we recited the Book of Rites, he lagged behind me. I am more suitable to be the crown prince than him! ¡°I am the model in the mind of the literati, but what about Lu Chen? He is inferior to me in every aspect!¡± ¡°He was just lucky and was born by the Queen. If he hadn¡¯t been born by the Queen, how could he be the crown prince?!¡± The corners of Lu Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°Luck always matters. Besides, I don¡¯t think you are smarter than me. ¡°I lagged behind you just because I didn¡¯t want you to be scolded by Imperial Concubine Xian if you lost to me, so I pretended not to remember it. I didn¡¯t expect you to remember this matter for fifteen years. ¡°Besides, you were ten years old at that time and I was only five. Even if you memorized the Book of Rites before me, so what? I can¡¯t believe you remember this trivial matter for fifteen years.¡± Qiao Jinniang believed what Lu Chen said. Lu Chen always had an excellent memory. After a single glance, he could memorize the contents of those account books and recite the details. Therefore, when checking accounts books, Qiao Jinniang would sometimes let Lu Chen read the account books first, so she didn¡¯t have to go through them. When Prince Mediocre heard Lu Chen¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t believe it, but what¡¯s the point of continuing to argue? Just as Lu Chen said, he was five years older¡­ He only knew that he was doomed! Chapter 141 - The Eldest Prince Chapter 141 The Eldest Prince After the matter with Prince Mediocre was settled, Lu Chen was called by Emperor Huilin to the main hall of the palace. Emperor Huilin looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Chen¡¯er, are you behind this matter too?¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°Yes, but if Fifth Brother didn¡¯t take the bait, my schemes wouldn¡¯t have worked. And Father, you should know who set me up in the South back then¡­¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Are you still blaming me for not punishing him for that matter? But think about it, the Empress Dowager was seriously ill at that time, and all the evidence was pointing to your eldest brother. What could I do? ¡°How could I punish him without evidence? He is also my son. If there was no sufficient evidence, how could I punish him?¡± Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to blame you, Father.¡± He said he didn¡¯t dare, which meant that he was still blaming him, but he just didn¡¯t dare to show it. Emperor Huilin let out a deep sigh. ¡°You will understand me in the future. The courtiers are not stupid. They can definitely guess who is behind the matter today!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hide it from the courtiers. Prince Mediocre just got what he deserved.¡± ¡°Besides, I was away from Chang¡¯an only for three years but the courtiers have forgotten what kind of person I am and think that I am a pushover. ¡°As for the matter with those literati picking on Jinniang, although I can¡¯t destroy the rules that had passed for thousands of years, I¡¯ll get even with them. They should know that I¡¯m not someone they can bully.¡± ¡°Prince Mediocre had an excellent reputation among the literati, and he must be in correspondence with those people. Those well-known scholars who lashed out on Jinniang must have a connection with Prince Mediocre. ¡°Although I won¡¯t punish them, they will inevitably be scared for a period of time. If they really commit any crime, they will be severely punished.¡± Emperor Huilin said to Lu Chen, ¡°Have you completely forgotten all my teachings? As a king, don¡¯t you even have the slightest tolerance? ¡°The Founding Emperor once said that the people are like the water, and the emperor is like a boat. While water can carry a boat, it can also overturn it! ¡°You can¡¯t blame that the literati wanted justice for the Qiao clansmen. After all, the rules cannot be violated.¡± Lu Chen only said, ¡°Father, I¡¯ll remember your teachings, but I won¡¯t allow others to humiliate me and bully my wife.¡± Emperor Huilin looked at his stubborn son and shook his head helplessly. ¡°Forget it, what do you think about your eldest brother?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°My eldest brother is also your son. I don¡¯t dare to say ill about him. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Lu Chen saluted, left the palace and returned to the Longquan Palace. It was already after 1 am, but many people in the Hot Spring Villa couldn¡¯t sleep. Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t slept yet. Seeing Lu Chen come in, she said, ¡°Did His Majesty scold you?¡± After all, Prince Mediocre was also His Majesty¡¯s child. Lu Chen¡¯s plan was not perfect. Perhaps Emperor Huilin could find out Lu Chen was behind this matter. Lu Chen said, ¡°No, you can rest easy. From tomorrow, he won¡¯t appear in front of your eyes anymore.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Qiao Ruofeng and Qin Miaomiao to testify so boldly today.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Qin Miaomiao¡¯s name was in the letters Concubine Jian took out last time. It¡¯s better to admit it frankly. It¡¯s just letters.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°Is that thin man today your eldest brother? He doesn¡¯t look like you and your brothers.¡± There was no need to say much about Lu Chen¡¯s appearance, and the other members of the royal family were also quite handsome, except for Lu Chen¡¯s eldest brother, who was plain and sickly. Lu Chen said, ¡°Yes, he is. Prince Mediocre has been demoted to a commoner, so Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion may turn to support him, but he is not as disgusting and stupid as Prince Mediocre, so I just need to be careful of him in the future.¡± There were still a few days left for the hunt, but with the drama concerning Prince Mediocre, everyone was dispirited, and Emperor Huilin went back to the imperial palace early. However, some aristocratic girls and young men holding no official positions still stayed in the hot spring villa and continued to have fun. Lu Chen accompanied Qiao Jinniang to stay in the Longquan Palace and planned to return to Chang¡¯an a few days later. After all, this might be their last outing out of Chang¡¯an before the Spring Festival. Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°Is it okay if you don¡¯t go back to the palace? Don¡¯t you have memorials to process?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°My father will tend to them. You haven¡¯t had fun since you came to Chang¡¯an. Let¡¯s have a good time this time.¡± Unfortunately, it snowed the next day. Although there was a hot spring, it was still very cold. Except for the edge of the hot spring, there was thick snow everywhere. Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t get out of the Longquan Palace, so she began to research new cakes in the hall. Watching her make cakes, Lu Chen was unhappy. He stayed to have fun with her, but she was preoccupied with making cakes. However, the cakes tasted really good. In a hut outside the imperial mausoleum. Li Lingling looked at the Eldest Prince and sneered. ¡°You thought that if you helped His Royal Highness, he would let you go back to Chang¡¯an? But sadly, His Majesty has no intention of letting you go back!¡± The Eldest Prince suddenly pinched Li Lingling¡¯s neck. ¡°Shut up!¡± Li Lingling coughed and laughed. ¡°You junk, even Prince Mediocre wants to be the next emperor. Your mother is a noble imperial concubine, and you¡¯re the Emperor¡¯s eldest son, but you are willing to be Lu Chen¡¯s knife. How ridiculous!¡± There was a dark look in the eyes of the Eldest Prince. A maid came said at the door, ¡°Eldest Prince, His Royal Highness said that County Mistress Jia¡¯an made some cakes, so he sent some for you and your consort to taste.¡± When Li Lingling heard ¡°your consort¡±, her eyes were full of ridicule. She had always wanted to be the crown princess. Even when Lu Chen was missing, she believed that he would definitely come back. But after returning, Lu Chen actually made Qiao Jinniang, a cook, his crown princess. She must return this shame to Lu Chen. The Eldest Prince opened the door and took the cakes handed by the maid. The cakes were small and very delicate. They smelled of chestnuts. This chestnut cake melted as soon as it was put into the mouth, sweet but not cloying. It was very delicious. Li Lingling pushed all the cakes to the ground. ¡°Have some self-respect, okay? You are His Majesty¡¯s eldest son, and you are more suitable for the throne than Prince Mediocre.¡± The Eldest Prince looked at the cakes on the ground. He then suddenly picked them up and stuffed them into Li Lingling¡¯s mouth. ¡°Shut up!¡± In Chang¡¯an, there were different opinions on the matter of letting the Eldest Prince return to Chang¡¯an. In the end, the Empress Dowager said that she had dreamed of Noble Imperial Concubine Li who told her that it was Prince Mediocre who framed the Crown Prince in the South. With that, the Eldest Prince was conferred the title of Prince Huai again and was allowed to return to Chang¡¯an. This could be regarded as a major event in Chang¡¯an. After all, Prince Huai was His Majesty¡¯s eldest son. As soon as he returned to Chang¡¯an, many people went to give gifts. In the Duke Anyuan Mansion, Duke Anyuan was having a headache. Although none of his family was in the Duke Mansion, there were still many servants in the Duke Mansion. When it was time to issue the monthly salary, he was baffled. Not to mention this kind of social activity. But how could Duke Anyuan Mansion not give a gift to Prince Huai. However, when he wanted to select a gift, he couldn¡¯t even find the key to the warehouse! The butler had the key to the warehouse, but he didn¡¯t know how to select the gift. After all, these trivial matters had always been handled by Zheng Xiao. Now that the Old Madam took her little grandson to the temple for meditation, Duke Anyuan didn¡¯t even have anyone to ask, and he couldn¡¯t help but have a headache. When handling official business, he was also blamed by His Majesty several times. Faced with this matter, Duke Anyuan had to break into Zheng Xiao¡¯s courtyard while Qiao Jinniang was not around. When he entered Zheng Xiao¡¯s courtyard, he saw a man chatting with Zheng Xiao. It was already so late but the man was still in Zheng Xiao¡¯s courtyard, and he did not look young. Duke Anyuan walked over and clenched Zheng Xiao¡¯s hand. ¡°Who is he?¡± Chapter 142 - Duke Anyuan Occupied Her Mothers Courtyard Chapter 142 Duke Anyuan Occupied Her Mother¡¯s Courtyard Zheng Xiao saw Duke Anyuan who suddenly appeared. She frowned and said, ¡°Your Excellency, be more self-respecting. Is this a place you can break into at will?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my own daughter¡¯s house. Why can¡¯t I enter?¡± Duke Anyuan glared at the man in front of him. The man hurriedly cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Excellency, I¡¯m an imperial physician. County Mistress was worried about Ms. Zheng¡¯s fetus, so she asked me to examine her every three days. Ms. Zheng¡¯s fetus is very healthy. Please rest assured.¡± Duke Anyuan breathed a sigh of relief. His daughter wasn¡¯t even afraid of the Crown Prince and wanted to marry another man. He hoped that she wouldn¡¯t persuade Zheng Xiao to marry another man. So, he should coax Zheng Xiao back home while Qiao Jinniang was not in Chang¡¯an. ¡°Honey.¡± Zheng Xiao shook off Duke Anyuan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I am no longer your wife.¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°Haven¡¯t we already cleared up the misunderstanding? You¡¯ve already taught me a lesson. For the sake of your unborn child, go back to the Duke Mansion, okay? ¡°I heard from the Deputy Minister of Rites today in the palace that they were already preparing the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding. Jinniang may get married after the Spring Festival. ¡°If she marries into the East Palace from the Duke Mansion, it would be better than from this mansion.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t use Jinniang as an excuse. Jinniang has said, she doesn¡¯t care about this.¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know the difference, but you do, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Do you mean that if she doesn¡¯t marry from the Duke Mansion, you won¡¯t acknowledge her as your daughter?¡± Zheng Xiao sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t forget you owe her!¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°Qian Shi has died. Let bygones be bygones. It¡¯s been so many days and you should move on. If you don¡¯t go back, the Duke Mansion will really be in chaos! ¡°In a blink of an eye, our son will be seventeen after this Spring Festival, and it¡¯s time to find a fiancee for him¡­ ¡°The Duke Mansion can¡¯t do without a mistress!¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of women who want to marry you? Didn¡¯t you bring a woman to my housewarming banquet? How easy it is for Duke Anyuan to find a new wife! You can easily find a 15 or 16-year-old girl to marry!¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°I just wanted to make you jealous. I don¡¯t have anything to do with her¡­ ¡°For the sake of Jinniang, come back. ¡°She is living with His Royal Highness in the royal paddock this time. She is probably going to get married soon, so the Duke Mansion should start to prepare for her wedding.¡± Zheng Xiao said coldly, ¡°Your Excellency, I¡¯m not trying to make things difficult for you. Jinniang¡¯s son is three years old, and we are already grandfather and grandmother, but whenever I think of my life in the Duke Mansion, I feel like a joke. ¡°Where were you when I was almost killed by Qian Shi and was forced to go to the Zheng family to give birth to my children? Where were you when our daughter was killed?¡± Duke Anyuan sighed. ¡°Time can¡¯t be reversed. Xiao¡¯er, believe it or not, I regretted it as soon as I said those words to you that day. I regretted that I shouldn¡¯t have told you that I only loved my cousin. ¡°Only after we got married did I learn what love between a man and a woman was and realize that I only took Qian Shi as my sister. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the misunderstandings between us, I would definitely not take her as my concubine. ¡°I went to her courtyard every time I quarreled with you just to make you jealous¡­ because only in this way would you come to make peace with me.¡± Zheng Xiao really thought it was ridiculous. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. If you want to recall the past, please don¡¯t do it here. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Duke Anyuan followed Zheng Xiao closely. ¡°Since this is my daughter¡¯s house, I can also rest here. I¡¯ll have the servants bring my belongings over tomorrow. I don¡¯t believe Jinniang will drive her father away.¡± Zheng Xiao said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t be shameless.¡± However, Duke Anyuan still followed Zheng Xiao into her room. Zheng Xiao was really annoyed but Mammy An didn¡¯t help her drive Duke Anyuan out. Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t want to get angry for the sake of the child in her belly, so she could only pretend not to see Duke Anyuan at all. But at night, while he was sleeping soundly, she kicked him hard to the ground to vent her anger. When the snow stopped, Qiao Jinniang hunted two rabbits before returning to Chang¡¯an. Back in her house, she planned to take her prey to Zheng Xiao first, but when she entered Zheng Xiao¡¯s courtyard, Qiao Jinniang saw a platform practicing martial arts and many things used by men. ¡°Mother, did you find a stepfather for me?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked. Zheng Xiao chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. It¡¯s your ex-father.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. She was just out for five to six days but Duke Anyuan had already occupied her mother¡¯s courtyard? No wonder when she came in just now, the concierge at the door looked like a servant from the Duke Mansion¡­ ¡°Jinniang is back?¡± Duke Anyuan came in wearing an official uniform, ¡°His Royal Highness said that you hunted two rabbits. Not bad for your first hunt!¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted. ¡°Father.¡± Duke Anyuan smiled and said, ¡°You found a good house. It¡¯s closer to the imperial palace, so it¡¯s much more convenient for me to go to the imperial palace and my office if I live here, and I can also spend more time with your mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Zheng Xiao. Her mother yielded so quickly? And how did her house become the new Duke Mansion? Perhaps everyone knew that Duke Anyuan had changed his residence, or perhaps they learned that Qiao Jinniang had lived in the Longquan Palace in the paddock this time, so the invitations that had disappeared for a while were sent to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s house ceaselessly. Qiao Jinniang felt rather helpless. Something she felt even more helpless about was her brother Qiao Lu. Qiao Lu would participate in the Imperial Examination next spring. Although as the eldest son of Duke Anyuan, he could enter the officialdom even if he didn¡¯t take the Imperial Examination. However, civil officials would have more chances in the times of peace. Qiao Lu had always wanted to take the road of Imperial Examinations. Therefore, he had been studying in seclusion in school, and it was not until more than a month after his parents divorced that he learned of it. He rushed back to the Duke Mansion, knocked on the door for a long time but no one answered, and the guards at the door were also gone. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the door was not sealed, he would have thought that Duke Mansion had been raided. Qiao Lu said to his servant, ¡°Kick the door.¡± After kicking the door open, the doorman who was dozing inside asked, ¡°Who is it?!¡± When he opened his eyes and saw that it was Qiao Lu, he kept kowtowing in fear. ¡°Young Master, you are back? The Duke and Madam are now living in the courtyard opposite Princess Shoulan¡¯s mansion. No one lives in this mansion.¡± Qiao Lu: ¡°¡­¡± As the heir to Duke Anyuan, he didn¡¯t even know that the Duke Mansion had moved? Was he still his father¡¯s son? He rode towards the new house. Qiao Lu knew that the street was full of Princess Mansions, and he had heard about the outrageous deeds of the princesses from a young age. For example, Princess Shoulan snatched her husband and forced him to marry her. Helpless, Prince Consort Shoulan had to give his nobility title to others. Although Qiao Lu was still young, as far as he knew, princesses didn¡¯t mind age at all. Therefore, at the intersection, Qiao Lu changed into women¡¯s clothes. He was afraid that the princesses would snatch him away. After all, he was so handsome. He wanted to be a powerful minister like his father, and he never wanted to serve a princess and become a prince consort. When he reached the entrance of the new house, he looked up at the house, but just as he was about to enter, he was stopped by the doorman. ¡°Where did you come from? How dare you trespass in the Duke Mansion?¡± At this moment, Fulu happened to go out and spotted a very beautiful girl at the door opposite of her, who looked familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen her before. Qiao Lu had been in school, so she hadn¡¯t seen Qiao Lu much. Seeing such a beautiful girl, Fulu had only one thought, that is, this girl must not become Qin Miaomiao¡¯s friend. So she took the initiative to greet her. ¡°Hi, who are you¡­?¡± Chapter 143 - Gems Chapter 143 Gems Fulu didn¡¯t recognize Qiao Lu, who was dressed as a woman, but Qiao Lu knew this princess, who had always been known as a dandy. Her mother snatched her father away and forced him to marry her! ¡°I¡¯m Young Master Qiao Lu¡¯s maid.¡± Qiao Lu said, imitating a woman¡¯s voice Fulu said, ¡°Gee, what a pity. You¡¯re so good-looking. You shouldn¡¯t be a maid. If you have nowhere to go, come to my home! Look at the clothes you wear, they¡¯re about to be out of fashion. ¡°There is a new tailor shop next door to Myriad Taste. The clothes the shop sells are novel in style. Let me take you to pick some new clothes.¡± Qiao Lu saluted and said, ¡°Thank you, Princess, I¡¯m here to deliver a message of our young master to Duchess Anyuan.¡± ¡°Duke Anyuan and his wife have already divorced. There is no Duchess Anyuan now. Come, let¡¯s go pick some clothes. It won¡¯t delay your errand.¡± There were very few beautiful girls among Fulu¡¯s friends, and they were not as good at dressing up as Qin Miaomiao¡¯s friends. Every time they went to a jewelry store, a rouge shop, or a tailor shop, Fulu and her friends were always eclipsed by Qin Miaomiao and her party. So after finally encountering a ¡°fragile girl¡± who was delicate, sweet and beautiful, she must take her with her to give a blow to Qin Miaomiao and her friends¡¯ self-confidence. ¡°Princess, but¡­¡± Fulu took Qiao Lu¡¯s hand and took a closer look. ¡°You are so pretty, but why are your hands so calloused? Qiao Lu should have treated you better!¡± Even Qiao Lu¡¯s ears turned red. He looked at Fulu shyly, trying to withdraw his hand. ¡°Princess.¡± Fulu smiled and said, ¡°What are you shy about? I have some Jade Muscle Cream that I got from the imperial palace. It is guaranteed to restore your hands to their former smoothness.¡± Qiao Jinniang was sitting in the Jewelry Pavilion and checking the jade and gemstones delivered by merchants from the Northwest. She wore a thick veil, revealing only a pair of eyes. This northwestern merchant¡¯s name was Yelu Tu, the son of the patriarch of a famous tribe of the Yi ethnic group in the Northern desert, and his mother was a native of Datang. Although it was the time of peace now, border disputes had never ceased. Therefore, although the two countries had intermarriage, Datang women were not welcome in those tribes. After Yelu Tu¡¯s mother fled back to Datang, she set up her own trade caravan, and Yelu Tu took over his mother¡¯s business when he grew up. He dug jade and gemstones from the Northern desert, Xiliang and other places and shipped them to Chang¡¯an for sale. Most of the jewelry in Chang¡¯an were made of gold, silver, pearl and jade, and there weren¡¯t many jewelry made of various colored gemstones. But how could women resist these transparent and exquisite gems? Yelu Tu put the gemstones in front of Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°These gemstones are extremely rare, especially this red gemstone, which is free of impurities. If it is embedded on a golden crown, it will be very beautiful.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the gemstones and said, ¡°Your jade and gemstones are of good quality, but the price is too high.¡± Yelu Tu smiled. ¡°A gem is like a woman¡¯s beautiful face, unique and priceless, and a dazzling gem can last for a long time. The gems in my mines are unique in the world. ¡°In ancient times, He Shi Jade was priceless because it was rare. As the saying goes, gold and silver have a price but jade is priceless. There are quite a few women who love gems nowadays.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°My Jewelry Pavilion is only a small business, and it really doesn¡¯t make much profit.¡± The corners of Yelu Tu¡¯s mouth twitched, although he couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face, but from her voice, she must be young. He couldn¡¯t believe how she could utter this nonsense! If the Jewelry Pavilion was a small business, there would be no ¡°big¡± business in the world. Qiao Jinniang continued, ¡°I¡¯d like to have a long-term cooperation with you, but the price you offer is a bit inflated. If you want me to give you this price, you¡¯ll have to sign a contract with me. ¡°For the next three years, the gems from your mine can only be sold to me, no matter how good or bad the quality is. If I am satisfied with the price you want, I will buy them, and only when we cannot reach an agreement on the price can you sell them to others. ¡°And you can¡¯t sell them to someone else at a lower price than you sell them to me, okay?¡± It was not easy for Yelu Tu to travel to and from Chang¡¯an, so he certainly wanted to find a long-term customer. With this agreement, every time he had gems for sale, Qiao Jinniang would only have the preemptive right to pick and buy the gems, which he could totally accept. After all, gems were not very popular in Chang¡¯an now. If he sold them to other jewelry shops, he might not be able to get a good price and the price of these gems was usually cut extremely low. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s sign a contract.¡± Qiao Jinniang took out nearly 30,000 taels of silver and bought a pile of stones. Her heart was bleeding, but after Yelu Tu left, she looked at these stones of excellent quality and her eyes were shining. Not many women in this world could resist the temptation of these gorgeous jewels. After that, Qiao Jinniang called the manager of the Jewelry Pavilion, Manager Lin, over. ¡°Manager Lin, lock these gems in a wooden box. Only show them to customers from distinguished families or the royal family. ¡°If they pick any of these gems, ask them what kind of jewelry they want to make with the gem, for example, a necklace or a hairpin. ¡°By the way, have you talked to the mammies who retired from the Shanggong Bureau? Have they agreed to work for me?¡± Manager Lin said, ¡°Yes, there are three mammies who are willing to work for us.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Then if the customers choose the gem they like and decide whether to make a hairpin or a necklace, let those mammies design the style, and then make it once the customers are satisfied with the style.¡± ¡°I will hire some guards for the Jewelry Pavilion. These gems are precious, so I will send someone to specifically guard them. You should be careful when you show them to customers.¡± Manager Lin nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the shop assistants to be careful.¡± Qiao Jinniang took off her veil and said, ¡°I heard that the business of the tailor¡¯s shop is not bad. Let me go and take a look.¡± The fabrics in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s newly opened tailor shop were all shipped from the South, and the patterns of the fabrics were also the most fashionable. Because she had a fabric shop in the South, her fabrics were sent over faster than other tailor shops in Chang¡¯an. The Spring Festival was only about a month away, and then there would be many banquets. Even ordinary people would prepare two or three sets of new clothes, not to mention aristocratic girls. All the tailor shops in Chang¡¯an were doing well, but the business of this newly opened tailor shop was even better. When the noble girls who went out shopping in twos and threes were tired of walking around, they could eat something in the Myriad Taste next door. ¡°Princess, Miss Qin, we only have this piece of cloth left, well¡­¡± Fulu said, ¡°I saw the cloth first. This red cloth is the most suitable for¡­ um, you haven¡¯t told me what your name is?¡±. Fulu looked at the woman who was slightly taller than her. Qiao Lu: ¡°¡­¡± Qin Miaomiao looked up and down at the girl Fulu found from nowhere, and somehow felt a little familiar with the girl in front of her. ¡°Where did you find this girl? Little girl, don¡¯t let her lead you astray.¡± Qiao Lu broke free from Fulu¡¯s hand, walked up to Qin Miaomiao and said, ¡°Sister Qin, I am Young Master Qiao¡¯s maid¡­¡± When Qin Miaomiao heard this, she finally recognized Qiao Lu. Isn¡¯t this the eldest son of the Qiao family? Why was he brought here by Fulu in women¡¯s clothes? Fulu was immediately annoyed. ¡°Humph, I brought you here, but you defected to Qin Miaomiao!¡± Chapter 144 - Qiao Lu Is Missing Chapter 144 Qiao Lu Is Missing Qiao Jinniang walked to the door and saw that Fulu and Qin Miaomiao were both there. And when she turned to leave, she was stopped by Qiao Lu. ¡°Sister!¡± Qiao Lu walked to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t recognize the woman in front of her all of a sudden. After all, when she came back to Chang¡¯an, she had met Qiao Lu less than five times. Fulu grabbed Qiao Lu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Hey, you! What¡¯s wrong with me? Why do you want to choose Qin Miaomiao?¡± Qiao Lu tugged at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Sister, save me.¡± Qiao Jinniang gently pulled away Qiao Lu¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Young lady, I don¡¯t know you.¡± Qiao Lu: ¡°¡­¡± Qin Miaomiao said to Fulu, ¡°Don¡¯t bully her. She is Young Master Qiao¡¯s maid.¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°So what? Jinniang has promised to let me be her sister-in-law. If I marry Young Master Qiao, she will be my maid too. Dear sister, I advise you to figure out who is your master.¡± Qiao Lu blushed and said, ¡°Young Master Qiao won¡¯t marry you! Qiao Jinniang, how can you, how can you decide your brother¡¯s future wife at will?!¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Fulu with an innocent face, ¡°It¡¯s up to my parents. I don¡¯t have any say about this¡­¡± Fulu said, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ve decided that Qiao Lu will be my future husband.¡± Qiao Lu said anxiously, ¡°You are shameless.¡± Seeing the blushed and embarrassed face of the little girl, Fulu was amused. She was only joking when she said she wanted to marry Qiao Lu. As the only daughter of Princess Shoulan, she was completely qualified to marry the son of Duke Anyuan. But she clearly understood that the next Duchess Anyuan had to be as dignified and graceful as Qin Miaomiao, who could well manage the future Duke Anyuan. Not someone like her who would fool around all day long. But it was so much fun to tease this little girl. Fulu put two fingers under Qiao Lu¡¯s chin. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m really angry that you betrayed me and defected to Qin Miaomiao. Just because of you, I must become your young master¡¯s wife!¡± Qiao Lu almost cried. He even disguised himself as a woman! Why was he still snatched by a princess?! ¡­ When Qiao Jinniang returned to her house, she saw Zheng Xiao waiting at the door. She went over and asked, ¡°Mother, why are you standing at the door on such a cold day?¡± ¡°The concierge of the Duke Mansion came to report that Lu¡¯er has come back, but he hasn¡¯t come over yet. ¡°When he was young, every time he didn¡¯t behave himself, I would frighten him that princesses would snatch him away. Does he not dare to come over because many princesses are living on this street?¡± Qiao Jinniang tittered. ¡°Mother, Lu¡¯er will be the next Duke Anyuan, and he is almost seventeen years old. How can he be afraid of princesses?¡± Zheng Xiao said in a low voice, ¡°In previous dynasties, it was true that princesses would forcibly take home any good-looking men they saw. dra ¡°So when children are not well behaved, the people of Chang¡¯an will say that the princesses will take them away in order to frighten them into obedience.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Did Xi¡¯er¡¯s aunts know that they had this function? Zheng Xiao stuck her head out and looked outside. Qiao Lu hadn¡¯t come back yet, and she quickly became anxious. When Qiao Lu¡¯s servant said that he didn¡¯t see Qiao Lu either, she began to panic. Qiao Jinniang tried to pacify Zheng Xiao. ¡°I heard that Lu¡¯er knows some martial arts, and many people know that he is Father¡¯s son, so I¡¯m sure nothing will happen to him in a bustling place like Chang¡¯an. ¡°Perhaps he went to visit his friends. Let¡¯s just send a few servants to look for him. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s get inside the house.¡± Zheng Xiao sighed and entered the room. Qiao Jinniang ordered her servants to look for Qiao Lu. Qiao Lu was not a child anymore, so she was not worried at all. Even if he didn¡¯t dare to come here, he should be able to go back to the Duke Mansion. Maybe he was somewhere playing. However, at night, even after Duke Anyuan returned from his office, Qiao Lu still wasn¡¯t found, so the entire Qiao family became anxious. Zheng Xiao couldn¡¯t help scolding Duke Anyuan, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. When Lu¡¯er went to school, I said he should take a few more servants. The servant he took this time is simply useless!¡± Duke Anyuan didn¡¯t refute. ¡°Lu¡¯er is good at martial arts, and he grew up in the military. He¡¯s not a physically weak scholar. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Take care of the child in your belly.¡± In the end, Duke Anyuan turned to Imperial Guards for help, asking them to help find Qiao Lu. Qiao Jinniang remembered the maid she had seen in the tailor shop and said, ¡°Oh, the maid next to Fulu probably knows the whereabouts of Brother.¡± ¡°Maid? Luler didn¡¯t take any maids with him.¡± Zheng Xiao said. The rules of Qiao Lu¡¯s school were very strict. Each student was only allowed to take a servant and not allowed to take any maids. Qiao Lu had been studying outside for three years and barely returned to the Duke Mansion, so his maids in the Duke Mansion had been transferred to other courtyards. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°That maid looks pretty. She has a red mole between her eyebrows.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°I have never seen a maid with a red mole between her eyebrows in the Duke Mansion, but your brother has a red mole between his eyebrows. He is afraid that others will laugh at him, so he often uses paint to cover up the red mole.¡± Qiao Lu was young and good-looking. If people found he had a red mole between his eyebrows, he might be laughed at in the military. Although his father was a duke, people would only say that he was just lucky to have a good dad and laugh at his feminine appearance. Qiao Jinniang suddenly remembered that the ¡°maid¡± called her Sister and asked for her help. After thinking about this, she immediately went to Princess Shoulan¡¯s mansion on the opposite side. In the Princess Mansion. Qiao Lu looked at the Qiao Mansion just a short distance away and sighed. Princess Shoulan tapped Fulu¡¯s head. ¡°Why did you bring back Young Master Qiao¡¯s maid? ¡°Don¡¯t mess around with him, okay? His father is Duke Anyuan, and his sister is going to be the crown princess.¡± Fulu pouted in displeasure. ¡°Mother, am I that bad in your eyes?¡± Princess Shoulan said, ¡°My daughter is certainly not bad, but he is not suitable for you. ¡°Most importantly, although it is peaceful now, if there is a border dispute or something, the Qiao family will be the first to go to the battlefield. ¡°The men of the Qiao family all died on the battlefield, and Old Madam Qiao was widowed when she was only thirty! ¡°I only wish you and your husband to have a safe and happy life.¡± Qiao Lu: ¡°¡­¡± Should he be happy or angry at Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s words? He didn¡¯t want to marry Fulu. Why did Princess Shou¡¯an curse him to die on the battlefield? Humph! Fulu was immediately scared. ¡°Then I don¡¯t want to marry Qiao Lu. I don¡¯t want to be a widow.¡± Qiao Lu snorted in his heart: Didn¡¯t you just say that you only want to marry me? You changed your mind really quickly, humph! Qiao Jinniang came in a hurry, saluted Princess Shou¡¯an and said, ¡°Princess.¡± Princess Shoulan said, ¡°No need to be too polite.¡± Qiao Jinniang grabbed Qiao Lu¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°I just forgot to bring back my brother¡¯s maid in the tailor¡¯s shop. Sorry for disturbing you.¡± Fulu said, ¡°This little sister is quite fun. I wonder if Young Master Qiao is willing to sell her to me? Just name the price.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This is my brother¡¯s maid. I¡¯ll have to ask my brother if he wants to sell her.¡± Qiao Lu snorted. ¡°Young Master will not sell me to you!¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Qiao Lu, took him back to the Qiao Mansion, closed the door and asked, ¡°Brother, is it fun to disguise as a woman?¡± Chapter 145 - Find A Concubine Maid for Qiao Lu Chapter 145 Find A Concubine Maid for Qiao Lu When Zheng Xiao saw Qiao Lu came back in women¡¯s clothes, she was half worried and half annoyed. ¡°Lu¡¯er, why are you wearing women¡¯s clothes? Why did you pretend to be your own maid?¡± Qiao Lu said, ¡°I am afraid that I will be taken away by the princesses.¡± Everyone: ¡°¡­¡± Duke Anyuan coughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The princesses won¡¯t do it again. They no longer dare to blatantly snatch good-looking men in the street after being impeached several times by the imperial censors.¡± Qiao Lu went to his courtyard, washed up and changed before he went to the hall for dinner. Qiao Lu walked up to Zheng Xiao and said, ¡°Mother, why did you and Father divorce? Did Father do something wrong to you again? ¡°You left with my sisters, and Grandmother left with Ah Li. Then what about me?¡± Zheng Xiaodao: ¡°Lu¡¯er, you¡¯re your father¡¯s heir, so you have to stay in the Duke Mansion.¡± Qiao Lu looked dispirited. Duke Anyuan said helplessly, ¡°Why the look? Is it a torture to be my heir?¡± Qiao Lu glared angrily at Duke Anyuan and said, ¡°You must have broken Mother¡¯s heart. That¡¯s why she insisted on divorcing you! ¡°As her son, if I can¡¯t protect her, what¡¯s the use of being your heir?¡± Duke Anyuan: ¡°¡­¡± Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t want her son to quarrel with Duke Anyuan, so she said, ¡°Lu¡¯er, since we have divorced, from now on, I don¡¯t have anything to do with him. Don¡¯t blame your father.¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t have anything to do with me? ¡°Then who massaged your legs all night? How can you say I have nothing to do with you¡­¡± Zheng Xiao blushed. ¡°What are you talking about?! The children are listening!¡± Qiao Jinniang was embarrassed, so she said to Qiao Lu, ¡°Princess Fulu was just kidding. You don¡¯t have to take her words to heart.¡± Zheng Xiao asked, ¡°Kidding about what?¡± ¡°Princess Fulu said that she wanted to marry Brother, but it was just a joke.¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Zheng Xiao pondered. ¡°Your grandmother is right. It¡¯s time for Lu¡¯er to have a fiance. If he passed the Imperial Examination next spring¡­¡± Duke Anyuan was still angry with his son who didn¡¯t even try to persuade Zheng Xiao to return to the Duke Mansion. ¡°He won¡¯t even reach seventeen next spring. He may be able to pass the Imperial Examination on martial arts, but not the Imperial Examination on civil service.¡± Qiao Lu: ¡°Just because you couldn¡¯t pass it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t either!¡± Qiao Jinniang knew there are many capable people in this world, and it would be extremely difficult for Qiao Lu to pass the Imperial Examination on civil service. However, with Qiao Lu¡¯s background, even if he failed in the exam, he could still work in the Department of Defence when he came of age. Qiao Lu said, ¡°If I pass the Imperial Examination next spring, you, Mother and Sister have to promise me that I can choose my wife myself. ¡°I don¡¯t want my wife to live a miserable life like Mother, who was bullied and cold-shouldered by you all her life.¡± At first, Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t want to agree, but after hearing what he said, she nodded. ¡°Okay, I promise you.¡± Duke Anyuan said to Zheng Xiao, ¡°Why did you promise him that? What I am most grateful for my mother is that she forced me to marry you¡­¡± Zheng Xiao glanced coldly at Duke Anyuan, speechless. Qiao Jinniang asked Qiao Lu, ¡°Do you already have a woman you love?¡± Qiao Lu said, ¡°Yes, there is a girl I want to marry.¡± Although she said that she didn¡¯t want to marry him and become a widow. Today they held hands for so long. So as a man, he should take his responsibility. And she was the first girl who said in public that she wanted to marry him¡­ Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t ask who that girl was. Perhaps it was a woman Qiao Lu knew in school. Early the next morning. Yuyan ran in and said to Hongling. ¡°Today e dawn, Young Master went to draw water from the well and washed his bedding in such cold weather. ¡°The mammies tried to stop him but it turned out that he had wet his bed last night.¡± Hongling hurriedly stopped her. ¡°What are you talking about? How can you gossip about Young Master? If this matter spreads out, you¡¯ll be severely punished.¡± Hongling was older than Yuyan. She used to be Qiao Lu¡¯s maid. When she served Qiao Lu, mammies often told her to pay attention to the bedding of Young Master. At that time, she understood what that meant. Qiao Jinniang heard Yuyan¡¯s words and said, ¡°Yuyan, you¡¯re still a little girl. You don¡¯t understand these things. Don¡¯t talk about it anymore. Is Lu¡¯er gone?¡± ¡°He returned to school early in the morning.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered Hongling to warn the servants not to spread this matter. When she went to Zheng Xiao, Zheng Xiao was very happy after Mammy An told her about this matter. ¡°It seems that after the Imperial Examination next spring, I should find a concubine maid for Lu¡¯er. He is already a grown-up man. If Hongling weren¡¯t your maid, she would have bern a suitable choice¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi was silent on the side, and after hearing the word ¡°concubine maid¡±, her face was a little gloomy. Qiao Jinniang said to Zheng Xiao, ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t Brother say that he already has a girl he likes? Why don¡¯t you just let them get married as soon as possible? Why ruin an innocent maid¡¯s life?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to be the next Duke Anyuan¡¯s concubine maid. Why do you say it will ruin her life?¡± Qiao Jinniang said softly to Zheng Xiao, ¡°As the saying goes, don¡¯t do to others what you don¡¯t want others to do to you. You can understand me for not wanting my husband to have any concubines. Then why do you arrange a concubine for Brother? ¡°If Brother and his wife love each other, a concubine maid between them will ruin their relationship.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°But if he doesn¡¯t have any experience about sex, his wife may not be satisifed with him¡­¡± But seeing that Qiao Ruoyi was here, Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t continue. But Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t have this scruple. ¡°Mother, the common men don¡¯t have any concubine maids, and most of them don¡¯t have this kind of problem. Besides, Brother can learn from porn paintings. ¡°I never hear a woman needing a ¡®concubine servant¡¯ to teach her about sex.¡± Zheng Xiao said awkwardly, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, but what you said makes sense. Lu¡¯er can learn about this kind of matter from porn paintings.¡± Qiao Ruoyi didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about, and she didn¡¯t want to understand it either. Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ruoyi, ¡°There are a few new shops next to Myriad Taste. Sister, you can go shopping there and report my name.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t like clothes and jewelry, but I heard that there is a new book market in the East Market. Can I go shopping there?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you. I want to buy some books.¡± She wanted to buy some books for the school she founded. Although many people in Chang¡¯an had donated books, it was not enough. The book market was next to the Imperial College, and there literati and scholars came and went. So, as soon as Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi got off their carriage, they saw Li Yun. Li Yun had already put on the official robe of Hanlin Academy. He came to see if there were some books he liked in this book market. Qiao Jinniang and Li Yun nodded at each other as a greeting At this time, Tong Yingying¡¯s voice suddenly rang. ¡°How can a person who doesn¡¯t care about etiquette and morality and doesn¡¯t respect her clan come to this clean place?! It will only pollute this place! ¡°Qiao Ruoyi, I had thought that you were a talented girl, but now it seems that you are nothing but an apple polisher.¡± Chapter 146 - Her Conquest Chapter 146 Her Conquest Qiao Jinniang was really upset to see Tong Yingying. Behind Tong Yingying, there were several young scholars who supported her, and they all said, ¡°Yingying, why do you bother to pay attention to an illiterate woman?¡± ¡°Qiao Ruoyi is born by a concubine after all, so she has to live at her sister¡¯s mercy.¡± Tong Yingying sneered coldly. ¡°My mother is a concubine too, but even so, we should strive for a bright future for ourselves, instead of trying to please mistress-born sisters like she does.¡± A scholar complimented her, ¡°Although Miss Tong is a woman, she has an unyielding resolve equal to that of a man. As the saying goes, a gentleman should constantly strive to become strong just like the evolution of the universe. I admire her very much.¡± Qiao Jinniang really couldn¡¯t stand Tong Yingying¡¯s self-righteous air, and said with a cold smile, ¡°A gentleman should constantly strive to become strong just like the evolution of the universe? But the latter part is that a gentleman should generously cultivate to become tolerant just like the earth bears everything on it. ¡°What makes you think you can judge other people? Are you worthy of being called a gentleman? ¡°Tong Yingying knows nothing about sisterhood but calls it apple-polishing. Just because she doesn¡¯t get along with her sisters doesn¡¯t mean that she ¡®has an unyielding resolve equal to that of a man¡¯. Don¡¯t insult this old saying!¡± All the scholars thought that Qiao Jinniang was illiterate and never thought that she had actually read a lot of books. ¡°Hongling, Luhe, note down the scholars¡¯ names and remember their appearances.¡± Qiao Jinniang instructed her maids. The scholars asked, ¡°Why do you want to note down our names?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I want to give your names to His Royal Highness. Gossip mongers are not worthy of being officials!¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Tong Yingying said, ¡°The harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, and you haven¡¯t entered the East Palace yet!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Have I interfered in politics? I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± When those scholars heard this, they hurriedly covered their faces. They didn¡¯t pass the last Imperial Examination. If they failed in the Imperial Examination next spring, they would have to wait for three more years before they could take the next Imperial Examination. Seeing them disperse, Tong Yingying said angrily, ¡°Spineless, humph!¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. As a woman, Tong Yingying never cared about other women but held men¡¯s oppression rules on women as canons. Not far away, Li Yun¡¯s colleague said to Li Yun, ¡°Why is Miss Tong doing this? In the hot spring villa, Qiao Jinniang lived with the Crown Prince and she is also the biological mother of the Crown Prince¡¯s heir. ¡°I heard someone from the Ministry of Rites say that they have started to prepare for the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding, and the crown princess is probably Qiao Jinniang. ¡°What good is Miss Tong doing offending her?¡± The Ministry of Rites hasn¡¯t been so busy for a long time. There was no expression on Li Yun¡¯s face. He knew that if he showed that he cared about her at this moment, it would only ruin Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang bought a lot of books, and when she returned to her room, she smelled the fragrance of ambergris. She went in, and as expected, she saw Lu Chen sitting beside her bed, reading one of her novels. Remembering that it was a romance novel, Qiao Jinniang hurriedly went over to take back the novel, ¡°Don¡¯t read my novels!¡± ¡°Did you go to a book market with Li Yun today?¡± Qiao Jinniang closed the book and said slightly crossly, ¡°I didn¡¯t even say a word to Li Yun. Why did you say I went to the book market with him?¡± Lu Chen chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m just asking. Don¡¯t be angry. I just came to tell you that the brocade fabric with which your wedding dress will be made has been done. Don¡¯t put on weight in case you can¡¯t fit into the dress.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked knowingly, ¡°Hadn¡¯t we already had a wedding? Why do it again?¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t want to recall their last wedding because she was really hateful at that time. Qiao Jinning thought of something and said, ¡°Lu Chen, will you retaliate against me at this wedding for what I did to you in our last wedding?¡± ¡°If you dare, I won¡¯t marry you!¡± Lu Chen pinched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s nose gently. ¡°How dare you mention our last wedding!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I apologized to you later, didn¡¯t I? You were unwilling to marry into my family, and I didn¡¯t know you well back then, so I wanted to show you I was not a weakling you could bully.¡± Lu Chen recalled their last wedding. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s adoptive parents really doted on Qiao Jinniang. Although they were seriously ill back then, they still managed to hold a grand wedding for them with very limited preparation time. They held banquets for three days and three nights in Myriad Taste. On the day of their marriage, Qiao Jinniang forced him to go to her house in a sedan chair. When he entered the door, she hung her skirt on the door and forced him to walk through under her skirt, saying that it symbolized that he was her conquest. At that time, Lu Chen was so angry that he wanted to leave directly. If he weren¡¯t afraid that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s dying adoptive mother would die if he left, he wouldn¡¯t have tolerated it. Plus, he had already planned to leave the next day. But Qiao Jinniang forced him to kneel down and wash her feet. Although Lu Chen lost his memory back then, he knew this was a big insult to him¡­ When he was about to leave, he suddenly saw Qiao Jinniang burst into tears. Although the little girl in the red wedding dress was hateful, she was also pitiful. After all, he owed her a life-saving grace, so he planned to give her a son before he left so that she wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by her clansmen. But after spending a night with her, he could no longer forget her and didn¡¯t want to leave anymore. Even if she called him her conquest, he could only admit that he had already been a prisoner of love. Seeing that he ignored her, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I shouldn¡¯t have done that to you. I was told that if I didn¡¯t do those things to you, you would bully me. I had planned to make you crawl through under my skirt, but my parents scolded me¡­¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Fortunately, you didn¡¯t do that. Otherwise, I would have left at that time. ¡°The last wedding doesn¡¯t count. This one will be our real wedding. ¡°There will be a total of five sets of dresses for you at the wedding. The dresses are already being made and should be ready by early spring next year.¡± Qiao Jinniang exclaimed, ¡°Five dresses? So many?¡± ¡°The crown princess will have to offer sacrifices to the heavens, gods and ancestors at the wedding, so the procedures will be very complicated. I¡¯m afraid you will be very busy that day.¡± Lu Chen took out a ruler from the embroidery basket on the side, ¡°Come here, let me take your measurements.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Are you so idle? Do you need to do this yourself?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to learn the court etiquette quickly, so you can¡¯t let the people from the imperial palace come to take your measurements, but I want you to enter the East Palace as soon as possible, so I can only do it myself.¡± Qiao Jinniang patted Lu Chen¡¯s hand gently. ¡°You can take my measurements, but don¡¯t do anything else. Maybe someone will suddenly come in again.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Yuyan hurried in and said, ¡°Miss, not good, Huixiang from Myriad Taste came to you, saying that a lot of people died on a cargo ship from the South. Someone recognized that the dead people were Qiao Laosi and his family.¡± Qiao Jinniang froze all over. Although she knew the Qiao clansmen would have an internal strife, she did not expect that they would kill. In Chang¡¯an government office. Prefect Chang¡¯an finally had a day off, and he was listening to his concubine singing for him at home. His subordinate suddenly rushed in and reported, ¡°Sir, a lot of people died on a boat that has just arrived at Chang¡¯an Wharf, and the youngest was only a month old!¡± Prefect Chang¡¯an: ¡°¡­¡± He finally had a day off. Couldn¡¯t they submit this case to the Ministry of Justice? Chapter 147 - Dog Eats Dog Chapter 147 Dog Eats Dog The next day, Qiao Jinniang went to Tasty Pavilion to check the accounts. Before dinner time, Qiao Ergou¡¯s voice sounded at the door. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, the heir you picked died on the boat. It¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s Eve, so you should give the restaurants to our clan as soon as possible, and the clan will choose your adoptive father¡¯s heir!¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ergou as if she didn¡¯t know what happened, ¡°Oh, how did he die? Do you know who the murderer is?¡± Qiao Ergou said, ¡°The case is still being investigated by the government. Your fifth uncle¡¯s grandson, Yuan¡¯er is the smartest child in the clan. It¡¯s better to let him be the heir.¡± Qiao Laowu held Yuan¡¯er over, who had just been picked up from Lin¡¯an, and said, ¡°Yes, Qiao Jinniang, you have to keep your word! Now that Qiao Laosi and his family are gone, my Yuan¡¯er is the most suitable to inherit Myriad Taste.¡± Looking at Qiao Ergou and Qiao Laowu, Qiao Jinniang felt extremely chilled. No matter Liu Cuihua or Qiao Laowu, they were all snobbish people. Myriad Taste made so much money, so they might go to extreme lengths to seize it. But she never thought that they would simply kill Qiao Laosi and his family. Was kinship worth nothing compared to the restaurant? ¡°It¡¯s really not easy to find you.¡± Prefect Chang¡¯an came over with his men and said, ¡°Come, arrest Qiao Laowu.¡± Qiao Laowu shouted in a panic, ¡°Master, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why do you want to arrest me?¡± Prefect Chang¡¯an said, ¡°The evidence is conclusive that you poisoned and killed Qiao Laosi and his family on the boat. The boatman saw you put poison in their food. He was afraid of being killed by you, so he didn¡¯t dare to tell it until he came to me. Qiao Laowu shook his head and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t do that!¡± Prefect Chang¡¯an said, ¡°We will find out whether you did it or not. Qiao Laosi and his family were killed on the boat, but you and your family are still all alive, which is very suspicious, so you go to the yamen for an investigation first.¡± Qiao Laowu looked at Qiao Ergou and said, ¡°Second Brother, I really did not do that. I just did what you told me. You have to save me!¡± Qiao Ergou heard the threat in Qiao Laowu¡¯s words, and said, ¡°So you bought arsenic in Chang¡¯an when you returned to Lin¡¯an just to poison Laosi?¡± Then Qiao Ergou went over and whispered into Qiao Laowu¡¯s ear, ¡°Just plead guilty, and I can let Yuan¡¯er inherit the restaurant.¡± After hearing that, Qiao Laowu said to Prefect Chang¡¯an, ¡°So what if I killed him? If I hadn¡¯t rushed back to Lin¡¯an early, Qiao Laosi and Liu Cuihua would have killed my Yuan¡¯er! ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t killed them on the boat, they would have killed me sooner or later. I just did it first!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Fifth Uncle, how can I hand over the restaurant to a murderer¡¯s grandson? If you admit to the murder, Yuan¡¯er won¡¯t be able to be the heir. I¡¯ll find someone else¡­¡± Qiao Laowu looked at Qiao Ergou anxiously and said, ¡°Second Brother, you promised me that Yuan¡¯er would become the heir. You had a part in Qiao Laosi¡¯s death too! You can¡¯t deny it.¡± Qiao Ergou was angry, thinking Qiao Laowu was really stupid. ¡°It was you who killed Qiao Laosi. Why dare you slander me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t slander you. I have evidence to prove that you had a part in it. I¡¯m not stupid!¡± Qiao Laowu said. Qiao Jinniang was expressionless when she was watching this expected dog-eats-dog scene. Qiao Yun¡¯er was not stupid after all. She pointed at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°It¡¯s you! It¡¯s you who deliberately said that you wanted Fourth Uncle¡¯s grandson to be the heir, and also expressed your satisfaction with Yuan¡¯er, to make them kill each other. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, how can you be so vicious?!¡± After thinking about it carefully, Qiao Yun¡¯er figured out everything. Qiao Jinniang never thought about finding any heirs. She showed she was satisfied with both Fourth Uncle¡¯s grandson and Yuan¡¯er just to make them fight against each other. She didn¡¯t care about the lives of these innocent children at all. Qiao Jinniang was amused and said, ¡°I¡¯m vicious? Did I make you kill? Did I put the knife in your hands? The murderer blames others for being vicious. What a joke.¡± Qiao Yuner pointed at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that those ghosts will haunt you?¡± Qiao Jinniang said candidly, ¡°No debts without creditors,no hatred without cause. Even if there are ghosts, they won¡¯t haunt me. Even if they haunt me, I won¡¯t be afraid!¡± Qiao Laosi and his family were killed on a boat, even the children were not spared. This news spread quickly because there had been no murders in Chang¡¯an for a long time. Fortunately, Prefect Chang¡¯an cracked this case very quickly. The murderer was indeed Qiao Laowu and Qiao Ergou who conspired to kill just to get the restaurant. But because this case involved the oral decree of His Majesty, Prefect Chang¡¯an had to report this case to the Emperor. When Emperor Huilin heard this, he was annoyed and said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe such an appalling crime happened in Chang¡¯an! ¡°Just for a restaurant, they murdered their own clansmen even including innocent children. The so-called clansmen are even worse than beasts!¡± Imperial Censor Tong stood up and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this is because Qiao Jinniang refused to hand over the restaurant. ¡°If it was up to the head of the Qiao clan to select the heir, no one would have died.¡± Lu Chen stood up too and said, ¡°Father, I think even then the result would have been the same. They¡¯re always willing to kill for benefits.¡± Imperial Censor Tong said, ¡°Your Majesty, please order Qiao Jinniang to select the heir as soon as possible!¡± Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°Father, to avoid the trouble, I suggest let Xi¡¯er be Earl Lin¡¯an¡¯s heir. ¡°When Earl Lin¡¯an was still alive, Jinniang was already pregnant with Xi¡¯er, and Earl Lin¡¯an had recognized Xi¡¯er as his heir when he was alive. ¡°When Xi¡¯er has a daughter in the future, let Xier¡¯s daughter find a husband and inherit the Qiao family.¡± The ministers wanted to object, but they found that they had no reason to object. After all, what His Royal Highness said was not his daughter. The little imperial grandson was only three years old now, and when his daughter grew up, they all must have died¡­ Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Indeed, to avoid any more disputes, I agree to your proposal. That¡¯s all for today!¡± Imperial Censor Tong frowned and still wanted to speak, but was stopped by Duke Wu. ¡°Brother-in-law, His Majesty has already decided it, and so many people have died. Why bother?¡± Imperial Censor Tong said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the Qiao family would have such a vicious daughter. ¡°Brother-in-law, if Qiao Jinniang becomes the crown princess, Sisi won¡¯t be able to survive!¡± Duke Wu said, ¡°We never plan to let Sisi marry the Crown Prince!¡± Most of the Qiao clansmen were implicated. In prison, Qiao Laowu confessed to many evil things that the Qiao clansmen did, even including the petty theft they did in Lin¡¯an. Some timid Qiao clansmen went back to Lin¡¯an with the money given by Qiao Ruoyun. But Aunt Qiao and her family were fascinated by the prosperity of Chang¡¯an and stayed. But at this moment, they didn¡¯t dare to make trouble, which finally gave Qiao Jinning peace. However, Second Madam came to Zheng Xiao every day, crying and scolding Qiao Ruofeng for being stupid, and cursing Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s fiance b*stard. Old Madam Qiao was practicing in the temple and refused to see any visitors, so Second Madam could only come to beg Zheng Xiao. Although they were separated from the Duke Mansion, they were still relatives. ¡°Although they¡¯re a merchant family, I didn¡¯t look down upon them, but they said Ruofeng was not clean and annulled the engagement! Everyone knows that Prince Mediocre¡¯s thing is as small as a teapot mouth, so Ruofeng is still a virgin!¡± ¡°How dare they annul the engagement? If Ruofeng is despised by a businessman, which decent young man is willing to marry her? Sister-in-law, you have to give Ruofeng justice!¡± Chapter 148 - Prince Huai Returned Chapter 148 Prince Huai Returned Zheng Xiao said helplessly: ¡°I¡¯m not your sister-in-law anymore. You can turn to Old Madam for help.¡± ¡°Old Madam is in seclusion in a temple, and we are not allowed to see her. Alas, it¡¯s just our retribution. We have no one to blame.¡± Second Madam looked at Qiao Jinniang who was on the side and asked, ¡°Jinniang¡­ do you still blame your sister and me for our offense to you?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Second Aunt, what happened in the past is over and done with. Sister Ruofeng is still young. You don¡¯t have to hurry to marry her off. ¡°After Grandmother comes back, she will definitely find a good husband for Ruofeng.¡± Second Madam sighed and said sadly, ¡°My poor daughter! ¡°Why did she admit that she was in correspondence with Prince Mediocre!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s better to say it now than to say it after marriage and then get divorced by her husband.¡± Second Madam thought her words made sense and felt a bit better. Then she thought of Qiao Ruoyun and said, ¡°By the way, Sister-in-law, do you know that Ruoyun is looking for a Yangzhou Thin horse for her husband? ¡°She is really stupid. ¡°Young Master Qin treated her so well, yet she kept pushing her man to other women!¡± ¡°You have to remind her about this. She has been dull and weak since she was a child. ¡°If she really finds her husband a concubine who can win her husband¡¯s favor, how can she still maintain her status as the mistress?¡± Zheng Xiao sighed. ¡°Ruoyun has been married for almost three years but still has no children yet, so she is very anxious. ¡°Her mother-in-law is not harsh to her, but her grandmother-in-law who despises her background keeps nagging her about children every day. ¡°So finding a concubine for her husband might get that old woman to shut up.¡± Second Madam empathized. Her mother-in-law was nice to her, and even though her husband had several concubines, he still didn¡¯t get a son. Second Master Qiao was so disappointed and simply gave up. Second Madam sighed. ¡°Alas, when can women in the world be freed of the shackle of having to give birth to a son?¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard the words, she said, ¡°Sister Ruoyun has just had a miscarriage less than a year ago, but now she has to find her husband a concubine under the pressure of public opinion. Alas, why can¡¯t she live an easier life?¡± If she were Qiao Ruoyun, if the Qin family forced her to find her husband a concubine, she would definitely choose to divorce and return to her parents¡¯ home. She was brought up with care and love. Why did she have to bear such humiliation? But Qiao Ruoyun was not her. Since she chose to surrender, Qiao Jinniang was not in a position to say anything about it. If she went to persuade Qiao Ruoyun to divorce, the latter might blame her. Second Madam complimented Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Jinniang is really a lucky girl. ¡°I heard that the Ministry of Rites is already preparing for the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding. It won¡¯t take long before you can marry into the East Palace as the crown princess. ¡°This whole Chang¡¯an is looking forward to you marrying into the East Palace as soon as possible.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Do people hate me so much that you want to lock me up in the East Palace as soon as possible?¡± Second Madam said, ¡°Of course not, now that the crown princess has already been chosen, the crown prince¡¯s first, second and third concubines will also be chosen soon. So the whole of Chang¡¯an is looking forward to it!¡± Qiao Jinniang took a sip of tea. ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid they will be disappointed.¡± Second Madam asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Because I won¡¯t allow my husband to take any concubines!¡± Second Madam tentatively put her hand on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever, but why are you raving?¡±. Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not raving. I won¡¯t allow my husband to take any concubines. If the Crown Prince becomes my husband, he¡¯ll have to accept it too.¡± Prince Huai had returned to Chang¡¯an, and his mansion was built. After entering the mansion, Consort Huai held a grand banquet. Consort Huai was from the Empress Dowager¡¯s natal family and had a lot of connections in Chang¡¯an. Almost every powerful family in Chang¡¯an had received invitations to the banquet. The Duke Mansion was no exception, and Consort Huai was even considerate enough to send the invitation to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s house, not to the Duke Mansion. Qiao Jinniang was very impressed with Li Lingling who was the first scheming woman Qiao Jinniang had seen since she came to Chang¡¯an. Not to mention that Li Lingling had always wanted to marry into the East Palace. Although Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t want to attend to the Duke Mansion¡¯s affairs, begged by Duke Anyuan, she still helped Duke Anyuan prepare the gift. Since Prince Huai had returned to Chang¡¯an and had his own mansion, all the nobles in Chang¡¯an would attend this banquet. Therefore, early this morning, the gates of Prince Huai Mansion were crowded with people and vehicles. Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi were in the same carriage with Fulu. Fulu said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°My eldest cousin has always been gentle and nice, but Li Lingling, as you know, is not easy to deal with. ¡°I¡¯m really upset when I think that I¡¯ll have to see her at every palace banquet in the future. She is such a nuisance! ¡°As soon as Prince Huai returned, Li Lingling held such a grand banquet. It seems like she is really afraid that people in Chang¡¯an will forget her.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said to Fulu, ¡°No, she should be afraid that people in Chang¡¯an will forget Prince Huai. ¡°Prince Huai¡¯s reputation nine years ago was no worse than that of Prince Mediocre a while ago!¡± Fulu remembered, ¡°Yes, when the Crown Prince was still a child, Prince Huai had already been famous for his wisdom in governing the country. ¡°But then Prince Mediocre gradually made his name, and my eldest cousin gradually became a prince who only liked painting and calligraphy. ¡°My parents said my eldest cousin was trying to avoid suspicion¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Exactly, the Eldest Prince is a smart person. Nine years ago, he was already in his twenties. ¡°But His Royal Highness was only an eleven-year-old boy. ¡°The Eldest Prince was already in his prime, and if he still had the talent to run the country, people would inevitably think he was more suitable to be the crown prince. ¡°His Majesty would have been unhappy if he heard those words, so the Eldest Prince pretended to only like calligraphy and painting and looked to be uninterested in politics. ¡°And in exchange, the Queen protected his life when he was abandoned by Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion. ¡°He is actually quite smart. ¡°Now he is still the respected Prince Huai. ¡°But Prince Mediocre who prided himself on the talent of running the country and wanted to seize the throne has become a commoner.¡± Qiao Jinniang disagreed with Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s opinion. She thought if Prince Huai really had no intention to compete with the Crown {rince for the throne¡­ Why did he have to purposely avoid suspicion? Was he hiding what he really wanted in his heart? When they arrived at the gates of Prince Huai Mansion, Li Lingling was greeting the guests at the front door. Looking at this, who wouldn¡¯t praise Prince Huai for having a good consort? And who wouldn¡¯t exclaim about the impermanent fate! They had thought that Li Lingling was over since she was married off to the Eldest Prince and sent to the Imperial Mausoleum, but she had become Consort Huai and returned to Chang¡¯an. Now Prince Mediocre had been demoted to a commoner, and the Eldest Prince had become Prince Huai, everyone suddenly remembered that Prince Huai was very outstanding ten years ago. More importantly, Prince Huai was the Emperor¡¯s eldest son! His mother was His Majesty¡¯s cousin. In terms of bloodline, he was not much worse than His Royal Highness. The noble ladies gossiped in twos and threes. ¡°I heard that Li Lingling was raised by the standard of the future crown princess. This banquet is held almost perfectly.¡± ¡°I wonder if His Royal Highness regrets giving Li Lingling to Prince Huai?¡± ¡°Shh! Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing your head?¡± ¡°Mrs. Tong, I¡¯m telling the truth, can Qiao Jinniang manage the entire East Palace?¡± Mrs. Tong smiled and said, ¡°Only when she can¡¯t handle it and doesn¡¯t have the ability of Li Lingling can our daughters have an easier life in the East Palace!¡± A lady beside her echoed, ¡°Mrs. Tong¡¯s words are very true. If the crown princess is very capable, the Crown Prince¡¯s concubines will have a hard time. ¡°If Qiao Jinniang doesn¡¯t know how to manage the East Palace, perhaps our daughters will gain the right to manage the East Palace, right?¡± Chapter 149 - Shocked Everyone With Her Performance Chapter 149 Shocked Everyone With Her Performance Mrs. Tong thought that Tong Yingying might gain the power to manage the East Palace. Although Tong Yingying was not born by her, she was way smarter than Tong Xuan. After marrying into the East Palace, with the support of Duke Wu Mansion, Tong Yingying might be able to gain the Queen¡¯s favor. ¡°Even if the crown princess doesn¡¯t manage the East Palace well, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be up to your daughters to manage it.¡± Duchess Wu came over and said helplessly, ¡°Brother is already unwise, and Sister-in-law, you are even sillier than him.¡± Mrs. Tong obviously wanted to make use of Zhou Sisi from Duke Wu Mansion who was mentally deficient¡­ But how could she just make it so clear? Although Zhou Sisi was a bit retarded, the Zhou family would definitely not allow the Tong family to use Zhou Sisi as a springboard for Tong Yingying to marry into the East Palace! Mrs. Tong hurriedly assured, ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re right. Our Tong family dares not make use of Duke Wu Mansion.¡± Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion was Li Lingling¡¯s natal family, but the one who came today was not Li Lingling¡¯s mother, but Concubine Li of Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s heir, whose father was very favored by the Empress Dowager. When Fulu heard about this, she said, ¡°What is my uncle doing? How could he send a concubine to this banquet? Although Li Lingling is not a good person, it¡¯s too much to have a concubine attend this kind of a banquet¡­¡± A general¡¯s daughter said, ¡°I heard that today¡¯s banquet was cooked by Concubine Li¡¯s father, Imperial Chef Li, who was very favored by the Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°Mrs. Zheng, who offended Concubine Li last time, has turned into soil now.¡± ¡°Everyone in Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion is very respectful to Concubine Li. She is almost more important than the wife of Earl Cheng¡¯en¡¯s heir.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked over. Li Lingling didn¡¯t have any disdain for Concubine Li, but treated her as a distinguished guest, which was really confusing ¡°Mommy!¡± Tuan¡¯er trotted over and threw himself into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s arms. The people on the side all saluted. Qiao Jinniang picked up little Lu Xi and kissed him on his soft little face. ¡°Dear baby, do you miss Mom?¡± Little Lu Xi snuggled into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Yes, I miss you a lot! When can you live with Daddy?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡± Today, Lu Chen and his brothers also came to attend the banquet, but Princess Jinghua didn¡¯t come because she hadn¡¯t recovered yet. During the banquet, Consort Huai Li Lingling offered to perform a beautiful dance for the guests. Li Lingling was very good at dancing, but seeing her wearing a thin dance dress in such a cold winter, Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but shiver. After Li Lingling finished dancing, she looked at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°I have heard that Miss Qiao is from the South where it is famous for its beautiful songs. I wonder if I will be lucky enough to listen to Miss Qiao sing. I will also personally dance to your song.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± She liked to listen to Southern songs, and there were singers in her restaurants, but she wasn¡¯t good at singing. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m not good at singing, but I can play zither. If you don¡¯t mind, I will play a song together with Consort Huai.¡± Nowadays, noblemen would learn the Six Arts, while noble girls would learn zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, singing and dancing Qiao Jinniang was poor at painting, but was not that bad at other arts. Now that Consort Huai had performed her dance, if she rejected performing, she might be despised. Moreover, since she had already decided to marry into the East Palace, there was no need to hide her talent. Li Lingling swept her gaze to Tong Yingying and said, ¡°Speaking of zither, Miss Tong is the best at it. The beautiful ¡®High Mountain and Flowing Water¡¯ she performed at her coming-of-age ceremony four years ago stunned everyone. Why don¡¯t you two have a little competition?¡± Tong Yingying got up and said, ¡°Miss Qiao¡¯s ancestors are all military generals. How about playing ¡®Da Mian¡¯ today?¡± Da Mian was the song depicting the famous General Lanling in the Southern and Northern Dynasties killing the enemies on the battlefield. Lanling was too handsome to intimidate his enemy so he always wore a mask on the battlefield. After this matter was compiled into a song, few people played it, but in the past ten years this song became very popular. Da Mian was also called ¡°Lanling on the Battlefield¡±. Qiao Jinniang felt fortunate. She might not know other songs, but she was very familiar with this song, so she replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Tong Yingying smiled and said, ¡°This song can¡¯t be done without a dance. Please allow me to invite His Royal Highness to dance.¡± What Tong Yingying thought was that for the sake of his father, Imperial Censor Tong, the Crown Prince would not reject her today. However, Lu Chen didn¡¯t even give her a look or even a response. Obviously, he didn¡¯t take Tong Yingying seriously, and just pretended that he didn¡¯t hear her. Qiao Jinniang stood up and said, ¡°If we play it well, why do we need a dancer? I¡¯d like to play this song with Miss Tong!¡± Tong Yingying looked at Qiao Jinniang with contempt. She had been practicing zither since she was four years old, and very few people in Chang¡¯an could compete with her in zither. Qiao Jinniang, who came from the small town, Lin¡¯an, might only be able to play some vulgar folk songs. What made her think she could compete with her in zither?! Li Lingling ordered people to bring up two zithers. Qiao Jinniang tried it out. These zithers were of very good quality. And the common plot in novels where her zither would be secretly damaged didn¡¯t happen here. Li Lingling had thought about doing something to the zither, but since Qiao Jinniang stupidly said that she wanted to compete with Tong Yingying in zither, she felt that it was unnecessary. Qiao Jinniang might have learned zither for a few days, but Tong Yingying had been practicing it for two hours a day ever since she was a child. Ordinary people had no chance to beat her in zither. Fulu asked Qiao Ruoyi curiously, ¡°Have you ever seen Qiao Jinniang play a zither at home? Everyone knows that I am her friend. If she is defeated by Tong Yingying, wouldn¡¯t I lose face?¡± Qiao Ruoyun also looked at Qiao Ruoyi worriedly. Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Sister only likes reading books, counting money, and occasionally carving radishes and making cakes and delicacies. I have never seen her play a zither.¡± Fulu was worried. Zither playing required practicing every day, not to mention Da Mian which was extremely difficult to play. Qiao Jinniang sat in front of the zither and tuned it for a while. After all, she hadn¡¯t played the zither for more than half a year. Watching Qiao Jinniang tuning the zither, Tong Yingying was amused and asked, ¡°Can you really play the zither, Miss Qiao?¡± If she could play the zither, why was she tuning the zither like a four-year-old? Qiao Jinniang sat upright and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡± Tong Yingying also took a seat, and Qiao Jinniang and Tong Yingying sat opposite each other in the pavilion, one in red and the other in white. Qiao Jinniang put her hands on the zither, closed her eyes and placed her fingertips on the strings. Once they started to play, Tong Yingying on the opposite side almost couldn¡¯t keep up. After she managed to stabilize, she found it too difficult for her to keep up with Qiao Jinniang. She had no choice but to give up, because she was unable to keep up with Qiao Jinniang¡¯s pace. If she forcibly kept up, she would seem incompetent in playing this tune. When the crowd heard Qiao Jinniang play, they envisioned that in a majestic mountain, Warrior Lanling, wearing armor and a mask, was fighting bravely to kill the enemy. The tune was solemn, deep and magnificent. The guests seemed to be witnessing the heroic scenes on the battlefield where soldiers were fighting and horses were galloping. When the song was over, everyone was silent. Tong Yingying waited for Qiao Jinniang to finish playing before saying, ¡°What you played is not Da Mian!¡± Chapter 150 - One-Trick Pony Chapter 150 One-Trick Pony After Qiao Jinniang opened her eyes, she looked at Tong Yingying suspiciously and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Da Mian Lanling the tune ¡°Lanling on the Battlefield¡±¡®? Is there another Da Mian?¡± Lu Chen applauded slowly and said, ¡°The popular tune ¡°Lanling on the Battlefield¡± has been adapted by the late emperor in Chang¡¯an and is softer than the original one, and the dancers who perform the tune are mostly women, different from the brave and valiant Warrior Lanling in legend. ¡°Miss Qiao played it very well. Her performance is superb.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief. This was the only tune she was proficient in. The zither teacher in school liked this tune the most, so Qiao Jinniang only learned this tune. If she played any other songs, she might not be able to play them well. She was so familiar with this tune since she was a child that she could play it even with her eyes closed. Everyone echoed the Crown Prince¡¯s sentiment and began to flatter Qiao Jinniang. Hearing the flattery, Qiao Jinniang felt a bit embarrassed. How could Tong Yingying be reconciled? But the ¡°Lanling on the Battlefield¡± adapted by the late emperor was too soft. Even if she played it again, she couldn¡¯t beat Qiao Jinniang. She would only lose face even if she played it again. But she didn¡¯t want to admit defeat just like this! If Qiao Jinniang was really proficient in zither, why did she need to tune the zither just now? Fulu smiled and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you can play a zither! You¡¯re really out of our league.¡± Qin Miaomiao said on the side, ¡°It¡¯s good you know that.¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°I¡¯m just being polite, okay? I remember you were defeated by Tong Yingying, and Tong Yingying can¡¯t even compare with Jinniang. Doesn¡¯t it mean that you are beaten by her?!¡± Completely speechless at the two of them, Qiao Jinniang went to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s table with Little Lu Xi. Since Consort Huai had performed a dance, many men and women performed after that, most of whom were unmarried. Qiao Jinniang had to exclaim that Chang¡¯an was really full of talents. There were not a few women with excellent dancing skills like Consort Huai, especially the daughter of the sixth-rank Deputy Minister of Penalty whose Zheyao Dance amazed everyone. Her waist was so tender and slender¡­ Noticing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s amazed look, Fulu said, ¡°Hey, why the look? She has performed this Zheyao Dance countless times, and she can only do this dance.¡± ¡°Many people laughed at her behind her back!¡± Qiao Jinniang, who could only play Da Mian: It seemed that she still needed to take time to learn some more tunes, at least to be proficient in two more tunes. Otherwise, she would be laughed at too. While the people of Duke Wu Mansion weren¡¯t paying attention, Zhou Sisi went up to the stage and said, ¡°Let, let me perform a show for you.¡± Zhou Siming hurriedly said, ¡°Be good, Sisi. Come down quickly.¡± Zhou Sisi took out a knife and a piece of wood from her arms. ¡°I¡¯d like to perform a carving for you.¡± There were regrets in everyone¡¯s eyes. In terms of appearance and family background, Zhou Sisi was definitely one of the tops among the noble girls in Chang¡¯an, but sadly, she was mentally disabled. Zhou Sisi had a knife in her hand, so no one dared to touch her. Everyone was looking at her carving the piece of wood. No one could deny that the scene of a gorgeous young girl carving a piece of wood was extremely beautiful. When the banquet was about to end, Zhou Sisi handed the piece of wood in her hand to Lu Chen. ¡°Brother, Sisi carved you.¡± Zhou Siming looked at Lu Chen pleadingly, so Lu Chen took the piece of wood in the end. After accepting it, he walked to Qiao Jinniang and gave the wood carving to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°When you miss me, take it out and take a look.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the wood figurine that wasn¡¯t carved very well, and then looked at the little pigeon demon who was about to cry. She returned the figurine to Lu Chen and said, ¡°It won¡¯t be long before I can see you every day. Why do I need this piece of wood? Just keep it yourself!¡± The little pigeon demon carved this piece of wood for nearly half an hour. If she really cried, it would be embarrassing. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was not angry, Lu Chen kept the carving. After the banquet, the guests went to the street in twos and threes in the afternoon, and someone suggested going to the Jewelry Pavilion. Qiao Jinniang went to the Jewelry Pavilion with Little Lu Xi. The Jewelry Pavilion had expanded, so it was not crowded with more than 20 noble ladies in it. The manager took out the gems that Qiao Jinniang had just bought not long ago. As Qiao Jinniang guessed, there were many women who loved gems. When they heard that they could customize jewelry with the gems, they became more interested. Those who were doted on at home directly placed an order without asking their family. Many noble girls even hurriedly went home to invite their mothers over. Passing by the door, Tong Yingying said to a few scholars who were following and complimenting her, ¡°These girls only know how to have fun, and the money they spend on a hairpin is enough to sustain a poor family for a lifetime, alas¡­¡± ¡°Miss Tong, you¡¯re so benevolent. These superficial girls are incomparable to you.¡± Being touted by the men, Tong Yingying looked at the beautiful hairpin in Tong Xuan¡¯s hand and suppressed the desire to get it. Wisdom in hold, elegance in mold. His Royal Highness would definitely not like superficial women. He accepted Qiao Jinniang just because of responsibility and the power of Duke Anyuan. He would definitely not like Qiao Jinniang, a woman who spent money like water! And she, Tong Yingying, would not be as superficial as these women who only knew jewelry and beautiful clothes. Even if they wore the most fashionable dresses, they couldn¡¯t match the temperament she built up with wisdom. Little Lu Xi picked out a crystal-clear red gemstone and handed it to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Mommy, this one is beautiful. Xi¡¯er will buy it for you!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and rubbed the little bun on Lu Xi¡¯s head. ¡°Where did you get the money?¡± Little Lu Xi said cutely, ¡°I secretly keep the money given by Grandpa and Grandma. I won¡¯t give the money to Daddy. I¡¯ll just use it to buy rouge and jewelry for Mommy.¡± Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang with her cheeks cupped in her hands. ¡°Your son is really interesting.¡± Little Lu Xi held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and looked up at Qiao Jinniang pitifully. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll give you my money. Can you not abandon me?¡± Qiao Jinniang pursed her lips and hugged Little Lu Xi in her arms, saying, ¡°Okay, if your father fails me in the future, I will take you with me when I leave.¡± After everyone had left, Qiao Jinniang calculated today¡¯s earnings of the jewelry store, which far exceeded her expectations. It seemed that by just relying on the Jewelry Pavilion, it was just around the corner for her to become the richest woman in Chang¡¯an. Manager Lin came in and said, ¡°Boss, a girl surnamed Mu has come frequently, saying that her hometown is abounded with green jade, and she wanted to talk to you in person.¡± ¡°Surnamed Mu?¡± Hearing that a girl was doing business, Qiao Jinniang wanted to help. ¡°Did she leave any samples?¡± Manager Lin shook his head and said, ¡°Miss Mu is pregnant. It is not easy for her to do business while pregnant.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then next time she comes, you can make an appointment with her, and I will talk to her.¡± ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± In Prince Huai¡¯s mansion, which had been lively for a day, Mu Qianqian, wearing a black cloak, entered the study of Prince Huai from a secret passage. Taking off her cloak, she went to hug Prince Huai and said, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Prince Huai frowned, but thinking of the child in Mu Qianqian¡¯s belly, he simply said, ¡°Qianqian, you really disappointed me. ¡°I asked you to enter Duke Anyuan Mansion to gain Duke Anyuan¡¯s favor and serve as my spy, but you were driven out of the mansion by Duke Anyuan. ¡°Then I asked you to investigate who the boss of Jewelry Pavilion is. It has been so long. Have you got any information? Chapter 151 - Preserved Food Chapter 151 Preserved Food Mu Qianqian bowed her head guiltily. ¡°I got the wrong information. The information that Duke Anyuan loved Qian Shi is not true. That¡¯s why I was kicked out of Duke Anyuan¡¯s mansion. ¡°Your Highness, please rest assured. I will definitely seize Jewelry Pavilion for your use.¡± Prince Huai had interrogated the previous owner of the shop, and he said that Qiao Jinniang bought his store. But Prince Huai didn¡¯t believe that Jewelry Pavilion was run by Qiao Jinniang who was only a woman and he also didn¡¯t believe it would be the property of Duke Anyuan either. Although Duke Anyuan had some shops, with his military power, if he opened a store like Jewelry Pavilion that could make so much money, was he not afraid of being suspected by the Emperor? When he went to inquire about it, it turned out that Jewelry Pavilion was rented to Manager Lin by Qiao Jinniang. The illicit salt dealing in the Southwest had been completely destroyed, and that waste, Prince Mediocre, had also been useless. However, he still had to keep a low profile and hide his ambition, and didn¡¯t dare to reveal any of his real thoughts even to Li Lingling. Otherwise, how could he hide from the Queen and the Crown Prince? Jewelry Pavilion was literally a cash cow. If he could take Jewelry Pavilion as his own, he would have more capital to strive for the throne. Mu Qianqian touched her lower abdomen. ¡°Your Highness, our child kicked me again today!¡± Prince Huai touched Mu Qianqian¡¯s belly. This was his only heir. In order not to be suspected by his father, he had this child when he was nearly thirty. And the Crown Prince, who just turned 20, already had a three-year-old son. Qiao Jinniang disguised herself and met the so-called Miss Mu in Jewelry Pavilion, but she didn¡¯t expect her to be an acquaintance. Wasn¡¯t Miss Mu the woman her father brought back to the Duke Mansion that day? She looked as fragile as Qian Shi before. But today, the cowardice on her had all gone and she became the kind of self-reliant woman that Qiao Jinniang liked. Judging from the size of her belly, it seemed that she was about to give birth soon. vne ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the owner of Jewelry Pavilion to be a girl. What should I call you?¡± Mu Qianqian said graciously. Qiao Jinniang changed her voice and said, ¡°My surname is Jing.¡± ¡°Miss Jing, it must not be very convenient for you, a girl, to do business in Chang¡¯an, right? Especially since there are more and more dignitaries and nobles coming to patronize your store. If you don¡¯t have a big tree to rely on, I¡¯m afraid your business can¡¯t last long in Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°What do you want to say, Miss Mu?¡± Mu Qian smiled and said, ¡°My brother and Duke Anyuan have been friends for many years, so I want to make a deal with Miss Jing. ¡°You might as well sell this shop to me for 100,000 taels of silver. Duke Anyuan will definitely be glad if he knows it!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. Duke Anyuan? Are you serious? Duke Anyuan was in the belief that it was Mu Qianqian who caused Zheng Xiao divorced him, so he didn¡¯t even allow anyone to mention the word ¡°Mu¡± in the Duke Mansion. He regretted bringing Mu Qianqian to the Duke Mansion very much, so how could he possibly help Mu Qianqian? J So why did Mu Qianqian say this? If she wanted to marry Duke Anyuan for money and status and deliberately imitated Concubine Qian, then why didn¡¯t she have an abortion to get rid of the child before entering the Duke Mansion? Moreover, the daughter of a convicted official from the Southwest came all the way to Chang¡¯an and became an official prostitute, which was suspicious. Even if she was kicked out of the Duke Mansion, she didn¡¯t have an abortion? Besides, as an official prostitute, where did she get the 100,000 taels of silver? ¡°It turns out that Miss Mu knows Duke Anyuan.¡± Qiao Jinniang continued, ¡°But this Jewelry Pavilion is like my baby, so I don¡¯t want to sell it. ¡°But I can let your master become a shareholder. Can I talk to your master?¡± Mu Qian smiled and said, ¡°Miss Jing, didn¡¯t I say it? My brother and Duke Anyuan are good friends. You know who my master is.¡± Mu Qianqian emphasized ¡°Duke Anyuan¡±, trying to imply that Duke Anyuan was behind her. n V Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Miss Mu, to be frank, since I can run this shop in Chang¡¯an, I¡¯ve got some big names to rely on too. ¡°To be honest, I also have a master behind me. ¡°I came from the South, and my master¡¯s family is very powerful in the South. ¡°But his influence is mainly in the South, and this is Chang¡¯an here. ¡°So you don¡¯t need to hide your background from me. I know about it. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for a convicted official¡¯s daughter to come up with 100,000 taels of silver, isn¡¯t it? And I know Duke Anyuan has already driven you out of the Duke Mansion¡­¡± Mu Qianqian pondered what Qiao Jinniang meant. Then she suddenly thought, was she talking about the Xie family in the South? His Highness happened to want to make friends with the Xie family. This was a good opportunity She immediately replied. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and ask my master.¡± After Mu Qianqian left, Qiao Jinniang ordered one of Lu Chen¡¯s secret guards to follow her. The secret guard saw that Mu Qianqian entered a small house and didn¡¯t come out again. Qiao Jinniang thought of a secret passage. It seemed that Mu Qianqian really had secrets. However, after waiting for Mu Qianqian for many days, she didn¡¯t see Mu Qianqian coming again, so Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t take the matter to heart. It was the Laba Festival, and Qiao Jinniang cooked a lot of Laba porridge at home. She had the kitchen buy a lot of chickens, ducks and geese, and also collected all the chickens, ducks and geese raised in the manors. The whole yard was full of preserved chickens and ducks drying in the sun. The aroma of the preserved chickens and ducks wafted from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s courtyard to the Princess Mansion across the street. Unable to resist the aroma, Princess Shoulan ordered Fulu to visit Qiao Jinniang and bring some chickens and ducks back along the way. Fulu walked into the Qiao Mansion opposite and exclaimed, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, I¡¯m afraid that all the chickens, ducks, fish and geese in Chang¡¯an are in your courtyard, right? How can you get so many of them here?¡± Qiao Jinniang replied. ¡°There are too many people coming and going in the backyards of Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste. In Lin¡¯an, the preserved chickens being dried in the sun in the backyard of my restaurant was once poisoned by someone. ¡°After that, I just sun-dried them in my own house.¡± ¡°Fortunately, this house is large and there are few people living here, so I can sun-dry a lot of them here. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that the sandstorm in Chang¡¯an is too big, so I ask the maids to cover the chickens and ducks with gauze when the sandstorm is too big.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that you will smell like a preserved chicken?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yes, especially at mid-night, I always want to eat preserved goods when I smell it. ¡°Therefore, I always gain some weight at this time of the year. I dare not eat so much preserved food this year.¡± She didn¡¯t want to go to the Shanggong Bureau to change the size of her wedding dresses, which would be very shameful. Besides, which woman didn¡¯t want to be slimmer at her wedding? Fulu smiled. ¡°Then can I take two away?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Sure. They¡¯ll be done tomorrow after being exposed to the sun for another day. When that time comes, I will order someone to send two to your home.¡± In the Hall of Diligent Governance, Emperor Huilin was busy with the ratings of officials who returned to Chang¡¯an to report on their work during the Chinese New Year. Smelling the smell on Duke Anyuan, Emperor Huilin asked, ¡°Duke, what is that smell on you?¡± Duke Anyuan cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, my daughter has opened two restaurants, and now it¡¯s the time when the preserved goods are launched to the market. ¡°She is afraid that the preserved goods will be poisoned if she sun-dries them in her restaurants, so the house is full of the preserved goods¡­¡± Lu Chen said to Emperor Huilin, ¡°Father, do you want to have a taste of it? ¡°The seasoning was made from a secret recipe of Myriad Taste, and only Jinniang knows the recipe. ¡°When I was in Lin¡¯an, almost hundreds of preserved ducks and preserved geese were sold every day during the twelfth lunar month.¡± Chapter 152 - The Princess Gigolos Chapter 152 The Princess¡¯ Gigolos The corners of Duke Anyuan¡¯s lips twitched slightly. He thought that there were already enough chickens and ducks in the house now. If hundreds of chicken and ducks were sold every day, didn¡¯t that mean that he would have to endure this smell every day? Emperor Huilin was a little tempted, but he held it back and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like to eat chickens and ducks. It¡¯s not good for your health to eat too much duck in winter, so you should eat less.¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the preserved ducks Jinniang made will be in short supply and I can¡¯t get any.¡± Qiao Jinniang had been busy making sauces recently, and all the maids in the Qiao Mansion were ordered to pluck chickens, ducks and geese. For a time, the gate of Qiao Mansion was full of merchants who came to collect feathers. Their street was full of princess mansions. Qiao Jinniang was afraid to disturb the princesses, so she went to visit them and give them a lot of gifts. She gave each of them a set of jewelry from Jewelry Pavilion, and two preserved chickens, two preserved ducks and two preserved geese. The princesses were all very happy to receive her gifts. When she went to Princess Jinghua¡¯s mansion, the latter hadn¡¯t recovered, so Qiao Jinniang could only go to Princess Jinghua¡¯s room to see her. Far away, she heard the sound of music. She entered, only to see that in the gorgeous palace, several handsome men were only wearing white long-sleeve Confucian robes, looking very graceful and quaint. Surrounded by the handsome men, Princess Jinghua was being fed fresh grapes by one of them. Fresh grapes were extremely rare at this time, so these grapes must have been preserved in the ice cellar since last summer. It could be seen how extravagant Princess Jinghua¡¯s life was¡­ Jinghua smiled and said, ¡°I still have some difficulty walking. Sorry for not greeting you at the door.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I made some preserved foods at home. The noises made by the hawkers who came to deliver chickens and ducks and collect chicken and duck feathers might have disturbed you, so I came to apologize.¡± Although they were all on the same street, each mansion covered an area of hundreds of acres, and it was probably Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s mansion on the opposite side that was the most affected. But the other princesses might smell the chickens and ducks and be disturbed by the hawkers when they passed by the Qiao Mansion. If they were distrubed, Qiao Jinniang might be in trouble. Princess Jinghua said, ¡°County Mistress, you¡¯re too polite. I have been missing the dishes in Tasty Pavilion when I¡¯m recuperating at home. It¡¯s so nice of you to bring delicious food to me in person.¡± ¡°Come here, cook these preserved ducks.¡± After Jinghua ordered, a gigolo on the side took the preserved ducks from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand, looking a little disgusted, but still went down to cook them obediently. Jinghua said, ¡°County Mistress, this is the first time you came to my home. Please stay for a meal. ¡°I heard that not long ago, you performed Da Mian in my eldest brother¡¯s mansion, which amazed everyone. ¡°My new gigolo happens to be good at playing Da Mian. Would you mind giving him some tips on how to play it?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t dare to reject Princess Jinghua¡¯s invitation, so she could only agree. Jinghua¡¯s leg was injured, so she couldn¡¯t walk now. A burly, handsome man picked her up like a child and put her in front of the table. After sitting down, another handsome man handed over a bowl of tea. ce There was also a handsome young man beside Qiao Jinniang, with an inexplicable fragrance on his body. He put the tea in front of her and leaned close to her. ¡°Sister County Master, please drink tea.¡± Then he blinked at Qiao Jinniang flirtatiously. Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Jinghua said, ¡°Little Eight, don¡¯t mess around. This is the future crown princess. Be careful with your life!¡± Little Eight shrank his head, not daring to approach Qiao Jinniang any more. When the food was served, the gigolos rushed to feed Princess Jinghua. Every mouthful Jinghua took, they would praise her. Qiao Jinniang thought, did Princess Jinghua hurt her hands too? Suddenly, the sound of a pipa came. A thin handsome man was playing the pipa, and two other handsome men with masks were performing a sword dance. After the sword dance, the two took off their masks. Seeing their faces, Qiao Jinniang gasped. Although Lu Chen could be said to be stunningly handsome, she had looked at him too much and was already numb to his handsome face. Now seeing the twins with charming phoenix eyes, she was amazed by their handsomeness. ¡°Your Highness, who is this elder sister?¡±. ¡°Nonsense, she¡¯s clearly a younger sister. She is almost as gorgeous as the princess.¡± Jinghua chuckled. ¡°Little Seventeen, Little Eighteen, this is County Mistress Jia¡¯an.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, County Mistress.¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°No need to be too polite.¡± Jinghua said, ¡°These two are still young, only sixteen years old. If you like them, you can take them away and keep them by your side as servants.¡± One of the twins walked up to singhua, took Jinghua¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re so cruel. You promised to wait for me to grow up. I will always belong to you even in my next life¡­¡± Jinghua patted his head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a joke. County Mistress Jia¡¯an is going to marry into the East Palace. I don¡¯t want my Little Eighteen to be an eunuch, and I don¡¯t want to part with Little Eighteen!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± So it was just a joke? She was seriously thinking about keeping the twins by her side. Looking at their handsome faces, she could probably eat a few more bowls of rice every meal. Having seen such handsome men, Qiao Jinniang thought that the following shows would not be very interesting, but it turned out that she was wrong. A man who had a comparatively average appearance but was still much more handsome than ordinary men came from behind and danced to the beat of the drums. But as he danced, his clothes fell to the ground one piece after another. The beautiful muscles on his body¡­ Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help swallowing, and after this man came a man who was very good at painting, and he outlined Qiao Jinniang¡¯s appearance with just a few strokes. After the banquet, more than 20 handsome men with different talents stood beside the princess¡­ Qiao Jinniang suddenly understood why those men were so lecherous, and why emperors would keep such a large harem. Princess Jinghua smiled and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°County Mistress Jia¡¯an, which of them do you think is the most handsome?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at these men one by one and was about to pick one when she suddenly saw a man with an extraordinary aura who was much more handsome than the others¡­ She immediately walked over with a little guilt and took Lu Chen¡¯s hand. ¡°Of course my honey is the most handsome.¡± Lu Chen turned to Princess Jinghua with a dark face. ¡°Is this how you treat guests, Sister Jinghua?¡± Jinghua smiled. ¡°I always entertain my distinguished guests with the best things.¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. He should never have let Qiao Jinniang come here. She always had the idea of keeping gigolos¡­ If she learned from his sisters, that would be a big disgrace for him. Seeing that Lu Chen was angry, Qiao Jinniang hurriedly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t even touch their hands.¡± ¡°Your hands didn¡¯t touch them, but I still want to dig out your eyes. Are these men so good-looking? Can they be compared to me? You almost couldn¡¯t look away from them just now!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°That¡¯s because the princess asked me to choose the most handsome one among them. They are definitely not as good-looking as you!¡± ¡°Plus, where did Princess Jinghua get so many talented handsome men? No wonder she doesn¡¯t want to marry to the South. In such a fairyland, who would want to marry?¡± Chapter 153 - The Birthday of Old Madam Zhou Chapter 153 The Birthday of Old Madam Zhou Lu Chen grabbed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s chin and said, ¡°You yearn for it?¡± ¡°No, no, all those men added up are not one ten-thousandth as good as you,¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Only then did Lu Chen let go of Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Those gigolos have no heart. They just like the princess¡¯ money.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But didn¡¯t you marry into my family for money too back then?¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang back to her home and said, ¡°What are you talking about? At that time, I accepted you because I heard you crying so miserably. ¡°It was not so much about the money as it was about your beauty.¡± Qiao Jinniang clutched her coat strips. ¡°Stop it. I still have hundreds of chickens and ducks to marinate. I just started to sell them yesterday, but three hundred of them have been sold by today. ¡°You can imagine how busy I have been recently.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I came right for this. You can still marinate the chickens and ducks yourself for now, but what about next year? After marrying into the East Palace, are you going to do it in the East Palace? ¡°Why not give the secret recipe to a person you trust so that you don¡¯t have to do it yourself.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Secret recipes can¡¯t be leaked.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Do you really want to kill ducks and chickens in the East Palace every day and make the whole East Palace smell bad after you become the crown princess?¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed heavily. ¡°Smell bad? But you never complained about the smell when you ate it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about next year right now. I can still marinate them myself this year anyway.¡± Unable to persuade Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen could only help her marinate the chickens and ducks together, which he was quite familiar with. The twelfth lunar month was the busiest time for restaurants. They always had to work until late at night. Marinating chickens and ducks was an important task. Qiao Jinniang sighed and said, ¡°Many of our neighbors in the South had been eating the preserved chickens and ducks I made for more than ten years. Now Myriad Taste has been closed in the South, they can¡¯t eat them anymore. ¡°I want to make more, deliver them to the South and sell them in Myriad Taste in the South.¡± Compared with Jewelry Pavilion, preserved chickens and ducks were indeed not that profitable. But preserved chickens and ducks were Myriad Taste¡¯s signature dishes. Qiao Jinniang dared to say that the preserved chickens and ducks she made were the most delicious in the world. When she was a child, she could eat two preserved duck legs every day. Sometimes before dinner, she would cooperate with Nuomi to climb up to the stove, steal the preserved duck legs, and eat them. After catching her, her adoptive parents would always scare her with sticks, but they would never actually beat her. Now when she recalled it, she felt like it was a lifetime away. Duke Anyuan heard that the Crown Prince came to the Qiao Mansion. He hurriedly came to the Crown Prince with his colleagues, only to see the Crown Prince who was wearing a python robe had his cuffs rolled up and was brushing sauce on the plucked chickens with his daughter. Seeing this, the officials rubbed their eyes in shock, unable to believe that this person was their Crown Prince. After seeing them, Lu Chen wiped his hands with a handkerchief and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I have something to discuss with His Excellency, and I will come back to help you later.¡± Qiao Jinniang hummed and continued to marinate the chickens and ducks. Then she said to the officials, ¡°Lords, if you want to have a taste, you can go to Tasty Pavilion. These are not done yet.¡± The officials: ¡°¡­¡± They weren¡¯t so gluttonous. They were just curious why the daughter of Duke Anyuan could skin a duck so neatly. They watched Qiao Jinniang run a stick straight through a duck, rubbing and dressing it as if not smelling the bad smell at all. Why did Duke Anyuan allow his daughter to do this?! Wasn¡¯t he afraid that others would laugh at his daughter for doing this menial job? Which noble lady in Chang¡¯an would marinate ducks like this, and marinate a whole yard of them at that?! Even Duke Anyuan¡¯s study would smell like sauce. When they were talking about business, all they could smell was sauce. This caused many of the officials to go straight to Tasty Pavilion as soon as they left the Duke Mansion. They couldn¡¯t wait to taste the preserved ducks they smelled the whole afternoon. Sadly, they were already sold out when they arrived, but they quickly rushed to Myriad Taste, and fortunately, there were still a few left. They ate the preserved ducks and drank yellow rice wine. The preserved duck flesh was red in color, aromatic, tender and juicy, and they couldn¡¯t get enough of it. Even the duck bones were so delicious that they almost swallowed them. In Myriad Taste, there were also uncooked preserved ducks for sale. The customers could bring them home and cook them themselves with the seasonings provided by the restaurant. As preserved foods became popular in Chang¡¯an, the Spring Festival was approaching, and Qiao Jinniang received more and more invitations. Some invitations could be shied away, but some couldn¡¯t. With no choice, she had to tell the recipe to Huixiang and Bajiao and ask them to make the preserved ducks as Lu Chen suggested. After two days, when Qiao Jinniang found that they handled this job quite well, she was relieved. The 60th birthday banquet of the Old Madam of the Duke Wu Mansion was a banquet she had to attend. This was the birthday banquet of the Queen¡¯s mother, so even the Emperor would go to the Duke Wu Mansion with the Queen to celebrate the Old Madam¡¯s birthday. There was no precedent for this. Although there were Queens who returned to her natal family to visit her family, it was very rare. Most women who had married into the imperial palace were not allowed to leave the imperial palace except for major festivals or hunts. This time, the Emperor insisted on taking the Queen to visit the Duke Wu Mansion, and many imperial censors submitted memorials, trying to stop the Emperor from doing this, but failed. It had only been half a month since the Duke Wu Mansion received this news, but as one of the most powerful families, the people in the Duke Wu Mansion were quite calm. Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi followed Zheng Xiao on the carriage, and Qiao Ruoyi sighed. ¡°His Majesty really dotes on Her Majesty. For over 20 years, His Majesty only loved Her Majesty. This time, he even ignored the opinions of those imperial censors and brought Her Majesty back to the Duke Wu Mansion.¡± ¡°His Majesty has devoted his life to becoming a wise emperor, but I¡¯m afraid what he did today will be recorded in history, and future generations might say His Majesty put a woman before his country.¡± Zheng Xiao glared at Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°Don¡¯t learn from your sister! How dare you say this?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it great that the Emperor and the Queen love each other?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Do you know why Duke Wu is a marshal, but military power is in your father¡¯s hands?¡± Qiao Jinniang could guess why. ¡°If a Queen¡¯s family is given too much power, it will threaten the Emperor, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the more a queen is favored by an emperor, the more difficult it will be for her family, and the more they will be suppressed.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then if I marry into the East Palace, will it affect the career of Father and Brother?¡± Zheng Xiao shook her head and said, ¡°The difference between the Qiao family and their Zhou family is that the Qiao family was one of the founders of this dynasty. Almost all men of our family died on the battlefield and everyone knows how loyal the Qiao family is to the Emperor. ¡°When your father was young, he led the army to fight the barbarians back and his fame spread far and wide, so we are different from the Zhou family.¡± Zheng Xiao continued, ¡°The Zhou family got the nobility title of a duke because of the late emperor¡¯s Imperial Concubine Zhou, Queen Zhou¡¯s aunt, who was very favored by the late emperor. ¡°The late emperor conferred Imperial Concubine Zhou¡¯s father the title of Duke Wu. Imperial Concubine Zhou then manipulated power for personal use and almost ruined the country. Only after His Majesty ascended the throne did he suppress Imperial Concubine Zhou. ¡°But under the protection of the powerful Zhou family, Imperial Concubine Zhou survived and died until she was terminally ill. ¡°After Imperial Concubine Zhou died, His Majesty suddenly wanted to make her niece the queen. At that time, many ministers desperately tried to stop His Majesty from doing it. ¡°Facing the rejection, the Queen¡¯s brother decided to hand over the military power in his hands in exchange for his sister to become the queen.¡± Chapter 154 - An Old Clam Producing A Pearl Chapter 154 An Old Clam Producing A Pearl Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°I had thought that the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t like the Queen, because His Majesty only loves the Queen, so the girls of the Li family can¡¯t gain his favor. ¡°So it turns out that it¡¯s because of Imperial Concubine Zhou. Were Imperial Concubine Zhou and the Empress Dowager mortal enemies?¡± Zheng Xiao nodded and said, ¡°When I was still young, I heard from my grandmother that before Imperial Concubine Zhou appeared, the late emperor¡¯s favor for the Empress Dowager was unprecedented. However, after Imperial Concubine Zhou appeared, the late emperor¡¯s love for the Empress Dowager completely disappeared. SS ¡°When you marry into the East Palace, you must be careful of the Empress Dowager. Although the Crown Prince is the Empress Dowager¡¯s own grandson, his mother is from the Zhou family that the Empress Dowager hates deeply.¡± D Qiao Jinniang nodded, ¡°I see.¡± Zheng Xiaodao said, ¡°What Ruoyi said just now is not wrong. ¡°But Ruoyi, you have to remember not to say these words again.¡± Qiao Ruoyi nodded obediently. ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± The gate of Duke Wu Mansion was heavily guarded by Imperial Guards. No matter who you were, you had to walk in. Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi carefully supported Zheng Xiao. And they happened to meet the Qin family. After seeing Zheng Xiao, Old Madam Qin snorted.¡±It must be hard for you to carry such a big belly at your age. Even an old clam can produce a pearl, but why can¡¯t a young clam?!¡± Mrs. Qin tugged at Old Madam Qin¡¯s sleeve. How could her mother-in-law make fun of Zheng Xiao like this? Although she divorced Duke Anyuan, they still lived together. An old clam producing a pearl was used to laugh at women who were pregnant at an old age in Chang¡¯an. Duke Anyuan¡¯s two sons and one daughter were born by Zheng Xiao. Qiao Ruoyi, who was born by a concubine, respected Zheng Xiao very much, not to mention Ruoyun, who was raised by Zheng Xiao. Even though they divorced, Zheng Xiao was never a pitiful abandoned woman. How could her mother-in-law despise Zheng Xiao like this? The women of the Tong family happened to pass by, and Mrs. Tong laughed when she heard the words. Zheng Xiao looked at Qiao Ruoyun worriedly. Qiao Jinniang felt that Mrs. Qin was really rude, so she said coldly, ¡°Old Madam Qin, since you hold a string of Buddha beads in your hand, you must be a believer in Buddhism, so I think you should know karma. ¡°When my sister was pregnant, who insisted on marrying off that concubine maid Yuzhui to my sister¡¯s husband? ¡°That almost killed my sister and her baby! ¡°But because you are my sister¡¯s elder, for the sake of my sister¡¯s peace in the Qin family, our Qiao family forgave you. ¡°But now what are you doing? At the door of someone else¡¯s home, making fun of my mother and my sister? Just because my grandmother is not here doesn¡¯t mean you can bully our Qiao family! ¡°My mother is not someone you can laugh at in public. Please apologize.¡± If Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t fight back. Tomorrow, the people in Chang¡¯an would definitely laugh at her mother and her sister, calling them ¡°old clam¡± and ¡°young clam¡±. Zheng Xiao was not young anymore. But it wasn¡¯t uncommon even for a thirty-five-year-old woman to give birth to a child nowadays. Old Madam Qin frowned and said, ¡°In terms of age, I am your mother¡¯s elder. You want me to apologize to her?!¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I want you to apologize to my mother.¡± Old Madam Qin snorted. ¡°Bah, I have lived for so many years, and this is the first time I see such a rude junior like you. ¡°In terms of seniority, I am your mother¡¯s elder. ¡°In terms of status, I am a duchess dowager, but your mother was only a duchess even before her divorce! ¡°Not to mention that she has divorced Duke Anyuan. ¡°Yes, I laughed at your mother because she got pregnant at such an old age just to win back Duke Anyuan¡¯s heart but still ended up being divorced. ¡°Yes, I scolded Qiao Ruoyun for not being able to give birth to a child. But so what?¡± ¡°Your family married a slave¡¯s daughter into our Qin family and made our Qin family lose all our face. ¡°Now I can¡¯t even say that my granddaughter-in-law can¡¯t give birth to a child?¡± Tong Yingying smiled and said, ¡°County Mistress Qiao, Old Madam Qin is your elder. How can you say that to her? ¡°Besides, what she said makes sense. It¡¯s a bit too much for you to ask her to apologize, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tong Xuan tugged at Tong Yingying¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Stop making trouble, okay?¡± But Mrs. Tong pulled Tong Xuan away. ¡°Your sister is right. I have long heard of the rudeness of County Mistress Jia¡¯an. ¡°But here is Chang¡¯an, not Lin¡¯an. You can trick your clansmen into killing each other with your vicious scheme, but you can¡¯t force Old Madam Qin to apologize to your mother!¡± Zheng Xiao also said to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Forget it, if they want to laugh at me, just let them. I don¡¯t care.¡± Qiao Ruoyun also cried and said, ¡°Jinniang, just forget it. I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care either?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This old witch killed your baby, and you almost died because of her. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t arrived in time, you would have died. ¡°She humiliated Mother and you in public. How can you just swallow it?¡± For the first time, Old Madam Qin was called an ¡°old witch¡±. She was shaking with anger. ¡°How dare you scold me? Is there any law left? Mrs. Tong, your husband is an imperial censor. You have to testify for me!¡± Qin Miaomiao had a terrible headache. She really couldn¡¯t understand her grandmother. Many people in Chang¡¯an had indeed laughed at Zheng Xiao for being pregnant at such an old age. But they all did it in private. No one did it in Zheng Xiao¡¯s face like her grandmother! Knowing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s temper, Qin Miaomiao walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Jinniang, for the sake of my sister-in-law, forgive my grandmother this time, okay? She¡¯s old. If you fall out with her, Sister-in-law will have a hard time. ¡°My brother has never blamed Sister-in-law for not being able to give birth to a child, but if you embarrass my grandmother, Sister-in-law may have a hard time in the Qin family.¡± Qiao Jinniang took a deep breath. Mrs.Tong said to Mrs. Qin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Madam Qin. Our Tong family will take care of this matter! ¡°Qiao Jinniang, as the biological mother of the Crown Orince¡¯s heir, how could you scold a duchess dowager as an ¡®old witch¡¯? Are you not afraid of implicating your son? ¡°I¡¯ll report this matter to His Majesty and Her Majesty. You must give an explanation to Old Madam Qin!¡± When she finished speaking, some servants of the Duke Wu Mansion carried out a soft sedan chair. Today, the Emperor and the Queen would come, so all carriages and sedan chairs could only go to the street entrance, and it would take more than a quarter of an hour to walk into the Duke Wu Mansion. Therefore, for some old noble ladies, the Duke Wu Mansion would pick them up with soft sedan chairs. Seeing this soft sedan chair, Mrs. Tong and Old Madam Qin both thought it was to pick them up. Old Madam Qin thought that her title was the highest here and she was also the oldest here. So this soft sedan chair was definitely for her. However, Mrs. Tong felt that she was Duchess Wu¡¯s sister-in-law. She had just asked and the servants said the soft sedan chairs were only for royal family members. If there was an extra soft sedan chair, it would definitely be for her because she was Duchess Wu¡¯s sister-in-law¡­ When Mrs. Tong and Old Madam Qin both came forward. The mammy carrying the soft sedan chair walked up to Zheng Xiao and said, ¡°Mrs. Zheng, our Duchess said that you are pregnant, and the ground is slippery in winter, so she specially ordered us to carry you inside. Please sit inside.¡± Chapter 155 - Old Madam Zhou Defended Chapter 155 Old Madam Zhou Defended Qiao Jinniang Zheng Xiao thanked softly, ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s so kind of the Duchess.¡± Mrs. Tong was very annoyed. Was her sister stupid? Why did she treat Zheng Xiao so well? Old Madam Qin shook off Duchess Qin¡¯s hand and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯ve never been humiliated like today in my life! Someone scolded me as an ¡®old witch¡¯ and now even a woman with no nobility title is more respected than me!¡± After saying that, Old Madam Qin looked like she was about to faint. Duchess Qin had a headache. She knew what kind of a person her mother-in-law was. Zheng Xiao said to the two mammies helplessly, ¡°Mammies, Old Madam Qin is not feeling well. Let her take this soft sedan chair¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang helped Zheng Xiao to sit on the soft sedan chair, and said to Old Madam Qin who was pretending to faint, ¡°Old Madam, you¡¯d better know what day it is today. His Majesty and Her Majesty will come to the Duke Wu Mansion to celebrate Old Madam Zhou¡¯s birthday. If you faint here today¡­¡± Old Madam Qin got up in an instant, no longer pretending to be dizzy. She still couldn¡¯t just swallow it but she didn¡¯t dare to offend the Duke Wu Mansion. As soon as Qiao Jinniang entered, Little Lu Xi ran up to her. He was wearing a bright red round-neck robe and an exquisite gem necklace. Instead of having two buns as usual, his hair was pulled into a bun on top of his head today, making him look like a noble child. After seeing Zheng Xiao, he came over and bowed to Zheng Xiao respectfully. ¡°Grandmother.¡± How could Zheng Xiao dare to be greeted by the imperial grandson?. She quickly saluted back. Qiao Jinniang picked up little Lu Xi. ¡°Mother, he¡¯s your grandson. You don¡¯t need to salute.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Well, he¡¯s the imperial grandson. I should be respectful to him.¡± Little Lu Xi looked at Zheng Xiao¡¯s belly curiously. ¡°Mother, why is Grandmother¡¯s belly so big?¡± ¡°Because there is your little aunt inside!¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Whether it was Zheng Xiao or Duke Anyuan, they both hoped that the child was a girl. Little Lu Xi asked innocently, ¡°Then why did my little aunt go to my grandmother¡¯s belly?¡± Qiao Jinniang answered patiently, ¡°Because your little aunt is going to come out of your grandmother¡¯s belly just like you came out of my belly.¡± ¡°Then are my younger brothers and sisters also coming out of your belly? Daddy said that there will be younger brothers and sisters to play with me soon, so are there any younger brothers and sisters in your belly, Mommy?¡± Qiao Jinniang pinched his little face. ¡°What are you talking about? There are no younger brothers and sisters.¡± ¡°But Daddy said there would be next year.¡± Little Lu Xi said, ¡°Everyone else has younger brothers and sisters.¡± ¡°Others have younger brothers and sisters, but you have a little aunt, which no one else has!¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Old Madam Qin still wanted to rush up to scold Qiao Jinniang for revenge but was stopped by Qin Miaomiao. ¡°Grandma, calm down. After all, she is the biological mother of the imperial grandson.¡± ¡°If she really has the ability to marry into the East Palace, why is there no imperial decree yet?¡± Old Madam Qin said, ¡°Even if His Royal Highness said that as long as Qiao Jinniang agrees, she can marry into the East Palace, but if this is the case, why should she not? ¡°I think that even if His Royal Highness pities her, His Majesty and Her Majesty will not allow a merchant¡¯s daughter to be the crown princess. ¡°The imperial grandson called her Mommy, but it doesn¡¯t mean she can be the Crown Prince¡¯s wife!¡± Qin Miaomiao was speechless. As a junior, she couldn¡¯t stop her grandmother, so she simply let her. Her grandmother¡¯s life was too easy, so she asked for trouble. Old Madam Qin went in, congratulated Old Madam Zhou, and suddenly said, ¡°Old Madam Zhou, you¡¯re so lucky to have filial her daughters, sons, and daughters-in-law. I¡¯m not as lucky as you. Look, at such an age, I was still scolded by a village woman as ¡®old witch¡¯!¡± Mrs. Tong echoed, ¡°County Mistress Jia¡¯an is such a bully!¡± Tong Yingying, who was on the side, also said, ¡°Old Madam Qin, you probably don¡¯t know how glib-tongued County Mistress Jia¡¯an was. She wanted to force Old Madam Qin to apologize to Mrs. Zheng ¡°Old Madam Qin is her elder, not to mention that she has an honorary title conferred by His Majesty. Qiao Jinniang really went too far!¡± Old Madam Zhou was the Crown Prince¡¯s maternal grandmother, and he respected her very much. If Old Madam Zhou disliked Qiao Jinniang, Qiao Jinniang would definitely not be able to marry into the East Palace! Old Madam Zhou asked Duchess Wu, who was beside her, ¡°Where is Jinniang? Why didn¡¯t she come in?¡± Zheng Xiao quickly said, ¡°Old Madam, please forgive her. The imperial grandson and Jinniang haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time, so they are playing together. The whole thing started because of me. I¡¯m pregnant at such an old age, so Old Madam Qin laughed at me, comparing me to an old clam producing a pearl. Jinniang was just trying to protect me.¡± Qiao Jinniang entered with Little Lu Xi in her arms, and happened to hear Zheng Xiao¡¯s words. After saluting Old Madam Zhou, she said, ¡°Old Madam Zhou, may you have infinite longevity. I was angry not only because Old Madam Qin mocked my mother in public. ¡°It¡¯s also because of my sister, Ruoyun. She had a miscarriage a few months ago because Old Madam Qin forcibly gave her husband a troublemaking concubine maid. ¡°It¡¯s only been half a year, but Old Madam Qin publicly ridiculed my mother and my sister Ruoyun. I really can¡¯t endure it anymore.¡± Old Madam Zhou asked Qiao Jinniang to sit beside her and said, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of Old Madam Qin¡¯s reputation. Isn¡¯t it great for Mrs. Zheng to be pregnant at this age? Why are you laughing at her? ¡°Your son is over forty-five years old, but his concubines still keep giving birth to children for him. Why don¡¯t you ridicule your son? Why should we interfere with young people¡¯s lives? ¡°You keep giving concubines to your son, and now you start to meddle in your grandson and his wife¡¯s life? Are you out of your mind?¡± Old Madam Qin was very embarrassed, not because Old Madam Zhou pointed out the fact that she kept giving concubines to her son and her grandson, but because she was scolded again. But she didn¡¯t dare to say anything and even forced a smile at Old Madam Zhou. Tong Yingying was surprised that Old Madam Zhou defended Qiao Jinniang, but then she thought that the Zhou family wanted Zhou Sisi to marry into the East Palace. Maybe Old Madam Zhou thought that Qiao Jinniang would treat Zhou Sisi kindly if she could please Qiao Jinniang? But that shouldn¡¯t be the case. Shouldn¡¯t Zhou Sisi find a familiar girl to marry into the East Palace together with her? ¡°Young Master is back.¡± a maid reported at the door. Zhou Siming entered in a hurry, knelt down and saluted Old Madam Zhou, saying, ¡°Grandmother, please forgive me. I¡¯m almost late. May your fortune be as boundless as the East Sea and may you live a long and happy life.¡± As soon as Zhou Siming came in, Qiao Jinniang noticed that many young ladies in the room became shy. However, Zhou Siming was the Crown Prince¡¯s cousin and the next Duke Wu, so it was reasonable for him to attract so many noble girls. Old Madam Zhou smiled and said, ¡°I know you were on an errand for His Majesty. Being loyal to His Majesty and serving the country well is your greatest filial piety for me.¡± Duchess Wu said, ¡°If you can marry a wife and give birth to a child early, you¡¯re even more filial. Xi¡¯er is three years old. Look how adorable he is. ¡°Lin Mo was going to marry Miss Qin, but you¡­ alas! I don¡¯t know when I can hug my grandson!¡± Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°Yes, your mother is right. Can¡¯t you find a girl you like in Chang¡¯an?¡± Chapter 156 - A Shame Chapter 156 A Shame Before Zhou Siming could answer, there was a sound of ritual music from outside. The Emperor had arrived. Zhou Siming breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Qin Miaomiao who was on the side, then withdrew his gaze and went out to greet the royal family members. The Emperor and the Queen arrived at the Duke Qin Mansion together, and the Zhou family and all the guests saluted them. The Queen stepped forward and held Old Madam Zhou¡¯s hand, ¡°Mother.¡± Old Madam Zhou couldn¡¯t see her daughter often, so now her eyes were red. ¡°Come on in, the dishes are already served. You came all the way here from the imperial palace. Don¡¯t get a cold.¡± The Emperor and the Queen sat on the table of honor and Old Madam Zhou sat beside the Queen. Most of the people present were envious of Old Madam Zhou for having a queen as her daughter. There were very few people in the world whose birthday the Emperor would personally congratulate. At the banquet, several cold dishes attracted much attention. ¡°Was this the preserved duck bought from Myriad Taste? If you want to buy one, you¡¯ll have to queue up early in the morning. If you are a little bit late, it will be sold out.¡± ¡°Wow, this preserved duck is really delicious. I can even take it as a snack.¡± ¡°Yesterday morning, I sent my servant to buy some preserved ducks but only three were left, which were finished in just one meal.¡± Consort Huai Li Lingling heard the words and said, ¡°I went to visit Princess Jinghua a few days ago, and when I passed by the Qiao Mansion, it was full of the stench of poultry at their door. ¡°It turned out that more than 20 vendors were collecting chicken feathers, duck feathers, goose feathers, and duck blood at the door. The Princess Mansion¡¯s air was completely polluted. Fortunately, it¡¯s in winter. If it is summer, I can¡¯t imagine how terrible it would smell.¡± Consort Qi exclaimed, ¡°Why were there so many chickens and ducks in the Qiao Mansion?¡± Li Lingling said, ¡°I heard that the preserved ducks and chickens were marinated and dried by Qiao Jinniang herself. I don¡¯t mean to criticize her, but since Qiao Jinniang is already a noble lady in Chang¡¯an, she really shouldn¡¯t do those menial jobs that only countryside business women will do anymore. ¡°It¡¯s fine she is laughed at, but what if the vendors disturb the princesses?¡± Hearing Li Lingling¡¯s words, many ladies and girls looked at Qiao Jinniang in shock. Was Qiao Jinniang stupid? As a noble lady, why did she process these poultry and livestock by herself? Li Lingling covered her nose and said with disgust, ¡°Ew, I still can¡¯t forget that stench.¡± Qiao Jinniang sat on the same table with Li Lingling, so she heard her words and said, ¡°I have already sent apology gifts to the princesses, and in order not to disturb them, I¡¯ve asked those vendors to come before dawn. ¡°If Consort Huai didn¡¯t go to Princess Jinghua¡¯s mansion before dawn, I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t be able to meet them.¡± Li Lingling smiled and said, ¡°I said this out of kindness. Miss Qiao, you¡¯re no longer a businesswoman. It¡¯s a shame for you to do these menial jobs for a few taels of silver, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qiao Jinniang said indifferently, ¡°A shame? Why? Food is the paramount necessity of the people and farming is the most important thing for the people. Why are preserved ducks and chickens only available during the Spring Festival? ¡°This is because people can¡¯t afford eating it every day. ¡°They also can¡¯t afford eating chicken or duck in one day. the South is not as dry as in Chang¡¯an. If the chickens or ducks are not dried, they will go bad very soon even in winter. ¡°That¡¯s why there are preserved ducks and chickens, which can store chickens and ducks for a longer period of time. ¡°It would have been a shame that I had forgotten the paramount necessity of the people just because I am rich now. Besides, I have paid taxes. And considering the people, I sell these preserved ducks and chickens at a low price and can hardly make any money. ¡°The money I can make from the preserved ducks and chickens shipped to the South is even less than those I can earn from a single dish in Tasty Pavilion. Plus with the customs duties on the road, I¡¯m actually selling them at a loss. I didn¡¯t do this for money. It¡¯s just a tradition to celebrate the Spring Festival. ¡°Everyone here is very wealthy and has never suffered from starvation. Even a cabbage you eat will be matched with four or five chickens and ducks, so you certainly don¡¯t know how difficult ordinary people¡¯s lives are. Many farmers can have a bite of meat only during the Spring Festival.¡± Tong Yingying sneered coldly. ¡°Since County Mistress Jia¡¯an pities ordinary people so much, why did you spend more than 10,000 taels of silver to buy a golden tuinga? Do you know how much meat the people can eat with 10,000 taels of silver?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You¡¯re so funny, I earned 10,000 taels of silver myself. Why should I use it to buy meat for unrelated people? ¡°Isn¡¯t it the duty of imperial censors to think why the common people can¡¯t even afford a bite of meat?¡± Tong Yingying was extremely annoyed, ¡°You¡­¡± Duke Anyuan closed his eyes. Gosh, their Qiao family was going to lose their Absolution Token! Emperor Huilin asked coldly, ¡°Is it true that ordinary people can¡¯t even afford a bite of meat?¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted and said, ¡°To be exact, they usually keep chickens and ducks to lay eggs. so they will only kill and eat them during the Spring Festival.¡± ¡°Life today is already very good for many people, but it is still impossible for them to eat meat every day.¡± Old Madam Zhou said to Duke Wu, ¡°Tell our manors not to deliver anything to us during the Spring Festival and just distribute the crops and poultry to the tenants.¡± Duke Wu said, ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang realized that there was something wrong with what she said to refute Li Lingling, so she said, ¡°Now it¡¯s a time of peace and prosperity, and the people¡¯s life will get better and better. Making preserved ducks and chickens is just a tradition passed down from ancient times to celebrate Spring Festival.¡± Emperor Huilin took a piece of preserved duck and said, ¡°How come it¡¯s not salty? I remember that preserved duck is very salty.¡± Qiao Jinniang answered, ¡°Although salt is a good thing, it¡¯s not good to eat it too much. Except for soldiers and peasants who work hard and sweat a lot, salt should be eaten less, so I didn¡¯t put in much salt.¡± Duke Anyuan flattered the Emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, the people don¡¯t have to work day and night, so they sweat less and don¡¯t need so much salt, which shows how successful your rule has been. And the preserved ducks and chickens that only ordinary people would eat in the past are now served on the nobles¡¯ dining table. It can be seen how united the officials and the people are under your reign¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang really admired Duke Anyuan. He could always find a place to flatter the Emperor. All the other officials followed Duke Anyuan and flattered the Emperor. Li Lingling said, ¡°That being said, County Mistress is the biological mother of the imperial grandson. It¡¯s beneath her dignity to do these things.¡± Queen Zhou snorted. ¡°Beneath her dignity? Queen Dugu of the founding emperor often personally farmed. Isn¡¯t it commendable for County Mistress Jia¡¯an not to forget the essentials of the country? ¡°The first Duke Anyuan donated 1,000 mu of fertile land inherited from his ancestors during the famine that occurred three years after our country was founded to alleviate the food shortage. ¡°Now Jinniang, as his descendant, still bore the people in mind and made preserved ducks and chickens for the common people. ¡°But Consort Huai, what about you? Do you still think this is a shame?¡± Li Lingling couldn¡¯t believe that Queen Zhou would defend Qiao Jinniang like this, so she hurriedly said, ¡°I know I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty.¡± Chapter 157 - Choose Your Concubines with Your Crown Princess Chapter 157 Choose Your Concubines with Your Crown Princess After this episode, everyone¡¯s attitude towards Qiao Jinniang was more respectful than before. Even Old Madam Qin who still wanted to complain to the Emperor and the Queen about Qiao Jinniang could only give up. It turned out that it was not only Old Madam Zhou, but Queen Zhou would also defend Qiao Jinniang. What was so good about Qiao Jinniang? Why did even Queen Zhou defend her?! After the banquet, the Duke Wu Mansion arranged an opera at the waterside garden, which was ¡°The Fairy Offered the Longevity Peach¡±, and everyone was watching the opera. The woman disguised as the fairy slowly walked to Old Madam Zhou with a big peach in her hands. ¡°At the order of Goddess Queen Mother, I came here to present a longevity peach to Old Madam Zhou, and I wish you longevity and health.¡± Old Madam Zhou laughed happily. ¡°Good, reward her!¡± Suddenly Zhou Sisi who was disguised as a little peach spirit jumped out of the big peach, snuggled up to Old Madam Zhou and said, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m the longevity peach. Come on, take a bite of me and you¡¯ll have infinite longevity.¡± Old Madam Zhou was amused by Zhou Sisi and laughed out loud. Zhou Sisi walked up to Lu Chen and said, ¡°Brother, take a bite of me. Sisi wants you to have infinite longevity too.¡± The smile disappeared from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face. Lu Chen said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want infinite longevity.¡± Zhou Sisi tilted her head, and Emperor Huilin also frowned and looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°What are you talking about? Who doesn¡¯t want infinite longevity?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I just want to live as long as Jinniang.¡± The crowd who was amused by Zhou Sisi didn¡¯t expect Lu Chen to suddenly play lovey-dovey with Qiao Jinniang in front of them¡­ Were these words really said by the Crown Prince? Which high-ranking person didn¡¯t want infinite longevity? Very satisfied with Lu Chen¡¯s performance, Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Miss Zhou, I wonder if I can take a bite of you too? In this way, I¡¯ll have infinite longevity, and so will your brother.¡± Zhou Sisi snorted. ¡°Humph, no way!¡± Everyone knew that Zhou Sisi¡¯s intelligence was like a child¡¯s, so her words just caused a burst of laughter from the crowd. Fulu walked to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I still remember how you called the Crown Prince ¡®jerk¡¯ back then. Now that you two love each other so much, why don¡¯t you marry into the East Palace yet?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I won¡¯t be so free if I enter the East Palace.¡± Fulu whispered to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I know several dog holes in the imperial palace. Shh, don¡¯t tell others. If you miss me after entering the East Palace, you can sneak out of the dog holes to play with me¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to sneak out of the imperial palace from a dog hole. And she didn¡¯t really want to play with Fulu. If she had to sneak out of a dog hole, she would rather stay in the East Palace. After Zhou Sisi finished her performance, the guests offered birthday gifts to Old Madam Zhou. The Qiao family presented three gifts, one of which was Old Madam Qiao¡¯s gift that was brought over from the temple. One was from the Duke Mansion, and the other was from Zheng Xiao and Qiao Jinniang and her sisters, each of which was not too high-profile yet expensive. Among the gifts, the most ingenious one was Tong Yingying¡¯s gift, which was a scroll consisting of hundred forms of the character ¡°Longevity¡± she wrote, and all the characters formed a huge character ¡°Longevity¡±. This was very thoughtful and must have taken a lot of effort, so everyone was amazed at it. Mrs. Tong proudly enjoyed everyone¡¯s praise. Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°This scroll must have cost Yingying a lot of time and effort. Good, very good.¡± Tong Yingying lowered her head and said shyly, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it, Grandma Zhou.¡± ¡°Old Madam, this is the birthday gift from me.¡± Little Lu Xi held the doll rabbit that Qiao Jinniang made for him and handed it to Old Madam Zhou. ¡°Although I like this rabbit very much, I want to give you the best thing.¡± When Old Madam Zhou saw the little rabbit, her hand trembled slightly. ¡°Which, which maid made this?¡± Duchess Wu asked her in a small voice from the side, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong? This is made by Jinniang for the little imperial grandson. I heard that on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Prince Qi¡¯s son, Bao¡¯er had fought with the imperial grandson for this little rabbit!¡± It was not a secret that little Lu Xi held this little rabbit wherever he went. Old Madam Zhou asked, ¡°Jinniang, who taught you to sew this rabbit?¡± Qiao Jinniang walked over and said, ¡°My teacher in Lin¡¯an City taught me. No, to be exact, there was a rabbit like this at her home, and I happened to be born in the year of the rabbit, so I made a copy of that rabbit¡­¡± Old Madam Zhou asked, ¡°Is that rabbit hairless and made of a piece of pink silk cloth?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Is she still in Lin¡¯an?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No, she left Lin¡¯an when I was twelve years old. She was the best teacher in our school.¡± Old Madam Zhou sighed heavily. Queen Zhou said to Old Madam Zhou, ¡°Mother, Sister is determined to travel around the world, and she probably won¡¯t stay in one place for a long time. Chen¡¯er is going to be married, and everyone knows the news. Maybe Sister will come back to Chang¡¯an after she learns the news.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Old Madam Zhou, ¡°So Ms. Zhou is your daughter?¡± Old Madam Zhou looked at the rabbit and sighed. ¡°Her thoughts were different from others ever since she was a child, and she did a lot of shocking things.¡± Queen Zhou tittered and said, ¡°No wonder Jinniangn is so bold. If Sister is her teacher, it makes sense.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She was not that bold, and Ms. Zhou didn¡¯t teach her anything but kept selling them novels. Most of the novels Qiao Jinniang liked to read were sold to her by Ms. Zhou. She didn¡¯t teach them boring scriptures all day long like other teachers, but just told them women should rely on themselves. In class, Ms. Zhou would just let them read whatever books they liked, and would come to Myriad Taste every day to eat and drink without paying any money¡­ The news that her eldest daughter used to be a teacher in Lin¡¯an was the best birthday present for Old Madam Zhou. This was the first time in nearly 20 years that she had heard the news of her eldest daughter. The Longevity Scroll that Tong Yingying had been preparing for a month seemed to be outshone by the news. In hatred, Tong Yingying almost vomited a mouthful of blood. Qiao Jinniang, you¡¯re pushing me too far! An old consort asked the Queen, ¡°Your Majesty, you just said that His Royal Highness is going to be married? How come I haven¡¯t heard the news?¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s wedding is a major event for the entire country, so the imperial decree has not been issued yet.¡± The old consort smiled and said, ¡°Chen¡¯er was not in Chang¡¯an for three years, and many girls in Chang¡¯an waited for him for three years. ¡°Chen¡¯er delayed his selection of concubines because he went to investigate the illicite salt dealings. After having a crown princess, he can choose concubines with his crown princess.¡± Queen Zhou gave Qiao Jinniang a reassuring look before she said, ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate to choose him concubines as soon as he marries his crown princess. He is not in a hurry.¡± Even Queen Zhou didn¡¯t dare to say anything about not selecting any concubines for the Crown Prince, which would go against the feudal ethical code. Chapter 158 - A "Good Friend" from the South Chapter 158 A ¡°Good Friend¡± from the South With the Spring Festival approaching, crowded with people who were busy purchasing necessities for the Spring Festival, and officials from all over the country who came to Chang¡¯an to report on their work, the streets were very lively. The business of Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion was booming. While Qiao Jinniang was checking accounts with abacus in the yard, Yuyan came in. ¡°Miss, the third daughter-in-law of the the South provincial governor asked to visit you.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t remember knowing such a person, but when she saw the name card, she remembered it was her former classmate, Qiu Su. They used to secretly read novels together in school. Qiu Su¡¯s family ran pharmacies, and most of the pharmacies in the South were owned by her family. When she married Lu Chen, she sent an invitation to Qiu Su, but Qiu Su didn¡¯t come to her wedding, so they gradually lost contact. It was not easy to see her old friends in Chang¡¯an, so Qiao Jinniang granted the request. Qiu Su came to the Qiao Mansion in the afternoon. Qiu Su came with a beautiful girl, and she said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jin¡¯er, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. I never expected you to become the daughter of a duke and obtain the title ¡®County Mistress Jia¡¯an¡¯, let alone that your husband turned out to be His Royal Highness.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it myself.¡± Qiu Su smiled. ¡°When we were in school, you had the best grades among us, and we always thought that you would marry a champion of the Imperial Examination. No one would expect you to be so lucky as to marry the Crown Prince! This is my husband¡¯s sister, Zhong Wu¡¯er.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°What a beautiful girl. I¡¯m afraid a lot of young men in Chang¡¯an will be fascinated by you.¡± Qiu Su said all smiles, ¡°You are about to become the crown princess. Don¡¯t tease this little sister. Oh, why are there so many preserved ducks and chickens in your yard? I was just worried that I couldn¡¯t get these foods in Chang¡¯an this year!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°If you like, I will have my maids pack two for you.¡± Entering the room, Qiu Su looked at the plush furnishings in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room. There were two charcoal braziers on the ground burning with the best Silver Filament Charcoal, showing how luxurious the life of the room owner was. However, Qiao Jinniang had always had a comfortable life. Although Myriad Taste was only a small restaurant, her parents were very generous to her. At that time, when the students knew that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s father was only the shopkeeper of a restaurant, many of them looked down on her. But Qiao Jinniang always had the most beautiful clothes and hair accessories, and even her maids were smarter than others¡¯. And although she was the most naughty, she was always the favorite student of the teachers. Except for painting, her academic grades were quite good. She was also generous and often gave the students pastries of her family¡¯s restaurant. When Qiu Su was married, she invited all her former classmates except for Qiao Jinniang. It was because she didn¡¯t think Qiao Jinniang, a merchant girl, was worthy to attend the wedding ceremony of her, the provincial governor¡¯s third daughter-in-law. Later Qiu Su heard that Qiao Jinniang got married and had a handsome husband and a cute son. Qiu Su felt that her life and Qiao Jinniang¡¯s life was completely different. Her husband was the son of a provincial governor and she would be the wife of a high-ranking official, while Qiao Jinniang would be a mere shopkeeper of a restaurant forever. At the beginning of the year, she heard that Qiao Jinniang was divorced by her husband. Qiu Su pitied her and even wanted to give her a hand, but soon she heard that she had left the South. Later she learned that Qiao Jinniang was actually the daughter of a duke, and she thought that since Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t seen her biological parents for 18 years, there couldn¡¯t be any affections among them, so Qiao Jinniang¡¯s life in Chang¡¯an might not be easy. The real nobles in Chang¡¯an would never take a merchant woman from the South seriously. But before she came to Chang¡¯an, her mother-in-law asked her if she knew Qiao Jinniang, asking her to go to Chang¡¯an to resume connections with Qiao Jinniang and try to help her husband¡¯s younger sister become Qiao Jinniang¡¯s good friend. Qiu Su learned from her husband that her mother-in-law intended to marry her husband¡¯s younger sister Wu¡¯er into the East Palace as the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine. A maid served Qiu Su and Zhong Wu¡¯er tea, and Qiu Su said, ¡°Why is there an abacus on your desk? Are you still doing business?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Exactly, I don¡¯t feel easy about entrusting Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion to others, so I simply manage them myself.¡± What Zhong Wu¡¯er despised about Qiu Su the most was her mercantile vulgarity. Hearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words, she said, ¡°I heard Her Majesty said not long ago that His Royal Highness is going to get married. Is he going to marry you?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Zhong Wu¡¯er and said, ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Zhong Wu¡¯er said in contempt, ¡°Businessmen are inherently menial. All merchants try their best to change their status as merchants, but you¡¯re still holding your abacus although you are going to become the crown princess. What a joke¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted coldly. ¡°Businessmen are inherently menial? Then why did your brother marry Qiu Su?¡± Qiu Su was so embarrassed that she tugged at Zhong Wuler¡¯s arm and whispered to her, ¡°Did you forget what Mother said to you when we came?¡± Hearing it, Zhong Wu¡¯er said reluctantly, ¡°Sister Qiao, I am just kindly advising you for the sake of fellow villagers¡¯ affection. ¡°You and I are both from Lin¡¯an and are both going to marry into the East Palace. If you don¡¯t correct your bad habits, you will be laughed at by His Royal Highness¡¯ other concubines.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Marry into the East Palace? How did your parents educate you? How do you have the nerve to say this blatantly?¡± Qiu Su hurriedly said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, you¡¯ll need help in the East Palace. Although my sister-in-law is too straightforward in speech, she means no harm. re ¡°Everyone thinks that businessmen are menial. Why don¡¯t you dare to face this truth? ¡°As Wu¡¯er said, although the other noble girls dare not laugh at you in your face, they will definitely do it behind your back.¡± Qiao Jinniang only said, ¡°Qiu Su, you had been a merchant for more than ten years, but now you think merchants are menial just because you married an official¡¯s son? ¡°Did you forget how you persuaded the other classmates to apologize to me when they laughed at me for being a merchant¡¯s daughter when we were in school? But now you stoop so much as to think you yourself as menial?¡± Qiu Su said, ¡°Jinniang, I am not as lucky as you, but Wu¡¯er has no bad intentions. If she marries into the East Palace, she will be your good helping hand.¡± Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t decided on the maid I¡¯ll take to the East Palace, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t use a maid like Miss Zhong!¡± Zhong Wu¡¯er frowned and said, ¡°Although you are the daughter of a duke, my father is the provincial governor in the South and all the officials in the South have to obey my father¡¯s orders. How dare you insult me like this?¡± Qiao Jinniang hummed. ¡°Your father has governed the South well because there are so many merchants in the South, who contributed a lot of taxes. ¡°Miss Zhong, you¡¯re wearing the silk sold by merchants, and with the taxes the merchants paid can your father have his achievements in governance. ¡°How dare you say that merchants are menial? ¡°Hongling, see them off.¡± Qiu Su hurriedly said, ¡°Jinniang, you are rich now, so you just ignore your old friends? We were classmates for ten years. How precious this friendship is! How can you just throw it away?¡± Chapter 159 - Sneak into the East Palace on New Years Eve Chapter 159 Sneak into the East Palace on New Year¡¯s Eve Qiao Jinniang said with a scornful smile, ¡°Precious? Then why did no classmate come to my wedding? ¡°How many invitations did I send you at that time? ¡°Being my classmate for ten years, you should know what kind of a person I am. It¡¯ll be a big mistake if you think I¡¯m stupid.¡± Qiu Su didn¡¯t dare to say anymore and could only leave with Hongling. 18. Nuomi said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Miss Qiu used to hate those girls from officials¡¯ families who said that merchants were menial. Why did she agree with them after she got married?¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about it carefully. Perhaps deep in Qiu Su¡¯s heart, she thought merchants were menial. It was just that at that time, she was also a merchant, so she stood with her. After leaving the Qiao Mansion, Qiu Su became angrier the more she thought about it. Zhong Wu¡¯er said to Qiu Su, ¡°Third Sister-in-law, it seems that your friend doesn¡¯t take you as a friend at all!¡± They went back to the Zhong family¡¯s small house in Chang¡¯an. Zhong Wu¡¯er felt that this house was too small. It was only as large as Qiao Jinniang¡¯s courtyard. Mrs. Zhong quickly asked Zhong Wu¡¯er, ¡°Did you see Qiao Jinniang? Did you talk with her?¡± ¡°Mother, that menial businesswoman is really rude. I kindly advised her not to stoop to do business, but she said that I could only be her maid if I wanted to enter the East Palace. Bah!¡± ¡°And Sister-in-law is completely useless. Mother, although Third Brother was born by Father¡¯s concubine, you shouldn¡¯t have found a businesswoman as his wife. It was because of her that I was so humiliated!¡± Mrs. Zhong stared at Qiu Su. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you and Qiao Jinniang grew up together in school? So that¡¯s the ¡®friendship¡¯ you said? ¡°She came from the South, having no good friends or power to support her in the East Palace. If you¡¯re really good friends, how can she not curry favor with Wu¡¯er? ¡°If Wu¡¯er is unable to marry into the East Palace because of you, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Qiu Su didn¡¯t dare to defend herself and could only cry silently, thinking of the time in school¡­ When they first met Qiao Jinniang, she was only five years old, but when she was mocked and bullied by others, she dared to take a broom and hit those people. The teachers came to scold her, but she quoted scriptures to defend herself. Later, when the students got familiar with each other, no one laughed at them anymore. Whenever they had quarrels with the students in other classes, Qiao Jinniang would always bravely fight back together with other classmates. At that time in the school, no one dared to bully the girls in their class¡­ After she got married, however, everything changed. She had to deal with her difficult sister-in-law and mother-in-law who looked down on her. If she had married a man of her own class, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have had to tolerate all this. Hearing that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s classmate had come from the South, Zheng Xiao came to see her, only to see Qiao Jinniang playing with an abacus in anger. ¡°Jinniang, where is your classmate?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°She¡¯s gone. She¡¯s not here to reminisce about the old days with me, but to help her husband¡¯s sister marry into the East Palace.¡± Zheng Xiao sighed. ¡°Snobbery is the nature of many people. Don¡¯t mind it. This year, many officials who came to Chang¡¯an to report on their work took their daughters with them, and everybody knows why they did this.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. Since Lu Chen has promised me that he will never take a concubine, if he dares to betray me, I will never forgive him!¡± Zheng Xiao: ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t mean that. She actually wanted to persuade Qiao Jinniang not to be so obsessed with concubines. New Year¡¯s Eve was approaching. Old Madam Qiao also took Qiao Li back to the Duke Mansion from the temple, and Duke Anyuan had to shuttle between the Qiao Mansion and the Duke Mansion every day. Qiao Jinniang was busy dealing with the affairs in Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste all day long. Time flew. Now the Lantern Festival was only 15 days away. This year had gone by both slowly and quickly for Qiao Jinniang. This year was the most bizarre year for her in the past nineteen years of her life. What happened this year made her feel like a dream. On New Year¡¯s Eve, there was a banquet in the imperial palace. The banquet ended early, and there was also a family banquet in the Duke Anyuan Mansion. Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t want to go back to the Duke Mansion, so the entire Qiao family came to the Qiao Mansion to celebrate the New Year. The family banquet was very lively, and two young sons of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s third uncle were setting off firecrackers in the yard, and it was full of their happy clamoring voices in the house. Qiao Jinniang was a little lonely. She had never missed Xi¡¯er so much. So she found an excuse to go back to her room early and had Nuomi guard outside and disallowed anyone from entering her room. She entered the secret passage, and it took her more than half an hour to travel to the other end of the passage. When she finally arrived at the East Palace, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed when she saw that the lights in Lu Chen and Xi¡¯er¡¯s palaces were off, and there was no one in the study. She simply waited in Lu Chen¡¯s study for Lu Chen and Xi¡¯er to return. There were several memorials scattered on Lu Chen¡¯s desk. Qiao Jinniang opened them and found that they were the appointments of several governors, and hurriedly closed them. No matter how daring she was, she dared not interfere in politics. When Lu Chen came back from the Queen¡¯s Palace with Lu Xi in his arms, it was already after midnight. Although Lu Chen thought about sneaking out of the imperial palace to find Qiao Jinniang, today was New Year¡¯s Eve. He hadn¡¯t spent New Year¡¯s Eve with his parents for three years, so he couldn¡¯t leave. When he returned to the East Palace, he saw that there were candles lit in the study, so he handed Lu Xi, who was about to fall asleep, to a maid and went to the study. There was no one else who dared to break into his study except Qiao Jinniang. Lu Chen pushed open the door and saw Qiao Jinniang reading a novel in boredom. Qiao Jinniang took the novel and said, ¡°Great! You don¡¯t allow me to read novels, but you¡¯re reading these dirty novels!¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly asked, ¡°Has Xi¡¯er come back? I¡¯ve been missing him all night long. But due to etiquette, I couldn¡¯t go up to hug him at the palace banquet today.¡± The palace banquet on New Year¡¯s Eve was much more important than normal palace banquets, so everybody had to strictly abide by etiquette. Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang in his arms and said, ¡°You only missed him, not me?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This is the first time I haven¡¯t been with him during the Spring Festival. Let me go. I want to see him.¡± Lu Chen looked down at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s red lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you miss me this much. Say you miss me, and I¡¯ll take you to see him.¡± Qiao Jinniang raised her eyes, and her red lips moved slightly. ¡°I miss you too, satisfied?¡± Lu Chen lowered his head and pressed Qiao Jinniang on the desk. ¡°What should I do? I can¡¯t wait for fifteen days.¡± Qiao Jinniang pushed Lu Chen. ¡°Hey, keep your word. Now take me to Xi¡¯er.¡± Lu Chen picked up Qiao Jinniang and strode back to his bedroom. ¡°Xi¡¯er is already asleep now. You might as well stay with me.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t touched you for a year. Have some pity on me.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a year, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°It will be a year fifteen days later!¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t care. She was his wife, and he wanted to spend the New Year with her! Qiao Jinniang was lying on Lu Chen¡¯s bed and smelled the fragrance of nanmu. Only then did she notice how big the bed was and how exquisite the nanmu was. Even the embroidery threads of the quilt were as smooth as silk. Lu Chen was angry to see that although she didn¡¯t think about Xi¡¯er anymore, she began to study his quilt, so he bit her red lips as a punishment. ¡°Concentrate.¡± Qiao Jinniang finally retracted her gaze from the quilt and put her hands around Lu Chen¡¯s neck. ¡°You are so horny. Have you ever thought of turning to an imperial maid for help?¡± ¡°How dare I? If I really do it, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll kill me¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°So you don¡¯t dare, not that you don¡¯t want to.¡± Lu Chen untied Qiao Jinniang¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to either. Their faces are not as beautiful as yours, and their figures are not as sexy as yours. And I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t call me ¡®Brother¡¯ as seductively as you if they¡¯re ¡®bullied¡¯ into tears by me in bed¡­¡± Chapter 160 - Poor Xie Yun Chapter 160 Poor Xie Yun Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°So if there were someone who has a more beautiful face and a nicer voice than me, you would choose her over me?¡± Lu Chen whispered in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear. ¡°No, you¡¯re the most beautiful woman in my heart.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Humph, liar.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t lie to you. You¡¯re as beautiful as an immortal who descended to Earth.¡± Qiao Jinniang was amused. Seeing that the candlelight was still on, she said to Lu Chen, ¡°Candle, candlelight¡­¡± But just when Lu Chen was about to turn off the lights, he suddenly heard Lu Xi knocking on the door. ¡°Daddy, we haven¡¯t set off firecrackers yet. You and Mommy promised me that I could play with firecrackers today last year!¡± Hearing ths, Qiao Jinniang hurriedly put on her clothes, and was about to go out when Lu Chen held her hand. Lu Chen whispered to her, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just pretend to be asleep. If we go out now, he will definitely force us to accompany him to play with firecrackers. Do you dare let him play with firecrackers?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t, but I can hold him in my arms and watch you play!¡± Qiao Jinniang went out, hugged little Lu Xi in her arms, and kissed his little face. ¡°Xi¡¯er!¡± Lu Xi rubbed his eyes, lay on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shoulder and shouted, ¡°Mommy!¡± Lu Chen took a deep breath, deciding that as soon as Qiao Jinniang married into the East Palace, he would make this kid start copying the Historical Records. When Lu Xi saw Qiao Jinniang, he had completely forgotten playing with firecrackers and just kept talking to Qiao Jinniang He was telling her the story of the Spring Festival he just heard today. The whole palace was filled with Little Lu Xi¡¯s voice. As he talked, he got tired and gradually fell asleep. Qiao Jinniang held little Lu Xi in her arms and slowly closed her eyes too. Lu Chen had no choice but to take a shower and then go back to his bedroom. He had planned to have another child with Qiao Jinniang, but now it seemed that he didn¡¯t need to be in a hurry. He couldn¡¯t even handle Lu Xi! Qiao Jinniang returned to her yard from the secret passage early the next morning. On the first day of the first lunar month, many people came to pay New Year¡¯s greetings. Because Duke Anyuan and his family were all here, there was an endless stream of nobles, officials and their families coming to pay New Year¡¯s greetings. It was also a good time to receive gifts during the Spring Festival. According to the Qiao family¡¯s tradition, when they received a gift, they would give a gift of the same value in return. Otherwise, people would say they were greedy. Although their ancestors donated a lot of fields and silver taels, the Qiao family was an old distinguished family with a history of thousands of years and still had many properties. They didn¡¯t have to ruin the family¡¯s future merely for some New Year gifts. From the first to the third day of the new year, everyone was busy visiting relatives and friends and feasting with guests. Dukes and princes whose fiefs were outside Chang¡¯an had also entered Chang¡¯an from all over the country. For a time, the business of Jewelry Pavilion was booming, which made Prince Huai coveted it even more. was The Prince Huai Mansion was not that lively Although Li Lingling was very good at social activities, there were still very few officials coming to visit Prince Huai. Mu Qianqian lay in Prince Huai¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Why did you give up on Jewelry Pavilion? Wouldn¡¯t it be good to cooperate with Xie Yun?¡± Prince Huai said, ¡°Xie Yun, who was even willing to sacrifice her own life to save the Crown Prince, will inevitably expose me if I cooperate with her.¡± Mu Qian said, ¡°But now everyone knows that it is Qiao Jinniang who is about to become the crown princess, not Xie Yun. ¡°Although Xie Yun almost died in order to save the Crown Prince, don¡¯t underestimate a woman¡¯s jealousy. ¡°How could she be willing to watch the man who she risked her own life to save marry another woman?¡± Prince Huai thought about it carefully. If he could get the support of the Xie family, it would be great. But would the Xie family support him? Mu Qianqian smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t you use my idea of spreading the news that the Crown Prince was ungrateful to Xie Yun. ¡°No matter how much Xie Yun loves the Crown Prince, she won¡¯t be able to tolerate the ridicule of everyone, and her love for the Crown Prince will inevitably become hatred!¡± ¡°And if the Crown Prince chooses Xie Yun, he will definitely lose the support of Duke Anyuan. ¡°At that time, you can persuade Duke Anyuan to support you on the condition that you will support the little imperial grandson. Isn¡¯t this killing two birds with one stone?¡± Since Xie Yun came to Chang¡¯an, she had been reclusive. After the news that Qiao Jinniang and the Crown Prince had gotten married in Lin¡¯an and Qiao Jinniang was about to be the crown princess was spread, no one talked about Xie Yun anymore. After all, for the nobles and officials who wanted to marry their daughters into the East Palace, it was better to let Qiao Jinniang be the crown princess than Xie Yun. Xie Yun, this woman was not simple. On the second day of the new year, a maid of Xie Xun¡¯s second cousin told others that Xie Yun became so skinny that she didn¡¯t even celebrate the New Year with her second uncle. It was because Xie Yun was so sad when she heard that the Crown Prince was going to marry Qiao Jinniang, and she was currently suffering from the recurrence of her old injury from saving the Crown Prince. Everyone began to talk about the old news that Xie Yun was almost killed in order to save the Crown Prince. Because of the large number of banquets during the Spring Festival, the whole Chang¡¯an suddenly sympathized with the reclusive girl, Xie Yun, who almost sacrificed her life for love. On the second day of the first year, Qiao Ruoyun and Qin Shu went to visit the Qiao family, so the Qiao family was quite lively today. Knowing that the Qin family would come to Qiao Mansion today, Fulu, who was living next door, purposely came to give a hard time to Qin Miaomiao. Qiao Ruoyun looked at Qiao Jinniang worriedly and said, ¡°Jinniang, Miss Xie seemed to be very nice to you, but I never expected her to come up with this trick during the New Year. Moreover, His Majesty hasn¡¯t issued an imperial decree to make you the crown princess yet. I¡¯m afraid there will be a lot of imperial censors who will want to uphold justice for her!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t suspect Xie Yun, but there must be someone behind this matter. She just didn¡¯t know whether the person behind this was targeting her and Lu Chen or Xie Yun. Fulu said, ¡°To be fair, Xie Yun is really pitiful! Her life was hanging by a thread¡­ but my imperial cousin still abandoned her. Men have no heart.¡± Qiao Lu, who silently listened to her brother-in-law¡¯s teaching, murmured in a low voice. ¡°I have a heart.¡± Qin Shu frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? The Imperial Examination will be held in mid-March. You should take it seriously. ¡°Although some people have already been selected in the last Imperial Examination, there will still be many people who will participate in the Imperial Examination for the first time. And this is your first time participating in the Imperial Examination¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Brother-in-law.¡± Qiao Lu cupped his hands and said yes, but his eyes were glued to Fulu. Qiao Jinniang received an invitation from Xie Yun in the afternoon, inviting her to visit the New Year¡¯s market in Chang¡¯an. Qiao Jinniang agreed and didn¡¯t forget to take Fulu with her in case she would quarrel with Qin Miaomiao which would make things difficult for Zheng Xiao. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Qiao Lu walked to Qiao Jinniang and said, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Alright, the Imperial Examination is coming soon, you need to relax anyway.¡± Fulu asked Qiao Lu, ¡°Where¡¯s the maid next to you last time? She was an interesting and pretty girl.¡± Qiao Lu said, ¡°She went home.¡± Fulu said, ¡°That¡¯s a pity. She didn¡¯t take the jewelry and clothes that I bought for her last time. I still wanted to ask her to go shopping with me!¡± At the New Year¡¯s market, there were all kinds of goods, as well as acrobatics troupes. Many noble ladies came out for shopping or walking to help digestion after lunch. There was still unmelted white snow on the roadsides, and the street was crowded with people, making it very lively. ¡°Little Jin¡¯er.¡± Xie Yun got off the carriage and walked to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°The rumors outside were spread by my cousin¡¯s maid. Don¡¯t worry about it. His Royal Highness and I will handle it properly!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not worried.¡± Seeing her smile, Xie Yun felt a little pain in his heart. ¡°I heard from His Royal Highness that after the Lantern Festival, His Royal Highness will decree that you will be the crown princess, so you should cherish these last relaxing days.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed slightly. ¡°Yeah, I will lose freedom soon.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°If you want freedom, I can help you. As long as you are willing, I can take you away from Chang¡¯an, conceal our identities and live a peaceful life.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I never want to conceal my identity.¡± Chapter 161 - Myriad Taste Tries to Murder the Crown Prince Chapter 161 Myriad Taste Tries to Murder the Crown Prince By concealing her identity, maybe she could keep away from the life in Chang¡¯an that was full of intrigues and live a peaceful life. But she didn¡¯t want that. Qiao Jinniang was Qiao Jinniang, and she never wanted to conceal her identity. Xie Yun said, ¡°If you have any difficulties after entering the East Palace or if you regret it, you can come to me.¡± Qiao Lu looked at Xie Yun with a frown and said, ¡°His Royal Highness loves my sister very much. Don¡¯t you think you can sow discord between them!¡± Qiao Jinniang scolded Qiao Lu softly, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be rude.¡± Qiao Lu hurriedly said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t believe her words. The Qiao family can protect you. Now in Chang¡¯an, there are a lot of rumors about the three of you. Maybe she is behind this.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s not her. I have known her since childhood, and I can trust her.¡± Lu Chen knew Xie Yun was a man, so why would Xie Yun bother to make this ridiculous rumor? Xie Yun walked to the stall on the side, looked at the silver hairpin on the stall, and said, ¡°This silver hairpin looks familiar.¡± When Qiao Jinniang saw the silver hairpin, she recognized at a glance that it was the hairpin that had accompanied her for three years. She heard Nuomi say that she had exchanged it for food, so she didn¡¯t expect to see it again. ¡°This was a gift from Lu Chen to me for my coming-of-age ceremony.¡± Of course Xie Yun remembered this silver hairpin. For his beloved woman¡¯s coming-of-age ceremony, he carved a jade hairpin himself, but Qiao Jinniang always wore a silver hairpin of poor quality and workmanship. He didn¡¯t know if Qiao Jinniang still remembers that jade hairpin. Perhaps she had forgotten about it long ago. Xie Yun paid for the silver hairpin and said, ¡°This is a New Year¡¯s gift from me. This time you were implicated by me.¡± After Xie Yun paid the money, he put the silver hairpin on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s head. When the others saw this scene, they just thought the two were good girlfriends. With that, the rumors about Xie Yun were busted. Xie Yun was a good friend of Qiao Jinniang! And she wasn¡¯t sad and gaunt at all. In the East Palace, when Lu Chen heard Xie Yun put a silver hairpin on Qiao Jinniang on the street, his face became all dark, and he wished the imperial decree could be issued today. Before the sixteenth of the first lunar month, Xi¡¯er didn¡¯t have to go to school, so Lu Chen ordered someone to send Xi¡¯er to Qiao Jinniang. This was so that Qiao Jinniang wouldn¡¯t have the time to go shopping with Xie Yun alone. Qiao Jinniang took Xi¡¯er to banquets and to play all over Chang¡¯an. She hoped that she could stay on this day forever and ever. Instead of being locked in that palace for the rest of her life. On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Qiao Jinniang held a banquet in Tasty Pavilion, and personally cooked three tables of dishes for the employees of Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste and their families. This was a tradition in Myriad Taste. Many employees in Myriad Taste were single and would spend the New Year¡¯s Eve together in Myriad Taste. But this year she was delayed for a while. Qiao Jinniang knew that this might be the last time in her life that she would have a banquet with them on an equal footing. After she married into the East Palace, she had to abide by the rules. Otherwise, it would only implicate them. ¡°Last year, you came to Chang¡¯an from Lin¡¯an with me and left your hometown. Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Boss, don¡¯t say that! We were all taken in by Myriad Taste. We will be where you are.¡± ¡°Yes, Boss, you have treated us very well.¡± Qiao Jinniang raised the cup and said, ¡°Once the imperial decree is issued the day after tomorrow, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to drink together like this anymore. Today let¡¯s get hammered! Myriad Taste still needs your support.¡± Huixiang said with tears, ¡°Master, please bring me into the imperial palace. I don¡¯t mind being an eunuch. If His Royal Highness bullies you in the imperial palace, I can be your thug!¡± Bajiao also cried and said, ¡°Yes, Master, I don¡¯t even know who my parents are, and I don¡¯t need to have children. As long as you can accept it, I¡¯m willing to follow you into the East Palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Xiao Fang and Xiao Lian came to Chang¡¯an because of you. If you all become eunuchs, what would they do? Don¡¯t worry. His Royal Highness won¡¯t dare to bully me.¡± Bajiao sneakily took out a few grasses and whispered to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Master, this is Mang Grass that looks very similar to anise but is poisonous. When you marry into the East Palace, take a few with you. If His Royal Highness doesn¡¯t treat you well, use this to poison him!¡± Huixiang also took out a bag of mushrooms. ¡°Master, these are all poisonous mushrooms, delicious but highly poisonous. People may be paralyzed or even killed if they eat them.¡± Chef Liu took out a scrawled recipe and said, ¡°Jinniang, this is a recipe of the foods that can¡¯t be eaten together. If His Royal Highness bullies you, send him to hell with this recipe.¡± Miss Yang, whose job was to sing in Tasty Pavilion, also gave Qiao Jinniang some ginkgo fruits, ¡°I heard from the old man that if one eats raw ginkgo, even gods won¡¯t be able to save him. ¡°You can bring these ginkgo fruits into the imperial palace and plant them. If the Crown Prince fails you, feed him raw ginkgo fruits.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°It takes a hundred years for a ginkgo tree to bear fruit. How can it be so quick? But I appreciate your kindness. Come on, let¡¯s drink.¡± In the East Palace, Lu Chen, who was busy with official business, sneezed twice, and he wondered if he got a cold or not. The Lantern Festival was coming, and he couldn¡¯t catch a cold. Plus, there were so many charcoal braziers in the room, but why did he feel a chill down his spine? In the imperial palace, the Queen and Emperor Huilin listened to the report from the secret guards, and Emperor Huilin¡¯s face became uglier and uglier. ¡°I had thought that Qiao Jinniang was daring. Now I know that her men were even more daring. How dare they instigate Qiao Jinniang to murder the Crown Prince? I¡¯m gonna cut off their heads!¡± Queen Zhou laughed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t cut off their heads. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t taste it. The dishes you had Eunuch Quan buy from outside the imperial palace are all from Tasty Pavilion.¡± Emperor Huilin: ¡°How could I ignore Chen¡¯er for a few dishes?¡± Queen Zhou snorted. ¡°If Chen¡¯er doesn¡¯t bully Qiao Jinniang, those things will not be used on him. ¡°He promised that he wouldn¡¯t take any concubines. If he breaks his word, he would have to accept his punishment.¡± Qiao Jinniang got drunk and didn¡¯t wake up until noon the next day. Then she heard someone crying outside. She asked a maid and she told her that it was Second Madam crying. Second Madam and Qiao Ruofeng went to visit Second Madam¡¯s natal family two days ago, only to be ridiculed by her sister-in-law. So she came to the Duke Mansion to complain. Hongling handed Qiao Jinniang a bowl of sobering soup and said, ¡°Nuomi should have stopped you. How could she just watch you get drunk?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I told her not to stop me.¡± Hongling knew the position of Nuomi in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart, so she didn¡¯t say anymore. Qiao Jinniang got out of bed and walked outside, only to hear Second Madam crying more and more loudly. Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Now you know you were wrong? It¡¯s you who got Ruofeng in this trouble. Ruofeng is my granddaughter, and I will certainly help her, but she has just annulled her engagement with her former fiance. You don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry to find her a new one.¡± ¡°Although people haven¡¯t forgotten about the matter of her and Prince Mediocre, the family of the other girls Prince Mediocre seduced aren¡¯t as desperate and loud as you. After two or three years, who would still remember this matter?¡± Qiao Ruofeng said, ¡°Mother, our Qiao family is so rich. Even if I stay single for life, so what? ¡°I¡¯ve already made a mistake once. Why should you push me into a fire pit again?!¡± Chapter 162 - Lantern Festival in Changan Chapter 162 Lantern Festival in Chang¡¯an Second Madam said in tears, ¡°If only you had a brother! Sadly, you don¡¯t have any brothers. If you can¡¯t find a good husband, what will happen to you after your father and I die?¡± Then she said to Old Madam Qiao, ¡°Mother, although we have been separated from the Duke Mansion, we are still family, and I wish to adopt a son of Third Brother-in-law¡­¡± Old Madam Qiao had such a plan for a long time, but the Duke¡¯s third brother was not born by her but by a concubine. Although he respected her as her nominal mother, she couldn¡¯t just order him to give one of his sons to her second son. ¡°When Jinniang gets married, Third Brother-in-law will return from the Southwest, at that time you can talk to him about this, Mother.¡± Second Madam said to Old Madam Qiao. Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°We will discuss this matter later.¡± Second Madam didn¡¯t say anything more about it. When she saw Qiao Jinniang coming over, she said, ¡°Jinniang, this is the first time you will celebrate the Spring Festival in Chang¡¯an. I suggest you go to the lantern show in Chang¡¯an tomorrow. It¡¯s very beautiful.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay.¡± It was New Year¡¯s Eve again. Early in the morning, Qiao Jinniang made wine and fermented lantern dumplings, and then she made lanterns and prepared lantern riddles. When she went out in the afternoon, she found that the trees on both sides and the bridge were covered with all kinds of lanterns, and all kinds of candles were placed beside the steps of the stone bridge. At the entrance of the main street, there were huge lamp wheels, lamp trees, lamp posts, etc. All made by rich families. These were all to be placed at the gate of the imperial palace for nobles to view and admire. And countless people could also come to watch. Envoys from various vassal states would greet the Emperor on the main street today. Today¡¯s palace banquet would be more interesting than usual. At least it wouldn¡¯t be as solemn as the one on New Year¡¯s Eve. On both sides of the palace, there were palace lanterns made by noble girls and childen. If you solved the riddle written at the bottom of a lantern, you could take the lantern away. Generally, if there were unmarried couples, other people wouldn¡¯t obliviously take away the lanterns belonging to them. The young noble girls and children all came out to admire the lantern show. Holding Lu Xi in her arms, Qiao Jinniang tried to solve the lantern riddles one by one, and when she came to the third one, she saw Lu Chen coming toward her with a rabbit lantern. Lu Chen gave the rabbit lantern to Qiao Jinniang and whispered into her ear: ¡°Oh, it¡¯s finally the Lantern Festival.¡± Seeing that everyone was looking at them, Qiao Jinniang took a step back. ¡°What are you talking about? Xi¡¯er is here.¡± Lu Chen took over Xi¡¯er, handed the rabbit lantern to Qiao Jinniang, smiled at her, and said. ¡°After the palace banquet is over, come to me, and I will take you to enjoy the most beautiful Lantern Festival in Chang¡¯an!¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°I want to go too, Daddy.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°You promised Daddy that you won¡¯t disturb Mommy and Daddy at the Lantern Festival, right? After today, you can go out of the imperial palace to play with your mother for a few days.¡± Little Lu Xi snorted and said pitifully to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I want to be with you, Mommy.¡± Qiao Jinniang seldom refused Little Lu Xi. ¡°Okay.¡± At this moment, Lu Chen really wanted to stuff little Lu Xi back into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s belly. ¡°Zhou Siming, the lantern you took just now belongs to Miss Qin.¡± Junior Duke Rong tapped Zhou Siming on the shoulder and said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that the Lin family and the Qin family have even set the date for Lin Mo and Qin Miaomiao¡¯s wedding, which will be in the autumn of next year. So why did you take their lantern?¡± Zhou Siming gave the lantern in his hand to Junior Duke Rong and said, ¡°I mistakenly took it.¡± Junior Duke Rong touched his head in bewilderment. ¡°I never saw you being interested in this kind of stuff before. Okay, I¡¯ll give it to Lin Mo.¡± Qiao Lu searched for a long time, but couldn¡¯t find Fulu¡¯s lantern. When he asked around, he was told that Fulu¡¯s lantern had been taken by someone long ago. Although Fulu didn¡¯t have a good reputation, her identity was quite noble. She was Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s only daughter. Marrying her was a very tempting short cut to wealth and power for those men from poor families. Hearing this, Qiao Lu couldn¡¯t help being a little dispirited. She said that she wanted to marry him, but why didn¡¯t she come to him after he came back from his academy? During the palace banquet, many young people were absent-minded. Knowing what they were thinking of, Emperor Huilin allowed them to leave when it was just dark. Emperor Huilin would take the Queen to the highest tower in the imperial palace to admire the lantern show on the main street tonight. Just before he left, however, his dragon robe was grabbed by a small hand, and Little Lu Xi smiled at him and said. ¡°Grandpa, Daddy said that beautiful fireworks could be seen on the highest tower in the imperial palace, but only you can go there. Is that true?¡± Queen Zhou waved to Little Lu Xi. ¡°Xi¡¯er wants to go?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Little Lu Xi blinked his beautiful phoenix eyes. Emperor Huilin looked around, only to find that Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang had long disappeared. He couldn¡¯t help but get angry. How could there be such irresponsible parents! After leaving the imperial palace, Qiao Jinniang was still a little worried about Xi¡¯er. ¡°What if His Majesty doesn¡¯t take Xi¡¯er with him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My mother will take care of him,¡± Lu Chen said. Hearing this, Qiao Jinniang dropped the little burden in her heart and followed Lu Chen onto his little red horses. ¡°Where are you taking me? Isn¡¯t it said that the scenery on the main street is the most beautiful?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°I just saw many people on the imperial palace walls.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The tallest building in Chang¡¯an is the Wild Goose Pagoda in Cilen Temple. If you look down from there, you can see the fiery trees and silver flowers in the entire Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen up the Wild Goose Pagoda, and when she reached the fifth floor, she felt a bit tired. Seeing this, Lu Chen put her on his back and walked to the top of the tower. Looking down from the top of the tower, everything on the ground looked tiny. Here, they had a panoramic view of the entire Chang¡¯an. With the glittering lanterns all over Chang¡¯an, it was as beautiful as in a fairyland. By the river, there were gradually people putting lanterns in the river and letting them float away to pray for blessings. Under the round moon, the river glittered with golden light, like the Milky Way in the sky. And there were brilliant fireworks in front of the gates of the imperial palace. Qiao Jinniang leaned on the railing and looked down. ¡°Easterlies of the night call to bloom blossoms of a thousand trees, as if blowing adrift stars that drizzle like rain. I didn¡¯t know the meaning of this poem before, but today I know how beautiful this scene is!¡± In Qiao Jinniang¡¯s memory, the Lantern Festival was lively. There were always people coming and going on the street, and there were all kinds of lanterns, but it was the first time she saw such a grand scene. Lu Chen put his arm around Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist and said, ¡°No matter how beautiful the scenery is, it¡¯s no match for you.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked back at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Humph, honey-lipped. If you really think so, you wouldn¡¯t have left without telling me your identity last year.¡± Lu Chen hugged Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I know I was wrong. But I am fortunate that I can still spend the Lantern Festival with you.¡± Qiao Jinniang turned back and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll forgive you for the sake of the beautiful scenery today.¡± The fireworks were blooming, all kinds of huge lantern trees were lit, and the craftsmanship of the lantern wheels was amazing On the main street, there were even fire dragons and fire phoenixes dancing¡­ On such a good day, looking at such a beautiful sight, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want to mention the unhappy past. Lu Chen lowered his head and kissed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s lips. Qiao Jinniang closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around Lu Chen¡¯s waist, letting him launch a fierce ¡°offensive¡± on her¡­ The two kissed for an unknown amount of time until they heard the sound of the bells ringing in the temple. Only then did Lu Chen leave her lips and said, ¡°This is in a temple after all. I¡¯ll take you to my courtyard here.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If I don¡¯t go back home, I¡¯m afraid my parents will be worried.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have my secret guards tell them where you are.¡± Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen went to Lu Chen¡¯s courtyard in the south of Chang¡¯an and asked in a quiet tone to him, ¡°Since you have endured for so long, can¡¯t you endure until we get married?¡± Lu Chen lowered his voice and said, ¡°Do you know that the wedding date is at the end of March? Do you want me to wait for almost another hundred days?¡±. Chapter 163 - Grant Qiaos Jinniang to be the Crown Princes Second Concubine Chapter 163 Grant Qiao¡¯s Jinniang to be the Crown Prince¡¯s Second Concubine ¡°The wedding date is so soon?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked in surprise, ¡°I thought it would be in autumn.¡± Pushing the door open, Qiao Jinniang saw a lot of rabbit lanterns hanging on the trees of the courtyard. Under the eaves of the corridor, and on the ground, there were also all kinds of little rabbit lanterns, which showed how much thought Lu Chen had put into it. Lu Chen pulled Qiao Jinniang into the room. ¡°There is also a little rabbit glazed-glass lamp beside the bed. It¡¯s not easy to make. I don¡¯t know how many were destroyed before I finally got a good one.¡± Glazed glass was rare, so lamps made of glazed glass were extremely expensive. Qiao Jinniang entered the room only to see that the candlelight in the glazed-glass lamp reflected onto the bed, which looked like a rainbow. The sixteenth of the first lunar month. Lu Chen said to her with a happy smile, ¡°Get up quickly. Maybe the imperial decree has already arrived at the Qiao Mansion.¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at the sky outside, only to realize that it was almost noon. She rolled her eyes at Lu Chen. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault that I got up so late¡­¡± Lu Chen chuckled but Qiao Jinniang was very anxious. It would be a big sin to keep the eunuch who came to deliver the imperial decree waiting. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly searched for her clothes among the clothes scattered all over the ground and became even more annoyed at Lu Chen. ¡°Get me a set of clean clothes from my home. Now!¡± Lu Chen stopped teasing her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My father will not issue an imperial decree before I return to the imperial palace, and I have already prepared the clothes for you.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief when she heard his words. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t return home last night and didn¡¯t take any maids. Zheng Xiao was very worried about her. As soon as she heard the news of Jinniang¡¯s return, she rushed to her courtyard. Seeing the mottled marks on Jinniang¡¯s neck, Zheng Xiao said, ¡°His Royal Highness should have been gentler to you.¡± Even when Qiao Jinniang faced her mother, she was still a little ashamed. But hearing her words, she immediately echoed. ¡°Exactly. He¡¯s like a piece of wood and doesn¡¯t know how to treat a lady at all.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Jinniang, although you were husband and wife before, like I told you, the royal family attaches great importance to ethical code. Since you are going to get married again, you should persuade His Royal Highness to observe the rules.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, we know what we shouldn¡¯t do.¡± Zheng Xiao looked at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s clothes, which were obviously made by the Shanggong Bureau in the imperial palace. It seemed that the Crown Prince treated her very well, except that he wasn¡¯t gentle enough to her in bed. After lunch, Qiao Jinniang heard a noise from outside. She walked out of the courtyard only to know that an imperial decree was delivered to her. Today, the imperial decree was declared with great solemnity. The officials who came to proclaim the imperial decree were from the Ministry of Rites, even accompanied by a historiographer. The official read aloud, ¡°The only daughter of the Qiao family in Lin¡¯an is pretty and virtuous,¡­¡± The Qiao family were all surprised to hear this. ¡°The only daughter of the Qiao family in Lin¡¯an¡±? The official panicked too. Although he was reading the imperial decree word by word, he could see the latter part of the imperial decree. After he saw the last two words, his first thought was if the imperial edict was wrong. But he received it from the Ministry of Rites. How could it be wrong? He could only bite the bullet and read on. ¡°She has performed meritorious service in raising the imperial grandson, so I hereby allow Qiao Jinniang to be the second concubine of the Crown Prince.¡± Even Duke Anyuan who was in awe of imperial power and never hesitated to apple-polish the Emperor didn¡¯t immediately receive the imperial decree. Instead, he cupped his hands and asked, ¡°Sir, are you sure this is the right imperial decree?¡± If it was just an imperial decree for the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine, why did they have to proclaim it so grandly and even take a historiographer with them? The official wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Your Excellency, please wait a moment. Let me go back and check it.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered that Lu Chen had once said that His Majesty had already issued an imperial decree to make her his second concubine. Once the imperial decree was issued, it wouldn¡¯t be destroyed and would be archived in the Ministry of Rites. The two imperial edicts were both for her. The officials of the Ministry of Rites must have mixed up the two imperial decrees. There were many servants and mammies from other families who waited at the door of Qiao Mansion and surreptitiously inquired about news. After hearing that Qiao Jinniang would only become the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine, they all rushed back home. In the house of Governor Zhong. When Qiu Su heard the news from her mammy, she couldn¡¯t tell whether she was happy or felt indignant for her former classmate. Qiu Sudao: ¡°I thought that she would be the crown princess, but she turns out only to be the second concubine of the Crown Prince¡­¡± Zhong Wu¡¯er was very happy. ¡°Even if she is a duke¡¯s daughter, she used to be a merchant, and she still doesn¡¯t give up the menial merchant jobs. She should be thankful to be able to be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine.¡± In the Qin Duke Mansion. When Old Madam Qin heard the news, she laughed out loud. ¡°She¡¯s just the second concubine of the Crown Prince. How dare she run amuck like that?!¡± Qin Miaomiao covered her ears and said angrily. ¡°But she is still the second concubine of the Crown Prince, and you¡¯ll have to salute her when you meet her in the future.¡± ¡°Miaomiao, how can you talk to me like that? I¡¯m your grandmother!¡± Old Madam Qin said, ¡°Come, call Qiao Ruoyun over, and let¡¯s go to the Qiao Mansion to watch the show.¡± Qin Miaomiao: ¡°¡­¡± In the Imperial Censor Tong¡¯s mansion. Tong Yingying smiled confidently when she heard the news. ¡°Qiao Jinniang doesn¡¯t even deserve to be the second concubine. If I were His Majesty, I would have made her the lowest-rank concubine of the Crown Prince.¡± His maid laughed. ¡°It¡¯s actually not bad to be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine, but Qiao Jinniang acted as if she was going to be the crown princess. What a joke. ¡°Many people went to the Qiao Mansion to ¡°congratulate¡± Qiao Jinniang. Miss, are you going too?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°I¡¯m not a snob. Although Qiao Jinniang is not a good person, I don¡¯t have to ridicule her at this moment. Otherwise, my own reputation will be damaged.¡± Before the officials of the Ministry of Rites came to the Qiao Mansion from the imperial palace, many people had come at the gate of Qiao Mansion to congratulate Qiao Jinniang. Most people¡¯s congratulations were sincere, but some just came to laugh at Qiao Jinniang. Old Madam Qin said to Old Madam Qiao sarcastically, ¡°My old in-laws, congratulations! Being the second concubine of the Crown Prince is so glorious. No wonder County Mistress pointed at my nose and scolded me that day.¡± Old Madam Qiao simply said, ¡°Our family¡¯s daughter will never be a concubine, not even a royal concubine.¡± Old Madam Qiao could accept Jinniang to be the second concubine of the Crown Prince. But His Royal Highness and Her Majesty had both assured her that Jinniang would become the crown princess, but now she was only a second concubine. If the Qiao family just swallowed it, they would become the butt of jokes in Chang¡¯an. In Chang¡¯an, there were many people like Old Madam Qin who liked to watch jokes of the Qiao family. Old Madam Qin said, ¡°Old in-laws, it¡¯s a serious sin to disobey the imperial decree. ¡°If your Qiao family wants to disobey the imperial decree, take Qiao Ruoyun back first. Otherwise, our family may be implicated by you. ¡®1 Chapter 164 - Bestow Jinniang as the Crown Princess Chapter 164 Bestow Jinniang as the Crown Princess Qin Miaomiao really wished she was not from the Qin family. Even if Qiao Jinniang would only be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine, she was not someone that the Qin family could mess with. Besides, Qiao Ruoyun was her brother¡¯s wife. If they forced her brother to divorce Qiao Ruoyun for no reason, what would others think of the Qin family? There was faint scorn in the eyes of Prime Minister Lin¡¯s wife on the side. Old Madam Qiao said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t implicate you in the serious crime we commit.¡± Qiu Su¡¯s mother-in-law, Mrs. Zhong, stepped forward with a smile and said, ¡°Old Madam Qiao, how can you defy His Majesty¡¯s order, not to mention Qiao Jinniang was just a merchant girl. ¡°Being the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine is not bad for her. It is a blessing for the South. ¡°After all, we can¡¯t think too highly of ourselves, can we?¡± Although Mrs. Zhong looked down on Qiao Jinniang from the bottom of her heart, she knew that if she could win over Qiao Jinniang, it would be very beneficial to her daughter after her daughter got married into the East Palace in the future. ¡°Who are you?¡± Old Madam Qiao glanced at her coldly. In the South, as the governor¡¯s wife, Mrs. Zhong was fawned upon by almost everyone, but here, she could only answer with a smile, ¡°Old Madam, I am the wife of the governor of the South ¡°My daughter-in-law and Qiao Jinniang were classmates before, and they had studied together in a women¡¯s school.¡± Old Madam Qin sneered. ¡°How dare a mere governor¡¯s wife say that about the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine?¡± When she said ¡°second concubine¡±, her tone was full of ridicule. Zhong Wu¡¯er jumped and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we dare? Qiao Jinniang is nothing but a vulgar merchant, Mother¡­¡± Mrs. Zhong glared at Zhong Wu¡¯er. Li Lingling¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°Oh, why are there so many people at the gates of the Duke Mansion at noon? I thought that Miss Qiao would be my sister-in-law, but unexpectedly she will only be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine¡­ However, I would still like to congratulate her.¡± Li Lingling knew that for the sake of Prince Huai¡¯s reputation, she should not have come here, but she couldn¡¯t help it. She had planned so much to become the crown princess, but in the end, it was Qiao Jinning who appeared out of nowhere that would become the crown princess. Seeing Qiao Jinniang in distress, how could she not laugh at her? So Li Lingling took Consort Qi and other princes¡¯ wives to come. Consort Qi was terrified of Qiao Jinniang from the bottom of her heart, so she hid herself in a corner so that she would not be seen by Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Li Lingling, although Jinniang will only be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine, you can¡¯t even be his concubine!¡± Fulu came over from across the street and said. Li Lingling said complacently, ¡°But I¡¯m still much better than someone who claimed she would be the crown princess but ended up as the second concubine.¡± Old Madam Qin and the others all chuckled. Qiu Su looked at Qiao Jinniang with sympathy and said, ¡°Jinniang, you have always been eager to excel since you were a child, so don¡¯t say things you are not sure about too early anymore. Otherwise, you¡¯ll make a joke of yourself.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Li Lingling, ¡°When did I say I would become the crown princess?¡± Li Lingling chuckled and said, ¡°No matter what, His Majesty has granted you to be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine. Why don¡¯t you accept the imperial decree?¡± In the imperial palace, all the officials of the Ministry of Rites knelt in front of the Hall of Diligent Governance. The Minister of Rites kept kowtowing. ¡°Your Majesty, my subordinate was too nervous when he took the imperial decree, so he took the wrong one. Please forgive us!¡± Emperor Huilin was extremely annoyed. ¡°How could you mistakenly take the wrong imperial edict on such an important matter?¡± The Minister of Rites felt very helpless. The imperial decree was supposed to be announced early this morning, but someone from the East Palace told them to postpone it to the afternoon. And the official who went to proclaim the imperial decree was newly appointed to the job and didn¡¯t know there was an old imperial decree that granted Qiao Jinniang to be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine. Being urged by his superiors, he took the wrong imperial decree in a hurry. The Minister of Rites kowtowed again and said, ¡°Your Majesty, we know we made a big mistake and deserve to die, but since the imperial decree has been issued. Why not let County Mistress marry into the East Palace first, and then issue the imperial decree to confer her the title of crown princess?¡± ¡°No!¡± Lu Chen strode in and glared at these officials. These idiots! How could they make such a ridiculous mistake?! Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°Father, although the imperial decree has already been issued, it is not impossible to issue another imperial decree. Please allow me to go to the Qiao family to issue another imperial decree.¡± Emperor Huilin had a headache. How could there be a matter of issuing two imperial decrees in a row within a day? The second concubine became the crown princess. It would be like him slapping himself in the face. However, the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding had already been prepared. If Qiao Jinniang became the second concubine, the wedding would have to be canceled. As Lu Chen¡¯s father, Emperor Huilin wanted to witness Lu Chen¡¯s wedding with his own eyes. Forget it, for his son, he didn¡¯t mind losing face. Emperor Huilin said to the officials of the Ministry of Rites, ¡°Okay, you go to the Qiao family again!¡± Lu Chen saluted and said, ¡°Father, can you let me declare the imperial decree? I really can¡¯t trust these idiots!¡± The officials of the Ministry of Rites: ¡°¡­¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°How can the Crown Prince announce an imperial decree himself? It¡¯s against the rules!¡± Lu Chen hurriedly said, ¡°Father, what if they declare the wrong imperial edict again? The rules are set by people. Please allow me to proclaim the imperial decree myself!¡± Emperor Huilin sighed. ¡°Okay, do it yourself.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if these idiots officials of the Ministry of Rites would make mistakes again. Since they had already known that Qiao Jinniang would be the crown princess, why did they still read that wrong imperial decree? At the very least, the official should have pretended to faint, but he just bit the bullet and read it out. Lu Chen took the order, went to the Ministry of Rites to get the imperial edict, rode on his jujube red horse, and rushed to the Qiao Mansion. When he arrived, he happened to hear Li Lingling taunting Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, I advise you to accept the imperial edict obediently. Don¡¯t make a joke of yourself! ¡°After all, you are not worthy of becoming the crown princess! Be careful, or you won¡¯t even be able to be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine!¡± Lu Chen dismounted, and when the crowd at the door saw him come with an imperial edict in his hand, they all knelt down and saluted. There was something wrong with Old Madam Qin¡¯s legs and feet, and when she knelt down, her kneecap was painful. Relieved to see that Qiao Jinniang wasn¡¯t angry, Lu Chen said, ¡°This imperial decree is for County Mistress Jia¡¯an.¡± Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Qiao Jinniang slowly stepped forward and knelt down. ¡°Duke Anyuan¡¯s daughter, County Mistress Jia¡¯an, is virtuous, intelligent, benevolent and outstanding in appearance. She hasn¡¯t been married, and the crown prince, Lu Chen, is at the right age to marry and needs to choose a virtuous wife. The two of them are a perfect match for each other, so I hereby confer the title of crown princess to Qiao Jinniang, and the wedding will held on March 28.¡± Everyone was shocked to hear the imperial decree. Old Madam Qin, Li Lingling, Mrs. Zhong, and the others turned pale and livid, which looked very funny! Qiao Jinniang raised her hands above her head to receive the imperial decree and said, ¡°I hereby take the imperial decree.¡± Lu Chen put the imperial decree in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. Qiao Jinniang put the imperial decree on the incense burner table. After everyone in the Qiao family kowtowed to the imperial decree, Qiao Jinniang put it into the Qiao family ancestral hall and worshiped it with incense. Walking out of the door, Qiao Jinniang saw Old Madam Qin and the others still kneeling at the door, and asked curiously, ¡°Why are you all still kneeling here?¡± Old Madam Qin forced a smile awkwardly, feeling a burning pain on her face. She wanted to stand up, but would she dare? Lu Chen, who was sitting at the door, picked his tea cup and slowly took a sip of tea. ¡°Since they¡¯ve come here, it would be rude to leave without greeting the crown princess.¡± The butler beside Duke Anyuan hurriedly took a chair, placed it beside Lu Chen, and asked Qiao Jinniang to sit down. Lu Chen glanced at the people kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°Consort Huai is of the highest rank here. Let her do it first.¡± Chapter 165 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After Qiao Jinniang was seated, she whispered into Lu Chen¡¯s ear, ¡°After all, she is your sister-in-law and a prince¡¯s consort. It is not appropriate for her to kneel to me, right?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You are the crown princess. Even if she is your sister-in-law, there is nothing inappropriate for her to kneel to you.¡± Li Lingling looked extremely embarrassed. She never imagined that His Majesty would ignore his own face and issue two imperial decrees in a row. If it weren¡¯t for the wrong imperial decree, she wouldn¡¯t have come to the Qiao Mansion to laugh at Qiao Jinniang. At this moment, Li Lingling could only kneel in front of Qiao Jinniang, bow her head and kowtow, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness.¡± After a long time, Li Lingling heard Qiao Jinniang say, ¡°Arise.¡± Li Lingling was almost suffocated with the rage that suddenly burst out of her heart. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t ask her to arise until she kowtowed to her! Li Lingling got up and stared at Qiao Jinniang, and there seemed to be countless sharp knives in her eyes. But Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t care. After Li Lingling, the other consorts came to salute her one after another. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t have any grievances against them. Although she had a quarrel with Consort Qi, the latter had apologized to her. Qiao Jinniang asked them to arise before they kowtowed. As for Fulu and others, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t even let them salute her. Old Madam Qiao held her breath. At her age, if she knelt down to salute Qiao Jinniang, it would be a disgrace. When Old Madam Qin stepped forward to salute, she only saluted towards Lu Chen. Qiao Jinniang took the tea handed over by a maid and said slowly, ¡°Old Madam Qiao, are you too old to see clearly where I am? Mrs. Qin gnashed her teeth. She was an elder after all. Even the Queen would not let her kowtow to her. How dare Qiao Jinniang? Duchess Qin tugged at Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s clothes, signaling her to plead for Old Madam Qin. Qiao Ruoyun understood what Duchess Qin meant, and just when she wanted to speak. She caught Qiao Jinniang¡¯s gaze. Then Qiao Ruoyun simply lowered her head, pretending not to understand her mother-in-law. Old Madam Qiao could only kowtow to Qiao Jinniang. ¡®Your Royal Highness, Your Highness.¡± But Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t ask her to get up for a long time. Old Madam Qiao¡¯s knee hurt badly, and her heart was full of anger! Qiao Jinniang put the tea cup aside and said, ¡°Old Madam Qin, you have the first-class honorary title conferred by His Majesty and you are also an elder, so I, as a junior, shouldn¡¯t have judged you. ¡°But you should set an example for the other noble ladies in Da Tang. ¡®With the first-class honorary title, you behave like an ignorant village gossipmonger. ¡®You made your family a mess, and even indulged a concubine maid into almost murdering your granddaughter-in-law. ¡®Your Royal Highness, the evidence on this matter is conclusive. For the sake of the two families¡¯ relationship, I didn¡¯t hold you responsible. ¡°But Old Madam Qin insulted my mother and me over and over again. I can¡¯t just ignore it. ¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If this is true, after returning to the imperial palace, I will report it to my father and cancel the honorary title for Old Madam Qin.¡± Old Madam Qin closed her eyes and almost fainted, and everyone in the Qin family knelt down and pleaded for mercy. But Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, this is a wise decision. After that, Qiao Jinniang spared almost everyone from kowtowing to her. Mrs. Thong and Thong Wu¡¯er thought they would be spared from kowtowing too. But after they knelt down and saluted, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t say a word. Qiao Jinniang rubbed her temples. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Miss Thong is so daring. She kept saying that you were vulgar just now!¡± This was the first time Thong Wu¡¯er saw the Crown Prince. At the last imperial palace banquet, she was too far away from Lu Chen to see his face clearly. Seeing his appearance clearly now, she instantly fell head over heels for him. She had never seen such a handsome man, but seeing that he was so protective of Qiao Jinniang, her heart was sore. Hearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words, she raised her head pitifully and looked at the Crown Prince, saymg, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I have never said that!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You said that merchants were vulgar, but His Royal Highness had been a merchant for three years.¡± Thong Wu¡¯er quickly said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, don¡¯t listen to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s nonsense!¡± Lu Chen said in a cold voice, ¡°How dare you call the Crown Princess by name? Governor Thong¡¯s performance has been the poorest in annual assessment for three years, and obviously he also fails in properly educating his daughter. I think he shouldn¡¯t be a governor anymore. ¡°In the South, there are merchants everywhere. Governor Thong is the governor of the South, but his daughter despises merchants so much. He should quit the job!¡± Mrs. Thong collapsed on the ground. She really regretted it. She came to fawn on Qiao Jinniang, but why did things end up like this? Qiu Su kept kowtowing to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Jinniang, we had been classmates for ten years! For the sake of our old friendship, please plead for us!¡± Qiao Jinniang felt a bit uncomfortable to see Qiu Su like this, and said, ¡°Qiu Su, it¡¯s the time of peace now and the people¡¯s lives are getting better and better, and the merchants play a very important role in people¡¯s life. ¡°If merchants pay taxes and don¡¯t violate the law, they should not be considered vulgar. ¡°If I don¡¯t punish the Thong family, I can¡¯t explain to all the merchants in the world.¡¯ In the previous dynasties, aristocratic families looked down on merchants who were just as wealthy as they were. And in times of war, if everyone was engaged in business, no one would do farming, which was not good for the development of the country. So business was relegated to an abject profession. But since the late emperor, the government had been encouraging the people to do business to mobilize the circulation of money in the country. Although in the eyes of some high-ranking officials and nobles, merchants were still menial, their status was much higher than that of the previous dynasties. The imperial court needed merchants to pay taxes and mobilize consumptions of the common people. Qiao Jinniang understood this truth when she was a child, so she never felt that doing business was menial. Governor Thong was the governor of the South, but his daughter despised merchants to this point. He was not wronged at all to be demoted. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was so cold-hearted, Qiu Su said hatefully, ¡®Your Royal Highness, do you know why none of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s classmates attended your wedding banquet? ¡°Because Qiao Jinniang seduced the son of the prefect of Lin¡¯an when she was in school. ¡°The son of the prefect of Lin¡¯an always wanted to take Qiao Jinniang as his concubine! ¡®We were afraid to offend the son of the prefect, so we didn¡¯t dare to go to her wedding banquet, which was why she blamed us. ¡± When the crowd heard this, there was an uproar, and they couldn¡¯t help but secretly exclaim that Qiu Su was really bold. Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°If Qiao Jinniang really seduced the son of the prefect, then why did she need to find a man to marry into her family? ¡°If she became the concubine of the son of the prefect, would those Qiao clansmen dare to snatch Myriad Taste? ¡°It is true that you didn¡¯t want to offend the son of the prefect, but Jinniang never seduced the son of the prefect. You slandered the Crown Princess out of malicious intent. You must be punished. ¡°Come on, take her to the governor of Chang¡¯an!¡¯ Qiao Jinniang looked at Qiu Su and said, ¡°Susu, you kept saying that we had been classmates for ten years. Yes, ten years, what have I done to you? ¡®Why do you hate me so much that you would even risk your own life to slander me?!¡± Qiu Su suddenly lunged to her feet and shouted crazily out loud, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, do you know what I hate most about you? ¡®You are the one who told me that merchants are not humble! ¡°But when I left school and returned home, every time I attended a banquet, everyone, including my parents, looked down on me as a businesswoman! ¡®Your family was poorer than mine, but why were you always dressed better than me in school ?! ¡®You were the most mischievous student in school, but why did every teacher like you the most?! ¡®When I heard the son of the prefect wanted to marry you, did you know how jealous I was?! ¡°1 tried so hard but still couldn¡¯t marry an official¡¯s son, but you rejected the son of the prefect just because he had too many concubines! ¡°Afterwards, I tried my best to marry a governor¡¯s son although he was born by the governor¡¯s concubine, trying to get rid of my identity as a businesswoman. ¡°But you didn¡¯t need to do anything but still became a duke¡¯s daughter. And you continue to do business and even become the crown princess.. Why, why is your life always better than mine?!¡± Chapter 165 - Kowtowed and Saluted Chapter 165 Kowtowed and Saluted After Qiao Jinniang was seated, she whispered into Lu Chen¡¯s ear, ¡°After all, she is your sister-in-law and a prince¡¯s consort. It is not appropriate for her to kneel to me, right?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You are the crown princess. Even if she is your sister-in-law, there is nothing inappropriate for her to kneel to you.¡± Li Lingling looked extremely embarrassed. She never imagined that His Majesty would ignore his own face and issue two imperial decrees in a row. If it weren¡¯t for the wrong imperial decree, she wouldn¡¯t have come to the Qiao Mansion to laugh at Qiao Jinniang. At this moment, Li Lingling could only kneel in front of Qiao Jinniang, bow her head and kowtow, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness.¡± After a long time, Li Lingling heard Qiao Jinniang say, ¡°Arise.¡± Li Lingling was almost suffocated with the rage that suddenly burst out of her heart. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t ask her to arise until she kowtowed to her! Li Lingling got up and stared at Qiao Jinniang, and there seemed to be countless sharp knives in her eyes. But Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t care. After Li Lingling, the other consorts came to salute her one after another. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t have any grievances against them. Although she had a quarrel with Consort Qi, the latter had apologized to her. Qiao Jinniang asked them to arise before they kowtowed. As for Fulu and others, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t even let them salute her. Old Madam Qiao held her breath. At her age, if she knelt down to salute Qiao Jinniang, it would be a disgrace. When Old Madam Qin stepped forward to salute, she only saluted towards Lu Chen. Qiao Jinniang took the tea handed over by a maid and said slowly, ¡°Old Madam Qiao, are you too old to see clearly where I am?¡± Mrs. Qin gnashed her teeth. She was an elder after all. Even the Queen would not let her kowtow to her. How dare Qiao Jinniang? Duchess Qin tugged at Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s clothes, signaling her to plead for Old Madam Qin. Qiao Ruoyun understood what Duchess Qin meant, and just when she wanted to speak¡­ She caught Qiao Jinniang¡¯s gaze. Then Qiao Ruoyun simply lowered her head, pretending not to understand her mother-in-law. Old Madam Qiao could only kowtow to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness.¡± But Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t ask her to get up for a long time. Old Madam Qiao¡¯s knee hurt badly, and her heart was full of anger! Qiao Jinniang put the tea cup aside and said, ¡°Old Madam Qin, you have the first-class honorary title conferred by His Majesty and you are also an elder, so I, as a junior, shouldn¡¯t have judged you. ¡°But you should set an example for the other noble ladies in Da Tang. ¡°With the first-class honorary title, you behave like an ignorant village gossipmonger. ¡°You made your family a mess, and even indulged a concubine maid into almost murdering your granddaughter-in-law. ¡°Your Royal Highness, the evidence on this matter is conclusive. For the sake of the two families¡¯ relationship, I didn¡¯t hold you responsible. ¡°But Old Madam Qin insulted my mother and me over and over again. I can¡¯t just ignore it. Lu Chen said, ¡°If this is true, after returning to the imperial palace, I will report it to my father and cancel the honorary title for Old Madam Qin.¡± Old Madam Qin closed her eyes and almost fainted, and everyone in the Qin family knelt down and pleaded for mercy. But Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, this is a wise decision.¡± After that, Qiao Jinniang spared almost everyone from kowtowing to her. Mrs. Zhong and Zhong Wu¡¯er thought they would be spared from kowtowing too. But after they knelt down and saluted, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t say a word. Qiao Jinniang rubbed her temples. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Miss Zhong is so daring. She kept saying that you were vulgar just now!¡± This was the first time Zhong Wu¡¯er saw the Crown Prince. At the last imperial palace banquet, she was too far away from Lu Chen to see his face clearly. Seeing his appearance clearly now, she instantly fell head over heels for him. She had never seen such a handsome man, but seeing that he was so protective of Qiao Jinniang, her heart was sore. Hearing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words, she raised her head pitifully and looked at the Crown Prince, saying, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I have never said that!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You said that merchants were vulgar, but His Royal Highness had been a merchant for three years.¡± Zhong Wu¡¯er quickly said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, don¡¯t listen to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s nonsense!¡± Lu Chen said in a cold voice, ¡°How dare you call the Crown Princess by name? Governor Zhong¡¯s performance has been the poorest in annual assessment for three years, and obviously he also fails in properly educating his daughter. I think he shouldn¡¯t be a governor anymore. ¡°In the South, there are merchants everywhere. Governor Zhong is the governor of the South, but his daughter despises merchants so much. He should quit the job!¡± Mrs. Zhong collapsed on the ground. She really regretted it. She came to fawn on Qiao Jinniang, but why did things end up like this? Qiu Su kept kowtowing to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Jinniang, we had been classmates for ten years! For the sake of our old friendship, please plead for us!¡± Qiao Jinniang felt a bit uncomfortable to see Qiu Su like this, and said, ¡°Qiu Su, it¡¯s the time of peace now and the people¡¯s lives are getting better and better, and the merchants play a very important role in people¡¯s life. ¡°If merchants pay taxes and don¡¯t violate the law, they should not be considered vulgar. ¡°If I don¡¯t punish the Zhong family, I can¡¯t explain to all the merchants in the world.¡± In the previous dynasties, aristocratic families looked down on merchants who were just as wealthy as they were. And in times of war, if everyone was engaged in business, no one would do farming, which was not good for the development of the country. So business was relegated to an abject profession. But since the late emperor, the government had been encouraging the people to do business to mobilize the circulation of money in the country. Although in the eyes of some high-ranking officials and nobles, merchants were still menial, their status was much higher than that of the previous dynasties. The imperial court needed merchants to pay taxes and mobilize consumptions of the common people. Qiao Jinniang understood this truth when she was a child, so she never felt that doing business was menial. Governor Zhong was the governor of the South, but his daughter despised merchants to this point. He was not wronged at all to be demoted. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was so cold-hearted, Qiu Su said hatefully, ¡°Your Royal Highness, do you know why none of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s classmates attended your wedding banquet? ¡°Because Qiao Jinniang seduced the son of the prefect of Lin¡¯an when she was in school. ¡°The son of the prefect of Lin¡¯an always wanted to take Qiao Jinniang as his concubine! ¡°We were afraid to offend the son of the prefect, so we didn¡¯t dare to go to her wedding banquet, which was why she blamed us.¡± When the crowd heard this, there was an uproar, and they couldn¡¯t help but secretly exclaim that Qiu Su was really bold. Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°If Qiao Jinniang really seduced the son of the prefect, then why did she need to find a man to marry into her family? ¡°If she became the concubine of the son of the prefect, would those Qiao clansmen dare to snatch Myriad Taste? ¡°It is true that you didn¡¯t want to offend the son of the prefect, but Jinniang never seduced the son of the prefect. You slandered the Crown Princess out of malicious intent. You must be punished. ¡°Come on, take her to the governor of Chang¡¯an!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Qiu Su and said, ¡°Susu, you kept saying that we had been classmates for ten years. Yes, ten years, what have I done to you? ¡°Why do you hate me so much that you would even risk your own life to slander me?!¡± Qiu Su suddenly lunged to her feet and shouted crazily out loud, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, do you know what I hate most about you? ¡°You are the one who told me that merchants are not humble! ¡°But when I left school and returned home, every time I attended a banquet, everyone, including my parents, looked down on me as a businesswoman! ¡°Your family was poorer than mine, but why were you always dressed better than me in school?! ¡°You were the most mischievous student in school, but why did every teacher like you the most?! ¡°When I heard the son of the prefect wanted to marry you, did you know how jealous I was?! ¡°I tried so hard but still couldn¡¯t marry an official¡¯s son, but you rejected the son of the prefect just because he had too many concubines! ¡°Afterwards, I tried my best to marry a governor¡¯s son although he was born by the governor¡¯s concubine, trying to get rid of my identity as a businesswoman. ¡°But you didn¡¯t need to do anything but still became a duke¡¯s daughter. And you continue to do business and even become the crown princess. Why, why is your life always better than mine?!¡± Chapter 166 - A Mammy from the Imperial Palace Chapter 166 A Mammy from the Imperial Palace Qiao Jinniang frowned. She didn¡¯t even know that Qiu Su had been hating her since they were in school. Qiao Jinniang said softly, ¡°People should love and respect themselves. You look down on yourself. Why do you blame me?¡± Qiu Su laughed crazily and said, ¡°Haha, Qiao Jinniang, you rejected the son of the prefect because he had too many concubines. ¡°But His Royal Highness will definitely have many concubines in the future. I will wait and see how you end up!¡± A smelly sock was stuffed into Qiu Su¡¯s mouth and she was dragged down. No one dared to say a word. For Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sake, Lu Chen withdrew Old Madam Qiao¡¯s honorary title and demoted Governor Zhong. Who would dare to mess with her again at this moment? ness Seeing the sleepy look on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face, Lu Chen said to her, ¡°You didn¡¯t have a good rest last night. Go take a nap.¡± Qiao Jinniang slept late at night and had the habit of taking a nap at noon. Back in the courtyard, she closed her eyes and slept. When she was woken up by Nuomi, it was an hour later. Nuomi whispered to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Miss, Miss Qiu Su committed suicide in jail.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and her sleepiness was instantly gone. Qiu Su would be locked up for three years at most. Even if she couldn¡¯t stay in Chang¡¯an anymore, she could go to other places. Back in Lin¡¯an, who would care if she had offended the crown princess! Why did she commit suicide? Nuomi said, ¡°The Zhong family didn¡¯t go to collect her body. Her maid Xiaolan came to beg me, and I gave her 10 taels of silver to collect Miss Qiu¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Xiaolan said that Miss Qiu had been instructed by her parents to marry an official¡¯s son since her childhood. ¡°Miss Qiu originally wanted to marry the son of the prefect although he looked like a fat pig¡­ but unfortunately, the son of the prefect didn¡¯t like her. ¡°Later, she married Governor Zhong¡¯s son who was born by his concubine. I heard that the betrothal gift was only 2,000 taels of silver, but her family gave a full 100,000 taels to the Zhong family! ¡°But after she was married, her mother-in-law didn¡¯t like her, and her husband raised a lot of concubines outside with her money.¡± Nuomi said indignantly. Qiao Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°No wonder she resented me so much.¡± When Qiu Su knew that Qiao Jinniang would be the Crown Prince¡¯s second concubine, her sympathy for her didn¡¯t seem to be fake, but when she found out that Qiao Jinniang would be the crown princess, her mentality was completely distorted. Why was she so stupid? Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Give one hundred taels of silver to her maid, so that she can return to Lin¡¯an and be buried at her hometown.¡± Nuomi said, ¡°Yes.¡± After Qiao Jinniang got up and walked out of the courtyard, she saw Lu Chen coming. She looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Why are you still here? I had thought you were gone.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I was waiting for you to wake up to take you into the imperial palace and choose two mammies to teach you court etiquette, and to pick some imperial maids by the way. ¡°Nuomi is not suitable to be brought into the imperial palace. You should find some imperial maids and eunuchs first.¡± Hearing him mention mammies who were to teach her court etiquette, Qiao Jinniang sighed in horror. Lu Chen laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to learn etiquette very well. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qiao Jinniang was thinking about the maids she would bring into the East Palace. She had five close maids now. ¡°Hongling is the same age as me. She is already nineteen and her character is suitable for her to stay in the imperial palace. ¡°Although Yuyan is too outgoing, she is good at snooping information, and there is no gossip that she does not know. ¡°Luhe is diligent and good at housework. I want to keep her with me. ¡°Yingtao doesn¡¯t talk much, but she can manage the little maids well, and she is also a very good hairdresser. ¡°It seems that only Nuomi is not suitable for the imperial palace, but she grew up with me. If she is left outside alone, I will be worried about her.¡± Nuomi was two years younger than Qiao Jinniang. Jinniang remembered very clearly that when she was six years old, after a big storm, the whole Yin County was flooded. Many refugees from Yin County came to Lin¡¯an, and Nuomi, Huixiang, Bajiao and the others all came to Myriad Taste at this time. They didn¡¯t know if their families were still alive, and they had nowhere to go. Little Nuomi didn¡¯t even know her own name. At that time, although she was a child, she ate five big sticky rice balls alone. So Qiao Jinniang¡¯s adoptive mother called her little Nuomi (means sticky rice in Chinese). Later, she took them back to Yin County to look for their families, but little Nuomi couldn¡¯t remember where her home was, and because of the flood, few people survived in Yin County. In the end, they simply let Nuomi and the others stay in Myriad Taste and be their maids and servants. Later, Nuomi also went to Yin County to look for her family herself, but failed. Knowing that Nuomi and Qiao Jinniang had deep affections, Lu Chen said, ¡°You can bring Nuomi into the East Palace. Just tell her not to leave the East Palace. After all, you are the only master in the East Palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No, let her stay outside the imperial palace. ¡°Nuomi loves freedom by nature. It would be better for her to live a care-free life outside the imperial palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen onto the carriage and asked Lu Chen, ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it inappropriate for me to choose the mammies and imperial maids by myself?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, only those you choose can become your confidants. ¡°Also, although my mother is in charge of the imperial palace, it¡¯s difficult to guess the minds of the people in the imperial palace. ¡°Instead of letting others play tricks in the choice of the mammies who are to teach you court etiquette, it¡¯s better to weed out those who have ulterior motives in the first place.¡± After seeing all kinds of people when she was running the restaurant, Qiao Jinniang was a good judge of character. More importantly, if she chose the mammies herself, she could directly send them back to the imperial palace if there was something wrong with them. And she wouldn¡¯t have to consider many other elements. Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Why did you say you wanted to weed out those who have ulterior motives in the first place?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t like my mother, so before my mother married into the imperial palace, she sent some mammies to give my mother a hard time in the name of teaching her court etiquette. Because of the requirement on filial piety, my mother could only endure the abuse of those mammies.¡± Qiao Jinniang understood. She sighed and looked at the majestic palace in front of her. Becoming a crown princess was probably much harder than being the shopkeeper of Myriad Taste. Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Afraid? Even if you¡¯re afraid, you can¡¯t regret it anymore.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°How could I be afraid?¡± Lu Chen smiled. After Qiao Jinniang entered the imperial palace, she went to the Queen¡¯s palace and saluted the Queen. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The corner of Queen Zhou¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°Why do you still call me ¡®Your Majesty¡¯? You should call me ¡®Mother¡¯ now.¡± Qiao Jinniang lowered her head and said shyly, ¡°Mother.¡± Queen Zhou said to her, ¡°The officials of the Ministry of Rites have been punished. ¡°I don¡¯t have a suitable mammy, so the mammies were picked from the Shanggong Bureau. ¡°In case someone makes use of this matter to sow discord between us, I told Chen¡¯er to let you pick mammies yourself.¡± Only then did Qiao Jinniang know that this was arranged by Queen Zhou. She was really the best mother-in-law in the world. ¡°Empress Dowager arrives!¡± A eunuch¡¯s voice came from outside the palace. Lu Chen clasped Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand tightly and frowned slightly. ¡°I heard that the Crown Princess came to choose mammies to teach her court etiquette today, so I specially brought Mammy Bai over. Mammy Bai has been in the imperial palace for more than 40 years, and will certainly teach the Crown Princess rules well!¡± Chapter 167 - Punish Mammy Bai Chapter 167 Punish Mammy Bai Before the Empress Dowager arrived, her voice arrived. Entering the palace, the Empress Dowager was followed by Li Lingling. Li Lingling looked at Qiao Jinniang gloatingly. ¡°Mammy Bai knows court etiquette best among Grandmother¡¯s mammies, and she has taught many women in the imperial palace the rules. It¡¯s your blessing that Grandmother let Mammy Bai teach you the rules!¡± Qiao Jinniang followed the Queen to salute the Empress Dowager. She lowered her head and said, ¡°Mammy Bai is the Empress Dowager¡¯s mammy. How can I trouble Mammy Bai?¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Mammy Bai is just a maid after all. You are her master. How can you ¡®trouble¡¯ her?¡± Qiao Jinniang bowed her head and said, ¡°I see, Your Grace. Thank you for your generous reward.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang accept Mammy Bai so easily, Li Lingling laughed secretly at her stupidity in her heart. Qiao Jinniang probably didn¡¯t know how difficult Mammy Bai was to deal with! Queen Zhou said, ¡°Since there is already Mammy Bai, you can choose another mammy, Jinniang.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and chose a young aunt who seemed to be in her early thirties among the people in the Shanggong Bureau. ¡°Nice to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Qingmo.¡± ¡°Aunt Qingmo, please get up.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I will need you and Mammy Bai to give me advice on etiquette in future.¡± Qingmo bowed her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to give you advice on etiquette, Your Highness.¡± Leaving Mammy Bai here, the Empress Dowager went back to her palace with Li Lingling. She sneered, ¡°I thought that His Majesty loved Lu Chen, but he actually allowed Lu Chen to marry a woman who was raised by slaves as the crown princess.¡± Li Lingling supported the Empress Dowager¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Grandmother, you don¡¯t know how overbearing Qiao Jinniang was! She even forced me to kneel and kowtow to her in public! You must avenge me!¡± The Empress Dowager ordered her maids and eunuchs to leave before she said to Li Lingling: ¡°Changeable in prosperity and decline capricious in rise and fall. Let¡¯s just wait and see. ¡°What Qiao Jinniang relies on is only Lu Chen. If Prince Huai gains power, let alone Qiao Jinniang, even Lu Chen will have to kowtow to you!¡± Li Lingling said angrily, ¡°But Cousin Huai has no interest in the throne at all!¡± The Empress Dowager looked into the distance and said, ¡°How could a prince not be interested in the throne? It¡¯s just that those who achieve great things need to be patient and can¡¯t be like that idiot Prince Mediocre, who was easily defeated by Lu Chen!¡± Li Lingling saluted. ¡°I see.¡± Lu Chen took her love for him like dirt, and Qiao Jinniang, that lowly b*tch, humiliated her. She would just wait until Prince Huai seized power. Then she would definitely get even with them. The wedding was only two months away, so the Anyuan Mansion had to prepare for the wedding now. The news of the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding was announced to the world, and many vassal countries and neighboring countries would send envoys to attend the wedding. This was the most important event of the royal family in the past twenty years. Many common people in Chang¡¯an bought new clothes, not wanting to lose face in front of the people from foreign countries. Qiao Jinniang was locked in the yard in order to learn court etiquette. With exception to painting, she had always been a quicker learner ever since she was a child. As long as she was willing to learn, she would definitely be able to make rapid progress. Moreover, she had learned many of the rules in school. It was just that the rules of the royal family were more complicated. On the second day when Mammy Bai came to the Qiao Mansion, she couldn¡¯t find a chance to torture Qiao Jinniang. She only needed to demonstrate a rule once, and Qiao Jinniang could exactly do it, giving her no chance to find fault with her. Aunt Qingmo said from the side, ¡°Your Highness, did you learn etiquette before?¡± ¡°I had learnt it in school. And after I returned to the Duke Mansion, my mother had had two mammies teach me some rules,¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Aunt Qingmo smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness, you have already learnt the rules well. ¡°However, there are complicated rules for events like ancestor worship ceremonies and weddings, and these rules are the most difficult to master. ¡°But it¡¯s getting late today, and it¡¯s time for dinner. Let¡¯s continue to learn the rules tomorrow, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± However, Mammy Bai said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness. I haven¡¯t checked your table manners, which are very important in the imperial palace. Why not learn it now? ¡°If you make any mistakes on table manners, don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡± There were many rules for dining, even a princess who grew up in the imperial palace might not be able to fully learn them. If Mammy Bai wanted to pick on Qiao Jinniang, she could always find faults with her on this. As ordered by the Empress Dowager, Mammy Bai was determined to teach Qiao Jinniang a good lesson. Now she finally found a good opportunity to torture her. Qiao Jinniang glanced at Mammy Bai indifferently. ¡°Okay, Hongling, serve the dishes.¡± Qiao Jinniang had been conferred the title of crown princess, and although the canonization ceremony hadn¡¯t been held, she couldn¡¯t dine with her parents anymore. So she had dinner in her own room. Qiao Jinniang sat down. After rinsing her mouth, she picked up the chopsticks when she was suddenly hit hard on the wrist by Mammy Bai. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s wrong! Before you pick up chopsticks, you have to ask the maid to pick the food you like and put it in your bowl.¡± Qiao Jinniang put the chopsticks aside heavily. ¡°Mammy Bai, when the Empress Dowager gave you to me, she said that you were just my servant. ¡°Even if I make a mistake in table manners, you¡¯re not in a position to hit my wrist and take the chopsticks off my hand!¡± Yuyan said on the side, ¡°Yes, what makes you think you, an old maid, can hit Miss, well, no, Her Highness?¡± Unable to find a chance to torture Qiao Jinniang in the last two days, Mammy Bai was so anxious that she hit Qiao Jinniang as soon as she saw her finally make a mistake. Hearing what Qiao Jinniang said, Mammy Bai didn¡¯t panic at all but said slowly, ¡°I was ordered by the Empress Dowager to teach Your Highness the rules. You made a mistake just now. I was eager to teach you the rules well so I hit you. But I just followed the order of the Empress Dowager! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted coldly. ¡°Followed the order of the Empress Dowager? Did she order you to hit my hand?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think of taking the Empress Dowager as an excuse. She said that you were nothing but a servant. ¡°Can a servant hit her master¡¯s hand? Can you tell me what kind of rule this is?¡± Mammy Bai had thought that ¡°teaching¡± Qiao Jinniang was an easy task. She and another mammy had been sent to teach Queen Zhou the rules before, and Queen Zhou was tortured terribly by them. Even Queen Zhou couldn¡¯t do anything to her, let alone a slaved-raised little girl! But she didn¡¯t expect Qiao Jinniang to be so difficult to deal with. Mammy Bai said solemnly, ¡°I just did what the Empress Dowager ordered me to. If Your Highness makes a mistake, I can hit you¡­¡± ¡°What I am asking you is what kind of a rule it is that a servant can hit her master?!¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s voice was not loud, but it was cold and sharp. Mammy Bai suddenly felt a little scared and had to kneel down and say, ¡°Your Highness, I am here to teach you the rules. You shouldn¡¯t have taken the chopsticks at that time, so I, I¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said coldly, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what kind of a rule it is that a servant can hit her master, I know the rules of Da Tang. ¡°The Empress Dowager¡¯s kindness to me was twisted by you. I will not spare you easily. ¡°Come, lock Mammy Bai in the firewood room, send her back to the imperial palace tomorrow, and hand her over to the Empress Dowager for punishment!¡± Hearing about this matter in her yard, Zheng Xiao hurried over and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, Mammy Bai was given to you by the Empress Dowager. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate to do this, is it not?¡± Chapter 168 - Send Mammy Bai Back to the Imperial Palace Chapter 168 Send Mammy Bai Back to the Imperial Palace Zheng Xiao said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, although Mammy Bai is only a mammy, she was given to you by the Empress Dowager. If you lock her in the firewood room, the imperial censors may impeach you again for not being filial to the Empress Dowager.¡± Qiao Jinniang knew what Zheng Xiao worried about. ¡°Mother, although Mammy Bai is the Empress Dowager¡¯s mammy, when the Empress Dowager gave her to me, she said that she was just a maid. ¡°Punishing her doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not filial to the Empress Dowager. Besides, look at my wrist¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang rolled up the sleeve on her wrist. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wrist was all red and swollen, Zheng Xiao burst into tears. ¡°How dare she! Don¡¯t worry. Even if the Empress Dowager blames you, I will protect you!¡± Qiao Jinniang put down her sleeve and said, ¡°Thank you, Mother. Don¡¯t worry. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t believe her. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wrist was all red. How could it not hurt? She said, ¡°I¡¯ll enter the imperial palace with your grandmother early tomorrow to seek justice from the Empress Dowager.¡± Qiao Jinniang handed a handkerchief to Zheng Xiao to wipe her tears. Hearing a noise from the secret tunnel, she sent Zheng Xiao back to her yard. When she returned to her room, Lu Chen was already waiting for her in the room. Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°I had thought you could endure Mammy Bai for three days.¡± Seeing him smiling, Qiao Jinniang was slightly annoyed. ¡°Humph, how dare you gloat at me?¡± Lu Chen said in a low voice, ¡°How dare I? Come on, let me see if she hurt you.¡± Qiao Jinniang extended her wrist to Lu Chen. Lu Chen rubbed at it only to find his fingers were stained red. ¡°This is too fake. You can¡¯t fool anyone. There is a strange flower and if it leaves a stain, the stain won¡¯t go away until six or seven days later. I¡¯ll have someone bring it to you.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I just showed this to my grandmother and my mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang knew very well what Mammy Bai was up to. Although Mammy Bai actually didn¡¯t hit her wrists hard today, she wouldn¡¯t let her stay. Who knew if she would go further in the future? Thus, she could only take the initiative to send her away! Qiao Jinniang yawned and said, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to go back. I¡¯ve learned the rules for a whole day. I¡¯m so tired.¡± Lu Chen was certainly not willing to go. ¡°I will sleep with you tonight and leave early tomorrow.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t reject him. She called the maids over to help her wash up and then went to bed. Hongling and other maids were surprised to see Lu Chen here, but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Hongling said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that His Royal Highness was here. Should I go get another set of washing utensils?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just use your miss¡¯s.¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen. Didn¡¯t he mind that there was rouge and face powder left on the towels she used? Although the Spring Festival had passed, it was still very cold. Yingtao put several hot-water bags in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s bed to warm the bed. After the maids went out, Lu Chen took the hot-water bags out. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Why did you take them out? Although there is a charcoal brazier in the room, it¡¯s still cold inside the quilt.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Why did I never see you use hot-water bags in Lin¡¯an?¡± ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t use it in Lin¡¯an?¡± Qiao Jinniang whispered, ¡°I just didn¡¯t use it after marrying you.¡± Because when Lu Chen was by her side, even if she didn¡¯t use a hot-water bag, the bed was always warm. He was an XL-size hot-water bag. Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Then you don¡¯t need it tonight.¡± The north wind blew all night, and heavy snow fell again in Chang¡¯an. Early in the morning, Old Madam Qiao took Mammy Bai to the imperial palace to see the Empress Dowager despite the heavy snow. The Empress Dowager had to give some face to the widow of a deceased hero, so she could only say that she would punish Mammy Bai. After Old Madam Qiao left, the Empress Dowager looked angrily at Mammy Bai. ¡°You are an experienced mammy and have been in the imperial palace for so many years. How could you be so reckless?¡± Mammy Bai cried and shouted, ¡°Your Grace, I was wronged. I just hit the crown princess¡¯s wrist gently. It was impossible for her wrist to be red and swollen like that! Qiao Jinniang set me up! ¡°Before I could do anything to her, she had set me up!¡± When the Empress Dowager heard her words, she got angrier. If Qiao Jinniang were really hit that bad, it would be worthwhile. But Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t suffer any loss but sent her mammy back to the imperial palace! She simply had no respect for her at all! When she marries into the East Palace, she must teach her a good lesson! When Qiao Jinniang woke up, Lu Chen was gone. She called the maids in, only to see Nuomi¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Master, are you not going to take me to the East Palace with you?¡± Qiao Jinniang sat in front of the bronze mirror and let Luhe dress her up. She sighed and said, ¡°Nuomi, there are many rules in the East Palace. I know you like freedom by nature. I don¡¯t want you to be confined in the imperial palace.¡± ¡°But Master, if you don¡¯t bring me into the imperial palace with you, if someone bullies you, there will be no one to fight with you,¡± Nuomi said, holding back her tears. Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°When I enter the imperial palace, I am the Crown Princess, and no one can bully me except the Emperor, the Queen and the Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t need to fight like in Lin¡¯an.¡± Nuomi got on her knees and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been with you since my childhood, Master. Please don¡¯t drive me away!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I won¡¯t drive you away, but to let you stay outside the imperial palace. ¡°All your acquaintances are in Tasty Pavilion, so you can live a free life. If you miss me, you can come to the East Palace to see me.¡± Nuomi shook her head and said, ¡°No, Master, I just want to be by your side.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed and said, ¡°This matter has been decided, and the list of the maids I will take to the imperial palace has been submitted.¡± Nuomi sniffled gently and ran out in tears. Hongling said, ¡°Miss, Nuomi¡­¡± ¡°She can¡¯t accept it for now. Give her some time.¡± The royal family¡¯s ancestor worship ceremony had very complicated procedures and rules. Even Qiao Jinniang had difficulty in learning the rules. Even though the imperial decree had been issued, every single procedure before the wedding had to be meticulously performed. Therefore, Zheng Xiao followed Duke Anyuan back to the Duke Mansion to finish the procedures. After worshiping the ancestors, it would be the title conferring ceremony. Although the imperial decree was issued, the seal of the crown princess would be issued on the title conferring day. Qiao Jinniang got up early in the morning and waited for the arrival of the ceremonial personnel at the gates. Officials from the Ministry of Rites went in and out in an orderly manner, bringing the wedding dress, jewelry, carriage and guards of honor specially for the Crown Princess. After Qiao Jinniang put on the wedding dress and jewelry, she rode the special carriage for her to the hall. After listening to a long imperial ode for about half an hour, she knelt down and kowtowed to the imperial ode for nine times before she was given her seal. After the ceremony was completed, Qiao Jinniang felt that she had lost half her life. Back in the room, although Aunt Qingmo was here, she still collapsed onto the couch. ¡°Why do so many women in Chang¡¯an want to be the crown princess? The title conferring ceremony is already so exhausting. I¡¯m afraid the wedding ceremony will kill me.¡± Qing Mo smiled and said, ¡°No, Your Highness. You have the title conferring ceremony because His Majesty and His Royal Highness value you. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, there has never been a crown princess who had the title conferring ceremony. You¡¯re the first!¡± Qiao Jinniang sat up straight and said, ¡°So the title conferring ceremony could have been skipped?¡± Chapter 169 - Jinniang Cuckolded the Crown Prince at the Duke Mansion Chapter 169 Jinniang Cuckolded the Crown Prince at the Duke Mansion Aunt Qingmo said, ¡°Yeah, according to the rules, normally there isn¡¯t a title conferring ceremony for a crown princess. ¡°It is because His Royal Highness loves you very much that he asked from His Majesty for Highness, you don¡¯t know how many girls envy you!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± It turned out that she had to learn the rules so hard just because Lu Chen ¡°loved¡± her? After the title conferring ceremony, Qiao Jinniang finally got some leisure time. Firstly, she had learned the rules, and secondly, the wedding was coming up soon, so she wasn¡¯t allowed to deal with the restaurant business. Therefore, she was quite idle. It finally warmed up in early March. The dead trees in the courtyard sprouted. Her maids told her that Chang¡¯an had been very lively recently, and Qiao Jinniang wanted to go out to have a look, but she couldn¡¯t. The Duke Mansion was also very lively because many relatives of the Duke in the Southwest came. Qiao Ruoyin, a cousin Qiao Jinniang had never met, was not able to come because she was about to give birth, but her parents-in-law and husband came. And the Duke¡¯s third brother, Third Master, also returned with his concubines. Duke Anyuan¡¯s cousins and their families also came from the Southwest, and they all came to greet Qiao Jinniang outside her courtyard. Although Qiao Ruoyin didn¡¯t come back, her first son did, which made Old Madam Qiao happy. The Duke¡¯s second brother had no son, so he was very happy too to see his grandson. But Second Madam was very upset and mentioned her adoption plan again. ¡°Mother, Jinniang is going to be married, and then we will have to open the ancestral hall and record this matter on the genealogy. ¡°Why not take advantage of this opportunity to let us adopt a son of Third Brother?¡± Old Madam Qiao glared at Second Madam and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think of making use of Jinniang¡¯s wedding. No one can mess with her wedding!¡± Second Madam pursed her lips in disappointment and could only say, ¡°Okay.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s wedding was approaching, and all the neighboring countries came to celebrate it. As the Crown Prince, Lu Chen was very busy. However, he still came to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s boudoir in the Duke Mansion over the window every now and then. But today, Qiao Jinniang simply put a nail board in front of her window. When Lu Chen saw the nail board, he hurriedly retracted his feet, looked at Qiao Jinniang and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, the wedding is approaching. We better not meet secretly.¡± Lu Chen frowned. ¡°Why?¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Why? I only learned yesterday that a crown princess actually doesn¡¯t need a title conferring ceremony. It was a ¡°gift¡± you got for me!¡± Lu Chen said with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen. ¡°Of course not!¡± Lu Chen leaped over the nail board and landed in front of Qiao Jinniang, saying, ¡°The wedding will be tiring anyway. With a title conferring ceremony, those idiots will not dare to impeach you for being too jealous and ask for the abolition of the crown princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to guarantee those old fogeys won¡¯t do that, but if you have a title conferring ceremony, it¡¯ll be harder for them to do that.¡± Lu Chen put his arm around Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist and said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like unnecessary and overelaborate formalities, but trust me, you are not the most tired one. ¡°At our wedding, the officials and their wives have to get up earlier than you and worship ancestors together with you. ¡°At that time, you can ride a chariot while they can only walk. ¡°No matter what they think in their hearts, at our wedding, they have to respect you very much, especially given the fact that you were granted a title conferring ceremony.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°You did all these just to make them bow their heads to me and respect me?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but feel moved. Lu Chen shook his head and said, ¡°Most importantly, I¡¯m worried that my willful crown princess may want to divorce me¡­ ¡°But with a title conferring ceremony, you can only be my woman in this life.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t fail me, I certainly won¡¯t ask for divorce for nothing! ¡°Lu Chen, I want you to remember that you can only be my man in this life too!¡± Lu Chen picked her up, walked to the bed, and said huskily, ¡°I promise you. If I break my promise, you can poison me with those poisonous mushrooms and grass.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°According to the novels I read, those who say such words will all break their promises in the end.¡± ¡°I will not.¡± The gauze curtain on the edge of the bed slowly fell, blocking the scene that would make people blush. The maids guarding the door were already used to this and went to prepare hot water for them with blushing faces. But unfortunately, Old Madam Qiao happened to come to the Jin Garden to ask Qiao Jinniang for her opinion on the adoption matter at this time. When she walked to the door of the room, she was stopped by Hongling with a blushing face. ¡°Old Madam, the Crown Princess has already slept.¡± At this time, it was still early in the day. Old Madam Qiao thought maybe Qiao Jinniang was tired today, so she said, ¡°Okay, take good care of her. I¡¯ll come again tomorrow.¡± When Old Madam Qiao was about to leave, she suddenly heard from the room groans and chuckles that were deliberately lowered, and she immediately frowned. Noma Then she heard that in the room, a woman was calling ¡°Honey¡± in a sweet and seductive voice. Old Madam Qiao¡¯s eyes widened. She clenched her hands and her mind was racing. Although this voice was soft, she could tell it was Qiao Jinniang¡¯s voice! Jinniang, how daring you are! She had already been given the title of crown princess, and the wedding date was only less than a month away, but now she was dating a man in the Duke Mansion?! This must not be known by outsiders. Otherwise, the Duke Mansion would be doomed. Old Madam Qiao gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Qin¡¯er, call some reliable mommies and guards over, surround this yard, and let no one leave! ¡°Catch all the maids in the Jin Garden and gag them, and then ask the Duke and Madam to come over.¡± Hongling thought that Old Madam Qiao must not know the man inside was actually the Crown Prince. Just as she was about to speak, a mammy gagged her and Hongling struggled. But the mammy thought she was going to shout loudly, so she bound her up even more tightly, making it impossible for her to break free¡­ When Duke Anyuan and Zheng Xiao came, seeing the mess in the courtyard, Zheng Xiao hurriedly asked, ¡°Mother, what happened?¡± Madam Qiao ran the Buddha beads through her fingers to suppress her inner panic and said, ¡°Our Duke Mansion is doomed, Jinniang, Jinniang, she¡­¡± Old Madam Qiao was too ashamed to tell what happened, and after quite a while, she said, ¡°She is dating a man in her boudoir, and that man is still inside! ¡°Fortunately, the imperial maids are not in the Jin Garden at night!¡± Zheng Xiao was shocked. ¡°Although Jinniang is bold, I don¡¯t think she dares to do this!¡± Duke Anyuan also said, ¡°Mother, did you hear it wrong?¡± Old Madam Qiao glared at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not deaf! ¡°None of these maids in Jin Garden can be spared. ¡°However, Lu¡¯er is going to take the imperial examination and Xiao¡¯er is going to give birth to a child, so we shouldn¡¯t kill at this time. Poison them mute and lock them up in a manor! ¡°The adulterer is still in the room. When he comes out, cut him into pieces! ¡°Most importantly, this matter must not be leaked.¡± Duke Anyuan frowned and said, ¡°Mother, if Jinniang really committed this heinous crime, shouldn¡¯t we confess it to His Royal Highness and ask for punishment? ¡°How can we conceal it for Jinniang and indulge her in cuckolding the Crown Prince?¡± Zheng Xiao glanced at Duke Anyuan displeasedly. ¡°Do you want Jinniang to die? Compared to Jinniang¡¯s life, cuckolding the Crown Prince is not a big deal!¡± Duke Anyuan: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 170 - Qiao Jinniang Committed Adultery Chapter 170 Qiao Jinniang Committed Adultery Old Madam Qiao turned the Buddha beads in her hand and said, ¡°If the news spreads out, it may implicate the imperial grandson. This matter must be concealed.¡± About half an hour later, the voice of Qiao Jinniang calling for Hongling finally sounded in the room. Old Madam Qiao said sharply at the door. ¡°Hongling has been tied up. Jinniang, come out quickly.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard her grandmother¡¯s voice, she blushed red and glanced at Lu Chen. ¡°Damn!¡± Lu Chen had been practicing martial arts, so he had very acute hearing. He had long heard the noises outside. He also heard the Qiao family planning how to hide from him the fact that Jinniang had ¡°cuckolded¡± him¡­ Lu Chen: ¡°What are you afraid of? You are not committing adultery anyway.¡± Qiao Jinniang pinched the flesh on Lu Chen¡¯s waist. ¡°My reputation has completely been ruined by you.¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and chuckled. ¡°We are a legitimate husband and wife. Why are you afraid of your grandmother?¡± Qiao Jinniang pushed Lu Chen away, picked up the clothes that scattered on the bed, and put them on, but without the help of maids, she couldn¡¯t put her hair in a decent bun, so she could only open the door with a loose bun. As soon as she opened the door, she saw the dark-faced Duke Anyuan, Old Madam Qiao who was clenching a string of Buddhist beads tightly, and Zheng Xiao who looked quite worried about her. Qiao Jinniang was so ashamed that she just wished she could find a hole on the ground to hide in¡­ Old Madam Qiao huffily wanted to enter the room, but was blocked by Qiao Jinniang at the door. Qiao Jinniang begged, ¡°Please, Grandmother, save me some face.¡± Duke Anyuan took a deep breath and said, ¡°Jinniang, get out of the way. Your wedding is imminent, and the adulterer¡¯s life cannot be spared!¡± Old Madam Qiao rushed in only to see Lu Chen, who was now dressed properly. Just as she was about to scold, her legs softened and she had to lean against a mammy beside her. Feeling a little relieved, she hurriedly saluted. ¡°Your Royal Highness, we didn¡¯t know you arrived and didn¡¯t come to greet you. Please forgive us.¡± There was a touch of complaint in her words. She was almost scared to death today. She never imagined that the dignified Crown Prince would climb over the wall to date his fiancee right before their wedding! Lu Chen certainly could tell what Old Madam Qiao meant. He coughed awkwardly and said, ¡°Grandmother, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. Don¡¯t blame Jinniang. The fault is all mine.¡± Old Madam Qiao slowly got up with the help of a mammy. The Duke and Zheng Xiao entered from the outside and looked extremely embarrassed too. Especially Duke Anyuan, he never imagined that the wise and genteel Crown Prince would break into his daughter¡¯s boudoir at night like a burglar! And where had the guards of the Duke Mansion gone? How could they let the Crown Prince enter the Jin Garden completely unhindered? Lu Chen was a bit embarrassed and said, ¡°I came to discuss the wedding with Jinniang. It was too late and I didn¡¯t want to disturb you, so I rudely climbed over the wall. Please forgive me.¡± Duke Anyuan certainly didn¡¯t dare to blame him, and hurriedly said, ¡°No, Your Royal Highness, I should apologize. Please forgive me for my offense.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Well, I shouldn¡¯t have broken in, sorry.¡± Seeing them apologizing to each other awkwardly and looking at the poor maids who were still tied up, Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to go back to the imperial palace. The door will be locked soon.¡± Lu Chen nodded slightly and was about to climb over the wall as usual when he realized that he didn¡¯t need to do it and could go out from the front door. After Lu Chen left, Old Madam Qiao ordered to untie Hongling and other maids and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°You, you¡­¡± Old Madam Qiao wanted to blame Jinniang but on second thought, she said, ¡°Forget it. You are both young and husband and wife, so I don¡¯t blame you. ¡°But the wedding date is approaching. To avoid trouble, behave yourselves before the wedding, okay? Even if your husband is the Crown Prince, you two can¡¯t ignore the rules, and you better not meet before the wedding!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t hesitate to pass the buck to Lu Chen. ¡°Grandma, I was unwilling to violate the rules, but he is the Crown Prince after all. I couldn¡¯t disobey him. I promise I won¡¯t do this again.¡± Old Madam Qiao didn¡¯t say anything more. Because Old Madam Qiao blocked the news, the relatives of the Qiao family didn¡¯t know what happened in the Jin Garden. One of Third Master¡¯s concubines, Huaishan, held a baby in her arms. The baby didn¡¯t sleep at night, and Huaishan gently patted him and crooned him to sleep. He was the fourth child of Third Master and the sixth grandson of Old Madam Qiao. He was born in the Southwest last summer. This was the first time he had come to Chang¡¯an. Huaishan used to be a maid of the Qiao family. Like Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s mother, she had been serving Third Master since she was a child. However, Third Master was born by a concubine, so the maids preferred to serve Duke Anyuan and Second Master. But Huaishan chose to follow Third Master in the end, so Third Master treated her well. After Third Madam married into the Duke Mansion, she was sent to serve Third Madam. Later, Third Master went to the southwest border to lead troops, and she followed him to the Southwest and became his concubine. It had been almost ten years, and she finally had a child when she was in her thirties. She cherished this child very much. Huaishan¡¯s sister-in-law said to her with joy, ¡°Huaishan, I heard from a maid of Second Madam that Second Madam has mentioned to Old Madam more than once that she wanted to adopt a son of Third Master. She wanted to take the chance of the Crown Princess¡¯ wedding to do it. ¡°Third Master¡¯s eldest son and second son were both born by his wife and can¡¯t be adopted. His third son is frail and sickly, so Second Madam doesn¡¯t like him. I heard that they want to adopt your son!¡± Huaishan hugged the child tightly in her arms. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it. I finally have a child at this age. How could I give him to Second Madam and let him recognize Second Madam as his mother?¡± Huaishan¡¯s sister-in-law said, ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. If you keep this child, he will only be a concubine-born son of Third Master, but if Second Master adopts him, he will be Second Master¡¯s only heir.¡± The baby in Huaishan¡¯s arms held the sleeve of Huaishan with his small fist. Huaishan said firmly, ¡°No, whoever wants to give her son to Second Madam can just do it. I¡¯ll never give my son to anyone.¡± ¡°Even if you keep him, he can never call you ¡®Mother¡¯!¡± Huaishan¡¯s sister-in-law, Aunt Liu, rolled her eyes at Huaishan. Huaishan was not young anymore. There was a good chance for her to gain a bright future but she declined it. Wasn¡¯t that stupid? Thinking of the money Second Madam gave to her, Aunt Liu continued to persuade Huaishan. ¡°Huaishan, you have to think about whether your son will blame you or not in the future! He could have become Second Master¡¯s heir, but you made him a concubine-born son. ¡°Besides, although Third Master is leading the troops in the Southwest on behalf of the Duke, he was not born to the same mother as the Duke, but Second Master is different. ¡°When the Crown Princess marries into the East Palace, she must be more willing to help her second uncle¡¯s only heir instead of a concubine-born son of Third Master!¡± Huaishan held her son and said, ¡°I only want my child to live a peaceful and happy life. I don¡¯t want any wealth or power.¡± Unable to persuade her to change her mind, Aunt Liu was annoyed. She returned to her hut and scolded her husband, Old Liu. ¡°You are useless, and your whole family is useless. ¡°After staying in the Southwest for ten years, Huaishan has become even more stupid. A good chance to gain money and power was placed in front of her, but she declined it. ¡°Back then, Qiao Yu was only a cook, while your father was the butler, but now, he is Earl Lin¡¯an. What about you? Why did I choose to marry you, a useless waste?¡± Old Liu said, ¡°Cut the crap, alright?¡± Aunt Liu asked Old Liu, ¡°What happened in the Jin Garden just now? I heard that someone committed adultery or something?¡± ¡°Shh, if you don¡¯t want to lose your head, don¡¯t talk about it.¡± Aunt Liu curled her lips. She heard that it seemed that Qiao Jinniang committed adultery. Sure enough, Qiao Jinniang, who was raised by that slutty bitch, Yuniang, was a slut too! Chapter 171 - Commit Adultery In Her Courtyard Chapter 171 Commit Adultery In Her Courtyard Early the next morning, not long after Qiao Jinniang woke up, Qiao Ruofeng came to see her. ee This time when Qiao Ruofeng saw the furnishings in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room, she had no envy at all. Qiao Ruofeng said slowly, ¡°Second Sister, I almost died last time. Only after Prince Mediocre got the punishment he deserved did I realize how stupid I was.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you figured it out. You are still young, less than sixteen years old, and you still have your whole life ahead of you as long as you can correct mistakes and make change.¡± Qiao Ruofeng suddenly knelt in front of Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang frowned slightly, only to hear Qiao Ruofeng say, ¡°After going through so many things, I finally understand that there are not many reliable men in this world. ¡°I grew up in the Duke Mansion, and even though my family has moved out of the Duke Mansion, I am still the daughter of a high-ranking official. I don¡¯t want my mother to grovel to others, trying to find me a good husband for me, let alone trying to snatch someone else¡¯s son. ¡°If Third Uncle is willing to let my parents adopt his son, he would have agreed to it long ago. Besides, Sixth Cousin is not yet a year old. Let me be honest, even if Third Uncle is willing to give Sixth Cousin to my mother, he will be more of a burden than a help to Ruowan and I.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°What you said makes sense. Sixth Cousin is still a baby. When he becomes an official, I¡¯m afraid that you will be middle-aged.¡± Qiao Ruofeng said, ¡°Yeah, instead of letting my parents forcibly take someone else¡¯s son, I would like to find a husband to marry into my family.¡± ¡°I told my parents about this, but they both thought I was messing around. Second Sister, please help me!¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ruofeng, ¡°Finding a husband to marry into your family is not as easy as you think. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Lu Chen lost his memory and had nowhere to go, and that I had saved his life he would not have been willing to marry into my family. ¡°Which decent man in the world would be willing to abandon his family and marry into his wife¡¯s family? Among the men who married into their wives¡¯ families, eighty or even ninety percent of them are not desirable husbands. It will be very difficult for a woman to find a man to marry into her family¡­¡± Qiao Ruofeng said, ¡°I know. I don¡¯t expect to find a man as good as the Crown Prince. I just want to have a child. When I get a child, I won¡¯t care about him anymore!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Get up. I¡¯ll talk with Second Aunt and Grandmother about this matter, but I can¡¯t guarantee that they will agree.¡± Qiao Ruofeng smiled happily. ¡°Thank you very much, Second Sister.¡± Qiao Jinniang went to Old Madam Qiao¡¯s courtyard in the afternoon, called over Second Madam and Second Master, and mentioned this matter. Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Ruofeng is my favorite granddaughter. I¡¯m worried that if she doesn¡¯t find a proper man, it would be like inviting a wolf into the house.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Grandmother, you can rest assured. With our Qiao family behind Ruofeng, if her husband dares to bully her, Brother Lu will definitely come out to defend her.¡± Second Madam didn¡¯t dare to offend Qiao Jinniang again, and Second Master desperately wanted an heir. He didn¡¯t mind who would become his heir, whether it was his third brother¡¯s son or Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s son. He just wanted an heir. With Qiao Jinniang¡¯s guarantee, Second Master and Second Madam wouldn¡¯t be afraid that Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s husband would bully her. Compared with forcibly adopting Third Master¡¯s son and falling out with Third Master, this was a good choice. But Second Madam still said in a small voice, ¡°But which decent man is willing to marry into his wife¡¯s family?¡± Old Madam Qiao sighed. ¡°Alas.¡± Qiao Jinniang joked, ¡°Ruofeng, if you find an unmarried man you like, you can just knock him out, make him lose his memory, then tell him you saved his life, and force him to marry into your family. ¡°The results of the Imperial Examination this spring are going to be released. You can pick one as your husband from the examinees who pass the Imperial Examination.¡± Old Madam Qiao¡¯s eyes widened. Second Madam said in a trembling voice, ¡°Jin, Jinniang, you didn¡¯t do this to the Crown Prince, did you?¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°No, he lost his memory himself and I really saved him, but what I said is an option you can consider.¡± Aunt Liu tried every possible means and even forced Huaishan¡¯s mother to persuade Huaishan, and finally persuaded Huaishan to agree to give her son to Second Madam. Aunt Liu went to see Second Madam full of joy, while guessing how much money Second Madam would pay her. Besides, if Huaishan¡¯s son became Second Master¡¯s heir, her status in the Duke Mansion could be improved too. However, a maid of Second Madam said, ¡°Aunt Liu, this is the reward our madam gave you, but our master doesn¡¯t need to adopt a son anymore.¡± Aunt Liu asked in shock, ¡°Does Second Master have a concubine pregnant?¡± The maid said, ¡°No. Today, the Crown Princess persuaded our master and madam to agree to find Miss Ruofeng a husband to marry into our family and Miss Ruofeng¡¯s child will be our master¡¯s heir¡­¡± Hearing this, Aunt Liu was disappointed and angry. Her plans were completely ruined! Second Madam only gave her a penny as a reward! If she adopted Huaishan¡¯s son, how could she possibly give her such a small amount of money? The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. After returning to the Duke Mansion, she spat in the direction of the Jin Garden. ¡°Yuniang, you b*tch, you seduced my man back then, and now your f*cking daughter made me lose money, bah! ¡°Crown princess? Bah, she is just a b*tch who has good luck! She committed adultery in her yard even when she is going to marry the Crown Prince!¡± ¡°Mammy, what are you muttering about?¡± A young woman in a light-yellow skirt asked Aunt Liu. Aunt Liu trembled with fright when she saw the girl in front of her who was obviously an imperial maid. How could she just blurt out that?! If what she said was known by Qiao Jinniang, her whole family, including all her children, would be finished! The young imperial maid took out two taels of silver and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Mammy. This is for you. You just need to tell me what happened in the Jin Garden last night.¡± Greedy for money and having an old grudge with Qiao Jinniang¡¯s adoptive mother, Aunt Liu immediately said, as ¡°Well, Qiao Jinniang was comitting adultery in the Jin Garden last night¡­ There was such a great uproar last night in the Jin Garden because Old Madam and the Duke went to catch her adulterer.¡± The imperial maid gasped. How dare the Crown Princess do this?! She said to Aunt Liu, ¡°Mammy, don¡¯t tell anyone that you told me about this. After all, it¡¯s a scandal. If it is spread, you may lose your head.¡± Aunt Liu hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, don¡¯t say that I told you.¡± After the imperial maid got the news, she immediately passed it to her master. In the Imperial Palace. Standing beside the Empress Dowager, Li Lingling said when she heard the news, ¡°Is it true? Qiao Jinning is stupid enough to commit adultery in the Duke Mansion, which was even known by a mammy in the Duke Mansion?!¡± Her wedding was only about half a month away, and now the envoys of foreign countries had all come to Chang¡¯an. If this scandal was spread, the entire Duke Anyuan Mansion would be doomed! This was an unacceptable disgrace for the Crown Prince of Datang! Qiao Jinniang would have to die, and even the Crown Prince would be implicated. God was helping her! The Empress Dowager chuckled and ordered an imperial maid beside her, ¡°Find some people to spread the news as widely as possible. Whether it¡¯s true or not, since it was true that the Jin Garden¡¯s gate was blocked last night, and a mammy of the Duke Mansion can testify to it, it¡¯ll be enough to ruin Qiao Jinniang¡¯s reputation. ¡°If the crown prince is still willing to marry Qiao Jinniang, he will be laughed at by the entire world. ¡°But if he cancels the marriage, Duke Anyuan will inevitably break ties with him.¡± Chapter 172 - You Two Cant Meet before Your Wedding Chapter 172 You Two Can¡¯t Meet before Your Wedding As night fell, Lu Chen came to a courtyard wall of the Duke Mansion and jumped up over the high wall easily. Before landing, he heard several dogs barking below. In the dark night, the dogs¡¯ eyes were glowing green, which looked very scary! The guards of the Duke Mansion all ran over with lanterns in their hands, saluted and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Your Royal Highness, the Duke said that climbing the wall might hurt your body, so please come in through the gate.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Duke Anyuan Mansion was heavily guarded. It was because of the help of his secret guards that Lu Chen could easily jump in from the wall in the past. However, after Duke Anyuan learned that Lu Chen would break into his daughter¡¯s boudoir at night, he strengthened the security of the Duke Mansion, and now even the secret guards couldn¡¯t find a chance to break in. Besides, these secret guards could not expose their existence, so they had to be very careful. After all, it was really inappropriate for the Crown Prince to send his secret guards to a courtier¡¯s home. Lu Chen had no choice but to turn back from the wall and enter through the gate. Duke Anyuan hurriedly came to greet him. ¡°Your Royal Highness, what can I do for you?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I just came to see Jinniang.¡± Duke Anyuan cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, this is against the rules. Your wedding is imminent, and it would be ominous if you meet before your wedding.¡± Lu Chen glared at Duke Anyuan. But Duke Anyuan, who had always been humble in front of him, was very decisive this time. ¡°Your Royal Highness, you two cannot meet before your wedding.¡± If this spread out, the Duke Mansion¡¯s reputation would be ruined! Duke Anyuan saluted and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, your wedding is only about half a month away. This time is fleeting, so please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± When Yuyan learned what happened at the gate, she came back and reported it to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Wow, His Royal Highness¡¯ face is all dark. It¡¯s the first time that our master act so tough in front of His Royal Highness!¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. Lu Chen deserved it. However, Lu Chen¡¯s birthday was two days after the wedding Qiao Jinniang had to prepare some birthday gifts for him. He had been coveting Xi¡¯er¡¯s doll, so Qiao Jinniang planned to make him a dog doll¡­ Early in the morning of the next day, Fulu, who Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t seen for a long time, came to visit her. She said, ¡°You have been cooped up in the Duke Mansion for a long time. It¡¯s spring now. It¡¯s a pity not to go out and enjoy the beautiful spring scenery in Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled at Fulu and said, ¡°I want to go out, but now I can¡¯t go out at will.¡± The imperial decree had been issued and she was already the Crown Princess. As the Crown Princess, she couldn¡¯t easily go out now. Fulu suddenly began to take off her clothes¡­ Qiao Jinniang hurriedly closed her eyes. ¡°Princess Fulu, I¡¯m not a lesbian!¡± Fulu took off a suit of men¡¯s clothes that she wore below her dress and handed it to Qiao Jinniang ¡°What are you talking about? Although you are taller than me, my robes are loose. You can put on the men¡¯s clothes and go out with me.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want to cause trouble when the wedding was approaching, even if she really wanted to go out to have fun. She refused. ¡°No, thanks.¡± Fulu said, ¡°You will regret it if you don¡¯t go out today. It¡¯s the Flower God Festival today, and it will be very lively. ¡°All the women in Chang¡¯an will be dressed as flower fairies and go out to admire flowers today, but you can only stay alone at home. I really feel pity for you.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the Flower God Festival be on February 2? Don¡¯t bluff me.¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t fool Qiao Jinniang, Fulu said, ¡°Forget it. Let me tell the truth, it¡¯s my imperial cousin who wants to see you, but he can¡¯t come in, so he asked me to take you out.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, although there is no Flower God Celebration, the peonies in Chang¡¯an are all in full bloom. ¡°The Crown Prince is getting married, and all foreign countries have sent envoys to celebrate it. The streets are very lively, and there are many new things that we have never seen before!¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Fulu, ¡°What reward will Lu Chen give you for doing this?¡± Fulu smiled, not embarrassed at all. ¡°One hundred taels of silver.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°One hundred? You¡¯ve gotta give me fifty taels.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re already so rich. Your Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste are making thousands of taels a day. How many people envy you in Chang¡¯an? And you still want fifty taels from me?!¡± Fulu clenched her purse. Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°But my husband is a spendthrift. He just paid you a hundred taels, didn¡¯t he?¡± Princess Fulu said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Just quickly change your clothes!¡± Qiao Jinniang put on the man¡¯s robe brought by Fulu and said, ¡°Even if I am in men¡¯s clothes, the maids and guards can still recognize me. How can I get out?¡± Fulu said, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult!¡± Fulu took out an oiled paper bag, punctured the oiled paper, and dripped blood onto her lap. ¡°Ouch, my leg is hurt. Hongling, go let my carriage come into the yard.¡± But Qiao Lu came faster than Fulu¡¯s carriage. The Imperial Examination this spring would be held in the middle of March, which was only a few days away, so Qiao Lu had been preparing for the exam at home. Seeing him barge in, even Qiao Jinniang was stunned. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Qiao Lu didn¡¯t even notice Qiao Jinniang was in men¡¯s clothes, and the only thing he noticed was that Fulu¡¯s legs were covered in blood, and he anxiously asked, ¡°Come, call an imperial doctor over. No, it¡¯ll be too slow. Princess, please forgive me for being rude!¡± Before Fulu could react. She was carried on Qiao Lu¡¯s shoulder like a sack, and Qiao Lu was running as fast as lightning. Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Fulu froze, only feeling her stomach churning. Gosh, this one hundred taels of silver was really hard to earn. ¡°Young Master Qiao, put me down. My leg is fine!¡± Qiao Lu said nervously, ¡°How can it be fine? It¡¯s bleeding!¡± Fulu could only watch helplessly as Qiao Lu carried her all the way into the Imperial Hospital. When the imperial doctors saw Fulu¡¯s clothes were stained with blood, they hurriedly came up to treat her. Fulu could only say repeatedly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m really okay.¡± Qiao Lu held her hand nervously. ¡°But you bleed a lot!¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my period, alright?!¡± Fulu snorted. Qiao Lu didn¡¯t know what ¡°period¡± meant. The imperial physicians were so embarrassed to hear that, and one of them kindly explained to Qiao Lu what a ¡°period¡± was. Qiao Lu awkwardly looked at the blood stain on his robe, and the tips of his ears were as red as blood. ¡°What are you waiting for? Send me back. My belly hurts!¡± Being carried all the way here, Fulu felt very uncomfortable now because her stomach was pressed against Qiao Lu¡¯s shoulder just now. The imperial doctor said that menstruation could cause abdominal pain. So Qiao Lu thought that Fulu was suffering from abdominal pain due to menstruation. He then thought drinking hot sugar water might relieve some of her pain. With this in mind, he put Fulu on his shoulder again, planning to return to the Duke Mansion to boil some hot sugar water for her to relieve the pain. Fulu, who was carried like a sack again, really wanted to scold Qiao Lu to death¡­ But her mother and father had told her that the ancestors of the Qiao family were the great heroes of Datang. Forget it. She would forgive Qiao Lu for the sake of the 100 taels of silver his brother-in-law paid her. When Fulu returned to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s courtyard, she stuffed Qiao Jinniang into the carriage and ordered the coachman to quickly drive away. She must earn the hundred taels of silver! No one could stop her! Hongling and other maids: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Lu, who went to a kitchen for the first time in his life, came over with the sugar water he boiled, only to find that Fulu was gone, and he felt a faint loss. Back in his study, he noticed his blood-stained robe¡­ He was very embarrassed, but still took off the robe and locked it in a wooden box, not noticing at all that there were some fine chicken feathers on the blood. Chapter 173 - Punishing t Chapter 173 Punishing the Servants The carriage drove past a tea house, and outside the carriage, it was full of people watching the fun. Qiao Jinniang overheard that they seemed to be talking about her, so she asked the coachman to stop the carriage. A storyteller was speaking loudly in the teahouse, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true! It¡¯s true that the Crown Princess is dating a man in the Duke Mansion! I don¡¯t dare to risk being beheaded to slander the Crown Princess!¡± ¡°I only have one head. How dare I slander her and offend Duke Anyuan? ¡°This matter was said by a servant of the Duke Mansion, and her sister-in-law is a concubine of Third Master of the Duke The people didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°How could the Crown Princess be so stupid?! In order to attract business, you are not even afraid of being beheaded?¡± The storyteller snorted. ¡°You can choose to believe or not. There are some relatives of the Qiao family who came from afar living in the Duke Mansion and they all know that the Jin Garden¡¯s gate was blocked that night.¡± ¡°Walls have ears. If Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t done such a thing, how dare that servant of the Duke Mansion make up such a story?¡±. Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang in surprise in the carriage. Qiao Jinniang frowned. Except for the masters of the Duke Mansion, only servants and guards of the Duke Mansion were in the Jin Garden that night. This rumor could only be leaked by them. But they all knew that her ¡°adulter¡± was actually Lu Chen. As for the Aunt Liu the storyteller mentioned, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know her, nor had she seen her before. At this critical moment, this rumor could ruin her reputation. Fulu asked curiously, ¡°Jinniang, did you really cuckold my imperial cousin?¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°That man is the Crown Prince.¡± The rumor was spreading more and more widely. On the carriage, Qiao Jinniang could hear the people hotly dicussing this rumor along the way. The carriage stopped at one of Lu Chen¡¯s houses outside the imperial palace. Qiao Jinniang entered the house, and when she saw Lu Chen, she complained, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Do you know how the people are talking about us now?¡± When Lu Chen left the imperial palace, he hadn¡¯t heard of the rumor yet, so he asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Are there any rumors about us again?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Now, everyone says that I was dating a man at home!¡± Lu Chen chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I trust you.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this matter is not so simple. Now everyone is talking about this rumor. ¡°A storyteller in a teahouse said that it was said by a mammy in the Duke Mansion. I don¡¯t think a mammy would be so daring. There must be someone behind her!¡± That mammy was a servant of the Duke Mansion. If this matter spread outside, it wouldn¡¯t do any good to that mammy. Moreover, Qiao Jinniang and that mammy never knew each other. Even if the mammy hated her, she shouldn¡¯t have to risk her own life to spread this rumor. At this time, Lu Chen received a secret signal from one of his secret guards, and he called the secret guard in. The secret guard came in and reported, ¡°Your Royal Highness, it was the Empress Dowager who had her men spread the rumor about the Crown Princess!¡± Lu Chen sneered. ¡°I got it. You can leave.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard that it was the Empress Dowager, she said, ¡°It turns out to be the Empress Dowager? But you are her grandson. Why does she hate you so much? ¡°In order to ruin your reputation, she doesn¡¯t even mind disgracing Datang when the envoys of so many foreign countries are in Chang¡¯an.¡± Hearing that the person behind was the Empress Dowager, Qiao Jinniang understood that this matter was targeted at Lu Chen. If it were true that she committed adultery in the Duke Mansion, Lu Chen would be a laughing stock of the whole world¡­ Lu Chen said, ¡°I won¡¯t let her ruin your reputation with this matter, but my birthday is coming soon. Have you prepared a birthday gift for me?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Yes, but come on, no one will ask others for a birthday gift!¡± Lu Chen pinched her nose. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to forget me.¡± Qiao Jinniang took Lu Chen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Since this rumor came from a servant of the Duke Mansion, she deserves to die a thousand times, but I¡¯m afraid the outsiders will believe her words.¡± Lu Chen entwined his fingers with her fingers and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide this from others. I can just tell them that it was me who went to your room that night!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think everyone is as superstitious as Duke Anyuan. You and I are already married, so it doesn¡¯t matter if we meet.¡± He could finally hold the beauty in his arms, and he didn¡¯t want to wait for another half a month. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But according to the rules, we really shouldn¡¯t meet before our wedding. Besides, these few days will pass soon.¡± ¡°You called me out today just for your birthday gift?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Yes, prepare a good one, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You can rest assured. I bet you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought she could really come out to get some air. But rumors about her could be heard everywhere, so she couldn¡¯t show up in public and could only stay in this house to enjoy the scenery outside the Duke Mansion. Seeing the many flowers that were blooming in the courtyard, she said to Lu Chen, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I made flower cakes. I¡¯ll make flower cakes for you.¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for me to see you before the wedding. I¡¯m not in a hurry to eat flower cakes.¡± Qiao Jinniang expected to get some fresh air, but ended up being locked up with Lu Chen in this house. Back at the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang changed back to her own clothes and ordered someone to bring Aunt Liu over. When Aunt Liu saw Qiao Jinniang, she was a little flustered. She knelt down and said, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Qiao Jinniang stared coldly at Aunt Liu and said, ¡°I heard that your parents and mother-in-law are all servants of the Duke Mansion?¡± Aunt Liu said, ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jinniang said in an icy voice, ¡°The Duke Mansion treats your family very well and appointed your husband as the gardening supervisor of the Duke Mansion. You and your family are living a life even more comfortable than ordinary wealthy businessmen, aren¡¯t you?¡± Aunt Liu hurriedly kowtowed and said, ¡°This is all thanks to Your Highness and the Duke!¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°So you still remember that your comfortable life comes from the Duke Mansion? But you ignored the reputation of the Duke Mansion and spread rumors about me¡­¡± Hearing this, Aunt Liu collapsed on the ground, begging for mercy. ¡°Your Highness, I will never do it again. Please spare my life! ¡°I didn¡¯t say this to anyone outside. I only told this to an imperial maid!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to beg me to spare your life. I¡¯m a soft-hearted person and won¡¯t kill.¡± Hearing this, Aunt Liu breathed a sigh of relief. Yuniang was a pushover when she was young. Even if others bullied her terribly, she would just tolerate it. Sure enough, just like Yuniang, Qiao Jinniang, who was raised by Yuniang, was a pushover too. Looking at this old woman¡¯s contemptuous eyes, Qiao Jinniang continued, ¡°Although I don¡¯t want to kill, I don¡¯t want to see you anymore. ¡°Hongling, find a few human traffickers and ask them to sell Aunt Liu, her husband, Old Liu, and their children out of Chang¡¯an. Remember to sell them to different places. ¡°Before selling them, carefully check how much money they have embezzled from the Duke Mansion. Don¡¯t let them take a penny with them.¡± Aunt Liu was shocked when she heard this. To sell them to different places?! If that were to happen, she and her family would never be reunited! Her son and daughter had already been allowed to leave the Duke Mansion. But now they would be reduced to slaves again. Aunt Liu pleaded hurriedly, ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness, the fault is all mine. Please only punish me!¡± Chapter 174 - Young Master Qiao Won First Place Chapter 174 Young Master Qiao Won First Place Qiao Jinniang sneered coldly. ¡°Because of your nonsense, the reputation of the Duke Mansion that has been well-maintained for more than a hundred years was almost ruined. Do you think your cheap life can compensate for this transgression? ¡°Hongling, drag her away. Remember to sell her as far away from her children as possible. Hongling nodded and ordered someone to drag Aunt Liu away. This matter soon reached the ears of Zheng Xiao and Old Madam Qiao. Huaishan hurriedly carried her newly born baby to Old Madam to intercede for her family, and Zheng Xiao happened to be there too. Huaishan kept kowtowing and said, ¡°Madam, Old Madam, please show mercy. My sister-in-law deserves to die a thousand times. ¡°But my nephew and niece are innocent, especially my niece. She is now engaged with an imperial examination examinee, and they will be married after the Imperial Examination this spring! ¡°Selling her away will ruin her!¡± Zheng Xiao took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Huaishan, if we forgive them, wouldn¡¯t everyone be able to slander the Crown Princess without being punished? If that were to happen, wouldn¡¯t everything be a mess? Besides, the Crown Princess is already kind-hearted enough to spare their lives and just sell them away. You know she is justified to behead your whole family!¡± Huaishan hugged the baby in her arms and cried bitterly. ¡°Then just behead my sister-in-law. My niece has already been engaged, and she shouldn¡¯t be implicated. Old Madam, Madam, please help my niece!¡± The Liu family was finally going to have a son-in-law who was an official and her niece was going to be a noble lady. But now it was all over! Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Huaishan, we can¡¯t help you. We¡¯re already kind enough to spare the lives of your brother and his family!¡± Huaishan thought to herself, it would be better if they were all killed. Now that the family members were separated from each other and sold to different places, they were already finished. Being sold this way, it was almost impossible for them to have a good master. Her little niece was so pitiful! Liu Chunxian, the daughter of Aunt Liu, was only sixteen years old. She was tied up and dragged out of the three-yard house that the Liu family bought in Chang¡¯an, crying and struggling. Seeing her fianc¨¦ from a distance, she begged, ¡°Brother Wen, Brother Wen, help me, help me. I have never served anyone as a maid since I was a child. I don¡¯t want to be a slave!¡± Her fiance hurriedly came over and scolded the human trafficker, ¡°How can you do this to her?! She is my fiancee!¡± The human trafficker raised his eyes and said casually, ¡°Your fianc¨¦e hasn¡¯t been married to you, so she is still a slave of the Qiao family. Now her master has sold her to me. If she wants to blame someone, blame her mother. She offended the Crown Princess!¡± Wu Wen frowned when he heard this. ¡°It¡¯s her again!¡± The Crown Princess had no respect for her clan and tricked her own clansmen into killing each other. The Crown Prince was stupid to marry such a woman, which ruined his prestige among literati. Now Qiao Jinniang, this cruel woman, sold an innocent woman away as a slave. Wu Wen clenched his fist tightly. The Imperial Examination was imminent, so he could only endure it now, but he must take revenge on her! In mid-March, the Imperial Examination began. Because many examinees had diarrhea in the last Imperial Examination, this time, the imperial court specially prepared the champion cake made by Myriad Taste for the examinees. Although Qiao Jinniang was in the Jin Garden, she could feel the servants in the Duke Mansion were getting busier and busier. Red silks had been hung everywhere in the Duke Mansion, and the paper-cut character ¡°Happiness¡± was pasted on the doors and windows. A large number of peony flowers that were about to bloom had been moved to the Duke Mansion, and red lanterns were hung almost all over the Duke Mansion. It was the first time that Qiao Lu participated in the Imperial Examination, but even his parents did not take it seriously. After all, he was too young, and it was almost impossible for him to pass the Imperial Examination. Moreover, although the Imperial Examination was very important, it was not so important for children of the aristocratic family. Even if Qiao Lu failed in the Imperial Examination, he would still be the next Duke Anyuan and a powerful minister in the future. Thus, Duke Anyuan and Zheng Xiao were busy with Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wedding and had no time to pay attention to Qiao Lu. Staying in the examination hall for five days and five nights, Qiao Lu finally came out but only a servant came to pick him up. Qiao Lu couldn¡¯t help but wonder, was he really a biological son of Duke Anyuan? ¡°Young Master Qiao!¡± Spotting Qiao Lu from a distance, Junior Duke Rong came over and greeted him. ¡°Why are you here? Are you here to ask for some champion cake? ¡°The champion cake your sister made is really delicious, but it¡¯s a pity that she is the crown princess now, so I won¡¯t have a chance to taste it anymore!¡± Qiao Lu felt a bit lost. He was very confident about the Imperial Examination this time, and he was sure that he could win first place. But apart from the servant who was flattering him, no one else cared about him coming to take the Imperial Examination. Fulu came over and said, ¡°Junior Duke Rong, didn¡¯t you come to help me find a handsome young man to take to my home to be my husband?. Why are you chatting with him?¡± Remembering that she was carried by Qiao Lu like a sack a few days ago, she gnashed her teeth at Qiao Lu. When Qiao Lu saw Fulu, his eyes lit up, ¡°Princess!¡± Junior Duke Rong said to Fulu, ¡°Don¡¯t ruin the talents of our country!¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°My imperial uncle dotes on me so much. If I ask him to give me the champion of this Imperial Examination as my husband, he certainly won¡¯t refuse me!¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°Yes, in your dreams!¡± ¡°Humph, let me tell you, I must marry a champion of the Imperial Examination.¡± Fulu said, ¡°At least my husband can¡¯t be worse than Qin Miaomiao¡¯s!¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°Then you can only choose Zhou Siming, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in you.¡± Qiao Lu looked at Fulu. Didn¡¯t she say she wanted to marry him? Why did she forget it?! Depressed and with his head hanging low, Qiao Lu went back to the Duke Mansion. Seeing Qiao Lu came back with his head drooping, Duke Anyuan and Zheng Xiao thought that he must have failed in the Imperial Examination. After all, it was the first time that he took the Imperial Examination. Qiao Lu was still so young, so he shouldn¡¯t be blamed for not doing well in the Imperial Examination. Hearing from Yuyan that Qiao Lu was back, Qiao Jinniang had someone send the flower cake she made to Qiao Lu. The Imperial Examination was not easy to take. After staying in the examination hall for five days and five nights, Qiao Lu needed some nourishing food. The results of the Imperial Examination were released on March 20th. The wedding date was getting closer and closer, and the Duke Mansion had already started to prepare the utensils to be used in the wedding, so everyone was very busy. Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t think that Qiao Lu would be able to pass the exam, so she didn¡¯t even send a servant to see the results. Qiao Jinniang was also busy reciting the family tree of the royal family, trying to remember all the relatives of the royal family, so she also didn¡¯t notice that the results of the Imperial Examination had been released. The examinees were looking for their own names in front of the roll. ¡°Brother Wu, you are only second place? I thought you would be first place, but there is still the imperial palace exam. I believe you will definitely be the champion after the imperial palace exam!¡± ¡°First place, Qiao Lu from Chang¡¯an. Who is this guy? I¡¯ve never heard of this name? Have any of you met him?¡± ¡°Qiao Lu, I¡¯ve never heard this name before, and I have no impression of him. He is from Chang¡¯an? But when has there been such a person in Chang¡¯an?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Tomorrow is the imperial palace exam. We can see him in the imperial palace!¡± ¡°Although Brother Wu is in second place, it¡¯s still a great achievement. He will surely have a bright future!¡± Wu Wen clenched his hands. He had been determined to be the prime minister in the future, and then he would no longer be so useless as to not even be able to protect his fianc¨¦e. At that time, he would be able to stomp the Qiao family and Qiao Jinniang into the mud! Chapter 175 - He Won Second Place Because of the crown princess Chapter 175 He Won Second Place Because of the crown princess On the day of the imperial palace exam. On Duke Anyuan¡¯s way to the Taiji Palace, many officials praised Qiao Lu and said congratulations to him. Duke Anyuan thought that they complimented him just because of Qiao Jinniang. But when he entered the Taiji Palace, he saw Qiao Lu standing at the head of the examinees. Only then did Duke Anyuan remember that his eldest son seemed to have participated in the Imperial Examination this spring, but he never expected him to win first place! So this kid was not blindly confident. Lu Chen had already known that Qiao Lu was the youngest examinee who won first place in the history of Imperial Examinations. From the article Qiao Lu wrote, it was hard to imagine that he was the son of a duke who grew up privileged. The number of examinees this time was quite a lot, and the Taiji Palace was almost full of examinees. The palace exam was more challenging than the written exam, and it would be held over the course of the whole afternoon. Eight examiners would mark the papers, and the results would not be released until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. After the examinees left the palace gate, Qiao Lu was surrounded by other examinees. In the face of this, Qiao Lu was gracious and generous, and he invited the other examinees to dinner at Tasty Pavilion. However, several examinees scoffed at Tasty Pavilion. Wu Wen said, ¡°The owner of Tasty Pavilion is a person of no morality, a small plate of flower cakes there costs a farmer as much as he and his family spends in a year. ¡°How can we be so extravagant, not to mention that Tasty Pavilion was obtained by squeezing the blood of the Qiao clansmen in Lin¡¯an.¡± The examinees who were friends with Wu Wen had once followed Tong Yingying to scold Qiao Jinniang for disrespecting the clan behind her back! But now, they were only one step away from becoming an official, and they dared not scold Tasty Pavilion again in case they would be deprived of the chance of becoming an official. Qiao Lu frowned and said, ¡°What are you talking about? Why are you scolding my sister?¡± The examinees asked curiously, ¡°Your sister? Is the owner of Tasty Pavilion your sister?¡± Qiao Lu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, my sister is the Crown Princess.¡± Wu Wen narrowed his eyes. ¡°No wonder you could win first place the first time you took the Imperial Examination and at such a young age as well. It turns out that you¡¯re the brother-in-law of His Royal Highness, hehe¡­¡± He implied that Qiao Lu won first place because of the help of the Crown Prince. Qiao Lu frowned and said, ¡°I could take first place because I¡¯m more talented than you. As a young scholar, you don¡¯t concentrate on study but only know how to help the clan oppress a weak woman!¡± Wu Wen said sarcastically, ¡°Yeah, you are the heir to a duke and the younger brother of the Crown Princess. How dare I compete with you for first place?¡± The other examinees meditated and said to Qiao Lu, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s just go to the restaurant.¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t take Wu Wen¡¯s words seriously. His fiancee has just been sold as a slave, and he has suffered from poverty since childhood. Don¡¯t mind his words.¡± Seeing his friends who had surrounded him in the past all fawning on Qiao Lu, Wu Wen angrily cursed them of being spineless and not worthy of becoming literati. On the day the results of the imperial palace exam were released, the golden roll was covered with a red cloth, and many people came to see the results. There are also some wealthy businessmen who wanted to take the chance to choose a good husband from the examinees who had passed the Imperial Examination for their daughters. ¡°Qiao Lu, who got first place in the written exam, is just under seventeen. He is so young!¡± ¡°Qiao Lu is the younger brother of the Crown Princess. Even if you want to take him home and make him your son-in-law, you won¡¯t have the guts. ¡°I think Wu Wen is a good choice. He failed in the last Imperial Examination because he had diarrhea, but this time, he won second place!¡± Duke Anyuan and Zheng Xiao finally took some time out of their busy schedules to accompany Qiao Lu to see the results. Seeing Qiao Lu nervous, Zheng Xiao said, ¡°You are the first in the written exam, so you will definitely be in the top three in the imperial palace exam.¡± As the golden roll was opened, Qiao Lu closed his eyes, not daring to look at it. ¡°You¡¯re in the top three, you¡¯re in the top three!¡± Overjoyed, Zheng Xiao held Qiao Lu¡¯s wrist and recited, ¡°Amitabha, thanks to Bodhisattva¡¯s blessing.¡± Duke Anyuan couldn¡¯t hide his joy. ¡°Thanks to our ancestors¡¯ blessing! Jinniang became the Crown Princess, and Lu¡¯er can actually win second place in the Imperial Examination!¡± Seeing that he was ranked second, Qiao Lu¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Why am I not the champion?!¡± Duke Anyuan coughed. ¡°Lu¡¯er, although I¡¯ve been teaching you to strive to be the best since you were a child, it¡¯s already very good for you to win second place at this age.¡± Qiao Lu sighed heavily. But Fulu only wanted to marry the champion. Fortunately, the champion was over thirty-five years old. Fulu certainly wouldn¡¯t marry a man so much older than her. But he was still not the champion. Qiao Lu returned to the Duke Mansion gloomily. An official came to the Duke Mansion to congratulate Qiao Lu, only to see Qiao Lu crestfallen. ¡°Young Master Qiao, congratulations. His Highness and the chief examiners originally thought that you should be the champion. ¡°But the examinee in second place is nearly forty years old, so His Majesty appointed him as the champion and you as the runner-up!¡± Qiao Lu heard his words. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, the second place of the Imperial Examination is always handsome and talented, so they have the laudatory title of ¡°Flower-Picking Childe¡±. You are much more handsome than the first place, so you¡¯re more worthy of this title.¡± For the first time, Qiao Lu hated himself for being too good-looking. If he was uglier, could he be the champion? Hearing that Qiao Lu had won second place in the Imperial Examination this year, Qiao Jinniang was very surprised. ¡°He¡¯s just under seventeen but he¡¯s already a Flower-Picking Childe. How many people will envy him!¡± When she was in Lin¡¯an, she had seen many scholars who passed the Imperial Examination when they were already over thirty. Even Li Yun only gained tenth place in the Imperial Examination, which showed how difficult it was to be a Flower-Picking Childe. Hongling complimented Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Young Master is so talented. There must be a lot of matchmakers coming to the Duke Mansion for him.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered Qiao Lu¡¯s bet last time, and said with a smile, ¡°He already has a girl he loves, but I don¡¯t know who the girl is. Now that he has become a Flower-Picking Childe, it might be easier for the girl to agree to marry him.¡± Yuyan smiled and said, ¡°Even if Young Master weren¡¯t the Flower-Picking Childe, there aren¡¯t many women in Chang¡¯an who don¡¯t want to marry him!¡± Qiao Lu was the younger brother of the Crown Princess and the future Duke Anyuan, and was very handsome. Except for the fact that his parents had once divorced, Qiao Lu was almost perfect. Luhe said, ¡°But there are people outside who are gossiping about Young Master, saying that he gained the title of Flower-Picking Childe completely because of your help, Your Highness!¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. ¡°Those are just jealous clowns.¡± The day after the results of the Imperial Examination was released, the top three would parade through the streets, and the Chang¡¯an that was heavily guarded and soldiers could be seen everywhere. On the streets, the stores were all offering discounts, celebrating the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding Tasty Pavilion and Myriad Taste were distributing free happy cakes and happy eggs every day. Amidst the joyous atmosphere, the wedding day had finally arrived. Today was Qiao Jinniang¡¯s last day in the Duke Mansion. In the afternoon, she put on the crown princess¡¯ palace dress and went to the ancestral hall of Duke Mansion to worship the ancestors. After that, she went back to her room and waited for the arrival of tomorrow. Although the wedding ceremony would be held in the evening, the ancestor worship ceremony would be in the early morning. Therefore, tomorrow Qiao Jinniang had to get up before dawn, dress up and put on formal clothes to go to the ancestral temple of the royal family to worship the ancestors of the royal family. However, although Qiao Jinniang knew she had to get up early tomorrow, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Chapter 176 - The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess Didnt Sleep Together on the Wedding Night Chapter 176 The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess Didn¡¯t Sleep Together on the Wedding Night March 28, the spring breeze was gentle, and it was an auspicious day for marriage. Qiao Jinniang got up before dawn. The women who came to dress her up today were all female officials from the Shanggong Bureau, and those who accompanied her were also old consorts and female officials in the imperial palace. When Qiao Jinniang left the Duke Mansion, it was very dark and silent on the road. When they arrived at the ancestral temple of the royal family, it was just dawn, but the officials, the female members of the royal family and wives of high-ranking officials were already standing neatly on both sides. Old Madam Qiao and Old Madam Zhou were at the front, and behind them stood hundreds of women. Further forward, the princesses and consorts were also standing respectfully and motionless. A sense of solemnity arose spontaneously. When Qiao Jinniang walked to the steps, Lu Chen came to her. Today, he was wearing a python robe. He held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and walked up the steps of the ancestral temple step by step together with her. Qiao Jinniang could only hear the voice of the ceremonial officer on the side. She did what the ceremonial officer asked her to do, saluting and kowtowing. When she bowed down, the golden phoenix hairpin on her head was trembling slightly. After kneeling and toasting, they walked outside and saluted Emperor Huilin. Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Go, take your wife¡¯s hand, take care of the family together with her, and help her be a good wife.¡± Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°I respectfully follow your order, Father.¡± After that, after Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen kneeled down and saluted on the steps again, they both went to change clothes, and then went to salute Emperor Huilin and Queen Zhou in front of all the ministers. The ceremonial officer recited the imperial decree, and Queen Zhou handed Qiao Jinniang her seal again. After the ceremony, Qiao Jinniang almost couldn¡¯t stand up in the seven or eight layers of clothes she had on. Luckily, Lu Chen noticed it and reached out to support her. The two turned to face the ministers, and everyone down below knelt down and recited, ¡°May Your Royal Highness live a thousand years, and may Your Highness live a thousand years.¡± All the ministers knelt at their feet, shouting ¡°Long Live Your Royal Highness and Your Highness¡±. This scene was extremely shocking for Qiao Jinniang. But soon she got on the chariot and went back to the Duke Mansion, waiting for Lu Chen to come to pick her up. She didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday, so she was a bit drowsy. Fortunately, the ceremonial officer followed by her side, and she only needed to do what he told her to do. When Lu Chen¡¯s chariot arrived, the honks of a wild goose rang out at the door of the room, and when Qiao Jinniang walked out covering her face with a fan, she felt a bit sad to leave her natal home. When she walked out of the Jin Garden, Nuomi trotted over and shouted, ¡°Master.¡± Nuomi held back her tears and said, ¡°Master, if you are wronged, don¡¯t bear it. We will always be waiting for you outside the imperial palace.¡± Lu Chen frowned and glared at Nuomi. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Silly Nuomi, you have to take good care of yourself in the future. If you miss me, you can send a post to the East Palace.¡± When going out of the gate, Qiao Jinniang saw Zheng Xiao standing on the steps supported by Mammy An, with a smile on her lips, but tears in her eyes. Duke Anyuan stood aside and said, ¡°Do remember, respect your husband, abide by your husband, and don¡¯t disobey him.¡± Zheng Xiao¡¯s words were filled with joy, but Qiao Jinniang could sense a touch of sadness in her words. ¡°Do remember, respect your husband, abide by your husband, and don¡¯t disobey him.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted and went out the door. What awaited her outside was not a sedan chair but a chariot of eight horses. Qiao Jinniang got into the chariot and didn¡¯t want to put down the curtain. Although she hadn¡¯t lived in the Duke Mansion for long, she felt very sad when she left it. When the procession passed through the main street, the people on the street all knelt down on both sides and saluted, shouting ¡°Long Live Your Royal Highness and Your Highness¡±. They were all here to watch the grand wedding of the Crown Prince. Seeing the boxes of dowries that almost extended ten miles, everyone was amazed. There were a total of 188 boxes of dowries. For ordinary people, no matter how rich the bride¡¯s family was, according to the rules, the number of dowry boxes couldn¡¯t be more than 180. After entering the East Palace, they had the Tonglao ceremony. After finishing all the ceremonies, Qiao Jinniang finally entered her bedroom and could take a rest. Everything in the bedroom was new and luxurious. Qiao Jinniang took off her bright red wedding dress and put on a palace dress after bathing. She counted it carefully, and there were a total of twelve pieces from the inside to the outside, each of which was very delicate. After putting on makeup again, she followed Lu Chen to the Taiji Palace to meet Emperor Huilin and the Queen and then returned to the East Palace. When she left the Taiji Palace, she saw the ministers and their wives entering the imperial palace. They must have come to the imperial palace to attend the wedding banquet. Back in the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang took off the golden crown on her head. Civil weddings were already tiring enough, but royal weddings were probably a hundred times more tiring than civil weddings. Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t remember how many sets of clothes she had changed today. She only remembered that each set of clothes had at least ten layers. Fortunately, it was cool at the end of March. An imperial maid from the Shanggong Bureau was whispering in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear about the rules of the bed. wa Qiao Jinniang tried to perk up to listen to her, but she could hardly keep her eyes open. Lu Chen didn¡¯t stay at the palace banquet for long and came back early. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was struggling to keep her eyes open, he almost laughed. Lu Chen said to the female officials, ¡°You all leave now!¡± A female official saluted. ¡°Your Royal Highness, you haven¡¯t drunk the ¡®cross-cupped wine¡¯ and the hair-tying ceremony hasn¡¯t been done¡­¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°These are unnecessary. Just leave.¡± They had already held the hair-tying ceremony and had drunk the ¡®cross-cupped wine¡¯ in Lin¡¯an. When they were drinking the ¡®cross-cupped wine¡¯, according to the rules, the man¡¯s cup had to be placed upside down after the drink was finished, symbolizing the yin and the yang were in harmony and the husband would dominate. Qiao Jinniang was not a good drinker, but she tried to finish the drink one step ahead of him so that she could place her cup upside down, which only led to getting herself drunk in the end. After the female officials and imperial maids all left, Lu Chen walked to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°If you are sleepy, go to sleep.¡± ¡°No, I want Xi¡¯er. I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time. This is my first day in the East Palace. How can I not see him!¡± Seeing her already exhausted, Lu Chen didn¡¯t want to touch her today. ¡°If Xi¡¯er is here, you won¡¯t be able to go to sleep!¡± Qiao Jinniang said sleepily, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Lu Chen had an imperial maid bring Lu Xi over. When Little Lu Xi saw Qiao Jinniang, he threw himself into her arms. ¡°Mommy, can I see you every day in the future?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and hugged Lu Xi tightly. ¡°Yes, Mommy can accompany Xi¡¯er every day from now on.¡± Lu Xi rubbed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s neck and said, ¡°Great!¡± After seeing Xi¡¯er, Qiao Jinniang could no longer hold on and finally closed her eyes¡­ Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang and sighed heavily. The wedding had finally been held, but he still couldn¡¯t touch his dear wife. If he was in the same bed with Qiao Jinniang tonight, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold it back. But she was so exhausted and he didn¡¯t want to disturb her, so he went back to his own bedroom. At the door, seeing the Crown Prince leave, the female officials and imperial maids all frowned. A new imperial maid whispered to a female official, ¡°There were rumors some time ago that the Crown Princess was dating a man in the Duke Mansion. The Crown Prince didn¡¯t drink the ¡®cross-cupped wine¡¯ or hold the hair-tying ceremony with the Crown Princess today. And now he isn¡¯t even sleeping in the same room with the Crown Princess. Is it because he dislikes the Crown Princess?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, keep your mouth shut,¡± the female official said sternly. But it was really inappropriate for the Crown Prince not to sleep in the same room with the Crown Princess on the wedding night! Chapter 177 - The Crown Princess Is Not Favored by the Crown Prince? Chapter 177 The Crown Princess Is Not Favored by the Crown Prince? It had only been a year since Lu Chen had returned to the East Palace. For the wedding, many eunuchs and imperial maids were transferred to the East Palace. Tonight, the news that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess didn¡¯t sleep together had immediately been spread out by the snoops of different powers. Soon almost everyone in Chang¡¯an knew that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess didn¡¯t sleep together on their wedding night. Li Lingling got the news early in the morning. Then, she hurriedly asked a maid to fetch the gold hairpin that she had just bought from Jewelry Pavilion at a high price and went to the imperial palace to watch the fun. Qiao Jinniang woke up in the morning, refreshed. Little Lu Xi on her side woke up early and was playing with a Luban lock. Imperial maids came in one after another to wait on Qiao Jinniang. The day after her wedding, according to the rules, she should go to salute the Queen and all the imperial concubines. Qiao Jinniang had to put on the clothes that were about twelve layers again. At this time, Lu Chen came in and said, ¡°Fortunately, you are thin.¡± Qiao Jinniang was used to it, and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Are you going to see Her Majesty with me?! According to the rules, Lu Chen didn¡¯t have to go with her. But since Qiao Jinniang had asked him, he didn¡¯t mind going with her. Although he had a fifteen-day holiday for his wedding, at this time, the Emperor asked someone to call over Lu Chen, and he could only go to the Taiji Palace. Qiao Jinniang took Little Lu Xi¡¯s hand and went to the Queen¡¯s palace together with him. She had thought that she came early. However, the palace was already full of imperial concubines, as well as the princes¡¯ consorts. When Qiao Jinniang entered, she saluted the Queen. ¡°Mother.¡± The Queen smiled and said, ¡°Jinniang, you must have been tired yesterday. Come, take a seat.¡± Li Lingling raised her eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°The Crown Princess didn¡¯t have to serve His Royal Highness last night. Why did she still get up so late?¡± For a while, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t realize that Li Lingling was laughing at her because Lu Chen didn¡¯t sleep with her last night. She just thought that Li Lingling was mocking her for being too late. So Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I was making breakfast for Mother, so I am late. Please forgive me, Mother.¡± The maids behind her took out the breakfast she made one by one and placed them in front of the imperial concubines and the Queen. Qiao Jinniang smiled at the consorts and said, ¡°Sisters-in-law, I didn¡¯t expect you to come so early, so I didn¡¯t prepare breakfast for you. Sorry.¡± She didn¡¯t come too late. It was just that the consorts came too early. They came as soon as the gate of the imperial palace opened. Seeing Qiao Jinniang neither nervous nor annoyed, Li Lingling said to the Queen, ¡°Mother, now His Royal Highness has been married, but he refused to sleep with the Crown Princess even at their wedding night. This is not good for the continuation of our royal family. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful spring day today, and all the flowers in the imperial palace are in full bloom. ¡°Tomorrow is His Royal Highness¡¯ birthday. Why don¡¯t we invite the daughters of a few ministers to enjoy the flowers and celebrate his birthday?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. Li Lingling asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± She just said to the Queen, ¡°Mother, I thought of a folk joke, but it¡¯s a little vulgar, so I won¡¯t sully your ears.¡± The Queen said, ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to say it. We want to listen to folk jokes.¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced meaningfully at Li Lingling and said, ¡°There was once a scholar in Yangzhou who was old enough to get married. The scholar lost his mother when he was a child. ¡°So his elder sister-in-law found him a wife and handled his wedding for him. ¡°The scholar¡¯s sister-in-law paid a whole tael of silver as the dowry gift, so she was very distressed. ¡°On the wedding night, the scholar¡¯s sister-in-law took the scholar¡¯s elder brother to eavesdrop outside the scholar¡¯s room. ¡°But their neighbors saw them and reprimanded them for being shameless, but the scholar¡¯s sister-in-law said loudly, ¡°I spent a whole tael of silver to get him this wife! Even a copper coin falls to the ground, and I can at least hear the sound.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t spend the money for nothing! Not only I, but my whole family also has to hear the sound!¡± The crowd burst into laughter, and Imperial Concubine Jian covered her lips with a handkerchief and said, ¡°That scholar¡¯s sister-in-law is really ridiculous.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Your Highness, she is not ridiculous. After all, someone didn¡¯t even pay a penny for her brother-in-law¡¯s wedding but still pries into the sexual life of her brother-in-law! ¡°This kind of deed would be despised even by commoners. Eldest Sister-in-law, you¡¯re from Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion. How can you act like a countryside woman? Don¡¯t disgrace the Empress Dowager!¡± Hearing her words, the Queen said to Li Lingling, ¡°Consort Huai, you really went a bit too far. How can you pry into and direct the affairs of the East Palace? As a punishment, I order you to transcript the Buddhist scripture a hundred times. Do you accept it?¡± Not daring to disobey the Queen, Li Lingling could only salute and accept the punishment. Anyway, she could have her maids transcript the Buddhist scripture for her. However, Qiao Jinniang tried so hard and finally married into the East Palace, but the Crown Prince didn¡¯t even sleep with her on their wedding night. How pathetic she was! After Qiao Jinniang returned to the East Palace, Lu Chen hadn¡¯t returned from the Taiji Palace yet. She ordered someone to call over Gu Ming, the chief butler of the East Palace and other officials of the East Palace. Gu Ming was Lu Chen¡¯s close servant and the chief butler of the East Palace. The East Palace was divided into five bureaus, namely, the Dianshan Bureau, the Yaocang Bureau, the Neizhi Bureau, the Dianshe Bureau and the Guanmen Bureau. They respectively corresponded to the Shangshi Bureau, Shangyao Bureau, Shangyi Bureau, Shangshe Bureau, and Chengmen Lang in the imperial palace. However, unlike the bureaus in the imperial palace where there were many female officials, most members of the bureaus in the East Palace were eunuchs and imperial maids. There were nine hundred eunuchs and imperial maids in the East Palace in total. With the officials, counselors, soldiers and secret guards, there were as many as 1,200 plus people in the entire East Palace. Before Qiao Jinniang got married, she had heard from Qingmo about the various official positions in the East Palace. With so many people in the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang would be exhausted if she tried to manage the East Palace meticulously like managing a restaurant. Thus, she could only keep an eye on those officials of rank. Gu Ming came to visit Qiao Jinniang together with the directors who were respectively in charge of the Dianshan Bureau, the Yaocang Bureau, the Neizhi Bureau, the Dianshe Bureau and the Guanmen Bureau. Gu Ming knelt on the ground but Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t let him get up for a long time, and beads of sweat fell down from his forehead one after another. He had been serving the Crown Prince since he was a child, except for the few years when the Crown Prince disappeared. Normally, even the high-ranking noble ladies were very polite to him. Unexpectedly, the Crown Princess dealt him a head-on blow at their first encounter. Qiao Jinniang said slowly and solemnly, ¡°Is this the way you manage the East Palace? Why did the whole Chang¡¯an know what happened in the East Palace last night?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you half a month. If there is still anyone who pries into and delivers information for others in the East Palace half a month later, all of you will be replaced.¡± Gu Ming hurriedly kowtowed. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± After they left, the director of the Dianshe Bureau whispered into Gu Ming¡¯s ear, ¡°This Crown Princess is really an ignorant countryside woman. ¡°Eunuch Gu, no matter where you go, you¡¯re respected by everyone. How could the Crown Princess look down on you! ¡°Fortunately, she is not favored by His Royal Highness. Otherwise, I can¡¯t imagine how arrogant she will be!¡± Gu Ming sneered. ¡°The Crown Princess is not favored by His Royal Highness?¡± Chapter 178 - Wu Wen Beat the Heavenly Drum to Sue the Crown Princess Chapter 178 Wu Wen Beat the Heavenly Drum to Sue the Crown Princess The director of the Dianshe Bureau said, ¡°Of course not. If the Crown Prince really likes her, why did he ask us to re-arrange his bedroom and return to his bedroom to sleep last night?¡± Gu Ming suddenly kicked him on the chest. ¡°If you want to court death, don¡¯t implicate me! No wonder this morning even those consorts knew that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess didn¡¯t sleep together last night. It turns out to be you bastard who leaked the news!¡± The Dianshe Bureau was in charge of bathing, cleaning and bed-making, so outsiders were more likely to pry into information from the Dianshe Bureau. The stupid director of the Dianshe Bureau looked down upon the Crown Princess from the beginning Gu Ming said, ¡°Come, cane him a hundred times and send him to the imperial jail for disposal! ¡°Interrogate and torture the people of the Dianshe Bureau. If any of them is found out to leak information about the East Palace, severely punish them! ¡°For those who refuse to confess, the penalty is doubled!¡± The director of the Dianshe Bureau hurriedly said, ¡°Eunuch Gu, is it necessary for you to do this for a crown princess who is unfavored by the Crown Prince?¡± Eunuch Gu gave a cold snort. If the crown prince didn¡¯t like her, why would he rack his brains to think how to drug the wolf dogs of the Duke Mansion so that he could secretly date the Crown Princess? In the palace, Little Lu Xi tilted his head to look at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Mommy, are you angry?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled softly at Little Lu Xi and said, ¡°No, Mommy is not angry, but the servants and maids are not well behaved. If Mommy didn¡¯t pretend to be angry, they wouldn¡¯t do their jobs properly.¡± Little Lu Xi said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Whoever bullies my mother, I will tell my father and he will beat them. And when I grow up, I will beat them for you too!¡± Qiao Jinniang rubbed little Lu Xi¡¯s face. ¡°Good boy.¡± In Imperial Censor Tong¡¯s mansion, Tong Yingying was full of jealousy when she saw the invitation to the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday banquet in Tong Xuan¡¯s hands. The Crown Prince didn¡¯t invite the ministers, but invited the officials in the East Palace and some nobles to his birthday banquet. Tong Xuan got an invitation because of the Zhou family. Noticing the look in Tong Yingying¡¯s eyes, Mrs. Tong said to Tong Xuan, ¡°Give your invitation to your sister!¡± Tong Xuan said, ¡°But Aunt gave this to me.¡± Mrs. Tong said, ¡°Since the Crown Prince is already married, it¡¯s time for him to select concubines. Your sister is more suitable for marrying into the East Palace than you no matter in terms of talent or appearance.¡± Tong Xuan snorted and threw the invitation to Tong Yingying. ¡°Was I really born by you?¡± Tong Yingying took the invitation and said to Mrs. Tong, ¡°I will definitely not let you down, Mother.¡± Mrs. Tong smiled and said, ¡°Before the wedding, everyone said that the Crown Princess is loved the Crown Prince very much. ¡°But on their wedding night, the Crown Prince didn¡¯t even sleep with the Crown Princess. It can be seen that the Crown Prince just pretended to love Qiao Jinniang for the sake of Duke Anyuan¡¯s power.¡± Tong Yingying also smiled. ¡°His Royal Highness knows what he truly wants. ¡°According to the news from the East Palace, the director of the Dianshe Bureau of the East Palace was caned a hundred times today, and the entire East Palace is searching for moles. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, that pathetic village woman, knows nothing about the rules in the imperial palace. She thought she could control the people in the East Palace by doing this. ¡°But she offended the eunuchs the day after her wedding. They will definitely make things hard for her in the future. ¡°If I marry into the East Palace, I will definitely be able to hold the heart of everyone in the East Palace.¡± Mrs. Tong nodded in appreciation to Tong Yingying. What a pity that Tong Yingying was born by a concubine. In the Taiji Palace, Emperor Huilin and Lu Chen discussed tomorrow¡¯s birthday ceremony. Since almost every country had sent envoys to come to celebrate Lu Chen¡¯s wedding, the Tang Dynasty should host a banquet to entertain the envoys. Although there was a wedding banquet yesterday, the wedding banquet was too solemn and had countless rules. Therefore, Emperor Huilin planned to entertain the envoys of foreign countries on the Crown Prince¡¯s birthday. The Tang Dynasty had several vassal states, including Nanzhao, Nanyue, Liuli and other small states. There were also small countries that had repeatedly had disputes with the Tang Dynasty, including Beimo bordering the northwest of Datang and Xiliang to the southwest. The national strength of these two countries was far worse than that of Datang, but their people were very bellicose and good at fighting, so they had been having frequent conflicts with Datang since the founding of Datang. There were countless casualties in the war between the army of Datang, Beimo and Xiliang, and in that war, the commander of Datang¡¯s army was Duke Anyuan. Later, the current Duke Anyuan beheaded the monarch of Xiliang on the battlefield. Because of that battle, Beimo and Xiliang had never dared to invade Datang again for nearly 20 years. Emperor Huilin said, ¡°The envoys from Xiliang are their Third Prince and Third Princess. Xiliang and the Qiao family have a great feud, so there is no guarantee that they will not cause trouble tomorrow.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they can cause us any trouble in Chang¡¯an.¡± Emperor Huilin glanced at the sky and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. This is the first day the Crown Princess spent in the imperial palace. Shouldn¡¯t she personally make some dishes for her parents-in-law to show her respect to us?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Emperor Huilin coughed. ¡°You know, after the folk women marry, most of them have to cook.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The oily smoke in the kitchen is not good for her skin. Jinniang didn¡¯t marry me to be a cook. Father, if you don¡¯t mind, let me cook for you, okay?¡± Emperor Huilin hurriedly said, ¡°Well, I¡¯d rather eat the dishes made by the imperial chefs.¡± In the afternoon, after Qiao Jinniang coaxed little Lu Xi to sleep, she gently put him on the bed. Lu Chen entered, walked up to her and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I fail to restrain the servants well. You were wronged on your first day in the East Palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel wronged. I am just disgusted that those people outside the East Palace are watching my every move! ¡°Should I hold you a birthday banquet in the East Palace tomorrow?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°There will be a big birthday banquet in the imperial palace tomorrow, and all the envoys will be invited to attend it. ¡°The envoys from Xiliang that have a deep grudge with your father will come too, and they may make trouble for you tomorrow.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t take it to heart and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small barbarian country.¡± If Xiliang and Beimo had the ability, they wouldn¡¯t have stayed in that barren land and suffered from famine every year. Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Like father, like daughter.¡± Qiao Jinniang leaned on the couch and glanced at Lu Chen. ¡°I heard that the ministers¡¯ daughters will come to celebrate your birthday tomorrow too?¡± ¡°No, only the women of the royal family will come.¡± Lu Chen scratched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s nose. ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous.¡± ¡°Xi¡¯er is already asleep. Shall we go to the bedroom next door?¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be laughed at by the servants. And I¡¯m on my period.¡± Her period always came at the end of the month. Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Why didn¡¯t he take this into consideration when he set the wedding date? Yuyan walked in, and when she saw Lu Chen, she quickly saluted. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, Wu Wen, the second runner-up of the Imperial Examination this year is kneeling outside the imperial palace, claiming that Young Master was able to win the second place because His Royal Highness leaked the exam questions to him. ¡°Wu Wen has beaten the Heavenly Drum and said he wanted to sue you¡­¡± The Imperial Examination was the foundation of the country, and cheating in the Imperial Examination would shake the foundation of the country. Qiao Jinniang had known about this matter before she got married. At that time, she thought it was some clown who was not reconciled. But she didn¡¯t expect that there would be an examinee who was bold enough to slander the Crown Prince without evidence. She was impeached on the first day when she became the crown princess? To beat the Heavenly Drum, one had to roll three times on a nailed plate, which would definitely lead to heavy injuries, so there were only a few people who had beaten the Heavenly Drum for these past hundreds of years. This was the first time that a scholar had beaten the Heavenly Drum to sue the crown princess. For a time, the main street of Chang¡¯an was even more lively than yesterday! Chapter 179 The Heavenly Drum could directly reach the Emperor, so every time the Heavenly Drum was beaten, there must have been something big that had caused bloodshed. As the second runner-up of the Imperial Examination, Wu Wen could see the Emperor and didn¡¯t have to beat the Heavenly Drum. But he still beat the Heavenly Drum to attract as much attention as possible. Wu Wen had just learned that his fianc¨¦e had been sold to a brothel in Yangzhou, so why should Qiao Jinniang still be the crown princess, living a luxurious life? The envoys from foreign countries were all in the Imperial Palace today, and beating the Heavenly Drum would not only make him famous, but would also make his image of integrity be known to the world, and his name might even be recorded in history! Wu Wen was aching terribly all over because he had just rolled on the nailed plate. In the Taiji Palace, all the ministers arrived. Wu Wen knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I want to sue the Crown Princess for forcing a young girl of a good family into prostitution and helping her brother cheat in the Imperial Examination. Duke Anyuan came out and said, ¡°What a joke. As my heir, why does my son have to cheat in the Imperial Examination that is just icing on the cake to him? And my son is only seventeen years old. Why would he be so desperate to pass the first Imperial Examination he took?¡± Wu Wen kowtowed and said, ¡°After all, literati all value fame. If Young Master Qiao wins in the first Imperial Examination he takes, he will definitely rise to fame, but this is really unfair to those poor examinees who have studied hard for ten years or more! ¡°Moreover, someone can prove that Young Master Qiao knew the exam questions in advance!¡± Emperor Huilin frowned and said, ¡°If you have a witness, call him over.¡± Then he turned to a eunuch. ¡°Come, invite the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess over.¡± Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen had been waiting outside the palace. Hearing Emperor Huilin¡¯s words, they came in together and bowed to Emperor Huilin. ¡°Father.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Wu Wen beat the Heavenly Drum to sue you for forcing his fiancee to be a prostitute. Do you admit it?¡± Qiao Jinniang bowed her head and said, ¡°Father, I grew up among commoners and know the hardships of women. How could I force a girl into prostitution?¡± Wu Wen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°My fianc¨¦e is Liu Chunxian. Her parents were servants of Duke Anyuan Mansion. She was sold to a brothel in Yangzhou. How dare the Crown Princess say she didn¡¯t do that?¡± / please keep reading on MYB0XN0VEL(d0t)C0M. Although Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know who Liu Chunxian was, she guessed this girl must be Aunt Liu¡¯s daughter. She remembered that Huaishan had said that her niece was going to marry an examinee of the Imperial Examination, and that examinee must have been Wu Wen. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Her mother made a terrible mistake, falsely accusing me of committing adultery. I certainly could not spare her, so I sold her and her family. ¡°Besides, I just asked the human trafficker to sell her out of Chang¡¯an, but I have never asked him to sell her to a brothel. ¡°Don¡¯t plant what the human trafficker did on me.¡± Imperial Censor Tong came out and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the Crown Princess dated a man before her wedding, which is known to almost everyone in Chang¡¯an, but in fright of Duke Anyuan¡¯s power, the people in Chang¡¯an were forced to shut up. ¡°If this is true, the servants of Duke Anyuan Mansion may be unfaithful to her master. ¡°But she was just trying to defend the reputation of the royal family and prevent His Royal Highness from being deceived, so the Liu family didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Wu Wen angrily pointed his finger at Qiao Jinniang and snapped, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you dated a man at home, and the Liu family just told the truth, but you sold them and forced them to be separated from each other forever. You are really vicious!¡± All the ministers secretly admired Imperial Censor Tong and Wu Wen for their boldness. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°An imperial censor¡¯s responsibility is to supervise the officials for His Majesty, but you should perform your duty based on solid evidence instead of random false accusations. ¡°Imperial Censor Tong, you accused me with some ridiculous rumors. Are you still worthy of being an imperial censor? ¡°Father, I¡¯m innocent. I can ignore the slanderous rumors against me among the commoners, but now even a high-ranking official dares to slander me at will. Please uphold justice for me!¡± Imperial Censor Tong remembered Tong Yingying¡¯s suggestion, so he said, ¡°Everyone in Chang¡¯an has known about this matter and it has been confirmed by the servants of the Duke Mansion. How could it be false?¡± Lu Chen glanced coldly at Imperial Censor Tong and said, ¡°I should have explained this earlier. That night, I went to Jinniang to discuss our wedding with her, and the Old Madam of the Duke Mansion didn¡¯t know it was me. ¡°All the servants and guards present can testify for me. That Aunt Liu wasn¡¯t even in the Jin Garden that night but made up a story to slander Jinniang! ¡°The rumor has long since disappeared among the commoners. Imperial Censor Tong, why did you mention it again? What¡¯s your purpose?¡± Hearing that the Crown Prince admitting in public that he had sneaked to the Duke Mansion to date his crown princess before their wedding, the ministers were all surprised. Emperor Huilin was a little embarrassed at his son¡¯s behavior, and said, ¡°The Crown Prince shouldn¡¯t have gone to the Duke Mansion at night to meet the Crown Princess before the wedding, but since the imperial decree has been issued, his behavior was not against the rules.¡± Emperor Huilin continued. ¡°But that servant spread such malicious rumors about her master. It is reasonable to sell her whole family. Besides, her daughter is still the Duke Mansion¡¯s slave, so the Duke Mansion has the right to sell her. As for where the human trafficker sold her to, what does it have to do with the Crown Princess?¡± ¡°Wu Wen, even though you¡¯ve rolled the nailed plate, if you falsely accuse the Crown Princess, you still committed a felony!¡± Wu Wen¡¯s face turned pale when he listened to Emperor Huilin¡¯s words. He had heard that the Crown Prince didn¡¯t sleep with the Crown Princess on the night of their wedding. He thought that the Crown Prince must have done this because Qiao Jinniang committed adultery, but it turned out that he was wrong. Imperial Censor Tong pleaded for Wu Wen. ¡°Your Majesty, Wu Wen is a talented person. He was just too eager to protect his fiancee.¡± Qiao Jinniang said casually, ¡°Eager to protect his fiancee? I only ordered the human trafficker to sell that girl out of Chang¡¯an. If he really loves her, why didn¡¯t he follow that human trafficker out of Chang¡¯an to buy Liu Chunxian?¡± ¡°Besides, Imperial Censor Tong has slandered the Duke Anyuan Mansion and me for no reason. If he isn¡¯t punished for this, doesn¡¯t it mean that all the imperial censors can do the same to me? ¡°Father, please uphold justice for me!¡± Qiao Jinniang knelt on the ground. Duke Anyuan got on his knees too and said, ¡°Your Majesty, please uphold justice for us. We never dared to forget our ancestors¡¯ teaching that we must be loyal to the royal family forever. How could we possibly do such a ridiculous thing?¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°What the Crown Princess and Duke Anyuan said is reasonable. Pass on my order that Tong Lei is hereby dismissed from office, which is a warning to all officials!¡± Imperial Censor Tong collapsed to the ground and set his pleading gaze to Duke Wu, but the latter simply ignored him, his elder brother-in-law. He narrowly beat the Crown Princess last time on the matter of the Qiao clansmen, but he didn¡¯t stop and offended the Crown Princess over and over again. Now he just got what he deserved. Emperor Huilin was always partial to Lu Chen. Qiao Jinniang was Lu Chen¡¯s wife. How could he allow a mere official to bully his beloved son¡¯s wife? Wu Wen hurriedly said, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t find out the truth about Liu Chunxian¡¯s matter, it¡¯s absolutely true that Qiao Lu knew the exam questions in advance. The witness is already waiting outside the palace.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Bring him in!¡± From the outside, a petite and thin young man came in. His face was a bit feminine and he looked a little like Lu Chen. When Emperor Huilin saw this young man, he almost thought that this was the Queen¡¯s stray son. He looked exactly the same as the Queen when she was dressed as a man when she was young. Wu Wen said, ¡°This young scholar can testify for me!¡± Chapter 180 The young scholar snorted. ¡°What are you talking about? I just made up a story that I answered the Imperial Exam questions for Qiao Lu, and you came to beat the Heavenly Drum? ¡°Senior Brother Qiao is the most talented student in Qingming Academy. Even the renowned scholar, Mr. Xie, is very appreciative of his talent. Just because my Senior Brother is low-key doesn¡¯t mean a jealous, wicked person like you can slander him!¡± Wu Wen glared at the young scholar. ¡°What are you talking about? How dare you lie to me! How can a student of Qingming Academy lie?¡± The eunuch who led the young scholar in said to the young scholar, ¡°How dare you not salute His Majesty?¡± The young scholar knelt down awkwardly and said, ¡°Your Majesty, my name is Zhou Shihui. I¡¯m actually a woman.¡± 1 Emperor Huilin asked, ¡°A woman?¡± Zhou Shihui undid her bun and let her hair fall down. ¡°Your Majesty, I disguised myself as a man because the best school in the world, Qingming Academy, only admits men but I really wanted to study in it. ¡°A few days ago, I heard that Senior Brother Qiao Lu won second place in the Imperial Examination and my mother said that I had a cousin who was going to get married, so I came to Chang¡¯an from the academy. ¡°But when my mother came to Chang¡¯an, she said that she wasn¡¯t accustomed to the climate of Chang¡¯an and left, leaving me a letter and money. ¡°Then I heard Wu Wen slandering Senior Brother Qiao Lu in the inn, saying that Senior Brother got second place by cheating. ¡°I was so annoyed so I resorted to a little trick. I told him I was a student of Qingming Academy and that I answered the exam questions for Senior Brother, and suggested he roll over the nailed plate to sue the Crown Princess! ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect him, the second runner-up of the Imperial Examination, to be stupid enough to believe this.¡± Wu Wen glared angrily at this woman who was nearly ten years younger than him, and felt more pain all over! Zhou Shihui continued, ¡°Who is Duke Wu? I suggested he roll over the nailed board also because I wanted to find Duke Wu among the ministers. ¡°I went to Duke Wu Mansion many times, but the concierge didn¡¯t let me in. My mother has a letter for Duke Wu!¡± This girl was lively and adorable. It was the first time she came to the imperial palace and faced the Emperor, but she wasn¡¯t scared at all. Everyone was looking at Duke Wu meaningfully. Duke Wu and his wife were a model couple in Chang¡¯an. But this girl of fifteen or sixteen years of age was looking for Duke Wu, saying her mother left Duke Wu a letter, and her surname was also Zhou¡­ Perhaps she was Duke Wu¡¯s illegitimate daughter. It was against the law to have an illegitimate daughter, and Duke Wu¡¯s reputation was going to be ruined. Under the meaningful gazes of other ministers, Duke Wu walked up to Zhou Shihui. ¡°Little girl, watch your tongue. I don¡¯t even know you.¡± Zhou Shihui handed a letter to Duke Wu. ¡°This is the letter my mother asked me to give you. It should have been given to you two days ago. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve missed my cousin¡¯s wedding¡­¡± After Duke Wu read the letter, he was overjoyed and said to Emperor Huilin with joy, ¡°Your Majesty, this is the daughter of my eldest sister who has been traveling outside, and this girl bears her mother¡¯s surname.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°No wonder. This child looks very like the Queen.¡± Zhou Shihui looked at Duke Wu in surprise. ¡°So, you are my uncle, and the Crown Prince who got married yesterday is my cousin?¡± Duke Wu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, if your grandmother sees you, she will be very happy. Follow me back to the Duke Wu Mansion later, okay?¡± Wu Wen almost vomited out a mouthful of blood. He had planned to put the blame on this girl. But she turned out to be Duke Wu¡¯s niece! Perhaps because he was extremely annoyed, or because he lost too much blood from rolling over the nailed plate, or because his future had been completely ruined, Wu Wen passed out. Emperor Huilin pitied him for fainting on the spot and being tricked by Zhou Shihui, so he only deprived Wu Wen of his runner-up position in the Imperial Examination, and banned him from taking the Imperial Examination again. But for Wu Wen, who was born in a poor family, this meant that his future had been ruined. ¡­ Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen returned to the East Palace. Lu Chen¡¯s secret guards had already gained all the information about Zhou Shihui. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Zhou Shihui is now sixteen years old. Her mother is Duke Wu¡¯s sister, and his father is a literati from Yin County. When she was a child, she lost her father due to a disastrous floor in Yin County and was separated from Miss Zhou. ¡°Miss Zhou traveled around and earned her living by teaching, while also looking for her daughter. ¡°Miss Zhou met Zhou Shihui in Yangzhou four years ago, recognized her as her daughter, and sent her to the famous Qingming Academy. ¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard about Zhou Sihui¡¯s origin, she felt it was somewhat familiar, and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Nuomi was also separated from her parents because of a flood when she was a child. She went to Yin County to find her parents several times, but got no clue. I hope her family is also looking for her.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the officials in Yin County to pay attention and try to find the families of those people in Myriad Taste.¡± Qiao Jinniang said gratefully, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Why do you say thank you to me? It seems that my new cousin falls for your brother?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Perhaps, they can make a good couple.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Qiao Lu said he already has a girl he likes, but I don¡¯t know if it was her? That girl was very lively and chatty. I¡¯m afraid it will be more lively with her than with Fulu.¡± ¡°Wu Wen is really stupid. How could he believe a strange young scholar so easily?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The students of Qingming Academy are not ordinary scholars. The president of the academy is Mr. Xie, the most renowned scholar in the world. ¡°Qingming is the best academy in Datang, and the students of Qingming are very popular in Chang¡¯an. ¡°At the triennial academy competition, Qingming Academy wins every year. ¡°Only talented students can enter Qingming Academy, regardless of their family background. It¡¯s even said that entering Qingming Academy is comparable to passing the Imperial Examination because as long as students of Qingming Academy come to take the Imperial Examination, they always win the top spots.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°No wonder Wu Wen believed in Zhou Shihui, but¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang thought for a while and reminded Lu Chen. ¡°But Qingming Academy is so powerful. What if its president is not loyal to the royal family, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Its students are all true talents, and they advocate Confucianism, so they won¡¯t be disloyal to the emperor.¡± ¡­ Tong family. Tong Lei took off his official uniform and staggered home soullessly. Since he became the imperial censor, he restrained himself everywhere and followed the example of the famous Prime Minister Wei of the founding emperor. But he ended up losing everything. If Tong Yingying hadn¡¯t persuaded him to seek justice for Wu Wen, how could this happen? When Mrs. Tong heard the news of her husband¡¯s dismissal, she rushed out to greet Tong Lei. ¡°Master, someone said that you were dismissed from office by His Majesty. How is this possible? Didn¡¯t Duke Wu help you?¡± Tong Yingying came out and said, ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to be sad. History books will definitely record that you were brave enough to uphold justice for a poor young scholar, thus offended the Emperor and was dismissed from office. Those officials who were dismissed for bravely admonishing emperors will be remembered by the people forever. ¡°The Qiao family are all crafty sycophants. When I marry into the East Palace, I will definitely expose their true colors and persuade His Royal Highness to restore your office.¡± Although Tong Lei hated Tong Yingying, this daughter was his last hope. He looked at Tong Yingying and said, ¡°Our Tong family¡¯s hope is all on you now.¡± Watching this scene, Tong Xuan rolled her eyes in anger. She¡¯d better think about how to please Qiao Jinniang more. She didn¡¯t want to be implicated by her parents and sister! 1 ¡­ The next day was Lu Chen¡¯s 21st birthday. Early this morning, the imperial palace had begun to prepare for his birthday banquet. Qiao Jinniang gave Lu Chen the birthday present she had prepared early in the morning. ¡°Look at this. It took me a lot of time to make it.¡± Seeing it was a little tiger doll, Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Jin¡¯er, do you think I¡¯m a kid?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°You were born in the year of the tiger, right? I originally wanted to make a wolf dog doll for you after those wolf dogs in the Duke Mansion. ¡°But then I decided to make a little tiger for you, so that you won¡¯t grab the dolls of Xi¡¯er!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°What I want to grab from him is not his dolls.¡± Qiao Jinniang took the little tiger doll and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll give it to Xi¡¯er.¡± It happened that Lu Xi came in, and Lu Chen quickly hid the little tiger for fear of being seen by Xi¡¯er. Seeing this, Qiao Jinniang smiled softly, ¡°Childish.¡± Lu Xi walked up to Lu Chen and took out a small purse. ¡°Dad, this is your birthday present!¡± Chapter 181 Gratified, Lu Chen opened his purse only to see a small green-haired turtle in it. Lu Xi said, ¡°Daddy, this turtle can live a very long life. Xi¡¯er wishes Daddy a longer life than the turtle.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°Xi¡¯er is really filial.¡± Little Lu Xi took out another purse and gave it to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°This is for you, Mommy. If Daddy has one, Mommy must have one too.¡± Qiao Jinniang opened her purse, and there was also a green-haired turtle in it. ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen handed the two green-haired turtles to the imperial maids and said, ¡°Keep these two turtles in the lotus pond.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± The three of them were all wearing clothes with the same pattern and color today, and Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t forget to wear jewelry from Jewelry Pavilion. Although she had married into the East Palace, she still had to earn money. Before the banquet, Fulu came to the East Palace for Qiao Jinniang. She happily came in and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Yesterday, a female student from Qingming Academy called Zhou Shihui came to Chang¡¯an. You have to help me win her over. We must not let Qin Miaomiao take her into her gang.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But Qin Miaomiao doesn¡¯t want to fight with you anymore. What kind of grudge do you have against each other? Why do you hate her so much? Don¡¯t scare that little girl.¡± Fulu sat in front of Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Actually, Qin Miaomiao and I are cousins. Her grandfather and my grandfather are brothers. ¡°At that time, my father had to give up the military power of the Qin family because he wanted to marry my mother. ¡°So my father chose my mother over the position of Duke Qin and gave up this position to his uncle, Qin Miaomiao¡¯s grandfather. ¡°When we were young, Qin Miaomiao and I were good friends, but one day, she actually said that my father was unfilial and cowardly to give up the nobility title left by the ancestors of the Qin family. ¡°And she said that a man was supposed to defend his family and his country and make meritorious deeds, not to please a woman humbly. ¡°How dare she scold my father? If my father hadn¡¯t given up the position of Duke Qin to her grandfather, Qin Miaomiao would not have been able to be the daughter of a duke! Humph!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°How old was Qin Miaomiao when she said this?¡± Qin Miaomiao didn¡¯t seem to be such a big-mouthed person. Fulu said, ¡°Eight years old. After that, we became mortal enemies!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Wow, that was really a huge ¡°debt of blood¡±, which started when they were only eight. Fulu added. ¡°I suspect that Qin Miaomiao was engaged to Lin Mo to show me that no man in the world would give up power and fortune to marry a princess. ¡°Otherwise, since the Lin family was so mean to her, why did she still want to resume the engagement with Lin Mo? ¡°There are so many good men in the world. Why does she insist on marrying Lin Mo who everyone knows has an affair with Princess Jinghua?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think she wants to offend Princess Jinghua and ruin her own life just to anger you. Almost every girl in Chang¡¯an wants to marry Lin Mo.¡± ¡°Then what about Zhou Siming?¡± Fulu said, ¡°There are also many unmarried men in the royal family, and Lin Mo doesn¡¯t even have a nobility title. ¡°Although she and Lin Mo seem to be a good match, Lin Mo has no nobility title. How can Lin Mo compare to Zhou Siming?¡± Yuyan entered and said, ¡°Your Highness, Madam, Miss Ruoyun, and Miss Qin are asking to see you.¡± Qiao Jinniang quickly let them in. Seeing that Zheng Xiao was about to salute her, she stepped forward to support Zheng Xiao and said, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to salute me.¡± Fulu walked to Qin Miaomiao and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about taking Zhou Shihui into your gang, okay?¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°I¡¯m about to get married. Who would play this kids¡¯ game with you again? Although you mocked my mother, I have forgiven you.¡± Fulu was annoyed. ¡°When did I mock your mother? It was you who scolded my father!¡± Qin Miaomiao retorted. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t ridiculed my father for having too many concubines and hadn¡¯t shown off how much your parents loved each other to me, how could I say your father didn¡¯t deserve to be a man?¡± Fulu said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t understand why you have so many brothers and sisters who were not born by your mother. I didn¡¯t mean to mock anyone or show off! ¡°I just envied you for having many brothers and sisters. Humph, you¡¯re really small-minded!¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to show off? I didn¡¯t want to hear how much your parents loved each other but you kept talking to me about that every day.¡± Fulu: ¡°I was not showing off. I didn¡¯t know you didn¡¯t like it. You never spoke your mind. Why didn¡¯t you just directly tell me you didn¡¯t want to hear that?¡± Qin Miaomiao sneered coldly. ¡°I have my dignity. How could I tell you about the fights and quarrels between my parents?¡± ¡°If you really took me as your friend, what if you told me? You never took me as your friend!¡± Fulu and Qin Miaomiao began to quarrel again like what they did every time they met. Qiao Jinniang quickly said, ¡°Okay, stop it. If you want to quarrel, leave the East Palace.¡± Fulu immediately shut up, and Qin Miaomiao didn¡¯t say anymore either, but there was less tension between the two of them. Zheng Xiao held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°I heard rumors from outside that the Crown Prince didn¡¯t enter your palace for two consecutive days. Is it true?¡± ¡°But before your wedding, you were¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said shyly, ¡°Fulu and Miaomiao haven¡¯t been married, Mother. Don¡¯t say this kind of thing in front of them¡­¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be shy. If His Royal Highness really married you for your father¡¯s power, you have to plan for yourself. Those vows before marriage should not be taken seriously.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. His Royal Highness treats me very well.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat humble pie like Ruoyun. Fortunately, Old Madam Qin has been sent to a manor by Duke Qin to recuperate.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Mother, I won¡¯t. Don¡¯t believe those rumors. You¡¯re going to give birth. Don¡¯t think too much. We can take care of ourselves.¡± Qiao Ruoyun responded absentmindedly. ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked listless, and the big dark circles on her face looked a bit scary. Qiao Jinniang asked Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Sister, what¡¯s the matter with you? Look at your dark circles that can¡¯t even be covered with makeup. Did Brother-in-law bully you?¡± Qiao Ruoyun forced a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Qiao Jinniang summoned an imperial doctor to check Quoyun¡¯s health. The imperial doctor examined her pulse and asked, ¡°Madam, may I ask how often do you have sex with your husband? How many times did you have sex in one night?¡± Qiao Ruoyun was too shy to answer his questions, but they were not allowed to take their servants into the imperial palace, so she didn¡¯t have a maid answering the questions for her. Qiao Ruoyun had no choice but to bite the bullet and said, ¡°My husband and I really want to have a child, so except when I am on my period, we slept together every day, and we had sex four to five times in a night.¡± Fulu took a deep breath. ¡°Wow, Qin Shu is quite strong!¡± Qin Miaomiao stepped on Fulu¡¯s foot. The two of them hadn¡¯t been married! Shouldn¡¯t she pretend that she didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about? Fulu shouted in pain, ¡°Stop pretending! Who gave me those dirty novels back then?!¡± Qin Miaomiao stepped on her foot even harder! Chapter 182 - Princess Xiliang Wished the Crown Prince A Happy Birthday The old imperial doctor said solemnly, ¡°May I ask which imperial doctor is conditioning your body?¡± Zheng Xiao replied, ¡°It¡¯s Imperial Doctor Wu who specializes in gynecology. The medicine he prescribed has helped many women become pregnant.¡± The old imperial doctor said to Zheng Xiao, ¡°Madam, as the saying goes, medicine can also be poisonous. Mrs. Qin should relax instead of taking unnecessary medicines. Continuing this will eventually hurt her own body. ¡°Mrs. Qin, you¡¯re still so young. You shouldn¡¯t take so much medicine. Even if you get a child with the help of medicine, the child won¡¯t be healthy. ¡°And you should reduce the times of sexual intercourse. If it is too frequent, you can¡¯t get pregnant easily. Three times per ten days is the best.¡± Qiao Ruoyun blushed and nodded. Zheng Xiao said to the old doctor, ¡°Please also examine the Crown Princess. Is the Crown Princess¡¯ body suitable for getting pregnant?¡± The old doctor examined Qiao Jinniang¡¯s pulse and said, ¡°Her Highness is very healthy. Her body must have been well conditioned after she gave birth to the imperial grandson. It is not difficult for her to have a child again.¡± Zheng Xiao said in a low voice, ¡°But the imperial grandson is already three years old. Is His Royal Highness¡­¡± Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t dare to say the word ¡®impotent¡¯. Qiao Jinniang quickly said, ¡°Mother, His Royal Highness and I are both in good health. We haven¡¯t had a second child because we both think Xi¡¯er is still too young, and we want to wait until Xi¡¯er is older.¡± After the old doctor left, Zheng Xiao asked Qiao Ruoyun to take Qin Miaomiao and Fulu into the imperial palace first. The mother and daughter were talking in whispers. Zheng Xiao said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Time has changed. Jinniang, the greatest support for women now in the imperial palace is their children. ¡°I told your sister not to worry because the Qin family doesn¡¯t dare to offend us. ¡°In the worst case, your sister can¡¯t give birth to any child. Even if Qin Shu has ten or eight sons that are born by his concubines, he still doesn¡¯t dare to disrespect your sister, and his sons still have to recognize your sister as their mother! ¡°But you are different. After all, the favor of men of the royal family is unreliable, let alone the vows before marriage. The only thing you can rely on is your children.¡± But Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not like this. If Lu Chen fails me, I still have money. I don¡¯t want to use my child to gain favor. ¡°Just like what Grandmother once said, everyone said that if the man loves the child you had with him, he will love you, but this is not true. The truth is that if the man loves you, he will love the child he has with you. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to have a child just to win my husband¡¯s favor. Before the child is born, use him to keep my husband around me? Isn¡¯t that pathetic?¡± ¡­ The birthday banquet was held in the Yangjiang Garden in the imperial palace. It was spring, and the banquet was held in an open-air garden. Thousands of flowers were in full bloom, and bright colors were seen everywhere. Even more beautiful than the flowers were the young girls wearing bright-colored dresses and delicate makeup in the garden. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen entered the garden together. After Qiao Jinniang was seated, she glanced around and felt that the garden was exceptionally beautiful today. Lu Chen only sent invitations to the nobles for fear that there would be too many girls and Qiao Jinniang would be jealous. But he didn¡¯t expect that many girls from the officials¡¯ families would also come today, using the invitations their aristocratic relatives or friends got. Lu Chen glanced sideways at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s expression, only to see that she was looking happily at those girls, so he asked, ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°Look at the girls. They are all dressed up and look even more beautiful than flowers. Seeing so many beauties, I¡¯m in a very good mood.¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t know for a while whether she was telling the truth or mocking. But he smartly explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t give an invitation to these girls¡¯ families, and I didn¡¯t know they would come over today. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± When Qiao Jinniang was on her period, no one could mess around with her. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m very happy! ¡°Do you see the jewelry they¡¯re wearing, which are all from Jewelry Pavilion. They are all my customers. How can I be angry at them? I can¡¯t wait to have more banquets like this!¡± Lu Chen: ¡°So making money is more important than me?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°Of course not, Honey. After all, you are way richer than me. If I surrender you to them, your money will be theirs. I am not that stupid.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± When the Emperor and his harem came out, everyone saluted. The Queen looked at the girls and said, ¡°The jewelry you are wearing today is quite chic.¡± Imperial Concubine De said, ¡°Your Highness, there is a new jewelry shop in Chang¡¯an called Jewelry Pavilion, and the jewelry it sells all costs thousands of taels of silver, or even tens of thousands of taels. ¡°Although the prices are high, the products are very exquisite, so every time they have a new release, it¡¯ll be sold out soon. I heard that many jewelry shops from other places specially came to Chang¡¯an to buy the jewelry from Jewelry Pavilion.¡± The Queen said, ¡°I see.¡± After the banquet, all the princes, consorts and princesses came to toast Lu Chen one after another. Of course, Lu Chen would not drink everyone¡¯s toast. When his five brothers came to toast, he toasted them too. Although the princes wanted him to drink all their toasts, they didn¡¯t dare force him to do that. After the royal family members finished toasting Lu Chen, it was the turn of the envoys. Some small vessel countries almost took preparing the Crown Prince a birthday present as a national undertaking because they needed Datang¡¯s protection. But the envoys from countries like Xiliang and Beimo wouldn¡¯t be so polite. The princess of Xiliang, Samo¡¯er, stood up and said, ¡°Xiliang wishes Your Royal Highness a long life and a happy birthday. We in Xiliang have prepared a national treasure and hope to befriend Datang. ¡°However, in order to get our national treasure, you need to compete with me three times. If Datang wins, Xiliang is willing to present the national treasure with both hands. If you lose, it proves that Datang has no ability to take our national treasure!¡± Samo¡¯er had been wearing a veil since entering Chang¡¯an, and her eyes that were exposed were full of arrogance and contempt. The people of Datang present all secretly despised these barbarians from Xiliang for being rude and ignorant of etiquettes. But if they didn¡¯t agree to compete with Samo¡¯er, it would seem that they were incompetent. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Thank you, princess, but we don¡¯t need your national treasure. What do you want to compete with us in? We¡¯re glad to accept your challenge!¡± Samo¡¯er said confidently, ¡°I heard that you people call us barbarians and prided yourselves for being talented and knowledgeable. ¡°When I came to Chang¡¯an, I heard of your Imperial Examination. The first thing we want to compete with you is intelligence. I heard that the Crown Princess¡¯ younger brother won second place in the Imperial Examination this time, so why not let him compete with me?¡± Qiao Lu glanced at Duke Anyuan, and when he saw his father nodding, he stood up and said, ¡°Princess Xiliang, I¡¯m Qiao Lu. I¡¯m honored to compete with you!¡± Samo¡¯er ordered the three ministers behind her to step forward, respectively holding three locked boxes in their hands. Samo¡¯er said, ¡°The national treasure that is to be given to the Crown Prince of Datang is in one of the boxes. Only one of the three officials is telling the truth, and the other two are lying. Young Master Qiao, please pick the box that contains the national treasure.¡± The Xiliang official holding the iron box said, ¡°The national treasure is not in my box.¡± The official holding the wooden box said, ¡°The national treasure is in the iron box.¡± The official holding the jade box said, ¡°The national treasure is not in my box.¡± Samo¡¯er blinked slightly and said to Qiao Lu, ¡°You only have half an hour. If you can¡¯t pick the right box, Datang will lose and you won¡¯t get the national treasure!¡± Chapter 183 - Tong Yingying Came up with A Way to Solve the Problem When Tong Yingying heard Princess Xiliang¡¯s question, she thought to herself, if Qiao Lu couldn¡¯t solve it but she could, this would be a great merit. It was just that the problem was really a bit tricky. ¡°Ms. Tong, you¡¯ve been known as talented. Do you know the answer?¡± A noble girl asked Tong Yingying, ¡°This problem is too difficult to solve, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, how can it be solved within half an hour? Miss Tong, do you know the answer?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°It should be in a wooden box.¡± The people of Xiliang were foxy. They probably thought that the people of Datang would think that their national treasure would be put in a jade box, so they would do exactly the opposite and put it in the wooden box instead. After Qiao Lu listened to Princess Xiliang¡¯s question, he frowned and said crossly, ¡°Xiliang Barbarians, even if we have a blood feud, you don¡¯t have to insult me ??like this! ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s too humiliating. In our Datang, even a three-year-old child would disdain answering this kind of question, but they are using such a simple question to humiliate us!¡± Qiao Lu often went to the military camp before he was twelve. Those veterans often mentioned to him the tragic scenes of his grandfather, granduncles and uncles ??dying on the battlefield and told him that Datang and Xiliang must not exist under the same sky! Seeing Samo¡¯er asking such a simple question, he thought that Xiliang was humiliating and provoking Datang. Samo¡¯er said, ¡°Young Master Qiao, if you can¡¯t answer it, just admit it. You still have half an hour to think about it slowly. You don¡¯t have to be so flustered!¡± Tong Yingying also echoed in the crowd. ¡°Young Master Qiao, I¡¯ve already got the answer. If you can¡¯t answer it, don¡¯t worry, Let me answer it.¡± Zhou Shihui, who was sitting at the table of Duke Wu Mansion, snorted. ¡°Shut up! My senior brother can answer it!¡± Qiao Lu said, ¡°Flustered? Are you kidding me? Isn¡¯t it hidden in the jade box? I could answer this kind of question when I turned three!¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Lu, ¡°Brother, this must be a ¡®big challenge¡¯ for the ministers of Xiliang to answer this question. You should understand them.¡± Samo¡¯er clenched her hands in anger and said, ¡°Three years old? Young Master Qiao, did you guess the answer? A three-year-old child can¡¯t even speak!¡± Little Lu Xi said cutely, ¡°If Uncle Iron Box is telling the truth, then the national treasure is in the jade box. But Uncle Wooden Box also lied, so only Uncle Iron Box spoke the truth, and the other two uncles lied. I¡¯m only three years old!¡± As he spoke, he extended three little fingers. Then he turned to look at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Mommy, am I right?¡± Qiao Jinniang touched the little bun on Little Lu Xi¡¯s head. ¡°Xi¡¯er is amazing.¡± When Tong Yingying heard the words of the imperial grandson, she realized that her answer was wrong and felt a bit embarrassed, but then she couldn¡¯t help but admire the imperial grandson. If she had a child with the Crown Prince in the future, the imperial grandson must be a big obstacle for her child! Samo¡¯er clenched her hands and said, ¡°Fine, you won on the first question. I heard there are many delicious foods in the Tang Dynasty, and the Crown Princess used to be a restaurant shopkeeper. ¡°I have two ducks here. May I ask if you can make a delicious dish with the ducks but there can¡¯t be any skin, meat, bones or internal organs in the dish?¡± The envoys of Xiliang took two ducks over, which were still quacking loudly. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to make the dishes requested by the princess, but it will take about two hours. This dish will be served to all the distinguished guests at dinner.¡± Samo¡¯er looked at Qiao Jinniang confidently. There was no way Qiao Jinniang could solve this problem. ¡°Okay, there¡¯s still the last question. I¡¯ll keep it until dinner time!¡± The lunch hadn¡¯t been over yet, but everyone was thinking about this problem. Tong Yingying racked her brains but still couldn¡¯t work out an answer. No meat, no skin, no bones, and no internal organs? Then what would be left in a duck? Could duck feathers be made into a dish? But duck feathers couldn¡¯t be eaten! As this concerned the dignity of Datang, even Prince Huai temporarily put aside his schemes against the Crown Prince and began to think about the answer, but there seemed to be no answer. Even on a duck head and duck feet, there were skins and meat. Even when the lunch was over, everyone was still thinking about the answer. Qiao Jinniang was not anxious at all. She let the imperial maids take the two ducks back to the East Palace, went to the kitchen, and ordered the imperial maids to boil hot water. Still wearing a wide-sleeved long dress, she began to sharpen the kitchen knife. After Fulu came in, she shouted, ¡°No! Even if you can¡¯t answer this question, you don¡¯t have to self-harm!¡± Qiao Jinniang, however, after cleaning the knife, ordered someone to prepare a soup bowl with warm water, and put a little shochu and a little salt in it. She raised the knife and chopped the duck in the neck, and the duck, who was still quacking, died instantly. Qiao Jinniang let the duck blood drip into a bowl. Fulu was so frightened that she froze for quite a while before she suddenly let out a scream, ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Fulu, ¡°Since you are here, serve as my assistant for now.¡± Fulu timidly took over the dead duck whose blood had been drained from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°The duck can¡¯t be wasted. Go, pluck out the duck with the imperial maids.¡± Fulu was speechless. Why did she, a dignified princess, have to pluck out a duck? Could it be the retribution for her stealing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s preserved ducks from her yard during the last Spring Festival? The supervisor of the kitchen walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Your Highness, please let us do the menial work of processing ducks¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You drain the ducks¡¯ blood only to make duck meat more delicious, but there are skills for draining ducks¡¯ blood. With carelessness, the small feathers of the duck may fall into the blood when the duck is struggling. Now, watch how I do it.¡± Qiao Jinniang began to teach the eunuchs and imperial maids working in the kitchen how to kill ducks. ¡­ In the Queen¡¯s palace. Zhou Shihui racked her brains for a long time. ¡°Aunt, what should we do? How is it possible to make such a dish? No meat, no skin, no bones, no internal organs¡­ there is nothing left on the duck then!¡± Duchess Wu also sighed. ¡°Princess Xiliang obviously means to humiliate our Datang. Yingying, you are smart. Have you worked out a solution?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°I heard that some commoners would eat duck eggs that are still in the belly of female ducks, saying that duck eggs are the most nourishing.¡± Duchess Wu¡¯s eyes lit up and said, ¡°Yes! The duck eggs that are still in the belly of female ducks should not be regarded as internal organs, right?¡± However, Zhou Shihui disagreed. ¡°Why are they not internal organs? Since duck eggs are still in the duck¡¯s belly, they are internal organs. ¡°Besides, I glanced at the ducks that the Xiliang Kingdom gave us just now. There seems to be two male ducks. Even if they are female ducks, we don¡¯t know if there are any eggs in them!¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°Then do you have a better solution? Can you just sit by and watch Datang¡¯s dignity being stepped on by Xiliang? I¡¯ll go to the East Palace to see if there are any eggs in those two ducks!¡± Chapter 184 - Tong Yingying Got Slapped While waiting for the duck blood to solidify, Qiao Jinniang taught the cooks how to stew ham and duck soup. This was the second dish that Qiao Jinniang prepared if the people of Xiliang insisted that duck blood was also an internal organ. The ham and duck soup needed to be simmered for two or three hours with a small fire. Fulu watched on the side and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this dish the signature dish of your Tasty Pavilion? You actually told these chefs how to make it?¡± The royal chefs all bowed to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Thank you for teaching us, Your Highness.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Get up. I like to cook, but because of my status, I can¡¯t cook every day, so I teach you how to make this dish so that I can eat it when I want to.¡± To be honest, the dishes in the imperial palace were all tasteless. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t think the chefs were perfunctory about their work. The royal chefs did have cooking skills, but they could only make bland dishes, and even when they made chicken and duck, they could only boil them with water. She only told them how to make the dishes she liked so that she could eat better in the future. Yuyan entered the kitchen and said, ¡°Your Highness, Duchess Wu brought the two young ladies of the Zhou family and Miss Tong to see you.¡± When Qiao Jinniang saw that the soup had already been stewed, she instructed the royal chefs to keep an eye on the fire and not let it go out. After sorting her clothes, she followed Fulu to the main hall. After Duchess Wu and her party saluted Qiao Jinniang and Fulu, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Aunt, Cousins, please get up.¡± Tong Yingying quickly said, ¡°Crown Princess, I have already figured out how to solve the problem raised by Princess Xiliang, Come on, give me those two ducks!¡± Tong Yingying was eager to win honor. If she solved this problem, she would be a heroine who defended Datang¡¯s dignity. Maybe her father could even be reinstated, and maybe the Emperor would even let her marry into the East Palace. Hongling snapped, ¡°How dare you?! Tong Yingying, your father has been dismissed from office and you are a commoner now. Her Highness didn¡¯t ask you anything. How dare you speak in front of Her Highness without permission? Come on, slap her!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t stop Hongling. She had long wanted to slap Tong Yingying. Tong Yingying looked at Duchess Wu and said, ¡°Auntie.¡± Duchess Wu said, ¡°You have been taught etiquette and rules since you were young. How can you even forget this? Quickly apologize to Her Highness!¡± Luhe and Yingtao were slapping Tong Yingying as hard as they could. As early as that day in Jewelry Pavilion, they had wanted to beat this stupid woman. But at that time she was the daughter of an imperial censor, so they couldn¡¯t do anything to her. After all, imperial censors had a special status. Although they were not high-ranking officials, no one dared to offend them. Seeing Tong Yingying shed tears after being slapped, Zhou Sisi threw herself on Tong Yingying and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hit Sister Yingying. Bad women! You bad women!¡± Luhe and Yingtao didn¡¯t dare to touch Zhou Sisi and both retracted their hands. Zhou Shihui originally thought that Tong Yingying¡¯s solution was unreliable, but since there was no solution, they could only have a try. But at this moment, seeing Tong Yingying being slapped just for speaking without permission, she felt obliged to uphold justice for Tong Yingying. Although Qiao Jinniang was the elder sister of her senior brother, she was raised by slaves after all. Just because she was in power now didn¡¯t mean she could bully a girl like this! Zhou Shihui said indignantly, ¡°Your Highness, Miss Tong was eager to defend our country¡¯s dignity so she spoke to you before you allowed her. Why do you make such a fuss about it? If the problem can¡¯t be solved at dinner time, this will be a big disgrace for Datang. ¡°How could you punish her for such a trivial matter? Do you forget that you¡¯re from the Qiao family? Xiliang killed so many ancestors of the Qiao family. If Datang is defeated by Xiliang today, how can you explain to the ancestors of your Qiao family?! ¡°Miss Tong kindly wanted to help you out, but you repaid her by bullying her! This is really too much!¡± Qiao Jinniang took a sip of tea to suppress her anger. ¡°Since I have taken the two ducks and told Princess Xiliang that I can give her an answer at dinner time, it means I have a way to solve the problem. Why do I need her to ¡®help me out¡¯?¡± Zhou Shihui said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that to buy time?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Of course not. Duchess Wu, where is Tong Xuan? Seeing you bring your niece into the imperial palace, I thought Tong Xuan had come too, but I didn¡¯t see her just now. ¡°Since when is a concubine-born daughter more distinguished than a wife-born daughter in Chang¡¯an?¡± Duchess Wu noticed that Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t even call her ¡°Aunt¡± now and hurriedly said, ¡°The invitation is for Xuan¡¯er, but my brother was dismissed from office yesterday and Xuan¡¯er was so worried about her father that she fell ill, so her sister had to attend the banquet in her place.¡± ¡°So a daughter was so worried about her father that she even fell ill, but the other daughter happily came to the imperial palace to attend a banquet!¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°I heard that Imperial Censor Tong has always been partial to his eldest daughter, but I didn¡¯t expect his eldest daughter to be so unfilial! Tong Yingying, is this your filial piety that you always lecture others about?¡± Tong Yingying knelt on the ground and looked at Qiao Jinniang unyieldingly, but couldn¡¯t retort. At this time, an eunuch reported at the gate that His Royal Highness had arrived, and Tong Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Brother!¡± As soon as Zhou Sisi saw Lu Chen, she got up and walked to him. Lu Chen said to Duchess Wu, ¡°Auntie, I would like you to teach Miss Zhou the right way to address me. Although her brain is damaged, she can still recognize people. If she calls me ¡®Brother¡¯ again, don¡¯t blame me for being cold-hearted!¡± Duchess Wu quickly said, ¡°Yes.¡± Tong Yingying raised her head and said to the Crown Prince, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I have a way to solve the problem raised by Princess Xiliang. ¡°I was in a hurry to tell Her Highness the solution, so I spoke to her before she allowed me, but the maids of Her Highness scolded me for that and even slapped me!¡± ¡°I just want to defend my country¡¯s dignity, but the Crown Princess trampled on my loyalty to Datang! Your Royal Highness, please give me justice.¡± Lu Chen said slowly, ¡°How dare you disrespect the Crown Princess? Come, throw her out of the imperial palace. ¡°Imperial Censor Tong was dismissed from office yesterday for slandering the Crown Princess, and today, the Duke Wu Mansion brought his daughter to the Crown Princess. Duchess Wu, what do you mean by doing this?¡± Seeing that Lu Chen was annoyed, Duchess Wu hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°I made a big mistake. Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, please forgive me.¡± Watching this scene, Zhou Shihui frowned. Why did the Senior Brother Qiao that she liked have such a narrow-minded sister? And how could the Crown Prince, who was admired by many students in the academy, be so unreasonable? When Tong Yingying was being carried away, she still shouted, ¡°Your Royal Highness, if you don¡¯t use my solution, Xiliang will win. How can you watch Datang be humiliated? Your Royal Highness¡­¡± Tong Yingying kept shouting, and even when she was thrown to the gate of the imperial palace, her eyes were still unyielding. If Qiao Jinniang wanted to win, she had to use her solution, and she would still be the heroine of Datang! She was going to talk to the literati she was familiar with and let them publicize her contribution. The next morning, they would go to the teahouses in Chang¡¯an to tell everyone how clever Miss Tong was to work out this marvelous solution. Moreover, she had to get them to stress how jealous Qiao Jinniang was of her, to the point of having her maids slap her. With this in mind, Tong Yingying straightened up and went to find those literati! Chapter 185 - Competing with the Qiao Familys Daughters in Martial Arts The banquet was still held in the Yangjiang Garden. The garden, which was full of lanterns, was as bright as day. There was no moon in the sky, but the sky was covered with stars, which were reflected in the river, making it look like a dazzling river of stars. As soon as the banquet started, Princess Xiliang got up and said, ¡°Your Highness, have you prepared your dish for the second problem? Remember, no internal organs, nor skin, flesh or bones are allowed.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered the maids and eunuchs in the East Palace to place a soup and a dish in front of the envoys. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s done. These two delicacies can both meet your requirements, no internal organs, bones, flesh or meat. One is called Lucky Strike, and the other is ham and duck soup.¡± Princess Xiliang glanced at the soup and said, ¡°The duck meat can¡¯t be used. Although no duck meat can be seen in this bowl of duck soup, it is made with duck meat, so it shouldn¡¯t be considered eligible.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°There¡¯s still another one. Why don¡¯t you show the dish you made to the envoys, Princess?¡± Samo¡¯er clapped her hands, and then ministers of Xiliang placed a small cup in front of each guest. Qiao Jinniang opened the small cup and saw a boiled egg. Samo¡¯er said, ¡°This is an egg from a duck¡¯s belly that hasn¡¯t hatched. It is steamed at high temperature and seasoned with a special sauce from Xiliang. It¡¯s very delicious and has no skin, meat or bones.¡± Zhou Shihui pursed her lips. If she had known this, she should have asked the Queen to have the royal chefs prepare this dish. Tong Yingying was right! Zhou Sisi pouted angrily. ¡°Cousin Yingying also came up with this answer.¡± Fulu frowned and said, ¡°But you just gave us two drakes! How can drakes have eggs in their bellies? Besides, it¡¯s not easy to find a female duck with eggs in her belly. Your answer is problematic!¡± Qiao Jinniang played with the egg in her hand and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this dish to be popular in Xiliang. I had thought only some small places in the South would eat this thing.¡± Qiao Jinniang slowly peeled the egg and said, ¡°Have you tried this egg, Princess? This egg contains an unhatched duckling. ¡°Although an egg is not bone or meat, the duckling in this egg has flesh, bones and skin¡­¡± ¡°In Shanyin City, a small city neighboring Lin¡¯an, some people like to eat this. Some would eat the eggs that haven¡¯t hatched, while others would eat the eggs that have been hatched for fifteen to sixteen days.¡± Qiao Jinniang continued, ¡°In the eyes of some old people, this egg is comparable to a panacea. They don¡¯t need to use any special sauce of Xiliang but just use ordinary soy sauce to season it. ¡°Although this dish is extremely delicious, it doesn¡¯t meet the conditions.¡± After Qiao Jinniang peeled the steamed duck egg, there was indeed a small duckling inside. Many of the guests felt disgusted and dared not eat it. This trick was offered by the advisors of Xiliang, so Princess Xiliang had never tasted the dish. She frowned. ¡°Fine, this dish doesn¡¯t count, but your soup doesn¡¯t count either, so we have a draw on the second problem.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I won¡¯t admit defeat. The Lucky Strike is made from duck blood. The coagulated duck blood is tender and smooth, and it is fried with cooking wine, onion and ginger to remove the bloody smell. It is a delicious food to nourish the body. All the guests can have a taste.¡± Princess Xiliang couldn¡¯t believe that duck blood was edible, so she scooped some of it with a spoon, and when the duck blood entered her mouth, the taste buds on the tip of her tongue were dancing. How could the barren Xiliang have such a delicacy? The envoys all praised this dish, and even the envoy of Beimo, who were loggerheads with Datang, couldn¡¯t deny that the food was delicious. Zhou Shihui pursed her lips. She seemed to have misunderstood Qiao Jinniang. She was not as stupid as she thought. Zhou Sisi snorted. ¡°I won¡¯t eat this dish. It stinks.¡± Duchess Wu hurriedly covered her daughter¡¯s mouth. ¡°How dare you say that?¡± Samo¡¯er put down the spoon in her hand and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Okay, even if you win this time, there is still the third problem. I have always heard that your Tang Dynasty advocated both intelligence and martial power. ¡°The Qiao family that the Crown Princess is from is a family of military generals. I think the Qiao family¡¯s children must be excellent in martial arts. So in this third competition, I¡¯d like to compete with the Qiao family¡¯s women in martial arts!¡± Qiao Ruoyi, Qiao Ruofeng and Ruowan looked at each other in astonishment. Among the girls of the Qiao family, only Qiao Ruoshui learned a little bit of martial arts, but she was dead. Qiao Ruoyi had only loved reading since she was a child, and in Qiao Ruofeng and Qiao Ruowan¡¯s formative years, the women in Chang¡¯an took gentle and quiet women as models. Qiao Ruoyun and Qiao Ruoyin, who were married far away, were introverted and didn¡¯t like to fight. So at this moment, no girl of the Qiao family could stand up to compete with Princess Xiliang! The daughter of a military general stood up and said, ¡°No need to bother the ladies of the Qiao family. I can defeat you!¡± Samo¡¯er said, ¡°So the daughters of the Qiao family are too timid and incompetent to come out? Oh, the reputation of the Qiao family¡¯s ancestors is ruined!¡± Qiao Jinniang stood up and said, ¡°Samo¡¯er, you are not qualified to mention our Qiao family¡¯s ancestors! Isn¡¯t it just a martial arts competition? I will compete with you, but no one is allowed to use a weapon. Let¡¯s fight with bare hands!¡± Samo¡¯er smiled contemptuously. She had specifically investigated it. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t even know how to ride before. How could she know martial arts? Qiao Ruofeng and Qiao Ruowan looked at Qiao Ruoyi and asked, ¡°So Second Sister knows martial arts?¡± Qiao Ruoyi shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Fulu also looked at Qiao Jinniang curiously, stood up, walked to her side and asked, ¡°When did you learn martial arts?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t know martial arts, but isn¡¯t martial arts competition just fighting?¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Stop it. You may get hurt.¡± Lu Chen said to the envoys of Xiliang, ¡°How can you be so rude? You provoke our Datang over and over again. Datang doesn¡¯t mind fighting Xiliang to the end.¡± In fact, the envoys of Xiliang didn¡¯t want to pick a fight. If Xiliang had a war with Datang again, the land and cities bordering Beimo would definitely be lost. The war between Datang and Xiliang 20 years ago had made Xiliang lose a lot of land, and it was not yet the time for them to start a war with Datang now. Datang¡¯s power was growing stronger and stronger, so now was not the time! Samo¡¯er said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, you are wrong. Since we in Xiliang are willing to dedicate our national treasure, it means we put the pursuit of peace first. ¡°This time, I just want to see the martial strength of the girls of the Duke Anyuan Mansion that is so famous in the frontier!¡± Qiao Jinniang said confidently to Lu Chen, ¡°With bare hands, I may not lose. You can rest assured.¡± The worry in Lu Chen¡¯s eyes could not be concealed. Zheng Xiao was so nervous that she had a pain in her lower abdomen. ¡°Jinniang doesn¡¯t know Kung Fu!¡± Duke Anyuan clenched her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. If the princess dares to hurt Jinniang, I will come out and help Jinniang.¡± Chapter 186 - Xiliangs National Treasure Qiao Jinniang left and changed into a round-neck robe that Lu Chen wore when he was a teenager. It fit her figure very well. Samo¡¯er also changed into a set of clothes, but still wore the veil. Queen Zhou hadn¡¯t been so nervous for a long time, but Emperor Huilin on her side said, ¡°What are you nervous about? She could even beat up Chen¡¯er so badly. How is it possible for her to lose to a barbarian princess?¡± ¡°That was because Chen¡¯er let her.¡± Queen Zhou looked at the two girls in the arena, and Qiao Jinniang obviously didn¡¯t know any martial arts. As the ceremonial music and drums sounded, Samo¡¯er had her long hair scattered on her shoulder and neatly and gracefully made a set of martial arts movements. On the other hand, Qiao Jinniang wore her long hair in a high bun and fixed it with a jade tuinga. Qiao Jinniang suddenly rushed in front of Samo¡¯er, and under everyone¡¯s worried and shocked gazes, she grabbed Samo¡¯er¡¯s long hair and pulled it, pulling it really hard! Samo¡¯er¡¯s hair was pulled hard and it really hurt. Just when she was about to use a martial arts move against Qiao Jinniang, Qiao Jinniang was pulling her hair even harder. Samo¡¯er had to save her hair with a hand, and although Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know Kung Fu, she had great strength. Samo¡¯er was no match for Qiao Jinniang in strength, so she suddenly kicked Qiao Jinniang¡¯s legs, but Qiao Jinniang exerted a greater force on her hands, and Samo¡¯er didn¡¯t dare to move again, for fear that her hair would be pulled out. After quite a while, when Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t pay attention, Samo¡¯er suddenly pushed her to the ground, pressing her whole body on top of Qiao Jinniang. However, Qiao Jinniang lifted off Samo¡¯er veil with a hand and put her long nails dyed red on Samo¡¯er face. ¡°Princess, you turn out to be so beautiful, but if you don¡¯t admit defeat, I¡¯ll swipe my nails across your face hard. If my nails scratch your face, your face will be ruined.¡± Samo¡¯er hurriedly withdrew her hand holding her own hair to hold Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her nails menacingly and said, ¡°Why not?¡± Samo¡¯er gritted her teeth, not daring to imagine how many hideous scars would be left on her face if Qiao Jinniang¡¯s long nails slashed across her cheeks. Samo¡¯er quickly said, ¡°I admit defeat!¡± Only then did Qiao Jinniang hold back her hands, get up from the ground and cup her hands. ¡°Thank you for letting me win!¡± Qiao Jinniang returned to her seat next to Lu Chen and said to him, ¡°I told you I will not lose. I¡¯ve been good at fighting since I was a kid. ¡°The most important thing in a fight between women is to pull hair and scratch face. Martial arts moves won¡¯t work. She even had her long hair scattered!¡± When Samo¡¯er¡¯s face was revealed, everyone was shocked. No wonder she cherished her appearance so much, if they had such an appearance, they would cherish it too. Fulu took a deep breath and said, ¡°I actually saw a girl even more beautiful than Xie Yun!¡± Samo¡¯er walked slowly to Emperor Huilin and said, ¡°I admit defeat. Since Xiliang has lost the competitions, we are willing to present our national treasure.¡± Samo¡¯er walked slowly to the jade box, opened it with a key, and took out the contents inside. Samo¡¯er stepped forward and presented the contents to Emperor Huilin, saying, ¡°This is a letter written by my father, and he hopes that I can marry the crown prince of Datang to establish a good relationship and maintain peaceful exchanges between the two countries.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± So she tried so hard only to win her husband a concubine? Junior Duke Rong exclaimed, ¡°Wow, Seventh Brother is so lucky!¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°Do you want this luck?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Junior Duke Rong looked at Samo¡¯er face, blushed. There were all kinds of beautiful girls in Chang¡¯an, but no one was as beautiful as Samo¡¯er. Her beauty was as brilliant as the sun and the moon and was simply unparalleled. Queen Zhou said, ¡°Xiliang¡¯s national treasure is well-deserved. Princess, you have such a beautiful face. It¡¯s a pity for you to be my son¡¯s concubine. It¡¯s better for you to choose an excellent young man in the royal family to marry.¡± Samo¡¯er looked at Lu Chen, but the latter was only looking at Qiao Jinniang. She was not so silly as to insist on marrying a man who already had a woman he loves. Her father asked her to marry into the Tang Dynasty so that they would not come to attack Xiliang. She designed three questions to gain face for Xiliang. If Datang couldn¡¯t answer the three questions, it would boost Xiliang¡¯s reputation. And if Datang attacked Xiliang because of that, people would laugh at Datang for being unable to afford to lose. But in the end, she lost, so she had no choice but to marry a man from Datang, and it didn¡¯t matter who she would marry. Emperor Huilin looked around at the men in the royal family. His gaze fell on Junior Duke Rong but soon moved away. Junior Duke Rong hurriedly got up and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve fallen in love with Princess Xiliang at first sight. I¡¯m willing to marry Princess Xiliang as my wife.¡± Emperor Huilin stroked his beard and said, ¡°Princess Xiliang has come from afar. I can¡¯t let her be wronged, you¡­¡± Junior Duke Rong was very disappointed. He blinked his eyes pitifully. Imperial Uncle, did you forget all those gifts I gave you? Whenever he got anything delicious or fun, he never forgot to prepare a portion for his imperial uncle. Perhaps Emperor Huilin finally remembered his nephew¡¯s filial piety to him, and said, ¡°Junior Duke Rong is proficient in both civil and martial arts, and he is a very excellent young man of the royal family. He is a good match for Princess Xiliang.¡± Samo¡¯er glanced up and down at Junior Duke Rong. She couldn¡¯t believe the emperor of Datang would tell such a bare-faced lie! Junior Duke Rong hurriedly stepped forward and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you, Imperial Uncle!¡± Princess Xiliang said, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Then she snorted at Junior Duke Rong, picked up her veil, and returned to her seat. The envoys of Beimo all frowned. They had thought that Xiliang wanted to provoke Datang. They didn¡¯t expect that Xiliang would be so spineless as to surrender their princess to Datang. Now they had to plan ahead. After the banquet, Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen to walk back to the East Palace. She looked at Lu Chen and asked, ¡°Your luck has been given to Junior Duke Rong. Do you regret it?¡± Qiao Jinniang used to be confident about her appearance, but after seeing Samo¡¯er, she had to admit that she was not as beautiful as Samo¡¯er. Lu Chen said, ¡°Isn¡¯t my luck right next to me?¡± ¡°Smart answer.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°I had thought Xiliang wanted to provoke us, but it turns out they want to surrender their princess.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The current emperor of Xiliang is incompetent. He became the emperor just because the last emperor was killed on the battlefield. ¡°Xiliang is being controlled by powerful ministers. And in order to keep his throne, Xiliang¡¯s emperor had to sell his daughter to get peace. As for those three questions, I am afraid it was Samo¡¯er¡¯s idea.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Fortunately, Datang is strong enough and our princesses don¡¯t have to marry into other countries and can live a care-free life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard Jinghua¡¯s voice coming from her side, she greeted. ¡°Sister Jinghua.¡± Princess Jinghua sneered. ¡°Everyone says that Datang¡¯s princesses live an extravagant and dissipated life, but they don¡¯t know what we have sacrificed.¡± Then Princess Jinghua left. Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen and asked, ¡°I heard that Sister Jinghua and the second master of the Xie Family¡¯s marriage was canceled because she fell off the horse. Is it true?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Sister Jinghua married the military governor of Longxi a few years ago.¡± ¡°But prince consorts are not allowed to be officials.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°The military governor of Longxi holds the military power. How could he marry a princess?¡± Chapter 187 - Miss Tong Is Unparalleled In Wisdom Lu Chen said, ¡°The ancestors of the Lu family originally came from Longxi. After the founding of the country, Longxi was inherited by another line of the Lu family, and their family master was canonized as King Longxi. ¡°When I was missing, there were floods all over the South. The Eldest Prince and the Fifth Prince were both demoted, and everyone in the court was in panic, so rebellious thoughts developed in King Longxi. ¡°My father needed to contain King Longxi, and didn¡¯t want to kill his own clansmen, so he married off Sister Jinghua to the military governor of Longxi. ¡°A year later, when my father killed King Longxi, Sister Jinghua divorced the military governor of Longxi and returned to Chang¡¯an. ¡°King Longxi didn¡¯t rebel with much fanfare, so you don¡¯t know about it. I only learned about it after I returned to the imperial palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Is the military governor of Longxi still alive? Why did Sister Jinghua divorce him?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°King Longxi is gone, and the military governor of Longxi, as a prince consort, couldn¡¯t hold military power. Sister Jinghua divorced him for his own good.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Everyone envies the princess for keeping so many gigolos, but now I know that¡¯s just because princesses have no choice.¡± Fortunately, she was not a princess. The princesses seemed to be living a luxurious and carefree life, but they were actually living in a big cage. Unless there was a man who was willing to give up everything like Fulu¡¯s father, but there were very few men in the world who could do this. Qiao Jinniang was worried. ¡°Our daughter will not be like this in the future, right? If my daughter can¡¯t marry the man she loves, I would rather not have a daughter.¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°How could I let our daughter suffer, but we don¡¯t have a daughter yet. When will you give me one?¡± ¡­ After the people of the Qiao family left the imperial palace. Qiao Ruofeng had been absent-minded, and Ruowan asked, ¡°Sister, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Qiao Ruofeng ran to Duke Anyuan and said, ¡°Uncle, I want to join the women¡¯s army of the Duke Anyuan Mansion. Today, Princess Xiliang challenged us, but I could do nothing but watch. If it weren¡¯t for Second Sister who narrowly beat her, the reputation of the Qiao family¡¯s women would have been ruined. ¡°I heard that there are also women¡¯s troops in the Qiao family army. I am willing to go to the Southwest and join the women¡¯s army, starting as a soldier.¡± Second Madam shouted loudly, ¡°You are crazy! Ruofeng, even if you lose your reputation, you don¡¯t have to abandon yourself to go to the military!¡± Qiao Ruowan also came up, saluting and saying, ¡°Uncle, I am willing to accompany my sister. Our parents have no son, so our sisters are supposed to support our family. My sister and I are willing to go to the Southwest to join the women¡¯s army.¡± Second Madam almost fainted. ¡°You, you, are you trying to kill me?!¡± Old Madam Qiao nodded appreciatively. ¡°Good, this is what the daughters of the Qiao family should do. It just so happens that your brother-in-law and Xu Mingwei are going back to the Southwest, so let them escort you to the Southwest to join the women¡¯s army!¡± Second Madam said to Old Madam Qiao, ¡°Mother, how can you let them?¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°We Qiao family people are famous for being loyal and valiant to defend the country, and they are the Qiao family¡¯s worthy daughters. I¡¯m so proud of you two.¡± Second Madam was crying bitterly, and Zheng Xiao comforted her. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that Ruofeng and Ruowan have ambitions.¡± ¡­ Early the next morning, all the guests from the Southwest were about to leave Chang¡¯an. Qiao Ruofeng and Qiao Ruowan left a letter while Second Madam was still sleeping, and went to the Southwest with them. When the teahouse opened early in the morning, it was full of guests, and many literati were publicizing Tong Yingying¡¯s meritorious deeds. ¡°Yesterday, the princess of the small barbarian kingdom Xiliang challenged our Datang with three tricky questions, intending to humiliate our country. Thanks to Miss Tong, the reputation of Datang was defended. She is worthy of the title of the most talented girl in Chang¡¯an!¡± ¡°Oh? What are the questions?¡± A literati said, ¡°The first question is which box the national treasure of Xiliang was in, even the new Flower Picking Childe is stumped by this question. Fortunately, Tong Yingying secretly delivered him a note and helped him out.¡± Listening to the vivid descriptions of the literati, the people in the teahouse who didn¡¯t know what exactly happened all believed him. ¡°Miss Tong is so smart.¡± ¡°She is really our country¡¯s heroine. Without her, the new Flower Picking Childe would have lost all his face.¡± A literati continued. ¡°But there is an ingrate. After Miss Tong helped Young Master Qiao out, Princess Xiliang raised another question. She took out two ducks, and asked us to make a delicious dish without the skin, flesh, bones and internal organs with the ducks. ¡°In order to buy some time, the Crown Princess said that she would serve the dish in the evening. Miss Tong kindly offered advice for the Crown Princess, which was to use the egg in the duck belly to make the dish. ¡°But the Crown Princess berated Miss Tong for not abiding by the etiquette and speaking before being allowed by her, and even had her maids slap Miss Tong hard. ¡°She also had Miss Tong thrown out of the imperial palace. I wonder if the Crown Princess ruined our country¡¯s dignity at the palace banquet because of her own jealousy?¡± The audience didn¡¯t dare to curse the Crown Princess, but they all felt indignant for Tong Yingying. ¡°Tong Yingying is really pitiful. Datang won¡¯t forget what she has done for our country!¡± ¡°Tong Yingying is so smart and successfully defended Datang¡¯s dignity, but her father, Imperial Censor Tong was dismissed because he wrongly trusted Wu Wen. Miss Tong is really pitiful!¡± A scholar who loved to follow Tong Yingying to fish for fame said, ¡°Miss Tong has done such a meritorious deed for the country and the people ,but that woman in the East Palace was jealous of Miss Tong and even persecuted her!¡± The audience all echoed him. Today, Tong Yingying deliberately went out to the teahouse for a walk. The small vendors she met along the way all refused to take her money, and some commoners even gave Tong Yingying the good things they had. They admired and worshiped Tong Yingying as if she was a brave female general who had returned from the battlefield. Tong Yingying hurriedly said, ¡°I am a member of Datang, so I¡¯m obliged to defend Datang¡¯s dignity. Please stop praising me. I¡¯m so flattered.¡± But the people said, ¡°Miss Tong is really noble in character and indifferent to fame.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a great blessing for Chang¡¯an to have a person like Miss Tong.¡± ¡°Miss Tong is truly unparalleled in wisdom. She is the most intelligent person in Chang¡¯an!¡± Tong Yingying looked modest and casual, but she was laughing happily inside. Look how much she was loved by the people¡­ If the Crown Prince wanted to gain the support of the literati and the people, he had to marry her. She would definitely be a great help to him! In the Taiji Palace, Emperor Huilin was arranging for the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the wedding of Junior Duke Rong and Princess Xiliang. Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°Father, it¡¯s a good thing that Princess Xiliang is going to marry Junior Duke Rong. ¡°However, since we beat her in the three questions she posed yesterday, we should publicize among the people how intelligent the Crown Princess is, to boost up morale.¡± Emperor Huilin didn¡¯t expose Lu Chen¡¯s real purpose, which was that he just wanted to please and show off his beloved wife. He simply said, ¡°What you said makes sense. It should be publicized indeed!¡± Lu Chen briefly introduced the questions Princess Xiliang raised yesterday, and how Qiao Lu and Qiao Jinniang solved them one by one. When he was introducing the fight between Qiao Jinniang and Princess Xiliang, he embellished a little and described Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shrew-life fighting style as a unique martial art of the Qiao family. Then he said to the ministers, ¡°I hope you can spread the great news out to boost the people¡¯s pride in our country.¡± Among the ministers, an official came out and said shivering, ¡°Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, before the levee, I heard in the steamed bun shop on the main street that everyone was saying that yesterday it was¡­¡± Chapter 188 - Tasty Pavilion Was Smashed The ministers weren¡¯t invited to yesterday¡¯s feast, so the officials didn¡¯t know what exactly happened yesterday, but what he heard on the way was completely different from what the Crown Prince just said. Emperor Huilin said: ¡°Don¡¯t equivocate. Just say it!¡± The official hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, everyone is saying that the one who solved the three questions raised by Princess Xiliang yesterday was Miss Tong, the daughter of Imperial Censor Tong, saying that she helped the Flower Picking Childe out and came up with the idea of ??using duck eggs to make the dish¡­¡± As for the part that the Crown Princess rudely drove Tong Yingying out, the official didn¡¯t dare to mention it. Although he just relayed the hearsay, he still didn¡¯t dare to mention it. Duke Anyuan frowned. ¡°There were not only the guests of our country, but also the envoys from foreign countries present yesterday. This rumor is ridiculous!¡± The official said, ¡°This rumor seems to be spread by the literati in the teahouses in Chang¡¯an, Your Majesty.¡± ¡­ In the past, there was no such a custom for the Crown Princess to return to her natal home three days after the wedding. However, this custom was popular among the folks. Lu Chen had already mentioned this matter with the Ministry of Rites. After obtaining the permission of Emperor Huilin, the Ministry of Rites had prepared early for this matter. Qiao Jinniang got up early in the morning, put on the formal suit of the crown princess, and then waited for Lu Chen to return to the Qiao family together with her. The carriage of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were very luxurious, and the four horses rode side by side on the main street. It was right in spring, and little Lu Xi stuck his head out of the small window of the carriage, enjoying the scenery outside. ¡°In order to celebrate Miss Tong beating the Xiliang Kingdom, buy one steamed bun and get one free today!¡± ¡°In order to celebrate Xiliang¡¯s defeat, anyone buying meat and praising Miss Tong will get free bones today!¡± ¡°Miss Tong is incomparably clever. Buy a female duck with duck eggs in its belly and get a free drake today. Oh, no, the female ducks with eggs in their belly have been sold out!¡± Listening to the vendors¡¯ hawking outside, Qiao Jinniang frowned slightly. ¡°Why does this have to do with Tong Yingying?¡± Lu Chen told Qiao Jinniang what the official said in the levee, and Qiao Jinniang was speechless. ¡°That¡¯s really ridiculous!¡± When their carriage passed Tasty Pavilion, Qiao Jinniang saw a group of people surrounding the gate of Tasty Pavilion, indignantly throwing rotten vegetables and rotten eggs at Tasty Pavilion. Someone was even pouring black dogs¡¯ blood towards Tasty Pavilion and the stench was overwhelming. Seeing this scene, the officials in the front of the procession had a headache. Qiao Jinniang was very angry. Ignoring the obstruction of the officials on the side, she got out of the carriage. The officials of the Ministry of Rites all knelt down in front of Qiao Jinniang and said. ¡°Your Highness, you may get hurt by the mob. Please go back to the carriage. Let the soldiers deal with this trivial matter!¡± Lu Chen walked to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s side and said, ¡°Get out of the way.¡± The officials dared not to disobey Lu Chen¡¯s orders, but they didn¡¯t dare to disperse, so they stood guard around Qiao Jinniang. Seeing the officers and soldiers coming, many people who were throwing rotten vegetables fled, but were stopped by the soldiers. Qiao Jinniang stood on the steps of Tasty Pavilion, and there was a mess underneath. At this time, someone smashed a rotten egg at her. Lu Chen hurriedly stopped in front of Qiao Jinniang and a secret guard blocked the rotten eggs. Another secret guard came into the crowd and brought the scholar who threw the rotten egg to Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen. Qiao Jinniang looked down at the scholar and felt that he looked a little familiar. She seemed to have seen him following close behind Tong Yingying in the book market that day. An official of the Ministry of Rites snapped. ¡°How dare you throw a rotten egg at Her Highness? You and your entire family will be executed!¡± The scholar said unyieldingly, ¡°His Majesty¡¯s name of benevolence and kindness spreads all over the world, and I threw a rotten egg at the Crown Princess because she disrespected Miss Tong who defended our country¡¯s dignity. Miss Tong passed a note to help her brother out of embarrassment and came up with the idea of making the dish with the egg in the duck¡¯s belly. ¡°But what about the Crown Princess? She did nothing but find fault with Miss Tong and humiliate her! Even if you kill all my family, I am not afraid! The people of Datang will remember me forever!¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Remember you? Why? There were so many people at the banquet yesterday, including dozens of foreign envoys. How could Tong Yingying pass a note under so many eyes?¡± ¡°Yes, I sat at the same table with Tong Yingying yesterday at the banquet. She did say an answer to the first question, but her answer was wrong. She insisted that the national treasure was in the wooden box. When did she pass a note to Senior Brother?¡± Zhou Shihui happened to pass by and she came out to clarify, ¡°My senior brother is so smart. He doesn¡¯t need Tong Yingying to pass him a note to tell him what to do, okay? Who spread such a ridiculous rumor?¡± Qiao Jinniang continued, ¡°And the matter with the duck egg is sheer nonsense. Everyone who was at the banquet yesterday knows that it was Princess Xiliang that used this method, and this solution was wrong. ¡°It¡¯s hard to decide whether duck eggs are internal organs or not, let alone eggs that had bones and flesh in them. ¡°Tong Yingying was disrespectful to me and I couldn¡¯t even punish her? Who spread this rumor?!¡± The people looked at each other awkwardly, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites vividly told the people what happened at the banquet yesterday. ¡°Her Highness was smart and skilled in cooking. The duck blood she made amazed the guests at home and abroad. And Her Highness was proficient in martial arts and defeated Princess Xiliang to her knees. She then had her beg for mercy and admit defeat. All this happened in full view of so many people, and even the foreign envoys of Beimo were present. How can you believe such a groundless rumor?¡± The people all knelt down and kowtowed to admit their mistakes. ¡°Your Highness, sorry, we shouldn¡¯t have believed the rumors. ¡°It¡¯s these scholars. They said in the teahouse that it was Miss Tong who defeated Princess Xiliang!¡± ¡°Yeah, they instigated us to come and avenge Miss Tong!¡± The scholar who was pinned to the ground was stunned. ¡°We heard it from Tong Yingying. She said that to us this morning!¡± From a distance came the voices of several scholars. ¡°Miss Tong, it¡¯s over there. Although we can¡¯t go to the East Palace to beat up the Crown Princess to avenge you, we can smash her Tasty Pavilion. ¡°We have encouraged a lot of people to throw rotten eggs at Tasty Pavilion. After all, the law can¡¯t punish the public. And His Majesty is benevolent to his people, and even the Crown Princess can¡¯t do anything to us!¡± Tong Yingying smiled and said in a low voice, ¡°Thank you for upholding justice for me, but I¡¯m really worried that you may get implicated by me and be retaliated against by the Crown Princess.¡± The scholars all exclaimed, ¡°Miss Tong, you¡¯re really kind-hearted!¡± ¡°Ms. Tong has just rendered a great contribution to our country. His Majesty will definitely punish the Crown Princess. How will he allow the Crown Princess to persecute us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Now everyone is outraged at the injustice you¡¯ve received. The Crown Princess has aroused public indignation. I¡¯m afraid that Qiao Jinniang will lose her position as crown princess soon!¡± Listening to the compliments from the scholars, Tong Yingying tried her best to conceal her smile. ¡°Oh, I feel uneasy to get you involved in this matter. And it¡¯s not a big deal to come up with the answers to those questions!¡± Chapter 189 - Tong Yingying Was Despised by Everyone Tong Yingying and the scholars approached and realized that something was wrong. Why was this Tasty Pavilion surrounded by layers of soldiers? Emperor Huilin had always been benevolent and cared about the feelings of the people. For her transgression, he would most likely only punish Qiao Jinniang. Why did the soldiers surround those people? When Tong Yingying was still wondering why, a large bunch of rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs were thrown at her. ¡°Passed a note? Duck eggs? You shameless b*tch. How dare you steal the credit of Flower Picking Childe and the Crown Princess? How dare you make use of us?!¡± ¡°You shameless illegitimate daughter of the Tong family! Bah!¡± Before Tong Yingying could react to what was happening, she was smashed in the face by the rotten vegetables and eggs. The soldiers who were stopping the people retreated aside, and Tong Yingying was surrounded by a mob of people. Hearing everyone cursing Tong Yingying as an ¡°illegitimate daughter¡±, Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°Why are they calling her an illegitimate daughter? Wasn¡¯t she born by a concubine of Imperial Censor Tong?¡± An official of the Ministry of Rites saluted and replied, ¡°When her mother gave birth to her, she was not Tong Lei¡¯s concubine yet. When she was young, she was a very famous prostitute in Chunfeng Street, who was crazily chased by many scholars, including Tong Lei.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. If a child was born before their mother was married or taken as a concubine, they were an illegitimate child, and their status would be very low. She asked again curiously, ¡°Then why could Tong Lei still be an imperial censor given the fact that he has an illegitimate daughter?¡± The official explained, ¡°Tong Lei had taken Tong Yingying¡¯s mother as his concubine before he became an imperial censor, and his brother-in-law was Duke Wu, so no one dares to mention the illegitimate daughter thing again, but in everyone¡¯s heart, Tong Yingying is still an illegitimate daughter, and forever an illegitimate daughter!¡± Tong Yingying didn¡¯t grow up in the Tong family but by her mother¡¯s side, who was very famous in Chang¡¯an, so not many people called her an ¡°illegitimate daughter¡±. After entering the Tong Mansion, she was the daughter of Imperial Censor Tong, and was very famous for her talent, so no one dared to call her that again. But she didn¡¯t expect that the mob would call her an ¡°illegitimate daughter¡± again today, and many people even spat at her. Tong Yingying was extremely annoyed, and seeing that the tide had turned against them, the scholars surrounding her all scurried off like frightened rats. In just two hours, Tong Yingying went from being praised by everyone to being despised and spat at by everyone, looking extremely pitiful. Seeing her shaking all over and looking so pitiful, the people stopped. Tong Yingying clenched her hand tightly. She must return the humiliation she suffered today to them one day! Qiao Jinniang gave Nuomi and the others a look. She never believed in such a thing as returning evil with good. Rather, she preferred the phrase ¡®an eye for an eye¡¯. Tong Yingying deserved no sympathy. Receiving Qiao Jinniang¡¯s signal, Nuomi walked up to Tong Yingying and said, ¡°You instigated the people to smash Tasty Pavilion, so you have to compensate us. ¡°Our restaurant has been smashed into such a state that we can¡¯t operate for at least three days. Our restaurant earns 1,000 taels of silver per day, so you should at least compensate 5,000 taels. Come, hand over the money or we will send you to jail!¡± For the sake of his reputation, Imperial Censor Tong didn¡¯t indulge in corruption at all. He didn¡¯t even take the ice cube subsidy in summer and the charcoal subsidy in winter provided by the imperial court to fish for fame. The Tong family actually lived on Mrs. Tong¡¯s dowry. Tong Yingying has always had a bad relationship with Mrs. Tong. Although the latter seemed to be partial towards her, she just wanted to marry her into a wealthy family and earn a fat betrothal gift. Now she had to pay more than 5,000 taels of silver. Even if she sold herself, she couldn¡¯t get so much money! An official of the Minister of Rites said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, it¡¯s getting late. The Duke and the Duchess have been waiting for a long time¡­¡± Only then did Qiao Jinniang get on the carriage agan, and Little Lu Xi threw himself into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s going on outside?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Nothing, Xi¡¯er, remember, don¡¯t be self-righteous.¡± Tong Yingying just got what she deserved. Tong Yingying couldn¡¯t be considered vicious, but she overestimated herself, which made her act stupidly. Maybe because of the compliments of the scholars around her, she thought she was superior to other women. When they arrived at the Duke Mansion, everyone was greeting them at the door. When Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen came out of the carriage, everyone saluted and kowtowed to them. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly asked them to arise. But Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t see Zheng Xiao. ¡°Where are Mother and Ruoyi?¡± Duke Anyuan said awkwardly, ¡°They went back to the Qiao Mansion.¡± Old Madam Qiao glared at her son. This useless man still couldn¡¯t make Zheng Xiao forgive him, although the latter lived in the Duke Mansion for more than two months for Jinniang¡¯s wedding! She simply said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, please come in.¡± Old Madam Qiao was really afraid that Qiao Jinniang would turn around and go to the Qiao Mansion. If so, the Duke Anyuan Mansion would be a big joke. Qiao Jinniang, for the sake of her old grandmother, still stayed in the Duke Mansion. Seeing that even Ruofeng and Ruowan were gone, she asked, ¡°Where are Ruofeng and Ruowan?¡± Old Madam Qiao replied, ¡°They went to the Southwest to join the women¡¯s army. Princess Xiliang¡¯s provocation sounded the alarm for our family. Even if Ruofeng stayed in Chang¡¯an, she couldn¡¯t go out, so she might as well go to the Southwest, which is an entirely new world for her..¡± Qiao Jinniang also had a yearning for the Southwest. It would be great if one day she could go to the Southwest to enjoy the scenery there. She didn¡¯t stay in the Duke Mansion for a long time before she left the Duke Mansion, and secretly went to the Qiao Mansion with Lu Chen and Xi¡¯er. The Qiao Mansion was very lively. Zheng Xiao and Princess Shou¡¯an lived opposite each other and were close in age, so they soon became friends. When they were young, their temperaments were very different, but now they chatted about clothes and jewelry and played cards together. Seeing Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen coming over, Zheng Xiao hurriedly saluted. ¡°Greetings, Your Royal Highness, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Mother, please get up.¡± Qiao Jinniang took Zheng Xiao¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you playing cards?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Yes, the princess let me win a lot of money.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said, ¡°You keep winning not because I let you win but because you have the Midas touch!¡± The other two noble ladies also praised Zheng Xiao. One of them said, ¡°Mrs. Zheng, we¡¯re really envious of you. Both your daughter and your son are so outstanding. ¡°I came today as a matchmaker. A girl fell for your son, and it just so happens that the Crown Princess is also here today.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an asked, ¡°Oh? Which girl is it? Young Master Qiao is top-notch in appearance, bearing and family background. If the girl is not good enough, don¡¯t mention it.¡± The lady smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to come if the girl is not good enough. She is very excellent, and I bet you¡¯ll be satisfied with her!¡± Zheng Xiao asked, ¡°Which girl is it?¡± The lady said, ¡°It¡¯s the niece of Duke Wu who returned to Chang¡¯an several days ago. ¡°She and Young Master Qiao were classmates in the academy, and she was back only two days ago. I heard that she was literally the apple of Old Madam Zhou¡¯s eye!¡± When Lu Chen heard it, he left and went to look for Qiao Lu in the study in the front yard. Hearing it was Zhou Shihui, Zheng Xiao hesitated. The Duke Wu Mansion was the Queen¡¯s natal family after all. Although Zhou Shihui grew up among the folks, the Zhou family doted on her very much and treated her no worse than the biological daughter of Duke Wu. Qiao Jinniang asked the lady, ¡°Why did they ask you to be the matchmaker?¡± The lady smiled and said, ¡°Old Madam Zhou asked me to mention this matter to you first so as not to make things difficult for the Qiao family, and Miss Zhou likes Young Master Qiao very much. She even said that she doesn¡¯t want anything. She just wants to marry Young Master Qiao.¡± Chapter 190 - Qiao Lus Marriage Listening to what the lady said, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Madam, to tell the truth, my parents had promised my brother before the Imperial Examination that if he passed the Imperial Examination, he could choose his wife himself. So, Madam, wait a moment, let me ask my brother.¡± Qiao Jinniang left. The lady said confidently, ¡°Young Master Qiao had been in the academy before, and was surrounded by men. ¡°Miss Zhou was the only woman he could see! He must have had a thing for the only girl in the school. I¡¯m going to tell the Zhou family the great news.¡± The lady couldn¡¯t wait to tell the news to the Duke Wu Mansion to make them owe her a favor, so she left before Qiao Jinniang returned. Zheng Xiao thought so too. There weren¡¯t many women around his son. Now that he said that he already had a girl he liked, he must have met that girl in school. So she didn¡¯t stop that lady. In the study in the front yard, Qiao Lu was looking at a painting. Although he won the title of Flower Picking Childe, he was too young and was the heir of Duke Anyuan, so Emperor Huilin had not found a suitable position for him for now. Being idle at home, Qiao Lu either went out to have fun with his friends or wandered on the street, hoping to come across Fulu. But for some reason, Fulu seemed to dislike him, and every time she saw him, she gave hima cold shoulder. But she had taken his hand and said that she was going to marry him. As a princess, how could she break her word? Looking at the portrait he had drawn, he was dazed, and didn¡¯t even notice that Lu Chen and Lu Xi had walked to his side. Little Lu Xi said, ¡°It¡¯s Aunt Fulu. Uncle, why did you draw Aunt Fulu?¡± When Qiao Lu saw Lu Chen, his face flushed all red and he hurriedly saluted. ¡°We¡¯re family. You don¡¯t need to be so polite.¡± Lu Chen chuckled and jested, ¡°Your painting skills are thousands of times better than your sister¡¯s.¡± Qiao Lu equivocated awkwardly, trying to explain. Qiao Jinniang also came in. Seeing the paintings Qiao Lu drew, she asked curiously, ¡°Why did you draw Fulu¡¯s portrait?¡± Qiao Lu blushed and said, ¡°Sister, the girl I said I wanted to marry last time is Princess Fulu.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°She¡¯s a year older than you!¡± Qiao Lu: ¡°It¡¯s only one year old. I don¡¯t mind it.¡± Then he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that she likes the champion of the Imperial Examination. I just won second place, so I dare not go to Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s Mansion to propose a marriage to her, alas!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± It was no wonder that Qiao Lu was not happy at all although he won second place in the Imperial Examination. She had thought that he was a perfectionist and only wanted to win first place. ¡°Does Fulu know you like her?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°I think she doesn¡¯t, right?¡± Qiao Lu shook his head. ¡°She ignores me. Whenever I see her, she ignores me except for asking about my maid. But I don¡¯t have a maid.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Your maid? She only knows the maid you pretended to be last time.¡± Qiao Lu finally figured it out. ¡°No wonder. She must have thought that I hid the maid, so she ignored me. I¡¯m going to pretend to be that maid again to find her!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± mean that. Before she could finish, however, Qiao Lu rushed out like a gust of wind. This seventeen-year-old boy didn¡¯t forget to come back and salute Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen before he hurried off like a gust of wind. Qiao Jinniang was quite helpless. Seeing Lu Chen still smiling, she said, ¡°Why are you still smiling? What should I do? The Duke Wu Mansion has proposed marriage to Lu¡¯er for Zhou Shihui, but the girl in Qiao Lu¡¯s heart is Fulu.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The people of the Zhou family are very considerate. Although my grandmother dotes on my cousin, she still sent that lady to ask first. She definitely won¡¯t make things difficult for the Qiao family. You just need to tell her the truth.¡± Qiao Jinniang went to the backyard and looked for that lady, only to hear that the lady had gone to the Duchess Wu, and she froze. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t look right, Zheng Xiao asked, ¡°Could it be that the girl Lu¡¯er likes is not Zhou Shihui? But besides Zhou Shihui, which woman does he know?¡± Seeing that there were no outsiders here, Qiao Jinniang also wanted to test out Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s opinion, so he said, ¡°My brother is really reckless and rude. He likes Princess Fulu but he hasn¡¯t dared to speak it out.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an was shocked and said, ¡°Poor child, blind at such a young age.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Come on, isn¡¯t Fulu your own daughter? She didn¡¯t know what to say for a while. Blurting out, Princess Shou¡¯an was a bit embarrassed. She hurriedly coughed and directly held Zheng Xiao¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Okay, deal! Fulu will marry Qiao Lu. You can give me whatever betrothal presents you¡¯d like, and whatever dowry you want, just name it.¡± At that time, Princess Shou¡¯an persuaded Fulu not to marry Qiao Lu, because she was afraid that Qiao Lu would refuse her, so she scared Fulu into giving up the idea to marry Qiao Lu. If Qiao Lu was willing to marry Fulu, that would be a blessing for Fulu. She had thought that it would be difficult for her daughter to find a decent man to marry, but she didn¡¯t expect to get such a perfect son-in-law, who was adept with both the pen and the sword and was the heir to a duke. If Fulu could marry him, she would live a care-free life. Zheng Xiao: ¡°Princess, if my son can marry Princess Fulu, it will also be a blessing for him.¡± With a daughter-in-law like Fulu, her life would definitely be very lively, but since Fulu was the woman that Lu¡¯er liked, she didn¡¯t mind accepting her. She didn¡¯t want to see her tragedy repeated on her son and daughter-in-law. It was more important than anything else that they loved each other. Getting Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s promise, Qiao Jinniang hurried to the Duke Wu Mansion with Lu Chen, but still couldn¡¯t catch up with that lady. In the hall of the Duke Wu Mansion. The lady said, ¡°Young Master Qiao had told his parents that he would marry Miss Zhou after he passed the Imperial Examination.¡± Zhou Shihui smiled. She knew that her senior brother liked her. Old Madam Zhou smiled and hugged Zhou Shihui in her arms. ¡°That¡¯s great! Our Shihui is really lucky to have such a great husband.¡± ¡°Old Madam, Duchess, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are here.¡± Duchess Wu said, ¡°The Crown Princess went back to her natal home today. Why did she come here? Come, let¡¯s go greet them.¡± Old Madam Zhou also got up and went to the door of the Duke Wu Mansion, and the front door was opened. Qiao Jinniang entered, and after sparing them from saluting her, she saluted Old Madam Zhou and said, ¡°Greetings, Grandmother.¡± Old Madam Zhou didn¡¯t dare let her salute and supported her. ¡°Good girl, aren¡¯t you in your parents¡¯ home? Why did you come here?¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at the lady before entering the hall and said, ¡°Our Qiao family is very grateful for Grandmother¡¯s favor for my brother, but my father and Prince Consort Qin have already decided on the marriage for Princess Fulu and my brother. My mother and Princess Shou¡¯an didn¡¯t know about this, so that lady misunderstood.¡± Zhou Shihui¡¯s face turned pale and she shouted, ¡°How could it be possible? Impossible! How can Duke Anyuan Mansion act like this? Madam Zheng forced the Duke to marry her, and now she is forcing Senior Brother to marry a woman he doesn¡¯t like?¡± Qiao Jinniang took the tea handed over by a maid and said, ¡°Unfortunately, my brother likes Princess Fulu, so there is no such thing as ¡®forcing¡¯.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Zhou Shihui said, ¡°How is it possible? I won¡¯t believe it unless I hear Senior Brother admit it with my own ears. Are you trying to stop him from marrying me because I defended Tong Yingying yesterday afternoon?!¡± Chapter 191 - Fulu Discovered Qiao Lus Identity Old Madam Zhou immediately snapped, ¡°Shut up, and get on your knees! How dare you speak to the Crown Princess like that?¡± Zhou Shihui pouted and said, ¡°My mother is right. There are indeed rules everywhere in Chang¡¯an. I feel suffocated to stay in Chang¡¯an!¡± Old Madam Zhou frowned and said, ¡°Someone help her kneel down and admit her mistake!¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Old Madam Zhou, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry. Cousin grew up among the folks, so she doesn¡¯t know the rules just like me. ¡°I heard that the Empress Dowager¡¯s Mammy Bai is very good at teaching etiquette. Although she was disrespectful to me last time, she must have already realized her mistake. How about I go to ask the Empress Dowager to let Mammy Bai teach her some court rules?¡± What Zhou Shihui hated most was learning the rules. Before she went to the imperial palace yesterday, she just learned some court rules in a hurry, and she still couldn¡¯t even salute properly. Old Madam Zhou knew the grievances between the Empress Dowager and the Zhou family. If Mammy Bai really came to teach Zhou Shihui the rules, Zhou Shihui would only suffer. But Qiao Jinniang¡¯s suggestion was something the Zhou family couldn¡¯t refuse. Qiao Jinniang was not afraid of offending the Zhou family. From what she knew about Queen Zhou, she wouldn¡¯t be annoyed just because Qiao Jinniang offended her mother if Qiao Jinniang was in the right. Qiao Jinniang was already the crown princess, but Zhou Shihui didn¡¯t respect her at all. If she didn¡¯t teach her a good lesson, wouldn¡¯t everyone be able to bully her in the future? ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Old Madam Zhou said. Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Grandmother, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. Miss Zhou is my cousin. Even if she said something improper to me, I will tolerate her. It¡¯s getting late. I have to go back to the East Palace.¡± Old Madam Zhou, Mrs. Zhou and the others all got up and sent Qiao Jinniang off. After Qiao Jinniang left, Zhou Shihui began to pack her luggage. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay in Chang¡¯an anymore. I¡¯m going to find my mother. I¡¯m going to find my senior brother. ¡°How is it possible for Senior Brother to like Fulu, that notorious dandy girl in Chang¡¯an?!¡± Mrs. Zhou tried to stop Zhou Shihui. ¡°Your mother is gone. How can you find her? ¡°Just apologize to the Crown Princess. If Young Master Qiao really likes you, he will definitely marry you, because it is impossible for him and Princess Fulu to get married. ¡°Although the Crown Princess said that they have engaged, the two in the imperial palace will definitely not agree to this!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Zhou Shihui asked her aunt. Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°The Qiao family is at its peak now, and even our Zhou family can¡¯t be compared to them. Back then, to avoid the royal family from suspecting the Queen, as her natal family, our family volunteered to give our military power to the Qiao family. ¡°But now the Qiao family¡¯s daughter is the Crown Princess. Even if they¡¯re known for loyalty for generations, their daughter has become the Crown Princess, so how can it be possible for their son to marry a princess? ¡°Besides, Fulu is the only daughter of Princess Shou¡¯an. When the late emperor ascended the throne, there were princesses and county mistresses rebelling. His Majesty certainly doesn¡¯t want to see the Qiao family become too powerful after their son marries a princess! ¡°There is also the Empress Dowager. The Crown Princess doesn¡¯t get along with the Empress Dowager, and Li Lingling hates Qiao Jinniang¡¯s guts. How could the Empress Dowager marry her only granddaughter to the Qiao family?¡± Hearing this, Zhou Shihui slowly put down the luggage in her hands. ¡­ It was a good spring day, and Fulu led a group of dandy boys and girls to the Qujiang Banquet held by Junior Duke Rong, which was held for Samo¡¯er. Junior Duke Rong wanted to please the belle with this banquet. Because of yesterday¡¯s competition, everyone despised Princess Xiliang. However, Junior Duke Rong had been protecting Samo¡¯er, so the dandies didn¡¯t dare to do anything to her, which made Samo¡¯er change her opinion of Junior Duke Rong a little bit. Fulu was annoyed to see a man of their Lu family sucking up to Princess Xiliang. ¡°Hey, you are a junior duke of Datang. Can¡¯t you have some backbones?¡± ¡°Humph, if you meet a foreign prince whose appearance is comparable to Samo¡¯er, I¡¯m afraid you will be more spineless than me.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Do you know how many of our ancestors died fighting against Xiliang? This Princess Xiliang just provoked our country yesterday. How can you still face the Crown Princess and the Qiao family?¡± Junior Duke Rong retorted, ¡°You are not a member of the Qiao family. You¡¯re not in a position to lecture me.¡± Fulu said, ¡°I might be a member of the Qiao family in the future. Even if I am not, I am a princess of Datang. I just can¡¯t bear to see you pleasing Princess Xiliang spinelessly!¡± When Qiao Lu, disguised as a woman, came in with the token of the Duke Anyuan Mansion, he heard Fulu¡¯s words. Seeing Qiao Lu from a distance, Fulu came over and said, ¡°Is it you? I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. Every time I ask your master about your whereabouts, your master refuses to tell me.¡± Qiao Lu said in a female voice, ¡°Thank you, Princess. Please allow me to salute you.¡± Fulu grabbed Qiao Lu¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to salute me. I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore. Come, let me take you to have fun in Chang¡¯an. I bet your master never took you there.¡± Qiao Lu blushed and nodded. ¡°Okay, thank you, Princess.¡± Fulu glanced at Qiao Lu¡¯s hand and said in surprise, ¡°Why is your hand so big? It also seems that you have grown a lot taller?¡± He was almost a head taller than her, and he was obviously not as tall the last time she saw him. Spring was good for an outing on horses. Seeing that Qiao Lu could ride a horse, Fulu rode out of Chang¡¯an with him and went into the wild. Fulu said to Qiao Lu, ¡°There is a sea of ??flowers outside the city. The mountains and fields are covered with flower branches, and there is also a small clear lake there. I never took ugly people to that place lest the beautiful scenery is ruined.¡± Qiao Lu followed Fulu to a manor outside the city. Looking over, there were indeed all kinds of wild flowers and red attractive wild fruits all over the mountains and fields. Fulu ran to a small clear lake by the sea of ??flowers, took off her shoes and socks, sat by the small lake, and put her snow-white feet into the cool lake water. On her ankle, there was an amulet hanging on a gold chain. Qiao Lu¡¯s face turned even redder when he saw it. Women in Chang¡¯an never exposed their feet. He had been to the Southwest where women might expose their legs and arms, but the only thing that could not be exposed to men was their feet. This was the first time Qiao Lu had seen a woman¡¯s feet. Seeing the ¡°girl¡± in front of her stunned, Fulu urged, ¡°What are you waiting for? Come beside me and soak your feet in. The water is very cool!¡± Qiao Lu walked to Fulu and sat down beside her, took off his shoes and socks, and put his feet into the lake. Fulu laughed and said, ¡°How can a beautiful girl like you have such a big pair of feet? Don¡¯t move. Let me compare¡­¡± Seeing Fulu put her jade-like feet close to his own, Qiao Lu lunged to his feet and cupped his hands, saying, ¡°Princess, I¡¯m sorry. I deceived you. I shouldn¡¯t have looked at your feet. If you mind, I can poke my own eyes.¡± Fulu was surprised to find that the girl in front of her was speaking in a man¡¯s voice that she was familiar with. Wasn¡¯t it Qiao Lu¡¯s voice? She splashed some lake water on Qiao Lu¡¯s face. The water washed Qiao Lu¡¯s face clean and his true face was revealed. The man in front of her had a red mole on his forehead. Wasn¡¯t this Qiao Lu, the young master of the Duke Anyuan Mansion? Chapter 192 - Duke Anyuan Wants Qiao Lu to Marry Zhou Shihui Fulu frowned. No matter how much she acted against the rules usually, she was still a woman. Although she had said countless times that she was going to raise gigolos, she had never dared put it into action. At this moment, her bare feet were seen by a man! She was so ashamed that she almost cried. Fulu pointed at Qiao Lu and said, ¡°How could you deceive me like this? You, you b*stard! You pervert¡­¡± Qiao Lu hurriedly slapped himself and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Princess, don¡¯t cry. If you really mind it, I can gouge out my own eyeballs.¡± How could Fulu dare to let him do that? ¡°Why did you deceive me?¡± Qiao Lu said, ¡°I was forced to be dressed as a woman the first time I met you. I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you. After that day, I can¡¯t stop thinking about you¡­¡± ¡°Pervert!¡± Fulu put on her socks and shoes and stomped her feet. Qiao Lu walked up to Fulu anxiously and nervously. ¡°I¡¯m not. I really like you. I would like to marry you. I wonder if you would be willing to marry me.¡± Fulu said, ¡°But I¡¯ll be a widow if I marry you.¡± Qiao Lu said, ¡°It¡¯s peacetime now. And even if you become a widow, you can marry another man¡­ If I go to the battlefield, I will definitely transfer all the properties under my name to you, so you don¡¯t have to worry you will not be a pitiful little widow.¡± Fulu thought about it for a while. It seemed that marrying Qiao Lu was not bad. Besides, he had seen her feet. What else could she do? She certainly couldn¡¯t dig out his eyes, so she was left with no choice but to marry him. And he was the first man who didn¡¯t mind her bad reputation and said he liked her. Seeing her nodding slowly, Qiao Lu felt his heart almost jump out of his throat. He held her hand. ¡°The scenery here is so beautiful. I learned to weave flower crowns in the Southwest when I was a child. May I make one for you?¡± Fulu nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Qiao Lu picked flowers and, with trembling hands, weaved a flower crown for Fulu to put on. Fulu looked at Qiao Lu with a bright smile and asked, ¡°Does this look good on me?¡± ¡°Yes, very beautiful. It¡¯s the most beautiful view I¡¯ve ever seen in my life.¡± Fulu said to Qiao Lu, ¡°How can you be so honey-lipped at such a young age?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say I¡¯m young. I¡¯ll be seventeen in a few days.¡± Qiao Lu hurriedly said, ¡°My elder sister had already been born when my father was at this age.¡± Fulu said, ¡°But you are young.¡± Qiao Lu took Fulu¡¯s hand, took her into his arms, and compared her height to his own, saying, ¡°I am not young.¡± For the first time, Fulu looked shy. She was the most famous dandy girl in Chang¡¯an, but why was her heart beating so fast when she was in his arms? It must be because she was tired from her ride. ¡­ The two didn¡¯t ride back on the same horse to the entrance of Princess Shou¡¯an Mansion until it was almost dusk. At the door, Fulu turned to look back at Qiao Lu with almost every step she took. She didn¡¯t come back to herself until she walked into the door and saw her mother beamed with smiles. But Fulu still couldn¡¯t hold back her smile. Princess Shou¡¯an said to Fulu, ¡°I¡¯ve got you a good husband!¡± Smile disappeared from Fulu¡¯s face and she frowned. ¡°Mother, why did you find me a husband without discussing it with me? I¡¯ve already had a man I like!¡± Prince Consort Qin frowned and said, ¡°Which man?¡± Fulu said, ¡°The man I like is the most talented man with the best family background, and he even holds the commanding power of 100,000 soldiers¡­¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said, ¡°Silly girl, your imperial cousin has already got the Crown Princess. Why do you still miss him? Besides, what¡¯s so good about living in the imperial palace?!¡± Fulu said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not my imperial cousin. The man I like is the new Flower Picking Childe!¡± Princess Shou¡¯an chuckled and said, ¡°What a coincidence! The man I¡¯m talking about is just him. I had been afraid that you wouldn¡¯t like him! Time flies, my little gourd is going to get married.¡± ¡°Mother, you are calling me little gourd again!¡± Princess Fulu hated this nickname the most. Shou¡¯an said a bit sadly, ¡°After you are married, there will only be your father and I left at home. Let me call you little gourd when I still can.¡± Fulu leaned on Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s arms and said, ¡°I will often come back to see you even if I am married.¡± ¡­ In the Qiao Mansion next door. Duke Qiao climbed over the wall and entered Zheng Xiao¡¯s room at mid-night again. ¡°Did you find Lu¡¯er a fiancee?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Yeah, Lu¡¯er likes Princess Fulu. I can¡¯t let my tragedy repeat itself on him, and I won¡¯t force him to marry someone he doesn¡¯t love.¡± Duke Qiao frowned helplessly and said, ¡°Are you still unwilling to forgive me? I told you that there was a misunderstanding between us.¡± ¡°Can you make up for all the wrong things you¡¯ve done?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Can my little daughter come to life? I had been separated from Jinniang for so many years. Can you make amends?¡± Duke Qiao sighed helplessly. ¡°Xiaoer, they are my daughters too. I¡¯m sad too.¡± ¡°I know I deserve it, but I have as much pain in my heart as you!¡± Zheng Xiao wept silently. ¡°Pain? I didn¡¯t think you were in pain when you were playing lovey-dovey with your cousin!¡± Lord Qiao was silent for a long time before he said, ¡°Xiao¡¯er, I¡¯m afraid Lu¡¯er can¡¯t marry Princess Fulu!¡± Zheng Xiao frowned. ¡°Why? Do you care about Fulu¡¯s reputation in Chang¡¯an? Although she is a bit unruly, she is a good girl, and as the only daughter of Princess Shou¡¯an, she is not a bad choice for Lu¡¯er!¡± Lord Qiao said slowly, ¡°His Majesty is wise and benevolent, but how many emperors can tolerate a minister who is too powerful? Did you forget the fate of the late emperor¡¯s aunts who rebelled against the late emperor? ¡°And the princess of King Longxi married the military governor of Longnana, obtained the military power of Longnan, and instigated the military governor of Longnan to rebel. ¡°His Majesty treats the princesses so kindly, not because of the scarcity of princesses, but because most of the princesses couldn¡¯t marry a decent man, and the royal family would rather them raise gigolos¡­¡± ¡°Think about it, we and the Qin family are in-laws, and although Prince Consort Qin has severed the relationship with the Qin family, he was from the Qin family anyway. Jinniang is the Crown Princess now and gave birth to the Crown Prince¡¯s heir. If Lu¡¯er marries Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s only daughter, can His Majesty still be at ease with our Qiao family?¡± ¡°No matter how benevolent the emperor is, I am afraid that he will not tolerate us.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°But¡­¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°Zhou Shihui came to me today. She is really a worthy student of Qingming Academy, and she hit the nail on the head with the crisis that our family is in. ¡°She is more suitable for Lu¡¯er. Firstly, Zhou Shihui¡¯s family background is not bad. The Zhou family is the Queen¡¯s natal family, and we are the Crown Princess¡¯ natal family. The two families will definitely not collude. ¡°And thanks to the Queen, His Majesty likes the Zhou family very much. The Zhou family is a better choice for us than Princess Shou¡¯an Mansion.¡± ¡°Secondly, Zhou Shihui is only Duke Wu¡¯s niece after all. If Lu¡¯er marries her, it will be less likely for His Majesty to suspect our family. ¡°So I think Lu¡¯er should marry Zhou Shihui.¡± Zheng Xiao said angrily, ¡°So it doesn¡¯t matter which girl Lu¡¯er loves?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still so young. How can he know what ¡®love¡¯ is?¡± Duke Anyuan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know who I really loved when I was at his age.¡± Chapter 193 - Qiao Jinniang "Made" the Empress Dowager Change Her Decision Zheng Xiao frowned and said, ¡°But I have already made a marriage contract with Princess Shou¡¯an. How can I break my word? Besides, Lu¡¯er wants to marry Fulu.¡± Duke Qiao said, ¡°Why can¡¯t you figure this out? You and Princess Shou¡¯an only made a verbal engagement. Besides, Princess Shou¡¯an doesn¡¯t have the final say on whom Princess Fulu will marry because the Empress Dowager will definitely interfere.¡± ¡­ In the East Palace. Qiao Jinniang tossed and turned at night and couldn¡¯t sleep, feeling that something was going to happen. The last time she had this feeling, she received a letter of divorce from ¡°Lu Chen¡± the next day. In the imperial palace, women were forbidden to sleep with their husbands when they were on their period. Qiao Jinniang slept restlessly all night in this strange palace, had some bizarre dreams, and after waking up, she forgot them all. Early the next morning, Yuyan hurried in and reported, ¡°Your Highness, not good, the Empress Dowager issued a decree early this morning, ordering Princess Fulu to marry the second young master of the Xie family!¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s drowsiness was instantly gone. ¡°How can this be? Isn¡¯t Fulu the Empress Dowager¡¯s favorite granddaughter? How could she be willing to use Fulu to win over the Xie family?¡± ¡°Come, help me wash up and dress up.¡± Now that the decree had been issued, Fulu would soon enter the imperial palace to thank the Empress Dowager. After being dressed up, Qiao Jinniang went to the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. Halfway through the way, Yuyan hurried over again and handed a letter to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Your Highness, this is a letter from Madam. She asked you to read it as quickly as possible.¡± Qiao Jinniang opened the envelope and quickly read the letter. She really underestimated Zhou Shihui. She could even persuade Duke Anyuan into agreeing to her marrying Qiao Lu! ¡­ In the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. A mammy massaged the Empress Dowager on her temples and said gently, ¡°Your Grace, why do you have to do this? Princess Fulu has always been filial to you. She is your only granddaughter, and you have always doted on her the most!¡± Li Lingling glared at the mammy and said, ¡°If Fulu is truly filial, she should try her best to relieve her grandmother¡¯s worries, instead of going against her grandmother and insisting on marrying Qiao Lu. ¡°Fortunately, I learned the news quickly, so I came early in the morning. Otherwise, Qiao Lu and Fulu might have been engaged!¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°Alas¡­ I will compensate Fulu greatly for this, but if she doesn¡¯t marry the second young master of the Xie family, how can the Xie family be used by me? Besides, the Qiao family is on the Crown Prince¡¯s side, how can I allow Fulu to marry the Qiao family¡¯s son!¡± A eunuch recited loudly outside. ¡°Princess Shou¡¯an and Princess Fulu County arrived.¡± When Fulu and her mother entered, Qiao Jinniang came too. After Fulu saluted, she walked up to the Empress Dowager, held the Empress Dowager¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Grandma, please recall your order! You always treat me the best, don¡¯t you?¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°Yes, so I have chosen a good husband for you. The Xie family is the head of the old distinguished families in our country and is extremely powerful in the South. If you marry into the Xie family, it¡¯s the best choice for you!¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m already engaged!¡± Fulu said imploringly, ¡°I will only marry the man I love.¡± The Empress Dowager glanced at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Young Master Qiao is the younger brother of the Crown Princess, and I know he is a very excellent young man, but he is younger than you. Besides, please don¡¯t mind it, Crown Princess, Qiao Lu¡¯s parents are laughed at by everyone in Chang¡¯an. It will be a better choice for you to marry into the Xie family.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°How dare I mind it? It¡¯s true that my parents are laughed at by the people in Chang¡¯an and my brother is indeed not worthy of Princess Fulu!¡± Fulu glared at Qiao Jinniang. What do you mean? Do you still take me as your friend?! Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Consort Huai, you entered the imperial palace so early today? I¡¯m afraid you were waiting outside the imperial palace before dawn, right?¡± Li Lingling frowned and said, ¡°What do you mean, Crown Princess? Can¡¯t I enter the imperial palace to visit my grandmother?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Of course you can, but my mother and Princess Shou¡¯an have just agreed to the engagement yesterday, and Her Grace has learned about it today. I¡¯m afraid you told her this news, right?¡± Li Lingling frowned again, ¡°Yes, but so what?¡± Fulu always went against her, so why not give Fulu a hard time? Fulu glared at Li Lingling fiercely. It¡¯s all her fault! Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Actually, if Consort Huai hadn¡¯t come to tell Her Grace about this news and asked Her Grace to marry Princess Fulu into the Xie family, I would still be troubled. ¡°Do you know that after my mother and Princess Shou¡¯an agreed to the engagement yesterday, Miss Zhou Shihui of the Duke Wu Mansion, the daughter of Her Majesty¡¯s elder sister, came to me, saying that she wanted to marry my younger brother and would never marry any man else except for my brother. I had been worried that I might offend the Duke Wu Mansion. Now the problem is solved, and Zhou Shihui can marry my brother.¡± Fulu was originally angry at Qiao Jinniang, but then she realized that Qiao Jinniang was not such a person. Besides, she saw how rude Zhou Shihui was to Qiao Jinniang when she was trying to defend Tong Yingying that day. How was it possible for Qiao Jinniang to speak for her? Princess Shou¡¯an immediately figured it out. Yesterday, it was obvious that the Duke Wu Mansion proposed marriage first, and Qiao Jinniang must have a purpose in reversing the order. Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°I told Zhou Shihui yesterday that my brother and Princess Fulu were in love with each other. ¡°But she confidently said that she had a way to get Princess Shou¡¯an to break off the engagement. It turned out that she did this through Consort Huai. ¡°Otherwise, with the Qiao family having not even started the engagement procedures yet, how could Consort Huai know about this news?¡± The Empress Dowager looked at Li Lingling angrily. ¡°Who passed this news to you?¡± Li Lingling said nervously, ¡°I, I¡¯m going to check it out!¡± After about a quarter of an hour, Li Lingling came back, and said that the one who spread the news was indeed a maid of the Duke Wu Mansion. After Qiao Jinniang heard the answer, she sighed and said, ¡°Although I won¡¯t offend Her Majesty and the Duke Wu Mansion now, it¡¯s a pity that a couple of lovers will be separated. Zhou Shihui used such a dirty means to steal my brother from Princess Fulu. My brother is going to marry such a scheming woman, alas! ¡°Fortunately, I heard that Zhou Shihui looks very similar to the deceased Imperial Concubine Zhou of the late emperor, the most beautiful woman in the world!¡± The Empress Dowager angrily smashed her teacup to the ground. ¡°The most beautiful woman in the world?! How can that b*tch be worthy of this title?!¡± Everyone knelt down in fright. Qiao Jinniang also knelt down and said, ¡°In my eyes, Your Grace is the most beautiful woman in the world, but the commoners all call her that. Please don¡¯t be angry, Your Grace!¡± The Empress Dowager was furious. ¡°How can I let Zhou Shihui snatch the man my granddaughter loves from her? Bring my decree over! The little b*tch of the Zhou family wants to steal Fulu¡¯s fiance? In her dreams!¡± Fulu quickly presented the decree. The Empress Dowager¡¯s decree was issued too hurriedly and even the Ministry of Rites didn¡¯t know about it, so it could be recalled easily. The Empress Dowager changed the ¡°second young master of the Xie family¡± on the decree to the ¡°heir to Duke Anyuan¡±. Imperial Concubine Zhou of the late emperor stole the favor of the late emperor from her, and Queen Zhou stole the favor of the present emperor from her niece. And now, Zhou Shihui, this little slut, dared to make use of Li Lingling, intending to steal her granddaughter¡¯s fiance! How could she let her?! ¡­ In the Duke Wu Mansion. Zhou Shihui was relieved to hear the news that her maid had inquired. Auntie was right. The Empress Dowager would not let Princess Fulu marry her senior brother! Chapter 194 - Small Scones After the Empress Dowager changed her decree, she summoned the officials of the Ministry of Rites. After the decree was filed in the Ministry of Rites, it could no longer be changed. Qiao Jinniang, Princess Shou¡¯an, and Princess Fulu saluted and left satisfactorily. Li Lingling said, ¡°But Grandmother, if Fulu marries Qiao Lu, who is going to marry the second young master of the Xie family? And the Qiao family is on the Crown Prince¡¯s side!¡± The Empress Dowager was angered by what Qiao Jinniang said just now and forgot the relationship between Qiao Lu and the Crown Prince. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°Fulu is a girl after all. If Qiao Lu is not smart enough and goes against me in the future, I will get rid of him and marry Fulu to another man. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± No matter what, she would never let the daughter of the Zhou family snatch Fulu¡¯s husband. She would never ever let the women of the Zhou family get their way! ¡­ As soon as Qiao Jinniang came out of the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace, she ran into Lu Chen who came in a hurry on the road. Lu Chen took her hand and said, ¡°I just heard from my secret guards about the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree. That decree has not been filed in the Ministry of Rites and can be voided, so you don¡¯t have to worry. Did she give you a hard time?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said with a smile, ¡°No, and the Empress Dowager has already changed her mind and allowed Fulu to marry my brother.¡± Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°If something like this happens in the future, don¡¯t go to the Empress Dowager alone. It can be dangerous for you.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and replied, ¡°Um, I see.¡± When the two returned to the East Palace together, Lu Xi had already woken up and was looking for Qiao Jinniang in the bedroom. Qiao Jinniang held him in her arms and said, ¡°Are you going to study with your brothers in the palace school today?¡± Because of the wedding, not only Lu Chen, but Little Lu Xi also had a holiday, but as of today, his holiday was over. Little Lu Xi nodded and said, ¡°Mommy, wait for me. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Qiao Jinniang rubbed little Lu Xi¡¯s head. ¡°Study hard. When you come back, I will make you snacks. What would you like for snacks?¡± Little Lu Xi thought for a while and said, ¡°I want to eat scones!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Okay, Mommy will go to the palace school to pick you up with scones.¡± Little Lu Xi was led by the imperial maids to wash up. Lu Chen asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°There is no place to make scones in the East Palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang pointed to an open space behind the palace. ¡°The soil here can make an oven. Xi¡¯er¡¯s favorite food is scones. Cooks in Chang¡¯an probably don¡¯t have this skill.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You only dote on him. I have never seen you make what I like to eat.¡± Seeing him jealous, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°What do you like to eat? I¡¯ll make it for you too. Come and help move the soil. It takes about two hours to make an oven.¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t stop Qiao Jinniang. If there was an oven in the East Palace that she made by herself, she might be able to adapt to life here more quickly. ¡­ The Empress Dowager¡¯s decree was sent to the Princess Mansion and the Duke Anyuan Mansion by officials of the Ministry of Rites. They didn¡¯t have to pass by the Duke Wu Mansion to begin with, but the Empress Dowager specially ordered the officials to pass by the Duke Wu Mansion. The masters of the Duke Wu Mansion heard the noise outside. In Old Madam Zhou¡¯s courtyard, Zhou Shihui was begging Old Madam Zhou, ¡°Grandmother, please let me go out to see my senior brother. I beg you.¡± Mrs. Zhou hurried in and said to Old Madam Zhou, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s so noisy outside because¡­ because¡­¡± Zhou Shihui glanced at Madam Zhou and hurriedly asked, ¡°Auntie, what is it?¡± ¡°The Empress Dowager issued a decree, granting the heir to Duke Anyuan to marry Princess Fulu!¡± Zhou Shihui lunged to her feet and said, ¡°How is it possible? My maid said that she heard that the Empress Dowager issued a decree early in the morning to marry Princess Fulu to the second young master of the Xie family.¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°The decree hasn¡¯t been filed in the Ministry of Rites yet, so it doesn¡¯t count. But now, the officials of the Ministry of Rites are going to the Qiao family to announce the decree.¡± Zhou Shihui screamed, ¡°How can they force my senior brother to marry Princess Fulu? How can Princess Fulu be worthy of my senior brother? A notorious woman like her doesn¡¯t deserve to be the mistress of the Duke Anyuan Mansion!¡± Zhou Shihui couldn¡¯t accept this fact at all. She didn¡¯t believe her senior brother wanted to marry Princess Fulu. Old Madam Zhou frowned slightly. ¡°That¡¯s a princess you are talking about, not a woman you can comment on at will. Mammy Bai will arrive today. You should learn etiquette from her well!¡± Mrs. Zhou sighed. ¡°Qiao Lu is only seventeen and already has a fianc¨¦e. Although he and Princess Fulu are both young, they will be married within two years, but Siming¡­¡± Her son was very stubborn, refusing to touch any girl. When His Royal Highness was missing, he was almost inconsolable and searched for Lu Chen all over the world. Mrs. Zhou almost thought that her son was gay! Zheng Xiao was seven or eight years younger than her, but she was about to have more in-laws. She didn¡¯t know when she could see her son marry! ¡­ ¡°Dad, please let me out!¡± Tong Yingying was locked in the firewood room in the Tong Mansion, knocking on the door helplessly. Tong Xuan said triumphantly at the door, ¡°Tong Yingying, you finally get your retribution. You always think that you are high above, but you almost ruined the Tong family. You want to come out? No way!¡± Tong Yingying shouted loudly, ¡°Father, father, I can still marry into the East Palace¡­¡± Tong Xuan sneered. ¡°There are tons of women who are better-looking and have a better family background than you. What makes you think you can marry His Royal Highness!¡± ¡°Because Cousin has a crush on me! He said that he would satisfy all my wishes.¡± Tong Yingying shouted loudly, ¡°Father, even if I can¡¯t marry into the East Palace, I can marry Cousin. He loves me!¡± Tong Xuan was confused. Her mother¡¯s nephews had always been spurned by Tong Yingying and she never called them ¡®Cousin¡¯. The one Tong Yingying was willing to call ¡®Cousin¡¯ must be Zhou Siming from the Duke Wu Mansion. ¡°In your dreams!¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check the token of love Cousin gave me and the love letters he wrote to me in my room!¡± Tong Xuan: ¡°¡­¡± Cousin Siming, how can you be so blind?! ¡­ ¡°Ah-choo.¡± Zhou Siming, who was dragged over to work as a coolie by Lu Chen, suddenly sneezed while chopping firewood. Lu Chen said in disgust, ¡°If you have a cold, go back quickly.¡± Zhou Siming said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Royal Highness.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°No, I don¡¯t care about you, but Jinniang fell ill twice although she was only in Chang¡¯an for two years. Don¡¯t infect her.¡± Lin Mo, who was helping to light the fire, laughed. Qiao Jinniang was kneading a dough and said, ¡°I am not that fragile. Thank you for your help, Young Master Zhou and Young Master Lin.¡± The noble Crown Prince and Crown Princess certainly couldn¡¯t dig soil to make an oven in front of the maids and servants, but how to make this oven was Myriad Taste¡¯s business secret, so Lu Chen found these two coolies. Zhou Siming said, ¡°You¡¯re too polite, Your Highness. This is what I should do.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang put the pork on the cutting board, take out two knives and easily chop it into minced meat, Lin Mo felt a chill down his spine. Chapter 195 - Ask Tong Yingying for Compensation But Lu Chen praised his wife without surprise. ¡°Your cutting technique has improved a lot.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled proudly and said, ¡°Of course. After all, at this time last year, I regarded meat as you and practiced my cutting technique!¡± Both Zhou Siming and Lin Mo were silent. They were surprised at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s boldness, and waited for Lu Chen to lose temper. However, to their surprise, Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about those unhappy things. There aren¡¯t many people coming to the rear palace. Why don¡¯t we plant fruit and vegetables here?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Good idea. Let¡¯s plant some spring onion and ginger here. It¡¯ll be convenient for cooking.¡± Zhou Siming and Lin Mo looked at each other and smiled. Qiao Jinniang seasoned the meat fillings and wrapped them in dough. Seeing that the oven had been built, she placed the small scones in the oven one by one with her hands. In just a quarter of an hour, the aroma of the small scones wafted out. Qiao Jinniang used long bamboo chopsticks to take out the golden scones one by one and put them on a plate. The meat-flavored scones smelled mouth-watering. Lin Mo and Zhou Siming both loved delicious food. At this moment, their mouths were almost watering¡­ When Lu Chen went to pick up the freshly baked scones, Qiao Jinniang gently hit his hand. ¡°Why do you behave like Xi¡¯er? These freshly baked scones are very hot. Wait for a while to eat them.¡± Lin Mo and Zhou Siming looked at each other and withdrew their hands that were about to move. But Lu Chen took one and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll blow it.¡± He hadn¡¯t tasted the food Qiao Jinniang made for a long time, and he hadn¡¯t eaten these little scones for more than a year. Updates by VJPN0VEL.C0M The meat was wrapped by a thin layer of golden-yellow dough, and the fragrant oil soup flowed out when one bit into it. After drinking the soup, the meat inside was fragrant but not greasy and was bouncy. The only downside was that there was no green onion in the small scones because Little Lu Xi didn¡¯t like to eat spring onions. If there were green onions in them, the taste would be even better. When Qiao Jinniang saw that Lu Chen had already cooled off the scone with a blow and took a bite of it, she simply took a bite of the scone that Lu Chen had bitten. Both Zhou Siming and Lin Mo felt that such behavior didn¡¯t accord with etiquette. But instead of blaming Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen helped Qiao Jinniang wipe the corners of her lips. Only after the two finished eating a small scone did Qiao Jinniang seem to remember Lin Mo and Zhou Siming. She said, ¡°Young Master Zhou, Young Master Lin, please try one. Be careful that the soup inside is a little hot.¡± Lin Mo and Zhou Siming each took a small scone, and after tasting it, they felt endless bliss. Zhou Siming asked, ¡°Why are there no such small scones for sale in Tasty Pavilion?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°These are just snacks and can¡¯t be regarded as main dishes, so they are not sold in the restaurant, but Xi¡¯er likes to eat them.¡± Qiao Jinniang made a lot of small scones and sent three plates of them to the Emperor, the Queen and the Empress Dowager respectively. In the Hall of Diligent Governance, hearing of the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree, Emperor Huilin was a little surprised that the Empress Dowager would allow the Qiao family¡¯s son to marry Fulu. But after hearing that the Empress Dowager had changed her mind after Qiao Jinniang went to her, Emperor Huilin felt that maybe he underestimated Qiao Jinniang before. Chen¡¯er was born with a silver spoon. Even though he lost his memory, he shouldn¡¯t be willing to marry into a woman¡¯s family. But Qiao Jinniang had the ability to make Chen¡¯er marry into her family. Emperor Huilin had always looked down on Qiao Jinniang, but now he decided to reexamine her. Although he was not suspicious of the Qiao family¡¯s loyalty to him, he had to think about it for Chen¡¯er. The queen of the previous dynasty imprisoned her own son and almost became a female emperor. Eunuch Quan came in with the small scones and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this is the small scones sent over by the Crown Princess. They were just out of the oven. Please have a taste.¡± Emperor Huilin picked up a small scone and took a bite, and then all his suspicion for Qiao Jinniang disappeared. Seeing the scones were about to be finished, he couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°The East Palace is too stingy. They only gave me two?! ¡°Not to mention the properties of the East Palace, just because of the silver taels allocated to the East Palace by the imperial palace, they shouldn¡¯t only send me two pieces of scones, right? Pass on my order, increase the Crown Prince¡¯s salary.¡± Eunuch Quansaid, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Seeing the small scones brought by the imperial maid, the Queen smiled. ¡°That¡¯s very nice of Jinniang, but I don¡¯t like to eat this. Take it to His Majesty! Come, take my new phoenix hairpin out of my jewelry case and send it to the Crown Princess.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Qiao Jinniang took Little Lu Xi back to the East Palace, only to see the rewards the Emperor, the Queen and the Empress Dowager gave. It was a very good deal to exchange a few scones for so many rewards. After lunch, Yuyan came and said that Nuomi asked to see her. Qiao Jinniang quickly asked Yuyan to call Nuomi in. Nuomi threw herself into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Miss!¡± Looking at this, Hongling frowned and was about to tell Nuomi this was against the etiquette, but then she saw that Qiao Jinniang was also hugging Nuomi, and she immediately shut up. Since Nuomi became her maid, Qiao Jinniang had never been separated from her for such a long time. She stayed with Nuomi longer than anyone else. ¡°Nuomi.¡± Nuomi wiped her tears and said, ¡°Miss, does His Royal Highness treat you well? I saw you only for a short while yesterday, and I didn¡¯t have the time to ask how you are going. We are all worried about you very much!¡± ¡°Silly Nuomi, what¡¯s there to worry about? I¡¯m the Crown Princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Did you come today because you miss me?¡± ¡°Um, I miss you so much, and I want to ask you, Miss, should I ask the Tong family for compensation? The eggs smashed by the people yesterday were so stinky that even perfume can¡¯t get rid of the smell. So the restaurant will have to be refurbished and the furniture will have to be replaced. ¡°If you ask the Tong family for compensation, we are afraid that people will blame you for being mean.¡± Qiao Jinniang had seen the miserable Tasty Pavilion was in yesterday. She said, ¡°Tong Yingying has to compensate. If not, what if everyone follows suit in the future? Just go to the Tong family to demand for compensation in my name. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Nuomi pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Qiao Jinniang had no sympathy for Tong Yingying. Flattered by others, she had an exaggerated opinion of her abilities and even boasted herself to be the most intelligent and talented girl in Chang¡¯an. She couldn¡¯t believe Tong Yingying dared to make up stories and spread her ¡°great contributions¡± among the commoners. It was not that Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t seen such conceited women before. She actually didn¡¯t mind it as long as it didn¡¯t hurt her, but Tong Yingying wanted to make her her stepping-stone. How could she tolerate it? Besides, she certainly couldn¡¯t bear the losses of Tasty Pavilion¡¯s alone. ¡­ The Tong family. Tong Xuan found those letters in Tong Yingying¡¯s room. She didn¡¯t recognize Cousin Siming¡¯s handwriting, but the valuable ancient jade had the character ¡°Ming¡± engraved on it, which must be Zhou Siming¡¯s jade pendant. If such a jade pendant was not given away, but lost, the Duke Wu Mansion would definitely search for it! This was a priceless ancient jade that could represent Zhou Siming¡¯s identity. If he lost it, he would definitely know. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not good, the former maid of the Crown Princess, Nuomi, came and demanded Eldest Miss to compensate for 30,000 taels of silver of damages!¡± When Tong Xuan heard 30,000 taels, she almost fainted. Even if they sold this house, they couldn¡¯t get 30,000 taels. Chapter 196 - Zhou Siming Compensated for Tong Yingying Mrs. Tong didn¡¯t dare to slight Nuomi, although she was only a former maid of Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang was already the Crown Princess, and Nuomi, as Qiao Jinniang¡¯s former maid, was certainly not someone she could mess with. ¡°Miss Nuomi, isn¡¯t 30,000 taels of silver too much? Even if we sell everything we have, we can¡¯t afford so much money! ¡°And, and, it¡¯s not our Tong family that threw those rotten eggs¡­¡± Nuomi said, ¡°Although the eggs were not thrown by your Tong family, the whole matter started because of Tong Yingying. ¡°You can refuse to compensate, but Tong Yingying falsely took the credit of the Crown Princess and the Flower Picking Childe and blatantly spread rumors in Chang¡¯an. She has to pay a price! ¡°Either pay 30,000 taels, or let Tong Yingying go to jail. ¡°By the way, if Tong Yingying is thrown into jail, Tong Lei won¡¯t be able to enter the officialdom again in this life because he failed to properly educate his own daughter.¡± Mrs. Tong was really annoyed at Tong Yingying. ¡°But we really can¡¯t take out so much money all at once. Our Tong family¡¯s not that rich!¡± ¡°Mother, I just heard from Tong Yingying that Cousin Siming has a crush on her. We can borrow money from Cousin Siming.¡± Tong Xuan hurried over and said. She didn¡¯t want to be implicated by Tong Yingying! Nuomi widened her eyes curiously. ¡°You mean Young Master Zhou?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tong Xuan said, ¡°Miss Nuomi, please tell the Crown Princess that we will definitely pay her the money.¡± After sending Nuomi away, Mrs. Tong poked Tong Xuan¡¯s head with a finger and said, ¡°Are you stupid? Why do we have to compensate for her? Her reputation has already been ruined. Even if she is thrown into jail, it will have nothing to do with us. Updates by VJPN0VEL.C0M ¡°She was not raised by me anyway. As for your father, if he doesn¡¯t change his character, there won¡¯t be any hope for him to return to office.¡± Tong Xuan said, ¡°But she is my sister after all, and I can¡¯t guarantee that my reputation will not be tarnished by her. Besides, even if Tong Yingying¡¯s reputation is ruined and she goes to jail, we still have to give this money to the Crown Princess!¡± Tong Xuan was very afraid of Qiao Jinniang. What she regretted most in her life was to mock Qiao Jinniang at the gate of the racecourse. If she could change the crown princess¡¯ bad impression of her with money, why not? Mrs. Tong said, ¡°You don¡¯t know the financial condition of our family. In order to build a good reputation, your father has never embezzled any money, so we don¡¯t even have 2,000 taels of silver even if we sell all our shops and manors, not to mention 30,000 taels of silver!¡± Tong Xuan said, ¡°Mother, you probably haven¡¯t read the letters written by Cousin Siming. He said in the letters that he would help Tong Yingying as long as she went to him with his jade pendant.¡± When Mrs. Tong heard this, she poked Tong Xuan¡¯s head with her finger again and said, ¡°Alas, Tong Yingying can even seduce Siming. But look at you. Why are you so useless?!¡± Tong Xuan snorted. ¡°I¡¯m going to the Zhou family to ask Cousin Siming for money.¡± When Zhou Siming came back from the East Palace, he heard a commotion in the Duke Wu Mansion, and the concierge told him that Zhou Shihui insisted on leaving the Duke Wu Mansion with her luggage and even climbed the wall and crept into a dog hole, trying to leave¡­ The Duke Wu Mansion was almost overturned, and even Old Madam Zhou was exasperated. His eldest aunt had been traveling outside all these years and had been refusing to come back home. Now that she had finally sent her daughter back, his grandmother would definitely not let Zhou Shihui leave. ¡°Cousin!¡± Tong Xuan ran to Zhou Siming and showed a jade pendant to him, saying, ¡°Cousin, do you still remember this jade pendant?¡± After seeing the jade pendant, Zhou Siming asked with a dark expression, ¡°Why is this jade pendant in your hands?¡± Tong Xuan hid the jade pendant behind her and said, ¡°You told the girl you loved that you would do anything for her if she came to you with this jade pendant, right?¡± Zhou Siming said, ¡°What happened to her?¡± She had already engaged and probably wished she had never known him. Every time he met her, she shied away. How could she give the jade pendant to Tong Xuan? He had thought that this jade pendant had already been smashed by her! She already had such a good fiance and was trying her best to please her future mother-in-law. Her wedding was only half a year away¡­ How could she let Tong Xuan come to him? Tong Xuan said, ¡°She needs 30,000 taels of silver.¡± As for the stupid things Tong Yingying did, Tong Xuan was too ashamed to tell them to Zhou Siming. Anyway, the first priority was to take the money first to quell the Crown Princess¡¯ anger. As the heir to Duke Wu, Zhou Siming had a lot of properties under his name, but he couldn¡¯t take out so much money all at once, so he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you fifteen thousand taels first, and as for the rest, I¡¯ll give it to you in two days.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, Cousin.¡± ¡°Why does she need so many silver taels?¡± He hadn¡¯t heard of any difficulties in her family. Tong Xuan said, ¡°She offended the Crown Princess.¡± Zhou Siming was confused. She offended the Crown Princess? Could it be that Princess Fulu spoke ill of her in front of the Crown Princess? Zhou Siming didn¡¯t think about it anymore. Since she asked Tong Xuan to come to him, asking for help, she must have been left with no choice. ¡­ In the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang received an invitation from Qiao Ruoyun early in the morning. Qiao Ruoyun came with Qin Miaomiao today. After saluting, Qiao Ruoyun said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, it is a happy event for the Qiao family that the Empress Dowager granted Princess Fulu to marry Lu¡¯er. ¡°But Lu¡¯er lives with Mother in the Qiao Mansion, so it will be very inconvenient to prepare for the wedding. Therefore, Father wants you to persuade Mother to go back to the Duke Mansion.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Why should I? Sister, you shouldn¡¯t be soft-hearted to Father! He is one of the main culprits who caused you to be separated from your parents.¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Your Highness. It¡¯s my mother who forced my sister-in-law to come to see you.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to be angry about. My father and mother have been husband and wife for so many years. If he still doesn¡¯t know how to coax my mother back and only hopes others to help him, he deserves to be alone for the rest of his life.¡± Qiao Ruoyun didn¡¯t say anything more. She was also a woman, and she also felt indignant for her mother. Seeing that Qiao Ruoyun was still gaunt, Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Sister, why are you so pale?¡± Qiao Ruoyun helplessly glanced at her lower abdomen. It had been four years since she married into the Qin family, but she still hadn¡¯t had a child yet. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll have a child soon. Don¡¯t worry¡± ¡°Your Highness, Tong Xuan, the daughter of the former Imperial Censor Tong, asks to see you.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered Tong Xuan. After she mocked her in the racecourse that day, she was so afraid that she would blame her and kept sending her gifts. ¡°Let her in.¡± After Tong Xuan came in, she relaxed a little when she saw Qiao Ruoyun and Qin Miaomiao were there. She handed the 30,000 taels of silver notes to Qiao Jinniang with both hands. ¡°Your Highness, this is our Tong family¡¯s apology.¡± Qiao Jinniang flipped over the notes and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s only been two days. The Tong family is really rich.¡± Tong Xuan said, ¡°It¡¯s not that my family is rich but that my cousin is willing to pay for Tong Yingying. He raised 30,000 taels of silver overnight.¡± ¡°Your cousin?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked. Tong Xuan said, ¡°My cousin is the heir to Duke Wu and also His Royal Highness¡¯s cousin.¡± Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help thinking that she should have fed the small scones that she gave to Zhou Siming yesterday to dogs! Chapter 197 - Lu Chens Teacher Asked Qiao Jinniang to Choose Concubines for Lu Chen Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°I heard from Tong Yingying that Young Master Zhou has a huge crush on her, but she looks down on him. Young Master Zhou is really infatuated with her.¡± Tong Xuan said, ¡°Yes, but I think he is probably blind.¡± After Qiao Jinniang got the money, she didn¡¯t care about the real relationship between Zhou Siming and Tong Yingying. She just needed Tong Yingying to pay the money. After everyone left, Qiao Jinniang looked at the silver notes. The more she looked, the more familiar they were to her. Weren¡¯t these silver notes from Huiyuan Bank? And the boss of Huiyuan Bank was Xie Yun. These silver notes were not from Chang¡¯an, but from Lin¡¯an. Although Huiyuan had a branch in Chang¡¯an, the branch in Chang¡¯an was only for withdrawing silver and couldn¡¯t provide silver notes. There were very few people who had so many silver notes of Huiyuan in Chang¡¯an. Lu Chen came in from outside the door. When he saw Qiao Jinniang counting the silver notes, he said, ¡°Last night, Zhou Siming came to borrow 10,000 taels of money from me. He didn¡¯t want the Duke Wu Mansion to know about it, so I gave him the silver notes you gave me in Lin¡¯an.¡± During the Lantern Festival last year, Lu Chen regained his memory and wanted to go back to Chang¡¯an. Qiao Jinniang was worried he might encounter danger on the way, so she gave him over 10,000 taels of silver as traveling expenses. She had already forgotten about it. If she had remembered, she would have taken back the money at this time last year. Qiao Jinniang counted the banknotes in her hands and said, ¡°No wonder, the more I look at the banknotes, the more familiar they are. So Tong Yingying compensated me with my own money? I must have Zhou Siming repay the money.¡± ¡°What does this have to do with Tong Yingying?¡± Lu Chen asked curiously. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Zhou Siming borrowed such a large sum of money from you, and you didn¡¯t even ask him what it is for?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Why bother? I believe him. Maybe he has some difficulties that he can¡¯t tell Uncle.¡± Qiao Jinniang told Lu Chen about Tong Yingying¡¯s matter. ¡°Zhou Siming loves Tong Yingying, and he compensated me on behalf of Tong Yingying with these banknotes.¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Zhou Siming¡¯s taste can¡¯t be this bad.¡± Qiao Jinniang put away the silver notes and said, ¡°Both Tong Xuan and Qin Miaomiao have confirmed it. How can it be false? If Zhou Siming doesn¡¯t like Tong Yingying, why would he be willing to pay 30,000 taels for her?¡± Thirty thousand taels of silver was a lot of money for anyone. Even for the heir to Duke Wu, this was a huge amount of money. Lu Chen couldn¡¯t refute it, but he always felt that something was wrong. ¡­ In the Duke Wu Mansion. Zhou Shihui had been making trouble for three whole days, still unwilling to learn etiquette and clamoring to go out to see her senior brother. Old Madam Zhou had a headache because of this. Hearing the report of her mammy in her courtyard, Mrs. Zhou frowned and said, ¡°Is it really Tong Yingying?¡± ¡°Yes! Young Master even gave Miss Tong his personal jade pendant!¡± Although Mrs. Zhou was from the Tong family, she certainly cared for her own son more. Tong Yingying¡¯s reputation had been ruined now, and she definitely couldn¡¯t be her daughter-in-law. There were so many girls in Chang¡¯an who were willing to marry her son. Why did he choose Tong Yingying? After all, Tong Yingying was her own niece. It would be inappropriate for her to force them to break up. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s not good. Miss Zhou wants to hang herself!¡± Zhou Shihui was locked in her room, but her whole mind was on Qiao Lu outside. She would never sit by and watch her senior brother marry another girl! Mrs. Zhou¡¯s head was aching. ¡°This girl is just like her mother. They are really¡­¡± But after all, her mother was Old Madam Zhou¡¯s daughter who Old Madam Zhou missed the most, so Mrs. Zhou didn¡¯t say much but just ordered the servants and maids to hide anything that Zhou Sihui could use to hang herself. ¡­ In the East Palace, various flowers were in full bloom. Qiao Jinniang had been in the East Palace for ten days, but she still hadn¡¯t been able to visit the entire East Palace. The East Palace occupied an area of about a thousand acres. It would take several days to walk around it. The backyard of the East Palace was empty, and weeds were invading the many courtyards that weren¡¯t occupied. So many empty courtyards were wasted. Qiao Jinniang felt it a little pity, but she couldn¡¯t think of what to use them for, and she couldn¡¯t help but sigh that it was no wonder that a crown prince could have hundreds of concubines. Even if there were more than a hundred people more, the East Palace could completely accommodate them. ¡°The Crown Princess has been in the East Palace for ten days. How come she hasn¡¯t started to select concubines for His Royal Highness? After all, His Royal Highness doesn¡¯t like the Crown Princess. If we can follow a concubine favored by His Royal Highness, we don¡¯t need to pull the weeds here.¡± ¡°Shh, be careful of being heard.¡± ¡°Who can hear us in such a remote corner? It¡¯s impossible for the Crown Prince to only have the Crown Princess. He has only had one child until now, and he has to perform his obligation to give birth to as many children as possible for the royal family!¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard the imperial maids¡¯ words, she sighed. Even the imperial maids in the East Palace thought so. She cut a few beautiful flowers from the garden and went to Xiande Hall, where Lu Chen and the officials of the East Palace handled official affairs. When Qiao Jinniang arrived with the flowers, Gu Ming saw her from afar outside the hall and came up to greet her. ¡°Your Highness, are you here to look for His Royal Highness?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I picked a lot of flowers in the garden, and I want to put them in Lu Chen¡­ His Royal Highness¡¯s study.¡± Gu Ming said, ¡°Your Highness, please wait a moment. Allow me to report.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned slightly, but she didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for Gu Ming, so she waited outside the hall holding the flowers. After a while, a white-haired old man came over and saluted Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± He was Lu Chen¡¯s teacher. Qiao Jinniang smiled at him and said, ¡°Greetings, Your Excellency. Please get up.¡± The old man was still on his knees and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, you and His Royal Highness have already been married for ten days. Now His Royal Highness¡¯ harem is still empty, and he only has one child. I hope that you can consider for him and arrange to choose concubines for him as soon as possible so that the royal family could have more offspring, which will be a meritorious deed.¡± Qiao Jinniang broke the flower branch in her hand and asked with a smile, ¡°Do you have a daughter, Your Excellency?¡± ¡°Your Highness, my daughter is already over forty years old, so she can¡¯t marry into the East Palace¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. I just want to ask you, will you ask her to choose concubines for her husband only ten days after her wedding?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same thing. The Crown Prince is not an ordinary man, and giving birth to as many offspring as possible for the royal family is the most important state affair!¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher bowed to Qiao Jinniang again and tried to persuade her. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Oh, since it¡¯s so important, why does the East Palace have to keep you and all the other ministers? It would be enough to just have women keep giving birth to children for the Crown Prince, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher frowned and looked at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Your Highness, please respect your identity.¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°If I try to persuade your wife to keep gigolos, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be even more annoyed than me!¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher frowned, secretly despising Qiao Jinninag in his heart. Although she was the daughter of Duke Anyuan, she still grew up in the countryside. She was so petty, jealous and not generous and virtuous at all. Chapter 198 - The East Palace Hosts A Banquet for Concubine Selection The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher said, ¡°Your Highness, do you want to be recorded in the historical records and reviled by later generations like Daji and Baosi? (note: Daji and Baosi are famous morally-corrupt imperial concubines in Chinese history) I said this out of my loyalty to the royal family and for your own good.¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. For her own good? Asking her to choose concubines for her own husband was for her own good? If this old man weren¡¯t Lu Chen¡¯s teacher, she really wanted to scold him to death! At this moment, Gu Ming came out of the hall and invited Qiao Jinniang to enter. Qiao Jinniang entered the study in the palace, put the flowers in the vase, and trimmed the branches. After Lu Chen walked into the study, he said, ¡°My teacher is too old to keep a clear mind. Don¡¯t take his words to heart. Are you angry?¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°Why should I be angry? He is your teacher. How can you say behind his back that he is too old to keep a clear mind? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being impeached by imperial censors?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Not at all.¡± Qiao Jinniang put down the scissors for trimming flowers and said, ¡°However, what he said makes sense. Although I don¡¯t want you to have any concubine, in order not to be recorded in the history books and reviled by later generations, I should do something.¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think you can have concubines! I just think that instead of arguing with that old man and losing my reputation, it¡¯s better to do as he hopes. I will hold a concubine selection banquet, but as for the result, I can¡¯t guarantee.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You are bored in the East Palace anyway. Just do as you like.¡± Qiao Jinniang picked up the scissors and ruthlessly snipped off the roses that were blooming beautifully, leaving only a red peony flower. ¡°Honey, do my flowers look good? Are they beautiful?¡± Gu Ming, who was waiting on the side, secretly took a look at the flowers, only to see that in the precious glazed glass vase, there only left a bunch of bare green branches and a single beautiful peony flower in the middle. No matter how he looked at it, it didn¡¯t look beautiful. But Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Beautiful, it¡¯s very beautiful. Very artistic.¡± The eunuchs and maids in the room: ¡°¡­¡± In Chang¡¯an, many noble girls who had been determined to marry into the East Palace since childhood stretched their necks and waited for news from the imperial palace after Qiao Jinniang got married. Among them, there were also some daughters of senior officials from other places. After the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding, these girls stayed at their relatives¡¯ homes in Chang¡¯an, waiting for the news of the selection of concubines for the Crown Prince. Sure enough, on the sixth day of the fourth lunar month, which was a beautiful spring day, the Crown Princess invited the daughters of all the officials of the fourth rank and above in Chang¡¯an to enter the East Palace to enjoy flowers two days later. This was obviously meant to choose concubines for the Crown Prince. For a time, the threshold of the Jewelry Pavilion was almost stepped flat. Tasty Pavilion was still closed, but the business of Myriad Taste was booming. Nuomi had counted her own savings, which were already more than ten thousand taels of silver, not to mention the generous gifts from the daughters of the officials from other places. They all came to ask Nuomi about the Crown Princess¡¯ preferences. Most of the girls had figured it out. It would be extremely stupid if they tried to seize the Crown Princess¡¯ status. After all, she was the mother of the heir to the Crown Prince and her father was the powerful Duke Anyuan. They might as well please her. Qiao Jinniang had someone tell Nuomi just keep the money, so Nuomi accepted the money happily. In Myriad Taste, Huixiang frowned and said, ¡°Did Master really compromise after marrying into the East Palace?¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Nuomi said, ¡°Master must have other plans.¡± ¡­ In the Tong Mansion, hearing that Zhou Siming did pay for Tong Yingying, Mrs. Tong released Tong Yingying from the firewood room. Although Tong Yingying couldn¡¯t marry into the East Palace, she still had hope to marry into the Duke Wu Mansion. Mrs. Zhou refused to help her natal family because she didn¡¯t need to rely on her natal family. But Tong Yingying was not. If she became the mother-in-law of the heir to Duke Wu, she would definitely be able to live in splendor and wealth. Mrs. Tong said to Tong Yingying, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that Young Master Zhou likes you? So many girls in Chang¡¯an want to marry him!¡± However, Tong Yingying said, ¡°Mother, that¡¯s all you want? Although Zhou Siming is the heir to Duke Wu, how can the Duke Wu Mansion¡¯s power be comparable to the East Palace?! ¡°I, the most intelligent and talented woman in Chang¡¯an, will not marry into the Zhou family that is despised by everyone. ¡°Monopolizing His Majesty from other imperial concubines, Queen Zhou is a disgrace to women, and she has set a bad example for all women in the world! ¡°I am determined to be a role model for all women in the world. How is the mere title of future Duchess Wu worthy of me?¡± Mrs. Tong was puzzled. Tong Yingying was really confident. She even thought a man like Zhou Siming was not good enough for her?! ¡°But your reputation has been ruined. Do you still want to marry into East Palace?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°I have my ways.¡± Zhou Siming always obeyed her words, but she didn¡¯t know why he suddenly changed his attitude two years ago. But this time he was still willing to pay the money for her, which showed that he still has her in his heart. He must even be willing to die for her, so it would be a breeze to ask him to help her marry into the East Palace! On the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, it was very crowded outside the East Palace early in the morning. Many noble girls who received the invitations had arrived at the East Palace early, intending to visit the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. When they walked to the Crown Princess¡¯ palace, they heard the imperial maids say that the Crown Princess had not yet got up. Hearing this, they couldn¡¯t help but look at the sky, and the sun was already hanging high¡­ Wouldn¡¯t the Crown Prince be angry at the Crown Princess? In her bedroom, Qiao Jinniang had already woken up and was leaning on the bed and reading a novel. Hearing the imperial maids¡¯ report, she said, ¡°Let them wait. Remember to give them a few umbrellas. Don¡¯t let the sun burn their skin. Otherwise, someone would feel distressed for them¡­¡± Those who came to the East Palace this early must be desperate to marry her husband. Then don¡¯t blame her for making them suffer a bit. She had specified in the invitation the start time of the banquet. Why did they come so early? Lu Chen, who was beside her, took the novel from her hand and said, ¡°Who would feel distressed for them? Don¡¯t get me involved.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about you. I would feel distressed for them, okay?¡± Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang were reading the novel together. He lost interest after a few glances, and only looked at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s earlobe. After he signaled the imperial maids to leave, he gently bit her earlobe. Qiao Jinniang was preoccupied with the novel, so she said softly, ¡°Stop it.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to go out so early anyway. Instead of reading a novel, why don¡¯t we try to make a daughter?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t believe Lu Chen¡¯s nonsense at all. He talked about having a daughter every day, but after their wedding, he had been taking birth control measures. She didn¡¯t know if he wanted children or not. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. Do you really want to have another child? Xi¡¯er has grown up.¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Lu Chen whispered in her ear, ¡°If we have one more child, we will have less pressure, but then I¡¯ll have to endure for another year¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 199 - Concubine Selection Banquet After a while, Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen came out of the palace together. The noble girls who had been waiting for a long time hurriedly saluted Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang. Although they didn¡¯t dare to look around when they saluted, out of the corner of their eye, they saw the hands of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess clasped together. They had turbulent feelings in their hearts. The Crown Prince got up so late with the Crown Princess¡­ Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Arise, it¡¯s spring now, and the flowers in the backyard of the East Palace are all in full bloom, so I invite you to come over and enjoy the flowers together with me. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect you to come so early.¡± The girls all said their thanks. After that, Qiao Jinniang asked imperial maids to bring them into the garden. The garden of the East Palace covered an area of ??about 100 acres, and there were all kinds of flowers, some of which were planted for the Crown Prince¡¯s wedding and were blooming beautifully. Walking beside Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen picked a light pink peony flower and put it on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s bun. ¡°You look really beautiful wearing a peony.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled and asked, ¡°So I don¡¯t look beautiful when I¡¯m not wearing a peony?¡± Lu Chen smiled. ¡°You¡¯re always beautiful. When you don¡¯t wear peony flowers, you¡¯re as beautiful as Xi Shi, and when wearing peony flowers, you look like a goddess descended from heaven.¡± Qiao Jinniang stepped on Lu Chen¡¯s foot. ¡°Glib-tongued.¡± The girls who were close to them all shivered for fear that Lu Chen would be angry when they heard their conversation and saw Qiao Jinniang step on Lu Chen¡¯s feet. But Lu Chen said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t lie to you. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask these young ladies if the Crown Princess looks like a goddess descended from heaven?¡± The girls: ¡°¡­¡± They were not Tong Yingying. Did they dare say no? They could only rack their brains to praise Qiao Jinniang¡¯s beauty! Among them, some girls had already wanted to back down. The rumor was not true at all that the Crown Prince married the Crown Princess merely for the sake of the Qiao family¡¯s power. Since the two left the palace, their hands had always been clasped together except for when the Crown Prince was picking flowers for the Crown Princess. There was only Qiao Jinniang in the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes. This was not the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine selection banquet, but an occasion for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to play lovey-dovey. The Queen¡¯s palace. Hearing that Duchess Wu and Zhou Sisi came to visit her, the Queen quickly let them in. Duchess Wu said to the Queen, ¡°Your Majesty, we came today because Sisi heard that a banquet would be held in the East Palace today but she didn¡¯t receive an invitation, so she wanted to join the fun in the East Palace.¡± The Queen smiled and said, ¡°I suggest you not. You know the Crown Princess doesn¡¯t like concubines. How can it be a concubine selection banquet?¡± With this in mind, Queen Zhou didn¡¯t intend to go to the banquet at all. Duchess Wu asked the Queen, ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t you mind that Her Highness refuses to choose concubines for His Royal Highness?¡± ¡°Why should I mind? Sister-in-law, as the saying goes, don¡¯t do unto others what you don¡¯t want others to do unto you. I don¡¯t allow His Majesty to have other women after me. How can I have a different standard for my daughter-in-law?¡± Duchess Wu smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. Your words gave me a sort of epiphany.¡± ¡°Is it about Siming?¡± Duchess Wu replied, ¡°Yes, I only learned a few days ago that Siming likes Tong Yingying, my niece, and I had thought Tong Yingying was not worthy of Siming in family background, but you are right, my mother-in-law didn¡¯t despise me because of my family background back then, how can I despise my own niece?¡± Queen Zhou asked in surprise, ¡°Is it the concubine-born daughter of that dismissed imperial censor who falsely took the credit of the Crown Princess¡¯ deeds a few days ago? She is really not worthy of Siming, not just in family background. ¡°Sister-in-law, Siming will be the next Duke Wu. No matter what kind of family his wife is from, you have to make sure she is well-conducted.¡± Duchess Wu entered the imperial palace today because firstly her daughter clamored to go to the East Palace to play, and secondly she wanted to hear the Queen¡¯s opinions on Siming¡¯s marriage. If the Queen didn¡¯t agree, she had to separate Zhou Siming and Tong Yingying even if she would be hated by her natal family. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Auntie, I want to go to the East Palace to play with Imperial Cousin.¡± Queen Zhou smiled. ¡°Okay, then go ahead.¡± ¡­ In the East Palace, many noble girls were already uneasy as if there were ants in their pants. The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were too much! The Crown Princess went to pick the thorny roses, and before her finger even bled, the Crown Prince had already put her finger in his mouth to help her ¡°stop the bleeding¡±. And he even called an imperial doctor over. If the imperial doctor came a little late, the ¡°wound¡± might have healed up¡­ What did they do wrong to be punished like this? After the imperial doctor bandaged Qiao Jinniang¡¯s finger, Qiao Jinniang whispered to Lu Chen, ¡°You are acting a little too much.¡± Lu Chen frowned and looked at Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m acting?¡± He was really worried about her just now, afraid that she would hurt her hand, but she thought he was acting. Qiao Jinniang caught Lu Chen¡¯s gaze. She had planned to show off how much Lu Chen loved her at today¡¯s banquet. There were only three types of women who wanted to be Lu Chen¡¯s concubines. The first type was like the former Consort Mediocre, who had been educated to marry into the imperial palace since she was a child. Marrying into the imperial palace was her life goal. The second type was like Tong Yingying, who wanted to climb to a high position and make her family look at her with admiration. The third type was the girls who had a yearning for the East Palace but it would be fine if they couldn¡¯t marry into it, just like Fulu used to be. She and Lu Chen were showing off their affection, which would definitely make most of the girls dispel the idea of ??marrying into the East Palace. After all, if the Crown Prince loved the Crown Princess this much, why did they have to forcibly step in between them? For those who still didn¡¯t give up, she would think of other ways. She had thought they were acting in front of these noble girls from the very beginning, but Lu Chen actually said no¡­ Qiao Jinniang withdrew her gaze. Then she heard an eunuch announce that the Queen had arrived, and everyone went to the gate of the garden to greet the Queen. When some noble girls heard that the Queen arrived, their hearts stirred. The Queen had come. It seemed that the banquet today was really a concubine selection banquet. The Queen came in and walked up to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Arise, I heard that your finger is injured? Be careful with the rose thorns.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Mother, I¡¯m fine.¡± Qiao Jinniang quickly withdrew her hand, fearing that others would see that her wound had already healed. The Queen said to the girls. ¡°I heard that you are arranging flowers here. I¡¯m also very interested in flower arrangement. Let¡¯s hold a flower arrangement competition and select a winner today, okay?¡± Zhou Sisi said with a smile. ¡°Okay, Auntie, I want to join the competition too!¡± The girls were thinking, were flower arrangement skills one of the criteria for the concubine selection? Thus, they all tried their best to win the competition, arranging flowers in the porcelain vase. There was a flower arrangement style of many colorful flowers and an artistic style of a single flower. All kinds of flower arrangement works were dazzlingly beautiful. Everyone looked at the flower arrangement work of the Crown Princess and couldn¡¯t help but frown. The Crown Princess picked flowers of different colors just now, but why were there only bare branches left now? Could it be that she never learned flower arrangement in the countryside? No, the flower arrangements in Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion were very beautiful. Even if they weren¡¯t done by Qiao Jinniang herself, she shouldn¡¯t have arranged the flowers so terribly. Chapter 200 - : Zhou Sisi Will Never Marry into the East Palace In Qiao Jinniang¡¯s vase, among the green branches, there was a single blooming peony in the middle. Although there was no artistic conception that a flower arrangement should have, many daughters had already figured out the meaning of this flower arrangement. Queen Zhou¡¯s gaze swept across the vases of the girls and said, ¡°Chen¡¯er, which flower arrangement here do you like most?¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s vase in his hand and admired it. ¡°I like the Crown Princess¡¯ flower arrangement the most. ¡°The peony is of unrivaled beauty. If the other flowers are put together with the peony, they will only be overshone.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled and said, ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Your Royal Highness.¡± Many girls had understood the meaning of the Crown Prince¡¯s words. Peony had always been known as the king of flowers. The Crown Princess only left a peony to warn them that there could only be one flower in the East Palace. One of the girls who was bolder saluted and asked the Queen, ¡°Your Majesty, may I ask which flower arrangement you like most?¡± Queen Zhou smiled and said, ¡°I think the same as the Crown Prince. The Crown Princess¡¯s flower arrangement is the best. ¡°Peony is the most beautiful flower. When the peony comes out, all other flowers become colorless. So a single peony is enough.¡± The girls all smiled and said yes. Fortunately, although they didn¡¯t achieve their purposes today, the dishes at the banquet were indeed delicious. After all, the cooks of Tasty Pavilion often came to the East Palace to teach the cooks in the East Palace how to cook when they were free. With the craftsmanship of the chef of Tasty Pavilion, the dishes here were certainly delicious. When the girls left the imperial palace, the fourth daughter of the Qin family was surrounded by two girls who had been friends with her since childhood. One of the girls said, ¡°I had thought it was a concubine selection banquet for the Crown Prince, but now it seems that the Crown Prince really loves the Crown Princess. Even if I can marry into the East Palace, I¡¯m not going to have an easy time.¡± ¡°Yes, the Crown Princess had already made it pretty clear when she was arranging flowers. All the other flowers were outshone and only the peony flower was left¡­¡± But Fourth Miss Qin didn¡¯t think so. She said, ¡°A man¡¯s love is unreliable. The Crown Prince can dote on the Crown Princess, so can he dote on someone else. Besides, are we marrying into the East Palace for the favor of the Crown Prince?¡± The two girls shook their heads. Exactly, how could a wise woman count on the Crown Prince¡¯s favor? They wanted to marry into the East Palace to earn face and the supreme glory for their family. Fourth Miss Qin turned around and gazed at the majestic East Palace. After Old Madam Qin was sent to a manor, Mrs. Qin was now in charge of the Qin family. Qin Miaomiao was going to be married and was learning how to manage a big family. Her mom¡¯s life in the Qin Mansion was not easy, and her father was unreliable and had many concubines, so she was the only one her mom could count on. Qin Miaomiao had no intention of marrying into the East Palace, so if the Qin family wanted to marry off a daughter into the East Palace, it must be her. She was confident that she could win this man¡¯s favor. ¡­ In the East Palace, after all the girls left, only Zhou Sisi was unwilling to leave. She followed Lu Chen¡¯s side all the time. Wherever Lu Chen went, she was there. There was only Lu Chen in her eyes. ¡°Cousin, would you like to play sculpting with Sisi? You taught Sisi to carve things when you were a child, and Sisi wants Cousin to continue to teach me.¡± Zhou Sisi reached out and tugged at Lu Chen¡¯s sleeve. Qiao Jinniang chuckled and said, ¡°Sisi, if you want to play carving, I can teach you. Hongling, go fetch some radishes.¡± Zhou Sisi frowned and snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to teach me. I want my cousin Lu Chen to teach me!¡± Lu Chen waved his sleeve to throw off Zhou Sisi¡¯s hand and said to her, ¡°Be good. Your cousin-in-law¡¯s knife skills are unparalleled in the world, and her carving skills are even better than those of old masters.¡± Qiao Jinniang took a knife for carving and carved on a radish very quickly, and soon a small pigeon was carved. Zhou Sisi only said one word. ¡°Ugly!¡± ¡°Sisi!¡± Duchess Wu was so frightened that she broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Your cousin-in-law is so good at carving!¡± Duchess Wu said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, she is just a child and doesn¡¯t know what she is talking about. Please don¡¯t take her words to heart.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Auntie, since you said so, if I am angry at a child, I would seem too petty.¡± Duchess Wu had already sensed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s displeasure. As a mother, however, she was biased towards her own child. Although Zhou Sisi was really rude, she was a child after all. Her poor daughter¡¯s life had already been ruined. No one in Chang¡¯an would mind what she said, and only Qiao Jinniang would be so petty. She had thought Qiao Jinninang was a special woman before she married into the East Palace. Now that she had become the Crown Princess, she was so jealous that she couldn¡¯t even tolerate this poor little girl? But Duchess Wu didn¡¯t dare to say her true thoughts. She just scolded Zhou Sisi. Zhou Sisi pouted as if she had been greatly wronged. She walked to Lu Chen¡¯s side and said, ¡°Cousin, I heard from my sister that you are going to choose a concubine. Sisi also wants to live in the East Palace. I want to play with you all the time.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No, I already have my wife, and I will only play with my wife.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhou Sisi snorted. ¡°Cousin, you weren¡¯t like this when you were a child. You promised Sisi that you would love Sisi for the rest of your life. Now with her, you don¡¯t play with Sisi anymore.¡± After saying that, Zhou Sisi burst into tears. Duchess Wu looked at the Queen beside her in embarrassment and braced herself to say, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Sisi is just a child who doesn¡¯t know anything except playing around. Please just coax her a little, and she won¡¯t take it seriously.¡± The Queen also nodded and said to Zhou Sisi, ¡°Sisi, be good. Your cousin is joking with you. Your cousin is on vacation these days. You can come to the East Palace to play with him and your cousin-in-law.¡± Just as Lu Chen was about to refuse, he was stopped by the queen¡¯s eyes. Lu Chen couldn¡¯t reject his mother in front of his aunt. Zhou Sisi looked at Lu Chen with her deer-like eyes and said, ¡°Really? Cousin?¡± Lu Chen could only nod his head. After Duchess Wu took Zhou Sisi to leave, Lu Chen said, ¡°Mother¡­ although Zhou Sisi is like an ignorant child, what she said was inappropriate.¡± Queen Zhou only said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, don¡¯t think that every girl wants to marry into the East Palace. The women of the Zhou family don¡¯t want to be a member of someone¡¯s harem and share their husband with other women. No matter what the outsiders say, the Zhou family has never intended to marry off Sisi into the East Palace. ¡°She is just an innocent child. You can treat her like your sister.¡± Qiao Jinniang could only respond, ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± With Queen Zhou¡¯s words, Qiao Jinniang was relieved. Otherwise, with Zhou Sisi¡¯s identity, if she wanted to marry into the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang would have no chance to stop it. Queen Zhou said to Qiao Jinniang again, ¡°Jinniang, today¡¯s banquet can¡¯t make the ministers shut up for long. You and Chen¡¯er have to have another child as soon as possible.¡± Qiao Jinniang replied, ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Chapter 201 - Give Prince Huai A Concubine Early in the morning the next day, Consort Huai, Consort Qi and others came to the East Palace. Li Lingling had heard that there was a flower viewing banquet in the East Palace yesterday, and came to inquire about how many girls had been selected to marry into the East Palace. Although she had become Consort Huai, she had never let go of her obsession. She was different from those superficial women. She had fallen in love with her imperial cousin since she was a child. Although she knew that the Empress Dowager hated the Crown Prince. Now Li Lingling hated Lu Chen but she still couldn¡¯t forget him, and the last thing she wanted to see was that Qiao Jinniang was favored by the Crown Prince. As soon as Qiao Jinniang got up, she heard the news that Li Lingling had entered the imperial palace. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why does she enter the imperial palace every single day even before dawn? Prince Huai might as well move his residence to the imperial palace!¡± Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s exactly what Prince Huai wants!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She and Lu Chen agreed that Prince Huai was not as indifferent to power as he seemed. Prince Mediocre was too scheming but didn¡¯t know how to hide it. On the other side, Prince Huai¡¯s real thoughts were difficult to detect, but the only thing that was certain was that, as the first son of the Emperor who had many people supporting him, could he really be willing to be a mere minister? He kept a low profile when everyone was praising him to be worthy of becoming the crown prince. It could be seen that Prince Huai¡¯s heart was unfathomable! When Qiao Jinniang walked in, Li Lingling bowed to her reluctantly. ¡°Why did you come so early today, Sister-in-law?¡± Li Lingling smiled and said, ¡°I heard that there was a flower viewing banquet in the East Palace yesterday, and I think you may have a few sisters in the East Palace soon, so I came to congratulate the Crown Princess for having some sisters as company.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that you enter the imperial palace as soon as the palace door opens every day, Sister-in-law. It turns out that you need more sisters to accompany you in Prince Huai Mansion. That¡¯s really the fault of the Crown Prince and I. How can we forget that Consort Huai doesn¡¯t have enough sisters as company? ¡°I will ask Mother to choose a few sisters to marry into the Prince Huai Mansion to share your worries!¡± Li Lingling¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t care about Prince Huai¡¯s favor. She only hated that Prince Huai had been holding back and couldn¡¯t let her take revenge. But even though she didn¡¯t care about the favor of Prince Huai, it didn¡¯t mean that she wanted her husband to have more concubines! Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother must have got up by this time. Let¡¯s go to her palace to greet her and report this matter to her by the way. Consort Qi, Consort Lu, do you need more sisters at home as well?¡± The two consorts hurriedly shook their heads and glared at Li Lingling. If it weren¡¯t for the fear of offending the Empress Dowager, they wouldn¡¯t want to associate with Li Lingling at all! When they arrived at the Queen¡¯s palace, Qiao Jinniang reported this matter to the Queen, and Queen Zhou asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Which girls do you think are suitable to be Prince Huai¡¯s concubines?¡± Queen Zhou didn¡¯t want to be involved in this matter too much. She was the Queen, but she was also the princes¡¯ nominal mother. If the concubines¡¯ family background was too low, Prince Huai might be angry, but if their family background was very high, their family might complain. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I have met the fourth daughter of the Qin family several times. She is a very nice girl and deserves to be the concubine of Brother Huai.¡± Li Lingling stood up and glared at Qiao Jinniang, but thinking that the Empress Dowager was not here, she could only hold back. How dare she, Qiao Jinniang! Did she think that their alliance with the Qin family was unshakable because Qin Shu¡¯s wife was her sister? How could she be willing to marry off one of the most outstanding daughters of Duke Qin to Prince Huai as his concubine? Wasn¡¯t she afraid that Prince Huai would take the opportunity to win over Duke Qin? After all, Qiao Jinniang and Qin Shu¡¯s wife were not related by blood! But Fourth Miss Qin was the Qin family¡¯s daughter. What Li Lingling was more worried about was that if Fourth Miss Qin married into the Prince Huai Mansion, she might threaten her status¡­ The Queen said, ¡°Oh, Fourth Miss Qin? I remember that her sister is a good girl, so she can¡¯t be bad. Okay, pass on my decree.¡± Li Lingling wanted to rush to the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace and beg the Empress Dowager to stop it, but on a second thought, she realized that through this marriage, the Prince Huai Mansion and the Duke Qin Mansion would be connected, and both the Queen and the Crown Princess had agreed to this marriage. The Empress Dowager must be more than willing to agree to it! When Li Lingling and Qiao Jinniang left the queen¡¯s palace side by side, Li Lingling removed her disguise and lowered her voice, speaking in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too soon. ¡°Do you think your sister who has no blood relationship with the Qin family is more important to the Qin family than Fourth Miss Qin? ¡°You let Fourth Miss Qin be the concubine of Prince Huai, which is basically sending the Qin family to be on the same boat with Prince Huai. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that the Crown Prince will call you stupid?¡± How could the Crown Prince not blame Qiao Jinniang for pushing the Duke Qin Mansion to Prince Huai? Li Lingling really wanted to go to the East Palace to watch the fun. Qiao Jinniang looked at Li Lingling in surprise. Li Lingling smiled and said, ¡°Are you scared silly, Crown Princess?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head, still looking extremely panicked. Li Lingling was even more smug. ¡°A woman like you only deserves to manage restaurants. See? Only a few days in the imperial palace, you¡¯ve made such a disastrous mistake.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Sister-in-law, His Royal Highness and I had both thought that Brother Huai was innocent and was set up by Prince Mediocre, but you mean that Brother Huai really has ulterior motives? ¡°And you even want to form a party to seize the throne? ¡°I just wanted to find a suitable concubine for Brother Huai, but you actually regard it this way! I¡¯ll report this to His Majesty and His Royal Highness!¡± Now the one in panic became Li Lingling. She anxiously said, ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about slandering me. Who heard me say that? His Majesty will never believe your false accusation.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°As long as His Royal Highness believes me. ¡°I wonder what Brother Huai will do if he learns that he has been holding back for so long but his ambitions were exposed by you so easily? Li Lingling felt chills all over. Now she just wanted to slap herself hard! ¡­ Back in the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang told Lu Chen what happened just now. Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t know how ugly her expression was just now. I got her a concubine so that she won¡¯t be so idle to enter the imperial palace so early every day.¡± Lu Chen laughed too. ¡°I will have someone tell Prince Huai the silly words that Li Lingling said. I think she will disappear from your eyes for quite a while.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I pushed the Qin family to Prince Huai. Don¡¯t you blame me?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It is nothing but a daydream if Prince Huai wants to rely on the Qin family to win the throne.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°I think so too. Although my parents are not that reliable, my grandmother is very wise. Qin Shu is the husband that my grandmother chose for Sister Ruoyun. He never blames Ruoyun for being unable to have children. Such a man will definitely not stupidly rebel for wealth and power! I think he is a good husband.¡± ¡°How do you know that Qin Shu is a good husband? Fortunately, Concubine Qian exchanged you and Qiao Ruoyun. Otherwise, you would be Qin Shu¡¯s wife.¡± Qiao Jinniang smelled jealousy and smiled. ¡°Of course he¡¯s not as good as you! ¡°Even if we weren¡¯t exchanged, with my honey in Chang¡¯an, who is so incomparably handsome and intelligent, how can Qin Shu catch my eyes?¡± If she hadn¡¯t been exchanged with Qiao Ruoyun, they might have known each other since childhood¡­ Lu Chen put his arm around her waist, placed her on the couch, and began to kiss her¡­ ¡°Imperial Cousin, Sisi is here to play with you.¡± Chapter 202 - Zhou Sisi Ruined the Birthday Gift from Qiao Jinniang to Lu Chen The two who were lying on the chaise lounge frowned when they heard the sound from outside the hall. Lu Chen wanted to ignore the voices outside, but Qiao Jinniang was no longer in the mood. She tidied up her clothes. ¡°Lu Chen, if we had known each other since we were children, would you marry me?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you marry Qiao Ruoyun?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Qiao Ruoyun and Qin Shu were engaged since childhood. Qiao Ruoyun never entered the imperial palace to avoid trouble before getting married, so I didn¡¯t even know her before, and even if I knew her, I wouldn¡¯t like her character.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°So if I weren¡¯t swapped with Qiao Ruoyun, you would definitely not have married me.¡± ¡°Who said that? I¡¯m the Crown Prince. Even if you had married Qin Shu, I would still have snatched you over.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Did you secretly read my novels?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± At the door, Zhou Sisi¡¯s voice became louder and louder. ¡°Imperial Cousin, Imperial Cousin, Sisi is here. If you still don¡¯t come out to see Sisi, Sisi will be angry.¡± Qiao Jinniang walked to the door, opened it and said, ¡°Hi, Sisi.¡± Zhou Sisi trotted up to Lu Chen and stuffed a wood carving she had made into Lu Chen¡¯s arms. ¡°This is for Imperial Cousin.¡± Qiao Jinniang who was ignored: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen returned the wood carving to Zhou Sisi and said, ¡°Be good, Sisi. Keep it for yourself. There is no place for this in the East Palace.¡± Zhou Sisi blinked her bright eyes, and Lu Chen¡¯s figure was reflected in her eyes. She said, ¡°Imperial Cousin can put it in your study. There is a big space in your study where you can put this wooden figurine.¡± Lu Chen couldn¡¯t refuse and he didn¡¯t want Zhou Sisi to stay in the East Palace for a long time, so he agreed with her to put the wooden figurine in his study. As soon as Zhou Sisi entered Lu Chen¡¯s study, she picked up the little tiger that Lu Chen had placed on the chair. ¡°What a cute little tiger!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Sisi, put it down. This is the birthday gift your cousin made for me.¡± When Zhou Sisi put it down, her sleeves somehow knocked over the cinnabar ink that Lu Chen used to review memorials and the cinnabar ink spilled on the tiger, making it look as if blood stained it. Lu Chen frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°Someone take Miss Zhou to the Queen¡¯s palace, and don¡¯t let her step into the East Palace again.¡± Zhou Sisi said with teary eyes. ¡°Imperial Cousin, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Sisi can make little tigers too. Sisi will make a little tiger for you.¡± Lu Chen cherished this birthday gift very much. Although it was the least valuable of all birthday gifts he had received, it was made by Qiao Jinniang with her own hands. Fearing that Little Lu Xi would spot it and take it away, he deliberately placed it in his study to accompany him to work. Now it was destroyed by Zhou Sisi. It was stained by cinnabar ink, and he didn¡¯t know if it could be washed clean. Standing at the door of the study and seeing the little tiger doll she made with her own hands was destroyed, Qiao Jinniang said in displeasure, ¡°Why does everyone say she is still a child? If she is really a child, she will only like little dolls like this. How could she possibly destroy it?¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I ordered someone to send her back to my mother¡¯s palace.¡± When Zhou Sisi returned to the Queen¡¯s palace, the Emperor was accompanying the Queen for lunch. When he heard the imperial decree issued by the Queen today, Emperor Huilin complained, ¡°You dote on the Crown Princess too much. I had thought that I could at least have many delicious foods to eat after she marries into the imperial palace, but how long has it been since she was married? Except for those meat scones, she cooked nothing else at all!¡± The Queen chuckled and said, ¡°She is the Crown Princess after all. If she stays in the kitchen all day long, you might say that she is not worthy of being the Crown Princess. I heard that she is teaching the cooks in the East Palace how to cook. You can ask her to teach your cooks as well.¡± ¡°Boohoo, Auntie.¡± At this moment, Zhou Sisi trotted in and threw herself into Queen Zhou¡¯s arms. Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Who is so daring to make Sisi cry?¡± Zhou Sisi sobbed and said, ¡°Auntie, Sisi accidentally knocked over, boohoo, the ink, and the ink spilled on the little tiger that Cousin-in-law made for Imperial Cousin. Boohoo, now Imperial Cousin doesn¡¯t allow me to go to the East Palace anymore.¡± Queen Zhou patted Zhou Sisi¡¯s back and comforted her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have destroyed your cousin¡¯s doll. Your cousin said that in a fit of anger. You just need to apologize to him and it¡¯ll be fine.¡± However, Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Why did Chen¡¯er act like a child? What kind of doll is that? How could he make this child cry so sadly?¡± ¡°Be good, Sisi, let me take you to the East Palace and let¡¯s see if he dares to forbid you from entering.¡± Zhou Sisi wiped away her tears and smiled sweetly. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± In the East Palace, the imperial maids used a lot of soap, trying to wash off the cinnabar ink on the tiger doll, but it couldn¡¯t be washed off. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t wash anymore. Cinnabar is poisonous. Just throw this doll away.¡± Lu Chen would use cinnabar ink to draw circles when reviewing memorials, and would not touch it, but the cinnabar on the doll would inevitably be touched by his hands. It didn¡¯t matter if Lu Chen touched it, but Qiao Jinniang was afraid that Lu Chen would touch Xi¡¯er with the hand that had touched the cinnabar, or that Xi¡¯er might play with the contaminated doll. It was better to throw it away. However, it was a pity that her several days of hard work was wasted. After all, she sewed the tiger doll stitch by stitch herself. It was her birthday gift for Lu Chen, so it was made with meticulous care. She had embroidered the pattern of the little tiger for a long time. Because of cooking, there were calluses on her hands. She was afraid that her hands might roughen the thread, so every time she touched silk threads, she was very careful, which hurt her eyes very much. It was a pity to just throw it away, but cinnabar ink was poisonous. Lu Chen said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to throw it away. I¡¯ll lock it in a glass box.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s better to throw it away. Cinnabar may have seeped into the cotton inside. If Xi¡¯er finds it, he might be poisoned.¡± Lu Chen always had a feeling that if he threw this one away, Qiao Jinniang would not make him a second one. ¡°Then if this one is thrown away, can there be a second one?¡± Qiao Jinniang pointed to the sun in the sky and said, ¡°It¡¯s not night yet. Why are you daydreaming?¡± Lu Chen was really annoyed with Zhou Sisi. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, the little Highness is back. It¡¯s time for lunch.¡± When Qiao Jinniang went out, she saw Little Lu Xi plunged into Lu Chen¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Father, Mother, the little tiger!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°The little tiger? Does Xi¡¯er like the little tiger?¡± ¡°Yes! But since that little tiger belongs to Daddy, I can¡¯t take it. Aunt Nuomi said that children can¡¯t touch other people¡¯s things!¡± Little Lu Xi said. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mommy will make a new one for you so that Xi¡¯er can play with it.¡± Little Lu Xi leaned over and kissed Qiao Jinniang on the cheek. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± ¡°His Majesty, Her Majesty, and Miss Zhou are here.¡± The voice of an eunuch came from the door. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen looked at each other and went to the gate of the East Palace to greet them. Chapter 203 - Help Zhou Shihui Escape Out of the Zhou Family Emperor Huilin said in a loud voice, ¡°Chen¡¯er, Sisi is just a child. What¡¯s the big deal of her getting your doll dirty? Just let the Crown Princess make another one for you. Why did you scare her like that? How can you explain this to your grandma and uncle? She is the apple of the eye of the Zhou family!¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°Father, that doll was made by the Crown Princess with her own hands. It is unique.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Your child is already in school and you are still playing with a doll? Besides, it¡¯s just a little doll. It won¡¯t take much effort for the Crown Princess to make another one.¡± Queen Zhou said to Jinniang, ¡°Sisi is just a child, and she didn¡¯t deliberately get your doll dirty. Sisi, apologize.¡± Zhou Sisi cried pitifully and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cousin, Cousin-in-law. Don¡¯t hate Sisi. Sisi will compensate you with a doll.¡± Queen Zhou smiled and said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. Sisi, you should go back now. Come to play next time.¡± Zhou Sisi reluctantly was led away by a mammy of the Queen. Queen Zhou said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Sisi is just a child. Chen¡¯er and you are adults. If people hear that you got mad at a child for a doll, they will laugh at you, right?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t bother to be mad at a child.¡± Perhaps Queen Zhou felt that Qiao Jinniang was aggrieved this time. After returning to her palace, she had someone send over a lot of rewards, which were all very precious. Some were even priceless treasures. Qiao Jinniang knew what Queen Zhou meant. She didn¡¯t want her to feel wronged, but for the sake of the relationship with the Duke Wu Mansion and the face of the royal family, she could only scold her. ¡­ Zhou Sisi returned to the Duke Wu Mansion and sat by the lake gloomily. Hearing the shouts from Zhou Shihui¡¯s room, Zhou Sisi went to Zhou Shihui¡¯s courtyard. For the past few days, Zhou Shihui had exhausted all means to escape. She tried to hang herself and went on a hunger strike, but these methods were all useless to Old Madam Zhou. When she tried to hang herself, the maids got her down at the last moment, and when she was on a hunger strike, Old Madam Zhou had the maids roast mutton everywhere, and the fragrance assailed Zhou Shihui¡¯s nostrils. How could Zhou Shihui resist her nature? Locked in the yard, she could only keep calling out to her grandmother. Zhou Sisi sneaked into Zhou Shihui¡¯s courtyard. Zhou Shihui looked at the bright and clear eyes of her cousin who was said to be a moron, but she didn¡¯t think Zhou Sisi looked stupid at all. ¡°Cousin.¡± Zhou Sisi tilted her head and asked, ¡°Do you want to go out?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going out to save my senior brother. My senior brother must have been forced to marry Fulu by the Crown Princess. How could he fall in love with that notorious woman?¡± Zhou Sisi pointed to Zhou Shihui¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Let¡¯s exchange clothes. I¡¯ll help you out so that the bad woman won¡¯t get her way.¡± Zhou Shihui¡¯s eyes lit up. Why didn¡¯t she think of this method. ¡°Thank you, Cousin. Let¡¯s exchange clothes quickly!¡± Although Zhou Sisi was retarded, the Zhou family didn¡¯t confine her. She only needed to be accompanied by a maid wherever she wanted to go. Zhou Sisi called over her maid and said, ¡°Bad people want to snatch my sister¡¯s senior brother. You, treat her as me!¡± The maid hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t do this! If I¡¯m not by your side, what if something happens to you?!¡± Zhou Sisi pretended to be fierce and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t do what I say, I¡¯ll tell my mother that you bullied me.¡± Her maid, Xiao Ju, kowtowed in fright. ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Zhou Shihui said in a cold voice, ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re just a maid. Do you look down upon your master and I because your master is like a child and I grew up in folk? How dare you disobey your master and I?¡± Xiao Ju hurriedly said, ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t mean that, but my master needs someone in her company. If something happens to her¡­¡± Zhou Shihui said, ¡°She will pretend to be me and stay in my room. She won¡¯t go out at all. What would happen to her?¡± Zhou Sisi also said, ¡°Xiao Ju, I¡¯m going to tell my mother that you don¡¯t take my orders and bully me!¡± Faced with this predicament, Xiao Ju could only take Zhou Sisi¡¯s order. As her maid, what choice was she left with? Zhou Shihui changed into Zhou Sisi¡¯s clothes and put on a veil. With Xiao Ju walking on her side, she pretended to be Zhou Shihui and walked out of the courtyard. The guards thought that this was Zhou Sisi and didn¡¯t stop her. Zhou Shihui left the Zhou Mansion and went straight towards the Anyuan Duke Mansion. On the way, she heard that Princess Fulu and Third Miss Qin, Qin Miaomiao, was having a competition in Myriad Taste today, and many people went to watch the fun. Zhou Shihui followed these people. Qin Miaomiao really didn¡¯t want to fight with Fulu anymore. She was a grown-up and had finally been engaged to Lin Mo. And Mrs. Lin hoped that her future daughter-in-law was a gentle and obedient woman. But Fulu was too much, kept belittling Lin Mo and extolling Qiao Lu in front of her. It just so happened that Lin Mo and Qiao Lu were both dining in Myriad Taste today. As soon as Qin Miaomiao and Fulu met in Myriad Taste, they began to quarrel, and in the end, they decided to have their future husbands have a competition in talent in Myriad Taste. Lin Mo looked at Qiao Lu who was younger than him and really didn¡¯t want to compete. After all, if he beat Qiao Lu, he couldn¡¯t explain to His Royal Highness. His Royal Highness pampered his Crown Princess so much. If he made His Royal Highness¡¯s brother-in-law lose face, he would never be able to eat the delicious scones made by the Crown Princess. But if he lost the competition, it would be a disgrace. After all, Qiao Lu was only a seventeen-year-old boy. Qiao Lu cupped his hands at Lin Mo and said, ¡°Young Master Lin, please enlighten me.¡± Lin Mo: ¡°Young Master Qiao, you¡¯re too modest.¡± Zhou Siming, Junior Duke Rong and Princess Xiliang were all watching on the side. The competition was to write poems about flowers, and it could be their poems or someone else¡¯s. Within an hour, whoever wrote the most poems would win! Samo¡¯er watched them writing rapidly and glanced at Junior Duke Rong next to her. ¡°Can you write poems like them?¡± Junior Duke Rong touched his nose and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Who do you think will win? Come on, everyone, let¡¯s bet on who will win! Maybe we can earn some silver taels!¡± Zhou Siming¡¯s gaze swept over the two people in front of him. Qiao Lu was worthy of being the new Flower Picking Childe. Both his calligraphy and poetry were excellent. After two quarters of an hour, the speed of the two slowed down, and all the poems they knew were exhausted, and for some simple poems, Qiao Lu and Lin Mo were disdainful to use them. Both Lin Mo and Qiao Lu began to write their own poems. Qin Miaomiao walked up to Lin Mo and whispered a few words to him. Seeing this, Fulu frowned and said, ¡°Qin Miaomiao, you are cheating. How can you help him write poems?¡± Qin Miaomiao snorted. ¡°Did you say I wasn¡¯t allowed to help him? You can help Qiao Lu too, but unfortunately, you¡¯re illiterate, haha!¡± ¡°Who said that? I still know some characters, okay?¡± Fulu said proudly. The onlookers: ¡°¡­¡± Junior Duke Rong tugged at Fulu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°You better shut up. Don¡¯t ruin our royal family¡¯s reputation.¡± Chapter 204 - Zhou Shihui Was Thrown into Jail When Zhou Shihui came over, she stood on tiptoe to watch and asked the onlookers at the door, ¡°What kind of a competition is going on inside?¡± The people said, ¡°Young Master Qiao, the future husband of Princess Fulu, and Mr. Lin Mo, the future husband of Third Miss Qin, are having a competition in writing poems. Within an hour, whoever writes more poems will win. ¡°Young Master Lin has Third Miss Qin to help him, so it seems he is going to win!¡± Zhou Shihui finally saw her senior brother who she had been missing so much these days. He was writing as fast as he could at the table. Zhou Shihui hurried forward and wanted to ask her senior brother¡¯s real thoughts. But she knew that Senior Brother must not lose to Lin Mo. Zhou Shihui walked up to Qiao Lu and said to him, ¡°Senior Brother, let me help you.¡± Seeing Zhou Sihui who appeared out of nowhere, Fulu said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. If the Duke Wu Mansion hadn¡¯t locked you up at home, I would have settled scores with you earlier!¡± ¡°Why did you so shamelessly try to snatch my fiance? Do you think I will spare you just because you¡¯re Duke Wu¡¯s niece?¡± ¡°My future husband doesn¡¯t need your help! Stop being disgusting!¡± Zhou Siming walked between Fulu and Zhou Shihui, and said to Zhou Shihui, ¡°Why did you come out? And why are you wearing Sisi¡¯s clothes? Xiao Ju, shouldn¡¯t you be with Miss? Why are you by my cousin¡¯s side?¡± Xiao Ju quickly knelt down and said, ¡°Young Master, I¡­¡± Zhou Shihui said, ¡°Cousin, my cousin and I forced Xiao Ju to help me escape. Princess Fulu, why do you want to settle scores with me? ¡°My senior brother doesn¡¯t like you at all. How can you so despicably force him to marry you?! ¡°Even if the Crown Princess is my senior brother¡¯s elder sister, she can¡¯t force him to marry a woman he doesn¡¯t like!¡± Qiao Lu quickly put down his writing brush and said with a frown, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I love Xiangxiang. I won¡¯t marry any other woman except for Xiangxiang!¡± Princess Fulu said with a little shyness, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t call my name in public!¡± Qiao Lu clasped her hand and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll only call your name in private. Miss Zhou, please respect yourself! ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of the Crown Prince and Duke Wu that we forgave you for making use of Consort Huai to frame our Duke Anyuan Mansion and Princess Shou¡¯an Mansion. ¡°If you still don¡¯t stop, we won¡¯t let you off easily.¡± Embarrassed, Zhou Siming said to his servants, ¡°Tie her up and send her back home!¡± Zhou Shihui frowned and said, ¡°Senior Brother, are you being pressured to say this? Princess Fulu is notorious in Chang¡¯an, and everyone knows that she has no knowledge or skills¡­¡± ¡°Bah, who do you think you are?! How dare you scold Princess Fulu?!¡± ¡°Exactly, she is just the illegitimate daughter of Duke Wu¡¯s sister. Where did she get the nerve to scold Princess Fulu?¡± The people who were looking on were all angry. Princess Fulu was very generous and often tipped them generously, and she liked to defend commoners against injustices. Although she often quarreled with Third Miss Qin, she had never done anything bad. Although she never obeyed the rules imposed on women, she was a good girl in the eyes of the common people. When encountering people living in poverty, she would generously throw her purse to them. When encountering rogues, she would help the commoners drive them away! The people in Chang¡¯an literally watched her grow up from a little girl. How could they allow others to insult her? Zhou Shihui was shocked. She had thought that the people in Chang¡¯an disliked this notorious woman, but to her surprise, the commoners were actually defending her. Qin Miaomiao also snorted. ¡°Although Fulu and I are at odds, who do you think you are? What makes you think you can scold her? ¡°Even Zhou Sisi wouldn¡¯t dare to scold a princess, and you are only Duke Wu¡¯s niece, hmph!¡± Junior Duke Rong came out and said, ¡°Zhou Siming, don¡¯t blame me for not giving you face. As you can see, this woman is scolding Little Gourd in public!¡± Zhou Siming didn¡¯t intend to protect this cousin who appeared out of nowhere. One was the princess who grew up with him and always followed behind their buttocks when they were children. The other was his cousin who he had only met for two to three times. Zhou Siming certainly could tell which one was more important to him. ¡°Zhou Shihui, apologize!¡± Zhou Shihui looked at the people around her. She didn¡¯t understand why everyone was on the side of Princess Fulu, that ignorant, unskilled, willful and rude woman. Why were people in Chang¡¯an so snobbish? Just because she was a princess? Lin Mo said, ¡°Brother Zhou, if she doesn¡¯t want to apologize, that¡¯s fine. Fulu doesn¡¯t need her apology.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t care about her insincere apology. She insulted a princess and should be punished by law!¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°Last time, Sixth Miss Qiao cursed the Crown Princess who was only a county mistress at that time and ended up in jail for ten days. Zhou Shihui should be imprisoned for at least half a month!¡± Zhou Siming said to Zhou Shihui in a cold voice, ¡°Quickly kneel down and apologize. Do you want Grandmother to worry about you? She is already so old!¡± But Zhou Shihui stiffened her neck, unwilling to bow his head, saying, ¡°I won¡¯t apologize. Princess Xiliang, take a good look, this is what nobles and commoners in Chang¡¯an are like. They just don¡¯t know right from wrong. ¡°I just told the truth, but these snobbish people took sides with Princess Fulu and told barefaced lies! ¡°Huge as Chang¡¯an is, from the commoners to the nobles, all are soft-footed wusses. What a disgrace to Chang¡¯an!¡± Samo¡¯er simply responded indifferently, ¡°Oh.¡± Samo¡¯er would certainly not foolishly speak up for Zhou Shihui. In order to help her father keep his throne, she could only marry a royal family member of Datang. Although Princess Fulu was very hostile to her, it was not worthwhile to offend her. Zhou Shihui¡¯s last hope was gone, but she still insisted. ¡°If you want to put me in jail, just do it, but the history books and imperial censors will uphold justice for me!¡± Zhou Siming had a terrible headache. His grandmother must be sad because of Zhou Shihui. The Minister of Public Security was the second master of the Zhou family. He had a big headache about this too. If he put Zhou Shihui in jail, he was afraid that his mother might faint, but if not, how could he explain to Princess Shou¡¯an and the Empress Dowager? Besides, Princess Fulu was going to marry into the Qiao family. He couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Qiao family either. He could only put Zhou Shihui in jail in accordance with criminal law. In prison, Zhou Shihui still couldn¡¯t figure out why no one in Chang¡¯an could know right from wrong! ¡­ In the Duke Wu Mansion, when Old Madam Zhou heard the news, she was so angry that she almost fainted. The Zhou family invited an imperial doctor to treat Old Madam Zhou, which was quickly known by the Queen. She was very worried and asked Lu Chen to go to the Duke Wu Mansion to visit Old Madam Zhou. Old Madam Zhou lying on bed, murmured, ¡°Shihui, alas, this girl, her character is exactly the same as her mother, alas!¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. With her second uncle protecting her, Shihui won¡¯t suffer too much in jail. And I¡¯ve sent a generous gift to the Princess Shou¡¯an Mansion as an apology.¡± After Lu Chen came in, he said to Old Madam Zhou, ¡°Grandmother.¡± Old Madam Zhou was about to get up to salute but was stopped by Lu Chen. ¡°Grandmother, you don¡¯t have to get up. My mother is very worried about you but she can¡¯t leave the imperial palace, so she asked me to visit you.¡± Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make your mother worry. Alas, I just don¡¯t know what to do with that girl!¡± ¡°Grandma, grandma, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Zhou Sisi ran into Old Madam Zhou¡¯s bedroom. Chapter 205 - Mrs. Zhou Wants to Let Zhou Sisi Marry into the East Palace Mrs. Zhou poked Zhou Sisi¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. How could you agree to exchanging clothes with your cousin?¡± Zhou Sisi pouted pitifully and said, ¡°Ouch. Sisi only wanted to help Sister defeat the bad woman.¡± Seeing her daughter crying in pain, Mrs. Zhou couldn¡¯t bear to blame her anymore. She saw the blood marks on Zhou Sisi¡¯s hand and frowned. ¡°Your hand?¡± Zhou Sisi held an extremely ugly cotton ball in her other hand, which was also stained with blood, and said, ¡°Sisi embroidered a little tiger for Imperial Cousin.¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t take the ¡°little tiger¡± Zhou Sisi handed him. Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, this is Sisi¡¯s apology. She has been feeling guilty for destroying your little tiger.¡± Old Madam Zhou glanced at Lu Chen¡¯s displeased face and said to Zhou Sisi, ¡°Sisi, don¡¯t make a scene. You have to be punished for today¡¯s matter. Your maid, Xiao Ju, can¡¯t handle her work. Cane her a hundred times and send her to a manor.¡± Mrs. Zhou interceded for Xiao Ju: ¡°Mother, I¡¯m afraid Xiao Ju will lose her life if she is caned a hundred times!¡± Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°This is a warning to other servants. Sisi¡¯s mind is not clear, so the maid by her side is particularly important. Xiao Ju didn¡¯t stop Sisi from doing improper things. Now she just gets what she deserves!¡± Zhou Sisi forcibly stuffed the blood-stained cotton ball into Lu Chen¡¯s arms. ¡°Imperial Cousin, Sisi embroidered this little tiger. Sisi¡¯s hand hurt so badly. This is what Sisi compensates you for.¡± Lu Chen looked at Old Madam Zhou and didn¡¯t refuse in the end, for fear that he would cause his grandmother to worry again. However, when he walked out of Old Madam Zhou¡¯s courtyard, he threw the cotton ball on the ground and walked over it. Mrs. Zhou took Zhou Sisi back to her room, looked at Zhou Sisi¡¯s hand that was scarred from embroidering the little tiger doll, and said with teary eyes. ¡°Sisi, you¡­ do you like your imperial cousin so much?¡± Zhou Sisi nodded hard. ¡°Yes! Sisi wants to play with Imperial Cousin all the time.¡± ¡°But your cousin has grown up and can¡¯t play with Sisi anymore.¡± Zhou Sisi said, ¡°Sisi just wants to be with Imperial Cousin forever. Sisi likes Imperial Cousin, and Sisi wants to give birth to a baby for Imperial Cousin!¡± Mrs. Zhou stroked Zhou Sisi¡¯s head. Her silly daughter probably didn¡¯t even know what giving birth to a baby meant. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mother will help you.¡± Although the Zhou family didn¡¯t want their daughters to marry into the imperial palace, Mrs. Zhou would be worried no matter which man Zhou Sisi married, for fear that her daughter would be bullied. Since she liked the Crown Prince, why not let her marry him? If Sisi married into the East Palace, with the Queen¡¯s protection, Qiao Jinniang would not dare to bully Zhou Sisi openly. In the evening, Mrs. Zhou told Duke Wu what happened today. Duke Wu frowned and said, ¡°Auntie¡¯s last words were that the Zhou family¡¯s daughters must not marry into the East Palace again. Did you forget it?¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°But didn¡¯t your sister marry into the imperial palace and become the Queen? Why can¡¯t Sisi? ¡°Why did Sisi get sick? It was because of the Crown Prince!¡± ¡°She is just a child. She just wants to play with the crown prince. ¡°Did you see her hands that were full of scars because she embroidered a doll for the Crown Prince? I really can¡¯t bear to see her disappointed!¡± Duke Wu frowned and said, ¡°Even if I agree, the Queen will not!¡± ¡°If you ask the Queen to agree, how can she possibly refuse you?¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°Do you have the heart to see your daughter disappointed? ¡°She just stayed at the age of seven forever. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t understand anything. She will also be happy and sad! How can you bear to let her be sad all the time?¡± Duke Wu sighed. ¡°Sisi doesn¡¯t understand anything, and if she marries into the East Palace, I¡¯m afraid she will be bullied by the Crown Princess!¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°The Queen will protect Sisi. ¡°Besides, today I found that His Royal Highness still had some brotherly affections for Sisi. ¡°His Royal Highness is gracious, and Sisi is his cousin who grew up with him. How can he not treat her kindly?¡± Duke Wu said, ¡°We have to think about it carefully. If we let Sisi marry into the East Palace, we¡¯ll have to find a reliable girl to accompany Sisi to marry into the East Palace. ¡°And when the girl has a child, the child has to be raised by Sisi. ¡°After all, my sister and we can¡¯t protect Sisi forever.¡± Mrs. Zhou chuckled. ¡­ Qiao Jinniang heard about what happened in the Duke Wu Mansion today, and when Lu Chen came back, she asked him if Old Madam Zhou was all right, and was relieved to learn that Old Madam Zhou was still healthy. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Fulu would have such prestige in the eyes of the common people, and they actually stood up to defend her.¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s because she often spends silver as coins. Which common people don¡¯t like such a royal family member?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°It seems that I have to tell my brother to earn more money. Otherwise, he might not be able to raise Fulu.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. Princess Shou¡¯an is very rich.¡± ¡°Mommy, Mommy!¡± Little Lu Xi trotted in from outside. ¡°Mommy, little tiger.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been made yet. I¡¯ll give it to Xi¡¯er to play with when it¡¯s done.¡± Little Lu Xi hugged Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Mother, Xi¡¯er wants to sleep with you today.¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°No way!¡± Qiao Jinniang hugged little Lu Xi in her arms and said, ¡°He¡¯s only three years old, so he shouldn¡¯t sleep alone. Xi¡¯er is sleeping with Mommy tonight.¡± Lu Chenti picked up little Lu Xi and said, ¡°He will wet the bed!¡± Little Lu Xi blushed and said, ¡°Bad daddy.¡± Qiao Jinniang pinched Xi¡¯er¡¯s little red face and said, ¡°Xi¡¯er is only three years old. It¡¯s not a big deal for Xi¡¯er to wet the bed. Your father still wet the bed when he was seventeen!¡± ¡°Qiao Jinniang!¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense. I saw it with my own eyes.¡± Lu Chen picked up Lu Xi and gave him to the maids who were guarding outside, walked back into the hall and asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°When did you see me wet the bed when I was seventeen?¡± ¡°The day before you agreed to marry into my family. I watched you go to the well to wash your bedding early in the morning. Your posture was so stiff that it looked like you had never washed it before.¡± Lu Chen recalled that day, when he heard Qiao Jinniang cry for a long time in front of his room. At night, he had a dream, and that dream was quite absurd. It was filled with Qiao Jinniang¡¯s cries, but the cries were extremely seductive¡­ Lu Chen said, ¡°That was not bedwetting.¡± ¡°Why wasn¡¯t it bed-wetting?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°I saw a piece of the quilt that was obviously stained.¡± Lu Chen whispered a few words in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear. Qiao Jinniang blushed and said, ¡°So you had ulterior motives for me before marriage!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Yes, with such beauty in front of me, how could I not be tempted?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Glib-tongued. No wonder you looked so embarrassed by the well that morning.¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°That was my first time. I didn¡¯t even know what it was. I just knew it was wrong, so I wanted to destroy the evidence. I didn¡¯t know that you had seen it and thought I wet the bed.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°Was it really the first time you had a wet dream? You had never dreamed of another woman before?¡± Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve only dreamed of you. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check the Crown Prince¡¯s Living Notes.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she kissed Lu Chen on the cheek. ¡°You can only have one woman for the rest of your life, me!¡± She was just so domineering that she couldn¡¯t tolerate anyone else sharing her husband with her. Even if she was recorded in the history books as a demonic woman and reviled by later generations for tens of thousands of years, she wouldn¡¯t regret it! ¡­ Not long after Mrs. Zhou went to visit Zhou Shihui in jail, Mrs. Tong brought Tong Xuan and Tong Yingying to the Duke Wu Mansion. Mrs. Zhou had been busy with Zhou Shihui recently and had no time to think about Tong Yingying, so she didn¡¯t expect she would take the initiative to come to her. Chapter 206 - Cousin, Youre Not Suitable for Me As Queen Zhou had told her not to let Zhou Siming marry Tong Yingying, Mrs. Zhou was determined not to accept Tong Yingying as her daughter-in-law even at the expense of her mother-son relationship with Zhou Siming, so after Tong Yingying came in, she simply ignored her. Mrs. Tong said with a flattering look. ¡°Sister-in-law, I heard that Shihui has offended Princess Fulu? Princess Fulu really didn¡¯t give any face to the Queen!¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°Zhou Shihui was put in jail because she didn¡¯t respect the royal family, and the Queen certainly wouldn¡¯t cover up for her. Why did you come today, Sister-in-law?¡± Mrs. Tong said with a smile, ¡°I came to thank Siming for helping our Tong family out.¡± More importantly, she heard a piece of news about the Zhou family. It was said that Duke Wu had started to look for a suitable girl in the Zhou Clan to accompany Zhou Sisi to marry into the East Palace. Tong Yingying was obsessed with marrying the Crown Prince, and if the Duke Wu Mansion could help her, it would be a win-win result. Tong Yingying also said, ¡°Auntie, I want to meet Cousin!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, your cousin went to the Qiao Mansion today. Today is Qiao Lu¡¯s birthday.¡± Tong Yingying paused. She should have inquired before she came. However, since today was Qiao Lu¡¯s birthday, His Royal Highness would definitely go to the Qiao Mansion to attend his birthday banquet. If she went there to find Zhou Siming, maybe she could see His Royal Highness. Although Qiao Lu was the young master of the Duke Anyuan Mansion, his birth date hadn¡¯t been known to many people. He and Qiao Ruoshui were born on the same day, and every year on Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s birthday, the Duke Mansion would hold a big birthday party for her. But he would just have a good meal with his friends in the academy or in the military camp on his birthday. This year was different. He had already passed the Imperial Examination. Even if the Emperor had not assigned him any job, he needed to build connections. So the Duke Mansion held a big birthday banquet for him. Zheng Xiao was about to give birth and was resting in her courtyard. Qiao Lu¡¯s birthday made her think of her poor daughter who passed away so early¡­ Outside, as Qiao Lu¡¯s sister, Qiao Ruoyun was receiving the guests. As for Qiao Ruoyi, she was receiving some ¡°uninvited¡± young girls. Most of these girls came with their elder brothers, and the Qiao family certainly couldn¡¯t drive them away. The girls said, ¡°Will the Crown Prince come today?¡± ¡°I think he will. After all, Qiao Lu is his brother-in-law.¡± Qiao Ruoyi snorted and said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Sister Ruoyun, these women are too much. They said that they came to congratulate Brother on his birthday, but they actually came to meet His Royal Highness.¡± Qiao Ruoyun sighed. ¡°That¡¯s human nature.¡± Qin Shu¡¯s Fourth Sister was obsessed with marrying into the East Palace. After becoming the concubine of Prince Huai, she turned to try to persuade Qin Shu to take sides with Prince Huai, saying that doing this would lead to a brighter future for the Duke Qin Mansion. Man struggled upwards. That was human nature. When Qin Miaomiao got out of the carriage, she happened to meet Zhou Siming, Lin Mo, and Junior Duke Rong, who came together. She saluted. ¡°Young Master Zhou, Young Master Lin, Your Highness.¡± Junior Duke Rong shook his fan, winked at Lin Mo, and pulled Zhou Siming away. Lin Mo knew that Junior Duke Rong was deliberately making space for him and Qiao Miaomiao, but he didn¡¯t need it. He had known Qin Miaomiao since childhood and had no feelings for her except that he often heard Fulu mention the grudges between her and Qin Miaomiao. He didn¡¯t know why Qin Miaomiao wanted to marry him. With the Qin family¡¯s power, she could have married a man of noble title. But anyway, at his age, he needed a wife, and it seemed that Qin Miaomiao would be the tolerant kind of wife, and that would be enough. Dragged aside by Junior Duke Rong, Zhou Siming looked back at Qin Miaomiao and asked Junior Duke Rong, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring Princess Xiliang today?¡± ¡°Xiliang and the Qiao family have a bloody feud. I¡¯m not stupid, okay?¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t keep staring at the two of them. If you really envy them, ask your mother to get you a wife as soon as possible.¡± Zhou Siming said coldly, ¡°No need.¡± When Tong Yingying rushed to the Qiao Mansion, she happened to see Zhou Siming about to enter the door, and she shouted, ¡°Cousin!¡± Hearing her voice, Zhou Siming frowned and looked back at Tong Yingying. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Tong Yingying spread the rumors about Qiao Lu just a few days ago. How did she have the face to come here today? Tong Yingying took out the jade pendant Zhou Siming gave her and said to him, ¡°Cousin, do you remember what you¡¯ve promised me? Now that Sisi also intends to marry into the East Palace, I¡¯ll definitely protect her well. Please help me enter the East Palace.¡± Zhou Siming glanced at the jade pendant in Tong Yingying¡¯s hand, and then glanced at Qin Miaomiao who was beside Lin Mo, and hurriedly said to Tong Yingying, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Sisi is just a child. How is it possible for her to marry into the East Palace?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°Cousin, hasn¡¯t Aunt told you? Uncle is already looking for a suitable girl from among our relatives to accompany Sisi into the East Palace!¡± Zhou Siming frowned. ¡°Whether Sisi marries into the East Palace or not, you have humiliated the Crown Princess, and you still want to marry into the East Palace?¡± Tong Yingying said to Zhou Siming, ¡°Cousin, I know your feelings for me, but I¡¯m a well-educated girl, and my goal is to be a role model for all women in the world. You¡¯re a good man, but you¡¯re not suitable for me!¡± Zhou Siming was puzzled. What the heck was she talking about? ¡°What do you mean by my feelings for you? Can you explain?¡± Zhou Siming asked. Tong Yingying said, ¡°Cousin, I know how much you love me, and I also know that you have been staying single for me, but I swore since I was a child that I must marry into the imperial palace and become a role model for all the women in the world¡­¡± Zhou Siming gaped at her. ¡°Who said I love you? Stop talking nonsense!¡± If it weren¡¯t for the sake of manners, Zhou Siming would be swearing at this moment! Tong Yingying handed Zhou Siming¡¯s jade pendant to him and said, ¡°You gave me this heirloom jade pendant back then and wrote to me, saying that if I needed any help in the future, you would try your best to help me. Have you forgotten all of these, Cousin?¡± ¡°Or, you just don¡¯t want me to marry the Crown Prince?¡± Zhou Siming took back the jade pendant. ¡°Who told you that those letters and the jade pendant were for you?!¡± Tong Yingying said to Zhou Siming, ¡°Not for me? Cousin, do you want to deny what you have done? Are you just doing this to stop me from marrying another man?¡± Zhou Siming said coldly, ¡°Tong Yingying, you¡¯d better take a mirror and take a good look at yourself. For god¡¯s sake, look at your face, how can I possibly be in love with you?!¡± Tong Yingying frowned and said, ¡°But the letters and your jade pendant were given to me by your personal servant. I can confront him.¡± The servant next to Zhou Siming hurriedly came out and explained, ¡°Gosh, Miss Tong, didn¡¯t I say those things were for Third Miss Qin at the time? How could you misunderstand that they were for you?¡± Chapter 207 - Zhou Siming and Qin Miaomiao Qiao Jinniang went to the Qiao Mansion with Lu Chen early in the morning after gaining Queen Zhou¡¯s permission. The Qiao Mansion was not far from the imperial palace, and it was Qiao Lu¡¯s birthday banquet today, so they didn¡¯t have to be impeached by imperial censors. When Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen got off the carriage, they happened to hear what Zhou Siming¡¯s servant said. Of course, Lin Mo and Qin Miaomiao, who were entering the door, also heard it. In Chang¡¯an City, there were many girls with the surname Qin, but only Qin Miaomiao was called Third Miss Qin. Qin Miaomiao widened her eyes and snapped, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Zhou Siming¡¯s servant? What are you talking about?! Zhou Siming, why are you not admitting it? Who didn¡¯t know you fell for Tong Yingying? Don¡¯t even think about slandering me!¡± Although there were fewer restraints on women nowadays, love affairs were still very private and couldn¡¯t be exposed. Zhou Siming glared at his servant and said, ¡°Miss Qin, you can rest assured. I won¡¯t implicate you.¡± Qin Miaomiao breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the Crown Prince and Qiao Jinniang, Tong Yingying hurriedly came up to salute Lu Chen. ¡°Greetings, Your Royal Highness.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked with a smile, ¡°Why are you all standing at the door? It¡¯s so lively here. It seemed that someone gave his jade pendant to the wrong person?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°Three years ago, when I was still young, my cousin asked his servant to send me a letter and his jade pendant, saying that he had a big crush on me. I was too young to fall in love back then, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt his heart, so I kept the jade pendant and the letter. ¡°Now I already have a man I love, so I want to return the letter and jade pendant to my cousin, but he doesn¡¯t want to admit it.¡± Hearing this, Zhou Siming¡¯s servant stomped his feet anxiously and said, ¡°Oh, my! I was afraid that Miss Qin would be too shy to accept it. ¡°And I heard that Miss Tong was Miss Qin¡¯s good friend, so I asked Miss Tong to deliver the letter to Miss Qin. I swore I told her clearly. I really don¡¯t know why Miss Tong had such a misunderstanding!¡± Miss Qin and Miss Tong sounded completely different. Was Tong Yingying deaf? Zhou Siming walked up to Qin Miaomiao and asked, ¡°So, you suddenly started to avoid me, refused to see me, and acted as if you wished you had never known me just because you thought I fell in love with Tong Yingying?¡± ¡°Zhou Shizi, please respect yourself.¡± Qin Miaomiao took two steps back. ¡°I was very young at that time and didn¡¯t understand anything.¡± At that time, she was still underage. The Crown Prince disappeared and the imperial court was in turmoil. Her brother was outside all day. At that time, her brother just got married, and her sister-in-law was too shy to deliver him meals alone, so Qin Miaomiao accompanied Qiao Ruoyun to deliver meals to Qin Shu. So she often met Zhou Siming in the Imperial Guards¡¯ Office. After the Crown Prince disappeared, Zhou Siming became haggard, and many people said that the Duke Wu Mansion was over. Queen Zhou seemed to go mad and didn¡¯t allow the Emperor to enter her palace. At that time, in Chang¡¯an, everyone seemed to be able to bully the Duke Wu Mansion, and Zhou Siming was having a very difficult time. Prince Mediocre¡¯s party began to make trouble, trying to force Emperor Huilin to make Prince Mediocre the crown prince, and Zhou Siming became their target. Qin Miaomiao couldn¡¯t bear to see them humiliate Zhou Siming, and said something to defend him. A few days later, Queen Zhou made the Emperor give Prince Mediocre the title of ¡°Mediocre¡± and banished him to the freezingly cold Northwestern border. Not only was the Duke Wu Mansion not over, the Emperor even gave Zhou Siming a high-ranking official post, disregarding the obstacles of the ministers, allowing Zhou Siming to enter the East Palace freely and manage the East Palace for the missing Crown Prince. A year after the Crown Prince disappeared, the court gradually became stable, and banquets increased in Chang¡¯an. Apart from the absence of the Crown Prince, Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t seem to have changed much. Qin Miaomiao could often see Zhou Siming at banquets, but every time he appeared, he was very cold. One day, Qin Miaomiao bumped into Zhou Siming who was drunk, and he said to her, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you come of age?¡± Qin Miaomiao didn¡¯t know what he meant, but her heartstring was touched at that moment. After that, however, when Tong Yingying came to the Qin Mansion to attend the banquet one day, she brought a letter from Zhou Siming to her, showing off to Qin Miaomiao how much Zhou Siming was head over heels in love with her. Qin Miaomiao, who had just come of age, was very angry and embarrassed, thinking that she must have misunderstood Zhou Siming. He actually didn¡¯t mean anything by asking her that question. So Qin Miaomiao began to hide far away whenever she met Zhou Siming, not wanting to be misunderstood by Tong Yingying. In order to avoid suspicion, she even showed Tong Yingying the letters between her and Prince Mediocre. She didn¡¯t want to admit that she actually had the idea of marrying Zhou Siming that night. She was the dignified miss of the Duke Qin Mansion, a well-educated noble girl, and she didn¡¯t want Tong Yingying to know that she once had such a ridiculous idea. Later, after she learned that Prince Mediocre just wanted to make use of her, she wasn¡¯t really sad. She insisted on marrying Lin Mo not because she wanted to prove her charm by snatching a princess¡¯ man as Fulu guessed. But because she wanted to completely forget her embarrassment at that time. Lin Mo and Zhou Siming were good friends. If she married Lin Mo, it proved that she had no special feelings for Zhou Siming, so she wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed anymore when she met Zhou Siming. However, Zhou Siming¡¯s servant now said that this letter was for her to begin with! Then who should be responsible for the embarrassment and shame that she felt when she met Zhou Siming during these years? Qin Miaomiao was already engaged now, and the spur of love that she had at that night had long been replaced by embarrassment and shame for so many years. Now she really didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Zhou Siming. Tong Yingying said, ¡°How could the letter and the jade pendant not be for me? Cousin, I know you are taking Third Miss Qin as an excuse because you don¡¯t want to damage my reputation! I am obviously much more excellent than Qin Miaomiao! My father is an imperial censor and Duke Qin only has a noble title but no real official post.¡± The Zhou family¡¯s servant: ¡°¡­¡± Everyone who heard her words: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang really admired Tong Yingying¡¯s self-confidence. Although an imperial censor was a high-ranking official, he was nothing compared to a duke. After all, the title of duke could be inherited by later generations! Junior Duke Rong looked at Zhou Siming, then looked at Lin Mo, and coughed. ¡°Let¡¯s come in. The banquet is about to start.¡± Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Zhou Siming hurriedly chased after her, not forgetting to order his servant to take back the letter and the jade pendant from Tong Yingying. Tong Yingying still didn¡¯t believe that the letter was for Qin Miaomiao. She thought her cousin must have said this on purpose because he didn¡¯t want to offend the Crown Princess so as not to affect Zhou Sisi¡¯s future in the East Palace! Junior Duke Rong said to Lin Mo, ¡°Why are you still standing here? Chase after her! Do you really want to be cuckolded?¡± Lin Mo opened his folding fan, fanned it twice, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be cuckolded if I really chase after her!¡± Junior Duke Rong also shook his fan and said, ¡°Zhou Siming really hid his thoughts deeply. If Duchess Wu knew about this, she would have cried to death!¡± Zhou Siming and Qin Miaomiao were well-matched in family background. If Qin Miaomiao married Zhou Siming as soon as she came of age, their child might have been able to walk by now. Then Duchess Wu wouldn¡¯t have to worry every day that Zhou Siming was reluctant to marry a wife. Chapter 208 - Queen Zhou Refuses to Let Zhou Sisi Marry into the East Palace After seeing Zhou Siming leave, Tong Yingying set her eyes on Lu Chen. Although Zhou Siming was unfaithful to her, Tong Yingying was not sad at all. She didn¡¯t think Zhou Siming was good enough for her anyway. ¡°Your Royal Highness¡­¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°Oh, yes, Miss Tong, Brother Siming lent you 30,000 taels of silver. Please return the money as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Come, send Miss Tong back to the Tong Mansion, and by the way, ask Tong Lei to repay the debt for her daughter as soon as possible.¡± When Tong Yingying heard this, she almost fainted. 30,000 taels! How could the Tong family get so much money? Tong Yingying still wanted to say something, but Lu Chen¡¯s bodyguard gagged her mouth and forcibly took her away from the Qiao Mansion. It was very lively in the Qiao Mansion. When everyone in the garden heard the Crown Prince had arrived, they all sorted out their clothes. When Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen came in, they saw the beautiful scenery in the garden. Princess Fulu walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Can you leave the imperial palace? I thought you couldn¡¯t!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Her Majesty let me come out of the imperial palace to spend more time with my family.¡± ¡°What happened outside just now? What was Tong Yingying trying to do again?¡± Fulu asked Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang whispered to Fulu about what happened just now. It happened at the gate and many people passed by, so it would probably spread throughout Chang¡¯an in several days. Fulu was stunned. ¡°Tong Yingying said she was much more excellent than Qin Miaomiao?! Oh my god, I finally met a woman who is even more confident than me, tsk!¡± Princess Fulu felt that she was already confident enough, but she didn¡¯t expect someone to beat her in this aspect. ¡°Then Qin Miaomiao and Lin Mo¡¯s engagement will probably be annulled.¡± Lin Mo certainly wouldn¡¯t marry the woman his best friend loved. Qiao Ruoyun also heard about the matter from her maid. She was soft-tempered and didn¡¯t know what to do, so she just looked at Qin Shu. Qin Shu said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Zhou family and the Lin family are both reasonable people. Miaomiao¡¯s thoughts are the most important.¡± Qiao Ruoyun breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Miss Tong¡¯s intervention, perhaps Sister-in-law would have been married long ago.¡± ¡­ In the Queen¡¯s palace. Duke Wu and Mrs. Zhou entered the palace together. Queen Zhou asked how Old Madam Zhou was going and was relieved when she heard that her mother was doing well. ¡°Brother, you haven¡¯t come to me for a long time. Why did you come today?¡± Duke Wu said, ¡°There is indeed one thing. Sister, I want to let Sisi marry the Crown Prince!¡± Queen Zhou felt that her cheeks were slightly hot. She had just told Jinniang a few days ago that the Zhou family would not allow any daughter to marry into the imperial palace. ¡°Brother! I will not agree.¡± Madam Zhou hurriedly said, ¡°Your Majesty, are you saying no because she¡¯s not healthy? Although this child is retarded, she is simple and innocent. Besides, I don¡¯t want her to suffer from the pain of giving birth to a child. As long as she has a place in the East Palace, it will be enough. It won¡¯t affect the royal family¡¯s offspring.¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°It¡¯s not because of this.¡± Duke Wu said, ¡°Is it because of Auntie¡¯s last words? But Sister, because you want to marry His Majesty, our family surrendered our military power for the sake of you. I¡¯m not saying this to push you. ¡°I just hope you can understand that Sisi today is just like you back then. She is in deep love with His Royal Highness. Although her intelligence stays at the age of seven, she is already around sixteen to seventeen years old¡­ ¡°In order to sew a puppet tiger for His Royal Highness, her hands were all punctured by needles. I only have one daughter¡­ I really can¡¯t bear to see her so sad.¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°Brother, Sisters-in-law, let me be honest with you, when Chen¡¯er proposed to his Crown Princess, he made an oath that he would not take any concubines in this life. Mrs. Zhou almost dropped the cup in her hand. ¡°Your Majesty, how can you just let Her Royal Highness mess around like this?¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°How can you call it ¡®mess around¡¯. Are you willing my brother to take a concubine?¡± Of course Mrs. Zhou was unwilling. For so many years, Duke Wu didn¡¯t even have a concubine maid. Queen Zhou said, ¡°The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are not ¡®messing around¡¯. Sisi is still a child, and she just takes Chen¡¯er as her brother. It would be harmful to her instead to let her marry into the East Palace.¡± Mrs. Zhou frowned. It seemed that her daughter could only be disappointed. She didn¡¯t expect that the Crown Princess would have the ability to make His Royal Highness not take a concubine! On the way back to the Duke Wu Mansion, Mrs. Zhou and Duke Wu sighed incessantly. Duke Wu said, ¡°No more sighing. Since my sister has refused us, you should persuade Sisi to forget about His Royal Highness. She just wants to play with His Royal Highness too much.¡± Suddenly, Mrs. Zhou thought of Zhou Sisi¡¯s hands full of wounds. It didn¡¯t seem that Sisi just wanted to play with His Royal Highness. ¡°Master, Madam, something happened at the gate of the Qiao Mansion today.¡± The butler of the Duke Wu Mansion hurriedly came up to greet them. He told what happened between Tong Yingying and Zhou Siming today and said, ¡°Young Master followed her all the way to the Duke Qin Mansion, but he wasn¡¯t allowed in.¡± The corners of Mrs. Zhou¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Fortunately, fortunately, my son is not blind. What are you waiting for? Hurry up, hire a matchmaker to go to the Duke Qin Mansion to propose marriage.¡± Duke Wu grabbed Mrs. Zhou¡¯s hand and said, ¡°The Qin family and the Lin family haven¡¯t canceled their engagement yet!¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯m going to the Lin family first and ask the Lin family to cancel the engagement first.¡± There were already many people who knew about this matter. Mrs. Lin cherished her family¡¯s reputation very much, and would definitely demand to cancel the engagement. Duke Wu stopped Mrs. Zhou again. ¡°No, it would be rude for you to do that. Even if you want to have a grandson as soon as possible, you don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry.¡± ¡°Master, Madam, not good, Miss, Miss fell into the pool!¡± Mrs. Zhou hurriedly ran over, only to see Zhou Sisi soaking wet, holding a dilapidated doll in her hand, her eyes were full of tears, and she was trembling helplessly. ¡°Mother, the little tiger I gave to Imperial Cousin is in the river!¡± ¡°Imperial Cousin must be very anxious to lose the little tiger I gave him. I have to go to Imperial Cousin!¡± Mrs. Zhou asked the maids what happened to the tiger, and why was it in the pool? A maid whose job was to sweep the floor came out and knelt down, saying, ¡°I saw this piece of rag when I was sweeping the floor two days ago, which had been trampled on, so I thought it was rubbish, but the dustpan couldn¡¯t contain it, so I simply threw it into the river!¡± Zhou Sisi pointed at the maid and said, ¡°You lied. You should be caned! Imperial Cousin cherishes the little tiger made by Sisi very much. You stole it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give it back to Imperial Cousin. I¡¯m going to the East Palace!¡± Mrs. Zhou quickly held Zhou Sisi¡¯s hand to stop her. ¡°Be good, Sisi. Your clothes are still wet. Why don¡¯t you change before going to the East Palace?¡± Zhou Sisi shook his head and said, ¡°No, Imperial Cousin will be sad if he can¡¯t find this doll.¡± Mrs. Zhou had no choice, so she ordered someone to bring a charcoal stove and sent Zhou Sisi to the Qiao Mansion. It was Qiao Lu¡¯s birthday banquet today, and the Crown Prince would definitely go to the Qiao Mansion. ¡­ The birthday banquet. The girls were playing the game of drumming and passing flowers, and the losers of the game would perform for the guests. But everyone knew their target was Lu Chen. Qiao Jinniang glanced at the girl who was dancing hard in front of her and then pointed to the fish on the table, saying, ¡°Your Royal Highness, I want to eat the fish. Can you help me pick the fishbones?¡± Then the girl dancing saw the Crown Prince begin to carefully pick fishbones for the Crown Princess. Seeing the Crown Prince simply turn a blind eye to her waist-folding dance, the girl almost sprained her waist¡­ Chapter 209 - Lu Chen Accepted Zhou Sisis Doll Seeing the girl dancing stumble, Qiao Jinniang reminded her. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t sprain your waist.¡± The girl awkwardly thanked her and retreated. The rest of the people stared wide-eyed at the sight of the Crown Prince picking fishbones for the Crown Princess without any hesitation, and their eyes were full of disbelief. Even the husbands of noble families wouldn¡¯t do this for their wives, not to mention the exalted Crown Prince. But the Crown Princess didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with the Crown Prince feeding her fish meat, and she actually ate the fish meat that the Crown Prince fed her with ease. The women¡¯s eyes were full of envy. Whether or not the Crown Prince was putting on a show for the power of Duke Anyuan, Qiao Jinniang was probably the only woman in this world that could be treated like this by the Crown Prince. Noticing that everyone was staring at her, Qiao Jinniang was calm. Her husband was feeding her fish meat. Was there anything wrong with it? Qin Shu also picked up some fish meat with his chopsticks and put it close to Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s mouth, but Qiao Ruoyun blushed and was too shy to eat it. Qin Shu smiled and put the fish meat in Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s bowl. At this moment, an eunuch came in to report, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, Duchess Wu and Miss Zhou are asking to see you.¡± Lu Chen certainly wouldn¡¯t refuse in public to meet them, so he said to the eunuch, ¡°Let them in.¡± When Zhou Sisi came in, her hair was still wet. She was soaking wet, covered with a cloak, and the tip of her nose and face were slightly red. There were even drops of water on her long eyelashes. Mrs. Zhou brought Zhou Sisi in and saluted Lu Chen. Zhou Sisi walked straight up to Lu Chen with the rag doll in her hand and said, ¡°Imperial Cousin, your tiger doll. Sisi jumped into the river and picked it up.¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Sisi was afraid that you would be anxious not seeing the doll, so she came to deliver you the doll without even changing clothes.¡± Zhou Sisi sneezed cutely, staring straight at Lu Chen. ¡°Ahchoo, Imperial Cousin, here it is!¡± Lu Chen frowned. Qiao Jinniang picked up her fan and fanned it gently. Then she said to Duchess Wu indifferently, ¡°Auntie, Sister doesn¡¯t know how to take care of herself, but doesn¡¯t the Zhou family know how to take care of her? It¡¯s still cold. She may get sick wearing the wet clothes!¡± Mrs. Zhou quickly said, ¡°Yes, but Sisi was worried that His Royal Highness would be anxious¡­ so¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said with a sneer, ¡°So the Zhou family doesn¡¯t even have any maids? The only daughter of Duke Wu has to deliver a doll to His Royal Highness herself in wet clothes? Is the Duke Wu Mansion so poor? I can give the Zhou family a few maids.¡± Zheng Xiao was a little worried. The Zhou family was the Queen¡¯s natal family after all. It would do no good to Qiao Jinniang to offend the Crown Prince¡¯s aunt. Mrs. Zhou was annoyed but she didn¡¯t dare to offend Qiao Jinniang in public, so she said, ¡°Of course we don¡¯t lack maids, but Sisi wanted to deliver the doll to His Royal Highness herself. She was afraid maids might damage the doll.¡± Qiao Jinniang took the wet cotton ball in Zhou Sisi¡¯s hand, which didn¡¯t look like a tiger at all. ¡°Just this rag? Are you afraid maids will embezzle it?¡± Qiao Jinniang threw the wet rag cotton ball to Lu Chen, ¡°Your Royal Highness, keep the doll carefully, which your cousin jumped into the lake and fished up for you!¡± Knowing that Qiao Jinniang was angry, Lu Chen only said to Zhou Sisi, ¡°Go back and change first.¡± Zhou Sisi smiled and said, ¡°Then please take good care of Sisi¡¯s doll, Imperial Cousin!¡± Lu Chen nodded. When Qiao Jinniang saw Lu Chen nod, she really wanted to throw him and the doll together into the lotus pond. After Zhou Sisi left, everyone looked at each other in surprise. No one had ever regarded Zhou Sisi as a woman because they all knew that her intelligence only equaled that of a six or seven-year-old, but now it seemed that Zhou Sisi was clearly in love with the Crown Prince. It was impossible for Zhou Sisi to stay single for the rest of her life. If she wanted to get married, it would be a very good choice to marry into the East Palace. The Crown Princess warned them with that peony flower, but what about Zhou Sisi? Before Qiao Jinniang returned to the East Palace, Zheng Xiao called her to her yard alone and said, ¡°Jinniang, Chang¡¯an is not like Lin¡¯an. The elders in the Duke Wu Mansion are all sensible. You really shouldn¡¯t talk to Mrs. Zhou like that today.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, everyone knows what Mrs. Zhou is trying to do! ¡°On my brother¡¯s birthday, she brought her daughter in wet clothes to present a gift to His Royal Highness. Can His Royal Highness refuse? ¡°If he didn¡¯t accept it, tomorrow in Chang¡¯an City, everyone would say the Crown Prince is at odds with his uncle because he despised his poor retarded cousin! ¡°I don¡¯t know if Zhou Sisi is really retarded or not. ¡°But whether she is retarded or not. ¡°The Zhou family will definitely take sides with her. If I don¡¯t show them my opinions on this matter and still fawn over them¡­ ¡°What should I do if the Zhou family really gets Zhou Sisi to marry into the East Palace? Continue to fawn on the Zhou family? No way!¡± Zheng Xiao sighed. ¡°But that is the Queen¡¯s natal family. Don¡¯t forget what I told you. If Duke Wu hadn¡¯t given up their military power, the Queen couldn¡¯t have been the Queen today, and the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t have been the Crown Prince today. ¡°His Majesty is still in his prime, and although the other princes don¡¯t seem to have the ability to compete with the Crown Prince for the throne, if you break with the Duke Wu Mansion, it will be unfavorable for you and the imperial grandson. ¡°Zhou Sisi is like a child anyway. Even if you let her marry into the East Palace, she won¡¯t be able to snatch your husband¡¯s love. ¡°Mother knows that you don¡¯t like to hear these words, but Jinniang, unpalatable advice benefits conduct. The East Palace is not the small city where you grew up. You shouldn¡¯t be so naive to think that the Crown Prince will only have one woman.¡± Qiao Jinniang knew that Zheng Xiao was saying these words for her own good. But how could she share her husband, who was supposed to only belong to her, with other women? She would never ever allow Zhou Sisi to marry into the East Palace. No matter how retarded and innocent she looked, she was also a woman and the Queen¡¯s niece! ¡°Mother, either that there is only me in the East Palace, or that the Crown Prince and I divorce, and then he can marry as many cousins as he likes. This is what we¡¯ve agreed before our wedding. ¡°I would rather break with the Duke Wu Mansion than agree to Zhou Sisi marrying into the East Palace! ¡± Qiao Jinniang said resolutely. Zheng Xiao sighed. With such a temperament, Jinniang was likely to suffer losses. Lu Chen had been missing for three years after all. How could he give up the support of his mother¡¯s natal family? The Crown Prince would probably choose the Duke Wu Mansion over the Duke Anyuan Mansion. After all, the former was Queen Zhou¡¯s natal family. Zheng Xiao was full of worries. Qiao Jinniang comforted Zheng Xiao. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t wrong myself.¡± Zheng Xiao sighed. ¡°If only your character and Ruoyun¡¯s character could be neutralized. One is too soft, while the other is too hard!¡± Chapter 210 - Vent on Lu Chen In the carriage back to the East Palace. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face was all dark, Lu Chen threw the rag doll aside, played with Qiao Jinniang¡¯s fingers and said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t thrown this rag doll to me, I wouldn¡¯t have accepted it. Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just throw it away after I gave it to you? ¡°In the situation just now, if you didn¡¯t accept it, tomorrow everyone in Chang¡¯an would say you have no conscience. I kindly help you out and throw this doll to you, but you¡¯re blaming me?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I know you are angry with Zhou Sisi, but don¡¯t be angry with me.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t refuse her. Why did you nod when she asked you to take ¡®good care¡¯ of this doll?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t have left. She is a retard anyway. It¡¯s better to give her what she wants than to be pestered by her.¡± Lu Chen whispered in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear. ¡°Do you want to go to Tasty Pavilion to see Nuomi, Huixiang and the others?¡± Qiao Jinniang was still annoyed. ¡°No, they will worry about me if they see me so angry.¡± She knew that Lu Chen was not to be blamed, but she couldn¡¯t control herself and just wanted to vent on Lu Chen. Lu Chen was very gentle to people, and a lot of women were attracted to him when he was in Lin¡¯an. When he smiled at Zhou Sisi, he looked so doting on her. No wonder Zhou Sisi insisted on marrying her Imperial Cousin! Returning to the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang entered her own palace and locked the door. Lu Chen was given the cold shoulder by her. Although her maids felt that this was inappropriate, as the Crown Princess¡¯ servants, they would only take the Crown Princess¡¯ orders. Lu Chen sighed. He had been trying every possible means to make Qiao Jinniang laugh along the way in the carriage, but failed. The Zhou family didn¡¯t even say that they would marry Zhou Sisi off into the East Palace, but Qiao Jinniang was already mad at him. He had done everything he could, but she was still mad at him. Lu Chen looked up at the white clouds in the sky and simply left Qiao Jinniang¡¯s palace, leaving her alone to calm down. Hongling said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, the Zhou family hasn¡¯t asked to marry Miss Zhou into the East Palace yet. Besides, as we all can see, His Royal Highness loves you wholeheartedly. ¡°If you vent on His Royal Highness, you¡¯ll only push him away. His Royal Highness didn¡¯t do anything wrong on this matter.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Hongling, you are my maid.¡± Hongling said, ¡°Your Highness, the four of us have been with you for more than a year. I¡¯m not I¡¯m not defending His Royal Highness, but I think he is probably more aggrieved than you!¡± ¡°Just now in the carriage, His Royal Highness had been trying so hard to make you laugh along the way. It is not easy for you to leave the imperial palace, but today, he specially asked the Queen to let you go out of the imperial palace to attend Young Master¡¯s birthday banquet. ¡°His Royal Highness really loves you. If you vent on him for no reason, you may hurt his heart.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about it carefully, and it seemed that she shouldn¡¯t have vented on Lu Chen indeed. So she got up, went to the kitchen, and made a few dishes for Lu Chen. Lu Chen liked to eat fish balls, so Qiao Jinniang made fish balls that were very troublesome to make, and then made several dishes that he liked to eat. After she finished cooking, it was already dark. Qiao Jinniang ordered Yuyan to invite Lu Chen to come, but half an hour later, Yuyan came back to report, ¡°Your Highness, His Royal Highness left the East Palace soon after he returned to the East Palace. Eunuch Gu didn¡¯t know where he was gone and had already sent people to look for him.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for him. Call Xi¡¯er over, and Xi¡¯er and I will eat first.¡± She just cooked such a table of good dishes for nothing. ¡­ In the Duke Rong Mansion. Princess Fu¡¯an kept coughing. She heard the noise outside and asked her maid, ¡°Why is it so noisy outside today?¡± ¡°His Royal Highness has come. Young Master is accompanying His Royal Highness to have a meal. They have invited a few famous opera actors to perform. Would you like to go and have a look, Princess?¡± Princess Fu¡¯an coughed. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a medicine jar. I may ruin the atmosphere if I go there, cough, cough.¡± ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t say that. Didn¡¯t the imperial doctor say that as long as you can eat the thousand-year-old Tianshan snow lotus as medicine, your illness will be cured? Princess Xiliang will be your sister-in-law soon. It won¡¯t be difficult to ask her to give you a thousand-year-old Tianshan snow lotus, which grows in Xiliang.¡± Lu Pianran, who was known as Princess Fu¡¯an, coughed and said, ¡°How can it be so easy? How is it possible for Princess Xiliang to be willing to marry my brother?¡± Junior Duke Rong said angrily, ¡°What¡¯s so bad about me? Why did you disdain your own brother so much?¡± Fu¡¯an rolled her eyes at Junior Duke Rong. ¡°Cough, cough, Brother, what are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to accompany His Royal Highness?¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°They are drinking too much. Mo¡¯er doesn¡¯t like me drinking, so I don¡¯t want to drink like them.¡± Fu¡¯an smiled. ¡°I finally found one good thing about you, Brother.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t beat you just because you are seriously ill.¡± Junior Duke Rong gave her a fierce look, but when he heard Fu¡¯an¡¯s uncontrollable coughing, he said, ¡°I will help you get the Tianshan Snow Lotus.¡± Fu¡¯an said, ¡°Forget it, the thousand-year-old Tianshan is a well-deserved national treasure in Xiliang and is not so easy to obtain. Don¡¯t make things difficult for Sister-in-law.¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°No, Mo¡¯er told me that the Tianshan Snow Lotus was stolen in March last year, and that it might be in Chang¡¯an now.¡± Princess Fu¡¯an¡¯s eyes brightened. If she could live, she certainly wanted to live! She wanted to live as happily and carefree as Fulu! ¡­ Qiao Jinniang had been waiting for Lu Chen in the East Palace, but it was already 11pm, and Lu Chen still hadn¡¯t returned to the East Palace. At this moment, the palace gate had already been locked. Although the East Palace had a separate door, Lu Chen probably wouldn¡¯t return today since it was already so late. Qiao Jinniang flipped through a novel and felt bored. She was a little worried about Lu Chen. She called over Gu Ming and was told that Lu Chen was drunk in Duke Rong Mansion, so he would stay there tonight. Qiao Jinniang frowned. Then she went to Lu Chen¡¯s study, opened the secret channel, and after coming out of the Qiao Mansion, she went to the stable. Old Wang who was in charge of the stable was brought to Chang¡¯an by her from Lin¡¯an. Seeing her here, he was surprised but didn¡¯t ask anything. Qiao Jinniang went straight to the Duke Rong Mansion and knocked on the closed door. When the concierge saw Qiao Jinniang coming over, he was stunned. ¡°Who are you? How dare you knock on the door of the Duke Rong Mansion at night!¡± Qiao Jinniang took out the pass of the East Palace and said, ¡°I am here to ask His Royal Highness to return to the East Palace on the order of the Crown Princess.¡± When the concierge saw the pass, he quickly opened the door and asked Qiao Jinniang to enter. ¡°Please come in.¡± ¡­ In a courtyard of the Duke Rong Mansion. Although Lu Chen drank a lot, he was still sober. He didn¡¯t go back to the East Palace because he wanted to see if Qiao Jinniang really cared about him. It was already so late, but Qiao Jinniang hadn¡¯t sent anyone to look for him yet. ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± Two maids entered, their voices very gentle and seducing. Lu Chen frowned and looked at the two women. Why did Junior Duke Rong arrange such maids for him? ¡°Your Royal Highness, the Duchess sent us two over to serve you to sleep.¡± The two maids were tall and beautiful, and looked from the side, they even resembled Qiao Jinniang a bit. The Duchess must have purposely sent them over. ¡°Leave. I don¡¯t need you to serve me.¡± Chapter 211 - The Crown Prince Owes Zhou Sisi A Life One of the maids was bolder. She knew that if she could sleep with His Royal Highness, she would live a wealthy life ever after. So she took the initiative to approach Lu Chen who was tipsy. ¡°Your Royal Highness, the Duchess ordered us to serve you well. Please show me mercy and let me serve you!¡± While speaking, the woman¡¯s eyes were very seductive. When Lu Chen heard her words, he called his secret guard and said, ¡°Throw the two of them out, and don¡¯t allow any women to come in.¡± The secret guard nodded. Qiao Jinniang, who came in with the Duke Rong Mansion¡¯ guards, saw this scene and chuckled. ¡°Your Royal Highness, the Crown Princess has sent a maid over to ask you to return.¡± Lu Chen smiled. So she still had him in her heart. ¡°Let her in.¡± After Qiao Jinniang entered, she knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Greetings, Your Royal Highness.¡± After Lu Chen heard her voice, he hurriedly closed the door and pulled her up from the ground. ¡°Why are you here? How did you get out of the East Palace?¡± Qiao Jinniang took off her veil and said, ¡°I took the secret tunnel.¡± Qiao Jinniang smelled the smell of alcohol on Lu Chen and complained, ¡°Why did you drink yourself into this? Just because I was mad at you?¡± Lu Chen hugged Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to keep you from being angry, and I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t let me enter your palace when I go back. If that happens, wouldn¡¯t I become a joke in the East Palace?¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen leaned on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You came out to look for me in person, which shows that you have me in your heart. Don¡¯t be angry, okay? ¡°Tomorrow I will ask my mother to find Zhou Sisi a husband so that she can¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not Li Lingling or Fourth Miss Qin. We have no say on who she will marry.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not angry anymore. I made your favorite fish balls for you, but unfortunately you missed them.¡± Drunk, Lu Chen stretched his arms around Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist and said, ¡°My favorite food is not fish balls, but white rabbits¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. This is in Duke Rong Mansion.¡± Lu Chen chuckled and said, ¡°This is the courtyard prepared for me by the Duke Rong Mansion, no one will come to disturb us.¡± ¡­ In Duchess Rong¡¯s courtyard, she looked at the two useless maids in front of her and said coldly, ¡°Okay, I see. You can leave now.¡± Her mammy whispered to her, ¡°Madam, His Royal Highness only loves the Crown Princess. Why did you have to send these two maids to him?¡± ¡°Alas, I did this for Lianran. Her illness is getting worse. I should have taken better care of her that day!¡± ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t have to blame yourself. What happened back then wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Princess Rong recalled when Lu Pianran was eight years old, she was playing with a group of children at a banquet in the East Palace. At that time, Lu Chen had just turned ten years old and officially moved into the East Palace. On that day, the Empress Dowager plotted to murder Lu Chen, but her plan was overheard by Lu Pianran when she was discussing the plan with her confidant. Although Lu Pianran was young, she understood what the Empress Dowager was trying to do, but it was too late to tell Lu Chen about it. Seeing the Crown Prince¡¯s robe on the side, she came up with an idea to put on Lu Chen¡¯s robe and pretended to be Lu Chen. Lu Chen was two years older than Lu Pianran, but their heights were about the same back then. Lu Chen¡¯s robe fit Lu Pianran well, and it was night, so everyone took Lu Pianran as Lu Chen. Taken as Lu Chen, Lu Pianran was pushed into the river by an eunuch. Zhou Sisi, who was six year old at that time, happened to witness this scene. The murderer was afraid that Zhou Sisi would reveal his identity, so he knocked Zhou Sisi unconscious and pushed her into the river as well. He wanted to silence her forever! Duchess Rong was the first to discover that her daughter fell into the water with Zhou Sisi. When Duchess Rong saw her daughter wearing the bright yellow python robe that only the Crown Prince could wear, she was almost scared out of her wits! She hurriedly exchanged the clothes of her daughter with Zhou Sisi¡¯s and then called for help. She was very scared because in history, many princesses had rebelled. Lu Pianran was a princess. If it was known by others that she wore the Crown Prince¡¯s python robe, the Duke Rong Mansion might be in danger. And when Lu Pianran woke up and told her what had happened, she was afraid of attracting the retaliation of the Empress Dowager. Duke Rong was not born by the Empress Dowager. Duchess Rong didn¡¯t want her daughter to be involved in the fight for the throne. So she told Lu Pianran to keep this matter a secret and gave Zhou Sisi all the credit for saving the Crown Prince. Because of that accident, Lu Pianran became sick and became a famous medicine jar in Chang¡¯an. And Zhou Sisi had constant high fever and became retarded ever since. Zhou Sisi became retarded, so no one knew the truth except Duchess Rong and her confidants. Even the Zhou family thought it was Zhou Sisi who saved the Crown Prince. Duchess Rong was happy to see it. She didn¡¯t want her daughter to owe the Crown Prince a life-saving grace at all. She was afraid that people would know that Lu Pianran had worn the Crown Prince¡¯s python robe. But now Lu Pianran¡¯s health was getting worse and worse. Her health was deteriorating day by day. Although His Majesty and the Crown Prince promised to help them find Tianshan Snow Lotus, they would definitely not sacrifice the soldiers¡¯ lives and the people¡¯s peaceful lives to send troops to Xiliang to seize the Tianshan Snow Lotus. Therefore, Duchess Rong had no choice but to come up with this idea. If Lu Chen fell in love with the women she sent to him, he might send troops to Xiliang to seize the Tianshan Snow Lotus for her. Unfortunately, her plan failed¡­ ¡­ in the Duke Wu Mansion. Early in the morning, Mrs. Zhou heard the news from the Duke Rong Mansion. ¡°Madam, it is absolutely true that His Royal Highness slept a maid from the East Palace in the Duke Rong Mansion.¡± Mrs. Zhou chuckled. Sure enough, how could Lu Chen only have one woman? He was the Crown Prince after all! Mrs. Zhou said to her confidant, ¡°Find a few people to spread the news that Sisi put on the Crown Prince¡¯s python robe to save the Crown Prince¡¯s life when she was a kid. Remember to do it in secret.¡± Her Sisi jumped into the lake without hesitation just to fish up the doll she made for Lu Chen. How could she let her daughter be disappointed? Qiao Jinniang was too domineering. Zhou Sisi didn¡¯t want to snatch Lu Chen¡¯s favor from Qiao Jinniang. She was just a kid and just wanted to stay with her beloved imperial cousin, but Qiao Jinniang just didn¡¯t let her. Then she could only use this means to force the royal family to repay her daughter¡¯s life-saving grace. After all, Sisi became retarded from saving the Crown Prince! ¡­ The sun shone straight in from the skylight. When Qiao Jinniang woke up, there was still a strong aroma of wine on her lips, and she was shocked when she got up. She hurriedly pushed Lu Chen lying next to her. ¡°Get up, it¡¯s already daytime. Gosh, how can I go back to the East Palace?¡± She sneaked out at night, and it would be difficult for her to return to the East Palace now. At least she couldn¡¯t use the secret tunnel in the Qiao Mansion now. Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°What are you panicking about? Leave this to me.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°How can I not panic? You came out of the East Palace openly but I sneaked out.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back with my carriage. They won¡¯t check my carriage.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought this was the only way. ¡°Xi¡¯er will cry if he can¡¯t find me when he wakes up. Let¡¯s go back soon!¡± Lu Chen looked at the sun. It was time to go back indeed, so he had the guards drive his carriage into the yard so that no one would find out Qiao Jinniang was here. Chapter 212 - Chicken Soup Wontons Qiao Jinniang was very worried in the carriage, afraid that the secret tunnel would be exposed, but when she smelled the fragrance of wontons outside, she put her worries aside. ¡°I haven¡¯t tasted such nice wontons for a long time.¡± Lu Chen ordered the driver to stop the carriage and had someone buy a bowl of wontons. The hawker hurriedly said, ¡°Customer, we are a small business, so this bowl cannot be taken away.¡± Gu Ming threw a tael of silver to the hawker and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough to buy your bowl?¡± The hawker said, ¡°Master, you really can¡¯t take the wontons away. You¡¯d better eat them on the spot. If you take the wantons away, they won¡¯t taste good in a short while. If you take it away and the wontons don¡¯t taste so good, you may blame me for bad cooking skills.¡± An official of the Ministry of Rites recognized Gu Ming and said, ¡°Eunuch Gu, this hawker is very stubborn. He even refuses to deliver his wontons to our office. Even Tasty Pavilion offers delivery services, but he doesn¡¯t.¡± Lu Chen said to the outside, ¡°Bring in the wontons and I¡¯ll eat them in the carriage.¡± When the hawker saw this, he finally gave the bowl in his hand to Gu Ming. Hearing the word ¡°eunuch¡± and judging from the luxury carriage, the one in the carriage was obviously a royal family member. No matter how stubborn the hawker was, he didn¡¯t dare to offend a royal family member. In the carriage, Qiao Jinniang was holding the steaming chicken soup wontons with a few spring onions floating on the surface. After she picked all the green onions aside, she gently scooped up a wonton with the spoon and tasted it. The wontons had thin skin, tender meat stuffings and delicious soup. It tasted really good. Unexpectedly, there was such a small wonton stall in Chang¡¯an. After Qiao Jinniang ate two wontons, she handed a wonton with chopped green onion to Lu Chen. Lu Chen tasted it and said, ¡°It¡¯s not as delicious as those you made.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled, and after eating the wontons, she left all the soup with green onions for Lu Chen. Lu Chen tasted two mouthfuls, and really felt that it was not as delicious as the wontons made by Qiao Jinniang. Although this soup was delicious, he always felt that it missed something. ¡°Hey, have you heard that? Yesterday at the birthday banquet of Young Master Qiao in Duke Anyuan Mansion, Miss Zhou from the Duke Wu Mansion delivered the Crown Prince a doll while she was dripping wet. ¡°How pitiful. Why is such a beautiful little girl a fool? ¡± ¡°Yeah, she has such a noble identity. I heard that she had a high fever because she helped the Crown Prince out of a disaster. She literally saved the Crown Prince¡¯s life!¡± ¡°The Crown Prince owes Miss Zhou a life-saving grace, so His Majesty treats the Duke Wu Mansion very well!¡± ¡°If Miss Zhou hadn¡¯t become an idiot, she would have become a well-known woman in Chang¡¯an by now. I¡¯m afraid that the threshold of the Zhou family might have been stepped flat by her suitors.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen in a low voice, ¡°So, your good sister saved your life?¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to those people¡¯s nonsense!¡± After Lu Chen handed the bowl to Gu Ming, he said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°The Empress Dowager really wanted to kill me back then, but I had already discovered it, and besides, I was surrounded by secret guards, so the Empress Dowager definitely wouldn¡¯t have any chance to kill me. What Zhou Sisi did was just unnecessary!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then why is this matter being brought up again among the common people? It¡¯s a scandal of the royal family after all. By the way, how dare the Empress Dowager do that to you? Did His Majesty punish her for that?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°She is the Empress Dowager after all. How can we bring her down without sufficient evidence? ¡°Datang advocates filial piety. Without conclusive evidence, even Father can¡¯t do anything to the Empress Dowager.¡± Lu Chen said to the guards outside, ¡°Zhou Sisi fell into the water because she was not careful. Come, arrest these people who slandered the royal family!¡± The commoners dared to gossip about the royal family because Emperor Huilin never restricted the freedom of speech of the people. But if they violated the majesty of the royal family, they could be arrested according to law. Those who had not had time to spread the rumors fled, afraid of being caught. Seeing this scene, a mammy of Mrs. Zhou hurriedly went back to the Zhou Mansion. After returning to the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang pretended that she had stayed in the study all night. In order to make the act look more real, she even blamed Lu Chen for staying outside all night when he came in. After returning to her own palace, Qiao Jinniang went to the kitchen to make wontons. To make wontons delicious, the shrimp in the meat filling was essential. Lu Chen felt that the hawker¡¯s wontons were not tasty enough because the hawker¡¯s meat filling didn¡¯t contain shrimp. After all, in Chang¡¯an, shrimp meat was far more expensive than pork. Yuyan trotted in and whispered into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°Your Highness, it has been widely heard from outside that last night, His Royal Highness slept with a maid from the East Palace who was sent by you to look for His Highness in Duke Rong Mansion! Did you send anyone over there last night?¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen said that no one in the Duke Rong Mansion would know about it, but in such a short while, the rumors had even spread in the imperial palace. Even Queen Zhou heard about it, and she quickly called Qiao Jinniang over. Qiao Jinniang put a bowl of chicken soup in the food box and went to the Queen¡¯s palace. When she arrived at the Queen¡¯s palace, there were quite a few imperial concubines in it, as well as Li Lingling, Consort Qi and some others. There was a woman standing beside Li Lingling who looked familiar to Qiao Jinniang. She must be Fourth Miss Qin who was Consort Huai¡¯s concubine now. ¡°Greetings, Mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted. ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know that there were so many people here, so I only prepared a bowl of chicken soup wontons for Mother.¡± Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was calm, Queen Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. She smelled the chicken soup wonton and said, ¡°The wontons smell really nice. It smells a bit similar to Uncle Wu¡¯s wonton on the main street.¡± A mammy next to her coughed. Queen Zhou hurriedly tried to make it up. ¡°Well, but I haven¡¯t tasted it for almost 20 years¡­¡± Consort Qi said, ¡°It turns out that Uncle Wu¡¯s wontons have been around for so long? I remember when I was married, there was no Uncle Wu¡¯s wonton.¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°Maybe it was elsewhere before¡± Queen Zhou tasted two wontons, her eyes lit up. ¡°Jinniang¡¯s cooking skills are really good. The wontons are even tastier than Uncle Wu¡¯s.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang saluted. Li Lingling didn¡¯t care about the wontons. She smiled and said, ¡°Crown Princess, I heard that His Royal Highness favored a maid of yours in the Duke Rong Mansion yesterday. This is really great news for the East Palace. After all, His Royal Highness only has one child¡­¡± Li Lingling was not afraid of losing face now. As long as Qiao Jinniang could be embarrassed, she would be willing to do anything. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Oh, Sister-in-law, did you see it with your own eyes at the door? Yes, His Royal Highness only has one child, but the eldest brother doesn¡¯t even have a child! I hope Concubine Qin can give birth to a son as soon as possible.¡± Li Lingling gnashed her teeth and glared at Qiao Jinniang. She didn¡¯t believe that Qiao Jinniang really didn¡¯t mind it. It had only been a few days since their wedding, but the Crown Prince had already slept with a woman outside the East Palace. Although Qiao Jinniang sounded calm, she must be very mad. Chapter 213 - Zhou Sisi Has to Get Married within Three Days After the imperial concubines and consorts all left. Queen Zhou asked the eunuchs and imperial maids to leave and said to Jinniang, ¡°The rumor about what happened in the Duke Rong Mansion yesterday is true. After all, it concerns the royal family¡¯s offspring, so Duchess Rong could only expose it. ¡°Yesterday, Chen¡¯er must have been drunk, or maybe he had been tricked by that imperial maid. ¡°Hand over that imperial maid to me. Regardless of whether she is pregnant or not, I will solve it cleanly and she will not affect the relationship between the two of you.¡± Queen Zhou continued, ¡°It¡¯s just that Chen¡¯er has been the Crown Prince since he was a child and is respected by everyone. ¡°You didn¡¯t allow him to enter your palace and didn¡¯t give him face. Then how could he establish authority and command his subordinates in the future?¡± ¡°Chen¡¯er was wrong in this matter, and you weren¡¯t completely innocent. Listen to my advice, just pretend that nothing has happened and I¡¯ll solve that imperial maid for you.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t dare to lie to Queen Zhou, so she confessed in a small voice, ¡°Mother, in fact, it was me who sneaked out of the East Palace and went to Duke Rong Mansion last night¡­¡± Queen Zhou: ¡°¡­you two, alas!¡± Queen Zhou didn¡¯t know whether to be annoyed or relieved. She had thought Chen¡¯er had cheated on Qiao Jinniang and was thinking about how to make up for it, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. No wonder Qiao Jinniang was so calm and not annoyed at all. Seeing that the chicken soup wonton had bottomed out, Qiao Jinniang emboldened herself to say, ¡°Mother, what you said just now makes sense, and I admit that I was wrong. ¡°But I didn¡¯t give face to His Royal Highness yesterday because I was really angry. ¡°What did Auntie mean by bringing Sisi who was dripping wet to the Qiao family? ¡°Mother, you said that Zhou Sisi disdained marrying into the East Palace, but why did she give my husband a doll under the public eye all wet? ¡°To show everyone how much she loved him? ¡°If the Zhou family really wants to marry Zhou Sisi into the East Palace and you think it¡¯s good too, I can surrender the position to her! ¡°But the Zhou family keeps saying that Zhou Sisi doesn¡¯t want to marry into the East Palace, yet indulges or even helps her seduce my husband all the time¡­¡± Queen Zhou frowned and said, ¡°Sisi is just a six or seven-year-old kid. What can she know? Her love for Chen¡¯er is nothing more than a young sister¡¯s affection for her elder brother. How can you call it ¡®seduce¡¯?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t think Zhou Sisi doesn¡¯t understand anything. No matter how childish she seems, she is actually a mature woman. Even if Zhou Sisi doesn¡¯t understand the love between men and women, does the Zhou family not?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t say that the Zhou family doesn¡¯t want it. If they really don¡¯t, how could someone deliberately spread the news that Zhou Sisi once saved Lu Chen¡¯s life among the people!¡± Queen Zhou¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but her eyes suddenly turned sharp. ¡°Come, pass on my order, call Duke Wu and his wife over!¡± Qiao Jinniang sat beside Queen Zhou and it wasn¡¯t until half an hour later did Duke Wu and his wife arrive, followed by Zhou Sisi with a sullen expression. ¡°Auntie!¡± Zhou Sisi shouted when she saw Queen Zhou, ¡°Where is Imperial Cousin? Ah-choo.¡± Queen Zhou glared at her brother and sister-in-law. ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re really similar to Tong Yingying¡¯s aunt. The methods you two used are similarly disgusting. How can you try to manipulate public opinion? ¡°Why did you spread the news? What do you want? ¡°Let everyone in the world know that the Empress Dowager tried to kill the Crown Prince? That a grandmother wants to kill her grandson? Our country advocates filial piety. Now what should His Majesty do? ¡°It would have been fine if you had solid evidence. But it¡¯s just our speculation, and we can¡¯t have the Empress Dowager punished at all. By spreading the news, you would only make the royal family a joke!¡± ¡°Sister-in-law, even if you are tired of living, don¡¯t implicate the entire Zhou family!¡± Mrs. Zhou said aggrievedly, ¡°But Your Majesty, did you forget that we sacrificed our family¡¯s military power to help you to become the Queen? ¡°You are now the respected Queen, and His Majesty dotes on you very much, but our Duke Wu Mansion can¡¯t even match the Duke Anyuan Mansion! ¡°I just think Sisi is too pitiful. For His Royal Highness, Sisi even dared to jump into the water that she was always afraid of, even her hands became scarred. ¡°Your Majesty, as a mother, I just want my daughter to be happy! I beg you, for the sake of the sacrifice of the Duke Wu Mansion for you and a mother¡¯s love for her daughter, grant her what she wants.¡± Qiao Jinniang stood by Queen Zhou¡¯s side and watched Mrs. Zhou speak sincerely and tearfully. But even though she claimed that it was all for Zhou Sisi, the truth was that she was not reconciled that the Duke Anyuan Mansion was more powerful than the Due Wu Mansion. Queen Zhou snorted coldly. ¡°Yes, the Duke Wu Mansion did hand over the military power for me at that time, but if they didn¡¯t hand over the military power back then, do you think that the Duke Wu Mansion still exists today? ¡°His Majesty seems to be merciful but can he really tolerate any ministers who are too powerful? Earl Cheng¡¯en has no real power left now, and the Lu family in Longnan has been wiped out. ¡°The right prime minister and his party have been uprooted. As for the Duke Anyuan Mansion, yes, Duke Anyuan is indeed powerful, but it is his concubine-born second brother who guards the frontier and controls the military power. Why does it have to be his concubine-born brother? You should know that Duke Anyuan has a brother of the same mother. ¡°Duke Anyuan is loyal, but if he is not, his concubine-born brother probably won¡¯t listen to him. ¡°And now, the Xie family, the only remaining old distinguished family in the South, is having an internal strife. Do you think whether His Majesty plays a part in it or not? ¡°Indeed, the Duke Wu Mansion had military power back then, but how long do you think the glory of the Duke Wu Mansion could last if we didn¡¯t hand over the military power? ¡°How long could His Majesty tolerate the Duke Wu Mansion that was already overly powerful? ¡°Don¡¯t keep emphasizing how much you sacrificed for me! ¡°Back then, Auntie snatched the late emperor¡¯s favor and was so disrespectful to the Empress Dowager in the imperial palace. If it weren¡¯t for me, could the Duke Wu Mansion survive the Empress Dowager¡¯s retaliation? After all, the Empress Dowager is His Majesty¡¯s mother!¡± ¡°Brother, Sister-in-law, go back home and think about it, did you help me, or did I help you? ¡°Don¡¯t think that His Majesty is really tolerant and merciful just because he looks so!¡± Queen Zhou¡¯s remarks made Duke Wu look ashen and burst into a cold sweat. Qiao Jinniang thought about it carefully and found what the Queen said was true. There were indeed no truly powerful ministers now. Even the big distinguished family like the Xie family had to bow their heads to the Emperor because of their internal strife. Queen Zhou said, ¡°If you want to push me to do something I don¡¯t like with the so-called ¡°favor¡± I owe you, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless! ¡°I¡¯ve made it very clear to you that the Crown Prince will not take concubines, but Sister-in-law just doesn¡¯t give up. ¡°Sisi is different from ordinary girls, and you will worry about her if she is married far away, so pick a man to marry into your family! ¡°My mother is not in good health, and I don¡¯t want her to be too tired. Brother, Sister-in-law, select a husband for Sisi. In three days, I want to hear the news of Sisi¡¯s engagement!¡± Zhou Sisi¡¯s eyes rolled slightly. Mrs. Zhou hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Your Majesty! She is your niece! I was wrong, I know I was wrong! ¡°I don¡¯t dare do it again and I won¡¯t spread anything more. ¡°But she saved the Crown Prince¡¯s life after all. Please don¡¯t let her marry someone else.¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°Saved Chen¡¯er? What a joke. At that time, Chen¡¯er was surrounded by secret guards, and the Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t hurt him at all! ¡°Moreover, His Majesty didn¡¯t punish her for wearing the Crown Prince¡¯s python robe, which was a kindness to the Duke Wu Mansion. Could the Crown Prince¡¯s python robe be worn by her?¡± Qiao Jinniang, who often wore Lu Chen¡¯s clothes, couldn¡¯t help but shiver¡­ Zhou Sisi walked up to Queen Zhou and said, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry. Sisi doesn¡¯t want to get married. Sisi only wants to play with Imperial Cousin and Auntie!¡± Chapter 214 - Missing on the Street Queen Zhou glanced at Zhou Sisi and said sarcastically, ¡°The cinnabar ink is usually kept carefully, but you just could knock it over and spill it right on the tiger doll. Sisi, you¡¯re really smart!¡± Mrs. Zhou said with tearful eyes. ¡°Your Majesty, I already knew that I was wrong, but Sisi is just like a child and doesn¡¯t understand anything! If she can have normal intelligence, I would be willing to be a vegetarian for the rest of my life.¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°Not all children are as pure as blank sheets. You know what I mean. You can leave now!¡± 1 The three of them could only salute and leave. Seeing Zhou Sisi¡¯s dull eyes, Qiao Jinniang asked Queen Zhou, ¡°Mother, is she pretending to be stupid?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Queen Zhou said. ¡°But why did you mention cinnabar ink just now?¡± Queen Zhou explained, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she is pretending to be stupid or not. As long as I think she is pretending to be stupid, Mrs. Zhou won¡¯t indulge her anymore. Unlike Tong Yingying, your aunt is not a bad person. ¡°But parents always want their children to live happily. Your aunt just wants to give her daughter a better future. Now that I dislike Zhou Sisi, she will definitely not allow her to marry into the East Palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re really amazing.¡± . Queen Zhou said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve eaten your delicious wontons. How can I let you be wronged? ¡°Chen¡¯er should have done something about it. Since he knew that you disliked Zhou Sisi, he should have solved this problem earlier.¡± Her son was really lucky to be able to have a wife. Qiao Jinniang felt that what her mother-in-law said made sense. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re right. Do you still want to eat wontons? There are still some in the East Palace. Let me bring them to you.¡± Queen Zhou smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± After finishing his business, Lu Chen waited for Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wontons all morning. It was not until lunch that he knew that Qiao Jinniang went to the Queen¡¯s palace for dinner and brought all the wontons there, even including his portion. In the Queen¡¯s palace, Queen Zhou hadn¡¯t eaten so much for a long time. Emperor Huilin was very glad and rewarded Qiao Jinniang with many good things. When Lu Chen came in, he saw the three of them dine in without regard for the royal etiquette. He stepped forward and said, ¡°Father, Mother, why didn¡¯t you call me over to have dinner together?¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°I thought you would have lunch with the courtiers of the East Palace. You came too late, and the wontons Jinniang made have been all eaten up.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± He knew that his father loved delicious food, but why did his dignified mother become so childish too? Seeing that there were a few with chopped green onions in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s bowl, Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just eat what¡¯s left in Jinniang¡¯s bowl. She doesn¡¯t like green onions.¡± Emperor Huilin snorted. ¡°Hmph, did you forget you are the Crown Prince? How can you eat others¡¯ leftovers! ¡°But don¡¯t think that just making some wontons can please me and your mother. ¡°Block the secret tunnel as early as possible. If it¡¯s found out by others, I can¡¯t save your lives!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen knew that nothing could be kept from his father¡¯s eyes. After all, he had scouts in the Duke Rong Mansion, so he simply said, ¡°Okay, Father.¡± ¡­ In the Zhou family¡¯s carriage. Duke Wu didn¡¯t blame Mrs. Zhou but said, ¡°Find a good husband for Sisi. It;s best to have a clean family background. He doesn¡¯t have to be very talented as long as he treats Sisi well.¡± Mrs. Zhou pursed her lips and said, ¡°Okay.¡± But Zhou Sisi clamored, ¡°No, Mother. I want to be Imperial Cousin¡¯s crown princess. I don¡¯t want to marry anyone but Imperial Cousin!¡± 1 ¡°Sisi, your cousin already has a crown princess!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not worthy!¡± Zhou Sisi cried. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I just want to be the crown princess!¡± Mrs. Zhou hugged Zhou Sisi in her arms and tried to pacify her. ¡°Be good, Zhou Sisi, be good. There is nothing good about being the crown princess. I will definitely find you a husband much better than His Royal Highness.¡± Zhou Sisi closed her eyes. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Her mother was really useless! Zhou Sisi had always felt that there were two people living in her body. One was the retarded Little Sisi, and the other was the sober Miss Zhou who could even be called calculating. 3 Most of the time, it was the retarded little Sisi, and the sober, calculating Miss Zhou could only watch on the sidelines. Although she was the only daughter of Duke Wu, everyone would bully her secretly, and even the maids would bully her secretly. Whenever she was seriously humiliated, the sober Zhou Sisi would be able to control the body. Zhou Sisi remembered that when she was twelve years old, the first time she had her period, there was blood on her skirt, and everyone laughed at her, but her imperial cousin protected her and reprimanded those who bullied her. After that, both the retarded Sisi and the sober Zhou Sisi fell in love with Lu Chen. After Lu Chen disappeared, she had been missing him. After Lu Chen came back, the retarded Sisi and the sober Zhou Sisi were both determined to marry him. After that, Zhou Sisi finally returned to normal by chance, and the retarded Sisi never came out again. However, when Imperial Concubine Zhou died, she left the last words that the daughters of the Zhou family shall never marry into the imperial palace. Zhou Sisi couldn¡¯t marry into the East Palace even if she had regained consciousness, so she decided to continue to act as a fool. She believed that her imperial cousin who had been missing for many years would pity her and would not care about her retardness. 2 Just like in the past, he would protect her and play with her forever. After Lu Chen came back, this was indeed the case in the beginning. When he met her in the Queen¡¯s palace, he would still dote on her and play with her, praising her for becoming more beautiful¡­ But then, Qiao Jinniang appeared. Zhou Sisi watched helplessly as her imperial cousin gave all his love to Qiao Jinniang, but she didn¡¯t want to just give up her obsession. But her stupid mother used the same method as Tong Yingying and almost ruined the Zhou family, and now, she would have to be engaged within three days! No, she couldn¡¯t just sit still and await her doom. She couldn¡¯t marry someone else. ¡°Mother, I only want Imperial Cousin, not anyone else. I only want Imperial Cousin!¡± Zhou Sisi cried. ¡°Imperial Cousin is the best.¡± Mrs. Zhou was helpless, but how could she not obey the Queen¡¯s order? ¡°Sisi, be good.¡± Zhou Sisi snorted and suddenly jumped out of the carriage. Mrs. Zhou hurriedly shouted, ¡°Sisi!¡± But Zhou Sisi ran so fast that even Duke Wu, who had been practicing martial arts, couldn¡¯t catch up with her¡­ All the guards of the Duke Wu Mansion scattered to look for Zhou Sisi, and the people also searched for Zhou Sisi for the Zhou family. Mrs. Zhou cried and said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been so harsh with her! She is a demented girl. Now that she ran away from home, I can¡¯t imagine what will happen to her!¡± ¡­ In the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen had not yet had their lunch nap when they heard the news of Zhou Sisi¡¯s disappearance. She couldn¡¯t help feeling surprised. How could the guards of the Duke Wu Mansion let such a living human run away from their eyes on the main street of Chang¡¯an? Everyone could tell at the first glance that Zhou Sisi was from a rich family, and many people in Chang¡¯an knew her. How could she disappear so easily? At this time, an eunuch reported outside that Duke Wu and Zhou Siming asked to see them. Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°You can take a nap first.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 215 - Changan under Martial Law When Zhou Siming saw Lu Chen, he hurriedly said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, after Sisi jumped off the carriage, she disappeared. I wonder if you can help us to put the entire Chang¡¯an under martial law to block all the exits of Chang¡¯an?¡± Duke Wu knelt down to Lu Chen and said, ¡°His Royal Highness, Sisi is not clear in her mind. We can¡¯t imagine what terrible things will happen to her. Your grandmother has already been angered into fainting by Zhou Shihui last time. I don¡¯t know if she can survive this time if anything happens to Sisi¡­¡± Lu Chen frowned. His grandmother was an elderly person after all, so he said to Duke Wu, ¡°Uncle, it is extremely inappropriate to put Chang¡¯an under martial law and block all the exits, but I¡¯ll order the Imperial Guards to search carefully in Chang¡¯an.¡± Lu Chen followed Zhou Siming and Duke Wu out of the East Palace to dispatch the soldiers. Although Qiao Jinniang was accustomed to taking a nap after lunch, she couldn¡¯t sleep because Zhou Sisi disappeared, so she could only wait in the East Palace for news from outside. Mrs. Zhou cried bitterly outside the palace gate. ¡°Why was Qiao Jinniang so mean to Sisi?! And why did Her Majesty set the deadline of three days? If something happens to Sisi, I won¡¯t live!¡± Mrs. Tong and the others tried their best to comfort Mrs. Zhou. But Mrs. Zhou cried more and more loudly. ¡­ In a villa in Chang¡¯an, which was decorated in accordance with the Southern style. The second young master of the Xie family was lying in a pavilion, shaking his fan gently, and seeing the woman who appeared in front of him, he said, ¡°Miss Mu, it must be hard for you to come to me with such a big belly. You¡¯re about to give birth, right?¡± Mu Qianqian said, ¡°Second Young Master Xie, my master has already agreed to your conditions and wants to do those big things with you!¡± The second young master of the Xie family sneered. ¡°Although your master was quite famous when he was young, he has just regained his status as Prince Huai. Compared with the Crown Prince, he is nothing.¡± Mu Qianqian said, ¡°Second Master, you can rest assured. My master is His Majesty¡¯s eldest son. Although the Crown Prince is well praised, my master is no worse than him at all. Besides, my master has a trump card, which is Zhou Sisi.¡± The second young master of the Xie family said in surprise, ¡°Zhou Sisi? Isn¡¯t she Duke Wu¡¯s daughter? How can she be your master¡¯s trump card?¡± Mu Qianqian touched her abdomen and said, ¡°Yes, you can think about it carefully. Although Xie Yun has canceled the engagement with the Crown Prince, the two of them are very close. I heard that Xie Yun is secretly doing business with Qiao Jinniang!¡± The second young master of the Xie family pondered carefully. Although there was only Xie Yun left in his eldest uncle¡¯s family, Xie Yun could never be taken lightly. What the second young master of the Xie family wanted was not only the Xie family, but also the dignity of the Xie family as the largest old distinguished family today. Looking at the whole situation, it was better to choose Prince Huai than the Crown Prince. ¡°Miss Mu, let me think about it carefully.¡± Mu Qianqian said, ¡°Second Young Master, do you know that Fourth Miss Qin has become the concubine of Prince Huai. Although everyone says that the Duke Qin Mansion is nothing but an empty husk, Qin Shu is now in a high position, and the Qin family has both military power and a noble title.¡± Seeing that the second young master of the Xie family hadn¡¯t agreed to cooperate, Mu Qianqian showed more trump cards Prince Huai had. The second young master of the Xie family smiled and said, ¡°But I heard that Qin Miaomiao and Lin Mo have been engaged?¡± ¡°Your news is wrong. The heir to Duke Wu fell for Qin Miaomiao.¡± The second young master of the Xie family said, ¡°But Qin Shu is the husband of the Crown Princess¡¯ sister, and the brother-in-law of the Crown Prince. If Qin Miaomiao marries the heir to Duke Wu, the Qin family will not be stupid enough to help the eldest prince!¡± Mu Qianqian smiled. ¡°Then please wait and see, Second Young Master!¡± ¡­ After Mu Qianqian left the Xie family¡¯s villa, she turned and entered the Mu mansion in Chang¡¯an. Seeing Zhou Sisi on the ground who was tied up, she took out the rag in Zhou Sisi¡¯s mouth, but didn¡¯t untie the black cloth blindfolding Zhou Sisi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Zhou, I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to invite you to have a talk. How could they put a rag in your mouth!¡± Zhou Sisi frowned and said, ¡°Who are you? Let me go!¡± Mu Qianqian said, ¡°I¡¯m here to help you become the crown princess. Miss Zhou, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ve gradually sobered up last year, right? If it weren¡¯t for the rumors this morning, I would have believed that Miss Zhou had been retarded!¡± ¡°Who are you? What do you want to do?¡± Mu Qianqian said, ¡°Miss Zhou, you began to take Tianshan Snow Lotus last year. I¡¯m afraid that you don¡¯t have enough Tianshan Snow Lotus now, right? I still have a few here to keep Miss Zhou sober!¡± Zhou Sisi frowned and said, ¡°What on earth are you going to do? If you want money, the Zhou Family can give it to you!¡± Mu Qianqian said, ¡°I don¡¯t want money. I want Miss Zhou to marry into the East Palace and do something for me!¡± Zhou Sisi shook her head and said, ¡°I won¡¯t betray Imperial Cousin. Don¡¯t even think about using me! I¡¯d rather be crazy than help you deal with Imperial Cousin.¡± Mu Qianqian said, ¡°But I heard just now that Queen Zhou has ordered you to find a husband within three days. What if I could help you marry into the East Palace?¡± Zhou Sisi felt silent. She was a little tempted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ask you to kill the Crown Prince!¡± Mu Qianqian untied the ropes that bound Zhou Sisi¡¯s hands. ¡°I wonder if Miss Zhou is willing?¡± Zhou Sisi said, ¡°Can you help me marry into the East Palace? How is that possible? Qiao Jinniang doesn¡¯t allow Imperial Cousin to take any concubines!¡± Mu Qianqian was surprised when she heard Zhou Sisi¡¯s words. Was Qiao Jinniang out of her mind? Mu Qianqian said, ¡°I mean what I said. But after you marry into the East Palace, you have to listen to me!¡± Zhou Sisi thought that after she married into the East Palace, Mu Qianqian wouldn¡¯t be able to force her to do anything she didn¡¯t like. ¡­ Zhou Sisi disappeared, and soldiers were searching for her all over Chang¡¯an. The people were all terrified. After a day of investigation, her whereabouts still were not found, so the soldiers could only search from door to door. All the Imperial Guards had been mobilized, searching every single corner of Chang¡¯an. Zhou Sisi¡¯s disappearance was a big thing and everyone in Chang¡¯an was jittery. Qiao Jinniang was teaching Xi¡¯er characters in the East Palace. To her surprise, he had known a lot of characters. And Lu Xi could even write some characters. However, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t allow Lu Xi to write. He was too young, and writing was not good for his bones. He shouldn¡¯t learn to write before he was five years old. ¡°Mommy, why can¡¯t I write? My classmates all started writing when they were three years old.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled at Lu Xi and said, ¡°Xi¡¯er, you¡¯re still young. Writing at this age is not good for the growth of your hands. You can learn to write in another two years. Now learn to read first.¡± Lu Xi obediently listened to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words. Yuyan hurried in and said, ¡°Your Highness, His Royal Highness said that he was not returning home tonight.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. She wasn¡¯t jealous but was just curious. How could Zhou Sisi just disappear? What she was more curious about was whether Zhou Sisi was really retarded. If she wasn¡¯t, why did she pretend to be retarded for so many years? If she was really retarded, she wouldn¡¯t run away when the Queen asked her to marry another man. Soon, Luhe came in and said, ¡°Your Highness, good news! Miss Zhou has been found. She climbed up to the Wild Goose Pagoda!¡± Chapter 216 - Threaten with Her Life The Wild Goose Pagoda was the tallest tower in Chang¡¯an. It was much higher than the city wall. The soldiers had come to search the Wild Goose Pagoda but didn¡¯t find Zhou Sisi. When a little monk went to ring the bell, he saw Zhou Sisi sitting by a window of the Wild Goose Pagoda, her clothes fluttering in the wind and her legs were dangling in the air. She looked like a fairy from heaven. The old abbot came over, and when he saw that it was Zhou Sisi, he hurriedly had other monks go up the tower to rescue Zhou Sisi. Zhou Sisi said, ¡°Don¡¯t come over. if you come, I will jump from here. I want to see my imperial cousin! Call my imperial cousin over!¡± The old abbot didn¡¯t dare to force Zhou Sisi and quickly ordered people to invite Lu Chen, Zhou Siming and others over. They quickly entered the tower. Mrs. Zhou was so frightened that her heart almost jumped to her throat. ¡°Sisi, Sisi!¡± Zhou Sisi looked back and saw Lu Chen standing tall and straight under the light of the lantern. He was the most dazzling one in the crowd. ¡°Imperial Cousin!¡± However, Zhou Sisi didn¡¯t see the usual gentle smile on Lu Chen¡¯s face but a cold and stern look. ¡°Imperial Cousin, you have found me. I want to marry you, not anyone else. Auntie wants Sisi to marry someone else, but Sisi doesn¡¯t want it. I will only marry Imperial Cousin!¡± Mrs. Zhou hurriedly said, ¡°Okay, okay. Sisi, come down first! Your imperial cousin will promise you!¡± Most of Zhou Sisi¡¯s body was already outside the window. It seemed that as long as the wind was stronger, she would fall from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda! Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°I won¡¯t agree.¡± Zhou Siming looked at Lu Chen pleadingly and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, my sister¡­¡± Zhou Sisi looked down and shouted, ¡°I will only marry Imperial Cousin.¡± Mrs. Zhou knelt down and kowtowed to Lu Chen. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Sisi is retarded. Her life is at stake. Aren¡¯t you even willing to coax her? She is your cousin after all!¡± Zhou Siming also knelt down and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness¡­¡± However, Lu Chen¡¯s voice was extremely cold. ¡°I don¡¯t have a younger sister, so I always treat Sisi as my younger sister, and I don¡¯t want to believe that Sisi, who was innocent and cute when she was young, can play tricks, but how can a retarded person know to threaten me with her life?¡± 1 The usual gentle air disappeared from Lu Chen, and he looked aggressively straight into Zhou Sisi¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Where did the daughter of the Zhou family learn to threaten a man with her life? If she wants to marry into the East Palace, just jump down from here and I can allow her ashes to be left in the East Palace.¡± ¡°You!¡± Mrs. Zhou suppressed the anger in her heart. The person in front of her was the Crown Prince. No matter how angry she was, she could only endure it. Zhou Siming said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, do you still remember the time when we went to the Wild Goose Pagoda to play when we were young. At that time, Sisi didn¡¯t dare to walk down the steps from the Wild Goose Pagoda and you would carry her downstairs. She is your little sister. Do you have no regard for your childhood sister-brother bond?¡± Zhou Siming always thought that Lu Chen was still the former Lu Chen. However, he felt that Lu Chen had changed a lot. For the sake of Qiao Jinniang, he would rather dump the Zhou family. Was it worth it? Tears dripped from the corners of Zhou Sisi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Imperial Cousin.¡± However, Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°If I have no regard for our sister-brother bond, I won¡¯t search for Zhou Sisi all over Chang¡¯an. Now everyone in Chang¡¯an is in panic, but she is here treatening to commit suicide. Since she doesn¡¯t want to live, then die!¡± ¡°Your Royal Highness, please listen to me.¡± Mu Qianqian came out with a big belly and said, ¡°I¡¯m Mu Qianqian, a good friend of the Qiao family. I lodge temporarily in a hut next to the Wild Goose Pagoda. Hearing the noise here, I came over to have a look.¡± 1 ¡°Your Royal Highness, if Zhou Sisi jumps down today, I¡¯m afraid that tomorrow, everyone in Chang¡¯an will gossip that the Crown Princess drove your cousin to death out of jealousy. This will do no good to the crown princess¡¯ reputation.¡± Lu Chen looked at Mu Qianqian, who appeared out of nowhere, and said coldly, ¡°How can I let her marry into the East Palace just because she threatens me with her life? I don¡¯t just have one cousin sister. If this trick works, every cousin of mine will climb to the pagoda and threaten to jump down!¡± ¡°His Majesty, Her Majesty, and Her Highness arrive.¡± There was such a big incident here, and the Ci¡¯en Temple where the Wild Goose Pagoda was located was a royal temple, so the Emperor and the Queen came together. Seeing Zhou Sisi like this, the Queen was very disappointed. She couldn¡¯t believe that her little niece that she had always doted on would do such a thing. Mrs. Zhou screamed at Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, please show some mercy and save my daughter. You don¡¯t want to get blood on your hands, do you?! You don¡¯t want to be cursed by everyone for killing a young girl, right?!¡± Seeing this scene, Qiao Jinniang walked to the window and said with tears, ¡°No matter what I do, I will be scolded for not being tolerant enough and forcing Cousin to marry and even forcing her to threaten with her own life. ¡°Even if Cousin marries into the East Palace, my reputation would still be ruined. ¡°In this case, I might as well jump down from here and die! Let the world see how the daughter of Duke Wu would force the Crown Princess to die in order to marry into the East Palace!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t move a step, but the imperial maids around her hurriedly stopped her. Hongling said, ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t. You are the Crown Princess who was welcomed into the East Palace by His Royal Highness himself. Even though some shameless woman is desperate enough to be a concubine, what does this have to do with you?¡± The Zhou family was scolded, but they could only come up to stop Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang certainly would not commit suicide, but it was not Zhou Sisi¡¯s exclusive right to threaten people with her own life. Even if Zhou Sisi really jumped down today, Qiao Jinniang wouldn¡¯t be afraid. Anyway, she wanted to jump, but the imperial maids stopped her. She, the formal crown princess, was almost forced to commit suicide by the Zhou family. She¡¯d like to see whether the public opinion supported her or the Zhou family. Even if Zhou Sisi died, she would not get any benefit. After Mu Qianqian figured this out, she frowned. Lu Chen grabbed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wrist and glared at the people of the Duke Wu Mansion, asking, ¡°Uncle, Aunt, are you forcing the Crown Princess to die?¡± The Zhou family people hurriedly shook their heads, and at this time, a secret guard sneaked down from the top of the tower and suddenly kicked Zhou Sisi into the tower while she wasn¡¯t paying attention. After Zhou Sisi was surrounded by the guards, Lu Chen ordered, ¡°Call over an imperial physician to examine if Miss Zhou is really retarded. If she fakes it, hand her over to the Ministry of Public Security, no, to the Ministry of Penalty!¡± 1 Zhou Sisi lowered her head and kept muttering, ¡°Imperial Cousin, Imperial Cousin¡­¡± The steps of the Wild Goose Pagoda were steep and narrow, and it was dark at night. Mu Qianqian was about to secretly leave while no one paid attention to her when she missed her footing and rolled all the way to the ground. 1 A lot of blood flowed out of the lower part of her body. When Qiao Jinniang saw Mu Qianqian, she frowned. Why was it this woman again? But the baby in her belly was innocent, so Qiao Jinniang called over an imperial physician to deliver Mu Qianqian¡¯s birth. In the carriage back to the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang leaned close to Lu Chen and gently kissed his lips¡­ Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°The carriage of my parents is right in front. Even if you want it, you have to endure it a little longer. We¡¯ll be arriving at the East Palace soon.¡± Qiao Jinniang blushed and said, ¡°What are you talking about? I just gave you a little reward for doing the right thing. When I heard the news that Zhou Sisi was threatening you with her own life, I thought that you would agree to marrying her. After all, she is your younger sister who you¡¯ve been doting on since childhood.¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang into his arms and said, ¡°When she was threatening me with her life, she was no longer my younger sister. I had suspected that she had been faking being retarded, but I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason. Now it turns out that my guess is right.¡± Chapter 217 - : Zhou Sisi Gets Married Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t understand why Zhou Sisi faked being retarded. Not long after they returned to the East Palace, the Minister of Penalty came to Lu Chen¡¯s study and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, the imperial doctor has confirmed that Miss Zhou is indeed still suffering from retardness, so she didn¡¯t commit the crime of deceiving His Majesty.¡± Lu Chen shook his hand and allowed the Minister of Penalty to leave Qiao Jinniang walked up to Lu Chen¡¯s side and said, ¡°How could a retarded woman threaten people with her own life? The Minister of Penalty is too stupid.¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Even if it can¡¯t be confirmed that she¡¯s faking being retarded, she won¡¯t be able to come to the imperial palace to bother you again.¡± The Minister of Penalty and the imperial physician were not too stupid but too smart. After all, the Duke Wu Mansion was the Queen¡¯s natal home, so it would do them no good to expose Zhou Sisi, and ordinary imperial doctors couldn¡¯t diagnose retardness. But Lu Chen knew his mother well. his mother had been thoroughly disgusted by Zhou Sisi. ¡­ At midnight. Tong Yingying was dragged straight to a manor by Mrs. Tong¡¯s maids. She shouted, ¡°Mother, Mother, I still have a way to marry into the East Palace!¡± Tong Xuan sneered. ¡°Are you still daydreaming? The Crown Prince doesn¡¯t even give any face to Zhou Sisi, let alone you! You literally ruined our Tong family¡­¡± But Tong Yingying craned her neck and said, ¡°The Crown Prince doesn¡¯t want me, but there are still other princes. Dad has offended the Crown Prince and has had no hope of being reinstated. Why don¡¯t we pledge loyalty to another prince?¡± Tong Xuan widened her eyes and said, ¡°Tong Yingying, do you want our Tong family to be beheaded?¡± Tong Yingying stood up and said, ¡°Mother, even the only protector of our family, the Duke Wu Mansion, has offended the Crown Prince, which shows how stupid the Crown Prince is! He actually gave up her mother¡¯s natal family for a woman!¡± ¡°If we support another prince, it¡¯s not impossible for us to succeed. How many crown princes have been able to successfully ascend the throne through the ages?¡± Seeing her parents hesitate after hearing Tong Yingying¡¯s words, Tong Xuan shook her head. Crazy, were her parents crazy? She should marry as early as possible, and as far away as possible. Then even if the Tong family was punished for treason in the future, she would not be implicated! ¡­ In the Duke Wu Mansion, when Old Madam Zhou learned about what Zhou Sisi did, she was so angry that she almost couldn¡¯t breathe. And she immediately ordered Zhou Sisi to be brought to her courtyard. ¡°Sisi, I have been doting on you. Now tell me, are you really retarded or not?!¡± Zhou Sisi knelt down and said, ¡°Grandmother, it hasn¡¯t been long since I regained my senses. Last year, after Imperial Cousin came back, I gradually sobered up. I dared not tell you because our family has a rule that the women of the Zhou family shall not marry into the imperial palace. ¡°But I wanted to marry Imperial Cousin, so I kept it a secret. I want to marry into the East Palace, and I want to marry Imperial Cousin. What is wrong with that? ¡°When I was young, my imperial cousin would carry me on his back, take me to play, give me all the fun toys, and teach me to carve hand by hand¡­ ¡°But after he disappeared, everything changed when he came back. It¡¯s Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang stole him from me!¡± Old Madam Zhou slapped Zhou Sisi angrily. ¡°She stole Chen¡¯er from you? Chen¡¯er has always been treating you as his sister. Can¡¯t you tell? How could a mature man fall in love with a kid?¡± Zhou Sisi raised her eyes and said, ¡°But I only have Imperial Cousin in my heart. If the Zhou family forces me to marry someone else, I¡¯d rather die!¡± Old Madam Zhou narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°So you are threatening to commit suicide? Very good, Shihui threatened to kill herself for a man as well, and now you are doing the same thing. How can our family¡¯s girls be so spineless?!¡± Mrs. Zhou said from the side, ¡°Mother!¡± Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°If my son hadn¡¯t insisted on marrying you, I wouldn¡¯t have accepted you as my daughter-in-law because I despise the style of your Tong family. You are much better than your niece, but you also think too much of yourself. ¡°If you think I¡¯m such an eyesore to you, you can divorce my son and leave the Duke Wu Mansion with your daughter!¡± Duke Wu said, ¡°Mother, this is clearly the Crown Prince¡¯s fault. He has no regard for our kinship for the sake of Qiao Jinniang!¡± Old Madam Zhou frowned and said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang is his wife who has given birth to a child for him. If he doesn¡¯t care about the Crown Princess, who should he care about? ¡°Your sister is favored by His Majesty indeed, but with the Empress Dowager, her life in the imperial palace has never been easy! ¡°Now Chen¡¯er has finally grown up and given birth to a son, but you, as his elders, keep making trouble for him instead of helping him! You might as well cut off the relationship with Chen¡¯er. Then everyone will be satisfied.¡± ¡°If you still want to stay in the Duke Wu Mansion, marry Zhou Sisi off by tomorrow. It doesn¡¯t matter if she marries a peddler or even a beggar! Just make her stop bothering the Crown Prince!¡± Mrs. Zhou cried out loud and hugged Zhou Sisi. ¡°Mother, Sisi is your granddaughter!¡± ¡°And the Queen is also my daughter. She sacrificed so much for the Duke Wu Mansion. Of all my children, she is the most sensible. How can I let you harm my daughter?!¡± Old Madam Zhou said solemnly. 1 ¡­ What really happened yesterday was kept secret, and the news spread that when Zhou Sisi disappeared yesterday, she was rescued by a man. And in order to repay the man¡¯s life-saving grace, the Zhou family married Zhou Sisi off to him, and the wedding date was on the same day. Weddings of noble girls usually took at least half a year to prepare. So everyone knew there was something fishy about such a hurried wedding. ¡°Although Zhou Sisi is retarded, she has a good appearance and is the daughter of a duke. That man is really lucky to marry her!¡± In Zhou Sisi¡¯s room, she smashed a lot of rouge and gouache. Why should she marry a man she didn¡¯t even know¡­ She didn¡¯t want to. She had been determined to marry her imperial cousin since she was a child. ¡°Miss, Old Madam asked you to be obedient. Otherwise, I will tie you up to finish the wedding. After all, you are retarded, aren¡¯t you?¡± 1 Zhou Sisi stared at the maid fiercely. ¡°The auspicious time has come. The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, as well as the princes and their consorts, are all here today to watch the wedding ceremony. Please ask Miss Zhou to quickly change into the wedding dress!¡± Zhou Sisi frowned. Last time that woman said that she would help her marry into the East Palace, but where was she now? ¡­ In the Mu Mansion, Mu Qianqian had a hard time bringing the baby out, and after sending the imperial doctor away, she could not help crying with joy when she saw her son who was all black and blue. Prince Huai walked to Mu Qianqian and said, ¡°I finally have a child.¡± In order not to be suspected by his father, before Lu Chen grew up, he didn¡¯t dare to have children. Mu Qianqian said feebly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I failed to get Zhou Sisi into the East Palace.¡± Prince Huai wiped the sweat on Mu Qianqian¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Although Zhou Sisi can¡¯t marry into the East Palace, the relationship between Lu Chen and the Zhou family has reached a freezing point. I want you to do my another favor.¡± ¡°I want you to write a letter to Zhou Sisi, give her medicine, and tell her that if she uses it on Lu Chen, Lu Chen will sleep with her.¡± Mu Qianqian frowned and said, ¡°But Your Highness, wouldn¡¯t it be better if the relationship between the Zhou family and the Crown Prince be torn?¡± Prince Huai said, ¡°Yes, so I want to take the opportunity to win over the Zhou family. Zhou Sisi wants to use the medicine on the Crown Prince, but she will mistakenly use it on me, so I will also be a victim. In this way, I can justifiably marry Zhou Sisi as my concubine!¡± 1 Mu Qianqian frowned as she looked at her infant son. She had just given birth to a child, but His Highness wanted to marry one woman after another. Li Lingling from the Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion, Fourth Miss Qin from the Duke Qin Mansion, and now Zhou Sisi from the Duke Wu Mansion¡­ Every one of them loved the Crown Prince. She was the only one who loved Prince Huai, but she couldn¡¯t justifiably marry him! Chapter 218 - Slept with Miss Sisi No one cared who Zhou Sisi married, but a lot of people attended the Zhou family¡¯s wedding banquet. It should have been a great honor for the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess to come to watch the ceremony and attend the banquet, but Zhou Sisi was extremely indignant. Zhou Sisi looked at herself in the mirror, gnashing her teeth. If Lu Chen had never been so kind to her before, she would not have such obsessions. Why did Lu Chen treat her like this after being so kind to her? At this time, Zhou Sisi heard a strange sound outside. Hearing this, she made an excuse to go to the bathroom, and when she went to the window, she saw a note and a packet of medicine powder. Seeing the words on the note, Zhou Sisi smiled, burned the note, and threw it into the copper basin! ¡­ In the Zhou family¡¯s backyard, Lu Chen was talking with his brothers, while Qiao Jinniang took Lu Xi and chatted with her sisters-in-law about raising children. Consort Chu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m really worried about my son, Yuner. He is already six years old but he doesn¡¯t even memorize scriptures as fast as the imperial grandson. He has been learning to write since he was three years old, but his handwriting is still so poor.¡± Consort Qi said, ¡°Second Sister-in-law, don¡¯t talk like that. Junior Duke Jun is talented and intelligent and has always been a model student in every teacher¡¯s eyes. You don¡¯t know how irritating my son Bao¡¯er is! He can¡¯t even memorize the Three Character Classic! Alas, I forced him to write characters, but he only wrote two and ran away.¡± Prince Lu hadn¡¯t had a consort yet, so today he brought his concubine and the son of the concubine with him. The concubine didn¡¯t dare to cut in, so she just praised Lu Xi. ¡°My husband said the imperial grandson is gifted with an extraordinary retentive memory and all the teachers like him very much. It¡¯s presumably because the Crown Princess has educated him well.¡± Consort Su hadn¡¯t married Prince Su yet, so Prince Su also brought a concubine over. She was also praising Lu Xi. Being fawned on by them, Qiao Jinniang was not modest at all but praised Lu Xi. ¡°Yes, Xi¡¯er is amazing indeed.¡± Little Lu Xi held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mommy, I want to play with my brothers.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t get yourself hurt.¡± The consorts and concubines continued to talk about how to discipline children and then turned to talk about the descendants of the princes. The sixth prince, Prince Su, was five years older than Lu Chen, and the other princes were actually not young. But when Lu Chen disappeared, the princes didn¡¯t dare to have children so as not to make Emperor Huilin and the Queen unhappy, so none of them had many children. Thus, the consorts were all thinking about having more children. Consort Huai, Li Lingling, had no children and couldn¡¯t cut in, so she said provocatively, ¡°I heard that His Royal Highness slept with a woman in the Duke Rong Mansion the night before. For the sake of having descendants, Crown Princess, you should take that imperial maid into the East Palace as soon as possible! ¡°The Empress Dowager had been looking forward to the East Palace having more children!¡± Consort Qi, Consort Chu and the others looked at each other silently. Only Consort Huai dared to say this. Qiao Jinniang picked up a cup of tea and said, ¡°That ¡®imperial maid¡¯ is me, and Mother and Father have already known about it. ¡± Li Lingling frowned. ¡°How is that possible? How could you leave the imperial palace at midnight?!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°His Royal Highness summoned me, and I had gained the consent of Father and Mother. Why couldn¡¯t I leave the imperial palace?¡± Li Lingling stared at Qiao Jinniang resentfully. No wonder Qiao Jinniang wasn¡¯t angry at all! Consort Chu looked at Qiao Jinniang enviously and said, ¡°The Crown Prince is really fond of the Crown Princess. He only loves you. How enviable is that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Consort Qi was also very envious. ¡°But as the wives of princes, we and our husbands can be so affectionate only when we are newlyweds¡­ They will have more and more woman besides us as time goes by.¡± Consort Chu coughed. What she said was true, but she shouldn¡¯t say it in front of Qiao Jinniang. Consort Qi knew she had said something wrong, but she didn¡¯t know how to make up for it. Qiao Jinniang was not annoyed and said, ¡°A man must have the consent of his wife to take a concubine, and we, as the wives of princes, deserve more dignity and respect. Sister-in-law, if you don¡¯t like your husband taking too many concubines, you can just reject him. ¡°Father and Mother are both wise. If husbands don¡¯t respect their wives and indulge in beautiful women, it means that they can¡¯t even manage their families properly. Then how can they properly govern the country and bring peace to the world?¡± ¡°They are princes, but you are also consorts recognized by His Majesty. If the princes treat you unfairly and indulge their concubines to disrespect you, Father and Mothers will uphold justice for you!¡± Consort Chu sighed. ¡°But this will cause imperial censors to impeach us for not being a virtuous wife.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Being a virtuous wife is just a false reputation. The princesses are impeached by imperial censors every day. Do they ever care? Although we are the wives of princes, we are still common women.¡± The concubines of Prince Lu and Prince Su looked at each other and didn¡¯t dare to say anything. As for Consort Qi and Consort Chu, they were a little tempted by Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words. Li Lingling sneered. ¡°A prince is a prince after all. They are high-ranking, so they will inevitably have many women. Do you want the princes all to fall out with their mothers¡¯ natal families only for the sake of their wives?¡± Others didn¡¯t know, but Consort Qi and Consort Chu were both aware of what happened in the Wild Goose Pagoda yesterday, and they felt that what Li Lingling said made sense. Although Prince Chu and Prince Qi have no intention of competing for the throne. But as princes, they had their own power and needed to balance the relationship among their supporters. Sometimes they needed to marry some concubines as a tool to balance relationships. Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Only useless men need to rely on the power brought by women. Isn¡¯t it better to put their minds on state affairs than on women? Marrying concubines to balance relationships is nothing but an excuse.¡± ¡°Besides, Sisters-in-law, you¡¯re all from powerful families. Why do you have to be so forbearing?¡± Consort Chu was a little persuaded. What the Crown Princess said made sense. Even the Crown Prince could break with the Zhou family for the sake of the Crown Princess, so why couldn¡¯t his husband refuse taking concubines? Consort Qi was also thinking about Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words. Prince Qi simply had no hope of getting the throne, so marrying concubines to win over power was just his excuse. If Prince Qi wanted to take a concubine again, she would just refuse him. Nothing was more important than having an easier life for herself. She didn¡¯t care if she was regarded as a virtuous wife or not. If Prince Qi wanted to divorce her, she could turn to the Queen for help! She was in charge of the Prince Qi Mansion and had already had a son. She was not afraid of Prince Qi! ¡°Your Highness, Madam asks you to quickly go to Tianzhen Building. His Royal Highness, His Royal Highness has slept with Miss Sisi in the Zhou Mansion.¡± a maid of the Zhou Mansion hurried over to report. For a while, Consort Qi and Consort Chu both stared at Qiao Jinniang. Li Lingling gloated. ¡°Congratulations, Crown Princess. You have a good sister now!¡± Qiao Jinniang pointed to the princes on the other side of the lake and said, ¡°Are you a maid of the Zhou family? What are you talking about? Open your eyes and see, who is on the other side of the lake?¡± ¡­ Lu Chen and his brothers were ¡°talking and laughing¡± on the other side of the lake. Suddenly, Prince Chu and Prince Qi both sneezed. Lu Chen said, ¡°Do you have a cold?¡± Prince Qi shook his head. ¡°No, there must be someone talking bad about me behind my back.¡± Prince Chu somehow felt a little uneasy. ¡°Why did it take the eldest brother so long to change clothes?¡± Just now, a maid accidentally poured tea on Prince Huai¡¯s clothes, so he went to change, but it had almost been half an hour but he hadn¡¯t gone back. Chapter 219 - Two Consorts Huai The auspicious hour was approaching, and the maids were relieved when they saw that Zhou Sisi was finally willing to wear the wedding dress. After doing so, Zhou Sisi said that she wanted to calm down in the room alone, so the maids waited outside and didn¡¯t dare to go far. But then they found that Zhou Sisi had disappeared again, but fortunately, she was soon found in a room of the Tianzhen Building. But when they found Zhou Sisi, Zhou Sisi was with a man. The maids were too scared to approach and only heard Zhou Sisi calling ¡°Imperial Cousin¡± in the room, and they all thought that the man inside was the Crown Prince. So they hurriedly went to report to Mrs. Zhou, and she didn¡¯t go in to check and directly told them to call Qiao Jinniang over. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen met on the way. Qiao Jinniang walked over and asked Lu Chen, ¡°What the hell is Zhou Sisi doing again?¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t know, so he simply said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look first.¡± When Prince Qi saw his consort, he somehow felt that the way his consort looked at him was strange. Prince Chu had the same feeling and felt a chill down his spine. ¡°What happened?¡± Consort Chu smiled gently. ¡°Nothing.¡± Prince Chu somehow panicked. The more gently his consort smiled, the more he was terrified. Li Lingling didn¡¯t see Prince Huai, and frowned slightly. They entered the Tianzhen Building, and when Mrs. Zhou saw Lu Chen, she was stunned and even stammered. ¡°G-Greetings, Y-Your Royal Highness, and Your Highnesses.¡± Mrs. Zhou kept shaking. If the man inside was not Lu Chen, then who was inside? It was already a great disgrace for Sisi to get married in such a hurry. If she was found having sex with a man before marriage, her life would be completely ruined. Mrs. Zhou propped herself up and pushed open the door. The man inside had already dressed and said coldly, ¡°I came to attend the wedding ceremony as a guest, but when I was changing, Miss Zhou drugged me! Mrs. Zhou, you really educated Miss Zhou well!¡± Li Lingling frowned when she heard the voice inside. Qiao Jinniang smiled and congratulated Li Lingling. ¡°Sister-in-law, congratulations. It seems that you¡¯ll have one more sister now.¡± 1 Li Lingling almost vomited out a mouthful of blood. She rushed in and pointed at Zhou Sisi, snapping, ¡°You shameless b*tch, how dare you drug Prince Huai! Mrs. Zhou, you must give us an explanation!¡± Zhou Sisi, who slowly woke up on the bed, spat out a mouthful of blood! How could this be? The one she wanted to drug was Imperial Cousin not this man! Why did it become Prince Huai? After all, Zhou Sisi and Prince Huai¡¯s identities were special, and now Mrs. Zhou didn¡¯t know what to do. Old Madam Zhou was supported over. She frowned and said to Prince Huai, ¡°Your Highness, there may be a misunderstanding. The auspicious hour has come, so please let my granddaughter finish the wedding ceremony first.¡± Mrs. Zhou said to Old Madam, ¡°But, Mother, Sisi has already given herself to Prince Huai¡­¡± Old Madam Zhou¡¯s scrutinizing gaze swept to Prince Huai and she said, ¡°The girls of our family would rather marry a beggar than become a concubine! Therefore, the best choice is to continue the wedding.¡± Prince Huai cupped his hands and said, ¡°Miss Zhou is not clear in the mind after all. I don¡¯t know who drugged me, but since I failed to control myself, I should be responsible for what I have done. I am willing to take Miss Zhou as my concubine.¡± Old Madam Zhou said, ¡°The girls of the Zhou family will never be a concubine.¡± Prince Huai frowned, and Li Lingling turned pale. What did this old woman mean?! Did she want her to surrender her position to Zhou Sisi? Mrs. Zhou said to Old Madam Zhou, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not appropriate to continue the wedding now. Let¡¯s ask His Majesty and Her Majesty what to do first, okay?¡± In Mrs. Zhou¡¯s opinion, Lu Chen was so ruthless towards Sisi. It was not a bad choice for Sisi to marry Prince Huai. The Queen and the Crown Prince were simply heartless, but Prince Huai was still willing to marry Sisi eventhough he was drugged by Sisi. He was really a good man. No matter how much Old Madam Zhou insisted, since Prince Huai was involved, it could only be the Emperor who made the decision, so the marriage ceremony was canceled. ¡­ Not long after Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen returned to the East Palace, they were called by Emperor Huilin to the Taiji Palace. In the Taiji Palace, Prince Huai and Li Lingling were already there. After Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen saluted, they sat aside. Emperor Huilin asked Lu Chen, ¡°Zhou Sisi drugged Prince Huai and made him have sex with her. What do you think about this, Chen¡¯er? Of the two, one is your brother and the other is your cousin.¡± Logically speaking, to maintain the face of the royal family and the Duke Wu Mansion, it would be best to let Zhou Sisi marry Prince Huai as his concubine. But Emperor Huilin was partial to Lu Chen. If he let Prince Huai marry Zhou Sisi, wouldn¡¯t that mean giving all the power of the Duke Wu Mansion to Prince Huai? The Duke Wu Mansion was originally on Lu Chen¡¯s side. Lu Chen said, ¡°Since this matter has happened, I think Eldest Brother should take his responsibility, but the Zhou family doesn¡¯t want their daughter to be a concubine, so how about Eldest Brother marrying Cousin as his ¡®Equal Wife¡¯? Marrying an ¡®Equal Wife¡¯ is popular among the folks.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Nonsense! Which decent man will marry an ¡®Equal Wife¡¯? Your brother is a prince after all.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°But this is a special case, so it deserves special treatment. It is indeed inappropriate to have two Consorts Huai, but there is no other way to solve this matter now.¡± Li Lingling almost burst with rage. If there were two Consorts Huai, she would become a real joke. She said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Her Grace if she thinks the idea of ¡®Equal Wife¡¯ is acceptable?¡± The Empress Dowager hated the women of the Zhou family the most, and she would definitely not let Zhou Sisi marry Prince Huai as Consort Huai. However, to Li Lingling¡¯s surprise, the Empress Dowager agreed to Lu Chen¡¯s proposal right away. Although the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t like the girls of the Zhou family, Li Lingling certainly couldn¡¯t bring Prince Huai the power Zhou Sisi could. Besides, this could sow discord between Lu Chen and the Zhou family. Why not? Regarding the ¡®Equal Wife¡¯ matter, imperial censors kept submitting memorials, trying to stop this ridiculous thing, but Emperor Huilin didn¡¯t change his mind. ¡­ After Qiao Jinniang returned to the East Palace, she went to the kitchen to make a bowl of fish balls for Lu Chen. Seeing that there were fish balls at dinner, Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang curiously and said, ¡°Why are you being so kind to me today?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s not worth it to fall out with the Zhou family and lose a very valuable supporter for the sake of me?¡± Lu Chen chuckled and held Qiao Jinniang into his arms. ¡°If it¡¯s not worth it, I wouldn¡¯t have done it. Besides, I¡¯m the Crown Prince, not someone they can push around.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But Mother¡­¡± Lu Chen smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Mother. If you feel guilty, make her more bowls of chicken soup wontons. She likes folk snacks the most.¡± Qiao Jinniang leaned against Lu Chen¡¯s chest and looked into his eyes. ¡°What about Zhou Siming? You¡¯re as close as brothers for so many years¡­¡± Lu Chen just hugged Qiao Jinniang tightly and didn¡¯t say anything. As Confucius said, do not attempt to work with people whose way is not your way. Zhou Siming chose Zhou Sisi, while he chose Qiao Jinniang. This was not their fault but fate. Chapter 220 - Childhood Sweethearts When Tong Yingying heard about the ¡®Equal Wife¡¯ matter, she was shocked. The Crown Prince was so stupid! How could he push the Zhou family, who was loyal to him, to Prince Huai?! Tong Yingying didn¡¯t think about choosing Prince Huai. Prince Huai¡¯s mother was already dead. Although he had the Empress Dowager to help him, he was probably the next Prince Mediocre. Tong Yingying set her sights on Prince Chu. Consort Chu had a soft and weak personality, and Prince Chu was infatuated with art and literature. Tong Yingying would often see Prince Chu in the gatherings of literati. When Prince Huai married Li Lingling, they didn¡¯t have a grand wedding. And this time, because time was too limited, the wedding was also hastily arranged. The guests had just been to the Zhou Mansion to attend Zhou Sisi¡¯s wedding, and only a few days later, they came to the Prince Huai Mansion to attend another wedding of hers. When Qiao Jinniang met Prince Chu and Prince Qi, she somehow felt that they looked at her in a very strange way. Lu Chen stood in front of Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Brothers, do you have any problem with the Crown Princess?¡± Prince Qi said, ¡°How dare I? I just want to thank the Crown Princess for giving very valuable advice to my wife. After listening to her advice, my wife has driven away all my concubines, which saved me a lot of money!¡± Qiao Jinniang pretended not to understand what he meant. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. This is what I should do. Only when Brother and Sister-in-law are harmonious can our Lu family be prosperous and can our country get better and better.¡± Prince Qi: ¡°¡­¡± Where did his younger brother find this shameless woman? Couldn¡¯t she get that he was mocking her?! ¡°Brother.¡± Lu Chen looked at Prince Qi unhappily. Prince Qi was frightened. He didn¡¯t blurt out what he thought just now, did he? He hurriedly said, ¡°What can I do for you, Your Royal Highness?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been looking at the Crown Princess for too long!¡± Lu Chen frowned. Prince Qi: ¡°¡­¡± In Prince Huai¡¯s mansion, although the male and female guests were not separated, the female guests stayed in twos and threes. As the Crown Princess, Qiao Jinniang was surrounded by a lot of people. Qiao Jinniang asked Consort Qi, ¡°Sister-in-law, did you drive away all Brother¡¯s concubines?¡± Consort Qi said firmly, ¡°After listening to your kind advice that day, I felt that what you said made a great deal of sense. Among all the princes, only my husband is the most useless. It must be because he had too many concubines. ¡°So I reported it to Mother, and she also thought those words made sense and allowed me to send away those women. ¡°Prince Qi will not be allowed to take any concubines until he gets on the right path!¡± In the front yard, Prince Qi in was drunk and cried to Lu Chen, ¡°Brother, although I had once coveted the throne, I never did anything about it, and after you came back, I don¡¯t even dare to covet it! ¡°Can¡¯t I just be a dandy, listening to my concubines singing and dancing all day long? But that tigress, instigated by the Crown Princess, actually drove all my beauties away! ¡°She even forced me to study! I don¡¯t want the throne. Why should I learn these things?!¡± Lu Chen looked with disgust at the snot and tears his brother left on his clothes. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re a prince after all. You should study something so as to share some of the burden for Father.¡± Prince Qi said drunkenly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to learn those things. I haven¡¯t liked them since I was a child. Only Eldest Brother and Prince Mediocre liked these things. I just want my beauties!¡± Prince Chu was not drunk. Seeing that Lu Chen was in a good mood, he asked, ¡°Your Royal Highness, you really love the Crown Princess! But she won¡¯t be the only woman you marry, will she?¡± ¡°The Crown Princess is my sister-in-law after all. It¡¯s not right for her to instigate Consort Qi and my wife to send away all our concubines, right?¡± Lu Chen glanced at Prince Chu and said, ¡°What¡¯s not right? It¡¯s been nearly ten years since you and Sister-in-law got married. ¡°If you treated Sister-in-law kindly, how could she send away all your concubines just because of a few words of Jinniang?¡± Prince Chu: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, there is a young scholar asking to meet you outside, saying that she has found the Plum and Snow Painting you¡¯ve been looking for.¡± A servant reported to Prince Chu. Hearing this, Prince Chu got up and went outside only to see Tong Yingying who was wearing a loose white robe. Tong Yingying saluted Prince Chu. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Prince Chu¡¯s impression of Tong Yingying was very good, but after she was discovered to have falsely taken others¡¯ credits, Prince Chu no longer admired Tong Yingying as much as those literati anymore. However, he didn¡¯t want to be too rude to a woman many years younger than him. ¡°Do you have the Plum and Snow Painting?¡± Tong Yingying presented him a painting drawing a woman partly exposing her shoulders. Then she hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I think I took the wrong painting.¡± Prince Chu was a little tempted. Tong Yingying had been crazily extolled by those literati, and she was literally their goddess. But now she was obviously seducing him, which made Prince Chu a little complacent. When Prince Chu was about to look at Tong Yingying in the painting, suddenly the face of the women in the painting seemed to become his consort¡¯s. Consort Chu didn¡¯t drive out all his concubines like Consort Qi did, but all his concubines and servants were on her side now. Now Prince Chu didn¡¯t even have the slightest say at home. He threatened to divorce Consort Qi, but she was not afraid at all. If he took Tong Yingying as his concubine, he would be even more isolated at home! Forget it! Hell with the goddess Tong Yingying. Marrying her as his concubine would only make his life even harder. Prince Chu put on a straight face and said coldly, ¡°What the hell is this painting?! Take it away. I just want the Plum and Snow Painting!¡± Tong Yingying looked at Prince Chu in disbelief. She had always been the literati¡¯s goddess. Since when did even the artsy Prince Chu look down on her? ¡­ Li Lingling forced a smile to entertain the guests. Seeing Qiao Jinniang talking and laughing with Consort Qi and Consort Chu, she was instantly annoyed. She was a consort too. Why did she have to accept the appearance of another Consort Huai? Fulu walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I heard about what Zhou Sisi has done. Is she really retarded or is she faking it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she is your sister-in-law now.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. Fulu sighed and said, ¡°In fact, I kinda understand why she did so many crazy things. Imperial Cousin was very kind to her when he was young. When we were young, every time we were playing together, the boys always doted on her as if she was a real princess, which made me really jealous.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Oh? How did he dote on Zhou Sisi?¡± Fulu said, ¡°He would give Zhou Sisi whatever she wanted. If Zhou Sisi was too tired to walk, he would carry her on her back. Everyone knew they were childhood sweethearts. If Zhou Sisi hadn¡¯t become retarded later, she would have been the crown princess.¡± Consort Chu had been winking at Fulu, but she seemed to be blind today. And Consort Qi also said obliviously, ¡°Yes, His Royal Highness was very good to Zhou Sisi when he was young, and whenever he had something he liked to play with or eat, he would save a portion for Zhou Sisi. ¡°If I were Zhou Sisi, I might also want to marry a cousin who treats me so well even if I¡¯m retarded.¡± Chapter 221 - No One Is Willing to Take Sides with the Crown Prince Li Lingling said, ¡°Consort Qi, Zhou Sisi is now Consort Huai. What do you mean by saying that?¡± Although Li Lingling didn¡¯t want to make Qiao Jinniang happy, she didn¡¯t want to hear this even more. When Lu Chen was young, he gave all his tenderness to Zhou Sisi. She was also his cousin, but he was only kind to Zhou Sisi. Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but feel a little annoyed when she heard this, but then she realized that Lu Chen was kind to Zhou Sisi because he took her as his sister. If she was jealous because of this, she would just be making a fuss. Anyway, Zhou Sisi was Consort Huai now. The wedding banquet was very lively. Watching the liveliness of the wedding banquet, Li Lingling recalled how she hastily married into the imperial mausoleum, which made her extremely unreconciled. Zhou Sisi was angrily smashing everything she could see in the room, making a mess on the ground. Prince Huai entered, and seeing this scene, he narrowed his eyes and ordered all the maids and the servants to retreat. After the door was closed, Zhou Sisi yelled angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t come over. You know I don¡¯t want to marry you!¡± Prince Huai grabbed Zhou Sisi¡¯s neck with one hand and said, ¡°But you are marrying me, as ordered by the imperial decree!¡± Zhou Sisi cried bitterly. ¡°Imperial Cousin, I only want Imperial Cousin!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so good about Lu Chen? No matter how well he treated you when he was young, he has chosen Qiao Jinniang over you now! ¡°Forget about him. I can give you the highest status in the Prince Huai Mansion, but Lu Chen doesn¡¯t even care about your life. ¡°Do you still want to be obsessed with Lu Chen?¡± Prince Huai wiped Zhou Sisi¡¯s tears and said, ¡°Although we mistakenly become a couple, I promise you I¡¯ll love you as much as I can, and will let you ascend to the highest position, and at that time I¡¯ll made Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang kneel at your feet, kowtowing to you and begging for your mercy!¡± Zhou Sisi looked up at Prince Huai, and in his eyes, she saw the tenderness that Lu Chen had not shown her for a long time. ¡­ Qiao Jinniang was a little drunk today, so she went back to the carriage of the East Palace and waited for Lu Chen to come back. When she closed her eyes for a nap in the carriage, she heard some whispers outside. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that Zhou Sisi would marry the Eldest Prince in the end. I had thought that the Eldest Prince was already finished after being driven to guard the imperial mausoleum. ¡°But after he returned, he married Li Lingling of Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion as his wife, Fourth Miss Qin of the Duke Wu Mansion as his concubine, and now the only daughter of Duke Wu as his ¡®Equal Wife¡¯. ¡°Every dog has its day. Earl Cheng¡¯en used to take sides with Prince Mediocre, but now Prince Mediocre is a commoner, yet the Eldest Prince is more and more powerful.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince is really stupid!¡± ¡°Shh, how dare you say that? Do you want to die?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m telling the truth. Although the royal family forbade anyone from talking about what happened in the Wild Goose Pagoda that day, everyone in Chang¡¯an knows what had happened. If the Crown Prince married Zhou Sisi, he could have secured his connection with the Zhou family, which would have been greatly beneficial for him! ¡°But he was so stupid that he would rather watch his beautiful cousin jump down the pagoda than marry her!¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that stupid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Prince Huai is only interested in beautiful sceneries and paintings. I remember that ten years ago, he was very intelligent and capable, and was quite good at handling state affairs. ¡°His mother, Imperial Concubine Li, was also very favored by His Majesty, but unfortunately, he was not born by the Queen! ¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid now many courtiers will have to reconsider which side they should be on.¡± The lady whispered, ¡°The Crown Prince is so cold-hearted to his loyal supporters. Which courtier is still willing to support such an unsympathetic man?¡± In the carriage, Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyelashes moved slightly, and after two quarters of an hour, Lu Chen entered the carriage. As soon as he entered the carriage, Qiao Jinniang hugged him and threw herself into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you saying sorry? Are you drunk? Let¡¯s quickly go back to the East Palace and have the maids make a hangover soup for you. It¡¯s better not to drink soup outside.¡± Qiao Jinniang whispered, ¡°Lu Chen, I will make a lot of money for you to buy soldiers and horses and win popular support. ¡°If no one is willing to support you and they are all on the side of Prince Huai, I will buy them back to support you!¡± Lu Chen chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. I mean what I say!¡± The candlelight was reflected in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes. Lu Chen whispered in her ear. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble the Crown Princess to earn more money to raise me.¡± Qiao Jinniang blushed and said, ¡°Um, I will make a lot of money.¡± ¡­ On the second day after Zhou Sisi married, she should enter the imperial palace to thank the Empress Dowager and the Queen according to the rule. Qiao Jinniang should have been present, but she was drunk last night and now had a terrible hangover in the morning. Seeing Qiao Jinniang so uncomfortable, Lu Chen, who came back from the levee, said, ¡°Then don¡¯t go there. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, ¡°After all, I¡¯m her sister-in-law now.¡± Yuyan came in and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, Nuomi sent a letter to you.¡± Qiao Jinniang opened the envelope and read the letter. And then she couldn¡¯t help frowning and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Nuomi sent a letter saying that this time, there were a lot less ingredients shipped from the South because it has been raining for nearly two months in all parts of the South. ¡°This letter had just arrived, and it took ten days for the letter to arrive at Chang¡¯an. A lot of places were already flooded ten days ago. The river in front of Myriad Taste in the South was almost level with the road, and it was still raining. ¡°Lin¡¯an is upstream, so it rarely floods. If it is flooded, it must be after a hurricane. ¡°It¡¯s not even the rainy season, so there shouldn¡¯t be a hurricane. I think the flood situation will get worse when the rainy season comes.¡± The last flood was the year when Lu Chen was rescued. But even in that year, Myriad Taste was not flooded. Lu Chen took a look at the letter and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to report this to my father. It¡¯s been raining hard in the South but I haven¡¯t seen any memorial that reports on this matter. If what Nuomi said is true, it would be better to conduct flood control and disaster relief as soon as possible. I¡¯m afraid the flood will be more difficult to tackle after the rainy season comes.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes!¡± After Qiao Jinniang was dressed up, she went to the Queen¡¯s palace, and Prince Huai and Zhou Sisi were already there, but Li Lingling, who always came first in the past, was absent this time. Zhou Sisi still pretended to be retarded. After all, she couldn¡¯t afford the crime of deceiving the Emperor. Zhou Sisi was obediently lying beside Queen Zhou as usual, calling her Auntie. However, Queen Zhou¡¯s eyes were much colder, and soon she asked Prince Huai and Zhou Sisi to leave but asked Qiao Jinniang to stay. Qiao Jinniang asked with a smile, ¡°Mother, do you want to eat wontons? May I make it for you in the kitchen of your palace?¡± ¡°I kept you because I wanted to tell you not to care about the gossip outside.¡± Queen Zhou said, ¡°Connections made by marriage bonds are a double-edged sword, which can be good and bad. Chen¡¯er doesn¡¯t need to rely on the Duke Wu Mansion, so you don¡¯t have to feel guilty about it. ¡°Those who defected to Prince Huai for this reason didn¡¯t support Chen¡¯er sincerely to begin with.¡± Qiao Jinniang was so moved and looked at Queen Zhou emotionally. Zheng Xiao would probably not have said these words to her. Zheng Xiao would only persuade her to consider Lu Chen. Even Qiao Jinniang felt that Lu Chen had sacrificed too much for her, but only her mother-in-law told her not to feel guilty. She treated her as well as her adoptive mother in Lin¡¯an. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes were wet and she said, ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± Queen Zhou continued, ¡°By the way, remember to put more green onions in the wontons.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 222 - Win Over Xie Yun In the Taiji Palace. After reading Nuomi¡¯s letter, Emperor Huilin said, ¡°What do you think of this matter?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I was in Lin¡¯an for three years. Although it is rainy in spring and summer, I never saw the river in front of Myriad Taste getting level with the road. ¡°I think we should send someone as an imperial envoy to supervise this matter, and then send officials of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue over, firstly to check the dams, and secondly, if there is really a serious flood, to help the refugees resettle. ¡°Many of the people in Myriad Taste were separated from their parents when they were young because of a flood and became displaced. I think we should be prepared earlier.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Who do you think is suitable to be the imperial envoy?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m willing to go to the South with the Crown Princess!¡± Emperor Huilin said with a dark face, ¡°No way! I will never let you go to that place again!¡± Lu Chen thought for a while and said, ¡°The imperial envoy should know the South well and be familiar with the waterways and rivers in the South. We are the most suitable candidates.¡± ¡°No.¡± Emperor Huilin refused flatly. He didn¡¯t want to experience the pain from four years ago again. Lu Chen said helplessly, ¡°Father, the lives and safety of the people in the South are more important. Lin¡¯an is still upstream, and County Yin that is downstream has just recovered a few years ago. If it is flooded again, I¡¯m afraid the whole county of people will be displaced again.¡± However, Emperor Huilin said, ¡°It¡¯s not that there is no one else in the court. Don¡¯t think about it anymore!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the Crown Princess has brought you wontons by the order of Her Majesty.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Let her in.¡± When Qiao Jinniang came in, she noticed the dark faces of both Emperor Huilin and Lu Chen, and put the wontons on Emperor Huilin¡¯s desk. Walking to Lu Chen¡¯s side, she asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Chen said to Emperor Huilin, ¡°Father, I¡¯ll take the Crown Princess with me, and I will definitely protect myself and Jinniang well, and Xi¡¯er will stay in Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang really missed Lin¡¯an, especially at this time, the bayberries on the tree should have turned red. Myriad Taste in the South was still closed, but she actually had a lot of things to do in Lin¡¯an. But Emperor Huilin said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about this matter anymore. You two can leave now!¡± Qiao Jinniang left the Taiji Palace and asked Lu Chen, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Father allow you to return to Lin¡¯an?¡± Lu Chen said helplessly, ¡°I think he was afraid that I would disappear in Lin¡¯an again.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°I had thought that I could go back and eat bayberries in Lin¡¯an, but it¡¯s raining a lot in Lin¡¯an this year, so the bayberries there are necessarily sweet.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°But the flood in the South has to be tackled as soon as possible. Do you want to let Qiao Lu go to Lin¡¯an to gain some experience? When I was his age, I went to a disaster area and gained a lot of experiences that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to gain in Chang¡¯an. I bet this trip will do him a lot of good.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°But I think he can¡¯t go there alone. It¡¯s better to have someone accompany him. I have a good candidate, Xie Yun!¡± The Xie family was in the South. If the South was flooded, the Xie family would suffer a lot of losses. And Xie Yun knew the South well¡­ But when Lu Chen just returned to the East Palace, a secret guard came to report, ¡°Your Royal Highness, after you left, Prince Huai took Consort Huai to see His Majesty, and then volunteered to go to the South to deal with the flood and disaster relief.¡± Lu Chen asked, ¡°Has my father agreed?¡± The secret guard nodded lightly: ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Jinniang comforted Lu Chen. ¡°Disaster relief is not a good job, tiring and dirty. Besides, I don¡¯t want to be separated from Xi¡¯er.¡± Lu Chen was very curious about why his eldest brother, who had always been forbearing, would volunteer to go to the South to deal with the flood and disaster relief this time? This was a thankless task. Lu Chen wanted this job not just for the sake of the people, but mainly because Qiao Jinniang and him still have a lot of unfinished things to do in the South. Besides, now it was the season for bayberries to ripen. Although Prince Huai didn¡¯t know what was so good about the job of flood control and disaster relief, after hearing from the Emperor that Lu Chen wanted this job, he decided to snatch it. Besides, if he could properly solve the flood, he would gain the hearts of the people in the South. There were many literati in the South. Winning the support of the South was equivalent to winning the hearts of literati. As it happened, he could also take the opportunity to go to the South and help the second young master of the Xie family seize the power of the Xie family. ¡­ In the afternoon, Lu Chen reviewed memorials in the study, and Qiao Jinniang counted the silver taels beside him. She had a lot of business in Lin¡¯an, and some of her subordinates were also in the South. She had to settle them well, and she must be well prepared in case the refugees seize her properties.. She had to write a letter to the South to make arrangements in advance and give her subordinates there enough money. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Miss Xie Yun is here.¡± When Xie Yun entered, he saw Qiao Jinniang, who was sitting beside Lu Chen¡¯s desk and absorbed in the abacus. She was still dressed in bright colors but now with a touch of nobleness of a royal family member. She was now a lot different from the little sister he remembered. That little girl who always came to deliver him cakes and loved to secretly gaze at him was like a lifetime away. Noticing Xie Yun¡¯s gaze, Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll dig out your eyes if you look at her again!¡± Xie Yun retracted his gaze and saluted Lu Chen. ¡°Your Royal Highness, have you heard that Prince Huai and my cousin went back to the South together to deal with the flood?¡± Seeing that Xie Yun and Lu Chen were discussing official businesses, Qiao Jinniang put down the abacus and the ledger and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to pick up Xi¡¯er. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± After Qiao Jinniang left, Lu Chen warned Xie Yun. ¡°If you dare to look at the Crown Princess like that again, I will definitely gouge out your eyes!¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°I treat Jin¡¯er as a younger sister.¡± How could Lu Chen possibly believe in Xie Yun¡¯s words? As a man, he could tell what kind of feeling Xie Yun had for Qiao Jinniang. Xie Yun said, ¡°If I really wanted Jinniang, it would have been impossible for Your Royal Highness to marry her. Since I didn¡¯t stop you from marrying her, I will never disturb her, unless Your Royal Highness doesn¡¯t treat her kindly.¡± Xie Yun said very sincerely because he didn¡¯t want Lu Chen to suspect Qiao Jinniang. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know my feelings for her.¡± When Lu Chen was in the South, he had discovered that Xie Yun had a crush on Qiao Jinniang. Hearing what Xie Yun said, he said, ¡°How could I not treat her well?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Prince Huai and my cousin have reached a cooperative agreement. What do you think of this matter, Your Royal Highness?¡± Lu Chen handed Xie Yun a cup of tea and said, ¡°I can also cooperate with you, but I want the Xie family¡¯s ancestral collection of books.¡± The Xie family¡¯s status in the literati world had been unshakable for all these years because the Xie family had a collection of books that was passed down from thousands of years ago, including precious lost ancient books. Lu Chen saw them when he was in Lin¡¯an, and many of the books were never lent outside. Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°This is impossible.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Prince Huai is even willing to marry Zhou Sisi and Fourth Miss Qin, so it won¡¯t be difficult for him to marry you. Two Consorts Huai are not enough, and three Consorts Huai are the best!¡± Xie Yun said calmly, ¡°Lu Chen, I helped you a lot when you were in Lin¡¯an.¡± ¡°Each of us just took what we needed.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s you who taught me that businessmen never traded at a loss. Now that the imperial power has already represented the general trend, how long can your Xie family resist this trend? ¡°Why not share the Xie family¡¯s collection of books with the literati of the world and gain a good name. With your talent and ability, you can be a high-ranking official.¡± Chapter 223 - The Crown Princes Teacher Refuses to Teach Xier Xie Yun thought about it carefully, and he said, ¡°Do you really want me to become a high-ranking official in Chang¡¯an and stay in front of Jin¡¯er all the time?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m not that petty, okay?¡± Xie Yun recalled what Lu Chen had just said about gouging out his eyes¡­ Then Xie Yun asked, ¡°Is the collection of books for the people of the world, not exclusively for the imperial palace?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I won¡¯t covet your books. If you want a good name among the literati, I don¡¯t mind giving it to you.¡± Xie Yun pondered for a while and said, ¡°Okay, then I will promise you.¡± ¡­ Qiao Jinniang went to the south study where the junior dukes and princes were having lessons. When the junior dukes grew older, they would go to the Imperial College or famous academies like Qingming Academy to study. Now the south study only provided primer lessons to the children of the royal family. In the south study, the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher frowned and said to Lu Xi, ¡°Why don¡¯t you copy the calligraphy copybook, Your Highness?¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°My mother said that I shouldn¡¯t practice calligraphy until I am five years old!¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher was so angry that his white beards shook. ¡°Nonsense, calligraphy has to be practiced as early as possible! Although you¡¯re the smartest kid among the children of the royal family, your handwriting will be a lot worse than others if you don¡¯t start practicing calligraphy now.¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m responsible for teaching you by His Majesty¡¯s orders, I¡¯m your teacher, so you should respect me and practice calligraphy hard instead of just playing. ¡°After all, the Crown Princess came from the countryside, so she doesn¡¯t understand that calligraphy is the most important among the six arts. Handwriting is like our face. Your Highness, you shouldn¡¯t believe the Crown Princess too readily.¡± Although Lu Xi was young, he knew the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher was speaking bad of his mother. ¡°Hmph, how dare you insult my mother? My mother will never harm me!¡± ¡°Yes! Her Highness is the best and often gives us snacks!¡± Junior Duke Bao, who was sitting beside Lu Xi, touched his bulging belly and said, ¡°She gives us delicious food every day.¡± Junior Duke Yun whispered to Lu Xi, ¡°Brother Tuan, my mother said that calligraphy is very important, and when you grow up, others will judge you from your calligraphy, but unfortunately I¡¯m too stupid to grasp it although I¡¯ve been learning it for years.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher said angrily, ¡°Quiet! If you disturb the class again, I will tell His Majesty that I can¡¯t teach you two!¡± Little Lu Xi said, ¡°My mother said that I can¡¯t practice calligraphy until I¡¯m five, so I won¡¯t practice it before I¡¯m five!¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher snorted contemptuously, and he happened to see the guard of honor of the Crown Princess coming, so he said arrogantly, ¡°Your Highness, this is school. I¡¯m teaching the children. I hope you mind your own business! And don¡¯t come here anymore.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered this old man. He asked her to be a virtuous wife and select concubines for Lu Chen only a few days after she married Lu Chen. And what did he say again? Mind her own business? Qiao Jinniang said crossly, ¡°What do you mean? The imperial grandson is my son. You mean I have no right to educate him?¡± ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s there to eat today?¡± The chubby Junior Duke Bao ran to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s side. Hongling opened a box and said, ¡°The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching. Today, Her Highness made a summer-snack called mung bean paste cake. This bean paste is cooked by Her Highness herself. It is different from the bean paste outside. It is very soft and sweet.¡± Junior Duke Bao picked up a piece, tasted it, and said, ¡°Yummy, Auntie, can I have one more?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This snack is too sweet, so don¡¯t eat too much. It¡¯s not good for your teeth.¡± After what happened last time, Junior Duke Bao was a lot more sensible. He gave up the idea of eating one more mung bean paste cake and said, ¡°Auntie, just now Teacher said that you are from the countryside!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked straight at the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher and said, ¡°Your Excellency, I¡¯ve always been polite to you because you are His Royal Highness¡¯ teacher, but why did you insult me in front of these children?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher said, ¡°Your Highness, the imperial grandson is a smart kid, and he has already learned no less than a thousand characters at such a young age. He is a prodigy, but you don¡¯t allow such a smart kid to practice calligraphy. Aren¡¯t you doing him a disservice?¡± ¡°How can I harm my own son?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s just that practicing calligraphy before the age of five is not good for the child¡¯s hand bones. When I was young, I saw one of my classmates suffer from hand dysplasia because she practiced calligraphy too early. ¡°After that, my academy only admitted students over the age of five, and those under the age of five were never allowed to practice calligraphy.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher said angrily, ¡°Nonsense! The Crown Prince started to learn calligraphy when he was three years old, and now his handwriting is praised by everyone in the world. His Majesty also started to learn calligraphy at the age of three, so why can¡¯t the imperial grandson?!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t allow the imperial grandson to practice calligraphy, then I¡¯m afraid I can no longer teach the children. Please find another teacher to teach them!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s just what I want!¡± She was also afraid that this old man would misguide Lu Xi. ¡°Teacher! Teacher, don¡¯t go. Auntie, you have gone too far in this matter.¡± A thin child ran out and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Teacher is doing this for Brother Tuan¡¯s own good, but you contradict him so rudely. You should apologize to him!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know the child, so she asked little Lu Xi, ¡°Who is he?¡± Junior Duke Yun, who was busy eating mung bean cake on the side, said, ¡°He is Prince Su¡¯s concubine-born son, so he doesn¡¯t have the title of Junior Duke. He is called Lu Zhen and is five years old. But he should be the eldest grandson of Imperial Grandfather. Little Lu Zhen saluted Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Auntie, please apologize to Teacher. After all, respecting teachers is a tradition of Datang.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher, ¡°Oh, Your Excellency, you have a good student, but I will never allow Xi¡¯er to practice calligraphy before the age of five because it will do him no good. If you think you can¡¯t teach him any longer, I can only find another teacher for Xi¡¯er.¡± The Junior Duke Bao hurriedly fawned on Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Auntie, I want to have a new teacher too.¡± Consort Qi, who had just come over, was ashamed. Why did she give birth to such a foodie? He didn¡¯t have the air a junior duke should have at all! After the rabbit thing during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Bao¡¯er was very afraid of Qiao Jinniang and didn¡¯t even dare to look at her. But after eating Qiao Jinniang¡¯s pastries for a few days, he wouldn¡¯t even mind kneeling down and calling Qiao Jinniang ¡®Mother¡¯! But seeing Junior Duke Yun¡¯s fawning eyes, Consort Qi was a little more psychologically balanced. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t just her son who was a foodie, but the children of the Lu family were all foodies. ¡°What happened?¡± Consort Chu came over and asked. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Nothing. The Crown Prince¡¯s teacher asked Xi¡¯er to practice calligraphy, but I didn¡¯t allow it, so His Excellency said that he couldn¡¯t teach Xi¡¯er anymore.¡± Consort Chu said, ¡°Handwriting is very important. The imperial grandson is known as a child prodigy. Why not let him practice calligraphy?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Well, when I was young, I had a classmate who was forced to practice calligraphy by her family when she was only three years old. When she grew up, her hands became so deformed that she could hardly carry things, let alone write..¡± ¡°Although His Majesty and His Royal Highness both started to practice calligraphy at the age of three, as a mother, I don¡¯t want my child to take any risks, besides, most of the children start to practice calligraphy at the age of five among the folks.¡± Chapter 224 - The Imperial Teacher, Ji Wangkui Hearing her words, the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher said, ¡°Then please find a new teacher, Your Highness!¡± After the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher left, Consort Chu and Consort Qi tried to persuade Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Your Highness, His Excellency has served three emperors and is the enlightenment teacher of His Royal Highness. He is very respected in the East Palace. Offending him will not do you any good!¡± ¡°Yeah, he was already a Hanlin during the reign of the late emperor. Why bother to fall out with him for such a trivial matter? Among the officials in Chang¡¯an, he is said to be the most knowledgeable.¡± 1 Consort Chu nodded and said, ¡°If you offend him, I¡¯m afraid that no one would dare to teach the imperial grandson because no one would dare to say that they are more knowledgeable than him.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Sisters-in-law. Xi¡¯er, let¡¯s go back to the East Palace.¡± Lu Xi obediently took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and got on the sedan chair with her. After they returned to the East Palace, Xie Yun had already left. Qiao Jinniang told Lu Chen what happened just now. ¡°I know that he is your teacher, and I should not have offended him, but I will never let Xi¡¯er fall into danger.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If my teacher said something like you are from the countryside, he should leave. Just rest assured.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about that, but how to find Xi¡¯er a new enlightenment teacher? Although he is only three years old, he is the imperial grandson after all.¡± Xi¡¯er likes to study, and every day he gets up early to go to school. Lu Chen thought for a while and said, ¡°Would you like to let Xi¡¯er go to Qingming Academy?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Qingming Academy is not in Chang¡¯an and doesn¡¯t have many days off. Xi¡¯er is only three years old!¡± If Xi¡¯er was already thirteen years old, then Qiao Jinniang would not delay Xi¡¯er¡¯s studies even if she could not bear separating from him. But he was only three years old. How could she let him go to Qingming Academy alone? Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°There are very few teachers who are more knowledgeable than my teacher. Prime Minister Lin is busy with official business. Besides, he is an excellent official, but isn¡¯t necessarily a good teacher.¡± Qiao Jinniang pondered for a while and said, ¡°How about you teach Xi¡¯er? It won¡¯t be difficult for you.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t teach him, but I have an excellent candidate, although I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be willing.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Who is it? Xi¡¯er is the imperial grandson. How could there be anyone in the world who is reluctant to teach him?¡± ¡°The Imperial Teacher, Ji Wangkui.¡± Qiao Jinniang had heard of the name even when she was still far away in the South. Ji Wangkui had compiled the reference books of the Imperial Examination when he was only 20. During the reign the late emperor, Ji Wangkui was as famous as Mr. Xie was now, who was the president of Qingming Academy. Lu Chen said, ¡°Mr. Ji is my father¡¯s mentor, and I also received his teaching when I was young. ¡°The famous Mr. Qingming from Qingming Academy was his master who only had two disciples, one was him and the other was Mr. Xie. ¡°One taught the princes in the imperial palace, and the other has students all over the world.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mr. Ji should be in his 80s, right? I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t want to teach Xi¡¯er at such an old age.¡± ¡°Xi¡¯er was only three years old, while Mr. Ji was over eighty years old. How could such a knowledgeable old man be willing to teach a child as young as Xi¡¯er? Lu Chen said, ¡°Let¡¯s just have a try.¡± Qiao Jinniang certainly wanted Mr. Ji to be Xi¡¯er¡¯s teacher. But she didn¡¯t have much hope. Mr. Ji must be enjoying his retirement now, and serving as the enlightenment teacher of a three-year-old child was simply a waste of his talent. However, as a mother, she should have a try for her child. Qiao Jinniang went to tell the Queen about this and asked to go out of the imperial palace to visit Mr. Ji. Queen Zhou said, ¡°Mr. Ji has a quirky temper. It took me a lot of effort to ask him to teach Chen¡¯er back then. ¡°I went to visit him a few days ago and found that his temper was getting even more weird. If he wanted Xi¡¯er to practice calligraphy now, what would you do?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If so, I¡¯ll have to find another teacher. ¡°But I think Mr. Ji, who could teach a wise emperor like Father, must be a very good teacher.¡± Queen Zhou smiled. ¡°Then go, remember not to use your identity as the Crown Princess to push him. He hates that.¡± Qiao Jinniang replied. ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± ¡­ Lu Chen took a day off and took Lu Xi to visit Mr. Ji with Qiao Jinniang. The Ji Mansion didn¡¯t catch much attention in Chang¡¯an, and it didn¡¯t occupy a large area. When they knocked on the door, no concierge came. After a while, a boy of about 15 or 16 years old came to open the door. This boy obviously knew Lu Chen. He saluted Lu Chen. ¡°Greetings, Your Royal Highness. Are you here today to visit my grandfather?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Yes.¡± The boy sighed and said, ¡°My grandfather is quarreling with my grandmother. The imperial doctor told Grandfather that he should eat less sweets, so Grandmother forbids him to eat sweets. Now my grandfather is throwing tantrums like a child. You better come another day, Your Royal Highness.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Please lead the way.¡± Qiao Jinniang whispered to Lu Chen, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Mr. Ji can¡¯t eat sweets and brought a lot of mung bean cakes. Now what should I do?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t eat it but that he should eat less. Mr. Ji has a sweet-tooth and is old, and eating those sticky sweets is not good for his teeth, so he is not allowed to eat them. Your mung bean cake easily melts in the mouth with a sweet aftertaste, so it¡¯s a perfect snack for him.¡± Qiao Jinniang heaved a sigh of relief. When they walked into the yard, they saw a white-haired old man pouting from afar, and a servant was persuading him to take his meal, but the old man was clamoring like a child. ¡°I will not eat without maltose!¡± This was quite a contrast to the Imperial Teacher and leader of the literati in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s mind. Lu Chen smiled and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Mr. Ji and you are like father and daughter.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked in confusion, ¡°Huh?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You won¡¯t take medicine without maltose.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Grandfather, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess came to see you with the little imperial grandson.¡± Ji Wangkui waved his hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see them. Emperor Huilin has promised to let me enjoy my retirement. Why did they come?¡± Qiao Jinniang took the mung bean cake from Hongling, walked up to Ji Wangkui and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Ji, the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching. I am here to bring you some mung bean cake.¡± Ji Wangkui stared at the fluffy mung bean cake in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand with the scent of bean paste, and couldn¡¯t help reaching for it. Qiao Jinniang handed Ji Wangkui a piece of bean paste with less filling. Ji Wangkui ate it and said, ¡°Huh? Does the imperial palace have a new pastry chef? The mung bean cakes sent over from the imperial palace in previous years were not as delicious as this one, and it still has bean paste filling!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Ji, I made these. If you like it, I will have someone bring you more another day.¡± Ji Wangkui glanced at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°You and Old Zheng¡¯s granddaughter really look alike!¡± Chapter 225 - Became the Imperial Teachers Disciple Mrs. Ji said on the side, ¡°They are mother and daughter. Of course they look alike.¡± Then she turned to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Destiny makes fools out of people. I never thought what happened in the plays would happen to you and your mother. Mrs. Zheng must be blessing you in heaven.¡± It seemed that Ji Wangkui and Zheng Xiao¡¯s grandfather were on good terms, so Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yes, thanks to the blessing of my ancestors. I came rashly to visit you today because I wanted to ask Mr. Ji to teach my son, Xi¡¯er¡­¡± Before she even finished speaking, Ji Wangkui stuffed the unfinished mung bean cake into his mouth and took a sip of water. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! What makes you think a mere piece of mung bean cake can bribe me to teach the imperial grandson? I won¡¯t be bribed by a piece of mung bean cake.¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°Mr. Ji, Xi¡¯er is talented and intelligent. Except you, I really can¡¯t find another suitable teacher for this job. Please teach my son. Xi¡¯er is obedient and sensible and won¡¯t trouble you much.¡± Ji Wangkui said, ¡°Everyone likes to brag about their own sons. The late emperor bragged about His Majesty, His Majesty bragged about you, and now you bragged about your own son, but I¡¯m too old to teach. ¡°Find someone else. I heard that Tao Wen is teaching the imperial grandsons, isn¡¯t he? Isn¡¯t it enough?¡± Little Lu Xi said, ¡°Although my father¡¯s teacher is very knowledgeable, he insulted my mother, so I don¡¯t want him to teach me!¡± Ji Wangkui looked at the adorable little emperor¡¯s grandson and said, ¡°Oh? How did he insult your mother?¡± ¡°He said my mother came from the countryside.¡± Little Lu Xi said. ¡°So you think he was insulting your mother by saying that? Does it mean that you also look down on the countrymen in your heart?¡± Little Lu Xi shook his head and said, ¡°No, the countryside is fun. There, I can catch fish, shrimp and frogs. Only when farmers grow grain diligently can we have good food to eat and can my mother make good food.¡± ¡°Then why do you think it was an insult?¡± Ji Wangkui continued to ask. Little Lu Xi said, ¡°My father¡¯s teacher said that my mother was from the countryside, so she didn¡¯t know the Six Arts, but the countrymen also know the Six Arts. My mother didn¡¯t let me practice calligraphy just because she didn¡¯t want my hands to get hurt!¡± Ji Wangkui said, ¡°If your teacher and your mother contradict on how to teach you, will you listen to your teacher or your mother?¡± Little Lu Xi said, ¡°My mother. My mother is never wrong!¡± Qiao Jinniang was a bit embarrassed. Ji Wangkui said, ¡°To err is human. How can you say that your mother is never wrong?¡± Little Lu Xi said, ¡°Mother will never harm Xi¡¯er. Even if my mother is wrong, it¡¯s still for my own good, so I¡¯ll listen to her words!¡± Ji Wangkui smiled again and asked, ¡°If your father and your mother contradict, will you listen to your father or your mother?¡± Little Lu Xi touched his chin and said, ¡°Still my mother, because my father will listen to my mother in the end.¡± Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help clenching Little Lu Xi¡¯s hand. That was not true! In his son¡¯s eyes, he didn¡¯t have the majesty of a father at all?! 3 Qiao Jinniang said to Little Lu Xi with a little anxiety, ¡°To err is human, but to correct is divine. ¡°It is inevitable to make mistakes in life, but it¡¯ll be fine if you are willing to take responsibility for your mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and get back on the right path. ¡°Mother will also make mistakes, but I¡¯ll correct them, as should Tuan¡¯er.¡± Lu Xi nodded. ¡°But Xi¡¯er still thinks Mommy will never make mistakes¡± Qiao Jinniang had given up hope that the Imperial Teacher would accept Xi¡¯er as his disciple. She picked up little Lu Xi and couldn¡¯t help kissing his little face. ¡°Good boy, Xi¡¯er.¡± Mrs. Ji kept them for lunch, and she was very surprised to see Lu Xi eating alone. ¡°Is the imperial grandson already eating by himself at this age?¡± ¡°He has been eating by himself since he was two years old,¡± Qiao Jinniang said. When they left, Ji Wangkui said to Lu Chen, ¡°Bring Lu Xi over in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon every day from tomorrow onwards.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard it, she was so overjoyed that she almost knelt down to Ji Wangkui. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ji.¡± Ji Wangkui said, ¡°I didn¡¯t promise to teach him knowledge. It¡¯s inappropriate for such a little kid to practice calligraphy or learn some hard-to-understand knowledge. ¡°Everyone praises him as a child prodigy, but how many child prodigies can still be famous after they grow up? Most of them fail halfway. ¡°I will only teach him books like the Thousand Character Classic, although he must have already read and memorized them. Hope you won¡¯t blame me for being too slow in teaching.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No, it is Xi¡¯er¡¯s blessing to be taught by the Imperial Teacher.¡± Little Lu Xi whispered, ¡°Mother, If I come here to study, can I still see Brother Bao and Brother Yun?¡± Ji Wangkui said, ¡°In case the others say that I¡¯m still involved in politics at such an old age, let his Brother Bao and Brother Yun come along with him.¡± Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang were even more grateful. ¡°Thank you, Imperial Teacher.¡± ¡­ Before returning to the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang ordered Yuyan to inform the Prince Chu Mansion and Prince Qi Mansion of this matter. Consort Chu and Consort Qi were also very grateful. Ji Wangkui was very famous. It was indeed a blessing to be taught by His Majesty¡¯s teacher. Consort Qi was very worried about her Bao¡¯er, who was not as excellent as Lu Xi and was only interested in food. She was worried that her son might be despised by the Imperial Teacher. At this time. A maid came to report that Prince Qi was having an affair with Tong Yingying in the bookstore today, which immediately infuriated Consort Qi, and she ordered someone to go to the bookstore to bring Prince Qi back. ¡­ The imperial envoy to go to the South to deal with the flood had been decided. It was Prince Huai, and Qin Shu was appointed as the general to protect Prince Huai. Qiao Lu also followed Qin Shu to the South to gain experience. Fulu hadn¡¯t been to the South before, so she clamored to follow Qiao Lu to the South. Qiao Ruoyun also wanted to go to the graves of her parents to pay homage, so Fulu and Qiao Ruoyun went to the South too. When Qiao Jinniang heard that Qiao Ruoyun and Qiao Lu were both gone, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about Zheng Xiao. Qiao Ruoyi was still an unmarried girl who was under sixteen. The secret tunnel had been sealed, so Qiao Jinniang took the excuse of sending Xi¡¯er to the Imperial Teacher¡¯s mansion to go to the Qiao Mansion to visit Zheng Xiao. However, to her surprise, she didn¡¯t see Zheng Xiao in the Qiao Mansion. Qiao Ruoyi said angrily, ¡°Yesterday, as soon as Brother and Eldest Sister left, Daddy took Mother away at night¡­¡± ¡°Did Mother leave voluntarily?¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Of course not, but she was about to give birth, so she didn¡¯t dare to resist.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°Then you should go back to the Duke Mansion too.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°No, Sister, I¡¯m going to Xishan Academy. There is a shortage of female teachers at Xishan Academy. Since I have some knowledge, I should go to Xishan Academy to teach.¡± Xishan Academy was the school opened by Qiao Jinniang. A few months later, the school seemed to be developing well. Because many famous teachers went there, many women in Chang¡¯an went to Xishan Academy to study, so it lacked female teachers. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s good to go to Xishan, but the conditions there are still poor¡­¡± Although Qiao Ruoyi was born by a concubine, she was still a duke¡¯s daughter, who had been living in affluence since she was born¡­ Chapter 226 - The Crown Princess Was Impeached for Disrespecting Teachers Chapter 226: The Crown Princess Was Impeached for Disrespecting Teachers Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Xishan Academy is not short of silver taels. Today¡¯s Xishan Academy is very good. Besides, the president said that if I go there to teach, I can bring my maids with me.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about it. She had been giving a lot of silver taels to Xishan Academy in the past few months, so the conditions must have improved a lot. Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Okay, if you encounter anything, just come to the East Palace to find me.¡± Qiao Ruoyi nodded and said, ¡°There is just one thing. Recently, a lot of matchmakers have come to propose to me on someone¡¯s behalf, but I don¡¯t want to get married so soon. Please tell Mother about it.¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°Then if you want to get married, you have to tell me.¡± Qiao Ruoyi blushed. ¡°Okay.¡± It was inconvenient for Qiao Jinniang to return to the Duke Anyuan Mansion, as it would be too eye-catching, so she asked Nuomi to serve Zheng Xiao, fearing that Zheng Xiao would be wronged in the Duke Mansion. Nuomi wrote a letter to her, saying that Zheng Xiao was the real master of the Duke Mansion now. If she asked Duke Anyuan to get lost, he would immediately disappear from her eyes, and if she asked Duke Anyuan to serve her, he wouldn¡¯t dare to neglect either, which made Qiao Jinniang relieved. After all, Nuomi would not lie to her. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t pick up Xi¡¯er every day. But she would make lunch for the Ji Mansion every day. Of course, she didn¡¯t really make the dishes herself, but instructed the royal chefs to do it. Everyone in the Ji Mansion liked to eat the food she made, so she had people send them dishes every day. On this day, when she was instructing the chefs to make cakes, Yuyan hurried in and said, ¡°Your Highness, an imperial censor impeached you in today¡¯s levee!¡± Qiao Jinniang thought that she hadn¡¯t even been out of the East Palace these days. Why did that imperial censor impeach her? ¡°Impeach me for what?¡± ¡°The imperial censor is the father of Prince Su¡¯s concubine. He impeached you for disrespecting the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher, making him so angry that he was bedridden and was unable to teach the children of the royal family, and he also impeached you for interfering in the education of the imperial grandsons!¡± ¡­ Early in the morning, when Lu Chen heard the impeachment, he said coldly and sarcastically, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since Tong Lei was dismissed from office. Is this the way your imperial censors are doing your jobs?¡± Prince Su came out and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, you don¡¯t need to be angry. Everyone has already known what happened in the south study that day. The Crown Princess forcibly meddled in the studies of the imperial grandson and forbade him from practicing calligraphy, which angered Mr. Tao so much that he is now bedridden. ¡°Now everyone says that the Crown Princess is going too far. Besides, the imperial grandson is talented. She shouldn¡¯t bury his talent!¡± Prince Qi, who hated Qiao Jinniang, also came out and said, ¡°Yes, yes, although my Bao¡¯er is a bit stupid, he has long since memorized the Thousand Character Classic. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of teacher the Crown Princess has found for him, who just teaches Bao¡¯er the characters ¡°Heaven¡± and ¡°Earth¡± every day. Bao¡¯er said that in addition to eating, they were playing!¡± Prince Su cupped his hands and said to Emperor Huilin, ¡°Father, the Crown Princess drove Mr. Tao away and went to hire a commoner who is a worthless teacher. He only teaches the children how to play games every day, which will only make their learning go backwards.¡± The father of Prince Su¡¯s concubine also said, ¡°Your Majesty, your eldest grandson has always been incomparably intelligent, and he has long been able to write a thousand characters and write essays. ¡°But the teacher that the Crown Princess hired only taught the characters ¡°Heaven¡± and ¡°Earth¡±. He has been teaching for almost three days but hasn¡¯t taught any new knowledge besides those two characters. ¡°Your eldest grandson is very worried about his studies. Please hold justice for Mr. Tao and let him continue to teach the children!¡± All the courtiers bowed their heads. It was about the imperial grandson and the Crown Princess, so they had better keep their mouths shut. Prince Chu looked at Prince Su and Prince Qi and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to let the teacher whom the crown princess hired teach your children, go ahead. Just ask Mr. Tao to teach them!¡± It was not easy to have the Imperial Teacher teach his child. Although Prince Chu knew that he could only be an idle prince in this life, he still wanted his Yun¡¯er to make great achievements. But he also hoped his Yun¡¯er would have a good career in the future. Now that the imperial grandson was studying with so many children, Yun¡¯er couldn¡¯t stand out. But if Bao¡¯er, Zhen¡¯er and the others were all gone, his Yun¡¯er would be the only classmate of the imperial grandson, which would be wonderful! Prince Qi wasn¡¯t really stupid. Looking at his second brother¡¯s expression, he hurriedly said, ¡°No, no, this is the Crown Princess¡¯ kindness. Bao¡¯er will still study with the imperial grandson.¡± Besides, his wife was very satisfied with the new teacher. He¡¯d better not seek trouble. But Prince Su said, ¡°But Mr. Tao has been sick for a few days after being horribly humiliated by the Crown Princess ¡­ Even if Zhen¡¯er wants him to teach him, he can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Father, please punish the one who humiliated Mr. Tao and uphold justice for him!¡± Emperor Huilin said to Lu Chen, ¡°Crown Prince, what do you think?¡± Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°Teacher is quite old. Since he is ill, he should retire and return to his hometown. ¡°As for Brother Su, if he looks down on the teacher the Crown Princess hired, he can find a teacher for Zhen¡¯er himself!¡± Lu Chen¡¯s words shocked everyone. The Crown Prince had already offended the Duke Wu Mansion for the Crown Princess, and now he even abandoned his teacher for the Crown Princess? Was he bewitched by the Crown Princess? All the ministers turned their eyes to Duke Anyuan. Lu Chen said firmly, ¡°My teacher insulted the Crown Princess, but the Crown Princess chose to pass over his rude remarks. ¡°But now Brother Su demands Father to ¡®uphold justice¡¯ for him? Isn¡¯t it ridiculous? ¡°Besides, the teacher the Crown Princess hired is the mentor of Father and I, Mr. Ji Wangkui. ¡°Since Prince Su and Imperial Censor Su felt that even the Imperial Teacher was unworthy to teach Lu Zhen¡­ ¡°Then don¡¯t send Lu Zhen there. I heard that he has indeed been absent from class for two days already.¡± The ministers were all surprised. How could it be Ji Wangkui, the Imperial Teacher? Ji Wangkui was already in his eighties. How could he still accept such a group of young disciples? Prince Qi¡¯s heart was pounding hard. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t promise Prince Su just now. Otherwise, his consort would have beaten the hell out of him! Emperor Huilin looked at Prince Qi, who was weak in the legs, and slightly curled his lips with contempt. Emperor Huilin said, ¡°The imperial grandson has already told me how the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher disrespected the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess forgave him for the sake of his former teachings for the Crown Prince. Since he is ill, I will allow him to retire and return to his hometown.¡± Prince Su said, ¡°But Father, even if Mr. Tao contradicted the Crown Princess, it was because the Crown Princess didn¡¯t allow the imperial grandson to practice calligraphy. How pitiful Mr. Tao is! He wanted the imperial grandson to practice calligraphy just because he wanted to teach him well and cherish his talent¡­¡± Lu Chen said to Prince Su, ¡°The imperial grandson has already explained the reason. Practicing calligraphy too early is not good for his hand bones.¡± ¡°But we all started to practice calligraphy at the age of three!¡± Prince Su asked, ¡°Junior Duke Yun and my Zhen¡¯er also started to practice calligraphy at the age of three. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Although I started to practice calligraphy at three, I didn¡¯t copy copybooks, but Mr. Tao asked the imperial grandson to copy a copybook, which is not good for his hands. ¡°The famous calligrapher Mr. Liu once said that nowadays, many people make three-year-old children copy copybooks. Little did they know that this would only do the children more harm than good, and it is best for children to do that when they are five or six years old.¡± In terms of calligraphy skills, no one in Chang¡¯an could compare to Mr. Liu or his successor, the Crown Prince. Since he had said so, Prince Su couldn¡¯t even find a word to rebut. ¡­ In a teahouse in Chang¡¯an, Tong Yingying was sipping her tea casually, waiting for the good news from Prince Su. Prince Huai was not her choice, neither was Prince Chu. Prince Lu was out of His Majesty¡¯s favor due to the Jian family. She finally managed to meet Prince Qi a few days ago, but she didn¡¯t expect Consort Qi to be so fierce and unreasonable. However, perhaps God was helping her and let her meet Lu Zhen who was returning to Prince Su Mansion alone¡­ so she learned about the fight between the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher and the Crown Princess. And Lu Zhen¡¯s grandfather, Imperial Censor Su, used to be her father¡¯s subordinate, so Tong Yingying could make good use of this matter. Tong Yingying said to her maid, ¡°I used to focus on the princes, but His Majesty is healthy, so maybe I should turn my eyes to the imperial grandsons. ¡°Although Lu Zhen was born by a concubine, he is the eldest grandson of the Emperor. More importantly, he is extremely intelligent and eager to learn. This time, His Majesty will definitely have a very good impression of Lu Zhen.¡± Chapter 227 - He Is the Imperial Teacher Chapter 227: He Is the Imperial Teacher At this moment, Tong Yingying saw Lu Xi and the other children who were flying kites in the garden on the second floor of the teahouse. Tong Yingying couldn¡¯t help sneering. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t want the knowledgeable Tao Wen to teach her son but handed over the heir to the Crown Prince to a commoner for their education. Could playing kites all day long help the imperial grandson make progress? It should be known that Lu Zhen, the eldest grandson of the Emperor, could make poems and essays when he was only five years old. The imperial grandson would be ruined by Qiao Jinniang sooner or later. There were not a few literati in the teahouse who had the same concern. When they happened to see the guard of honor of the Crown Princess pass by, they began to discuss with each other, and they all felt that Mr. Tao Wen was greatly wronged. Qiao Jinniang, however, didn¡¯t care about the impeachment or rumors. If even the Imperial Teacher was not qualified to teach her son, no one would be qualified in this world. When they arrived at the Ji Mansion, they heard that Ji Wangkui took the children to fly kites in the fields. When Qiao Jinniang arrived, the children had already taken off their shoes and socks and were stepping on the mud field. Little Lu Xi even volunteered to grab frogs in the field. Seeing this scene, Qiao Jinniang shivered. There were many insects and leeches in the fields. Although she grew up in the folk, she never went to the field. ¡°Xi¡¯er.¡± Covered all over with dirt, Lu Xi climbed onto Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Mommy.¡± Qiao Jinniang was afraid that Lu Xi would smear the mud on her and hurriedly said, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t come over. Take a bath first!¡± Ji Wangkui said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, do you feel distressed for the Little Highness?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t lie and said, ¡°To be frank, Mr. Ji, I do. After all, there are snakes, leeches, and voles in the fields in summer. These kids are very carefully raised, so¡­¡± Ji Wangkui smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. I heard that someone impeached me today for only teaching these children the characters ¡°Heaven¡± and ¡°Earth¡±. I wonder what you think.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If they can learn the two characters well, I am afraid that they will gain endless benefits in their lifetime. Heaven represents the Emperor, and the earth represents the people. They really should learn the two characters well.¡± Ji Wangkui said, ¡°Exactly. These little kids won¡¯t understand the meaning of those abstruse scriptures at all at their age. ¡°It¡¯s better to let them feel the heaven and the earth. As for the bites of snakes, insects, rats and ants, they all carry realgar powder on their bodies, so you can rest assured.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief, and ordered the imperial maids to take out the dishes for lunch, and place them on the field ridge. ¡°When I was a child, my family had several acres of land in the countryside. Every year when the farming season came, I would follow the servants to the countryside to deliver meals and eat with the farmers on the ridges of the fields. Later, my family¡¯s restaurant¡¯s business was doing better and better, so we simply rented the fields to the farmers, and then I seldom ate on the fields.¡± The eunuchs and maids all felt that this was not in line with the rules, but they didn¡¯t dare to stop the Crown Princess. However, that didn¡¯t mean Tong Yingying and other people watching the fun wouldn¡¯t speak. Tong Yingying saluted Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Your Highness, as Confucius said, do not speak during dinner or sleep. They are all the grandsons of the Emperor. It would be a disgrace to the royal family for them to eat on the fields like farmers!¡± Many literati who came to watch the fun echoed her sentiment. Tong Yingying sneered again and said, ¡°I had thought the crown princess had found a good teacher for the imperial grandson, but not only did he only teach the children two characters in two or three days, but now he is even teaching them farming?! Does the heir to the Crown Prince need to farm?¡± Ji Wangkui was quite old. The last time he came out was when the Crown Prince was ten years old. So, for the past ten years, he had been reclusive. So very few people knew him. People like Tong Yingying were not qualified to know Ji Wangkui. Mrs. Ji said coldly from the side, ¡°Your grandmother was obsessed with fishing for fame when she was young and angered her mother-in-law so much that the latter died in anger. Now her granddaughter also plays lofty and talented. But in terms of talent, can you get in the line in Chang¡¯an?¡± ¡°Hey, old woman, where are you from?! My miss¡¯s clan theory has spread all over the world.¡± Tong Yingying¡¯s maid defended Tong Yingying. Mrs. Ji laughed. ¡°The clan theory is simply bullshit, using gorgeous rhetoric to cover up her absurd theories. ¡°The clan is meant for mutual help among the clansmen and not just for the continuation of the clan. You don¡¯t know the essence of it, but blindly praise its dregs such as snatching other sonless clansmen¡¯s properties. And you are actually proud of your stupid theory? ¡°You only know to make some empty meaningless poems but boast yourself as the most talented woman in Chang¡¯an. Isn¡¯t it ridiculous? ¡°I suggest you not tarnish the name of a talented girl!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t expect Mrs. Ji to be so eloquent. Her words were incisive and poignant. She almost wanted to applaud her. She really should learn from her. Tong Yingying¡¯s face turned ashen and she said, ¡°How dare you say that to me? Do you mean I¡¯m not talented but this old man who only knows to teach two characters is?¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Tong Yingying, ¡°Let me remind you, she is the wife of the Imperial Teacher, Mr. Ji. And this man you despise is Ji Wangkui, the teacher of His Majesty!¡± Tong Yingying¡¯s face turned from pale to red and she felt her face was burning. Her eyes widened in disbelief! Ji Wangkui? How could this old man be Ji Wangkui? As the Imperial Teacher and the most famous scholar in the world, how could Ji Wangkui condone the children of the royal family to eat on the field ridge? And when the literati who followed to watch the fun heard the name Ji Wangkui, they all rushed over to fawn on Ji Wangkui. Ji Wangkui was very impatient, and said to the children, ¡°Let¡¯s go back. We can come out to play again when there aren¡¯t so many annoying people.¡± Tong Yingying gaped in shock. Ji Wangkui had been her idol since childhood. When Emperor Huilin was in a difficult situation, he took a fancy to Emperor Huilin¡¯s knowledge and took him as his disciple. Ji Wangkui, who never bent to power, was actually teaching the imperial grandson for the sake of power now! It could be seen that Ji Wangkui was nothing but a snob. Qiao Jinniang reminded Tong Yingying. ¡°Remember to pay back the money as soon as possible.¡± Tong Yingying had to salute and said, ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡­ On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Chang¡¯an was very lively. Perhaps because Fulu was not in Chang¡¯an, it was much less lively than previous years. After Qiao Jinniang tied a sachet on Lu Chen¡¯s waist, she went to the observation platform to watch the Dragon Boat Race with him. Seeing Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen seated together, many courtiers and noble ladies remembered that at this time last year, the Crown Prince had already brought Qiao Jinniang in front of everyone. Duke Anyuan Mansion and Zheng Xiao were both absent, and halfway through the dragon boat race, a maid from the Duke Anyuan Mansion came to report good news. ¡°Your Highness, Madam has given birth to a daughter who weighs six catties and eight taels.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled happily and rewarded the maid some money. ¡°After the dragon boat race, I will go back to visit my mother.¡± Soon the good news spread all over the viewing platform. Some people came to congratulate, but some people were sour. ¡°Congratulations, Your Highness, but being born on the Dragon Boat Festival is not auspicious!¡± ¡°No matter if it is a boy or a girl, being born on the Dragon Boat Festival was not auspicious, so many people would even take oxytocin to avoid giving birth to their children on the Dragon Boat Festival. When Qiao Jinniang heard it, she said solemnly, ¡°She is the daughter of Duke Anyuan and my younger sister. What¡¯s not auspicious about her birth?¡± Chapter 228 - The Crown Princess Sister Was A Jinx Chapter 228: The Crown Princess¡¯ Sister Was A Jinx Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and comforted her. ¡°Why bother with them? They are just jealous of Mother-in-law giving birth to a daughter in her middle ages.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded slightly, but she was still worried. Anyway, she couldn¡¯t stop people from gossiping about it. Especially the people of the Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion. They were the Empress Dowager¡¯s natal family, and there was indeed such a saying among the folks, so she couldn¡¯t make them keep their mouths shut. After the dragon boat race, Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen took Xi¡¯er to the Duke Anyuan Mansion. If they took their guards of honor, the Duke Mansion would have to receive them with complicated procedures, so they simply disguised themselves and entered the Duke Mansion through the side door. Hearing that Lu Chen came in through the side door, Duke Anyuan had a big headache and hurriedly knelt down to them and apologized. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Father, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. If we walk through the front door, you¡¯ll have to go through tedious procedures. Mother has just given birth and can¡¯t stand any toss, so why bother with these red tapes¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, Duke Anyuan knelt on the ground and said, ¡°No, no, how can the etiquette between monarchs and ministers be red tapes?¡± Duke Anyuan never dared to show any disrespect to the royal family members. Lu Chen said to Duke Anyuan, ¡°Father-in-law, I have something to talk to you about. Let¡¯s talk in the front yard.¡± When Qiao Jinniang entered Zheng Xiao¡¯s room, she found that Zheng Xiao looked very well even though she had just given birth. The Duke Mansion must have taken a very good care of her. Second Madam said on the side, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that this child was born on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival! Those born on such a ominous day are usually jinxes!¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she frowned and said, ¡°Second Aunt, what are you talking about? As Father¡¯s daughter and my sister, she must be well-blessed!¡± Zheng Xiao hugged her little daughter feebly, and when she saw Qiao Jinniang coming over, she held her hand and said, ¡°Jinniang, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The birth of this daughter reminded Zheng Xiao of what Jinniang looked like when she was just born twenty years ago. Jinniang was different from other children at birth. She had seen her once, but after Jinniang was swapped, she, as her mother, didn¡¯t discover it at all. Qiao Jinniang also held Zheng Xiao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s all over. In fact, God has been treating me very well. My adoptive mother loved me very much since I was a child. Just when I thought my father and mother were gone, God gave me a new pair of father and mother.¡± Zheng Xiao shed a drop of tears. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t cry within a month after you gave birth to a child.¡± Seeing them so affectionate, Second Madam couldn¡¯t help thinking of her own daughters, so she simply shut up. Qiao Jinniang picked up her little sister. She looked more like Duke Anyuan. ¡°Girls are soft and fragrant. Look how beautiful she is.¡± Seeing the little baby open her eyes, Qiao Jinniang smiled gently. Seeing Qiao Jinniang holding another child, Lu Xi was slightly jealous, but still stood on tiptoe and looked at the baby. ¡°Mother, is this my sister?¡± ¡°No, she is your little aunt.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. Little Lu Xi lowered his head and said, ¡°What about my sister? Dad told me that as long as I don¡¯t come to find you at night, I¡¯ll have a sister soon!¡± Qiao Jinniang blushed. How could Lu Chen say these words to a child?! Zheng Xiao also asked: ¡°Jinniang, are you pregnant again?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, I have only been married to the East Palace for about a month. How can I be pregnant so soon?¡± Besides, Qiao Jinniang was not in a hurry to have another child, so she said to little Lu Xi, ¡°If Xi¡¯er is more sensible, when your sister sees such a good brother, she will want to come to the world.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Your eldest sister should have arrived in the South. I don¡¯t know what the situation in the South is. Hope she can have a child during this trip to the South.¡± Qiao Jinniang also hoped that Ruoyun could live an easier life. Her adoptive parents were so nice to her, and she did hope that their biological daughter could live a care-free life. But just like her adoptive mother, Qiao Ruoyun was too weak and forbearing¡­ Everyone said that Qin Shu was a good husband, and sometimes Qiao Jinniang thought the same. But if he was really a good husband, why did Qiao Ruoyun always look so unhappy and preoccupied? It was a little strange that Prince Huai picked Qin Shu to go to the South with him and protect him. How could Fourth Miss Qin, a concubine-born daughter, compare to Qiao Ruoyun, the next Duke Qin¡¯s wife? Qiao Jinniang somehow felt something was wrong, but she didn¡¯t tell Zheng Xiao for fear that she would be worried. ¡­ After returning to the imperial palace, Qiao Jinniang went to the Queen¡¯s palace first. The Queen heard that Zheng Xiao had given birth to a daughter and gave her a lot of rewards. ¡°My biggest regret in this life is not being able to give birth to a daughter.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re still young, not a few years older than my mother. If you take good care of yourself, you can also have a daughter.¡± Queen Zhou chuckled. ¡°Silly child, I can¡¯t have a baby anymore, so I hope to have a little granddaughter to relieve my boredom. Don¡¯t think that you are still young and are not in a hurry to have another child. It is extremely important to grow more branches and leaves for the tree of the royal family.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded obediently. It seemed that every mother-in-law in the world wanted their daughters-in-law to give birth to more children. Besides, Qiao Jinniang also knew that in order to relieve the pressure of the public opinion, she had to have another child. ¡­ After the Dragon Boat Festival, there was a rumor in Chang¡¯an that the floods in the South had flooded many towns. Fortunately, the court sent rescue in time, although many people¡¯s homes were flooded, the loss of life was not large. In a teahouse in Chang¡¯an, a woman of the Miao nationality from the Southwest said, ¡°The flood in the South is due to the arrival of a jinx, and this jinx was born in a distinguished family whose ancestors came from the Southwest. ¡°That jinx is the reincarnation of the witch of the Miao people in the Southwest. ¡°If the jinx is not eliminated, the floods in the South will not stop, and will even spread to Chang¡¯an. By then, there will be floods all over Datang, and the people will have nowhere to go.¡± Some people in the teahouse were a little scared. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°To break the flood disaster caused by this jinx, we need to bury the jinx alive under a willow tree¡­¡± The Miao woman said, ¡°And then seal it with a magic matrix!¡± Hearing her words, Junior Duke Rong, who brought Samo¡¯er to the teahouse, frowned. Isn¡¯t this jinx referring to the Crown Princess¡¯ little sister who was just born? Who did this baby offend? Why was this woman so cruel as to try to murder a baby? Samo¡¯er looked at the Miao woman below and frowned. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°The State Preceptor of Xiliang,¡± Samo¡¯er said. Junior Duke Rong immediately figured it out. Xiliang and the Qiao family had a bloody feud! He had to go back and report this matter to His Majesty. But before he could go downstairs. He saw the people of Chang¡¯an catch the woman who was wearing the Miao-style clothes. One of the old ladies hit the Miao woman hard with her cane. ¡°If you¡¯re really a Miao woman, even if that girl is really the so-called jinx, you wouldn¡¯t have been so ungrateful as to say these words! ¡°Twenty years ago, how many Miao people were killed by Xiliang? It was Duke Anyuan who bravely rescued the Miao people and defended the peace in the Southwest! How dare you slander his little daughter ungratefully?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Tell us, who sent you over? Do you think we are stupid? Duke Anyuan is a big hero. How can you slander his newborn daughter so viciously?!¡± ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s send her to the Chang¡¯an Government Office, and let Lord Prefect interrogate her!¡± Junior Duke Rong: ¡°¡­¡± Why were the people of Chang¡¯an so smart? He had thought he finally had a chance to make a contribution for the Crown Princess and ask her for some little scones. Chapter 229 - This Miao Woman Knows Magic Chapter 229: This Miao Woman Knows Magic The rumors about the jinx thing also spread to the imperial palace, and Yuyan came to Qiao Jinniang to report the news. Qiao Jinniang was very angry. ¡°No matter who the person behind this is, no matter how much grievances he has with the Qiao family, he shouldn¡¯t be so vicious to a newly born baby!¡± When Lu Chen entered Qiao Jinniang¡¯s palace, seeing her angry face, he knew that she already knew about it. Lu Chen said, ¡°The people have caught the Miao woman who spread the rumors. She is currently being interrogated by Chang¡¯an Prefect. Don¡¯t worry. No one will believe this kind of nonsense.¡± Qiao Jinniang said indignantly, ¡°There had long been signs of floods in the South, but it was only recently known in Chang¡¯an. Why do they say that it¡¯s caused by my sister? It doesn¡¯t need everyone to believe it. As long as some people believe it, my sister will have to carry the name of a jinx.¡± ¡°Can you get the Miao woman over and interrogate her yourself?¡± It was not difficult for Lu Chen to personally interrogate the Miao woman. ¡°Imperial Cousin, Cousin-in-law, I know who that Miao woman is!¡± Junior Duke Rong shouted loudly from outside the palace. Qiao Jinniang ordered to let him in, and Junior Duke Rong cupped his hands to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Samo¡¯er told me that the Miao woman is the State Preceptor of Xiliang!¡± Qiao Jinniang asked curiously, ¡°Isn¡¯t Samo¡¯er the crown princess of Xiliang? Why did she reveal the identity of the State Preceptor of Xiliang?¡± Lu Chen explained to Qiao Jinniang in a low voice. ¡°Samo¡¯er¡¯ father became the emperor of Xiliang because Duke Anyuan executed the former Emperor Xiliang, and the power of Xiliang is actually in the hands of the regent, and this State Preceptor of Xiliang is also on the regent¡¯s side. ¡°If not, Emperor Xiliang would not have been willing to marry his daughter so far away to Chang¡¯an. What he wanted was to establish a good relationship with Datang, so that the regent would not dare to kill him.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. No wonder Samo¡¯er didn¡¯t do anything against the Qiao family after raising the three problems at Lu Chen¡¯s birthday banquet. The execution of Emperor Xiliang by Duke Anyuan might do Samo¡¯er¡¯s family more good than bad. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Even if this State Preceptor of Xiliang sneaked into Chang¡¯an, she should not know so much about Chang¡¯an, especially the flood in the South. The reply letter of the imperial envoy has just arrived in Chang¡¯an.¡± There must be someone in Datang helping her! Lu Chen comforted Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Leave this matter to me. You can rest assured. I¡¯m going to the Chang¡¯an Government Office first.¡± ¡°Take me with you.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen. Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and agreed. The mammies and guards in the East Palace: ¡°¡­¡± The rule that the Crown Princess must not be allowed to leave the imperial palace seemed not to exist at all, but no one dared to remind them. ¡­ In the Mu Mansion not far from Prince Huai Mansion, Mu Qianqian struggled to get up from bed and asked, ¡°The people of Chang¡¯an actually sent the State Preceptor to Chang¡¯an Government Office?¡± ¡°Yes, Master, what should we do now? This State Preceptor is the sweetheart of the regent of Xiliang. We have to save her!¡± Mu Qianqian originally wanted to use the jinx rumor to provoke the people¡¯s resentment against Duke Anyuan. Then if the Crown Prince helped Duke Anyuan, he would lose the people¡¯s hearts. But if the Crown Prince helped the people, then Duke Anyuan and Qiao Jinniang would break away from him. The Crown Prince had already broken away from his teacher and the Duke Wu Mansion, and if he broke away with the Duke Anyuan Mansion too, wouldn¡¯t Prince Huai be the most powerful prince in the court? How could the people of Chang¡¯an not be tricked?! What Mu Qianqian was more afraid of now was that she might ruin the plan of Prince Huai and the Regent of Xiliang. If she had known this, she wouldn¡¯t have had the State Preceptor of Xiliang to spread the rumors herself. The Xiliang State Preceptor was really useless. ¡­ The prefect of Chang¡¯an hadn¡¯t started the interrogation when he heard that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had arrived, and he hurriedly guided them to the seats of honor. Qiao Jinniang looked at the woman who was tied up by the people in Chang¡¯an and felt that her eyes were a bit like Samo¡¯er¡¯s. But she was not as stunningly beautiful as Samo¡¯er. The prefect of Chang¡¯an banged his gavel and said, ¡°Who is the woman on the ground? How dare you play mysterious and slander the daughter of our country¡¯s hero?!¡± The woman held her head high and said, ¡°I am Si Ru, the Saintess of Miao. I am not playing mysterious. I received the ominous sign shown by gods, so I specially came to Chang¡¯an to remind His Majesty. Unfortunately I came too late and the jinx was already born. The South is already flooded, and the people there are already struggling to survive!¡± The prefect of Chang¡¯an said, ¡°How can I believe your one-sided words!¡± Si Ru said, ¡°I am the Saintess of Miao. If you don¡¯t believe me, untie me, and I will show you some magic to open the eyes of fools like you people.¡± Zhou Shihui, who had just been released from prison, heard the noise here and came over to watch. Although Zhou Shihui hated Qiao Jinniang for forcing her senior brother to marry Fulu, that child was her senior brother¡¯s younger sister, so how could she just sit by and ignore it? After she came, she was disgusted to see Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang said to the prefect, ¡°Then untie her!¡± After the prefect ordered to untie Si Ru, Si Ru said, ¡°I need a table, three bowls, five beans, and a stick!¡± The prefect of Chang¡¯an glanced at Lu Chen, who nodded and said, ¡°Give them to her.¡± After setting the table, Si Ru said, ¡°Look, there are five beans and three bowls here. There are no beans between my fingers. And these beans are prepared by you.¡± Si Ru spread out her hands and presented them in front of everyone, so that the people could see that there was nothing in her hands. ¡°As you can see clearly, I put a bean into the first bowl, and put the second bean into the second bowl, then I put the third bean in the second bowl too, so there are two beans in the second bowl, and one bean in the first bowl, right?¡± After Si Ru put the beans, she asked the people. The people said, ¡°Yes.¡± But after Si Ru opened the first bowl, there were three beans in it, but there was not a single bean in the second bowl! Everyone was amazed and said, ¡°How is this possible? Just now I clearly saw two beans in the second bowl and one in the first bowl, but why are there three beans in the second bowl now?¡± Si Ru said, ¡°Because I know magic, now can you believe that I am the goddess of Miao to save you people? Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°So this is magic?¡± Si Ru said, ¡°Of course, now I order you mortals to bury the jinx of the Qiao family under a willow tree! Hurry up!¡± Zhou Shihui was once sold into a trick troupe after she got lost when she was a child. She actually could do Si Ru¡¯s ¡°magic¡± too. Zhou Shihui said to Hongling, ¡°Go report to your madam. If she stops forcing my senior brother to marry a woman he doesn¡¯t like and lets him marry me, I can go out and expose this Miao woman¡¯s ¡°magic¡±. ¡°Otherwise, having a jinx as a sister is not good for her reputation, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 230 - The Fairy Picks Beans Chapter 230: The Fairy Picks Beans When Qiao Jinniang heard the maid¡¯s report, she just smiled and said, ¡°It turns out that if you know these tricks, you can become the Saintess of Miao. Then there must be a lot of ¡®Saintesses¡¯ in our Datang!¡± Qiao Jinniang got up, walked slowly to Si Ru, took out the beans from the bowl, and placed them on the table one by one. Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Everyone, as you can see, I don¡¯t have any beans in my hands or between my fingers. There are five beans on the table, and I only need to use two bowls. Look, I put a bean into the first bowl, cover the bowl, and then put one into the second bowl.¡± Qiao Jinniang opened the second bowl and let the people look at it. Then she picked up another bean and said, ¡°Now this bean is in my hand. I can put this bean into the bowl without opening the bowl cover. Do you believe I can do it?¡± The people all shook their heads in disbelief. Qiao Jinniang clenched the bean in her hand and chanted a spell. ¡°Put the bean on my left hand.¡± Then she said ¡°Enter!¡± The next moment, the bean on her left hand disappeared out of thin air. After she opened the cover of the second bowl, everyone saw that there were two beans in the second bowl. Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°This trick is called ¡®Two Dragons Playing with A Pearl¡¯. Similarly, I cover the bowl, and I pick up a bean and put it on my left hand. Please say ¡®Enter!¡¯¡± The people did as she said. After Qiao Jinniang opened her hand, she lifted the bowl cover. ¡°This trick is called ¡®Three Immortals Returned to the Abode¡¯.¡± Qiao Jinniang covered the bowl again and said, ¡°Now I pick up another bean and put it on my left hand. Enter!¡± Qiao Jinniang pointed at the small bowl and opened its cover. There were actually four beans in it. ¡°This is called ¡®Four Seasons Prosperity¡¯.¡± The people were all amazed, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? The beans were clearly in her hands. How could she put the beans in the bowl?¡± ¡°Does the Crown Princess also know magic?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°There is still the last one. There is a bean in the first bowl just now, right? Now I will take this bean out with magic and put it in the second bowl. Okay, now open the second bowl. There are five beans in it, right? This trick is called ¡®A Harvest of Five Grains¡¯!¡± The people were all dumbfounded. Qiao Jinniang looked at Si Ru and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know who taught you this rough trick, but this is a trick called ¡®Fairy Picks Beans¡¯ that was popular among noble families for thousands of years in Datang. ¡°Nowadays, it is mostly performed for dignitaries and nobles in the imperial music office, but there are many opera troupes in the South that would perform these tricks during the New Year. ¡°It just so happened that when I was a child, an opera troupe manager owed my family¡¯s restaurant money, so he taught me some tricks to offset the debt. I¡¯m not a good student so that¡¯s all I know. The skills of such experts are simply out of this world. ¡°But your technique can¡¯t even compare to an amateur like me! ¡°The barbarians in Xiliang are so shallow and stupid as to try to fool our people with this trick. How ridiculous! How dare you call it ¡®magic¡¯?¡± Si Ru said, ¡°I am from Miao. Why did you say I¡¯m from Xiliang? Stop talking nonsense! Yours is just a trick but mine is real magic. You slander me just to protect your jinx sister.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s a magic or a trick, you spread rumors to scare the people and intend to murder an innocent baby, which is a heinous crime. Prefect, if she refuses to confess who is behind the scenes, torture her until she confesses.¡± The prefect of Chang¡¯an hurriedly said yes. Si Ru had never been treated so rudely, and when she heard that she was to be tortured, she cried pitifully. Qiao Jinniang whispered to Lu Chen, ¡°Is she really the State Preceptor of Xiliang? How can the State Preceptor of Xiliang be so spineless? Look at the way she cries!¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Her tricks can¡¯t fool the people in Chang¡¯an, but it¡¯s not difficult to fool the people of Xiliang.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought what he said made sense. Most of the common people of Xiliang were ignorant, and these tricks might really make them believe Si Ru was a fairy. When Qiao Jinniang saw this trick for the first time when she was a child, she had also thought she had met a god. Later, when she learned the secret in the tricks, she realized that these so-called tricks were nothing more than techniques. After a moment of torture, Si Ru was already on the verge of death. Living a luxurious life since childhood, she had never suffered like this. When she was about to confess, Mu Qianqian came in and knelt down, saying, ¡°Greetings, Your Royal Highness, Your Highness. The sinner, Mu Qianqian, came to confess.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Mu Qianqian and said, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Mu Qianqian said, ¡°Your Highness, please spare my life. I just hated that my child was born without a father and I was displaced in Chang¡¯an, but Duchess Anyuan, who was pregnant at the same time as me, was able to give birth to a daughter and was so carefully taken care of.¡± ¡°I was so jealous that I found a woman who learned juggling and asked her to pretend to be the Saintess of Miao. ¡°I just hated Duke Anyuan for ignoring me in disregard of his brotherhood with my brother. I didn¡¯t mean to kill his daughter. ¡°I was just too jealous of Duchess Anyuan. Your Highness, please forgive me!¡± Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen looked at each other. Mu Qianqian looked so feeble. She must have just given birth. She fell from the Wild Goose Pagoda that day, and it was not long before her child was born. If she was really jealous, how could she risk her own life to come out and save a girl from a troupe? Besides, as the princess of Xiliang, Samo¡¯er didn¡¯t have to lie about the identity of the State Preceptor of Xiliang. Lu Chen said, ¡°Duke Anyuan kindly redeemed you from the brothel and gave you a new life, but you hold grudges. We won¡¯t execute you but you have to be punished. Since you were a prostitute in the first place, go back to that brothel.¡± Mu Qianqian hurriedly kowtowed and a drop of tear fell from the corner of her eye. It didn¡¯t matter. As long as Prince Huai could get the throne, she didn¡¯t mind sacrificing herself! Her son was the eldest son of Prince Huai, and when Prince Huai ascended the throne, her child would be the crown prince. Besides, if Prince Huai returned to Chang¡¯an, he would surely save her out of the brothel. Lu Chen set his eyes on Si Ru. ¡°As for her, she is an accomplice. Demote her to a prostitute too!¡± Si Ru opened her eyes wide and screamed, ¡°How dare you? I am the State Preceptor of Xiliang!¡± Qiao Jinniang just took a sip of tea and almost vomited it out. Did Si Ru admit it a little too fast? Lu Chen sneered. ¡°Princess Xiliang has married Junior Duke Rong of Datang, and Emperor Xiliang is friendly with Datang. How is it possible the State Preceptor of Xiliang come to Chang¡¯an to murder the daughter of Duke Anyuan? You lied and pretended to be the State Preceptor of Xiliang, which is unforgivable! ¡°Come, send her and Mu Qianqian to the brothel together! No one can redeem them.¡± Qiao Jinniang was satisfied with the punishment they received. No matter what Mu Qianqian and Si Ru were up to, how could they try to murder a newly born baby? But at this moment, Zhou Shihui said loudly, ¡°Imperial Cousin, this punishment is absolutely inappropriate. You can punish them in other ways but not this one! ¡°Why make them prostitutes? Crown Princess, aren¡¯t you a woman yourself? ¡°Bullying two weak women and forcing them to be prostitutes¡­ This is really too cruel!¡± Chapter 231 - Its Time to Get Rid of Qiao Ruoyun Qiao Jinniang looked puzzled. Zhou Shihui continued righteously, ¡°Crown Princess, as a woman and the future manager of the imperial palace, can¡¯t you have some sympathy for women? Why are male criminals only banished to the border, while females have to become prostitutes to serve men?¡± Several women among the people applauded. Lu Chen frowned and was about to punish Zhou Shihui when Qiao Jinniang held his hand. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This is the first time I saw someone who pleads for murderers. If Mu Qianqian were punished for her family¡¯s illicite salt dealing today, I would definitely plead for her, but she wasn¡¯t. ¡°This vicious woman wanted to murder my sister. If the people of Chang¡¯an weren¡¯t smart enough, what would have happened to my sister? It¡¯s already merciful enough to spare her life! ¡°Don¡¯t emphasize that they are women. No ordinary women would try to murder a baby. But they worked out such a vicious plan to murder an innocent baby!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, what the Crown Princess said makes sense. Such vicious women deserve to be executed!¡± Zhou Shihui frowned, but she couldn¡¯t refute it. ¡­ After returning to the East Palace. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were listening to the reporting of a secret guard in the study. ¡°Your Royal Highness, I found out that Mu Qianqian had seen Prince Huai who sneaked out of the imperial tomb when she was still in the Southwest, and Prince Huai went to the Southwest back then to discuss important matters with the regent of Xiliang. ¡°The people behind the illicit trafficking of salt seemed to be Prince Mediocre and the Right Prime Minister, but in fact half of the income went to the Mu family, which was even more than what Prince Mediocre, Right Prime Minister, and Earl Cheng¡¯en Mansion received. ¡°A maid of the Mu family who was sold into a brothel in Chang¡¯an testified that Mu Qianqian¡¯s position in the Mu family was exceptionally high. Master Mu seemed to trust Miss Mu very much, and would even take her along when talking about business.¡± Qiao Jinniang listened and said, ¡°No wonder Right Prime Minister even risked his own life to protect Prince Mediocre. What he actually wanted was not to protect Prince Mediocre, but to make him a scapegoat for Prince Huai! ¡°Prince Huai and Mu Qianqian were really well-hidden. Maybe the child born by Mu Qianqian is also Prince Huai¡¯s?¡± Lu Chen chuckled and said, ¡°My eldest brother has been holding back since I was a child. Now his fox tail is finally exposed.¡± Qiao Jinniang was a little worried. ¡°Then why did Mother plead for him back then?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Firstly, he hid very well, and secondly, my disappearance really had nothing to do with Prince Huai. Maybe he had played a part in it, but the culprit was Prince Mediocre. ¡°Besides, his mother, Imperial Concubine Li was willing to exchange her own life for his. She and my father grew up together. Before my mother appeared, Father favored her the most. ¡°Imperial Concubine Li married my father at the age of fifteen, and accompanied my father to the throne. Even if Father didn¡¯t love her, they were cousins who had grown up together. ¡°After my mother married into the imperial palace, Imperial Concubine Li didn¡¯t do anything against her and even helped her manage the imperial palace. She was also very kind to me and was never jealous of my mother. ¡°To my father, she was his younger sister and a confidant. ¡°Although there was no love between men and women between Imperial Concubine Li and my father, my father still had very deep affections for her. Therefore, my mother had to fulfill Imperial Concubine Li¡¯s last wish.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned and asked, ¡°Just like you to Zhou Sisi? ¡°At her wedding, I heard from Fulu and Consort Qi that when you took Zhou Sisi out to play when you were young, you always carried Zhou Sisi on your back. Aren¡¯t you the so-called childhood sweethearts¡­¡± Lu Chen motioned for the secret guard to leave, and after the door of the study was closed, he held Qiao Jinniang on his lap. ¡°Come on, I was not the only boy who carried Zhou Sisi on the back. I just took her as a younger sister. You even slept with Xie Yun on the same bed when you were young!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°How old was I then?¡± ¡°I was a kid too when I carried Zhou Sisi on my back.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°And my father is my father, and I am me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take my cousins ??into the East Palace as my concubines.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°If you want to do that, I won¡¯t stop you. I¡¯ll just leave the East Palace.¡± Lu Chen clasped her waist tightly and said, ¡°Stop talking nonsense. I don¡¯t like to listen to it. I think my father knows the ambition of my eldest brother, but he still feels guilty for Imperial Concubine Li. Let¡¯s see what Prince Huai can do. He can¡¯t threaten my status anyway.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I heard that because of the matters of Duke Wu and your teacher, many officials in the East Palace have already handed in their resignations¡­¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I was sixteen when I was missing. At that time, many of the courtiers in the East Palace had left, and most of those who remained were from two parties, the Duke Wu Mansion and my teacher. ¡°One year after I returned, the people of the Duke Wu Mansion occupied a lot of high positions in the East Palace, and I couldn¡¯t fire them because they didn¡¯t leave although I was missing for three years, but they are mostly incompetent in their jobs. ¡°These incompetent people left because I refused to marry Zhou Sisi, which is exactly what I want. You don¡¯t have to feel guilty¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang leaned on Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder. She knew what Lu Chen said was true, but not entirely true. Originally, these people were absolutely loyal to Lu Chen, but because Lu Chen refused to take Zhou Sisi as his concubine for the sake of her, everyone said he was so fatuous as to choose her over the support of the Duke Wu Mansion. Lu Chen said casually, ¡°Besides, Father is still healthy and strong, so I don¡¯t need to keep expanding my power. It¡¯s not a problem if there are fewer officials in the East Palace.¡± Knowing that he was comforting her, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°By the way, do you need silver? The Jewelry Pavilion has made a lot of silver taels recently!¡± Lu Chen laughed. ¡°Just keep the money for yourself. I don¡¯t lack silver taels, nor people. Just feel at ease.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°But according to the novels I read, most of the crown princes who are favored by the emperors won¡¯t end good, while the princes who have been forbearing for a long time are often able to counterattack and succeed as the emperors¡­¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­Don¡¯t read so many novels, okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You even gifted me novels before marriage. Now that we are married, you don¡¯t allow me to read it? Hmph, that¡¯s what men do.¡± Lu Chen said helplessly, ¡°Alright, if you want to read novels, just read them. If you are tired of reading the novels sold in Chang¡¯an, have someone buy some novels outside Chang¡¯an.¡± ¡­ Two tigers couldn¡¯t live on the same mountain. In Prince Huai Mansion, the two Consorts Huai were having a silent war. Li Lingling knew that Zhou Sisi was pretending to be retarded, but she couldn¡¯t get any proof. The maids of Zhou Sisi quickly helped her seize the managing power of Prince Huai Mansion, which almost drove Li Lingling to crazy. And Fourth Miss Qin also got pregnant quietly. No one expected it to be so quick. It seemed that she got pregnant as soon as she married Prince Huai. But at this moment, the butler of Prince Huai Mansion brought back an infant child, saying that it was the son adopted by Prince Huai. Hell with the bullshit! Li Lingling knew it must be Prince Huai¡¯s illegitimate son! Li Lingling was really mad but she had nowhere to vent her grievances, so she went to make trouble for Zhou Sisi every day. The Prince Huai Mansion was like a battlefield without smoke. Fourth Miss Qin, who had been keeping out of their battle, sat in the yard casually and asked her maid, ¡°Did Master and my brother send a letter back?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Fourth Miss Qin opened the envelope and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to get rid of Qiao Ruoyun forever.¡± ¡°But Madam, I¡¯m afraid Young Master will not agree. He loves Young Madam very much.¡± Consort Qin sneered coldly. ¡°Love her very much? I don¡¯t think so!¡± Chapter 232 - : Saved In Lin¡¯an, it had been drizzling, and even cloudy days were rare. With proper flood control, Lin¡¯an in the upper reaches wasn¡¯t flooded. Qiao Ruoyun had been in the Qiao Mansion in Lin¡¯an for a whole month. It rained more in a month in Lin¡¯an than it did in her twenty years in Chang¡¯an. Fulu didn¡¯t live in her palace but in the Qiao Mansion with Qiao Ruoyun. She said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Eldest Sister, Qiao Lu said the rainy season is about to be over, and the flood water in Yin County has receded. We¡¯ll be back in Chang¡¯an soon. Also, it¡¯s your birthday in a few days. Do you have any plans for it?¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°There are refugees everywhere outside. And my husband and my brother are busy in Yin County, so I don¡¯t plan to hold any birthday banquet.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve missed Jinniang¡¯s birthday banquet in Chang¡¯an. I can¡¯t miss yours too.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said softly, ¡°Yes, the Crown Princess¡¯ first birthday after marrying into the East Palace must be very lively.¡± Fulu continued. ¡°So, just celebrate your birthday happily. Seeing you so unhappy all day, I¡¯m about to become unhappy too.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°I¡¯m happy.¡± Fulu frowned. Qiao Ruoyun looked obviously unhappy. ¡°Madam, the Qiao clansmen came to ask for money again.¡± When Fulu heard the maid¡¯s report, she said angrily, ¡°These shameless people! Didn¡¯t they cause enough trouble in Chang¡¯an? Why don¡¯t they dare to ask the Crown Princess for money? They are just bullying you because they think you are weak!¡± Qiao Ruoyun said to Fulu, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. They don¡¯t ask for too much silver. Besides, it rains every day, and many crops were drowned. Just give them some silver!¡± Fulu stomped her feet in anger. ¡°Why do you have such a temper¡­ alas!¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°I know that I¡¯m weak and easy to bully, but they are still my relatives, so I can¡¯t just ignore them. More importantly, I¡¯m afraid that they will spread rumors and destroy the reputation of the Duke Qin Mansion in Lin¡¯an.¡± She didn¡¯t care about her own reputation, but she didn¡¯t want the reputation of the Duke Qin Mansion to be tainted. Fulu and Qiao Ruoyun weren¡¯t quite congenial, so she simply planned to leave Lin¡¯an and go to Yin County to find Qiao Lu. It would take her four or five hours to ride a horse to Yin County from Lin¡¯an by main roads. Therefore, Fulu took a shortcut and walked some mountainous village trails. There were many mountains in Lin¡¯an. Seeing that it should not rain any more today, Fulu took a rest in a cave for a while. However, she suddenly heard someone speaking outside, and she hurriedly motioned for her guards and maids to keep quiet. ¡°Brother, are we really going to kill Qiao Ruoyun? She is the daughter of Earl Lin¡¯an. The Earl Lin¡¯an couple did a lot of good deeds when they were still alive. We might have died if they hadn¡¯t given us that bowl of leftover rice!¡± ¡°That¡¯s one thousand taels of silver! The leftovers they gave us back then were nothing more than the leftovers of the guests in Myriad Taste, which would otherwise have been fed to dogs!¡± ¡°But Qiao Ruoyun is not only the future Duchess Qin, but also the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan, and the elder sister of the Crown Princess!¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? Duke Anyuan just doesn¡¯t want to lose face, so they haven¡¯t abandoned this adopted daughter yet. She is not Duke Anyuan¡¯s biological daughter. The Crown Princess probably hates this fake sister who stole her identity and comfortable life! Why would she care about her life?¡± After these strong men left, Fulu wanted to go back but was stopped by her maids and guards. ¡°Princess, there are only a few of us. Isn¡¯t it courting death to go back now?¡± ¡°Yeah, Princess, why don¡¯t we go to Yin County to get reinforcements first? Otherwise, even with the guards in the Qiao Mansion, we won¡¯t be those strong men¡¯s opponents at all. They seem to be bandits!¡± Princess Fulu was very anxious. She and Qiao Ruoyun were both jobless, and they didn¡¯t think the South was a dangerous place, so they didn¡¯t bring many guards with them. She said to the guards, ¡°Half of you follow me to Yin County to get reinforcements, and other half of you go back to the Qiao Mansion to remind them. Be quick!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The guards responded in succession. Fulu stopped the guards who were about to go back to the Qiao Mansion and said, ¡°Wait, when you find Qiao Ruoyun, take her to the Qian family for refuge. Protect her, and don¡¯t let the Qin family¡¯s guards follow her!¡± A maid asked Fulu in a puzzle, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Qiao Ruoyun has never had any feud with anyone. The Qiao clansmen have bullied her so much, but she still gave them money. Who would want to kill her?!¡± Fulu could only think of the Qin family. After all, the Qin family almost killed Qiao Ruoyun last time. Fulu took off her jade pendant and gave it to the guards. ¡°The Qian family never meddles in other people¡¯s business. Take my jade pendant and tell them that Qiao Ruoyun is me.¡± ¡­ After Fulu left, Qiao Ruoyun was making small clothes in her room. She heard that her mother had given birth to a daughter and she wanted to make a small dress for her little sister. A maid said coldly on the side, ¡°Young Madam, why bother? You¡¯ve been married into the Qin family for five years, but you still can¡¯t give birth to a child. Do you think making a few pieces of clothes can bring you a child?¡± This maid was given to her by Old Madam Qin, so Qiao Ruoyun never dared to refute her. Her mammy told her that the maids given by the elders were like elders and must be well respected. But after what the Zheng family did was exposed, Qiao Ruoyun realized that the mammy was purposely misleading her as instigated by the Zheng family, but she could no longer change her character. Qiao Ruoyun looked at the Southern-style courtyard and embroidered flowers with peace of mind. She looked at her belly. Everyone said that she was still young and she could have a baby sooner or later, but women at her age had almost all had a child. In the Qiao Mansion, there were still many toys left by Tuan¡¯er. Qiao Ruoyun looked at them enviously. ¡°Young Madam, Young Madam!¡± There was a hurried burst of knocks on the door. Qiao Ruoyun put down the small clothes in her hand, and saw that the sky was already dark outside. Realizing that it was the voice of a guard of Fulu, Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly opened the door. The guard hurriedly said, ¡°Young Madam, someone wants to murder you. Run! We are here to protect you, and the guards of the Qin family can¡¯t be trusted!¡± Qiao Ruoyun frowned and said, ¡°Why would someone want to kill me? If it¡¯s for the money, I can give them all the money¡­¡± ¡°Young Madam, please believe me. We are Princess Fulu¡¯s guards and will not lie to you.¡± While Qiao Ruoyun was in doubt, the sound of horses¡¯ hooves came from the door in the dark night. Hearing it, the guards could only carry Qiao Ruoyun up and put her on a horse, saying, ¡°Sorry to offend you, Young Madam, but we have no choice!¡± ¡°Brother, someone ran away on horseback!¡± ¡°Chase him. Don¡¯t leave anyone alive. Kill everyone inside to silence them!¡± ¡­ In the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang was awakened by a nightmare not long after she slept. Lu Chen was also awakened and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I dreamed that my home was burnt, and the swing you made for me was covered in blood.¡± Lu Chen ordered the imperial maid who was on duty at night to hand a cup of water to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°The Qiao Mansion in Lin¡¯an doesn¡¯t even have a gatekeeper now. The dreams are all fake.¡± ¡°No, there are people there.¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a panic, ¡°Ruoyun is there.¡± Chapter 233 - : Saved A spark popped out of the candle flame, and Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The hut behind the restaurant carried the joy of the first twenty years of her life. Dreaming of this scene, she felt uneasy. Lu Chen took the handkerchief from an imperial maid and wiped the sweat on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s forehead gently. ¡°Dreams are all in reverse, and Qiao Ruoyun has no feud with anyone. I heard that the disaster relief in the South is properly handled, and the court has allocated 200,000 taels of silver. There shouldn¡¯t be any refugees rising in revolt.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed softly and said, ¡°Yes, Qiao Ruoyun has no feud with anyone.¡± Maybe she missed her hometown too much. Chang¡¯an was very good, but Lin¡¯an was her homeland where she had lived for 18 years. Lu Chen said, ¡°If you really miss the hut in the South, I will have the Ministry of Works construct a hut in the East Palace similar to that one. Don¡¯t worry. Qiao Lu and Fulu are both in Lin¡¯an. Besides, Qin Shu will protect Qiao Ruoyun!¡± But when Qiao Jinniang heard ¡°Qin Shu¡±, she clenched Lu Chen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Yes, Qin Shu, it¡¯s Qin Shu!¡± Thinking that she was startled by the nightmare, Lu Chen ordered someone to boil a bowl of sedative medicine, saying, ¡°But everyone knows that Qin Shu is in deep love with Qiao Ruoyun. At Qiao Lu¡¯s birthday banquet last time, he even picked fish for Qiao Ruoyun in public.¡± ¡°But Qiao Ruoyun doesn¡¯t eat fish!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Fish conflicts with the medicine that Ruoyun is taking!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say previously that Qin Shu was selected by your grandmother for Qiao Ruoyun and he was a good husband. Besides, when Old Madam Qin was abusing Qiao Ruoyun, Qin Shu was trying to protect her!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I thought Qin Shu really loved my sister before. At least, they had been engaged since childhood, and they were childhood sweethearts. ¡°But thinking about it carefully now, his affections for my sister are all fake. If he really cared about her, how could he not even know that she couldn¡¯t eat fish? ¡°I only heard my mother mention it once, and I even remembered it. How can he not know? You may say men are careless sometimes, but this concerns Ruoyun¡¯s life!¡± Qiao Jinniang continued, ¡°And last time Ruoyun was tortured by Old Madam Qin and almost died, and this didn¡¯t happen overnight. How could Qin Shu not know about it? ¡°Besides, he is the heir to Duke Qin and a high-ranking official. ¡°Even Duke Qin would have to give him face. ¡°Even though Ruoyun¡¯s mammy had ulterior motives, if Qin Shu really loves my sister, why did the servant not respect her at all? ¡°Although my sister is soft-tempered, if Qin Shu hadn¡¯t given the servants some signals, how dare they treat their mistress like that? ¡°Although that concubine maid, Yuzhui, tortured my sister as ordered by Old Madam Qin, after all, she was Qin Shu¡¯s concubine maid. Do you believe that Qin Shu had no idea what she did to my sister? ¡°I used to believe what my sister said that Qin Shu treated her very well, but now after I think about it, he didn¡¯t treat her well at all. ¡°Qin Shu dared to proclaim that he would not take any concubines. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s just because he didn¡¯t dare to! Although the Qin family has a noble title, they don¡¯t have the power of my family. If he dares to take concubines at will, can my parents and grandmother tolerate it? Qiao Ruoyun married the Qin family less than three years ago. How can we allow Qin Shu to get a concubine-born son? I thought he was a good man because he promised not to take any concubines, but now I think I was wrong.¡± Lu Chen handed Qiao Jinniang a cup of water. ¡°If you are worried, I will have my guards go to the South to check.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ The rain that finally stopped at night became heavier again, and Qiao Ruoyun, who was on the horseback, couldn¡¯t open her eyes. She really didn¡¯t know who she had offended. Someone wanted to kill her! The guards who came to protect her held off the villains who were chasing her, and in the dark night, only the smell of blood could be smelled. Hearing the noise, the people living nearby came out with lanterns to check, but when they saw what happened, they hurriedly hid back home. But they felt the situation was very strange. There were usually patrols at night in Lin¡¯an. But why did no one appear although these people had been fighting and killing here for so long? Seeing the Qian Mansion close at hand, the guard who carried Qiao Ruoyun on his horseback hurriedly rode up to the Qian Mansion and knocked hard on the door. The villains at the back fiercely slashed a guard who tried to stop them. From a distance, someone among the pursuers said, ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s the Qian family!¡± ¡°The Qian family has never been nosy! Chase!¡± The guard who protected Qiao Ruoyun knocked harder on the door, and finally the doorman of the Qian family came to open the door with a lantern. With the light of the lantern, he saw a woman who was soaking wet. The guard showed the jade pendant to the doorman, ¡°This is the only daughter of Princess Shou¡¯an, Princess Fulu. She is now being hunted down by bandits. She hopes her old friend can give her a shelter to avoid this disaster.¡± But at this moment, one of the [pursuers had already shot Qiao Ruoyun with an arrow. The silver light of the arrow reflected the candlelight, and at the critical moment, Qiao Ruoyun was held in arms by a tall, burly man. The man opened an ivory fan and blocked the arrow, which then fell to the ground! ¡°Come, arrest all these bandits and put them in my private prison!¡± As soon as the man said so, many men in black came out of the dark and captured the bandits one after another. Before Qiao Ruoyun could see the appearance of the man clearly, she fainted in the arms of the stalwart man, and the guard who protected her all the way also fell into a coma due to excessive bleeding from the wound on his back. Qian Yin looked at the thin woman in his arms, who was soaked all over because of the rain, and her beautiful figure was completely revealed. Qian Yin took off his cloak and put it on Qiao Ruoyun before he asked the maids on the side to take her to change and call over a doctor for the guard and her. ¡°Master, this woman is not the princess. Although we haven¡¯t seen her for ten years, her appearance shouldn¡¯t have changed so much. She looks very similar to the wife of Myriad Taste¡¯s shopkeeper.¡± Qian Yin looked at the jade pendant carefully and said, ¡°This is the jade pendant I gave to Xiangxiang. Even if she is not Xiangxiang, she should be a woman Xiangxiang wants to protect.¡± ¡°Judging from her clothes and jewelry, she must also be a noble lady. Master, you¡¯ve always been low-key. Wouldn¡¯t it ruin your peaceful life if you intervene rashly?¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°You talk too much. Hurry up to boil some water. I want to take a bath.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Fulu rushed all the way to Yin County, and after seeing Qiao Lu, she hurriedly said, ¡°Qiao Lu, quickly go back and save Sister Ruoyun. Someone wants to kill her!¡± Qiao Lu, who was digging a canal in the fields, was shocked when he heard this. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m kidding? Be quick!¡± Without saying a word, Qiao Lu got on Fulu¡¯s horse and Fulu immediately turned the horse around and was riding back. Qin Shu chased after them and asked Fulu, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Ruoyun? Why would someone want to kill her?¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°Ask yourself! Who will benefit the most from Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s death? I feel disgusted to have the same surname as you!¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°Princess, mind your words. Ruoyun and I grew up together and had been engaged since childhood. I¡¯m deeply in love with her. Why do you suspect that I am the murderer?¡± Fulu said, ¡°Did I say she died? Why are you so sensitive? Get out of the way, don¡¯t waste our time!¡± Fulu couldn¡¯t guarantee that Uncle Qian would protect Qiao Ruoyun. After all, Uncle Qian had been keeping a low profile for more than ten years. Chapter 234 - Qiao Ruoyun Is Not Worthy of Being Duchess Qin Qin Shu frowned and insisted on following them on a horse, but his horse couldn¡¯t catch up with the ferghana horse that Fulu brought from Chang¡¯an. At an intersection, he was stopped by Prince Huai. Prince Huai said to Qin Shu on his horse. ¡°Qin Shu, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to rain heavily tonight. You¡¯d better guard here!¡± Qin Shu cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Highness, my wife is being hunted down¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your wife¡¯s death a good thing for your Qin family?¡± Prince Huai ordered his men to leave and said to Qin Shu, ¡°If Qiao Ruoyun dies in the South, who would care? ¡°She is not a child of Duke Anyuan. Although Qiao Jinniang doesn¡¯t seem to mind, how could she not hate this fake sister who stole her life?! ¡°If she dies, you can justifiably marry a real noble girl instead of a slave-born woman. How can you tolerate the descendants of your family have the blood of a slave?!¡± Qin Shu said with red eyes. ¡°Prince Huai! Ruoyun is my wife.¡± Prince Huai sneered and said, ¡°Stop pretending, okay? Qin Shu, you are a man, and what you have to take care of is the Duke Qin Mansion. If you really don¡¯t look down on Qiao Ruoyun, why did you turn a blind eye to what your grandmother did to her?¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°If anything happens to Qiao Ruoyun, Duke Anyuan will not let it go.¡± Prince Huai chuckled. ¡°But they have no evidence. The South is so far away from Chang¡¯an. Those people are outlaws who never hesitate to kill for money. Just kill them after they finish their job.¡± Qin Shu clenched the reins. Prince Huai continued. ¡°The most important thing for a man is their career. Your fourth sister is already pregnant. I think you don¡¯t want to be suppressed by Duke Anyuan for the rest of your life, right? And you certainly don¡¯t want your descendants to have a slave¡¯s blood, right?¡± Qin Shu¡¯s eyes were blood-shot. He didn¡¯t want to kill Qiao Ruoyun, but he knew it very well that for the sake of the future of the Duke Qin Mansion, he needed a better wife. Qiao Ruoyun was unworthy of being his wife. After the Crown Prince married Qiao Jinniang, he was almost deserted by his followers. He broke apart with Duke Wu, made his teacher retire and return to his hometown, and had offended countless people. How many people in the East Palace were still loyal to the Crown Prince now? If the Crown Prince had married a real noble lady in Chang¡¯an instead of that vulgar and unvirtuous Qiao Jinniang, how could he be in this trouble? Qiao Jinniang pushed all the noble girls to Prince Huai, making Prince Huai¡¯s power soar! Originally, his fourth sister, Zhou Sisi and Li Lingling, all fell for the Crown Prince, and marrying them would definitely make the East Palace even more powerful. How could Prince Huai have a chance in that case? However, as that vulgar woman, Qiao Jinniang, didn¡¯t allow any other women to marry into the East Palace, the officials in the East Palace kept decreasing while Prince Huai had more and more supporters and powerful in-laws. Besides, what Prince Huai said was right. He was restricted by Duke Anyuan everywhere. Would he have to be subservient to Qiao Ruoyun for the rest of his life? How could he let Qiao Ruoyun destroy the Duke Qin Mansion like what Qiao Jinniang did to the East Palace? Qin Shu clenched his hand hard and said in his heart, Ruoyun, I¡¯m sorry. If Ruoyun didn¡¯t die, Prince Huai probably wouldn¡¯t trust his loyalty¡­ Qin Shu didn¡¯t sleep all night, and his eyes were all bloodshot. ¡­ When it was dawn, Qian Yin went to the courtyard where Qiao Ruoyun was sleeping. Looking at the beauty under the lamp, he found that she looked so quiet and beautiful when she was sleeping with her eyes closed. She shouldn¡¯t be Qin Xiangxiang. Xiangxiang was lively and extroverted and even if she was sleeping, she wouldn¡¯t look so quiet and gentle. Besides, a person¡¯s appearance wouldn¡¯t change so much in ten years. ¡°Ah Shu, Ah Shu!¡± Qiao Ruoyun seemed to be dreaming of something. In her sleep, she frowned, reached out, seemingly trying to grab something, and when she grabbed Qian Yin¡¯s hand, she held it and rubbed her cheek against it gently. ¡°Ah Shu.¡± For some reason, Qian Yin didn¡¯t take his hand back. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve checked the pulse of this girl. She has no health problems but she should have had a miscarriage not long ago. Moreover, she has been taking a drug that will not only not help her get pregnant but make her depressed instead. ¡°However, many women in Chang¡¯an drink this medicine because they believe it can help them get pregnant. It¡¯s regarded as a magic medicine in Chang¡¯an. ¡°This girl is also very frail. She really shouldn¡¯t be drinking that drug any more. I think she¡¯s been in a coma because she has a bad cold after getting wet in the rain.¡± Qian Yin frowned, gently pulled out the hand tightly held by Qiao Ruoyun, got up and left. When Qiao Ruoyun slowly woke up, her eyes were full of horror. What she saw was blood and raging fire. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re finally awake, it just so happens that our master came to see you just now. Let me tell him you¡¯re awake.¡± Qiao Ruoyun coughed, and soon, she saw a man in purple come over. She looked at the face of the man in purple and lowered her head shyly. The man in purple seemed to be in his thirties, looking handsome and majestic. He was obviously a man of power. Qian Yin said, ¡°Who are you?¡± Qiao Ruoyun remembered that yesterday the guard asked her to pretend to be Fulu, but this man saved her life. How could she lie to him, so she said honestly, ¡°I am the wife of the Young Master of Duke Qin Mansion.¡± Qian Yin stared at the woman¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Why do you have Xiangxiang¡¯s jade pendant?¡± ¡°Xiangxiang?¡± Qiao Ruoyun was unfamiliar with this name. Qian Yin said, ¡°Princess Fulu.¡± Qiao Ruoyun took a tumble and explained, ¡°The princess gave me her jade pendant in order to save me. Thank you for saving me yesterday. When I return to Chang¡¯an, I will definitely repay you.¡± Qian Yin smiled. ¡°Those bandits have confessed that someone had paid them to kill you. If they killed you, they would receive 1,000 taels of silver. Do you think you can return to Chang¡¯an safe and sound?¡± Qiao Ruoyun was a little flustered but still said, ¡°My husband is a general who came to the South to escort the imperial envoy. He has soldiers under his command¡­¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°Take a rest first. By the way, my doctor examined you and said that your body is fine, but taking that poisonous medicine will only ruin your health. Don¡¯t eat it anymore.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Thank you for your grace. Sorry for troubling you. I think my husband and my younger brother should have returned to Lin¡¯an, so I should take my leave now.¡± Qiao Ruoyun struggled to get up. Seeing her unable to walk steadily, Qian Yin stretched out his hand to help her. ¡°Be careful.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at the big hand on her arm and was somewhat embarrassed. She saluted and took the chance to take back her arm. ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡± ¡°Master, the young master of the Duke Anyuan Mansion is asking to see you.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said to Qian Yin, ¡°It should be my younger brother who came to find me.¡± Qiao Lu and Fulu came together. Fulu raised her hand when he saw Qian Yin from afar, and said with a smile, ¡°Uncle Qian, it has been almost ten years, but you still look so young, much younger than my father.¡± Qian Yin smiled and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for ten years, and you have become a beautiful girl, not that little naughty Xiangxiang you used to be.¡± When Qiao Lu heard him call Fulu so intimately, he hurriedly clenched Fulu¡¯s hand, declaring his sovereignty! Chapter 235 - Nuomis Uncle Qian Yin looked at the little couple¡¯s hands that were tightly clasped and asked, ¡°Who is this?¡± Qiao Lu saluted. ¡°Qiao Lu, the fianc¨¦ of Princess Fulu, greets Your Highness.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at the man beside her in shock. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Qiao Lu said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Eldest Sister, this is Prince Wu Qian Yin.¡± Qiao Ruoyun didn¡¯t know much about Prince Wu. It was said that the first Prince Wu supported the founding emperor of Datang to be enthroned, and then was willing to give up the position of Prince Wu, but the founding emperor didn¡¯t take back his position to express his gratitude. Instead, he promised that the Qian family could own the hereditary title of Prince Wu and their fiefdom was the Wu and Yue Region. Other noble families, like the Duke Qin Mansion and Duke Anyuan Mansion, had to gain the emperor¡¯s permission before their family¡¯s heir could inherit the noble title. But the Qian family didn¡¯t need to do that, and they could even have their own soldiers. One of the Princes Wu had once revolted. But for some reason, however, the later Prince Wus were all very loyal to the emperor, and gradually faded out of everyone¡¯s sight. The people in the South might still know that there was a Prince Wu, but those in Chang¡¯an had forgotten about Prince Wu. Qian Yin chuckled and said, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Xiangxiang¡¯s fiance. I heard from Prince Consort Qin that Xiangxiang was already engaged. You look like a very excellent young man.¡± ¡°Many thanks to Your Highness for saving my sister¡¯s life. The Duke Anyuan Mansion will definitely repay Your Highness¡¯s great kindness!¡± Seeing that Qian Yin was speaking with the tone of an elder, Qiao Lu saluted him respectfully. ¡°It¡¯s just that the disaster relief job is not over yet, and the time to go back to Chang¡¯an has not come. More importantly, someone may try to hurt my sister again, so please allow my sister to stay for a few days, Your Highness.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Ah Lu, I¡¯ll just go back to my husband. He can definitely protect me.¡± Fulu laughed sarcastically. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, okay? Qin Shu protecting you? Maybe it¡¯s he who wants to kill you!¡± ¡°How is it possible?!¡± Qiao Ruoyun asked in shock. Fulu said, ¡°Is this the first time the Qin family has tried to kill you? It¡¯s not that I despise the Qin family, but the Qin family today is full of b*stards.¡± Qiao Ruoyun shook her head in disbelief. ¡°How could it be him?¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°Why not him? If you don¡¯t believe it, stay in Uncle Qian¡¯s mansion and see what he will do!¡± Qian Yin said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Miss Qiao, feel free to stay in my mansion. Please feel at home. If you need anything, just tell the maid.¡± Qiao Ruoyun was very preoccupied. And Qiao Lu and Fulu looked exhausted from staying up all night. Qiao Ruoyun thought that at this moment, perhaps only by staying in the Qian family could she make Qiao Lu completely at ease. As for Qin Shu¡­ She didn¡¯t believe that her husband would treat her like this, but yesterday so many people died, and the Qiao family was set on fire. Except for the Qin family, who would want to kill her? She had never done anything evil¡­ But because of her existence, the Qin family couldn¡¯t jump to the boat of Prince Huai. She was just soft-tempered, not stupid. Qiao Ruoyun said to Qian Yin, ¡°Then please allow me to disturb you for a few days, Your Highness. May I visit and express gratitude to Consort Qian¡­¡± Fulu yawned and said, ¡°By the way, Uncle Qian, why haven¡¯t I heard any news about your marriage, or did you secretly marry without telling us?¡± Qian Yin smiled and said, ¡°My brother hasn¡¯t been found, and my little niece has been missing. How can I be in the mood to get married? Plus, there are no elders in my family, so no one can take care of this kind of matter for me.¡± Princess Fulu said, ¡°I¡¯m about to get married, but Uncle Qian, you are still single. How pitiful you are. I¡¯ll introduce you to a few girls when I go back to Chang¡¯an¡­¡± Qian Yin said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯ve been yawning. I¡¯ll have the maids take you to rest. Do you mind living next door to Miss Qiao?¡± Fulu said, ¡°No, no, Qiao Lu and I still have to put on a show. Sister Yun is missing and the Qiao family¡¯s house has been burned down. We need to put on a show in front of the Qin family. ¡°When the Qin family fully believes that Sister Ruoyun is dead, please send her back to Chang¡¯an, Uncle Qian.¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°Those desperados last night are locked in my dungeon. If you make them confront the Qin family, the latter will definitely show their slip, so why bother to put on a show for them?¡± Fulu said, ¡°The Qin family are simply a bunch of hypocrites. I¡¯m really disgusted with them! It will definitely be fun to kick them down when they are high in the clouds!¡± Qian Yin glanced at Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s expression. ¡°Fun?¡± Fulu coughed and said, ¡°No no, I just want to avenge Sister Ruoyun.¡± ¡­ The sixth day of June. Today was the first birthday of Qiao Jinniang after she married into the East Palace, and it was her twentieth birthday, so the birthday banquet was very grand. Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t get any news from the South, and even if she sent people to check, it would take ten days at the fastest, so she could only wait anxiously. Lu Chen walked to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s side and said, ¡°A letter is sent from the South.¡± Qiao Jinniang quickly stood up and asked Lu Chen, ¡°How is Ruoyun?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The people we sent out haven¡¯t returned to Chang¡¯an yet. The letter came from Prince Wu, Qian Yin. He said that he accidentally saved Qiao Ruoyun who was being hunted down. In order to find out the one behind it, they are pretending that Qiao Ruoyun is already dead¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang clenched a hairpin and said hatefully, ¡°It turns out to be true! The Qin family deserve to die!¡± Apart from the Qin family, Qiao Jinniang really couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who wanted Qiao Ruoyun to die! Lu Chen said, ¡°She has Prince Wu protect her in Lin¡¯an. You can rest assured.¡± ¡°Prince Wu? Is there really a Prince Wu in Lin¡¯an? Why have I never heard of him?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s just because the Prince Wu Mansion has been keeping low-key. Do you remember Mr. Qian who came to Myriad Taste every day for meals?¡± ¡°Yes, he seems to have ulterior motives towards Nuomi!¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­I think he should be Prince Wu, Qian Yin. I don¡¯t think he had ulterior motives towards Nuomi. He just felt she looked like his niece.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°That¡¯s a typical trick of human traffickers. He must be a human trafficker. ¡°Besides, Nuomi doesn¡¯t have the birthmarks he said his niece had.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered Mr. Qian very well because he came to Myriad Taste for dinner every day after he spotted Nuomi on the street one day. When he said he was Nuomi¡¯s uncle, Qiao Jinniang was very happy, thinking that she had finally found a family for Nuomi. However, Nuomi didn¡¯t have any of the birthmarks he said his niece had, which made him look like a human trafficker. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s adoptive parents also thought he was a human trafficker, and didn¡¯t allow him to enter Myriad Taste anymore. ¡°How do you know he is Prince Wu?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked. Lu Chen said, ¡°I saw him when I was young, and his appearance didn¡¯t change much. Maybe I grew up, so he didn¡¯t recognize me in Myriad Taste, or maybe he had recognized me in Myriad Taste, but he didn¡¯t want to get the Qian family involved in the affairs of the court.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°If he is really Prince Wu, then he is not a human trafficker, but Nuomi doesn¡¯t have the birthmarks and moles he mentioned, so he can¡¯t be Nuomi¡¯s uncle, alas.¡± Chapter 236 - The Crown Princess Commits A Heinous Crime and Intends to Revolt Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen arrived at the banquet together. Although it was not yet noon, the guests had all arrived, and they saluted them when they saw them arrive. The two Consorts Huai were standing shoulder to shoulder at the head of the noble women, which meant that they had an equal status. Zhou Sisi looked at Lu Chen, who was holding hands with Qiao Jinniang. When she saw that he gave all his love to Qiao Jinniang that was supposed to be given to her, the fire of jealousy was about to burn out her sanity. She pretended to be retarded for more than ten years! Why did he choose another woman in the end?! Li Lingling noticed Zhou Sisi¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°Sister, today is the Crown Princess¡¯ birthday. I wonder what gift you have prepared.¡± Zhou Sisi simply ignored Li Lingling, sat down, and looked at Lu Chen boldly without any intention of hiding it. Qiao Jinniang gently shook a Ke Silk fan, picked up a cup of wine, and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you for coming to attend my birthday banquet. I¡¯d like to propose a toast to you.¡± Everyone raised their cups to drink the wine. Li Lingling looked at the Ke Silk fan in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°This Ke Silk is only used for the Emperor¡¯s court clothes. How can the Crown Princess use a Ke Silk fan?¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at the fan in her hand. ¡°It turns out to be Ke Silk. I was so ignorant as to think it was Cloud Brocade. This is a birthday gift from a friend of mine. I like its vivid pattern very much.¡± Li Lingling said, ¡°Cloud Brocade is only for the use of the nobles, while the Ke Silk is only used for the Emperor¡¯s court clothes. Except for His Majesty, no one can use Ke Silk!¡± Li Lingling finally had something on Qiao Jinniang, and she felt very triumphant. It would be fine if this Ke Silk was gifted by the Emperor, but Qiao Jinniang said that this was a birthday gift from her friend, which was against the law. Qiao Jinniang put down the Ke Silk fan gently and said, ¡°Is there such a rule in the imperial palace? Does Datang have a law that Ke Silk can only be used by the Emperor? Like the rule that no commoner can wear gold jewelry?¡± ¡°Besides, His Majesty is so kind and magnanimous that he even allows the common people to wear gold jewelry, so how could he forbid others from wearing Ke Silk?¡± Li Lingling said, ¡°Only the Shanggong Bureau in the imperial palace can make Ke Silk, and it is only used by His Majesty! Ke Silk is even more expensive than gold. Where did the Crown Princess¡¯ friend steal the Ke Silk?¡± Li Lingling thought that it must be someone from the Shanggong Bureau who stole a piece of Ke Silk and gave it to the East Palace to fawn on the Crown Prince. But Qiao Jinniang was so stupid as to show off the fan made of the Ke Silk publicly at her birthday banquet. If this was further investigated, Lu Chen might lose the position of the crown prince. The Emperor would definitely not be able to tolerate the East Palace¡¯s flagrant violation of this rule. Lu Chen said in a cold voice, ¡°Princess Huai, do you have any evidence? If you slander the Crown Princess¡¯ friends without any evidence, shouldn¡¯t you be punished?¡± Li Lingling said confidently, ¡°Except for the Shanggong Bureau, no one knows the craftsmanship of Ke Silk! If it wasn¡¯t stolen, would it mean that the people of the Shanggong Bureau violated the rule and gave the Ke Silk exclusive to His Majesty to the East Palace?¡± Saying that, Li Lingling covered her mouth. ¡°This is a crime of revolt!¡± The faces of the guests all changed slightly. One of the crown princes in the previous dynasties was ousted because he had used something that only the emperor could use! There were also some crown princes who were suspected and killed by the emperors for this reason. Zhou Shihui taunted in a low voice, ¡°Stupid woman, showing off her fan on such an occasion. This vicious woman is going to get her retribution and return to her original form now. What a pity. She just became the Crown Princess several months ago, haha!¡± When Mrs. Zhou heard Zhou Shihui¡¯s words, she chuckled by the side. She was happy to see Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen end up miserably! That day, Zhou Sisi¡¯s life was hanging by a thread, and they begged Lu Chen so hard, but Lu Chen was so hard-hearted. Because of marrying this scourge, Qiao Jinniang, all his followers left him. Now Qiao Jinniang was found to use the Ke Silk that only the Emperor could use, he must be doomed. Fortunately, the Duke Wu Mansion had abandoned him and pledged loyalty to Prince Huai. Even if His Majesty wanted to punish the Crown Prince, they would no longer be implicated. Li Lingling said, ¡°I must report this matter to His Majesty. If there are no rules, what is the majesty of imperial power?¡± With that said, Li Lingling strode in the direction of Taiji Palace. She thought to herself, today she had made such a great contribution for Prince Huai. Once the Crown Prince was ousted, the Zhou family that was hated by the Empress Dowager would lose its value, so when Prince Huai became the crown prince, she would definitely be the crown princess. Neither Lu Chen nor Qiao Jinniang stopped Li Lingling, and their mood was not affected at all. They even ordered the opera actors to perform programs to entertain the guests. Qiao Jinniang picked a conjuring trick. She could only do the ¡°Fairy Picks Beans¡¯ trick, but there were many more interesting tricks, and she hadn¡¯t watched them for a long time. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was still watching the show with relish, Zhou Shihui couldn¡¯t help but show disdain. Is she dumb? Doesn¡¯t she know she is going to die?! ¡­ In the South on June 6th, the weather finally cleared up, and every family was drying their bedding and clothes in the sun. Even wealthy families like the Qian family were no exception. But what the Qian family was drying in the sun were mostly books. Qiao Ruoyun had been staying at the Qian Mansion for around five to six days. She heard some noises from the backyard early this morning. It was a woman singing. She asked a maid, ¡°Is the woman singing the prince¡¯s concubine?¡± The maid said, ¡°Our master doesn¡¯t have a concubine, and the one who is singing the opera is the former consort, the wife of our master¡¯s elder brother, who used to be a singer by the Huai River, and had never been allowed to enter the Prince Wu Mansion by the old consort. ¡°Later, something happened in the Prince Wu Mansion. The old consort passed away, and the previous prince and the little county mistress disappeared in the flood of Yin County. ¡°Only this woman was left, and our master was kind-hearted. Seeing that she was crazy, he took her back and regarded her as his sister-in-law!¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°As a guest, I should visit her.¡± The maid didn¡¯t stop Qiao Ruoyun. After all, their master had told them that as long as Qiao Ruoyun didn¡¯t leave the Prince Qian Mansion, she could do whatever she¡¯d like. Qiao Ruoyun went into a small courtyard and saw a neatly-dressed woman holding a pipa and singing opera. The woman was probably around forty, her eyes were glassy, and she looked like a lunatic¡­ ¡°Miss Qiao.¡± Hearing Qian Yin¡¯s voice, Qiao Ruoyun turned her head and hurriedly lowered her head, saying, ¡°As a guest, I¡¯d like to visit the consort.¡± ¡°No need. She can¡¯t recognize people.¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°I heard Fulu said that today is your birthday. Qin Shu, Prince Huai and his party are still in the South. They can¡¯t find those bandits, so I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t go out yet. I¡¯m sorry that you can only have a small birthday banquet.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°How can I trouble you for this, Your Highness? You don¡¯t have to hold a birthday banquet for me.¡± ¡°How can you miss your birthday? Besides, this is your first birthday in your ancestral home. I held a banquet in Huayue Lake and had the kitchen make longevity noodles. Miss Qiao, please give me a face and attend the banquet.¡± Qiao Ruoyun was dull and weak but not stupid. She somehow felt that Qian Yin was too nice to her! Even if it was for Fulu, he should haven¡¯t been so considerate to her. ¡°Miss Qiao, didn¡¯t you say that you will try your best to repay my life-saving grace? Why don¡¯t you even want to give me a face and attend the birthday banquet?¡± Qiao Ruoyun: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 237 - The Birthday Gift that His Majesty Bestows Is Ke Silk Li Lingling excitedly went to the Taiji Palace, but before she could see Emperor Huilin, she noticed that Eunuch Quan was about to the East Palace with the birthday gifts from Emperor Huilin. Li Lingling said to Eunuch Quan, ¡°Eunuch Quan, wait, you don¡¯t have to go to the East Palace now. Let me enter and meet Father first!¡± If Emperor Huilin knew that Qiao Jinniang dared to use a fan made of Ke Silk, the East Palace would be punished severely for rebellion. Then Emperor Hulin certainly wouldn¡¯t give Qiao Jinniang any birthday present! Eunuch Quan smiled and said, ¡°Consort Huai, forgive me for not being able to obey your order. There is Ke Silk among the birthday gifts. The Ke Silk is precious, so I dare not to delay. If the fabric is destroyed, my sin will be great!¡± Li Lingling opened her eyes wide and asked, ¡°Ke Silk? Father actually gave the East Palace Ke Silk as a gift?¡± ¡°Yeah, Shanggong Bureau recruited several Ke Silk craftsmen recently, and there are a lot more of Ke Silk than before, so His Majesty bestowed some of it to the Queen and the East Palace. It happened to be the birthday of the Crown Princess today, so I¡¯m going to send this over as a birthday gift!¡± Li Lingling walked out of the Taiji Palace despondently, clenching her hands. How could His Majesty be so partial? Only Lu Chen was his good son? Wasn¡¯t Prince Huai his son too? In the East Palace, unlike Qiao Jinniang and the Crown Prince, the others were not in the mood at all to watch the performances of the opera actors. Although the conjuring tricks were really interesting, a fish tank appeared on the conjuror¡¯s hand out of thin air, in which there were even a few koi fish swimming¡­ Little Lu Xi and the little junior dukes really enjoyed the show, and they all ran up to see if the fish in the fish tank were real. Prince Su¡¯s concubine and her son, Lu Zhen stood on the side, coldly watching Lu Xi playing happily and sneering in their hearts. Lu Xi was almost four years old, but he had no idea that he was going to be in trouble. If the East Palace was punished by the Emperor, could he, the heir to the Crown Prince, not be implicated? Lu Zhen looked at Lu Bao, Lu Yun and the others with disdain. Grandfather must be furious if he knew that the East Palace used Ke Silk, which could only be used by the Emperor! How could they be so stupid as to still play with Lu Xi? They would definitely be implicated. ¡°Eunuch Quan has come to announce an imperial decree.¡± Everyone in the banquet hall knelt down. Zhou Sisi laughed at Qiao Jinniang in her heart, but then she was thinking, if Lu Chen was implicated, what should she do? Now, her parents had already pledged loyalty to Prince Huai, what about her? One was Prince Huai, who treated her so well, and the other was the prince who didn¡¯t even care about her life. How should she choose? Zhou Shihui, Madam Zhou and some people were very glad. Eunuch Quan was the personal eunuch of His Majesty. He personally came to announce the imperial decree, which showed that His Majesty must have been furious. Eunuch Quan walked to the middle of the banquet hall, followed behind by some other eunuchs who carried several big boxes. Eunuch Quan said, ¡°His Majesty said, the Crown Princess performed her duties well in serving the Queen, assisting the Crown Prince and bringing up the imperial grandson since she married into the East Palace, and she keenly found out about the flood disaster in the South so that the imperial court could send an imperial envoy to the South to deal with the flood in time, so I hereby bestow her two bolts of Ke Silk¡­¡± Eunuch Quan had announced a long list of rewards, but the only thing everyone heard was two blots of Ke Silk. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen knelt down together to thank the Emperor. Qiao Jinniang held the Ke Silk and said, ¡°This pattern is so beautiful. It¡¯s even more delicate than Cloud Brocade¡¯s.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If you like it, make some clothes with it. Clothes made of this material are beautiful and cool in summer.¡± Everyone present: ¡°¡­¡± So what were they worrying about just now? How could they forget that His Majesty had always been partial to His Royal Highness? When His Royal Highness was three years old, he even slept on His Majesty¡¯s throne, but His Majesty didn¡¯t mind at all. Now it was just a Ke Silk fan. Listening to the crowd talking about how much His Majesty favored the Crown Prince, Li Lingling was so ashamed that she didn¡¯t want to go back in. Qiao Ruoyi also breathed a sigh of relief, and one of her friends said to her, ¡°Everyone says that the Crown Prince¡¯s supporters have all left him, but I don¡¯t think so. What His Royal Highness relies on is not those East Palace officials, but His Majesty!¡± ¡°Exactly. As long as His Majesty still favors His Royal Highness, countless people will want to serve for him. The Duke Wu Mansion and the Crown Prince¡¯s teacher think too high of themselves!¡± ¡°The Duke Anyuan Mansion is much more powerful than the Duke Wu Mansion, and they also have great military power. It¡¯s not a bad deal for His Royal Highness to choose the former over the latter.¡± Qiao Ruoyi said proudly, ¡°His Royal Highness chose my sister out of his love for her, not for the power of our Qiao family!¡± ¡°I really envy the women of your family. The daughters of your Qiao family are all very well married. ¡°Especially your eldest sister, the wife of Young Master Qin Shu. She has been married for four years and has not yet been pregnant, but Young Master Qin still respects and adores her!¡± ¡°Yeah, Young Madam Qin is really lucky. If she hadn¡¯t exchanged identities with the Crown Princess, how could she have married into such a good family and have such a good husband?¡± Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Sister Ruoyun is also my father¡¯s daughter. She is from a noble family too.¡± Qiao Ruoyi really hated to hear some people say that Qiao Ruoyun didn¡¯t deserve to marry Qin Shu. In any case, since the Duke Anyuan Mansion had recognized her as the Duke¡¯s eldest daughter, the others shouldn¡¯t despise her for her identity. The eldest daughter of the powerful Duke Anyuan married to the young master of the Duke Qin Mansion that was obviously declining, so who on earth was not worthy of marrying whom?! After Qiao Jinniang ordered the servants to put the birthday gifts into the warehouse, she was searching for Li Lingling with her eyes. Why did Li Lingling leave in such a hurry? She really wanted to see her embarrassed look. However, when she spotted Prince Huai¡¯s concubines, she sneered. Li Lingling¡¯s life in the Prince Huai Mansion was probably not easy. Why bother with her! Today¡¯s incident is enough for Li Lingling to be laughed at for a long time. Zhou Shihui looked at Qiao Jinniang with disappointment. Why was His Majesty so tolerant of the East Palace? Because Qiao Jinniang was the Crown Princess, her poor senior brother had to obey Qiao Jinniang¡¯s order and marry that vulgar woman, Fulu, who he didn¡¯t like at all! No, she had to write a letter to her mother and ask her to come to Chang¡¯an to help her. Although her uncle and aunt took sides with Prince Huai due to Zhou Sisi, her grandmother and Queen Zhou were still on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s side. His Majesty doted on the Crown Prince too much. She didn¡¯t know how long she would have to wait for Prince Huai to take the Crown Prince down! And her mother had always been favored by her grandmother. And her mother said that she kept away from Chang¡¯an because the woman His Majesty took a fancy to was actually her, but she didn¡¯t want to be locked up in the imperial palace, to be a canary locked in a cage, so she simply left Chang¡¯an. When her mother came to Chang¡¯an, her grandmother would definitely help her marry her senior brother, and Qiao Jinniang, this bad woman, wouldn¡¯t be able to occupy the position of the Crown Princess anymore. ¡­ In Huayue Lake, the fragrance of lotus flowers wafted with the lake breeze. Qiao Ruoyun was a bit embarrassed. She had thought that at least there would be servants and maids, only to find that only she and Qian Yin were in the Mid-Lake Pavilion. She and Qin Shu had been married for four years, but they had never had a meal alone. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. You can just call me by my name.¡± Chapter 238 - Maybe It Was Not Qin Shu Qiao Ruoyun lowered her eyes and wanted to remind Qian Yin that she was already married. But she was afraid that maybe Qian Yin was just being polite, and then it would be silly for her to say that to him. She could only begin to eat the meal in embarrassment. After tasting a few dishes, she heard Qian Yin say, ¡°These are the signature dishes of Myriad Taste. This chef used to be your parents¡¯ apprentice, so his craftsmanship is exactly the same as your parents¡¯.¡± ¡°After Qiao Jinniang took charge of the restaurant, the craftsmanship had become more refined and the taste was better, but it lacked some of the homely-made taste in the dishes that your parents made.¡± Qiao Ruoyun tasted the dishes and said, ¡°I think the dishes Jinniang made are more delicious.¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°Her dishes are delicious, but lack the warmth the commoners like. She always uses the best ingredients, so only the rich and noble can afford the dishes she made, but the dishes your parents made are closer to ordinary people.¡± ¡°Especially this longevity noodle, it tastes very similar to the one your mother made.¡± Qiao Ruoyun tasted the longevity noodles, which she had never tasted before, but she inexplicably shed a tear. The Duke Mansion treated her very well. Even after her identity was revealed, they still acknowledged her as the Duke¡¯s eldest daughter, causing Qiao Jinniang, who was supposed to be the eldest daughter, to relegate herself to the position of second miss. If she kept missing her biological parents, that would be very ungrateful of her. But every time she heard Qiao Jinniang talk about how much her adoptive parents loved her, Qiao Ruoyun couldn¡¯t help but think of her biological parents. This bowl of longevity noodles was the most delicious longevity noodles she had ever eaten. Qian Yin picked up his handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears for Qiao Ruoyun. Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly stood up and took two steps back. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot myself. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Seeing that she was avoiding him, Qian Yin didn¡¯t push her, but just let her go. At this moment, she was still Qin Shu¡¯s wife, and he couldn¡¯t confess his feelings for her yet. When Qiao Ruoyun returned to the courtyard, she saw Fulu and Qiao Lu. Fulu came over with the birthday gift and said, ¡°Sister, this is my birthday gift for you.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Why are you here? Qin Shu¡­¡± Fulu scratched her head and said, ¡°Perhaps I wronged Qin Shu. He thought that charred body found in the ruins was you, and hugged that body every day. In just a few days, he has lost a lot of weight, and today he was crying really sadly and burned you a lot of paper money.¡± There was a hint of joy on Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s face, and she said with guilt, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. How can I doubt Ah Shu¡¯s love for me? I¡¯m going to see him.¡± For so many years, she hadn¡¯t been able to give birth to a child for Qin Shu, but he had never despised her. Instead, he had always defended her, refusing to take concubines. Qiao Lu said, ¡°No rush. Even if it¡¯s a dog, one will have some feelings for it after raising it for more than ten years. Even if he is the murderer, he will still be sad after losing you. ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s secret guards have arrived in the South. And they found that the men of Prince Huai and the Duke Qin Mansion were secretly looking for the villains who hunted you! ¡°So Qin Shu is still a suspect. Sister Ruoyun, don¡¯t rush. Let¡¯s return to Chang¡¯an according to our original plan first. After all, the South is not our territory. ¡°Both Prince Huai and the Xie family are behind this matter. That was why the local government turned a blind eye to what happened that night. So many people died and the Qiao mansion was burnt down, but the local government didn¡¯t take any action, which shows how powerful the Xie family is in the South. ¡°If they find out that you are still alive, they will only pursue you with more cruel means!¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at Fulu and said, ¡°But didn¡¯t the Princess say that Qin Shu lost a lot of weight?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Fulu said, ¡°When ¡®your body¡¯ was buried today, he kept holding the charred body in his arms and refused to let go.¡± Qiao Lu said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Sister, believe me, even if Qin Shu is innocent, it won¡¯t be late to meet him in Chang¡¯an. After all, it will be safer in Chang¡¯an.¡± After Qiao Lu and Fulu left, Qiao Ruoyun ordered the maid to lock up her courtyard. Even if she misunderstood Qian Yin, she was still a married woman, and she should be at a distance from Qian Yin. ¡°The black-awning boat drifted down the stream around the village, passed the small stone bridge, and flowed into a flower islet. It¡¯s hard to find such a paradise in the world¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyun heard the nursery rhyme coming from the backyard, which was sung in a Southern dialect. She didn¡¯t understand the meaning, but she felt it sounded familiar. It seemed that one of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s maids once sang this nursery rhyme to lull the imperial grandson into sleep. The Southern dialect sounded very gentle and soothing, and she gradually fell asleep. ¡­ Chang¡¯an in June was already very hot, so after a few days of discussions, the masters in the imperial palace decided to take a holiday in Luoyang for six months. Qiao Jinniang had been in the imperial palace for a long time, so she certainly wanted to go outside to get some fresh air. She asked Lu Chen curiously, ¡°Stay in Luoyang for half a year? Why so long?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°This is a rule left over from our ancestors. Chang¡¯an has a large population and is also the capital. Every few years, the groundwater will stink, so every two years, we will go to Luoyang to spend a few months. ¡°Most of the nobles in Chang¡¯an have properties in Luoyang, so most of them will go with their families.¡± Qiao Jinniang understood. ¡°I see, this is my first time to Luoyang. How does Luoyang compare to Chang¡¯an?¡± Lu Chen answered Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Luoyang is the sub-capital of Datang, so it is also very prosperous. There are many literati from Qingming Academy there, so there are more novels for sale there. As for the scenery, it is about the same as Chang¡¯an.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about it and then said, ¡°Wait, if the royal family and the nobles all go to Luoyang, won¡¯t the business of Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion be much worse?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unavoidable, but if you apply to the Ministry of Revenue, the two restaurants should be able to be exempted from this year¡¯s tax.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought that it would be too troublesome. After all, the allocation to the East Palace was from taxes. She said, ¡°Can I go to Luoyang a few days in advance? I want to do some market research. Maybe I can open a restaurant and a jewelry store in Luoyang too.¡± She didn¡¯t want to let go of such a good opportunity to make money. Lu Chen chuckled. ¡°I will report to my father tomorrow, asking to take you to Luoyang in advance, but¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Chen sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Emperor Ji is too old to go to Luoyang. If we take Xi¡¯er along, it will delay his studies, but if we leave him in Chang¡¯an, I wonder if you can be at ease?¡± Qiao Jinniang was caught in an inner struggle. Xi¡¯er was still so young. She couldn¡¯t leave him in Chang¡¯an alone. ¡°Can I not go to Luoyang?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°As you said, Luoyang and Chang¡¯an are no different. It will be New Year in half a year. I can¡¯t let Xi¡¯er spend his birthday alone, right?¡± Lu Chen sighed and said, ¡°He¡¯s still young, so I think it won¡¯t be a big problem to delay his studies for three months, and we can take the chance to take him to have a look at Qingming Academy.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°We should discuss it with the imperial teacher. If Mr. Ji thinks it will not affect his studies, we will go to Luoyang together. Otherwise, I will stay with Xi¡¯er.¡± Lu Chen looked at her and said, ¡°You only have Xi¡¯er in your heart.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have Xi¡¯er in your heart?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Of course I do, but I just hope you can think about me more. Xi¡¯er is young, so it won¡¯t be a big problem. I¡¯ll go talk to Mr. Ji!¡± Chapter 239 - Arrive in Luoyang The Lu family¡¯s ancestral temple was in Luoyang, so it was known as the sub-capital of Datang. Chang¡¯an was 800 miles away from Luoyang. Normally, it was only a day¡¯s ride from Chang¡¯an to Luoyang, but there were many people traveling from Chang¡¯an to Luoyang, so it would take at least three days. Luckily, there were a lot of posthouses along the way, so it didn¡¯t matter if they moved slowly. Many officials and nobles sent servants to Luoyang in advance to clean their houses in Luoyang. Although the Emperor went to Luoyang, there would still be some people left behind to guard Chang¡¯an. After all, Chang¡¯an was closer to those barbarian tribes. Prince Su and Prince Rong stayed in Chang¡¯an, temporarily taking charge of the military power of Chang¡¯an. Chang¡¯an had been the capital of Datang for a long time. There had long since been a discussion about moving the capital to Luoyang, even Mr. Ji supported setting the capital in Luoyang. He also thought that it would be fine for Lu Xi to stay in Luoyang for half a year. In a spacious carriage, Qiao Jinniang lifted the curtain, only to see a mighty army on both sides, looking very majestic. The procession stopped and moved, and it took three days to reach Purple Forbidden City in the west of Luoyang. There was also an East Palace in the Purple Forbidden City, and the palaces inside were extremely luxurious, no different from the one in Chang¡¯an. Because the imperial palace had sent people over to clean them in advance, the palaces were no different from those in Chang¡¯an. Except for the Crown Prince and his family, the others had not yet reached Luoyang. Like this, Qiao Jinniang gained a little freedom. As soon as she arrived, she wanted to go to the market and buy some shops to do business. Seeing her anxious look, Lu Chen asked, ¡°Are you going to go out in this outfit?¡± ¡°It seems to be inappropriate, but I didn¡¯t bring men¡¯s clothes.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I was only fifteen years old when I came here. You can wear my old clothes.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No, I will have someone buy a set of clothes for me. Mother has told me that no one can wear the Crown Prince¡¯s clothes, as it is a serious crime of rebellion.¡± Lu Chen laughed. ¡°Then why were you not afraid of committing the crime of rebellion at all when you hit me before? I also have casual clothes that you can wear. I¡¯ll take a tour of Luoyang with you together.¡± Qiao Jinniang went to change into a man¡¯s attire. Nowadays it was popular for girls to wear men¡¯s clothes. Therefore, Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t conceal that she was a woman. It would be fine as long as no one found out that she was the Crown Princess. The local customs of Luoyang were not much different from that of Chang¡¯an, but many foreigners from all over the world could be seen in Chang¡¯an, and the folk customs were rougher, while there were more literati in Luoyang and it had more Chinese culture¡¯s heritage. After a day of touring around, Qiao Jinniang had seen a lot of sceneries that she hadn¡¯t seen before, and in the end, she found a commercial street in Luoyang¡¯s Jiuzhou Lane, which was both close to the Purple Forbidden City and the houses of dignitaries. But then she saw a Guest-welcoming Building on the street. What a coincidence! The man and woman who came out of the Guest-welcoming Building were the shopkeepers of the Guest-welcoming Building in Chang¡¯an. Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I am afraid that they have the same idea as you. If you want to buy all the shops on this street, the price will be too high and it won¡¯t be easy.¡± The business of all the stores here is very good, so the owners had no reason to sell them. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This is the most suitable place for business in Luoyang, and in terms of Fengshui, this is the easiest place to attract money. I have plenty of money, so I think I can afford the price. But if it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll turn to elsewhere.¡± After Qiao Jinniang went to negotiate, she learned that the shops in this entire Jiuzhou Lane belonged to a wealthy businessman. The wealthy businessman wasn¡¯t in Luoyang often, and the shops here were only for rent but not for sale. Unfortunately, the shops that she took a fancy to were all run by the wealthy businessman himself, and no matter how much money Qiao Jinniang offered, the shopkeepers refused to rent the shops to her. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t make much money by selling calligraphy, painting and antiques here. Why don¡¯t you rent the shops to me? I promise I¡¯ll offer you a satisfactory price.¡± ¡°Sorry, Madam, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. My boss is opening these shops to collect treasures, not for money. He is not short of money, but he likes antiques, calligraphy and paintings.¡± Hearing the shopkeeper¡¯s words, Lu Chen asked, ¡°Is your boss surnamed Lin?¡± ¡°Yeah, how did you know that, Young Master?¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°There¡¯s no need to negotiate. Just ask my father for these shops when he comes to Luoyang.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Could this street be your father¡¯s property?¡± Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but be amazed, but it was not surprising that the Emperor had some private properties. Although the treasury was abundant because there had been no wars these years, the Emperor couldn¡¯t use the silver taels in the treasury at will. Therefore, it was reasonable that the Emperor had some private properties. After all, the East Palace also had a lot of private properties. After Qiao Jinniang married into the East Palace, she discovered that Lu Chen had a lot of manors and shops in Chang¡¯an, so he was not short of money either. Not to mention, the properties they had in the South. Five days later, when the Emperor arrived in Luoyang, the entire Luoyang was lit up the whole night. It was even more lively than during a festival. In the daytime, when the Emperor and the officials arrived, all the people knelt down to greet them. After that, the officials and nobles all went to their houses to take a rest. Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t come from Chang¡¯an because she had to take care of her newborn daughter. Although the Qiao family had been separated, the Duke Anyuan Mansion had too few people now, so Second Master and his family still lived in the Duke Mansion. Second Madam helped Zheng Xiao manage the Duke Mansion. Second Madam¡¯s natal family was in Luoyang. As soon as she arrived in Luoyang, the people of her natal family came to visit her. ¡°Younger Sister.¡± ¡°Sister-in-law.¡± Second Madam cried as soon as she saw her family. Mrs. Fu said, ¡°What kind of grievance are you suffering from? I heard that your sister-in-law didn¡¯t come to Luoyang this time. And you are in charge of this huge duke mansion alone. Isn¡¯t it great?¡± Second Madam couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°It¡¯s my two daughters. They went to the Southwest without saying a word. I keep writing to ask them to come back, but they never obey me, alas.¡± Mrs. Fu said, ¡°Well, Sister, I know you must be busy after just arriving in Luoyang. I really don¡¯t want to bother you, but your niece is seventeen this year and has not yet been engaged. I heard that the dignitaries from Chang¡¯an have all come here. Can you help her introduce some good young men?¡± Mrs. Qiao frowned. ¡°Why the rush? These people will stay in Luoyang for half a year!¡± Mrs. Fu smiled fawningly and said, ¡°I heard that the Crown Princess is from your Qiao family. Do you think it¡¯s possible for your niece to marry into the East Palace to serve the Crown Princess?¡± Mrs. Qiao sneered. ¡°Sister-in-law, I advise you to dispel this thought. ¡°This is the first day we came to Luoyang, and you¡¯ve already planned to marry your daughter into the East Palace? ¡°As everyone knows, the one condition for the Crown Princess to agree to marry into the East Palace is that the Crown Prince will never take any concubines.¡± Mrs. Fu was shocked and said, ¡°How is this possible? Is the Crown Princess joking? Or you don¡¯t want your niece to marry into the East Palace and snatch the favor of the Crown Prince from your Qiao family¡¯s daughter?¡± Mrs. Qiao really scorned her sister-in-law. ¡°You can go now. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t see you away!¡± Mrs. Fu said, ¡°Every girl in Luoyang wants to marry into the East Palace. Your niece¡¯s beautiful and graceful. If you can help her, she¡¯ll repay you in the future!¡± Mrs. Qiao spat. ¡°Bah, I¡¯ll be stupid if I help your daughter marry into the East Palace!¡± Chapter 240 - The Murderer Is Qiao Jinniang Second Madam had no idle time since she came to Luoyang. Not long after she returned to her yard, her cousin came to visit her. After all, most of her relatives were in Luoyang. Her cousin came with the same thought as Mrs. Fu. She wanted to marry her daughter into the East Palace with the help of the Qiao family. She was afraid that someone would preempt the chance. Second Madam was very troubled, but she didn¡¯t forget to send a letter to the East Palace, telling Qiao Jinniang to be careful of those local noble women in Luoyang. Reading Second Madam¡¯s letter, Qiao Jinniang chuckled and tore the letter to shreds. Hongling comforted Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be too angry. It¡¯s just human nature. When they all learn that you don¡¯t allow His Royal Highness to accept any concubines, they will stop.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I just feel sorry for Second Aunt. She finally came to Luoyang and had the chance to visit her family she had been missing, but they just wanted to gain some benefits from her.¡± As for those women in Luoyang, Qiao Jinniang was not worried at all. After all, if these women annoyed her, weren¡¯t there still some vacancies in Prince Huai¡¯s harem? ¡­ Second Madam finally sent the people of her natal family away, when some noises came from the door again. She went to open the door helplessly, only to see Qiao Lu, who was wearing mourning clothes. Second Madam was startled. ¡°Lu¡¯er, why are you wearing mourning clothes?¡± ¡°Second Aunt, where is my father? Eldest Sister was killed by some bandits in the South. I heard that Grandmother and my mother were in Chang¡¯an, so I didn¡¯t dare to go back to Chang¡¯an to let them know this sad news. The Qin family¡¯s ancestral tomb is in Luoyang, so her corpse has just been shipped to Luoyang.¡± Mrs. Qiao didn¡¯t like Qiao Ruoyun very much. She always felt that Qiao Ruoyun was too weak and self-abased to be the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan, but after all, she watched this girl grow up. Now hearing this news, she couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. ¡°Your father is inside. Should we report this news to the imperial palace?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Qiao Lu nodded. Prince Huai and his party came back from the disaster relief, and no one was injured. It was supposed to be good news, but then the news came that the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan, the wife of Qin Shu, had died. Hearing this news, everyone went to the Duke Qin Mansion to offer condolences. After all, she was supposed to be the next Duchess Qin, and more importantly, she was the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan. So almost all the officials and nobles went to the Duke Qin Mansion to express their condolences. In the Duke Qin Mansion, they didn¡¯t even prepare a mourning hall. Only after the guests came did they help build a mourning hall. Qin Miaomiao looked at the charred body in the coffin in disbelief. To her skinny brother, she couldn¡¯t stop shaking her head. ¡°Sister-in-law couldn¡¯t even bear to kill an ant. Everyone says that she has no temper at all. She has no feud with anyone. How could she be killed! ¡°Third Miss, please don¡¯t be too sad!¡± Mrs. Qin even fainted. After she woke up, she cried bitterly. ¡°My poor daughter-in-law, why is your fate so miserable? How could you leave us at such a young age?¡± After saying that, Mrs. Qin kept hitting Qin Shu. ¡°She followed you to the South, but why did she come back like this? How can I explain it to my in-laws!¡± ¡­ In the Tong family. Tong Yingying begged Mrs. Zhou. ¡°Aunt, I really can¡¯t get the tens of thousands of taels of silver. Please spare me for the sake of our blood connection!¡± Prince Su had lost interest in her, so Tong Yingying set her eyes on Qingming Academy in Luoyang. Zhou Shihui was from Qingming Academy and had always been respected by the literati in Chang¡¯an. If she became the first female student admitted to Qingming Academy, Prince Su would definitely treat her differently. Mrs. Zhou took a sip of tea and said, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to exempt you from your debt.¡± Tong Yingying hurriedly kowtowed. ¡°Aunt, what do you need me to do?¡± Mrs. Zhou put down the tea cup and said, ¡°The eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan is really a poor person. She didn¡¯t mean to occupy the position of Qiao Jinniang. It was the fault of Duke Anyuan¡¯s concubine. ¡°But who would have thought that Qiao Jinniang played magnanimous on the surface but in fact, when Qiao Ruoyun was in the South, she sent someone to the South and took Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s life!¡± ¡°But she is the Crown Princess, and there is no solid evidence, so no one dares to tell the truth. Yingying, I want you to seek justice for Qiao Ruoyun.¡± Tong Yingying felt curious and said, ¡°Aunt, Cousin Sisi is Consort Huai, and Fourth Miss Qin is the concubine of Prince Huai. Even if Qin Miaomiao marries Cousin Siming in the future, Fourth Miss Qin is already pregnant. The Zhou family and the Qin family will be enemies in the future.¡± Mrs. Zhou said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later. Now I just want to seek justice for my daughter. My daughter saved Lu Chen¡¯s life, but this ingrate bit the hand that fed him and almost drove my daughter to death. ¡°It¡¯s all because of the Duke Wu Mansion¡¯s sacrifice that the Queen can be the Queen, and Lu Chen can be the Crown Prince. ¡°Now, for the sake of Qiao Jinniang, he even ignored my daughter¡¯s life. No matter what will happen between the Zhou family and the Qin family in the future, now both of us want Prince Huai to be the next emperor!¡± Tong Yingying thought about it, and what her aunt said seemed to make sense. ¡­ In the Duke Qin Mansion, after the mourning hall was set up, more and more people came to offer condolences unsolicited, and the Qin family made a lot of mistakes in etiquette. ¡°The Crown Princess arrives.¡± Someone reported loudly at the gate. Everyone saluted. When Qiao Jinniang entered, she saw everyone of the Qin family crying bitterly. Qin Shu was much thinner than when she saw him last time. From his swollen eyes to his scruffy beard, he looked really like a broken man. Even Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had wronged Qin Shu. Perhaps Qin Shu was not the murderer? Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t say a word, which made the Qin family feel more terrified than being scolded by her. ¡°Young Madam is such a good person, but died mysteriously in the South. There is only one person who hates Young Madam this much! But for God¡¯s sake, it was not Young Madam¡¯s fault back then! ¡°She was a victim too. Some people pretend to be a good sister on the surface, but in fact, she murdered her! Even if she doesn¡¯t want Young Madam to occupy her position as the eldest daughter of the Duke, why didn¡¯t she speak it out earlier?¡± A familiar voice appeared in the crowd. Everyone looked back and saw that it was Tong Yingying. Tong Lei was no longer an official, but the Qin family still let Tong Yingying come in? Tong Yingying walked up to the corpse and said, ¡°I was good friends with Young Madam before she died. I really can¡¯t bear to see her die so miserably. Crown Princess, how can you, the murderer, have the face to stand in front of the corpse of Young Madam?¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a cold voice, ¡°Tong Yingying, I have tolerated you many times because I don¡¯t want to bother with an idiot, but now it seems that you are not only an idiot, but also a lunatic!¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°Since you dare to kill, I would dare to expose you. Even if you kill me, my name will be kept in the history books forever. Sacrificing for justice is the Tong family¡¯s precept!¡± Chapter 241 - Surrounded the Qin Mansion Qiao Jinniang looked at Tong Yingying. Tong Yingying was an overweening and self-righteous idiot, but she didn¡¯t think she would dare to make up this matter. After all, this would get Tong Yingying killed. Looking at Tong Yingying¡¯s unyielding look, Qiao Jinniang knew that Tong Yingying must truly believe that she was the murderer of Qiao Ruoyun. ¡°Who told you that I killed her?¡± Tong Yingying said, ¡°Young Madam has never had any feud with anyone except you. You are the real daughter, and she is the fake! ¡°You hate her for stealing your position as the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan, and it just so happened that you were from Lin¡¯an, so you had your men kill her there!¡± Qin Shu struggled to get up and said frantically, ¡°Crown Princess, Ruoyun treated you like her real sister! How could you do it!¡± The guards surrounded Qiao Jinniang to protect her. Qin Miaomiao came out and said, ¡°How could it be the Crown Princess? Brother, no matter how sad you are, you can¡¯t listen to Tong Yingying¡¯s nonsense! Last year, when Sister-in-law¡¯s life was on the line, it was the Crown Princess who saved her!¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°Ruoyun, Ruoyun. Who else could be the murderer except her? Except for Qiao Jinniang, no one has ever had a grudge against Ruoyun! Ask all the guests, except Qiao Jinniang, who hates Ruoyun?!¡± Mrs. Qin hurriedly said, ¡°Qin Shu, are you crazy? Even if you¡¯re sad, you can¡¯t say this sheer nonsense!¡± Tong Yingying said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°A life for a life. You can¡¯t get away just because you are the Crown Princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed helplessly. ¡°Tong Yingying, it is undeniable that you are talented in literature, but you are too blindly confident. ¡°This time you have been used by others but you don¡¯t even know it. Sacrificing for justice? Have you ever thought that you were misled by others?¡± ¡°Our feud started when you felt that I disrespected my clan. I know you wanted to make a name with that matter. Yes, in the end, your clan theory became known all over the world, and you won. ¡°I know you look down on me, including everyone here. You all think I¡¯m vulgar.¡± Everyone hurriedly knelt down, saying that they didn¡¯t dare. Qiao Jinniang continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you think I¡¯m vulgar. After all, it¡¯s true that I grew up among the folks, so Tong Yingying, I never wanted to deal with you, because it¡¯s kinda amusing to watch you make a fool of yourself. ¡°If I want to do something to you, I can directly ask the Ministry of Penalty to arrest you for disrespecting me. Then can you still stand here now? ¡°Likewise, if I hate Ruoyun, do I need to kill her? I could have just removed her name from the Qiao family. All I need to do is to issue an oral decree. ¡°Tong Yingying, you¡¯d better quickly confess who made you come here to slander me!¡± Tong Yingying frowned. What Qiao Jinniang said seemed to make sense. She looked down on Qiao Jinniang because she felt that she was not worthy of the position of the crown princess¡­ But it was true that Qiao Jinninang didn¡¯t have to kill Qiao Ruoyun. What good would killing Qiao Ruoyun do to her? Tong Yingying saw Mrs. Zhou in the crowd. No, she couldn¡¯t give up. As long as she insisted that Qiao Jinniang was the murderer. Not only did she not have to pay back the 10,000 taels of silver. More importantly, she could regain her reputation and wash away all her disgraces. Tong Yingying said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, cut the crap. You murdered Qiao Ruoyun, so you have to pay back with your own life!¡± Qiao Jinniang said helplessly, ¡°Tong Yingying, I¡¯ve given you a chance. Since you don¡¯t cherish it, I can¡¯t help you. Come, let¡¯s go back to the imperial palace.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Tong Yingying shouted loudly, ¡°Stop, Qiao Jinniang, you murderer! You have to pay back with your own life! Everyone, how can you just let the murderer leave?¡± Everyone was kneeling on the ground and no one dared to raise their heads. ¡°Tong Yingying slanders the Crown Princess. Come, catch her and send her to the Ministry of Public Security.¡± A guard beside Qiao Jinniang said. Tong Yingying looked at the people kneeling on the ground and struggled hard, trying to break free from the shackles of the guards and screaming, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, even if you can put me in jail, you can¡¯t hide the fact that you are the murderer. I will wait and see how you die in misery!¡± At this moment, a maid who was kneeling on the ground suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Crown Princess, you killed our young madam. I must avenge her! Go to hell!¡± The maid held a dagger in her hand, which was obviously prepared in advance, and stabbed towards Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang said casually to the guards surrounding her. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± The guards stepped aside one after another, making way for the maid. Everyone who watched this scene out of the corner of their eyes: ¡°¡­¡± Was the Crown Princess crazy, or did they see it wrong? Someone wanted to assassinate the Crown Princess, but the Crown Princess actually asked the guards to step aside to make way for the assassin? But that maid froze halfway¡­ Then she pretended to stumble and the dagger was stabbed towards Tong Yingying. Qiao Jinniang rushed over and held the maid¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to avenge your young madam? Why do you want to kill Tong Yingying? To make her shut up forever?¡± ¡°So that you can pour the dirty water on me?¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°The maids who followed your young madam to the South are all dead, but why are you still alive? Let me guess, they keep you alive so that they can use you to implant the crime on me, right? Smart move.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered the guards to take a poison sac from between the maid¡¯s teeth. ¡°Come, put her and Tong Yingying into jail and surround the Qin Mansion. No one who is present today is allowed to leave.¡± Mrs. Zhou frowned and said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you are only the Crown Princess, but Duke Qin is a hereditary duke. Even His Royal Highness won¡¯t dare to surround the Qin mansion. What are you doing? Who do you think you are?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Just as Tong Yingying said, a life for a life. Whether the murderer of my sister or those who slandered me, none of them can get away. ¡°And who I use today are the people of my Qiao family. Our Qiao family are doing this to uphold justice for a family member! ¡°If Father blames me, I will go to him to receive my punishment!¡± Everyone knelt on the ground, shivering. The Duke Qin Mansion was surrounded! Something big was going to happen in Luoyang! If they had known this earlier, they would not have come to express their condolences in such a hurry. Now they were confined in the Duke Qin Mansion, and they didn¡¯t know when they could leave. Qin Miaomiao walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Your Highness, I believe you are not the murderer, but it is really inappropriate to have troops surround the Qin Mansion. If you don¡¯t stop, your life might be in danger!¡± ¡°Inappropriate? Why? Since they dare to bully and even kill my Qiao family¡¯s daughter, they should be ready to receive our retaliation!¡± Qiao Jinniang said. ¡°Besides, even if His Majesty is angry, our Qiao family still has the Absolution Token!¡± With that, Qiao Jinniang turned and left the Qin Mansion. Tong Yingying was caught by the guards, struggling and shouting that Qiao Jinniang was the murderer. Mrs. Zhou felt that things seemed to have gone wrong. Maybe Tong Yingying would give her out. Qiao Jinniang obviously would get to the bottom of this matter. If Tong Yingying confessed everything, she would be finished¡­ Mrs. Zhou noticed that the whole Qin Mansion had been surrounded by troops layer by layer. Outside, Zhou Sisi, Prince Huai, Li Lingling, and others were stopped at the door when they tried to come in. Mrs. Zhou looked at Zhou Sisi and said something to her silently, hoping her daughter could understand what she meant¡­ Zhou Sisi immediately got what her mother meant. She held the wood carving in her hand and suddenly foolishly walked up to Tong Yingying. ¡°Cousin, play wood carving!¡± Tong Yingying was still struggling hard, trying to break free from the guards, so she frowned when she saw Zhou Sisi. ¡°No!¡± Zhou Sisi said to the two guards, ¡°Who are you? Why are you grabbing my sister? Let go, let go!¡± The guards didn¡¯t dare to act rashly because she was Consort Huai, but unexpectedly, when they relaxed the grip on Tong Yingying, Zhou Sisi suddenly stabbed the carved knife in her hand into Tong Yingying¡¯s abdomen. Tong Yingying looked at her retarded cousin in disbelief! Was she really stupid or was she faking it¡­ At this moment, Tong Yingying turned around and saw her aunt heave a sigh of relief, and only then did she realize that she was just a pawn for them¡­ She hadn¡¯t been able to be a role model for women in the world. She hadn¡¯t made a name for her mother. She didn¡¯t want to die¡­ Chapter 242 - I Have You in My Heart When Qiao Jinniang boarded the carriage and saw this scene, she didn¡¯t ask anyone to rescue Tong Yingying. Seeing what Zhou Sisi did, she already knew who the person behind was. She just didn¡¯t expect that Zhou Sisi dared pretend to be retarded and killed someone in public. Since they dared to slander her, she would certainly retaliate. Qiao Jinniang whispered to Yuyan, ¡°Go find that Tong Xuan who often gives me gifts.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Tong Yingying looked at Qiao Jinniang and begged for help. ¡°Help, help me¡­¡± However, Qiao Jinniang lowered the curtain of the carriage. She was not so kind-hearted as to rescue Tong Yingying, an idiot who tried to set her up and had offended her more than once. She had already given Tong Yingying a chance, but she didn¡¯t cherish it and even helped others to make false accusations against her¡­ The guard of honor of the Crown Princess gradually receded, and Tong Yingying stared at the guard of honor. How she hoped that the person sitting in the sedan chair carried by sixteen people was her¡­ Back in the imperial palace, Qiao Jinniang told Lu Chen that she had sent troops to surround the Qin family. Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have used the Qiao family¡¯s soldiers and horses. Why don¡¯t you use the soldiers and horses of the East Palace?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If I use the soldiers and horses of the East Palace, imperial censors will definitely impeach you, and the Qiao family still has the Absolution Token anyway, and this is also my father and my brother¡¯s opinion.¡± Although Duke Anyuan didn¡¯t want to be suspected by the Emperor, he would definitely not turn a blind eye to his daughter¡¯s death. Lu Chen was a little unhappy, but Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t notice it. She fanned her fan and said, ¡°The Qin family tried to murder Ruoyun but was still playing innocent today. They even instigated Tong Yingying to come and accuse me as the murderer!¡± Only then did Qiao Jinniang notice that Lu Chen purposely ignored her. She said, ¡°I have to report this matter to Father. Would you accompany me to the Hanliang Palace?¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You don¡¯t turn to me for help until you¡¯ve done everything. What do you take me for?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Are you worried that you will be implicated because I rashly had the soldiers surround the Qin family? Don¡¯t worry. All the soldiers are our Qiao family¡¯s soldiers. If Father wants to punish you, I will take the blame alone.¡± After all, the Qin family had a noble title, and Fourth Miss Qin was the concubine of Prince Huai. Even if there was evidence that the Qiao family killed Qiao Ruoyun, they would probably hand over a servant as their scapegoat. Besides, Qiao Ruoyun didn¡¯t die. According to Datang¡¯s law, the Duke Qin Mansion probably would not face any punishment. Therefore, Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Lu had soldiers surround the Qin mansion after much discussion. If the law of Datang could not punish the Qin family, the Qiao family would avenge their daughter on their own. Seeing that Lu Chen¡¯s face was getting darker and darker, Qiao Jinniang said grumpily, ¡°If you think I¡¯ve caused you trouble, I¡¯ll go to Hanliang Palace to ask for punishment. But they¡¯ve tried to kill Ruoyun, I can¡¯t just let them off.¡± Lu Chen clenched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°What am I in your eyes? You¡¯d rather trust your younger brother whom you have only known for less than a year, rather than trust me? ¡°You¡¯re my wife. Do you think I will be afraid of being implicated by you? ¡°Since you and I have known each other, have I ever disappointed you? But now you would rather discuss with the Qiao family than me? ¡°You¡¯ve been prepared for the worst, but you never thought of using the means of the East Palace to deal with the Qin family? ¡°How do you know that I will endure the Qin family? How can I let the Qin family bully you? ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you and I are husband and wife, but you think I will be afraid of being implicated by you? What a joke.¡± Lu Chen¡¯s voice grew louder, but when he saw Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes turn red, he couldn¡¯t help sighing and gently wiping her tears. ¡°Why are you crying? Don¡¯t cry.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen with tears in her eyes and said, ¡°What do you mean by I would rather believe in the Qiao family than in you? I just don¡¯t want to hear others say all your supporters left you because of me! ¡°Duke Qin is a duke after all. If you, the Crown Prince, have soldiers surround a duke¡¯s mansion, what will outsiders think of you? ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt, so I didn¡¯t want you to be involved in this matter, but you are yelling at me, saying that I don¡¯t trust you!¡± Lu Chen hugged Qiao Jinniang in his arms, and said softly, ¡°Sorry, I have mistaken your intentions.¡± Although he didn¡¯t admit that he had yelled at Qiao Jinniang, his experience told him that he¡¯d better admit his mistake as soon as possible. Qiao Jinniang raised her eyes to look at Lu Chen. ¡°Like how?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I forgot the fact that you and I are husband and wife, so I was afraid of implicating you¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang could tell Lu Chen¡¯s irony, and sighed, ¡°What if you lose your position as the crown prince because of me? After all, you care so much about your position as the crown prince¡­¡± Lu Chen lowered his head and said, ¡°In my heart, is the position of the crown prince or are you more important? Can¡¯t you tell?¡± ¡°Of course the former.¡± Qiao Jinniang replied without hesitation. After all, even at this time last year, he said that he would not give up the position of crown prince for her. Lu Chen took a deep breath. ¡°If the position of the crown prince is more important, would I have given up the Duke Wu Mansion for you?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I can¡¯t repay you anything for it¡­ If you want the Duke Wu Mansion back, go to Zhou Sisi¡­¡± Lu Chen looked straight into her eyes and said, ¡°Am I so dispensable in your eyes?¡± Hearing the quarrel inside at the door, Yuyan could only say loudly, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Your Highness, His Majesty asked you two to go to the Hanliang Palace.¡± Hearing this, Lu Chen said with a slight disappointment in his eyes, ¡°In Lin¡¯an, if not me, you could still easily find another man to marry into your family, and after returning to Chang¡¯an, you could also easily find a husband. ¡°To you, I am nothing. Although we shared the same bed for so many years, I¡¯m still not even as important as Qiao Lu who you have only met more than ten times!¡± Qiao Jinniang felt very aggrieved. Everyone said that Lu Chen lost all his supporters because of her. Therefore, in the matter of Qiao Ruoyun, she didn¡¯t want to involve Lu Chen at all. She was considering Lu Chen wholeheartedly, but in the end, he thought of her like that! Qiao Jinniang said huffily, ¡°Yes, I could easily find a man to marry into my family in Lin¡¯an. Without you, there were still a lot of excellent young men waiting for me to pick! I chose you just because you had amnesia and were easier to control. ¡°After returning to Chang¡¯an, I could also easily find a husband. ¡°Yes, you are not as important as my younger brother who I have only met less than ten times! Satisfied?¡± Lu Chen pursed his thin lips tightly, and after a long while, he said, ¡°Then when will I be the only man in the world that you¡¯re willing to marry? ¡°When will you feel that I am more reliable and trustworthy than Qiao Lu? ¡°How long will it take for you to understand that husband and wife are one? ¡°How well do I have to treat you so that you can have me in your heart, and so that you will think that I am more important than Xi¡¯er?¡± ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go to Hanliang Palace first.¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. Qiao Jinniang took Lu Chen¡¯s hand back and said, ¡°If I haven¡¯t had you in my heart, why would I be afraid of implicating you? ¡°I discussed this matter with Qiao Lu because Qiao Ruoyun is also his sister, but Ruoyun has nothing to do with you. Why should I involve you in this matter? ¡°Believe it or not, you¡¯re the only man in the world that I¡¯m willing to marry now. If you dare to dump me, I will use all the poisons Huixiang and the others gave me on you. ¡°If I didn¡¯t care about you, why would I not allow you to take a concubine? Although it¡¯s because I hate the fights between wives and concubines, what¡¯s more important is that I care about you! ¡°If I don¡¯t care about you, even if you take a lot of concubines, having the Duke Anyuan Mansion behind me, I won¡¯t be afraid of those women!¡± Lu Chen stopped and looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°But in your heart, Xi¡¯er will always be more important than me.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s for sure. If we have a daughter in the future, she will be more important than you too.¡± Chapter 243 - Withdraw the Noble Title of Duke Wu In Hanliang Palace. A group of imperial censors were kneeling on the ground and holding the memorials to impeach the Crown Princess. Emperor Huilin glanced at the sky outside. ¡°Why haven¡¯t they come yet?¡± Eunuch Quan whispered in the ear of Emperor Huilin, ¡°Your Majesty, when I had someone go to the East Palace to summon them just now, it seemed that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were quarreling¡­ And the quarrel seemed to be quite fierce.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°It¡¯s understandable. The Crown Princess has gone too far this time.¡± Hearing this, the imperial censors said one after another, ¡°Exactly! Your Majesty, how could the Crown Princess and the Qiao family have soldiers surround the Duke Qin Mansion?! This is rebellion!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, while the Qin family was mourning the death of their young madam, the Crown Princess actually had soldiers surround the Qin Mansion, and even the guests who were just offering condolences were locked inside. This is disrespectful to the deceased!¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t she use the soldiers of the East Palace? She is already married. Why did she still use her natal family¡¯s soldiers? No wonder Chen¡¯er is quarreling with her.¡± The imperial censors: ¡°¡­¡± Shouldn¡¯t His Royal Highness be quarreling with the Crown Princess because Qiao Jinniang interfered in the state affairs and even had soldiers surround the Qin family? Why did His Majesty think that the Crown Prince was quarreling with the Crown Princess because of that ridiculous reason? Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang entered the Hanliang Palace with their fingers interlocked and saluted the Emperor together. Emperor Huilin looked at the two of them and said, ¡°Have you finished quarreling?¡± Qiao Jinniang bowed her head shyly, and Lu Chen said, ¡°Father, we didn¡¯t quarrel. We just got delayed on the way. Sorry for keeping you waiting.¡± Emperor Huilin said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Why did you send troops to surround the Qin Mansion?¡± ¡°Father, I have proof that the Qin family is behind the death of my eldest sister, so I don¡¯t want the murderers to escape!¡± Qiao Jinniang cupped her hands and said. The imperial censors all said, ¡°Your Highness, even if you think the murderer is in the Qin family, it should be handed over to the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Penalty for investigation. After all, it is a duke¡¯s mansion. Is it appropriate for you to treat them like that?!¡± ¡°Duke Qin is a hereditary duke! You should show some respect to him.¡± Qiao Jinniang knelt down and said, ¡°Father, although Qiao Ruoyun and I are not blood-related sisters. ¡°We are even closer than many biological sisters. ¡°My sister is dead, and I must seek justice for her. The Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Penalty can¡¯t even tell that Zhou Sisi is pretending to be retarded. How can I trust them?¡± ¡°My sister was murdered, and I was so sad and angry that I could only have soldiers surround the Qin family to stop the murderer from escaping.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Can you find the murderer by doing that?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Although I can¡¯t, it is enough to make those who have something to hide panic. ¡°Besides, I already have preliminary evidence. Today, when I went to the Qin Mansion to offer condolences, Tong Yingying, the daughter of the former imperial censor, Tong Lei, slandered me as the murderer. And not long after she said this, a maid tried to assassinate her. ¡°But after I rescued Tong Yingying, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Tong Yingying was killed by Zhou Sisi, Consort Huai, at the door in front of everyone¡¯s eyes!¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Tong Yingying slandered you as the murderer? What does it have to do with the evidence?¡± Qiao Jinniang cupped her hands and said, ¡°Father, have you heard that it¡¯s usually thieves who like to cry ¡®Stop thief!¡¯ Thieves are eager to pass the buck to someone else to clear their suspicion.¡± ¡°So, I think that the person who instructed Tong Yingying to slander me is one of the murderers.¡± ¡°Tong Yingying is dead. Have you found out who is behind the scenes?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Zhou, Tong Shi. Otherwise, why would Zhou Sisi, Consort Huai, kill in public? I have a witness to this matter, who is Tong Xuan, the daughter of the former imperial censor, Tong Lei, and the younger sister of Tong Yingying. She can testify for me.¡± ¡°Summon Tong Xuan, Duchess Wu, and Consort Huai!¡± Emperor Huilin paused and said, ¡°Equal Consort Huai!¡± Lu Chen helped Qiao Jinniang up. The imperial censors looked at each other in shock, not daring to get up. The three people arrived at Hanliang Palace in less than two quarters of an hour. As soon as she saw Mrs. Zhou, Tong Xuan pointed her finger at her and cried in tears, ¡°Aunt, my sister had always respected you. Why did you murder her? And Zhou Sisi, you look so innocent on the surface, but are actually so vicious! You killed my sister!¡± Tong Xuan¡¯s tears were not entirely fake. Although Tong Yingying always thought too highly of herself and had been speaking ill of her outside, she was still her biological sister after all. They grew up together. Even though they were not on good terms, Tong Xuan certainly didn¡¯t want to see her killed at such a young age¡­ She felt very uncomfortable and even a bit sad. Duchess Wu frowned and asked Tong Xuan, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? When did I murder Yingying?¡± Tong Xuan said, ¡°You told her to go to the Qin Mansion to slander the Crown Princess for killing Young Madam Qin.¡± Mrs. Zhou frowned and said, ¡°Nonsense! I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Aunt, you can deny it, but I heard it with my own ears!¡± Tong Xuan said, ¡°You wanted to set the crown princess up. If not, why did Zhou Sisi have to kill my sister in public?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t kill, looking for Sister, to play with wood carving.¡± Zhou Sisi smiled innocently. ¡°Wood carving is fun.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Father, I think that retarded people should also be executed if they kill someone. ¡°Otherwise, if everyone pretends to be retarded or insane and kill at will, where is the authority of law? ¡°Besides, Tong Yingying is greatly worshiped and touted by literati. If the murderer is not punished, I am afraid that the literati will be disappointed with the law.¡± Mrs. Zhou hurriedly kowtowed. ¡°It was just manslaughter. Sisi didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Oh? Is manslaughter not killing? Besides, how can there be such a coincidence in the world? ¡°Mrs. Zhou, you had just instigated Tong Yingying to slander me, and on the same day, Tong Yingying was killed by your daughter? Do you think we are all stupid? ¡°Or did Mrs. Zhou and Zhou Sisi think that Zhou Sisi is Consort Huai, while Tong Yingying is just a commoner, so you can kill her without being punished?¡± Emperor Huilin said angrily, ¡°Zhou Shi, a witness can testify that you instigated Tong Yingying to slander the Crown Princess, and so many people have witnessed that Zhou Sisi killed Tong Yingying! ¡°Come, pass on my order, withdraw the title of Duke Wu. ¡°Put Zhou Sisi into jail and execute her this autumn. Zhou Shi slandered the Crown Princess and committed heinous crimes. She is condemned to lifelong exile!¡± Madam Zhou listened to the Emperor¡¯s oral decree in disbelief, and kowtowed in despair. ¡°Your Majesty, Sisi is insane. She doesn¡¯t know anything, and the title of Duke Wu¡­ Her Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Please spare Sisi¡¯s life. Sisi had dementia from saving His Royal Highness. Your Royal Highness, please save your cousin!¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°How dare you mention the Queen? If it weren¡¯t for the sake of the Queen, how would I have allowed the Zhou family to survive to this day? ¡°But you people have no idea who brought you wealth and honor. ¡°Instead, you blatantly formed cliques for private gain and treated the Crown Prince with no respect. ¡°You even spread rumors in Chang¡¯an that the Crown Prince was deserted by everyone just because you, the Duke Wu Mansion, dumped him. ¡°This time, you even dared to frame the Crown Princess. You people¡¯s crimes are simply unforgivable, and I¡¯m being lenient enough to only withdraw the title of Duke Wu!¡± Chapter 244 - Impenitent Mrs. Zhou collapsed to the ground when she heard the words, begging bitterly, ¡°Your Majesty, Sisi is your daughter-in-law. She killed Tong Yingying by mistake because of her own dementia. Please spare Sisi¡¯s life. I¡¯m willing to die in her place!¡± Seeing that the Emperor ignored her, Mrs. Zhou lay prone in front of Lu Chen and begged, ¡°Your Royal Highness, Sisi became retarded because she saved your life¡­¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°No, the one who saved me was actually not her, but the person didn¡¯t want their identity to be revealed. Besides, even if Zhou Sisi saved my life, can she kill at will?¡± Zhou Sisi looked at Lu Chen. Seeing her mother being so humble, she was extremely sad. ¡°Imperial Cousin, so you want to take my life just for Tong Yingying?¡± ¡°You hate me so much that you even want me to die? Then why did you treat me so well when we were young?¡± Zhou Sisi gave Lu Chen the wood carving in her hand. ¡°I still remember, when I was a child, no one wanted to play with me because of my dementia, so you carved these little wooden figurines for me, telling me that they would play with me. But why are you so ruthless to me now?¡± Qiao Jinniang said softly, ¡°Lu Chen didn¡¯t play with you, but just gave you wood carvings to play with you¡­¡± ¡°Besides, that was so many years ago. No one can live in the past, okay?¡± The wooden sculpture in Zhou Sisi¡¯s hand fell to the ground, and she glared at Qiao Jinniang fiercely. ¡°It¡¯s you. It¡¯s all because of you. If it weren¡¯t for you, my imperial cousin wouldn¡¯t have treated me like this.¡± Lu Chen shielded Qiao Jinniang behind him and said, ¡°Sisi, you and I are brother and sister. How could a brother marry his sister? Besides, the Zhou family has never allowed their daughter to marry into the imperial palace. Even without Jinniang, you would never be able to marry me!¡± ¡°Besides, this is not the reason you killed Tong Yingying in public!¡± Zhou Sisi said with a sneer, ¡°It turns out that I¡¯m even less significant than Tong Yingying in your heart¡­ ¡°Why can¡¯t I kill her? If she hadn¡¯t been telling me that I should marry you, my obsession wouldn¡¯t be so deep! ¡°She wanted to marry into the East Palace herself, so she tried to make use of me! Now she just got what she deserved. I just didn¡¯t expect that Your Majesty would not care about Prince Huai at all, nor that the Queen and the Crown Prince would be so cold-hearted!¡± She was Consort Huai. Even if she killed a commoner, so what? But Lu Chen and Emperor Huilin were unwilling to let her off. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Zhou Sisi, how do you have the cheek to say that? Yes, Tong Yingying wanted to make use of you, but weren¡¯t you willing to be used by her? ¡°Without Mother, the Duke Wu Mansion would never be where it is today, but you broke Mother¡¯s heart just because you couldn¡¯t force her to agree to you marrying her son. Now you¡¯re blaming Mother for being cold-hearted? ¡°You¡¯ve already returned to normal long ago, but still pretended to be retarded, trying to marry into the East Palace in disregard of your parents and grandmother! ¡°What you¡¯ve done is simply disgusting! ¡°Up to now, you are still blaming others without any repentance at all. As you said, you just got what you deserve.¡± Lu Chen instructed the guards to quickly pull the mother and daughter down. Emperor Huilin asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°The person who slandered you has been punished. But just now you said thieves liked crying ¡®Stop Thief¡¯. Do you mean it was Mrs. Zhou who killed Qiao Ruoyun?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No, but Mrs. Zhou must know who the murderer is, so I will have someone tell the people locked up in the Qin Mansion that Mrs. Zhou has been arrested and the Ministry of Penalty is interrogating her into confessing who the murderer is. Then the murderer will not be able to sit still. ¡°Besides, the nobility title of Duke Wu has been withdrawn, which means that the murderer won¡¯t be able to get away even if he has a notibility title, so he would definitely try to silence Mrs. Zhou.¡± In fact, who Qiao Jinniang had been suspecting of was Qin Shu. However, Qin Shu looked so lifeless and haggard today. If she still insisted the murderer was Qin Shu, everyone would think she was slandering him¡­ Emperor Huilin said to Lu Chen, ¡°The Qin family is a noble family after all. If it is found out that the murderer is not from the Qin family, the Crown Princess and the Qiao family will have to be punished severely too.¡± Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Emperor Huilin said to the imperial censors, ¡°Just wait for some time. If the murderer is not from the Qin family, I will definitely uphold justice for the Qin family.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The imperial censors didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. No one would expect that the Zhou family would lose their nobility title so easily. But they were really stupid. As the Queen¡¯s natal family, they were a natural ally of the Crown Prince, but they betrayed the Crown Prince for the sake of their daughter and ended up in misery. ¡­ Inside the Zhou Mansion. Receiving the letter from her mother, Zhou Shihui smiled. Her mother was finally willing to come help her. However, she could not be happy for long when an imperial decree arrived at the Zhou family stating that the nobility title of Duke Wu was withdrawn by the Emperor. Old Madam Zhou almost fainted. Zhou Siming hurriedly supported her and had servants call a doctor over. Zhou Siming frowned. He and Lu Chen grew up together, but after Lu Chen returned to Chang¡¯an, he was less and less able to understand Lu Chen. He actually didn¡¯t care about the affections between him and the Zhou family at all, not even caring about Old Madam Zhou! ¡°Mother!¡± A well-dressed woman walked in and supported Old Madam Zhou. This woman looked very similar to the Queen, but Zhou Siming could tell she was not the Queen. The Queen seemed more dignified and younger than her. Seeing this woman, Zhou Shihui immediately cried, ¡°Mother, you finally came to see me. I¡¯ve suffered a lot of grievances and was even put in prison¡­¡± Reading the imperial decree, the woman frowned. ¡°My sister has been the Queen for twenty years. I am afraid she has forgotten who helped her to take this position back then!¡± Zhou Siming said, ¡°Are you Eldest Aunt?¡± ¡°Yes, Siming, you have grown-up a lot. Don¡¯t worry. I can get our nobility title back!¡± Zhou Siming pursed his lips and said, ¡°Eldest Aunt, the nobility title doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that Sisi was sentenced to be executed this autumn. I wonder if you can rescue Sisi.¡± Zhou Sisi was still so young. Zhou Siming certainly wouldn¡¯t let her be executed. Zhou Qinghe said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will save her. The most important thing is to heal your grandmother first.¡± ¡­ In the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. Hearing the news from Li Lingling, the Empress Dowager laughed crazily. ¡°The Zhou family has finally been deprived of the nobility title! This must be my son avenging me!¡± Li Lingling didn¡¯t dare to tell the Empress Dowager that His Majesty withdrew the nobility title of Duke Wu just because the Duke Wu Mansion betrayed the Crown Prince and defected to Prince Huai, and even fought for power for Prince Huai in the court. ¡°Grandmother, Concubine Qin is pregnant. Although Zhou Sisi was sentenced to death, there is still no place for me in the Prince Huai Mansion!¡± The Empress Dowager said to Li Lingling, ¡°Just be patient. Prince Huai has lost the support from the Duke Wu Mansion, so he can¡¯t afford losing the Duke Qin Mansion too.¡± Li Lingling pursed her lips and said, ¡°By the way, Prince Huai doted on his so-called ¡®adopted son¡¯ very much. At first glance, I could tell he was his biological son. I just don¡¯t know which b*tch gave birth to him for Prince Huai.¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°You can ask to raise that adopted son. Are you afraid of Concubine Qin? Remember, you are Consort Huai, but she is just a concubine. ¡°Just relax. My son is on my side. The Queen and the Crown Prince¡¯s good times won¡¯t last long. You¡¯ll be the next queen anyway.¡± Chapter 245 - Qiao Ruoyun arrived in Luoyang In the Duke Qin Mansion, everyone was in panic after being surrounded by troops. At this moment, someone from outside came to report, saying that His Majesty had deprived the Zhou family of their nobility title and military power, gave Consort Huai the death penalty, and exiled the former Duchess Wu. When Mrs. Qin heard this, she could not help clenching Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand. Duke Qin¡¯s concubines all cried in fright. ¡°The murderer is not in our Qin family. Why are the soldiers still surrounding our house?¡± ¡°Boohoo, I don¡¯t want to die here!¡± ¡°Will the Qin family be deprived of the nobility title just like the Duke Wu Mansion?¡± Qin Miaomiao scolded the concubines. ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t cry. We¡¯re still safe and sound, okay?!¡± Qin Miaomiao walked up to Qin Shu, looked at him and asked, ¡°Brother, did you kill Sister-in-law?¡± Mrs. Qin said in shock, ¡°Miaomiao, what are you talking about? Can¡¯t you see how sad your brother is?! How can you suspect that your brother killed your sister-in-law?¡± Qin Miaomiao said with tears. ¡°If Brother isn¡¯t the murderer, why did the Crown Princess do this to us? Brother, have you reached some agreement with Fourth Sister?¡± ¡°If you have really colluded with Fourth Sister, go admit your mistake as soon as possible. Don¡¯t implicate our whole family!¡± Mrs. Qin slapped Qin Miaomiao angrily. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? How is it possible for your brother to do such a beastly thing? Besides, everyone knows how much your brother loves Ruoyun!¡± Qin Shu said to Qin Miaomiao, ¡°I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t kill Ruoyun. How could I kill her!¡± Qin Miaomiao said coldly, ¡°Alright, Brother, I hope you are really innocent.¡± Qin Miaomiao walked to the door and said to a guard, ¡°Would you please go to Princess Shou¡¯an¡¯s Mansion and ask Princess Fulu to come here?¡± ¡°Third Miss Qin, wait a moment.¡± ¡­ Fulu hadn¡¯t seen her parents for a long time, and she was showing off to her mother the Southern special products she brought back. After hearing the report from the guard, she went to the Qin Mansion. Qin Miaomiao ordered the maids in her room to leave and asked Fulu, ¡°Tell me, is the murderer of my sister-in-law my brother?¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± Fulu asked Qin Miaomiao. Qin Miaomiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. Since Fourth Sister married Prince Huai as his concubine, she often returned home to discuss with my father and brother, and I guessed that my brother might have cooperated with Fourth Sister. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect him to be so stupid. As a brother-in-law of His Royal Highness, the Duke Qin Mansion would definitely become more and more prosperous, but he chose Fourth Sister over his own wife!¡± Fulu said, ¡°But Qin Shu looked so devastated along the way. I think maybe I wronged him, and he might not be the murderer. Do you know that he even slept with that charred body every night!¡± Qin Miaomiao didn¡¯t take it seriously. If his brother was really so affectionate towards her sister-in-law, then why did he fail to protect her? More importantly, Ruoyun never had any feuds with anyone. ¡­ Inside a wharf in Luoyang. Qiao Ruoyun came out of the boat with a pale face. She had never traveled such a long waterway, but she had to travel all the way by boat for fear of being discovered. Along the way, she vomited a lot. When she got off the pier, she heard the chatter of the people beside her. ¡°The Duke Wu Mansion lost their nobility title the first day they came to Luoyang! Equal Consort Huai was directly sentenced to be executed this autumn. The Duke Wu Mansion is doomed!¡± ¡°The Qin family is surrounded by the soldiers of the Qiao family, but His Majesty doesn¡¯t blame the Qiao family at all. Is the murderer of Young Madam Qin from the Qiao family?¡± ¡°I heard that Young Master Qin isn¡¯t even in the mood to shave and his eyes are swollen like two eggs from crying. How can he be the murderer?¡± Qian Yin stood by Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s side, supported her and said, ¡°You are in such a hurry to come to Luoyang. Are you going to meet Duke Anyuan first?¡± Qiao Ruoyun said feebly, ¡°Just now they said that the Qin Mansion is being surrounded by soldiers, I want to see Qin Shu. I don¡¯t want him to be so sad anymore. There must be a misunderstanding. Perhaps it was just a robbery?¡± Qian Yin sneered. ¡°Robbery? Then why were they hunting you down? There are so many wealthy businessmen in Lin¡¯an. Why did they target you? Do you think those bandits are so stupid as to try to rob Duke Anyuan¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Forget it. You came here in such a hurry. Since you want to see Qin Shu, then go see him!¡± It was already dark. Qiao Ruoyun was so weak, and Qian Yin didn¡¯t want to argue with her. Maybe she would just give up after seeing Qin Shu. The Qin Mansion was surrounded by soldiers and no one could go out, so the accommodation and meals for the many guests became a problem. Then some high-ranking officials became impatient. They didn¡¯t dare to scold the Crown Princess, so they could only scold the murderer. Seeing that Qin Shu couldn¡¯t hold on any longer, Mrs. Qin had servants send him into his room to rest. Qian Yin took Qiao Ruoyun to the Qin Mansion, only to see the soldiers and horses surrounding the house layer by layer, and they couldn¡¯t enter, so he could only order someone to report to the East Palace first. Hearing that Qiao Ruoyun had arrived in Luoyang, Qiao Jinniang hurriedly summoned her. Seeing her wearing a thick veil, Qiao Jinniang was relieved. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Qiao Jinniang took Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sister, you are finally back.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Jinniang, I want to see Qin Shu. I heard that he has become very skinny and haggard. ¡°Maybe it was Concubine Qin or Prince Huai who wanted to kill me in order to break the relationship between Qin Shu and the Crown Prince, but the murder should have nothing to do with Qin Shu¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I hope he is innocent too. If you want to see him, I will have someone call him to the East Palace.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at Qiao Jinniang gratefully, and then said guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I failed to keep your cabin in the South.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I just want you to be safe.¡± Qiao Jinniang took Qiao Ruoyun to Lu Chen¡¯s study, and when she saw Qian Yin, she frowned and said, ¡°Master Qian, it¡¯s been a long time, but unfortunately, Nuomi has already been sent back to the South by me.¡± Qian Yin bowed to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°I have offended you many times in the past. Please forgive me, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Forget it. For the sake of your life-saving grace to my sister, I won¡¯t care about it anymore.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Thank you for taking care of my sister all the way.¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. It¡¯s just a small favor.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°Sister wants to meet Qin Shu. Can you have your secret guards bring Qin Shu here secretly?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°But are you sure Qin Shu is not the murderer?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. After all, without the permission of the Qin family, why would Concubine Qin and Prince Huai bother to kill the next Duchess Qin? If the Qin family finds out about this, they will only become Prince Huai¡¯s enemy!¡± Lu Chen asked, ¡°Then why do you want to bring Qin Shu over? What if he tells others that Qiao Ruoyun is still alive?¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at Qiao Ruoyun who was so weak, looking as though a gust of wind could blow her away. Since she wanted to see Qin Shu, just let her. If Qin Shu was really innocent, he would not act rashly and alert the murderer. But if he leaked the news that Qiao Ruoyun was still alive, then there was no doubt that he was behind this murder. Chapter 246 - Qin Shu Confessed In Prince Huai Mansion. Listening to the information her maid inquired from outside the Qin Mansion, Concubine Qin frowned, and there was a faint pain in her lower abdomen. ¡°Madam, what should we do now? The Duke Qin Mansion has been surrounded by soldiers for an entire day. The Crown Princess obviously won¡¯t easily let it go. Even the Duke Wu Mansion and Zhou Sisi have been¡­¡± Concubine Qin angrily smashed a cup. ¡°Why is this happening, why?!¡± She had thought that even if Qiao Ruoyun died, no one would care. It was not strange that she would be killed by bandits in the South. But Concubine Qin didn¡¯t expect that the Crown Princess would have soldiers surround the entire Qin Mansion. Didn¡¯t the Crown Princess hate Qiao Ruoyun for stealing her identity? And Duke Anyuan, why was he willing to be suspected by His Majesty for the sake of a fake daughter who had already died? Prince Huai entered from the door, glared at Concubine Qin and said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! How could Fulu find out that you had sent people to kill Qiao Ruoyun?¡± Concubine Qin covered her lower abdomen and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Then what should we do now?¡± Prince Huai was furious and couldn¡¯t help missing Mu Qianqian. If only Mu Qianqian were here. She was so intelligent and would definitely have a way to help him out. Unlike Mu Qianqian, Concubine Qin was full of vicious tricks but so incompetent! Prince Huai took a deep breath. Today, his father deprived the Duke Wu Mansion of their nobility title without any hesitation. Zhou Sisi was still Consort Huai, but his father directly sentenced her to be executed in the autumn. So, he, Prince Huai, his father¡¯s son, was actually nothing in his father¡¯s eyes. ¡­ Qin Shu was so tired that he didn¡¯t know how long he had been asleep. When he woke up, he found that he was in an unfamiliar courtyard. There were white lanterns hanging on both sides, and he leaned on the stone table. Although Luoyang was always hot, he actually felt a chill down his spine at this moment. The wind blew through the tulle in the courtyard, and Qin Shu suddenly saw a woman coming. Rubbing his eyes, he fell from the stone bench in shock, pointed his finger at Qiao Ruoyun and stammered, ¡°You, you, ¡­do not come over.¡± It was the first time Qiao Ruoyun saw Qin Shu look so scared. Qin Shu had been practicing martial arts since childhood, and in her eyes, he was a big hero. He had never been so frightened before. In the flowers not far away, Qiao Jinniang, who was watching this scene, whispered to Lu Chen next to her. ¡°If Qin Shu wasn¡¯t the murderer, why would he be so flustered?¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Ah Shu, I am Ruoyun¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come over! Ahh! There¡¯s a ghost here!¡± Qin Shu shouted in a loud voice, ¡°It¡¯s not me! I didn¡¯t know about it until my fourth sister killed you. If you want to take revenge, go to her!¡± Qiao Ruoyun bit her lip and looked at the skinny Qin Shu. She had thought that Qin Shu became so haggard after she ¡°died¡± because he loved her so much. It turned out that she was totally wrong¡­ Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Qin Shu, since you knew that your fourth sister killed me, why didn¡¯t you avenge me?¡± Qin Shu panicked. ¡°Ruoyun, you shouldn¡¯t blame me. You should blame yourself! You¡¯re the daughter of a slave. Even if the Crown Princess got a nobility title for your father, it can¡¯t change your humble bloodline! ¡°Besides, the Duke Qin Mansion needs a competent young madam, but you¡¯re so useless that even the Qiao clansman can bully you at will!¡± Qiao Ruoyun shed a tear. ¡°After I knew my identity, I voluntarily offered to divorce¡­ But you said that my identity didn¡¯t matter!¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°If I divorced you as soon as your identity was exposed, wouldn¡¯t I be a joke in Chang¡¯an? Everyone will laugh at me for being such a snob! ¡°Besides, in order to maintain the relationship with our Qin family, Duke Anyuan still retained your identity as his eldest daughter. How could I divorce you?¡± ¡°Ruoyun, I have affection for you, but you are not worthy of being my wife. ¡°Duke Anyuan humiliated me by making me marry the daughter of a slave. If you were just my concubine, I would definitely not allow them to take your life!¡± Qiao Ruoyun staggered a few steps and asked Qin Shu, ¡°Why did you have to kill me? I can¡¯t give birth to a child for you, and for that, you have good reasons to divorce me!¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°With Duke Anyuan, I don¡¯t even dare to take a concubine! Divorce you? How is that possible! ¡°It just so happened that my fourth sister became Prince Huai¡¯s concubine. If I cooperate with Prince Huai, I can bring down Duke Anyuan sooner or later¡­ ¡°But my fourth sister didn¡¯t trust me, fearing that I would still take sides with the Crown Prince because of you, so she wanted to kill you. All this was done by my fourth sister and my father, and I didn¡¯t know anything until Princess Fulu told me that you were in danger. ¡°If you want to take revenge, don¡¯t come at me! Go to my father and my fourth sister. They conspired to kill you.¡± Qin Shu shouted loudly. Qiao Ruoyun was devastated. She thought it was out of his love for her that her husband didn¡¯t want to take a concubine, but it turned out that it was just because he was afraid of Duke Anyuan. But because of this, she had to suffer from the torture of Old Madam Qin and gossip of others all the time. Everyone laughed at her, saying that she was a hen that couldn¡¯t lay eggs¡­ which tortured her day and night! ¡°So the medicines you fed me after my miscarriage were actually meant to poison me to death, right?¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°Do you remember what Princess Fulu said at this time last year? She said that all the descendants of the Qin family would have your humble blood in their bodies! ¡°Sorry, Ruoyun, I can¡¯t let my son have the bloodline of a slave! I can¡¯t let my son be laughed at by others! ¡°So every time before we had sex, I would drink a contraceptive decoction. The imperial doctor only diagnosed your pulse and wouldn¡¯t find anything wrong with me!¡± Qiao Ruoyun was trembling all over, ¡°Humble bloodline? Bah, it¡¯s your Qin family¡¯s bloodline that is dirty and humble. Fortunately, I am not pregnant with your Qin Shu¡¯s evil seed!¡± Qiao Ruoyun was always weak, but this time, she rushed up and slapped Qin Shu hard a few times like crazy. Qin Shu saw Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s shadow and frowned, ¡°You¡¯re not dead?¡± Qin Shug grabbed Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s wrist, ¡°Are you really not dead? You¡­¡± Qin Shu became more and more flustered, stretching out his hand to cover Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s mouth and nose, trying to suffocate her to death when he was suddenly kicked away by a figure in black. Qian Yin hugged Qiao Ruoyun by the waist and asked gently, ¡°Are you all right?¡± However, Qiao Ruoyun was overwhelmed with grief and fainted. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly asked the medical girl beside her to treat Qiao Ruoyun and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Do you remember what Qin Shu said just now? Write a confession and let him sign it.¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at Qin Shu with disdain. Although Qin Shu was capable, it was because of his relationship with Duke Anyuan that he was able to become the commander of the imperial guards. While despising Qiao Ruoyun, he still wanted to make use of the Duke Anyuan Mansion, which was simply disgusting. When Qin Shu saw Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang, he realized that this place should be in the East Palace, and what he said in panic just now was probably all heard by the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Qiao Jinniang spat at Qin Shu. ¡°I was almost deceived by you, and I actually believed that you really loved my sister! You¡¯re really disgusting!¡± Qin Shu knew that he was finished, but he still said, ¡°Crown Princess, if no one discovered that you were swapped with Qiao Ruoyun, do you think that you can become the Crown Princess as a slave-born businesswoman?¡± Writing the confession paper on the side, Lu Chen gave a cold look to Qin Shu. Qin Shu shouted, ¡°Which man in the world is not like this? ¡°I am like this, so is the Crown Prince. How can you say I¡¯m disgusting? ¡°Don¡¯t forget, when you just returned to Chang¡¯an, the Crown Prince only wanted you to be his second concubine! ¡°It can be seen that every man in the world cares about the origin and bloodline of their wives!¡± Chapter 247 - Punish Prince Huai Lu Chen placed the written confession in front of Qin Shu and asked him to sign it, saying coldly, ¡°No matter if it is a first concubine or a second concubine of the crown prince, they are both much more nobler than the position of Duchess Qin! ¡°If I really despised her identity, I wouldn¡¯t have given her a chance to come to Chang¡¯an in the first place. ¡°It¡¯s you who are disgusting, not all other men in the world. In Datang, who can compare to the Lu family in terms of bloodline? ¡°While enjoying the benefits that Qiao Ruoyun brought to you, you despised her bloodline. This is simply disgusting!¡± Qin Shuhua signed the confession paper and mocked, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the most affectionate in the world, losing all your supporters and having your power declining day by day for the sake of a mere woman. ¡°Concubine Qin is already pregnant, and the child in her womb will be the eldest son of Prince Huai. Even if she dies, her son will survive and our Qin family will have a comeback one day!¡± Lu Chen sneered. ¡°My good eldest brother is the same person as you. Do you think he will let Concubine Qin give birth to his son and let his son implicate him?¡± Lu Chen put away the confession paper and gave it to Qian Yin. ¡°It¡¯s late at night, so I¡¯m not leaving the imperial palace. Prince Wu, please go to the Ministry of Penalty and tell them to arrest Concubine Qin of Prince Huai and Duke Qin.¡± Qian Yin nodded. When Qiao Jinniang saw that Qian Yin was going to take Qiao Ruoyun away, she said, ¡°My sister is not well. Why not let her stay in the East Palace?¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid this is inappropriate. I will send Miss Qiao back to the Duke Anyuan Mansion. You can rest assured.¡± Qiao Jinniang somehow felt that the way Qian Yin looked at Qiao Ruoyun was not right, but the doors of the imperial palace were about to be locked, so it was indeed inappropriate to keep Qiao Ruoyun in the East Palace. Qin Shu was escorted away. Remembering how he acted affectionately towards Qiao Ruoyun in the daytime, Qiao Jinniang felt sick and vomited while leaning against the stone table. Lu Chen supported Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No, I just had my period a few days ago, and the imperial doctor didn¡¯t find me pregnant. I am just too disgusted by Qin Shu.¡± After all, she really believed that Qin Shu didn¡¯t take a concubine because he had deep affections for Qiao Ruoyun, which showed how hypocritical a man could be. Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about him anymore. Although he is not the murderer, Duke Qin and Concubine Qin are, one killed his daughter-in-law and the other killed her sister-in-law. ¡°Qin Shu concealed the truth and will definitely lose his official position. The entire Qin family will be sentenced to exile. So they won¡¯t be able to appear in front of your eyes again.¡± ¡°But Qin Miaomiao and Mrs. Qin are probably innocent.¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Qin Miaomiao really doesn¡¯t know anything about it, and Mrs. Qin¡¯s sadness today didn¡¯t seem fake.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The marriage contract between Qin Miaomiao and Lin Mo has not been canceled. If Lin Mo is willing to help Qin Miaomiao, she may not be implicated.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered that after the misunderstanding between Qin Miaomiao and Zhou Siming was cleared up, Zhou Sisi kept making trouble. So the Zhou family had no time to take care of the matter between Zhou Siming and Qin Miaomiao. Mrs. Zhou was too occupied in Zhou Sisi¡¯s affairs. And the Qin family was also hesitating whether to choose Prince Huai or the Crown Prince. After all, Lin Mo was on the Crown Prince¡¯s side, while the Duke Wu Mansion was already on Prince Huai¡¯s side. And the Lin family certainly wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to propose to break off the marriage contract, so this matter was put on hold. Qiao Jinniang had faith in Qin Miaomiao¡¯s ability. Even if she was exiled, she would probably be able to live a good life. Except for the disputes with Fulu, she had always been a smart girl. ¡°Can you really exile the Qin family? After all, Ruoyun didn¡¯t really die, and if one kills a junior member of his family, he will usually not be convicted of a felony?¡± Qiao Jinniang was a little worried. Lu Chen said, ¡°The crime committed by the Qin family was not to kill Qiao Ruoyun, but to form a clique in the court for personal gains. ¡°The Zhou family was deprived of their nobility title not because Zhou Sisi killed Tong Yingying, but also because of this reason. ¡°Prince Huai had been enduring for so many years, and he knew better than anyone what his father hated the most, but his life was too smooth after he came out of the imperial mausoleum, so he forgot about it.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen curiously, ¡°Then aren¡¯t you doing the same thing by marrying me? And aren¡¯t you forming a clique with Prime Minister Lin by befriending Lin Mo¡­¡± Lu Chen chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s different. I married you because I love you, and Lin Mo and I have been friends since childhood because he was my classmate. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m the Crown Prince. I am allowed to have my own power in the first place.¡± ¡°So essentially, it¡¯s because Father favors you.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No wonder your brothers all hate you. If I were them, I would have hated you too because Father is so partial to you.¡± Lu Chen blinked. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m just that blissful.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°If we have a second child, you can¡¯t play favorites. You have to treat Xi¡¯er and the other children equally.¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ The Minister of Penalty, who was locked up in the Qin Mansion for the entire day, was about to fall asleep in a guest room when he was awakened by Qian Yin. When he was about to throw a tantrum, he recognized it was Qian Yin and hurriedly saluted him. ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t know you came to Luoyang. Sorry for not welcoming you when you came. What can I do for you?¡± Qian Yin gave the confession paper to the Ministry of Penalty and said, ¡°This is Qin Shu¡¯s confession, which has been signed by him. He confessed that the murderers of Young Madam Qin were Duke Qin and Concubine Qin of Prince Huai. Please try this case overnight and give His Majesty an explanation as soon as possible.¡± The Ministry of Penalty touched his long gray beard and said in shock, ¡°The murderers are Duke Qin and Concubine Qin?! Okay, I will try this case overnight.¡± Many officials and nobles who were locked up in the Qin Mansion came out to inquire about information when they heard the news. Then they were told that the Minister of Penalty had began to try this case because the murderers had been found, and when the murderers pled guilty, they would be able to leave the Qin Mansion¡­ Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that the Ministry of Penalty took Duke Qin away, they were not too surprised when they thought of Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s identity. But they all thought that the Qin family was really too much. Why didn¡¯t they just have Qin Shu divorce Qiao Ruoyun? In Qin Miaomiao¡¯s room, Fulu held her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is done by your father and brother, and it has nothing to do with you. I will intercede for you. I will not let you become an official prostitute!¡± Qin Miaomiao spat. ¡°What are you talking about? The Qin family¡¯s crimes are not so serious.¡± Fulu replied, ¡°Anyway, I will help you!¡± After the trial overnight, the next morning, the soldiers outside the Qin Mansion all retreated. All the ministers had to go to the levee without a good rest. They were determined to unite with imperial censor to impeach Qiao Jinniang hard. But imperial censors didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest intention to impeach the Crown Princess. So the ministers could only give up. The Ministry of Penalty came out and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I tried the case overnight, and found that the ones behind the murder of Qiao Ruoyun were Concubine Qin of Prince Huai and Duke Qin. These are their confession papers!¡± Emperor Huilin read the confession papers and said with a frown, ¡°Duke Qin¡¯s crime of killing his own daughter-in-law is unforgivable, and Concubine Qin is even more outrageous for killing her sister-in-law in order to seize power. ¡°All the men in the Duke Qin Mansion are dismissed from their official posts, and the whole family is to be exiled to the frontier as a warning to others! ¡°The title of Duke Qin should have belonged to Prince Consort Qin, and for the sake of the merits of the ancestors of the Qin family, Prince Consort Qin can pick someone to inherit the nobility title, but not from the line of this Qin family. ¡°Concubine Qin is pregnant, so her life is temporarily spared, and she will be punished after giving birth to the child! ¡°Prince Huai failed to properly discipline his concubine, but he has rendered a meritorious service in disaster relief in the South, so he is stripped of all his official posts and banned from serving in the court forever.¡± Prince Huai knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily. His father is really partial to Lu Chen to the extreme! The Crown Princess had soldiers surround the Duke Qin Mansion without his permission, but he didn¡¯t blame Lu Chen for that at all. But he was banned from serving in the court forever, which completely ended his chances of getting the throne! Prince Huai gnashed his teeth. How could his father be so ruthless to him?! Chapter 248 - Stole My Identity and Became the Empress No one could have imagined that, after the court came to Luoyang for a few days, two dukes were deprived of their nobility titles in a row. Then, Prince Huai¡¯s consort and concubine were convicted of capital crimes one after the other. In the Prince Huai Mansion, after Concubine Qin heard the imperial decree, a sudden huge pain in her lower abdomen suddenly washed over her, and blood flowed. She suddenly thought of the long-forgotten Qiao Ruoshui. Prince Huai and Prince Mediocre were worthy of being brothers, and even their ways of treating their women were similar. When she was useless, he would even kill his own child! Concubine Qin slowly opened her eyes and looked at Prince Huai. ¡°Your Highness, why are you so ruthless?! This is your child too!¡± Prince Huai said coldly, ¡°You can blame no one but yourself for being so stupid. I¡¯m already disliked by my father, and leaving your child alive will only make him dislike me even more.¡± Concubine Qin bit her lower lip. She really regretted it this time. If she didn¡¯t covet high positions, she would have just married an ordinary husband like other ordinary women. With the Duke Qin Mansion behind her, she would probably live in happiness. How could she have ended up like this? Now she couldn¡¯t even save her own child! ¡°Concubine Qin bled to death after a miscarriage¡­ She has been convicted of murdering her sister-in-law. Wrap her body with a broken straw mat and throw it to a random mass grave.¡± Suffering from the sharp abdominal pain, Concubine Qin was dying. ¡°Your Highness, unlike the Crown Prince, you¡¯re really cold-hearted. It¡¯s no wonder no matter how hard you try, you just can¡¯t be the crown prince! It¡¯s because you are not worthy of the title!¡± When Prince Huai heard these words, he strangled Concubine Qin by the neck with a fierce look. ¡°You are courting death!¡± ¡­ When the news that Prince Huai¡¯s concubine died of miscarriage spread throughout the imperial palace, Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help sighing in the East Palace. Concubine Qin didn¡¯t hesitate to murder her own sister-in-law for the sake of power, but in the end, she died in misery. However, Qiao Jinniang had no sympathy for her. She just got what she deserved. Only a few days ago, Prince Huai¡¯s party was still aggressive and overbearing, but the Emperor was the Emperor. A few words of Emperor Huiling had brought Prince Huai back to his original form. This was the cruelty of the imperial power. Xuanzheng Palace. After Empress Zhou heard the news, she just shook the fan gently and sighed. ¡°That child just can¡¯t be reconciled. If he could have listened to his mother¡¯s advice, his child wouldn¡¯t have been killed.¡± ¡°Your Highness, there is a woman who claims to be your elder sister asking to see you. She has been making trouble at the gate of the imperial palace¡­¡± Empress Zhou took the post from the imperial maid and said with joy, ¡°It¡¯s my sister who is back. Quickly let her in.¡± Zhou Qinghe entered the Xuanzheng Palace, looked at the woman who was sitting on the seat of honor in the palace, dressed gorgeously and still looked young and beautiful, and said coldly, ¡°My dear sister, you¡¯ve been the Empress for 20 years, so you¡¯ve forgotten your natal family? Our family¡¯s nobility title has been deprived, and Mother is seriously ill and still in coma, but you just sit there and do nothing at all?¡± ¡°How dare you! Why don¡¯t you salute Her Majesty?!¡± A mammy scolded. Empress Zhou raised her hand to stop the mammy, and said to Zhou Qinghe, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t pretend to be a filial daughter at this time, okay? You¡¯ve disappeared for 20 years, during which Mother has been worried about you every day. Now you¡¯re blaming me? ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve given Brother many chances, but he never cherished them. Keeping this nobility title will only bring disaster to the Zhou family!¡± Zhou Qinghe said, ¡°Then what about Sisi? You watched Sisi grow up. She just killed a commoner. Does she have to die?¡± ¡°She has been calling you ¡®Auntie¡¯ since she was a child. How can you have the heart to watch her die at such a young age?¡± Empress Zhou shook the fan in her hand and said, ¡°A life for a life. This is the law.¡± ¡°Zhou Qingxiu!¡± Zhou Qinghe frowned. ¡°You stole my identity and became the Empress back then! If you don¡¯t rescue Sisi, don¡¯t blame me for telling His Majesty the truth!¡± Empress Zhou smiled coldly and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Zhou Qinghe was very angry. ¡°Good, very good! You think you can dump your natal family just because you¡¯ve been the Empress for twenty years? I¡¯ll see how long you can be favored by His Majesty without the support of the Duke Wu Mansion!¡± Zhou Qinghe flung her sleeves in anger and left the Xuanzheng Palace. Qiao Jinniang came to Xuanzheng Palace to deliver snacks to the Empress, only to see Zhou Qinghe coming out of the door huffily. Her impression on Zhou Qinghe was already vague, but she still recognized her. ¡°Ms. Zhou!¡± Zhou Qinghe glanced at Qiao Jinniang and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you the Crown Princess, the one who helped Princess Fulu steal my daughter¡¯s fiance? With me here, you can¡¯t hurt my daughter!¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a mere menial businesswoman. How dare you bully my daughter, bah!¡± Hongling stepped forward and slapped Zhou Qinghe hard in the face. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you disrespect Her Highness?¡± Zhou Qinghe covered her face, glared at Qiao Jinniang and said in disbelief, ¡°Even that ingrate Zhou Qingxiu won¡¯t dare to touch me. How dare you hit me?!¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I dare?¡± Zhou Qinghe glared at Qiao Jinniang, apparently not recognizing that Qiao Jinniang was her former student. She glared at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned, feeling that Zhou Qinghe was very different from that Ms. Zhou in her memory. Maybe she was wrong. This was what Ms. Zhou was really like but she didn¡¯t find out back then. When they were under a heavy academic pressure, a teacher who allowed them to read novels and didn¡¯t urge them to study was certainly a good teacher in their eyes. But now from the perspective of a mother, Qiao Jinniang realized that her parents spent a lot of money to send her to the school, and a teacher who didn¡¯t give lectures and indulge them in playing was actually a bad teacher. Qiao Jinniang entered the Xuanzheng Palace and found Empress Zhou looking a bit angry. Empress Zhou smiled when she saw Qiao Jinniang coming. ¡°I smelled the fragrance from far away. What delicious food did you bring today?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Xi¡¯er was clamoring to eat ice cream, and it happens that there is lychee sent from Shu as a tribute, so I made lychee ice cream. Would you like to have a try, Mother?¡± Empress Zhou chuckled and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. By the way, is Qiao Ruoyun still alive?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes!¡± Empress Zhou scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and said, ¡°Qin Shu looked very affectionate to Ruoyun, but I really didn¡¯t expect him to be so vicious. Alas, many men in the world are cruel to their women.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and didn¡¯t forget to flatter the Empress, saying, ¡°Yes, but Mother, you¡¯re so blissful as to wholly own the love of Father, which is really to be envied by all women in the world.¡± Empress Zhou gently tapped Qiao Jinniang¡¯s forehead. ¡°Did you learn this from Junior Duke Rong?¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Empress Zhou, ¡°Mother, can you do me a favor? I¡¯m interested in a few shops in Jiuzhou Lane, but those shops are neither for sale nor for rental¡­ ¡°His Royal Highness said that those shops belong to Father¡­¡± The Empress smiled and said, ¡°If you want those shops, it¡¯s not difficult. Yu¡¯er, go fetch the title deeds for the shops in Jiuzhou Lane.¡± After the imperial maid brought the title deeds over, the Empress handed them to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I¡¯m already old and impatient to handle the ledger. Now the shops in Jiuzhou Lane are yours.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No, Mother, you¡¯re not old at all! You look like my sister. I¡¯m not flattering you but telling the truth. You are very young.¡± The Empress hadn¡¯t reached forty yet, and her skin was well-maintained, so she looked even younger than ordinary women in their twenties. Empress Zhou sighed. ¡°I¡¯m already a grandmother. How can I not be old? When I saw my elder sister today, I realized how time flies. In the blink of an eye, I haven¡¯t seen her for more than 20 years.¡± Chapter 249 - Qin Shu Refused to Sign the Divorce Letter Thinking of the conflict between her and Zhou Qinghe, Qiao Jinniang said to the Empress, ¡°Mother, just now Aunt said something rude to me, so my imperial maid helped me teach her a lesson¡­¡± The Empress said, ¡°She has always been unruly and unconstrained. Just treat her according to the rules. Don¡¯t have to treat her specially for the sake of me.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang got the title deeds for the shops and wrote to Nuomi, Huixiang and the others. She wanted to hand over the restaurant in Luoyang to Huixiang to manage, who was about to get married now. Plus, he was already a competent shop manager now. Therefore, Qiao Jinniang planned to let Huixiang manage Myriad Taste, which would be opened soon in Luoyang. ¡­ On the day when the Qin family was exiled, Zhou Siming came to visit Qin Miaomiao. The misunderstanding between them had just been cleared up, but now he could only watch her be exiled to the frontier and could do nothing about it. Qin Miaomiao supported Mrs. Qin and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be sad. I will take good care of you in the frontier, and I will definitely not let you suffer any grievances.¡± Mrs. Qin took Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand and said in tears, ¡°My poor daughter, it¡¯s your brother who ruined you!¡± Qin Shu, who had been imprisoned for many days, was released from prison by the Ministry of Penalty because he didn¡¯t kill Qiao Ruoyun himself. As soon as he got out of the prison, he went to the Duke Anyuan Mansion. He was knocking hard on the door of the Duke Anyuan Mansion. ¡°Qiao Ruoyun, come out! You¡¯ve already avenged yourself. Why are you still hiding?!¡± ¡°Ruoyun, Ruoyun¡­ I was wrong. Can you forgive me for the sake of our affections?¡± Qiao Lu opened the gate of the Duke Mansion, looked at Qin Shu coldly and said, ¡°It¡¯s too late to admit your mistake now! My sister is dead!¡± Qin Shu said loudly, ¡°No, she is not dead. I know she is still alive! I saw her alive with my own eyes!¡± The two officials of the Ministry of Penalty who were responsible for sending the Qin family to the frontier stepped forward and said to Qin Shu, ¡°Qin Shu, it¡¯s time for you to set off. Stop making trouble.¡± Qin Shu knelt on the ground and begged, ¡°Ah Lu, let me see your sister, okay?¡± ¡°Please, I beg you.¡± A maid walked up to Qiao Lu. Qiao Lu frowned slightly and said to the officials of the Ministry of Penalty. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± ¡°Okay, Young Master Qiao.¡± Qin Shu hurried into the Duke Mansion, rolling and crawling. When he saw Qiao Ruoyun on a small bridge, looking thinner and haggard, he rushed over and said, ¡°Ruoyun, I know I was wrong. You don¡¯t know how much I love you. I couldn¡¯t sleep every night after I thought you died!¡± ¡°Please, give me a chance, okay? Let¡¯s live together happily, okay? I¡¯ll never mind your bloodline anymore!¡± ¡°Ruoyun, think about how happy we were¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyun closed her eyes and handed him the paper in her hand. ¡°Qin Shu, this is our divorce letter. Sign it!¡± Qin Shu held the divorce letter and kept shaking his head. ¡°No, don¡¯t even think about it. I won¡¯t divorce you. Ruoyun, how can you be so cruel to me? Did you forget how much I loved you in the past?¡± Qiao Ruoyun said with difficulty, ¡°Loved me? If you really loved me, why did you despise my bloodline so much? I am weak, but I am not stupid!¡± Qin Shu tore the divorce letter into pieces and threw them to the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about dumping me. Since you are alive, you are my wife. Now that the Qin family is to be exiled to the frontier, you¡¯ll have to go with us!¡± ¡°Otherwise, you can only hide for the rest of your life in case others find out that you are still alive.¡± Qiao Ruoyun was deeply disgusted at Qin Shu¡¯s words. Her love for him was completely gone at this moment. Qiao Lu was also angry. ¡°Qin Shu, how can you be so shameless?¡± Qin Shu laughed crazily. ¡°For the sake of Qiao Ruoyun, the Crown Princess and the Qiao family ruined our Qin family! How can I let her off?!¡±¡± ¡°Even if I am exiled to the frontier, I have Qiao Ruoyun with me. The Crown Princess will definitely not let Qiao Ruoyun suffer, right?¡± Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s face turned black with anger. ¡°You¡¯re really shameless! Your Qin family wanted to murder me, and now you still want to make use of me?!¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°Ruoyun, you are my wife. Unless you are willing to be a dead person and conceal your identity for the rest of your life, you can only go to the frontier with me!¡± Qiao Ruoyun frowned. Qiao Lu was so angry that he punched Qin Shu in the face. ¡°B*stard!¡± Qiao Lu was good at martial arts, so the punch made Qin Shu spit out a tooth, but he still laughed crazily. ¡°Ruoyun, don¡¯t even think about leaving me in this life. You belong to me, and will always belong to me this life!¡± Blue veins protruded on the back of Qiao Lu¡¯s hand, and he grabbed Qin Shu¡¯s neck. Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly persuaded Qiao Lu to let go. Qiao Lu shouted at Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Sister, do you still want to protect this shameless b*stard?!¡± Qiao Ruoyun choked with tears and said, ¡°Ah Lu, this grudge is between us. It has nothing to do with you. You¡¯re still young. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± Qiao Lu looked at Qiao Ruoyun and slowly let go. Qin Shu sneered at Qiao Ruoyun and said, ¡°My dear wife, I will be waiting for you at the frontier.¡± ¡­ Qiao Jinniang secretly went to the shops with Lu Chen. Qiao Jinniang drew the drawings and planned to go back to think about how to decorate the shops. When it was dark, she went back to the Duke Anyuan Mansion to visit Qiao Ruoyun, but as soon as she entered the Duke Mansion, she heard Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s sad cries and Duke Anyuan¡¯s angry scolding. Everyone got up and saluted Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang when they saw the two of them. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Arise. Sister, what happened? Why are you crying? Haven¡¯t the Qin family been exiled today?¡± Qiao Lu briefly told Qiao Jinniang what Qin Shu had done today. ¡°Qin Shu still wanted to make use of Eldest Sister, and refused to sign the divorce letter.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Why do you need him to give you a divorce letter? ¡°The law of Datang has the rule of ¡®Yijue¡¯ that if one of the spouses wants to harm the other, the harmed can directly divorce the other without gaining his or her permission. The Qin family wanted to murder you. You can apply to the government for ¡®Yijue¡¯!¡± ¡°According to the law of Datang, there are three types of divorces, the first type is the husband divorcing the wife by giving her a divorce letter, another is a negotiated divorce between the husband and wife. ¡°The third is ¡°Yijue¡±. If one of the spouses was abused or tried to murder the other, the victim could apply for ¡°Yijue¡±. Qiao Ruoyun covered her eyes with her handkerchief and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t work. Yijue is the privilege of men. Only when the wife abuses or tries to murder her husband, her husband can apply for Yijue, but when the husband wants to kill his wife, Yijue doesn¡¯t apply.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen and asked, ¡°Really?¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jinniang pursed her lips. ¡°The law is so biased in favor of men. No wonder Qin Shu is so unscrupulous. ¡°I think the law of Yijue should be changed! Otherwise, if a woman is in Sister Ruoyun¡¯s situation, she will have no choice but to die!¡± Lu Chen nodded and said, ¡°But even if the law can be revised, it can¡¯t be done overnight. It will take at least a year. The most important thing now is to get Qin Shu to sign the divorce letter.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°Do you have any ways to get him to sign the divorce letter?¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°Yes, and we don¡¯t need to do anything. Gu Ming, go to Prince Wu and tell him what happened today.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± Chapter 250 - Forcing Qin Shu to Sign the Divorce Letter Hearing this, Qiao Ruoyun clenched the handkerchief in her hand. Seeing that Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s face was pale, Qiao Jinniang asked her to go back to her yard to rest. If the Qin family still bullied Qiao Ruoyun, she wouldn¡¯t mind doing something. Maybe Qin Shu would have some accident on the way to the frontier. If Qin Shu was dead, Qiao Ruoyun wouldn¡¯t be his wife anymore. Qiao Jinniang comforted Qiao Ruoyun. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You should take good care of yourself after returning to the Duke Mansion. If my mom and dad know in heaven that I failed to take good care of you, they will be sad.¡± Qiao Ruoyun hugged Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°No, they must be gratified if they know that I am finally out of the sea of ??misery and you¡¯ve become the Crown Princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang wiped Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s tears, and said with a gentle smile. ¡°Yes, Ruoyun, your life will get better and better in the future.¡± ¡­ Qian Yin frowned slightly when he received the news from the servants of the Crown Prince. His confidant said, ¡°Master, what does the Crown Prince mean?¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°Bring ten guards and follow me to Qin Shu¡¯s location.¡± After the Qin family went on the road, Qin Shu caught up. Mrs. Qin felt distressed when she saw the blood on the corner of her son¡¯s mouth. ¡°Shu¡¯er, your face?¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qin Miaomiao said to Qin Shu, ¡°Brother, where have you been? Did you go to the Duke Anyuan Mansion?¡± Qin Shu ignored Qin Miaomiao. The group of people didn¡¯t go very quickly. Mrs. Qin and Qin Miaomiao had been living a comfortable, luxurious life. They couldn¡¯t even stand up after walking a few steps. Getting the order of Princess Fulu, the escort officers didn¡¯t urge Qin Miaomiao. When the group of people took a break at the bottom of a mountain, there were summer frogs croaking loudly at night. Qin Shu couldn¡¯t sleep at all. A cold wind blew, and he saw a man in black standing in front of him and putting a sword against his neck. ¡°Write a divorce letter!¡± Qin Shu was not afraid of death at all and said, ¡°Even if I die, Qiao Ruoyun will still be my wife. I¡¯m not going to write a divorce letter! ¡°Does the Qiao family dare to kill me? I have told my old friends that if I die on the road, it must be Qiao Ruoyun who murdered me, and I¡¯ve asked them to spread the news in Luoyang if I die! ¡°I wonder what Qiao Ruoyun and the Qiao family can do at that time!¡± Qian Yin ordered his men to light the lantern and said coldly, ¡°Killing you will get my hands dirty. You can choose not to sign the divorce letter. ¡°But for each day you don¡¯t sign it, I will cut off one of your toes. ¡°After all your toes are cut off, I¡¯ll start to cut off your fingers, but I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°How dare you? Even though we are exiled to the frontier, the Qiao family can¡¯t do anything to me at will!¡± ¡°The Qiao family wants face, but I don¡¯t, and I¡¯m not afraid of the government¡¯s investigation.¡± Qin Shu asked, ¡°Who are you? What is your relationship with Qiao Ruoyun?¡± ¡°Qian Yin, from Lin¡¯an,¡± Qian Yin just said coldly. Qin Shu¡¯s face changed slightly. ¡°Prince Wu? Why do you want to help Qiao Ruoyun?¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to know it. Just sign the divorce letter.¡± Qin Shu certainly wouldn¡¯t sign it. ¡°I won¡¯t sign it. Even if I become disabled, I must drag Qiao Ruoyun into hell!¡± ¡°Brother, why are you still so stupid?¡± Qin Miaomiao came over and said angrily, ¡°The more you behave like this, the more difficult the situation of our Qin family will be. Sister-in-law has always been softhearted, and if you truly repent and ask for her forgiveness, you may still have a chance to make up with her. ¡°The more you push her in such a disgusting manner, the more quickly the love between you two will dissipate. ¡°Just sign the divorce letter. Don¡¯t make Mother worry, okay?¡± Qin Shu snorted. ¡°I said I¡¯m not going to sign it. Didn¡¯t you hear me? Qian Yin, even if you don¡¯t tell me, I can guess your relationship with Qiao Ruoyun. I know what a man wants from a woman, but I will never give Qiao Ruoyun a chance to divorce me and marry another man!¡± Qian Yin raised the knife and chopped it down, and Qin Shu¡¯s leather shoe was cut off, one of his toes fell, and blood gushed out. Qin Miaomiao screamed, ¡°Brother, promise him! After all, you¡¯re the one in the wrong.¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°Unless I die, Ruoyun can only be my wife!¡± Qian Yin sneered and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯d like to see how long you can hold on. By the way, you¡¯re your mother¡¯s only son, right? She doesn¡¯t even have a grandson yet, right?¡± Qian Yin pointed the blood-stained sword at the part between Qin Shu¡¯s legs. ¡°You don¡¯t mind losing your life, but do you still not mind being a eunuch?¡± Qin Shu gritted his teeth. Qian Yin sneered coldly. ¡°Just sign the divorce letter. You don¡¯t want to live as a eunuch for the rest of your life, right?¡± ¡­ In Luoyang City, the Qin family¡¯s murder of Qiao Ruoyun was written into a story by someone. All the storytellers in the major tea houses were telling this story. However, within a few days, news that Qiao Ruoyun was still alive came from the Duke Anyuan Mansion. It turned out that Qiao Ruoyun was rescued by someone that day and had returned to Luoyang recently. In order to celebrate Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s narrow escape, the Duke Anyuan Mansion held a big banquet, inviting all dignitaries, high-ranking officials, and their relatives and friends. Even the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess would attend the banquet. In previous years, after the royal family and the officials arrived in Luoyang, there would be constant banquets. This year, however, because two dukes were deprived of their titles in a row, no one dared to take the lead to hold a banquet. The banquet at the Duke Anyuan Mansion was the first banquet this year, so it was very lively. Many noble ladies went out to buy new clothes and jewelry. They had thought that they could have fun in Luoyang, but no one had expected such a series of incidents to happen. So, after being locked up at home for a long time, they didn¡¯t hesitate to buy any beautiful jewelry they saw. The banquet in the Qiao Mansion had not yet started, but many guests had already arrived. Friends gathered around in twos and threes, chatting and laughing. ¡°Although Qiao Ruoyun survived, I¡¯m afraid her life won¡¯t be easy in the future.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Even if Qiao Ruoyun can divorce Qin Shu, no decent man will be willing to marry her, a divorced woman.¡± ¡°What¡¯s bad about a divorced woman?¡± a lady who had divorced and then married another man asked dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Ma¡¯am. Your father is the military governor of Yongzhou, so you can still find a good man to marry. But Qiao Ruoyun is different. Although she is the titular eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan, everyone knows her real background!¡± ¡°Alas, she is really pitiful!¡± On the other side of the rockery, Qiao Ruoyun heard the words of these people. She pursed her lips, and her maid said, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t listen to these people. They are just jealous of you. Prince Wu treats you very well.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said to the maid indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± The little maid grimaced naughtily. Lu Chen happened to have something to tend to, so Qiao Jinniang took Lu Xi to the Qiao Mansion for the banquet. When people saw the Crown Princess¡¯ guard of honor on the way, they had to make way for it. But halfway through, Qiao Jinniang saw the sedan chair stop. A eunuch trotted over to report, ¡°Your Highness, Princess Fulu and Miss Zhou are quarreling at the intersection of the street, and neither of them is willing to make way.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to little Lu Xi, ¡°Xi¡¯er, stay here. I¡¯m going out to have a look.¡± When she walked to the front, she heard Zhou Shihui say, ¡°Princess Fulu, my senior brother is Flower Picking Childe this year, but you are almost illiterate. Even if you force him to marry you, you will be divorced sooner or later! ¡°You can¡¯t even read, let alone talk with my senior brother about literature. What¡¯s the point of forcing him to marry you?¡± Fulu was so angry that she clenched the whip in her hand and whipped at Zhou Shihui. ¡°Humph, I don¡¯t know poetry, but I can spar with Qiao Lu about martial arts!¡± Being whipped by her, Zhou Shihui fell to the ground and tears gradually filled her eyes¡­ Chapter 251 - The Disgrace of Qingming Academy Among the onlookers, there were many people who felt sympathetic to Zhou Shihui and wanted to uphold injustice for her. Seeing that Princess Fulu hit a vulnerable woman to the ground, they all scolded Fulu, ¡°I have long heard that those princesses in Chang¡¯an like bullying commoners, and now I know it¡¯s true! ¡°It must hurt for such a delicate girl to be whipped so hard!¡± Hearing the reprimands from the people, Fulu frowned. ¡°Zhou Shihui, don¡¯t play weak, okay? What are you crying for? You provoked me first. Do you want to be put into jail again?¡± ¡°Even if you are a princess, you can¡¯t bully people like this, right? You almost whipped this poor girl¡¯s flesh to shreds and you still threaten to put her to jail?¡± ¡°Junior Sister!¡± Several students of Qingming Academy saw Zhou Shihui and stepped forward to help Zhou Shihui up. These students all spoke out from a sense of justice. ¡°Princess Fulu, Zhou Shihui is a student of our Qingming Academy. She is not the kind of person you can bully at will.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always despised the commoners! Qin Shu wanted to kill Qiao Ruoyun just because you said Qiao Ruoyun had the bloodline of slaves. Now you want to bully my junior sister? No way!¡± ¡°Luoyang is not Chang¡¯an. The students in Luoyang won¡¯t surrender to power! Don¡¯t even think about putting on airs in Luoyang!¡± Fulu took a few deep breaths and was about to whip Zhou Sihui again when Qiao Jinniang held her hand. Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang extremely aggrievedly and said, ¡°Are you also going to help her?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Of course not, but the more you fight with her, the more you fall for her tricks.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the students who were defending Zhou Shihui and asked, ¡°Are you students of Qingming Academy?¡± The students saluted Qiao Jinniang together. Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°His Royal Highness has always said that Qingming Academy is the best academy in Datang, and that even the Imperial Academy is a notch inferior. Since you can be admitted to Qingming Academy, you must be very excellent.¡± The students hurriedly said, ¡°We¡¯re flattered¡±. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Since you are all sensible people, I¡¯d like to ask you the meaning of honesty and credibility in the Book of Rites.¡± One of the students cupped his hands and said, ¡°Confucius said, a man without honesty is capable of nothing. Honesty and credibility are the school mottoes of Qingming Academy.¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°So you all know that honesty and credibility are your school¡¯s mottoes. Then is Zhou Shihui honest and credible by disguising as a man and studying in Qingming Academy with so many men? ¡°Qingming Academy, as the best academy in Datang, not only didn¡¯t expel Zhou Shihui from the school, but even recognized her, the disgrace of Qingming Academy, as your junior sister? ¡°It turns out that Qingming Academy actually has no principles!¡± The students of Qingming Academy all blushed in embarrassment and looked at each other in dismay. Zhou Shihui said, ¡°It¡¯s wrong for Qingming Academy not to accept female students. Although I am a woman, I was admitted to the school after going through numerous tests of Qingming Academy. I just don¡¯t want to waste my talent. What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°You are also a woman. As a woman, I had to disguise myself as a man to get the chance to study in the academy, which is the tragedy of all women. But now you are blaming me for not being honest and credible instead of speaking out for all women?!¡± Hongling said, ¡°Zhou Shihui, how dare you disrespect the Crown Princess?¡± Zhou Shihui snorted. ¡°You have nothing to say, so you can only suppress me with your position of the Crown Princess? So is that all you can do?¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a cold voice, ¡°Zhou Shihui, you don¡¯t have integrity but are still making excuses. You said that you just want to get better education, but the Imperial Academy accepts female students, and there are not a few women¡¯s academies in the world. ¡°Since Qingming Academy has the rule of not admitting female students, if you feel that it is a waste of your talent not to study in Qingming Academy, you should persuade the teachers of Qingming Academy to accept you with sincerity! ¡°If your literary talent can really surpass the men in Qingming Academy, can¡¯t you let Qingming Academy change the rule of not accepting female students for you? ¡°But you got yourself into the academy with deceitful means. That¡¯s why I said you¡¯re not honest and credible. If Qingming Academy does not punish you, how can they explain it to the world?¡± A teacher of Qingming Academy hurriedly came out, knelt down and said, ¡°Your Highness, what you said makes sense. We will definitely punish Zhou Shihui properly.¡± Seeing Zhou Shihui turn livid, Qiao Jinniang smiled contemptuously. ¡°Didn¡¯t you look so vulnerable and pitiful just now? Why are you suddenly so energetic as if you are going to swallow me? You were whipped by Princess Fulu because you humiliated her first. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste time on you. If you are still in my way, I will punish you with the imperial rules!¡± Zhou Shihui was pulled aside by her maid. Even if Zhou Shihui didn¡¯t want to, she had to bow her head and let the Crown Princess¡¯ sedan chair pass first. Fulu followed Qiao Jinniang into her sedan chair and said huffily, ¡°I really want to kill her! Who does she think she is?! I¡¯ve never suffered such grievances.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you today, I would definitely have fallen for her tricks!¡± ¡°How dare she bully me?!¡± Fulu had never suffered such grievances. What irritated her more was that those onlookers blindly defended Zhou Shihui before Qiao Jinniang appeared. ¡°I¡¯m going to complain to the Empress Dowager.¡± Qiao Jinniang stopped Fulu and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of that? According to law, she will be at most locked in the Heavenly Prison for a few days, and she has been in jail before. ¡°I am afraid she dares to be so presumptuous because of her mother. ¡°I heard that Zhou Shihui¡¯s mother was equally unruly and arrogant when she was in Chang¡¯an. Have you heard of Zhou Qinghe?¡± Fulu shook her head and said, ¡°She had already left in Chang¡¯an when I was born, and few people would mention her.¡± Qiao Jinniang shook the fan in her hand and said, ¡°If you meet Zhou Shihui again, cry if she cries. You are prettier than her. If both of you cry, the onlookers will definitely help you!¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to play weak and shed fake tears like her. I just need Qiao Lu to believe me.¡± As soon as they arrived at the Qiao Mansion, unlike normal girls who would be shy to see their fiances, Fulu trotted straight to Qiao Lu. Princess Shou¡¯an couldn¡¯t help shaking her head when she saw this. Now all her daughter could see was her fiance¡­ Qiao Ruoyun came up to greet Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Hi, Jinniang, there you are. Please take a seat.¡± Qiao Jinniang took Lu Xi¡¯s hand and asked Qiao Ruoyun in a low voice, ¡°Has Prince Wu got you the divorce letter?¡± Qiao Ruoyun nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It seems that he is quite capable. What do you think of him?¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Now I just want to take good care of myself. I don¡¯t want to worry about my future. Besides, he is Prince Wu, a prince¡­ I don¡¯t want to marry a man of high status anymore.¡± ¡°Hey, why do you belittle yourself?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe what Qin Shu said. Mom and Dad are nobler than anyone else in my heart. They are not slaves.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that, but I am a divorced woman, and it is difficult for me to have a child¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. She was different from Qiao Ruoyun, so she stopped persuading her. Chapter 252 - Zhou Shihui Was Awarded the Title of County Mistress Chapter 252: Zhou Shihui Was Awarded the Title of County Mistress Before Zhou Shihui returned to the Zhou family, she was brought back to Qingming Academy. President Xie of Qingming Academy said in a cold voice, ¡°Zhou Shihui, if you dare to claim to be a student of Qingming Academy again, Qingming Academy will never let you off. Come, post a bulletin that Zhou Shihui has been expelled from our school.¡± Since Qingming Academy was founded, no student had been expelled from the school. Zhou Shihui had always been proud of being a student of Qingming Academy, but now she had become a joke. After returning to the Zhou family, Zhou Shihui threw herself into Zhou Qinghe¡¯s arms. ¡°Mother, how could they bully me like that? You¡¯ve gotta help me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve become a joke in the academy¡­ boohoo.¡± Zhou Qinghe looked at her daughter, who had been separated from her for a long time, in distress. She felt very guilty towards her. She didn¡¯t take care of her when she was a child and let her be displaced for so many years. Zhou Sihui was sold into a juggling troupe when she was a child and suffered a lot. Later, she was sold into a brothel and almost became an underage prostitute. The brothel taught her to read and write, intending to give her to some rich or powerful man in Chang¡¯an as a gift when she grew up. After finding her daughter back, Zhou Qinghe had decided to try her best to make up for her. ¡°Hui¡¯er, I¡¯ll avenge you.¡± Zhou Qinghe narrowed her eyes. ¡°You can rest assured. Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going into the imperial palace now, asking His Majesty to make Princess Fulu apologize to you on her knees!¡± Zhou Shihui smiled through tears. ¡°Really?¡± Zhou Qinghe nodded and said, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ In Hanliang Palace. Lu Chen was discussing the matter of Prince Wu with Emperor Huilin. Emperor Huilin said to Lu Chen, ¡°The Duke Anyuan Mansion must not unite with Prince Wu through marriages. You can dote on your wife, but there should be a limit. Don¡¯t surrender the country of our Lu family to the Qiao family!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No one says Prince Wu is going to marry Qiao Ruoyun. What are you worried about, Father?¡± ¡°You should know the Qian family is not a normal noble family.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the current Prince Wu very loyal to you, Father?¡± Lu Chen asked. Emperor Huilin pondered and said, ¡°He has kept a low profile for so many years, and he has not married yet although he is already over 30 years old. But now he suddenly fell in love with Qiao Ruoyun at first sight. Isn¡¯t this suspicious? ¡°The Qiao family is too powerful. Aren¡¯t you afraid that they may rebel against you in the future? You can give the Qiao family honor, but you can¡¯t give all the military power to them!¡± Lu Chen frowned and said, ¡°Father, how many martyrs of the Qiao family died on the battlefield for our Lu family? If they know that you suspect them so much, how disappointed they will be!¡± Emperor Huilin said angrily, ¡°I have never suspected the Qiao family, and I know they are loyal to me, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can let them have all the military power. Do you understand?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Father, I¡¯m not Grandfather. I won¡¯t allow a woman to mess with state affairs.¡± Emperor Huilin sighed. ¡°Chen¡¯er, what matters for an emperor is to maintain balance. ¡°Now you can guarantee the loyalty of Duke Anyuan and Qiao Lu, but what about in the future? What about Qiao Lu¡¯s children? ¡°Do you want to leave the hidden dangers to Xi¡¯er?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Father, do you think Xi¡¯er is such a pushover that can be easily manipulated as a puppet? Have some faith in him.¡± Emperor Huilin didn¡¯t want to dwell on this topic anymore. Lu Chen always had a lot of fallacies. ¡°By the way, you and Qiao Jinniang have been married for a few months. You should think about taking concubines.¡± Lu Chen frowned. ¡°Father, didn¡¯t you agree to me not taking any concubines?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Emperor Huilin snorted. ¡°That¡¯s what you agreed with Qiao Jinniang, but I have never promised you this. Giving as much offspring as possible for the royal family is your duty.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the eldest miss of the Zhou family, Zhou Qinghe, wants to see you.¡± Eunuch Quan came over and reported. Emperor Huilin frowned and said, ¡°Let her in.¡± After Zhou Qinghe entered, she saluted Emperor Huilin respectfully. ¡°Your Majesty, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. It¡¯s been twenty years in the blink of an eye, but you¡¯re still so wise and majestic.¡± Emperor Huilin smiled and said, ¡°Get up. Although I didn¡¯t understand why you left Chang¡¯an in spite of your family¡¯s dissuasion back then, it¡¯s good that you are back now.¡± Zhou Qinghe glanced at Lu Chen, who was beside her, and said, ¡°In the blink of an eye, Chen¡¯er has become a grown-up. Your Majesty, have you seen my daughter?¡± ¡°Yes, she looks very like the Empress.¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Your daughter is very smart. You must have educated her well so that she could be admitted to Qingming Academy as a girl.¡± Zhou Qinghe just said, ¡°She is a poor kid. When she was three years old, she was separated from me because of the flood. She has suffered from all kinds of hardships, and was abused in a juggling troupe when she was a child. When I found her, she was in a brothel in Yangzhou¡­ ¡°Alas, I had been living a luxurious life when I was a child, but who would have known that my daughter had such a hard life?¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already found her back, there will be good days for you in the future.¡± Zhou Qinghe said helplessly, ¡°Good days? The Duke Wu Mansion is in decline. My brother is deprived of his nobility title. My sister-in-law is exiled to the frontier, and Siming has been decadent all day long. ¡°My sister-in-law can at least stay alive, but my poor niece¡­ ¡°I never expected that when I finally went back home, my family had broken up. And my poor mother is dying.¡± Lu Chen moved slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my grandmother?¡± ¡°Alas, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Zhou Qinghe sighed. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t left Chang¡¯an and stayed by my mother¡¯s side, I wouldn¡¯t have caused my daughter to suffer and watched my niece die. ¡°My poor daughter, everyone bullies her and even her fiance was stolen from her! ¡°Today, Shou¡¯an¡¯s daughter whipped her in public and made her covered in blood! ¡°I am really sad for my daughter. If people know that she has been in a juggling troupe before, I can¡¯t imagine how cruel those noble girls will laugh at her!¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°Fulu is spoiled indeed. As her uncle, I apologize in her place. ¡°As for Shihui, you don¡¯t have to worry about others looking down on her. I will issue an imperial decree to confer her with the title of county mistress, which is what she deserves.¡± Zhou Qinghe hurriedly knelt on the ground and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. Stay and have a few drinks with me today.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Qinghe responded. Lu Chen had thought that his father would call his mother over to drink and chat together as well, but he didn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t help but be a little curious. How was his father, who had never been close to another woman, so close to his aunt? Besides, why did he give Zhou Shihui the title of county mistress? In the previous dynasties, an emperor had once conferred his illegitimate daughter who grew up outside the imperial palace to be a county mistress¡­ Lin Mo followed Lu Chen out of the Hanliang Palace and suddenly asked Lu Chen, ¡°Is Zhou Shihui your sister, Your Royal Highness?¡± Lu Chen glared at Lin Mo. This shouldn¡¯t be the case. If she was, why didn¡¯t his father make her a county mistress until Zhou Qinghe came back? Chapter 253 - Zhou Qinghes Poems Chapter 253: Chapter 253 At the Qiao family¡¯s banquet, Qiao Jinniang had been used to being complimented by everyone. During the banquet, someone mentioned that the eldest daughter of the Zhou family had returned to Luoyang. Then the people began to talk about the Zhou sisters, who were very famous in Chang¡¯an twenty years ago. Twenty years ago, His Majesty had been on the throne for nearly ten years, but the Zhou family held nearly one-fifth of the military power of the country, which put the royal family on alert. At that time, the Zhou family was in their heyday. The two daughters of the Zhou family were as beautiful as immortals, and the matchmakers who came to propose marriage almost stepped flat the threshold of the Zhou family¡¯s door. But things changed when Imperial Concubine Zhou died of a serious illness. The Zhou sisters went into the imperial palace to express their condolences and met Emperor Huilin. Then less than a hundred days later, His Majesty said that he had found the candidate for his empress. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he had been urged by all the ministers to establish an empress, but he didn¡¯t for the next ten years. When His Majesty said that his empress would be the daughter of the Zhou family, everyone was shocked. What was even more puzzling to everyone was that the eldest daughter of the Zhou family left Chang¡¯an when her sister¡¯s wedding was approaching. ¡°There were rumors back then that Zhou Qinghe left Chang¡¯an that year because the one His Majesty took a fancy to was actually Zhou Qinghe, and it was Zhou Qinghe whom His Majesty loved and wanted to make his empress. ¡°But she loved freedom and didn¡¯t want to be restrained by the rules of the imperial palace, so she left Chang¡¯an. ¡°The Empress was actually Zhou Qinghe¡¯s substitute, and received Her Majesty¡¯s favor in Zhou Qinghe¡¯s place. ¡°Now that Zhou Qinghe is back, I¡¯m afraid there may be another State Lady!¡± In the past, there were emperors who conferred their mistresses the title of State Ladies, and their status equaled the empress. Listening to the ladies¡¯ conversation, Qiao Jinniang remembered that when she met Zhou Qinghe a few days ago, she said that the Empress stole her identity. Was what she said true? No, according to Emperor Huilin¡¯s ability, if he really loved Zhou Qinghe, he would have a hundred means to keep her by his side instead of pathetically using her sister as a substitute. Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t figure it out for the time being, and said coldly, ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t know where you heard this rumor, but you¡¯d better not spread rumors!¡± The ladies didn¡¯t expect to be heard by Qiao Jinniang and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, begging for mercy. Qiao Jinniang fined her for copying the scriptures a hundred times as a warning to others. After the banquet, Yuyan whispered in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°Your Highness, there is news from the palace that Her Majesty granted Zhou Shihui the title of County Mistress Yuquan.¡± Qiao Jinniang was puzzled. Why was she suddenly granted the title of county mistress? The Duke Wu Mansion had been deprived of their nobility title, so the title of county mistress must not have been requested by the Empress. But Zhou Shihui would probably be even more presumptuous with the title of County Mistress Yuquan. Qiao Jinniang returned to the East Palace and asked Lu Chen about it, ¡°Is the title of county mistress so cheap that a random person can get it?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why my father gave her this title, but he said that this was what she deserved¡­¡± ¡°I remember that you¡¯ve investigated Zhou Shihui, and her father was just a literati from Yinzhou?¡± Qiao Jinniang said with puzzlement, ¡°But I don¡¯t think the women of the Zhou family are willing to marry an ordinary scholar.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯ll have my men investigate it again. By the way, my secret guards have sent a letter from Yinzhou, saying that they¡¯ve found Nuomi¡¯s parents. Do you want them to come to Luoyang?¡± Qiao Jinniang: ¡°Are they in good health? If they can come to Luoyang, let them.¡± If they were not in good health, it would be impossible for them to travel all the way to Luoyang. But if possible, Qiao Jinniang wanted to see them in person. Even if they were Nuomi¡¯s biological parents, she wanted to check if they were good to Nuomi. If they didn¡¯t treat Nuomi well, then she wouldn¡¯t let them take Nuomi away. ¡°By the way, can you be sure that they are really Nuomi¡¯s parents? I don¡¯t want to let Nuomi down.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°They can tell the birthmark on Nuomi¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they register with the government to look for their missing daughter for so many years?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°According to the information found by my secret guards, the couple was rescued after being swept away by the flood. At that time, they could hardly make ends meet and had three other daughters and a son waiting to be fed, so they had no time nor energy to look for their daughter, Xiangxiang. ¡°Their family fled to Lingnan with the refugees. After they established themselves there, they thought about going back to find their daughter. ¡°However, Lingnan was too far away, and they didn¡¯t have enough money to go back to Yinzhou. ¡°This time they went back to Yinzhou because their son was about to get married, so they went home to worship their ancestors, and looked for their missing daughter Xiangxiang by the way.¡± Hearing this, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°What kind of parents are they? They could come back to Yinzhou for their son, but not for their daughter? It¡¯s better for Nuomi not to meet them.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang angry, Lu Chen comforted her. ¡°They must have their difficulties. I think you should ask Nuomi if she wants to meet them. After all, she has been looking for her family for all these years.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll call Nuomi over and ask her if she wants to meet her biological parents.¡± ¡­ When Fulu heard that Zhou Shihui was County Mistress Yuquan now, she frowned and asked Shou¡¯an, ¡°Mother, how could Zhou Shihui become a county mistress? Is she really the illegitimate daughter of Imperial Uncle? That¡¯s what everyone says!¡± Princess Shou¡¯an gently tapped Fulu¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? If your uncle heard what you said, he would scold you.¡± Fulu pouted and said, ¡°But now that she is a county mistress, she¡¯ll be on an equal footing with me. Then she will be able to provoke me every day and won¡¯t be put into jail!¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said, ¡°You can hide from her in the future.¡± Fulu snorted. ¡°Why should I avoid her? I must play lovey dovey with Qiao Lu right in front of her eyes and make her jealous to death!¡± Prince Consort Qin and Qian Yin happened to come over together, and they laughed when they heard Fulu¡¯s childish words. Fulu snorted. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m going to be disgusted to death by that woman. Why are you still laughing at me? Now that Zhou Shihui is a county mistress, she¡¯s only going to get worse.¡± Prince Consort Qin said to Fulu, ¡°If you feel disgusted, there is a way to prevent you from being disgusted. ¡°While your Uncle Qian is still in Luoyang, hurry up and get married. After you get married, Zhou Shihui can only give up!¡± Fulu said shyly, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s up to you, Dad.¡± While Fulu was shy, she didn¡¯t forget to wink at Princess Shou¡¯an. Princess Shou¡¯an smiled. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m going to the Qiao family to discuss your wedding date.¡± Then she turned to Qian Yin. ¡°Your Highness, do you need me to propose to Qiao Ruoyun for you by the way?¡± Qian Yin cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t make fun of me.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an laughed. ¡°Although Qiao Ruoyun is a divorced woman, there are many men who want to propose to her.¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°I had sworn to my mother before she died that I wouldn¡¯t get married until I found Xiangxiang!¡± Fulu said, ¡°Xiangxiang? Me?¡± Prince Consort Qin explained, ¡°Your Uncle Qian is talking about his niece, his elder brother¡¯s daughter, Xiangxiang, who was missing in the flood when she was 3 years old. Your Uncle Qian has searched all over Datang but can¡¯t find her.¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°Xiangxiang is a little younger than Fulu. There are so many people in the world that I don¡¯t know when I can find her¡­ I don¡¯t even know if she is still alive¡­¡± Chapter 254 - Zhou Qinghes Poems Chapter 254: His Majesty¡¯s Illegitimate Daughter Fulu really wanted to help, so she asked, ¡°Then what birthmarks does your niece have, like a mole or something? The world is so big. To find a person is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Why not announce it to the whole world and promise to give a heavy reward if anyone can find your niece for you.¡± Qian Yin sighed and said, ¡°I did, and many girls came to me, claiming to be my niece, but it turned out that they were all fakes, so doing that is only a waste of time. ¡°She does have birthmarks. There is a peach flower imprint on her wrist, a red mole between her eyebrows, and a scar on the back of her neck from playing when she was a child.¡± Fulu said, ¡°Since she has so many birthmarks, you will definitely be able to find her, Uncle Qian.¡± Qian Yin said in a low voice, ¡°I hope so.¡± Luoyang had more literati than Chang¡¯an, and several famous academies were all located in Luoyang. The grand Academy Conference was held in Luoyang, inviting schools from all over the world to exchange study or teaching experiences. The Academy Conference this time also invited court officials and Emperor Huilin, and Emperor Huilin ordered Lu Chen to attend the conference too, so Qiao Jinniang could rarely see Lu Chen in the daytime these days. In Luoyang, for a time, there arose a trend for poetry among the dignitaries and nobles. Whenever there was a banquet, people would play a game of poem making, and this trend even spread to the imperial palace. Various poetry meetings were held one after another, and Qiao Jinniang heard that in the poetry meetings, Zhou Shihui and Zhou Qinghe showed their great talent in poetry. Several of Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems were unprecedentedly good and instantly went viral. For a time, so many people rushed to copy her poems that it even caused a shortage of paper in Luoyang. Qiao Jinniang ordered Hongling to transcribe a few of her poems and read one of them. ¡°Last night the wind blew hard and the rain was fine, and a sound sleep hasn¡¯t ease my hangover yet. ¡°When I asked the maid who was rolling up the curtains, she answered, ¡°The crab-apple blossoms look the same.¡± ¡°I cried, ¡°Can¡¯t you see? Can¡¯t you see? ¡°The green leaves are fresh but the red flowers are fading!¡± This wasn¡¯t a neat eight-line poem that was popular today, but it was still a very good poem, and the beauty of rhythm amazed Qiao Jinniang. Even the most famous scholars of the time might not be able to make such a masterpiece. Three days before the Qixi Festival, Qiao Jinniang was called by the Empress to Xuanzheng Palace. Empress Zhou said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°The Qixi Festival is coming. This year, you can follow me and learn how to hold the ceremony for the Qixi Festival. Qixi is a festival for girls, so even the imperial maids are looking forward to it. ¡°In the Shanggong Bureau, there will be competitions among the imperial maids to thread needles, carve melons and fruits, and make Clever Fruits. ¡°There will also be such competitions outside the imperial palace. You can select the winners in my place and then give them some awards.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded happily. It was great that she could go out of the imperial palace to have some fun. Empress Zhou said, ¡°This year, many girls in Luoyang will come to compete, so you should maintain the balance between the girls from Chang¡¯an and those from Luoyang when you¡¯re choosing the winners.¡± Qiao Jinniang pursed her lips and said, ¡°Won¡¯t it be fraud?¡± Empress Zhou smiled and said, ¡°If the difference is obvious, you should be fair. But if the difference is not obvious and it¡¯s difficult to choose, remember to maintain the balance.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. When she was discussing how to hold the Qixi Festival competitions with Empress Zhou, Consort Huai Li Lingling came over to visit the Empress. Empress Zhou didn¡¯t like Li Lingling, but as her titular mother-in-law, she could not drive Li Lingling away, so she told the servants to let her in. Li Lingling walked up to Empress Zhou and saluted. ¡°Mother, please uphold justice for me!¡± Empress Zhou asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Noticing the gloating smile on Li Lingling¡¯s face, Qiao Jinniang knew this was definitely not Li Lingling¡¯s real purpose. If she was really wronged, she should go to the Empress Dowager, not the Empress. Li Lingling said, ¡°County Mistress Yuquan is really arrogant at the poetry meetings in Luoyang these days. Today I met her at the Haitang Poetry Meeting, but she made a poem to scold me. I¡¯m Consort Huai. How dare she disrespect me like that¡­¡± Empress Zhou said to Li Lingling, ¡°Why are you bothering me with this trivial matter? If she disrespects you, just punish her.¡± Li Lingling said, ¡°But County Mistress Yuquan is quite favored by Father. Rumor has it that County Mistress Yuquan is Father¡¯s illegitimate daughter¡­ How dare I punish her¡­¡± Empress Zhou frowned and said, ¡°Who is spreading this rumor? Consort Huai, you¡¯re a prince¡¯s consort and the daughter of Earl Cheng¡¯en. Why do you believe some gossip you heard?!¡± Li Lingling secretly smiled smugly. She came to complain to the Empress on purpose. Although everyone said that Zhou Shihui was His Majesty¡¯s illegitimate daughter, no one in the imperial palace dared to talk about it in front of the Empress. The Crown Prince was favored by the Emperor solely because the Empress was favored by the Emperor. If the Emperor no longer liked the Empress, Lu Chen would definitely lose the position of the Crown Prince. Besides, the Emperor had a daughter with the Empress¡¯ own sister! How could Empress Zhou stand such an insult? So the more harshly Empress Zhou reprimanded her, the happier Li Lingling was. This meant that this rumor was true! ¡°Mother, calm down, I heard it from others.¡± ¡°But others are not consorts. I will punish you for copying the Book of Rites a hundred times. You have to copy it yourself. You can¡¯t leave the Prince Huai Mansion until you finish copying it!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Li Lingling looked at Empress Zhou aggrievedly. Copy the Book of Rites a hundred times with her own hands?! How long would it take her?! Empress Zhou said, ¡°You can leave now.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Li Lingling left unwillingly. Fine, she would be waiting to see when the Empress would enter the cold palace! After Li Lingling left, Empress Zhou taught Qiao Jinniang how to award the winners of the competitions. Seeing that Empress Zhou¡¯s mood was not affected at all, Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡°Mother, they are all saying Zhou Shihui is Father¡¯s illegitimate daughter. Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± Empress Zhou chuckled. ¡°So you want to copy the Book of Rites?¡± Qiao Jinniang hurriedly shook her head and shut up. Empress Zhou said, ¡°I just found out who Zhou Shihui¡¯s father is. It concerns the reputation of an old friend of mine and my sister, so I can¡¯t speak out, but I can tell you she is not His Majesty¡¯s illegitimate daughter.¡± Qiao Jinniang still wanted to ask who that old friend was, but seeing that the Empress didn¡¯t want to talk about it, she cleverly shut up. When she returned to the East Palace, Lu Chen, Lin Mo, and Junior Duke Rong happened to return from outside. Lu Chen walked over and asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Didn¡¯t you complain it¡¯s too hot? Why did you go out today?¡± Qiao Jinniang replied. ¡°Mother asked me to select the winners of the three major competitions of the Qixi Festival. Why did you come back so early today?¡± Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°The Academy Conference is over today, so we could come back earlier.¡± Junior Duke Rong walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°What delicious food did you make today, Sister-in-Law? Myriad Taste hasn¡¯t opened yet, and my taste buds are dying.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s very hot in the kitchen in summer. If you want to eat delicious food, ask your cook to make it.¡± Junior Duke Rong snorted. ¡°If I can eat what they make, why do I have to come to beg Sister-in-Law? Besides, my parents are in a cold war because of Zhou Qinghe these days. Alas, I don¡¯t understand why my father is so stupid. He¡¯s already so old, but he still can¡¯t forget his old romance!¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°With Zhou Qinghe¡¯s talent, if she were twenty years younger, which literati in the world wouldn¡¯t be tempted by her? Tong Yingying was like a joke compared to Zhou Qinghe. No wonder Duke Rong is tempted by her.¡± Chapter 255 - Zhou Qinghes Poems Chapter 255: Zhou Qinghe¡¯s Poems Qiao Jinniang also commended. ¡°No matter what Zhou Qinghe¡¯s character is, her poems are superb, and I like her ¡®Partridges in the Sky¡¤Sweet-scented Osmanthus¡¯ the most. ¡°Faint yellow in color and delicate in shape, Osmanthus blossoms quietly and leaves people with an intoxicating aroma. ¡°Why should it have to be shallow green or dark red like those famous flowers? In my opinion, it¡¯s the best flower. ¡°Plum blossoms should be envious and chrysanthemums will be shy. In the gorgeous garden in the Mid-autumn Festival, Osmanthus pales all other flowers. ¡°Most people love plum and chrysanthemum, but no one praises the sweet-scented osmanthus in poetry. But the poem read that facing sweet-scented osmanthus, ¡®Plum blossoms should be envious and chrysanthemums will be shy¡¯. That¡¯s really awesome! How can ordinary people write such wonderful poems?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Now there is a bookstore in Luoyang compiling the collection of her poems. If you like it, I will have someone go to the bookstore to order one for you. Now it costs fifty taels of silver for each collection of her poems. You may not be able to get one until after the fall.¡± Qiao Jinniang was surprised. ¡°Fifty taels of silver? It shows how popular Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems are!¡± Junior Duke Rong said, ¡°Zhou Qinghe is really a special woman. She left Chang¡¯an 20 years ago, but when she came back, she became even more famous than before.¡± Soon it was the Qixi Festival. That night, the entire Luoyang was brightly lit, and girls all went to the streets. Qiao Jinniang went to Xuanwu Street with three princesses where there were three major competitions being held, one was threading needles, another was making Clever Fruits, and the third was carving melon lanterns. There were vendors peddling on both sides of the street. Fulu and Qiao Lu came to Xuanwu Street to watch the fun. Taking a fancy to a hairpin on a stall, she put it on her head and asked Qiao Lu with a smile, ¡°Does this hairpin look good on me?¡± Qiao Lu nodded and paid the money. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re so beautiful.¡± ¡°Zhou Qinghe is here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push me. Let me see Zhou Qinghe. I really like her poem ¡®Thoughts in a Boudoir¡¯.¡± ¡°I think ¡®Thoughts in a Boudoir¡¯ is too sad. I like that line of her poem ¡®Be man of men while you¡¯re alive, and soul of souls if you¡¯re dead¡¯ best. How can ordinary people come up with such a wonderful poem! Unfortunately, I am not a man. If I were, I would marry Zhou Qinghe.¡± For a time, all the women on Xuanwu Street rushed to see Zhou Qinghe. Seeing that even the hawker ran to see Zhou Qinghe, Fulu took off the hairpin on her head in anger and puffed out her cheeks like a squirrel in winter. ¡°She just wrote a few poems. Do they need to extol her like this?¡± Qiao Lu said, ¡°Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems are good indeed. Don¡¯t get angry. Let¡¯s go to my sister?¡± Fulu nodded and went to the location of the needle threading competition. The competition had already started. Whoever thread the most needles in the set time would be the winner. This was the easiest of the three competitions, so many girls came to participate in it. However, hearing that Zhou Qinghe was here, many girls put down the needles and threads in their hands and gave up the competition. Zhou Qinghe and Zhou Shihui got out of the sedan chair, and Zhou Qinghe said, ¡°Please continue your competition. Shihui hasn¡¯t seen the Qixi Festival in Luoyang before, so I brought her out to have some fun. Don¡¯t delay your competition because of me.¡± Princess Jinghua snorted and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°If she really doesn¡¯t want to delay the competition, why did she come at this time? Although her poems are good, I always feel that something is wrong.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked. Princess Jinghua said, ¡°This is not the place to talk about poetry. Are you free tomorrow? How about I go to the East Palace to talk with you about it, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m bored in the East Palace anyway,¡± Qiao Jinniang replied. The competition was over half an hour later, and the winner was the fifth daughter of the Wang family, the royal merchant in Luoyang. Qiao Jinniang commended her and awarded her a set of gold needlework tools. Miss Wang kowtowed and thanked her. Qiao Jinniang also awarded three gold needles to each of the participants, and everyone was very happy. After all, the reward from the imperial palace was precious. With the three gold needles, their sisters must be very envious of them. ¡°Miss Zhou, you¡¯re such a talented poet. It¡¯s so lively today. Can you make a poem?¡± A girl asked. Zhou Shihui also looked at Zhou Qinghe and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s the Qixi Festival today. Why don¡¯t you make a poem?¡± Zhou Qinghe paused for a moment and then blurted out, ¡°The crickets in grasses startle the parasol trees into dropping leaves, and an ancient sorrow fills Heaven and Earth, even the steps of clouds are strewn with hurdles on the Moon grounds. Although the boats go searching to and fro, they rarely meet among the stars a single soul. Only once in a year over the vast Starry River, the magpies gather on a bridge for the lovers, the Cowherd with his Weaver Girl, a moment together. The rest of the year they¡¯re apart from each other, as today, an endless struggle like the weather. Nothing stays, rain or wind, sunshine or pleasure¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard this poem, she couldn¡¯t help being amazed by Zhou Qinghe¡¯s talent again, but she felt that it was not very suitable for the occasion. The Qixi Festival came from the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. However, since in Datang, the Qixi Festival had always been a festival for girls, people would only mention the Weaver Girl but not the Cowherd. Besides, why did she write a poem full of melancholy and sadness when it was such a lively and cheerful festival? And how did she come up with the line ¡°the crickets in grasses startle the parasol trees into dropping leaves¡¯ on such an occasion? Shouldn¡¯t poems be inspired by emotion? Even if Zhou Qinghe had been separated from her husband for a long time due to the flood and she missed her husband during the Qixi Festival, the poem shouldn¡¯t start with ¡°the crickets in grasses startle the parasol trees into dropping leaves¡± anyway. It was not that she couldn¡¯t write cheerful poems. Qiao Jinniang still remembered the line of her poem ¡°Row the boat, row the boat! Startle a beach of gulls¡±. Many girls took down the poem Zhou Qinghe just made, silently reading with relish. Some girls even shed tears when they heard this poem. ¡°Alas, I cried for the beautiful love between Zhou Qinghe and her husband again! I hope the Weaver Girl can bless Zhou Qinghe to reunite with her husband soon.¡± ¡°There is always a man in Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems. She must love that man much, but I don¡¯t know where the man is gone?¡± Fulu said angrily, ¡°What a stupid poem! Although I don¡¯t know how to make poems, I know ¡°the crickets in grasses startle the parasol trees into dropping leaves¡± describes the scene in a silent night. But is it silent now? ¡°It¡¯s obviously very lively now!¡± As soon as Fulu said so, she immediately annoyed all the girls. ¡°This is obviously an excellent poem. Your Highness, don¡¯t comment on something you don¡¯t understand.¡± Zhou Shihui looked at Fulu smugly. Qiao Lu took Fulu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Although it is a good poem, it doesn¡¯t suit the occasion. What Princess Fulu said was not wrong.¡± Zhou Shihui frowned and said, ¡°Senior Brother, with your talent in literature, I think you know how good my mother¡¯s poem is. How can you help Princess Fulu and lie through your teeth?¡± Qiao Lu said, ¡°You have been driven out of Qingming Academy. Don¡¯t call me senior brother again!¡± Cold-shouldered by Qiao Lu, Zhou Shihui was very depressed. She remembered how well Senior Brother treated her before. Senior Brother must have been coerced by Fulu to be so cold to her. The crowd went to the place where the Clever Fruit competition was held. Clever Fruit should not only look good, but should also taste delicious, and although this was the case, there were still many girls who came to participate in it. Clever Fruit needed to be fried, so there were many oil cauldrons on the arena, which were full of hot bubbling oil. As soon as Qiao Jinniang arrived here, she heard a scream. It turned out that someone had knocked over a frying cauldron, and the hot oil sprinkled over a girl¡¯s face. This was no small matter, and Qiao Jinniang hurriedly asked the accompanying imperial doctor to treat the girl. This competition had to be halted. ¡°It was Mr. Xie¡¯s granddaughter who knocked the frying cauldron over!¡± Mr. Xie was the president of Qingming College and had students all over the country. His granddaughter, Xie Xiangxiang, was seventeen years old. With a red mole between her eyebrows, she looked quite pretty. This was the first time she came to the ceremony of the Qixi Festival. Scared, she kept retreating. When she saw Zhou Shihui, she hurriedly ran to her and took her hand, asking for her help, ¡°Sister Shihui, I didn¡¯t mean it. I just accidentally knocked the cauldron over.¡± Zhou Shihui gently flicked Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s hand away. ¡°But they all saw that you did it.¡± Zhou Shihui hated Xie Xiangxiang. She was not even a student of Qingming Academy, but she could play with Qiao Lu all the time. What annoyed Zhou Shihui even more was that she also had a red mole between the eyebrows just like Qiao Lu. Seeing this scene, Qian Yin who accompanied Princess Shou¡¯an and Prince Consort Qin to have fun in Xuanwu Street quickly went over and rolled up her sleeve regardless of etiquette. As expected, he saw a peach blossom-shaped birthmark on her wrist and he exclaimed, ¡°Xiangxiang!¡± Chapter 256 - Qian Yins Niece Is Dead Chapter 256: Qian Yin¡¯s Niece Is Dead When Xie Xiangxiang saw a burly man coming over, she shivered with fright. ¡°What, what are you going to do?¡± Zhou Qinghe who was casually watching the fun frowned when she saw Qian Yin. Why was he in Luoyang? And how could Xiangxiang still be alive? How did Qian Yin know about Xiangxiang? How could that b*tch¡¯s daughter be alive? She threw that child into the latrine herself! Zhou Qinghe clenched Zhou Shihui¡¯s hand. Zhou Shihui shouted in pain, ¡°Mother!¡± Only the cry did Zhou Qinghe relax her grip. Seeing Xie Xiangxiang panic, Qian Yin let go of his hand and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I am Qian Yin, Prince Wu. The mole between your eyebrows and the mark on your wrist show that you are my niece, Xiangxiang.¡± Xie Xiangxiang was a little puzzled, and when she was about to explain, a lady¡¯s voice came from the crowd. ¡°Ah, my daughter, who poured oil over my daughter?! My daughter is still so young! My daughter is the Crown Princess¡¯ cousin.¡± Qiao Jinniang, who didn¡¯t know she had such a cousin: ¡°¡­¡± The Qiao family had many relatives, but she didn¡¯t have many cousins. She knew them all, but she had never met this girl, not even this lady. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Who are you?¡± That lady, Mrs. Fu, hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Your Highness, please uphold justice for your cousin. I am the mistress of the Fu family, the sister-in-law of your second aunt.¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°I see. Madam, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll order the imperial doctors to do everything in their power to treat your daughter. It was just an accident.¡± Hearing her words, Mrs. Fu could only take her daughter down to receive treatment. And the Clever Fruit competition continued. Xie Xiangxiang broke free from Qian Yin¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Your Highness, my grandfather is President Xie of Qingming Academy. My parents have died since I was a child, and I have only one adoptive father. I am not your niece.¡± ¡°Yes, you are. I am not mistaken. I¡¯m going to Qingming Academy and ask Mr. Xie about your origin.¡± Qian Yin said eagerly. Zhou Qinghe¡¯s eyes narrowed. Xie Xiangxiang, Xiangxiang¡­ How come she never thought of it? Zhou Shihui asked Zhou Qinghe, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong with you? You look so pale. Shall we go back to rest?¡± Zhou Qinghe took a deep breath and said, ¡°Okay.¡± After the people dispersed, it was time for the melon lantern competition. Qiao Jinniang made one too. After all, last year, because Qiao Ruofeng jumped into the rivel, the competition was interrupted. ¡°The melon lantern made by the Crown Princess is the best. The Crown Princess should be the winner.¡± Consort Qi hurriedly flattered. The princesses and judges all echoed. Only one girl said, ¡°In previous years, Zhou Sisi was always the winner of the melon lantern competition. The melon lantern the Crown Princess made is just as good as Zhou Sisi¡¯s.¡± The other girls all squinted at her, thinking if you don¡¯t know how to flatter someone, just shut up! Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not a participant of the competition. We¡¯ll still have to choose a winner.¡± After picking the winner, Qiao Jinniang rewarded her, returned to the East Palace and changed clothes. Then she went out with Lu Chen again. Finally having a chance to leave the East Palace, she was going to have some fun tonight. Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I just heard that Qian Yin found his niece?¡± ¡°Well, that girl seems to be Mr. Xie¡¯s granddaughter.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°There are so many people on the street. Why don¡¯t we go to Qingming Academy to take a look?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded, ¡°Xie Xiangxiang and Nuomi look nothing alike. I wonder why Qian Yin would mistake Nuomi for his niece.¡± After the two got into the carriage, they heard the conversation of several girls from outside. ¡°Zhou Qinghe¡¯ poems are all about a woman¡¯s love for a man. The poems are really touching!¡± ¡°I do think the man is His Majesty. Her ¡®Thoughts in a Boudoir¡¯ read: ¡°In the lonely chambers, a heart of night silence labors the pieces of sorrow to countless strands. Blossoms are hurried to their fates by the rains. I cherish a Spring vanishing with her scents. Where¡¯s our spring joy, my heart¡¯s friend? Over and over the rails, till each day ends! Grasses will wither and weave the sky to land before my gaze abandons your road¡¯s end. This seems to describe the life of a woman in the imperial palace instead of an ordinary woman!¡± ¡°And her ¡®Pride of Fisherman¡¯ read ¡®: The firmament with a wave of cloud went through the fog of the dawn, and the dome of stars are turning as thousands of sails are dancing. Just like my soul went to the heavenly palace. You see, ¡®heavenly palace¡¯. It must be referring to the imperial palace!¡± ¡°Yes, I have the same feeling. I heard that Zhou Qinghe left Chang¡¯an back then because she didn¡¯t want to share His Majesty with other women, but she actually loved His Majesty!¡± ¡°It is said that His Majesty loves the Empress, but I think the Empress is just Zhou Qinghe¡¯s substitute. I guess Zhou Qinghe didn¡¯t expect that after she left Chang¡¯an, His Majesty really gave all his love to a woman who is very likely to be her substitute!¡± ¡°The position of the empress should belong to Zhou Qinghe. Now that she is back, her sister should return it to her! The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl have reunited today. I wonder when Zhou Qinghe can reunite with her cowherd.¡± In the carriage, a small lamp was dimly lit, and Qiao Jinniang saw that Lu Chen¡¯s face was all dark. Outside came the sounds of these girls¡¯ mothers angrily scolding them. ¡°How dare you say such nonsense?! Do you want your father to die because of you? I¡¯m gonna beat you to death, you darn girl!¡± ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not talking nonsense. Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems are full of her affections for His Majesty. Their love story is so beautiful!¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m gonna break your leg!¡± ¡°Even if you break my leg, I will still say that His Majesty deprived Duke Wu of his title because he spotted Zhou Shihui, who was the daughter of Zhou Qinghe and him, so he did that to force Zhou Qinghe to come out and see him!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what¡¯s written in novels!¡± ¡°I said shut up! Didn¡¯t you hear me?!¡± For a time, the girls on the street all dispersed like startled birds. Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Is what they said true?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°That¡¯s absolutely impossible.¡± Since he was a child, he had always seen how humble his wise and majestic father was in front of his mother. How could his mother be another woman¡¯s substitute? Besides, his mother would never tolerate that. Lu Chen knew how proud his mother was. When they arrived at Qingming Academy, it was already night, but the sound of reciting could still be heard. Many students gathered together and were writing poems about the magnificent scene they saw today. ¡°The moon tonight is like a jade plate, and every girl is holding needles and threads. The legend of Qixi is just the beautiful imagination of these women, because Heaven and Earth can not communicate. ¡°Far, far away, the Cowherd, Fair, fair, the Weaving Maid; Nimbly moves her slender white fingers, click-clack goes her weaving-loom. All day she weaves, yet her web is still not done. And her tears fall like rain.¡± ¡°Brother Cui, your poem is wonderful. I¡¯ve got one too. ¡®After the evening rain, light fragrance and wet dust remain. Cold turns the dew, and the breeze freshens the courtyard in view. In the water-clear sky, a hooklike moon hangs high. ¡°Hindered for long, the Weaving Maid sighs. Now she may go on a date, driving her winged wheels in flight. As far as she stretches her eyes, she sees fleecy clouds rise over the Silver River bright.¡± ¡°Brother Luo, your poem is excellent too.¡± When Qiao Jinniang listened to their poems, she felt that their poems suited the occasion tonight well. Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poem was undeniably excellent, but it was a bit strange. Qian Yinzheng took Xie Xiangxiang to find Mr. Xie, but when they heard that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had come to visit, Mr. Xie quickly invited them in. When Qiao Jinniang saw Qian Yin, she joked, ¡°You had been saying that Nuomi was your niece before, but Nuomi and Xie Xiangxiang don¡¯t look alike at all.¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°I was mistaken. Mr. Xie, the birthmark on your granddaughter is exactly the same as that on my niece. She was separated from her parents when she was a child.¡± Xie Daru sighed and said, ¡°Xiangxiang is and is not your niece at the same time.¡± Qian Yin asked curiously, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xie Daru said, ¡°Your niece was killed by your brother¡¯s enemy from the moment she was born, and your sister-in-law was so mournful that she wanted to die. ¡°It just so happened that at that time, my son had an illegitimate daughter, who was Xiangxiang. He didn¡¯t want his daughter to become an illegitimate daughter, so he gave her to your elder brother and sister-in-law as their daughter. ¡°My son lost his life in the Yinzhou flood, and before he died, he wanted Xiangxiang to return to the Xie family. ¡°Your brother and Xiangxiang were separated from your sister-in-law, so he first came to Luoyang with my son¡¯s corpse and Xiangxiang. ¡°Hearing that your sister-in-law had returned to the Qian Mansion and had gone crazy because she lost her daughter, he felt too ashamed to face his wife and parents because it was his fault that his daughter was killed. He thought it would be better if people thought he was dead, so he became a monk on Laojun Mountain¡­¡± When Qian Yin heard this, he cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you for telling me the truth. ¡°My poor mother was still missing her granddaughter the moment she died. Alas! The god of destiny really makes fools out of people.¡± Chapter 257 - Zhou Qinghe Stole Someone Elses Poems Chapter 257: Zhou Qinghe Stole Someone Else¡¯s Poems The Zhou Mansion. Zhou Qinghe returned to her room, tossed off a cup of tea, and clenched her hands. Zhou Shihui asked Zhou Qinghe in a low voice, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Zhou Qinghe took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Hui¡¯er, go back and take a rest.¡± Zhou Shihui kept looking back, somehow feeling that her mother didn¡¯t look right. Looking at the crescent moon in the sky, she couldn¡¯t help thinking, is Mother missing His Majesty in the imperial palace? Now everyone said that my mother should be the empress¡­ Then was her father really His Majesty? Zhou Shihui never believed that her father was that obscure literati from Yin County, but whenever she asked about her father¡¯s whereabouts, her mother didn¡¯t answer her. ¡­ It was July and the sun was scorching. If there were no ice cubes in the imperial palace, everyone would have been soaking in sweat. Not long after Qiao Jinniang woke up, she heard the imperial maids report that Princess Jinghua had come to visit her. She casually groomed and went outside. Princess Jinghua said, ¡°It¡¯s getting hotter and hotter. Luoyang is hotter than Chang¡¯an. If only there was rain to cool us off.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t know the summer in Luoyang would be so hot. Luckily, I already ordered the imperial maids to make mung bean porridge. Would you want some, Sister Jinghua?¡± Jinghua took the mung bean porridge handed over by an imperial maid and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Highness, I guess you¡¯ve found there is something wrong with Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems too, right?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Even Fulu has discovered it. Most poems are inspired by emotion and in accordance to the occasions the poets were on, but all her poems are sad.¡± Jinghua said, ¡°Exactly. Her poems are good, but full of doubtful points. Have you read her poem ¡®Spring In Peach Blossom Land¡¯?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded. ¡°Tired, I won¡¯t comb my hair, though it is late. Things are the same, but he¡¯s no more. Before I speak, how can my tears not pour? ¡°It¡¯s said at Twin Creek, spring is not yet gone. In a light boat I long to float thereon. But I¡¯m afraid the grief-o¡¯erladen boat upon Twin Creek can¡¯t keep afloat. ¡°The wording is concise and implicit, which shows Zhou Qinghe¡¯s skill in refining the words and making sentences. The beauty of the poem¡¯s artistic conception stuns me. Using a boat to carry grief, such an ingenious thought, and such artistic conception is simply amazing. ¡°I can empathize with the sadness of the poet through the beautiful lines. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that her poems are so popular all over the country.¡± Princess Jinghua said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a very beautiful poem, but there has never been a place called ¡®Twin Creek¡¯ in Luoyang. ¡°Besides, this poem was written by Zhou Qinghe five days ago when it was during the hot summer, but this poem is obviously describing a scene in spring. How could Zhou Qinghe write a poem about spring at the height of summer? ¡°The girls are all enchanted by this line ¡®Things are the same, but he¡¯s no more. Before I speak, how can my tears not pour¡¯ and didn¡¯t notice the suspicious part about the poem. ¡°And her ¡®A Twig Of Mume Blossoms¡¯ that was very popular among the women in Luoyang was written by her at a poetry meeting three days ago, when the lotus flowers were in full bloom. ¡°But look what she wrote, ¡®When autumn chills my mat, the fragrant lotus fades.¡¯ ¡°Similarly, she wrote ¡®Things are the same, but he¡¯s no more¡¯ in the poem ¡®Spring In Peach Blossom Land¡¯, yet in ¡®A Twig Of Mume Blossoms¡¯, she wrote ¡®I am longing for thee just as thou art for me¡¯. So does her lover love her or not? ¡°Let alone the strange part about her ¡®Thought in A Boudoir¡¯.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt what Jinghua said made sense. ¡°Yes, Sister Huang, but it¡¯s said that she wrote ¡®Things are the same, but he¡¯s no more¡¯ because she was disheartened when she returned to Chang¡¯an and found His Majesty had fallen in love with her substitute, the Empress. ¡°After she wrote this poem, His Majesty wrote to her, so she wrote the line ¡®I am longing for thee just as thou art for me¡¯, and the ¡®bower¡¯s gate¡¯ in this line ¡®When wild geese come, I¡¯ll wait at moonlit bower¡¯s gate¡¯ refers to the Ziwei City in the west of Luoyang.¡± Jinghua said, ¡°It may sound reasonable, but there are many inconsistencies in time and scenery. I feel that she may have stolen someone else¡¯s poems.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked straight into Jinghua¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Sister Huang, do you have a grudge with Zhou Qinghe?¡± Jinghua had never taken the initiative to cause trouble. The last time she fell from the horse was just to protect herself. After that accident, Jinghua had been living in seclusion at home. Fulu even said that even a god wouldn¡¯t be able to invite Jinghua to leave her Princess Mansion. This time, Princess Jinghua came to Luoyang from Chang¡¯an only after Zhou Qinghe showed up, but Jinghua and Zhou Qinghe shouldn¡¯t have any grudges. After all, when Zhou Qinghe left Chang¡¯an, Jinghua was probably just a baby. Jinghua smiled awkwardly. ¡°No, I just feel Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems seem to be ghostwritten. Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± As soon as Jinghua left, Lu Chen came in. ¡°What did Sister Jinghua come to you for?¡± Lu Chen asked. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Do you know if there is any grudge between her and Zhou Qinghe? I somehow feel that she seems to hate Zhou Qinghe.¡± Lu Chen thought for a while and said, ¡°Yes, Sister Jinghua¡¯s mother was a female official in the Shanggong Bureau, and she died not long after giving birth to Sister Jinghua, because she mistakenly ate the tonic soup that was supposed to be given to Zhou Qinghe at a palace banquet.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No wonder. After all, Sister Jinghua has never been nosy.¡± Lu Chen just said, ¡°Stay away from Sister Jinghua. You are not allowed to go to her princess mansion, remember?¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I go to her princess mansion, I won¡¯t take a second look at her gigolos.¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t believe Qiao Jinniang at all. He still remembered how her eyes were glued to those gigolos last time. Qiao Jinniang changed the subject and said, ¡°But I think what Sister Jinghua said somewhat makes sense. Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems seem to be ghostwritten.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If so, why is that person willing to do that? Doesn¡¯t he want to be famous himself?¡± Qiao Jinniang thought what Lu Chen said made sense. Those poems were classics like the Book of Songs, and should have been able to be passed down for thousands of years. No one would be willing to surrender such excellent poems to Zhou Qinghe and make Zhou Qinghe famous. The Luoyang branch of Myriad Taste was finally opened. Firecrackers were set off, all the dignitaries and officials came to attend the opening ceremony, and it was very lively. Permitted by the Empress, Qiao Jinniang took Lu Xi out of the imperial palace to the Myriad Taste. When Nuomi saw Qiao Jinniang from afar, she trotted over, and when she saw the guards beside Qiao Jinniang, she respectfully saluted her. Qiao Jinniang motioned the guards to leave, hugged Nuomi, and patted her head. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, little Nuomi.¡± ¡°Aunt Nuomi.¡± Lu Xi raised his head and called Nuomi. Nuomi said, ¡°Tuan¡¯er, you¡¯ve grown a little taller since the last time I saw you.¡± ¡°Aunt Nuomi has become more beautiful and Brother Huixiang has become more handsome since the last time I saw you,¡± Little Lu Xi said sweetly. In the distance, amidst the compliments of others, Zhou Qinghe and Zhou Shihui came to Myriad Taste to have fun. When Zhou Qinghe saw Nuomi, she frowned nervously. This girl looked so much like the man who betrayed her! Chapter 258 - Zhou Qinghes Past and Who Zhou Shihuis Father Was Chapter 258: Zhou Qinghe¡¯s Past and Who Zhou Shihui¡¯s Father Was Some nobles who came from Chang¡¯an were recommending to Zhou Qinghe the delicacies of Myriad Taste. Zhou Qinghe smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve tasted these dishes before. When I was in the South, I was the Crown Princess¡¯ teacher, so I could often visit Myriad Taste.¡± Zhou Qinghe walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t remember you the last time, but now seeing Myriad Taste, I remembered you. Is this your maid? I¡¯ve never seen her before. Who are her parents, and where is she from?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Ms. Zhou, she is Nuomi who was with me back then. It was just that she had hurt her face and had scars on her face back then. Now the scars have been healed but there¡¯s still a scar on her forehead.¡± Zhou Qinghe stared straight at Nuomi, thinking that maybe she thought too much. After all, Qian Yin had already recognized Xie Xiangxiang as his niece. Nuomi timidly hid behind Qiao Jinniang. She always remembered Zhou Qinghe. When she was nine years old, she met a woman on the street, who frantically took her hand and asked her where she came from. Seeing the murderous intent in her eyes, Nuomi bit the woman¡¯s hand and ran away only to run into a merchant¡¯s carriage and hurt her own face. Later she found that woman was Zhou Qinghe, so whenever she met Zhou Qinghe, she hid as far away as possible. Fortunately, Zhou Qinghe didn¡¯t notice her. The way Zhou Qinghe looked at her back then was exactly the same as how she looked at her today! Zhou Qinghe withdrew her gaze, thinking to herself, ¡®Even if that child survived and didn¡¯t die in the latrine, as the daughter of the former Prince Wu, she shouldn¡¯t have been a little maid in a restaurant.¡¯ Myriad Taste was very busy, and all the tables were occupied. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Xi went to the No.1 Private Room, where Fulu, Qiao Lu, Junior Duke Rong, Samo¡¯er, and Qiao Ruoyun were already dining. Seeing Qiao Ruoyun, Qiao Jinniang was a little surprised. ¡°Oh, you finally came out of the house, Ruoyun.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at Fulu helplessly. Fulu smiled and said, ¡°I brought her out to get some fresh air. It¡¯s not good for her to stay in the Duke Anyuan Mansion all the time. Oh, why hasn¡¯t Uncle Qian come yet? He knows how to get here, right?¡± Qiao Ruoyun: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang hoped that Qiao Ruoyun could find a good husband. She had some misunderstandings about Qian Yin before, but after knowing that he was really looking for his niece, Qiao Jinniang felt that Qian Yin was a reliable man. However, if Qiao Ruoyun married Qian Yin, she would have to go back to Lin¡¯an. Lin¡¯an was thousands of miles away, and Qiao Ruoyun was so weak. If she was abused in the Qian Mansion, it would be beyond Qiao Jinniang¡¯s reach. Qian Yin came late and cupped his hand, apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡± Fulu stood up and said, ¡°Uncle Qian, what were you doing? Sister Ruoyun has been waiting for you for a long time. You should finish three drinks as an apology. Nuomi, pour wine for Uncle Qian.¡± When Nuomi was pouring wine for Qian Yin, Samo¡¯er asked Junior Duke Rong, ¡°Are the two of them brothers and sisters? They look really alike.¡± Junior Duke Rong didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Alike? Nuomi¡¯s fair-skinned and delicately-featured, while Qian Yin is dark and burly. They are not alike at all. .¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°Nuomi looks like my brother. The first time I saw Nuomi, I thought she was my niece, but unfortunately, in the end,I found out that she was not.¡± After Nuomi had finished pouring the wine, she left to entertain other guests. Qiao Jinniang was thinking about what Samo¡¯er said. Indeed, the two of them looked alike, although most people didn¡¯t notice it due to the great difference in their figures. However, Nuomi¡¯s biological parents had already been found, and they were coming to Luoyang soon. This similarity was probably just a coincidence. After all, Mr. Xie said that Qian Yin¡¯s niece had been killed by his brother¡¯s enemy long ago. There were cheers from outside, and Qiao Jinniang guessed Zhou Qinghe must be writing poems again. Fulu snorted. ¡°Why do I meet Zhou Qinghe and Zhou Shihui everywhere? Hmph, I wouldn¡¯t have come if I knew they were coming.¡± Xiao Lu Xi put a piece of duck meat on Fulu¡¯s bowl and said, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be angry. Eat a piece of duck meat.¡± Fulu glanced at Qiao Lu and said, ¡°You are no match for your three-year-old nephew.¡± ¡°I¡¯m four years old!¡± Little Lu Xi stretched out four little fingers. ¡°You are only three years old,¡± Fulu said. ¡°You will be four in a month.¡± Little Lu Xi drooped his head and aggrievedly put the duck meat back into his bowl. Fulu: ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Lu laughed and said to Fulu, ¡°Just ignore Zhou Shihui. There is something wrong with her mind. We¡¯re going to be married soon, aren¡¯t we? ¡°Is the wedding date set?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked curiously, ¡°When is it?¡± ¡°In March next year. There are no good days this year,¡± Qiao Lu said, a little regretfully. Qiao Ruoyun said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Mom and Dad think it¡¯s better to hold the wedding banquet in Chang¡¯an, so the wedding date is set next year.¡± Listening to the noises outside, Fulu drank a few more cups of wine and took her maid to the restroom. When she came out of the restroom, she saw Zhou Shihui. She had been hiding from Zhou Shihui for a few days, but today she was unlucky. ¡°Fulu!¡± Fulu said to Zhou Shihui, ¡°What do you want to do? My wedding date with Qiao Lu has been set, and it will be in March of next year. Qiao Lu and I are already a sure-fire couple!¡± Zhou Shihui said, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel ashamed to force Senior Brother to marry you? You should have met Xie Xiangxiang at the Qixi Festival, right? She is the woman Senior Brother loves. Do you think Senior Brother is really referring you when he calls you ¡®Xiangxiang¡¯? No, he¡¯s calling Xie Xiangxiang!¡± ¡°Xie Xiangxiang is her father¡¯s only daughter, so she has to find a man to marry into her family. As the heir to Duke Anyuan, Senior Brother can¡¯t marry into her family, so you are just a substitute for Xie Xiangxiang!¡± Fulu sneered. ¡°You finally admit that Qiao Lu doesn¡¯t like you!¡± Zhou Shihui was reluctant to admit it. But she knew Fulu was a jealous woman. If Fulu messed with Xie Xiangxiang, Both Prince Wu and the entire Qingming Academy would be her enemy. She just needed to instigate Fulu to provoke Xiangxiang and then she would be able to see how Fulu was taught a lesson by everyone after bullying Xie Xiangxiang. Qiao Lu came over. When he saw Zhou Shihui standing in front of Fulu, he took Fulu into his arms and said, ¡°County Mistress Yuquan, leave my wife alone, okay?¡± Fulu looked up at Qiao Lu and said, ¡°Just now she told me that you like Xie Xiangxiang and call me Xiangxiang because you can¡¯t marry Xie Xiangxiang.¡± Qiao Lu said anxiously, ¡°The one I love is you, and I only love you. I don¡¯t have any special feelings for Xie Xiangxiang. I only love you.¡± It was the first time that Zhou Shihui heard Qiao Lu anxiously confess his love for Fulu, which made her unable to deceive herself anymore. She froze in place. When Zhou Qinghe saw this scene in the corridor, she couldn¡¯t help thinking of what happened eighteen years ago. Since her childhood, there seemed to be another person¡¯s memory in Zhou Qinghe¡¯s mind. Her parents thought that she was possessed and asked Taoist monks and Buddhist monks to help exorcize the ghosts, but it was all useless. When she grew up, Zhou Qinghe learned to coexist with the ¡°ghost¡± in her mind, and she found out that it was actually the memory of her previous life. In that memory, she was a student who died suddenly when she stayed up late writing a paper on the famous female poet, Li Qingzhao. When she woke up, she found she was in an era similar to the Tang Dynasty whose history she had learned in her previous life, but there were some differences. Since then, Zhou Qinghe felt that she was here to change this era. Unfortunately, she was only a student of Chinese language and literature in her previous life. The only thing she knew well was Li Qingzhao¡¯s poems. However, she met Emperor Huilin at her aunt¡¯s funeral and proposed some modern governance methods to Emperor Huilin. She greatly impressed Emperor Huilin, and Zhou Qinghe thought that just like all the heroines in the transmigration novels, she had gained the love of the Emperor. Zhou Qinghe fell for Emperor Huilin. She had once asked Emperor Huilin tentatively whether he was willing to love only her in his life. But Emperor Huilin didn¡¯t promise to dismiss his harem for her. At that time, Zhou Qinghe¡¯s previous-life memory made her unable to accept sharing her husband with many other women, let alone her husband¡¯s harem. Besides, the Empress Dowager hated her aunt to her guts. Even if she married into the imperial palace, she couldn¡¯t be the empress but only an imperial concubine. That was not what Zhou Qinghe wanted. Fortunately, every time she went to see Emperor Huilin, she pretended to be her sister Zhou Qingxiu and even wore a veil. Not long after, the Emperor suddenly announced that he was going to marry Zhou Qingxiu as his Empress, which shocked Zhou Qinghe. She didn¡¯t want to ruin her sister¡¯s life. Besides, their aunt forbade the girls of the Zhou family to marry into the imperial palace in her last words. Zhou Qingxiu wouldn¡¯t end up well if she married into the imperial palace. After all, she had to face her husband¡¯s countless concubines¡­ And the Empress Dowager hated the Zhou family¡­ Besides, the woman the Emperor loved was her, and Zhou Qingxiu was nothing but her substitute. But she didn¡¯t expect that Zhou Qingxiu would be willing to marry into the imperial palace as the Empress! Their mother, who had always doted on Zhou Qingxiu, was even willing to hand over the military talisman to let Zhou Qingxiu be the Empress. Zhou Qinghe regretted it so much that, for several times, she wanted to explain to Emperor Huilin that she was the one who was talking with him, not Zhou Qingxiu. But if she told the truth, Zhou Qingxiu might be executed for deceiving the Emperor, and not long after, Zhou Qingxiu was pregnant. Zhou Qinghe could only give up and leave Chang¡¯an, hoping to make a career outside and regain the military power of the Duke Wu Mansion. Zhou Qinghe toured the scenic spots and enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way. Two years later, in Yinzhou, she met a very handsome man. He was literally her dreamlover, and he was Qian Yi, Prince Wu at that time. Learning that Qian Yi, who was the rich and powerful Prince Wu, had not married yet and had no concubines. Zhou Qinghe had a big crush on him and even slept with him. However, when she was three months pregnant, she wanted to give Qian Yi a pleasant surprise. Only then did she know that although Qian Yi didn¡¯t get married, he already had a fiance. That woman was a singsong girl at Huai River, so his mother refused to accept her as her daughter-in-law. Qian Yi only came to Yinzhou from Lin¡¯an because he eloped to Yinzhou with that singsong girl! And that singsong girl was also pregnant and was already about to give birth. Qian Yi even told Zhou Qinghe that he wanted that singsong girl to give birth to a daughter for him and if she did, he would name that girl Xiangxiang¡­ After that, Zhou Qinghe got news from Chang¡¯an that Emperor Huilin loved Empress Zhou so much that his harem existed in name only. Zhou Qingxiu¡¯s son was designated as the Crown Prince as soon as he was born. In the following three years, the Emperor did not take any concubines or enter other concubines¡¯ palaces at all. Zhou Qinghe regretted it and hated Qian Yi, this scumbag, very much, so she forced Qian Yi to choose between her and the singsong girl. But Qian Yi felt that the singsong girl was vulnerable and helpless, and moreover, she was about to give birth, so he chose that singsong girl over her. She, the eldest daughter of Duke Wu, lost to a singsong girl! In order to get revenge on Qian Yi, Zhou Qinghe bribed the midwife of the singsong girl, stole her newborn daughter Xiangxiang, and threw her into a latrine! Qian Yi betrayed her first, so no one could blame her! Later, to cover up the fact that Zhou Shihui was an illegitimate daughter, she found a literati to marry, gave birth to Zhou Shihui, and decided to forget about Qian Yi. But then there was a flood in Yinzhou, which caused her to be separated from her daughter¡­ Now, eighteen years later, the scene of her daughter and Fulu competing for Qiao Lu was exactly the same as how she forced Qian Yi to choose between her and that singsong girl. Back then, Qian Yi chose a singsong girl, and now Qiao Lu chose an illiterate¡­ Chapter 259 - The Empress Dowager Wants Zhou Shihui to Be the Crown Princes Concubine Chapter 259: The Empress Dowager Wants Zhou Shihui to Be the Crown Prince¡¯s Concubine With tears in her eyes, Zhou Shihui clenched the handkerchief in her hand and turned to walk out of the restaurant. Running and sobbing, she said, ¡°He really likes Fulu, that illiterate! But she has nothing that can be compared to me!¡± She was also a county mistress. Why did her senior brother choose Fulu over her? Fulu couldn¡¯t even read! How could she be competent enough to be the next Duchess Anyuan? In the Guest-welcoming Building in the distance, Prince Huai looked into the distance and said to Zhou Siming standing next to him, ¡°I¡¯ve already tried every possible means to intercede with my father to spare Sisi¡¯s life. ¡°But you know, my father doesn¡¯t like me¡­¡± Zhou Siming said, ¡°Your Highness, Sisi will be executed after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Only you can save her now.¡± Prince Huai sighed and said, ¡°She is my wife, and I love her so much. How can I just sit by and watch her be killed? ¡°I am even willing to die in her place. If only I can exchange my life for hers.¡± Zhou Siming pursed his lips, frowned and said, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Prince Huai pointed to Zhou Shihui downstairs and said, ¡°Is that your cousin? But now everyone in Luoyang is saying that Shihui is actually my younger sister?¡± Zhou Siming said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know who my cousin¡¯s father is.¡± Prince Huai said, ¡°It¡¯s said that Zhou Qinghe is quite favored by my father, and Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems are very popular in Luoyang, and it will only be a matter of time for her to become famous all over the world.¡± ¡°The Empress doesn¡¯t want to help you rescue Zhou Sisi although she is your aunt, but your eldest aunt, Zhou Qinghe, may not be unwilling.¡± Zhou Siming sighed deeply. Now he could only pin his hopes on his eldest aunt. ¡­ The Mid-July Day was an important day in Taitang. On this day, the folk would celebrate the harvest and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. The royal family would offer sacrifices to their ancestors on Mid-July Day too. The Lu family had an ancestral temple in both Chang¡¯an and Luoyang, so they could offer sacrifices to their ancestors in Luoyang. The sacrificial ceremony would begin before dawn, and the members of the royal family would burn joss sticks one by one according to their seniority. Li Lingling, who had always liked to cause trouble, didn¡¯t even dare to make trouble on this day. Although Prince Huai was the Emperor¡¯s eldest son, he was not born by the Empress, so he was ranked after Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang. When Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen to burn the joss stick, the ashes of the joss stick fell on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand, which instantly turned red, causing a blister to be formed. After Lu Chen saw it, he looked at Qiao Jinniang worriedly. Qiao Jinniang shook her head with a smile, then hid her scalded hand in her sleeve, and took Lu Chen¡¯s hand with the other hand, signaling him that she was alright. Qiao Jinniang never believed in gods because she was burned by the ashes of the joss stick eight times out of ten whenever she offered sacrifices to the gods. If there were no joss sticks in the joss stick burner, it would be fine, but if it was already full of burning joss sticks, her hand would definitely be scalded. So she was very reluctant to go to the temple. Last time when she was offering sacrifices to the ancestors of the royal family on her wedding, there were only Lu Chen and her who were offering joss sticks, so she wasn¡¯t scalded. But today was different. Today, the Emperor and Empress offered the joss sticks first, and then it would be the old uncles and aunts before it was her turn. When it was Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang¡¯s turn, the joss stick burner was already filled with joss sticks. Qiao Jinniang was a bit scared, but she certainly couldn¡¯t just throw the joss stick in, so she was still scalded although she had been very careful. When Li Lingling saw this, she immediately shouted, ¡°Oh, the Crown Princess¡¯ hand is scalded. It must be our ancestors punishing her. They don¡¯t want to acknowledge this Crown Princess!¡± Lu Chen glanced at her coldly. ¡°The Crown Princess has already offered sacrifices to the ancestors of the Lu family at our wedding and nothing abnormal happened. How could you say our ancestors don¡¯t want to acknowledge her?¡± When Empress Zhou heard Li Lingling¡¯s words, she walked up to Qiao Jinniang, took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all red and swollen. Why didn¡¯t you tell us? Imperial doctor, quickly bring the scalding cream.¡± Qiao Jinniang was relieved that Empress Zhou didn¡¯t blame her and said, ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± A female imperial doctor quickly took egg yolk ointment to smear on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wound. Lu Chen took the egg yolk ointment from the doctor, applied it on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wound, and explained, ¡°Mother, she seldom goes to temples, so she isn¡¯t familiar with these rituals. There are so many joss sticks in the joss stick burner so it¡¯s inevitable that her hand was scalded.¡± Old Consort Gong came out and said, ¡°This joss stick burner is too small, and there are too many joss sticks in it. It¡¯s easy to get burned. I was often burned when I was young.¡± Li Lingling was extremely angry. Why was everyone so tolerant of Qiao Jinniang? The joss stick ashes burned her hand! According to folklore, didn¡¯t it signify that the ancestors did not want to accept Qiao Jinniang? Prince Huai cupped his hands and said, ¡°Father, Mother, I think this is a message from our ancestors. ¡°The Crown Prince has no son after he got married, but the Crown Princess refused to choose concubines for him and even threatened the suitable candidates to back off, so the ancestors punished her!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Prince Huai with a frown. Why would he care that Lu Chen didn¡¯t take any concubines? What was he up to? Hearing Prince Huai¡¯s words, Emperor Huilin, who never took Prince Huai¡¯s word seriously, said, ¡°What you said this time makes some sense.¡± Empress Zhou frowned and looked at Emperor Huilin in puzzle, but Emperor Huilin looked away. After the sacrificial ceremony. Empress Zhou and Emperor Huilin returned to Xuanzheng Palace. Empress Zhou asked Emperor Huilin, ¡°What do you mean by saying that, Your Majesty? Chen¡¯er has said that he would not take any concubines, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Emperor Huilin said helplessly, ¡°That¡¯s very irresponsible for him to say that. How can we just let him? ¡°He said that because Qiao Jinniang would not marry him if he didn¡¯t say that, but now Qiao Jinniang is already the Crown Princess. It won¡¯t matter even if he takes concubines. ¡°I don¡¯t believe Qiao Jinniang dares to divorce the Crown Prince! Even if she dares, the Qiao family will not allow her to do that.¡± Empress Zhou said angrily, ¡°So you think it¡¯s irresponsible not to take concubines? But you haven¡¯t taken any concubines after you married me. Aren¡¯t you irresponsible too? ¡°If you want to make Chen¡¯er take concubines and sow discord between Chen¡¯er and his wife, please demote me into the cold palace first so that I won¡¯t be troubled by the mess you made!¡± Emperor Huilin hurriedly begged for mercy. ¡°What are you talking about? How can I possibly intend to sow discord between Chen¡¯er and his wife? But don¡¯t you want to have a few more grandchildren?¡± Empress Zhou said, ¡°I don¡¯t want a grandchild who was born by a concubine. Your Majesty, you can just choose as many concubines as you want for Chen¡¯er, but don¡¯t step into my palace again. That¡¯s it.¡± Emperor Huilin: ¡°¡­Forget it, I won¡¯t meddle in Chen¡¯er¡¯s private affairs anymore. Whether he is willing to take a concubine or not, it has nothing to do with me.¡± It would not be worth it to lose his own beloved wife for this unfilial little white-eyed wolf who only had his wife in his eyes. In the East Palace. Little Lu Xi held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and blew at it carefully. ¡°Mother, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Qiao Jinniang patted little Lu Xi¡¯s head. With such an adorable son, why would she need other children? Lu Chen said with guilt, ¡°I am sorry I didn¡¯t arrange the joss stick burner in advance. It won¡¯t be like this next time.¡± ¡°Your Highness, Consort Qi and Consort Chu came to visit you. Do you want to see them?¡± ¡°Let them in,¡± Qiao Jinniang said. Lu Chen held Little Lu Xi¡¯s hand and said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°You entertain them, and I will take Xi¡¯er to study.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Consort Qi sighed and said, ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty said that His Royal Highness should take concubines. I wonder if His Majesty has candidates in mind already.¡± Consort Chu took the tea from an imperial maid and said, ¡°I just heard that Prince Huai ordered Li Lingling to ask the Empress Dowager to give Zhou Shihui to the Crown Prince as a concubine!¡± Hearing her words, Qiao Jinniang almost spat out the tea in her mouth. She swallowed the tea and coughed. ¡°Wh, what?¡± Concubine Qi also said in surprise: ¡°Isn¡¯t it rumored that Zhou Shihui is the illegitimate daughter of His Majesty? ¡°If she is, how can she be His Royal Highness¡¯ concubine?¡± Chapter 260 - : Youre His Majestys Daughter Chapter 260: You¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s Daughter Hearing what Consort Qi said, Qiao Jinniang finally figured out why Prince Huai wanted Lu Chen to take a concubine. No matter how widely the rumor was circulated, no one in the imperial palace talked about the rumor. No matter how bold Li Lingling was, she didn¡¯t dare to say this to Emperor Huilin when Emperor Huilin had not yet acknowledged Zhou Shihui¡¯s identity. Prince Huai asked Li Lingling to ask the Empress Dowager to give Zhou Shihui to the Crown Prince as a concubine. If Zhou Shihui was really Emperor Huilin¡¯s daughter, he would definitely tell the truth and admit that Zhou Shihui was his own daughter. Then the Empress and her sister would inevitably fight against each other. In the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. After listening to Li Lingling¡¯s proposal, the Empress Dowager said, ¡°The Empress has never respected me. Now she will have her retribution, which will be brought to her by her own sister. Okay, I¡¯ll talk about this to His Majesty.¡± Li Lingling smiled smugly. The Empress Dowager arrived at the Hanliang Palace and waited for about half an hour before His Majesty returned from the Xuanzheng Palace. The Empress Dowager said with a frown, ¡°I heard that the Crown Princess¡¯s hand was scalded by the joss stick ashes when she was offering joss sticks to the ancestors of the Lu family today?¡± Emperor Huilin said, ¡°The joss stick burner was full of joss sticks, and the Crown Princess was not the only one who was scalded.¡± The Empress Dowager picked a cup of tea and said, ¡°This is not a trivial matter. What Prince Huai said is right. It¡¯s inappropriate that the Crown Prince doesn¡¯t have any concubines. ¡°Zhou Qinghe is now famous all over the world, and her daughter County Mistress Yuquan inherited her talent. I think it¡¯s very suitable for County Mistress Yuquan to be the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine.¡± Emperor Huilin frowned and said, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. County Mistress Yuquan will not marry into the East Palace.¡± The Empress Dowager put the teacup on the wooden table angrily. ¡°Chen¡¯er is my grandson. How can I have no say in this matter?¡± ¡°Really?¡± said Emperor Huilin, ¡°Which grandmother in the world would try to kill her own grandson over and over again?¡± ¡°I never mention it because I think it was not easy for you to bring me up alone. The Crown Prince is also filial to you and has always been tolerant of what you have done, but as for his private affairs, don¡¯t even think about meddling in them.¡± With her real intentions exposed, the Empress Dowager could only leave the Hanliang Palace huffily. Waiting outside the Hanliang Palace, Li Lingling came up and asked the Empress Dowager, ¡°Grandmother, what did Father say? Has he agreed?¡± The Empress Dowager said, ¡°No, don¡¯t bother me with the Crown Prince¡¯s private affairs anymore!¡± Li Lingling stood on the spot and pondered. The Emperor refused? Maybe Zhou Shihui was really his daughter? The Empress fined her to be grounded and copy the Book of Rites a hundred times, and her fingers were about to break. Now it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t take long for the Empress to fall from favor, and then she would make the Empress do the same! However, she didn¡¯t expect Zhou Shihui really to be the Emperor¡¯s daughter. Li Lingling thought that since Zhou Shihui hated Fulu and the Crown Princess so much that if she befriended Zhou Shihui, she would be able to use Zhou Shihui against Qiao Jinniang and Fulu. Besides, Zhou Qinghe only had a daughter and was already unable to have another child at her age. If she got on good terms with Zhou Shihui, the Emperor would probably look at Prince Huai in a different light because of Zhou Qinghe. Receiving an invitation from Li Lingling, Zhou Shihui didn¡¯t quite want to go to Prince Huai Mansion, but thinking that Li Lingling didn¡¯t get along with Fulu, she went to Prince Huai Mansion in the end. At the door of the Prince Huai Mansion, Li Lingling greeted Zhou Shihui enthusiastically. ¡°Sister.¡± Zhou Shihui saluted. ¡°Consort Huai.¡± Li Lingling patted Zhou Shihui¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so beautiful, much more beautiful than Fulu. Young Master Qiao must be blind.¡± Zhou Shihui¡¯s eyes were slightly sad. Li Lingling said purposely, ¡°But Qiao Lu has no choice. After all, the Empress Dowager doesn¡¯t like the Crown Prince, and Fulu is the Empress Dowager¡¯s favorite granddaughter. ¡°The Crown Prince must want to win over the Empress Dowager via Princess Shou¡¯an. Qiao Lu definitely married Fulu just to win over Princess Shou¡¯an and the Empress Dowager!¡± Zhou Shihui felt what Li Lingling said made sense. ¡°The Crown Princess actually sacrificed her own brother¡¯s happiness in order to strengthen the Crown Prince¡¯s power. That¡¯s too selfish.¡± Li Lingling chuckled. ¡°But the Crown Princess doesn¡¯t know that she mistakenly mistook a fisheye for a pearl and a pearl for a fisheye. She doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s most beloved biological daughter. How can his niece be as important as his daughter?¡± Zhou Shihui said, ¡°Consort Huai, don¡¯t kid. Pretending to be a royal family member will only result in you being beheaded.¡± Li Lingling smiled. ¡°Since I call you Sister, it means that I¡¯ve already confirmed your identity.¡± Emperor Huilin had already said on the altar that what Prince Huai said made sense, but when the Empress Dowager wanted to give Zhou Shihui to the Crown Prince as a concubine, he refused. And given the fact that no one from the imperial palace had ever tried to stop the rumor, it was no doubt that Zhou Shihui was the Emperor¡¯s daughter. Zhou Shihui said in shock, ¡°So I¡¯m really His Majesty¡¯s daughter? Then my mother¡­¡± Li Lingling said, ¡°Your mother and His Majesty¡¯s love can be sensed from her poems, which moved a lot of people. ¡°But the Empress stole what was supposed to belong to your mother and threw the Zhou family aside. Zhou Sisi is about to be executed but she hasn¡¯t tried to save her at all. If I were you, I would definitely have done something for my mother. ¡°Your parents were separated, and a substitute occupied the position of empress that should have belonged to your mother. You should be the only direct descendant of the Emperor, not the Crown Prince! ¡°If it were me, I would never endure it! ¡± The more Zhou Shihui listened, the more annoyed she became. Li Lingling was absolutely right. If her mother could become the empress, she would be a princess. Then, Fulu would have to salute her whenever she saw her. Zhou Shihui held Li Lingling¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, can you help me? If you help me, when my mother becomes the empress, I will definitely persuade my mother to help the eldest brother.¡± Li Lingling smiled and said, ¡°You are my sister, so Prince Huai and I will surely help you. Besides, I can¡¯t bear to see a pair of lovers be separated.¡± Getting Li Lingling¡¯s guarantee, Zhou Shihui left Prince Huai Mansion satisfied. Li Lingling went to the front yard, only to see that Prince Huai was holding his ¡°adopted son¡± in his arms, and she became furious. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m working hard for you, but you are fondling this bastard child?¡± Prince Huai really loved this child and didn¡¯t even allow her to touch him. He must be a bastard child born by some little slut for him. Prince Huai gave the child to the wet nurse and said, ¡°Have you discussed it with Zhou Shihui?¡± Li Lingling nodded and said, ¡°Not only that, Zhou Shihui also promised me that once her mother became the empress, she would help you become the crown prince. ¡°Lu Chen is so favored by the Emperor all because of the Empress. Once the Empress is evicted to the cold palace, he can¡¯t be the Crown Prince anymore.¡± Prince Huai smiled. Lu Chen took advantage of his absence to demote his woman, Mu Qianqian, to an official prostitute. He didn¡¯t expect Lu Chen¡¯s retribution to come so quickly! Chapter 261 - the Empress Dowager’s thoughts Chapter 261: Chapter 261, the Empress Dowager¡¯s thoughts In the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. After the empress dowager was exposed by Emperor Hui Lin, she could not eat. Her sense of taste had not worked since she was not favored. Once she had something troubling her, it would taste like wax. Ever since Lu Chen was born, the Empress Dowager had not liked the empress. She had even tampered with Empress Zhou several times when she was pregnant. If not for her niece Noble Consort Li protecting the empress everywhere, Lu Chen would not have lived to this day. Many times, the empress dowager had thought that the emperor had not been able to track her down because the emperor could not find out. Hearing what the Hui Lin Emperor had said today, the empress dowager finally understood. It turned out that the Hui Lin Emperor had always known about her tampering, and so did Lu Chen. A confidant at the side said, ¡°Empress dowager, the Emperor has always been filial. By saying this, he is not pursuing the past. I think the crown prince is also filial. Why does the empress have to take it to heart? ¡°Right now, you are the most honorable woman in all of Datang. You should be more relieved.¡± The empress dowager said, ¡°Originally, I just didn¡¯t want the bloodline of the Zhou family to become the future emperor. Now, I can¡¯t keep the Crown Prince Anymore!¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± The confidant sighed. The empress dowager was already so old. Why was there a need for this? The empress dowager said, ¡°How can the crown prince be so filial? Now that His Majesty is suppressing him, what about the future? He may not not hate the AI family. ¡°If after he ascends the throne, he bestows that slut, concubine Zhou, as the late empress, I won¡¯t be able to live in peace even underground!¡± At the side, imperial chef Li took out the powder made from rice sacks and fruits, lit it, and said, ¡°What the Empress Dowager said is reasonable. Your Majesty, at this moment, there are rumors outside that Zhou Shihui is the Emperor¡¯s daughter. The empress dowager can also use this to let the Emperor and empress contend. ¡°Empress dowager, if you help Zhou Qinghe, then in the future, won¡¯t Zhou Qinghe also help King Huai when he enters the palace?¡± Hearing this, the empress dowager said, ¡°Zhou Qinghe is also that B * Tch¡¯s niece. However, on account of being able to let King Huai seize the throne, I will help her this time!¡± The empress dowager took a puff of the rice sack flower fruit cigarette and instantly felt a little better! .. After Zhou Qing and he became famous, he was always chased by people wherever he went. Now, he was even called into the palace by the Empress Dowager every day. Yu Yan asked for news outside and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Everyone in the palace said that the Empress Dowager also wants Zhou Qing and him to enter the palace. The reason why she hasn¡¯t been rewarded is that His Majesty doesn¡¯t want to let Zhou Qing and he down¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Lu Chen came from outside the hall and scolded Yu Yan when he heard her blabbering. Yu Yan knelt down repeatedly. ¡°This servant knows her mistake.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°Why are you scaring my servant girl? You can leave first.¡± Yu Yan and the other palace maids quickly left. Lu Chen walked to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s side and sat down. ¡°As the crown prince¡¯s consort, palace maids are not allowed to stir up trouble in the palace.¡± ¡°Yuyan won¡¯t gossip. She just told me the rumors outside,¡±Lady Qiao defended Yuyan and said, ¡°Stop scaring my palace maids in the future.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Glutinous Rice¡¯s parents will arrive this afternoon. Do you want to go out and take a look?¡± Lady Qiao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Of course I want to take a look. After all, they haven¡¯t come back for years to look for glutinous rice. It¡¯s extremely irresponsible for them to not come back until their son gets married.¡± Lu Chen took the ointment from the side and gently applied it on the burn on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Then, in a while, change into a set of inner servant¡¯s clothes and go out with me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡±Qiao jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Right, Zhou Qing and his father have been going to the empress dowager¡¯s place every day. are mother and father really not going to explain?¡± By now, the entire Luoyang was almost certain that Zhou Shihui was the princess. Lu Chen said, ¡°Zhou Shihui¡¯s biological father¡¯s identity is a little troublesome, so father allowed the rumors to spread.¡± Qiao Jinniang was even more curious. ¡°Who is her biological father? Why would father rather this rumor spread among the people than explain it?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Curiosity kills the cat. It¡¯s better that you don¡¯t know. It¡¯s related to the reputation of an important figure in great Tang.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Whose reputation is more important than father¡¯s? Just tell me. I can definitely keep the secret. Other than you, I have no one else to tell.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen with a deep thirst for knowledge. Lu Chen said, ¡°Take a break for lunch first. When you wake up, I will bring you to the outside of the palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang wrapped her hands around Lu Chen¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°Good brother, just tell me. I swear that I will never tell anyone.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you this because I have a guess in my heart. I¡¯ll think about whether to tell you after I¡¯m sure.¡± Qiao Jinniang became even more curious when she heard this. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t even be able to sleep during my lunch break. I beg you.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll know one day. Go and see Glutinous Rice¡¯s parents first.¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted, she glared at Lu Chen and said, ¡°As expected of the high and mighty crown prince. In the past, you told me everything in Lin ¡®an, but now you¡¯re not willing to tell me anything. I was originally locked in the East Palace, and you still don¡¯t allow me to know the secret¡­¡± After saying that, Qiao Jinniang took the blanket from the side and covered her entire head. Lu Chen sighed. ¡°Be careful not to suffocate. Then you have to promise that after I tell you, you are not to act Rashly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±Qiao Jinniang sat up and looked at Lu Chen with great interest. Lu Chen said, ¡°Zhou Shihui¡¯s biological father is Qian Yin¡¯s brother, Qian Yi. After Qian Yi became a monk on Laojun Mountain, he became the abbot of Laojun Temple. The abbot of Laojun temple has always been the grand tutor of Great Tang.¡± Qiao Jinniang heard this and said, ¡°So the niece that Qian Yin is looking for is Zhou Shihui? That¡¯s not right. He has seen Zhou Shihui before, but he didn¡¯t recognize her as his niece. Instead, he thinks that Xie Xiangxiang is his niece?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Qian Yin only knows that Xiangxiang is his niece, but he doesn¡¯t know that Zhou Qinghe was also pregnant with his elder brother¡¯s child. Back then, Qian Yi fell in love with a singing girl by the Huai River. The old princess didn¡¯t agree, so he eloped with the singing girl to Yinzhou. After the singing girl became pregnant, Qian Yi began to have a headache over his identity as an unborn child. Coincidentally, he met Zhou Qing he at that time. Zhou Qing he fell in love with him at first sight and confided in him. He even told him about Zhou Qing he¡¯s identity. Qian Yi wanted to marry Zhou Qing and become his wife so that the singing girl could follow him back to the Wu royal residence as a concubine. He did not have to let the child be born without a name and cause ridicule. ¡°But who knew that Zhou Qing and the singing girl were unwilling to share a husband with the singing girl, forcing Qian Yi to choose one. Qian Yi naturally couldn¡¯t give up on the weak singing girl, abandoning Zhou Qing and¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang heard this and cursed, ¡°This Qian Yi is really a scum. Zhou Qing and have also met a bad person.. ¡°No, that day, I went to Qingming Academy with you. I heard Xie Shanchang say that Qian Yi met an enemy and killed his daughter. ¡°That enemy was Zhou Qing he?¡± Lu Chen nodded lightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Zhou Qing he met a scumbag man, and he was indeed pitiful. But what enmity did that child have with her? If he wanted revenge, why didn¡¯t he go after Qian Yi. ¡°Bullying a newborn baby, what kind of ability is that?¡± Qiao Jinniang cursed indignantly. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°SA Mo¡¯er once said that glutinous rice looked similar to Qian Yin. Qian Yin also identified glutinous rice as his niece at a glance. Do you think it¡¯s possible that the baby didn¡¯t die back then? is it glutinous rice?¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262: Chapter 262. Glutinous rice was adopted Lu Chen nodded slightly. ¡°This possibility is not small.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°If glutinous rice is really the baby that Zhou Qing and he harmed, then what if Zhou Qing and he knew about glutinous Rice¡¯s identity? ¡°That¡¯s not right. If it really is glutinous rice, i definitely won¡¯t let Zhou Qing and he off.¡± Zhou Qing and he could have been ruthless back then, let alone now. Knowing that glutinous rice was still alive, how could she not kill him? She had long been in conflict with Zhou Qing because of Zhou Sisi and Zhou Shihui. It was really Zhou Qing and she had to strike first. Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°I was afraid that you would be impulsive, so I didn¡¯t want to tell you about this. These are just our guesses.¡± Qiao Jinniang got up and said, ¡°Yes, we have to go and see Glutinous Rice¡¯s parents first.¡± .. The early autumn sun was as scorching as ever. A group of people dressed like ordinary farmers entered marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. The group of people were dumbstruck as if they had entered a fairyland. Qiao Jinniang and glutinous rice were already waiting in the courtyard. Glutinous rice had asked Qiao jinniang several times if her clothes were okay. Qiao jinniang smiled at glutinous rice. ¡°You look very good.¡± ¡°Xiangxiang!¡±Two old men with white hair staggered over. Trembling, the woman saw the birthmark on the back of glutinous Rice¡¯s neck and said, ¡°Xiangxiang, you¡¯re really alive. That¡¯s great, that¡¯s Great!¡± ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t Huang Daxian in the village say that my younger sister will have good fortune if she doesn¡¯t die?¡±A capable young woman said. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t cry.¡± After glutinous rice looked at Lady Qiao Jin, she went to pay her respects and said, ¡°Father, mother, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m happy that I can find my biological parents.¡± The peasant woman trembled as she took out a jade pendant from her bosom and said, ¡°Xiangxiang, actually, we¡¯re not your biological parents either.¡± Glutinous rice said in shock, ¡°But¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at the jade pendant from the side and felt that it was very familiar. The peasant woman said, ¡°Back then, when your father and I were working in the fields, your eldest sister went to the latrine pit and heard your cries. When we rushed over, we saw you under the latrine pit and we quickly rescued you. ¡°At that time, it was fortunate that someone in the village had boiled hot water so that you wouldn¡¯t freeze to death at that time. ¡°Your father and I had never been able to have a man. Huang Daxian in the village said that we weren¡¯t lucky enough and let us support you. ¡°At that time, we thought that we wouldn¡¯t leave you behind even if we had a bite to eat. However, who knew that a disaster would force us to separate. ¡°After escaping for our lives, we forgot to give you this jade pendant. This jade pendant was found in your swaddling clothes when we met you. There was a joss word carved on it, so we named You Joss.¡± Glutinous rice held the jade pendant and knelt down. ¡°No matter what, you have saved my life. Glutinous rice will definitely repay your kindness.¡± The peasant woman said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alive. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alive. As long as you¡¯re not inhumane, seeing how you were born at that time, it¡¯s impossible not to save you. ¡°I don¡¯t know which God damned person threw you in there. Back then, Li Zheng said that the swaddling clothes on your body were all high-class Yun Jin. I¡¯m afraid that you were thrown away by your family in order to protect your reputation. He advised us not to report it to the government. Later, because of the flood, we were separated from you for so long. I don¡¯t know if you can still find your family now!¡± Qiao Jinniang heard that it was glutinous rice that she found in the latrine pit in winter and was extremely angry. She said to glutinous rice, ¡°Let me see the Jade Pendant.¡± The glutinous rice handed the jade pendant to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang thought about the place where the jade pendant had once fallen. She wrapped the jade pendant with a handkerchief before examining it carefully: ¡°I seem to have seen a piece of this jade on Fu Lu¡¯s waist.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°That¡¯s right. When I was being hunted down that day, Princess Fu Lu gave me her jade pendant. It¡¯s similar to this jade pendant. The carvings on the back seem to be the same.¡± Qiao Jin Niang glanced at Lu Chen and exchanged glances with him, confirming their suspicions in the Eastern Palace. Qiao Jin Niang returned the jade pendant to glutinous rice and said, ¡°Glutinous rice, hide this jade pendant well and keep it a secret. I¡¯ll help you find your biological parents.¡± Glutinous rice hid the jade pendant and nodded gently, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Qiao jinniang gave glutinous Rice¡¯s adoptive parents another sum of silver and promised them a large fishing boat that could go out to sea, telling them not to make a fuss about this matter. Glutinous Rice¡¯s adoptive mother thanked her profusely. ¡°Of course, of course. Although we don¡¯t know what happened. But I think that someone who is so crazy as to throw a baby into a latrine pit must not be a good person. We will keep glutinous Rice¡¯s identity a secret from the outside world.¡± Glutinous rice sent the adoptive parents to an inn to rest. Qiao Jinniang clenched her fists in the carriage that was returning to the palace: ¡°Zhou Qinghe has gone too far. Throwing a child into the latrine pit in the winter, he wants the child to be drowned alive by the filth and freeze to death!¡± Thinking about it, Qiao Jinniang felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. Glutinous rice was lucky to have met all the kind-hearted villagers. If she was unlucky, no one would have found out that there was a child in the latrine pit. Moreover, not everyone could be selfless enough to jump into the latrine pit to save someone. Lu Chen patted Qiao Jinniang on the back and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, but don¡¯t act rashly on this matter. Zhou Qing and Tong Yingying were different. Tong Yingying was just an empty title. And you¡¯ve seen how much Zhou Qing and now are admired by the people. The past is too long ago, and you can¡¯t testify that the person who threw away sticky rice back then was Zhou Qing and. At this moment, Zhou Qing and is in the limelight. If we take revenge rashly, we might even be backfired by her supporters.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go to mother¡¯s side first and tell her about this matter.¡± Zhou Qing he was Empress Zhou¡¯s biological sister after all. If Empress Zhou really wanted to protect Zhou Qing he, Qiao Jinniang would still take revenge for glutinous rice, but she had to hide it from Empress Zhou. However, Qiao Jinniang thought that Empress Zhou should be able to distinguish between public and private matters. .. In the administrative hall. Zhou Qing he wore this purple palace dress and sat beside Empress Zhou: ¡°Sister, the Ministry of Justice has already set a date for the execution of Sisi. Do you really wish for His Majesty to Know the truth of the past rather than to save Sisi?¡± Empress Zhou asked, ¡°What truth of the past?¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°You clearly know that His Majesty initially took a liking to my talent and my knowledge! The person his majesty likes to have a successor is also me. His Majesty only mistook you for me back then. ¡°Do you think that if I told his majesty about the past, His Majesty would still favor you?¡± ¡°If His Majesty knew that his favor over the past twenty years had been doting on the wrong person, what do you think he would do?¡± Empress Zhou poured a glass of water for Zhou Qing and said, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t save Sisi, but Sisi committed a human life. She had clearly returned to normal, but she still pretended to be dumb and hurt people through stupidity. I saved her this time, but what about in the future? Let her pretend to be stupid and hurt others again? Aren¡¯t other people¡¯s lives innocent?¡± Zhou Qing and threatened, ¡°Then don¡¯t blame me for not caring about our sisterly relationship. His Majesty knows that he has been deceived by you for twenty years. I believe you can¡¯t keep your position as the empress, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to worry about whether mother can keep her position as the Empress.¡± Lu Chen and Lady Qiao Jin were not allowed to report to the Empress when they entered the palace. As soon as they entered, they did not expect to hear Zhou Qing and his threat, so they spoke out. Zhou Qing said calmly, ¡°King Huai is watching from the side like a tiger watching its prey. Sister, Crown Prince, why don¡¯t you wake up and save Zhou Sisi? Get Qiao Lui and Fu Lu to break off the engagement and get back together with the Zhou family. Don¡¯t blame me for not caring about the sisterly relationship.¡± Empress Zhou sighed. ¡°Since sister has said so, it¡¯s just right. I don¡¯t want to care about the sisterly relationship anymore.¡± Hearing that, Zhou Qinghe angrily rebuked Empress Zhou. ¡°Zhou Qingxiu, if you have the guts, I¡¯ll just wait and see how you return the life that you¡¯ve occupied for more than twenty years to me!¡± Chapter 263 Chapter 263: Chapter 263, Fu Lu killed Xie Xiangxiang After Zhou Qinghe left, Empress Zhou asked Lu Chen and Qiao jinniang, ¡°Why did the two of you come to this palace today? where is Xi¡¯er? Why didn¡¯t you bring Xi¡¯er with you?¡± Qiao Jinniang explained the purpose of her visit to glutinous rice in a few words. After Empress Zhou heard that, she said, ¡°So Qian Yi¡¯s daughter is still alive. It seems that the heavens have pity on her.¡± Qiao Jinniang cupped her hands and said, ¡°Mother, Zhou Qing and she were able to do that to glutinous rice back then. If she were to know of glutinous Rice¡¯s current identity, I believe that she would definitely not let glutinous rice off.¡± The empress said, ¡°There is no evidence of what happened back then. It has not been long since I learned of this matter. Qian Yi did not pursue Zhou Qing he face to face because there is no evidence. The midwife that she bribed has long lost her life.¡± When Lady Qiao heard this, she said, ¡°Are we going to let her continue to be so carefree?¡± Lu Chen held Lady Qiao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s always a way to deal with Zhou Qing he. But, mother, just now Zhou Qing said that you replaced her life. What¡¯s going on? ¡°When father was young, was he really so blind that he could fall in love with her?¡± Empress Zhou reprimanded softly, ¡°Chen ¡®er, how can you say such things about your father?¡± Lu Chen lowered his head and said, ¡°I admit my mistake.¡± Empress Zhou did not want to talk about the past in front of the younger generation. She only said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°If you want to take revenge for glutinous rice, you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°Thank you, mother,¡±Qiao Jinniang bowed and said. .. The date of the autumn clothing was set on the 10th day of the 8th month. The hunting enclosure was in the royal enclosure of Mount Baiyun. There were many ferocious beasts here. Once the date was set, all the princes and princes were in high spirits. The Hui Lin Emperor led the officials of the harem to go hunting. It was very lively at the foot of Mount Baiyun. Many people had never come to Mount Baiyun before. The first time they came, they were all in high spirits. The enclosure was divided into beast areas and hunting areas for women to play. Lu Chen led the Eastern Palace to deploy the generals to hunt. Qiao Jinniang, Consort Qi, Consort Chu, and the others led Little Lu Xibao and the others to shoot some hedgehogs and rabbits with slingshots. At noon, they found a clean place and sat on the ground. The palace servants placed some pastries and other things on the big rocks. Princess Qi sat down and said, ¡°The scenery on Mount Baiyun is really beautiful. It makes people forget to return. I wonder what kind of beautiful poems Zhou Qing and he can write on such a mountain peak?¡± Princess Chu said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Today is such a beautiful scenery. It would be a pity not to have a good poem.¡± ¡°Princess consort, it¡¯s not good.¡±The servant girl beside Princess Fu Lu rushed over and bowed to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Princess consort, Princess Fu Lu and Princess Yuquan entered the ferocious beast zone after a hunting competition.¡± The Fierce Beast Area Today was a real fierce beast. It was not like Chang ¡®an, where there were bears and tigers for the princes and grandchildren to hunt. There were Beast Tamers at the side. ¡°Where is Aunt Shou an?¡± ¡°Princess Consort, the eldest princess is not feeling well this time, so she and the prince consort did not come to the hunting ground. The princess and Princess Yuquan went together. There were no guards with them. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Lady Qiao comforted the servant girl, ¡°Go back and wait for Fu Lu. I will send guards to inform Ah Lui and the crown prince. I will also send guards to the beast area to look for Fu Lu.¡± In the Beast area, there were fierce tigers and black bears. If one was not skilled in archery, one would not dare to enter. After all, beasts were inhumane. They would not show mercy when hurting people. Fu Lu did not understand why Zhou Shihui, who did not know martial arts, dared to enter the Beast area with her. However, since they had already entered, she definitely would not admit defeat to Zhou Shihui. Zhou Shihui sat on the horse and pointed at the yellow fur that was revealed in the Green Forest. She said to Fu Lu, ¡°Fu Lu, look over there!¡± From Afar, Fu Lu looked at the huge creature with yellow and black stripes squirming in the distance, like a fierce tiger. Fu Lu drew his bow and nocked an arrow, shooting it out abruptly. Zhou Shihui, who was at the side, smiled slightly as she looked at Fu Lu. Fu Lu felt that something was wrong. He rode his horse forward and saw a familiar-looking woman lying on the ground. She had a tiger skin draped over her body and an arrow had been shot through her heart, causing blood to flow. Zhou Shihui rode his horse closer and shouted loudly, ¡°Not good, Princess Fu Lu accidentally killed Xie Xiangxiang!¡± Fu Lu glared at Zhou Shihui. ¡°You? You set a trap for me to get in?¡± Zhou shihui said, ¡°How do you say that? You shot the Arrow!¡± Princess Fu Lu lowered her body and touched Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s breath. She found that she was not breathing. Why would Xie Xiangxiang come here for no reason? And why was there a piece of tiger skin on her body? Zhou Shihui had deliberately provoked her and brought her here. There must be something strange. Xie Xiangxiang was about the same age as her. She had lost her life at such a young age. It must be Zhou Shihui¡¯s doing! Fu Lu whipped the whip hanging from his waist at Zhou Shihui¡¯s body. Very soon, the cries here attracted the attention of others. When everyone rushed over from all directions, they saw Fu Lu holding a whip and lashing Zhou shihui fiercely. ¡°Zhou Shihui, you are shameless and heartless. You harmed me today, and I Will Never Forgive You!¡± Zhou Shihui also did not expect that Fu Lu would actually disregard everything and beat her like this. She simply did not have the ability to fight back. Zhou Siming went forward and grabbed Fu Lu¡¯s whip. King Huai hurriedly helped Zhou Shihui up. Zhou siming exerted force, causing Fu Lu to stagger and have no choice but to shake off the whip in his hand. He glared angrily at Zhou Shihui. Zhou shihui cried out, ¡°Princess Fu Lu killed Xie Xiangxiang, the only granddaughter of great scholar Xie! Although it was originally just a mistake, she was actually afraid that the matter would be exposed and implicate the death penalty. She even wanted to kill me to silence me!¡± Zhou Siming glared angrily at Princess Fu Lu and said, ¡°Fu Lu, how can you be so unreasonable for a man? It¡¯s not enough to kill one person, but you still want to kill a second one!¡± Princess Fu Lu said with a dark face, ¡°I don¡¯t have one!¡± The crown prince of the Cheng en bo mansion walked up to Xie Xiangxiang and pulled out the arrow feather on her heart. ¡°This arrow feather has the mark of your Fu Lu on it!¡± ¡°Uncle, even you are helping this Zhou Shihui, Don¡¯t You Trust Me?¡±Princess Fu Lu felt that she could not defend herself. Qiao lui dismounted from his horse and walked to Fu Lu¡¯s side. ¡°I trust you. You will never kill people casually.¡± Although Xie Xiangxiang was not the daughter of a high-ranking official or noble family, her identity was more troublesome than that of some princess. She was the only granddaughter of great scholar Xie. Great scholar Xie was already at this age, and his only descendant was gone just like that. If they did not find out the murderer and give great scholar Xie An explanation, Qingming Academy would not give up either. Fu Lu hugged Qiao Lui and cried out in grievance. ¡°She was wearing a tiger¡¯s fur. I thought it was a tiger, so I shot her. I had no idea she was Xie Xiangxiang. Qiao Lui, I really did not kill her on purpose.¡± Qiao lui hugged her and comforted her. ¡°Yes, I know you didn¡¯t mean to kill her. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264: Chapter 264, seizing the title of Fu Lu When Qiao Jinniang heard that someone had died in the beast area, she rushed back to the palace with Consort Qi and the others. Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s body was covered with a layer of white cloth. A few officials from Qingming Academy knelt on the ground and begged the emperor to deal with her impartially. Zhou Shihui sat on a chair with grievance, as if she was also seriously injured. Qiao Jinniang walked to Lu Chen¡¯s side and asked softly, ¡°Why would Xie Xiangxiang suddenly appear at the Beast Area? She doesn¡¯t know martial arts or archery.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered people to investigate.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the evidence and witnesses of Princess Fu Lu¡¯s shooting of Miss Xie are complete. I beg the Emperor to deal with it impartially!¡± Zhou Qinghe also stood up and said, ¡°Yes, your majesty. Since the prince has committed the same crime as the common people, Princess Huai Zhou Sisi was also sentenced to death for accidentally killing Tong Yingying. Princess Fu Lu kept saying that she had accidentally killed Tong Yingying, but it was indeed her who had killed Tong Yingying. She even tried to kill my daughter to Silence Tong Yingying. I Beg Your Majesty to punish her impartially.¡± Zhou Qing he¡¯s meaning was clearly clear. If your Majesty wanted to show mercy to Fu Lu, then Zhou Sisi¡¯s death sentence should also be revoked. Marquis an yuan cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, there are no eyes in the encirclement. Princess Fu Lu definitely did not kill Tong Yingying on purpose. Moreover, Xie Xiangxiang has a piece of tiger skin on her body. It is precisely because of the tiger skin that Princess Fu Lu mistook Tong Yingying for a ferocious beast!¡±! ¡°Please Forgive me, Your Majesty.¡± Seeing that his subordinates were talking about a heavy death penalty and pleading for mercy at the same time, the Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°Fu Lu, what do you have to say?¡± Fu Lu, who was kneeling on the ground, said, ¡°Uncle, I really did not kill Xie Xiangxiang on purpose. It was Zhou Shihui who provoked me and made me go to the ferocious beast area to compete with her. This was a trap that she set up for me!¡± Zhou Shihui said softly in pain, ¡°I have never had any enmity with Xie Xiangxiang, and you know that Xie Xiangxiang and Qiao Lui had a very good relationship in the academy in the past. That¡¯s why you were jealous of Xie Xiangxiang and went to shoot her!¡± Princess Fu Lu stood up angrily and wanted to slap Zhou Shihui¡¯s face. However, before she could get close, she was stopped by Zhou Siming. ¡°Fu Lu, are you going to threaten Shihui in front of His Majesty?¡± ¡°Zhou Siming, I¡¯ve treated you as my elder brother since I was young. You¡¯ve watched me grow up. Do you think I would do something so heartless as to harm someone¡¯s life?¡± Princess Fu Lu said, ¡°Killing Xie Xiangxiang won¡¯t benefit me at all. Moreover, I want to know that Xie Xiangxiang is my uncle Qian¡¯s niece. Why would I harm Xie Xiangxiang!¡± Zhou shihui said, ¡°Originally, you relied on your status as a princess to force Qiao Lui to marry you. You Were Afraid that Xie Xiangxiang would return to King Wu¡¯s manor and become King Wu¡¯s princess. There were so many students from Qingming Academy protecting Xie Xiangxiang, so you took action.¡± Fu Lu could not suppress the anger in his heart. ¡°You, you¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang went forward and pulled Fu Lu back. ¡°Zhou Shihui, you said earlier that Fu Lu was killed by mistake, and now you¡¯re saying that she did it on purpose. Isn¡¯t that contradicting yourself?¡± Zhou Shihui said, ¡°Who knows if she really did it on purpose? Maybe she did it on purpose! Anyway, the arrow in Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s heart was shot by her, Your Majesty¡­¡± Zhou Shihui looked at the Hui Lin Emperor. ¡°Just now, Fu Lu almost killed me. I Beg Your Majesty to make the decision for me!¡± Li Lingling had said that she was the biological daughter of the Hui Lin Emperor and had attempted to murder the princess. So what if Fu Lu was the only daughter of the eldest princess? Lu Chen stood out and said, ¡°Father, I would like to request a coroner to examine Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s body. I feel that there is something strange about Xie Xiangxiang wearing tiger fur in the beast area for no reason.¡± The Huilin emperor said, ¡°Yes.¡± Soon, a coroner from the Ministry of Justice came over and examined Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s body. He said, ¡°Your Majesty, the fatal injury of the deceased was on her chest. She did not show any signs of fainting when she was alive. She died from an arrow wound.¡± The Minister of Justice came over and said, ¡°Your Majesty, after being tortured and interrogated by the Ministry of Justice, it was confirmed that Miss Xie entered the ferocious beast area on her own. At that time, a small official reminded Miss Xie that there were ferocious tigers inside. She still entered the ferocious beast area with her fur.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt that it was strange and frowned slightly. Not to mention women, even those civil officials would not go to the ferocious beast area when hunting. Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s way of doing things was indeed very strange. Zhou Qing he cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, now that the coroner has found out the cause of death, I Beg Your Majesty to stand up for elder Xie and the royal wu manor in Jiangnan!¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard Zhou Qing he¡¯s words, a chill rose from her back. She and Lu Chen knew Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s identity. But Zhou Qing he did not know! Zhou Qing he thought that Xie Xiangxiang was the child that she threw into the latrine pit. She had already said that the Wu royal residence.. Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s death must have something to do with Zhou Qing and the mother and daughter. Moreover, Xie Xiangxiang might have become glutinous Rice¡¯s scapegoat. Thinking of this, Qiao Jinniang felt that she could not just sit and wait for death. If Zhou Qing he knew glutinous Rice¡¯s identity, could she protect glutinous rice? Many students from Qingming Academy rushed over when they heard the news. They knelt outside the enclosure and begged the emperor for justice. The Hui Lin Emperor looked at Fu Lu and said, ¡°The matter of Princess Fu Lu killing Xie Xiangxiang has all the witnesses and evidence. According to the law, she should be executed. On the hunting ground, the sword has no eyes. She specially snatched the title of Princess Fu Lu from Qin Xiangxiang and was sent to the border as a lowly official.¡± ¡°Uncle, I really did not kill on purpose. How can you be so muddle-headed!¡±Fu Lu knelt on the ground and said. Zhou Shihui looked at Fu Lu smugly. To say that His Majesty was muddle-headed at this time, Fu Lu was probably tired of living. However, Zhou Qinghe still said, ¡°Since Qin Xiang killed the young lady of the Xie family and was only sent to the border, then Princess Huai should not be sentenced to death.¡± Prince Huai also came out and said, ¡°I beg father to spare Zhou Sisi¡¯s life.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said with a dark face, ¡°One thing is another.¡± Zhou Shihui held Zhou Qing he¡¯s hand and advised her not to really provoke the Hui Lin Emperor¡¯s anger. After all, she also wanted her mother and the Hui Lin Emperor to be together. If she regained her rightful identity as a princess, then her marriage with Qiao Lui would be at her fingertips. Why would she let her mother fight over a Zhou Sisi. Qiao Jinniang glanced at the tiger skin beside her. She gently stroked the piece of tiger skin and felt that it was a little strange, she softly asked Lu Chen beside her, ¡°This tiger skin seems to be different from the tiger skin I¡¯ve seen before. The tiger skin I¡¯ve seen doesn¡¯t have such long fur or such a large piece.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯t know. This is a tiger from Mount Taibai. It¡¯s different from the Tigers of the central plains. There are two pieces of tiger skin from Emperor Wen¡¯s war against Gaoguoli in the palace. ¡°This tiger from Mount Taibai is bigger and more powerful than the Tigers of the central plains. It¡¯s extremely difficult for ordinary warriors to hunt a tiger from Mount Taibai. That tiger skin is almost a thousand taels of silver. Very few people have seen it before.¡± Lady Qiao asked, ¡°Then where did Xie Xiangxiang get this piece of Tiger Skin?¡± The color of this tiger skin was a little brighter than that of an ordinary tiger of the central plains. More importantly, why would she bring a piece of tiger skin into the fierce beast area for no reason? With the loss of a human life, the hunt would stop halfway. Back in Ziwei City, Princess Shou¡¯an and the Prince Consort of Qin went to Hanliang Palace to kneel and beg the Hui Lin Emperor to let Fu Lu off lightly. How could fu Lu withstand such a journey all the way to the border! The Hui Lin Emperor said helplessly, ¡°Royal sister, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m ruthless enough to ignore Fu Lu, but this time, the evidence and witnesses are all in place. The one who died was the only granddaughter of great scholar Xie. If I don¡¯t deal with her, I¡¯m afraid that the hearts of all the scholars in the world will be chilled!¡± Shou an¡¯s eyes were red as he said, ¡°Royal brother, I only have one daughter. I really can¡¯t bear to send her to the border. Moreover, don¡¯t you understand Fu Lu? How can she kill people?¡± ¡°Manslaughter is also murder!¡±Hui Lindi said. Shou an said loudly, ¡°But she was set up by Zhou Shihui. You Can¡¯t let my daughter suffer for your own daughter!¡± ¡°What Daughter?¡±Hui Lindi said, ¡°How is Zhou Shihui My Daughter?¡± Chapter 265 Chapter 265: In chapter 265, Fu Lu and Qiao Lui got married in advance Shou an said, ¡°There is a lot of gossip outside. Since Zhou Shihui is not your daughter, how could you bear to let Fu Lu be schemed against and be sent to the border!¡± Hui Lindi said, ¡°I only found out in Chang ¡®an not long ago that Zhou Shihui is the daughter of Qian Yi, the former king of Wu.¡± The prince consort of Qin looked at Hui Lindi in surprise, ¡°Royal brother, What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t Qian Yin mention that he has a niece who is Zhou Shihui? Qian Yin always thought that his niece is Xie Xiangxiang. How could he have another niece?¡± When the Huilin Emperor heard this, he immediately understood. No Wonder Zhou Qing cared so much about this matter. It turned out that there was such a relationship.. When he heard that the internal servant came to report to the crown prince, he let Lu Chen in and said, ¡°Go to Laojun Mountain and ask Qian Yi to come down.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I accept your order.¡± The Hui Lin emperor continued, ¡°If he is unwilling to come down, you must also make him come down. This is related to the safety and injustice of Fu Lu.¡± ¡°Yes.¡±Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°Can I bring the Crown Princess Along?¡± The Huilin Emperor Glared at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Forget it. As long as you can persuade him to come down from Laojun Mountain, I don¡¯t care who you bring with you.¡± .. Qiao Jinniang heard that they were going to Laojun Mountain, so she looked for winter clothes and overcoats in the alley. Instead of bringing Hong Ling and the other palace maids, she brought glutinous rice with her. Glutinous rice said excitedly, ¡°I heard that it¡¯s snowing on Laojun Mountain. I¡¯ve never climbed such a high mountain before.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw glutinous Rice¡¯s happy look and asked Lu Chen to go to the carriage at the side. She said to glutinous rice, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m taking you to Laojun Mountain this time to find your father.¡± Glutinous rice said happily, ¡°Master, you found my biological father so quickly?¡± Qiao Jinniang slowly told glutinous rice about her background. Glutinous rice listened and said, ¡°Master, have you been fascinated by some novel? How can I be the daughter of the Royal Highness¡­ You Are the daughter of the Marquis, and I still can¡¯t get over it¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang lightly knocked on Glutinous Rice¡¯s head. ¡°Even if I¡¯m entranced, I can¡¯t use this kind of thing to coax you. You really are the daughter of the former Wu King. And the person who threw you into the latrine that year was Zhou Qing he!¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t say the word latrine. Ever since you found out that I have to bathe twice a day,¡±glutinous rice said, ¡°I even despise myself.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°Silly glutinous rice.¡± Glutinous rice asked slowly, ¡°Master, are you really mistaken?¡± ¡°Wait until you meet your biological father, then you will know,¡±said Qiao Jinniang. The road to Laojun Mountain was very dangerous. Ordinary carriages could not get there, so they could only walk up. Although it was still very hot at the bottom of the mountain, it was snowing when it was almost the peak. The snow hung on the branches at the top of the mountain. The scenery was hazy and beautiful. When they finally reached the peak, they saw the towering Laojun Taoist temple. The incense in the Taoist temple was very strong. After the young Taoist learned of Lu Chen¡¯s identity, he went to report to Qian Yi that the crown prince had come. After a while, the young Taoist came over and said with his Daoist name, ¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess Consort, my master said that he won¡¯t see any guests for the time being.¡± Lady Qiao Jin frowned slightly. ¡°His Highness is here. is your Taoist priest not going to see him?¡± The young Taoist priest nodded and said, ¡°Yes. A few days ago, a king of the Wu Kingdom of Jiangnan came and talked to my master for an hour. After that, my master went into seclusion and no longer saw any guests.¡± .. In the Zhou Manor. Zhou Siming said anxiously to Zhou Qing, ¡°Aunt, His Majesty is still not willing to let Sisi off lightly. What should we do? There is not much time left before the execution date.¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°At the mid-autumn Palace banquet, if Zhou Qingxiu is still not willing to plead on Sisi¡¯s behalf, then I will let Zhou Qingxiu and the crown prince die together with Sisi. It can also be considered to have fulfilled Sisi¡¯s wish.¡± After all, Zhou Sisi liked Lu Chen so much. Since they could not live together, then they would die together! Zhou siming frowned. He thought that other than relying on Zhou Qing and he, there was probably no other way. Zhou Shihui said to Zhou Qinghe, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to the Heavenly Prison to meet Qin Xiangxiang!¡± Hearing the words Xiangxiang, Zhou Qinghe did not look good. He only said to Zhou shihui, ¡°Go Early and come back early!¡± In the heavenly prison. Fu Lu was locked up in the prison. It was the best, with a bed carved with jade pillars and a bed made of smoke and cloud gauze. Qiao lui hugged Fu Lu tightly in the prison and said, ¡°Father and I have discussed it. Even if you are sent to the border, I will go to the border to join the army. No matter if I go to Lingnan or the northwest, I will always follow you.¡± Fu Lu said with tears in his eyes, ¡°Are you stupid? You are the Crown Prince of Xiang Hua, marquis an Yuan, and the younger brother of the Crown Princess. If you follow me to the border, your whole life will be ruined.¡± Qiao lui said, ¡°I am not stupid. Our ancestors led the army at the border. I also went to the border when I was young. How could my life be ruined?¡± ¡°Our marriage has been decided. No matter where we go, I will follow you!¡± Fu Lu¡¯s tears kept falling. ¡°No, you can¡¯t follow me to the border. Take good care of my parents for me.¡± ¡°Your mother is the eldest princess, and your father is the prince consort. You Don¡¯t need me to take care of you, but you are different.¡± Zhou Shihui walked out of the prison and heard Qiao Lui and Fu Lu¡¯s words. She clenched her hands and walked to the prison door. She said to Qiao Lui, ¡°Qiao Lui, Fu Lu will only drag you down and your Qiao Manor Down. I¡¯m sure the Crown Princess will not let you marry Fu Lu.¡± Qiao lui released Fu Lu slightly and said to Zhou shihui in disgust, ¡°Sister and I are not afraid that Fu Lu will drag us down. You still don¡¯t understand. Whether I want to marry Fu Lu has nothing to do with whether she is the princess or Not!¡± Zhou shihui frowned and said, ¡°Qiao Lui, do you really have to be so stupid? Do you know that I am the Emperor¡¯s biological daughter? If you marry me, the power of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate will be monstrous. If you marry Fu Lu, it will drag you down!¡± Fu Lu spat, ¡°Pui, how can you be uncle¡¯s biological daughter?¡± ¡°Moreover, if you are really uncle¡¯s biological daughter, then Qiao Lui can¡¯t marry you even more. You probably don¡¯t know that the Princess¡¯s prince consort must only have an idle position and not a title, right?¡± Qiao lui said to Fu Lu, ¡°Ignore her. There are only a few days left before you leave Luoyang. Why don¡¯t we bring forward the wedding date? At least we can let our relatives and friends witness our happiness.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Are you stupid? Marrying me into the family at this time is letting your Qiao family suffer the jealousy and hatred of all the scholars in the world. It will implicate your marquis an Yuan Manor!¡± Qiao lui said with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. The Qiao family will not be afraid. The Qiao family has always kept their word. The marriage has been arranged. We are a family! ¡°Wait for me in prison. I¡¯ll go and ask my father to arrange the marriage. ¡°Also, write a letter to my mother and ask my mother and grandmother to come to Luoyang. However, we are in a hurry. I¡¯m afraid the wedding ceremony will not be complete. Sorry to trouble you.¡± Fu Lu stepped on Qiao Lui¡¯s forehead and kissed it gently. ¡°I¡¯m not sorry.¡± Zhou Shihui saw the intimacy between the two of them as if no one was around, and the anger in her heart grew stronger and stronger! Why did Qiao Lui still choose Fu Lu Now? She was just a commoner who was about to be sent to the border. In the future, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to carry her shoes. Zhou Shihui really couldn¡¯t understand how she was worse than Fu Lu. During the mid-autumn Festival, her mother would publicly announce that her aunt had replaced her mother and become the empress. She would announce that the emperor liked her mother. Therefore, the day when she would officially become a princess was not far away! When her identity was announced to the world, she wanted to see how regretful the Qiao family would be. She wanted to see if the Qiao family would resent Qiao Jinniang for forcing Qiao Lui to marry a woman who was spurned by the scholars of Qingming Academy. Chapter 266 Chapter 266: Chapter 266. Qian Yi was not willing to testify against Zhou Qinghe In a room on Laojun Mountain. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I never thought that priest Wang Chen would not even want to see us. What should we do now?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Qian Yi felt guilty towards Zhou Qing and Zhou Shihui. After hearing about Zhou Shihui, he begged father to take care of Zhou Shihui and her daughter. If he knew that we were begging him to go down and testify against Zhou Qing and kill his daughter, he might not be willing to go down the mountain with us.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at glutinous rice at the side. ¡°He feels guilty towards Zhou Shihui and her daughter. What about glutinous rice? Xie Xiangxiang? Fu Lu? ¡°If he doesn¡¯t testify against Zhou Qing and his daughter who killed him back then, Zhou Qing and his daughter will always be at large and be supported by tens of thousands of people. ¡°On the other hand, how much hardship would fu Lu have to endure to be sent to the border at such a young age?¡± Lu chen nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already asked the young Daoist to pass the jade pendant given by glutinous rice¡¯s adoptive mother to Qian Yi. Just as you said, if he can feel guilty towards Zhou Shihui and her daughter, then he¡¯ll probably feel even more guilty towards glutinous rice.¡± As expected, in less than fifteen minutes, eunuch Gu came in to inform that Daoist priest Wang Chen had arrived. Daoist priest Wang Chen was dressed in a black and Green Daoist robe. He combed the Daoist priest¡¯s hair and held a horsetail whisk in his hand. When Qiao Jinniang saw Daoist priest Wang Chen¡¯s appearance, she could not help but exclaim in surprise. Wang Chen was already middle-aged, but he was still handsome and handsome. Wearing a Daoist robe, he gave off a fairy-like feeling. He wasn¡¯t very similar to Qian Yin, but he was similar to glutinous rice. Qian Yi gave a Daoist name and said, ¡°Your Highness, Crown Prince Consort, May I ask where the jade pendant you gave me came from?¡± Qiao Jin called out to glutinous rice, ¡°This jade pendant belongs to my servant girl, glutinous rice. When her foster parents picked her up, this jade pendant was on glutinous rice.¡± When glutinous rice entered and saw Qian Yi, she could not help but be stunned for a moment. Qian Yi saw the appearance of the person and gripped the horsetail whisk in his hand tightly as he said, ¡°Heavenly venerate boundless.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Priest Wangchen, Qian Yin does not know what happened in the past. He only heard the maidservant who used to follow you say that she mistook Xie Xiangxiang for his biological niece. Even Zhou Qing he thought so too. But yesterday, Xie Xiangxiang was really in the hunting ground.¡± Qian Yi¡¯s expression changed, and he gave another Daoist name, ¡°Boundless Celestial Venerable.¡± Lu Chen continued, ¡°Zhou Qing he is now greatly respected by the world because of her talent in poetry. Priest, please go down the mountain and seek justice for Xie Xiangxiang.¡± Qian Yi sighed deeply and said, ¡°This humble priest has already left the six desires and does not care about the affairs of the mortal world.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Since you do not care about the affairs of the mortal world, then why did you come here after seeing the jade pendant?¡± Qian Yi gestured his Daoist name and said, ¡°When I was young, I did many wrong things. It was I who let down Zhou Qing and the mother and daughter. Zhou Shihui suffered a lot since he was young. It was not easy for him to have a good day. Now That Your Highness wants me to identify Zhou Qing he, please forgive me for not being able to do anything.¡± Qiao Jinniang said angrily, ¡°You indeed let down Zhou Qing and the mother and daughter. Then did you not let down glutinous rice, mother glutinous rice? ¡°Now, Zhou Qing and the one who killed Xie Xiangxiang. If she finds out in the future that Xie Xiangxiang is not your daughter but glutinous rice, what do you think will happen to Zhou Qing and he? ¡°If not for Zhou Qing and he, glutinous rice would not have become a restaurant maid! ¡°Zhou Shihui is pitiful, but so is glutinous rice!¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed coldly and said, ¡°I get it. You are probably not afraid of letting them down, but afraid that if you tell them about Zhou Qing and the things that he tried to secretly harm your daughter back then, it will cause your reputation to be lost. ¡°Now that you are the high and mighty abbot of the Laojun Temple, the most powerful Daoist in the world, and the most respected Daoist in Taoism, priest Wangchen, if you tell them about the past, are you afraid of being mocked as a heartless man?¡± Qian Yi gestured with his Daoist name and said, ¡°This penniless priest has never had such thoughts. This penniless priest will settle glutinous rice properly, and will not let her be bullied by Zhou Qing and him again. As for testifying against Zhou Qing and the matter in front of the world, this penniless priest is unable to comply. This penniless priest caused Zhou Qing and the daughter of a state duke to wander outside for many years, causing Zhou Shihui to wander between the trickery team and the church. It was not easy for the mother and daughter to have a good life now. If I were to go out and testify, it would be too unkind to them.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°So Xie Xiangxiang died in vain? Xie Xiangxiang is your good friend¡¯s only daughter, and Xie Daru lost his grandson in his later years. How sorrowful would that be?¡± ¡°Heavenly venerate immeasurable, everything in the world has its own fate. As long as it has been done, there will always be traces. I will not go and testify against Zhou Qing and his daughter, but I think the Ministry of Justice will definitely be able to find the real culprit.¡± Lu Chen saw Qiao Jinniang¡¯s livid expression and handed her a cup of tea. ¡°Calm down first.¡± Qiao Jinniang poured a cup of tea directly on Qian Yi¡¯s face: ¡°You think you have feelings and intentions, but back then, you committed an ungrateful act. If you can¡¯t bear to part with Zhou Shihui and Zhou Qing and his mother and daughter to suffer because of you, then you should also stand up and plead guilty on their behalf!¡± ¡°Regardless of Zhou Qinghe¡¯s sins, your sins can not be forgiven. That year, glutinous rice was thrown into the latrine pit in the winter. Today, I want you to taste the suffering that glutinous rice suffered that day!¡± ¡°Men, tie priest Wang Chen Up and throw him into the latrine pit. It¡¯s not too late to save him!¡± The eastern palace guards looked at each other. Lu chen frowned and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hear what the Crown Princess Said?¡± Hearing Lu Chen¡¯s words, the guards dared to attack Qian Yi. The young Taoist priests in the Taoist temple saw this scene and came forward one after another. They knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: ¡°Crown princess, how can you treat the Taoist priest like this?¡± ¡°The Taoist priest is the leader of all Taoist sects in the world. He is an expert in immortal cultivation. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being blamed by the gods for doing this?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°If there really is a god in the sky, he will reward me when he finds out that I have eliminated evil for the people.¡± Sticky Rice said from the side, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, my master is the best!¡± Qian Yi really hurt Sticky Rice¡¯s heart. She thought that she had really found her biological father, but who knew that her biological father would be so unreasonable. In order to protect Zhou Qing and the mother and daughter, he would rather his friend¡¯s daughter die in vain. Qian Yi was tied up by the guards and walked into the private room. He had a fearless look on his face, but even if he was not in the secular world, when he smelled the smell coming from the private room. Qian Yi could not remain calm. ¡°Your Highness¡­ This penniless priest is willing to testify!¡± Just as he finished speaking, Qian Yi was thrown into the latrine by the guards. Qiao Jinniang covered her nose and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Didn¡¯t he just say that he¡¯s willing to testify? Quickly get him out!¡± The Eastern Palace Guards:¡±¡­¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The monthly salary for this month is double.¡± The eastern palace guards went to get Qian Yi. The stench was extremely disgusting, and Qian Yi¡¯s handsome face became extremely miserable. However, Lady Qiao felt very happy. who asked him to be so hypocritical? He thought that he was a noble cultivator who had left the mortal world, but in reality, he did not have any compassion for the world. He deserved to be tainted by such filth! Chapter 267 Chapter 267: Chapter 267, Layman Qiuyue The snow on Laojun Mountain was getting heavier and heavier. It was too dangerous to go down the mountain at night. Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang rested in the side room for a night. There were no empty rooms in the side room of the Taoist temple. The imperial guards and guards who did not need to keep watch went to the houses of the nearby villagers. Gu Ming walked for a while and saw a luxurious and palatial civilian house. It was really strange to have such a luxurious house in the Deep Mountains. Gu Ming knocked on the door. The person who opened the door was a beautiful woman who was dressed like a fairy. Gu Ming said, ¡°We followed master to the old gentleman¡¯s temple to offer incense. There are no extra rooms in the old gentleman¡¯s temple. Is it possible to stay here for a night? We will definitely give you a lot of thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My master has a strange personality. He doesn¡¯t like to see outsiders. There is a village not far from here. Many visitors who come to offer incense are staying here. Why Don¡¯t you go to the village and ask about it?¡± Gu Ming said, ¡°Alright, thank you, miss.¡± After the beautiful girl closed the door, Gu Ming instructed the secret guard, ¡°Go and investigate the background of this master.¡± It was hard to say if there wasn¡¯t something fishy about building such a large mansion deep in the mountains. Perhaps it was some other manor where a prince was discussing matters. .. The next morning. Early in the morning, she was woken up by the sound of the Taoist priests practicing their martial arts. After Qiao Jinniang woke up, she washed up and walked outside to watch the Taoist priests practice. Each of them was only wearing a thin Taoist robe, which made Qiao Jinniang feel a chill. Lu Chen came over and draped his cloak over her body. ¡°The road was cut off by the heavy snow last night. The guards have already gone to the snow path. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to leave tomorrow.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Alright.¡± It was inevitable that the mountain would be sealed by the heavy snow. Qiao Jinniang could smell a fragrance from afar that carried a stench, but also a fragrance. She heard that Qian Yi had bathed for an entire night yesterday, but he had probably not been able to wash away the foul stench on his body. He deserved it. Gu Ming hurried over and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Your Highness, your subordinate has finally found the person who wrote the forbidden book, Layman Qiuyue.¡± Qiao Jinniang heard recluse Qiuyue say, ¡°Where is she? She is skilled in writing, and her books are full of surprises. I must pay her a visit.¡± Lu Chen frowned. ¡°Visit her for what? She made up the story that Zhou Siming and I have a romantic relationship, and she also wrote about men and women. It is forbidden books in the first place, and it would be too good for her to go to jail.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°The books she wrote are harmless. Nowadays, most of them are written by scholars and beautiful women, but her story is very strange. She¡¯s not allowed to go to jail.¡± Lu Chen asked Gu Ming, ¡°Where is she?¡± Gu Ming replied, ¡°Not far from the old gentleman¡¯s temple. She¡¯s hiding in the deep mountains. It turns out that her books were printed in the Deep Mountains by herself. No wonder so many booksellers and officials couldn¡¯t find her.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go and have a look,¡±said Qiao Jinniang. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t bring those books with me. Otherwise, I would have asked Layman Qiuyue to stamp my private seal!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When she¡¯s in prison, there will be plenty of time to stamp your seal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡±said Qiao Jinniang. ¡°You can¡¯t burn the bridge after crossing the river. Didn¡¯t you enjoy reading them? Layman Qiuyue didn¡¯t write anything about usurping the throne.¡± Lady Qiao Jin and Lu Chen arrived at Autumn Moon House. After knocking on the door, a servant girl came to open it. The servant girl saw Gu Ming and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you yesterday that my master is a loner and doesn¡¯t receive guests?¡± Lady Qiao Jin went forward and said, ¡°I have read every book of Recluse Autumn Moon¡¯s works. I learned that Recluse Autumn Moon is in this immortal residence, so I came to pay a visit.¡± The servant girl frowned and said, ¡°There is no recluse autumn moon here!¡± Just as the servant girl was about to close the door, Lu Chen ordered the guards to open the door, he said, ¡°Recluse Autumn Moon wrote more than ten banned books, and in the book, he used me and Zhou Siming as the models to write the good words of Longyang. His crime will not be forgiven.¡± As soon as Lu Chen finished speaking.., a petite woman rushed over and knelt down repeatedly. ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, please forgive me. Your Highness, my family has both elders and children. I really can¡¯t go to jail!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the kneeling woman and said, ¡°So you¡¯re a woman?¡± Qiu Yue nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s hard for women to work in this world. That¡¯s why I write these books to earn money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to get even ten taels of silver for a book, yet you still earn money to survive. The Jade in your courtyard is like a flower, and the coral is like a fake tree. Even fairyland is not so luxurious,¡±Lu Chen said, ¡°Men, take her away and seal up those banned books.¡± Qiao jinniang hurriedly advised, ¡°Don¡¯t. At most, she can donate the money earned from the banned books to those widows and widows. She looks like she¡¯s only seventeen or eighteen years old.¡± Qiu Yue repeatedly kowtowed to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Thank you for Your Mercy, Madam. I will definitely repay you well in the future.¡± Lu Chen saw that Qiao Jinniang had the heart to defend her and said, ¡°You can not write banned books in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, I will. I will definitely let His Highness take a look at the book when I write it in the future.¡± Qiao jinniang said happily, ¡°This is a good relationship. Your book is hard to buy even for ten taels of silver in the black market. It¡¯s a deal.¡± Qiu Yue said repeatedly, ¡°Since the two of you have come to my humble abode, please come in. I will prepare some thin wine to entertain the two of you and the military lords.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt that it was a bit too much to say that it was a humble abode. She thought that the eastern palace was already considered a luxury, but it was not as good as the luxurious residence of Recluse Qiu Yue. The floor made of jade was covered with gold leaf. Every step she took, her shoes would be stained with a layer of gold powder. The porcelain cups used to serve tea were all rare crafts. Even the tea was a rare dragon well in Lin ¡®an. Looking out of the window, there was a lake in the mountains. Qiao Jinniang said with a smile, ¡°Layman Qiuyue¡¯s life here is better than that of an immortal.¡± Qiu Yue said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve it, I don¡¯t deserve it.¡± Qiu Yue poured good wine for Lu Jing and Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang said with a sniff, ¡°This wine smells mellow and strong. It¡¯s a rare good wine.¡± Qiu Yue said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small wine. Madam likes to send you a jar when the time comes.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw a stack of white paper beside the wine table and said, ¡°This is your newly written notebook. May I have a look?¡± Qiu Yue offered it with both hands, her hands shaking nervously. Qiao Jinniang flipped through some of it and saw a poem. Qiu Yue used a pen to draw a line and then changed it. ¡°Here, you wrote that things are different. If you want to cry, why do you have to cross it out?¡± Qiu Yue said, ¡°I felt that this line of poetry was inappropriate, so I crossed it out.¡± ¡°This is a good poem. It¡¯s best to use it here. It¡¯s such a good quote. It¡¯s a pity to cross it out,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use it?¡± Qiu Yue said in a low voice, ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Why?¡±Qiao Jinniang asked curiously. Qiu Yue said with a troubled expression, ¡°I just can¡¯t use it. This isn¡¯t a poem I wrote. Naturally, I can¡¯t use it.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°But you also wrote a lot of poems in your book. Why Can¡¯t I use it?¡± Qiu Yue didn¡¯t know how to explain and was in a dilemma. Lu Chen glanced at Qiu Yue and said, ¡°The Crown Princess defended you, but you still want to hide it? It seems that you still want to go to jail?¡± Qiu Yue knelt on the ground with a thud. ¡°Your Highness, I, I didn¡¯t mean to hide it, I¡­¡± Qiu Yue was so frightened that she actually fainted. Qiao Jinniang could not help but complain to Lu Chen, ¡°Why are you scaring her?¡± Qiu Yue¡¯s servant girl went to invite a Taoist priest in the Taoist temple to give Qiu Yue two injections. Only then did she slowly wake up and see Qiao Jinniang standing by her bed. She said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. The crown prince is just scaring you. Is there anything you have to hide? Why Don¡¯t you tell him? Otherwise, His Highness will think that you are hiding something and lock you up in the prison.¡± Qiu Yue said slowly, ¡°If I tell the truth, I don¡¯t think you and the crown prince will believe me.¡± ¡°I believe you.¡± Qiu Yue said, ¡°I wonder if the Crown Prince Consort has read that book I wrote about the fate of rebirth.¡± Lady Qiao said, ¡°I have read it. That is a woman¡¯s soul returning to another woman through a corpse.¡± Qiu Yue pursed her lips and said, ¡°Although this matter is extremely absurd, it really happened to me. I originally came from a different world. After coming to this place, it is somewhat similar to the world I lived in a thousand years ago, but there are also some differences. Some characters from a thousand years ago are here, but some are not here. That sentence just now was written by an ancient person in my previous world who was known as the number one talented woman in a thousand years. I don¡¯t know if this talented woman will be born in a few hundred years? But I definitely don¡¯t dare to use her poems and take her name. As a writer, I hate it the most when others steal my own blood and sweat. Therefore, I will never steal other people¡¯s blood and sweat.¡± Chapter 268 Chapter 268: In chapter 268, Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems were misappropriated Qiao Jinniang could not calm down when she heard Qiu Yue¡¯s words. She was extremely surprised. ¡°Are you lost in your writing? Are you spouting nonsense? Where in the world did such a strange thing as strange powers and chaotic gods come from?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I don¡¯t dare to hide anything, but I¡¯m not a ghost. If I were a ghost, I wouldn¡¯t dare to settle down in front of the Old Lord¡¯s Taoist temple. I don¡¯t dare to deceive the emperor. What I said just now is the truth.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt a little better before she reluctantly believed Qiu Yue¡¯s words. ¡°You said that the poem ¡®things are like people, but things don¡¯t happen¡¯was written by an ancient person in your previous world?¡± ¡°Yes,¡±Qiu Yue replied. Qiao Jinniang Thought for a moment and said, ¡°Then did you know that the rain and wind were suddenly sparse last night, and the heavy sleep didn¡¯t wear away the wine? When you asked the curtain rollers, they said that the Begonia was still the same?¡± Qiu Yue continued, ¡°Do you know if the rest is green, fat, red, and thin! Crown Princess, how did you know this poem? Could it be that you have also transmigrated?¡± Qiao Jinniang suddenly understood. No wonder she and the Jing Hua Society had always felt that Zhou Qing he¡¯s poems were strange, but they also felt that no one would be willing to give such a poem that had been passed down through the ages to others to build up their reputation. So it turned out that Zhou Qinghe had stolen the poems of the truly number one talented woman in all of history. That was true. With Zhou Qinghe¡¯s petty nature, how could he write such ancient famous poems! Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m not from the same world as you, but I think there¡¯s someone who might have come from the same world as you.¡± Qiu Yue looked at Qiao Jinniang curiously. Qiao Jinniang wrote down a few of Zhou Qinghe¡¯s poems from her memory. Qiu Yue said, ¡°These few poems are all the words of Li Qingzhao, the number one talented girl in a thousand years. I¡¯m not sure about a few of them. Perhaps I haven¡¯t memorized them before, but there are a few that are hard to forget. I had to memorize this poem when I was young.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Layman Qiu Yue, I would like to trouble you to help me expose Zhou Qinghe and steal his poems.¡± Qiu Yue trembled and said, ¡°But if people know that I am not from this world, I am afraid they will burn me to death.¡± Qiao Jinniang Thought for a moment and said, ¡°There is no need to tell the truth about you. Just say that talented girl Li¡­¡± ¡°Li Qingzhao.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Right, you only say that Li Qingzhao is your master. It is enough that Zhou Qing and stole your master¡¯s poems. Do you still remember the poems about the mid-autumn Festival that Li Qingzhao wrote?¡± Qiao Jinniang thought that at the mid-autumn Palace banquet, Zhou Qing and he would definitely not miss out on the mid-autumn Festival poems. Qiu Yue racked her brains but could not think of a poem about the mid-autumn Festival. ¡°No, but when the time comes, we should be able to counter each other¡¯s moves. Did I help you this time so that you wouldn¡¯t let me go to jail?¡± Qiao Jinniang nodded and smiled. ¡°Yes. Actually, His Highness also likes the books that you wrote. Both the Prince and the Prince of Chang ¡®an love your books. It¡¯s just that I originally thought that you were a man. I never thought that a woman like you would dare to write seven times in one night.¡± Qiu Yue¡¯s face turned red. ¡°This, this, I¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t Tease Qiu Yue anymore. This child was too timid. How could Qiu Yue not be timid? She had always heard that the imperial power was supreme in ancient times. This was the high and mighty crown prince and the Crown Princess Consort. The slightest mistake would cost her head. Moreover, that crown prince really wanted her to go to prison. She did not know what had offended that crown prince. Could it be that she had written seven times in one night, but that crown prince did not write, so she became angry out of humiliation? Qiu Yue trembled weakly. In the future, she would definitely not write seven times in one night. .. Unlike the heavy snowfall deep in the mountains, Luoyang city below still had to use a fan. Even when the mid-autumn Festival was approaching, it was still warm. Today, the Marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence was covered in red silk with the word ¡°Happiness¡±plastered all over it. At the entrance, many students of Qingming Academy criticized Qiao Lui: ¡°Qiao Lui, when you were at Qingming Academy, scholar Xie treated you well. Now, you want to make an enemy of Qingming Academy and marry that murderer woman?¡± ¡°Yes, Qiao Lui, you saw it too. Today, your marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence is marrying the wife of the crown prince. How many people are here to congratulate you? Marrying Fu Lu is destroying your future!¡± ¡°To think that you¡¯re still a student of Qingming Academy. Bah, if you marry Princess Fu Lu Today, our qingming academy will be irreconcilable with your marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate in the future!¡± Qiao lui, dressed in red, cupped his fists and said, ¡°Senior Brothers, I¡¯ve been thinking about how you¡¯ve taken care of me. However, I believe that Xiang Xiang is innocent. Since we have a marriage contract, I shouldn¡¯t let her down!¡± ¡°Who said that marquis an Yuan has no guests? Didn¡¯t I Come?¡±Young Commandery Prince Rong got down from the sedan and went to the back to help sa Mo¡¯er out. Sa Mo¡¯er said to Qiao lui, ¡°Although our ancestors had irreconcilable feuds, your actions now really make me admire you. If you can¡¯t stay in Great Tang anymore, I will write a letter to my father asking you to go to Xiliang.¡± ¡°Then forget it,¡±Qiao Lui said with disdain. Lin Mo and Prime Minister Lin also came along. Prime Minister Lin patted Qiao Lui¡¯s shoulder with appreciation. ¡°A tiger father does not have a dog son. It is really good that you are still willing to keep the engagement at this moment.¡± The King of Qi and the couple of the king of Chu also came along with the little princes. There was also a little Lu Xi who asked Qiao lui to hug her after seeing Qiao Lui, ¡°Father and mother are trapped on Laojun Mountain, but Xi¡¯er will come to see uncle and marry aunt. Oh, wait, will you call Aunt Fu Lu as aunt or aunt in the future?¡± Little Lu Xi was caught in a dilemma. Qiao lui said, ¡°Just call her aunt.¡± Little County Prince Rong said, ¡°That¡¯s wrong. Even if Fu Lu has been usurped as the princess, he is still a member of the royal family. No matter what, he should follow the title of the royal family. In the future, call her aunt Fu Lu and call your uncle Uncle Uncle.¡± Qiao lui did not compete with Young County Prince Rong for these things. Instead, they went to the heavenly prison to get married. This was the first time they had gotten married in the heavenly prison. Long Princess Shou an said with red eyes, ¡°Fu Lu, when you become someone else¡¯s wife in the future, you have to change from your usual silkpants and be a good person.¡± Fu Lu sniffed and said, ¡°Mother, I am a good person. I really did not mean to kill Xie Xiangxiang.¡± ¡°Yes, we all believe in you.¡± There had never been so many heavenly nobles in the heavenly prison. Zhou Shihui looked inside from the entrance of the Heavenly Prison and clenched her wrist in anger. What right did Fu Lu have? The King of Qi and the king of Chu were really stupid. Why did she still come to help Princess Fu Lu at this time? Wasn¡¯t she afraid of the disgust of the Hui Lin Emperor? ¡°What are you hiding here to watch?¡±Eldest Princess Wen Hua said after seeing Zhou shihui, ¡°If you want to watch, then go in and watch openly!¡± ¡°Your Royal Sister Is Right, Zhou Shihui. If you want to see Fu Lu and Qiao Lui get married, then go in and see how the two of them get married.¡± Princess Jinghua held Zhou Shihui¡¯s hand tightly and dragged her into the prison. Zhou shihui said, ¡°Would the two sisters rather help a murderer?¡± ¡°Sister? Do you think you are qualified to call us sisters?¡±Eldest Princess Wen Hua mocked. ¡°Who do you think you are? Bullying the royal princess. Even if Fu Lu is sent to the border, you can forget about having a good life in Luoyang Chang ¡®an!¡± Zhou shihui said, ¡°The day after tomorrow is the mid-autumn Festival. When that time comes, let¡¯s see if the two sisters still have the courage to say such words today.¡± They were not the only two princesses. Moreover, the three princesses of the Hui Lin Emperor did not have a very good reputation. They were impeached every few days. Her mother was quite popular among the people. She was still afraid that this Wen Hua and Princess Jing Hua would not be together! Chapter 269 Chapter 269: Chapter 269, debunking Zhou Shihui During the mid-autumn Festival, the moon-viewing banquet invited all the lords and the families of the high officials. The royal family also expressed their apology and sent the invitations to a few famous scholars in Qingming Academy. These scholars were quite talented and had quite a status in the literary world. Prince Huai had gone to entertain and rope in quite a few people these two days. After all, marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor had chosen to marry Princess Fu Lu, which also showed the attitude of the eastern palace. Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s corpse was cold. Even when the scholars of the Qing Ming Academy came to the Imperial Palace, they were all dressed in white. The Zhou family no longer had the position of Lord, but in the end, the Zhou family¡¯s official position had not been removed. There was the Empress¡¯family, but it was no longer as high as it used to be. Du Du, Zhou Qing and the mother and daughter were still in high positions. This could not help but cause everyone to be filled with guesses. The Hui Lin Emperor spoke for a long time about the reunion night of the mid-autumn Festival before the mid-autumn Festival banquet began. Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang really did not expect that the Snowy Mountains would not be opened until the morning of the mid-autumn Festival. Qiao Jinniang even missed the afternoon to celebrate Xi¡¯er¡¯s birthday. As soon as they returned to Luoyang, the two of them changed into the formal clothes of the palace banquet in the carriage. When they reached the palace, the banquet had already begun. The two of them arrived late. Qiao Jinniang was accompanied by a young lady, which made all the officials curious about her identity. When Qiu Yue first came to this palace banquet, she was so scared that her legs went soft. ¡°I, Qiu Yue, pay my respects to your Majesty.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Father, mother, this is layman Qiu Yue. Her writings have been widely spread in the world. When I met her, we were like old friends, so I specially brought her to the mid-autumn Palace banquet.¡± All the princes and Sons blushed when they heard layman Qiuyue. They could not believe that the writer of the book was a woman of such a young age. Empress Zhou said, ¡°So it¡¯s layman Qiuyue. Then let¡¯s just get someone to add another position.¡± Nowadays, poetry was the most popular in Luoyang. During such a festival, there were students from Qingming Academy. It was inevitable that they had to do some poetry. Zhou Shihui stood up and said, ¡°The Ancients said that it was to throw a brick to attract the jade. A minister¡¯s daughter is not talented, so I dare to write a poem first.¡± ¡°Miss Zhou is Zhou Qinghe¡¯s only daughter. I think she must be very talented in poetry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I heard that when Miss Zhou entered Qingming Academy, she wrote that essay on the six kingdoms that even the teachers of the academy could not compare to!¡± Zhou Shihui looked at the Bright Moon in the sky with full confidence and said, ¡°When will the bright moon appear? I ask the clear sky with wine. I wonder what year it is in the palace in the sky today.¡± ¡°Good, it¡¯s written very well!¡±The poem was only average, but there were many applause and cheers from below. ¡°When will the bright moon appear? Let the wine ask the clear sky. Such a talented poet is rarely seen in the world.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw the strange expression on Qiu Yue¡¯s face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s Wrong?¡± ¡°This mother and daughter are too shameless. This poem is my favorite poet¡¯s poem. It has been passed down through the ages, and they actually dare to steal it.¡± Qiu Yue whispered back to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang stood up and said, ¡°Princess Yuquan, are you sure that you wrote this poem?¡± Zhou shihui said, ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve seen this poem in Layman Qiuyue¡¯s study. It was written by her master.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°How did it become your poem without missing a single word?¡± Qiu Yue got up to Zhou Shihui did not finish the poem said out: ¡°When there is a bright moon? The wine asked the blue sky. I do not know the palace in the sky, what year is this evening.¡±. I want to ride the wind back, but also afraid of jade buildings, the height of the cold. Dance to make clear the shadow, how like in the Human World? Zhu Pavilion, low qizhu, light sleepless. There should be no hate, why long to say goodbye when the circle? ¡°People have joys and sorrows, and the Moon has ups and downs. This matter is difficult to complete in ancient times. ¡°I hope that people will be together for a long time, and we will be together for thousands of miles.¡± ¡°This poem was written by my ancestor, Su Zizhan, but it has never been spread to the world. How did it become Princess Yuquan¡¯s poem?¡± Zhou Shihui looked at Zhou Qing and nervously. Zhou Qing and frowned at Qiu Yue. Among them, a scholar from Qingming Academy said, ¡°It is inevitable that the first sentence of this poem is similar. Why don¡¯t we ask Princess Yuquan to continue writing the following lines?¡± Zhou shihui trembled. She did not want to embarrass herself in front of everyone. She forced herself to say, ¡°I was the one who wrote the poem that layman Qiuyue mentioned just now. It was just that when I wrote this poem earlier, someone had heard it. It is difficult to guarantee that layman Qiuyue¡¯s ancestors only listened to my poem and copied it.¡± This poem was written by her mother. Her mother¡¯s literary talent was so good that she could write so many famous sentences from the ages. It could not be the poems of other ancestors. Qiu Yue said, ¡°I have never seen such a shameless person. My ancestors were the most talented people in the world, and the famous sentences they wrote could be passed down for thousands of years. If you say that you wrote it, when did you write this poem? Who Is there to testify?¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Zhou shihui, ¡°If someone heard such a good poem, it would definitely be passed down. Why didn¡¯t they hear it at first?¡± Zhou Shihui kept looking at Zhou Qing he. Zhou Qing said, ¡°This poem was indeed written by My Shihui. It was written in a school in Yangzhou. It was also written by Shihui because he missed his parents. The school was filled with people who did not know how to write, so even if there was such a good poem, it did not spread. The people in the school can testify to this.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Then why don¡¯t we let Zhou Shihui write another poem that has never been shown to others?¡± Zhou Shihui remembered the few poems he had read in his mother¡¯s study yesterday. He picked one randomly and recited it. ¡°The wheel frost shadow turns the courtyard Wu, this Xi Ji man is a one-way couple¡­¡± Qiu Yue said, ¡°Stop, the wheel frost shadow turns the courtyard Wu. How can this Xi Ji Man be a one-way couple? The rhythm doesn¡¯t even work. It should be a one-way couple.¡±. ¡°Also, Princess Yuquan, what a coincidence. This is a poem by another senior of Mine, Yan Shu.¡±. ¡°The correct one should be a one-way couple, a one-way couple.¡±. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily that I have no regrets, but the jade toad is cold and the osmanthus flowers are lonely¡­¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Princess Yuquan, just now I told you to say a poem that you have never shown to others. Why did it collide with Senior Qiuyue¡¯s poem again? And your rhythm is not right!¡± Zhou Shihui looked at Zhou Qinghe. She had chosen the poems that her mother had written on the desk. She had asked her mother, and her mother had said that she had written them herself. Zhou Shihui did not doubt that he had to believe his mother, but he did not know that his mother had also used someone else¡¯s poem? Or was it senior layman Qiuyue who had stolen his mother¡¯s poem. Qiao Jinniang gently waved her fan and said, ¡°I heard that the students of Qingming Academy praised Princess Yuquan¡¯s essay just now. To steal someone else¡¯s poem like this, isn¡¯t it a little too shameful?¡± Eldest princess wen hua added, ¡°The crown princess is right. Some people are proud to say that they can¡¯t read a single word of Fu Lu, but Fu Lu is rarely sincere, unlike some people who actually take someone else¡¯s poems for themselves.¡± Jing hua smiled and said, ¡°I wonder if the essay that entered Qingming Academy was also written by someone else?¡± Zhou Shihui¡¯s face flushed red. She had never been so ashamed. Her literary talent was not bad. In the end, when she was young, she was discovered by a Yangzhou nanny in an opera troupe and raised as a skinny horse. Her literary talent was not weak, but she was still far from entering Qingming Academy. It was her mother who wrote an article and handed it to her, allowing her to enter Qingming Academy. Her mother¡¯s article was not considered a misappropriation. Now that Qiao Jinniang and the two princesses were ridiculing her, Zhou Shihui did not know what to do for a moment! Chapter 270 Chapter 270: Chapter 270, exposing Zhou Qing he Zhou Qing he stood up and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Please Forgive me for my love for my daughter. In order to prevent my daughter from being laughed at for growing up in a private school, I specially wrote an article to help Shiwei enter Qingming Academy. As for the two poems that Shiwei wrote just now, they were also written by me in order to make my daughter famous. These two poems are now in my daughter¡¯s study. I don¡¯t know if it was taken out by a servant girl in the study and given to an outsider. If His Majesty doesn¡¯t believe me, he can send someone to search my daughter¡¯s study.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Aunt is really unwilling to give up until she reaches the Yellow River. The snow has sealed the mountain. I and the Crown Princess, Ju Yue, have just left the mountain this morning. When can I get the poems in Aunt¡¯s study?¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that I did write these poems.¡± ¡°When I used the poem emblem, I also used the heart of a loving daughter. This child has suffered too much.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°What a good heart of a loving daughter. You stole other people¡¯s poems and made your beloved daughter a thief. Is this the so-called heart of a loving daughter?¡± Zhou Qing glared at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Crown Prince Consort, I¡¯m your elder. What right do you have to say that I¡¯m a Thief?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t said aunt yet, why does aunt have to take my place?¡±? The thief that I am talking about is Zhou Shihui, poetry is a person¡¯s talent, how can this talent be used by a mother for her daughter? If it isn¡¯t her own talent, isn¡¯t it her own talent? Since you are a talented scholar, you should know that these poems take a lot of effort, how can you casually make a name for yourself. ¡°As a mother, you don¡¯t teach your daughter how to improve her talent, but you directly make your daughter a liar who doesn¡¯t believe in righteousness. How laughable!¡± Zhou Shihui immediately shed tears of grievance. Qiao Jinniang added, ¡°Also, aunt said that those poems were leaked from your study. Coincidentally, in the Autumn Moon House of the Old Lord, Layman Autumn Moon also wrote those poems!¡± ¡°Aunt wrote them last night. The heavy snow has cut off the road, and even a messenger pigeon can not fly up. May I ask where those poems came from in the Autumn Moon House?¡± Zhou Qing said amiably, ¡°The poems in my study were also written a few years ago.¡± Qiao jinniang laughed lightly, ¡°That¡¯s just right. Just like what happened just now, aunt will write a poem that has never been known by anyone. What do you think?¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°How can it be so easy to write a poem? With such a thing happening, how can there be any interest in poetry?¡± Qiao Jinniang replied with an ¡®Oh¡¯, ¡°Oh?¡±? But earlier on, the people of Luoyang praised aunt for her talent. Those famous lines from the ancient times came out of nowhere! If aunt doesn¡¯t write a poem today, doesn¡¯t that mean that your poem belongs to the ancestors of the autumn moon hermit who stole it?¡± ¡°Zhou Qinghe, quickly compose a poem and let them see how amazing you are.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Each of your previous poems are extremely amazing. With 30% of your skills, you will be able to restore your innocence.¡± Zhou Qinghe thought for a moment and said, ¡°Alright, in that case, I will compose a poem about the setting of the mid-autumn Festival. ¡°The sky is filled with dustpans and the earth is filled with numerous strings. The sound of a pot leaking is about to dry up, the flames in the window are already dim¡­ the shadow of a crane crossing a cold pond¡­¡± Zhou Qing and said more than ten sentences in a row. Qiu Yue then interrupted Zhou Qing he and said, ¡°Cold Moon buries the flower soul, Zhou Qing he, do you think that I won¡¯t be able to memorize the poems in my senior Cao Gong¡¯s words book? ¡°Unfortunately, Cao Gong is the originator of the words book. I¡¯ve read his stone notes more than ten times. I¡¯ll remember all the poems and even the judgments in them. ¡°It is a little too despicable of you to steal his poems.¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°What right do you have to say that I stole it?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Then, after you pass through the shadow of the crane in the cold pond, can you possibly continue with the next sentence?¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°Pass through the shadow of the crane in the Cold Pond, the shadow of the Clear Moon¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed. Zhou Qing and everyone present laughed out loud. Little County Prince Rong said, ¡°How can you mother and daughter have the face to say that Fu Lu is a good-for-nothing? I am a good-for-nothing, and we all know that the shadow of the crane and the shadow of the flower are not together, not to mention that the sentence that layman Qiuyue just received, ¡®The Cold Moon buries the Flower Soul¡¯, is the best sentence!¡± The scholars in the Qing Ming Academy replied in succession, ¡°The shadow of the crane and the shadow of the flower, there has never been such an irregular poem. Even those country bumpkins who do not know how to write poems would not have such an irregular poem!¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°I just, I just said it wrong for a moment. I just made more than ten poems at once and made a mistake in a moment of nervousness.¡± ¡°How can a talented girl, who is supported by everyone, let go of such a mistake?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Zhou Qing he, the poems that you wrote in Luoyang in the past were all written by the teacher of Ju Shi Qiuyue, Li Qingzhao. Now, do you still want to continue being stubborn?¡± Zhou Qinghe shook his head and said, ¡°No, no, you are talking nonsense. Those poems were all written by me. If it was Li Qingzhao who wrote them, how would I know her poems? Why didn¡¯t she use these poems to make a name for herself?¡±? ¡°If you have the ability, call her out and confront her!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Zhou Qinghe, since you still want to quibble, then continue to write another poem.. ¡°This time, as long as your poem is neat, I will believe you. The previous poems were all written by you.¡± The more flustered Zhou Qing he was, the more he wrote a poem, ¡°Round Soul on the cold sky, all words are the same in the four seas. Knowing a thousand miles away, is there not rain and wind?¡± She had even forgotten who the author of this poem was. She only remembered that when she was in school, the Professor liked this poem and had given her homework to appreciate it. She did not believe that such a biased poem could be memorized by this so-called Qiu Yue Ju Shi! As expected, she saw the awkwardness on Qiu Yue Ju Shi¡¯s face. Prime Minister Lin¡¯s face was extremely dark as he said, ¡°This is the poem that my student, the new top scorer Li Qiao, wrote in the Prime Minister¡¯s residence last year during the mid-autumn Festival. Although it is not famous, all the students who came to the Prime Minister¡¯s residence last year to admire the Moon have heard of this poem.¡± ¡°How did this poem become something that Zhou Qing and you can do?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Now, Zhou Qing and you can¡¯t be saying that Li Qiao stole your poem last year, right? Over and over again, Zhou Qing and you shouldn¡¯t treat us as fools.¡± The Scholars in the Qingming Academy were already furious. The gazes that were looking at Zhou Qing and worship turned to disdain. ¡°Bah, so all her poems are really plagiarized!¡± ¡°So all those famous lines from the ages were really written by Ju Shi Qiuyue¡¯s Master? Why didn¡¯t that Li Qingzhao come out?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Li Qingzhao is a low-profile person. He doesn¡¯t like fame and fortune. Who knew that someone would use his bad brain and steal her poems for his own use. It¡¯s really disgusting!¡± Zhou Qing and Zhou Shihui felt their faces burning with pain. ¡°Zhou Qing he, to think that I still like you so much. So it¡¯s all fake! It¡¯s disgusting. I even spent a hundred taels of silver to buy her poetry collection. It¡¯s too disgusting!¡± ¡°What number one genius in a thousand years? She stole someone else¡¯s poems and is still so stubborn. How can the mother and daughter have the face to be sought after by everyone!¡± Before this, how many people liked Zhou Qing and how many people now hated and despised him from the bottom of their hearts! Chapter 271 Chapter 271: In chapter 271, Zhou Shihui called out to her father in public Zhou Qinghe¡¯s expression became more and more embarrassed. Zhou Shihui was so angry that tears streamed down her face. She said resentfully to Zhou Qinghe, ¡°Mother, why didn¡¯t you tell me that those poems were stolen by you?¡± If she had known earlier that those poems were stolen, she would not have lost so much face. Zhou Qinghe could not even say a word of explanation after being questioned like this by his daughter. Zhou Shihui was really furious. How could she have become like this step by step? Originally, she thought that after returning to Chang ¡®an, she would be the high and mighty young lady of the High Duke¡¯s public house.. Later on, when her mother returned, she had the position of princess, and was on equal footing with Fu Lu. Even later on, because of Zhou Qing and his talent and fame, she was even envied by the daughters of Luoyang. She was unwilling to be the person she mocked earlier. That¡¯s right, she could force the Hui Lin Emperor to acknowledge her as a princess. As long as she became a princess, her mother could enter the palace legally. With the relationship between her mother and the Hui Lin Emperor in the past, let¡¯s see who would dare to mock her. Zhou shihui said, ¡°Mother, actually, I know that you want to make my name known. You want my biological father to acknowledge my daughter!¡± Zhou Qinghe did not quite understand what Zhou Shihui was saying. Before Zhou Qinghe could figure it out. Zhou shihui said, ¡°Mother, why are you still hiding something for your biological sister who really stole your life? If it weren¡¯t for Empress Zhou stealing your life,. I wouldn¡¯t have fallen into such a miserable situation in the church! You Don¡¯t have to steal other people¡¯s poems just to make your daughter famous and not be laughed at!¡± Zhou Shihui pointed at Empress Zhou and said, ¡°Empress Zhou, you stole more than 20 years of my mother¡¯s life. You took my mother¡¯s place and received my father¡¯s favor. You made my mother pregnant, but you could only live among the people! ¡°If you didn¡¯t steal my mother¡¯s favor, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in the church and suffered so much!¡± Zhou Qinghe opened his eyes wide and said to Zhou shihui, ¡°Shut Up!¡± Zhou shihui said, ¡°Mother, you care about the sisterhood, but has the Empress ever cared about it? Look at the Martial Duke¡¯s public house now, what are you still hiding from father!¡± When Zhou Shihui said this, the entire court was in an uproar. Especially the word ¡®father¡¯, which caused everyone to be extremely concerned. However, Qiao Jinniang was so embarrassed for Zhou Shihui that she could dig out a garden! Zhou Qing slapped Zhou Shihui in the face. ¡°Shut up, your father is not the Emperor!¡± Zhou Shihui took the slap and pointed at Prince Huai and Princess Huai, Li Lingling. ¡°Prince Huai and Princess Huai have said that I am father¡¯s daughter!¡± The Hui Lin Emperor Glared at the couple and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know that I have such a daughter outside?¡± Li Lingling was so scared that she knelt on the ground, ¡°Father¡­ i. . .¡± The Huilin Emperor also knelt down, his hands clenched into fists. Zhou Qinghe said to the Huilin emperor, ¡°Shihui was just bewitched by the couple. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Moreover, what Shihui said just now was also right. Your Majesty, Actually, the woman who talked about the situation of the world with you in the garden of Ten Thousand Flowers was me, not my sister. It was my sister who took my identity!¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°I have always known that the woman in the garden of Ten Thousand Flowers was you. ¡°I had known the Empress Long before Imperial Consort Zhou¡¯s funeral. ¡°When I saw you, I knew that you were not Zhou Qingxiu. I only did not expose you for the sake of the Empress!¡± Zhou Qinghe collapsed to the ground upon hearing that. ¡°How could this be? Zhou Qingxiu, you knew long ago. Were you just going to watch me misunderstand?¡± Empress Zhou said, ¡°Elder sister, did you listen to my explanation? Twenty years ago, I told elder sister that I was not your substitute. However, elder sister wholeheartedly believed that younger sister could only enter the palace in your place. There was no point in explaining anymore. It was just that she did not expect that even now, elder sister was still stubborn. Back then, when you used my identity to talk to the emperor, I did not blame you for stealing my identity. Now, you keep saying that I took your identity. It¡¯s simply ridiculous!¡± Empress Zhou no longer wanted to pursue the matter of why Zhou Qing he used her name to talk to the Hui Lin Emperor. However, this had always been a knot in Empress Zhou¡¯s heart. Back then, Zhou Qing and the Hui Lin Emperor were talking about political matters. A moment of carelessness could result in death. However, Zhou Qing he used her name, Zhou Qingxiu. Upon hearing this, Zhou Qinghe fell to the ground and said, ¡°In the end, you still deliberately looked at me as a joke! Zhou Qingxiu, you and I are sisters. Is this how you treat your sister?¡± Empress Zhou snorted coldly. ¡°You were the one who said it first, disregarding the feelings of sisters.¡± Seeing the mocking eyes of others, Zhou Shihui shook her head repeatedly. How could it be like this? How could it be like this? Right now, she did not even have the last straw to save her life. The mother and daughter pair would definitely become a joke in Luoyang city in the future. Zhou Siming¡¯s brows were tightly knitted. If that was the case, his last hope to save Zhou Shihui had been destroyed. He did not know what to do! Qiao Jinniang saw the expression of Zhou Shihui and her daughter and smiled faintly. ¡°Zhou Qinghe, you are not the only one who has stolen her poems. There is also the human life you are carrying!¡±! Zhou qinghe shouted hysterically, ¡°Crown princess, stop talking nonsense. What human life?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Eighteen years ago, in the winter, you threw the daughter of the former king of Wu into the latrine pit and attempted to kill her. Eighteen years later, in the enclosure, you arranged to kill Xie Xiangxiang!¡± Zhou Qing and rebuked angrily, ¡°Crown Princess, you don¡¯t have to add insult to injury to refute Fu Lu, do you? The evidence of Fu Lu killing Xie Xiangxiang is all here!¡± ¡°What a coincidence, I have witnesses too.¡±Qiao Jinniang ordered someone to bring Qian Yi in. When Qian Yi entered, he carried a strong fragrance. He held the horsetail whisk and bowed to the hui lin emperor, ¡°This humble one greets your majesty, the Empress.¡± Zhou Qing and saw that Qian Yi¡¯s appearance had not changed much. He was so angry that he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re alive, you¡¯re actually still alive!¡± Qian Yi gave a dao name and said, ¡°Qing he, it was I who let you down back then. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s a debt and there¡¯s a debtor. It¡¯s not enough that you killed my daughter, why did you kill Xie Xiangxiang?¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Qian Yi told the story of his youth in public, and then he told Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s mistake, ¡°Zhou Qing he, you probably don¡¯t know that Xie Xiangxiang is not my daughter.¡± Zhou Qing said, ¡°Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s death and Your Daughter¡¯s death have nothing to do with me!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Does the Zhou family still have the Tai Bai Mountain tiger skin that was given to them by the late Emperor?¡± Lu Chen also wanted to show Qiao Jinniang the Taibai Mountain Tiger Skin in the palace. Only then did he know that the late Emperor had given the largest piece of tiger skin to concubine Zhou. As concubine Zhou was filial, she simply let the late emperor give it to the martial Duke¡¯s public house. Zhou Qing he¡¯s face turned black. Second Master Zhou came out and said, ¡°That Taibai mountain tiger skin has always been kept in the storeroom.¡± Lu Chen looked at the Minister of justice and said, ¡°Second uncle, are you serious? Why Don¡¯t you ask someone from the Ministry of Justice to check in the storeroom of the Zhou residence?¡± Second Master Zhou¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Zhou Qing he! Did you take the Taibai Mountain Tiger Skin?¡± Zhou Qing he bit his lip and said, ¡°No, the Zhou Manor¡¯s tiger skin has nothing to do with me!¡± At this moment.., li Yun came out from the side and said, ¡°Speaking of the Taibai Mountain Tiger Skin, my cousin, Miss Fu, recently said that she received the Taibai Mountain Tiger Skin bestowed by Princess Yuquan. She even brought the Taibai Mountain Tiger Skin to show off to her relatives¡­¡± Chapter 272 Chapter 272: Chapter 272, mother and daughter killing each other Zhou shihui panicked and said, ¡°No, I definitely did not give the tiger skin to miss fu!¡± She had clearly repeatedly warned that fu person not to tell outsiders about the tiger skin, but she did not expect that Fu person to actually show off the tiger skin in front of his relatives. Was she tired of living? Naturally, Miss Fu was not qualified to come to the palace banquet. The Minister of Justice received the order to send someone to the Fu residence to bring miss fu here. There was still a slight burn scar on Miss Fu¡¯s face, but if one did not pay attention, they would not be able to see it. The minister of justice asked, ¡°Miss Fu, didn¡¯t you say that Princess Yuquan gave you a piece of Taibai Mountain¡¯s Tiger Skin?¡± Miss Fu had never seen such a scene. She trembled and said, ¡°Yes, Princess Yuquan did give me a piece of tiger skin. That piece of tiger skin is different from ordinary tiger skin. It is rarely seen in the world. Even the palace only has two pieces.¡± Zhou shihui said, ¡°You wronged me. I¡¯ve never given you a tiger skin!¡± Qiao Jinniang asked miss fu, ¡°Then what about your tiger skin?¡± Miss Fu¡¯s hands trembled as she said, ¡°No, it¡¯s gone. It was stolen.¡± Qiao Jinniang walked up to miss fu and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re my cousin, if you tell the truth, I can help you plead for mercy and let you off lightly. But if you refuse to tell the truth and want to be tortured, don¡¯t blame me for not caring about my relatives!¡± Miss Fu was so scared that she couldn¡¯t even speak properly. Zhou Shihui had never expected that Fu would be so timid. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, speak slowly.¡± Miss fu kowtowed and said, ¡°Crown princess, Xie Xiangxiang poured the hot oil from the oil pot onto my face on Chinese Valentine¡¯s Day. I didn¡¯t even dare to leave the house for more than a month. ¡°Xie Xiangxiang kept coming over to apologize, but I felt that her apology was insincere. I didn¡¯t lack gold, silver, and jewelry. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until Princess Yuquan came to me and gave me a piece of bright tiger skin. She asked me to bring that piece of tiger skin to Xie Xiangxiang and told Xie Xiangxiang to wear the tiger skin and walk around the beast area. ¡°I thought that nothing would happen in the Beast area. It was a good opportunity to scare Xie Xiangxiang and vent my anger. ¡°But who knew that she would be shot to death by Princess Fu Lu!¡± Zhou Shihui stood up and said, ¡°Clearly, you and Xie Xiangxiang have a grudge. Now, you¡¯re saying that I ordered you to do so. Do you have any evidence?¡± Miss fu only said, ¡°It was Princess Yuquan who ordered me to do so. We don¡¯t even have such high-quality tiger skin in our house!¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Zhou shihui, ¡°Tiger Skin from Mount Taibai is rare. We¡¯ll know once we investigate.¡± Zhou shihui said loudly, ¡°Perhaps the one surnamed Fu stole the tiger skin from our Zhou Family?¡± Qiao Jinniang glanced at Li Yun and said, ¡°If miss fu really stole the tiger skin, how would she dare to show it off in front of her relatives?¡± Miss fu nodded repeatedly. ¡°Princess Yuquan gave me the tiger skin. Even if I had twelve guts, I wouldn¡¯t dare to steal from the Zhou residence!¡± Qian Yi gave a dao name. ¡°Heavenly venerate immeasurable, Zhou Shihui, are you still obstinate?¡± Zhou Qing said in a shrill voice, ¡°What right do you have to manage my daughter? What kind of father are you? If it weren¡¯t for your son, he wouldn¡¯t have committed the felony of murder!¡± Hearing that, Zhou Shihui said in extreme shock, ¡°Mother, you were clearly the one who told me about this scheme and told me to contact miss fu. How can you push the crime of murder onto me now?¡± Zhou Qinghe glared angrily at Zhou Shihui. She was really too stupid! Zhou Shihui was, after all, Qian Yi¡¯s daughter. With the bloodline of the Qian family, she would not be sentenced to death. Moreover, Qian Yi would not just watch his own daughter die. The mother and daughter could have escaped unscathed, but Zhou Shihui was actually so impatient! Zhou Shihui said hurriedly, ¡°This matter was my mother¡¯s scheme. That tiger skin was specially ordered by my mother to be found from the Zhou family¡¯s storehouse in Chang ¡®an. Originally, she bought a tiger skin in Luoyang. ¡°However, the tiger skin was light in color. My mother was afraid that the tiger skin would be useless, so she ordered someone to bring the tiger skin from Mount Taibai from Chang ¡®an! ¡°Fu Lu was also lured over by my mother. Everything was my mother¡¯s plan!¡± Zhou Qinghe stood up and gave Zhou Shihui a hard slap on the face. ¡°Didn¡¯t I do this for You? Xie Xiangxiang will take away your position as the princess. After she appeared, your position as the princess will not be justified.¡± Zhou Shihui covered her face in tears and said, ¡°It was you who ruined everything for me!¡± The mother and daughter started to blame each other in public. Hearing that, the Hui Lindi frowned and said, ¡°Men, take them to the prison of the Ministry of Justice and convict them after the mid-autumn Festival.¡±. Although the daughter of the Fu family was an accomplice, she did not intend to hurt anyone. It was understandable that her face was ruined, so she was punished to be Xie Xiangxiang¡¯s filial son for three years. ¡°As for Qin Xiangxiang, she was plotted against by someone and accidentally killed Xie Xiangxiang. Her original intention was to kill Tigers and beasts. She should be acquitted and be reinstated as a princess.¡± The people of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor came out to express their gratitude. The scholars of Qing Ming Academy also openly apologized to Qiao Lui. They knelt on the ground and begged the emperor to punish Zhou Qing and the mother and daughter severely. Xie Yi knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Your Majesty, in the end, it is also because I treated Zhou Qing and the mother and daughter badly back then. I am willing to take a heavy punishment on their behalf!¡± Hui Lindi said, ¡°We will discuss their crimes tomorrow! At this mid-autumn Festival, there is no need for these two evil mother and daughter to affect the joy of enjoying the moon and reuniting.¡± All the officials agreed. Hui Lindi looked at the couple who were still kneeling on the ground and sighed heavily. Empress Zhou said to King Huai, ¡°The two of you should also get up. In the future, you need to be careful with your words and actions. Don¡¯t lose the face of the royal family.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±King Huai stood up and swayed. With Zhou Qing and the mother and daughter¡¯s crimes, the Zhou residence was truly crippled. What should he do in the future? The students of Qingming Academy that he had spent so much effort to rope in were also crippled! Hui Lindi looked at King Huai with disappointment in his eyes. Little Lu Xi handed a stack of fresh meat mooncakes to Hui Lindi and said, ¡°These are the mooncakes uncle fennel made. They¡¯re very delicious. give them to Grandpa. Grandpa, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Hui Lindi hugged Little Lu Xi and said, ¡°Xi¡¯er is the most obedient.¡± The king of Huai looked at Lu Xi fawning over the Hui Lin Emperor from the bottom of his heart with disgust. When Lu Chen was young, he was just like Lu Xi, always fawning over his father. He had no respect for the father and son of the Tian family. After the mid-autumn Banquet, qian Yi went to Hanliang Palace to look for the Hui Lin Emperor and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Zhou Shihui, Zhou Qing, and her mother and daughter are in possession of human lives. It is hard to absolve the blame for their deaths. However, on account of Zhou Shihui¡¯s childhood hardships, I Beg Your Majesty to spare her life!¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°I heard that the servant girl beside the Crown Princess is also your daughter. You can only choose between sparing Zhou Shihui¡¯s life and bestowing glutinous rice as the princess.¡± ¡°There can only be one princess of the Wu King. If Zhou Shihui is the princess, it is not difficult to spare her life. However, if that is the case, glutinous rice can no longer have the title of nobility!¡± Qian Yi knelt on the ground and found it difficult to choose. Both of them were his daughters. One had been homeless since young, while the other had been a servant in a restaurant since young.. Chapter 273 Chapter 273: Chapter 273: Let the Crown Princess consort the Empress Dowager After returning to the Eastern Palace. Qiao Jinniang went to the kitchen to make long-lived noodles for little Lu Xi. Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°You and Li Yun exchanged a few glances just now.¡± Qiao jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Why can¡¯t I even look at him?¡± Lu Chen coughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t look at him. I just need to avoid suspicion, so that others won¡¯t make a fuss about this matter.¡± Qiao jinniang snorted lightly, ¡°I¡¯m an open and aboveboard person, why would I be afraid of what others will say?¡± Lu Chen helped her make peace, ¡°In the end, People¡¯s words are worth fearing. Right, since glutinous rice is Qian Yi¡¯s daughter, I think she will also be conferred the title of Princess and go to Lin ¡®an. Haven¡¯t you always been thinking about Lin ¡®an¡¯s hundred savory restaurant being left unattended? Why Don¡¯t you give it to glutinous rice?¡± Qiao jinniang sighed and said, ¡°The Qian residence is less than three Li away from our hundred savory restaurant, but we have only been able to recognize each other until now. It¡¯s also a matter of fate. I originally thought that it was already inconceivable for me to go from the restaurant¡¯s young miss to the Marquisate¡¯s daughter. I didn¡¯t think that glutinous Rice¡¯s identity would be more powerful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that she has returned to Lin ¡®an. At least she can return to a place that she is familiar with.¡± Lu Chen heard the envy in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words and said, ¡°There will always be a chance for her to return to Lin ¡®an.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I hope so.¡± Lu Chen said again, ¡°Oh right, is that senior Qiu Yue¡¯s literary talent still alive? Such a talented person has always been unknown.¡± ¡°That senior is just like Qiu Yue, keeping a low profile.¡± Lu Chen chuckled, ¡°Qiu Yue wrote that kind of erotic speech book, and she still dares to keep a high profile?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly. It was true. Qiu Yue hid in the deep mountains because she did not want to stir up any trouble. The longevity noodles had just been made when eunuch Gu rushed over and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has received bad news from the palace. The empress dowager has fainted.¡± The Empress Dowager was almost sixty years old. It was not a small matter for her to pass out at this time. Filial piety was the first priority. Lu Chen and Qiao Jin could only bring Lu Xi along. By then, the Hui Lin Emperor, the empress dowager, and the other imperial concubines would already be in the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. After the imperial physician checked her pulse, he said to the Hui Lin emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse is extremely inappropriate. Her internal organs have been exhausted by the rice sack flower. If this continues, she might become a walking corpse.¡± It was not a secret that the empress dowager used the rice sack flower and fruit in the palace. After all, even the people outside the palace knew about this. The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°Do your best to save mother.¡± The imperial physician repeatedly acknowledged. The Hui Lin Emperor let out a heavy sigh and glared angrily at Imperial Chef Li beside him. Imperial chef Li Shivered for a moment. He could clearly see the killing intent in the Hui Lin Emperor¡¯s eyes. No, he had to help King Huai seize the throne as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the old fogey, the empress dowager, passed away, the Emperor would definitely not allow him to live anymore in order to keep the secret! The Empress Dowager slowly woke up after being injected with needles. Only then could everyone leave the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. Lu Chen carried Lu Xi, who was about to fall asleep, and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Seeing the empress dowager so thin today, I think she won¡¯t be able to live for long. You and Lu Xi have to be more careful of her these few days.¡± Qiao Jinniang was puzzled. ¡°Since father knows that the old empress dowager wants to harm you, why didn¡¯t father punish the Empress Dowager?¡± ¡°The Empress Dowager is, after all, father¡¯s biological mother. Father wants to be a wise ruler all his life. With filial piety in front of him, he naturally won¡¯t punish the Empress Dowager.¡± Back in the eastern palace, the longevity noodles were already cold, so Qiao Jinniang did not make another bowl. Instead, Lu Xi was thinking about whether the noodles were swollen or not, but she still ate them. ¡°Mother¡¯s noodles are the best. Even if it¡¯s swollen, it¡¯s still very delicious.¡± Qiao Jinniang kissed Lu Xi¡¯s little face. ¡°Xi¡¯er is so obedient.¡± Little Lu Xi tugged on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Xi¡¯er wants to sleep with mother, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡±Qiao Jinniang also knew that he had not seen her for the past few days. He must have missed her very much. Lu Chen said, ¡°I think we can let Xi¡¯er copy the historical records!¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°Father, I already know all the historical records by heart. There¡¯s no need to copy them!¡± ¡°A good memory is better than a bad pen,¡±Lu Chen said. Qiao Jin held Lu Xi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ignore your father. If you want to copy them, let him do it himself.¡± The bright moon shone in the sky. It was a different kind of feeling to admire the moon in the courtyard of the Eastern Palace. After Xi¡¯er fell asleep, Lu Chen ordered the palace staff to carry her back to his own palace. In the end, Qiao Jinniang still went back on her word. In the wing room of the Taoist temple on Laojun Mountain, the two of them were husband and wife, so they could not get close to each other. It was a beautiful day and the moon was full, so naturally, there was a lot of romance.. Qiao Jinniang could not help but close her eyes when she heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. In her daze, she heard Lu Chen calling for water. She could not get up, so she let Lu Chen help her clean up. During the mid-autumn Festival, there were three days of rest. However, Lu Chen also woke up at 15:00 PM every day and got up on Tiptoe. Not long after, Yu Yan entered and said, ¡°Your Highness, there is news from the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace that the crown prince and his imperial consort are to go to the empress dowager¡¯s place to treat her illness.¡± It was natural for juniors to treat their elders. Back then, when the Empress had just entered the palace, the Empress Dowager had also used this matter to train the empress. However, at that time, Empress Zhou had mentioned to the empress dowager every day how concubine Zhou was. The empress dowager really detested Empress Zhou and was unwilling to see her, so she gave up. At that time, Lu Chen was unwilling to let Qiao Jinniang serve as the Crown Prince¡¯s consort because he was afraid that the Empress Dowager would be upset. Later on, the Empress Dowager felt that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s status was low and that Qiao Jinniang had a way of flattering her, so she did not train her much. Serving the elders was an extremely tiring thing. Qiao Jinniang heard Yuyan¡¯s voice and slowly woke up. She took a handkerchief from the side, covered it with it, and yawned. ¡°The Empress Dowager won¡¯t use the tricks of the common folk to torture me, right?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Just don¡¯t go. I¡¯ll tell father that you¡¯re not feeling well.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. ¡°You can¡¯t escape from left and right. Besides, can the Empress Dowager openly deal with me?¡± Lu Chen whispered in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°You go to the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. be careful of the rice sachets.¡± Qiao Jinniang instantly became spirited. She couldn¡¯t be contaminated by the rice sachets. ¡°Help me pass a message to Fu Lu and Li Lingling. Let them enter the palace together to treat the empress dowager¡¯s illness!¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t believe that the Empress Dowager could harm her own granddaughter and favorite niece. After washing up and putting on her makeup, Qiao Jinniang saw Lu Chen walking with her and asked, ¡°Although it¡¯s Xiumu today, you¡¯ve been on Laojun Mountain for many days. The Eastern Palace is busy. Do you still want to go with me?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The officials in the eastern palace are not to be trifled with. What¡¯s more important is that I¡¯m afraid that the empress dowager will do something vicious!¡± Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen went to the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. The Empress Dowager was having breakfast. Qiao Jinniang saw the veins on the empress dowager¡¯s hands pop out. It was terrifying. Looking at the black and blue in her eyes, she no longer looked like a human. It could be seen that the empress dowager was really beyond cure. A nanny at the side lit some white powder for the empress dowager to smell. After the empress dowager smelled the powder, she became spirited and said, ¡°I¡¯m old. In the future, I¡¯ll have to trouble the Crown Princess consort to serve me well.¡± ¡°Grandmother, what are you talking about? It is the fortune of a granddaughter-in-law to be able to take care of you.¡±Qiao Jinniang did not dare to approach. The white powder lit up a sweet smell. She held her breath and did not dare to breathe. Her instincts told her that there must be something fishy about this white powder! Chapter 274 Chapter 274: Chapter 274, the Emperor¡¯s foolish filial piety Lu Chen said to the empress dowager, ¡°I wonder if the imperial grandmother has eaten breakfast. Why don¡¯t we have the Empress Dowager Make Breakfast for You?¡± The empress dowager said, ¡°It¡¯s hard for you to be filial, but I have long lost my sense of taste. There¡¯s no need to eat breakfast.¡± The nanny beside the empress dowager handed a bowl of medicine to Lady Qiao and said, ¡°Crown Princess Consort, please feed the Empress Dowager the medicine!¡± Lu Chen also sensed that something was wrong with the powder. He did not dare let Lady Qiao get close to him, so he said to the maidservant, ¡°The Crown Princess Consort was busy yesterday. Why Don¡¯t you let your grandson feed the medicine to the imperial grandmother?¡± Seeing the empress dowager¡¯s successful intent in her eyes, Lady Qiao understood that the Empress Dowager had no need to deal with her. After all, she was different from Empress Zhou. The more the empress dowager dealt with herself, the more she would only become enemies with marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate. The Empress Dowager¡¯s intentions were clearly not in the wine. Her target was only Lu Chen. The powder the empress dowager was inhaling did not seem to be anything serious. If Lu Chen became addicted to it and hurt his body, the position of crown prince would naturally disappear. Qiao Jinniang rushed forward and took the medicine bowl from Lu Chen¡¯s hands. As the two argued, the medicine bowl fell to the ground and shattered. The Empress Dowager flew into a rage, ¡°The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess consort are already so old, yet they can¡¯t even hold the medicine bowl properly? Or do you want me to not be able to take the medicine on time?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Imperial grandmother, please forgive me.¡± Lu Chen no longer had the courtesy he had before and said, ¡°Imperial grandmother, I and the Crown Princess consort are clumsy and can¡¯t serve you. I will ask Big Brother and sister-in-law to take good care of you.¡± The empress dowager angrily rebuked, ¡°Lu Chen, how dare you be so unfilial. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the history books will record your unfilial name today?¡± Lu Chen said to the empress dowager, ¡°Imperial grandmother, I have never cared about my own reputation. I only care about how much father¡¯s reputation will tolerate you and do not wish for father to make things difficult for his mother and son. You, as a mother, do not care about your own son, and I, as a son, can not disappoint father!¡± ¡°However, some things can be tolerated, but some things, I can not tolerate!¡± As Lu Chen spoke, he held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I will take my leave with the Crown Princess Consort.¡± As Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen out of the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace, she said to him, ¡°What should we do? If this matter spreads, outsiders will only blame you for being unfilial.¡± Great Tang ruled the country with filial piety. The word filial piety was the foundation of the country. Once it was involved in being unfilial, it would be immoral. The Empress Dowager¡¯s move could be said to be killing two birds with one stone. The emperor¡¯s connivance with the empress dowager¡¯s use of rice dumplings would naturally not be spread, so the empress dowager¡¯s use of white powder could not be explained. Lu Chen said, ¡°Even if you are impeached and removed from the throne, I can not let you fall into danger.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled at Lu Chen and said, ¡°If you are really removed from the throne, my silver can also support you.¡± Lu Chen also smiled at her and said, ¡°In the future, don¡¯t come to the Empress Dowager¡¯s place alone. Go back to the East Palace to rest first. I will make a trip to Hanliang Hall.¡± Qiao Jinniang held Lu Chen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I will go with you.¡± In Hanliang Hall, the Minister of Law and the Minister of the Supreme Court were discussing the treatment of Zhou Qing and his mother and daughter. The Minister of the Supreme Court was Zhou Qing he¡¯s second brother and should have avoided suspicion. However, this matter was really important and the Supreme Court had to intervene. The minister of Justice said, ¡°Your Majesty, the murder of Xie Xiangxiang is related to the Hearts of the students of Qingming Academy. I think that Zhou Qing he is the main culprit and should be beheaded after autumn. His daughter, Zhou Shihui, is an accomplice with murderous intent and should be demoted to an official prostitute.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°As you say.¡± The eunuch said in front of the Hui Lin Emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and the crown princess are here.¡± ¡°Oh? It¡¯s a miracle that they can get up so early. Tell them to come in.¡± As soon as Lu Chen came in, he knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Father, I have committed a great crime of disobedience and unfilial piety. I beg you to punish me.¡± Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen and knelt down. The Hui Lin Emperor frowned and asked the officials of the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court to leave. He asked Lu Chen, ¡°Do you finally know how many crimes of disobedience you have committed? Get Up!¡± Lu Chen briefly told the Hui Lin Emperor about what had happened in the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t know what that white powder is, but I don¡¯t dare to take the risk. I don¡¯t think that a harmful thing like the rice sack flower should appear in the palace.¡± The Hui Lin emperor frowned and said, ¡°Chen ¡®er, the rice sack flower is your grandmother¡¯s life-prolonging item. Once the rice sack flower and fruit are investigated in the palace, your grandmother can only die a sad death.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Father has the intention to protect grandmother. I have nothing to say.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°The empress dowager can not continue for a few days. Since I have compiled the filial piety scripture and advocated for the people to abide by the filial piety, I can not go against the filial piety at this time.¡± Qiao jinniang muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid filial piety.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor angrily said, ¡°Crown Princess consort, do you really think that I won¡¯t punish you for your disrespect?¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m not wrong. You want to maintain your filial piety, but I can¡¯t bear to see my husband get hurt again and again. My husband had to live in fear and trepidation since he was young. His first life was given by you, but he had already returned it to you and his mother when Lin ¡®an was harmed. Now, my husband¡¯s life is given by me. ¡°You can¡¯t mistreat my husband because he is filial to you. You are willing to let your stupid filial piety ruin his life, but I am not willing to!¡± Lu Chen shook Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and told her to stop talking. The Hui Lindi Sighed. ¡°How could I want Chen ¡®er to suffer? It¡¯s just that the empress dowager doesn¡¯t have much time left. Cutting her off at this time is tantamount to cutting off her life!¡± ¡°Can you all just watch your own mother die because of you?¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a low voice, ¡°When I came to Chang ¡®an from Lin ¡®an, I had thought that if my parents weren¡¯t good parents, I would return to Lin ¡®an and leave. ¡°I am also a mother. If in the Future I fall into paranoia and do things that make Xi¡¯er difficult and unreasonable, I would rather xi¡¯er stand on the side of etiquette than Xi¡¯er be burdened by filial piety.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor Thought for a moment and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Princess Xiliang and Prince Rong¡¯s wedding is coming up. I, Great Tang, pay attention to etiquette. You will replace Great Tang as an envoy and go to Xiliang Kingdom to propose marriage. At the same time, you will help fu an look for the Tianshan Snow Lotus.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor was in a dilemma and could only send Lu Chen away. Lu Chen cupped his hands and accepted the order. ¡°Yes, I also want to bring Xi¡¯er with me.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± .. In the mansion of King Huai. Zhou Siming was in King Huai¡¯s study and found out about the punishment the Ministry of Justice had given Zhou Qing and his mother and daughter. The last hope of saving Zhou Sisi was gone. Zhou siming frowned and said, ¡°King Huai, what should we do now? Sisi she¡­¡± King Huai tapped his fingers on the table and said, ¡°There is still a way. The winner will be the king, and the loser will be the bandit. It depends on whether your Zhou family dares to do it or not.¡± Zhou siming cupped his hands and said, ¡°As long as I can save my sister¡¯s life, I will not hesitate to rebel.¡± King Huai patted Zhou Siming¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Alright. If I can ascend to the throne in the future, the position of Empress will definitely be given to Sisi. ¡°The position of the King¡¯s uncle and the position of Duke of the Wu Kingdom will be reserved for you.¡± Chapter 275 Chapter 275: Chapter 275, Yue Zhan, envoy of Longxi Qiao Jinniang left the palace gate of Hanliang Palace and asked Lu Chen excitedly, ¡°Are we really going to the southwest?¡± She had wanted to go to the southwest for a long time, but she felt that there was no hope for her in this life. She had never thought that she would have the chance to go to the southwest. Lu Chen nodded and said with a faint smile, ¡°Yes, prepare more clothes. The climate of Xiliang is changeable. Bring your summer and winter clothes with you. This trip to Xiliang will also let you experience the scenery along the way.¡± Before Qiao Jinniang left, she first went to Marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence to bid farewell to Marquis an Yuan and Zheng Xiao. Marquis an Yuan wrote a few letters to Qiao Jinniang and asked her to bring them to the relatives of the Qiao family in Yunzhou. Second Madam Qiao also prepared a few large boxes of supplies and handed them to Qiao Jinniang. She asked Qiao Jinniang to send them to Qiao Ruofeng and Qiao ruowan. Although Xiliang¡¯s territory was not large, it was bounded by a desert in the north and a northern desert in the north. In the south, it was bounded by a rainforest and the Miaojiang of Great Tang. In the northeast, it was also bounded by Yunzhou. They traveled from Yunzhou to Xiliang, and they had to pass Longxi on the way. Traveling was actually a tiring thing. However, when the crown prince traveled, he lived in the palace along the way. Even if there were no palaces, there were relay stations that had prepared food and dances for him. Even the carriage was pulled by four horses, so it was not tiring on the way. Qiao Jinniang looked at the beautiful scenery outside and felt that it was worth it even if it was tiring. Longxi was the original home of the Lu family. Back then, the Lu family of Longxi was also one of the top aristocratic families. The ancestral temples of the Lu family had been moved to Chang ¡®an and Luoyang, but the Lu family¡¯s house in Longxi was still very well preserved. This time, Lu Chen chose to stay in the Lu family for a short rest in Longxi. As soon as the carriage entered Longxi city, the Longxi Jiedushi and all the officials of Longxi City were already at the city gate to welcome them. Qiao Jinniang opened the curtain and got down from the carriage. When she looked over, she saw the Longxi Jiedushi dressed in silver-white armor. He was so handsome that he didn¡¯t look like a military official, but more like a civil official. ¡°I, Yue Zhan, pay my respects to the crown prince, the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine, and the emperor¡¯s great-grandson.¡± ¡°No need for formalities.¡±Lu Chen raised his hand. After Yue Zhan stood up, he looked at Lin Mo, who was standing behind the crown prince. His eyes were filled with disdain. Lin Mo¡¯s hands could not be lifted, and he looked like a weak scholar. Jing Hua was blind to protect the innocence of such a man, it was a waste of his sincerity. Lin Mo¡¯s gaze towards Yue Zhan did not reveal his thoughts. However, in his heart, he looked down on Yue Zhan. He was just a vulgar general. If it wasn¡¯t for him not being in Chang ¡®an, he would have been too young. He definitely wouldn¡¯t have let Jing Hua marry this boorish man. Qiao Jinniang smiled at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Do you smell smoke?¡± Lu chen nodded and said, ¡°I smell it.¡± When they arrived at the Lu family¡¯s main residence, Qiao Jinniang finally understood why the Lu family¡¯s heritage was so strong. The gardens in the Lu family¡¯s residence in Longxi were no worse than the imperial gardens in the Luoyang Palace in Chang ¡®an. There were even many thousand-year-old trees inside. It was the four seasons here, and it was autumn, and the fragrance of cinnabar trees wafted through the air. In the evening, Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang both received invitations to receive them. Yue Zhan¡¯s mother invited Qiao Jinniang to the Yue family¡¯s banquet. No matter what, Qiao Jinniang had to give face to the family of loyal officials, so she dressed up and went to the Yue residence. Old Madam Yue led the family members of the Longxi officials out and knelt down to welcome Qiao Jin. Qiao Jin raised her hand and said, ¡°Everyone, please don¡¯t be so polite.¡± The woman under old madam Yue whispered, ¡°Mother, the crown prince¡¯s wife looks much gentler than the princess¡¯sister-in-law. I heard that the Crown Prince¡¯s wife came from Lin ¡®an. The women of Jiangnan¡¯s water villages are indeed gentler.¡± Old Madam Yue berated, ¡°What Princess¡¯sister-in-law? She and your brother have long separated.¡± After Qiao Jinniang sat down at the banquet, the ladies on both sides introduced the local delicacies to her, especially the lamb from Longxi. Qiao Jinniang tasted the Lamb here and felt that it was delicious, ¡°This lamb is indeed not smelly or fishy. It would be good if it could be used in my restaurant. I wonder if there is a pasture for raising sheep here?¡± When the ladies heard this, they had all sorts of thoughts in their minds. Some of them felt that the crown princess had not forgotten about the restaurant at this time. There were also those with foresight who felt that they could earn money. The Lady of the prefect came out and said, ¡°Yes, there is. When we return to the Crown Princess, this lowly concubine¡¯s family runs a pasture and specializes in raising high-quality mutton. If the Crown Princess wants to use it in a restaurant, that would be the best.¡± Lady Qiao Jin said, ¡°Tomorrow afternoon, come to the Lu family to look for me and discuss the matter of buying a sheep.¡± When the other wives saw this, they were all envious of the prefect¡¯s wife. Old madam Yue said, ¡°The crown princess is really out of the ordinary. I have a presumptuous request and would like to ask for your help.¡± Lady Qiao Jin asked, ¡°Old Madam, if there is anything you need, just say it. If I can help, I will definitely help.¡± Old madam Yue sighed, ¡°Ever since my unfilial son split with eldest Princess Jing Hua, he has no intention of getting married. He doesn¡¯t even have a woman by his side. He¡¯s a general, and now he¡¯s twenty-eight years old. He doesn¡¯t even have a child now, and I won¡¯t have the face to meet the Yue family¡¯s ancestors in a hundred years. I would like to request the crown prince consort to bestow a marriage on my son, bestow it on anyone, as long as it¡¯s a woman who can bear children!¡± Qiao Jinniang felt a little awkward when she heard this request. ¡°Old Madam, I can help you with other matters, but I can¡¯t do anything about this. Marriage is fated by the heavens, it must be because minister Yue¡¯s marriage hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± Old madam Yue sighed, ¡°This son of mine is silly, he¡¯s still foolishly waiting for Princess Jinhua, but Princess Jinhua left Longxi without even turning back¡­ This silly son of mine is also unwilling to marry again for the rest of his life.¡± Qiao Jin comforted her, ¡°Old Madam, you should relax. This marriage is fated by nature. Human power can not be forced. Although it is not easy for me to arrange a marriage, I will ask His Highness to persuade him.¡± Old Madam Yue thanked her, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± After the banquet ended. Qiao Jin returned to the Lu residence, and Lu Chen returned not long after. He reeked of alcohol. Qiao Jinniang gave Lu Chen the hangover soup that the palace maids had prepared earlier. She then relayed what old madam Yue had asked for to Lu Chen. ¡°From what I see, Old Madam Yue is not desperate. She seems to want to show the imperial family Yue Zhan¡¯s attitude. Is there really no love between royal sister and Yue Zhan?¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°Royal Sister has always only had Lin Mo in her heart.¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t Lin Mo have other matters to discuss? Moreover, Lin Mo can¡¯t sacrifice his future for imperial sister.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Similarly, Yue Zhan can¡¯t do it either. Most of the Jiedushi are hereditary.¡± Lady Qiao Jin leaned on Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Lu Chen, can¡¯t we help imperial sister and the others? Imperial sister has many faces. Actually, if you look carefully, you can still see that she¡¯s not really happy in her heart. ¡°For example, if a girl from a poor family could one day be filled with gold, silver, jewelry, and power, and have all kinds of beautiful men accompany her every day, it would truly be a fairyland on Earth. ¡°However, imperial sister and the others have been rich and noble for a long time, so it¡¯s not necessarily impossible for them to be in love with each other.¡± Lu Chen said with a hint of drunkenness, ¡°What about you? If you had been the daughter of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate from the beginning, and didn¡¯t have to marry a stranger just to get married, would you be in love with each other?¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276: Chapter 276, boiling a frog in warm water Lady Qiao said, ¡°It must be. If it weren¡¯t for my parents¡¯illness, I wouldn¡¯t have hastily married myself.¡± Seeing that Lu Chen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look right, Lady Qiao reached out and hugged his waist. ¡°But I¡¯m glad that after marriage, you and I can still be in love.¡± Lu Chen lowered his head and touched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s lips. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why the prince consort can¡¯t become a high official in the imperial court. After all, there are quite a few princesses and princesses who rebelled.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°If they really have the intention to rebel, even if the princess doesn¡¯t have the help of the prince consort, it¡¯s not impossible for her to do it. Secretly colluding with the courtiers is also not impossible.¡±. It would be better to come in an open and magnanimous manner. Back then, Wei Qing was still the uncle of the country, and the prince consort had been loyal to the emperor and the country his whole life. He had left behind a heroic reputation that had been passed down for thousands of years, but the Wei family had not rebelled. It was clear that one could not guard against the intention to rebel.¡± Lu Chen smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to convince me. I don¡¯t have any objections to this. I also hope that I can meet the person my royal sister entrusted to her and be with Lin Mo for the rest of her life. However, this rule can not be changed just like that.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°In this case, I don¡¯t even dare to have a daughter.¡± Lu Chen gently placed his hand on her abdomen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I Won¡¯t let our daughter suffer any grievances.¡± Qiao Jinniang gently slapped Lu Chen¡¯s hand. ¡°You haven¡¯t had a daughter yet.¡± ¡°But I feel that it¡¯s a little round and round.¡±Lu Chen asked, ¡°Are you pregnant with a child of mutton or a child of wine here?¡± Qiao Jinniang covered Lu Chen¡¯s mouth. While the two were fighting, Gu Ming¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°Your Highness, Young Master Lin Mo and Long Xi Jie du are fighting.¡± Lu Chen took a deep breath. They were both worrisome. He said to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°You rest first. I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡± ¡°Okay,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. Lu Chen was not surprised that Lin Mo and Yue Zhan were fighting. The first time they met, they would definitely be jealous of each other. Lu Chen was naturally on Lin Mo¡¯s side when it came to fighting. There was no reason for him to not help his family. Yue Zhan was extremely angry when he was punished to write down the gifts. He almost broke his pen in the study at night until a letter arrived. He ordered someone to invite the person who sent the letter in. After seeing Zhou Siming, Yue Zhan cupped his hands and said, ¡°So it¡¯s crown prince Zhou.¡± Zhou siming said, ¡°I¡¯m no longer the crown prince. Ambassador Yue Jiedu, Lu Chen is heartless and heartless. He even gave up the family that protected him since he was young. To be able to ignore the life of his cousin who grew up with him since young, he is really shameless to the extreme! Now, he is siding with Lin Mo. . If envoy Yue Jiedu is willing to be used by me, after my master succeeds, I can allow envoy Yue Jiedu to once again become Princess Jinghua¡¯s son-in-law. When that time comes, all the military power in Longxi will belong to envoy Yue Jiedu.¡± When Yue Zhan heard this, he said, ¡°Zhou Siming, this envoy remembers that you and the crown prince have been brothers since young. How can I believe the truth in Your Words?¡± ¡°If we really want to talk about this, let the master behind you come out. Don¡¯t cower and hide!¡± Zhou siming frowned and said, ¡°Who grew up together with Lu Chen? When he disregarded my sister¡¯s wishes and killed my own sister for a woman, there was no brotherhood left.¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°I won¡¯t talk to you. Just ask the master behind you to come out. If you want my troops in Longxi, you can¡¯t rely on a small fry like you!¡± .. In the study room of the Lu residence. Lu Chen berated Lin Mo., ¡°What are you and Yue Zhan doing? He can¡¯t marry the imperial sister, and you can¡¯t marry the imperial sister. The two of you are so funny, arguing over a woman who doesn¡¯t belong to you!¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°He was the one who provoked me first. I Won¡¯t make a move in the future. Your Highness, why do you want to stay in Longxi? A martial artist like Yue Zhan is really disgraceful.¡± ¡°Waiting for someone.¡± ¡°Waiting for Who?¡±Lin Mo asked. Lu Chen said, ¡°The empress dowager doesn¡¯t have much time left. The entire party of King Huai¡¯s chengen uncle¡¯s mansion must be panicking. It¡¯s not necessarily that they won¡¯t make a move. As for Luoyang, with my father holding the fort, they won¡¯t dare to rebel in Luoyang. ¡°My ¡°Resourceful¡±eldest brother will definitely set his sights on Chang ¡®an. and the closest army to Chang ¡®an that he can rope in is the envoy of Longxi.¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°King Huai wants to rebel? He¡¯s crazy. What right does he have to rebel? Even if he can rope in Yue Zhan, how can Yue Zhan¡¯s troops rebel?¡± King Huai did not have any troops in his hands. The Chengen Bo Mansion looked flashy on the outside but did not have any real power on the inside. If it were not for the empress dowager¡¯s presence, the things that the Chengen Bo Mansion and King Yong had done would have been enough to make them suffer. Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than colluding with the enemy.¡±. ¡°Do you still remember the West Liang Imperial preceptor and Mu Qianqian that you caught in Chang ¡®an?¡±? Mu Qianqian was King Huai¡¯s lover on the outside. Mu Qianqian protecting the West Liang Imperial preceptor so much already showed that King Huai had cooperated with West Liang.¡± Lin Mo naturally remembered. ¡°But using the power of West Liang to plot rebellion is nothing more than asking for the Tiger¡¯s skin. No, if we just cooperate with West Liang, how could the northern desert be willing?¡± Lu Chen handed a letter to Lin Mo and said, ¡°This is a secret letter intercepted by the Dragon Guards. My good eldest brother, you don¡¯t just want to cooperate with Xiliang imperial court. There is also the northern desert. If Xiliang helps him become the monarch of great Tang, he is willing to cede ten cities and the right to use the river channels in the border to the northern desert.¡± Lin Mo held the secret letter and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t His Majesty Know About the Dragon Guards? Then His Majesty won¡¯t be angry, won¡¯t be angry?¡± Lu Chen shook his head and said, ¡°Father Doesn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve locked up the dragon guards who sent the letter. Father will only think that the dragon guards have been sacrificed.¡± Lin Mo was a smart person and immediately understood. If this matter was brought to His Majesty¡¯s attention, he could naturally convict King Huai. However, the evidence was indeed not sufficient. Just based on this secret letter, it was still not certain that it was written by King Huai. It was also possible that King Huai would cunningly call it Lu Chen¡¯s deliberate slander. Lin Mo said, ¡°There is a trick in the art of war that is to boil a frog in warm water. I think it is just right to use it on King Huai.¡± The frog would always die in the most comfortable environment. Lu Chen said, ¡°Indeed. Moreover, father wants the reputation of the Wise ruler of the ages, so he can not kill his own son. However, King Huai is willing to collaborate with the enemy for the sake of the throne. It can be seen how insane he is. If we don¡¯t get rid of him, we will feel uneasy even if we are alone.¡± Lin Mo cupped his hands and said, ¡°Then did I cause trouble for You When I fought with Yue Zhan just now?¡± The troops of Longxi had always been strong. Five years ago, they had even fought with the Longxi King. Once they were roped in by Zhou Siming and King Huai, it would be too disadvantageous for them. ¡°That¡¯s Not Right, your highness. If Yue Zhan defected to King Huai, then Longxi is Yue Zhan¡¯s territory. Then wouldn¡¯t your situation with the Crown Princess consort and the Emperor¡¯s great grandson be very dangerous?¡±Lin Mo cupped his hands and advised Lu Chen, ¡°Your Highness, please leave Longxi as soon as possible.¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277: Chapter 277 arrived at Yunzhou Lu Chen said to Lin Mo, ¡°The Lu family has many secrets. Moreover, I feel that Yue Zhan is a person that can be used.¡± Lin Mo frowned slightly. Lu Chen said indifferently, ¡°After all, he and imperial sister did not get close to women after the divorce. He was completely devoted to imperial sister. As for you, you have already compromised with the family and talked about marriage. Speaking of which, Yue Zhan is more reliable.¡± Lin Mo:¡±¡­¡± After Qiao Jinniang woke up the next day, she talked about buying sheep with the Longxi Prefect¡¯s wife and signed an exclusive contract to buy sheep and grass. The prefect¡¯s wife was grinning from ear to ear. She thought that the crown princess consort would use her power to continuously lower the price, but Qiao Jinniang had bought the right to sell the sheep in her family in the future, and her offer was extremely generous. Each sheep actually gave a much higher price than the local sheep meat. Hong Ling asked Qiao Jinniang, puzzled, ¡°Your Highness, isn¡¯t the price you gave the prefect¡¯s wife a little too high? You asked us to inquire about the price of the sheep meat here yesterday, but it is far from this high.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°That¡¯s because the people of Luoyang in Chang ¡®an don¡¯t know the delicious mutton here. If the major restaurants knew the origin of the mutton, they might come here to buy it, and then the price of the mutton would definitely rise. ¡°But those small restaurants probably won¡¯t send people to Longxi specifically to buy the mutton. After I ship the mutton back to Chang ¡®an in Luoyang, I will sell it for twice the amount of silver. Those restaurants might buy it.¡± Qiao Jinniang had heard from her parents since she was young that doing business in harmony made money. Merchants were not despicable at the beginning. There was no such thing as a profiteer. The original meaning was that when the rice chamber of Commerce sold rice, they would add more rice to their customers like a small hill. It was originally a saying of merchants doing business in good faith. It was only because of the pursuit of profit that many merchants gradually became treacherous and ruined the reputation of the merchants. Qiao Jinniang wanted to earn money, but she wouldn¡¯t earn money that was unconscionable. Just as the prefect left, Old Madam Yue came. When Old Madam Yue came, she was still muttering something about asking the crown princess consort to bestow a marriage. When she entered the hall and the door closed, old madam Yue knelt in front of Qiao jinniang and said, ¡°Crown Princess consort, I have something important to report.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°What?¡± Old Madam Yue then recounted the incident yesterday when Zhou Siming came to look for her son, ¡°Our Yue family is loyal to his majesty. In order to let the person behind Zhou Siming Slip, my son pretended to befriend Zhou Siming. I hope that the crown princess consort can understand.¡± Zhou siming walked on the path of rebellion, and Qiao Jinniang could only sigh deeply. The person behind him should be King Huai. Qiao Jinniang said to old madam Yue, ¡°The Yue family¡¯s sincerity, I understand. I will tell the crown prince to be more careful. I just hope that envoy Yue Jiedu can feign civility with them to gather evidence.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jinniang did not know how to tell Lu Chen about this. If glutinous rice, who grew up together with her, betrayed her, she would not be able to recover easily. Moreover, Lu Chen and Zhou Siming were cousins who were connected by blood. Qiao Jinniang thought that she could only treat Lu Chen better. She even personally cooked a sumptuous feast for Lu Chen at night. Lu Chen looked at the table full of dishes that looked like Qiao Jin¡¯s cooking skills and asked, ¡°What Day Is it today?¡± Lu Chen could not remember what day it was. Qiao Jin could actually cook such a sumptuous meal for him. Qiao Jin scooped a bowl of radish and mutton soup and gave it to Lu Chen. ¡°It¡¯s not a day. I specially made it for you. Xi¡¯er has been waiting for a long time. You should try it.¡± Little Lu XI nodded and said, ¡°Daddy, hurry up and eat.¡± Qiao Jinniang was really too gentle with herself today. Although it was just a normal way for a husband and wife to treat each other with respect and respect, it was just a normal way for a wife to take care of her husband. Lu Chen, on the other hand, felt terrified. ¡°Jinniang, did you do something wrong?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I pampered you and treated you a little better, but you think I did something wrong?¡± After Qiao Jinniang made all the palace maids and maids leave, she said to Lu Chen, ¡°Old madam Yue came to look for me today. She said that Zhou Siming found Yue Zhan and wanted to persuade him to rebel.¡± ¡°After all, we are good brothers who grew up together. I was afraid that you would be disappointed, so I specially prepared a table full of dishes for you.¡± Lu Chen wanted to say that it was within his expectations. As the crown prince, he had understood one thing since he was young. At his position, there was no so-called brotherhood. When he was young, the friendship was sincere, but when he grew up, each of them had their own helplessness. Lu Chen had a clear conscience towards Zhou Siming. And Zhou Siming had made an enemy out of him for Zhou Sisi, so Lu Chen was not disappointed. However, it would be great if the disappointment could be treated kindly by Lady Qiao. ¡°It is indeed a disappointment. Zhou Siming actually had the intention to rebel.¡± Qiao Jinniang listened to Lu Chen¡¯s calm tone and handed the fish ball to Lu Xi. ¡°Did you already know that Zhou Siming was going to rebel?¡± Lu Chen said truthfully, ¡°Zhou Siming would do anything for Zhou Sisi. In his eyes, nothing is more important than his sister. Zhou Sisi is about to be executed, so I¡¯m not surprised that he would choose to rebel.¡± Lu Chen told Qiao Jinniang about King Huai and Zhou Siming¡¯s plans. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Even if Yue Zhan will stand on our side, wouldn¡¯t going to Xiliang put us in a dangerous situation?¡± Since Xiliang had already made a deal with King Huai, would Lu Chen still have a chance to survive if he went to Xiliang with her? ¡°Why would father send you to Xiliang at this moment?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Father must have a deeper meaning behind his actions.¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that your father is afraid of you and wants to take your life through the hands of King Huai and West Liang?¡±? After all, the most common person in the book was an emperor in his prime. Seeing that his crown prince was becoming more and more outstanding, he couldn¡¯t let go of the power in his hands and wanted to take his son¡¯s life Lu Chen nodded Qiao Jin¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t read those nonsense books. Do you think I will hurt Xi¡¯er in the future?¡± Qiao Jin shook her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Father would never do anything to hurt me.¡± As for why father sent his son to Western Liang at this juncture, Lu Chen still didn¡¯t understand. He thought he was simply avoiding the empress dowager¡¯s harm. After learning about the letter from King Huai and the northern desert, Lu Chen felt that this matter was not simple. .. After staying in Longxi for ten days, Lu Chen and his group set off on their journey to the southwest. As they got closer and closer to Yunzhou, the weather on the road became hotter and hotter. In this late autumn, the girls here were still wearing thin clothes. Some of the girls¡¯clothes were actually revealing their arms and legs, and some even revealed their belly buttons. Qiao Jinniang looked outside and said, ¡°I think we¡¯ve arrived at Yunzhou.¡± As soon as they arrived at Yunzhou, Qiao Jinniang saw the family of the governor of Yunzhou standing at the city gate to welcome them. The leading young woman was slightly plump, and she was holding an infant in her arms. Qiao Jinniang recognized her at a glance. She should be her third sister whom she had never met before, Qiao Ruoyin of the second branch of the Qiao family. Chapter 278 Chapter 278: Chapter 278. Lu Chen sweet-talked to other women Hong Ling helped Qiao Jinniang out of the carriage and said, ¡°Your Highness, this is third Miss Qiao Ruoyin.¡± Qiao Ruoyin¡¯s family knelt on the ground and bowed. Qiao Jinniang also saw Qiao Ruofeng and Qiao ruowan, whom she had not seen for a long time. The two sisters were wearing armor, and their faces were tanned. Qiao Ruofeng used to have an umbrella when he went out in the Sun. The Jinniang walked up to Qiao Ruoyin and helped her up. ¡°Sister, there¡¯s no need to be so formal. This must be the little niece who was just born. Second aunt asked me to bring a gift for the child. This phoenix hairpin is a token of my appreciation.¡± After Qiao Ruoyin received it, she thanked her profusely. ¡°The Crown Prince and the crown princess have come from afar. The Xu family has prepared some wine for your highness to welcome you. I Hope Your Highness will do me the honor.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Sorry to bother you.¡± Qiao Jinniang took Little Lu Xi¡¯s hand and went to the Xu family. Qiao Ruoyin¡¯s first child was also a son. He was one year younger than Lu Xi. The two of them played together as soon as they met. Qiao Ruoyin¡¯s child grew up at the border. No one in the family told him about imperial power or anything like that. When he played with the emperor¡¯s great-grandson, he was not restrained. Unlike in Chang ¡®an, other than the prince of Bao County and the Prince of Yun County, the rest of the children were mostly respectful to Lu XI. Children were children after all. Many of them were still young, so they listened to their family members talk about tolerating Lu XI. Those children didn¡¯t understand or understand why they had to suffer this grievance. On the surface, they were respectful, but on the inside, they would resist playing with Lu Xi. Lu Xi was young, but she understood. Now that she had a playmate of a similar age, she was very happy. The Three Sisters of the Qiao family¡¯s second house opened the letter from second Madam Qiao one after another. For a moment, their eyes reddened. Qiao ruoyin said, ¡°I¡¯m really unfilial. I¡¯ve been married for four years, but I haven¡¯t returned to Chang ¡®an to visit my elders. Sigh.¡± Qiao Ruofeng said from the side, ¡°Second sister, don¡¯t say that. You¡¯ve been married for four years. Father, mother, and grandmother also know about it.¡± Qiao ruoyin said, ¡°Crown Princess, a few days ago, I saw the Qin family in the mine in Yunzhou. I heard from Miaomiao about Chang ¡®an. How is eldest sister?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°She is finally free now. She is doing very well in the manor. There are many people coming to propose marriage.¡± Qiao ruoyin said, ¡°It would be good if eldest sister could have a look.¡± The Qiao sisters chatted for a while before a woman in cool clothes came in, exposing her calves and arms. When Qiao Jinniang saw this dress, she felt that it was very novel. ¡°I, Xu Mingshuang, pay my respects to the Crown Princess Consort.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°No need for formalities.¡± Qiao ruoyin smiled and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°This Xu Mingshuang is my mother-in-law¡¯s niece-in-law. You should have met her elder brother, Xu Mingwei. The Xu family¡¯s uncle and aunt died young. The two siblings have also grown up in the Xu family since they were young. They are no different from the children of the Xu family.¡± Lady Qiao replied, ¡°So she is Xu Mingwei¡¯s younger sister.¡± Qiao Ruofeng did not feel good when he saw Xu Mingshuang. Xu Mingshuang¡¯s gaze had been sizing up Lady Qiao. She was scheming in her heart. In terms of looks, she was inferior to Lady Qiao. She wondered if this crown princess who had risen to become a phoenix would be easy to get along with? If she was not easy to get along with, no matter how sweet Lu Chen was to her, she would not be willing to enter the Eastern Palace. At the welcoming banquet, as they were all relatives, there were no separate seats for men and women for today¡¯s banquet. In the middle of the stage, there were local actors from Yunzhou performing the Yunzhou frontier fortress dance. The frontier fortress dance was mostly performed by people who fought bravely against their enemies. The Actors¡¯dance was majestic. Xu Jiedu sat beside Lu Chen, pouring wine for Lu Chen, and introducing the delicacies and fine wines from Yunzhou. Qiao Jinniang felt that it was strange that the person beside him was not Qiao Ruoyin¡¯s husband, but Xu Mingwei. Most of the Jiedu of great Tang were hereditary, which meant that the person Lord Xu brought to Lu Chen this time was definitely his future successor. The imperial court naturally did not like a family occupying military power for a long time, but this was a rule that had always been hard to change. Moreover, there was another reason. In order to prevent these people who held military power from rebelling, their military power could be passed down from generation to generation. Their power had always been there, so why would they take the risk of rebelling? ¡°Your Highness, I have heard that your highness¡¯swordsmanship is superb. I dare to dance with my sword and would like your highness to give me some pointers.¡± After Xu Mingshuang came out, she bowed to Lu Chen and said. As soon as she finished speaking, she jumped onto the stage in a red dress that exposed her arms and calves. In her hand, she held a sword that shone with a cold light. The light of the candlelight reflected on the surface of the sword. The shadow of the sword imprinted itself on Xu Mingshuang¡¯s eyes, revealing her pair of Bright Eyes. Xu Mingshuang waved her hand and made a sword gesture. She stabbed straight at Lu Chen. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart jumped to her throat when she saw this scene. Lu Chen did not bring any secret guards with him when he came to the Xu Residence. As soon as the sword came, Lu Chen used the wine glass to block the wine. He jumped up and grabbed Xu Mingshuang¡¯s arm and wrist in an extremely beautiful and swift motion, snatching the sword in her hand, he placed the sword in front of Xu Mingshuang¡¯s neck. Lord Xu and Xu Mingwei knelt down repeatedly and said, ¡°Your Highness, please spare my life.¡± The guards stepped forward and suppressed Xu Mingshuang. Lu Chen threw away the sword in his hand and said to Xu Mingshuang, ¡°Assassinating the crown prince of the current dynasty is a crime that deserves to be executed.¡± Xu Mingshuang smiled. ¡°Your Highness, I Just Want to test your martial arts and see if you are worthy to be my husband.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. ¡°Husband?¡± Along the way, she had actually met many officials who wanted to offer Lu Chen Beauties. Qiao Jinniang had bumped into them several times. Some of these officials outside could not even see the crown prince. If the beauty offered was taken back to Chang ¡®an by the crown prince, it would be good for their promotion in the officialdom. Qiao Jinniang was not very angry. After all, it was only human nature. If she was in the officialdom and saw the crown prince passing by her territory, she would also think of offering beauties. Lu Chen rejected them one by one. After coming to Yunzhou, Qiao Jinniang did not think that there would be such a thing. After all, Yunzhou was the territory of the Qiao family! It was not to the extent that she did not take her, the crown prince¡¯s consort, seriously. Xu Mingshuang smiled at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Your Highness¡¯martial arts are actually so good. I admire it. I am willing to marry your highness as a side Consort.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Qiao ruoyin beside her, ¡°Is your husband¡¯s cousin not very smart?¡± Even the pampered Qiao Ruoshui was not as direct as Xu Mingshuang. Qiao ruoyin said awkwardly, ¡°Crown Princess Consort¡­¡± Qiao ruofeng said, ¡°Not only is she not very smart, she even wants to treat herself as a princess without the princess¡¯orders.¡± Lu Chen¡¯s expression was also very bad as he said, ¡°Xu Jun, do you dare to let any crazy woman into the banquet? When did I say that I wanted to marry her as a side consort?¡± Xu Mingshuang said, ¡°Your Highness, how can you go back on Your Words? Two days ago, you clearly wrote to me saying that you would let me be a side concubine!¡± The word ¡®letter¡¯made Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s expression change. She recalled the time when King Yong wrote to her. Could it be that the crown prince¡¯s brother-in-law was also a scum like his fifth brother? Chapter 279 Chapter 279: Chapter 279. The handwriting of the letter was a forgery Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°What letter? His Highness doesn¡¯t even know you, this Crazy Woman!¡± When Lu Chen had given up the Martial Duke¡¯s public house for her, she had already known that she and Lu Chen were telepathically connected. She would not believe that Lu Chen was willing to wash her feet last night and would write letters to other women, saying that he wanted Xu Mingshuang to be a side concubine. Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°It¡¯s not worth getting angry over such a person.¡± Xu Mingshuang looked at Lu Chen, whose face was like that of a banished immortal. She frowned and said, ¡°Your Highness, have you forgotten what you wrote in the letter? How can you deny it like this? I still kept those letters well. ¡°You wrote in the letter that the Crown Princess Consort and Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor used military power to force you, the Crown Prince, to betray your family. You took a liking to my brother¡¯s loyalty. I heard that I have quite a reputation in the women¡¯s army at the border. You want me to be a side consort, so the Crown Princess Consort Can¡¯t refuse. You and I have been communicating for more than ten days. How can you not keep your word!¡± Xu Mingwei frowned when he heard this. Xu Jiedu, who was at the side, broke out in a cold sweat. After all, Yunzhou was the territory of the Qiao family. What could the troops of their Yunzhou Jiedu be compared to the troops of the Qiao Family? ¡°Mingshuang, shut up!¡± Xu Mingshuang said, ¡°His Highness is not even willing to acknowledge the letter!¡± Lu Chen frowned and asked Xu Mingshuang, ¡°Where is the letter?¡± Xu Mingshuang said, ¡°The letter is in My Room, Your Highness¡­¡± The guard quickly went to Xu Mingshuang¡¯s room and found the letter. Lu Chen opened it and looked at it. Qiao Jinniang looked at it and said, ¡°This handwriting is indeed yours.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°This handwriting is indeed much better than Xieshu¡¯s handwriting. However, take a closer look.¡± Lu Chen somewhat regretted learning the Liu family¡¯s calligraphy when he was young. Everyone could learn the Liu family¡¯s handwriting, and the calligraphy in this bookstore was even more common. Among the scholars, eight out of ten learned the Liu family¡¯s calligraphy. Therefore, Lu Chen¡¯s handwriting was easier to imitate. However, imitation was imitation after all. Since he was praised by master Liu for being better than him, it meant that it was extremely difficult to be exactly the same as his calligraphy. With a careful look, one could always find some clues. Lady Qiao Jin looked at the two pieces carefully and said, ¡°This time, the person who imitated your handwriting is much better than the previous one. who could imitate the handwriting so well? If I didn¡¯t carefully read each stroke, I would only think that you wrote it.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°King Huai.¡± King Huai was an expert at imitating other people¡¯s handwriting. This time, he imitated his handwriting to communicate with Xu Mingshuang, presumably to drive a wedge between him and Qiao Jin. Or perhaps, he wanted Xu Mingshuang to fall into his trap. It was not a secret that ambassador Xu Jiedu wanted his wife¡¯s nephew, Xu Mingwei, to take the throne. When Xu Mingwei went to Chang ¡®an last year, many wives had gone to inquire about the marriage. Xu Mingshuang was Xu Mingwei¡¯s sister, just like how Zhou Siming would choose to rebel for Zhou Sisi. When Xu Mingwei learned that his sister had been ¡°Abandoned¡±by the crown prince, it was not necessarily that he would not seek refuge with King Huai. Qiao Jinniang also understood at once. Apart from Xu Mingshuang, everyone present was also smart. Qiao Ruoyin and her husband were just unwilling to take over the position of Jiedu envoy, but they were not stupid. They also understood King Huai¡¯s plan. Xu Jiedu envoy and Xu Mingwei kneeled on the ground. Xu Mingwei said, ¡°Your Highness, my sister was also deceived by King Huai. I hope that Your Highness will forgive me and forgive my Mingshuang. Don¡¯t lower yourself to the level of an ignorant little girl.¡± Xu Mingshuang said, ¡°Brother, aunt has already compared the handwriting of Your Highness and can prove that these letters were written by Your Highness! What is King Huai deceiving? It must be Lady Qiao Jin who forced Your Highness not to tell lies!¡± Lu Chen said angrily, ¡°Calling the crown princess by her name is unforgivable. Men, send her to the border mines. Do not allow her to return without my orders.¡± ¡°Yes!¡±The guards responded quickly. Qiao Ruofeng said to Lady Qiao, ¡°Finally, someone is treating her. She is only a cousin of the Xu family, but she is almost climbing up to third sister. There is no lack of insults in her words to me! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the disgrace of the family, I would have begged third uncle to come out and deal with her.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot.¡± ¡°After staying in the military camp for a long time, I¡¯ve become a little more straightforward.¡±Qiao ruofeng only smiled slightly. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°No, it¡¯s because you know how to distinguish right from wrong. The matter of King Yong can be considered to be completely over.¡± ¡°Aunt, uncle, brother, save me!¡±Xu Mingshuang was being held and shouted. Lu Chen glanced at Xu Mingwei and the others. ¡°Are you going to plead for mercy for her?¡± Xu Mingwei knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Your Highness, my parents died early. It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t take good care of my sister, causing her to be so arrogant. My sister deserves it, and I¡¯m willing to be punished!¡± Xu Mingshuang, who was being dragged by the guards, shouted, ¡°Xu Mingwei, you are greedy for wealth. I know you want to marry Qiao Ruofeng. Why did she come to Yunzhou? Isn¡¯t it because she lost her reputation in Chang ¡®an?¡±? ¡°You don¡¯t want your own sister because of this woman who lost her reputation?¡± ¡°You are greedy for the position of Jiedushi. You will have your retribution sooner or later for treating your sister like this!¡± ¡°Aunt, please save me!¡± The Xu Jiedushi¡¯s wife looked earnestly at Qiao ruoyin. She thought that she and the Crown Princess consort were cousins after all, so she could plead for mercy, but Qiao Ruoyin turned a deaf ear. Qiao Ruoyin¡¯s husband turned to the Xu Jiedushi¡¯s wife and said, ¡°Mother, cousin has long been spoiled by you. Didn¡¯t you think that our Xu family¡¯s wealth depends on the Qiao family. ¡°I don¡¯t even fancy her, yet she still wants to enter the Eastern Palace. It¡¯s simply a dream. She doesn¡¯t even know that she¡¯s being used. ¡°Are you going to watch as our Xu family is implicated by her alone?¡± Although Xu Jiedu¡¯s wife doted on this niece who had lost her parents when she was young, she cared more about her own son, so she could only give up. The Jin Niang looked at everyone present and believed that the rumors were true. Qiao Ruoyin was indeed living a good life in Yunzhou. At the very least, she was able to ignore her mother-in-law¡¯s gaze. How could such an ordinary woman have such ability! Thinking about it, the marriage an yuanhou found for Qiao ruoshui could be considered a good marriage. Xu Mingshuang¡¯s interlude did not affect the welcoming banquet this time. The banquet between men always required more discussion. After Qiao Jin Niang finished her meal, she went to Qiao Ruoyin¡¯s room and continued to talk about the private conversation between sisters. When she entered, Qiao ruofeng complained about how Xu Mingshuang bullied a newcomer like her in the army. Qiao ruoyin smiled faintly and said, ¡°This Xu Mingshuang is really stupid. Luckily, Xu Mingwei is someone who knows his place and doesn¡¯t protect his own sister.¡± Qiao ruowan smiled and said, ¡°After all, Xu Mingwei likes my sister.¡± Qiao ruofeng gave Qiao Ruowan a gentle punch and said, ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Xu Mingwei and I have nothing to do with each other.¡± Qiao ruowan said, ¡°Xu Mingwei saved sister¡¯s life. Since second sister is here and Xu Mingshuang has been dealt with, why don¡¯t we let second sister marry you and Xu Mingwei?¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡±along the way, she had encountered many requests for marriage. Chapter 280 Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Zhou Siming was going to take Qin Miaomiao away Jin Niang picked up a cup of warm tea and asked Qiao ruofeng, ¡°What do you think? If you really want to get married, that¡¯s fine too. When we return to Chang ¡®an, I¡¯ll discuss it with second uncle and second aunt, and then I¡¯ll get married to you.¡± Qiao ruofeng said shyly, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to your sister¡¯s nonsense. Xu Mingwei only came to teach me martial arts and military tactics every day because he saw that I had the willpower to join the army¡­¡± Qiao ruofeng said, ¡°I also have the will and determination. Why didn¡¯t Xu Mingwei come to teach me?¡± The brocade lady smiled and said, ¡°It seems that the heavens are destined. That year, Xu Mingwei jumped into the river to save your life on the eve of the seventh festival. Maybe it was Lady Zhinu who blessed you with a good marriage.¡± Qiao ruofeng said shyly, ¡°Good sister, you also made fun of me like Ruowan?¡± The brocade lady said, ¡°Second aunt and grandmother are very worried about you in Luoyang. If you can live well, they will be relieved.¡± Qiao ruofeng said weakly, ¡°When mother wanted to be third uncle¡¯s son, I said that I was going to marry into my Qiao family¡¯s second son-in-law. Xu Mingwei is Lord Xu¡¯s choice to be the Jiedushi envoy. He will not follow me to Chang ¡®an to marry into the family.¡± Qiao ruofeng said, ¡°If I marry into the family, I¡¯ll be there too!¡± ¡°Sister, if you¡¯re worried about this, you¡¯re worrying too much.¡± The jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Ruofeng is right. If not, you should have more children. One surname is Qiao and the other is Xu.¡± Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s face turned even redder. ¡°Sister, why are you talking about having children?¡± At this moment, Qiao Ruoyin¡¯s daughter had just woken up. The wet nurse carried her over to look for Qiao ruoyin. Qiao Jinniang carried the baby in her arms. This child was much older than her younger sister, and she had the appearance of her father. Qiao ruoyin smiled and said, ¡°This girl is more delicate than a boy. If she doesn¡¯t see me when she wakes up, she¡¯ll start crying. The wet nurse can¡¯t carry her either. Now that you¡¯re carrying her, she won¡¯t cry.¡± Qiao Jinniang teased the child in her arms and said with a smile, ¡°This child probably knows that I am her aunt.¡± Seeing the soft and cuddly girl, Qiao Jinniang wanted her daughter to come as soon as possible. However, she did not know why there was no good news at this moment. .. In the iron mine of Yunzhou. Qin Miao Miao cooked a table full of dishes. Mother Qin said to Qin Miao with heartache, ¡°Miao Miao, it¡¯s been hard on you. You are the daughter of the High Duke¡¯s public house. It¡¯s all your father and brother¡¯s fault. They have harmed you for the rest of your life!¡± Qin Miao said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not suffering. You should eat a little more and wait for the world to pardon you. Perhaps you and I might even have the chance to return to Chang ¡®an one day. I know how to write and write. When that time comes, I¡¯ll go to the Women¡¯s Academy in the West Mountains and become a teacher. I¡¯ll still be able to let mother have a good life.¡± Mother Qin patted Qin Miao¡¯s head and said, ¡°We¡¯ve implicated you. The marriage contract between the Lin family and you is still there. If you bring the marriage contract back and ask Lin Mo to marry you, he won¡¯t go back on his word. It¡¯s better than suffering here.¡± Qin Miao said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t talk about this anymore. Hurry up and eat.¡± While the mother and daughter were eating, the sound of something being smashed could be heard from inside. Qin Miao knew that her brother was smashing something again. It had been more than half a month since they had arrived at the border. Qin Zhu was still unwilling to admit that he was no longer the heir to the High Duke¡¯s public house. He was beaten up by the mine owner every day. When he returned home, he would lose his temper. A mournful female voice came from the side. ¡°How dare you! I am a general of the women¡¯s Army of the cloud region. Who Dares to kidnap me?¡± ¡°My aunt is the wife of Ambassador Xu Jiedu. His Highness the Crown Prince is full of praise for me. Why did you lowly servants let me come here!¡± ¡°When I get out, I will take care of you, the lackeys of the crown princess consort, one by one!¡± Mother Qin asked, ¡°Why is there such a sound outside?¡± Qin miaomiao replied, ¡°I heard from the mine that the Crown Princess and the Crown Princess will be coming to cloud province to propose marriage to the emperor of the Xiliang Kingdom.¡± Mother Qin was overjoyed. ¡°Miaomiao, your relationship with the crown princess has always been very good. If you go and beg her, she will definitely forgive you. Go back to Chang ¡®an!¡± Qin Miaomiao put down the chopsticks in his hand and said, ¡°Mother, my brother has treated Qiao Ruoyun so disgustingly. How can I have the face to beg for mercy? If I leave, what will you do? Are you willing to go to Chang ¡®an with me?¡± ¡°Of course not. I Can¡¯t be at ease with your brother in this state,¡±said Mother Qin. Qin Miaomiao closed his eyes. After retrieving his tears, he slowly opened them again. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? Back then, Fu Lu had said that he would spare me from the punishment of exile. But if I really agree to stay in Chang ¡®an, what will you do?¡± With Qin Shu¡¯s current disgraceful behavior, how could he be expected to take care of his mother? It was already good enough that the other sons and daughters of the Qin family did not hate his mother. Why would they come to take care of his mother. Qin Miaomiao put away the bowls and chopsticks. He looked up at the crescent moon in the sky and wiped the sweat off his face. The climate in Yunzhou was really strange. It was still very hot at this moment. ¡°Miaomiao!¡± Qin Miaomiao heard a familiar voice and almost thought she had heard wrong. ¡°Zhou Siming? Why are you here? Did you come with the Crown Prince?¡± It couldn¡¯t be. Hadn¡¯t the Martial Duke¡¯s public house already broken off with the Crown Prince? Zhou Siming wouldn¡¯t come with the crown prince this time. ¡°Miaomiao, I finally see you again.¡±Zhou Siming looked at Qin Miaomiao wearing a blue and white cloth and felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart. She was originally the daughter of the High Duke¡¯s public house, and now her hands had calluses. Even an ordinary man in this iron mine could not bear to work, let alone such a weak woman! Qin Miaomiao said to Zhou siming, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Zhou siming said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miaomiao. When you were in trouble, Sisi was also in trouble, so I did not have time to care about you for a while. I will take you away from here.¡± Qin miaomiao frowned and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m engaged to Lin Mo. Please have some self-respect, Young Master Zhou.¡± Zhou Siming was puzzled and said, ¡°You know that Lin Mo doesn¡¯t have you in his heart. I have never let you go. Why did you choose Lin Mo? If he really had feelings for you, he should have married you instead of watching you fall to such a State!¡± ¡°Follow me. I promise you that I will save your father¡¯s life. I will let everyone in the Qin public house regain their positions and take back their titles. When that time comes, you will still be the high and mighty miss of the Qin public house.¡± ¡°Miaomiao, follow me!¡± Zhou Siming acted as if he wanted to go forward and hold Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand. However, Qin Miaomiao dodged him and said, ¡°Zhou Siming, don¡¯t tell me these things. My fate is already miserable enough. Don¡¯t drag me into the state of Death!¡± ¡°My father deserved it. It¡¯s only right that our lineage was kicked out of the High Duke¡¯s public house!¡± ¡°Zhou Siming, since we¡¯ve known each other for a while, I advise you to repent as soon as possible!¡±! Madam Zhou and Zhou Sisi also deserved it. You shouldn¡¯t take the wrong path anymore. At least now you still have a chance to turn back. You grew up with His Highness. If you admit your mistake now, His Highness will still forgive you!¡± Zhou Sisi said, ¡°Why should I admit my mistake to an ungrateful person? Mengmeng, trust me. In less than a year, King Huai will be in power.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡±Qin Mengmeng shook his head in disbelief. Chapter 281 Chapter 281: Chapter 281, diplomatic mission to Xiliang Qin Miao looked at Zhou Siming with disappointment and said, ¡°Zhou Siming, don¡¯t you know how capable King Huai Is? If you are unwilling to repent, please don¡¯t drag me down!¡± Zhou siming frowned and said, ¡°Miao Miao, you actually don¡¯t believe me?¡± At this time, Qin Shu¡¯s words came from behind Qin Miao. ¡°Miao Miao, Crown Prince Zhou is right. The Qiao family and Crown Prince have gone too far. King Huai is the one everyone wants.¡± Qin Miaomiao really wanted to spit, ¡°Big Brother!¡± However, Qin Shu said to Zhou siming, ¡°Even though our Qin family has been banished to the border, as long as King Huai can use me, I will definitely do my best to help him!¡± He wanted Qiao Ruoyun to regret it. He wanted Qiao Ruoyun to obediently return to his side. .. Xu Mingshuang¡¯s interlude had allowed the Xu family to understand King Huai¡¯s scheme. The next day, they had sent Qiao Ruoyin to visit Qiao Jinniang to express their loyalty to the crown prince. Madam Xu even personally came to propose marriage for Xu Mingwei and Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Crown prince consort, if our Xu family¡¯s child can marry the Qiao family¡¯s daughter, it will really be a climb up the ladder. ¡°That nephew of mine is not boasting either. Regardless of whether it¡¯s his literary talent or his military strategy, he is of the upper class. I am also Miss Ruofeng. I wonder if I can ask the crown prince consort to help bestow the marriage?¡± Xu Mingshuang¡¯s actions might have an impact on Xu Mingwei. If Xu Mingwei married the Qiao family¡¯s daughter now, it would be enough to put His Highness and the Qiao family at ease. Lady Qiao Jin calmly drank a cup of water and said, ¡°Sister Ruo Feng¡¯s marriage should be decided by second uncle and second aunt. Both Your Highness and I understand in our hearts whether your Xu family is loyal or not. There is no need for you to come and talk about the marriage just to show your loyalty.¡± Madam Xu quickly said, ¡°Crown Princess consort, this is not a matter. I had my eyes on Miss ruofeng from the start. It¡¯s just that she has an extremely high status and doesn¡¯t have any elders here, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to speak.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°If Ruofeng can find happiness, it¡¯s also a good thing. Madam Xu, feel free to talk to Ruofeng¡¯s parents about this matter.¡±. Madam Xu repeatedly agreed, but in her heart, she didn¡¯t understand. Why did the Crown Princess consort not want such a good opportunity to rope her in? Did she really think that the Xu family could not be compared to the Qiao Family? On the way back, Madam Xu told Qiao Ruoyin about this matter. Qiao ruoyin only said, ¡°Mother, the Crown Princess is the daughter of the Qiao family. If she really wanted to use the marriage between sisters and brothers for her own power, I think His Highness would not favor her alone.¡± Madam Xu nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s rare for the noble girls of Chang ¡®an to be so sincere.¡± After sending Madam Xu and the others away, Qiao Jinniang went to Lu Chen¡¯s study. Coincidentally, the secret guard reported that Zhou Siming had gone to look for Qin Miaomiao. Lu Chen said to the secret guard, ¡°Be careful and keep an eye on him. Don¡¯t let him find you.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Seeing the worried look on the Jinniang¡¯s face, Lu Chen reached out and pulled her onto his lap. He asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s Wrong?¡± Qiao Jin Niang replied, ¡°We are going to enter Xiliang in three days. I¡¯m a little scared.¡± They knew that King Huai had already cooperated with Xiliang. Entering Xiliang at this time would definitely be fraught with danger. Lu Chen said, ¡°If you¡¯re scared, then stay in Yunzhou and wait for my return.¡± Qiao Jin raised her eyes to look at Lu Chen. ¡°Although I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m still a member of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. If I were to cower and hide in Yunzhou city in Xiliang, how would I have the face to meet the people of the world and meet my ancestors in the future!¡± Lu Chen wrapped his arms around Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist and said, ¡°Even if the two countries are at war, they would not kill their envoys. King Huai and the Western Liang kingdom do not have the courage to assassinate you and me in the Western Liang territory.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about it and agreed. If that was the case, even if King Huai ascended the throne, he would have to go to the Western Liang or else it would be difficult to explain to the people of Great Tang. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Zhou Siming to be so infatuated with Qin Miao at this time.¡± Lu Chen heard Zhou Siming¡¯s name and his expression was indifferent. He sighed and said, ¡°He knows that this step is something I have never thought of.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Before I got married, I had a few playmates that I grew up with. However, after I got married, there was no contact between us. It can be seen that apart from husband and wife, all other brotherly feelings are fake.¡± Lu Chen smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand.¡± Three days later, the great Tang diplomatic mission had the crown prince and the crown princess as the leaders of the diplomatic mission to Xiliang. The people of Xiliang came one after another to watch the bustle. Sa Mo¡¯er had returned to Xiliang earlier with Jinniang and the others. The emperor of Xiliang led the officials of Xiliang to welcome them outside the capital city. They sang, danced, and sang. The National Beast of Xiliang was an elephant. This time, Xiliang also sent three elephants to welcome Lu Chen, Jinniang, and Little Lu Xi. Elephants in Luoyang were rare nowadays. Most of them were only recorded in ancient county records. This was the first time the Jinniang and Lu Xi had seen such a colossus. The Jinniang wore the ceremonial dress of the Crown Princess, which represented the majesty of the Great Tang Dynasty. The procedure was complicated, so it was not easy to climb onto the elephant. Lu Chen helped Qiao Jinniang up the elephant and let her sit on the side. He held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist so that she would not be afraid of falling off the elephant. Lu Xi looked at Gu Ming angrily. Gu Ming helped Lu Xi up the elephant as well. The group arrived at the White Hall in Xiliang. The king of Xiliang had already prepared a banquet. After getting off the elephant, Qiao Jinniang saw a man with a malicious gaze standing at the door of the White Hall. He was dressed in fine silk and wore a colorful hat. Lu Chen whispered in the Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°He is the regent of Xiliang. Do you still remember the national master whose tricks were exposed by you? That National Master is the Regent¡¯s lover.¡± Qiao Jinniang understood. Since the king of Xiliang sent sa Mo¡¯er to make peace, he naturally wanted to be on good terms with great Tang. Thus, during the banquet, the royal family was extremely enthusiastic, but the ministers and generals were of a different faction. After the banquet, Qiao Jinniang could see that the prince of Xiliang was probably just a puppet of Xiliang, and the power of Xiliang was in the hands of the regent. Xiliang had prepared a temporary palace for Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang next to the Xiliang Palace. After Qiao Jinniang returned to the temporary palace, she said to Lu Chen, ¡°No wonder Xiliang sent the princess to form a marriage alliance and cooperated with the Prince of Huai. It turns out that the regent and the Prince of Xiliang have not been on good terms for a long time.¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°Yes, the king of Xiliang gave his daughter to Datang, so the Regent couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. He must become the king of Xiliang as soon as possible. ¡°However, there are many tribes in Xiliang, so he didn¡¯t dare to rebel. If he helped King Huai ascend the throne and King Huai promised him a city to help him take the throne of Xiliang, then he would be able to become the king of Xiliang!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°It seems that King Xiliang has already lost his power. It seems that more than half of the officials at the banquet today are following the Regent¡¯s orders.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. After all, King Xiliang is the rightful king of Xiliang. ¡°All the tribes in Xiliang have the SA royal family. ¡°Back then, after King Xiliang was killed by his father-in-law, it was because of the SA royal family that the Regent did not get the throne. Now it is useless for the court to be the regent. His troops are not as many as the troops of the royal family of the SA family from all over the world!¡± Chapter 282 Chapter 282: In chapter 282, the people of Yunzhou fled Lu Chen continued, ¡°The other tribes of the SA family might not be loyal to the king of Xiliang. They must have been eyeing the throne of Xiliang for a long time. It¡¯s just that they didn¡¯t want to be the first to rebel. ¡°That¡¯s why the Regent agreed to help the king of Huai take the throne. That way, he can control these troops!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°West Liang is actually just a pile of loose sand. Isn¡¯t the regent afraid that the troops of West Liang won¡¯t be able to reach Chang ¡®an and might not even be able to defeat the troops of Yunzhou?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°That¡¯s why the Huai King wants to use Xu Mingshuang. Other than Xu Mingshuang, perhaps he has another chess piece. Even if the troops of West Liang can¡¯t defeat the troops of the Qiao family of Yunzhou, they can still hold back the troops of the Qiao family and give the troops of the northern desert a chance to attack Chang ¡®an.¡± Jinniang sighed and said, ¡°If they really fight, the people will still be injured. King Huai actually colluded with foreign tribes for the sake of the throne. Sigh!¡± The temperature in Western Liang varied greatly between day and night. Qiao Jinniang could not help but feel a layer of coldness. Lu Chen put on a coat for her and said, ¡°Great Tang¡¯s Army hasn¡¯t seen blood for almost 20 years. If Western Liang takes the initiative to attack and just happens to complete what father-in-law failed to do back then, this small country of Western Liang will invade again and again. It seems that they will never be honest if we don¡¯t let them become vassal states.¡± More than 20 years ago, it was only because father was considerate of the heavy casualties and the birth of the crown prince that they let it go. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s true. The conditions at the border are so hard because of the chaos in Xiliang and the repeated invasion of our great Tang¡¯s border!¡± .. In the Regent¡¯s mansion. Zhou Siming sent the National Master who had been an official prostitute in Chang ¡®an back to the regent. The regent of Xiliang saw his beloved woman dressed like a prostitute and heard that she was already an official prostitute. He was extremely angry and said to Zhou siming, ¡°Is this what King Huai promised me?¡± ¡°I stole the precious treasure of Xiliang, the thousand-year-old Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus, and gave it to King Huai. King Huai swore that he would succeed. Now? I really trusted him wrongly!¡± Zhou siming said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, regent. King Huai has already arranged everything. As long as the regent falsely accused Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang of taking the Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus from Xiliang after they left, he can lead his troops to pin down the Qiao family¡¯s troops in the southwest. ¡°The Qiao family¡¯s troops can not rush back to Chang ¡®an. King Huai has the troops of the northern desert and Longxi Jiedushi. Naturally, he can conquer the city and go to Chang ¡®an to ascend to the throne in Chang ¡®an!¡± The regent said, ¡°The Emperor of great Tang is not so easy to deal with. He is in Luoyang and can not be killed. King Huai¡¯s ascension to the throne is also a joke.¡± Zhou siming cupped his hands and replied, ¡°You can rest assured. Now, the Empress Dowager has been completely controlled by chef Li Yu using rice sachets and fruits. His Majesty will visit the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace in the days to come. After King Huai succeeds, the muddle-headed Hui Lin Emperor will not have much time left.¡± ¡°Then what about your great Tang¡¯s crown prince and Crown Princess Consort?¡± Zhou siming said, ¡°King Huai originally wanted to use Xu Mingwei, but his plan failed. The two of them can not die under your Western Liang Knives. I have already made arrangements!¡± ¡°What arrangements?¡±The regent asked, ¡°King Huai has never fulfilled any of the things he promised me. How can I trust him?¡± Zhou Siming lowered his voice and said, ¡°Princess Fu an was seriously ill because of Lu Chen. Now, she has no medicine and needs to rely on the thousand-year-old snow lotus of the Tianshan Mountains as the medicine. If Little Jun Rong feels that Lu Chen has the snow lotus and refuses to take it out, she will be anxious to save her sister¡­¡± The regent said, ¡°This is a good plan.¡± .. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen strolled around the capital of Xiliang Kingdom. When Qiao Jinniang saw the people here, they all listened to the words of the imperial tutor. The people of Xiliang Kingdom had never seen a magic trick, so they treated the National Master¡¯s Magic Trick as an immortal magic trick. The Regent King was more and more loved by the people of Xiliang Kingdom, and it was also because of the National Master. ¡°The National Master said that recently, there was a strange phenomenon. The National Treasure of Xiliang Kingdom, the thousand-year-old Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus, was stolen. If this snow lotus doesn¡¯t return soon, our Xiliang Kingdom will be destroyed!¡± ¡°Ah! A treasure like the thousand-year-old snow lotus of the Tianshan Mountains, how could it be stolen by someone!¡± ¡°The Imperial Tutor knows immortal magic and has been in seclusion for so long. Could it be that he can¡¯t snatch back the snow lotus of the Tianshan Mountains?¡± The people of Xiliang were all panicking. Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang looked at each other and said, ¡°It¡¯s better not to stay here for too long.¡± The snow lotus of the Tianshan Mountains was no longer in Xiliang. At this moment, the Regent King and the imperial tutor were deliberately mystifying things, not just to deceive the people. Qiao Jinniang nodded. The two of them went to see the king of Xiliang and exchanged the national letter. They left Xiliang and returned to Yunzhou. The crown prince was going to visit Xiliang, so the army was naturally waiting at the border. Third Master Qiao went forward and said, ¡°It¡¯s great that the crown prince and the Crown Princess¡¯grandson have returned safely.¡± Lu Chen said to third master qiao, ¡°Third Uncle, there¡¯s no need to disband the army. Pass down the order. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s a tough battle to be fought in Xiliang!¡± Third Master Qiao laughed heartily and said, ¡°When Western Liang killed my father and uncle, I was still young. I couldn¡¯t take revenge with Big Brother. We¡¯ve been waiting for a long time to go to Western Liang!¡± Lu Chen turned to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Take Xi¡¯er and go to the Qiao family¡¯s residence first. Third uncle and I will stay at the front line.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°The battlefield is dangerous, you¡­¡± ¡°Just as you said, you can¡¯t be a coward, let alone an orphan. Be Obedient.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the back and prepare provisions and clothes for you. The climate in Western Liang is changeable. Although Yunzhou is hot, it will be a cold day in Western Liang in December. You have to wear winter clothes.¡± Third master Qiao said, ¡°His Majesty has already ordered people to prepare these provisions. The provisions and military uniforms arrived before you. Originally, he was afraid that the Crown Prince would be in danger in Western Liang, so he has already prepared provisions to attack Western Liang.¡± Qiao Jinniang was relieved. She only said, ¡°It is beneficial to be more vigilant.¡± Qiao Jinniang and Lu Xi had just arrived at the Yun province Qiao Manor when a messenger came to report: The state preceptor of Western Liang had figured out that the crown prince and his people had stolen the thousand-year-old treasure of the Snowy Lotus of Tianshan. Hence, the king of Western Liang had already given the order to let the Western Liang army attack Yun Province. Great Tang had always been unwilling to take the initiative to attack unless they attacked our borders. When the Western Liang army sent a letter of challenge, Yun Province responded with a letter of challenge. When Qiao Jinniang heard that Xiliang had gathered nearly 200,000 soldiers, and the Qiao family only had 100,000 soldiers in Yunzhou, she could not help but feel a little worried. Moreover, although Xiliang was a barbarian without education, it was extremely fierce in fighting. The people on the border of Yunzhou had not encountered a war for a long time. They all panicked and fled in all directions. Some strong men also began to fight for things. When Qiao Jinniang heard the report from Yu Yan, she frowned and said, ¡°Close the gate of Yunzhou. I¡¯m going to the city gate of Yunzhou.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­ It¡¯s dangerous outside. Those people who are running for their lives might not be able to listen to you.¡±. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I have to go!¡± Qiao Jinniang went to the city gate of Yunzhou. Below her was a group of people crying and complaining, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you letting us go? We have to run for Our Lives! Why did your Highness steal someone else¡¯s national treasure?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Yunzhou city hasn¡¯t fought a war for so many years. I heard that there are 200,000 soldiers in Xiliang, but we only have 100,000. That¡¯s half of it. How can we win?¡± ¡°Locking us in Yunzhou city is taking our lives!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s rush out!¡± Chapter 283 Chapter 283: Chapter 283, the Empress has a happy pulse ¡°Everyone, everyone, quiet down and listen to me!¡± Lady Qiao Jin shouted with all her might. However, her voice clearly could not intimidate them. At this moment, Qiao Ruoyin came up and said, ¡°Silence!¡± When Lady Qiao Jin heard her family members talk about Qiao ruoyin, they all said that her personality was as weak as Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s. However, she did not expect her voice to be so loud. ¡°Silence, this is the current crown princess consort. All of you, quiet down first and listen to the Crown Princess¡¯Admonishment!¡± The crowd quieted down. Some of the commoners who were stirring up trouble in the crowd shouted, ¡°Rumor has it that the Crown Princess Consort stole the National Treasure of Xiliang for the sake of beautifying her appearance. That¡¯s why Xiliang came to attack our cloud province.¡± For a moment, the crowd became noisy again. Qiao ruoyin shouted loudly, ¡°Everyone, silence. If anyone still doesn¡¯t listen to the Crown Princess Consort, Kill Without Mercy!¡± The words ¡®kill without mercy¡¯finally calmed these people. Qiao Jinniang coughed and said in the loudest voice she had ever heard in her life, ¡°People, I didn¡¯t steal the Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus, the National Treasure of Xiliang. It was stolen long ago! The National Master of Xiliang was a fraud. The people of Chang ¡®an had long seen through his trickery in Chang ¡®an. More than 20 years ago, Yunzhou city was destroyed. My grandfather and his brothers died in battle here. What was the reason for the invasion of Xiliang? It was just an excuse for Xiliang¡¯s wild ambitions. Today, I came here to ask all the elders of Yunzhou City to stay in Yunzhou city and not to run around. If Yunzhou city was destroyed, even if you escaped to another city, you would still suffer! When I returned to Marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence, I often heard about the heroic days of my ancestors. I also heard about the people of Yunzhou city when Xiliang slaughtered Yunzhou city, it was the people of Yunzhou City who forcefully held on to Yunzhou City without surrendering. Today, the Xiliang Army has yet to set foot in Yunzhou city. If you run away like this, you will only disturb the morale of the army. ¡°Also, many of you are military relatives, and many of you are retired border guards. At this juncture, if you run away without protecting your home, you will be worthy of the martyrs who bled here twenty years ago!¡± ¡°Crown princess, that¡¯s easy for you to say. We don¡¯t want to Die!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We haven¡¯t lived long enough, so why should we die?¡± Qiao Jinniang listened to the people below, ¡°Who isn¡¯t afraid of death? I¡¯m also afraid of death. If Yunzhou City Falls today and we can¡¯t defend it, you have to live. If Yunzhou City Falls, you have to run. If you make the world uneasy, I Won¡¯t stop you from running. But now, the army is still 300 miles away. The emperor¡¯s great-grandson is still in Yunzhou City. What are you hiding from? What are you running from? Apart from disturbing the morale of the army, what benefits do you have! My Sister, Qiao ruowan, is still a month away from reaching marriageable age. She is on the battlefield right now. The crown prince could have returned to Luoyang safe and sound, but he is still on the battlefield. Aren¡¯t they afraid of death? ¡°Aren¡¯t the 100,000 Generals Afraid of death? ¡°Why do they want to seek death? ¡°Because they want to protect the people of Yunzhou. Only by living and working in Yunzhou can their morale be greatly boosted. ¡°As the people they want to protect, if you don¡¯t believe in our great Tang¡¯s army, how can the morale of the army be boosted! ¡°The soldiers are at war, but some of you go to their homes to rob them. Won¡¯t that make their hearts cold?¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words made many of the people in the crowd blush. Another man in the crowd said, ¡°Crown Princess, aren¡¯t you saying this to protect the throne of the Lu Family? We don¡¯t have to lose our lives for the throne of the Lu family!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Men, tie him up. How can there be a complete egg when the nest is overthrown? His Majesty has worked hard for more than 20 years to create the current era of Great Tang. Now that Xiliang has attacked Great Tang, how can the people of Great Tang have an easy time. Why are you still instigating people here? What are your intentions? Men, tie him up and interrogate him in detail. He is a spy sent by Xiliang to disturb the morale of the army! Also, from today onwards, if there is a man under the age of 15 who is willing to join the army and is under the age of 30, he can go to the JIEDU Envoy¡¯s residence to receive 50 taels of silver. In the future, his salary will be calculated separately. ¡°If the women are physically strong, they can also receive 50 taels of silver to join the army.¡± Many people¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard 50 taels of silver. This was not a small amount of money. Qiao ruoyin asked, ¡°Crown Princess Consort, where did you get this silver?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I will pay. I will have to trouble brother-in-law to properly register the money.¡± ¡°You will pay from your private vault?¡±Qiao Ruoyin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate, right?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. Without the golden age, it¡¯s useless for me to keep so much money.¡±. ¡°The northern desert is about to send troops. I think the reinforcements will go to the northern desert first. They won¡¯t come to the southwest so soon. Recruiting troops from the cloud state is the fastest and best way.¡± Qiao ruoyin cupped her hands and said, ¡°Elder sister is truly admirable.¡± Qiao Jinniang returned to the Qiao residence and saw Little Lu Xi practicing with a tree branch as a sword. When he saw Qiao Jinniang, he went up and said, ¡°Mother, when Xi¡¯er has mastered the sword, she will be able to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Xi¡¯er is so obedient. Practice your sword well. When you¡¯re done, help third maternal grandfather and your father kill the enemy together!¡± Qiao Jinniang returned to her room and felt a little dizzy. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she had injured her Dantian by talking loudly just now, but she felt waves of discomfort in her throat. Lu Chen had left the imperial physicians accompanying her in the army to be military doctors. Hong Ling then went to invite the Qiao family¡¯s imperial physicians to check Qiao Jinniang¡¯s pulse. The imperial physicians checked her pulse and said, ¡°I wonder when was the last time the crown princess and Consort had a small life?¡± Hong Ling replied, ¡°It¡¯s the end of September.¡± It was already November and a half, and the October trip was on the road. Qiao Jin had thought that she had not come because she was not used to the environment. Now that she heard the doctor say this, she asked with some joy, ¡°Am I pregnant?¡± The Doctor of the Qiao family said, ¡°The Empress¡¯pulse is already showing signs of a faint pulse. It¡¯s just that the time is still short. We still need to wait for a few more days before we can check her pulse.¡± Qiao Jin motioned for Hong Ling to give the Doctor a lot of rewards. She touched her lower abdomen, thinking that it would be great if she was a daughter. It was just enough to form a good character. Qiao Jin wrote a letter about this matter and passed it to Lu Chen, who was on the battlefield three hundred miles away. Lu Chen opened Qiao Jin¡¯s letter in the tent. Seeing the joy in her words, he could not help but think of the delicate look on her face when she was pregnant with Xi¡¯er. He called over third master Qiao and the other generals and said, ¡°The attack on Xiliang needs to be done quickly. We¡¯ll just wait for the Imperial Court¡¯s order and attack directly. After all, we can¡¯t let the Crown Princess give birth to a little princess in Yunzhou.¡± Most of the generals in Yunzhou were soldiers of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. When they heard this, their morale was greatly boosted. Only third master Qiao asked, ¡°Your Highness, a few days ago, the Crown Princess¡¯stomach was still flat. Can you tell that she¡¯s the Little Princess Now?¡± Lu Chen smiled indulgently. ¡°She wants a daughter.¡± Chapter 284 Chapter 284: Chapter 284, impeachment of Lu Chen In December, every family was busy celebrating the new year in the new capital. In the main hall, King Huai led many imperial censorates to kneel down and impeach Lu Chen. King Huai said, ¡°Father, in order to please the Crown Princess, the crown prince took away the most precious treasure of Xiliang. ¡°Xiliang¡¯s letter of challenge did not reach the imperial court, but he took the initiative to mobilize the troops of the border to fight. This is not putting the lives of our soldiers and civilians in his eyes!¡± The imperial censor also said, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, His Highness The Crown Prince took the initiative to fight without consulting the imperial court. This is a crime of disloyalty!¡± ¡°And general Qiao listens to His Highness the Crown Prince¡¯s orders. We shouldn¡¯t let him lead the heavy troops of Xiliang Anymore!¡± The officials of the ministry of war retorted, ¡°Xiliang is ambitious. Since the letter of challenge has been issued, our great Tang will be laughed at by the world if we don¡¯t accept it!¡± The Hui Lin Emperor saw the conflict between the civil officials and generals on both sides, he frowned and said, ¡°Silence. Now that the northern desert and Xiliang have come prepared to attack, order Marquis an yuan to lead 200,000 troops outside Chang ¡®an to support the northwest army and defend against the Northern Desert Army.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t Do That! These 200,000 are the defending troops of Chang ¡®an and Luoyang. If these troops go to the northwest, what Will Chang ¡®an and Luoyang do then?¡± All the officials tried to dissuade him. The Hui Lin Emperor raised his hand and said, ¡°I have made up my mind. Don¡¯t say anything more.¡± ¡°We accept your orders.¡± After King Huai left the hall, he smiled lightly. Marquis an Yuan going to the northwest would definitely be a fierce battle. At that time, Lu Chen and Lu Xi would lose their lives, so how could marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion be arrogant. Even if he had a large number of soldiers in his hands, he would be able to deal with them sooner or later after he ascended the throne. After King Huai returned to the manor, he looked for Zhou siming and said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t we heard of Lu Chen¡¯s death? There hasn¡¯t been any news from the Yun province for a long time.¡± Zhou siming said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this little Prince Rong is useless. If we want Lu Chen to die, we can only start with Qiao Jinniang.¡± In the end, Lu Chen was willing to betray his family for Qiao Jinniang. Prince Huai said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang almost never leaves the Qiao family. How can we start?¡± Zhou siming said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we put a few spies in Yunzhou City? Write a letter to them and let Yunzhou city fall into chaos, stirring up the Panic of the people of Yunzhou City! Let the people of Yunzhou city complain that it was Qiao Jinniang who stole the snow lotus of the Tianshan Mountains for the sake of beauty that caused this disaster. When the time comes, our spies will be among the people. It¡¯s not impossible to kidnap Qiao Jinniang in the Chaos!¡± .. The midwinter of Yunzhou finally felt a little chilly. Qiao Jinniang was sewing some clothes for the unborn child in the house. The patterns she chose were all girls¡¯patterns. She heard the noise outside and opened the door. She saw Lu Chen in silver armor. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly hugged Lu Chen. The armor made her panic and she took a step back. Lu Chen took off his armor and hugged her. ¡°Are you okay? Did the little princess make trouble for You?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No, my daughter is very obedient. Why Are You Back? How is the battlefield?¡± The war had been going on for almost two months, but Qiao Jinniang could not find any news about the battlefield. It was probably Lu Chen who was hiding it. Lu Chen said, ¡°The secret guards stopped Zhou Siming and King Huai from sending a letter to Yunzhou city. They were afraid that Yunzhou city would be in trouble, so I was worried about you. I came back to take a look, but I did not expect that Yunzhou city was still peaceful and the people were self-sufficient.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°In the beginning, someone instigated the people of Yunzhou City to cause trouble. I caught them all. What letter did Zhou Siming send?¡± Lu Chen showed the letter to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang glanced at it and said, ¡°The people they want to send the letter to are probably those people I locked in the prison. They are really shameless to the extreme. They colluded with foreign races and even tried to make the citizens of Yunzhou City live a miserable life. Even if King Huai really becomes the emperor, he will still be despised by others!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry over those two people. Xiliang has already withdrawn its troops, but I think that if we don¡¯t take down Xiliang capital, it will still be a big problem in the future. ¡°Therefore, we will keep the war a secret until we replace Xiliang. In order to prevent the imperial court from saying anything, perhaps there will be false news of defeat. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Most of the officials in the great Tang imperial court would not agree with him taking down Xiliang completely. He could only execute this matter first and report it later! Qiao jinniang nodded and said, ¡°En, I believe in you, but you must also protect yourself and keep your life!¡± Lu Chen reached out and placed his hand on her abdomen. ¡°Of course, I want to conquer Xiliang and give my little princess a big gift. How about the title of Princess of Xiliang?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s best to be careful. If Xiliang was easy to deal with, my grandfather and the others wouldn¡¯t have lost their lives like this. Besides, father didn¡¯t continue to conquer Xiliang.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°There were many reasons why we didn¡¯t conquer Xiliang. The main reason was that the northern desert was watching us like a tiger watching its prey. At that time, the Great Tang army was already greatly weakened. If we continued to attack, we would only benefit the northern desert. But this time, the northern desert has no way out!¡± Qiao Jinniang regained her senses and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s right. King Huai has given such generous conditions to the northern desert. The northern desert must have sent all their troops to the northwest to tie down the Northwest Army. By the time the northern desert realizes that Xiliang is already in great Tang¡¯s hands, they won¡¯t be able to make it back in time! ¡°As long as we take down Xiliang and attack the place where the northern desert meets Xiliang, it will definitely be the place with the weakest troops. It will also greatly weaken the northern desert.¡± Lu Chen replied softly, ¡°Yes, but we can not send the news to King Huai and the people of the northern desert. I have already set up a channel to intercept the message. Regardless of whether it is the northern desert or the imperial court, they will only know what I told them.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°If King Huai knew that his scheme was just a wedding dress for you, he would probably cry himself to death. However, the Xiliang kingdom has quite a number of troops. You only have 120,000 troops¡­¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that ever since the Regent King took power, the Xiliang kingdom has been in a state of disunity. The people have also become mysterious because of the Regent King. They only believe in the Imperial Preceptor¡¯s immortal spell. Coincidentally, there are also actors in the Army who know how to perform magic tricks. ¡°It¡¯s more like an immortal spell than the Imperial Preceptor¡¯s immortal spell. The ignorant people of Xiliang believe that heaven sent great Tang to rule Xiliang. Moreover, they also know that great Tang is more prosperous and doesn¡¯t have much of a will to resist. ¡°The People¡¯s hearts are easy to obtain. Conquering Xiliang is not a problem.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I believe in you and hope that you must take care of yourself. Xi¡¯er and I will wait for your return here.¡± Little Lu Xi ran over and threw herself into Lu Chen¡¯s arms. ¡°Father, mother has hired a teacher for me in the local area. I have already learned the art of war! Once I have mastered the sword, I will help father kill the enemy.¡± Lu Chen hugged him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to kill the enemy for the time being. Just protect your mother and sister.¡± Little Lu Xi nodded. ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll definitely protect mother and sister!¡± Lu Chen stayed for a meal that night and left. From then on, most of the news that Lady Qiao Jin heard was bad news. Although the people of Yunzhou were restless, Lu Chen left 10,000 soldiers in Yunzhou and nothing major happened. Winter passed and spring came. The flowers in Yunzhou city bloomed in February. As soon as one opened the window, one could smell the fragrance of the flowers. ¡°Your Highness, the palace urgently orders you and the emperor to return to Luoyang.¡± Chapter 285 Chapter 285: Chapter 285: Cooking for the Empress Dowager Hearing this, Qiao Jinniang frowned. Seeing that this person was the most trusted eunuch of the Emperor, she was not afraid that he was one of King Huai¡¯s men. However, she still asked, ¡°Eunuch Quan, did something happen in Luoyang?¡± ¡°Nothing happened in Luoyang. It¡¯s just that the Empress Dowager is on her deathbed. His Highness is out fighting, but the empress and the emperor¡¯s great-grandson can not disrespect this filial piety. ¡°Also, the Emperor and the Empress heard that you are pregnant. They were afraid that it would be inconvenient for you to give birth outside¡­¡± Qiao jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Alright then.¡± They were supposed to return to Chang ¡®an after the first month, but because of the war in the northern desert and Western Liang, they did not move the capital. It took them a month to arrive from Yunzhou to Luoyang. It was the Cold Food Festival on the third day of the third month. The princes, nobles, and young ladies of Luoyang were not affected by the war. They still held poetry meetings, took walks, and flew kites. After Qiao Jinniang brought Lu Xi back to the palace, she first went to the Xuanzheng Hall to meet the Empress and the Hui Lin Emperor. The empress said, ¡°Get up quickly. It¡¯s been almost half a year since I last saw you. Xi¡¯er has grown a lot taller. It¡¯s been almost five months since I saw your belly, right?¡± Qiao jinniang answered, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been five months.¡± The empress sighed and said, ¡°Chen ¡®er is really too much. He still kept such a big matter a secret and didn¡¯t allow you to return to Luoyang. It is very dangerous in Yunzhou.¡± Lady Qiao Jin said, ¡°I am also worried about your highness. I think that I can be closer to your highness in Yunzhou.¡± The empress said, ¡°It is good that you mother and son have returned safely. The Empress Dowager is already dying. Let¡¯s go and see the Empress Dowager Together!¡± .. The Empress Dowager¡¯s sleeping hall was filled with people. There were relatives of the Grace Imperial Manor, and there were also first-class wives who came to serve the sick. They said that the most important thing to serve the sick was that if the empress dowager died, they could make preparations early. When Lady Qiao Jin entered, she saw that the empress dowager¡¯s eyes were popping out. There was not even any flesh on her face. She looked extremely ugly. The palace maids at the side were feeding the empress dowager porridge, but the empress dowager forcefully shook them off! ¡°Slut! Give me all these disgusting things to eat. I am the Emperor¡¯s favorite concubine!¡± ¡°Where is chef Li Yu? where is chef Li Yu!¡± Chef Li Yu was already sweating profusely at the side. The empress dowager could not hold on any longer, and King Huai¡¯s army had yet to invade Chang ¡®an. This brain of his probably could not hold on any longer. ¡°Rice sack flower fruit, give me rice sack flower fruit!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give it to me, I¡¯ll have my son kill all of you. All of You Are Bitch Zhou¡¯s Helpers!¡± The Empress Dowager pointed at the palace maids in front of her as if she had returned to her senses. She said to the food bureau, Chef Li, and the others, ¡°Today, you can¡¯t Cook a dish that I¡¯m satisfied with. I want all of you to die with me.¡± Little Lu Xi held onto Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mother.¡± Princess Shou¡¯an stepped forward to hold the empress dowager¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry. Imperial chef Li, why don¡¯t you hurry and cook for mother!¡± Even prisoners were said to be beheaded, but the rice sachets and fruits had no effect on the empress dowager these days. She practically spat out whatever she ate. Imperial chef Li knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Your Highness, I really don¡¯t have any other way! I heard that the Crown Princess¡¯cooking skills are superb. Why Don¡¯t you let the Crown Princess Cook a few dishes? Perhaps you can let the Empress Dowager Eat a Little?¡± Qiao jinniang rubbed her abdomen, indicating her unwillingness. How could she cook for the Empress Dowager! She had repeatedly harmed Lu Chen. The last time, she had actually gone crazy and wanted to make her take that white powder as well. Longevity Princess Shou an stepped forward and held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hands with both hands. ¡°Jinniang, Jinniang, count it as I¡¯m begging you. Just do your grandmother a favor!¡± ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m pregnant and can¡¯t enter the kitchen.¡±Qiao Jinniang pushed away Princess Shou an¡¯s hands. Princess Shou an knelt down in front of Qiao Jinniang with a plop. ¡°Jinniang, I know that mother has done many wrong things. She has let Chen¡¯er down, but mother has her reasons too! I remember when I was young, my father doted on Royal Consort Zhou alone. Mother had fallen from being deeply doted on to someone everyone in the palace could bully. From the delicacies of the mountains and seas to the eating of chaff, the palace had always been a place to eat people. When Imperial Concubine Zhou gained power, my days with my royal brother and mother were extremely difficult. I once had a fever in the middle of the night. Not long ago, my father, who doted on me a lot, was in imperial concubine Zhou¡¯s palace. Because imperial concubine Zhou had a slight headache, he called all the imperial physicians in the imperial hospital. ¡°It was mother who spared no effort to hug me in the cold weather and use ice water to cool me down. That was how she saved my life. ¡°Mother hated Imperial Consort Zhou to the bone. Only then would she implicate imperial consort Zhou¡¯s sister-in-law and Chen ¡®er. ¡°Please, for my sake, help my mother this time!¡± Qiao Jinniang helped longevity Princess Shou ¡®an up and said, ¡°Aunt, how could i deserve such a kneel from you! Please get up quickly.¡± Fu Lu said with tears, ¡°Jinniang, teach me how to cook. I¡¯ll Cook for Grandmother!¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed. Empress Zhou said, ¡°Jinniang, you can instruct her from the side.¡± Qiao Jinniang could only agree. However, the empress dowager was a person who had lost her sense of taste. Even if there were really delicacies in front of her, how could she taste them. On the way to the imperial kitchen, Qiao Jinniang could not help but think of the Hui Lin Emperor¡¯s tolerance towards the empress dowager. Hearing the long-lived Princess Shou an talk about the past, Qiao Jinniang could somewhat understand. Back then, the Hui Lin Emperor, Princess Shou An, and the mother and son of the empress dowager lived extremely hard lives. In such an environment, the empress dowager missed the delicacies of the past, but because she could only eat leftovers, she would inevitably feel an imbalance in her heart. The imperial physician had said that the empress dowager¡¯s loss of sense of taste was mostly due to a mental illness. Now, she could only rely on heart medicine to cure it. Qiao Jinniang asked the old man in the imperial kitchen and wrote down the recipes of the delicacies of the mountains and seas in the competition for the divine chef that the late Emperor had convened for the empress dowager. She gathered all the people in the imperial kitchen to recreate the dishes of the past. ¡°The dish that the empress dowager liked the most back then was called the Winged Bird in heaven. That dish was roasted using squab. The Empress Dowager loved it very much!¡± Qiao Jin understood. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the other dishes to you. I¡¯ll cook this winged bird!¡± ¡°Yes, Princess Consort.¡± Seeing that Fu Lu was staring at her, Qiao Jin asked, ¡°Why do you keep looking? Go somewhere else.¡± Fu Lu whispered, ¡°No, I want to look at you.¡± ¡°Why are you still afraid that I¡¯ll poison your grandmother?¡±Qiao Jin asked with a chuckle. Fu Lu said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare to poison her, but if it were me, I might spit in her mouth.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Aunt has already knelt down to beg me. No matter how much I hate the empress dowager, I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. Compared to this, perhaps in the future, if Imperial Consort Zhou and the late emperor were to be buried together, it would make the empress dowager so angry that she would crawl out of her coffin.¡± Fu Lu:¡±¡­¡± After a day, only at dusk did she recover the dishes from the culinary competition that the late Emperor had held for the empress dowager. When the empress dowager saw these dishes in her final moments, a smile finally appeared on her face. However, when she saw the plate of dishes that Qiao Jinniang had brought over, she said angrily, ¡°Imperial consort, what is This! You are worthy of bringing it up for me to Eat!¡± As the Empress Dowager spoke, she wanted to do it herself, but one of her legs had been crippled from eating too much rice sack flower and fruit powder. She could not stand properly and fell to the ground! Chapter 286 Chapter 286: In chapter 286, the Empress Dowager passed away and the king of Huai became an independent emperor in Chang ¡®an Princess Li Lingling went up to take a look and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this last dish be called the winged bird of heaven? There should be two winged birds, but why is there only one? There¡¯s something else underneath!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandmother. The name of my dish is not the winged bird. People say that the winged bird has deep feelings. However, I don¡¯t think so. Bi-winged birds only have one wing and one eye, so both male and female birds must be together in order to fly. However, if the male bird falls in love with another bird and finds her, will the female bird have to die? No, the female bird can also find another bird to continue flying in the sky. The female bird can fly with the wings of a goshawk or a large eagle. Why would she need to put herself in a desperate situation for a male bird that had changed its heart. Imperial grandmother, you should never have blamed Lu Chen and Empress Zhou. When you fell out of favor, Empress Zhou wasn¡¯t even born yet! You shouldn¡¯t blame Imperial Consort Zhou the most, but the late emperor who had changed his mind!¡± ¡°Jin Niang!¡±Empress Zhou came forward and tugged at Qiao Jin Niang¡¯s sleeve. The empress dowager helped Li Lingling up and said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that B * Tch from the Zhou family¡­¡± Lady Qiao said, ¡°Imperial grandmother, even without the Zhou family, there would still be the Wang family and the Zhao family. If it weren¡¯t for the previous Emperor¡¯s change of heart, what crime would these harem women have committed? ¡°The previous Emperor has passed away, but you have tormented yourself for more than twenty years, causing your own grandson to be in danger time and time again. Don¡¯t you understand until now?¡± ¡°You are now the most precious woman in the world. Do you even want to think about that person who betrayed you and hate other innocent people?¡± The maidservant beside the Empress Dowager supported the empress dowager and said, ¡°Your Highness, the Crown Princess is right. The Li family advised you to hate Noble Consort Zhou and the Zhou family because the Grace Palace wanted power and did not want to be suppressed by the Martial Duke¡¯s public house. They wanted to use you to let King Huai Wang Yong achieve great things! ¡°Think about it. The chef Li Yu that King Huai found for you is harming you everywhere. ¡°And the Crown Princess is still willing to forget about the past and advise you not to leave any regrets. Don¡¯t hate the wrong person!¡± Shouan¡¯s eldest princess cried out, ¡°Yes, mother, please think things through. Eat some and go in.¡± A tear fell from the corner of the Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes. After tasting it, there was actually a salty taste. She trembled as she picked up her chopsticks and said, ¡°The most delicious dish back then should have been this stewed mutton. I haven¡¯t tasted this mutton for a long time. I heard it was from Longxi. Because at that time, Ai Jia saw that the heavenly wish was a good metaphor for the winged bird, but she missed that Lamb. Ai Jia hated eating the poultry made by the imperial chefs the most, but in order to pair them up as a metaphor, sigh.. Where¡¯s Chen ¡®er? Where¡¯s Chen ¡®er? Ai Jia let him down the most. When he was young, I always scared him when he came over to call his imperial grandmother. ¡°He¡¯s really bold. He¡¯s never been afraid of me.¡± Qiao Jinniang silently wanted to say what kind of grandmother she should be at this time, but a dying man¡¯s words were also kind. She could only say, ¡°Your Highness is on the battlefield in Yunzhou. If grandmother has anything to say, I¡¯ll definitely pass it on to Your Highness.¡± ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ve let him down. If it weren¡¯t for me, he wouldn¡¯t have married a servant who was raised by me, a woman who was a merchant in a small place, to be the Crown Princess Consort¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± Princess Shou¡¯an said to the empress dowager, ¡°You¡¯re Old and muddle-headed. Jinniang is such a good child!¡± The Empress Dowager said in a muddle-headed manner, ¡°Muddle-headed, I¡¯m not muddle-headed. I¡¯m very clear-headed¡­¡± Before the empress dowager could swallow the mutton in her mouth, she fell straight to the ground. The imperial physician went forward to check her pulse and knelt on the ground. He said to the Hui Lin emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m sorry for your loss. The Empress Dowager has passed away!¡± The female officials of the Shang Palace all distributed the mourning clothes they had prepared to the crowd. After Qiao Jinniang put on her mourning clothes, she also knelt in front of the empress dowager¡¯s spirit. Empress Zhou understood that she was pregnant, so she only let her kneel for a short while before standing up. Qiao Jinniang saw that the women of Uncle Cheng¡¯s manor were crying miserably. The Empress Dowager was gone, and the pillar of Uncle Cheng¡¯s manor was about to collapse. In the mourning hall. Yu Yan was dressed in mourning clothes and ignored the etiquette. She hurriedly walked up to Qiao Jinniang and whispered in her ear, ¡°The Crown Princess Consort is in trouble. Yesterday, the ladies of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor were all announced into the palace. Only Miss Qiao was left in the manor. But yesterday, she received a letter early in the morning. After hurriedly leaving the house, she never returned to marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. It has been two days and one night, and it is already dark. The steward of the Marquis estate was anxious, but because of the death of the empress dowager, all the masters of the estate were in the palace. They did not know what to do, so they told the guards of the eastern palace about this matter.¡± After the death of the empress dowager, all the wives of a high rank had to recite the scriptures for the Empress Dowager and attend the funeral. Unless they were as sick as old matriarch Zhou and could not get out of bed, they had to attend the funeral. Old Madam Qiao and Zheng Xiao and second madam Qiao had to attend the funeral in the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. Furthermore, there were signs of the Empress Dowager¡¯s death, so these wives had to come to the palace early to wait for her. It would be a slight slight. When Lady Qiao heard this news, she used the excuse of convenience to return to the Eastern Palace and instructed the secret guards in the Eastern Palace to look for Qiao Ruoyun. She also passed this news to Qian Yin. Lady Qiao was rather uneasy. Qiao Ruoyun was an unattractive person, how could she go missing for no reason? Since she was pregnant, she stayed in the Eastern Palace to rest for four hours before going to the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. As soon as she went, she discovered that the women of the West Cheng¡¯s grace uncle¡¯s residence had all been captured. Li Lingling, who had cried the most miserably, was also tied up by the guards. ¡°I am Princess Huai. The empress dowager just died. How dare you treat me like this?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Fu Lu beside her, ¡°What happened?¡± Fu Lu said in a low voice, ¡°The empress dowager passed away. The prince came, but King Huai did not come. The women of the Cheng ¡®en Bo Mansion also came because the man had long gone to Chang ¡®an with King Huai. ¡°It turns out that King Huai has joined forces with the Longxi Army and the Jiangnan King of Wu¡¯s army to rebel in Chang ¡®an and become the emperor himself!¡± Qiao Jinniang was puzzled and asked, ¡°Even Qian Yin has rebelled? That can¡¯t be, why would his troops come to Chang ¡®an?¡± Fu Lu whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t the southwest suffer successive defeats? His Highness the Crown Prince sent a letter to the imperial court asking Qian Yin to dispatch his troops to assist the southwest, and the king of Wu¡¯s troops just arrived in Chang ¡®an!¡± ¡°This is too much of a coincidence.¡±Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know if this was Lu Chen¡¯s plan. Li Lingling said loudly, ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me. I Am Princess Huai! ¡°No, King Huai has established himself as the emperor in Chang ¡®an. I will be the empress sooner or later. Even if you lock me up, I will soon become the Empress!¡± Empress Zhou ordered someone to give Li Lingling a hard slap on the face. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Treason is a big crime. Since you know about treason, come and behead me!¡± Li Lingling laughed maniacally. ¡°Your Majesty, you are still so arrogant!¡±! Father came to the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace every day and had already absorbed the poison from the Empress Dowager¡¯s body! Even if Qiao Jinniang and Lu Xi were still alive, what was the use! The Qiao family army led by the crown prince was completely annihilated in the Battle of Xiliang. The Army of Xiliang and the northern desert would only send their army south to help King Huai win the throne! ¡°Hahaha, if you leave me alive, I can still save father. I Won¡¯t let him die in too much pain.¡± The women guarding the funeral frowned when they saw this. King Huai and Princess Huai were too bold. A few loyal wives stood in front of Qiao Jinniang and Lu Xi, afraid that King Huai would harm them! Li Lingling laughed wildly. ¡°Qiao Jinniang, didn¡¯t you forbid the Crown Prince from taking concubines? Then go to the underworld and become your crown prince consort! The crown prince is where he is today because you are unwilling to take a concubine. You can not tolerate the harm Zhou Sisi and I have caused. ¡°Hahaha, in the end, I am the rightful empress, and you are a person who is about to die!¡± Before she could finish her words, the maid beside the Empress chopped off Li Lingling¡¯s head! Fresh blood spurted out and stained the clothes of many wives. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly covered Xi¡¯er¡¯s eyes, and the cowardly ladies also began to scream! Chapter 287 Chapter 287: Chapter 287, missing Lu Chen The entire hall was silent. Everyone was trembling because of this. They could not believe that Li Lingling, who had always been the head of the noble ladies, was beheaded just like that. Empress Zhou said, ¡°A treacherous official and a thief, everyone should be punished! Princess Huai was rampant, and she died in her place!¡± Qiao Jinniang used a handkerchief to wipe away the blood on her face and said loudly, ¡°Mother, you are wise. You are right. Li Lingling deserves her punishment.¡± The group of noblewomen also knelt on the ground and praised the empress. On the ground, Li Lingling¡¯s head, which had not yet closed its eyes, was picked up by the guards with a rag and carried away in their hands. In the mourning hall, although there were Taoist priests reciting scriptures, the kneeling people felt extremely gloomy. Qiao Jinniang followed the empress to the resting place in the side hall and asked in a low voice, ¡°Mother, just now Li Lingling said that she had poisoned father¡¯s body. This¡­¡± The empress replied, ¡°Your father is fine, you can rest assured.¡± Seeing that the empress was not worried, Qiao Jinniang was relieved, ¡°Mother, there is one more thing. My eldest sister has gone missing. I think that eldest sister¡¯s disappearance may be related to King Huai. I have already sent the Eastern Palace Secret Guards to investigate, but I am not at ease¡­¡± Empress Zhou said, ¡°You do not need to worry too much about Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s disappearance. Since King Huai Needs Qian Yin¡¯s troops, he will not attack the woman he loves.¡± ¡°The Empress Dowager¡¯s funeral is complicated. In the next few days, you will follow me to manage the palace affairs and share my worries.¡± Qiao Jinniang agreed immediately. The Empress Dowager¡¯s funeral had to be stopped for seven, seven, and forty-nine days. Every day, there were many rituals in the Daoist rite temple. All the women of different ranks had to stand guard in front of her. However, people were not made of iron, so they could not guard at all times. As usual, these women could go home and keep watch for a few hours every day. However, because of the rebellion of the Huai King in Chang ¡®an, these women of court officials could not go home and were left in Ziwei City. Fortunately, there were not many masters in the palace and there were not many concubines left. Most of the palaces were empty, so these women could live in them. However, with so many wives, they could not wait to eat and drink. The palace still needed to sew the empress dowager¡¯s shroud and prepare jewelry and other items for the empress dowager to be buried with. For a time, they were really busy. Qiao Jinniang was a little free, so she went to see Zheng Xiao, old madam Qiao, and the others, second Madam Qiao saw the Jinniang and said, ¡°Jinniang, His Majesty has not shown up for five days. Now all the wives are wondering if the emperor has really been poisoned.¡± ¡°What should we do? I heard that the war in the southwest is not going well. King Huai has already ascended the throne in Chang ¡®an. His army may come to Luoyang at any time. What about you and Xi¡¯er? What should our Qiao family do?¡± Zheng Xiao also held onto the Brocade Lady¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Now that the people are unstable, mother has heard the news from outside. Many courtiers are willing to abandon their wives who are locked up in the palace and go to Chang ¡®an to join King Huai. ¡°You and Xi¡¯er are in grave danger. You¡¯re still pregnant¡­ but the Qiao family still has hundreds of death warriors in Luoyang. ¡°Why don¡¯t we let them protect you and Xi¡¯er and hide in the mountains? It¡¯s better to keep you and your Mother Alive!¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Do the Qiao family also have Death Warriors? Then does big sister have the Qiao family¡¯s death warriors by her side?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Yes, you wanted to have them by your side. After the Crown Prince Found You, your father found out that you had the secret guards of the Royal Family by your side and dismissed the Qiao family¡¯s death warriors. ¡°After Ruoyun and Li returned, we sent ten men of Sacrifice to stand by her side.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt more at ease. The Qiao family had thousands of years of history and their men of sacrifice were naturally not ordinary people. Hence, Qiao Ruoyun would probably be fine. Qiao Jinniang said to Zheng Xiao, ¡°Mother, Xi¡¯er is the emperor¡¯s great-grandson. She will definitely not run away in fear of traitors. You can rest at ease.¡± Second Madam Qiao¡¯s eyes reddened as she said, ¡°Things have come to this point. How Can We Rest Well? I heard that southwest has suffered repeated defeats. I wonder how my Feng ¡®Er and Wan ¡®Er are doing?¡± Old Madam Qiao held back her tears and said in a sonorous voice, ¡°The Qiao family are all strong-willed men and women. As long as Feng ¡®Er and Wan ¡®er can persevere until the last moment on the battlefield, their trip to the battlefield will not be in vain!¡± Second Madam Qiao could not help but burst into tears. ¡°My child.¡± After a few words of consolation, Qiao Jinniang returned to the Mourning Hall. In a corner of the mourning hall where the wives were given a place to rest and drink, there were people whispering among themselves. ¡°When Li Lingling was alive, she said that the emperor had been poisoned. His Majesty has indeed not appeared for five days now. I just heard the news that the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Supreme Court minister, and other officials have all gone to Chang ¡®an to seek refuge with King Huai.¡± ¡°Ah! But isn¡¯t their wife still in Luoyang?¡± ¡°If they go to Chang ¡®an to seek refuge with the king of Huai, there will be no lack of wives in their future career!¡± ¡°Ptui, what kind of plaything can such a traitor be? To say something disrespectful, if His Majesty is in danger in Luoyang, there is still the emperor¡¯s great-grandson.¡± When the empress dowager stopped her mourning for the 77th and 40th day, the weather had already gradually warmed up. A large amount of ice had to be used to keep the mourning hall warm. With her pregnancy, Lady Qiao was even more afraid of the heat. At night, she could not sleep peacefully. When she was pregnant with Lu Xi, it was not easy for her. She also had the grief of her parents¡¯recent deaths. It was just that Lu Chen was by her side at that time. For some reason, she missed Lu Chen very much tonight. It had been so long since they last met, and he did not know if there was a letter from him. There were many beauties in Xiliang. Would he take advantage of her absence to flirt in Xiliang.. Jin Niang could not fall asleep. Hong Ling brought her a bowl of tranquilizer and said, ¡°Your Majesty.¡± After Qiao Jin drank the tranquilizer, she fell asleep in a daze. Halfway through her sleep, she felt her body getting hotter and hotter. She opened her eyes and almost screamed in fear. She was covered with a heavy object, which looked like a ghost pressing down on a bed. It was only by the soft light of the full moon that she could see the man clearly. ¡°You scared me to death! Why Are You Back?¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°I heard from Hong Ling that you missed me very much today.¡± Qiao Jin put her arm around Lu Chen¡¯s neck and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that after you have obtained the land of West Liang, you will be accompanied by a beauty. You will be so happy that you won¡¯t even want to be the Crown Prince of Great Tang.¡± Lu Chen kissed her forehead and said, ¡°The beauty of West Liang is not even one-tenth of the beauty of the Eastern Palace.¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Why did you come to Luoyang? Have you been to Chang ¡®an? King Huai has been the emperor of Chang ¡®an for more than a month. When do you plan to deal with him?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°When the Empress Dowager was alive, she cared about King Huai the most. No matter what, she had to make him accompany her in hell before she was buried in the ground¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I thought you were going to say that you would only deal with King Huai after the Empress Dowager was buried in the ground!¡± ¡°That old witch has repeatedly harmed me. Before she died, she even tried to scheme against me. How could I let her off so easily?¡± Lu Chen had heard the empress dowager¡¯s last words on the road that she looked down on Qiao Jinniang as the Crown Princess Consort. It was clear that this old witch was unwilling to let him spoil Qiao Jinniang alone before her death. Chapter 288 Chapter 288: Chapter 288 was all an act Inside Chang ¡®an Taiji Palace. King Huai sat high up in the main hall. Below him were his newly conferred courtiers. Zhou Siming had been conferred the title of Duke of the Wu Kingdom, Qin Shu had also become the Duke of the Qin kingdom, and he also had the position of Grand Lieutenant. The rest were officials who had come from Luoyang, and some were officials who had stayed in Chang ¡®an to surrender to King Huai. Zhou siming cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, there is new news from the northwest. Marquis an Yuan is seriously injured. I believe that Marquis an Yuan¡¯s army will not be able to resist the northern desert army for long. Now is a good time to attack Luoyang.¡± If Luoyang was not attacked, then King Huai¡¯s name would not be justified. However, King Huai said, ¡°We can not rush this matter. The envoys from all over the world have not shown their loyalty to me yet. If we rush to Luoyang¡­¡± Zhou siming gritted his teeth and said, ¡°King Huai, Li Lingling is dead. Now second uncle has come to Chang ¡®an to follow you. ¡°Sisi has no one to protect her in Luoyang. Who knows when she will be beheaded. We have to quickly attack Luoyang and save Sisi!¡± King Huai said, ¡°No rush. Father has not shown his face for almost a month after being poisoned. If we rashly act now, we will only be one step short!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you promised me that after you ascend to the throne, you will save Sisi and make her your empress!¡±Zhou Siming said loudly. King Huai slapped the Dragon Throne angrily and said loudly, ¡°Now, I Am Your Majesty. I have endured for so many years. How can you come and speak loudly in front of me!¡± Qin Shu repeatedly advised Zhou siming, ¡°Siming, the wedding date between you and misty is imminent. It¡¯s better not to anger your majesty.¡± Zhou Siming cared about the Qin family and could only endure it. That¡¯s right, the southwest army had been defeated and Lu Chen¡¯s fate was unknown. Now that the Empress Dowager was in mourning, she would probably not kill Sisi. Qin Zhu returned to the Qin manor and heard the servant girl report that Qin miaoming had not eaten anything for a day. Qin Zhu said, ¡°They are all spoiling her. If she doesn¡¯t eat, they will force her to eat. We can¡¯t let her starve to death. At least she will have some use for the marriage alliance with Zhou Siming!¡± In Qin Miaomiao¡¯s room, her eyes were filled with tears when she heard the servant girl¡¯s words. ¡°How did brother become such an unloyal and unfilial Beast!¡± The servant girl looked at Qin Miaomiao with extreme disdain. ¡°Miss, why are you still pretending to be noble now? Now that King Huai has ascended to the throne and become his majesty, the Crown Prince has become the rightful Duke!¡± Qin Miaomiao teared up and said, ¡°What Duke? The Southwest army came so valiantly, but it was all news of defeat. However, did the West Liang army say when they would be able to come to Chang ¡®an? The northwest side was fighting with the northern desert, but the northern desert army had once again taken half a step into the territory of Great Tang? ¡°Also, Qian Yin had no choice but to use the troops of King Wu¡¯s mansion to help King Huai because his elder brother had shamelessly imprisoned Qiao Ruoyun!¡± It was like a joke for King Huai to establish himself as the emperor in Chang ¡®an. How many of great Tang¡¯s diplomatic envoys had submitted to him! Luoyang was the real great Tang royal family. King Huai¡¯s name was still unjustified! The servant girl said, ¡°Young Lady, you just need to get married properly. The Day After Tomorrow is the wedding date! The heir of the Martial Kingdom is deeply in love with you and is willing to marry you. You should be grateful!¡± ¡°Ptui, if that day really comes, I would rather die than marry someone who plotted to usurp the throne and colluded with outsiders to harm the people of Great Tang!¡± Qin Miaomiao swept all the food on the ground. Outside, Yue Zhan, who had come to the Qin manor from Longxi, Heard Qin Miaomiao¡¯s words. Qin Shu could only smile apologetically and say, ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, envoy Yue.¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°It¡¯s just the words of the youngest daughter. After she marries Zhou Siming, she won¡¯t think that way.¡± Qin Shu said, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Minister Yue, please have some tea over here.¡± Two days later. The people of Chang ¡®an still kept their doors and windows closed and did not go out. Waves of joyful music could be heard from the quiet Chang ¡®an street. It was supposed to be full of people on the street to watch the bridal sedan, but because the people had fled, they hid and hid. There was no one on the street. At this juncture, it was especially shocking. It did not seem like festive music, but more like waves of mournful music.. Today was Zhou Siming¡¯s wedding to Qin Miaomiao. Originally, due to the empress dowager¡¯s mourning period, they should not have married during the national mourning period. However, the wedding date had already been set. Furthermore, King Huai intended to separate himself from the Luoyang imperial court, so he had married her today. The Qin residence was filled with red silk. In a small courtyard, Qiao Ruoyun listened to the joyous sounds coming from outside, but she could not feel the slightest bit of happiness for Qin Miaomiao. In Qin Miaomiao¡¯s room, she threw a tantrum and chased away all the maids. She picked up a red silk and hung it on a beam. The red silk hung down and Qin Miaomiao walked onto a stool and hung herself on the red silk. After starving for a few days, she had no choice but to use this method to commit suicide! However, before she could go up, she heard a voice from outside saying, ¡°Not good, not good. The Northern Desert Army has retreated. The Northern Desert King has been captured alive by an Yuanhou!¡± Zhou Siming, who had walked to the door, heard this and frowned, ¡°How is that possible? Doesn¡¯t the northern desert have so many soldiers and horses? It is very difficult for the northwest to defend the city. Why would they retreat? !¡± ¡°Crown prince, because the crown prince has already taken down Xiliang, the king of Xiliang bowed to the crown prince. Not only did the troops of Yunzhou take down Xiliang, but they also joined forces with Xiliang¡¯s troops to attack the border between the northern desert and Xiliang. Xiliang¡¯s troops have even taken over two cities in the northern desert. Because the cities have the most important rivers in the northern desert, the troops of the northern desert in the northwest have to retreat one by one. However, marquis an Yuan has not given up. The king of the Northern Desert has scolded Datang for winning unjustly and lying. He will only make the world laugh at him. He wants to confront the emperor of Datang!¡± Zhou siming frowned deeply and said to yue zhan beside him, ¡°Envoy Yue Jie, immediately lead your troops to attack Luoyang. As long as the Hui Lin Emperor and the Emperor¡¯s great grandson are dead, His Majesty still has a chance to turn the tables!¡± However, Yue Zhan pulled out a sword and placed it across Zhou Siming¡¯s head, ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhou Siming said to Yue Zhan, ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯ve already conspired with us to rebel. Do you think Lu Chen will let you off? Don¡¯t forget, Lin Mo by Lu Chen¡¯s side has cuckolded you!¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°What do I have to be afraid of? I¡¯m acting with you on the orders of the crown prince. If I want to marry Princess Jinghua, I will do it openly. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know that King Huai has yet to take his throne and is already thinking of getting rid of me!¡± Zhou Siming¡¯s eyes widened and Qin Shu said, ¡°You, you are acting!¡± Qian Yin helped Qiao Ruoyun out from the side and said, ¡°If we don¡¯t act, how will we let those fools in Luoyang give themselves away? How will we know if the envoys of the various regions are colluding with King Huai!¡± The sound of a stool hitting the ground could be heard from within Qin Miaomiao¡¯s room. Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly went in. When she saw Qin Miaomiao hanging on the red silk, Zhou siming shouted sternly, ¡°Miaomiao!¡± Yue Zhan took out the dagger from his waist and threw it over. The dagger cut through the red silk and pierced into the wall. Chapter 289 Chapter 289: Chapter 289, the execution of King Huai In the Taiji Palace. Mu Qian Qian felt uneasy as she stayed beside King Huai. ¡°Your Majesty, now that you have ascended the throne, I have no right to stay by your side¡­¡± King Huai pushed Mu Qian away in disgust. ¡°You are a woman who has been an official prostitute. Everyone can toy with you. Do you still want to have a right to be famous?¡± Mu Qianqian looked at King Huai in disbelief and said, ¡°Your Highness, you have endured for so many years. It was I who helped you secretly sell private salt and help you earn a large amount of money. For this, I even destroyed our mu family. Are you going to abandon me now?¡± King Huai said, ¡°That is only because you wanted to!¡± Mu Qianqian spat, ¡°It is no wonder that a person like you, as the first prince, is not the heir to the throne. Even if you really ascend to the throne, you are still a traitor who plans to usurp the throne!¡± Mu Qianqian could not believe that the man she had loved for so many years would be so shameless! King Huai laughed out loud, ¡°You can scold me however you want. The person in the Taiji Palace is me!¡± The door of the Taiji Palace was opened and the Huilin Emperor led Lu Chen, king qi, King Lu, King Chu, and a group of officials. King Huai saw the Huilin Emperor, Lu Chen, and the others enter and frowned, ¡°Men, men, why did you let them in? Kill them for me!¡± ¡°Yue Zhan, why aren¡¯t you attacking them?¡± Yue Zhan placed Zhou Siming and Qin Shu, who were tied up, in front of King Huai. ¡°King Huai, I advise you to repent as soon as possible!¡± King Huai said loudly, ¡°Are you with Lu Chen? No, I am the Emperor of Great Tang. I still have hundreds of thousands of troops from Xiliang and a million troops from the northern desert. Even if you are in cahoots, what can you do to me?¡± ¡°My dear ministers, as long as you choose me and kill them for me, I will grant you glory, wealth, and the position of Prince!¡± Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°Big Brother, the king of Xiliang has signed a letter of surrender and is willing to become a vassal state of great Tang. As for the million troops from the northern desert, they have all withdrawn.¡±. The king of the northern desert scolded us for not keeping our word. It turned out that the reason why Xiliang and the northern desert agreed to attack great Tang this time was because big brother had promised the king of the northern desert the territory and city of Great Tang!¡± When the officials heard this, they all said, ¡°Not only did his highness Prince Huai conspire against us, he even colluded with the foreign tribes! He destroyed our great Tang¡¯s foundation!¡± ¡°It is rumored that His Highness Prince Huai has the talent of a wise ruler. What kind of wise ruler is this!¡± ¡°TSK TSK tsk, fortunately, His Highness the crown prince is heroic. In just half a year¡¯s time, he conquered Xiliang and made Xiliang submit to our great Tang!¡± King Huai shook his head in disbelief and roared at Lu Chen, ¡°You¡¯re lying! You¡¯re lying! How could Xiliang be so easily conquered? I¡¯m the Emperor! Someone Come and kill them!¡± However, no one in the court listened to King Huai¡¯s words. Mu Qian, who was at the side, smiled faintly. This was really retribution. This retribution came really quickly. The Hui Lin Emperor walked up to the dragon throne in the great hall of the Taiji Palace. When he saw King Huai below, he was furious and said, ¡°King Huai, I thought I treated you well, but you schemed against me and even wanted my life. The Empress Dowager had high hopes for you, but you bribed imperial chef Li to harm the empress dowager. You are so disloyal and unfilial, I can not spare your life!¡± King Huai laughed out loud. ¡°Father, you said you treated me well, is that true? You Made Lu Chen the crown prince the moment he was born, how can you make me, the eldest son of the Emperor, lose face? ¡°Before Lu Chen was born, all the masters, servants, and palace maids in the palace tried to please me, but after Lu Chen was born, I was only the first prince. He was just an infant, how could he be able to ascend to the position of the Eastern Palace! You are biased to both sides. If you were half as good to me as you are to Lu Chen, why would I do such a wrong thing ¡°To both sides, in your eyes, only Lu Chen is your biological son. We are not your children!¡± The Hui Lin emperor scolded angrily, ¡°If this is what fifth brother said, I will accept it. He has been scheming since he was young. I think that he is just like Consort Xian and has not liked him since he was young. ¡°However, I have never been biased towards you from the start. You are my eldest son. You were born when I was still a prince. After I ascended to the throne, I had my hopes for you. ¡°However, your mother was reasonable and said that the Grace Palace was in its prime. For my sake, she advised me not to make you the crown prince first so as to prevent the Grace Palace from becoming more ambitious. At that time, the court was unstable and you might become a puppet of the Grace Palace. Later, I heard that you were smart enough to invite famous scholars in the world to be your grand tutor and to teach you well. However, on the day Empress Zhou entered the palace, what did you say to your mother?¡± ¡°In my eyes, my good son, who has always been sensible, obedient, and intelligent, was actually complaining about the noble consort. Why was it just the noble consort? She was complaining that her background was not the empress that caused you to lose the crown prince position.¡± ¡°Your mother plotted for you, but you blamed her and resented her. From that moment on, I knew that you were not worthy to be the crown prince of my great Tang.¡±. ¡°I do have a preference for Chen ¡®er, but there are still parents among the people who dote on their youngest son too much. If it were not for the fact that you plotted against Chen ¡®er in the empress dowager¡¯s womb, I would not have given Chen ¡®er the position of crown prince the moment he was born.¡±. When I saw you grow up, you gradually became sensible. I no longer had any thoughts about the position of crown prince. I also wondered if I had mistreated you. After all, you are the eldest son. However, the people I sent out heard that you were complaining about your own injustice in Chang ¡®an. After that, you saw the ambitions of the virtuous consort and the fifth prince. You might as well let the fifth prince stand out and let the fifth Prince Be Your Shield. After that, you thought that you were good, but in reality, you were getting worse and worse. If you were worried that you had Chen¡¯er¡¯s intelligence, King Chu¡¯s honesty, king Qi¡¯s understanding, and King Lu¡¯s filial piety, as long as there was just one thing.., i would not have cut off your position as the crown prince the moment Chen¡¯er was born!¡± Eunuch Quan said, ¡°King Huai, everyone says that his majesty is biased towards the crown prince. He carried the crown prince up the Dragon Throne and sat on the dragon carriage. But when you were young, His Majesty also treated you like this.¡± Prince Qi muttered, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Prince Huai looked at the Hui Lin Emperor and said, ¡°You said so much, but didn¡¯t you still give the throne to Lu Chen? He colluded with marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor and held great power. Father, aren¡¯t you afraid of him at all?¡± ¡°Why should I be afraid of my own son? You are the only one who has never treated me as a father. If you had treated me as a father!¡±! ¡°You had a grudge back then. You could have come to me if you wanted the throne, but you would only blame your weak mother! ¡°Later, when I saw that you had a good reputation, I also wanted to put you in an important position. However, you chose not to believe me. You thought that I was testing you, and you chose to endure patiently and not use your power openly, ¡°You actually dared to do something that would harm the country and the people! Your other brothers, they came to ask me to do something and wanted to serve in the court. Which one of us didn¡¯t agree?¡± The King of Qi, the king of Chu, the King of Lu, and the others thought about it carefully. Indeed, it was true. However, they didn¡¯t dare to make any excessive requests to the Hui Lin Emperor. The Hui Lin Emperor sighed heavily and said, ¡°The father and son of the Tian family always say that the emperor and the minister are in front. However, the father and son are connected by blood. Since Young, the fifth brother was not liked by me and I didn¡¯t take his life. However, I can¡¯t spare your life! ¡°If it were not for the Crown Prince¡¯s insight and defeating Xiliang, otherwise, if you colluded with the outside world, I, Great Tang, do not know how many more lives will be lost. Even if you die ten thousand times, you will not be able to repay the lives of these living beings. ¡°Men, execute King Huai. Zhou Siming and the other men of the Zhou family will be executed, and the women will be brought into the school¡­¡± Lu Chen knelt down and said, ¡°Father, grandmother is old and seriously ill. Zhou Siming is also eager to protect his sister. I beg father to spare their lives first, and we will talk about it after grandmother¡¯s birthday.¡± Chapter 290 Chapter 290: Chapter 290, the army returned to the court At this moment, Empress Zhou¡¯s voice came from outside the door, ¡°I Beg Your Majesty to punish the Zhou family¡¯s traitors impartially.¡± Lu Chen turned to look at Empress Zhou, ¡°Mother?¡± Empress Zhou knelt on the ground and said, ¡°I have failed to discipline the martial Duke¡¯s public house and allowed my family to commit such a mistake. I am willing to be punished.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor walked down from the Dragon Throne and helped Empress Zhou Up. He said, ¡°This matter has nothing to do with you. Crown Prince, everyone in the Zhou family deserves to be punished for their treason. I will not let them off lightly!¡± ¡°After Qin Shu was sent to the border, he still did not repent. His crime deserves to be punished by a thousand cuts!¡± ¡°The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue has been removed from his position and investigated. His family has been confiscated and investigated¡­¡± The Hui Lin Emperor had convicted one by one of the parties that had conspired against King Huai. Many of the officials were more or less implicated. For a time, everyone in Chang ¡®an was in danger. Those who had been too close to King Huai and Chengen Bo Mansion had all sought out the an yuan marquis mansion. After the funeral of the empress dowager of Luoyang, the Emperor had ordered the removal of the state filial piety. The Empress Dowager¡¯s death could be observed for three years or one year, or it could be replaced by 7749 days. However, it was also considered the 7749 days after the funeral. The removal of the state funeral right after the funeral. Although the Censorate felt that it was inappropriate, they did not dare to stand out at this time. After all, because of Tong Lei, there were many imperial censor who secretly had dealings with the king of Huai. After Qiao Jinniang returned to Chang ¡®an from Luoyang, before she could enter the palace, she saw the women of the Zhou family being rushed to the teaching workshop. She sighed. When she passed by the prison, she saw Lu Chen¡¯s carriage, so she had people stop the carriage and enter the prison. In the prison, in a dark and damp prison. Zhou Siming was squatting in a corner of the prison with his hair disheveled. Inside, Lu Chen and Lin Mo were sitting in front of Zhou Siming with food and wine. Lu Chen said, ¡°Cousin, tomorrow is the day of execution. Today, Lin Mo and I will perform the punishment for you.¡± Zhou Siming looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°I know what I have done wrong, and there is no way for me to survive. I just hope that you can spare Sisi for the sake of being brothers, okay?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°In the end, she didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She just loves you very much. For that woman, Qiao Jinniang, do you really not care about the slightest bit of affection that you have ever had since you were young? What¡¯s so good about her?¡± Zhou Siming stood up and asked. Lu Chen looked at Zhou siming and said, ¡°She is my wife. If I didn¡¯t do it for her, who else would I do it for? Don¡¯t you understand until now? The Jin family has never been in the wrong. It is your fault for thinking highly of the Martial Duke¡¯s public house and that you can not be separated from the martial Duke¡¯s public house.¡± Zhou siming said, ¡°Back then, the Martial Duke¡¯s public house handed over the military power to make the empress become the Empress and make you the crown prince. Now, you have come to repay us with enmity!¡± Lu Chen sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Zhou Siming, do you think that if the Martial Duke¡¯s public house did not have an empress back then, how long would his majesty tolerate the Martial Duke¡¯s public house¡¯s arrogance after concubine Zhou passed away? ¡°Back then, my grandmother asked the Martial Duke¡¯s public house to hand over the military power, not for my mother¡¯s sake, but to protect the Zhou family. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t expect that after more than 20 years, the Martial Duke¡¯s public house would still be so arrogant even after losing the military power. The Zhou family can only blame the Zhou family for belittling the imperial power!¡± Zhou siming saw a bright yellow skirt outside the prison and said, ¡°Today¡¯s Zhou family is tomorrow¡¯s Qiao Family!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The ancestors of the Qiao family fought together with the founding emperor to conquer the country. They have always been loyal and righteous. If your martial arts public house wants to be on par with the Qiao family, you are not qualified!¡± ¡°Different paths lead to different strategies. I have been in Lin ¡®an for more than three years. I should have known that we are no longer the same as before. After drinking the practice wine, I hope we will never meet again in the next life!¡± Zhou siming continued, ¡°Lin Mo, Qin Miaomiao is innocent. In order to not be in cahoots with us, she almost committed suicide. She should not have been implicated by the Qin family and become an official prostitute. You are still engaged to her. I beg you to spare her life.¡± Lin Mo said slowly, ¡°If Qin Miaomiao had not been in cahoots with us, I would have naturally protected her.¡± Zhou siming cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± .. In the East Palace, Qiao Jinniang watched as the palace staff cleaned up and then lay down on the imperial consort¡¯s couch to rest with her eyes closed. Hearing the announcement outside, she got up and Lu Chen strode over to her and said, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head and hugged Lu Chen. ¡°You¡¯ve already done your best in the matter of the Zhou family. If you¡¯re really sad, just cry. I Won¡¯t laugh at you.¡± Lu Chen gently scratched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s nose. ¡°What are you saying? Zhou siming only deserves his punishment. I¡¯m just worried about my grandmother. She¡¯s already so old, and the Zhou family is about to collapse. Won¡¯t she be upset?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m even more curious about mother. I didn¡¯t expect that not only did she not plead on behalf of the Zhou family, she actually allowed his majesty to punish her impartially when you pleaded for mercy. I don¡¯t understand.¡± Empress Zhou did not seem to be someone who would disregard her family for the sake of her virtuous reputation. Empress Zhou was very straightforward in doing things many times. Without Empress Zhou¡¯s acquiescence, it would be impossible for her to be the only person in the Eastern Palace. Lu Chen said, ¡°Perhaps her heart has been broken by the Zhou family.¡± ¡°Crown prince consort, Princess Fu Lu requests an audience outside.¡± Although they had already left the country for the funeral, Fu Lu was still wearing a light traditional dress, she walked to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s side and said, ¡°Jinniang, can you save Qin Miaomiao? She has nothing to do with the Qin family¡¯s rebellion. She is also an innocent person.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Yes, many women were innocent during the family¡¯s extermination. The wife of the Minister of Revenue¡¯s Assistant Minister was in Luoyang guarding the empress dowager¡¯s filial piety. Her husband rebelled, but she was forced into a lowly background to be a slave¡­¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°There¡¯s no way she would be implicated by her husband. She received benefits when her husband was in glory. As for Qin Miaomiao, she is engaged to Lin Mo and can be considered a married daughter. If the Lin family is willing to protect her, she can also be exempted from punishment.¡± Princess Fu Lu said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Without Qin Miaomiao quarreling with me, my life would be meaningless!¡± Jin Niang smiled. ¡°You will be the wife of Marquis an Yuan in the future. Is this how you pursue your life?¡± ¡°Mother-in-law is still young,¡±Princess Fu Lu said. ¡°Moreover, grandmother is still around! Marquis an Yuan doesn¡¯t need me to be the main pillar. This is the benefit of finding a young mother-in-law.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Qiao Lui has been in the northwest for so long and hasn¡¯t returned. I¡¯m so worried about him!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The Qiao family¡¯s army will return to court in a few days. Qiao lui is fine, but Marquis an Yuan is indeed injured.¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Is it serious?¡± ¡°I heard from the imperial physician that it¡¯s not too serious, but father-in-law told the imperial physician to tell the public that it has to be more serious¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang understood now. Zheng Xiaoke had not completely forgiven marquis an yuan. This was a ploy by Marquis an yuan. The Qiao family¡¯s army had contributed greatly to the attack on Xiliang and the northern desert. When the two armies returned to court, the Huilin emperor led hundreds of officials to the city gates to welcome them. The commoners also lined up to watch the army return to court, however, there were also people who said, ¡°As the empress, the Zhou family fell just like that. The Qiao family¡¯s victory in Xiliang is already a great achievement. After today¡¯s glory, I¡¯m afraid it will only decline.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. The Qiao family¡¯s power is too great. It¡¯s not like the emperor will not fear the power of the Qiao family and the Crown Prince.¡± Chapter 291 Chapter 291: Chapter 291: the marriage between Qian Yin and Princess Fu An When the army returned to Chang ¡®an, the Hui Lin Emperor rewarded them for their contributions and even held a palace banquet to reward the three armies. It swept away the haze of the shakedown and beheading of the family. The Qiao family had contributed the most, but the Hui Lin Emperor only rewarded third master Qiao as the commander-in-chief of the army. He did not give any other rewards. One could not help but wonder if the Hui Lin Emperor was going to deal with the Qiao family. After all, the grace uncle¡¯s mansion and the Martial Duke¡¯s mansion were both relatives in this rebellion. How could the emperor tolerate the crown princess¡¯relatives being the dominant one? Because Qiao Jinniang was almost seven months pregnant, she did not attend the banquet in the palace. After the banquet, Qiao Ruofeng and Qiao Ruowan came to the East Palace to pay their respects to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao ruowan said unhappily, ¡°Your Majesty is too biased. This time, our Qiao family has contributed so much. If we don¡¯t reward first uncle as the Grand Duke, we will only reward third uncle as the grand marshal of the Army!¡± Qiao Jinniang had more or less heard the outside speculations in the East Palace. She said to Qiao ruowan, ¡°There is no need to reward marquis an yuan for his meritorious deeds. The people of the world and father will remember it in their hearts. ¡°The title of grand marshal is already extremely generous. Third Uncle has military power and is also known as the Grand Marshal¡­¡± ¡°But third uncle is the son of a concubine!¡±Qiao Ruowan said. Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Although third uncle is a bastard, isn¡¯t he our blood-related uncle? Marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate doesn¡¯t have an additional position of Duke.¡± Qiao ruofeng said, ¡°The Qiao family doesn¡¯t ask for anything more. It¡¯s just that when His Majesty bestowed the King of Wu today, he actually said that he would give princess fu an to the king of Wu as a princess consort. I heard that the king of Wu clearly has feelings for eldest sister. Princess Fu an has always been a pot of medicine since she was young¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Qiao ruofeng and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that! When we searched the mansion of King Huai, Mu Qian revealed the hiding place of the Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus. With such a divine medicine, Princess Fu an will be able to recover in no time.¡± However, His Majesty had given princess fu an to Qian Yin as a princess consort, which was also something that Qiao Jinniang had not expected. In the Tai Chi Palace. Qian Yin knelt in front of the Hui Lin Emperor and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Please Take Back Your Orders!¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said to Qian Yin, ¡°Your elder brother and I have always been on good terms. When your elder brother went to Laojun mountain for closed-door cultivation, he asked me to carefully choose a wife for you to take on the big responsibility of your Qian Estate. You are not young anymore. ¡°Although Fu an has been seriously ill for many years, the imperial physician has seen that she can give birth. and the imperial physician who you like said that it would be very difficult for her to have another child after checking her pulse.¡± Qian Yin knelt on the ground and kowtowed. ¡°Princess Fu an is extremely good, but I do not have the fortune to do so. I have already found two nieces. In the future, I will have two nieces who can inherit the Qian family¡¯s children¡­¡± At that time, the Hui Lin Emperor had asked Qian Yi to leave Zhou Shihui¡¯s life behind and to make glutinous rice the princess. Qian Yi had chosen to leave Zhou Shihui¡¯s life behind. Zhou Shihui¡¯s reputation was completely ruined. Qian Yin did not intend to let Zhou Shihui get married. When the time came, he would find her a son-in-law in Lin ¡®an. As for glutinous rice, the Qian family had already mistreated her a lot. Without the title of princess, Qian Yin naturally had to compensate her double. The Hui Lin Emperor looked at Qian Yi and said, ¡°I can take back the marriage order, but whether you can marry Qiao Ruoyun or not will depend on your luck!¡± Qian yi said happily, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± .. After Qiao Ruofeng and Qiao Ruowan returned to the manor, they were rewarded. Perhaps the grace that marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor had asked for was for them to lead the female guards in Chang ¡®an. After the palace banquet, it was the Qiao family¡¯s reunion banquet. At the reunion banquet, everyone from the Qiao family did not look too good. The generous Princess Fu Lu looked at everyone who was not in a good mood and was puzzled. ¡°Third uncle has been conferred the rank of commander-in-chief of the army and two younger sisters have taken up seventh-level positions. This is a great good thing!¡± Old Madam Qiao raised her wine cup and said, ¡°Princess is right. The grace of the heavens is vast and mighty. Other than the crown princess consort and Ruo Yi, our Qiao family has not been reunited like this for a long time. It is also the first time for Ruo Yin and her two children to come to the manor. We should be happier.¡± Second madam Qiao said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Today is the day of wine and today is the day of intoxication. Even if His Majesty really thinks that our Qiao family¡¯s meritorious service has shocked the Lord, today¡¯s lively reunion is the most important thing!¡± Princess Fu Lu said, ¡°Second aunt, my uncle is not so stupid. Why would he be afraid of the Qiao family¡¯s power and influence? As long as the Qiao family is loyal to the country and the people, Uncle understands in his heart!¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Ruoyi, this child, why hasn¡¯t she returned at This Hour? West Mountain Academy shouldn¡¯t be so far away from here!¡± An yuanhou snorted lightly. ¡°She does have some backbone. She shouldn¡¯t have come back to the Hou mansion for the rest of her life. Father is injured, so he doesn¡¯t know how to come back to visit.¡± Qiao lui said, ¡°Father, why are you saying this to ruoyi? She is now the mountain chieftain of West Mountain Academy. There are many things to do, so she won¡¯t be able to rush back in time. Besides, it¡¯s also right for her to hate you because of Aunt Qian.¡± Hearing the words ¡°Aunt Qian¡±, marquis an Yuan quickly changed the topic and Toasted Third Master Qiao. ¡°Third brother attacked West Liang this time and took revenge for Father and uncle. Let Me Toast to you.¡± Third master Qiao said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince¡¯s leadership. I didn¡¯t expect that his military strategy was also very good. The Imperial Concubine has married an excellent husband.¡± Second master Qiao said, ¡°His Highness the crown prince is very good. However, elder brother and sister-in-law, you should also advise the Imperial concubine not to monopolize the crown prince alone. Now that the imperial concubine is dominant in the Eastern Palace, it makes His Majesty even more afraid of our Qiao Family!¡± Old Madam Qiao slammed the table and said, ¡°Second brother, your elder brother and third brother are all high officials in the imperial court. What about you? The Qiao family has already let down the imperial concubine. As her second uncle, do you even have such thoughts?¡± Second Master Qiao shrunk his head and said, ¡°My son is also thinking for the Qiao Family!¡± Old madam Qiao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say this anymore. His Majesty is a wise ruler. As ministers, it¡¯s enough for us to do our duty as ministers. Warn the people below, especially the second daughter-in-law¡¯s family, not to do evil to the Qiao family. Once they find out, don¡¯t blame the Qiao family for destroying our family!¡± ¡°Yes,¡±the Qiao family members responded in unison. .. Jin Niang was pregnant and felt even hotter in May. She had been craving for the coolness of the ice since early in the morning. After sending off Little Lu Xi, who had gone to the imperial tutor¡¯s side for lessons, Qiao Jin Niang went to look for Lu Chen, who had just come out of the imperial court: ¡°I haven¡¯t returned to the Savory Pavilion for a long time. I heard that when King Huai was in chaos in Chang ¡®an, the savory pavilion was having a hard time. ¡°Octagon and the others always report good news but don¡¯t report bad news. They wouldn¡¯t come to the palace to look for me if nothing happened. I miss them a little.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Since you miss them, just announce them to the East Palace. You¡¯re already seven months pregnant, how can you still leave the Palace?¡± ¡°I can still cook when Xi¡¯er is seven months old,¡±said Qiao Jinniang. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of myself.¡± Lu Chen sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you there at night.¡± Qiao Jinniang kissed Lu Chen on the side of his face as a token of appreciation. When night fell, a carriage from the eastern palace arrived in front of the Savory Pavilion. The Savory Pavilion was already closed, but the hall was brightly lit. When Qiao Jinniang entered, she saw that the fennel that was supposed to be in Luoyang was also there. As soon as she entered, octagon smashed the abacus in his hand and said, ¡°The Qian family has gone too far, hasn¡¯t it? They are the princes, and our master is the crown prince¡¯s consort. How can the Qian family mistreat our little glutinous rice like this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Who Wants to go back to the Qian Family? It¡¯s much better to follow the master than the Qian Family!¡± Glutinous rice said in a low voice, ¡°But uncle said that if I return to the Qian family, the Wu Royal Mansion will also become a backing for the master. Now everyone says that the Emperor is already afraid of the Qiao family¡­¡± Chapter 292 Chapter 292: Chapter 292. Glutinous rice and Zhou Shihui were both young misses of the Qian family Qiao Jinniang sneered when she heard this. ¡°It seems mother didn¡¯t beat Qian Yin hard enough back then! Only the Wu royal family wants to be my backer? How did the Qian Family Bully You?¡± When octagon and fennel saw Qiao jinniang, they called her master repeatedly before bowing to Lu Chen at the side. Lu Chen was already used to it and asked them to stand up. Octagon and fennel couldn¡¯t help but complain to Qiao Jinniang one by one. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Stop talking. Let glutinous rice speak for herself.¡± Glutinous rice lowered her head and said, ¡°Master, after I returned to Chang ¡®an from Luoyang, Qian Yin asked me to go to his residence and said that he would take me back to see my mother.. ¡°Originally, I was also quite happy that I could see my biological mother. However, when I returned, I saw Zhou Shihui beside my courtyard. ¡°It turned out that his majesty asked Qian Yi at that time whether he wanted to keep Zhou Shihui alive or grant me the title of Princess. Qian Yi chose to keep Zhou Shihui alive. ¡°Zhou Qing and Zhou Sisi were beheaded, but Zhou Shihui was not punished. I heard from Qian Yin that in the future, Zhou Shihui and I are both young ladies of the Qian family. I am the eldest young lady of the Qian family, and she is the second young lady of the Qian Family¡­¡± Glutinous rice pouted and said, ¡°Zhou Shihui has done so many wrong things and is still disrespectful to you and Princess Fu Lu. I don¡¯t want to be sisters with her!¡± Lady Qiao Jin sneered, ¡°The Qian family is really bullying people. It¡¯s fine if we don¡¯t accept this injustice. If you miss your mother, you can bring her out. I will buy you a big house and a manor in Lin ¡®an!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be letting Zhou Shihui off? Making Zhou Shihui the only young miss of the Qian Family?¡± Qiao jinniang said indignantly, ¡°That¡¯s true. But making glutinous rice and Zhou Shihui both young misses of the Qian family is really disgusting.¡± Glutinous rice couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Master, why don¡¯t you let me follow by your side? I don¡¯t want to go back to Lin ¡®an! If I go back to Lin ¡®an, I¡¯ll definitely be bullied to death by the Qian family.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Zhou Shihui is also part of the Qian family¡¯s bloodline. There¡¯s no reason not to let her go back to the Qian family.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. ¡°Zhou Shihui has a life in her hands. After she goes back to the Qian family, won¡¯t her reputation implicate glutinous rice? Also, she¡¯s unrepentant and hasn¡¯t admitted her mistakes until now¡­¡± Glutinous rice knelt in front of Qiao jinniang and said, ¡°Master, I don¡¯t want to go back to the Qian family.¡± Qiao Jinniang Thought for a moment and said, ¡°Not going back to the Qian family won¡¯t benefit Zhou Shihui. There is a way.¡± ¡°What Way?¡±Glutinous rice asked. ¡°It¡¯s to find a husband for you. You¡¯re not young anymore,¡±Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°When the time comes, extort money from the Qian Estate for a dowry. You Don¡¯t have to go back to the Qian estate every day to be angered by Zhou Shihui. When you¡¯re in the mood, you can go back to the in-laws¡¯house.¡± Sticky rice blushed and said, ¡°Master, sticky rice will get married according to Master.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Thinking about it, it¡¯s been two years since I left Lin ¡®an. I¡¯ve forgotten what kind of good man Lin ¡®an has. Xie Yun is going to enter Chang ¡®an soon. I¡¯ll go ask him if he has any good men from the Xie family. When you marry into the Xie family, no matter how evil Zhou Shihui is, he won¡¯t dare to bully you.¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°I think Xie Yun and glutinous rice are a perfect match. At least you know Xie Yun well and he¡¯s capable. Why do you have to go so far to find other Xie family men?¡± Qiao Jinniang actually felt that Lu Chen¡¯s words made a lot of sense. ¡°It¡¯s just that glutinous Rice¡¯s nature is simple. The Xie family is in chaos. If glutinous rice marries over, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The second son of the Xie family is involved with King Huai. Xie Yun eliminated the second son of the Xie family because of righteousness. Now that Xie Yun is the sole ruler of the Xie family, I will help him plan the crime of pretending to be a woman to deceive the emperor. You can rest assured that glutinous rice marries over.¡± Qiao Jinniang also felt that Lu Chen¡¯s suggestion was very good. Glutinous rice said in a low voice, ¡°But I¡¯m just a little servant girl. How can I be worthy of Xie Yun? Moreover, in my eyes, he¡¯s just a big sister.¡± Qiao jinniang patted glutinous Rice¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You don¡¯t Have to belittle yourself. You¡¯re not a servant girl, but the daughter of the Wu royal family. The Qian and Xie families have always been equally famous. How can you not be worthy of Xie Yun?¡± Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang with a smile in his eyes. ¡°What your master said is right. You can just wait to get married.¡± Glutinous rice scratched her head. ¡°OH.¡± But she really didn¡¯t like Xie Yun, and she felt that Xie Yun probably liked her master.. The crown prince persuaded her master to marry her to Xie Yun because he was afraid that Xie Yun would steal her master away, right? Qiao Jinniang asked octagon about King Huai¡¯s matters in Chang ¡®an. Octagon said, ¡°During those days, the people from the reception building across the street came to find trouble every day. We were all shut in. With the protection of the Longxi Army, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Now that chef Li¡¯s head has been beheaded and the reception building opened by chef Li¡¯s son-in-law has closed, the business of the savory pavilion here is even better than before.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt relieved after hearing this. After giving them a few more words, she left the savory pavilion with Lu Chen. In the carriage, a lamp was slightly lit. Qiao jinniang sighed and said, ¡°I thought that Zhou Shihui wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the blame, but I didn¡¯t expect Qian Yi to be so biased. Qian Yin is also a person who doesn¡¯t understand. is he the only one who wants to marry Ruoyun?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Qian Yin has no choice. His mother left a will to find his granddaughter before she died. She died with a grievance. All these years, in order to find his little niece, he didn¡¯t even care about his own family and business. ¡°The two of them are his nieces. To be fair, Qian Yi has already made his choice. What can he do?¡± Qiao Jinniang touched her belly and said, ¡°Sigh, it was not easy for glutinous rice to find her biological parents, but she has let her down!¡± Chang ¡®an had a curfew. The night should have been quiet, but a few princes had just come out from Spring Breeze Street. The few of them stumbled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Qin Miaomiao was not reduced to an official prostitute. She is so beautiful and noble. Playing with her will definitely have a different taste.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s a pity that Zhou Sisi was beheaded. Otherwise, her looks would definitely be extremely beautiful.¡± ¡°Zhou Sisi¡¯s looks can¡¯t be compared to the Crown Princess Consort. Otherwise, His Highness the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t have despised her so much!¡± ¡°Speaking of the Crown Princess Consort, the Qiao family is now at the peak of their power. If we talk about it, it¡¯s because his majesty has a taboo against it. That Qiao Ruoyun who has left home will probably have a difficult marriage. If we go and ask for her hand in marriage, we might even be able to address the crown princess consort as Little Sister!¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard those vulgar words outside, she felt disgusted. Lu Chen lifted the curtain and said, ¡°Eunuch Gu, capture them all and place them in the heavenly prison. No one is to be released unless I give the Order.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When those drunken princes and grandchildren were captured, they still shouted without knowing whether they were dead or alive: ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry Qiao Ruoyun with such good fortune. who dares to touch the Qiao family now? Who knows when the emperor will settle the scores!¡± ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s wife is pregnant. Sooner or later, the crown prince will take in a new wife. Rather than marrying the daughter of a servant, why not shove his own sister into the Eastern Palace!¡± Chapter 293 Chapter 293: Chapter 293, the petition for the Crown Prince to take in a consort Qiao Jinniang Glanced at Lu Chen and said, ¡°The outside world is saying that the Qiao family is the only one in power. His Majesty will one day settle the Qiao family for their outstanding contributions. I originally thought that father shouldn¡¯t be like this. However, I heard that father intends to let Qian Yin marry Fu an.. ¡°Moreover, in terms of contributions and rewards, father and brother¡¯s contribution to defeating the northern desert isn¡¯t low. However, father only gave third uncle the position of commander-in-chief. Do you think father is really afraid of our Qiao Family?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Marquis an Yuan¡¯s title was passed down from his ancestors. Although Duke is higher than Marquis, it is the same when it comes to titles. ¡°Qiao Lu is young and is the son-in-law of the princess¡¯only daughter. He is also the younger brother of the Crown Princess. He still has a long way to go in the future. It would be inappropriate for him to be rewarded now. ¡°If he is really afraid, the position of commander-in-chief will not be given to the Qiao family.¡± Qiao Jinniang leaned on Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Then are you afraid that I¡¯ll have exclusive power over my relatives? The Qiao family¡¯s power is at its peak. Are you willing to be suppressed by me?¡± ¡°Even without the Qiao family¡¯s power, haven¡¯t I already been suppressed by You?¡± Lu Chen placed his hand on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s stomach and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡± Qiao jinniang replied, ¡°Oh!¡± .. After the reward, those who left Chang ¡®an were dealt with one by one. For a time, Chang ¡®an returned to its usual lively state. The vassal state of Xiliang, which had surrendered, came to Chang ¡®an to pay tribute. The marriage of the Young County Prince Rong was also approaching. For this reason, a group of officials in the imperial court proposed to let the Crown Prince take in an imperial concubine. After all, the empress dowager was not very satisfied with the Crown Prince¡¯s Imperial Concubine on her deathbed. Moreover, the Crown Prince¡¯s imperial concubine had been in the Eastern Palace for more than a year. It was too little to say that there was only one crown prince¡¯s consort in the Eastern Palace. Now that the Crown Prince¡¯s consort was pregnant, she could legitimately enter the Eastern Palace. The Hui Lin Emperor sent all the official memorials to the Eastern Palace. Lu Chen flipped through one of the memorials to urge his consort to take in a consort. He flipped through another to urge his consort to take in a consort. He closed the memorials. Qiao Jinniang entered the study and saw that Lu Chen¡¯s expression was extremely bad, she picked up the memorials he threw aside and looked at them. ¡°Are these officials too idle? I¡¯m still pregnant, so they advised you to take in a concubine¡­¡± ¡°This memorials was actually written by Lin Xiang!¡± Qiao Jinniang placed the memorials on the table and looked at Lu Chen. ¡°You won¡¯t compromise to take in a concubine, right?¡± Lu Chen smiled. ¡°How could I not keep my promise? Don¡¯t worry, in a few days, no one will dare to come to this memorials again.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen curiously, ¡°Are you going to take care of these officials? Lin Xiang and the others are also great Tang¡¯s pillars¡­¡± Lu Chen only let Qiao Jinniang relax. A few days later, Xie Yun came from Jiangnan to report to the Hui Lin Emperor about the collusion between the second branch of the Xie family and the king of Huai. He also came to the Hui Lin Emperor and surrendered, moving all the Xie family¡¯s ancient books to Chang ¡®an. Most of these ancient books were bamboo slips. When the academies heard about it, they all dared to come to Chang ¡®an to see these ancient books. In the diligent administration hall, the Hui Lin Emperor dismissed everyone, leaving only Xie Yun and Lu Chen. Seeing Xie Yun take off her female clothes and change into men¡¯s clothes, he said, ¡°I should have thought of it long ago. With your ability, you won¡¯t be a woman.¡± Xie Yun bowed her head and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Please Punish Me for committing the crime of deceiving the Emperor!¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°Since you are willing to give the Xie family¡¯s 1,000-year-old collection of books to the imperial court, I will let this crime go. In the future, you should keep your word. However, you can not continue living as Xie Yun.¡± Xie Yun kowtowed and replied, ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± After Xie Yun changed into women¡¯s clothes and left. The Hui Lin Emperor looked at the books in the Hall of diligent administration and said to Lu Chen, ¡°It was not easy for you to persuade the Xie family to bring these ancient books to Chang ¡®an. However, I¡¯m afraid that these ancient books will not be able to be put down in the imperial palace. Do you have any ideas?¡± Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, ¡°I think we can let the Imperial Academy compile these ancient books and send them to the bookstore to be printed or copied by the various academies. After that, we can return the rare and rare ancient books to the Xie family. Some of the ancient books are left in the imperial palace. Those that are not rare, why don¡¯t we divide them equally among the various academies of Great Tang? What do you think, Father?¡± The Hui Lindi nodded in agreement and said, ¡°However, splitting them equally among the great Tang academies is not an easy task. The Imperial College and the Qingming Academy will not be able to determine who will get the first copy. Those ancient books that are not rare will easily cause trouble for whichever academy collects them. You need to consider carefully.¡± Lu Chen cupped his hands in agreement and said, ¡°I understand.¡± The Hui Lindi then said to Lu Chen, ¡°I heard that you caught a few troublemakers on the street two days ago?¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°Their words were very disrespectful to the imperial concubine.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor stared at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Have you seen the memorials I gave you? Prime Minister Lin and the others have all submitted their memorials. The crown princess is pregnant and there are no more concubines in the Eastern Palace. It is indeed very inappropriate¡­¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I will take care of this matter. Father, rest assured that no one will dare to use memorials to annoy you in the future.¡± The Hui Lin emperor sneered, ¡°I am not afraid of being annoyed. You should have been someone else¡¯s son-in-law back then. Do you think a crown prince is so afraid of the Crown Princess?¡± ¡°You are an emperor. Why are you afraid of Mother?¡±Lu Chen retorted. The Hui Lin Emperor:¡±¡­¡± He really had nothing to say. Lu Chen left the administrative hall and called Xie Yun to the East Palace to discuss matters. At noon, Lu Chen ordered someone to invite Qiao Jinniang. Xie Yun saw Qiao Jinniang¡¯s smiling face and knew that she was still living well. She could not tell if she was regretting or rejoicing. ¡°Your subject greets the Crown Princess Consort.¡± After Qiao Jinniang sat down, she smiled slowly at Xie Yun and said, ¡°Congratulations to young master Xie for holding such great power. I remember that you are a little older than the crown prince. Since you have already established your career, do you have any plans to start a Family?¡± Xie Yun cupped his hands and said, ¡°It was once difficult to find a suitable candidate to start a family.¡± Lu Chen frowned. Where did he come from? Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I have a suitable candidate for you. She is the eldest daughter of the Wu royal family. She has known you since childhood and you know her character. She is usually quick-witted and lively.¡± When Xie Yun heard this.., her eyes dimmed as she said, ¡°It is not that I look down on glutinous rice for being born as a servant girl. It is just that she has a lively personality. She really should not enter the Xie family. There are many rules in the Xie family and it is not something she can stand.¡± Qiao Jinniang did not force her upon hearing this. She only asked, ¡°Then, does your Xie family have any good men? It is best if they can protect glutinous rice.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°There is a younger brother in the family. When we return to Lin ¡®an, I will discuss the marriage with the king of Wu.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°That is possible, but the most important thing is glutinous Rice¡¯s intentions.¡± Xie Yun replied, ¡°That is only natural. Just as you said, I watched glutinous rice grow up. I also treat her like a younger sister.¡± Chapter 294 Chapter 294: Chapter 294. Xie Yun fell off the cliff and passed away Lu Chen picked up a piece of fish meat for the Jinniang and said, ¡°Since Xie Yun doesn¡¯t like lively women, what does she think of Wen Jing¡¯s character? Princess Fu an¡­¡± Xie Yun cupped his hands and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Princess Fu an is very nice, but I have no intention of marrying a Chang ¡®an woman.¡± Xie Yun knew clearly what Lu Chen was thinking. Now that the Jinniang had a second child, she naturally wouldn¡¯t have any more thoughts. Moreover, he had given up long ago. However, this didn¡¯t mean that his marriage would fall into Lu Chen¡¯s trap. Yu Yan walked in front of Qiao Jinniang and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s news from the palace gate that Miss Ruoyi wants to see you.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time. Let Her in.¡± The last time Qiao Jinniang saw Qiao Ruoyi was last year in Luoyang. Qiao ruoyi came in wearing a clean and neat green traditional dress. Her long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin. She came in and bowed to Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Crown prince, Sister.¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Why are you here today? A few days ago, mother said that you wouldn¡¯t come back even when she asked you to come to the family banquet. She wanted to go to the west mountain to visit you when my younger sister recovered.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to go back during the family banquet. Now, there are many more students in the West Mountain Academy. When King Huai took over Chang ¡®an, the army of the Chengen Bo Mansion came to the West Mountain to cause trouble. Mr. Liu had spent a lot of energy to deal with them. Later, with the help of General Yue Zhan, our West Mountain Academy was able to have peace. However, Mr. Liu didn¡¯t have the energy to manage the academy, so he handed the position of the Academy¡¯s Mountain Director to me. At this moment, the things in the academy were very complicated. The things that the students learned were messy and messy. These few days, I just followed the categories of the young ladies of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I followed the categories of the men¡¯s studies, as well as the categories of studying arithmetic, there were also the categories of embroidery, making jewelry, and other female crafts, which were divided into the eight categories of heaven, earth, black, yellow, universe, and desolation. There were also five categories of age, which were divided into a, B, C, D, and E, and the female teachers had just been divided into categories. I¡¯ve been a little busy these days.¡± Qiao Jinniang listened to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eloquent speech. She did not expect that Qiao ruoyi would really take this matter to heart, even though it was just a moment of kindness. ¡°West Mountain Academy doesn¡¯t need tuition fees. Fortunately, Sister has given us a lot of silver. Now that our reputation has been built up, there are many women from noble families in Chang ¡®an who are willing to come to west mountain to study.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°If sister really feels that I¡¯ve worked hard, can you get the students of West Mountain Academy to come over and copy the Xie family¡¯s ancient books and isolated copies? I heard that the Xie family has brought over a thousand years of heritage. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for sister¡¯s help, it would definitely not be our West Mountain Academy¡¯s turn¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°This is also something that should be done. Originally, West Mountain Academy was also an academy, and the Academy doesn¡¯t differentiate between high and low. You can arrange for the students to come over and copy the records together with the Hanlin Academy.¡± Qiao ruoyi was overjoyed and said, ¡°Thank you, Sister.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. It¡¯s a good thing that you were able to wholeheartedly establish the girls¡¯academy. Although Zhou Shihui entered Qingming Academy under false pretenses at that time, those top academies nowadays don¡¯t recruit girls. Even the Imperial College said that it recruited female students, but in reality, there isn¡¯t a single one. Now that there¡¯s a girls¡¯academy that can also study the six schools, it¡¯s a good thing that it¡¯s an immeasurable merit for women.¡± Qiao ruoyi heard this and said, ¡°I don¡¯t hope for immeasurable merit either. It¡¯s just that after reading so many books, I always hope that there will be some use. I also hope that one day, a woman can truly be a ruler and a high official!¡± Xie Yun laughed and said, ¡°The Qiao family¡¯s daughters are getting more and more powerful. I heard that there are already two female generals, and now there is a female prime minister.¡± Qiao Ruoyi did not care about Xie Yun¡¯s mockery. She also wanted to be a ruler for the government. Not only was she loyal to the country, but she was also working for the people. Her reason was laughable. A man being a ruler for the government could win the imperial decree for his mother. It would be good if she could win the imperial decree for his mother. However, if she couldn¡¯t, she also wanted to benefit more people. She wanted her mother to look after her in heaven and feel gratified for her. Qiao Jinniang Protected Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of ruoyi. Why Can¡¯t a woman be an imperial decree? The imperial examinations have said that women can participate. Who knows, in a few years, West Mountain Academy might be able to produce a top scholar.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If West Mountain Academy really produces a female top scorer, then I will act according to my father¡¯s wishes and get the imperial court to allocate funds to West Mountain Academy. There is no need for you to take out your own money.¡± During the Battle of West Liang, Lu Chen knew that Qiao Jinniang had already lost a lot of silver. He had mentioned to his father that Qiao Jinniang was using her own money to stabilize the situation in Yunzhou, but the empress of Huilin was extremely stingy and turned a deaf ear to it. She even said that the entire family did not care about the money. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Ruoyi, did you hear that? Whether or not the students of West Mountain Academy can live better depends on whether or not they have a female scholar.¡± Qiao ruoyi confidently issued a military order. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I will strive to have a female scholar in the imperial examinations the year after next.¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡±there was no need to be so quick. When Qiao Ruoyi left, she did not forget to take the two boxes of ancient books that Xie Yun had collected from the palace. She casually took a book from the carriage and looked at it. However, she found a portrait in an ancient book. In the portrait, there should be a young girl, holding a pastry in her hand and smiling with her eyes curved. Qiao ruoyi thought, this person might be Xie Yun when she was young? Xie Yun was so beautiful. She must have been so delicate when she was young. .. Xie Yun entered the palace to present the book. For a moment, many Chang ¡®an scholars felt sorry for Xie Yun. Back then, she almost died trying to save the crown prince. Now that she was willing to give the Xie family¡¯s collection of books to the imperial court and the world, it showed her righteousness. Such a woman should be the crown prince¡¯s consort. However, she was not the crown prince¡¯s consort, and she had a deep friendship with the crown prince. For a moment, there was a discussion in Chang ¡®an about making Xie Yun the crown prince¡¯s side consort. When Qiao Jinniang heard this from Yu Yan in the palace, she frowned and said, ¡°If no one spread this news, it¡¯s impossible. As for who ordered someone to spread this news?¡± Lu Chen peeled a grape and handed it to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°I spread it.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen in surprise. ¡°Why did you spread this news? Do you really want to marry Xie Yun? Do you really have the heart of a man?¡± Lu Chen tapped Qiao Jinniang¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. In a few days, you¡¯ll know why I spread this news.¡± Qiao Jinniang ate the grapes he handed over and replied, ¡°OH.¡± A few days later, Qiao Jinniang heard the news that Xie Yun had fallen from the top of the West Mountain of Chang ¡®an when he was playing.. This death was a great pity for all the scholars in the world. Hearing this news, Qiao Jinniang was stunned at first, but then she thought about it carefully. Since Xie Yun no longer had any opponents, she should naturally return to her male identity. Xie Yun¡¯s identity as a woman had to disappear.. Chapter 295 Chapter 295: Chapter 295: The Crown Prince kills his wife The Xiliang Kingdom was willing to bow down to the emperor. The emissary brought many tributes to Chang ¡®an to meet the emperor of the Heaven Dynasty. The wedding date between Princess Xiliang and Little Prince Rong had also arrived. Princess Xiliang sat on the soft sedan chair and only used a wedding fan to cover her face. Many people stopped to watch the scene. ¡°Princess Xiliang is extremely beautiful. The crown prince is really not blessed. Such a beautiful woman actually benefits little Prince Rong!¡± ¡°Princess Xiliang is also a smart person. From the start, she didn¡¯t keep saying that she wanted to marry the crown prince. Those women who said that they wanted to marry the crown prince didn¡¯t even have a good ending! Now that all of them are dead, I think the crown prince is against women!¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. You Don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m talking nonsense. Now, the rumors are spreading like this. At the start, they were saying that they wanted to marry the crown prince¡¯s Qiao family¡¯s first daughter, Qiao Ruoshui. In the end, what a tragic end. She died without a burial ground!¡±! After that, Li Lingling even had her family confiscated. Zhou Sisi¡¯s family was also confiscated. Her entire family was wiped out. This was even the Empress¡¯maiden family! There were also the officials who had been preparing to enter the palace recently. Their elder brothers were all arrested. Even their father¡¯s official position was demoted.¡± ¡°Oh right, even Xie Yun couldn¡¯t avoid it. Initially, everyone said that she was going to enter the eastern palace as a side concubine. However, under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, she fell off the cliff. I don¡¯t believe that this woman isn¡¯t the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine!¡± Someone asked curiously, ¡°How could this be? She should be the concubine of the crown prince who married the crown prince. How could she be the concubine of a woman who wanted to be the crown prince?¡± ¡°Who said that the crown prince¡¯s concubine wasn¡¯t restrained? Not long after the crown prince¡¯s concubine married the Crown Prince in Lin ¡®an, her adoptive parents passed away one after another. Isn¡¯t this restrained enough?¡± ¡°In that case, it makes sense¡­¡± ¡°Now, in the entire Chang ¡®an city, who doesn¡¯t fear death and dares to think of becoming the Crown Princess¡¯Consort?¡± ¡°Xie Yun¡¯s body isn¡¯t even cold yet. Her death can be considered as a warning to all the women in Chang ¡®an!¡± .. Rong Xiaojun¡¯s Prince got married. Although Qiao Jinniang was pregnant, she also went to join in the fun. It was really boring to stay in the eastern palace to nurse her fetus. She was resting in a pavilion when she heard a few girls talking behind the rockery. ¡°My mother told me not to think about marrying the crown prince in the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince¡¯s life is too tough. Those girls who want to marry the crown prince won¡¯t have a good ending.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Xie Yun was fine a while ago, but the people just said that she was going to become the crown prince¡¯s side concubine and fell off a cliff. It¡¯s better to stay away from the crown prince in the future!¡± ¡°However, throughout Chang ¡®an, the crown prince is so brilliant and handsome that even women can¡¯t compare to him. He is also very powerful. Are you really willing to give up on becoming the crown prince¡¯s concubine for this unreliable theory of Fate?¡± ¡°I want my life more. Besides, the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine are so affectionate. We might not be favored even if we enter the Palace!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true! The imperial consort is already so old. How can she be as beautiful as us when she¡¯s Old?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to die anyway. Don¡¯t Drag US along! Tong Yingying, Zhou Sisi has implicated the entire family¡­ If you insist on doing things your way, we¡¯d better cut ties as soon as possible!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you have the ability, say such words in front of your parents. Let¡¯s see if they won¡¯t beat you to death.¡± Lady Qiao Jin listened to the words of the fourteen or fifteen-year-old young ladies behind the rockery and smiled gently. She finally understood why Lu Chen wanted Xie Yun to be the crown prince¡¯s side concubine. Qiao Ruoyun said softly, ¡°These young ladies are too rude!¡± Lady Qiao Jin said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m only twenty years old and they¡¯re already saying that I¡¯m getting old and my looks are fading. I still think that they¡¯re all little girls!¡± Qiao Ruoyun only smiled gently. ¡°That¡¯s right. In terms of looks, no matter how young they are, they can¡¯t compare to you.¡± Lady Qiao Jin asked Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°How¡¯s the discussion between Qian Yin and you?¡± Qiao Ruoyun lowered her eyes shyly. ¡°Marriage matters are governed by father and mother.¡± Lady Qiao Jin spoke sincerely to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°Father may be concerned about the fact that the marriage between the Qiao family and the Wu Imperial residence would attract a lot of attention. However, I will persuade father to agree to this matter. I Won¡¯t let you lose your happiness because of this. However, the Qian family still has Zhou Shihui. She may cause trouble. From what Qian Yin has said, she wants to marry into the family. You must let this niece leave the Qian Estate for another time. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be a match for her. Also, please take good care of the hundred savory restaurant in Jiangnan, glutinous rice, and glutinous Rice¡¯s mother. I¡¯m in Chang ¡®an. Even if I can communicate, there will be times when I can¡¯t make it back.¡± Qiao Ruoyun replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of glutinous rice.¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t pay any attention to those relatives of the Qiao family. The Qian Estate and the Qiao family are not afraid of losing this reputation. Qian Yin doesn¡¯t care about your past and is willing to marry you. Naturally, he won¡¯t care about those relatives who don¡¯t have anything to do with you¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered that Qiao Ruoyun had paid attention to those relatives of the Qiao family because Qin Shu cared about reputation. ¡°Yes.¡±Qiao Ruoyun replied, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. There¡¯s also a joyous occasion in the Qiao family. Grandmother has agreed to Xu Mingwei¡¯s request to marry Ruo Feng. She¡¯s not considered to be a son-in-law. In the future, the first child will be surnamed Qiao and will be the son of the Qiao family¡¯s second son. The second child will be surnamed Xu¡­¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. Xu Mingwei has made outstanding military achievements. He has contributed greatly to the attack on Western Liang this time.¡± Qiao ruoyun nodded and said, ¡°He also has the ambition to not be willing to take over uncle¡¯s position as the Yun province¡¯s governor-general. He¡¯s willing to become a minor official in the imperial court. Second aunt is very happy. Mother is having a headache over Ruoyi¡¯s marriage¡­¡± The jinniang said, ¡°Ruoyi told me that she¡¯s not in a hurry to get married. Her mind is now on West Mountain Academy. Moreover, she¡¯s still young. It Won¡¯t be too late to delay it for another two or three years.¡± Zheng Xiao carried his little daughter over and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in a hurry? Jin Niang, don¡¯t be too attached to ruoyi. There are very few good men in Chang ¡®an¡­¡± Qiao Jin advised Zheng Xiao, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, we can still arrange a marriage for little sister ruoyi. Now that both the Qiao family and sister Ruofeng are getting married, mother will have to bear the burden.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°It¡¯s good that Ruoyun can be happy. It¡¯s just that your father is still afraid¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°You tell father not to be afraid. Our Qiao family is sitting upright and upright. It will only appear guilty if we cower and fear the east and the West!¡± ¡°Okay,¡±Zheng Xiao replied. ¡°In that case, the marriage will have to be put on the agenda. It was not easy for the Xu family to come from the southwest. Qian Yin will have to return to Jiangnan as well. I¡¯ll send someone to see when the best days are coming¡­¡± The wedding banquet at King Rong¡¯s residence ended. As soon as Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen returned to the East Palace, they saw the Hui Lin Emperor waiting for Lu Chen in the East Palace. When they saw Lu Chen, they immediately berated him, ¡°I thought you had some good skills that could stop the courtiers from giving you any more mementos?¡±? The grand crown prince had spread among the people the saying that these strange powers were able to subdue husband and wife! What was even more ridiculous was that he could subdue women before they were even wives and concubines. Why didn¡¯t he kneel?¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296: Chapter 296, the Qiao family¡¯s daughter-in-law When Lu Chen heard this, he knelt down, and Qiao Jinniang followed suit. When the Hui Lin Emperor saw that Qiao Jinniang was about to kneel down with her big belly, he could not help but frown and say, ¡°Just let him kneel. Why are you kneeling?¡± Qiao Jinniang still knelt down and said, ¡°Father, I was the one who insisted that the crown prince was not allowed to take in concubines. That was why His Highness came up with this idea. If you want to blame someone, just blame me. Don¡¯t Blame His Highness.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°The development of the Great Tang royal family is also a matter of great importance to the country and the country.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Jinniang is already pregnant, and Xi¡¯er is still around. The more princes there are, the more likely there will be a fight for the position of crown prince. Xi¡¯er is not a fool. Father, you also have a successor¡­ the Lu royal family is flourishing¡­¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said unhappily, ¡°You should tell those words to all the officials and people in the world. If you could convince them, it would be fine, but you still used such an unorthodox method to destroy your crown prince¡¯s prestige. Do you think it¡¯s a good thing to have the name of hindering women?¡± The Hui Lin Emperor saw that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s expression was not good, so he said to them, ¡°All of you, get up first. As for hindering women, you¡¯d better hurry up and clarify it. This is the most inferior method!¡± Qiao Jin did not stand up and said, ¡°Father is a wise monarch and the ruler of the world. Your Highness is your son. If as the heir of the world, you can¡¯t control your own harem and have to be forced by your subjects to take in other women, then it¡¯s better not to be the crown prince.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you have my grandson, I don¡¯t dare to punish you. Now that you are the crown prince¡¯s consort, without the virtue of the crown prince¡¯s consort, you dare to Talk Back to me?¡± Lu Chen held the Hui Lin Emperor¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t do to others what you don¡¯t want to do to yourself. Father¡¯s six palaces only dote on his mother. If you want to take in a consort, you should take in a consort first.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor pointed at Lu Chen and said, ¡°You, you really have married a wife and forgotten about father and mother! You Don¡¯t want your reputation, so I won¡¯t care about you anymore!¡± The Hui Lin Emperor flicked his sleeves and left. Seeing the Hui Lin Emperor¡¯s back, the Jin Niang looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Father left just like that. Will there be anything wrong?¡± Lu Chen comforted Qiao Jin. ¡°If you really want to punish him, you should punish him on the spot. It¡¯ll be fine after he leaves. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qiao Jin sighed and said, ¡°But I think father¡¯s words are reasonable. You Can¡¯t damage your own reputation just to not take concubines. It would be very inappropriate if you were used one day.¡± Lu Chen put his hand on her shoulder and said, ¡°But this is the safest way. It¡¯s the best way to make all the ministers give up on the idea, isn¡¯t it? It also saves you the trouble of reading those memorials.¡± Qiao Jinniang hugged Lu Chen. She certainly didn¡¯t want to be called a Jinx who would harm others. Qiao Jinniang was already satisfied that Lu Chen could make such a sacrifice in order to not take in concubines. She leaned on Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder and said slowly, ¡°Actually, I can understand why father is so angry. Mother did not come, so I believe mother will be angry too. My Little Sister was born on the dragon boat festival and was said to be a jinx by the people of Chang ¡®an. As a relative, how could I feel comfortable hearing this? Which parent would feel comfortable hearing that their son was a jinx. ¡°It¡¯s enough that I know how you feel about me. I Won¡¯t be affected by the opinions of outsiders anymore. Don¡¯t make your parents angry. Think of a way to change the public opinion and apologize to your parents.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Okay.¡± It was easy to change the public opinion. Zhou Sisi, Li Lingling, and all of them deserved their punishment. Moreover, the one who married them was King Huai. The one who killed his wife should have already been beheaded.. The women around King Huai, Mu Qianqian, Li Lingling, and Zhou Sisi, were all convicted of the crime of wiping out their families. The crown prince was the one who was wronged. In the Empress¡¯Palace, Lu Chen took a new dish, sour radish and mutton soup, which had just been served in the taste pavilion and went to look for the Hui Lin Emperor. The Hui Lin Emperor looked at the food box in his hand and asked, ¡°You want to bribe me with a mere dish?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The imperial concubine has persuaded me. It is indeed inappropriate for me to think of such a bad idea. It is extremely inappropriate for father to be angry for me.¡±. This sour radish mutton soup was a new dish developed by the Savory Pavilion in the summer to quench the heat and quench thirst to nourish the spleen and stomach. The imperial concubine has specially come to honor father and mother.¡± Empress Zhou chuckled and said, ¡°I have long heard that she has a mutton business with Longxi. These few days, mutton is popular outside the palace. It is hard for her to be filial. Your Majesty, you should not be angry anymore!¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°For the sake of mutton soup¡­¡± The Hui Lin Emperor coughed repeatedly and said, ¡°For the sake of the Crown Princess consort, I Won¡¯t hold it against you!¡± Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± Empress Zhou said to Lu Chen, ¡°The Jin Niang is about to give birth. Just tell her to be at ease. Your father will not force people to enter the East Palace¡¯s backyard. Even the talent show is because there will be a batch of palace maids out this year, so we have to recruit palace maids from the common people.¡± Lu Chen agreed. .. The Qiao family¡¯s happy events continued. It was not suitable to get married in May, but there were a few good days in June. One was on the 12th of June, and the other was on the 18th of June. Although Qiao Ruoyun married twice, she married King Wu and became King Wu¡¯s consort. The chosen date was on the 18th of June. This wedding had to be held on a grand scale. Fortunately, the Qiao family had already married the crown prince¡¯s consort, so marrying a princess consort could be considered very orderly. Qiao Ruofeng and Xu Mingwei¡¯s wedding was rather low-key. Xu Mingwei was only a minor official now, so Qiao Ruofeng did not expect the wedding ceremony to be Grand. However, even though it was low-key, when it came to the wedding banquet, the crown prince brought the emperor¡¯s great-grandson to personally attend. No matter how low-key it was, it had become high-key. Even if there was an ancient saying that it was impossible to come without a happy occasion, there were still quite a number of ¡°Hankies¡±that Qiao ruofeng had only seen a few times that came to her wedding banquet, which made Qiao Ruofeng very angry. Perhaps it was because she had stayed on the battlefield for too long, but she did not like these ¡®Hankies¡¯at all and chased them out. .. The next day, glutinous rice entered the eastern palace and told Qiao Jinniang about this matter. Qiao jinniang only smiled lightly. ¡°After Ruofeng¡¯s wedding, I believe that Ruoyun will also be getting married. Xie Yun has promised me that he will help you find a marriage and will take good care of you.. ¡°I will also give you many maids and guards. If Zhou Shihui Bullies You, you don¡¯t have to endure it. I¡¯m here.¡± Glutinous rice hugged Qiao jinniang tightly and said, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with master. Master, I want to wait for you to give birth before leaving.¡± ¡°Silly glutinous rice, this way, you won¡¯t be able to see the wedding between Ruoyun and your uncle in Lin ¡®an.¡±Qiao Jinniang rubbed her belly. ¡°When the time comes, I will tell the Little Princess that there¡¯s an aunt called glutinous rice.¡± Glutinous Rice said with tears in her eyes, ¡°Master, you must come back to Lin ¡®an to see me. You must remember to write to me. I really don¡¯t want to be so far away from you¡­¡± Qiao jinniang rubbed glutinous Rice¡¯s head. ¡°But you have to go home too. Your mother is still waiting for you at home¡­¡± Glutinous rice reluctantly let go of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s embrace. On the 18th of June, Prince Wu was conferred the title of Imperial Consort. It was said that just the dowry alone was enough to fill a large ship. It could be seen how much the marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor loved this adopted daughter. When Qiao Ruoyun boarded the ship, she only found out after seeing the dowry list that Lady Qiao had given half of the Hundred Savory restaurant¡¯s property to her. Qiao Ruoyun could not help but have her eyes turn red, wanting to get off the ship. Chapter 297 Chapter 297: Chapter 297, the grand selection Glutinous rice said, ¡°Aunt, master said that you deserve this. You and she are blood-related sisters. You Don¡¯t care about these things.¡± Qiao Ruoyun was extremely touched. ¡°I heard that she had suffered heavy losses during her trip to Yun Province and that she needed to spend money in the palace. She gave these to me¡­¡± Glutinous rice said, ¡°Master was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of you in Chang ¡®an, so you can keep them. Master will only be at ease if you and I live a good life.¡± Qiao Ruoyun placed the dowry slip on her heart. She was clearly the one who had wronged Lady Qiao. Lady Qiao did not mind that she had stolen her life and had even given herself so much dowry. No wonder glutinous rice and fennel were willing to offend the crown prince for the sake of their master. Lady Qiao truly valued friendship and loyalty. On the dock, looking at the bustling crowd, she said, ¡°The daughter of the Qiao family is really blessed. After Qiao Ruoyun and the Qin family split up, I thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to get married. I didn¡¯t expect that a marriage would be even more important than a marriage. She has actually become the princess consort of King Wu.¡± ¡°Even the Qiao family¡¯s first daughter, who was born in the dragon boat festival, is only a little over one year old. There are already quite a number of people who want to arrange a child marriage.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the Qiao family is feared by His Majesty?¡± ¡°If they really are feared, how could his majesty allow Qiao Ruoyun to become King Wu¡¯s consort! Besides, I¡¯ve heard that the Crown Prince and the Empress both dote on the crown prince¡¯s Consort.¡± ¡°Doting is just a saying. This time, the palace¡¯s female talent selection said that she would enter the palace to be a palace maid.¡±. However, there are also many direct daughters of high-ranking officials and nobles entering the palace. I don¡¯t believe that the Crown Prince, who is still young and full of vigor, would be able to endure seeing so many young and beautiful women when the Crown Princess is pregnant.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that His Highness the crown prince has a weakness for women? Why are there still people who aren¡¯t afraid of Death?¡± ¡°Although the Qiao family used to be like the Sun in the sky, now that there are so many flowers and so much oil, they all have a crown princess. Who wouldn¡¯t want to become a family that thrives on their daughter¡¯s favor. ¡°Moreover, the rumors have long been cleared up. The one who hinders women is King Huai, not the crown prince.¡± There were two important matters in the palace. One was that the three-year period of palace maids were about to leave the palace, and the other was the talent selection. Twenty years ago, Great Tang had chosen palace maids or inner wives. Anyone who entered the palace would be the emperor¡¯s concubine. Regardless of whether they were visited or not, they would be the emperor¡¯s woman. Once they entered the palace and became palace maids, they could not leave the palace again. After Empress Zhou entered the palace, she changed the rules. After the palace maids entered the palace, they were no longer concubines. They could plan their own marriage without the Emperor¡¯s grace. If they became palace maids, once they reached the age of twenty-five, they could apply to leave the palace and reunite with their families. Every year, they would select young girls from the local people from four to five to eleven years old to enter the palace. They would change the age to ten to fifteen years old. If they had exquisite craftsmanship, they could relax to eighteen years old, which was a general election every three years. The previous years¡¯talent selection was extremely difficult. The officials all racked their brains and tried to persuade and coerce them to barely gather the number of people. This year¡¯s talent selection for entering the palace was very simple and easy. After asking around, they found out that the young ladies of the officials¡¯families had all participated in the selection. There were three types of talent selection in the past. One was to select palace maids. The other was to recruit women from all over the world to select concubines. The other was to hold various kinds of flower viewing banquets to select concubines from among the women of high-ranking officials and noble families. The second type had not been seen in almost twenty years. This time, even the palace maids and attendants kept talking about choosing palace maids, but as usual, many of the first-born daughters of the official families were willing to come. The day of Qiao Jin¡¯s birth was approaching, and she could not sleep well at night. She got up frequently, and her feet were so swollen that it was difficult for her to get off the ground. She said to Lu Chen, ¡°Have I become extremely ugly? I didn¡¯t look like this when I gave birth to Xi¡¯er. It seems that I¡¯m really old¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve just passed your 21st birthday, what are you getting old for?¡±Lu Chen gently rubbed her feet and said, ¡°Who says you¡¯re Old? Even if they¡¯re younger than you, they¡¯re not as young and beautiful as you.¡± ¡°You only know how to coax me,¡±said Qiao Jinniang. ¡°I heard that many of the daughters of the officials and families in Chang ¡®an have come to this talent show. Do you really want them to be palace maids?¡± ¡°Although palace maids can also be promoted to female officials, they can directly enter the palace to become female officials. They don¡¯t have to start from Palace Maids.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°At worst, they can fail the selection and leave the palace. There are 5,000 women in Datang, and only 500 will be left.¡± Qiao Jinniang was relieved. The next day, she gathered the managers of the jewelry pavilion. She asked the jewelry pavilion and Rouge shop to develop new jewelry and rouge. If 500 girls stayed, it meant that more than 4,000 girls would leave. When they left, they had to take some Chang ¡®an specialties with them. The jewelry and clothes in Chang ¡®an were popular in Datang, so it was naturally the best time to sell them. Lu Chen helplessly saw Qiao Jinniang discussing this with her subordinates with her big belly. He could only smile and say, ¡°Be careful that the little princess in your belly will also be in the eye of money in the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. ¡°Silver is a good thing. The more silver my daughter has, the better.¡± The manager of the jewelry pavilion said, ¡°Did the imperial physician see that the owner is the little princess? I think your belly looks like a male fetus.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I haven¡¯t let the imperial physician see it, but the imperial physician has never denied that it is the young princess.¡± Mothers who wanted a daughter said that it was the young lady. As expected, she gave birth to a daughter. Qiao Jinniang also thought that she would be so lucky. At the end of June, the beautiful girls entered Chang ¡®an. The first checkpoint was to check their age and place of origin. If their ancestors had committed a crime, they were not allowed to enter the palace. Then there was the figure. The figure had already eliminated many people. Being a palace maid did not require one to know how to write, but it required one to know how to read. Those who did not know how to Read had eliminated most of the people. Qiao ruoyi took the opportunity to hand out a flyer for West Mountain Academy at the entrance of the palace. Naturally, the more students the better. Afraid that she would be scolded by her family for not being able to choose a palace maid, the desperate girls entered West Mountain Academy. In the end, after all kinds of competitions, five hundred people were left behind. Empress Zhou called Qiao Jinniang to go with her to lecture these beautiful women. Qiao Jinniang sat in a sedan chair and arrived at the Palace of the beautiful women. Five hundred people stood in neat rows. The Shang Palace was lecturing, and after the Shang Palace lectured, it was Qiao Jinniang who lectured. Qiao Jinniang followed the manuscript that Empress Zhou had given him in advance and memorized it before lecturing. Many young ladies curiously sized up Empress Qiao¡¯s appearance, and in their hearts, they all hoped that one day they could enter the eastern palace and become the consort of this high and mighty reprimanding. After Empress Qiao finished memorizing the contents, she continued, ¡°I still have a few words to remind you. Before you enter the palace, the vast majority of you are the pampered and pampered ladies of the family. Just now, Shanggong said that he wanted you to understand the rules and become servants to serve the nobles. I feel that although you enter the palace as Palace Maids, you are not slaves for life. The most important word in the palace is ¡®rules¡¯, but to a woman, the most important word is ¡®self-improvement¡¯. ¡°Mother is kind and specially grants palace maids the right to leave the palace to have children when they reach the age of 10. I hope that you can achieve something in the palace and become self-reliant in the future, and not blindly think of climbing up to the Dragon and Phoenix.¡± Shang Gong looked at Empress Zhou¡¯s expression and saw that Empress Zhou did not have any plans to not worry or berate Lady Qiao. Among the beautiful women, the daughter of a Shannan Jiedushi came out and said, ¡°Crown prince, Imperial concubine, your subject is stupid. I wonder what climbing up to the dragon and Phoenix Means?¡± Chapter 298 Chapter 298: Chapter 298, the Emperor wants to change the crown prince Qiao Jinniang thought that she had made it very clear. There were many women in the palace who wanted to enter the Eastern Palace. ¡°Since you are stupid, the palace can not keep stupid people!¡±Qiao Jinniang did not give her any face at all. ¡°My father is still the Shannan Jiedushi Ambassador, the Crown Princess Consort¡­¡± Qiao Jin laughed lightly and said, ¡°Do you want to compete with me in terms of Father?¡± When she said this, she felt that she had a bit of the aura of someone who bullied others and pampered the consort in the writings of Layman Autumn Moon. However, this little sister was truly laughable. When the daughter of the Shannan Jiedushi heard this, she wept with grievance. The Crown Princess Consort had used the Qiao family¡¯s power to argue in front of the Empress. The Empress would definitely punish the Crown Princess Consort. However, Empress Zhou smiled faintly and said, ¡°If you think that your father is no match for her father, you can also fight against your mother.¡± Empress Qiao looked gratefully at Empress Zhou. She regretted saying it out loud just now. She had only said it out loud because she was pregnant, hot, and angry. Fortunately, not only did her mother-in-law not blame her, but she also found something to make up for it. Otherwise, those scholars and imperial censorates would have been in a book. The group of beautiful women lowered their heads and put away their thoughts. After all, whether it was their family background or looks or the emperor¡¯s great-grandson, they could not compete with each other. Why bother to provoke the Crown Princess¡¯dislike? It was better to be a female official in the palace. Just as the Crown Princess said, a woman who was self-reliant might not necessarily have a bad life after leaving the palace. The eldest daughter of the Shannan Jiedushi was chased out, and the crown princess made a name for herself as a fool. who dared to stir up trouble. Many officials hoped that the crown prince would choose a few people to fill up the crown prince¡¯s harem. Seeing that it was really a selection of palace maids, the snow-like manuscripts were placed on the emperor¡¯s desk. The emperor flipped through a book and threw one away. Empress Zhou picked up the manuscripts and said, ¡°You should be happy too. These kinds of manuscripts can only mean that great Tang is doing well and that there are no disasters everywhere. That¡¯s why they are all such manuscripts.¡± Hui Lindi said, ¡°Why are there no problems? Isn¡¯t it a matter for the Xie family to compile the memorials? Isn¡¯t the new commercial law a matter? Since Xiliang has become a vassal state, it is also a matter for Xiliang to negotiate and issue laws.¡±. ¡°Also, the officials implicated in the rebellion of King Huai have yet to be replaced. ¡°There are a lot of matters in the state, and there¡¯s even that old fool, Lin Xiang, who said that it was my six palaces¡¯favor that made Chen ¡®er not take in a concubine¡­¡± The empress said, ¡°Lin Xiang is right.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°I thought that they had stopped for the past few years, but it turns out that they are waiting for Chen ¡®er to block me. Look, they even have the chance to impeach Princess Qi, Consort Chu. They are openly and secretly saying that I have a bad example.¡± ¡°Just looking at it makes my eyes hurt!¡± The Empress placed the memorials on the Hui Lin Emperor¡¯s table one by one and said, ¡°Chen ¡®er has grown up. You have seen it for yourself in these two years. He is also very good at handling memorials. Why don¡¯t we let Chen ¡®er have a headache now?¡±? Hearing the Jinniang mention the delicacies of the Jiangnan water villages in Lin ¡®an, I always wanted to try them myself. Since I am still young, I can still move around. Why Don¡¯t you let Chen ¡®er rule the country. ¡°You and I will go on a trip to the mountains and rivers, dress incognito, and pay a private visit. We will see the beautiful scenery of the Tang empire. Perhaps you will be able to write many poems that will be passed down from generation to generation. ¡°Seeing the customs of the local people and serving justice, why are you so distressed?¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t say these words, I¡¯m afraid your head would be gone. How did you learn to be so bold like the Jin Niang? You know very well that I¡­¡± ¡°If your Majesty really has the ability, then just come and chop off my head. Your Majesty¡¯s virtuous reputation is known throughout the world. The history books will already leave your Majesty with the good reputation of the Hui Lin prosperous era. Why do you have to be so obsessed with power and not let go and be trapped here for your entire life?¡± Empress Zhou said, ¡°When I entered the palace that year, I envied elder sister for being able to travel around the world. Unlike me, I haven¡¯t been to many places. Even the imperial concubine has gone to more places than me.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said in a deep voice, ¡°Let me think about it for a moment. Chen ¡®er has been missing for three years. I don¡¯t know if he can shoulder this great responsibility alone.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just supervising the country. He can¡¯t shoulder this great responsibility. You and I can just come back again.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°This little ingrate has married a wife and forgotten about his parents. It¡¯s time for him to accept my hard work.¡± In the Eastern Palace, Qiao Jinniang felt that her eyelids had been twitching violently for the past few days. ¡°Money is jumping out of her left eye. The Empress is going to be rich,¡±lu he said as she brought some tonic to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°But I am jumping out of my right eye.¡± Yu Yan smiled and said, ¡°Then the empress is going to be rich.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Maybe I read too many books written by Qiu Yue Yesterday. How could I be so superstitious?¡± At this time, Hong Ling came in to pass on the news that old madam Qiao had come to see her. Qiao Jinniang repeatedly announced old madam Qiao to come in. When Old Madam Qiao came, she brought a lot of clothes for babies, both male and female. Old Madam Qiao exchanged a few pleasantries before explaining her purpose of coming. ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s wife is about to give birth. She shouldn¡¯t have come to disturb you. However, His Majesty has recently summoned the vassal kings, envoys and high officials from all over the world to come to Chang ¡®an. He has also invited Prince Laogong, who is one of Luoyang¡¯s relatives, back to Chang ¡®an. The people of the Xu family received an imperial edict on their way back to Yunzhou and rushed back to Chang ¡®an. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that something big is going to happen in Chang ¡®an. I wonder if the consort has heard any news?¡± Qiao Jinniang was relieved these days. She had been waiting to give birth. She had never heard of such a thing happening outside the palace. Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°His Majesty did this in secret. I only found out about it after I received a letter from the Xu family. His Majesty passed down Secret Edicts.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°His Majesty summoned them to Chang ¡®an. is he going to abdicate?¡± Old Madam Qiao turned pale with fright and said, ¡°Jinniang, how dare you say that?¡± Old Madam Qiao swept her gaze over the palace maids at the side and warned them fiercely, not letting them leak any information. Feeling the child kicking herself, the Jinniang said, ¡°What else could it be? Could it be that father is going to change the Crown Prince?¡± Old Madam Qiao nodded and said, ¡°That is our guess. The Qiao family has always been loyal. Jinniang, grandmother has let you down. She has failed to take care of you when you were growing up, and she can¡¯t Help You Protect His Highness¡¯crown prince position now. ¡°However, it¡¯s not difficult to protect your well-being. You have to advise His Highness not to act Rashly. After all, there is the relationship between father and son. ¡°The late Emperor was also abandoned when he was crown prince, but in the end, he still became the Emperor.¡± Qiao Jin advised, ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t blame yourself. His Highness and I will not do anything against you.¡± Then, she was puzzled, ¡°It¡¯s just that it shouldn¡¯t be. He was still fine when he was eating in his mother¡¯s palace yesterday. Who can he give the position of crown prince to?¡± Looking at his father¡¯s current princes, which one of them could compare to Lu Chen? Consort Qi and Consort Qi caused a ruckus in the Prince¡¯s mansion every day for the sake of taking in concubines. Now, King Chu was busy with Consort Chu and had no interest in public affairs every day. King Lu was so stupid that he rarely participated in palace banquets. King Yong was digging iron mines in the northwest. King Huai had already been beheaded. After thinking about it, only king su had the ability to be the crown prince. However, when the capital was moved to Luoyang, King Su had originally stayed behind to protect Chang ¡®an. King Huai¡¯s troops had not even come, so he had fled to Luoyang with his eldest grandson. Even if he had some talent, it would still be difficult to convince the masses to make him the crown prince by selling the capital in such a hurry! Chapter 299 Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Zen is located in the crown prince Old Madam Qiao understood what Qiao Jinniang was thinking and said, ¡°His Majesty is at the prime of his life. After abolishing the throne, it may not be necessary to establish the throne.¡± After Qiao Jinniang understood, she sent old madam Qiao away. Coincidentally, Lu Chen returned. ¡°Was it grandmother who left just now? Why did she suddenly come into the palace?¡± The Jinniang then told Lu Chen about how the Hui Lin Emperor had summoned all the ministers to Chang ¡®an. ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m afraid that Father Wants to change the throne, but why do I feel that Father Won¡¯t change the throne?¡± Although she and Lu Chen had argued with the emperor two days ago, they had used mutton soup to bribe the Hui Lin Emperor later. However, it must be known that Longxi¡¯s mutton was hard to find in Chang ¡®an now, and she had even given all the new dishes in the savory pavilion to the Hui Lin Emperor. Lu chen frowned and said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a change of the crown prince.¡± Jin Niang looked at Lu Chen and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a change of the crown prince, but he summoned all the ministers from all over the world¡­ could it be that, as I guessed, father wants to abdicate the throne? ¡°But father is in his prime and has great ambitions. It¡¯s not normal for him to hand over power. How could he be willing?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out either. But you can rest assured. Even if it¡¯s the abolition of the heir, I still won¡¯t let you suffer.¡± Qiao Jin Niang nodded. The weather was getting hotter and hotter, but it couldn¡¯t resist the discussions of the Chang ¡®an people. The voices of the deposed heir grew louder and louder. ¡°It can¡¯t be, His Majesty really wants to depose the heir?¡± ¡°Yes, His Majesty loves the Crown Prince So Much, why would he depose the heir?¡± ¡°I heard that His Majesty wants to show off to the Qiao family. After all, the Qiao family is getting more and more powerful. During the talent show, the Crown Princess even used marquis an Yuan¡¯s power to look down on the daughter of the Shannan Jiedushi family. She is extremely arrogant and despotic. This time, the crown prince must have been implicated by Qiao Jinniang.¡± ¡°The crown prince is really pitiful.¡± In the teahouse, when Princess Fu Lu heard this, she slammed the table and stood up. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Princess Jing Hua grabbed Fu Lu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°You are now also the daughter-in-law of the Qiao family. Why do you have to be so calculative with these commoners!¡± Princess Fu Lu said angrily, ¡°That day, it was clearly the daughter of the Shannan Jiedushi who provoked the Miss Qiao first. The Miss Qiao just said those words, and what do you mean by changing the position! HMPH!¡± Jing Hua pulled Princess Fu Lu out of the Teahouse, afraid that she would not be able to stop Fu Lu and tear the teahouse apart. After the two left the teahouse, they coincidentally saw Lu Xi and Baojun Wang Yun returning home together after school. Baojun Wang¡¯s hands were full of snacks, and so were the manservants. After the three of them saw the emperor¡¯s eldest grandson, the eldest son of Prince Su, Lu Zhen, they began to quarrel. The prince of Baojun and Lu Zhen also started to fight. Jing Hua and Fu Lu walked over. When they saw Jing Hua and Fu Lu, they bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Aunt Jing Hua and Aunt Fu Lu.¡± Princess Jing Hua blamed the maidservants and attendants behind them and said, ¡°They are all the emperor¡¯s grandchildren. How could they make a scene in the street? Did you all die? Did you just let the Emperor¡¯s grandchildren make a scene in Chang ¡®an Street?¡± The servants immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness. Prince Bao pointed at Lu Zhen and said, ¡°Aunt Jinghua, it was Lu Zhen who laughed at us for being black bastards.¡± The children had been following Ji Wangkui in the fields today, and they had indeed suntanned quite a bit. Unlike the white and tender royal grandchildren in the palace, they had all turned into dark-skinned children. Lu Zhen said proudly, ¡°You are still playing with Lu Xi. The emperor¡¯s grandfather is going to abolish the Crown Prince Soon, and Lu Xi is no longer the emperor¡¯s grandson. You should find another good teacher as soon as possible, instead of following Ji Wangkui to become black bastards and running to the fields every day.¡± Lu XI snorted lightly, ¡°You are the turtle bastard. Uncle Huai Wang¡¯s Army hasn¡¯t arrived in Chang ¡®an yet, and you and uncle Su Wang have already run away with your tails between your legs!¡± Lu Zhen raised her voice and said, ¡°Sir said that right now, the emperor¡¯s grandfather is afraid of the Qiao family¡¯s military power and has made great contributions to the emperor. He is also a relative. After deposing the heir, he will only establish a new emperor¡¯s great-grandson. After all, the emperor¡¯s grandfather is still in his prime and has yet to reach fifty! ¡°As the imperial grandson, and I am smarter than Lu Bao and Lu Yun, I am very likely to be the imperial grandson. If you dare to call me a tortoise, I will teach you a lesson sooner or later!¡± Lu Xi shook her head lightly. ¡°Unfortunately, I am the imperial grandson now¡­ aunt, what is the crime of being disrespectful to the imperial grandson?¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Of course, he will be beaten up. But on account of his brain is not very good, let¡¯s not argue with him!¡± Even king su did not dare to have such thoughts. Lu Zhen was only the eldest son of King Su¡¯s concubine, but she was already thinking of becoming the emperor¡¯s grandson. wasn¡¯t her brain not good? Lu Zhen stomped her feet in exasperation and said, ¡°Sooner or later, all of you will regret it.¡± .. The important ministers from all over the world rushed to Chang ¡®an and also had many speculations. At present, no one in the Qiao family dared to interact with them, afraid that they would be implicated. Although Qiao Jinniang was not well-informed in the Eastern Palace, she had heard many rumors from Yu Yan¡¯s ears. There were also some new palace maids who were chattering. It was not until the first day of the seventh month, when a summer rain washed away the heat, that the Huilin Emperor summoned all the ministers from all over the world and Chang ¡®an officials to issue a decree on the throne of Zen. Once the decree on the throne of Zen was issued, everyone in the imperial court was shocked. His Majesty was not even fifty years old. Moreover, His Majesty had worked hard to govern. wasn¡¯t it too early for him to become the retired emperor? Although the crown prince had conquered Xiliang and made it a Tang empire, he was still young and might not be able to control the entire Tang empire. Marquis an yuan knelt down and begged the Hui Lin Emperor to take back the decree. However, the Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°All these years, I have put in so much effort for government affairs that my body can no longer bear the burden. My Son is brave and good at fighting. With such a good son, it is time for me to abdicate and spend my old age peacefully.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Father, the dragon body naturally has the blessing of the heavens. I beg father to take back the Order.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°I have made up my mind. My Son and all my beloved ministers do not need to persuade me anymore. From now on, I will pass the throne to crown prince Lu Chen as the new national title. Three days later, it will be a good day for him to ascend the throne.¡± Lu Chen knelt down and accepted the decree. ¡°Yes, Father.¡± After the Hui Lin Emperor walked down from the throne, he gently patted Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°In the future, you must be a good emperor. Do not lose my face.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± .. In the East Palace, Qiao Jin was in the main hall, looking at the trees full of begonias after the summer rain. When she saw the raindrops falling, she caught them with her hands.. Suddenly, the usually calm Hong Ling barged in and knelt down. ¡°Congratulations, Your Highness. His Majesty has given the throne to His Highness the Crown Prince. From now on, His Highness the crown prince will be the emperor¡­¡± The imperial concubine held the raindrops in her hands and said, ¡°OH.¡± She had already guessed it. Now, she was relieved. Hong Ling said happily, ¡°His Majesty¡¯s coronation will be in three days.¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± She even suspected that the Huilin Emperor had done it on purpose. The imperial physician said that her delivery date would be in three days, on the fourth day of the seventh month. At that time, she would not be able to witness Lu Chenxing¡¯s coronation. It would be a pity. Once Lu Chenfu ascended the throne, he was extremely busy. He had to set a new year¡¯s date and was busy with the coronation ceremony. He could not be idle at all. Even so, he still returned to the eastern palace at night and said to the imperial concubine, ¡°Father definitely did it on purpose. He set the date in three days. If you give birth at that time¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang held Lu Chen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s not my first child. With the imperial physician here, don¡¯t worry about ascending the throne.¡± ¡°But I want to witness the coronation with you and hold the coronation ceremony together.¡± Chapter 300 Chapter 300: Chapter 300, Lu Chen ascending to the throne In the palace. Empress Zhou complained to the Hui Lin emperor, ¡°You have already given the throne to Chen ¡®er, and you still have this trick up your sleeve. You are really getting more and more childish as you get older. Be careful of the Jinniang. If anything happens to her, Chen ¡®er will become jealous and hate you.¡± The Hui Lin Emperor said, ¡°The fourth day of the seventh month chosen by the Imperial Observatory is an extremely good day. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± ¡°Chen ¡®er will never believe that you didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± The ceremony department and the Imperial Observatory had long planned this. The palace director had also been rushing to make a silk dragon robe half a month ago. Now that they had received news that they were rushing to make a phoenix robe, the Ministry of Rites also needed an additional procedure to confer the title of Empress. The Minister of Rites almost turned white. ¡°Your Highness, no, isn¡¯t the new emperor just fooling around? The Empress is pregnant, how can she be conferred the title of Empress on the same day when she is about to give birth?¡± The assistant minister said from the side, ¡°It shows how deep his Majesty¡¯s love for the Empress is, but it¡¯s not difficult to have one more procedure.¡± The Minister of Rites had already prepared the cloth for the Phoenix Robe in the palace bureau, so it was not too late for the embroidered lady in the palace bureau to make it. Three days passed very quickly. Before dawn, the people of Chang ¡®an had already woken up early. The two sides of the temple were full of officials, and the ceremony began with the ceremonial music playing. When Qiao Jin woke up, she was dressed in a phoenix robe by the palace maids. Because she was too afraid of the heat, her twelve-story gown was cut to six stories and she arrived in front of the Tai Chi Palace. Lu Chen walked to her side and held Qiao Jin¡¯s hand. ¡°If your stomach hurts later, remember to tell me.¡± Qiao Jin nodded slightly. The ceremony of the coronation and the coronation was not any easier than the wedding. It took half a day to worship the ancestors and announce the news to the world. After coming out of the ancestral temple, Lady Qiao was supposed to be separated from Lu Chen. Lu Chen went to the Taiji Palace to meet the new emperor, while she went to the Changle Palace to meet the wives. However, Lu Chen let her get on his dragon chair. Although it was against the rules, no one dared to point out the rules at this time. The emperor was happy to pamper her. If she came out at this time, wouldn¡¯t she be deliberately embarrassing herself. When they arrived at Taiji Palace, both sides were filled with officials from the clan. After that, it was the wife of the clan. Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen to the side of the Dragon Chair. At a glance, she felt that it was extremely cold up there, tens of thousands of people knelt at their feet. They shouted, ¡°Long live the emperor! Long live the Empress!¡±. This was a scene that Qiao Jinniang would never forget. ¡°Hiss!¡± All of a sudden, a wave of pain assaulted her, and Lady Qiao sucked in a breath of cold air. After Lu Chen got the ministers to stand up, he hurriedly sent Lady Qiao back to the Eastern Palace. Originally, they should have moved the palace to Changle Palace, but the preparations for childbirth were all in the Eastern Palace. The first time they gave birth, they didn¡¯t have such a big lineup. At that time, it was all thanks to a few cooks and aunties to help stabilize them. When Xi¡¯er was born, Lu Chen was in the delivery room. After the midwife realized what was going on, she chased him out. Fortunately, Xi¡¯er was sensible and did not torment her for long. Lady Qiao Jin held Lu Chen¡¯s hand in pain and said, ¡°If I have difficulty giving birth, you must treat Xi¡¯er and your daughter well¡­¡± Lu chen frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Didn¡¯t the imperial physician say that your fetal position is very good? Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s not suitable for men to be in the delivery room. Please go outside, Your Majesty!¡± Lady Qiao Jin said to Lu Chen with sweat all over her forehead, ¡°You can go out.¡± Lu Chen gently kissed her forehead before leaving the hall. After Lu Chen left, the female physician said to Lady Qiao Jin, ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty is really good to you. The Little Prince will definitely be born safely.¡± Jin nibbled on the handkerchief beside her in pain and did not forget to correct her, ¡°It¡¯s the Little Princess.¡± Lu Chen waited outside, his palms covered in sweat. Little Lu Xi, who was beside him, also cried when she heard the shouting. She threw herself into Lu Chen¡¯s arms and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like my sister anymore.¡± ¡°My sister makes mother so uncomfortable.¡± Lu Chen advised Lu XI, ¡°Xi¡¯er, your mother was also in pain when she gave birth to you. Because she loves you and your sister, she is willing to bear such pain.¡± Little Lu Xi¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Alright, then I like my sister too.¡± This time, Lady Qiao Jin had given birth for a very long time. There was still no news from her in the evening, and Lu Chen¡¯s heart was in his throat. The summer sun was full of burning clouds. The pink clouds seemed to have a golden edge, and finally, a loud cry came from inside the house. The doctor came out with the baby in her arms and said, ¡°Congratulations, your majesty. Your Majesty has an additional little prince.¡± Little Lu Xi got down from Lu Chen¡¯s arms and ran over. ¡°Isn¡¯t it your sister?¡± The doctor smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s the Little Prince.¡± Lu Chen gently took the baby from the doctor¡¯s hands and smiled. ¡°Reward.¡± Little Lu Xi wanted to go in to see the mistress, but was stopped by a palace servant. Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t care so much. Step aside!¡± Since the Emperor had spoken, the palace servants did not dare to really stop her. Qiao Jin, who was lying on the bed, was suffering from a severe loss of blood and Qi. She was sweating profusely. When she saw Lu Chen, she cried. ¡°It¡¯s not a daughter.¡± Lu Chen held the baby in his arms and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you like your son?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°No, I like him. I just want him to be a daughter more. The clothes made from his name are all for a daughter to wear. Show me quickly¡­¡± Lu Chen carried the child to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s side and said, ¡°He is exactly the same as Xi¡¯er when she was born.¡± Qiao Jinniang reached out and gently stroked the baby¡¯s little face. She said weakly, ¡°Yes, when Xi¡¯er was born, you and I were all in a mess. Not many people in the Hundred Savory restaurant dared to hold him.¡± When Xi¡¯er was born, Qiao Jinniang was not even seventeen years old, and Lu Chen was only eighteen. Octagonal fennel, glutinous rice, and the others were all young. Qiao Jinniang was afraid that the soft and soft baby would fall on him. Later, she saw that he grew more and more adorable, so she was not afraid of falling and carrying him all the time. Lu Chen saw that she was really weak and said, ¡°Have a good rest. Leave the baby to the wet nurse.¡± ¡°Let me look at him a few more times. Maybe I can think of his name in my dream.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°What do you think of Lu Ang? He has an imposing manner, just like his cry¡­¡± The Brocade lady pondered and said, ¡°Ang ¡®er, ang ¡®er sounds good¡­¡± As she said that, she closed her eyes tightly. She was indeed tired today. The new emperor ascended the throne and gave birth to a second prince. The whole world was celebrating the amnesty. Many of the officials and their families who were implicated in the past were also granted amnesty. The next day, when they went to court, a minister came up with a memorial. ¡°Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and there is only the empress in the six palaces. Your Majesty, Please choose your concubines as soon as possible to fill the six palaces and spread the branches for the royal family to stabilize the foundation of our court.¡± For a time, there were many ministers who agreed. Lu Chen glanced at the ministers under him and said, ¡°When I ascend the throne, I should put the affairs of the State First.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it is also a matter of the state to spread the branches and leaves for the imperial family. Your Majesty only has two sons¡­ It is better to have concubines to fill the children, or else the country will be unstable.¡± Lu Chen turned the jade ring in his hand and said, ¡°I have two legitimate sons, so how can the country be unstable? When the country is stable, the people should be happy and not accept concubines. ¡°In this life, I will only have the Empress as my wife and will no longer accept concubines.¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301: In chapter 301, there would only be one wife, the empress When all the officials heard this, their gazes swept toward Marquis an yuan! Marquis an Yuan:¡±¡­¡± Marquis an Yuan had a headache. What did it have to do with him if the emperor did not take in concubines? He was not the king who was so powerful that the emperor could not take in concubines. ¡°Your Majesty, this must not be allowed!¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± For a moment, in the imperial court, the censorate knelt down and advised Lu Chen to take back his order. Lu Chen said, ¡°I have already sworn that I will only have the Empress as my wife. Don¡¯t try to persuade me again.¡± After the imperial court was dismissed, the civil officials gathered around and condemned marquis an yuan for going too far. Marquis an yuan was really wronged. ¡°How Can Your Majesty have no concubines? This is simply the biggest joke in the world. From ancient times until now, it is normal for men to have three wives and four concubines.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Marquis an Yuan¡¯s house is too much of a bully.¡± ¡°Do you really think that marquis an Yuan¡¯s house can change his Majesty¡¯s Mind?¡±Li Yun snorted. ¡°The Empress has two legitimate sons. Isn¡¯t it a good thing to be in love with His Majesty? What good is it for you to beg His Majesty to take concubines?¡± The civil officials were speechless for a moment. They only said, ¡°There has always been a rule that the empress is not the only one. For this matter, we will go to the retired emperor and the empress dowager¡­¡± When the civil officials were about to go look for the retired emperor, they learned that the retired emperor and the Empress Dowager had boarded a cruise ship to Jiangnan yesterday. In other words, the retired emperor could not interfere in this matter. The officials could only give up first. The Emperor had ascended the throne, and he was so young. Perhaps after he experienced the power of the emperor, he would want another woman! Moreover, there was no lack of beauties in the palace. .. The Jin Niang did not wake up until noon. When she woke up, Zheng Xiao and Fu Lu were already there. Fu Lu looked at the little baby and did not dare to hug it. ¡°Jin Niang, you¡¯re awake. This child is really young.¡± Zheng Xiao repeatedly asked the Jin Niang if there was anything wrong with her. He ordered someone to bring some supplements and carefully reminded her of the things she had to pay attention to during her confinement. For a moment, the Jin Niang was filled with emotion. When she gave birth to Lu Xi, the thing she felt the most sorrowful about was that her mother was not by her side to take care of her during her confinement. It could be seen that the heavens still had mercy on her. Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Today, His Majesty promised in front of all the courtiers that you would be the only empress. It can be seen that his majesty¡¯s feelings for you are extremely deep.¡± Qiao Jin Niang smiled faintly. ¡°Mm, let me see Ang ¡®Er. I¡¯ve slept for so long¡­¡± The wet nurse carried the little prince over. Qiao Jinniang carried Little Ang ¡®er and said, ¡°The only flaw is that she¡¯s not a little princess.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°It¡¯s better if she¡¯s not a little princess. The current princess is in such a miserable situation. It¡¯s clear that no girl is willing to reincarnate as a little princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? But what happened to Aunt Shou ¡®an?¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°It¡¯s not my mother. My mother was lucky to meet my father who was willing to sacrifice his title for her, but the other princesses are not, especially sister Jing Hua. After the Crown Prince¡¯s cousin ascended to the throne, he made Lin Mo the right prime minister. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Yes, both father and son are prime ministers. Recently, it¡¯s been a good talk in Chang ¡®an.¡±Hearing what Yuyan said, she was not surprised. Lin Mo was talented and was Lu Chen¡¯s study companion since young. Although he was a little young, if his position was low, he would not be able to be Lu Chen¡¯s assistant. Fu Lu said, ¡°After Lin Mo became the right prime minister, he set a wedding date with Qin Miaomiao next month after the mid-autumn Festival. He and cousin Jinghua have been childhood sweethearts since they were young. When they grew up, they fell in love with each other. Why was it that they were not fated to be together in the end?¡± ¡°The world was pardoned. Even if Lin Mo did not marry Qin Miaomiao, Qin Miaomiao would still be innocent. Yet, he chose to marry Qin Miaomiao. What is the difference between cousin Jinghua and him?¡± Zheng Xiao said to Fu Lu, ¡°Since the beginning of the dynasty, the rules have been like this. The prince consort is not allowed to have real power. It can be considered a trick of fate.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°That¡¯s why I would rather the Jin Niang did not have a daughter. Even if she is a favored princess, when she meets her beloved and capable man, wouldn¡¯t it be a pity to miss him alive? What¡¯s so good about having a hall full of male pets?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I remember when I was in Chang ¡®an, you envied them for having male pets.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t meet Ah Lui. Only after meeting Ah Lui did I know that our hearts were connected. How many male pets couldn¡¯t make up for their mutual affection? People have feelings.. Especially cousin Jinhua. Although she had the most male pets, she was actually very devoted. ¡°I heard that when she was in Longxi, she used her life to force Yue Zhan not to touch a single hair on her head. In order to protect Lin Mo¡¯s innocence, she did this, but Lin Mo betrayed cousin Jing Hua for the sake of a high position and high salary.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard Fu Lu¡¯s words, she deeply agreed with him. The love between a husband and wife was so deep that no matter how many beautiful men hugged each other, they wouldn¡¯t be able to exchange for it. Those male companions of Princess Jinhua might not be sincere. Zheng Xiao said, ¡°It can¡¯t be considered as a loss. The Lin family is not a noble family. The Lin family is counting on him to take over Lin Xiang¡¯s mantle. After all, there is a family behind him. How can he just throw them away just like that?¡± Princess Fu Lu pouted and could not refute. How many men in the world were willing to give up their power for the woman they loved like her father. .. When Lin Mo returned home from the palace, his father called him into the study room and scolded him: ¡°Lin Mo, you have been His Majesty¡¯s study companion since Young. You are his most trusted right-hand man. How can you not persuade His Majesty and let him do whatever he wants?¡±? ¡°The great Tang¡¯s harem has no concubines. Is this acceptable?¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°Father, you know His Majesty¡¯s temper. He has a close relationship with the empress. Why should he go and persuade her now?¡± Lin Xiang sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s forget about this matter and talk about it later. Your wedding date is approaching, so don¡¯t go to eldest Princess Jing Hua¡¯s residence. Now that you¡¯re already the right prime minister, don¡¯t let others catch you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡±Lin Mo bowed and said. .. In eldest Princess Jing Hua¡¯s residence, singing and dancing were peaceful. The sounds and sounds of sex were like dogs and horses, indulging in indulgence. The male pet at the side advised Jing hua, ¡°Princess, don¡¯t drink anymore. Drinking will harm your body.¡± Jing hua said angrily, ¡°Get lost, all of you get lost!¡± ¡°Princess has such a bad temper.¡±Yue Zhan entered through the door. Jing hua narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Why did you come to my residence? Who allowed you to come in?¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°Princess, why do you drink to your health? The eldest Princess Jing Hua that I know is not a woman who gives up on herself like this. If you drink to your health like this, Will Lin Mo Dote on You?¡± ¡°If you were willing to follow me back then, I would have been willing to give up the position of Longxi Jiedushi Envoy for you. But he, Lin Mo, really couldn¡¯t do it. Now that things have come to this, do you still not understand?¡± Jing Hua said coldly and mockingly, ¡°You would be willing? You would only give the position of Longxi Jiedushi Envoy to your younger brother and become your puppet. Don¡¯t come in front of me and obstruct my eyes. Get lost!¡± Jing Hua took a wine glass and threw it at Yue Zhan. Fu Yue Gongzi, who was at the side, pulled Yue Zhan and said, ¡°General Yue, please don¡¯t annoy the princess anymore. She is already drunk. There is no need to be too harsh on her.¡± Apart from Jing Hua¡¯s palace door, Yue Zhan looked at the thin woman inside and could not help but frown. ¡°If she drinks like this, how long can she live?¡±? Wine was extremely harmful to one¡¯s health. She had drunk so much that her mind was not clear. She was now the Prime Minister of the right, and she was about to get married. How could she still have her in her heart! ¡°She has hurt her body and bones for nothing. She is abusing herself!¡± Chapter 302 Chapter 302: Chapter 302. He had never thought of marrying Jing Hua Young Master Fu Yue said softly, ¡°General Yue, you know the Princess¡¯s temper. How can we persuade her?¡± Yue Zhan frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find Lin Mo. .¡± The new emperor had ascended the throne and the imperial court was busy. Lin Mo was not free. West Liang had to submit to the laws of the Western countries. The Lin family was busy marrying Qin Miaomiao again. Red silk was hung in front of the Lin residence. Yue Zhan ignored the guards of the Lin family and rudely barged into the Lin residence. When Lin Xiang saw him, he said unhappily, ¡°Envoy Yue Jiedu barged into the residence of an important official. Is he trying to rebel?¡± Yue Zhan frowned and said, ¡°Tell Lin Mo to get out.¡± Lin Mo came out from the study and said, ¡°General Yue is so impressive. However, the Lin family can not be bullied by General Yue at will. General Yue barged into our Lin residence without an invitation. What does that mean?¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°The eldest princess of Jinghua drank too much for you and got drunk all day long. Yet, your Lin residence is hung high up with red silk. How can you be at ease as your bridegroom?¡± Lin Xiang said, ¡°Envoy Yue Jiedu, what does the eldest princess¡¯drinking have to do with my son?¡± Lin Mo clenched his hands, blue veins popping out on his pale hands. He sighed at Yue Zhan and said, ¡°I hope envoy Yue Jiedu can take good care of the eldest princess.¡± Yue Zhan stepped forward and raised a fist to hit the side of Lin Mo¡¯s face. ¡°Lin Mo, what kind of man are you!¡± After Lin Mo was slapped, the guards of the Lin family rushed forward one after another. The Lin Mansion was suddenly in a mess. In the Tai Chi Palace. Lu Chen glanced at Yue Zhan and Lin Mo below and said in a deep voice, ¡°One is the famous ambassador of the Long Xi Jiedu, and the other is the right prime minister, the new high official of the dynasty. ¡°But they are fighting and causing trouble together. Do you want the people of Chang ¡®an to laugh at the officials of the imperial court for acting like two or three-year-old children?¡± Lin Mo knelt down and said, ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong.¡± Yue Zhan had to kneel down and said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have damaged my status, but I think I¡¯m innocent in hitting Lin Mo! Since he can¡¯t respect the princess, why should he provoke the Princess?¡± Lin Mo pursed his lips tightly and didn¡¯t say anything. Lu Chen punished the two of them for half a year¡¯s salary, and then punished them to write down the etiquette once again. This could be considered a minor punishment and a major admonition. In the Changle Palace, when Qiao Jinniang saw that Lu Chen had returned, she heard about this matter and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you should punish Yue Zhan. What he said isn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Also, Lin Mo is your brother who grew up together with you, and Jing Hua is your biological sister. Now that you¡¯re the Emperor, can¡¯t you bestow a marriage upon the two of them?¡± Lu Chen said helplessly, ¡°Just by not taking in concubines, the memorials keep coming like snowflakes, not to mention giving the princess a marriage gift.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Can you really turn a blind eye?¡± ¡°Lin Mo didn¡¯t even beg me.¡±Lu Chen took the tonic handed over by a palace maid and said to the jinniang, ¡°If Lin Mo asks, I may not ignore it. It¡¯s just that he has never thought of marrying the royal sister.¡± Lady Qiao Jin frowned and did not quite understand. ¡°As I said before, if you don¡¯t want to marry him, why do you have to provoke him¡­¡± She could not persuade young master Lu Chen to favor Lin Mo, but in her heart, she deeply despised Lin Mo. . The days of confinement were difficult to endure. As soon as Ang ¡®er was full, Lady Qiao Jin went to the soup pond to wash off the filth on her body. The second prince was full, and the palace hosted a banquet to invite the relatives to attend. Among the relatives, only King Su and his child, Lu Zhen, did not come. Lu Chen granted Lu ang the title of King Pingliang, and gave Yunzhou and Xiliang as Lu Ang¡¯s fiefdoms. It was clear that he was at ease with the Qiao family. When Marquis an Yuan heard that the fiefdoms were Yunzhou and Xiliang, he felt that it did not matter even if he was targeted by all the officials in the court. It would be great if his son-in-law doted on the Qiao family so much. It was a pity that his reputation as a loyal and brave man for the rest of his life might bear the name of a treacherous official who wouldn¡¯t allow His Majesty to take in concubines in the future. When Qiao Jinniang appeared at the Palace Banquet with Ang¡¯er in her arms. Consort Qi and consort Chu both complimented, ¡°The empress is still so slim even after giving birth to two children. She looks like the elder sister of the Prince!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know how the Empress takes care of herself. Teach us.¡± Lady Qiao Jin knew that they were complimenting her and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Xi¡¯er and Ang¡¯er that I don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± Jing hua retracted her gaze from Lu Ang and sat down on her seat to drink a glass of wine. The wine was getting less and less intoxicating these days.. Perhaps it was during the palace banquet, so it was impossible to serve any strong wine. Among the relatives, an old princess said, ¡°The Empress has given birth to two sons in succession. Congratulations! I think the next child will definitely be a princess. She has both sons and daughters.¡± There were very few princesses in the royal family nowadays. The old imperial consort¡¯s words could be considered a good fortune. Lady Qiao Jin said, ¡°Thank you for your kind words, great aunt. I also want to have both children.¡± On the other hand, some of the clan members who did not have the foresight said, ¡°The empress has just given birth. Why Bother? Why Don¡¯t we persuade His Majesty to accept the harem? The Empress is the head of the six palaces. As long as His Majesty has a princess, the Empress will have both children.¡± Qiao Jin couldn¡¯t recognize that relative. It must be a princess who was newly accepted by some county king. None of them were worthy of her attention. Qiao Jin gave a light laugh. ¡°Why Bother? If you really think I¡¯m tired, why don¡¯t you call me ¡®mother¡¯first? I¡¯ve also accepted you as my goddaughter. It¡¯s considered having both sons and daughters.¡± That County Princess kept silent. She didn¡¯t think it was a good thing to be the Empress¡¯s goddaughter. When Qiao Jinniang withdrew her gaze, she saw Jing Hua drinking hard. It was very uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because she was not drunk, but the more she drank, the more worried she became. .. After the full moon, it was the mid-autumn Festival soon. This was the first mid-autumn Festival since the new Emperor ascended the throne. It was also the first time Qiao Jinniang, as the Empress, hosted all the officials and their families in Chang ¡®an. Before the mid-autumn Festival, many wives had come to see the Jinniang. They were all here to persuade her, as the empress, to be virtuous, to persuade the emperor to take in concubines, and so on.. Qiao Jinniang was annoyed. After punishing a few wives, she could be considered to have had some peace of mind for a while. Until Mrs. Prime Minister Lin came to see her. Qiao Jinniang had met Mrs. Prime Minister Lin once before. She was a demure and well-mannered civil servant¡¯s wife, and some of them respected men more or less. What impressed Qiao Jinniang the most was that Mrs. Prime Minister Lin walked as if she was floating.., the steps on her head were really able to remain motionless. Prime Minister Lin¡¯s wife was here to send an invitation card to the Empress for Lin Mo¡¯s wedding. The Lin family naturally did not expect the empress to be able to come out of the palace to attend the wedding banquet. Even the Empress¡¯s younger brother might not be able to get the empress to attend the ceremony. Lady Qiao Jin ordered the Palace Maids to take out a lot of good things from the storeroom and gave them to Prime Minister Lin¡¯s wife. She said, ¡°This is a small token of my appreciation. I wish Lin Mo and Qin Miaomiao a long and loving life together.¡± Lady Lin Xiang said awkwardly, ¡°Your Highness, I have another unkind request. Mo¡¯er¡¯s marriage is imminent, but on eldest princess Jing Hua¡¯s side¡­¡± Lady Qiao Jin asked, ¡°What happened on Jing Hua¡¯s side?¡± Chapter 303 Chapter 303: Chapter 303, don¡¯t make things difficult for Qin Miaomiao Prime Minister Madam Lin lowered her voice and said, ¡°Qin Miaomiao was called by eldest Princess Jing Hua to the eldest princess¡¯estate and never let Qin Miaomiao out. I wonder how she is doing in the eldest princess¡¯estate? Miaomiao and Princess Jing Hua had a grudge because of what happened at the Horse Farm¡­¡± Prime Minister Madam Lin was also helpless. As a subject, she could not barge into the eldest princess¡¯estate without permission. However, there were not many days left until the divorce. She still did not know how Qin Miaomiao was doing in the Grand Princess¡¯residence, so she could only come and beg the empress. Lady Qiao Jin promised, ¡°I will get Hong Ling to go to the Grand Princess¡¯residence and bring Qin Miaomiao out.¡± Madam Lin Xiang repeatedly bowed and thanked her. .. In the Grand Princess¡¯residence. Qin Miaomiao calmly sat below the grand princess and silently watched as Jing Hua took out some old items from the box. Jing Hua took out a chicken shuttlecock and used his hand to smooth the hair on it. ¡°This is a small shuttlecock that Lin Mo made for me when we first met. At that time, he thought that I was just a little palace maid and even said that he wanted me to be a palace maid in the Crown Prince¡¯s palace. At that time, I didn¡¯t know that if I was just a palace maid then, it would be better than now.¡± Qin miaomiao said slowly, ¡°Princess, you must be joking. You are the most honorable woman in the world. Many people are envious of your Princess Body!¡± Jing Hua took out another hairpin and said, ¡°This is the third time Lin Mo and I met. He gave me this silver hairpin. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to wear it¡­¡± At that time, Lin Mo only thought that she was a palace maid and never thought that she was a princess. As a princess, she could not wear a silver hairpin. However, at that time, Lin Mo thought that she was a palace maid and did not dare to wear a silver hairpin. Qin miaomiao said, ¡°Eldest princess, there¡¯s no need to be stuck in the past. Even if you tell me about these things, they are all in the past.¡± Jing Hua looked at everything in the box and said, ¡°Not long after I was born, my mother-in-law died in Zhou Qing he¡¯s scheme. ¡°Although my adoptive mother was a royal concubine, she never fought for it. Moreover, at that time, my mother-in-law was the only favorite in the six palaces. Even if she fought for it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to win. ¡°In order to not be an eyesore to the empress, she almost didn¡¯t let me go to my parents and empress. She also never played with any brothers or sisters. ¡°Every time I attended the palace banquet, I was also quiet and quiet. That was why I received the title of Jing Hua. Lin Mo was a rare color in my quiet life. He was the one who let me know of the hustle and bustle of life outside the palace. He let me know that there were still people who remembered me¡­¡± Qin Miao said, ¡°Eldest princess, my wedding date with Lin Mo has already been set. Even if I don¡¯t marry Lin Mo, there will be other women¡­¡± Jing Hua closed the box and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Without You, there will be other women. The only one that can¡¯t be mine is me.¡± Qin miaomiao heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°After I get married, I Won¡¯t Stop Lin Mo from looking for you. I will also turn a blind eye, I won¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡°I do mind.¡±Jing Hua walked to the side and took the oil lamp. ¡°You are willing to share a husband with me, I¡¯m Not!¡± Qin Miaomiao saw the oil lamp in Jing Hua¡¯s hand and took a step back. ¡°Princess, what are you doing?¡± Jing Hua knocked the oil lamp over on the wooden box just now. The wooden box was burning fiercely. She said to Qin Miaomiao, ¡°You saw it. Everything between Lin Mo and I in the past will be burned to the ground. In the future, I will have nothing to do with him. You should be his wife and watch him leave his name in the history books¡­¡± Qin miaomiao promised, ¡°Princess, don¡¯t worry. I will be a good wife to Lin Mo. I also hope that princess can be free as soon as possible. You Don¡¯t have to be stuck in the past.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°Okay.¡± Hearing that someone from the Empress¡¯palace was looking for Qin Miaomiao, Jing Hua let Qin Miaomiao go out. She also changed into her palace clothes and entered the palace. In the Changle Palace, Lady Qiao Jin ordered someone to serve tea to Jing Hua. ¡°If your royal sister is really unwilling to let go, she shouldn¡¯t go and make things difficult for Qin Miaomiao. She has no right to speak about this marriage.¡± Jing Hua took a sip of tea and said, ¡°I won¡¯t make things difficult for Qin Miaomiao. It¡¯s better to make things difficult for myself than her.¡±. ¡°I came here today to ask you which of my escorts you think is suitable to be your son-in-law?¡± Lady Qiao Jin said, ¡°Your royal sister, if you want to recruit a son-in-law, there are many good men in this world. It¡¯s not appropriate to make your escorts your son-in-law.¡± Jing hua glanced at ang ¡®er, who was in the nurse¡¯s arms, and said, ¡°I¡¯m more than a year older than his majesty. Although my two royal sisters also have a son-in-law, they have both children. When I saw the little prince, I also thought that it was time to have children to accompany him. As for the father of the child, naturally, he can¡¯t just be a prince-in-law. He has to be the prince¡¯s son-in-law¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°If I had to choose, I would have almost forgotten their looks. I don¡¯t know what their personalities are like. Elder sister has been with them often, so I will definitely know who is more in your favor.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°Then why don¡¯t we ask the empress to draw a lot for them? Anyway, their names range from two to eighteen, and there are two more this year. Between two and twenty, please choose a number at your discretion.¡± Qiao Jin asked, ¡°Imperial sister, how can you be so childish when it comes to marriage?¡± Jing hua said softly, ¡°I just want to have a child.¡± Qiao Jin didn¡¯t know how to persuade Jing Hua. ¡°Imperial sister, why don¡¯t you think about it carefully? You are still young, so you might not be in a hurry to get pregnant¡­¡± Jing Hua agreed and left the Changle Palace. She didn¡¯t leave the palace immediately, but went to the palace where she had stayed when she was young. After the noble concubine who had adopted her passed away and she left the palace, there had been no one living in this palace for a long time. Fortunately, the palace servants still kept this place extremely clean. Jing Hua walked to a tree and raised her head to look at the branches The first time she met Lin Mo was here. At that time, Lin Mo was eight and she was seven. Lin Mo, Lu Chen, and the others were flying kites when Lin Mo¡¯s kite suddenly fell into her palace. At that time, she was also a child who loved to play.. The first time she saw a kite falling from the sky, she sent away the maid of the noble concubines and climbed up the tree to take the kite. She wanted to hide the kite secretly. However, it was easy to climb up the tree, but difficult to get down. She couldn¡¯t get down from the tree. After waiting for a long time, she didn¡¯t see anyone coming, so she cried in panic.. It was Lin Mo who rushed over to help her get down the tree. Lin Mo asked her for the paper kite. It was Jing Hua¡¯s first time seeing a paper kite, so she reluctantly returned it to Lin Mo. . Lin Mo heard that she didn¡¯t have anything to play with on a daily basis, so he took her to the imperial kitchen. He stole some chicken feathers and made a small shuttlecock for her with copper coins. ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± After Jing Hua heard Lin Mo¡¯s voice, she turned around and saw that he was wearing a dark red official robe embroidered with white cranes. She asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Your Royal Highness, this humble subject is about to get married to Qin Miaomiao. Even if your Royal Highness can¡¯t Let Go, please come to this humble subject. Don¡¯t make things difficult for Qin Miaomiao.¡± Jing Hua laughed bitterly. ¡°What do you think you are? I am the Grand Princess of Datang. All the men in the world are chosen by this humble subject. Why should this humble subject make things difficult for Qin Miaomiao for you!¡± Chapter 304 Chapter 304: Chapter 304: Lin Mo and Qin Miaomiao get married The mid-autumn Festival banquet was extremely lively after the new emperor ascended the throne. The day after the mid-autumn Festival, a major event happened in Chang ¡®an. Eldest Princess Jing Hua was going to recruit a son-in-law. This became the most lively event in Chang ¡®an. Everyone was guessing which unlucky person eldest princess Jing Hua would choose as her son-in-law? Why was it unlucky? Because the son-in-law was going to live separately from the two manors of the princess. Eldest Princess Jing Hua was also famous for her good looks and a lot of good looks. Moreover, the matters between Jinghua and Lin Mo were also known by everyone in Chang ¡®an. The wedding date between Lin Mo and Qin Miao was approaching. The eldest princess of Jinghua was recruiting a prince consort at this time to compete with Lin Mo. . Lin Mo was the newly rich prime minister. Who would dare to compete with Lin Mo over this. In a short time, many young masters of noble families in Chang ¡®an had already decided on marriage. There were also a few young profligate sons who were willing to become the prince consort. ¡°After becoming the prince consort, they are all members of the royal family. The princess can pamper them however she wants, as long as she gives me money to go and have fun.¡± ¡°After marrying the eldest princess of Jinghua, they will be the emperor¡¯s brother-in-law!¡± There were also some young masters and Sons of royal merchants who wanted to gain some power and influence, and they were also willing to ask to marry the eldest princess of Jinghua. In the Savoury Pavilion, eldest Princess Jing Hua was sitting in the main hall, chatting and laughing with a few young masters from the royal merchant families. She wanted to be the prince consort and listen to the nagging of some old ministers, so she was not as interested as these young masters from the royal merchant families. ¡°Your Highness, this is the white jade porcelain that my family recently made. It¡¯s a rare treasure, and only the princess is worthy of such a treasure.¡± Eldest Princess Jing Hua took over the porcelain bottle and looked at it. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a rare treasure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that your highness likes it. I wonder if your Highness would like to go to the Kiln Factory? When the kiln was just opened, the sound was clear and crisp, like jade beads falling to the ground. It was the sound that even the best reed could not produce.¡± Jing Hua was a little interested and said, ¡°That¡¯s good too.¡± Huang Ci was overjoyed when he heard that. His family had made the wrong bet some time ago and placed all their hopes on King Huai. Later on, they were implicated by King Huai. Now, they had sent several batches of porcelain to the palace, but the palace did not want them. Now, they could only rely on eldest princess Jing Hua. If he could marry the princess, his family¡¯s porcelain could be sold to the palace. When Lin Mo and his colleagues came to the taste pavilion for lunch, they saw Jing Hua smiling at Huang Ci. When Jing Hua saw Lin Mo come in, he stood up and smiled at Huang Ci. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and have a look now?¡± ¡°Okay, Princess, Please!¡± Lin Mo and Jing Hua brushed past each other and frowned. The servant at the side told Lin Mo about the origin of Huang Ci: ¡°Master, his name is yellow porcelain. He is the owner of the West Kiln and a royal merchant. When King Huai occupied Chang ¡®an, yellow porcelain surrendered and was recently implicated by King Huai. ¡°The palace didn¡¯t want his family¡¯s porcelain. That¡¯s why he thought of Princess Shang. ¡°He had a fianc¨¦e before. For the sake of Princess Shang, he abandoned his fianc¨¦e a few days ago. This matter has become quite big.¡± Lin Mo glanced at his servant and said, ¡°Why are you going to inquire about this?¡± ¡°Master, I was afraid that you would be inferior to eldest Princess Jing Hua¡¯s new son-in-law, so I specially went to inquire about it.¡± Lin Mo glared at the servant and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to do these things in the future.¡± .. Jing hua followed Huang Ci into the west kiln. The moment they got close to the kiln, a wave of heat rose. Huang Ci introduced some of the outstanding porcelain in the West Kiln to Jing Hua, he said, ¡°I heard that the palace wants to trade with the small countries around Xiliang. The porcelain is on the list. It would be great if the porcelain bottles of our west kiln could be sold to those small countries.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°Your porcelain is not bad. You will definitely have a chance.¡± The two of them walked together. When the kiln was opened, the heat came. Suddenly, a woman with a pale face came over with a pair of scissors in her hand and came toward Jing Hua. Jing Hua¡¯s guards rushed forward to stop her. However, for some reason, there was a porcelain bottle under Jing Hua¡¯s feet. She could not stand steadily and was about to fall onto the porcelain bottle that had just come out of the oven.. This porcelain bottle was extremely hot. Once it fell onto the porcelain bottle, it would probably have light burns and disfigurement. However, at this moment, Jing Hua felt that she was pulled into an embrace. She saw Huang Ci hugging her and using her arms to block the hot porcelain bottle for her. It could be said that he was protecting her with his life. After Jing Hua steadied herself, she saw that Huang Ci¡¯s arm was red and blisters were popping up on it. She felt goosebumps all over her body and quickly said, ¡°Imperial physician, quickly invite the imperial physician!¡± .. In the Changle Palace, Yu Yan and Lady Qiao Jin mentioned the matters outside the palace. ¡°Your Highness, now the Chang ¡®an market is saying that Huang Ci is a hero who saves the beauty. If it weren¡¯t for Huang Ci fighting desperately with each other, I¡¯m afraid that the eldest princess wouldn¡¯t even be able to keep her beautiful face!¡± ¡°Now that the eldest princess goes to the west kiln every day to take care of Huang Ci, I think the eldest Princess¡¯s marriage is coming!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°If the royal sister can be happy, it¡¯s a good thing. But who is that woman who came to the front of the royal sister with scissors? How dare she treat the Royal Sister So Boldly?¡± ¡°I heard from Huang Ci that she is a distant cousin of his who wants to marry Huang Ci. But he has always treated her as his younger sister, not his fianc¨¦e. But his cousin thought that it was because of Princess Jinhua that her cousin changed his heart.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought of Zhou Sisi when she heard Yuyan¡¯s words. She said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we definitely won¡¯t let that distant cousin off easily. However, why do I feel that it¡¯s a little strange?¡± Huang Ci had only known Jing Hua for a short while, but he was already willing to sacrifice his life to protect her and hurt his arm. It could be said that he had a deep affection for her. However, Jinniang believed in human nature more. They had only met twice, how could she be deeply in love with him and be willing to sacrifice her own life? Hopefully, she was just overthinking it. Although Lin Mo had married Qin Miaomiao, who had already been confiscated, he could not resist the fact that Lin Mo was the right minister of the dynasty and had boundless glory. On the day of their marriage, the common people of Chang ¡®an also walked onto the streets to watch the prime minister marry his wife. Jing Hua sat in the carriage and watched the bustle of the wedding from afar. She said to the coachman, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Huang family.¡± The Coachman said helplessly to jing hua, ¡°Your Highness, it has been raining heavily for two days. The road to the west kiln is extremely muddy. If we take the carriage there, it will be too dangerous.¡± Jing hua closed her eyes and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Huang family.¡± The Coachman had no choice but to listen to the eldest princess¡¯orders. The Lin family was filled with ceremonial music. Both the Emperor and the Empress had given generous rewards, which were quite impressive in the main hall of the Lin family. Yue Zhan looked at the two people in the hall and was furious. In the end, Lin Mo had let down Jing Hua.. Qin Miao held the wedding fan in her hand and felt a little emotional. She had finally married into the Lin family, but she did not know whether this choice was right or wrong. Lin Mo did not have her in his heart, and she did not have Lin Mo in her heart. She thought that Lin Mo had married her probably because he wanted her to not be jealous of Jing Hua and be able to deal with Princess Jing Hua. And she had married Lin Mo probably because Lin Mo could allow her to continue living a wealthy life and be able to be a first-class wife. As for the love between husband and wife, she had never asked for it. She knew better than anyone that relationships were not reliable. Jing Hua and Lin Mo had fallen in love, but would it last? Chapter 305 Chapter 305: Chapter 305, tying the bridal knot Qin Miaomiao followed the bride and the others into the bridal chamber. There was a pair of huge dragon and Phoenix candles burning inside. It had been raining frequently in the past few days, and now there was a strong wind blowing and a rare heavy rain. ¡°The heavens have mercy on us. Fortunately, it only rained like this after the bride passed through the door.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got it recently, but it has been raining heavily¡­¡± The relatives of the Lin family came into the bridal chamber one after another to look at the bride. There were also juniors who came to pay their respects. Qin miaomiao gave the little silver peanuts that she had prepared earlier to the juniors. ¡°Aunt is so pretty. She¡¯s dressed so beautifully. She¡¯s even prettier than the princess.¡± In the eyes of the little girl, the princess was naturally the most beautiful. Little did she know that the word ¡®princess¡¯was something that everyone avoided talking about today. The madam at the side quickly covered her daughter¡¯s mouth. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Quickly take the silver peanuts and play.¡± Qin Miaomiao did not mind. She did not have the right to mind. She was alone now. Although she was already innocent after the new emperor ascended the throne and pardoned the world, her elder brother was still a traitor. When the sky darkened, Qin Miaomiao sat on the wedding bed and listened to the voices calling for the eldest young master outside. She was somewhat uneasy. Lin Mo was dressed in a wedding gown. He was a dragon and a phoenix among men. He was extraordinarily handsome, and the matchmaker was saying auspicious words at the side. He split a bottle of gourd tied with a red rope into two and poured wine into it for the two of them. Lin Mo drank it in one gulp. Qin miaomiao only took a sip. The matchmaker took a pair of scissors and took out a bunch of hair tied in a knot and wrapped it in a red cloth. It implied that they were married. Perhaps it was because she did not look happy even when she saw the bride and groom, but after the matchmaker said some auspicious words, she left in a hurry. In the quiet bridal chamber, only the candlelight was swaying due to the wind and rain outside. After waiting for a long time, Qin Miaomiao stood up and said, ¡°Husband, it¡¯s already late, why don¡¯t you rest¡­¡± Lin Mo looked at Qin Miaomiao and said, ¡°You¡¯re a smart person. Zhou Siming asked me to take good care of you when he was alive. I¡¯ll take good care of you. In the future, you just have to take good care of my wife¡¯s position.¡± Qin Miao bowed and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Speaking of which, they had known each other since they were young. Qin Miao was not unfamiliar with Lin Mo, but she had never thought that one day they would really become husband and wife. The storm outside was getting heavier and heavier. When Qin Miao saw Lin Mo sitting upright in front of the table, she did not take the initiative to talk about consummating the marriage. She just sat by the side and silently thought about the past.. She thought about the past with Zhou Siming.. If not for Tong Yingying¡¯s misunderstanding, she might have already married Zhou Siming. Perhaps she could have persuaded Zhou Siming not to go down the wrong path, or perhaps she would have been sentenced to death together with him. She could not help but wonder, did she ever have feelings for Zhou Siming in the past? The two of them were in the same room, each with different thoughts. Until Lin Mo¡¯s servant came in and whispered a few words into Lin Mo¡¯s ear, Qin Miaomiao saw Lin Mo leave just like that. For some reason, Qin Miaomiao actually heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Lin Mo had left. Otherwise, she thought that she might not be able to face the consummation of the marriage calmly. .. In the Huang family, Jing Hua looked at the dark night and the heavy rain that could not stop. Her heart was aching. At this time, Qin Miaomiao must have already consummated their marriage with Lin Mo, right? Lin Mo finally got a good wife. ¡°Eldest princess, it seems like the rain won¡¯t stop for a while. Why Don¡¯t you stay in our house for a night? You came here because you¡¯re worried about me. I can¡¯t feel at ease letting you go back to the Princess¡¯residence in the rain.¡± Huang Ci¡¯s arm was tied with a bandage as he bowed to Jing Hua. Jing hua glanced at Huang Ci¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Are you sure you want me to stay? Although I¡¯m a princess, I¡¯m still an unmarried woman. I¡¯ll stay in your residence¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness. I¡¯ve admired your Grace for a long time¡­¡± Jing hua laughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy!¡± Huang ci frowned and said, ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°You saved me, so I will naturally reward you. But you abandoned your fianc¨¦e, which is why I¡¯m in this trouble. How dare you mention the word ¡®admiration¡¯?¡± Huang Ci had thought that it would be easy for him to become the prince consort when Jing Hua came. He did not expect that she would turn against him. Jing hua glanced at Huang Ci coldly and got into the carriage. He let the coachman drive the carriage back to the eldest princess¡¯mansion. It was late at night and the rain was heavy. It was difficult for the coachman to travel. There was still some distance from the nearest courier station. Jing hua saw a brightly lit hill and said, ¡°The rain is too heavy. Let¡¯s go there for a while.¡± It was such a heavy rain and the road was muddy. It would not be easy to return to the Princess¡¯residence. When she walked into the brightly lit mountain, she saw a bustle inside. When Jing Hua entered, she saw the four words on the plaque above her head: West Mountain Academy. The women inside were all wearing the same style of clothes, but the colors were different. They walked in twos and threes with umbrellas in hand. Some of them were not old. ¡°When did Chang ¡®an have such a place?¡±Jing Hua looked curiously at the imperial attendant beside him. The imperial attendant replied, ¡°West Mountain Academy has been very famous recently. It is said that the academy¡¯s Mountain Chief is the Empress¡¯stepsister, Qiao Ruoyi, who was once famous in Chang ¡®an.¡± ¡°Ruoyi pays her respects to the eldest princess.¡± Jing hua smiled and said, ¡°So it really is you. Why are there so many female students here? Do they still need to study at this late hour?¡± Qiao ruoyi replied, ¡°Don¡¯t they have books from the Xie family recently? The faster they copy, the more books they can have. The weather will get cold soon, and the writing on the mountain will freeze their hands. Why don¡¯t we let them copy a few more books now?¡± ¡°I see.¡±Jing Hua ordered her personal attendant to take out a silver note and handed it to Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°I heard that West Mountain Academy doesn¡¯t need silver. This is a token of my appreciation.¡± Qiao ruoyi thanked her profusely. ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± Qiao ruoyi ordered her servants to tidy up her room and let Jing Hua stay there temporarily. Jing Hua was not sleepy at all. She walked to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s desk and saw a portrait on it. It looked like the portrait of the Jin Niang when she was young. Qiao Ruoyi really liked her sister. She had brought this portrait with her at all times. .. In the eldest princess¡¯residence. Young Master Fu Yue saw Lin Mo and said hurriedly, ¡°Young Master Lin, her Highness went out a long time ago. She said that she was going to the Huang family, but she never came back. It¡¯s already late at night, and it¡¯s raining so heavily¡­¡± Lin Mo frowned and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys send someone to look for her?¡± ¡°We did. It was the Huang family that said that the princess wasn¡¯t there, so we sent someone to pass the news to you.¡±Fu Yue was also troubled. ¡°It¡¯s hard to find traces of the rain on the road. The princess is so late and there¡¯s no news. Could something have happened? That Huang Ci doesn¡¯t look like a good person. Perhaps he secretly hid the princess!¡± Lin Mo clenched his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for her.¡± After Lin Mo left, little eighteen asked Fu Yue, ¡°Brother, why did you tell Young Master Lin about this? Aren¡¯t you afraid that His Highness will come back and Punish You?¡±? ¡°You clearly know that his highness has been going to the Huang residence to take care of Huang Ci every day these few days so that young master Lin can marry Qin Miaomiao without worry. You want to completely cut ties with young master Lin.¡± Fu Yue opened his fan and said, ¡°We are all indebted to her highness the princess for saving us. Even if we are punished, I still want the princess to be happy.¡± ¡°But you clearly know that Lin Mo will not marry the princess.¡± ¡°To Lin Mo, how can the princess be more important than his family and future?¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306: Chapter 306, ¡°Let¡¯s drink today and get drunk today.¡± After Huang Ci entered Jing Hua and left, her face was filled with anger. It turned out that Jing Hua had been toying with her these past few days! After the door was knocked on, Huang Ci opened the door and saw Lin Mo, who was wearing a straw raincoat and was drenched all over. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing at my house so late at night?¡± Lin Mo asked straightforwardly, ¡°Where¡¯s Jing Hua?¡± Huang ci replied, ¡°Her Royal Highness the eldest princess has left a long time ago. Your people from the Princess¡¯residence are really annoying!¡± Lin Mo did not believe Huang Ci. He brought his men and barged into the Huang family¡¯s house. After searching through the house, he did not find any trace of Jing Hua before leaving. He rode his horse all the way. In the middle of the night, there was no one on the road except for two lamps hanging in front of the West Mountain Academy. When Lin Mo got closer, he saw Jing Hua¡¯s horse carriage. He immediately went forward to enter. However, before he could enter, he was stopped by the experts at the entrance. ¡°Prime Minister Lin, this is the West Mountain Women¡¯s Academy. There are women inside, and those who have not been informed are not allowed to enter.¡± Lin Mo recognized that this guard used to be from the Eastern Palace. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you to inform the chief of the mountain that I¡¯m here to look for eldest Princess Jing Hua.¡± Qiao Ruoyi was about to fall asleep when she heard that Lin Mo had arrived. She had no choice but to put on her clothes and go to report to eldest Princess Jing Hua. When she heard that eldest Princess Jing Hua had allowed Lin Mo to enter, she went to the door to deliver the message. Seeing that Lin Mo was drenched in the clothes of the groom, Qiao Ruoyi suddenly remembered that there was a wedding invitation from the Lin residence a few days ago. She was busy copying the ancient books brought by the Xie family and had actually forgotten about this matter.. Tomorrow, her mother would definitely come to west mountain academy and Nag at her incessantly. Lin Mo entered Jing Hua¡¯s room. When he saw her long hair, he frowned and said, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s getting late. Please return to the Princess¡¯residence as soon as possible. Don¡¯t let the servants worry.¡± Seeing that Lin Mo had not changed out of his wedding clothes, jing hua said, ¡°Today is your wedding day. Why did you abandon the bride and come to find me? My reputation is already very bad. I don¡¯t want to bear the crime of seducing a married man!¡± Lin Mo closed the door and said, ¡°Jing Hua, you know that I need a wife. In the officialdom and in the backyard, I need a wife to take care of my family affairs¡­ from the beginning, I told you that I wouldn¡¯t marry you.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°I understand. I also let you go and let you marry Qin Miaomiao. In order not to cause any trouble, I am still looking for a new son-in-law. If you really want to break it off completely, why did you come looking for me in the heavy rain today?¡± Lin Mo leaned over and approached Jing Hua. ¡°I do want to break it off completely, but why did the princess ask Fu Yue to send a message to my Lin Residence?¡± ¡°You clearly know that Huang Ci¡¯s nature is not good, but you have a close relationship with him. Don¡¯t you want me to worry about you and make me unable to let go of you, Princess? You Got Your Wish, I really can¡¯t let go of You!¡± Lin Mo¡¯s cold hand grabbed Jing Hua¡¯s wrist, and jing hua said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not that lowly! If I really want you, I can go to father and force you to be the prince consort¡­ Do I need to plan this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disgust me, I don¡¯t want to serve a man with a woman who¡¯s better than you!¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°Your Highness the Princess is raising twenty men, and I don¡¯t mind, so why should your Highness Mind?¡±? I know that the princess can¡¯t let go of me, so why should I be stuck in an empty title? Life is too short, so it¡¯s better to just muddle along.¡± Jing hua said in disgust, ¡°Lin Mo, you really have a good plan. What makes you think that I would be so shameless to snatch my husband away from Qin Miaomiao?¡± Lin Mo pointed at Jing Hua¡¯s heart and said, ¡°From the beginning when we were together, we never thought that we would be together for the rest of our lives. In the past when we were together, the princess said that the two of us would live happily ever after. Why Can¡¯t we do it now? ¡°Qin Miaomiao is just an orphan girl. I Won¡¯t mistreat her, and the princess won¡¯t let her down in any way.¡± Jing hua frowned, but she did not object.. Just as Lin Mo had said, when she was with Lin Mo, Lin Mo was 18, and she was 17.. The crown prince had gone missing, the Longxi King had rebelled, and the Longxi Jiedushi had asked to marry the princess. She was the only princess of the right age, and she had found Lin Mo before she got married. She had given her best first time to Lin Mo. . At that time, she thought that it was impossible for her to return to Chang ¡®an. Perhaps she could only be the Longxi Jiedushi, or perhaps the Longxi Jiedushi was defeated. Even living was a problem for her. On that day, she forgot everything. She only wanted to leave no regrets in her life. Later, after she returned to Chang ¡®an, Lin Mo searched everywhere for the crown prince. Occasionally, when he returned to Chang ¡®an for a few days, he would come to the Princess¡¯residence. When her father wanted to find another prince consort for her. Lin Mo once said, ¡°Jing Hua, there is a difference between our Lin family having a prince consort and having another prime minister. And I am not willing to be a prince consort below you. I have never thought of leaving the imperial court.. ¡°I like you, but I can not marry you.¡± Jing hua then hugged his waist and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t marry me. You haven¡¯t married yet, and I don¡¯t have a husband. It¡¯s better for us to live happily one day at a time. Why should we bother about the future¡­¡± Jing Hua thought that she wouldn¡¯t come after this. She also thought that as long as she didn¡¯t marry and Lin Mo didn¡¯t marry, they would be able to continue lying to themselves. However, she forgot that Lin Mo was the eldest son of the Lin family. How could he not marry and have children? Jing Hua pushed Lin Mo, who was about to take off her clothes, and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same. Qin Miao doesn¡¯t mind, but I can¡¯t not mind! Lin Mo, you¡¯re someone else¡¯s husband. ¡°To be fair, if I were Qin Miaomiao, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t mind that my husband has another woman, but it¡¯s because I don¡¯t mind. ¡°There are so many men in the world, I¡¯ll find someone better than you one day. A man who¡¯s willing to become the prince consort, please have a little self-respect, Lin You.¡± Lin Mo was unwilling to let go. After letting go, perhaps he really wouldn¡¯t be able to hold her hand anymore. Just now, when Fu Yue sent people to say that Jing Hua was staying at Huang Ci¡¯s house, he really had the thought of killing Huang Ci! ¡°Jing Hua, I will make it up to Qin Miaomiao. The reason why I married her was because she was smart enough. She knows that the marriage between us is just a transaction. I Won¡¯t be moved by her. It¡¯s the same for her.¡± ¡°She is different from you. If she minded your existence, she would not have planned this marriage for herself when she was still the third young miss of the High Duke¡¯s public house!¡± ¡°All she wanted was to have the power and influence to continue being her noble young Miss!¡± Lin Mo whispered into Jing Hua¡¯s ear, ¡°So, just like in the past, let¡¯s drink today and get drunk today, okay?¡± Jing Hua looked at Lin Mo, her eyes filled with relief. She could not truly forget Lin Mo. after more than ten years of love, when she was forgotten by the world, only Lin Mo remembered her.. Her childhood, her youth, were all Lin Mo. how could she bear to let it end completely? Chapter 307 Chapter 307: Chapter 307, helping Princess Jinhua Qiao Ruoyi handed in the invitation early in the morning and entered the Changle Palace. While Qiao Jinniang was having breakfast, she was only paying attention to Qiao ruoyi¡¯s scolding. ¡°The eldest princess and Lin Mo are too inhuman. Yesterday, Lin Mo got married, and they were actually in my room¡­¡±Qiao Ruoyi was after all a little girl. Her face was red as she continued to say indignantly, ¡°My sage books are all dirty to death!¡± ¡°I wish I could burn everything in my room and throw it away. Sister, why do you think all men are so unlucky? It¡¯s already pitiful enough that sister Miao Miao¡¯s only daughter was implicated by her father and brother. ¡°On the day of the wedding, Lin Mo actually bullied her like this and destroyed my sage books in the land of Sages!¡± Qiao Jinniang put down the spoon and said, ¡°Jing Hua¡¯s actions were extremely stupid. She is the grand eldest princess after all. How could she be so self-depraved?¡± What Jing Hua did was too beneath the status of a princess. She was just a man. Now, as the Grand Princess, she was serving the same husband as Qin Miaomiao. She did not even have a status. However, this was not the first time that this had happened to Princess Datang. The late Emperor had an older sister who had an affair with half of the court officials. The wife of the court officials who had a strong personality even went to Emperor Taizong¡¯s place because of this. The history books described that princess extremely unbearably.. Qiao ruoyi replied, ¡°Yes, Princess Jing Hua has gone too far.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered someone to invite Jing Hua over. Jing hua only rushed into the Changle Palace after two hours. ¡°What orders does the empress have for me to come here?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything about elder sister¡¯s personal matters. It¡¯s just that we are still a family after all. I really can¡¯t bear to see elder sister continue to take the wrong path. Sister is a high and mighty princess. Why should she be willing to degenerate into an outer chamber that everyone curses?¡± Jing hua bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m clear about the Empress¡¯teachings. It¡¯s just that the Empress doesn¡¯t know that Lin Mo and I have a deep relationship. If we could be together openly, we wouldn¡¯t be like this¡­¡± ¡°What in the world can¡¯t be together openly? Speaking of which, there are things that we can¡¯t part with!¡± Qiao jinniang said accurately, ¡°Since there are things that we can¡¯t part with, it means that it¡¯s not the most important thing in each other¡¯s hearts.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°There are indeed some things that we can¡¯t part with. Empress, don¡¯t be angry. If your daughter falls in love with a man whose entire family depends on him in the future, but can¡¯t be together forever, what will you do?¡± Lady Qiao Jin frowned slightly. Jing hua said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Lin Mo and I who were at fault. It was the rules of the great Tang dynasty towards the princesses. It was the extreme injustice of this world towards women.¡± Lady Qiao Jin took a sip of tea calmly. Jing hua said, ¡°Why did father abdicate the throne to His Majesty? Does the empress know the reason?¡±? ¡°Father is still in his prime. Although he has Chen Ji, he might be able to handle the affairs of the country and abdicate the throne.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Jing Hua and asked, ¡°Do you know the reason?¡± Jing hua said, ¡°Before father abdicated the throne, all the officials had been urging his majesty to take in concubines. Even father can¡¯t break the rule of the only empress in the six palaces, so he might as well give his majesty a headache.¡±. But the Empress felt that how long would his majesty be able to last with the only empress in the six palaces? These officials had temporarily stopped. Perhaps in a few days, the old matters would be brought up again. Not to mention that we princesses were destined to sacrifice a happy marriage from birth. The rules of the royal family can not be changed just like that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily that they are destined to sacrifice at birth. Didn¡¯t the Qin Prince Consort and Aunt Shou an also have a deep love for each other?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked. Jing hua said, ¡°Man Datang only had such a pair. It was also because Aunt Shou an was favored that the Qin prince consort was willing to be Aunt Shou an¡¯s slave.¡±. ¡°Sometimes, I wonder if Aunt Shou an really loved the prince consort of Qin all those years ago? ¡°If she really loved him, why would she be willing to sacrifice her husband¡¯s bright future for her?¡± A tear fell from the corner of Jing Hua¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°I know that I will let Qin Miao down by doing this, but I really have no other choice. Empress, I have liked Lin Mo for a whole fifteen years¡­¡± ¡°How can you give up just like that? Sometimes, I¡¯d rather die in Longxi. It¡¯s better this way.¡± Qiao jinniang said unhappily, ¡°Royal sister, please don¡¯t think of such a silly thing. I don¡¯t want to blame you either. I just feel sorry for you. Just as you said, I also want to have a daughter. ¡°What you¡¯re experiencing now may also be what my daughter will experience in the future. I want to help you.¡± When Jing Hua heard Qiao Jinniang¡¯s last few words, she looked at her in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re really willing to help me? Do you know what that means? How can you change the rules that great-grandfather left behind just because you say so?¡± Qiao jinniang said slowly, ¡°Why can¡¯t you give it a try? Imperial sister is already willing to be the mistress that everyone wants to beat up. Why Don¡¯t you marry Lin Mo in the name of Justice and fulfill your long-cherished wish?¡± Jing hua said, ¡°But what can I do? No matter how much His Majesty dotes on you, he might not be able to change the rules set by the great ancestor.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°There will always be a way.¡± Although Qiao Jinniang might not be able to guarantee this, she could only think of a way to get out. After all, perhaps it was just as Fu Lu had said, which princess would be willing to reincarnate in such a miserable situation? To help Jing Hua was to help her future daughter, or perhaps her future granddaughter.. Lu Chen left the morning court and went to Changle Palace to deal with political affairs. Qiao Jinniang told Lu Chen about what had happened last night on the West Mountain. ¡°Sigh, what can we do to make the royal sister and Lin Mo be together openly, and Lin Mo doesn¡¯t have to resign?¡± Lu Chen heard this and said, ¡°Jin Niang, this is not a matter between the royal sister and Lin Mo, but a rule from the great ancestor. The great ancestor set this rule because, most importantly, during the previous dynasty, the Princess conspired with the prince consort to rebel with the great ancestor.¡± ¡°The Sui dynasty changed the dynasty because the Prince Consort married the princess and successfully rebelled. Then, although the chaos was reversed, the Sui dynasty¡¯s fate was already over¡­ It didn¡¯t take long for it to become great Tang¡¯s world.¡± Qiao jinniang frowned and said, ¡°The Royal Highness can also marry a high-ranking princess, why not ban the family background of the princess as well? In the end, it¡¯s not because he¡¯s afraid of the princess rebelling. When the time comes, the country will change the surname of another family!¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°When the great ancestor set the decree, he did have this concern.¡± Qiao jinniang sighed and said, ¡°But if the rebellion is really successful, it must be when the emperor is unkind. Only when the people have no means of livelihood can the rebellion succeed.¡±. ¡°Some time ago, when King Huai conspired against the emperor, it was just a joke in the end. Because the people were happy, only a few people who were greedy for wealth would become king Huai¡¯s henchmen.¡±. ¡°But the crime of treason was blamed on the princess marrying a powerful prince consort. It was not blamed on the previous emperor for being unkind. Sigh.¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308: Chapter 308: Women Can Inherit the family business Lu Chen pulled Qiao Jinniang into his arms, ¡°What you said doesn¡¯t make any sense. When I was young, the imperial master once said that because of the fall of the Han dynasty, people in the world had the words ¡®Beauty brings disaster¡¯. But back then, Emperor Han Cheng was muddle-headed. Everyone didn¡¯t blame Emperor Han Cheng, but the two sisters Feiyan and Hede. They were the ones who charmed the army.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Since you understand this logic, do you really have no other way? You can only watch helplessly as a lover is not allowed to marry.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s nothing you can do. It¡¯s just that what needs to be changed is not only the rule that the prince consort is not allowed to have real power. What needs to be changed is the world¡¯s laws regarding the inequality of women.¡± Qiao jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, that rule of righteousness needs to be changed. There¡¯s also the rule that the daughter of the deceased must be allowed to inherit the family business¡­¡± ¡°However, if we change these rules, you won¡¯t be able to sit on the throne for long, right?¡± Although Qiao Jinniang really wanted to change the rule of a woman inheriting the family business, she knew that it was impossible. Back then, Tong Yingying¡¯s clan theory was highly sought after by the scholars for this reason. Since the Han Wu period, the position of women had been declining day by day since they deposed the hundred schools of Confucianism. The discussion of clans had been going on for a long time. It would not be easy for Lu Chen to change the rules that had been in place for thousands of years. Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I need your help. This matter can not be changed overnight. We can only take things slowly.¡± Qiao jinniang replied, ¡°Okay.¡± In the Tai Chi Palace. The current Emperor¡¯s teacher, Hong Yang, looked at the new imperial edict that Lu Chen had drafted and could not help but frown. ¡°Your Majesty, there have been female households for a long time, but most of them are either families where both parents have died or families with no clans or husbands. As long as there is a clan, there will naturally be an uncle¡¯s account. ¡°But now that you have issued the imperial edict, saying that after a woman has established a female household, she can ignore the clan and take over the family business of her parents. This is clearly affecting the interests of the men of the clans in the world. If you were to issue this imperial edict.., ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it will be the subject of complaints from the scholars in the world!¡± ¡°Also, your Majesty has never been to the common people, so you don¡¯t know the sorrow of the common women. There are very few women like the Empress who know how to do business. There are many women who are weak and weak. A woman of a generation is sitting on the wealth of the family. Without the help of the clan, it will only attract the covetous eyes of others.¡± Hong Yang looked at the imperial edict and understood. Back then, imperial censor Tong and Tong Yingying used the clan theory to force the empress to hand over the Hundred Savory restaurant. Now, His Majesty was giving this imperial edict for the Empress. However, just like that day, retired emperor chose to stand on the side of the clan for the stability of the world. Once this imperial edict was given out, it was likely that there would be many complaints from the common people. ¡°Your Majesty, Please Think Twice and take back the imperial edict!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I have already thought it over. I have ordered the provinces to announce the edict and send it to all the prefectures. If there are female households, the government will have to take care of them.¡± .. The chrysanthemums in autumn were very good. There were many famous scholars in the previous dynasty who liked elegant chrysanthemums. Now, they also looked at the chrysanthemums. Princess Fu¡¯an was very good. Princess Rong wanted to choose a husband for her, so she invited all the famous families in Chang ¡®an to come to the residence to admire the chrysanthemums. The women of the noble families gathered together and began to talk about the emperor¡¯s new imperial edict. ¡°In the past, I thought that the retired emperor doted on the empress dowager very much. I¡¯m afraid that our new emperor has gone beyond that. The matter of the Qiao family has been settled, and now His Majesty has even given an imperial edict that women can inherit the family business.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, His Majesty probably doesn¡¯t know the hardships of the common women. If they can¡¯t inherit the family business, the family wouldn¡¯t kill the orphan girl. They would give the orphan girl a good marriage for the sake of the family business. ¡°If he can inherit the family business, some clans would definitely kill her!¡± ¡°The beauty is a disaster. His Majesty¡¯s unwillingness to accept concubines has already made many civil officials complain. Now, he even issued such an imperial edict.¡± Qin Miaomiao listened to the conversation of the ladies and said indifferently, ¡°I think His Majesty¡¯s imperial edict is very good. All the ladies are pampered daughters of the family. They don¡¯t know the sufferings of the common women.¡± To these ladies from noble families, they had been pampered and pampered from a young age. The elders loved them as much as their brothers. Even the dowry when they got married was a lot. They also had to get married before they could understand some of the unfairness of women. If they had given birth to a son after they got married, the only unfairness would probably be the fight between wives and concubines. They would not know that there were some women among the people who had become slaves or had to work since they were young in order to support their brothers¡¯education. They would not even know that the sorrow of the daughter of a lost family was clearly the property of their own parents, but it was going to become someone else¡¯s property. ¡°Could it be that young madam Lin is planning to set up a female household in the future? After all, the right prime minister has openly entered and left Princess Jing Hua¡¯s residence!¡± That young madam was originally Fu Lu¡¯s good friend. She had not been on good terms with Qin Miaomiao since she was young. Madam Lin frowned when she heard this and only said, ¡°Is the princess also someone you can make up?¡± ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be angry. I was too talkative.¡± Qin Miaomiao looked at the mocking gazes of the crowd and took a deep breath. Seeing that Fu Lu was alone at the side, he went over to Fu Lu¡¯s side. ¡°Why are you alone? Where is your uncle, Qiao Xiaoguo, who is always by your side?¡± Fu Lu snorted. ¡°He has official business today. Why Don¡¯t You Go Be Your Five Good Wives? You¡¯d better stay away from me. Recently, people from our Qiao Manor have not been welcomed.¡± Qin miaomiao laughed and said, ¡°Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor is now the Empress¡¯s family. How could it not be welcomed? I¡¯m afraid there are many madams who want to make friends with and curry favor with. Don¡¯t tell me you find it annoying?¡± Fu Lu cupped his chin with one hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. Currently, many officials in Chang ¡®an think that the Qiao family is a treacherous official. A demon queen who has seduced the Emperor is not allowed to take in concubines. She even wants women to take over the family business. I¡¯m afraid that there will be an imperial edict that forbids all men from taking in concubines in the future.. She treats everyone in the Qiao family as the main culprit who has harmed Great Tang¡¯s foundation.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°The current emperor is really a good emperor. Whether it is for the empress or not, he is willing to issue such an imperial edict. It is a good thing for many common women.¡± Princess Fu an came over and said to Qin miaomiao, ¡°Lady Xiao Lin is here too. It has been a long time since we last met. We even played together when we were young.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Princess. Your Health is safe,¡±Qin Miaomiao said. Fu an sighed and said, ¡°I would rather not have my health be safe. I just recovered from this illness not too long ago and managed to survive just long enough to get out of bed. In the end, my childhood friends all got married and some even had children. ¡°My mother urged me to find a marriage every day. She thinks that I have been drinking medicine in the royal residence for too long and can¡¯t wait for me to get married soon.¡± Qin Miaomiao smiled faintly. ¡°The princess loves you more than she can. I¡¯m afraid that the marriage of the princess and Princess of the Great Tang dynasty will be a little difficult after someone has snatched away all the good men.¡± Fu an nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If it wasn¡¯t for cousin Jing Hua wanting to recruit a son-in-law, there would still be many young and talented people who were not engaged. However, they are all gone now. Sigh!¡± Fu Lu stomped on Fu an fiercely from below. This cousin of hers was even better at bringing up the pot than herself! Chapter 309 Chapter 309: Chapter 309, planning a marriage Fu An took a deep breath and said to Fu Lu, ¡°Why are you stepping on my feet? The pearls on my shoes are top quality pearls. One of them is worth a hundred taels!¡± Qin Miaomiao drank a mouthful of water and said, ¡°Xiangxiang, I don¡¯t mind.¡± When Qin Miaomiao chose Lin Mo, she knew that she would be laughed at. She was just annoyed, but she did not care about the eldest Princess Jinghua. When she planned for her marriage, she only wanted to be respected by everyone. At that time, she knew that the Qin public house was already on the decline. What she wanted was to have the glory and wealth of the first half of her life in the future. What she wanted was for even her father to respect her. Therefore, when King Yong sent a letter, she also chose to reply. The reason why Qin Miaomiao chose Lin Mo was because she knew that to Lu Chen, Lin Mo was the person he had trusted the most since he was young. After Lu Chen ascended the throne, Lin Mo would definitely become an extremely powerful official. Most of the other sons of noble families relied on their father and the power of the elders in the clan. They might not be able to do anything in the future. As expected, now that she had gotten what she wanted, Lin Mo was the right prime minister who was high and mighty. Those ladies would laugh at her now, but it was hard to say for sure if they would still need her help in five or ten years. One day, the shadow of the noble families would be lost, and her husband would always be in a position of power. Right now, all she needed to do was to manage the family well and help Mrs. Lin manage her affairs. It would be great if she could have a child without having to consummate the marriage. Princess fu an only realized the relationship between Qin Miaomiao and eldest Princess Jing Hua after some time. She quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Xiao Lin. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Qin Miaomiao smiled faintly and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t mind it.¡± Princess Rong came over and pulled Fu An¡¯s hand. ¡°Why are you hiding here? You¡¯re not in a hurry. Mother is in a hurry to hold her grandson!¡± ¡°Mother, brother has just married sister-in-law. It¡¯s too late for you to hold your grandson.¡± Princess Rong said, ¡°Are you afraid of having too many children?¡±? The man who showed you today was really not bad. He had made outstanding military achievements. ¡°His mother is also easy to get along with. It¡¯s a bit far, but it won¡¯t be difficult for you to come back to Chang ¡®an and stay there for ten days or half a month. ¡°Hurry up, he¡¯s waiting for you in the pavilion at the center of the lake.¡± Fu An was pulled by Princess Rong. She looked at Fu Lu for help and said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate for me to go alone. Why Don¡¯t you ask Fu Lu to go with me?¡± Princess Rong glanced at Fu Lu and then looked at Qin Miaomiao. ¡°Is Madam Xiao Lin Free? My Fu An has been bedridden for a long time and is a little afraid of strangers. Why Don¡¯t you go with her?¡± Qin miaomiao answered, ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Fu Lu more or less felt that he was being despised. Did this aunt of hers think that her taste was bad? Her husband was a playboy! Fu An had no choice but to go to the pavilion in the center of the lake. From Afar, she saw a handsome man in the pavilion. Qin Miaomiao looked over as well. She remembered this man. That day, when she was seeking death, it was this man who had come to save her with a flying knife. If not for his help, she would already be a wisp of soul by now. When Yue Zhan saw fu an, he bowed to him and said, ¡°I am Yue Zhan. Greetings, Princess Fu An.¡± Fu an looked at Yue Zhan and shivered. His eyes were filled with fear as he said, ¡°Yue Zhan? The Yue Zhan who killed countless people?¡± Yue Zhan frowned slightly. What killing countless people? ¡°I am indeed the Yue Zhan.¡± ¡°Ah!¡±Fu an fainted on the spot when he heard that. Qin Miao Miao was so frightened that he quickly reached out and hugged fu an. He turned pale with fright and said, ¡°Princess, someone come, someone come quickly. General Yue scared the princess unconscious!¡± Yue Zhan:¡±¡­¡± If he had known this would happen, he would have watched this woman hang herself and die that day! Why did he save her! ! The maidservants at the side quickly came forward. The old woman carried princess fu an back into the room. Once inside, Qin Miao Miao said to princess fu an, ¡°Princess, stop acting.¡± Fu an slowly opened his eyes. ¡°You know that I was pretending to faint?¡± Qin Miaomiao nodded. ¡°When I went to help you just now, I Saw You Move.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that because I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to help me? I¡¯m wearing a new cloud brocade traditional dress. This cloud brocade is rarely seen, and it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m wearing it. If I fall to the ground and get dirty, I can¡¯t do it.¡± Qin Miaomiao:¡±¡­¡±Fu an and Fu Lu were indeed cousins. When Princess Rong heard that princess fu an had fainted, she immediately came over. When Fu an saw this, he closed his eyes again and only slowly woke up when the imperial physician was about to give her an injection. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to marry that Yue Zhan who kills people like a horse. I heard that he¡¯s very cruel. Back then, he was the one who cut off the Longxi King¡¯s head, and he even brought the Longxi King¡¯s head to Chang ¡®an.¡± ¡°Even sister Jing Hua couldn¡¯t stand his cruelty and left him. How could you be so cruel to push your daughter into the Wolf Pit!¡± Princess Rong hugged fu an and said, ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I Won¡¯t force you to marry. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Fu an winked at Qin Miaomiao. Qin Miaomiao looked at the deep love between the mother and daughter and left. When he returned to Madam Lin¡¯s side, he heard all the madams talking about how Yue Zhan scared princess fu an unconscious. Some of them even talked about the past between Yue Zhan and eldest Princess Jing Hua. Madam Lin had a good temper. No matter how they talked about her son, she just smiled at them. .. It was a good time to ascend the throne on a crisp autumn day. It had been a few months since Lady Qiao had left the palace. After dealing with the matters of the six palaces, she wanted to go outside the palace for a stroll. Lu Chen had just ascended the throne. After promulgating the law that women could inherit the family business, he also adjusted the business tax of great Tang. For a time, he was so busy that he could not spare time to accompany Lady Qiao out of the palace. Seeing Qiao Jinniang¡¯s listless look, Lu Chen said, ¡°There aren¡¯t many memorials today. Why don¡¯t we take a break in the afternoon? I¡¯ll accompany you to take a walk on the main street in the afternoon?¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, and she said happily, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen octagon and the others for a long time. I wonder how business is in the Hundred Savory restaurant. Glutinous rice still has something to entrust me to them.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang so happy, Lu Chen also curved his lips into a smile. The Autumn Air was refreshing, and the fragrance of osmanthus wafted through the air. However, as it happened to be after noon, most of them would rest in the afternoon. At this time, there were not many people on the main street, but the business in the Hundred Savory restaurant was still very good. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen went to the private room of the Hundred Savory restaurant. Qiao Jinniang took off her veil and let out a breath. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for a long time. This street is much livelier.¡± There were many female customers in the Hundred Savory restaurant. There were many jewelry stores on this street. The jewelry store that Qiao Jinniang opened was the one with the best business. After lunch, Qiao Jinniang put on her veil and went to the jewelry store. Perhaps there were new products, but it was noon, and many noble ladies came to choose. Today, Fu Lu dragged Qin Miao over to the jewelry store. ¡°I heard that there is a new style in the jewelry pavilion. I don¡¯t know who the owner of this jewelry pavilion is. He can earn so much money. Ah Lu¡¯s salary is too little, not enough for me to buy a gold crown.¡± Qin miaomiao smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s the gold crown that is too expensive. If it¡¯s just salary, no one can buy the gold crown here every month.¡± Fu Lu looked at the gold crown in front of him and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Fortunately, I have a generous dowry.¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310: Chapter 300: A Gentleman does not take away what others like Qiao Jinniang said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Put this golden crown on my account and give it to Princess Fu Lu!¡± Fu Lu and the shopkeeper both recognized Qiao Jinniang¡¯s voice, and the shopkeeper repeatedly agreed. Fu Lu came forward in surprise and asked, ¡°Why are you out?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I hear you say that Ah Lui¡¯s salary is low? As his elder sister, I came to help him curry favor with madam.¡± Fu Lu lowered his head and said, ¡°Aiya, I was just joking. I have plenty of silver. Moreover, this kind of golden crown is enough to buy once in a while. I don¡¯t usually have a place to wear it.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Qin Miao and said, ¡°Those who see it will have a share. You can also choose one and put it on my account.¡± Qin Miao bowed and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Miao immediately took a fancy to a camellia hairpin. The Camellia was carved out of thin shells. The petals of the shells were translucent and bright, giving off a faint pearl-like luster. It had the air of an aristocratic family from the previous dynasty. The shopkeeper said to Qin Miao, ¡°Unfortunately, this hairpin was decided by eldest Princess Jing Hua. This is the only one.¡± Coincidentally, at this moment, eldest Princess Jing Hua came in with Lin Mo.. Fu Lu looked at Jing Hua and then at Qin Miaomiao. He took two steps back without any sense of loyalty. After all, it was not good to help anyone. Qin Miaomiao did not look embarrassed at all. He walked forward and bowed to Jing Hua. He said, ¡°Your Servant Greets Your Royal Highness.¡± Then, he walked to Lin Mo¡¯s side and acted like an obedient, virtuous, and generous wife. His tall and straight posture made it so that some of the young ladies who wanted to watch the show could not find anything wrong with him. Those who were watching the joke, on the other hand, started to admire Qin Miao¡¯s actions. Jing hua smiled faintly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so courteous, Madam Lin. So, Madam Lin also likes this hairpin. In that case, allow me to gift it to Madam Lin.¡± Qin Miao said, ¡°Thank you, Princess, for the reward.¡± When Lady Qiao Jin saw the three of them, she more or less felt that this was a little too harmonious. She initially thought that the three of them would be awkward, but she did not expect that the awkward ones would be those who were watching the show. Jing Hua looked at Qiao Jinniang who was wearing a veil. She felt that their figures were somewhat similar, but she did not dare to recognize them. It was not until eunuch Gu came to call Lin mo away that Jing Hua confirmed that she was Qiao Jinniang. Presumably, Lu Chen was not far from her. ¡°Qin Miaomiao, there is an old saying that a gentleman does not take away what others like. Since this is the hairpin that the princess has taken a fancy to first, shouldn¡¯t you give it to the Princess?¡± The one who said this was the daughter of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites. She had always tried to curry favor with the princess. She had always been giving gifts and currying favor with the few princesses. Jing Hua looked at the girl, she smiled faintly and said, ¡°Gentlemen¡¯s affections are all connected. Is there a saying of snatching? This is something that I have given to Madam Lin. How did it become Madam Lin¡¯s snatching? Your father is the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, after all. He¡¯s in the Ministry of Rites, but didn¡¯t he teach you the rules?¡± The assistant minister¡¯s daughter¡¯s face darkened. She thought that by helping the princess like this, she would gain the princess¡¯appreciation. Shouldn¡¯t the Princess Hate Qin Miaomiao? Why did the relationship between the two become so good? ¡°Layman Qiuyue is really generous. Not only did she buy the Qin family¡¯s house in Chang ¡®an, but she actually bought 100,000 taels of jewelry today!¡± ¡°100,000 taels of jewelry! Few families in Chang ¡®an can afford 100,000 taels of jewelry at once.¡± ¡°Can laywoman Qiuyue really earn so much money by writing a story book?¡± ¡°Those articles she wrote were full of obscene words. Is she crazy to spend so much money on jewelry?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked over when she heard that and saw Qiu Yue coming downstairs. There were many maids behind her holding the jewelry boxes for her. Qiu Yue recognized Qiao Jinniang who was wearing a veil at a glance. ¡°Why are you here? I just bought a garden. If you are willing to do me the honor, why don¡¯t you go to my manor and take a look?¡± Qiao jinniang replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Qiao Jinniang followed Qiu Yue to the manor she had just bought. She had been to the Qin family¡¯s manor before, but after Qiu Yue bought it, she had made a lot of trouble. Qiao jinniang asked Qiu Yue, ¡°Why did you buy so many pieces of jewelry all at once? Although these pieces of jewelry are expensive, they don¡¯t last long.¡± ¡°This is called investment¡­¡±Qiu Yue explained, ¡°It¡¯s like buying and selling antique paintings, which can preserve their value. ¡°No matter how much money you have, it¡¯s useless. I don¡¯t know how to do business. ¡°If I buy these exquisite pieces of jewelry, in case i fall in the future, these priceless pieces of jewelry will definitely help me tide over the difficulties. Moreover, as a woman, how can I not like jewelry?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s just that where did you get so much silver? You Can¡¯t earn so much from selling books.¡± Although Qiu Yue Ju Shi¡¯s book could be sold for ten taels of silver per book, it was not a book that could not be published. It could not be sold so many books either. It was just that there was an exchange between the princes and the nobles. Qiu Yue smiled and said, ¡°This is all thanks to the Empress and His Majesty. Although I don¡¯t know how to do business, I have helped a lot of poor women to buy shares in business over the years. It¡¯s more or less a dividend. ¡°Now that the female household can inherit the family¡¯s land and business, the taxes on the female household have been reduced by a lot. I¡¯ve received quite a lot of dividends this year.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s also because you¡¯re kind-hearted. You usually help those women.¡± Qiu Yue said, ¡°No matter what kind of world women are in, it¡¯s always difficult for them. Fortunately, His Majesty has a deep friendship with you. He¡¯s willing to change the law for the empress so that women can inherit the family business and be able to do business. He¡¯s also lowering the taxes for women. This is an extremely good thing for all the women in the world. ¡°His Majesty has just ascended the throne not long ago, yet he is able to do so much for women. It can be seen that he is also a wise ruler.¡± Qiao Jinniang took a sip of tea and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know that nowadays, there are a lot of people who are calling his majesty a foolish ruler, saying that I am the demon queen who seduces the ruler and disturbs the imperial court.¡± ¡°Eh, the Taste of your tea is strange. Why is it sweet, and has a little milk taste¡­¡± Qiu Yue said, ¡°This is my hometown¡¯s tea. If you like it, I will give you the recipe.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qiu Yue continued, ¡°The empress is so beautiful and kind, how could she be the demon queen? ! Those people must be jealous of the Empress.¡± Yu Yan rushed in and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Not good, the empress. Someone knocked on the heaven-ascending drum and said they want to pay with your life!¡± Lady Qiao frowned slightly. She had only been in Chang ¡®an for a short while. In the past, she had heard that no one had rung the heaven-ascending drum for a hundred years. Not long after that, someone had rung the heaven-ascending drum again because of her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yu Yan said, ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Li from Yueyao. She said that you caused Miss Li¡¯s death with the heaven-ascending drum.¡± After Lu Chen ascended the throne, after Lady Qiao took over the six palaces, she changed the western kiln porcelain in the palace to Yueyao porcelain. Miss Li was the only daughter of Yue Kiln Master. Some time ago, it was Miss Li who brought Yue kiln porcelain to the palace to choose for her. Miss Li was only 15 years old now and was very smart. She was from Jiangnan as well as Qiao Jinniang, so Qiao Jinniang liked her a lot. Every time she came to the palace to visit, Qiao Jinniang would reward her with a lot of jewelry. Who would have thought that she would be gone at such a young age? How could she be killed by herself again? Chapter 311 Chapter 311: Chapter 311: the Empress Meddles in politics In front of the heaven-ascending drum in front of the Imperial Palace of Chang ¡®an, a woman in her thirties was wailing as she beat the heaven-ascending drum. The person who beat the heaven-ascending drum had to roll on the board three times first. This Woman¡¯s skin and flesh were very good. A man in his forties was covered in blood marks. Li Yang beat the heaven-ascending drum and shouted, ¡°Empress, the Empress killed my poor daughter!¡± In the crowd, the people were discussing: ¡°If the Empress wants to kill someone, she can openly issue a decree to execute her. Where does the saying of harming others come from?¡± ¡°I heard that this is the owner of the Yue Kiln. He just received the favor of the palace and is now taking over the porcelain business in the palace. He should be extremely wealthy. Who knew that his daughter would be gone at such a young age!¡± ¡°But why would they say that it was the Empress who killed him? The porcelain in the palace should only be changed into Yue Kiln because the empress likes it, right?¡± The heaven-ascending drum sounded and someone in the palace brought the owner of the Yue Kiln and Lady Li Yang to meet Lu Chen in the Tai Chi Palace. The owner of the Yue Kiln rolled over the nail board. His body was still full of injuries. When he saw Lu Chen, he gave a big bow and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I Beg Your Majesty to Uphold Justice for this commoner! Seek justice for this commoner¡¯s daughter!¡± Lu Chen was not unfamiliar with Kiln Master Li. When he was in Lin ¡®an, Qiao Jinniang was very fond of Yue Kiln¡¯s porcelain. The bowls, plates, cups, wine pots and other porcelain used in the Hundred Savory restaurant were all from Yue Kiln. Yue Kiln¡¯s celadon porcelain was as warm as jade, crisp and translucent. When it tasted tea, it could bring out the color of the tea. There was once a poet who wrote a poem praising it for opening the Yue Kiln in the autumn breeze and obtaining the green color of the thousand peaks. It was quite famous in the Jiangnan area of Yue Kilns. Ever since Qiao Jinniang took charge of the six palaces, she saw that the western kiln was implicated by King Huai, so she simply changed the porcelain in the palace. She even named the Yue Kiln as the most important item for trade with small countries like Xiliang. Lu Chen said, ¡°You said that your daughter died because of the Empress?¡± Kiln Master Li looked at his wife, she saw Li Yang wailing loudly. ¡°Yes, your majesty. If it wasn¡¯t for the Empress¡¯wish for my daughter to take over the Li family¡¯s business and the law that a daughter¡¯s family can also inherit the family¡¯s business, my daughter wouldn¡¯t have been killed by her brother-in-law!¡± Qiao Jin returned from the outside and entered the Tai Chi Palace. She frowned and looked at Kiln Master Li, who was kneeling on the ground: ¡°Uncle Li, you¡¯ve watched me grow up. Our Bai Wei brothel has been friends with your yue kiln for more than ten years. ¡°Ever since I took charge of the six palaces, I¡¯ve designated your Yue Kiln as a royal merchant and specially provided porcelain to the palace. ¡°I¡¯ve also included your Yue kiln in the first-class goods traded with the Western countries. Not only do you not know how to be grateful, why do you have to repay kindness with enmity?¡± Kiln Master Li saw the luxuriously dressed Qiao Jinniang, he said, ¡°Our Li family should never forget the great kindness of the Empress. However, if not for the Empress teaching my daughter to take over the family business and repeatedly calling my daughter into the palace to offer the porcelain, my daughter would not have been murdered because of the jealousy of her brother-in-law!¡± Li Yang also cried out, ¡°Yes, if not for the Empress allowing His Majesty to pass down the imperial edict that a woman can also take over the family business, my daughter would not have died an unnatural death because of the greed of her brother-in-law¡­¡± Some of the ministers at the side stood up and cupped their hands. ¡°Your Majesty, Please Take Back the imperial edict that a woman can disregard her clan and take over the family business. Otherwise, more people will die!¡± Prime Minister Lin also stood up and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Please Think Twice and take back the order. The people are already complaining about this imperial edict.¡± Qiao lui stood up and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the murderer is Miss Li¡¯s brother. If he murders his sister because of this, then in the future, even if brother Li takes over the family business, will he be kind to his sister?¡± ¡°It is inappropriate for a woman to take over the family business!¡± ¡°Miss Li still has her parents to make the decisions. There are some women among the people who have lost their parents and clans. They have no one to rely on. Even if they take over the family business, they are unable to protect the family business and have no strength to farm!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, Please consider the welfare of the women among the people!¡± The officials were all asking Lu Chen to take back his orders. Qiao Jinniang felt disgusted by their words. If they wanted to protect the right of men to inherit the family business openly, it was fine, but they had to use a good excuse for the women. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Your Majesty, all the officials also feel sorry for the civilian women. In that case, I have a suggestion. Since it is difficult for the civilian women, why don¡¯t we set up a yamen in each county to work for the women. ¡°This yamen is in charge of the business of the female households. If the female households encounter local ruffians and hooligans, they can have a special yamen to protect them. The female households are naturally not afraid of being bullied by people with ulterior motives.¡± Hong Yang looked at Qiao Jinniang in fear and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I am not interfering in politics either. It is just that the mother of the world should naturally do practical things for the women in the world. Your Majesty, there are women¡¯s schools in every part of the country. This yamen that is specially set up for women can accept female officials in women¡¯s schools¡­¡± All the officials looked at Lu Chen, afraid that His Majesty would really agree to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s suggestion. Lu Chen said, ¡°The Empress¡¯suggestion is very good. Let the Ministry of revenue handle this matter. Set up women¡¯s offices in all the prefectures, prefectures, and counties to provide assistance to the women who take over the family business or the orphan women.¡± All the officials did not expect that the new emperor would agree to the empress¡¯ridiculous request. Wouldn¡¯t the empress be called a harem official? All of a sudden, all of the officials thought of writing a letter to the retired emperor, but they didn¡¯t even know where the retired emperor was. Hong Yang had no choice but to look for prime minister Lin. They discussed that if there was one, there would be two. Today, the Empress was openly meddling in politics, and the Emperor still didn¡¯t stop her. Would the empress have to go to court together in the morning in the future? The Qiao family had such great military power. Would the empress have to control the court in the future? As loyal officials, they could not let this matter go on. They had to let His Majesty punish the empress. .. In the Changle Palace. Lu Chen saw that Qiao Jin was upset. He stood beside her and said, ¡°She has passed away. Don¡¯t be too sad.¡± Qiao Jinniang leaned against Lu Chen¡¯s chest and shed a tear. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, she might not have thought of taking over Yue Kiln. But she is really talented in porcelain. Look, this censer was just made by her.¡± The censer was cyan in color and its glaze was smooth. It was a top-grade porcelain. Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s the murderer who should be blamed.¡± Qiao Jinniang pursed her lips and said, ¡°She is really a very good girl. Why Can¡¯t God treat her well? You must not let her murderer off easily. I want her brother-in-law to be cut into pieces!¡± How could he kill such a flower-like woman for the sake of the Yue kiln! Just a few days ago, Miss Li was still smiling and telling her that she would go back to Jiangnan to get married.. ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡±Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Miss Li told me that after she came to Chang ¡®an this time, she would go back to Jiangnan and get married in the spring next year. It was a marriage arranged since she was a child. Why would her brother do it at this time?¡± Chapter 312 - a good wife It was true that Miss Li wanted to inherit the Yue Kiln, but the family she had married to was a ship-maker. It could be considered a large ship-maker in Jiangnan. Her in-laws might not allow her to manage her family¡¯s property after she got married. Why was her brother-in-law in such a hurry to act? Moreover, what benefit did killing Miss Li at this time have for that brother-in-law? Taking another ten thousand steps back, Miss Li really didn¡¯t want to get married. She also wanted to take over her family¡¯s business. The Yue Kiln was now a royal business, and she still had to trade with other countries. The Yue kiln was ultimately lacking people. Her brother-in-law couldn¡¯t become a head shopkeeper, but at least he could become rich and noble. Killing someone would cost him his life. The more Qiao Jinniang thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong. ¡°You have to get the Ministry of Justice to properly investigate whether there was anything fishy about Miss Li¡¯s death.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t be sad anymore.¡± .. Many women paid their respects in front of Miss Li¡¯s mourning hall. They all felt sorry for Miss Li. During the morning court session, a small portion of the courtiers claimed that they were ill and did not attend the morning court session. Although only a small portion of the courtiers were present, left Prime Minister Lin, Hong Yang, and other high-ranking officials did not attend. Lu Chen calmly touched his jade ring and said, ¡°Since these ministers are all ill, let them rest for half a month.¡± Marquis an Yuan silently frowned. was this cheap son-in-law of his too ambitious? These were all great talents of great Tang. Even Prime Minister Lin could not attend the court due to illness, yet Lu Chen allowed them to rest for half a month? Then wouldn¡¯t the court and the World Be in chaos? If not for the fact that the empress was his daughter, he also felt that the emperor had gone too far. The Empress had really meddled in politics. It was no wonder that the old ministers were so angry that the emperor did not give them a way out! His son-in-law doted on his daughter too much. Even his father-in-law was panicking! The Minister of Revenue was Lu Chen¡¯s newly promoted official in the Eastern Palace, he came out and handed the draft regulations of the female official department to Lu Chen. ¡°Your Majesty, these are some of the regulations of the female official department. There are also some laws that are already being discussed with the Ministry of Justice. It will take about half a month.¡± Lu Chen took the book from the Minister of Revenue and looked at it. ¡°Okay.¡± The Minister of Justice came out and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I have sent people to investigate the matter of Miss Li¡¯s murder. Her brother-in-law has admitted to the crime.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Her brother-in-law should be executed by a thousand cuts. He should be executed on the day of Miss Li¡¯s burial to comfort Miss Li¡¯s spirit in heaven.¡± ¡°Yes,¡±the Minister of Law replied. .. Marquis an Yuan returned to the marquis¡¯Manor and sighed. Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Why are you sighing like this the moment you return?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the Jinniang. She¡¯s too bold. Yesterday, she interfered in politics at the Taiji Palace, but his Majesty indulged her. His Majesty went against those pillars of power because of her. You Don¡¯t even know how many people are calling me a traitor!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really wronged!¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°You are the Jin Niang¡¯s father. Even you aren¡¯t helping her?¡± ¡°Forget it. A treacherous official is a treacherous official, right? It¡¯s just that there aren¡¯t many colleagues in the imperial court who are willing to pay attention to me now. Sigh.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Don¡¯t sigh too much. There¡¯s a joyous occasion in the manor. The princess is pregnant.¡± This was indeed a joyous occasion for marquis an yuan. This could be the eldest grandson of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor! Princess Fu Lu was pregnant, so Princess Shou an and the prince consort of Qin rushed to the manor and brought a few boxes of things. Fu Lu looked at the boxes and smiled. ¡°Father, mother, you brought so many things. Those who don¡¯t know would think that your daughter is being mistreated in the manor.¡± Shou an nodded at Fu Lu¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯ve been acting like a naughty monkey since you were young. In the Blink of an eye, you¡¯re going to be a mother. In the future, you¡¯ll have to change your good-for-nothing personality¡­¡± Fu Lu hugged shou an and said, ¡°Mother, does it hurt to give birth to a child? When I saw the empress giving birth to Ang ¡®er, it hurt for an entire day¡­ don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m going to be in pain for an entire day as well?¡± Shou an said, ¡°It really hurts, and it¡¯s worth it. What mother regrets the most is that she risked her life to give birth to you back then.¡± When Lady Qiao heard that Fu Lu was pregnant in the palace, she ordered people to bestow many things to Princess Fu Lu. The marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor had a legitimate grandson. When this news spread, some people began to complain about the injustice in the world. ¡°Miss Li¡¯s body has not yet been cold because of the Empress¡¯decree. All the women in the world have suffered a lot because of this decree that can take over the family business!¡± ¡°Exactly. The Li family¡¯s parents rolled the board and struck the drum of ascending to the heavens. Not only did the emperor not punish the empress, he actually let the Empress Meddle in politics. Now, many old ministers are so angry that they have complained of illness and are not going to the court!¡± ¡°Who would have thought that the retired emperor would be wise for his entire life and actually choose such a muddle-headed emperor to ascend to the throne.¡± In the teahouse, discussions were going on. In a private room, a servant girl said to a young lady, ¡°Miss, did you hear that? The eyes of the commoners outside are bright. They are all helping our Lord. This time, the Empress will definitely be punished!¡± Miss Hong frowned and said, ¡°Actually, I feel that the Empress¡¯s decree is extremely good! It is said that women are noble, but civilian women have too many restrictions, just like the Dead Miss Li. If she was a man, how could she be killed by her brother-in-law! ! The emperor and the Empress gave this imperial decree to seek the welfare of all the women in the world!¡± The servant girl said, ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Father is also old and muddle-headed. This is such a good thing. Now that he is the imperial teacher, yet he instigates left Prime Minister Lin to call himself ill and not go to court. Does he really think that His Majesty is easy to bully?¡±? ¡°Since retired emperor has given the throne to his majesty, His Majesty naturally has the ability.¡± Miss Hong listened as the voices of righteous indignation in the teahouse below grew more and more. There were even some people who had been incited to create trouble. The scholars wrote poems about the hen, Si Chen, to mock the empress for meddling in politics and the woman taking over the family business. On the day of Miss Li¡¯s funeral, the line to send Miss Li off was extremely long. Most of the people were scholars and there were many daughters of the government. Their father was one of the officials who had been dismissed. A group of people wearing mourning clothes walked on the main street. White paper money danced in the air, looking extremely desolate. ¡°The empress is inhumane, the empress is inhumane!¡± ¡°The demon Empress is the one who should lead the way!¡± Miss Hong heard her father¡¯s last disciple shout the loudest, she quickly went out and said, ¡°How can the empress be inhumane? The Empress seeks the well-being of all the women in the world. His Majesty is a wise ruler. They have done so many things for the women of the common people. What right do you have to say that they are inhumane!¡± One of the daughters of an official family mocked miss hong and said, ¡°Miss Hong¡¯s father is a strong-willed and powerful official, but Miss Hong is so submissive! Miss Li was indirectly killed by the empress. You should let His Majesty depose the Empress!¡± Miss Hong snorted coldly and said, ¡°Depose the Empress and let you enter the palace for a talent show? Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you girls are thinking. Do you think that this will allow his majesty to depose the Empress?¡± ¡°You!¡±The daughter of an official seemed to have been hit by her thoughts. She stomped her feet and pointed at Miss Hong as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Chapter 313 - a good wife The commotion outside the palace was so big that Lady Qiao could not pretend that she did not know anything. Lu Chen only assured Lady Qiao and advised her, ¡°Changing the law will affect the interests of too many people. Moreover, those scholars have been studying Confucianism since they were young, and the hen¡¯s nest is already deeply ingrained. ¡°After the results of the law are out, the officials and the people will see that the law is effective, and they will naturally be able to improve. They looked down on women, but not all of them had bad intentions. People like Hong Yang and Lin Xiang all felt that they would harm civilian women, that women were helpless and could not do business.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I understand this logic, but I am now the empress. They are calling me the demon empress and calling me heartless. I can not ignore the people¡¯s will. I want to go out of the palace to send Miss Li off. At least I have a clear conscience!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Those who took the lead to call you a demon empress will naturally be dealt with by the Ministry of Justice!¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t father always say that the mouth of the people is better than the mouth of the river? Banning their mouths is not a long-term solution. Come out of the palace with me!¡± On the main street, when Miss Li¡¯s coffin was halfway there, countless guards came over. Some scholars thought that they were scolding the empress, so the government came out and covered their faces with their sleeves. However, when they heard that the Emperor had arrived, they could only kneel down and salute. Lady Qiao Jin said, ¡°No need to salute. I am here today to send Miss Li on her last journey. Miss Li is smart and she is a good porcelain maker. It is a pity that she is gone at such a young age¡­¡±. However, I don¡¯t think that the Emperor¡¯s imperial edict is wrong. There are many orphan girls in this world. In the end, many girls were seized by their clans and had to be reduced to the Sick Bay! If there was a woman who could take over the family business from the start, the Li family would not look for an heir, and there would not be an heir who would commit murder! You should know that the hen si Chen¡¯s rooster was also born from a hen. Some things should be done by a man, and some things should be done by a woman. There was nothing wrong with that. However, why couldn¡¯t a woman take over the family business? Could it be that the woman was stupid? Were men intelligent? How many men felt inferior to miss li when it came to porcelain? If the heir had the ability, why would he be afraid of Miss Li taking over the family business? Why would he say something like a hen si chen if he was incompetent? Since you all feel sorry for her death, why did you say the words ¡®Hen Si Chen¡¯again?¡± ¡°No, your majesty, no. My young master also made good porcelain. He started his business because he saved miss and didn¡¯t start making porcelain. He and miss have been very close since young. Young Master couldn¡¯t have killed miss. He even injured his hand to save Miss!¡± A young servant girl of the Li family ran up to Lady Qiao and knelt down to kowtow. Someone in the crowd said, ¡°In order to marry the princess, Huang Ci of the west kiln did not hesitate to injure his own hand. He is the heir, so he will naturally risk his life to save his own sister.¡± The young servant girl of the Li family could not help but shake her head and shed tears. ¡°My young master is not such a person. Empress, please understand!¡± ¡°Someone pull her away. The Empress is not a place where this young servant girl can speak!¡±Madam Li hurriedly reprimanded. Lu Chen calmly said three words, ¡°Let her speak.¡± The young servant girl said, ¡°My young master also said a few days ago that your majesty, once you become rich and noble, you will not forget your old friends. He also said that young miss has the help of a noble. The Wang family, who originally built the boat, still looks down on our young miss. Now that young miss is married, I¡¯m afraid the Wang family will hold her in high regard. ¡°He also said to young miss that when the time comes, he will personally go out of seclusion to the west to earn a large sum of money and come back. This will make the people of the Wang family not dare to look down on young miss anymore. When the time comes, if great grandmother Wang dares to torture young miss, she will make young miss and Li come back home.¡± The young servant girl could not help but kowtow. ¡°Your Majesty, Young Miss and young master grew up together. Young miss learned how to make porcelain from Young Master!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Since brother and sister have such a good relationship, why did your young master personally admit to killing Miss Li?¡± The young servant girl bit her lip and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but my young master was really wronged.¡± The second uncle of the Li family came out and said to the young servant girl, ¡°You can know a person¡¯s face but not his heart. Who knew that this little bastard would have such a thing behind his back? Big Brother, it was I who harmed you. I should have let Jian ¡®er be your heir. I wouldn¡¯t have let that bastard get greedy and harm my niece!¡± Kiln Lord Li was covered in wounds. When he thought about it, he said in annoyance, ¡°Back then, I saw that he had righteousness and good craftsmanship in making porcelain. It was me. I was the one who harmed my daughter!¡± Lady Qiao¡¯s gaze fell on second uncle Li and his youngest son Jian ¡®er. She exchanged glances with Lu Chen and whispered into his ear, ¡°Look at second uncle Li¡¯s youngest son.¡± Lu Chen said to the guard behind him, ¡°Go and bring Li Fang here.¡± Li Fang was that son. When he was brought from the execution ground, his clothes were covered with rotten eggs and rotten vegetables. He looked very pathetic. The servant girl quickly went forward and said, ¡°Young master¡­ Young Master, tell the Empress that you didn¡¯t kill the Young Lady!¡± Li Fang lowered his head and cried bitterly, ¡°It was me, it was me who killed my sister.¡± Lu Chen said to Li Fang, ¡°Li Fang, I heard from your servant girl that you and Miss Li have a very close relationship. Your younger sister passed away, and you covered up for the murderer. How could your elder brother be worthy of Miss Li in the afterlife?¡± Lady Qiao then said, ¡°The Yue kiln is now very famous. Miss Li¡¯s wish when she was alive was to make the Yue kiln known to everyone in the world, so that every country in the world could see the beauty of our great Tang Yue Kiln¡¯s porcelain. If you plead guilty now, Miss Li¡¯s wish might be over!¡± Li Yang hurriedly said, ¡°Your Majesty, Li Fang has clearly confessed. What else do you want him to say?¡± Qiao Jin looked at Li Yang indifferently and said, ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just curious why the youngest son of the Li family¡¯s second son looks so similar to you¡­¡± Li Yang¡¯s expression changed greatly. ¡°My daughter died because of you. What are you trying to slander me in front of my daughter whose body is not even cold yet?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The Empress doesn¡¯t care about etiquette and respect, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can look down on the empress. Guards, slap her mouth.¡± Li Yang was flustered and kept kowtowing. Some of the scholars in the crowd were indignant. ¡°Miss Li is already dead. As a mother, how could Li Yang care about respect and respect?¡± ¡°Yes, when the Retired Emperor was in power, he never cared about these things.¡± ¡°I miss the 57th day of the Retired Emperor¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Li Yang, ¡°Why are you so anxious? I only said that it was similar. Li Fang, I don¡¯t care what evidence you have in the hands of the real murderer. You have to think it through. is the real murderer worthy of your protection?¡± Second Uncle Li went over and kicked Li Fang. ¡°Hurry up and confess. Your mother is seriously ill in Lin ¡®an. She will probably die of anger when she knows you are like this. Also, your sister will never have the face to marry again.¡± Li Fang knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I Killed My Sister.¡± Second Uncle Li and Lady Li Yang both heaved a sigh of relief at the same time.. Chapter 314 - a good wife Lady Qiao Jin sneered, ¡°The felony you committed was death by a thousand cuts. After your death, your mother became seriously ill and died a long time ago. How could she live alone? Your Sister has a brother like you, how could she have a good marriage? If you hide the truth for them, letting the murderer roam the world is really extremely foolish!¡± Kiln Master Li heard the Empress mention that his second brother¡¯s son and his wife looked similar. Upon closer inspection, there was indeed some resemblance. Kiln Master Li¡¯s entire body was covered with injuries that had been nailed down, he held Li Fang¡¯s shoulders with both hands and said, ¡°Fang ¡®er, uncle has always trusted you the most. Back then, I saw that you had the talent to make porcelain, so I specially wanted you to be my heir. Hurry up and tell the truth. Don¡¯t let your sister die unjustly!¡± Li Fang was in so much pain that tears fell down his face. ¡°Uncle, I killed her, I killed her.¡± Lu Chen heard him and said coldly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve confessed, then I¡¯ll execute you. But after you die, if I find out that you¡¯re hiding something, I won¡¯t forgive you for deceiving the Emperor. When that time comes, I¡¯ll kill all nine families. ¡°Your father, your uncle, and your brother are all capital crimes. Also, your mother and your sister will be reduced to lowly status. The Yue Kiln is thriving day by day. Have you thought about letting the Yue kiln break in your hands?¡± Li Fang was so frightened that his face turned pale. He knelt down and kowtowed, feeling extremely conflicted. Until a woman¡¯s voice came from the crowd, ¡°Fang Lang, Fang Lang, how could you kill your sister? How Do You Want Me to live in the future? How do you want our children to live in the future?¡± Li Fang turned around and saw a woman coming over. He asked with a trembling voice, ¡°You have a child?¡± ¡°Yes, why are you so muddle-headed? Uncle Li is so good to you, and he has taught you everything he knows about celadon. How can you make decisions like this? How Am I supposed to live?¡± Nowadays, it was possible for a man and woman to get pregnant before marriage if they got married in the future. However, the father of her child was such a murderer. It was impossible for him to get married. Her child could only be an illegitimate child. How was she supposed to raise the child? Her child was already four months old. How could she abort a child that was three months old? Qiao Jinniang looked at Li Fang and said, ¡°You should also think about your child¡­ the child is innocent.¡± Li Fang was extremely conflicted. In the end, he could only kowtow and say, ¡°The murderer is indeed not me. It¡¯s my father and aunt. Twelve years ago, uncle traveled all over Jiangnan to sell celadon. I saw my father and aunt having an affair. Aunt was pregnant back then. At that time, my uncle had already been away for five months. This pregnancy definitely wasn¡¯t my uncle¡¯s. Aunt said that she was going back to her mother¡¯s house in Jinling, but in reality, she was hiding in a farmhouse in Huiji Mountain. At that time, my father even told the public that my mother was pregnant, but in reality, my mother wasn¡¯t pregnant at all. It was just that my mother was cowardly and listened to my father¡¯s words. She was afraid that my father would hit her, so she had no choice but to admit that she was pregnant. ¡°After giving birth to Jian ¡®er, my aunt said that it was my mother¡¯s. When I was young, I didn¡¯t dare to tell anyone about it. Later, in order to let Jian ¡®er inherit the celadon porcelain, my aunt refused to give birth to any sons for my uncle, ¡°The two male fetuses that my aunt gave birth to were both aborted by her. ¡°Eight years ago, when my uncle chose an heir, my aunt chose Jian ¡®er. At that time, I wanted to tell my uncle the truth, but my mother begged me bitterly¡­¡± Li Fang said painfully, ¡°My mother made me swear on her life that I would not tell the truth. I was really unfilial!¡± ¡°Later, my uncle felt that Jian ¡®er was not serious enough to be a crafty and crafty porcelain maker, so he chose me to be his heir. At that time, I thought that I must repay my uncle well in the future to get rid of the guilt in my heart. ¡°The kiln was getting better and better. Thanks to the Empress¡¯favor, our celadon came to Chang ¡®an from Jiangnan and became a royal merchant. However, who knew that my father and aunt actually killed my sister and framed me. ¡°My father said that if I did not confess to the crime, he would be a murderer, and his adultery with aunt would be known by others. My biological sister would be stabbed in the back and scolded, and Jian ¡®er and I would be despised by uncle, ¡°At that time, celadon will have no successor. ¡°My mother will be seriously ill and won¡¯t have any money to cure her illness. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me confess to the crime? When Jian ¡®er becomes the kiln master of Yue Kiln, he will definitely show filial piety to his mother in name. My mother¡¯s illness will also be treated. As for my sister, she has a brother who is a royal merchant. Naturally, she will be able to marry into a good family.. ¡°And the reputation of Yue Kiln Celadon will not be tarnished!¡± When Kiln Master Li heard Li Fang¡¯s words, he gave Li Yang a vicious slap on the face. ¡°Slut, Slut!¡± Second Uncle Li knelt down and said, ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t listen to this vile spawn Li Fang¡¯s nonsense. Vile Spawn, you still dare to spout nonsense in public! In order to get away with your crimes, you actually slandered your biological father like this!¡± Li Yang also cried and complained, ¡°That¡¯s my biological daughter. How could I kill my biological daughter? husband, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve doted on my daughter since young. How could I kill her?¡± Li Fang said, ¡°In front of the Emperor and the empress, how could I dare to lie? Moreover, didn¡¯t the people of the Yang family come to look for aunt? The Empress can order people to go to the inn in the south of the city to look for the people of the Yang family.¡± ¡°The reason why aunt and father killed sister was because they were instigated by the people of the Yang family in Jiangnan. My father even wanted Jian ¡®er to be the kiln owner, so he persuaded aunt. ¡°Firstly, they wanted to get the Yue kiln. Secondly, the Yang family wanted the empress to feel uncomfortable, so they forced Auntie to agree to this matter.¡± Qiao jinniang asked curiously, ¡°Yang Family? Which Yang Family?¡± Li Fang said, ¡°The Yang family of the Jinling Prefect. This Li Yang is the stepsister of the Yang Prefect. The Yang Prefect has a daughter named Yang Qinqing.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s her.¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered the name Yang Qinqing. He could be considered a sworn enemy of hers when she was in school. She was in the Heaven class, and this Miss Yang was in the Huang class. Back then, the Yang family prefect was only a judge in the Lin ¡®an County office. Now, she was a prefect. After so many years, it was hard for Yang Qinqing to think of a way to harm her even when she was in Lin ¡®an. It was no wonder that after Li Yang¡¯s daughter died, she came knocking on the drum of ascending to the heavens. Lu Chen asked Qiao jinniang, ¡°Who is Yang Qinqing?¡± ¡°An insignificant person.¡±Qiao Jinniang did not need to put her in her eyes anymore. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Li Yang and second brother Li committed the felony of adultery and murder of a woman. Your Majesty, Please Don¡¯t let this adulterous couple off lightly!¡± The common people and scholars along the way heard Li Fang¡¯s words and only then knew that they had been used by others. They were even more annoyed that this adulterous couple did not commit adultery enough and even killed a woman to seek family wealth. It was truly extremely disgusting. At this moment, they all knelt down and begged Lu Chen to punish them heavily. Second Uncle Li scolded Li Fang angrily, ¡°Are you happy now? Your biological father committed such a felony, and you are not allowed to become an imperial merchant. Our Li family and Yue kiln are completely finished!¡± Li Yang cried bitterly as she fell to the ground. Kiln Master Li was crying to the extreme. Lu Chen said, ¡°Li Yang and second uncle Li committed the heinous crime of murdering his daughter, committing adultery, and committing adultery. They were sentenced to death by a thousand cuts. Li Fang knew that he did not report the crime and was guilty of deceiving the emperor. Considering that he was filial to his mother, the death penalty could be avoided, but the punishment could not be escaped. He was sent to Lingnan. ¡°Kiln Master Li did not distinguish between kindness and hatred. He was muddle-headed and was deceived and used by others. He incited the public opinion to be disrespectful to the empress. On account of your bereavement of your daughter, we will not punish him anymore.¡± Chapter 315 - a good wife The green cloud above Kiln Master Li¡¯s head was so gloomy. Lu Chen really did not want him to be even more miserable. After all, Celadon was already the first batch of goods to be traded with the Western countries in the western region. He could not let Yue Yao fall. Kiln Master Li kneeled on the ground and said, ¡°Thank you for Your Majesty¡¯s Mercy. I am guilty. I am truly ashamed to be a royal merchant. I am willing to offer Yue Yao to the imperial court and not let the Li family inherit it!¡± Who Knew What kind of cuckold that B * Tch had made for him? At his age, offering the Yue Kiln to the imperial court would allow the Yue Kiln to last for thousands of generations. Li Jian, who was only eleven years old, said, ¡°My parents made a mistake, but I didn¡¯t. Uncle, you gave the things of the Li family to the imperial court. In the future, the Yue kiln will no longer have the surname Li. Are you worthy of the Li family¡¯s ancestors?¡± Kiln Master Li could not help but shake his head and said, ¡°If the ancestors knew that the juniors made such a big joke, I¡¯m afraid they would be so angry that they would jump out of the coffin. The Yue kiln surnamed Li and the Wang surnamed Qiao are both good. Now that the Yue Kiln is famous all over the world, the skills of the ancestors are enough to amaze the barbarians in the western regions. Why bother with the surname? Sigh!¡± Kiln Master Li looked at the coffin behind him and said, ¡°Daughter, father will definitely let you achieve your wish¡­ You Watch from the sky, the Yue kiln will get better and better.¡± .. After returning to the palace. Lady Qiao Jin was still filled with emotion. ¡°All men in this world want to inherit their bloodline and are unwilling to give their family business to their daughter. To be honest, there are many men who don¡¯t know whether their son is their son or Not! ¡°Even if my father is marquis an yuan, if it wasn¡¯t for the Qian family mocking them on their deathbed and telling the truth, he probably wouldn¡¯t have realized that his daughter isn¡¯t his.¡± Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± Qiao Jin noticed Lu Chen¡¯s odd expression and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xi¡¯er and Ang¡¯er are both yours.¡± Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± Qiao Jin sighed. ¡°Miss Li was wronged. Yang went against me in the academy. I¡¯m already in Chang ¡®an, and she even ordered people to come to Chang ¡®an to instigate the murder of innocent people. I definitely won¡¯t let her off!¡± Lu Chen asked, ¡°The Jinling Prefect¡¯s performance every year is excellent. After Governor Zhong was demoted, he was the candidate for governor in the future. If it was really his daughter¡¯s doing, I definitely won¡¯t let him off easily!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Yang Tong, no, Governor Yang is a good person. Back then, I was able to suppress Yang Qinqing because Yang Tong was reasonable and didn¡¯t help his wife.¡±. The wife of Governor Yang was also reasonable, but her mind was full of her son, so she could not help but be a little arrogant towards her daughter. ¡°But in the past, when she was in school, it was just a small matter. I didn¡¯t think that she would hurt someone¡¯s life now.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If the evidence is conclusive, her life will not be spared.¡± Yue Yao¡¯s Li family¡¯s daughter was murdered by her mother and second uncle. For a time, it spread to all the restaurants. Layman Qiuyue seized the opportunity to write a story book. This book was not a book that could only be bought and sold in the black market. It was written in plain English. It was suitable for men, women, Young and old. It was no longer a book that could only be read in the room. As soon as this article was published, the bookstore immediately sold out the goods. This article described a certain member of the Wu family who built a boat. There were four daughters in the family. Each of the four daughters was outstanding. However, there was a rule that women were not allowed to board a boat before it went into the water. The family business of shipbuilding could not be left to the women. The concubines in the family were unable to give birth to sons. Minister Wu met a woman when he was out in the trade. The woman¡¯s beauty captured Minister Wu¡¯s heart. Not long after, the woman was pregnant and gave birth to a son. Minister Wu was extremely happy, so he abandoned his wife and married the woman who gave birth to the son. However, he found that his body was getting worse and worse. The woman invited her cousin to help with the business. When Minister Wu was seriously ill, he realized that the son was not his, but the child of the woman and her cousin. At that time, the woman was pregnant. They had no money and had nowhere else to go. When they met Minister Wu, they schemed against him. After the woman¡¯s mother became Mrs. Wu because of her son, she poisoned minister Wu in order to obtain the family business. Fortunately, each of the four daughters was outstanding and found the trick. Minister Wu finally killed the woman who lied to him and her cousin. However, he did not give the family business to the four daughters. Instead, he would rather wear the cuckold and call the bastard his son. The four daughters ignored minister Wu. After Minister Wu became old, the four daughters started their own families and businesses. They were all famous female shopkeepers. However, his boat shop was getting increasingly depressed. The cheap son had been eating, drinking, and gambling since he was young. Every day, he forced minister Wu to give him silver. One day, Wu refused to give him silver. The cheap son pushed Wu. Unexpectedly, Wu fell to the ground and became seriously ill. The cheap son only cared about taking the silver and enjoying himself. Wu thought of his daughter asking her to come back and take care of him. The four daughters were filial and came back to take care of Wu. They advised Wu not to give the business to that cheap younger brother. However, after Minister Wu¡¯s health improved, he scolded the daughters for coveting the property. They were money-losing goods. The four daughters were disheartened. Minister Wu planned a good marriage for his cheap son. The cheap son was finally a prodigal son who had returned. The shipbuilding business was not doing well. However, Minister Wu had a stroke in bed when he was old. That cheap son and daughter-in-law did not care about him and were getting thinner and thinner.. Minister Wu used filial piety to force his daughters to come back and take care of him. His four daughters, who were already the best in the local industry, ignored him. However, they were very filial to their own mothers and aunts. Those wives and aunts who were ridiculed for not being able to give birth to a son gathered together. They would always listen to the show and play cards. This book was called ¡°The story of shipbuilding.¡±As soon as it came out of the bookstore, it was bought by someone. At the moment, many scholars had picked up the book and sold it for a lot of money. The storytellers in the teahouse were also talking about the book of shipbuilding. Fu Lu was pregnant, so he did not stay in the Qiao residence to recuperate. Instead, he invited Qin Miao, Fu An, and other good friends to come to the teahouse to listen to the Book of shipbuilding. After listening to it for the past few days, Fu Lu was very angry. Today, when he heard that officer Wu had suffered a stroke and collapsed on the bed, he finally got his comeuppance. When the people in the teahouse heard the ending, the men were all furious. ¡°Why did the four daughters not care about officer Wu in the end? Big Tang ruled the world with filial piety. Such unfilial behavior deserves to be punished with a felony!¡± The women were not willing to be outdone and said, ¡°Why should we go back to be filial? When we fell to the ground earlier, we already went to take care of it. But Officer Wu scolded his own daughter for coveting the family¡¯s wealth. Instead, he treated the vile spawn well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It serves her right that she did not go back to take care of her daughter in the end. A daughter of her own bloodline can¡¯t be compared to a son of someone else¡¯s Bloodline?¡± ¡°You men are always thinking of having a son. Who knows, it might be just like what is written in the shipbuilding records. Who knows which Wild Man your son was born with?¡± When that man heard that, he was so angry that he wanted to hit someone. Fu Lu ordered his guards to go forward and stop the young man. ¡°I¡¯m still here, and you¡¯re already making a move? When you heard that, you became angry out of humiliation? You Don¡¯t even have a wife and children. Why do you care so much?¡± The man thought carefully. Indeed, he didn¡¯t have a wife and children yet.. Chapter 316 - a good wife As soon as the story of the ship-building was published, all the places in Chang ¡®an where there were people were discussing whether minister Wu and his four daughters were right or wrong. Minister Wu was alone and miserable until his death. His cheapskate son had held a funeral for Minister Wu with great fanfare after his death. He had spent a thousand taels of silver to obtain the official name of Ju Xiao Lian. When a servant girl changed minister Wu¡¯s Shroud, she saw that Minister Wu¡¯s Back was rotten. Most of the men felt that minister Wu was not wrong. It was the four daughters that were too disappointing. No Wonder Minister Wu did not give his family property to his daughters when he was alive. Most people felt that the daughters were very unfilial. Qiu Yue hid in the Qiu residence. From time to time, someone would smash vegetables and leaves into her courtyard. Qiu Yue really wanted to cry but had no tears. This essay was written by the Empress, why was she the one who was smashed? It seemed that she had to go back to Laojun Mountain to hide. .. Hong Yang and left Prime Minister Lin left the court majestically because Lu Chen had forced them to rest for 15 days. When they returned to the imperial court, they found that there were many new faces in the imperial court. Not only was the government affairs not messy, but it was also well-organized. Hong Yang remembered that when the Hui Lin Emperor was still around, he liked to use young officials. The Hui Lin Emperor was able to leave Chang ¡®an without worry, so he must have made plans for the new emperor. He had thought that he would be criticized by the new emperor, but instead of being criticized, Lu Chen was concerned about their bodies and bones. He had a deep sense of friendship between the emperor and his subjects. Hong Yang was deeply moved. After asking about the bodies of these old officials, Lu Chen said, ¡°Since there are no other important matters today, I will talk to all my beloved ministers about the well-known shipbuilding record in Chang ¡®an. Yesterday, there was an interesting story in the magistrate of Chang ¡®an. An old lady heard the story of the shipbuilding record and actually went to the magistrate to complain about the unfilial behavior of officer Wu¡¯s four daughters. She asked the magistrate to convict officer Wu¡¯s daughters. Although it was a joke, it was worth discussing. This daughter abandoned her father in the hospital bed, but she was extremely filial to her stepmother and stepmother. Did she commit the crime of unfilial behavior?¡± Hong Yang said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in the shipbuilding record. I think it¡¯s normal for Minister Wu to want a son. His daughter did commit the crime of unfilial piety, but it¡¯s also extremely unfilial to give away a son. All five children are guilty.¡± Qiao lui wanted to speak, but was pulled back by Marquis an yuan. Qiao lui could only say on the spot, ¡°Your Majesty, I feel that my daughter is not guilty. Since it¡¯s said that a married daughter splashes water, why would she look for the splashing water when she¡¯s old and has no one to rely on?¡± Hong Yang said, ¡°That is also their biological father! If it weren¡¯t for Minister Wu¡¯s upbringing, they wouldn¡¯t have grown up. After a woman gets married, her family is also their source of confidence. Many women go to their family¡¯s ancestral graves after they get married and die.¡± Qiao lui said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why can¡¯t a woman inherit the family business? The parents are heartless first, but the daughter has to be filial instead. Isn¡¯t this forcing them? ¡°Moreover, they didn¡¯t ignore minister Wu from the start. After minister Wu scolded them for coveting the business, they simply didn¡¯t return to the Wu Family Anymore!¡± Lu Chen heard this and said, ¡°Dear ministers, after you go back and think about this carefully, write a book. Write down whether you are guilty or not. Count the number of people who write a book.¡± The courtiers:¡±¡­¡± This ship-building story was not a history book. It was so full of vernacular words. Was It Worth writing an excerpt for it? After Hong Yang returned, he complained to his daughter¡¯s wives. When Miss Hong heard this, she said, ¡°Father, Layman Qiuyue and the Empress are good friends. Many women feel the same way when the ship-building story is written. Many of my younger sisters were inspired by this and started to run their own shops.¡± The daughters of official families, even if they were not married, when they reached their age, their families would give them a chance to practice in their own shops. However, most of the shops in the village were managed by people. It was enough for them to go and look at the books. Once the story of the ship-building record was published, they really went to look at the shops. Many of the daughters were so excited that they thought they could make a career out of it. Nowadays, when they held poetry conventions, they would always discuss poetry at half-time and the difficulties of doing business at half-time. ¡°Since His Majesty asked you to write the essays, he must be on the side of the four daughters¡­¡± Hong Yang said, ¡°But those four daughters have indeed committed the crime of unfilial piety. Great Tang established the world with filial piety¡­¡± ¡°Father, you were just an official in charge of criminal law in the Eastern Palace. Why Did His Majesty make you the Imperial Teacher and the third Duke after he ascended the throne? Could it really be because there was no one else in the court?¡±? Before His Majesty ascended the throne, Retired Emperor was already busy with the new laws of Great Tang, and a group of officials had been submitting petitions for Retired Emperor and His Majesty to be selected. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, how many laws had been changed? Great Tang had always ruled the world with filial piety, and filial piety was the law. That was because back then, the Lu family was only an official of the previous dynasty and could not be said to be loyal. Now that great Tang had been established for more than a hundred years, would a new emperor still need to rule the world with filial piety? ¡°What is needed is a new law! ¡°Many of the new laws since His Majesty ascended the throne have been for the country and the people. His Majesty has asked your views on this, so perhaps he wants to change the law of filial piety.¡± Hong Yang said, ¡°How can we change the law of filial piety? If filial piety doesn¡¯t exist, the world will definitely fall into chaos.¡± ¡°Filial piety can not be foolishly filial either. Just like Li Fang, who hid from uncle for the sake of filial piety, aunt committed adultery with her father and caused the death of people. This is called foolishly filial piety!¡±Miss Hong said, ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you think about it¡­¡± After being enlightened by his daughter, Hong Yang said, ¡°His Majesty has established a new law with great determination, but these four daughters have indeed committed the crime of unfilial piety.¡± Miss Hong said, ¡°Yes, but how should this crime of unfilial piety be punished? ¡°Father, do you really think that Minister Wu¡¯s suffering was not self-inflicted? ¡°But since His Majesty did not say anything wrong about Minister Wu, he asked you how to convict him. The important thing is the conviction, and the new law ¡°In the old law, it is not a crime for parents and grandparents to kill their children and grandchildren. The empress dowager will have a good death, but it does not mean that his majesty has no resentment in his heart!¡± Hong Yang sighed. ¡°If only you were a man!¡± Miss Hong said, ¡°Ruoyi has written to me. She said that His Majesty has given West Mountain Academy ten places to participate in the imperial examinations. If I am willing, Sister Ruoyi will recommend me to participate in the imperial examinations. If I can pass, perhaps the next year, my daughter will be able to become an official with Father!¡± ¡°Master, Master!¡± Madam Hong saw that Hong Yang had fainted and shouted repeatedly, ¡°You, don¡¯t scare your father!¡± .. In the Lin family. Qin Miaomiao had also received Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s letter. She put the letter aside. She did not want to be the top scorer in the imperial examinations. No matter how knowledgeable a woman was, she would not be reading those imperial examinations books. If she were three years younger, or if she were the daughter of the High Duke of Qin¡¯s public house, perhaps she would also follow Qiao Ruoyi to cause trouble and go to the examination venue to have a try. Now that she was married, she could not mess around anymore. Madam Lin came over and said to Qin Miao, ¡°Miao Miao.¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Madam Lin smiled at Qin Miao and said, ¡°Mo¡¯er entered the study the moment she came back. I heard that His Majesty had a difficult problem today. Go to the study and serve Mo¡¯er tea.¡± Qin Miao took the tea and answered, ¡°Yes.¡±. Madam Lin said, ¡°Mo¡¯er, this child has wronged you. Mother doesn¡¯t ask for anything else. As long as you can give birth to a son and a half daughter, in the future, mother will treat you as a biological daughter. You and Mo¡¯er have been married for many days. It¡¯s time to consummate the marriage.¡± Qin Miaomiao¡¯s face did not show any signs of embarrassment. She replied, ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Chapter 317 - a good wife Qin Miaomiao walked to the door of Lin Mo¡¯s study and took a deep breath. When she entered, she saw Lin Mo inside. She put down the tea and said, ¡°I heard that His Majesty has given all the officials a difficult problem today. You should have a cup of tea to rest first.¡± Lin Mo picked up the teacup and said, ¡°If it¡¯s a difficult problem, it¡¯s not really a problem.¡± Moreover, he knew what Lu Chen was thinking. Lu Chen wanted the officials to discover the flaws in the current law by themselves. The officials would use the book to neutralize the new law. It would not be like the previous law that let women take over the family business, causing a lot of complaints. Lin Mo said to Qin Miao, ¡°His Majesty said that he gave West Mountain Academy ten places to participate in the imperial examinations in the spring the year after next. ¡°In order to make the women¡¯s imperial examinations more acceptable, perhaps there will be an examination next year. With your talent, why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°Now that I¡¯m married to the Qin family, it¡¯s my responsibility to be the Qin family¡¯s wife.¡± Lin Mo glanced at Qin Miaomiao and said, ¡°Qin Miaomiao, I¡­¡± Qin Miaomiao stood up demurely and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say much. I understand that you don¡¯t have me in your heart. There¡¯s only eldest Princess Jing Hua. However, you won¡¯t be able to marry eldest Princess Jing Hua in this lifetime unless you¡¯re willing to give up your career as a high official like the son-in-law of Qin. ¡°You need a wife who won¡¯t fight for anything. I also need a husband who can make me respected in Chang ¡®an. We can work well together.¡± Lin Mo didn¡¯t say anything in the end. He just felt a warm feeling on his body. When he reacted, he saw that the door of the study had been closed. Lin Mo glared at Qin Miaomiao and said, ¡°You drugged the tea?¡± Qin Miao said calmly, ¡°It should be the mother¡¯s medicine. She wants a grandson.¡± Lin Mo wanted to push open the windows on both sides, but the windows were also nailed shut. He glared at Qin Miao and said, ¡°Get lost!¡± Qin Miao shrugged and said, ¡°The doors and windows are locked. If you and I, husband and wife, want to cooperate well, we should have a child too.¡± Lin Mo only felt his heart burn like a raging fire. He only wanted to vent the anger in his body, but this person would not be Qin Miaomiao. Qin Miaomiao recalled Madam Lin¡¯s words and thought about how she had nothing left now.. If she had a child, no matter what Lin Mo and Jing Hua did in the future, her position in the Lin residence would be stable. Qin Miaomiao had never eaten pork, but she had seen pigs run. She took off her chest-length traditional dress, wearing only a thin traditional dress that was as thin as a veil. Lin Mo clenched his hands tightly, took out a whistle and blew it. Not long after, the doors and windows of the study were broken. Lin Mo threw the clothes on the ground to Qin Miaomiao and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± After saying that, Lin Mo quickly walked into the stable and rode away. Qin Miaomiao clutched the clothes she had taken off and half-squatted in the study room, crying. She was the daughter of the High Duke¡¯s public house, and even when she was mining in the southwest, she had never suffered such humiliation. But who could she blame? Lin Mo? When she was planning the marriage, she knew that Lin Mo and Jing Hua were in love. If she wanted to blame someone, she could only blame herself. What was there to cry about? She could not cry. Qin Miaomiao put on her clothes and stood up. She said to the servant girl who was waiting in the study, ¡°Prepare Lin Mo¡¯s change of clothes. Follow me to the eldest princess¡¯residence.¡± In the tranquil capital, there would definitely be Lin Mo¡¯s change of clothes. Perhaps there were even more clothes than the Lin family¡¯s. When Qin Miaomiao brought Lin Mo¡¯s clothes to the door of the eldest princess¡¯residence, countless people were shocked. Everyone praised Qin Miaomiao¡¯s benevolence and magnanimity. For a moment, there was a saying circulating in the men¡¯s mouths, ¡°When you marry a wife, you should marry Qin Miaomiao.¡±. The Qi king and the Chu King, two brothers who were in trouble, could not help but sigh in the manor. The result was that one was beaten up by Princess Qi, while the other could only stare at the persimmons and crabs in front of her and eat them helplessly. After all, if they did not eat, they would be hungry at night. They really missed the time when their father was around. Now that princess qi and Princess Chu were relying on the empress, they were simply throwing their weight around. In the Changle Palace. Qiao Jinniang carried Ang ¡®Er to sleep, but she was still reluctant to put her down. Xi¡¯er was a little jealous, so Qiao Jinniang gave Ang ¡®er to the wet nurse and let Xi¡¯er into her arms. She asked gently, ¡°What did you learn from Mister Today?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t learn anything today. Mister brought us to the teahouse to listen to the book, ¡®The Story of shipbuilding.¡¯¡±. ¡°Mother, what is a cuckold? ¡°What is an adulterer and adulterer? ¡°Why do they call people a dog and a woman?¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± Just as Lu Chen arrived, Qiao Jinniang said to Lu XI, ¡°Mother¡¯s knowledge is shallow. Go Ask your father.¡± Lu chen frowned and asked, ¡°Why is Emperor Ji bringing such a young child to listen to all this?¡± Lu Xi scratched her head and continued to ask, ¡°Father, what do you mean by a dog and a Woman?¡± Lu Chen held Lu Xi¡¯s small hand and said, ¡°Xi¡¯er is still young. She will understand when she grows up. Go back and read your books first.¡± Xi¡¯er pouted and left reluctantly. After Xi¡¯er left, Lady Qiao Jin asked the wet nurse to carry ang¡¯er in her arms: ¡°I thought you would explain to him. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so perfunctory.¡± Lu Chen reached out and teased ang¡¯er who had just fallen asleep. ¡°He¡¯s seen a lot outside the palace. He¡¯ll understand when he grows up.¡± Lady Qiao slapped Lu Chen¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for him to fall asleep. He¡¯s making a fuss right now, but he¡¯s much more obedient than Xi¡¯er.¡± When raising Xi¡¯er, Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were inexperienced and flustered. Although they had hired a wet nurse, the two new parents were naturally very concerned. They were deeply afraid of any trouble. Ang¡¯er had three wet nurses and a large group of palace servants to serve them. Naturally, they were much easier to take care of than Xi¡¯er. Lu Chen said softly, ¡°Tomorrow, you go and talk to Aunt Qi and Aunt Chu. Tell them not to go overboard. After all, their husband is also a Royal Highness.¡± ¡°The two royal brothers have come to complain to you?¡±Qiao Jinniang asked. Lu Chen said, ¡°They didn¡¯t. They just found the censor¡¯s report to impeach their Princess Consort. ¡°Chu Wangsao did indeed go too far. Only two persimmons and two crabs were left for the royal brother for dinner.¡± Qiao jinniang said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not like eating people to death. who asked them to say that they should marry Qin Miao in front of the Princess Consort?¡± ¡°But speaking of which, since we want to help sister and Lin Mo, then Qin Miaomiao is indeed a trouble.¡± Qiao jinniang sighed and said, ¡°She¡¯s also a pitiful person.¡± Qin Miaomiao had never believed in love since she was young. If Zhou Siming was still around, perhaps she could still have a mutual affection. However, Qin Miaomiao was too clear-headed. What she wanted was to be high and mighty, and what she wanted was to be respected by everyone. In the current state of the imperial court, besides Lin Mo, there was no one else. Although it was common for Big Tang to have second marriages and third marriages, that still required her mother¡¯s family to be strong. If Qin Miaomiao divorced Lin Mo, she would not even have her mother¡¯s family. After all, the prince consort of Qin was also her cousin, not her mother¡¯s family.. Lu Chen said, ¡°This matter will give Lin Mo a headache. If he can¡¯t deal with the woman properly, then this right prime minister will have been in vain.¡± Qiao jinniang nodded and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 318 - a good wife Lu Chen ordered someone to bring the book into the Changle Palace. After the nanny carried Ang ¡®er down, he said, ¡°All the official books on shipbuilding are here.¡± Qiao Jinniang did not have the slightest awareness that women in the harem were not allowed to interfere in politics. She flipped through a few books and saw Hong Yang¡¯s writings. She could not help but ask, ¡°Is Emperor Hong taking the right medicine?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°From what he said, many of the laws in this book were proposed by his daughter. ¡°Didn¡¯t we give West Mountain Academy ten recommendation spots to participate in the imperial examinations? ¡°This Miss Hong is also among them. Who knows, perhaps there might really be a female scholar.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s hard for Hong Yang to listen to his daughter¡¯s advice. His book is extremely well written.¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang in his arms and said, ¡°You¡¯re the smart one. You asked Qiu Yue to write a book about shipbuilding to test the public opinion.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think so much. I just wanted to see those who wanted a son, but in the end, they were cuckolded. A son is not his own, and in the end, he ended up with no one to rely on. It was just to vent my anger. Who knew that there would be a discussion among the people about filial piety. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the response to be so big, and I didn¡¯t expect that you would make all the ministers discuss how to convict him¡­¡± Lu Chen held a soft jade in his arms and said, ¡°No matter what your original intention is, it¡¯s still a mistake. The credit is yours.¡± Qiao Jinniang pushed Lu Chen and said, ¡°Don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to leave the name of the charming monarch and demon queen in politics in the future.¡± Lu Chen laughed lightly by her ear and said, ¡°You are already charming the heart of the monarch¡­¡± .. In the eldest Princess Jing Hua¡¯s residence. Jing Hua gently nudged Lin Mo who was on her body and said, ¡°Nowadays, both men and women outside sigh about marrying Qin Miaomiao. Right Prime Minister, you are really lucky.¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°Are you jealous? I really haven¡¯t touched Qin Miaomiao in the slightest.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°She¡¯s your real wife, what right do I have to be jealous? I¡¯ve let Qin Miaomiao down in the first place, but I was wondering how long our relationship could last? ¡°Since your mother could think of drugging you, she must have a plan. How long can your mother tolerate you?¡± Jing Hua looked at Lin Mo with reluctance, but she said with incomparable clarity, ¡°Lin Mo, I really can¡¯t bear to part with you. I¡¯m greedy for every moment I¡¯m with you, but¡­¡± Lin Mo pulled Jing Hua into his embrace, his brows slightly furrowed as he said, ¡°Jing Hua¡­¡± Jing hua planted a kiss on the corner of Lin Mo¡¯s lips. ¡°Lin Mo, you and I are indeed not fated to be together in this life, and Qin Miaomiao is a good woman. In the future, even if you treat her like a guest, please treat her well!¡± Lin Mo was reluctant to let Jing Hua leave, so he confined her in his arms and said, ¡°There will always be a way. Now that His Majesty has just ascended the throne, he has changed quite a few of the rules of Great Tang. It¡¯s not necessarily impossible to change the rule that the princess can not marry a powerful minister!¡± Jing hua only said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand at all. Even if you can marry me, what about Qin Miaomiao? After she leaves you, what about her?¡± Lin Mo was momentarily stumped by Jing Hua¡¯s question. Jing hua said, ¡°Although the princess of Chang ¡®an is unruly and willful, I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to put a weak woman in a dire situation. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°I will treat her well and treat her as my own sister after the divorce. ¡°If she marries, I will give her the dowry for the marriage of the first daughter of the Lin family. If she doesn¡¯t want to marry, I won¡¯t let anyone humiliate her. ¡°Although His Majesty doesn¡¯t say it, taking care of Qin Miaomiao is Zhou Siming¡¯s last wish. His Majesty might take care of Qin Miaomiao. Moreover, Qin Miaomiao¡¯s relationship with the Empress is quite good.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°But you still want a legitimate first son. ¡°I don¡¯t know when you will be able to marry me properly.. ¡°Perhaps you won¡¯t be fated in this lifetime¡­¡± Lin Mo comforted jing hua, ¡°There will be a way.¡± .. In the Lin family¡¯s three rivers courtyard. Qin Miaomiao was sewing a baby¡¯s clothes. It was made for the child in Fu Lu¡¯s arms. Unknowingly, Fu Lu, who had caused a ruckus with him in Chang ¡®an, was about to become a mother. Hearing the servant girl report that Lin Mo had arrived, Qin Miaomiao stopped the sewing in her hands and went out to welcome him. After Lin Mo dismissed the servant girl, he said to Qin Miao Miao, ¡°Miao Miao, let¡¯s talk.¡± Qin Miao Miao picked up the teapot and poured Lin Mo a cup of tea. Lin Mo did not dare to drink any more tea after learning from the past. He only said, ¡°Miao Miao, Siming¡¯s last wish is for me to take good care of you. Even if we are not husband and wife in this life, you are still my sister. I will treat you as my own sister.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°I will never forget the Lin family¡¯s kindness.¡± Lin Mo said slowly, ¡°You also know about me and Jing Hua. She is the only one in my heart. Therefore, I have an unspeakable request.¡± Qin miaomiao frowned and said, ¡°Just say it.¡± ¡°I think you are pregnant with an outsider. Treat him as the eldest son of the Lin Family!¡± Qin Miao Miao looked at Lin Mo in shock, thinking that Lin Mo had gone mad. Wasn¡¯t this the same as Wu Yuanwai in the ship-building novel, foolishly putting a cuckold on his own head? ¡°Lin Mo, do you know what you¡¯re talking about? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your ancestors will jump out of their coffins?¡±? Lin Mo said, ¡°Miao Miao, I know what I¡¯m talking about. Since I treat you as my biological sister, I¡¯ll naturally treat your child as the Lin family¡¯s child. This will also make my mother feel at ease. ¡°With a child by your side, even if you want to leave or continue staying in the Lin residence in the future, you will still have someone to rely on.¡± Qin Miaomiao looked at Lin Mo and said, ¡°You are not deliberately scheming against me. If I were to get pregnant with another man, wouldn¡¯t you be able to divorce me openly?¡± Lin Mo could not help but chuckle and said, ¡°I am the right minister of the current dynasty. How could I do such a shameless thing? If you are worried, you and I can sign a contract.¡± Qin Miao also felt that it made sense. He said again, ¡°But who am I going to get pregnant with?¡± Which man would be willing to have his bloodline leaked? Moreover, how could that man with average looks and abilities catch Qin Miao¡¯s Eye? When Lin Mo saw that Qin Miao agreed to his rude request, he said, ¡°You can take your time to choose.¡± After Lin Mo left, Qin Miao thought about it carefully and still felt that it was extremely ridiculous. But when she thought about it again, the love between Lin Mo and the eldest Princess Jing Hua actually made her a little envious. Since they were so in love, why did Lin Mo have to be greedy for power? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to be the prince consort? Qin Miaomiao brought the newly sewn baby clothes to the marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. In the manor, Qiao lui was resting today and could be said to be completely obedient to Fu Lu. Grapes were rare at this time, but Qiao lui still carefully peeled the grape skins for Fu Lu. There was clearly a long line of maidservants by his side, but he had to ask his uncle to personally feed Fu Lu the grapes. It was so sour that Qin Miaomiao¡¯s teeth hurt. Fu Lu took the small clothes and said, ¡°Ah, your craftsmanship is so good? It¡¯s so cute!¡± Qin miaomiao smiled and said, ¡°My craftsmanship is naturally much better than yours. I had wanted to ask you out for a walk. Today, my uncle is going to take a bath, so I Won¡¯t disturb your young couple¡¯s love.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°I¡¯m not such a disloyal person. Today, Ah Lui Xiumu is just right, he can carry our things for us. ¡°I heard that a few daughters have started their own businesses recently, how can I not go and support them?¡± Qiao lui also obediently became the accompanying guard, but he was afraid that someone would bump into Fu Lu. Just as he entered a newly opened Mian Xiu village, he heard a daughter jeering, ¡°A black country bumpkin from Longxi is worthy of wearing this dress.¡± Chapter 319 - a good wife The one who spoke was the daughter of the first uncle¡¯s mansion. She was only 15 years old now. The little black bumpkin who was being ridiculed by her also looked very young. Yue Zhu stared fiercely at the daughter who was ridiculing her, her eyes filled with a fierce light. ¡°This is Chang ¡®an, not Longxi. Your Brother killed people without batting an eye and even scared princess Fu¡¯an unconscious. You still have the face to stay in Chang ¡®an?¡± The envoys could not stay in Chang ¡®an for long, but Yue Zhan had stayed in Chang ¡®an ever since the new emperor ascended the throne. Firstly, his mother wanted to find him a wife in Chang ¡®an, and secondly, Yue Zhan was now highly valued by Lu Chen. Therefore, even the envoys from Longxi had been staying in Chang ¡®an for the past few days. The daughter of the uncle¡¯s mansion continued to mock: ¡°No wonder eldest Princess Jing Hua didn¡¯t want to stay in Longxi. A wild girl from Longxi. She¡¯s so black, yet she¡¯s still wearing this bright pink. It¡¯s so funny.¡± Qin Miaomiao asked a good friend he knew and found out that this girl with darker skin was Yue Zhan¡¯s younger sister, Yue Zhu. She was fourteen this year, and her family pampered her. In the past few days, Yue Zhu had inherited the title of ¡°Fu Lu Shan Cai Zi¡±in Chang ¡®an. Today, she took a fancy to a set of pink traditional dress and bought it for 500 taels of silver. The daughter of the uncle¡¯s mansion had also taken a fancy to this set of clothes for a long time. However, not everyone had such boldness when buying a set of clothes for 500 taels of silver. This material was precious and difficult to take care of. It would probably be ruined after wearing it once. The wife of the uncle¡¯s mansion did not agree to buy it. The daughter of the uncle¡¯s mansion did not have so much private money. The daughter of the uncle¡¯s mansion could only come to the shop every day to take a look. Who knew that before she could raise the money, the clothes would be bought by Yue Zhu. Naturally, every word was laced with guns and sticks without any courtesy. This was not rare in Chang ¡®an. Qin Miaomiao saw that Yue Zhu¡¯s originally dark face was getting darker and darker, so she helped out and said, ¡°Big Tang¡¯s orthodox lineage is in Longxi, and His Majesty¡¯s ancestor was also from Longxi. Miss Chang ¡®an is well-educated and well-mannered. You keep making fun of the black buns in Longxi. Your Uncle¡¯s mansion¡¯s upbringing is so, how can you still dare to make fun of others?¡± The daughter of the uncle¡¯s mansion folded her arms around her waist and said, ¡°Who did I think it was? So it¡¯s great Tang¡¯s good wife, Qin Miaomiao! Being humiliated by her husband, she has lost all her face. She has really lost all the face of our daughter¡¯s family. Speaking of which, you and the Yue family bumpkin are quite compatible. After all, the Yue family is Princess Jinghua¡¯s ex-husband, while you are the wife of the Lin family. We are both cuckolded people at the ends of the Earth. No wonder you are so protective of her!¡± Qin miaomiao frowned and said, ¡°I have experienced Miss¡¯s upbringing today. In a while, I will go to the residence and ask the old madam and uncle¡¯s wife about the uncle¡¯s upbringing¡­¡± Before Qin Miaomiao could finish speaking, the daughter of the uncle¡¯s residence ran away dejectedly. She was still hoping that her mother would give her more pocket money. Fu Lu said to yue zhu, ¡°Little sister, why do you have to be so Black?¡± Yue Zhu smiled and said, ¡°I grew up in the army. The Army dislikes those who are fair and clean. It is beautiful to be black and tall. I am the most beautiful in the army.¡± Qin miaomiao smiled and said, ¡°You are beautiful to begin with. Don¡¯t pay attention to the chatterbox of some people in Chang ¡®an.¡± Yue Zhu replied, ¡°Yes, my brother made great contributions on the battlefield, but Chang ¡®an disliked him for killing so many people. At that time, he was so brave to kill Longxi King.¡±. ¡°But now, everyone in Chang ¡®an only remembers my brother. Now, all the women in Chang ¡®an are afraid of my brother and are not willing to marry him. If My Brother¡¯s marriage doesn¡¯t work out, I can¡¯t go back to Longxi. Sigh.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°Ambassador Yue Jiedu is really a hero.¡± ¡°Do you think my brother is good?¡± Qin Miaomiao nodded. ¡°Yes, if Ambassador Yue Jiedu hadn¡¯t killed the Longxi King, Chang ¡®an wouldn¡¯t have been so good.¡± When the Crown Prince disappeared that year, the emperor was too sad and seriously ill. The imperial court was in chaos. If Yue Zhan hadn¡¯t stopped the war in Longxi, Chang ¡®an would have been in chaos. After Yue Zhu returned to the Yue family in Chang ¡®an, she jogged to find her mother and told her about how she had been bullied and how Qin Miaomiao had protected her. Yue Zhu was a posthumous child. When she was born, her father had been sacrificed to suppress bandits. Madam Yue doted on her very much. When she heard that she was being bullied, she said, ¡°Mother will get the daughter of the uncle¡¯s mansion to apologize to you. As for that Qin Miaomiao that you mentioned, is she the one who is rumored to be getting married to Qin Miaomiao in Chang ¡®an?¡± Yue Zhu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, she even said that my brother is a peerless hero! ¡°She is actually not afraid of my brother. I like her to be my sister-in-law. She is much better than Princess Jinghua. Unfortunately, she is already married.¡± Old Madam Yue patted her own leg and said, ¡°Married? How can she be considered married with such a marriage? Lin Mo goes to Princess Jinghua¡¯s residence every day. It¡¯s not like she, Qin Miaomiao, can¡¯t remarry!¡± Her son finally agreed to the marriage, but he asked for a noble daughter from Chang ¡®an. However, the noble daughters of Chang ¡®an were scared out of their wits because of Princess Fuan. They were all afraid of their son and were unwilling to marry their son. Wasn¡¯t this Qin Miaomiao an excellent candidate? What was the Lin family¡¯s daughter-in-law afraid of? Even Lin Mo did not treat her as his own daughter-in-law and respected her. They heard that Qin Miaomiao had integrity. Even when he was forced to marry a traitor, he would rather die than surrender in order to protect his own reputation. After all, the Yue family was an aristocratic family of generals. It would be best if they had Qin Miaomiao, who was educated, courteous, and had integrity. She was also born as a noble daughter. After patting her legs, Madam Yue went to look for eldest Princess Jing Hua. Although eldest Princess Jing Hua had parted ways with Yue Zhan, she still respected old madam Yue. Jing Hua knew that old madam Yue did not like her. To be fair, if she was old madam Yue, she would definitely not like her. Eldest Princess Jing Hua received old Madam Yue Old Madam Yue bowed and said, ¡°Eldest princess, long time no see. Today, the old woman came to the Princess¡¯residence because she wanted to trouble the Princess to act as a matchmaker for my son.¡± Jing hua asked, ¡°Which Lady?¡± Old madam Yue said, ¡°From the Lin family.¡± Jing hua thought about the unmarried lady of the Lin family. Lin Mo did not have a biological sister. Other than the cousin who married Queen Yong and followed King Yong to the northwest to mine, the other cousins were still young. ¡°Is it that lady from the Lin Family?¡±Jing Hua asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a lady, it¡¯s Lin Mo¡¯s wife, Qin Miaomiao.¡± Even though Jing Hua wanted to maintain the etiquette of a royal princess, she could not help but choke on the tea in her mouth. Jing hua coughed a few times and said, ¡°Qin Miaomiao? She¡¯s Lin Mo¡¯s wife, how can this matchmaker be made?¡± Old madam Yue said, ¡°Lin Mo doesn¡¯t know how to cherish his treasures. It will delay Qin Miaomiao¡¯s happiness for the rest of his life. Your Highness, why don¡¯t you go to the Lin residence and help our Yue family talk about this marriage?¡± Jing Hua¡¯s eldest princess used a handkerchief to wipe the tea at the corner of her lips. ¡°Old Madam Yue, I will give it a try. I wonder if Yue Zhan knows about this?¡± ¡°He said that as long as she is a noble daughter of Chang ¡®an, he will marry anyone. There is no need to ask for his opinion.¡± Old madam Yue said slowly, ¡°I only want my daughter-in-law.¡± Jing Hua:¡±¡­¡± .. In the Lin Estate, after Qin Miaomiao returned to the estate, she was called over by Madam Lin. Madam Lin held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Child, I know that you have been wronged, but the child is more important¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, a servant girl came to report, ¡°Madam, eldest Princess Jing Hua is here.¡± Madam Lin frowned. Jing Hua had been with her son for so long, but she had never been to the Lin residence before. How did she manage to come here today? Chapter 320 - a good wife Madam Lin hurriedly ordered someone to open the main gate of the Lin residence to welcome eldest Princess Jing Hua. Madam Lin was extremely displeased with eldest Princess Jing Hua. Back then, before the Emperor had pointed out Jing Hua to Yue Zhan, Lin Mo had gone crazy and wanted to destroy the Lin family¡¯s future and marry Jing Hua. Over the years, the two of them had been entangled until now. People of the same age as Lin Mo already had sons and daughters. However, after Lin Mo got married, he did not consummate the marriage¡­ who knew when he would be able to hold onto a grandchild. However, no matter how displeased she was, she was the emperor¡¯s sister, the eldest princess of the imperial court. Madam Lin could only respectfully greet her. Qin Miaomiao followed behind Madam Lin and went to the door to welcome eldest Princess Jing Hua in. Jing Hua went into the hall and received the tea that Madam Lin personally served. She went straight to the point and told her the purpose of her visit today: ¡°Madam Lin, I am here today because I have been entrusted by someone to act as a matchmaker.¡± Madam Lin thought about the young masters and young ladies in the residence who were not of the age to be married. She asked in puzzlement, ¡°Oh? I wonder who the Princess is here to act as a matchmaker for.¡± ¡°Yue Zhan, the envoy from Longxi. Yue Zhan has made outstanding military achievements. He is from an aristocratic family of martial generals and is now highly valued by his majesty. What do you think of this person, Madam Lin?¡± Jing Hua took a sip of tea. Madam Lin frowned. Jing Hua had actually come to matchmake her ex-husband? ¡°Your highness, Jiedushi Yue is naturally a dragon and Phoenix among men. I only hate that I don¡¯t have a daughter¡¯s life. Otherwise, I would definitely make Jiedushi Yue the son-in-law of the Lin family.¡± Qin Miaomiao pondered over Madam Lin¡¯s words and only smiled softly in the dark. She did not understand what the eldest princess Jing Hua meant by matchmaking her ex-husband in the home of her current lover? Jing hua put down her teacup and gestured for Qin Miaomiao to come forward. She held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Madam Yue has taken a fancy to Miaomiao and wants me to be the daughter-in-law of the Yue family!¡± ¡°Ridiculous!¡±Madam Lin said angrily, ¡°Your Highness, even if you are the emperor¡¯s biological sister, you have to pay attention to etiquette. How can our Lin family be such a ridiculous family?¡± Initially, she thought that it was ridiculous enough for Jing Hua to be the matchmaker for the Lin family¡¯s daughter-in-law. She did not expect that she would actually be a matchmaker for the Lin family¡¯s daughter-in-law! Madam Lin would not agree to it. She said with a straight face, ¡°Your Royal Highness is a Golden Twig and jade leaf. Our Lin family can not afford to entertain her. Someone, send the guest out!¡± Jing Hua did not expect that Madam Lin would actually chase her out of the door. The servant girl was a little hesitant, but she did not dare to disobey madam Lin. She asked Jing Hua to leave. Qin Miaomiao said to madam Lin, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry. After all, she is the eldest princess. If you act like this¡­ I¡¯m afraid you will attract the blame of the palace¡­¡± Madam Lin was so angry that her face turned black. She said, ¡°Even the emperor¡¯s sister has to pay attention to etiquette. How can a matchmaker be a matchmaker for another family¡¯s daughter-in-law?¡± Qin miaomiao comforted her, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry. Your Health is more important. I will go to the palace and apologize to the empress for this matter.¡± Madam Lin Patted Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡± .. Qin Miaomiao went to the Changle Palace the next day. Lady Qiao Jin had just summoned all the female officials of the Shang Palace. When she heard that Qin Miaomiao had come to pay her respects, she ordered someone to summon her into the palace. The matter of Jing Hua going to the forest estate yesterday was not a glorious matter after all. Outsiders did not know much about it. After Qin Miaomiao bowed, he said, ¡°Yesterday, eldest Princess Jing Hua came to the forest estate to matchmake a marriage proposal. My mother was angry at how disrespectful she was to the eldest princess. I hope the Empress can bear with it.¡± Lady Qiao asked curiously, ¡°Propose marriage?¡± Qin Miaomiao lowered his head and said, ¡°Madam Yue asked her highness the eldest princess to propose marriage to me. Since ancient times, no one has gone to the in-laws¡¯house to propose marriage to their daughter-in-law. My mother was angry yesterday and offended her highness the princess¡­¡± Lady Qiao was surprised. ¡°Is madam Yue Yue Zhan¡¯s mother?¡± Qin Miaomiao nodded. Qiao Jin:¡±¡­¡± No wonder the well-mannered madam Lin was disrespectful to the eldest princess. To propose marriage on behalf of her ex-husband and her lover¡¯s current wife, royal sister Jinhua sure is bold.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡±Qiao Jin asked Qin Miaomiao. Qin miaomiao said, ¡°My mother was indeed disrespectful to the princess, but there is a reason for it. Please forgive her.¡± Lady Qiao Jin smiled slightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I wanted to ask you, what do you think about the matter of Madam Yue proposing to you? Yue Zhan has outstanding military merits and is from a military family. He is also a good husband.¡± Qin Miaomiao pursed his lips and said, ¡°To me, marrying Lin Mo and marrying Yue Zhan are the same. Both of them only have Princess Jing Hua in their hearts. If they stay and be madam Xiao Lin, at least they can enjoy the prosperity of Chang ¡®an.¡± Lady Qiao Jin appreciated Qin Miaomiao¡¯s sobriety, but sometimes she felt that she was too clear-headed. Lady Qiao Jin said, ¡°It is indeed inappropriate for the royal sister to act as a matchmaker for Mrs. Yue. There is a reason for Mrs. Lin¡¯s disrespect. The royal family will not blame her for being disrespectful.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.¡±Qin Miaomiao was relieved when he heard that. .. In the Yue family. Yue Zhan asked old madam Yue angrily, ¡°Your Highness, I know you don¡¯t like Jing Hua, but she has been with me for a long time. Why do you still want to deal with her? Let Her go to the Lin family and humiliate her princess?¡± Old Madam Yue smashed her walking stick on the ground and said, ¡°You know that you have been with Li for many years. Not to mention that she never treated you as her husband when you got married, but it has been almost five years now, and you are almost thirty years old.. You still haven¡¯t gotten married, and I dare not close my eyes!¡± Yue Zhan frowned and said, ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t I promise you that I would marry a noble daughter of Chang ¡®an? It¡¯s just that those noble daughters of Chang ¡®an are not willing to marry me.¡± Old Madam Yue sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know that you deliberately said among those noble daughters of Chang ¡®an that you killed without batting an eye, and even said that you scared princess fu an unconscious!¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°Mother! That was what Qin Miaomiao said. Since my son promised you that he would marry a Chang ¡®an lady, he naturally kept his word. It was Qin Miaomiao who told the public in King Rong¡¯s residence that his son scared princess fu an unconscious, causing those ladies to not dare to approach me. Yet, you asked Jing Hua to go to the Lin family to propose marriage!¡± Old madam Yue said, ¡°I heard from Zhu¡¯er that Miaomiao even said that you were a peerless hero. At that time, she said that you scared princess fu an unconscious. Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding! Lin Mo stole your wife. Are you willing to be a tortoise? Snatching his wife now won¡¯t make people laugh at you!¡± Yue Zhan:¡±¡­¡± Perhaps snatching his wife would make everyone in Chang ¡®an laugh at him. Moreover, he was afraid that a woman like Qin Miaomiao wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy it. ¡°Anyway, you should stay out of my son¡¯s marriage in the future. Don¡¯t ever go to other people¡¯s houses to ask their daughter-in-law for Marriage!¡± After Yue Zhan left, old madam yue sighed and said, ¡°Sigh, how did I give birth to such an ingrate! What¡¯s so good about Jing Hua that he still can¡¯t forget about it?¡± Many people said that Jing Hua was appointed by the Hui Lin Emperor to marry Yue Zhan in order to win him over. Actually, old madam Yue knew that at that time, Yue Zhan had risked the world¡¯s condemnation. When she handed over the evidence of the Long Xi King¡¯s Rebellion to the emperor, she did not forget to ask for the eldest princess of Jing Hua¡¯s hand in marriage. It was considered as coercion. At that time, the Hui Lin Emperor had some use for Yue Zhan, so how could he not agree to his request to marry her? Fortunately, the Hui Lin Emperor did not take this coercion to heart. Otherwise, the Yue family would probably suffer a reckoning. If Jinghua was interested in Yue Zhan, old madam Yue would also rather the Yue family not have military power. She would rather her son and the Qin Fuma be like the little prince consort who lived off his wife, as long as her son was happy. Unfortunately, Jing Hua had never had a heart for Yue Zhan! Chapter 321 - a good wife In eldest Princess Jing Hua¡¯s residence. Jing Hua saw Lin Mo, who had not come for three days, and went up to him. She went into his arms and said, ¡°Has the palace been so busy recently?¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to finalize the new law, so I¡¯ve been a little busy. I heard that you went to my house a few days ago?¡± Jing hua nodded and said, ¡°Old Madam Yue asked me to propose marriage to Qin Miaomiao. If Qin Miaomiao can be together with Yue Zhan, you can rest assured. Yue Zhan, this person¡­¡± Upon hearing Yue Zhan, Lin Mo¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You still have dealings with the Yue Family?¡± Jing hua said, ¡°Old Madam Yue is an elder after all. How can I turn a blind eye when she comes to visit? I think we can consider setting Qin Miaomiao up with Yue Zhan. The Yue family is a military family, and Yue Zhan has outstanding military achievements¡­¡± When they arrived in Longxi, Qin Miaomiao was the first honorable madam in Longxi. No one under her would dare to bully her and humiliate her.¡± Lin Mo said, ¡°You can decide on this matter.¡± Outside the Grand Princess¡¯residence. Yue Zhan looked at the brightly lit main hall inside and could not help but think of the Jing Hua that he had seen when he was young¡­ it was unforgettable at a glance. Just as he was about to turn around, he saw Qin Miaomiao coming over in a palanquin. The servant girl behind her was holding a scarlet right-hand-shaped official robe embroidered with a white crane in her hands. Yue Zhan looked through the light of the lantern and saw that there was a large word ¡®virtuous¡¯written on Qin Miaomiao¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re really virtuous!¡± Qin Miao Miao bowed and said, ¡°General Yue, aren¡¯t you also quite free? That day in King Rong¡¯s residence, Princess Fu an fainted and I bumped into general Yue. I hope General Yue will not blame me for the Emergency!¡± Yue Zhan saw her young age and calm expression, so he went forward and said, ¡°Now, because of that sentence of yours, Fu an fainted because of me and my marriage was blocked. Now, you just said don¡¯t blame me and you want me to forgive you?¡± ¡°Then what do you need me to do for general Yue to understand?¡±Qin Miaomiao asked. Yue Zhan said, ¡°Be a good Mrs. Lin, don¡¯t think too much, and don¡¯t be disrespectful to Jing Hua!¡± ¡°The Princess is His Majesty¡¯s elder sister. Even if I had ten guts, I wouldn¡¯t dare to be disrespectful to the princess.¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°Then don¡¯t waste your effort on this face, and don¡¯t come to the entrance of the Grand Princess¡¯residence to obstruct Jing Hua¡¯s eyes.¡± The reason why Qin Miao Miao came to the entrance of the Grand Princess¡¯residence was to seek a good reputation so that those people who were laughing at her would not be able to laugh. Also, it was to make Madam Lin feel a little guilty towards her. Madam Lin felt guilty and would talk less about matters like children. Qin Miao Miao looked carefully at Yue Zhan through the light of the lantern. Yue Zhan had a burly figure but his face was also handsome. He was not much worse off than Lin Mo. . ¡°Since you are so infatuated with the eldest princess, why did you agree to divorce her that day?¡±Qin Miaomiao asked, puzzled. Even if the prince consort could not be a powerful official and could not have military power, Yue Zhan did marry Jing Hua that day. As long as they did not divorce, no matter what those old officials said, it would be useless. Moreover, the imperial family would not do such a thing. Yue Zhan looked inside and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t like Longxi. Even if you force her to stay, you won¡¯t be able to keep her heart¡­¡± Qin Miaomiao pondered over Yue Zhan¡¯s words, then took her leave and went back to the Lin family. .. While the people were discussing among themselves, the new law was also announced. First, the idea of the imperial examination system was abolished. Since the founding of the Tang Empire, the imperial examination system had gradually reduced the number of the imperial examination system, but it was not completely non-existent. The cheap son in the story of shipbuilding was held to be held to be a filial piety because of a huge funeral. It was extremely ironic. The second reason was to make a clear distinction between the support of parents and children. The third reason was that it was a felony for parents to kill their children. In the past, it was not a felony for parents to kill their children because of filial piety. After the promulgation of the new laws of the Tang Empire, the public did not have much of a response. After all, it was the result of the discussions of all the officials. There was also a new commercial law that was released, which eliminated many exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes. The people cheered in succession. In the blink of an eye, it was the 12th month. It was the 12th month in Chang ¡®an, and snow was flying everywhere. Qiao Jinniang received a letter from glutinous rice. In glutinous Rice¡¯s letter, it was written that once Zhou Shihui arrived in Jiangnan, he had looked for Qiao Jinniang¡¯s schoolmates and invited them to play in the Qian Estate, the daughter of the Yang family, who had come thousands of miles to scheme against Qiao Jinniang, had also been bewitched by Zhou Shihui. The imperial edict had demoted the Yang family¡¯s daughter to a county official. The daughter of the Yang family had been sentenced to Lingnan punishment for scheming against the empress. Glutinous rice had even written that her mother¡¯s spirits were gradually improving and that she could already recognize her as a daughter. She had also written that Qiao Ruoyun and Qian Yin were in love. However, Qiao Ruoyun often went to the temple to pray to Buddha to protect her pregnancy. Jiangnan¡¯s Hundred Savory restaurant had reopened. Compared to going to the Qian family to be the eldest daughter, glutinous rice preferred to stay in the Hundred Savory restaurant. As usual, she chatted and laughed with the neighbors who came to the restaurant. The neighbors also thought of the Jinniang and Lu Chen. It was also written that Hui Lindi and Empress Zhou had bought a house next to the Hundred Savory Restaurant.. They traveled around the mountains and rivers every day and were also frequent customers of the Hundred Savory restaurant. However, Hui Lindi said that glutinous Rice¡¯s preserved chicken and duck were not as delicious as Qiao Jinniang¡¯s.. Lu Chen saw a thick stack of letters and said, ¡°It¡¯s hard for glutinous rice to write so many letters to you.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°The thicker the letters, the happier I am. This means that she is living a good life in Jiangnan. I really envy father and mother. Just like that, they can go to Jiangnan and play every day¡­¡± Lu Chen looked at glutinous Rice¡¯s letters and said, ¡°You must not make preserved chicken and duck for them.¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed. ¡°Father gave you all of his land, but you¡¯re so stingy that you don¡¯t even want to give them chicken and duck?¡± Lu Chen looked at glutinous Rice¡¯s description of his parents¡¯carefree life in Jiangnan and said, ¡°That should have been our life.¡± Lu Chen had never thought that he would ascend the throne so early. If he was still the crown prince, he could have brought Qiao Jinniang to visit a few more places. As he thought about this, Lu Chen looked at Lu Xi who was carefully copying. Why was he only five years old.. Little Lu Xi sneezed. Qiao Jinniang said nervously, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside now. You have to wear more clothes on the way to Mr. Ji¡¯s residence. It¡¯s very easy to catch a cold when it¡¯s hot and cold. I¡¯ve ordered the Minister of the palace to make a few cloaks for you. You must wear them when you go out.¡± Little Lu Xi touched her nose and said, ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang stroked the envelope in her hand and looked at the interesting stories written by the glutinous rice and the neighbors. She leaned against Lu Chen¡¯s arms and said, ¡°I think I can¡¯t go back to the normal days in the past. I used to hate the rainy days in Jiangnan, but after being away from Jiangnan for several years, I remember the misty rain in Jiangnan again.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°When Ang ¡®er is older, we should go to Lin ¡®an in the spring.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked southeast. She did not dare to Hope. With their current status, how could they go to Lin ¡®an just because they said so? They would have to spend money and labor on the way. .. There were many banquets at the end of December. Because the new emperor had ascended to the throne, many officials had to go back to Chang ¡®an to report on their duties. Last year, all the nobles in Chang ¡®an were in Luoyang, so this year¡¯s Chang ¡®an was especially lively. As the second minister of the Lin Residence, there was naturally an endless stream of foreign officials who came to visit. The Lin residence was crowded with people. Qin Miaomiao was busy socializing with the family members of the officials. Occasionally, he would accompany Fu Lu, who was pregnant, to stroll around the Chang ¡®an market. He had plenty of time. However, the imperial edict at the end of the year that made the prince consort of Qin the Duke of Qin made Qin Miaomiao feel a little flustered. Chapter 322 The position of Duke of Qin was originally inherited by the line of the son-in-law of Qin Miaomiao because he was the founding father of the country. It was only because the son-in-law of Qin Miaomiao became the son-in-law that he gave the position of Duke to Qin Miaomiao¡¯s grandfather. After the Qin family rebelled, the Huilin Emperor ordered the son-in-law of Qin Miaomiao to look for another line in the clan to inherit the title of Duke of Qin Manor. Later on, the Qin family kept making noise about this matter, and there was no conclusion for a long time. It was almost the new year, so they had to finalize the dukedom of the Qin family. Qin Miaomiao had never thought that the son-in-law of the Qin family would inherit the dukedom of the Qin family. The son-in-law of the Qin family didn¡¯t have a son, and he didn¡¯t have any descendants to inherit the dukedom. In the afternoon, another imperial edict came down, bestowing a blessing on Princess Qin Xiangxiang to inherit the property of the Qin family for the daughter of the Duke¡¯s family.. If it wasn¡¯t for the most reliable servant girl by her side who had heard the news, Qin Miaomiao would have thought that it was her own servant girl who was joking with her. ¡°How is that possible? How is that possible?¡± In the imperial court, a group of old ministers couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. They all entered the palace to beg the Emperor to take back the order. Lu Chen said bitterly, ¡°In the past, the ancestor of the Qin family helped my great Tang to establish the country and made great contributions. Now that the title of the High Duke has no successor because of marrying the daughter of the Lu family, how can I face the martyrs and the ancestors?¡± ¡°Since there are already rules for women to inherit the family business, then it is not necessarily impossible for Qin Xiangxiang to become the daughter of the Duke¡¯s public house. I can not disappoint the founding fathers!¡± The old officials were actually speechless for a moment. Hong Yang braced himself and said, ¡°Your Majesty, now that Marquis an Yuan¡¯s house is like cooking oil in a fire, if the prince consort of Qin inherits the position of Duke¡¯s house, then wouldn¡¯t the favor of the Qiao family be too much?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor is loyal to the monarch and loves the country. The men of the ancestors were sacrificed on the battlefield. Why not allow Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor to receive my favor?¡± Hong Yang: Are you loyal to the monarch and loves the country for Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor? You are clearly doing it for the Empress! However, Hong Yang did not dare to say these words. Within marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. Fu Lu received the imperial edict to become the daughter of the Crown Prince, but she was still baffled. She did not expect that one day, the position of Duke would be returned to her father and she would become the daughter of the crown prince. Although the position of princess was one level higher than that of the daughter of the crown prince, the daughter of the crown prince sounded very domineering. The corners of old Madam Qiao¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Back then, she had thought so much, but she had only underestimated Lu Chen¡¯s love for Qiao Jinniang. It seemed that the Qiao family did not need to worry about making great contributions to shock the master. ¡°Since the princess has the position of crown prince, you must work hard to have more children in the future. The first one will be the grandson of our Qiao family.¡± Old Madam Qiao said with a smile. Zheng Xiao comforted old madam qiao, ¡°Mother, surnamed Qiao and surnamed Qin are the same. Fu Lu and Lu¡¯er are both so young. There will be many children in the future. You Don¡¯t have to be anxious.¡± After Qin Miaomiao brought the Lin family¡¯s congratulatory gifts to Marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate to congratulate them, she entered her small courtyard with Fu Lu. Qin Miaomiao looked at the contents of the imperial edict word by word, his face deathly pale. Fu Lu smiled and said, ¡°You and I have fought for ten years, but in the end, the High Duke¡¯s public house is still in my hands!¡± After Fu Lu showed off, he saw that Qin Miaomiao¡¯s expression was not right and said, ¡°Sigh, what¡¯s wrong with you? Forget it, forget it, I won¡¯t laugh at you anymore.¡± Qin Miaomiao sat on the wooden stool and a drop of tears fell. ¡°Xiangxiang, what should I Do?¡± Princess Fu Lu panicked and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Qin Miaomiao had always been proud. When the Qin family was in trouble, she had never cried. When her brother was sentenced to death, she had never shed a tear. Qin Miaomiao¡¯s tears kept falling as she said, ¡°If the son-in-law of the Qin family is the High Duke, that also means that the son-in-law has military power. What about Lin Mo? Lin Mo is only a civil official. If even the High Duke can be the son-in-law, why can¡¯t Lin Mo? Do you think I will be divorced?¡± Princess Fu Lu thought about it carefully. ¡°No Wonder I suddenly gave my father the position of High Duke. So it was to pave the way for cousin Jinghua and Lin Mo!¡± ¡°If Lin Mo can be together with Princess Jinghua openly, what right do I have to sit firmly in the position of Lady Xiao Lin?¡±Qin Miaomiao said as tears fell. Princess Fu Lu advised Qin Miaomiao, ¡°You are the main wife that Lin Mo carried the palanquin to marry into the family. If he dares to divorce you, I will be the first to not forgive him! Don¡¯t worry, if Lin Mo wants to marry cousin Jinghua, he will have to settle you down first.¡± Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hands were as cold as ice, and he sighed lightly, ¡°Sigh.¡± When he went out, he coincidentally bumped into Qiao Ruoyi who was returning to the Hou mansion. Because it was going to be the New Year for you. The West Mountain Academy rested for more than half a month before Qiao Ruoyi returned to the Marquis¡¯mansion. When Qiao Ruoyi saw Qin Miaomiao, she advised her, ¡°Sister Miaomiao, I heard that His Majesty has issued two new imperial edicts today. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to consider participating in the imperial examinations? ¡°It¡¯s better to beg others than to beg yourself. Why Don¡¯t you participate in the imperial examinations in the name of the West Mountain Academy? With your literary talent and talent, you might be able to become a scholar!¡± Qin Miaomiao looked at the light in Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes and thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Alright!¡± .. In the residence of eldest Princess Jing Hua. Lin Mo informed Jing Hua of the two imperial edicts that had been issued today, ¡°The prince consort of Qin has become the Duke once again. Fu Lu is the daughter of the crown prince. Although there are objections in the imperial court, they have all agreed.¡± Jing Hua looked at Lin Mo and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too early. Have you thought of a way out for Qin Miaomiao? She is now a helpless woman. You need to take good care of her.¡± Lin Mo replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Jing Hua looked at the palace. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the Empress would really do it.¡± ¡°Empress?¡±Lin Mo asked Jing hua, ¡°Is this related to the Empress?¡± Jing hua nodded slightly and said, ¡°How could I have such a close relationship with his majesty? To have him change the rules of the ancestors for me to offend the officials and plan this? It was the Empress who agreed to help me.¡± Lin Mo:¡±¡­¡± He actually thought that His Majesty was planning this for him. It seemed like he was overestimating himself. Jing Hua said to Lin Mo, ¡°We owe the empress a huge favor¡­¡± ¡°Your Royal Highness the eldest Princess, Madam Lin has come to pay her respects. She says that she wants to meet young master Lin.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°Let her in.¡± Qin Miaomiao walked in and bowed. ¡°Her Royal Highness the eldest princess, Right Prime Minister.¡± Eldest Princess Jing Hua said to Qin miaomiao, ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to come to my residence. Please take a seat.¡± Qin Miaomiao did not sit down and said, ¡°I came here rashly because right prime minister does not often return to the Lin residence. I want to ask right prime minister to give me a letter to release my wife and Divorce Me.¡± Lin Mo replied, ¡°Okay, but you are only an orphan girl now. After you receive the letter to release your wife, do you have a place to go?¡± Eldest princess jing hua said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can come to my residence and become a third-grade female official. You can also have a place to settle down in Chang ¡®an. When that time comes, you can also slowly find a good marriage.¡± Qin Miao said, ¡°Today, I met Qiao Ruoyi.¡± Lin Mo did not know who Qiao Ruoyi was. Jing Hua had heard some things about Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s reputation. ¡°Is she the Empress¡¯s stepsister?¡± Qin Miao replied, ¡°It¡¯s her. Qiao Ruoyi is two years younger than me. In the past, although she was talented and famous, her eyes were always dull. Today, I saw that she was in high spirits, not because she was the daughter of the Queen¡¯s sister, an yuanhou, but because she was the mountain chieftain of the West Mountain Academy. She had been writing to me, inviting me to participate in the imperial examinations and to go to the West Mountain Academy. However, I felt that it would be better to marry a high-ranking official and be courted by everyone in Chang ¡®an. But seeing her today, I realized that I could have such glory by myself. You Don¡¯t have to worry about where I am going. I can settle down in the West Mountain Academy in the future.¡± Chapter 323 Jing Hua looked at Qin Miao guiltily. ¡°It¡¯s good if you want to go to West Mountain Academy. If anyone dares to bully you and gossip about you in Chang ¡®an in the future, you can come to me!¡± Qin Miao smiled and said, ¡°Then in the future, I¡¯ll have to rely on her highness the eldest princess.¡± Jing Hua ordered someone to take the land deed and gave it to Qin Miao. ¡°This is Chang ¡®an¡¯s house, right next to your original Qin family¡¯s. You can also keep the land deed for these shops.¡± Jing Hua could afford to raise so many heads, so she naturally did not lack money. To Jing Hua, this was just a drop in the bucket. Qin Miao did not decline and thanked her. ¡°Thank you for the reward, Princess.¡± Lin Mo also took out some of his private property and gave it to Qin Miao. ¡°I told you that you are my sister. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to the Lin residence to look for me.¡± Qin Miao smiled at Lin Mo. ¡°Alright, brother, sister-in-law.¡± After Qin Miao left, Jing Hua said to Lin Mo, ¡°She¡¯s an extremely intelligent person.¡± Taking the initiative to attack had caused her and Lin Mo to feel guilty. If she were to encounter any difficulties in the future, neither she nor Lin Mo could turn a blind eye. Lin Mo said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If she were to enter the officialdom, she would be like a fish in the water and rise to the top. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s too clear-headed, and she¡¯s also a pitiful person.¡± ¡°Does Your Heart Ache?¡±Jing hua raised her phoenix-like eyes and asked Lin Mo. . Lin Mo smiled and said, ¡°Are you still jealous? I just hope that she can be happy. This is also Siming¡¯s last wish.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°She¡¯s too smart. Ever since she was young, she saw the pain of her mother¡¯s wives and concubines in the High Duke¡¯s public house. She¡¯s very good at talking about feelings. Perhaps she had a throbbing feeling towards siming when she was a young girl. Unfortunately, Siming has passed away. I hope that she can meet someone who cherishes her more than Zhou Siming.¡± .. Lin Youxiang and his wife parted ways. Many people in Chang ¡®an wanted to go and see Qin Miaomiao when they heard this. Some of the young sisters who grew up together were afraid that Qin Miaomiao would be helpless and had no one to help her. Some were just there to watch a joke.. However, it was as if Qin Miaomiao had disappeared in Chang ¡®an. She did not attend banquets or go out on the streets. No one could find where she had gone. When old madam Yue heard about this, she only said it was a pity. Before the New Year, two more imperial edicts were issued. One was for Lin Mo and the eldest princess of Jinghua to be married. The other was for His Majesty to ascend the throne and start the enlistment ceremony at the beginning of March next year. The first imperial edict naturally caused the censorate to unanimously oppose it. They said that powerful officials were not allowed to marry the eldest princess and so on. It was as if Lin Mo had married the eldest princess of Jinghua and wanted to destroy the country. However, with the example of the Qin prince consort inheriting the High Duke¡¯s public house. Lin Mo¡¯s current status was not comparable to the position of the High Duke who had military power. Moreover, what powerful ministers were not allowed to marry the princess did not hold any ground. Moreover, Prime Minister Lin already had some face among the old ministers. The old ministers caused a few ruckus. Prime Minister Lin¡¯s personal visit showed that Lin Mo indeed had deep feelings for the princess. The displeased voices of the old ministers gradually died down. Within the Lin Manor. Madam Lin, however, said with a stern face, ¡°Master, you¡¯re muddle-headed! Jinghua¡¯s manor has a total of twenty male pets. If Mo¡¯er were to marry her, she would be cuckolded every day. Would she be able to call those men her brothers?¡± Prime minister Lin said, ¡°That¡¯s enough! If it wasn¡¯t for you threatening Mo¡¯er with your death back then, perhaps our grandson would be as old as the crown prince. Now that this is His Majesty¡¯s imperial edict, would our Lin family still be able to disobey it?¡± Madam Lin said, ¡°Without you bringing down your old face, would those imperial censorates be willing to let this go? The eldest princess of Jinghua has 20 male lovers. By then, you won¡¯t even know if your grandson is really from our Lin Family!¡± Prime Minister Lin saw that Madam Lin¡¯s words were getting more and more outrageous, so he said, ¡°You can say it louder. You can say it so that everyone in Chang ¡®an knows that you¡¯re disrespectful to the Princess!¡± Madam Lin said tearfully, ¡°Isn¡¯t my heart aching for My Mo¡¯er? How can the prince consort be so easy to do?¡± Jing Hua stood at the entrance of the Lin residence and looked at Lin Mo by the side. She let go of his hand that was holding hers. She originally wanted to send the Lin family to meet Lin Mo¡¯s parents, but it turned out that she was such a person in front of Madam Lin. Lin Mo held Jing Hua¡¯s hand again and said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re innocent with those people from the capital.¡± Jing hua said, ¡°Although nothing happened between us, I will not let them leave after we get married. They are willing to stay in the Princess¡¯residence. I will let them stay in the Princess¡¯residence for the rest of their lives.¡± Lin Mo frowned slightly, but he did not object. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t touch them, I can tolerate them.¡± If he really could not tolerate them, he would just wait until they reached the princess¡¯residence before chasing them away one by one. Madam Lin and Prime Minister Lin were arguing fiercely inside. Prime Minister Lin was so angry that he went out to meet Jing Hua and Lin Mo. he bowed repeatedly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the eldest princess had arrived. Sorry for not welcoming you.¡± Madam Lin, who was inside, could only wipe away her tears when she heard this and went out to welcome them. Jing hua said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. After all, we¡¯ll be a family in a few months.¡± When Mrs. Lin heard the words ¡®family¡¯, she felt extremely stifled. She was originally happy to celebrate the New Year, but Mrs. Lin did not have any thoughts at all. On New Year¡¯s Eve, there was a family banquet in the palace. After Lu Chen ascended the throne, the concubines of the Hui Lin Emperor did not move. After all, there was only Lady Qiao in the harem now. However, it was inappropriate for the imperial concubines to stay in those palaces all the time. On New Year¡¯s Eve, Lady Qiao, dressed in a light palace uniform, summoned all the imperial concubines. ¡°Imperial concubines, today is New Year¡¯s Eve. I also have something to tell you.¡± Holding the small heater in her hand, lady jian asked, ¡°Is it for the relocation?¡± Lady Qiao smiled faintly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I have also asked His Majesty¡¯s opinion. I¡¯m afraid that Father will not return to the palace for the next few years while he is traveling.¡± One of the imperial concubines also laughed and said, ¡°Your Highness, you must be joking. What difference does it make whether retired emperor is in the palace or not?¡± Many of the concubines of the Hui Lin Emperor Sighed. How Long Empress Zhou was in the palace, how long they would be alone in the empty boudoir. Qiao Jinniang felt a little awkward and said, ¡°King Lu, King Qi, and King Chu have both written to show their filial piety to the imperial concubines. I wonder if mother Jian and the others are willing to go to the mansions of the Royal Brothers?¡± The concubines with children were all very happy and agreed. Who wouldn¡¯t be happy if they could share the joy of family with their son? Qiao Jin continued, ¡°There are also beautiful mothers and their nephews who have written a letter to take all the mothers and concubines back to their families. I wonder if all the mothers and concubines would be willing to go back to their families?¡± The concubines without children looked at each other. They were not young anymore and staying in the palace would only be a waste of time. If they could go back to their parents¡¯home, they would at least have the title of concubines, and they would be given a share in the palace. When they went back to their parents¡¯home, they would naturally be praised. This could be considered a good thing. They all agreed. Qiao Jinniang never thought that it would be so easy for these concubines to leave the palace. After the New Year¡¯s Eve, these concubines ordered people to pack up their things and go to their sons¡¯home, and go back to their parents¡¯home. In order to show her filial piety to Lu Chen, Qiao Jinniang took a lot of things from the storeroom and gave them gifts. The King of Qi and the king of Chu almost cried when they saw their mother-in-law. Finally, someone came to rule over the female tigers in the manor.. Little did they know that their mother-in-law had been neglected in the palace for more than twenty years. Seeing that their daughter-in-law did not want to seize power in the manor and was content to play with their grandchildren, wouldn¡¯t it be better for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to be harmonious? Chapter 324 Eldest Princess Jing Hua and Lin Mo¡¯s wedding date was at the beginning of March. There were still more than three months to go. However, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Rites had already started to get busy. They had chosen the address to be the Fuma¡¯s residence. When Madam Lin heard that Lin Mo was going to live with his parents after his wedding, she became even more displeased. On New Year¡¯s Eve, when Madam Lin entered the palace as her wife to attend the palace banquet, she heard Madam Hong Yang Say: ¡°This time, eldest Princess Jing Hua is able to marry Prime Minister Lin You. The Empress has put in a lot of effort.¡± When Madam Lin heard this, she clenched her hands tightly and listened to the madams at the side discussing the matter of the princess meeting her husband.. When some sharp-eyed madams saw that Madam Lin had arrived, they all signaled for the madams beside them to keep quiet. When Madam Lin heard this, she was extremely angry and sat on the position of the head of her wife. It was unknown which female official had arranged the positions, but above Madam Lin¡¯s position was the eldest princess of Jinghua. When madam Lin smelled the decadent fragrance on the eldest princess, her head hurt. She had thought that it was the emperor¡¯s idea, but it turned out that it was the Empress¡¯s idea. Could it be that Prime Minister Lin had sent an excerpt some time ago to let the Emperor marry a concubine and offended the Empress? He had made the Empress spend a lot of effort to find this extremely lousy marriage for Lin Mo! Yue Zhu had been in Chang ¡®an for many days, and she had become good friends with Hong Yang¡¯s daughter, Hong Qifeng. Today, at the palace banquet, the two were close, so they sat together. Yue Zhu stretched her head and said, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t his majesty and the Empress Come Yet?¡± Hong Qifeng smiled lightly and said, ¡°Is this your first time seeing the Empress?¡± Yue Zhu shook her head and said, ¡°No, His Majesty and the Empress came to Longxi last year, and I saw the Empress in Longxi. The Empress is very beautiful. No Wonder His Majesty is willing to favor the six palaces and no longer take concubines for her.¡± Hong Qifeng smiled and said, ¡°The empress is indeed beautiful, but I think His Majesty is even more beautiful.¡± The two little girls were not the only ones waiting for the empress to come. There were also some noble girls who did not give up and wanted to enter the palace. They just waited, but when the Empress felt unwell, the palace banquet was canceled today. In the Changle Palace. Lady Qiao Jin felt very uncomfortable in her heart. She wanted to vomit, but she could not. Hong Ling, who was waiting on the side, guessed, ¡°Is the Empress pregnant again?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Being pregnant in succession was harmful to her body. Even if she wanted to have a daughter, she had no intention of having another child before Ang ¡®er was three years old. Moreover, xi ¡®er was still young. If another child came, Qiao Jinniang was afraid that she would be overwhelmed and biased against the children. Lu Chen brought the imperial physician in. He sat beside Lady Qiao and held her hand tightly. ¡°Why are your hands so cold?¡± Lady Qiao said to Lu Chen, ¡°There¡¯s a palace banquet in the palace today. You¡¯d better hurry and go. ¡°You haven¡¯t been going outside and you don¡¯t dare to hold a banquet. We¡¯ll hold the banquet earlier today on New Year¡¯s Eve and have them return to the manor to reunite.¡± Lu Chen was worried about Lady Qiao and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered people to cancel today¡¯s palace banquet.¡± Lu Chen immediately asked the court chief to check Lady Qiao¡¯s pulse. After the court chief checked her pulse, he said slightly, ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s pulse is showing signs of slipping.¡± Lady Qiao frowned slightly and said, ¡°How can that be? We clearly¡­¡± In front of the imperial physician, Lady Qiao was embarrassed to talk about the matters in the room. Lu Chen did not care and said to the imperial physician, ¡°After I have sex with the empress, I will try my best not to get pregnant.¡± Lu Chen remembered that after giving birth to Xi¡¯er, the midwife had said that it was best not to get pregnant in succession. Furthermore, when Lady Jin gave birth to her first child, she was only sixteen years old. It would be better if she gave birth to another child every two to three years in the future. The imperial physician said, ¡°Other than using medicine, the other methods can not be completely free of pregnancy. ¡°However, your Majesty¡¯s pulse is still shallow and we can not confirm it. I wonder if your Majesty still feels uncomfortable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I feel nauseous and want to throw up. I feel like something is falling in my stomach.¡± Qiao jinniang clutched her lower abdomen, feeling extremely uncomfortable. The imperial physician checked Qiao Jinniang¡¯s pulse again, and said with a slightly embarrassed expression, ¡°What did your Majesty eat for breakfast and lunch today?¡± Hong Ling answered from the side, ¡°Your Majesty wrapped sesame rice balls today, and ate about ten of them. She also ate a bowl of osmanthus wine fermented rice balls¡­¡± The imperial physician:¡±¡­¡± Lu Chen looked helplessly at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Even if you love eating rice balls, you shouldn¡¯t eat so many of them at once.¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time that she felt uncomfortable eating rice balls. The imperial physician cupped his hands and said, ¡°In that case, the slippery meridian corresponds to delayed eating. I will write a prescription to strengthen the stomach and digest food. After the imperial concubine takes it, she will carefully adjust it.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Thank you, imperial physician.¡± ¡°You are welcome, Your Highness.¡± After the imperial physician left, Lu Chen said, ¡°Glutinous rice balls are easy to accumulate food. Why do you eat so much?¡± Although he complained, he still rubbed his thumb for Qiao Jinniang. In the past, when Qiao Jinniang accumulated food, a doctor had said that pressing this acupuncture point was useful. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten for a long time. Chang ¡®an doesn¡¯t like to eat this. Today, I finally made some and couldn¡¯t hold it in for a while.¡± Lu Chen stood up with Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°After you take the medicine, I¡¯ll take you outside the Palace to digest your food.¡± ¡°Today is New Year¡¯s Eve. What¡¯s there to see outside the palace?¡±Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Every family is reunited.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to the Qiao estate to reunite.¡± Qiao Jinniang had never been reunited with the Qiao family for long. After getting married, Zheng Xiao could only occasionally visit the palace. There were so many things going on in Marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate, Fu Lu was pregnant, and Zheng Xiao couldn¡¯t stay in the palace for long. Today, it was time for Qiao Jinniang to return to the manor to reunite. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes lit up, and she smiled. ¡°Alright!¡± .. In the manor of Marquis an Yuan, Zheng Xiao¡¯s face was filled with worry. The New Year¡¯s Eve banquet in the palace had never been canceled. It was unknown what serious illness the Jinniang had contracted that day, and there had been no news from the palace. It wasn¡¯t until the gatekeeper stumbled and rushed into the hall to report that second aunt and second son-in-law had returned that the members of the Qiao family still hadn¡¯t reacted to this form of address. When Old Madam Qiao came to her senses, she said, ¡°Quick, go to the door to welcome them!¡± After Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen entered, everyone bowed profusely. Qiao Jinniang held Old Madam Qiao and Zheng Xiao and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities.¡± Zheng Xiao asked worriedly, ¡°How is the Empress¡¯s Health?¡± Qiao jinniang replied, ¡°It¡¯s already much better. That¡¯s why I came out of the palace. How come I don¡¯t see Fu Lu, Ah Lui, and Ruo Yi?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Fu Lu and Ah Lui have gone back to the eldest princess¡¯residence for dinner. They¡¯ll be back soon. As for Ruyi, she said that since the date of Enke has been set, she¡¯ll go back to the West Mountain to study. From the looks of it, she¡¯s definitely going to take the female scholar exam.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly and said, ¡°Ah Lui¡¯s heart yearns for the position of female scholar. If Ruyi gets it, it¡¯ll be our Qiao family¡¯s ancestors burning incense.¡± Marquis an Yuan snorted lightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a girl¡¯s game! When the fame falls, she will know how to cry.¡± These words naturally drew the angry stares of Zheng Xiao, Qiao Jinniang, and Old Madam Qiao.. Zheng Xiao held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I know that you and ruoyi are very close. You should also persuade her. There are not many young talents in Chang ¡®an city. If she wants to observe her aunt¡¯s filial piety, it¡¯s fine if she wants to get married in a few years, but it has to be settled¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Zheng Xiao, ¡°Mother, pay attention first. I¡¯ll persuade her the next time I see her.¡± Chapter 325 The Empress was seriously ill and canceled New Year¡¯s Eve, which attracted a lot of speculation. Some even felt that the empress being seriously ill was a good thing. As a result, His Majesty would definitely take in a concubine. However, on the first day of the first month of the next day, Lady Qiao was greeted by all the wives of Chang ¡®an. This made the noble ladies who had their thoughts deeply disappointed. After paying her respects, old madam Yue did not leave the palace and returned to the palace. Lady Qiao looked at Old Madam Yue and asked, ¡°Old Madam, is there anything?¡± Old Madam Yue sighed and said, ¡°Sigh, speaking of which, I did ask the Empress for help in Longxi. ¡°Yue Zhan is not young anymore and I, an old woman, have already stepped into the gates of Hell. I just want him to get married and have someone who knows everything.¡± Lady Qiao said, ¡°The hearts of parents are pitiful. Don¡¯t worry, Old Madam Yue. When fate has arrived, envoy Yue Jiedu will naturally have a good marriage.¡± Old madam Yue said, ¡°His heart is filled with the eldest princess Jing Hua. When Jing Hua and Lin Mo failed, he was upset. Now that the two of them are about to get married, he is also upset. ¡°Sigh, I heard that the Empress and Qin Miaomiao used to have a good relationship in the boudoir. I would like to ask the empress to grant me a marriage.¡± When Lady Qiao heard the cries of Ang¡¯er, she hugged ang¡¯er from the wet nurse¡¯s hands and said, ¡°If the two of them hate each other, a marriage is not a good thing, but rather, it creates a pair of resentful spouses.¡± ¡°I can help set them up. As for the marriage, forgive me for not being able to do it.¡± Old madam Yue said, ¡°If the Empress is willing to help set them up, that would be the best.¡± .. In the West Mountain Academy. Qin Miaomiao received the questions from the previous imperial examinations and the essays written by the people before her. She discussed with Qiao ruoyi about the inadequacies in the essays. ¡°From the previous imperial examinations and the civil examinations, it seems that His Majesty cares about the actual strategy and not the splendid essays. These are the inadequacies of both of us.¡± Compared to the pile of flowery words, the literary talent of the two of them might not lose to those men. However, if they were to be honest, one of them was the daughter of the Duke. Although there were great ups and downs in life, they had never experienced the life of the common people. The other was the daughter of the Duke¡¯s manor, and she had never suffered much. Coming to the west mountain was the greatest suffering that Qiao Ruoyi had suffered. Qiao ruoyi knew that it made sense. ¡°That¡¯s right, so you and I need to learn more about the new laws. Hong Qifeng guessed that Enke will definitely test the new laws this year.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°I heard that you have quite a number of Xie family¡¯s sole copies?¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°Are there books about laws in there? Why don¡¯t we start from the law history books in the previous court?¡± Qiao Ruoi took out a law book from the previous court and said, ¡°At that time, the aristocratic families ruled, so the laws were all based on the aristocratic families. You can take a look first.¡± Qin Miaomiao flipped through it and revealed a small portrait. ¡°This portrait looks like the Empress. How can you like your sister so much? Even the bookmark is a portrait of your sister?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°This is the portrait in Xie Yun¡¯s book. I thought this was a portrait of Xie Yun when he was young.¡± Qin miaomiao smiled and said, ¡°This looks like a portrait of the Empress¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said curiously, ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why is there a portrait of my sister in Xie Yun¡¯s book?¡±. ¡°However, Xie Yun has been dead for so long. I¡¯ll have to burn an incense stick for him when it¡¯s Qingming.¡± Qin Miao said, ¡°When the Qingming Festival comes, you won¡¯t be able to go to Jiangnan to burn incense for Xie Yun¡¯s grave. ¡°Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be better to set up a memorial tablet for Xie Yun in the West Mountain Academy and receive the teachings of the students every day?¡± Qiao ruoyi felt that it made sense and ordered someone to get a memorial tablet and place it in the backyard of the West Mountain Academy. .. Qiao Jinniang agreed to old Madam Yue¡¯s suggestion and ordered someone to go to the West Mountain to invite Qin Miao to the palace. Qiao Jinniang saw Qin Miao dressed in linen clothes and asked, ¡°Why are you dressed in linen clothes?¡± Qin Shu deserved his death and it was inappropriate for Qin Miao to wear linen to show his filial piety. Only then did Qin Miao realize that he was not dressed properly. He quickly explained, ¡°Today, Xie Yun¡¯s memorial tablet entered the West Mountain Academy. Everyone in the Academy wore a mourning robe for Xie Yun for three days. The Empress summoned me so urgently that I forgot.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°This is inappropriate. It¡¯s better to remove Xie Yun¡¯s memorial tablet.¡± Qin miaomiao persuaded Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Your Majesty, although Xie Yun was the crown princess consort that Retired Emperor took a fancy to back then, she treated you extremely well. Now that she has passed away, if you can¡¯t even accept Xie Yun¡¯s memorial tablet, I¡¯m afraid that people will talk about it.¡± Qiao Jin:¡±¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t accept Xie Yun¡¯s memorial tablet, it was that Xie Yun was alive and well, what kind of ranking did she have.. However, this matter was extremely secretive. After all, it was related to the crime of deceiving the emperor, so the fewer people who knew about it, the better. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Old Madam Yue came to look for me. Last time, I also asked you about your thoughts. Now that you and Lin Mo have separated, are you willing to marry Yue Zhan?¡± Qin Miaomiao shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to marry Lin Mo. I know that he has eldest Princess Jing Hua in his heart, but he still has the Lin family and his mother in his heart. ¡°I only treat him as my husband in name. The two parties are only working together. ¡°But Yue Zhan is different. He only has the eldest princess in his heart. If I marry him, he won¡¯t respect me like Lin Mo does. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s just resentful of me.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw that Qin Miaomiao was clear-headed, so she said, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re going to participate in the scientific examination with Ruo Yi. If you can pass the examination, you¡¯ll be able to stand on your own feet. It¡¯ll be much better than marrying someone and serving your mother-in-law.¡± Qin miaomiao nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If I Can¡¯t pass the examination, I can also stay in the western mountain. After all, with Ruoyi¡¯s talent, I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t be able to stay in the Western Mountain Academy for long.¡± When Qin Miaomiao left the palace, he happened to bump into Yue Zhan, who had also come out from the palace. Yue Zhan saw that Qin Miaomiao was dressed in hemp clothes and said, ¡°You have guts too. You even dared to wear such clothes when you entered the palace. It¡¯s a good thing that the Empress doesn¡¯t mind.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°This is for Miss Xie Yun to wear sackcloth to show her filial piety. Miss Xie Yun died at such a young age. When she was alive, she gave out so many ancient books and rare books. As the beneficiary, I should be the one to show her filial piety.¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°You are really loyal.¡± ¡°Sister Miaomiao.¡± Outside the palace, Yue Zhu¡¯s little head popped out from the carriage waiting for Yue Zhan. ¡°Sister Miao Miao, where have you been? I¡¯ve been trying to find you, but I couldn¡¯t find you to play with.¡± Qin Miao Miao looked at Yue Zhu, who had turned a lot whiter, and said, ¡°Enke will be here in two months. I¡¯m studying in the West Mountain Academy. I¡¯ll play with you after the imperial examinations.¡± Yue Zhu said, ¡°Sister Qifeng also said that she wanted to play with Enke. Since you guys have already played with Enke, there¡¯s no one left to play with.¡± Yue Zhan said to yue zhu, ¡°You only want to play all day long. At your age, you should be at ease in choosing a husband for marriage.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already so old. Why Don¡¯t you find me a sister-in-law? You¡¯re drunk every day and call out the title of eldest princess, yet you don¡¯t even try to snatch it back. And you still have the nerve to scold me!¡± Yue Zhu retorted weakly, then turned her head to Qin Miaomiao and said, ¡°Sister Miaomiao, you haven¡¯t been to my house, have you? I¡¯ll bring you to my house to play. The lantern festival will be in a few days. There are very beautiful lanterns in my house!¡± Chapter 326 Qin Miao smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not dressed well today, so I¡¯ll definitely visit you some other day.¡± As soon as she said that, it started to rain heavily. The road to the west mountain would not be easy to walk once it started to rain heavily. The weather was already cold, so Qin Miao could only stay in Chang ¡®an when the heavy rain fell. Yue Zhan said to Qin Miao, ¡°You can¡¯t walk on the road to the west mountain once it starts to rain. You can stay in Chang ¡®an today. If you don¡¯t have a place to stay, you can squeeze in with Yue Zhu for the night.¡± It was rare for Yue Zhu to have a big sister that she could play with. If she could stay in Chang ¡®an as a general, Yue Zhu¡¯s future marriage would also be set in Chang ¡®an. Yue Zhu pulled Qin miaomiao into the carriage vigorously. ¡°Okay, okay. Big Sister, come home with me!¡± Being pulled by Yue Zhu, Qin Miaomiao widened her eyes. She was a few years older than Yue Zhu. In front of Yue Zhu¡¯s strength, she was as light as a feather. By the time she came back to her senses, she was already in the carriage. Yue Zhan was originally riding a horse, so he did not wear a straw raincoat, so he entered the carriage. The Yue family¡¯s carriage was not spacious, and Yue Zhan was sitting next to it. Qin Miaomiao¡¯s nose was filled with the ambergris that Yue Zhan had gotten from staying in the Tai Chi Palace for a long time. Qin Miaomiao arrived at the Yue family¡¯s door and said, ¡°General Yue, Miss Yue, I¡¯m wearing mourning clothes today, so I won¡¯t go in. If I don¡¯t run into your Yue family, I¡¯ll just hide from the rain at the door.¡± Yue Zhu said, ¡°The Yue family was born as a general, so they don¡¯t believe in such things.¡± Yue Zhu pulled Qin Miaomiao all the way into the residence. Qin Miaomiao went to visit old madam Yue. Qin Miaomiao had always been a good person, and offending the Yue family at this time wouldn¡¯t do her any good. She repeatedly rejected old madam Yue, afraid that she would make old madam Yue unhappy. Now that she was here, it would be inappropriate for her to leave. It was not the first time old madam Yue had seen Qin Miaomiao. It was just that she had always looked at her from afar. Today, when she saw her, she praised, ¡°So Miss Qin is so beautiful.¡± Her son¡¯s eyes were crippled. Even such a beautiful lady would not be moved! As the saying goes, a beautiful woman must be filial. Even Old Madam Yue looked at Qin Miaomiao, who was dressed in a white traditional dress, pitifully. Qin miaomiao said, ¡°Old Madam, you flatter me. I heard that old madam was beautiful when she was young. I heard that she was the most beautiful woman in Longxi. Looking at Zhu¡¯er¡¯s appearance, I know what kind of role she played when she was young.¡± Which woman did not want to be praised for her beauty? When Qin Miaomiao praised someone, he seemed to be very sincere. This made old madam Yue very happy. It was lunchtime, and when Qin Miaomiao was having lunch, he also coaxed old madam Yue and Yue Zhu to be happy. Yue Zhan could not help but look at Qin Miaomiao. She was young and had many changes. He originally thought that Qin Miaomiao would not be willing to abdicate with Li and Jing Hua after getting married to the Lin family. However, she took the initiative to ask for a divorce. She was so young and clear-minded. Old Madam Yue held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s hard for you to be so agreeable to me. If you can be my daughter-in-law¡­¡± Qin miaomiao smiled and said, ¡°I also feel that I am fated with Old Madam. Old Madam is the same as my mother. If I can be your goddaughter, it would be the greatest blessing in my life.¡± The word ¡®goddaughter¡¯shut old madam Yue¡¯s mouth. The old Madam Understood Qin Miaomiao¡¯s thoughts and said, ¡°Of course. In the future, you can call me godmother.¡± Yue Zhu happily held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sister Miaomiao, from now on, we will be a family.¡± The old madam said to Yue Zhan, ¡°From now on, we will be your sister. You have to treat her better. Help her out more in Chang ¡®an.¡± Yue Zhan frowned slightly and nodded coldly. The rain in the afternoon did not stop. Qin Miaomiao had a house in Chang ¡®an that was given to her by Jing Hua. Naturally, she would not stay in the Yue family and sleep peacefully. After dinner, Yue Zhu and old madam Yue looked at Qin Miaomiao reluctantly. Old Madam Yue saw that the sky outside was already dark. She said to Yue Zhan, ¡°Send your sister back to her residence. It¡¯s raining at night. I Can¡¯t be at ease with her going back alone.¡± Yue Zhan Xin said that it wasn¡¯t like the Yue family didn¡¯t have guards, why did he have to personally send her off? But if he didn¡¯t send his mother off, he would probably be angry again. The night was dark, and a small lamp was lit in the carriage. Yue Zhan glanced and saw Qin Mengmeng¡¯s face under the dim light. For some reason, he thought of a sentence. Looking at the moon in the Mist, the dim light saw Qin Mengmeng¡¯s face, and only then did he know that she was also a beauty. ¡°Thank you so much for today, Miss Qin. It has been a long time since my mother was this happy.¡± Qin Meng said lightly, ¡°After my mother left, I have not coaxed an elder like this. Old Madam Yue is actually the same as my mother. I can see that old madam Yue really loves General Yue.¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°There are very few mothers in the world who do not love their children. I am unfilial.¡± Qin Miao did not say anything else. She returned to the house that the princess had given her. Qin Miao said to Yue Zhan, ¡°General Yue, I am here. Thank you for your hospitality today.¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°Since my mother has acknowledged you as her goddaughter, there is no need to be so polite.¡± Qin Miao only knew one thing after she got off the carriage. She had taken two of the Lin family¡¯s maidservants with her. She had also brought them to the West Mountain Academy. Today, the maidservants were not allowed to enter the palace, so she did not bring her own maidservant over. This princess had given her the manor and not her servants. In such a large courtyard, there was not even a gatekeeper.. When she pushed open the door, it was pitch black. It was raining, and the lanterns could not shine far. Just as Qin Miao was sighing and thinking whether she should go to the inn or look for Xunfu Lu in marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor to stay for the night, she heard footsteps behind her. Yue Zhan said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you stay in the Yue residence. It was a wasted trip.¡± Qin Miaomiao:¡±¡­¡± How did she know that the eldest princess had given her a garden but not a servant. Yue Zhan said to Qin miaomiao, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s go back to the Yue residence.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll just stay here. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a place to rest in the house. General Yue, be careful on the way back.¡± Qin Miaomiao straightened his back and entered the house while holding the lantern in his hand. The house was a little eerie. This house used to belong to Jian Youxiang¡¯s younger brother. After the Jian family was confiscated, it was bought by Jing Hua. Qin Miaomiao forced himself not to be afraid all the way in. Until a gust of wind blew away the raindrops on the pine tree by the side. The rain coincidentally entered the lantern and extinguished the candle light that could bring Qin Miaomiao the only light. Qin Miaomiao saw the lantern go dark and listened to the pitter-patter of rain. In an unfamiliar place, darkness and the biting cold wind interweaved, and fear constantly attacked Qin Miaomiao.. ¡°A child does not speak of strange powers and chaotic gods¡­¡± ¡°A Bodhisattva who observes freedom, his five reserves are all empty¡­¡± ¡°Boundless heavenly venerate¡­¡± Qin Miaomiao tried to persuade herself that there were no ghosts in this world, but she kept reciting Buddhist scriptures and Daoist names. She squatted under the eaves of the corridor and hugged herself tightly, allowing the wind to pass through the Raindrops and fall on her body. Chapter 327 Yue Zhan did not leave the door. After a long while, he did not see the lights lit up inside. For some reason, he felt a little worried. Seeing that this little girl had coaxed his mother and sister for a day, Yue Zhan could only wait for another quarter of an hour. It was already quarter of an hour, but there was no candlelight in the room. Yue Zhan pushed the lantern aside and carried it inside. From Afar, he could hear the little girl¡¯s soft voice under the corridor, reciting the mantra over and over again.. ¡°Ah!¡± A series of screams rang out as Yue Zhan rushed over with the lantern. When he saw that Qin Miaomiao¡¯s body was already drenched, he heard the wild cat¡¯s mournful cry, ¡°Meow.¡± Qin Miaomiao was so scared that she was trembling. Yue Zhan strode over. Before he could say anything, Qin Miaomiao threw herself into his arms. ¡°General, save me!¡± Yue Zhan¡¯s entire body trembled as his Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a little black cat.¡± Through the lantern, Qin Miaomiao saw the Little Black Cat not far away. Her eyes shone with a green light, and she meowed at Qin Miaomiao with great courage. Qin Miaomiao was so frightened that she did not dare to look again, and even hugged Yue Zhan tightly. She had been afraid of Black Cats since she was young. Yue Zhan¡¯s nephrite was in her arms, and she did not dare to move at all. Seeing that Qin Miaomiao¡¯s entire body was cold, she took off her overcoat and covered her with it: ¡°I¡¯m afraid of catching a cold in the winter rain. Hurry up and follow me back to the Yue residence.¡± This courtyard was not a place for humans to live. Qin Miaomiao smelled the rich fragrance on the cloak and gradually felt a little dizzy. She fainted in Yue Zhan¡¯s arms. Yue Zhan had no choice but to reach out to stop her. The guards at the side brought the lanterns forward and back. Yue Zhan carried Qin Miaomiao horizontally. When they were leaving, Qiu Yue came looking for the cat with the lantern. Qiu Yue saw Yue Zhan and qin miaomiao and said, ¡°So there¡¯s someone in this mansion. My Cat just ran here¡­¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°Just go in and look for it.¡±. Qiu Yue looked at Yue Zhan¡¯s back curiously. She had a feeling that the woman in Yue Zhan¡¯s arms seemed familiar. It was as if she had seen her at a banquet. After a long time, she remembered. Wasn¡¯t that Lin Mo and his wife, Qin Miaomiao, who had not been away for long? .. At the Yue residence. Yue Zhan carried the unconscious Qin Miaomiao and was supposed to go to Yue Zhu¡¯s courtyard. However, thinking that it was already too late, he was afraid that Mrs. Yue would be worried, so he placed Qin Miaomiao in his courtyard. He found the imperial physician to check Qin Miaomiao¡¯s pulse. After checking her pulse, the imperial physician said softly, ¡°General, Miss Qin is overly frightened and has typhoid fever after being caught in the rain. ¡°It¡¯s time for her to shower and change into clean clothes as soon as possible. I¡¯ll give her a prescription for heat dissipation.¡± Yue Zhan found a servant girl to Bathe Qin Miaomiao. Although Yue Zhu was a few years younger than Qin Miaomiao, she was taller than Qin Miaomiao. Her clothes made Qin Miaomiao look even thinner. Yue Zhan watched as the servant girl fed Qin Meng Medicine. Qin Meng woke up slightly and her mouth was filled with the bitter smell of medicine. Qin Meng opened her eyes and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Where is this place?¡± Yue Zhan answered from the side, ¡°This is the Yue residence. Why do you have to act Tough?¡±? You are now an orphan girl. If I didn¡¯t return today, would you have stayed under the eaves for a night of wind and rain, afraid for a night, and waited for your corpse to rot for someone to come and collect it for you?¡± Qin Miao Miao said in a small voice, ¡°I did not want to put on a brave front either. I originally wanted to go to my room to take a look. If I did not have a bed, I would have gone to the an Yuan Marquis mansion to stay for an entire night. Who knew that halfway through, there would be no candlelight. I did not even know where to go to that place where I could not even see my fingers.¡± Qin Miao Miao might be able to fend for herself, but she was only an eighteen-year-old girl. Without the lights, how would she dare to leave. Yue Zhan said snappily, ¡°Drink the medicine and stay here obediently for the night.¡± After saying that, Yue Zhan left. Qin Miaomiao looked at the quilt on her body and then at the decorations in the room. She asked the servant girl, ¡°Where is this place?¡± ¡°This is my general¡¯s master bedroom.¡± Qin Miaomiao thought to herself, no wonder this quilt still had the faint scent of ambergris. She really had a terrible headache, and the bottom of her throat was also hoarse and swollen, so she did not care whether this was Yue Zhan¡¯s blanket or not. After all, she had also acknowledged her godfather and only treated it as her brother¡¯s blanket. The sickness came and went like a mountain, and the sickness was like a thread. The next day, Qin Miaomiao felt even more uncomfortable. After drinking the medicine, she vomited.. It had been a long time since she had such a serious illness. When old madam Yue and Yue Zhu heard the servant girl¡¯s words, they came to Yue Zhan¡¯s room early in the morning to visit Qin Miaomiao. Old madam Yue said, ¡°Rest assured and rest well in the Yue residence. Poor Child¡­¡± If it was someone else, who had fallen from being the daughter of the High Duke¡¯s public house to being an orphan and had to go through a divorce, how could they be as strong as Qin Miaomiao. Initially, she had hidden the intention of making Lin Mo lose face. Furthermore, Yue Zhu Liked Qin Miaomiao, which was why Old Madam Yue wanted Qin Miaomiao to be her daughter-in-law. At this moment, her heart truly ached for her. The imperial physician had thought of many ways to make it difficult for Qin Miaomiao to use the medicine, so old madam Yue ordered someone to get the imperial physician over. After the imperial physician arrived, he said to old madam Yue, ¡°Miss Qin¡¯s thoughts are too heavy, and she has been caught in the cold rain and is showing signs of a serious cold. It¡¯s better to rest well and use more medicine. The problem is that her spleen and stomach are severely damaged and she vomited out all the medicine she took¡­¡± Old madam Yue said anxiously, ¡°How can this be good? If her spleen and stomach are damaged and she can¡¯t take the medicine, how can she get better?¡± The imperial physician said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we try using the medicinal cuisine? The crown prince in the palace also had a cold and couldn¡¯t drink the medicine. The Empress made the medicinal cuisine and let the crown prince drink the medicine.¡± Old Madam Yue ordered the chefs in the residence to make the medicinal cuisine, but the chefs in the residence were all from Longxi and did not know how to make it. Old Madam Yue looked at the weakening Qin Miaomiao and sighed. Yue Zhan returned from the palace and saw the weak Qin Miaomiao. He thought of Jing Hua whom he met in the palace when he was young. At that time, Jing Hua was still young. Although she was a princess, because of her mother¡¯s incompetence, she was not allowed to go to the emperor. Therefore, even though Jing Hua was a noble princess, the palace maids around her were still sly and lazy. They did not follow her at all times. That day, in order to pick up the shuttlecock that fell into the lake, she went into the river and almost died. When Yue Zhan passed by, he happened to see Jing Hua and saved her. However, she was full of thoughts on the shuttlecock in the lake. When the palace maids around Yue Zhan saw that the princess had fallen into the river, they were scared out of their wits. They advised Jing Hua to quickly return to the palace to change into new clothes. However, at that time, Jing Hua went down to the river to pick up the shuttlecock without hesitation. This was the first time Yue Zhan had seen such a stubborn woman. In the end, the shuttlecock was salvaged. However, Jing Hua was punished by her mother to kneel in the small temple hall in the palace. At that time, Yue Zhan also sneakily went to the small temple hall in the palace because the Hui Lin Emperor liked it. Seeing that Jing Hua was extremely weak and sleepy, she still held the shuttlecock in her hand. Later, Yue Zhan found jing hua unconscious in the temple hall and went to invite the imperial physician. The imperial physician said that it was fortunate that it was in time, otherwise Jing Hua would have been delirious from the fever. The Emperor and Empress severely reprimanded Jing Hua¡¯s palace servants and mother-in-law. When Yue Zhan returned to Longxi, he still could not forget Jing Hua and was afraid that she would be bullied. He wrote letters to Jing Hua, but he did not reply to any of them. When he asked to marry Jing Hua, he half-forced Hui Lindi and sincerely begged Hui Lindi. Seeing that he was sincere to Jing Hua, Hui Lindi agreed to grant him the marriage. Chapter 328 When Yue Zhan requested the emperor to grant him a marriage, he already knew of Lin Mo¡¯s existence.. But he also knew that Lin Mo¡¯s mother was on a hunger strike and forced Lin Mo not to marry Jing Hua. Then he might as well marry her! After dealing with the Longxi king, he would rather not have this military rank that had been passed down from generation to generation, and also want to protect Jing Hua. However, Jinghua kept sending letters back to Chang ¡®an, asking for peace. What he received was Jinghua telling him that the shuttlecock that she protected with her life was Lin Mo¡¯s first gift to her. At that time, Yue Zhan realized that he was a joke. Jinghua didn¡¯t need his protection at all. This silly princess would rather fall in love with the weak scholar Lin Mo than him. Yue Zhan didn¡¯t want to be the person who hurt Jinghua, so he had to let her go and let her go back to Chang ¡®an. However, he still couldn¡¯t let go of the girl that he had protected for years. He had been paying attention to Chang ¡®an and knew that Lin Mo didn¡¯t treat her well. He knew that she had taken in many facemasks, and all of them looked like Lin Mo. . ¡°Yue Zhan, Yue Zhan!¡± Yue Zhan heard old madam Yue¡¯s voice and came back to his senses. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Qin Miao Miao can¡¯t go on like this without taking medicine. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the palace and ask the empress to tell me how to prepare the medicinal cuisine. You take good care of Miao Miao.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±Yue Zhan agreed. Old Madam Yue called Yue Zhu over and went into the palace together. Yue Zhan heard Qin Miaomiao¡¯s murmurs and called out for his mother. Yue Zhan could not help but overlap the pale-faced her with Jing Hua, who was in a daze in the small temple hall at that time. Thinking back to last night, when she threw herself into his arms, Yue Zhan¡¯s heart was a little chaotic. He thought back to last night, the moment she hugged him, he felt his breathing suffocate. This feeling had never appeared on Jing Hua before.. For a moment, he could not tell if he really loved Jing Hua, or if he felt more pity than affection? .. It was the time to take a break in the Changle Palace. When Lu Chen was still resting, he had accompanied Qiao Jinniang to take a break in the afternoon. However, as he rested, his mood changed.. Qiao jinniang said softly, ¡°You¡¯re His Majesty now. Why are you still fooling around in broad daylight like you did in Lin ¡®an?¡± ¡°Even though being an emperor means that you can¡¯t have a loving couple in the day¡­¡± Before Lu Chen could finish his sentence, Yu Yan¡¯s soft voice came from the door, ¡°Your Highness, Old Madam Yue is kneeling at the palace door saying that she has something urgent to see you.¡± Qiao Jin said, ¡°The rain has just stopped outside and the ground is filled with water. Let Her in quickly.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Let¡¯s Rest first.¡± Qiao Jin stood up and said, ¡°If old madam Yue didn¡¯t have something urgent to do, she wouldn¡¯t be kneeling at the palace entrance at this time.¡± Lu Chen frowned and thought that it would be best if old madam Yue really had something urgent to do. If not, no matter what Yue Zhan did, he would still give Yue Zhan a marriage to let old madam Yue have some things to do so that she wouldn¡¯t have to come into the palace from time to time. Lady Qiao received old Madam Yue. Old Madam Yue knelt down and said, ¡°It is not right to disturb the empress. However, Qin Miaomiao was caught in the rain last night. His high fever did not subside and he suffered from a serious cold. Because of his family¡¯s decline, he often suffered from hunger in the southwest, causing his spleen and stomach to become weak. Right now, he would spit out whatever medicine he drank, and he could not take any medicine. He had been in a daze for a long time. Hearing from the imperial physician that the Empress knew how to make medicinal cuisine, I dared to ask the Empress for a recipe.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°There are many high-ranking officials and nobles in Chang ¡®an who have cooks who know how to make medicinal cuisine. Are you bothering the empress over such a small matter? Or do you see the Empress as a Cook?¡± Old Madam Yue repeatedly kowtowed and said, ¡°I dare not.¡± Under her sleeves, Lady Qiao fiercely pinched Lu Chen. The wealth of the Yue family did not last long. Old Madam Yue was only the daughter of a small family in Longxi. How would she know that the cook of many prestigious families in Chang ¡®an knew medicinal cuisine. Lady Qiao said, ¡°Old Madam Yue is just worried about saving people. Please forgive Her Majesty. Old Madam Yue, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll let Bai Sichen follow you to the Yue family. Bai sichen¡¯s medicinal cuisine is delicious and protects the stomach. ¡°If you still can¡¯t eat it, you can come to the palace to look for me and think of a way.¡± Old Madam Yue thanked her profusely. When they left the palace, Yue Zhu whispered to old madam Yue: ¡°Mother, I heard that His Majesty has always been a gentle and refined gentleman. When he was angry just now, it scared me to death. Fortunately, the empress was not angry.¡± Thinking about it now, old madam Yue also felt that she was impulsive. It was just that she came from a small place. When she heard the imperial physician say so, she only knew that the empress knew medicinal cuisine. However, old madam Yue did not regret it. She finally had a way to save Qin Miaomiao. In the Changle Palace. Qiao Jin said to Lu Chen unhappily, ¡°Old Madam Yue is already so old. Why are you blaming her? She has only met Qin Miaomiao a few times, it is already rare for her to be willing to enter the palace for Qin Miaomiao.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Qin Miaomiao not want to marry Yue Zhan? If she knew that old madam Yue entered the palace to ask for medicinal cuisine for her and was scolded by me, would she be so moved that she would marry me?¡± ¡°Lu Chen, did you peek at my book again?¡±Qiao Jinniang asked. Lu Chen said softly, ¡°Zhou Siming¡¯s last wish was to treat Qin miaomiao well. If she can get this family member, I think Zhou Siming will be able to rest in peace.¡± .. It was precisely because Bai Sichen was a good cook that he rose to fame in the palace. He made a bowl of herbal porridge and fed it to Qin Miaomiao. Finally, Qin Miaomiao stopped spitting out the medicine. Bai Sichen did not return to the palace immediately. Instead, he stayed at the Yue residence to Nurse Qin Miaomiao for three days. He only returned to the palace to report to the Empress when he had recovered and was able to take the medicine. Qin Miaomiao was already able to get out of bed. When he delivered Bai sichen, he naturally thanked her profusely: ¡°Thank you, Bai Sichen.¡± Bai sichen said, ¡°Miss Qin, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. I was only following the Empress¡¯orders. If you want to thank her, you should thank Madam Yue.¡± Bai sishi then told Qin Miaomiao about how old Madam Yue had entered the palace to ask for medicinal food for Qin Miaomiao and how Lu Chen had reprimanded her. When Qin Miaomiao heard this, she was extremely touched. She had thought that other than her mother, no one else would treat her like this. Qin Miaomiao then went to old madam Yue¡¯s courtyard and knelt down. ¡°I will never forget old Madam Yue¡¯s great kindness to me.¡± Qin Miaomiao really did not know how to repay old Madam Yue¡¯s kindness by entering the palace to beg the Empress for an unimportant person. Old Madam Yue helped Qin miaomiao up and said, ¡°Miaomiao, you have yet to recover from your serious illness. There is no need for you to give me such a great gift. I have only done what I should have done. Silly Child, don¡¯t give me such a great gift. Didn¡¯t you say that you are my goddaughter? ¡°It is only right for godmother to do so. ¡°If you are willing, in a few days, when you have recovered from your illness, we will hold a ceremony to recognize you as my goddaughter. Let the ladies and nobles of Chang ¡®an come and witness you as my goddaughter. ¡±¡­¡± Qin Miaomiao threw herself into old madam Yue¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°Mother.¡± The moment Yue Zhan entered old madam Yue¡¯s courtyard, he heard Qin Miaomiao call out ¡®mother¡¯, and he was shocked! He wasn¡¯t sure what he was thinking, but Qin Miaomiao had already called him ¡®mother¡¯? Old Madam Yue saw Yue Zhan enter and said, ¡°Tomorrow is the lantern festival. The 18th day of the first lunar month is a good day. Why don¡¯t we invite the guests on that day¡­¡±. Before she could finish, Yue Zhan said in shock, ¡°The 18th day of the first lunar month is not an auspicious day for marriage. Furthermore, it¡¯s only a few days. Do you have time to prepare for the wedding?¡± Chapter 329 Old Madam Yue asked Yue Zhan in a daze, ¡°Marriage? What Marriage?¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to marry Qin Miaomiao on the 18th of the first lunar month?¡± Old madam Yue snorted lightly, ¡°You wish. I¡¯m a Godfather. Didn¡¯t you not want to marry Miaomiao previously? You, just continue thinking about your Jing Hua. I Only Want My Miaomiao and Zhu¡¯er. Your two sisters will be much more at ease.¡± Yue Zhan heaved a sigh of relief, but for some reason, he felt a little disappointed. Since Qin Meng Meng could get out of bed, it was naturally not good for her to stay in Yue Zhan¡¯s courtyard anymore. In addition, she had added some servants to the residence over the past few days, so she could go back and live there now. Old Madam Yue said, ¡°You are also a servant there, so you might not care about it. Why Don¡¯t you stay in our Yue residence for now and wait until after the wedding reception.¡± Yue Zhu said, ¡°That¡¯s right, you can stay in the same courtyard as me.¡± Qin Miaomiao stayed behind as well. The next day, there was a banquet at the Lantern Festival Palace. Today, Lady Qiao arrived at the banquet early. After seeing Qin Miaomiao, she even asked about her body. Qin Miaomiao walked to Lady Qiao¡¯s side and said, ¡°I¡¯m already much better. Thank you for your concern, Lady Qiao. I even invited white sashimi to take care of me.¡± Lady Qiao Jin said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re feeling better.¡± Today¡¯s Lantern Festival banquet was as lively as usual. After the banquet was over. Lu Chen brought Lady Qiao Jin and Lu Xi up to the city wall of the palace gate to admire the lanterns. On the main street, the palace lanterns drove out of the palace gate. In addition, there were also lanterns from various prefectures and noble families. There were all kinds of lanterns, and they were extremely beautiful. Not far away, fireworks were blooming. The fire trees and silver flowers were blooming, and the full moon was just right. The moonlight shone on the side of Lu Chen¡¯s face. Qiao Jin looked over and planted a kiss on the side of Lu Chen¡¯s face. Lu Chen hugged Qiao Jin and used his large sleeve to cover up his kiss on her lips. Among the officials who were admiring the lanterns, there were many who were looking at the Empress on the city wall. Many commoners had come to admire the empress¡¯s appearance. Just now, Qiao Jin¡¯s Kiss had caused many old officials to shake their heads and say that it was immoral. Seeing the emperor cover his ears with his sleeves and help each other, they shook their heads even more violently. Little Lu XI tiptoed and said, ¡°Mother, I want some incense too.¡± Lu Chen pushed Little Lu Xi. ¡°Go and play with your younger brother.¡± The young ladies below were all envious of the Empress¡¯s deep love. Hong Yang was about to shake his head when he heard his daughter Hong Qifeng¡¯s eyes filled with envy: ¡°The relationship between Her Majesty and the Empress is really good. It would be great if I could find a husband who only has me in his eyes in the future.¡± Hong Yang said, ¡°Since ancient times, it is normal for her majesty to have three palaces and six courtyards. Now that the Empress is the only favorite, the power of the relatives is increasing day by day. Sigh¡­¡± Hong Qifeng ignored her father and pulled Yue Zhu and Qin Miaomiao to go guess the lantern riddles. Today, there were quite a number of merchants on the streets that had come up with the gimmick of guessing the lantern riddles and giving gifts. The streets were crowded with people. Yue Zhan and the young master of the Hong family followed behind the three women, protecting them. Yue Zhu could only guess some light lantern riddles. The lanterns that she won along the way were all guessed by Hong Qifeng and Qin Miaomiao. Young Master Hong, who had been quiet at the beginning, gradually began to chat with Qin Miaomiao. Most of them were romantic poems.. Although Yue Zhan could understand them, he was not interested at all. Gradually, the original five-person party became Hong Qifeng and Yue Zhu, while Qin Miaomiao and Young Master Hong walked together. Both of them were chatting and laughing. Only Yue Zhan was a little lonely. The few of them walked to a jewelry stall. Yue Zhan recognized Jing Hua who was wearing a mask at a glance. He went forward and said, ¡°Only You Tonight? Where¡¯s Lin Mo?¡± Jing hua smiled faintly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat well at the palace banquet just now. He went to buy some snacks for me. Are you bringing your sister out to play?¡± Yue Zhan replied. He saw the jasmine flower hairpin in Jing Hua¡¯s hand and said, ¡°This hairpin is a perfect match for you. I¡¯ll give it to you as your wedding gift.¡± At this moment, a peddler at the side said, ¡°Young master, this hairpin is not for sale. You have to guess the lantern riddle correctly before you can give it away. There are many people who have guessed this lantern riddle, but there is still no one who can guess it correctly.¡± Yue Zhu said from the side, ¡°Today, along the way, there is no lantern riddle that Sister Qifeng and sister Miaomiao can¡¯t guess correctly.¡± The peddler pointed to the lantern riddle hanging at the side and said, ¡°You guys take your time to guess. If you can guess correctly, this jasmine glaze hairpin will be given to you.¡± Yue Zhu read the note at the bottom of the lantern and said, ¡°The left side is the mountain, the right side is the mountain, the top is the mountain, the bottom is the mountain, the mountain is connected to the mountain, the mountain is backed by the mountain, the mountain bites the mountain, it is not the mountain.¡± Yue Zhu smiled and said, ¡°I know the answer to this riddle, it is the word.¡± The vendor shook his head and said, ¡°It is not the word. If the left side is also the mountain, the right side is also the mountain, the word is only up and down the mountain.¡± Hearing this, Yue Zhu racked her brain, but in the end, she still couldn¡¯t think of a word. ¡°Sister Qifeng, do you know what the word ¡®mountain¡¯is?¡± This was also the first time Hong Qifeng had encountered this puzzle. She wrote and wrote in her hand, and she kept feeling that there were some wrong words. Yue Zhan probed, ¡°Could it be a word? This word is not common.¡± The peddler shook his head and said, ¡°Not really. There should be the ¡®mountain¡¯character on all sides.¡± Young Master Hong moved closer to Qin Miaomiao¡¯s ear and asked, ¡°Do you know the riddle of this character?¡± Qin Miaomiao thought about it carefully and shook his head. Jing Hua also thought about it for a long time, but he still could not think of anything. ¡°Lin Mo came and let him guess. He is a great expert at guessing lantern riddles¡­¡± Yue Zhan¡¯s brows were tightly knitted. Perhaps it was because the people gathered here were all distinguished figures from Chang ¡®an, and there were also many people who came forward. Princess Fu Lu picked up the note. Seeing that she finally had a riddle that she could recognize all the characters, she was eager to participate in the competition. After guessing that two words were wrong, Qiao Lui wanted to remind her, but Fu Lu covered his mouth: ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. I didn¡¯t even get a single riddle right when I came out with you. It¡¯s all up to you to guess. If you continue like this, I won¡¯t come to the Lantern Festival with you anymore.¡± Qiao lui was so obedient that he kept quiet. Qin Miaomiao walked to Yue Zhan¡¯s side and used her large sleeve to block her and Yue Zhan¡¯s hands. She used her cold fingertips to write a word in Yue Zhan¡¯s palm. Yue Zhan lowered his eyes and looked at Qin Miaomiao. Qin Miaomiao nodded lightly at Yue Zhan. Yue Zhan said, ¡°It¡¯s the word ¡®field¡¯, the field of the field.¡± The peddler smiled and said, ¡°You guessed it right. You were the first one to guess this lantern riddle today. Come, come, this jasmine hairpin is for you.¡± Yue Zhan took the jasmine hairpin and handed it to Jing Hua. He said, ¡°It¡¯s the wedding gift, you can take it.¡± After Jing Hua took the hairpin, she said to Qin Miao, ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°I guessed it.¡± Jing Hua laughed lightly and did not expose him anymore. She only said to Yue Zhan, ¡°You should cherish the person in front of you.¡± Lin Mo brought over the newly baked lamb pancake. When he saw Yue Zhan, he put his arm around Jing Hua¡¯s waist and said, ¡°So it¡¯s general Yue.¡± Princess Fu Lu smelled the fragrance of the pancake and said, ¡°The Jin Niang is already the empress. The Lantern Festival in the palace is still as terrible as ever. I¡¯m hungry too.¡± Jing hua helplessly handed the pancake in Lin Mo¡¯s hand to Fu Lu and said, ¡°Lin Mo, let¡¯s go back.¡± Chapter 330 Fu Lu took the lamb pancake in his hand and gave half to Qin Miaomiao. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days, how did you lose so much weight? No wonder many people say that you cried so hard because of the divorce!¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°You have two bodies, so I won¡¯t fight with you for food. You Can Eat by yourself ¡°I lost a lot of weight because I had an illness these few days, but I¡¯m much better now.¡± Young Master Hong asked with concern, ¡°What illness? Have you asked the imperial physician to take a look? ¡°Our Hong residence has a good relationship with the head of the courtyard. How about I bring you to the head of the courtyard¡¯s residence to pay a visit?¡± Hong Qifeng smiled at the side. ¡°Brother, if Miss Qin¡¯s body wasn¡¯t that healthy, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to play for so long. I finally understand what it means to be worried.¡± Young Master Hong¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Qifeng, what nonsense are you talking about? I just¡­¡± Young Master Hong had known Qin Miaomiao for a long time. However, at that time, Qin Miaomiao was the daughter of the High Duke. He was only the son of an official in the Eastern Palace and didn¡¯t have much social interaction. However, after strolling around today, Young Master Hong Liked Qin Miaomiao. He had never seen such a gentle, virtuous, and knowledgeable woman like Qin Miaomiao. Yue Zhan saw that young master Hong was bashful, and he felt a sense of discomfort gathering in his heart. ¡°Miaomiao, your body is not in good shape. It¡¯s better for you to return to the manor to recuperate. Zhu¡¯er has left.¡± As he spoke, Yue Zhan held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s wrist and walked towards the Yue residence. Young Master Fu Lu, Hong, and the others were left behind. Fu Lu looked at Qiao lui and said, ¡°Did I not see wrongly that Yue Zhan held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand just now? He just gave cousin Jing Hua a hairpin, and now he¡¯s holding Qin Miao¡¯s hand when he turns around?¡± Qiao lui said, ¡°I think so.¡± Qin Miao followed Yue Zhan¡¯s strides and almost could not keep up with him. His steps were too big, and he had no choice but to jog to keep up with Yue Zhan. ¡°Slow down, general Yue.¡± Yue Zhan walked to a bridge and ordered the guards to send Yue Zhu back to the Yue residence first. There were lights by the bridge today. The willow trees by the side were also covered with paper lanterns, as bright as day. Yue Zhan said to Qin Miao unhappily, ¡°You have only known young master Hong for a short while, why are you smiling so brightly at him? ¡°Do you think the Hong family will allow the eldest son of the first wife to marry an orphan girl now that they have just obtained the position of Emperor¡¯s Teacher?¡± Qin Miao Miao¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°In three days, won¡¯t the Yue residence invite the guests to acknowledge me as their goddaughter? When that time comes, I won¡¯t be an orphan anymore. The marriage between the Hong and Yue families¡­¡± Yue Zhan frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Young Master Hong didn¡¯t even say he wanted to marry you.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t smile so frivolously at others in the future. My Yue family¡¯s daughter should have the bearing of a martial general¡¯s daughter.¡± Yue Zhan didn¡¯t like Qin Miaomiao smiling at other men like that at all. Today was the Lantern Festival, and it was also a good day for men and women to date. There were several couples of lovers on the bridge. Yue Zhan felt a little embarrassed when he saw the intimacy between the men and women, but he forgot that his hand was still holding Qin Miaomiao¡¯s wrist, never letting go. Qin Miaomiao stared at the long and slender hand that was holding a thin layer of cocoon on her wrist, and she felt her heart beat like a drum. It was as if Yue Zhan had emerged from the darkness that day, dispelling her fear and fear. For the first time, Qin Miaomiao experienced what Fu Lu had described as the attraction between a man and a woman. The second round of fireworks in the imperial palace was about to bloom again. Many people stopped and watched, but Qin Miaomiao felt that the blazing trees and silver flowers in the sky could not even compare to the towering figure in front of her. .. On the 16th day of the first lunar month, the morning court that had been closed for a long time was reopened. For a time, Chang ¡®an was busy again. Qiao Jinniang was free. All the concubines in the six palaces had gone out of the palace. The Shang Palace was in charge of the affairs of the Shang Palace, so there was little need for her to take a look. After all, Qiao Jinniang was the only master of the six palaces now. All the tricks and tricks that used to be used in the palace were unnecessary now. Several shops in Chang ¡®an city had also become official. Now, she only needed to study some new dishes. In the afternoon, she received an invitation from Qin Miaomiao, ordering him to enter the palace. After entering the palace, Qin Miaomiao first thanked Qiao Jinniang for sending white sashimi to take care of her, and then said, ¡°I would like to ask the empress to give me a marriage decree.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled lightly and said: ¡°I wonder which Langjun is so blessed?¡± Qin Miaomiao lowered his head and said: ¡°It¡¯s Yue Zhan.¡± Qiao jinniang said: ¡°Old Madam Yue has already begged me twice to bestow a marriage upon Yue Zhan. Didn¡¯t you not want to marry Yue Zhan previously? But for old madam Yue to enter the palace because of your serious illness, you are willing to marry Yue Zhan for old madam Yue?¡± Qin Miao hastily said, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s because I like him.¡± Qin Miao did not need to hide anything in front of Qiao Jinniang. He told her the truth: ¡°In the past, I always could not understand the husband and wife relationship that Jing Hua spoke of. I also could not understand why the prince consort of Qin was willing to give up the position of Duke for the sake of the princess. Now I understand¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Then what about Yue Zhan? is he willing to marry you?¡± Qin Miao lowered his head and thought about how Yue Zhan had walked over happily when he saw Jing Hua yesterday. He said softly, ¡°He should not be willing to marry me. He only has eldest Princess Jing Hua in his heart. It¡¯s just that the date of eldest Princess Jing Hua¡¯s marriage has already been set.. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no hope for the two of them¡­¡± Lady Qiao took a sip of hot tea and said, ¡°I can issue a marriage decree, but it¡¯s just a small one. I¡¯m afraid that if he doesn¡¯t like you, you will suffer even more grievance. ¡°Your marriage to Lin Mo is a partnership, but if you are moved, there is another person in your husband¡¯s heart. In the future, I¡¯m afraid he will only be wronged. My mother is a good example.¡± ¡°Thank you for your advice, Your Highness. I know in my heart that I only wish to be by his side.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered Hong Ling to invite the provincial officials and wrote a marriage decree. .. After Qin Miaomiao returned to the Yue residence, he went to old madam Yue¡¯s room. Qin Miaomiao said to old madam Yue, ¡°Old Madam, today, I ventured into the palace to request an imperial decree from the Empress.¡± Old madam Yue asked, ¡°What imperial decree?¡± Qin miaomiao said shyly, ¡°It¡¯s an imperial decree to bestow a marriage upon me and Yue Zhan. It should be able to come tomorrow.¡± Old Madam Yue held Qin Miaomiao¡¯s hand. She had the same concerns as Lady Qiao: ¡°Silly child, if it¡¯s to repay your kindness, you don¡¯t have to put yourself through this. Yue Zhan only has peace in his heart. Don¡¯t put yourself through this.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°I¡¯m not putting myself through this. I¡¯m really willing to marry Yue Zhan. He has already saved me twice. That day, I killed myself. If it wasn¡¯t for him saving my life, I would have died¡­¡± Old Madam Yue was naturally happy to have such a daughter-in-law. ¡°Please bless the ancestors of the Yue family. In the future, when you enter our Yue residence, I will definitely treat you like my own mother.¡± Qin Miaomiao sat beside Old Madam Yue and threw herself into her embrace. She called out sweetly, ¡°Mother.¡± Old Madam Yue was much better than Madam Lin. Yue Zhan had been restless in the study. Occasionally, Qin Miaomiao¡¯s figure would appear when he was reading. He closed his book, closed his eyes, and massaged his temples. He wondered if he was sick? Perhaps he would not be sick after the banquet on the 18th of the first lunar month. At that time, Qin Miaomiao would be his godsister.. Chapter 331 However, on the 18th day of the first lunar month, Yue Zhan did not see any banquet in the manor. After finishing his lunch, the concierge hurriedly came in and said, ¡°General, an imperial decree has come from the palace.¡± Yue Zhan hurriedly went to the main door to welcome the imperial decree. This was the first imperial decree that Lady Qiao Jin had issued to the outside world. Only after hearing the last word did Yue Zhan realize that this was an imperial decree. He was supposed to resist the imperial decree. It was just an imperial decree. But for some reason, he still accepted it. He thought to himself that if this was an imperial decree, he could find an excuse to resist. But this was the first time that the Empress had issued an imperial decree. If he disobeyed, the Emperor would definitely not let him off lightly. For the soldiers of Longxi and for the Yue family, he had better accept this imperial decree. Qin Miaomiao knelt down and thanked her. ¡°Thank you for the Empress¡¯reward.¡± Seeing that her son had accepted the imperial edict, Old Madam Yue smiled and said to Qin miaomiao, ¡°Good, good. Now I can rest at ease even if I close my eyes.¡± ¡°Mother, what nonsense are you talking about?¡±Qin miaomiao said, ¡°You will live to be a hundred years old.¡± Yue Zhu smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, mother. You still have to take care of the children for sister-in-law and the others. Don¡¯t you want to hold your grandson?¡± Yue Zhan knocked on Yue Zhu¡¯s head and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying all this at such a young age?¡± Yue Zhu covered her head and hugged Qin Miao¡¯s arm as she said, ¡°Sister-in-law, my brother is bullying me.¡± Qin Miao glanced at Yue Zhan¡¯s calm gaze. She thought that he probably did not like this imperial decree very much. However, it did not matter. She thought that she would be able to make Yue Zhan like her one day. The imperial edict was given. The eldest princess of Jinghua¡¯s residence and Marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence all sent their congratulatory gifts. With marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence taking the lead, the wives of all the ministers of Chang ¡®an also sent their congratulatory gifts. It was the most sullen thing for Madam Lin to send her congratulatory gifts. It was still unknown how Chang ¡®an would laugh at Lin Mo. . Her ex-wife and eldest princess of Jinghua¡¯s ex-husband had formed a pair. Madam Lin recalled that this was the Empress¡¯imperial edict and felt that the Empress had deliberately come to oppose her. By matchmaking Lin Mo and Jing Hua, and then matchmaking Qin Miaomiao and Yue Zhan, the Lin family had lost all face. ¡°Madam Lin.¡± When Madam Lin went out, she met Hong Yang¡¯s wife. ¡°Madam Hong.¡± Madam Hong said, ¡°Madam Lin, do you have time to go to the teahouse for a Chat?¡± Madam Lin followed Madam Hong to a teahouse. Madam Hong closed the doors and windows and said, ¡°Madam Lin, I have an important matter to discuss with you.¡± Madam Lin said, ¡°What is it?¡± Madam Hong said awkwardly, ¡°I have an elder sister who is married to the Imperial Academy of Medicine and is currently a daughter-in-law. Brother-in-law is currently in the Imperial Academy of Medicine. He said that His Majesty has recently asked the Imperial Academy of Medicine to prepare a pill for avoiding children.¡± Madam Lin said in bewilderment, ¡°There is only the empress in the palace. Why would she need a pill for avoiding children? Could it be that there is a new person in the palace?¡± That was really the Empress¡¯s retribution. who asked her to keep randomly clicking on the couples chart. Madam Hong said, ¡°If there was someone in the palace, I would not have come to look for you. It is because His Majesty felt sorry for the Empress who had just given birth to the second prince. He wanted the empress to give birth again in a few years, so he ordered the imperial doctor to make a pill for avoiding children.¡± Madam Lin sighed and said, ¡°This new emperor dotes on his empress even more than the retired emperor. However, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal for the empress to use a pill for avoiding children, right?¡± Madam Hong said, ¡°If the empress were to take it, it would be fine. However, the imperial hospital said that there was a third part of the poison in the pill. If a woman kept taking the pill for avoiding children, it would harm her body. Therefore, His Majesty asked the Imperial Hospital to concoct a pill for men to take!¡± Madam Lin said in shock and anger, ¡°How can this be? His Majesty is the most respected person in the world, how can he take such a Pill?¡± Madam Hong said helplessly, ¡°Who says so! ¡°My sister also felt that this matter was inappropriate, so she told me about it. However, as the wives of the officials, we can¡¯t easily interfere in His Majesty¡¯s Affairs! ¡°But we can¡¯t just watch His Majesty take care of the Royal Family Like This!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like this man doesn¡¯t have a pill, but most of the time, the princesses are the ones who drink it. ¡°What kind of person is his majesty? How can he drink this? ¡°Madam Lin, Prime Minister Lin and His Majesty are fated to grow up together. Why Don¡¯t you find Prime Minister Lin and persuade His Majesty?¡± Hearing this, Madam Lin suddenly thought of the medicine that Lin Mo had been taking these years. Lin Mo was not sick, what kind of medicine did he take every day? He had been with Jing Hua for more than four years, but Jing Hua¡¯s stomach had not moved at all. Madam Lin had thought that there was some secret technique in the palace.. Thinking about it, it was likely that Lin Mo himself was also taking that kind of medicine. Madam Lin said to Madam Hong, ¡°I will talk to Prime Minister about this matter and advise his majesty. Madam Hong, I will take my leave first.¡± After madam Lin returned to the manor, she told Prime Minister Lin about this matter: ¡°His Majesty is too much of a troublemaker. He allowed the foreign relatives to monopolize the country and the harem to meddle in politics. Now, he is actually drinking the pill to avoid the child. He is His Majesty!¡± Prime Minister Lin also felt that it was inappropriate, ¡°His Majesty is indeed being ridiculous. I will enter the palace to advise His Majesty.¡± Madam Lin said, ¡°Also, the soup that your good son is drinking every day isn¡¯t also a pill to avoid the child, right? Otherwise, why hasn¡¯t eldest Princess Jing Hua¡¯s stomach moved yet?¡± Prime Minister Lin said, ¡°Why are you still worried about Mo¡¯er¡¯s matter? Since he and Princess Jing Hua are officially married, he will definitely put his children first. As for his majesty¡­¡± Prime Minister Lin Sighed. When he was young, he had thought about when he would enter the court as an official and meet His Majesty¡¯s lecherous nature. As a loyal subject, how should he advise him? However, he had never thought that one day, he would have a headache because of his majesty¡¯s loyalty. Madam Lin pursed her lips and said, ¡°Who knows if Mo¡¯er can still give birth after drinking so many years of medicine? The marriage of eldest Princess Jing Hua is really¡­¡± ¡°The imperial edict has been issued. Do you still want the Lin family to resist the imperial edict and kill them?¡±Prime Minister Lin said in annoyance, ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± .. In February, all living things were revived and the spring was bright and beautiful. Although there was still some spring chill, it could not be stopped from enjoying the spring. In February, the two dragons raised their heads and the Empress would go to the imperial manor to personally cultivate and pray for the good weather for Big Tang this year. In mid-february, Old Madam Yue flipped through the almanac and also set the wedding date to be the day of the wedding between eldest Princess Jing Hua and Lin Mo. . There was no other way. There was only one auspicious day in the near future. If she waited any longer, it would have to wait until next year. Old Madam Yue was afraid that her son would be muddled and that the longer it was, the more dangerous it would be. Naturally, she wanted to marry him as soon as possible so that Yue Zhan would be able to give up his heart. Yue Zhan heard about the wedding date that old madam Yue had set and said, ¡°Mother, this wedding date is extremely inappropriate.¡± ¡°There is only one good day recently,¡±old madam Yue said, ¡°If we wait for another year, there will be too many changes. The guests who come to our Yue residence and the guests who go to the Lin residence are not the same. Moreover, the Lin Residence¡¯s banquet is at noon. Very few people can attend the night banquet of the Fuma residence. As for the Yue family¡¯s wedding, it was held at night, so there was naturally no need to worry about the guests bumping into each other. ¡°Miaomiao is really a good girl. Just listen to your mother. The wedding date is set on that day, so don¡¯t keep thinking about Jing Hua.¡± Yue Zhan said, ¡°Qin Miaomiao is going to participate in the ENKE examination. This wedding date is not long after the Enke examination. I¡¯m afraid that she doesn¡¯t have the energy¡­¡± Old Madam Yue was finally relieved. It seemed that Yue Zhan did not hate Qin Miaomiao in his heart and would still think for her. Old Madam Yue smiled and said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, there are some miscellaneous ceremonies that can be simplified. Just Be Considerate.¡± However, when the Chang ¡®an officials received the wedding invitations from the Lin residence and the Yue residence, they were all in a difficult position.. Chapter 332 The spring in February was just right. All the spring in the palace was revealed, and all the flowers in the changle palace began to bud. Qiao Jinniang had nothing to do, so she used the flowers in the palace to make flower cakes. In another half a month, it would be clear and bright again. She was a little greedy for green balls to eat, but there was no wormwood in the palace. So she went to the temple to burn incense and pray for blessings. She made a trip to the Yuan Xi Temple. There were many wild vegetables and weeds on the mountain of Yuanxi Temple. The people of Chang ¡®an did not like to eat green tuber, so no one picked the whole piece of Wormwood. Qiao Jin dismissed the internal attendants and palace maids. She only took Yuyan and hongling to the mountain behind Yuanxi Temple to pick wormwood. Today, she was only wearing a green traditional dress. The hairpin on her head was also a low-key silver hairpin. She did not wear any gold jewelry, because she was afraid that people would find it troublesome to recognize her identity. ¡°Have you heard that the Qiao family forced His Majesty to drink pill pills? The Qiao family¡¯s relatives have exclusive power, and the Empress is really too much to control the court!¡± Qiao Jinniang, who was digging wild vegetables with a small hoe, was stunned when she heard this. If she really controlled the court, she would not have the leisure to come here and dig wormwood. ¡°Ye suxin, is this true?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, suxin. Your grandfather is the chief physician of the imperial hospital, and your father is the imperial physician. You must know about this.¡± Ye suxin said, ¡°Aiya, I¡¯m an unmarried woman. My grandfather and father won¡¯t tell me much. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± ¡°The spring breeze is gentle today, and the sun is just right. Why don¡¯t we put the paper kites here?¡± A group of young girls said, ¡°The Empress is also in the Yuanxi Temple. We are flying kites here. Will we disturb her later?¡± ¡°The Empress is in the abbot¡¯s room. Why would she come to the back of the mountain? Let¡¯s put the paper kites here!¡± Qiao Jinniang picked a small basket of mugwort and felt that it was enough. Just as she was about to leave, a paper kites coincidentally fell under her feet. Ye suxin rushed over and saw that her paper kite was stepped on by a young woman. She felt her heart ache and said, ¡°This paper kite was drawn for me by my grandfather. Why did you step on my paper kite?¡± Hong Ling berated, ¡°How dare you. You Don¡¯t even bow when you see the Empress. How dare you loudly blame her?¡± Ye suxin looked up and saw Qiao Jinniang¡¯s appearance. She hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Your servant, your servant greets the Empress.¡± Lady Qiao said, ¡°If paper kites were precious, you shouldn¡¯t have taken them out to play with. Get Up.¡± Ye suxin looked at Lady Qiao¡¯s back with some lingering fear. Fortunately, the Empress didn¡¯t blame her for her rudeness just now. But what was the use of the empress picking so much wormwood back home? Lady Qiao returned to the palace. Just as she mashed the wormwood leaves into green juice, she heard Consort Qi and Consort Chu asking for an audience. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t stop what she was doing and let the two of them in. Consort Qi said, ¡°Your Majesty, there are quite a few madams outside the palace saying that you forced His Majesty to use the pill to avoid the child. That Lady Lin Xiang and Lady Hong even came to look for Consort Tai together¡­¡± Consort Chu also followed up, ¡°Not only that, the imperial concubines are all looking for the imperial concubines and want to write a letter to impeach you. Lady Lin Xiang also came to me, but I ignored her.¡± Qiao Jinniang poured the wormwood juice into the glutinous rice flour and rubbed the green glutinous rice flour: ¡°Ha, what medicine does his majesty take? They are very well-informed. I have a good temper. If I don¡¯t punish the people in the palace, they will become lawless.¡± Consort Chu advised, ¡°Consort, don¡¯t be angry. What are you doing? I have never seen it before.¡± Consort Qiao said, ¡°This is the famous green mass of Jiangnan during the Qingming Festival. It has bean paste and sesame paste. If you two are free, please wait for a moment. After it comes out of the oven, bring a few back to the imperial residence for your mother and the commandery prince to try.¡± ¡°Thank you, Empress.¡±Consort Qi said with a smile, ¡°Brother Bao is thinking about the pastries you made. He said that the pastries of the hundred savory restaurant are not as delicious as those personally made by the Empress.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled lightly at this compliment. She placed the green blobs into the steamer and steamed them. When they came out of the steamer, the green blobs mixed with the fragrance of Wormwood could not help but stir one¡¯s appetite. Qiao Jinniang packed two boxes and ordered someone to deliver them to marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate. She also packed two boxes each for consort qi and Consort Chu. There was not much left, so she took them to the Tai Chi Palace. It seemed that she had not made pastries for Lu Chen for a long time. When she arrived at the Tai Chi Palace, she did not need to notify anyone to enter directly. Just as she was about to enter, she heard Hong Yang¡¯s voice coming from the main hall. ¡°Your Majesty, the royal family¡¯s heir is related to the country and the state. You Are Really¡­¡± Lu Chen¡¯s voice was calm, and it was hard to see whether he was angry or happy as he said, ¡°Men, go and call all the imperial physicians in the Imperial Physician Hospital.¡± Qiao Jinniang knew that Lu Chen was already extremely angry. She entered the main hall and saw Hong Yang, Lin, and the other high officials, she smiled and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Today, I made some green balls. I thought that you haven¡¯t eaten for a long time. Try It while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Lu Chen saw Qiao Jinniang coming over and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered the palace maids to take the plates down and let Hong Yang and the others try it. ¡°The Lords can also try it.¡± Hong Yang and the others could only reach out and take it. The Empress¡¯s reward was even arsenic. Empress Qiao Jin said, ¡°Sirs, you are all the pillars of our great Tang. His Majesty has just ascended the throne and is currently busy with his official duties. Sirs, you don¡¯t want to help His Majesty with his administrative matters, but instead, you are staring at the matters between the husband and wife of His Majesty and me. isn¡¯t that putting the cart before the horse?¡± Hong Yang blushed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the matter of the royal heir is related to the country¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I have read the history books. There are many childless emperors in history, but his majesty and I already have two sons. His Majesty and several Royal Brothers are also brothers. The royal family is not a poor family.¡± ¡°Before I came to Chang ¡®an, I was just an ordinary citizen. In the eyes of the common people, the country and the country are not enough to eat. As long as the officials are well-fed, they will be fine.¡± Qiao Jinniang took a sip of the tea placed in front of Lu Chen and continued, ¡°In fact, to the common people, the descendants of the royal family are not considered the country and the country. Whoever becomes the emperor will live the same life. Only when the Emperor dies will he wear plain clothes to show his filial piety.¡± Hong Yang and the others frowned as they looked at Qiao Jinniang. Prime Minister lin trembled and said, ¡°Your Majesty, that¡¯s not true.¡± Qiao Jin continued, ¡°I was born as a commoner. I heard that Prime Minister Lin and Emperor Hong were born poor too. Why Don¡¯t you think about what you all thought when you were young? Among the commoners, whenever the commoners had enough to eat and wear, they would praise the emperor as a wise ruler. If the crops in the fields did not grow well this year, they would not say that the emperor was a wise ruler. The hearts of the commoners were very simple. They did not care whether the emperor accepted admonitions or how many children he had. As long as he had a good day, he would be a good ruler. ¡°When he suffers a disaster, he will not have a good life. When the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, he will scold the dog Emperor to relieve the depression in his heart.¡± The imperial censor who was listening at the side immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Chapter 333 Lu Chen gestured for the palace servant to bring a chair for Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang sat down and said, ¡°There is a saying among the people that a county official is not as important as a county official. Although the county magistrate is a high-ranking official, many farmers will never see the county magistrate in their entire lives. It is better for them to have more power than Li Zhenglai. For them, they would only defend their home and country if the northern desert, Xiliang, and other foreign tribes invaded.. As long as there was a rebellion, they would not be loyal to the emperor. To the people, it was the same for the emperor. It could be the Lu family or the Wang family or the Li family. In times of war, the people would just drift along with the flow. Those who were unlucky would be recruited into the army as soldiers. They did not even know who they were fighting for. It was clear that the most important thing in the country was the People¡¯s hearts. It was how to win the hearts of the people in the world. ¡°It is not like the lords are staring at the affairs between the husband and wife of the emperor. If you are not ashamed, I am still ashamed!¡± The faces of the officials turned red from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words. Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°The Empress is right. You are all pillars of talent. Think more about how to make the hearts of the people live better and better. The right path is for our great Tang¡¯s national strength to flourish. ¡°Don¡¯t keep staring at the matter between me and the Empress. If there¡¯s a next time, resign and return home by yourself!¡± Since Lu Chen had already said this much, what else could the officials say? They only felt that the mugwort stick to their teeth very.. When the people from the imperial hospital came. Lu Chen said, ¡°The imperial hospital is the head of the great Tang¡¯s doctors. The few imperial doctors have superb medical skills. The old ye hospital has been in the imperial hospital for many years. When the late Emperor was in the imperial hospital, he was already in the imperial hospital. But now, he doesn¡¯t even have the courtesy, justice, and shame of a doctor!¡± Old Man Ye was already sixty-five years old and his medical skills were superb. He would be leaving the Imperial Academy of Medicine in two years. Old Man Ye would never have thought that he would be reprimanded by the emperor at this time. Lu Chen said coldly, ¡°From now on, Old Man Ye and imperial physician ye are not allowed to practice medicine in great Tang. Imperial Academy of Medicine will have imperial physician Fu as its new chief. If in the future, any medicine used by the nobles in the palace is spread outside the palace, then they will be executed according to the Law!¡± The officials who still had to plead on behalf of matriarch ye did not dare to come and plead for mercy when they heard the word ¡®execution¡¯. Matriarch ye almost fainted when she heard that she could no longer practice medicine. Her son, matriarch ye, was even paler. Qiao Jinniang took a sip of tea calmly, but in her heart, she thought that she deserved it. Whatever medicine the Emperor took, they would just obediently prescribe it. But the father and son were like gossips who went outside the palace to say these things. They deserved to no longer practice medicine in Chang ¡®an! In the Hong family. Hong Qifeng was preparing for the exam when she suddenly heard a commotion in the front hall. A servant girl said, ¡°It¡¯s great-grandmother ye. The Old Academy and Imperial Physician Ye were both dismissed by the emperor. The emperor did not allow them to practice medicine in great Tang anymore. The great-grandmother of the Ye family said that it was the madam who caused the ye family to suffer. She only told the madam that the Emperor was using the pill to avoid children, but after that, everyone in the court knew.. They are currently making a ruckus in the front hall.¡± Hong qifeng sighed, ¡°Close the doors and Windows¡­¡± .. At the end of February, before the weather had warmed up, it was the first time that more than ten women had taken part in the ENKE examination. Most of the teahouses among the people were there to watch the show, and they all felt that these women might not be able to get a good title. However, when the results of the Enke Palace examination were released, the name of Hong Qifeng, who was among the top three, shocked everyone in the court. On the ranking of the top scholars, Qiao Ruoyi was also among the top. At the bottom of the ranking of the top scholars, Qin Miaomiao¡¯s name was also on the list. Fifteen women participated in the imperial examinations and three of them won. Two of them were among the top. This made many women feel honored! For a time, the number of female students in West Mountain Academy increased by quite a bit. The hundred-year-old Qingming Academy also made the banner of recruiting female students. Even the Imperial College no longer had to be harsh on female students. Families with daughters who were capable and did not intend to send them to the academy also thought that it would be better to send them to study. In the Changle Palace. Qiao ruoyi smiled and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Sister, our West Mountain Academy has really produced a female scholar! His Majesty once said that if West Mountain Academy produced a female top scorer, he would allocate funds to West Mountain Academy. Is that true?¡± Qiao Jinniang replied with a faint smile, ¡°Yes.¡± After Lu Chen ascended the throne, he had already allocated funds to West Mountain Academy. Nowadays, there were more and more students going to West Mountain Academy. Qiao Jinniang thought that perhaps it would be divided into two schools. Moreover, West Mountain Academy was remote. It should also open a female academy next to the Imperial College. Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Hong Yang has raised a good daughter. Hong Qifeng is only fifteen years old now before reaching the marriageable age.. ¡°If it¡¯s another five or ten years, she¡¯ll be a rising star. If she can become an official in the imperial court, it¡¯ll be considered a woman¡¯s blessing.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s indeed extremely powerful, but I¡¯m not bad either.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and rubbed Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s head. ¡°Yes, my sister is also very powerful.¡± At the Qionglin banquet, it was the first time that there was a female top scorer this year, and it was even livelier than usual. Hong Qifeng was very young, but she was also very generous. Everyone came over to propose a toast, and she drank them all. Hong Yang and Young Master Hong helped to stop her, but Hong Qifeng also drank quite a lot. In the end, she was dizzy. Qiao Jinniang let Hong Qifeng Rest in a palace. After all, it was still quite cold on a cold spring night. It was not good to drink wine and walk out of the palace door to let the cold wind make the new top scorer fall ill. Although Qin Miao was at the bottom, she was also a middle-ranking scholar. This was considered to be extremely powerful. Moreover, she was about to marry Yue Zhan. After Hong Qifeng left, there were many people who came to toast her. Qin Miao had never had such a tolerance for wine. However, Qiao Ruoyi was sitting beside the empress. No one dared to toast her. Hong Qifeng had left again, so naturally, they came to Toast Qin Miao. ¡°I really can¡¯t drink anymore¡­¡± ¡°Today, Miss Qin has become an intermediate scholar. This wine should be drunk, it should be drunk!¡± Yue Zhan looked at the new scholars surrounding Qin Miaomiao from afar. He went over and snatched Qin Miaomiao¡¯s wine glass. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to toast? This general will drink with you all. Today, let¡¯s drink until we¡¯re drunk.¡± When the new scholars who were toasting saw Yue Zhan, they did not dare to toast again. However, Yue Zhan held them back and drank them all. How could the new recruits not give Yue Zhan face? They could only drink the wine in one gulp. The Qionglin banquet only ended when it was 11 am. When Qin Miao left the palace, he was already drunk. Yue Zhan drank the new recruits to the ground. However, he was also quite drunk. Yue Zhan still retained a bit of consciousness and wanted to send Qin Miao back. However, upon reaching the carriage, Qin Miao Miao Miao immediately turned her head to lie on Yue Zhan¡¯s lap, muttering, ¡°Yue Zhan¡­¡± The faint smell of alcohol lingered around Yue Zhan¡¯s nose. All of a sudden, he felt something on his lips. The carriage was dark, and the only feeling he had was the woman¡¯s soft lips. This was the first time Yue Zhan had been kissed away by a woman on his own initiative.. Chapter 334 The sixth day of the third month was a great day for getting married. There were many joyous events in Chang ¡®an today, and everywhere one went, one could hear the sounds of joy. There was also a joyous event in marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. A letter from Qiao Ruoyun had arrived from the south of the Yangtze River. Her efforts had paid off, and with the blessing of the heavens, Qiao Ruoyun was finally pregnant. After Zheng Xiao learned of this, he went into the imperial palace and told Qiao Jinniang about this joyous event. ¡°I originally thought that your sister would not be able to get pregnant so quickly. The heavens have pity on her. She has finally settled a worry in her heart,¡±Zheng Xiao said. Qiao Jinniang smiled slightly. ¡°It can be said that the bitter end has come to the bitter end. This is truly a series of joyous events.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Fu Lu is going to give birth in a few months. If your sister Feng is also pregnant, the Qiao family will have a lot of children. Only that child, Ruo Yi, is left¡­¡± ¡°I know that she still holds a grudge against the Marquis because of Aunt¡¯s matter, but she will have to get married eventually. Now that His Majesty has given her a new position in the Ministry of appointments to manage all the female officials in the various regions, the number of men who come to talk about marriage has suddenly decreased by a lot.¡± Qiao jinniang advised, ¡°Mother, ruoyi also knows in her heart. Moreover, she is not old.¡± Zheng Xiao said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that she won¡¯t be willing to get married in the future.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that the Qiao family can¡¯t afford to support her. Besides, she already has her own salary now.¡± Zheng Xiao:¡±¡­¡± .. The Yue family¡¯s wedding banquet guests were not as many as the Fuma¡¯s residence, but there were still quite a number of them. It was quite lively and lively. Qin Miaomiao sat in the new house. The handkerchief in her hand was already wet with sweat. It was not her first time getting married, but it was the first time she was so nervous. Hearing the footsteps from outside, her heart beat even harder. The door creaked open, and after it opened, Qin Miaomiao took off the wedding fan and looked at Yue Zhan with a smile. ¡°Husband.¡± Yue Zhan walked to Qin Miaomiao¡¯s side and did not wait for him to say anything. Qin Miaomiao stood up and said, ¡°Husband, if you still miss the princess, you can go to the eldest princess¡¯mansion now¡­¡± Before she could finish, Yue Zhan went up and grabbed her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re already married to me, and you still want to be a virtuous wife in Chang ¡®an? Lin Mo can do it, but I can¡¯t do it!¡± Yue Zhan took a deep breath and said, ¡°I liked Jing Hua, and I wanted to protect her for the rest of my life. But she doesn¡¯t need me to be with her. If I don¡¯t want to marry you, it¡¯s not impossible to resist the imperial decree! ¡°Although His Majesty will blame me for not giving the Empress Face, at worst, I won¡¯t be the general. I¡¯m not the imperial decree, but I¡¯m willing to marry you.¡± Qin Miao Miao pursed his lips when he heard that. His hands trembled slightly as he said, ¡°Then husband, let¡¯s Rest¡­¡± On the wedding night, the dragon and Phoenix were very happy and the candles were very bright. Old Madam Yue heard the servant girl say that there was water in the main courtyard. Her heart finally settled down. After circling around for so many years, it was not easy for Yue Zhan to let go of the eldest princess. Because it was an imperial decree from the Empress, the next day, after Qin Miaomiao served old madam Yue tea, she went to Chang le palace with Yue Zhan to thank him. Seeing Qin Miaomiao¡¯s energetic appearance, Lady Qiao smiled in relief, ¡°When I first came to Chang ¡®an, only you and Fu Lu treated me very well. Now that you are married, it¡¯s good. ¡°Ruo Yun is also worried about you. Some time ago, she wrote that because she was pregnant, she could not come to Chang ¡®an to attend your wedding banquet. Now, she should be at ease.¡± ¡°Sister-in-law, Princess Wu is pregnant? That¡¯s Great!¡± Qin Miaomiao was genuinely happy for his sister-in-law. He also thought that if his brother was not muddle-headed, perhaps Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s child would also be able to walk. It could only be said that fate was playing tricks on people. ¡°Sister!¡±Qiao ruoyi entered wearing an official uniform. When she saw Qin miaomiao, she said, ¡°Sister Miaomiao.¡± Qin Miaomiao smiled faintly and said, ¡°Ruoyi, you look really imposing in a fifth-grade official uniform.¡± Qiao ruoyi also smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to big sister for ordering the imperial court to make the official robes for the female officials of the previous dynasty look extremely good.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to suck up to me like that.¡± Ruoyi said, ¡°I¡¯m not sucking up to you. Qifeng¡¯s fourth-grade official robe looks even better. Nowadays, nothing can compare to a female official¡¯s official robe. Even His Majesty praised Qifeng¡¯s official robe in the morning court today.¡± Ruoyi continued, ¡°Sister, I wanted to go to Lin ¡®an to offer an incense stick to Miss Xie Yun during the Qingming Festival. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t go to Lin ¡®an now. ¡°Thinking of this today, I wanted to ask sister to offer an incense stick, but big sister is pregnant. Can you write to glutinous rice and ask her to offer an incense stick to Xie Yun for me?¡± Qiao jinniang replied calmly, ¡°Okay.¡± .. Hong Qifeng and Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s official positions were the new ones in the Ministry of appointments. They were in charge of the affairs of the various female official departments and were usually extremely busy. This official position also required morning court sessions every day. As the Emperor¡¯s birthday approached, he would rest for three days. Only then would Hong Qifeng gather with her younger sisters. At the gathering, her younger sisters looked at Hong Qifeng enviously: ¡°I heard that on the first day of Your Morning Court, His Majesty even praised your official uniform as extremely beautiful. His Majesty rarely praises women.¡± Hong Qifeng smiled shyly and said, ¡°His Majesty only praised your official uniform.¡± Yue Zhu tilted her head and said, ¡°Sister Qifeng, do you see His Majesty every day? Every time I see his majesty, I don¡¯t dare to breathe loudly. Last time, he severely scolded my mother in the Changle Palace. Now that I think about it, I¡¯m still afraid!¡± Hong Qifeng shook her head and said, ¡°His Majesty is not fierce at all. He is a gentleman, gentle and elegant. His every move is extremely easy-going like a big brother. He is not scary at all.¡± The Little Sisters at the side said, ¡°I really envy that Qifeng can see Tian Yan every day, unlike us, who can only see him once in a while at a palace banquet.¡± ¡°In a few days, it will be his majesty¡¯s first birthday after he ascends the throne. I heard that the neighboring countries will come to congratulate his majesty on his birthday. At that time, not only will we be able to see his majesty, but we will also be able to meet the envoys of the various countries.¡± All the young ladies were looking forward to the arrival of His Majesty¡¯s Birthday Banquet as soon as possible. However, Lady Qiao had a slight headache. Although Lu Chen¡¯s birthday this time was not his entire birthday, but his twenty-third birthday, it was his first birthday banquet after ascending the throne. It had to be grand. The Ministry of Rites had been preparing for the birthday banquet since the beginning of spring. However, after the new year, Fu Lu and Lady Qiao had complained. After Lady Qiao became the Empress, the palace banquet was still as terrible as before. It would be a disgrace to the taste pavilion¡¯s Hundred Savory restaurant. Therefore, Lady Qiao had the ambition to avenge the shame of the palace banquet at the birthday banquet. There were still three days before the birthday banquet. Today, she tried a custom-made palace banquet. After practicing it, she was in a mess. Only then did she realize that although the original palace banquet was cold and tasted terrible, it was the safest and most exquisite method. Qiao jinniang gave all the extra dishes to the palace maids and maids of the six palaces. She carefully looked for any mistakes in this. Seeing that she was fully focused on studying the dishes, Lu Chen took out the paper in her hand: ¡°Why do you care so much about Fu Lu¡¯s words? The left and right palace banquet won¡¯t be that bad. It¡¯s just that it can¡¯t compare to the delicacies of the Hundred Savory restaurant.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°The palace banquet in the past is fine, but your birthday banquet will be held in a few days. Holding an outstanding longevity banquet can be considered my birthday gift to you.¡± Lu Chen looked down at Qiao Jinniang and said unhappily, ¡°The Birthday gift you gave me is getting more perfunctory year by year. What kind of birthday gift is this?¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Then what birthday gift do you want?¡± Chapter 335 The world belonged to Lu Chen. Qiao Jinniang really could not think of any good birthday present for Lu Chen. Lu Chen said, ¡°Think about it, what do I Want?¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about it carefully and finally thought of one. Two days ago, she made a doll for Ang ¡®er to play with. Lu Chen kept staring at the doll. The Tiger Doll that she had given to Lu Chen previously had also been dirtied by Zhou Sisi. She had also never made a new doll for Lu Chen. However, it was too late to make a tiger doll at this time. She had to stay up all night to embroider it. Qiao Jinniang pushed Lu Chen and said, ¡°Go back and read the brochure first. I guarantee that you will be satisfied with your birthday gift when your birthday comes.¡± Lu Chen frowned slightly. Fortunately, she had always complained that she was unromantic. Lu Chen felt that the one who was most unromantic was Qiao Jinniang. He deliberately took a three-day break from the imperial court in order to bring Qiao Jinniang out of the palace to go to the birthday of only two people first. He did not have Xi¡¯er and Ang¡¯er to do a lot of official business.. However, at this moment, she was either busy with the banquet or the dishes. These were clearly done by the people from the Ministry of Rites and the Palace Bureau. There was no need for her to personally work on them! .. On the day of the birthday banquet. All kinds of birthday gifts were sent to the palace one after another. The civil and military officials and their families also entered the palace to pay their respects, and the music was very lively. On the stage of the banquet, the actors of the teaching workshop also performed eighteen kinds of dance skills, and their graceful dances and melodies also went around the beam for three days to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty. Lu Chen did not look very good this morning, and Qiao Jinniang did not know what was wrong with him. The envoys from the small countries who had come to celebrate the birthday all trembled when they saw the look on his majesty¡¯s face.. They did not know if their small country had offended his majesty, but they kept doubling the gifts that they had offered. After the banquet started, a group of palace people filed in and placed the dishes one by one in front of the envoys, ministers, and their families. Everyone found that the palace banquet today was very different from the usual ones. Because the palace banquet could not be lost, this kind of palace banquet, which had hundreds of people attending, usually had the dishes prepared early. To maintain the delicacy and not make mistakes, most of the dishes were cold or cold. Today¡¯s dishes were mostly warm, and the dishes were not the kind that would not make mistakes. After the palace maids served the good dishes, there was a menu at the side, the dishes were exquisite and delicious. All the madams who had held banquets in the manor knew that it was almost impossible to hold such a banquet. ¡°I Wish Your Majesty a long life, long life, long life.¡± After the banquet started, Qiao Jinniang stood up first to toast Lu Chen. Lu Chen took the wine from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and drank it all. He said, ¡°How many days have you been busy with your birthday gift?¡± Qiao Jinniang lowered her voice and said, ¡°Are you sure you want to give your birthday present here?¡± Lu Chen raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Why not?¡± He wanted to see just how unromantic Qiao Jinniang could be. Qiao Jinniang ordered Hong Ling to fetch the birthday present. Marquis an Yuan also led the officials to toast Lu Chen¡¯s birthday. With marquis an Yuan leading the way, they all presented the birthday present. It was not easy to present a birthday gift to his majesty. Firstly, it could not be too rich, secondly, it could not be too rich. Thirdly, they had to figure out his majesty¡¯s intentions. It could be said to be even more difficult. If they presented a good gift, they would be able to make his majesty happy. If they presented a bad gift, they would be laughed at. The most important thing was that they would be disliked by his majesty. Among the officials, there were also many who wanted their daughters to perform. Performing a birthday gift was the safest way. When it was the Hong family¡¯s turn, Hong Qifeng took all kinds of cloth, books, and some wheat. Lu Chen asked, ¡°What are these?¡± Everyone was curious as to why Hong Qifeng took out so many strange things at His Majesty¡¯s Birthday Banquet. Hong Qifeng said, ¡°This is my birthday gift to His Majesty. It¡¯s also a birthday gift from all the female households who inherited the family business. ¡°This cloth is the first batch of Shu brocade woven by the daughter of the Gan family of Shu brocade after she inherited the family business. As soon as she came to Chang ¡®an, it was robbed. ¡°This book is the first batch of shipbuilding records printed by the daughter of the He family of Chang ¡®an when she took over the bookstore.. ¡°Also, these rice grains were sown by the female households in the countryside of Chang ¡®an who had just received relief fields. In a few months, they will be yellow and shiny wheat¡­¡± Lu Chen finally revealed his first smile today. ¡°Your gift is deeply appreciated by me.¡± Hong Qifeng also smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that his majesty likes it.¡± After all the officials sent the birthday gifts. Fu Lu looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°What birthday gift did the Empress Give His Majesty? Why didn¡¯t she take it out and show it to us?¡± Qiao Jinniang took the box handed over by Hong Ling and saw that inside was a white jade headband. Qiao Jinniang took out the white jade headband and said, ¡°This is the White Jade headband that I gave to his majesty.¡± Fortunately, Hong Ling was smart enough not to bring the Tiger Plushie. Otherwise, she would have lost all her face. Lu Chen saw that the white jade headband was frowning and looking deeply at Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang actually saw the grievance in Lu Chen¡¯s eyes.. All the officials were discussing in low voices. Madam Lin said to Madam Hong, ¡°His Majesty has been frowning ever since he received the Empress¡¯gift. He hasn¡¯t smiled today.. ¡°On the contrary, he smiled when he saw Qifeng¡¯s gift just now. It¡¯s clear that Qifeng has won his Majesty¡¯s Heart.¡± Madam Hong only gave a faint smile. Hong Qifeng quickly said, ¡°His Majesty is also happy because the people are having a good time.¡± Madam Lin Xiang said, ¡°His Majesty and the Empress have always been in love, but now his majesty seems to be angry with the Empress¡­¡± Second Madam Qiao also whispered to Zheng Xiao that the empress seemed to have quarreled. Zheng Xiao was worried about Qiao Jin. Qiao Jin¡¯s gift was indeed somewhat inappropriate. Even the young lady of the Hong family¡¯s birthday gift was much more thoughtful than Qiao Jin¡¯s. Second Lady Qiao said, ¡°Sister-in-law, you should also advise Lady Qiao not to be petty. After all, she is His Majesty.¡± Zheng Xiao planned to talk to Lady Qiao after the banquet. .. After the banquet, in the Changle Palace. Lady Qiao followed Lu Chen into the palace. She said unhappily, ¡°Lu Chen, today is your birthday. I don¡¯t want to argue with you, but why have you been acting so weird these past few days? ¡°I gave you a gift, but didn¡¯t you even smile when you received it in front of the officials?¡± When the palace maids heard this, they were so scared that they didn¡¯t dare to move. Hong Ling wanted to go up and persuade them, but she didn¡¯t dare.. Lu Chen waved his hand to dismiss the palace maids and palace maids. He asked Qiao Jinniang, ¡°So you still know it¡¯s my birthday? When we were in Lin ¡®an, you would solemnly prepare a birthday gift for me, but now? What about the white jade hair and crown? Are you sending beggars away?¡± ¡°I rested for three days. I wanted to bring you out of the palace and spend a day in the hot spring imperial manor to celebrate my birthday early. But what about you? Are you either busy with the dishes at the birthday banquet or avoiding me? You said you were avoiding me to prepare a birthday gift for me. Is this white jade crown your birthday gift that you¡¯ve been preparing for many days?¡± Qiao Jinniang finally understood Lu Chen¡¯s awkwardness. Outside the Changle Palace, Zheng Xiao came to seek an audience with Qiao Jinniang. However, he saw that Hong Ling and the others had been chased out by the emperor. Zheng Xiao went forward to ask Hong Ling. Hong Ling only said that the emperor was very angry. Zheng Xiao was extremely anxious. Hong Ling could not go in to pass the message either. Zheng Xiao had no choice but to leave the palace first. Madam Lin saw Zheng Xiao¡¯s worried face outside the palace gates and was delighted. Chapter 336 In the Changle Palace. Qiao Jinniang, who had heard Lu Chen¡¯s complaint, went forward and wrapped her arms around Lu Chen¡¯s narrow waist. Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Since you want to go out with the two of us, just say it. Why are you sulking if you don¡¯t say it directly? ¡°Also, look at my hands. I haven¡¯t slept well for two days because of your birthday. I don¡¯t even know how many times the needles have pierced me!¡± Lu Chen saw that there were indeed needle holes in Qiao Jin¡¯s smooth hand, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her. Qiao Jin held Lu Chen¡¯s hand and walked to a box. She handed the Tiger Doll to Lu Chen and said, ¡°You have to put away this birthday gift properly. If someone dirties it again, don¡¯t even think about me making it for You Again!¡± Lu Chen took the tiger doll. Although he was in a hurry to finish the work, the stitching was fine, and the tiger¡¯s eyes were embroidered lifelike. Lu Chen said guiltily, ¡°Just now, I really thought that you just casually took a white jade hair crown to send me off.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°I really wanted to give you this birthday gift, but you¡¯re Shameless, and I still want it! How could I take such a small cloth tiger to the officials. How could I not take your birthday seriously? You¡¯re really good. You¡¯re so angry at yourself. Just now, I even made you your favorite dishes, but you didn¡¯t touch any of them¡­¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Those aren¡¯t my favorites.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I only like steamed rabbit meat and braised rabbit meat¡­¡± By the time Qiao Jinniang reacted, she had already been eaten until she was weak. The Sky was dark. There was still a banquet in the palace, but she didn¡¯t have any strength left. She just wanted to have a good sleep. Lu Chen, on the other hand, changed into a dragon robe and went to the banquet in high spirits. When everyone saw that there was only his majesty and no empress, they could not help but think that the empress seemed to have provoked his majesty during the lunch banquet just now. There were even more speculations. Zheng Xiao became even more flustered when he did not see Qiao Jinniang. He ordered people to go to the Changle Palace to send a message asking to see Qiao Jinniang, only to find that Qiao Jinniang had already rested. It was only dusk at this time, how could she have rested so early? Princess Fu Lu looked at the sky and said, ¡°So early? It Can¡¯t be that the rumors about them are true, right? Did His Majesty and the Empress Quarrel? That¡¯s not right. What could the two of them possibly quarrel about?¡± Fu Lu had been sick of looking at Princess Shou¡¯an and the Prince Consort ever since she was young. But sometimes, when she went to the Changle Palace and saw Lu Chen and Lady Qiao, she was even more sick of them. It was not like she and Qiao Lui were newlyweds. They were already an old married couple, yet they were still sick of them. Zheng Xiao was extremely worried when she heard this. At this moment, the second Prince¡¯s wet nurse carried the crying second prince over. Ang ¡®er stuck to Lady Qiao a little at night. She would look for Lady Qiao at night. She slept better, but when she was awake, she had to see Lady Qiao. After not seeing her for a while, she started to cry. The wet nurse came forward and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the second Prince wants to see the empress, but you said not to go in and disturb the empress¡­ This second prince¡­¡± Lu Chen ordered the wet nurse to give Ang ¡®er to him. He held Ang ¡®er in his arms, and the crying caused the baby to stop crying. However, this scene attracted a lot of speculation. The second prince could not even see the empress when he was crying. Could it be that his majesty was really going to punish the empress? .. The next day, the discussion about the quarrel between the Empress and the Emperor became more and more noisy. When Xie Yun stepped into Chang ¡®an, he heard the discussion in a breakfast stall in Chang ¡®an. He said to his trusted servant, ¡°Stop the carriage.¡± Xie Yun got down from the carriage. The women passing by could not help but look at him. Such a handsome man was probably rare in the world. His moon-white, wide-sleeved robe made him look extraordinary. ¡°You don¡¯t know that His Majesty was already unhappy when the Empress presented her birthday gift yesterday. After that, he was so angry that he did not allow the empress to attend the birthday banquet. Even when the second prince was crying and making a scene, His Majesty forbade the second prince to go and look for the Empress!¡± ¡°This Empress¡¯s affection is only so-so. But now that the Qiao family is extremely powerful, I believe His Majesty would not dare to touch the Empress easily.¡± ¡°No matter how powerful the external relatives are, His Majesty is not a vegetarian. Who knows, he might even depose the Empress?¡± Xie Yun listened with a deep frown and went outside the palace to hand over the invitation. Everyone at the Palace Gate felt that this man¡¯s appearance was somewhat familiar, but they could not remember where they had seen him before. It was already late in the morning when Qiao Jinniang got up. After she got up, she received Xie Yun¡¯s invitation and ordered someone to bring Xie Yun in. However, Hong Ling returned and said, ¡°His Majesty said that young master Xie has not been to Chang ¡®an for a long time, so he called young master Xie to Taiji Palace to reminisce about the past. However, the Marquise and Princess Fu Lu are here.¡± Qiao jinniang said softly, ¡°Let them in.¡± The moment the Marquise entered, she saw the Haggard Qiao Jinniang, who had not put on any makeup. She could not help but feel sorry for her: ¡°Jinniang, did something happen between you and His Majesty?¡± Seeing Zheng Xiao¡¯s worry, Qiao Jinniang said doubtfully, ¡°His Majesty and I are very good. Nothing happened.¡± Zheng Xiao was afraid that the Jinniang would report the good news but not the bad news, so he added, ¡°Jinniang, even though His Majesty bullied you, as his subjects, we can¡¯t do anything for you. However, if you say it out loud, we can let the Qiao family help you think of a solution. You mustn¡¯t hold on by yourself.¡± Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t believe that Qiao Jinniang was so Haggard that there was nothing going on. ¡°Your eyes are all green and black¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly and said, ¡°Mother, his majesty and I are really fine. If you don¡¯t believe me, I will take you to Taiji Palace to find his majesty.¡± Zheng Xiao saw that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words put down her worries. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you attend the banquet last night? Now the rumors outside the palace have spread¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang was also quite helpless. If things did not go well between her and Lu Chen¡¯s wife, the people outside the palace would know faster than they knew. She could only comfort them that the world was peaceful and the weather was good. Only then would the people of Chang ¡®an have the time to talk about her. Qiao Jinniang explained, ¡°I was busy for a few days because of the longevity banquet. In the afternoon, I felt tired, so I took an early rest¡­¡± Zheng Xiao did not believe her. ¡°Really?¡± Qiao Jinniang was not the kind of person who did not know the big picture. She would not miss such an important banquet because she was tired. Naturally, Qiao Jinniang could not tell the truth. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll have to trouble mother to explain it to me outside the palace.¡± .. After Qiao Ruoyi left the main hall, she saw a pale figure standing in front of the Taiji Hall from afar. That figure looked very much like Xie Yun. Qiao ruoyi walked over and looked at Xie Yun. ¡°May I ask this young master, who are you?¡± Xie Yun said clearly, ¡°I am the current head of the Xie family and Xie Yun¡¯s elder brother.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°So Xie Yun has an elder brother?¡± ¡°I am her twin elder brother. I have been sick since I was young, so I don¡¯t see many people. After Xie Yun left, my illness slowly improved and I can come out to meet people.¡± Qiao ruoyi said plainly, ¡°I see. Head of the Xie family, we have always remembered your sister¡¯s donation. Sigh, I didn¡¯t expect her to die so young. ¡°I found a portrait of a little girl in a book called ¡°Precious history¡±that she presented. It must be her legacy¡­¡± Xie Yun suddenly remembered when he heard about the precious history and the portrait. When Qiao Jinniang was young, he had drawn a small portrait of Qiao Jinniang and used it as a bookmark. In the end, he put it on the book called ¡°Precious History¡±. However, he had forgotten about it when he was sorting out the books sent to Chang ¡®an! Fortunately, this precious history book was discovered by Qiao Ruoyi. Otherwise, Xie Yun would not have been able to explain why he had hidden a small portrait of the Empress when she was young. At this moment, the Empress was in conflict and could not allow anyone to make an issue out of this! Xie Yun asked coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s that small portrait? Give it to me quickly!¡± Chapter 337 Qiao ruoyi saw the excitement on the face of master xie and said, ¡°Leave that small portrait in my study.¡± Xie Yun lowered her voice and said, ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone about that small portrait. No, you have to burn that small portrait quickly.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°But I think that small portrait is very good, and I think that Miss Xie Yun also cherishes that portrait very much. Now that Miss Xie Yun has passed away, this is her little remaining ink treasure. It would be a pity to burn it.¡± At this moment, eunuch Gu came over to invite Xie Yun in. Xie Yun only warned Qiao ruoyi in her ear, ¡°If you don¡¯t want your sister to be implicated by this portrait, then hurry up and burn that portrait.¡± Qiao Ruoyi didn¡¯t understand what patriarch Xie meant, but she caught a glimpse of the red mole beside his ear. It seemed that Xie Yun also had a red mole. Even if the two of them were twins, didn¡¯t they look too similar? Xie Yun bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, your majesty. I hurried over, but I still couldn¡¯t make it in time to give you a birthday gift. The retired emperor and the Empress Dowager entrusted me to bring you a birthday gift.¡± The Chamberlain at the side carried the wooden box Xie Yun brought. Lu Chen opened it and saw that the wooden box was filled with strange things and some sea goods. His parents must have gone to Yinzhou to visit the seaside. They were in a good mood. Lu Chen closed the lid of the box and said, ¡°Thank you for escorting them all the way to Chang ¡®an. Is there anything else important besides celebrating my birthday? Why did you go to the palace to see the Empress so early in the morning?¡± Xie Yun looked at Lu Chen and remembered what those people at the breakfast stall were talking about. She was afraid that Lu Chen would blame Lady Qiao more for this, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. It¡¯s just that the Empress entrusted me to find a marriage for glutinous rice. There¡¯s no one in my Xie family who is fated to marry glutinous rice, so I specially came to the palace to speak to the Empress.¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t believe that Xie Yun would want to see Lady Qiao for such a small matter. He said, ¡°Glutinous Rice¡¯s marriage will naturally have money to worry about.¡± Xie Yun then talked about the new business tax and the fact that the Xie family also wanted to go to the western region to do business. After discussing for about an hour, Xie Yun finally left the palace. He had a small image in his heart. As soon as he left the palace, he went to the marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence to look for Qiao ruoyi. Only when he arrived at the marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence did he find out that Qiao Ruoyi had gone to the yamen of the Ministry of appointments. Zheng Xiao ordered someone to invite him into the house. Since it was almost lunchtime, Qiao Ruoyi should be back soon. Xie Yun then waited for Qiao Ruoyi to return in the hall. This was the first time Zheng Xiao had seen a man come to the manor to look for Qiao Ruoyi. He sized up the man in front of him and actually felt that his looks were not inferior to his majesty¡¯s. He was as handsome as his majesty. He looked a little familiar, but for a moment, he could not remember where he had seen him before. Princess Fu Lu came over and saw Xie Yun. She was shocked and said, ¡°Xie Yun, so you¡¯re not dead? To think that I cried for you the whole night after I learned of your death. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re not dead!¡± Xie Yun lowered her eyes and looked at Fu Lu¡¯s stomach. In the end, she did not push her away for a moment. She only frowned and took a step back: ¡°Princess, you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else. Xie Yun is my sister. I¡¯m Xie Yun¡¯s twin brother.¡± Zheng Xiao also smiled lightly and said to Fu Lu, ¡°Fu Lu, you have to be careful of the child in your stomach.¡± He then said to Xie Yun, ¡°No wonder you look so familiar. It turns out that you¡¯re Xie Yun¡¯s twin brother. I wonder when did young master Xie Meet My Ruoyi?¡± Zheng Xiao saw that Xie Yun¡¯s looks were extremely good. She knew Qiao Ruoyi, except that she was a little older.. However, her family background and looks were extremely compatible with Ruoyi¡¯s. It would be great if they could get married. Xie Yun said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Miss Qiao. It¡¯s just that my sister left a relic with Miss Qiao. I want to take it back.¡± Zheng Xiao was a little disappointed when she heard that. So it was only because of this that they got to know each other. However, it didn¡¯t matter. The more she looked at Xie Yun, the more she felt that she looked like a son-in-law. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard Xie Yun mention having a biological brother before.¡± Xie Yun pursed her lips and took a sip of tea. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve been weak and sickly since I was young. In order to protect me, my sister never told anyone that she had a sick brother. It wasn¡¯t until recently that the Xie family¡¯s second son passed away that my illness gradually recovered. It¡¯s a pity that my sister has already passed away.¡± At the mention of Xie Yun, Zheng Xiao could not help but sigh at the poor fate of a beautiful woman. ¡°When is the Xie family head¡¯s Birthday?¡± Xie Yun frowned slightly. However, on account of the fact that she was Lady Qiao¡¯s biological mother, she still took out her birth date. Zheng Xiao smiled slightly and said, ¡°So young master Xie is a pig. Good, good, very good!¡± If it was a sheep, this pig and sheep were the most compatible among the Zodiacs. Although the difference in age was a little much, older men would dote on people. Xie Yun did not know what was good about his zodiac sign. When he saw Zheng Xiao¡¯s gaze, he actually felt a hint of fear for no reason. Zheng Xiao¡¯s extreme enthusiasm made Fu Lu wonder if her mother-in-law had taken a liking to Xie Yun¡¯s brother and wanted to be her stepfather-in-law? This was not impossible. Marquis an Yuan was handsome when he was young, but now he was getting older.. Just as Xie Yun was about to give in to Zheng Xiao¡¯s warm hospitality, Qiao Ruoyi finally returned. Qiao ruoyi saw Xie Yun and bowed. ¡°Family head Xie.¡± Xie Yun said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°My Sister¡¯s relic. Where¡¯s that small portrait? Did You Burn It?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°No, I remember now. That small portrait is not in an Yuan Hou¡¯s mansion, but in West Mountain Academy.¡± There were many people in the West Mountain Academy, and it was hard to say when someone would enter Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s room and take that small portrait. Xie Yun was anxious, but he still said calmly on the surface, ¡°Let¡¯s go, to the West Mountain Academy.¡± ¡°Oh?¡±Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°That¡¯s not a rush, right? When I go to the West Mountain Academy in a few days¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry,¡±Xie Yun said to Qiao ruoyi. Thinking of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s love of books, he said, ¡°Go to West Mountain Academy now. I¡¯ll let you choose two of the rare books that His Majesty originally intended to return to the Xie family¡­¡± Hearing this, Qiao Ruoyi knew that this was an extremely good deal. The rare books that the Xie family left behind were all priceless, and the Xie family head let her choose two of them. This was a family heirloom. Qiao ruoyi asked the servant girl to apply for leave from the yamen. After having lunch, she and Xie Yun each took a carriage to West Mountain Academy. Ever since the girl became a scholar, there had been quite a number of girls who came to West Mountain Academy to study. After Xie Yun followed Qiao Ruoyi to West Mountain, they saw that the mountain peak, which had been abandoned two years ago, was now very lively. There were also many shops at the foot of the mountain. Vegetables and fruits were also planted in the mountain. At this time, hundreds of flowers were in full bloom on the back of the mountain, and the Azalea and peony flowers were blooming. Entering Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard in the West Mountain Academy, Xie Yun¡¯s eyes lit up. Her courtyard was relatively quiet, and the only flowers in it were orchids. The climate in Chang ¡®an was not suitable for raising orchids. Orchids had already bloomed in Jiangnan, but there were not even flower buds here. Chapter 338 Qiao ruoi pushed the door open and entered, taking out the portrait. Xie Yun saw the portrait and was about to retrieve it. Qiao ruoi placed the portrait behind her, ¡°Family head Xie, since this portrait is Miss Xie Yun¡¯s relic, even if it¡¯s going to be destroyed, we have to go to Xie Yun¡¯s memorial tablet and burn it.¡± Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°This portrait is not suitable for outsiders to know. Xie Yun¡¯s memorial tablet is in Jiangnan¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Our West Mountain Academy has Miss Xie Yun¡¯s memorial tablet, and she is worshipped by the female students of West Mountain Academy every day.¡± As Qiao Ruoyi spoke, she walked into Xie Yun¡¯s memorial hall. Xie Yun entered the black and White Memorial Hall, and as soon as he entered, he smelled a deep sandalwood fragrance. The one who entered was his own memorial tablet. When he raised his head again, he saw a golden statue. Xie Yun walked closer to take a look. ¡°Is the golden body on this statue real gold?¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Yun:¡±¡­¡±it was difficult for West Mountain Academy to still remember Xie Yun. However, seeing his own memorial tablet, Xie Yun could not help but feel a little unable to accept it. Qiao ruoyi took out three sticks of sandalwood incense and gave it to Xie Yun. ¡°Family head Xie.¡± Xie Yun took the three sticks of incense from Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hands, worshiped her, and placed the incense in the incense burner. Qiao ruoyi also took three sticks of incense. When she placed the incense in the incense burner, she accidentally burned her hand with the incense ash. Xie Yun frowned slightly and said, ¡°You and Qiao Jinniang are indeed sisters. You would be hurt by the incense ash even if you were to offer it.¡± Xie Yun recalled that Qiao Jinniang was only six years old at the time. When her parents went to offer incense, her hand was burned by the incense ash until it had a small blister. At that time, mother Qiao was extremely distressed, so she decided not to bring Qiao Jinniang to the temple anymore. Qiao ruoi covered her hands and said, ¡°Family head Xie, I think this is Miss Xie¡¯s work. She doesn¡¯t want us to burn her painting. This painting has been around for many years. Miss Xie¡¯s painting shouldn¡¯t have been burned.¡± Xie Yun frowned and looked at Qiao ruoi. ¡°No, it has to be burned.¡± Qiao Ruoi hid the painting in her sleeve and said, ¡°Miss Xie Yun has already given me a hint. I shouldn¡¯t have burned Miss Xie¡¯s work.¡± Xie Yun saw Qiao ruoyi hiding in her sleeve and said, ¡°Actually, this painting wasn¡¯t painted by Xie Yun, but by me. When I was young, I was seriously ill. When I saw the empress give me a piece of cake, I drew her. ¡°Now your sister is the empress, and now the Emperor and Empress are not on good terms. If this small painting is known by His Majesty or someone with good intentions, I¡¯m afraid it will harm your sister.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Who said that the Emperor and my sister are not on good terms? How can the emperor be such a petty person? Also, there is clearly a Yun character written at the bottom of this portrait. This was drawn by Xie Yun, not by you. ¡°Even Xie Yun¡¯s spirit in heaven did not allow me to burn it. It can be seen that Xie Yun cherishes this painting in her heart.¡± Xie Yun:¡±¡­¡± How could he not know when his spirit had appeared. Xie Yun said, ¡°It seems that fifth Miss Qiao doesn¡¯t want the only copy of the famous one?¡± Qiao ruoi snorted lightly. ¡°Mencius once said that wealth can not be indulged in debauchery, poverty can not be moved, power can not be subdued, and two of the only copies of the famous one can not buy me off. Moreover, I am an official of the imperial court, and my two sleeves are clean¡­¡± ¡°Five copies!¡±Xie Yun made a hand gesture and said, ¡°Five of the only copies of the famous one, together with Wang Youjun¡¯s snow-time clear invitation, the real work!¡± Ever since the great ancestor, Wang Youjun¡¯s real work had been popular in great Tang. Only during the era of the Hui Lin Emperor did people know about the calligraphy of the Liu family. In fact, the current Liu family was still far inferior to Wang Youjun¡¯s. If Wang Youjun¡¯s calligraphy could get a real work, it would be extremely difficult. The real work of the great ancestor¡¯s right army was already rare. If it was the real work of the snow-time calligraphy¡­ she was not poor and could not be moved.. Xie Yun gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, don¡¯t be too greedy!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Seeing is believing. The calligraphy of Wang Youjun is powerful and elegant, like a dragon leaping over the heavenly gate and a tiger crouching in a Phoenix¡¯s nest. It is a treasure that has been passed down through the generations. Back then, it was difficult to even find an authentic painting. Even the Qiao family might not have an authentic painting. How can I believe you?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Back then, Wang Xie was an aristocratic family in the land of Wuyue. Our ancestors even wanted to marry the Wang family. The Xie family has been an aristocratic family for thousands of years. Would they lie to you if they had an authentic painting of Wang Youjun?¡± Qiao ruo wrapped a handkerchief around her burnt finger and said, ¡°No wonder I don¡¯t believe it. The real work of Wang Youjun is priceless. Is it worth it for you to ask me to destroy a small portrait drawn by your sister?¡± If Qiao Ruo obtained the real work of Wang Youjun, no matter how poor she was, she would not sell the real work of Wang Youjun even if she had to eat dirt and grass. Even if she starved to death, she would let the authentic work of Wang Youjun be buried with her. Xie Yun said, ¡°It just so happens that the authentic work of Wang Youjun is in Chang ¡®an Xie mansion. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can come to my xie mansion tomorrow to see if it¡¯s authentic.¡± Qiao ruoyi replied, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a deal.¡± .. After Hong Qifeng returned to the Hong family, she heard a dispute inside. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to marry my cousin. Why must I marry my cousin?¡±Young Master Hong asked, puzzled, ¡°Old Master Ye and Imperial Physician Ye have offended his majesty. What does it have to do with our Hong Family? And what does it have to do with you? Why did you listen to Aunt and let me marry my cousin!¡± ¡°Be more obedient. You¡¯re willing to marry that orphan girl who got married twice. What¡¯s wrong with your cousin? Whether you¡¯re willing or not, you have to marry her. The wedding date has been set for one month later!¡± Hong Qifeng entered and said, ¡°Mother, why is elder brother¡¯s marriage so urgent?¡± Madam Hong said, ¡°After elder Ye was reprimanded by His Majesty, he is seriously ill and will die at any time. Therefore, your cousin ye Suxin¡¯s marriage has to be put on the agenda.¡± Young master Hong said, ¡°I won¡¯t marry her!¡± ¡°Marriage has always been about the orders of parents. According to the matchmaker, you have to marry her even if you don¡¯t want to!¡± Hong Qifeng advised young master hong, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t make mother unhappy. Come out with me.¡± Hong Yinglong had always listened to her sister¡¯s words. After she left, she heard Hong Qifeng say.., ¡°Brother, the Ye family¡¯s decline has something to do with mother. The aunt of the Ye family told mother about His Majesty¡¯s use of the Pill to avoid children, and mother also told Madam Lin about it. This caused His Majesty to be furious. ¡°But mother¡¯s original intention was also for his majesty¡¯s Sake and to fulfill her duty as a minister. Now that the Ye family has fallen, Sister Suxin and Aunt Ye are difficult to deal with. You should agree to marry cousin suxin.¡± Hong Yinglong said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to marry, sister. Doesn¡¯t His Majesty think highly of You?¡±? At His Majesty¡¯s Birthday Banquet Yesterday, the gift you gave made his majesty smile with joy. Why Don¡¯t you go to His Majesty and plead on behalf of the Ye Family? ¡°The ye family is also thinking about His Majesty¡¯s Dragon Body.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just watch your own brother marry a girl he doesn¡¯t like, right? Ye suxin is unruly and overbearing. If I marry her, there will still be peace in my rear residence. I beg you to save my brother¡¯s Life!¡± Hong Qifeng said helplessly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to His Majesty and try to plead? Even if I can¡¯t let uncle and old physician ye resume their duties, I only hope that they can practice medicine in Chang ¡®an.¡± Hong Yinglong smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Sister. His Majesty thinks so highly of you and will definitely agree.¡± Chapter 339 The next morning, after the morning court session, Hong Qifeng went to the Changle Palace to look for Lu Chen. The retired emperor¡¯s office used to be in the administrative hall. Since Lu Chen ascended to the throne, he had been handling government affairs in the Taiji Palace. However, three out of ten days, he would be working in the Changle Palace. Usually, the ministers would not come to the harem, but Hong Qifeng was a woman, so she did not have such a taboo. Lady Qiao was by Lu Chen¡¯s side, grinding the ink for him. Occasionally, they would look at the memorials. Lady Qiao liked to read the memorials from the Ministry of Justice, most of which were written by the people to determine whether a death sentence was necessary. The Ministry of Justice had already decided on the crime, and only Lu Chen needed to approve it. When Hong Qifeng came in, she saw Lady Qiao sitting next to Lu Chen looking at the memorials from the Ministry of Justice. She did not find it strange, but she felt that if her father saw this scene, he would probably spill blood in the Taiji Palace tomorrow. ¡°Your Subject Greets Your Majesty, Your Majesty.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°No need for formalities. What do you want?¡± Hong Qifeng cupped his hands and said, ¡°Your Majesty, your subject is here to plead on behalf of the Ye family. Old Master Ye has been practicing medicine for his entire life and is an old imperial physician of the three dynasties. He has been practicing medicine all over the world and has been suffering from the plague of Chang ¡®an for more than twenty years. Old Master Ye has also gone to treat it without hesitation. ¡°Your subject would like to ask your Majesty to spare the ye family on account of Old Master Ye¡¯s practice of medicine and saving lives. Don¡¯t let the father and son be unable to practice medicine and break the foundation of their ancestors.¡± Qiao Jinniang added from the side, ¡°Imperial physician Ye¡¯s mouth is indeed an open mouth. However, Qifeng is right. They practice medicine for their entire lives. It¡¯s not good to break their foundation. Let them continue practicing medicine. It¡¯s also good to treat the common people. It Won¡¯t be to the extent of breaking the family¡¯s livelihood.¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Then we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Hong Qifeng repeatedly thanked, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, for your Grace.¡± Hong Qifeng happily returned to the yamen. Seeing that Qiao Ruoyi was about to leave again, he asked, ¡°Are you still going to the West Mountain Academy today?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to the Xie family. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Hong Qifeng said, ¡°Okay.¡± After Qiao Ruoyi left, Hong Qifeng remembered that there was a letter from a place at Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s place. She went into her study to look for it and saw a portrait at the bottom. Hong Qifeng picked up the portrait and took a look. The portrait should be of a little girl. She looked lively and extremely cute. She looked a little like Qiao ruoshui when she was young.. Hong Qifeng looked at the small characters at the bottom that were written with the word Yun. She placed the portrait on the table. Thinking about it, didn¡¯t Qiao Ruoshui look like the Empress? This small portrait of the Empress when she was young should not be placed here. It would be bad if other men saw it and took it away. She also hid it in the sleeve of her official robe. .. The Xie family in Chang ¡®an. Qiao ruoyi saw the snow-covered letter placed in front of her and did not dare to touch it. After confirming that it was the real one.., qiao ruoyi could not help but sigh and said, ¡°This book is mainly composed of a round brush that hides its edge. It is easy to put away the brush and change the strokes. It is like a jade mountain. Although it does not have a sharp edge, it has a spiritual connotation. It is hidden in the strength of the bones. It is a letter that my descendants can not reach in their entire lives. Are you sure you want to give it to me?¡± Xie Yun closed the box and asked, ¡°Where is the portrait?¡± Qiao ruoyi touched the inside of the sleeves of the official¡¯s robe. After touching it for a long time, she said, ¡°Eh, I clearly put it in my sleeve. Did It fall into the yamen of the Ministry of Appointments?¡± Xie Yun glared at Qiao ruoyi coldly and said, ¡°Do you want your sister to die faster?¡± There were many people coming and going in the yamen of the Ministry of appointments. If this portrait fell into the hands of another man, there would be endless trouble in the future. Qiao Ruoyi was also anxious. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the yamen of the Ministry of appointments to look for it properly.¡± Xie Yun said coldly, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, did you do it on purpose? You¡¯re a concubine¡¯s daughter. The way you eat, wear, and spend is the style of a legitimate daughter. ¡°After your sister returned to the manor, she also treated you very well. You wanted the only copy of the ancient books, but your sister gave it to you without saying a word. How many academies have said behind her back that the empress is biased. What about you? Is this how you repay your sister? Yesterday, I let you destroy the portrait, but you didn¡¯t destroy it. If this matter implicates the empress, you won¡¯t have a good time either!¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes were slightly red. She was so wronged that her nose was sore. ¡°It¡¯s also better than you secretly drawing a portrait of your sister and pretending to be a man to deceive the world. ¡°You are clearly Xie Yun. You are clearly not dead. Are you trying to use my hand to deal with my sister? ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. His Majesty loves my sister very much. He will never let you have your way!¡± Xie Yun did not understand and asked, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Qiao ruoyi pointed at the Red Mole next to Xie Yun¡¯s ear and said, ¡°Miss Xie has this red mole next to her ear. Moreover, if the twins are like a dragon and a phoenix, there will be some similarities, but it is impossible for them to look the same. ¡°You are clearly not the head of the Xie family, but Xie Yun. Are you pretending to be dead because you are unwilling to let my sister steal your position as the Crown Prince¡¯s Consort? Are you here in Chang ¡®an for your sister¡¯s position as the Empress? You set me up with that portrait, right? Don¡¯t even think about it. No matter what tricks you play, I will not let you succeed!¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°I am a man, not a woman disguised as a man. That portrait is really important. His Majesty is already unhappy. If this portrait falls into the eyes of someone who has bad intentions for the Jin Niang, fifth Miss Qiao, please quickly find the portrait and destroy it!¡± When Qiao Ruoyi heard Xie Yun¡¯s words, it did not seem to be a lie. It seemed to be true. Could it be that she had really misunderstood? Qiao Ruoyi did not dare to delay any further. She hurriedly returned to the yamen of the Ministry of appointments to look for the portrait. She could not ask openly, but after searching through her study in the yamen, she still could not find the portrait. Qiao ruoyi went back to the carriage to look for it, but she still could not find it. Xie Yun looked coldly at Qiao Ruoyi under the carriage. Qiao ruoyi only said, ¡°If anything happens to sister, I will bear the responsibility without damaging sister¡¯s reputation!¡± Xie Yun sneered, ¡°With just you, a Little Concubine¡¯s Daughter?¡± Qiao ruoyi saw the cold disdain in Xie Yun¡¯s eyes and jumped down from the carriage, ¡°I did lose the portrait, but why did you put my sister¡¯s portrait in the book that you want to offer to the imperial court? I, a Little Concubine¡¯s daughter, also know to bear my responsibility, unlike you.¡± Qiao ruoi headed straight for the palace. This was her mistake, and no matter how her sister wanted to punish her, she would admit it. But this matter should be let her sister know. .. The Hong family had hosted the Ye family today. Aunt Ye heard that Hong Qifeng had gone to the emperor¡¯s side to plead for mercy. Although she did not let the Ye family official resume his position, he could still practice medicine again. With the Ye family¡¯s reputation as a miracle doctor, it would not be difficult for him to settle down in the future. Aunt Ye smiled and said to Hong Qifeng, ¡°It seems that the rumors that His Majesty thinks highly of you are true. Qifeng, Qifeng, perhaps the Hong family will really produce a Phoenix!¡± Madam Hong smiled slightly. Hong Qifeng immediately put on a straight face and said, ¡°Aunt, you should be more respectful. The Ye family has just obtained his Majesty¡¯s understanding. Do you want the Hong family to be implicated as well? You Can¡¯t say that!¡± Aunt ye said, ¡°What¡¯s there to say? Outside the palace, everyone is secretly talking about what happened at the longevity banquet. After all, His Majesty treats you differently from other women. His Majesty has never praised women for their good looks in public. ¡°You and Qiao Ruoyi are in the same dynasty. Why Did His Majesty praise your official uniform for being good-looking and not Qiao Ruoyi? ¡°It can be seen that the Hong family will also have a Empress!¡± Chapter 340 Hong Qifeng saw that his aunt was getting more and more ridiculous, so she put down her chopsticks and said, ¡°Aunt! Don¡¯t say anymore. You Don¡¯t want your life, I still want it. His Majesty has already said that there is only the empress in the harem.¡± Ye suxin laughed and said, ¡°Sister has the ability. After becoming a high official, you dare to throw your chopsticks in front of the elders just because you are favored by His Majesty?¡± Hong Qifeng was so angry that she flicked her sleeves and left, hurriedly returning to her own courtyard. When Hong Qifeng left, the portrait in her sleeves fell to the ground. Aunt Ye picked up the portrait and said, ¡°This portrait looks a little like the Empress!¡± Madam Hong looked at it and said, ¡°I think it looks like Qiao ruoshui when she was young.¡± Aunt ye said, ¡°The Empress and Qiao Ruoshui look very similar. Seeing the hair ornaments on the little girl¡¯s head, she looks like the daughter of a common family. She is not a noble lady from a noble family, so she must be the Empress!¡± Madam Hong was curious and had a big guess in her heart. ¡°Could it be that Qifeng doesn¡¯t like the Emperor and likes the Empress? Everyone says that the emperor treats her differently, but she doesn¡¯t take it seriously at all¡­¡± Madam Hong put away the portrait. This was the portrait of the empress, so naturally, she couldn¡¯t easily accept it. Aunt ye said, ¡°Qifeng is still young. Perhaps she doesn¡¯t understand the affairs between men and women, but little sister, you really have to give Qifeng some good advice. The emperor always treats her differently. Even if she can¡¯t be an empress, she can still be a noble consort!¡± How could madam Hong not want that. Looking at the power of the Qiao family now, not to mention Zheng Xiao, who was already more distinguished than them, even the second madam of the Qiao family, who had already split up, and the third madam of the Qiao family were all flattered by everyone. .. In the Changle Palace. Qiao Jinniang listened to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s story about the portrait and comforted her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You Don¡¯t have to be afraid. Even if this portrait is taken away, it¡¯s fine. Just say it¡¯s Qiao Ruoshui.¡± She looked similar to Qiao ruoshui, and no one in Chang ¡®an had seen her when she was young. They only remembered Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s appearance when she was young. Qiao Jinniang then explained to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Xie Yun wouldn¡¯t deliberately harm me. He is a man, and because of the persecution of the second branch, he used the identity of a woman to show others. I met him when we were young, and I only knew he was a man when I came to Chang ¡®an.¡± Qiao Ruoyi looked at the Jinniang and asked in a low voice, ¡°Then does Xie Yun like you, sister? Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have kept the portrait he drew for You When you were young until now.¡± Lu Chen came in from the door. When he heard Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s words, he stopped in his tracks. Qiao jinniang chuckled and said, ¡°He probably likes me the same way that I like you. He only treats me as a sister, not as a love between a man and a woman.¡± Qiao Ruoyi was puzzled and said, ¡°Really? But I think he likes his sister.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I like his majesty, so I¡¯d rather risk the world and be scolded by those old officials for being unvirtuous. I Won¡¯t allow His Majesty to take a concubine. ¡°If Xie Yun really likes me, he definitely won¡¯t watch me marry an unknown man.¡± Qiao Jinniang knew very well that Xie Yun¡¯s feelings for her were just a childhood sweetheart¡¯s affection for the younger sister next door. Xie Yun was able to disguise as a woman and protect the eldest and second sons of the Xie family at such a young age when the Xie family was in decline, how could he be an ordinary person? If he really loved a woman, how could he let her go so easily? ¡°Unknown origin?¡±Lu Chen opened the curtain and asked. Qiao Ruoyi was so scared that she shivered. ¡°Sister¡­¡± She really shouldn¡¯t have kept this a secret, but his majesty still found out about it. She didn¡¯t know if His Majesty would believe that her sister and Xie Yun were fine. Qiao Jinniang patted Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°His Majesty knows about my past with Xie Yun. At that time, when we just got married, we did business thanks to Xie Yun¡¯s help. You Don¡¯t have to worry. His Majesty isn¡¯t someone who likes to play tricks and get jealous.¡± Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi bowed and said, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll go back first. About the portrait¡­¡± ¡°I know. You Don¡¯t have to worry. Do your job well and don¡¯t lose the face of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±Qiao ruoyi nodded and left. Lu Chen let the palace maids go down with him. He held Qiao Jinniang in his arms and said, ¡°I love to get jealous. What Portrait?¡± Qiao Jinniang did not hide it from Lu Chen and said, ¡°When I was young, Xie Yun drew a small portrait for me. It was not big, and it happened to be used as a bookmark in a book. Qiao ruoyi saw it, and Xie Yun was afraid that she would cause trouble and let her burn it. But ruoyi thought that Xie Yun had come back from the dead to deal with me, so she did not burn it immediately. Now that the small portrait is missing, she was worried that someone would use that small portrait to plot against me¡­¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°What about that little portrait? I¡¯ve never seen you when you were young. Give it to me after you find that little portrait.¡± ¡°No, I was chubby when I was young.¡±Qiao Jinniang did not want to show Lu Chen her appearance when she was young. Lu Chen said, ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t drawn a portrait of you for a long time. I¡¯ll go to the hot spring imperial manor in a few days and draw a portrait of you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll draw one for you too. Bring Ang ¡®er and Xi ¡®er along. I haven¡¯t drawn Ang ¡®er yet.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You can dispense with that.¡± He was afraid that Empress Qiao¡¯s calligraphy would spread in the world after a hundred years. After a thousand years, the descendants would still think that he looked like the person in Empress Qiao¡¯s painting, so there was no need for that. Qiao Jin said unhappily, ¡°You think my painting skills are bad?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jin replied, ¡°Yes?¡± Lu Chen smiled and said, ¡°My words carry weight. I Can¡¯t say that it goes against my heart. Your painting skills are really terrible. They can¡¯t even compare to Xi¡¯er¡¯s current painting skills.¡± Qiao Jin snorted lightly. ¡°Then let go of me. I¡¯m going to practice my painting skills.¡± Lu Chen did not let go of her and said, ¡°Your painting is excellent. It¡¯s extremely beautiful. It¡¯s hard to come by in the world¡­¡± Lady Qiao Jin smiled gently. She looked into Lu Chen¡¯s eyes and wrapped her arms around Lu Chen¡¯s neck. ¡°No matter how beautiful my painting is, it can¡¯t compare to brother¡¯s good looks¡­¡± Hong Ling, who was outside, heard the sound of water coming from inside and looked at the Bright Sun. Many palace servants had come to inquire about how the Emperor and the Empress were arguing. were they going to cripple the Empress? It was impossible for the empress to be crippled. As for whether the Empress¡¯waist would be crippled, she did not know. .. It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the marquis an Yuan¡¯s family had dinner together. After the meal, marquis an yuan asked Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Did you ask the Hanlin Institute to bestow your aunt with a Title?¡± Zheng Xiao looked at Qiao Ruoyi in surprise. ¡°Ruoyi, why didn¡¯t you discuss this with your family?¡± Marquis an Yuan said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°From ancient times until now, there has been no such thing as giving aunt an order. Your mother is sitting here, and you went to the Imperial Academy to ask for an order for your aunt. This is a slap to the face of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s family, and a slap to the face of the Empress of the Palace!¡± Qiao ruoyi said calmly, ¡°In ancient times, if I was an official, I could ask for an order for my birth mother. Since I am also a fifth-grade female official conferred by His Majesty, how could I not ask for an order for my aunt?¡± Chapter 341 Old madam Qiao said, ¡°Ruoyi, you made a huge mistake in this matter. Your Mother has never mistreated you. She treated you well and loved you dearly. When you were young, you felt that the female teachers in the Qiao family¡¯s private school were lacking in knowledge. Your mother also hired a great scholar who originally taught you law to teach you how to read and write. ¡°The brush, ink, paper, and Inkstone that she gave you are all rare in this world. Other families don¡¯t even have such treatment for their legitimate sons, let alone their legitimate daughters. ¡°Now that you have requested an order from your biological mother, how will your mother retain her face?¡± Qiao ruoi said, ¡°I will never forget the kindness that mother has shown me, but¡­¡± An yuanhou said, ¡°There¡¯s no buts. I have already ordered people to suppress the manuscripts from the Imperial Academy. You must not have such thoughts in the future!¡± Tears welled up in Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°How can you do this?¡± An yuanhou said, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, ever since your aunt passed away, you¡¯ve been disregarding me as your father more and more. You¡¯re now a fifth-rank official, but you¡¯re also the daughter of My Qiao Residence!¡± Zheng Xiao stopped an yuanhou and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say too much.¡± Qiao ruoyi snorted coldly. ¡°Why are you pretending to have deep feelings for mother now? Back then, when Aunt Qian harmed mother, you still went to have a loving relationship with Aunt Qian. Have you forgotten?¡± ¡°Qiao ruoyi, do you want to Rebel?¡±Marquis an Yuan slammed the table angrily. Qiao lui gave Fu Lu a look. Fu Lu clutched his stomach and said, ¡°Aiya, Aiya, my stomach hurts. ruoyi, quickly help me back to the courtyard.¡± Qiao ruoyi wiped the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief and stood up to help Fu Lu. Fu Lu¡¯s acting was too bad. Everyone knew that she did not want to deepen the conflict, so Qiao Lui and Qiao Ruoyi helped Fu Lu back to the courtyard. On the way, Qiao Lui asked Qiao ruoyi guiltily, ¡°Sister, are you still blaming mother for letting you marry cousin Zheng at that time, causing aunt to be seriously ill?¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head. ¡°I never blamed mother. If my aunt did not have the root of her illness, she would not be like this. Besides, if mother did not find expensive herbs for aunt, aunt would not have been able to hold on for so long. ¡°Brother, I just want my aunt to have a reward. In the future, when people talk about her, she will no longer be a concubine, but a fifth-grade lady. I just want my aunt to get rid of the title of concubine that she doesn¡¯t want the most.¡± Fu Lu touched his belly and looked at Qiao Lui. Qiao lui patted Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Be Good, Don¡¯t cry. If aunt knew that you¡¯ve become a fifth-grade female official, she would be happy. She definitely doesn¡¯t want you to argue endlessly with your elders over an imperial decree.¡± Fu Lu handed Qiao ruoyi his handkerchief and sighed. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s all your men¡¯s fault.¡± Qiao lui said, ¡°No, it¡¯s my father¡¯s fault. It¡¯s not all men¡¯s fault.¡± Fu Lu nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s father¡¯s fault. Good Ruoyi, Don¡¯t cry anymore. If you cry again, your nephew will laugh at your aunt for being a little crybaby.¡± Qiao ruoyi held back her tears and said, ¡°Thank you, brother and sister-in-law.¡± .. Qiao Ruoyi returned to her own courtyard and soon heard Zheng Xiao¡¯s voice. When she saw Zheng Xiao, Qiao Ruoyi went out to greet him, zheng Xiao also had a guilty look on his face. ¡°Ruoyi, I was wrong in your aunt¡¯s death. If I hadn¡¯t forced you¡­¡± ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve told brother about this just now. I¡¯ve never resented you. I didn¡¯t mean to be disrespectful to you by requesting an order this time. I just wanted to give aunt an order. I didn¡¯t think it through. I didn¡¯t think it would implicate you and the Empress. I know I was wrong.¡± Zheng Xiao listened to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s words and said, ¡°Good child, I have wronged you. But there is no overnight feud between father and daughter. Your father is also very proud of you.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Mother, I understand.¡± Zheng Xiao saw that she did not want to say more, so he did not disturb her anymore. He left her courtyard and Zheng Xiao felt a little depressed. She did not even take care of her two daughters previously. As a result, she did not put in much effort to take care of her daughter. When she was young, Qiao Ruoshui loved to bully her stepsister. Qiao ruoyi was sensible and did not mind, so Zheng Xiao had to make up for her lack of food and clothing. Until now, when she had to find Qiao ruoyi a marriage, Zheng Xiao realized that she really knew too little about Qiao ruoyi. .. Inside the hot spring imperial manor. It was the time when the azaleas bloomed all over the mountains and plains. Qiao Jinniang was sitting among the flowers and reading a book. Lu Chen was drawing a portrait of her while Little Lu Xi was also learning from him. After drawing for about four hours, Qiao Jinniang stood up and moved her muscles and bones. She walked over and first looked at Little Lu Xi¡¯s drawing. When she looked at Little Lu Xi¡¯s drawing, Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t help but be envious. ¡°My son is really amazing.¡± It had not been long since Lu Xi had learned how to draw. It was already not easy for her to draw the outline of a character. Lu Chen looked down and felt a little relieved. Fortunately, Lu Xi did not inherit qiao Jinniang¡¯s ¡°Drawing skills¡±. Qiao Jinniang walked over to Lu Chen¡¯s side and looked at her. The woman in the Flower Bush had an elegant and educated temperament. Qiao Jinniang was very satisfied. ¡°Your drawing is not bad, but Xi¡¯er¡¯s drawing is still better.¡± Little Lu Xi looked at Lu Chen proudly and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Father, mother said that my drawing is better than yours!¡± Lu Chen did not want to have this kind of meaningless dispute with little Lu XI. .. In the yamen of the Ministry of appointments. Hong Qifeng said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°A few days ago, I picked up a portrait of the Empress from you. I just remembered that I wanted to return it to you, but the bag of the official robe was too shallow. I don¡¯t know where the portrait in my sleeve fell¡­ is that portrait very important to you?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°That is not a portrait of the empress, that is a portrait of my sister ruoshui. After all, we grew up together. She died at a young age, so I have always kept her portrait by my side.¡± Hong Qifeng felt that it was strange. Qiao ruoshui had never treated Qiao ruoyi well when she was alive. At the banquet, most people laughed at Qiao Ruoyi for being a concubine¡¯s daughter and forbade her to interact with the legitimate daughter. Even though Qiao Ruoyi had always been famous and talented, she could only interact with her concubine¡¯s daughter because of Qiao ruoshui. Perhaps it could only be said that sisters did not have any overnight feuds. Hong Qifeng sighed. ¡°So that¡¯s the case. Then I don¡¯t have to be anxious. It¡¯s good that it¡¯s not a portrait of the Empress.¡± Qiao Ruoyi looked at Hong Qifeng and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been sighing when I Saw You recently. Did Something Happen?¡± Hong Qifeng naturally couldn¡¯t tell Qiao ruoyi. The Ye family mother and daughter and Madam Hong often told her that the emperor treated her differently, but she said, ¡°My mother has been forcing my elder brother to marry ye suxin. I¡¯ve never liked ye suxin.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Your elder brother? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of him.¡± ¡°My elder brother is Hong Yinglong. He remembers you.¡± Qiao ruoyi remembered Hong Yinglong. She had seen him at poetry gatherings with some scholars in the past. Qiao ruoyi remembered that an Yuanhou was still the daughter of the Qiao family. If it weren¡¯t for Zheng Xiao and Qiao Lui, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have wanted to return to the an Yuanhou Manor. ¡°Qifeng, what do you think of me as your sister-in-law?¡± Chapter 342 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine When Hong Qifeng heard Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s words, he was suddenly shocked. ¡°You¡¯re not joking, right? How can our Hong family be worthy of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s Daughter?¡± Which one of those who went to matchmake Qiao Ruoyi was not a descendant of a noble family? After all, Qiao Ruoyi was the Marquis¡¯daughter, the Empress¡¯younger sister, eldest sister, and Princess Wu. Her elder brother and father were all in high positions, and even her sister-in-law was the only daughter of Princess Shou¡¯an. Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Lord Hong is now the emperor¡¯s teacher, and you are my Shangguan. It should be that I am not worthy of you, not to mention that I am an illegitimate child.¡± Qiao Ruoyi did not want to settle the marriage, but if there was a good man, she might not necessarily not want to get married. Although those who came to the marquisdom to talk about marriage were all nobles.., but without exception, they were all illegitimate children, or those who did not have a noble title, or those who did not have the ability. If one were to consider the situation, if the cousin of Uncle Zheng¡¯s mansion had not been kicked by Princess Fu Lu and injured his penis, with her status, she might not have been able to marry him. The words of the Zheng family were harsh, but they were also true. Ever since Qiao Ruoi quarreled with Marquis an Yuan that day, she had been somewhat resentful of marrying him. However, those who came to propose marriage were all interested in the power of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion. The Hong family was different. Hong Yang was a staunch and loyal official. After going to the government office, Hong Qifeng brought Qiao Ruoyi to meet Hong Yinglong in a private room at the Savoury Pavilion. Hong Yinglong saw Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°So fifth Miss Qiao is also here.¡± Qiao ruoyi bowed and said, ¡°Young Master Hong, I have liked you for a long time.¡± Hong Qifeng:¡±! ! !¡± Was the usually quiet Qiao Ruoyi actually so bold? She clearly did not know who her brother was, but it was better for ruoyi to be her sister-in-law than ye suxin to be her sister-in-law. Hong Yinglong thought he had misheard. ¡°Fifth Miss Qiao¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Forgive me for being rash. I have admired Young Master Hong for a long time, and I want to marry him as my wife. I heard that Young Master Hong is troubled by his marriage, and I don¡¯t want to leave behind any regrets¡­¡± Hong Yinglong¡¯s face flushed red. He had known Qiao Ruoyi for a long time and felt a trace of regret for her. She was not like Tong Yingying, who was constantly shouting for her daughter to be bullied. She had always been aloof and aloof. She did not have the lowly status of a daughter of a concubine nor did she have any arrogance. She did not show off at the poetry meet, but she was not bad either. Qiao Ruoyi loved books. He had seen Qiao ruoyi take the jewelry given to her by the Marquis Mansion to the bookstore to exchange for books. She would definitely come to any calligraphy and painting meeting of famous masters. He had also heard that Qiao Ruoyi had a lot of books in Chang ¡®an. Hong Qifeng touched Hong Yinglong¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Brother, you can think about what ruoyi said. Ruoyi is much better than ye suxin. If you ask to marry ruoyi, father and mother will definitely agree.¡± Hong Yinglong blushed and nodded lightly. .. In the Hong family, Hong Yang was the first one to disagree. ¡°Nonsense. I advise His Majesty every day in court not to let the external relatives be the dominant one. Now that our Hong family and the Qiao family are connected by marriage, doesn¡¯t that mean that the external relatives of the Qiao family are becoming more and more powerful?¡± Hong qifeng whispered, ¡°Father is a direct subject. Rather than letting Qiao ruoyi marry someone else to expand the power of the Qiao family, it¡¯s better to connect by marriage with our Hong Family!¡± Hong Yang actually felt that what Hong Qifeng said made a little bit of sense. Madam Hong objected, ¡°No, my long ER can not let go of a good first-wife daughter and not marry a daughter of a concubine!¡± ¡°Mother, not to mention the difference between the Ye family and the Qiao family, how can ye suxin compare to Ruoyi at all? ¡°Ruoyi is a female scholar. Many men do not have her ability!¡±Hong Qifeng said. Madam Hong said, ¡°If she is so capable, our Hong family will not tolerate her. We might as well not let a concubine¡¯s daughter enter our Hong family.¡± Hong Yang also said, ¡°It is indeed inappropriate to be a concubine¡¯s daughter.¡± Hong Qifeng was extremely angry. ¡°Father, mother, with the Qiao family¡¯s family background and Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s looks and bearing, which one of them is not the best among the women? Just because she is a concubine¡¯s daughter¡­¡± Madam Hong said, ¡°Yes, just because she¡¯s a concubine¡¯s child, if your second brother wants to marry her, that¡¯s fine. Long Er is the legitimate son, and the one he wants to marry is also the legitimate daughter!¡± Hong Yinglong whispered to Hong Qifeng, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble little sister to apologize on my behalf.¡± Hong Qifeng was truly extremely disappointed. Qiao Ruoyi was clearly so outstanding, so why did even her own brother dislike her because she was a concubine¡¯s child? .. The next day at lunchtime, Hong Qifeng invited Qiao Ruoyi to eat at the Savory Pavilion again. However, the private room was full today, so Qiao Ruoyi brought Hong Qifeng to Princess Fu Lu¡¯s sky-class private room. Hong Qifeng said, ¡°Ruoyi, I¡¯m really sorry. My parents think that our Hong family is lowly and doesn¡¯t match up to your Qiao family¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and poured a cup of tea for Hong Qifeng. ¡°Try it. This is tea from Lin ¡®an. How can the Hong family not match up to the Qiao Family? They probably think that I¡¯m a bastard, right?¡± Hong Qifeng apologized, ¡°Ruoyi, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know why my parents are so pedantic. You¡¯re obviously so outstanding. You¡¯re more than enough to match up to My Big Brother.¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. I¡¯ve been used to it since I was young. I shouldn¡¯t have expected to marry a legitimate son.¡± Hong Qifeng said, ¡°Sister Ruoyi, you have the Empress as your sister. The Empress loves you so much. If you really like my brother, why don¡¯t you go and ask the Empress to grant you a Marriage?¡±? ¡°Then didn¡¯t sister Miao Miao ask the Empress to grant you a marriage? Now she¡¯s very affectionate with general Yue!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°That¡¯s not the same. Sister Miao Miao asked the empress to grant her a marriage because old madam Yue went to ask for it first. Even my mother-in-law and father-in-law didn¡¯t like me when I married her. What¡¯s the point of a marriage?¡± Hong Qifeng really felt that it wasn¡¯t worth it for Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°It¡¯s my brother who¡¯s not blessed. You¡¯ll definitely find a very, very good marriage.¡± .. In the Anyuan Marquis Mansion. Zheng Xiao saw imperial consort Jian in front of him and saluted repeatedly. ¡°Imperial Consort Jian has graced us with her presence. The entire mansion has not welcomed her. Please forgive us, Imperial Consort Jian.¡± Imperial consort Jian said, ¡°Madam Marquis, there is no need to be so courteous. Today, imperial consort Jian came here to shamelessly tell King Lu about the marriage. When King Lu was young, he did many wrong things. Now, he has already corrected himself. I heard that the fifth young miss in the mansion has yet to settle the marriage¡­¡± Zheng Xiao was surprised. Imperial consort Jian actually came to talk about the marriage for King Lu. No matter what, King Lu was still the emperor¡¯s biological brother. Although he had colluded with King Yong in the matter of private salt, and had dealt with Lu Chen many times before Lu Chen ascended the throne. However, now that Lu Chen ascended the throne, he did not bother with King Lu and treated this brother equally. If she were to marry him, it would be great to be a princess consort. However, she was afraid that it would be a side consort. ¡°I would like to ask the Marquise if she is willing to let my daughter become Princess Lu¡­¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Please forgive me, Princess Consort. This matter is very important. Let me think about it again¡­¡± Imperial consort Jian said, ¡°Please take your time to think about it, there is no rush.¡± Just as imperial consort Jian left and Qiao Ruoyi returned, Zheng Xiao asked Qiao ruoyi to come over and tell Qiao ruoyi about this matter. ¡°Princess? !¡±Qiao Ruoyi was also shocked. ¡°There must be something strange about this!¡± Chapter 343 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine After the Qiao family¡¯s banquet, the entire family began to discuss this matter. Fu Lu said, ¡°My cousin King Lu has been lacking a brain since he was young. Before His Majesty ascended the throne, he loved to go against his majesty. ¡°At this moment, he must be afraid that His Majesty will take revenge on him. If he marries the Qiao family¡¯s daughter, His Majesty will not take revenge on his cousin King Lu for the sake of the Empress.¡± Fu Lu took a sip of water and said, ¡°I don¡¯t agree with this marriage. Royal Consort Jian is not an ordinary person. Otherwise, how could she still hold the position of royal consort after the Jian Family¡¯s accident? ¡°The six palaces have not been favored for many years. The empress dowager is supporting the virtuous consort, while royal consort Jian is not weak in the palace. With such a mother-in-law, it may not be easy for her to marry him. Moreover, my cousin King Lu already has illegitimate children¡­¡± Old Madam Qiao called Qiao ruoyi into the room and said, ¡°Ruoyi, what do you think of this marriage? This may be the best marriage you can find in Chang ¡®an. ¡°There is a difference between the legitimate and the illegitimate. If you are like your third sister, ruoyin, who is willing to marry far away, you can also marry a legitimate son of the provincial governor or the son of a jiedushi. ¡°But if you stay in Chang ¡®an, you can only marry a legitimate son in a low marriage. It is the best marriage for a family of equal status with the Qiao family.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry King Lu.¡± ¡°Why?¡±Old Madam Qiao asked, ¡°With your talent, it would be a pity if you only marry the legitimate son of a low-level official. But the illegitimate son of a high-level official might not be good. Those nobles who don¡¯t care about your daughter¡¯s background are all good-for-nothings. ¡°King Lu is still a prince. Your children and grandchildren will be princes in the future¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Then let¡¯s marry low.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t It Be King Lu?¡± Qiao ruoyi lowered her eyes and said, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m the same as sister. Sister was deeply harmed by Aunt Qian, and so am I. I only wish for husband¡¯s backyard to be clean. How can the backyard of the imperial residence be clean?¡± The fight for the backyard of the imperial residence was extremely cruel. She had finally become a female official with great difficulty, and she did not want to be stuck in a narrow space. Old madam Qiao said, ¡°That¡¯s fine too. After that, I¡¯ll ask your mother to find a man from a low-class family to discuss marriage for you. Although those who are waiting to come to propose marriage are all from families of equal status, those men are all difficult to explain in a word.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandmother.¡± With the current power and influence of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate, it was not a big deal to reject the marriage proposal from the imperial residence of King Lu. Zheng Xiao had received old madam Qiao¡¯s order to find a marriage for ruoyi from a low-class family. No matter how he looked, he felt that the family background was not good enough for ruoyi. Moreover, it was not easy for him to find an outstanding unmarried man. However, he did not expect that the son of a low-ranking official in the Imperial Academy would look down on the daughter of the Qiao family¡¯s concubine. Zheng Xiao was so angry that he wished that Marquis an Yuan could take revenge on her personally. This was the first time Zheng Xiao experienced the hardships of being a concubine¡¯s daughter. It was also her fault that she had not paid attention to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s situation before. .. It was the dragon boat festival, the birthday of the young miss of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence. Qiao Jinniang had sent quite a number of birthday gifts to this tiny little sister. Her birthday was not coincidentally coinciding with the dragon boat festival, so she did not hold a big ceremony. However, there were quite a number of guests who came. Many of them wanted to settle their marriage before they could even speak fluently. In Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard, she looked at the dying orchid in front of her and felt quite regretful. It was another pot of suan that had been raised to death by her. ¡°Fifth young Miss¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at the servant girl and asked, ¡°What¡¯s Wrong?¡± ¡°Fifth young miss, those distinguished people are really going too far. When it comes to you, they¡¯re just pushing away the fact that the marriage has already been settled. When it comes to the young miss, even the first-born grandson has come to settle the marriage.¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°This is a good thing. It means that the birth of the Dragon Boat Festival did not hinder my little sister in any way.¡± The servant girl said unjustly on behalf of Qiao ruoyi, ¡°But you¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Alright, go and throw away the orchid. Why Can¡¯t I raise the orchid? Sigh!¡± When the servant girl heard this, she took out the orchid and threw it away. Then, she heard Madam Hong¡¯s voice, ¡°You don¡¯t know, Qiao Ruoyi is quite capable. She seduced my son and wanted to enter our Hong family to be my long-er¡¯s wife. TSK TSK, she really dares to think about it.¡± Madam Lin Xiang said, ¡°Now that Miss Qifeng is highly regarded by his majesty, it¡¯s reasonable for the Qiao family to want to marry the Hong family. However, the daughter of a concubine might not be ignorant.¡± The servant girl was so angry that she wanted to go up and argue, but was stopped by Qiao ruoyi. ¡°Miss, fortunately, those people are all first-class wives. How can they say that about you!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Is what they said wrong? What¡¯s the use of you going out to argue?¡±? ¡°I am a concubine. If I don¡¯t leave Chang ¡®an, I can either marry a good-for-nothing son of the first-class or a son of the first-class who can¡¯t inherit the title of nobility, or I can settle down and marry a concubine son.¡± ¡°Or I will find a son of a concubine with a low status.¡± ¡°But the Hong family is considered low status in front of the Qiao family.¡±Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s maid felt sorry for her young miss. Qiao ruoyi said lightly, ¡°Not low enough.¡± How could the imperial tutor¡¯s family be considered low status? The real low status was that they couldn¡¯t even enter the Qiao family¡¯s banquet. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Fu Lu¡¯s voice: ¡°Each and every one of you is a first-class official. How can your mouth be so broken? Your Hong Yinglong only treats you as a treasure. Previously, you followed behind Tong Yingying¡¯s Butt! After Tong Yingying died, she followed behind Qin Miaomiao¡¯s butt during the Lantern Festival. Your Hong family¡¯s son isn¡¯t even worthy of carrying my sister¡¯s shoes!¡± ¡°And you, Madam Lin Xiang, aren¡¯t you tired of crying, bawling, and pretending to be sick every day so that Lin Mo can go back from the Fuma¡¯s residence to see you? Do you know your limits?¡± ¡°If I become so talkative when I get older in the future, I¡¯d rather not get old!¡± Qin Miao Miao smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re also quite talkative now!¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I¡¯m pregnant and can¡¯t whip, all of you, including you, Qin Miao, would have left the an Yuan Marquis¡¯residence.¡± Qin Miaomiao smiled and supported Fu Lu. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Be careful not to anger my godson into coming out.¡± The few madams were red in the face from Princess Fu Lu¡¯s scolding. However, not only was she the daughter-in-law of the An Yuan Marquis Mansion, she was also the princess. They could only endure the scolding. Qiao ruoyi came out and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, why are you angry over some irrelevant people?¡± Madam Hong saw Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the fifth Miss Qiao? Tell Princess Fu Lu, did you tell my son that you like my son and seduced him?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°There are many people that I like. Not only Hong Yinglong, but also Lin Molin, the right minister, the heir of the Marquis of Wu an, the heir of Uncle Le Ling¡­¡± When those ladies heard Qiao ruoyi, they all frowned. They wanted to scold her for being shameless, but Fu Lu still couldn¡¯t say it out loud, so they had to leave quickly. Qiao ruoyi and the other two laughed when they saw the ladies leave. Fu Lu said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°What did you endure just now? You Are My Fu Lu¡¯s sister. If they scold you, it¡¯s the same as scolding me. But you are the same. If you can¡¯t get married, then you can¡¯t get married. Your brother and I can support you for the rest of our lives. Why do we need to find a son like Hong Yinglong?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Brother and sister-in-law and mother are both very nice, but I don¡¯t want to stay in the Hou mansion anymore.¡± ¡°Are you still angry that we didn¡¯t ask you to give your aunt a title?¡±Fu Lu asked, ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t marry yourself into a family like the Hong family.¡± Chapter 344 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine Qiao ruoyi lowered her head and pursed her lips, not saying a word. Fu Lu saw her like this and snorted lightly, ¡°You didn¡¯t treat me as your sister-in-law.¡± Qiao ruoyi repeatedly pulled Fu Lu and said, ¡°No, sister-in-law, the reason why I don¡¯t want to stay in the Qiao family is because of father. Father had clearly committed so many mistakes. He had allowed Aunt Qian to harm my aunt, but he had never felt any guilt! I had indeed not thought of mother when I had requested Aunt Qian¡¯s order. I knew how good mother had been to me. I would not let mother lose face because of this. However, father did not say a word. He did not even discuss with me before suppressing my request. He did not treat me like a daughter at all. I stayed at the Qiao family because everyone was angry. In father¡¯s eyes, I was an unnecessary daughter.¡± Fu Lu held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Who said you¡¯re Extra!¡± Qin Miao knew that girls at this age were more or less sensitive, especially since Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s biological aunt had passed away. She did not have anyone she could confide in. Although Zheng Xiao was good, she was not her biological mother. Qiao Ruoyi had not returned to the Qiao residence when she was at West Mountain Academy. Everyone thought that she was really busy at West Mountain Academy, but going to West Mountain Academy was also something she wanted to escape from. Qin Miaomiao said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°If the Qiao family doesn¡¯t feel good staying here, then why don¡¯t you come visit our Yue family for a few days? Otherwise, the mansion that the eldest princess gave me is currently unoccupied¡­¡± Fu Lu glared at Qin Miaomiao and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be kind to help her find a place to stay.¡± Fu Lu pulled qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Ruoyi, come with me. As a child, you can just say that you don¡¯t feel good with your parents. ¡°You are the one who has been holding back the pain in your heart. Father won¡¯t feel guilty or anything. If you don¡¯t tell him about your grievance, he will only think that you are disobedient and UNFILIAL.¡± Qiao Ruoyi did not expect Fu Lu to be able to walk so quickly even when he was about to give birth. She took three steps and two steps before she followed Fu Lu into an Yuan Hou¡¯s study. ¡°Father, Ruoyi has something to tell you!¡± Fu Lu did not pass through the door and entered. He saw that there was not only an yuan hou inside, but also patriarch Xie, Lin Mo, and the others. Perhaps they were discussing an important business matter with the western regions. An Yuan Hou was mostly angry with Qiao Ruoyi. He directly said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°There are no rules. Can¡¯t you see that there¡¯s someone in the study? Get Out First! If It¡¯s for your aunt, don¡¯t mention it again. The Qiao family can not be the laughing stock of Chang ¡®an.¡± Qiao ruoyi glanced at Fu Lu helplessly and said to Fu Lu, ¡°Sister-in-law, let¡¯s go.¡± Fu Lu saw that there were important guests inside, so he could only give up. Qiao ruoyi walked to the Lakeside and said to Fu Lu, ¡°Sister-in-law, you saw it too. Father is such an autocratic person. How could he listen to me? Besides, I was going to marry anyway. You Don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Fu Lu sighed heavily. .. A few days after the dragon boat festival. The old lady of the Marquis of Jingwu came to the Qiao family. Zheng Xiao heard that she was the old lady of the Marquis of Jingwu. Her words never left Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s side. She thought of the current heir-son of the Marquis of Jingwu, who was the same age as Ruoyi at seventeen. This heir-son had lost his mother since he was young and had never had a stepmother. The Marquis of Jingwu¡¯s manor now had two concubines and a housekeeper. However, after the heir-son was married, the power of the housekeeper naturally had to be handed back to the wife of the heir-son. Qiao ruoyi getting married to the Crown Prince of Marquis Jingwu was an extremely good marriage. When Zheng Xiao heard about this good marriage, he immediately ordered someone to invite Qiao Ruoyi, who had just returned from the yamen. When Qiao Ruoyi arrived, the old wife of Marquis Jingwu sized her up and continuously praised, ¡°The feng shui of your marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor is really nurturing. The girls you raise are all so intelligent and intelligent. That granddaughter of mine has always said that she will follow the example of the fifth Miss Qiao and will also enter the scholar examination in the future!¡± When Zheng Xiao heard this praise, he smiled slightly and said, ¡°Ruoyi, this child, has always been smart, sensible, and filial since she was young.¡± The old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu said, ¡°If someone is able to marry the fifth Miss Qiao, I wonder if our Marquis of Jingwu¡¯s manor will have such good fortune?¡± Zheng Xiao said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s our family¡¯s fortune to be able to go to the Marquis of Jingwu Manor.¡± The Marquis of Jingwu was a second-grade high official in the imperial court. He also had a hereditary title of nobility. He could be considered a match for the Qiao Manor. The old lady of the Marquis of Jingwu said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you say so, Madam. Then I¡¯ll invite the iceman to come to the manor in a few days to discuss the marriage. Is that okay?¡± Zheng Xiao didn¡¯t expect the old lady of the Marquis of Jingwu to be so eager. Ruoyi and the heir of the Marquis of Jingwu were both young. was there a need to be so anxious about the marriage? Qiao ruoyi lowered her head bashfully, her ears slightly red. After the old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu left.., zheng Xiao held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°The Marquis of Jingwu is indeed a family with a hundred years of history. It¡¯s not like those families that only value the illegitimate children. When you married, you didn¡¯t have a mother-in-law. You only had an old grandmother. Your Father-in-law is also capable. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the heir of the Marquis of Jingwu. He¡¯s a talented person at such a young age, and he has the support of his ancestors. This marriage is very good.¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that mother has decided on the marriage.¡± Qiao ruoyi had never thought that there would be such a good marriage. She was in a much better mood when she went out. In addition, today was the first time that she received a salary from the imperial court. In addition, the Marquis Mansion had also issued a new set of regulations. New clothes and new jewelry had arrived. She thought that she could go to the bookstore and buy the Wei Mo Jie Portrait of Gu Kaizhi that she had long fancied. Qiao Ruoyi went to the pawnshop and sold her new jewelry and clothes. The manager of the pawnshop invited Qiao ruoyi into the house. The manager of the pawnshop was already considered an acquaintance of Qiao ruoyi. At first, the pawnshop didn¡¯t dare to accept the things of the daughter of the Marquis. Later, when she went to the marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion to ask, she found out that the marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion didn¡¯t care about Qiao ruoyi taking these clothes and jewelry and dared to accept them. ¡°These are the jewelry in the jewelry pavilion. It¡¯s hard to get them with a thousand gold coins. Does the fifth miss want to pawn them too?¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded. She did not like these jewelry and clothes since she was young. As long as she could have a few sets of them to exchange for at the banquet, it would be good enough. The money from the pawnshop would allow her to buy some ancient books, books, and paintings. When she was young, she had thought of asking for silver directly if she did not want the clothes and jewelry. However, she was reprimanded by her aunt. There were many sisters in the residence, so she could not change the rules just because of her alone. Left and right, this pawnshop was quite good. It would never bet silver on her jewelry and clothes. While Qiao Ruoyi was waiting in the private room for the shopkeeper to calculate the silver, she heard a voice from outside. ¡°That old hag, she just had to come at this time to check the accounts. Fortunately, the marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor is able to do it. He gave his daughter to the Marquis who is old enough to be a father to fill the room!¡± ¡°Aunt Feng, please keep your voice down.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t care about it anymore. When that fifth Miss Qiao marries in, there won¡¯t be any way for this old concubine of mine to Live!¡± The Teacup in Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand trembled and fell to the ground. When the shopkeeper who was counting the accounts saw this, his expression became slightly awkward. Logically speaking, the Marquis Manor should not be too harsh on this fifth miss. The clothes and jewelry that she pawned every month should be at least a few hundred taels. How could they let such a beautiful little girl fill up the room? Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s voice was incomparably calm as she said, ¡°Put this broken cup on my account. Later on, you just need to calculate a little less silver.¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°Yes, fifth young miss.¡± Chapter 345 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine Qiao Ruoyi waited for the people from the Marquis Jingwu Manor to leave before she took the thousand taels of silver from the pawnshop and left. Qiao Ruoyi had something on her mind, so she did not notice Xie Yun, who had brushed past her. Xie Yun did see Qiao ruoyi, but he thought that he had seen wrongly. He entered the door and asked the manager of the pawnshop, ¡°Was the person who left just now the fifth miss of the Qiao Family?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Xie Yun frowned slightly and said, ¡°Today, the imperial court has just paid her salary. Why did she come to the pawnshop to pawn?¡± How could the marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor let their daughter be short of silver? Why would she need to come to the pawnshop to pawn? The shopkeeper said, ¡°Master, you may not know this, but this fifth young miss has a lot of calligraphy and painting. Therefore, she would come to the pawnshop to pawn some of the jewelry and clothes given by the manor to exchange for some calligraphy and painting. This fifth young miss is really pitiful. ¡°If she wasn¡¯t the daughter of a concubine, with her current status, why would she fill the room for Marquis Jingwu? That Marquis Jingwu is only two years younger than Marquis an Yuanhou.¡± In the bookstore. When Qiao Ruoyi arrived, she saw that Gu Kaizhi¡¯s Weimojie portrait, which had been in the bookstore for a long time, had disappeared. ¡°Fifth lady, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for three months for this painting, but you still can¡¯t gather enough silver. Yesterday, the head of the Xie family saw this portrait and bought it for three thousand taels of silver. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± When Qiao Ruoyi heard the shopkeeper say this, she could only say, ¡°It¡¯s just that I have no fate with the painting.¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°There are still a few imitations here. Do you want to take a look?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. After all, the imitations are not authentic.¡± Qiao ruoyi left the bookstore. The scorching sun in the sky was extremely dazzling. She could not help but laugh at herself and said to the servant girl, ¡°Go to the Changle Palace and hand over a post.¡± .. In the Changle Palace, Qiao Jinniang had just rested in the afternoon. When she heard that Qiao Ruoyi had passed her a post, she ordered someone to let her in. Qiao ruoyi saw Qiao Jinniang putting on her makeup and said sweetly, ¡°Sister, even if you don¡¯t put on makeup, you¡¯re still extremely beautiful.¡± Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Sister, today, the old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu came to tell me about the marriage.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Although the heir apparent of the Marquis of Jingwu is young, he is handsome. He is a good match for you.¡± ¡°Not the heir apparent of the Marquis of Jingwu, but the Marquis of Jingwu,¡±Qiao Ruoyi said, ¡°Sister, can I be the wife of the Marquis of Jingwu? Although he is much older than me, he should dote on me. If there is a difference in age, it is inevitable that there will be some bumps and bruises.¡± Qiao jinniang said in surprise, ¡°The Marquis of Jingwu? His age should be about the same as father¡¯s. How could he have the nerve to eat young grass at such an age? ¡°Moreover, he already has a legitimate son and daughter, and also a bastard son and daughter. How tiring it must be for you to marry such a cheap mother. His legitimate daughter is now fourteen years old and is about to discuss the marriage. This marriage is terrible.¡± It would be better to be Princess Lu! It¡¯s not like Chang ¡®an really doesn¡¯t have any young talents. Even if you look for a commoner, it would be better than finding a husband!¡± Qiao ruoyi said softly, ¡°Sister, but low-class scholars would also look down on me as an illegitimate son and not look down on me. They probably want to get some benefits from marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be picky. There are many disputes in the backyard of King Lu. Concubine Jian is also extremely powerful. I can¡¯t Oppress King Lu. ¡°Although mother-in-law is also powerful when I marry Marquis Jing Wu, she still wants to see the power of my family behind me. The legitimate son is already old. I Won¡¯t fight with him for the Marquis Manor¡¯s title. ¡°Even the legitimate daughter and daughter-in-law have to rely on me to find a marriage for them. They definitely won¡¯t be disrespectful to a stepmother like me.¡± Qiao jinniang said unhappily, ¡°Then what if the heir-son of the Marquis of Jingwu Gets Married? You also said that old Madam Sun is powerful. What if she controls the power of the household and marries the granddaughter-in-law all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Ruoyi, there are still many marriages that you can choose¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at the Jinniang and said, ¡°Are there really many?¡±? Among the families that had been talking about marriage all these years, this marriage was already pretty good. The Marquis of Jingwu was capable and was a second-rank high official. I think he could also guide me in the officialdom. ¡°Sister¡­ I think this marriage is very good.¡± Qiao ruoyi then said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Mother Doesn¡¯t know about this marriage yet. I¡¯m afraid that mother won¡¯t agree to it. I beg sister to persuade Mother.¡± The jinniang sighed and said, ¡°I can¡¯t even convince myself to marry my sister to such an old man.¡± Qiao ruoyi pulled on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Sister, this marriage is really very good for me.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You go and persuade mother on your own. I won¡¯t interfere, but I won¡¯t help you persuade father and mother. You are so young and beautiful, why do you look down on yourself?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Sister, I am a concubine¡¯s daughter. I don¡¯t mind other things, but when it comes to marriage, I still have to put myself in a proper position.¡± Qiao Jinniang had not seen many fights between heirs and concubines in Lin ¡®an. After coming to Chang ¡®an, most of the people who interacted with her were also legitimate daughters. They did not know the difference between heirs and concubines. It was only when she became the Crown Princess Consort and saw the marriage alliances between the various noble families in Chang ¡®an that she realized the difference between heirs and concubines. ¡°Ruoyi, don¡¯t belittle yourself too much. which young man do you like? Tell me. I don¡¯t believe that they dare to defy my next marriage decree. And they dare to despise you as a legitimate daughter?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that old man Hong Yang will really spill blood in the main hall and scold sister for being a demon Empress.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of them. ruoyi, I¡¯m not joking,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. ¡°You might as well be younger. There¡¯s no need to be so anxious.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Yes, I know sister is good, but I still think that this marriage is extremely good.¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± .. Three days later, the old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu invited the Marquise of Wu An to come as the iceman to accept the marriage proposal. Zheng Xiao changed into a new set of clothes early in the morning and happily welcomed the old madam and the Marquise of Wu An. The two live geese at the door croaked. The old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu said, ¡°Madam Qiao, I¡¯m really sorry. The Marquis of Jingwu just received an imperial edict and went to suppress the bandits. It¡¯s not good for him to come personally today to propose the marriage.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Why Can¡¯t I See Young Master Sun?¡± The old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu said, ¡°Madam Qiao, are you referring to my grandson? This father is looking for his stepmother. It¡¯s not appropriate for him to come along with his stepson to propose marriage.¡± Zheng Xiao¡¯s face instantly turned ashen. Just as he was about to wave his sleeves and chase them away, he saw Qiao ruoyi gracefully walk over. She bowed to the old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu and said, ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re here. Please come in.¡± Zheng Xiao smiled apologetically at the two madam marquises and said, ¡°The two madam marquises need to rest for a while. Ruoyi and I have something to say.¡± Zheng Xiao brought Qiao ruoyi to a remote courtyard. He frowned and asked, ¡°Did you know that the marriage that the Marquis of Jingwu came to talk about was not for the heir-son of the Marquis of Jingwu, but for the Marquis of Jingwu?¡± ¡°This marriage is extremely inappropriate. The Marquis of Jingwu is only three years younger than your father. He already has all the legitimate children, illegitimate children, and illegitimate children in the manor! If he marries over, he will have to fill up the house. I Won¡¯t agree to this marriage.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Mother, this marriage is extremely good. I don¡¯t want to talk about other marriages anymore. Every time I talk about it, I will be trampled on by others. The illegitimate daughter is the illegitimate daughter. It is already extremely good that I can have this marriage.¡± ¡°Ruoyi, but¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi only said, ¡°Mother, I have admired Marquis Jingwu for a long time.¡± Zheng Xiao could only sigh when he heard Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s sincere expression. ¡°Sigh!¡± Chapter 346 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine After the adoption, it was time to ask for Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s birth characters. When Zheng Xiao reluctantly handed over Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s birth characters, she was still sighing. Even Zheng Xiao found it difficult to bring up this marriage. In the future, it would be somewhat awkward for a man who was three years younger than her to call her mother-in-law. After the closing of the birth characters and other matters were settled, it was time to set the date. When Zheng Xiao saw that the marriage was set at the end of June, she said to the old lady of the Marquis of Jingwu, who had come to visit, ¡°Old Lady, isn¡¯t the wedding date a little too early?¡± The old lady of the Marquis of Jingwu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not early. After all, the crown prince is going to marry next year. If Ruoyi enters the house earlier, she can also do her best to prepare for the Crown Prince¡¯s marriage.¡± Zheng Xiao was so angry that her hands were trembling. If Qiao Ruoyi had not said that she had admired the Marquis of Jingwu for a long time, she really wanted to turn hostile and ruthlessly chase this old lady out. The old madam of Marquis Jingwu said with a smile, ¡°My grandson is married to the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Wu an manor. It¡¯s not good to change the arranged marriage. It¡¯s not good to get married in winter¡­¡± Zheng Xiao was so angry that her heart was aching. No eldest daughter of the Marquis of Wu an manor could compare to Ruoyi in terms of looks, bearing, and family background. Yet, they used the Marquis of Wu an manor to suppress her! ¡°The Empress has always doted on Ruoyi as her younger sister. I have to enter the palace to discuss the wedding date with the empress before it can be settled.¡± Jingwu Hou Old Lady is not afraid of Zheng Xiao, said, ¡°Tomorrow is the birthday of the Queen, the empress, the palace how has not yet announced the decree of a rank Gao life of the wife into the palace for the Empress Birthday?¡± In other words, is Qiao jinniang oneself difficult to protect, since the longevity banquet, outside the palace guesses quite a lot, although there is no news out of the palace. However, after the birthday banquet that day, Empress Qiao did not summon Gao Ming¡¯s wife once. Everyone speculated that she had lost her divine favor. Even tomorrow was Empress Qiao¡¯s birthday banquet, the woman outside the palace had not received the order to enter the palace tomorrow to celebrate her birthday. The old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu picked up the Teacup and took a sip of tea. She said, ¡°Marriage has always been arranged by parents. Why does the madam of the Marquis have to go to the palace to bother the Empress?¡± The old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu put down the teacup and said, ¡°She is the eldest daughter of the Marquis family of Wu An. Her cousin is the famous Hong Qifeng, the daughter of the Hong family. I heard that Her Majesty appreciates her and often goes to the harem¡­¡± Zheng Xiao clenched her hands tightly. How could she not understand the meaning behind old Madam Sun¡¯s Words? She said openly and secretly that the Empress had fallen out of favor and that the cousin of the Lady of the Marquis of Wu an was going to enter the harem.. How could zheng Xiao endure it any longer! As for ruoyi, even if she had a deep affection for the Marquis of Jingwu, with such a mother-in-law, when her stepson and daughter-in-law entered the family, how could she have a good life? It would be better for her to break up the lovebirds. She would be hated by Qiao ruoyi. ¡°Old Madam Sun, this marriage is over. The status of your Marquis Jingwu Manor is too high. Our Qiao Manor can not match up to it!¡± ¡°Madam Qiao, you have all received the betrothal gifts from our Sun Manor¡­¡±the old madam of Marquis Jingwu said with a frown. Zheng xiao sneered, ¡°Our marquis an Yuan manor will not take those betrothal gifts away. Old Madam, just take the betrothal gifts away.¡± The Marquis¡¯Old Madam was a little anxious. When it came to her son¡¯s house-filling, there was no one in Chang ¡®an who was more suitable than Qiao ruoyi. She could only smile apologetically. ¡°Madam Qiao, our two Marquis¡¯estates are both prestigious people. It¡¯s already time for the betrothal. If the marriage doesn¡¯t work out, it won¡¯t be good for Ruoyi¡¯s reputation. ¡°Moreover, I really like Ruoyi. If the Qiao family feels that the wedding date is inappropriate, I¡¯ll go back and order someone to calculate it.¡± Zheng Xiao picked up the cup of tea in front of him and ignored the old lady of the Marquis of Jingwu. The old lady of the Marquis of Jingwu could only smile apologetically and say, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and change the date to calculate it. I¡¯ll come back again to ask for the date.¡± After the wife of the Marquis of Jingwu left, Zheng Xiao fiercely put down the Teacup. .. On the fifth day of the sixth month, in the imperial residence of the Northern Mountain Horse Farm, the summer was hot, but the heat swept through the mountain forest. Lady Qiao and Lu Chen ran around the horse farm and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been so relaxed.¡± Lady Qiao got off the horse and held Lu Chen¡¯s hand, ¡°Can I come to the outside of the palace for my birthday in the future? I don¡¯t have to abide by the rules in the palace. It¡¯s obviously my birthday, yet I still have to wear that thick and extremely hot phoenix robe to be worshipped by those imperial ladies¡­¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s good if you¡¯re willing.¡± The imperial residence was not deserted. Qiao Lui, Qiao ruoyi, and Fu Lu came to the imperial residence early in the morning to celebrate Lady Qiao¡¯s birthday. In the afternoon, eldest Princess Lin Mo and her husband, as well as Rong County Prince and his wife, arrived one after another. The Birthday Luncheon the next day was very lively. There was no distinction between ruler and minister. With Rong County Prince and Fu Lu present, the atmosphere was very good. Everyone presented their birthday gifts one after another. At this time, someone came to inform Xie Yun. Lu Chen generously let Xie Yun in. He came to celebrate Lady Qiao¡¯s birthday, so why would he chase him away? Moreover, Lu Chen knew very well that Xie Yun had long lost interest in Lady Qiao. Lady Qiao had no feelings for Xie Yun at all. After Xie Yun entered, he presented a rare night pearl of the East China Sea. It was about an inch big and full of pearl light. When Lady Qiao saw this night Pearl, she knew it was a rare treasure in the world. Lady Qiao thanked him. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, My Lady,¡±Xie Yun said. Lu Chen ordered someone to give Xie Yun a seat. Jing Hua and Lin Mo, Little County Prince Rong and Sa Mo¡¯er, Fu Lu and Qiao Lui, Yue Zhan and Qin Miaomiao were all husband and wife. Only Qiao Ruoyi was left alone, there was an extra seat beside her seat. The Chamberlain felt that it would be troublesome to add more tables and chairs, so he simply gave Xie Yun a set of bowls and chopsticks on the empty seat beside Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao Ruoyi was rather disgusted and moved slightly to the side.. Although it was not obvious, Xie Yun, who was sitting next to her, saw this action clearly. Little County Prince Rong said, ¡°Royal Brother, today is the birthday of royal sister-in-law. Why Don¡¯t we play a new wine edict?¡± Lu Chen asked, ¡°What Wine Edict?¡± Little County Prince Rong said, ¡°Today, we have the last Imperial Examination¡¯s flower inspector, this year¡¯s Enke¡¯s two scholars, and the first scholar, Prime Minister Lin You. It would be a pity if we don¡¯t compete with these elegant edicts.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°No, no, general Yue and I don¡¯t understand these things.¡± Yue Zhan said from the side, ¡°It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t understand. I just don¡¯t care about these things played by these romantic and weak scholars.¡± As he said that, Yue Zhan looked at Lin mo meaningfully. Fu Lu said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we play dice? We¡¯ll play three times. The one with the least points will have to drink three glasses of wine.¡± Qiao jinniang also said, ¡°Fu Lu¡¯s suggestion is very good. It¡¯s not easy to relax for a while, so don¡¯t make me waste my time and effort to compose poems. If all the talented scholars and women want to compose poems, then go to another poetry festival. Today, just focus on playing.¡± Fu Lu took out the dice that he carried with him and said, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, so it¡¯s not good for me to drink. How about this, why don¡¯t the women roll the dice at every table, and the men drink?¡± All the women present responded without exception. Fu Lu and Qin Miaomiao were both casino veterans, so they naturally had the ability to play dice. There were so many faces in the Grand Princess Jing Hua¡¯s residence, so they could also roll the dice when they often played the double continent. So after a few rounds, neither of them had ever lost. Chapter 347 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine Qiao ruoyi said weakly, ¡°If I really have the ability to deliberately roll the dice, why wait for the manor to issue an order to buy the Vermilion Statue? I¡¯ll just go to the gambling den and win money. You Won¡¯t be the first to win.¡± Xie Yun slightly lowered her phoenix-like eyes, picked up the wine cup in front of her and drank up the strong liquor in one gulp. The dice were the three dice that Fu Lu took out. Only Qiao Ruoyi kept throwing three one¡¯s. It was hard for Xie Yun not to suspect that Qiao Ruoyi did not do it on purpose. Fu Lu smiled faintly and said, ¡°Continue, continue!¡± ¡°This time, ruoyi will throw the dice first!¡±Qiao Jinniang said. Qiao Ruoyi put the dice into the dice cup, closed her eyes, and whispered, ¡°Heaven and earth, Spirit, please show yourself, Grand Lord, not three one¡¯s, not three one¡¯s.¡± When the Dice Cup was opened, the bright light lying on the dice cup was three ones. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s face was dark, but Xie Yun¡¯s face was even darker. Fu Lu smiled faintly and said, ¡°This, we don¡¯t need to continue shaking, right?¡± Qiao ruoyi still had a trace of hope and said, ¡°Maybe you guys are also three ones.¡± In order to make Qiao ruoyi give up, the internal attendant took the dice and dice cup from Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hands and handed them to the princess of Rong County, Sa Mo¡¯er. When sa Mo¡¯er went to take the dice, she saw the internal attendant moving in his wide sleeves. Sa Mo¡¯er was curious, but she did not say anything. Several people shook the dice, but none of them had a one. Xie Yun said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°And you said it was not intentional!¡± It was harder to make three one¡¯s than three sixes. Qiao ruoyi picked up the wine cup in front of Xie Yun and filled it up for herself. She drank it all in one go and drank two more cups. The strong liquor was extremely spicy when it entered her throat. Qiao ruoyi had never drunk such strong liquor. After Qiao Ruoyi finished drinking, she put down the wine cup and said, ¡°You¡¯re still the head of an aristocratic family. It¡¯s just a few cups of liquor, and you¡¯re still here to accuse others.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°Ruoyi has a good tolerance for liquor.¡± As soon as Qin Miaomiao finished speaking, he saw Qiao Ruoyi lying on the table with a red face. The liquor used for today¡¯s banquet was brought by Qiao Jinniang from Qiu Yue. It was stronger than ordinary good liquor. Qiao ruoyi knew how to drink, but she only knew how to use fruit wine for the women at the banquet. It was hard not to get drunk after drinking three glasses of Qiu Yue¡¯s distilled wine. Seeing Qiao ruoyi fall, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°This wine is very strong. Hong Ling, help her to her room to rest first.¡± Hong Ling accepted the order and helped Qiao ruoyi down. After Qiao Ruoyi went down, the game continued. When Xie Yun received the three dice given by the internal attendant, he frowned. No matter how bad his luck was, he would not be able to throw three one dice every time. It turned out that the dice had really been tampered with. Xie Yun looked at Lu Chen in the seat of honor and thought to herself that he was childish. They were both people of the emperor. Was it fun to play such a small trick? Lu Chen looked at the way Xie Yun looked at him and felt rather puzzled. Qiao Jinniang saw that the two of them were looking at each other. She turned her body slightly to block Lu Chen¡¯s line of sight. How dare the two of them look at each other so affectionately in front of her? After Xie Yun shook the dice, he could not hold his liquor and fell down. Lady Qiao also asked the palace maids to bring Xie Yun to the imperial manor to rest for a while to sober up. Lu Chen ordered someone to bring Xie Yun¡¯s dice to him and asked the imperial servant, ¡°Did you do this?¡± The imperial servant immediately knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t dare. Yes, it was Princess Fu Lu who ordered me to do this.¡± Lu Chen looked at Fu Lu and said, ¡°What grudge does the Xie family head have with you? Are you going to treat him like this?¡± Fu Lu said softly, ¡°Who asked him to lie to me? At that time, I thought he was really dead. I even cried for a long time. It¡¯s a pity that a beautiful woman¡¯s life is short¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang took the dice that Lu Chen was playing with and threw it on the table a few times. Most of the times, it was three ones. It was no wonder that Qiao ruoi kept losing just now. .. Xie Yun was half-drunk and half-awake as he was carried into a courtyard by the palace servants. When the Empress came, all the rooms in the imperial manor were cleaned in advance. In a small courtyard in the imperial manor. A little palace maid with heavy makeup did not forget to stick her head out while sweeping the floor. An older palace maid came over and touched the forehead of the palace maid with heavy makeup: ¡°Yu¡¯er, stop your thoughts. You are just a palace maid in the Imperial Manor. It is simply a pipe dream for you to serve the Emperor! There are so many rich and noble daughters in Chang ¡®an city who are not liked by the emperor. On what basis do you have?¡± Tan Yu held the broom tightly and said, ¡°Sister, God gave me such a look. Why Can¡¯t I Gamble on my wealth? Do I have to stay in this imperial manor for the rest of my life and clean the deserted courtyard every day for those eunuchs to instigate me at will?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this kind of life. I want to enter the palace and become the Empress of His Majesty!¡± ¡°When I¡¯m twenty-one years old, you and I will be able to leave the palace. How can it be for the rest of Our Lives!¡± Qin Yu sneered, ¡°So what if it¡¯s twenty-one years? When the Li Palace returns home, I will be sold by my parents to become a servant girl in a wealthy family¡­¡± The older palace maid said, ¡°Now there is a new order. Parents are not allowed to buy and sell their children as slaves. If they become slaves, they will have to sign a contract. If parents force their children to become slaves, it is the same as forcing them to become prostitutes. ¡°After we leave the palace, we can make a small business with our salaries these years. Now, the imperial court treats women well in business. Sister Zhizi, who went out last year, has already earned a lot of money by selling buns. She has also found a good marriage, ¡°She is married to a constable in the Chang ¡®an government.¡± Qin Yu said, ¡°Sister Zhizi has to get up and knead the dough when she is ugly every day. She makes buns and burns firewood. A weak woman still has to go to the stall early. Her hands have become much thicker. What¡¯s so good about marrying a constable! ¡°Is that little salary enough to buy Rouge or silk? ¡°It¡¯s better to stay in the palace and become a palace maid!¡± The older palace maid saw that she could not convince her younger sister, so she gave up. She went into the room and looked at the silver in her dressing room. She wanted to take out some money to give to sister Zhizi and let her open a shop. When she left the palace, she could either help out in the buns or take the dividends. She would not have to sit around and eat nothing. However, when she opened the dressing room, the silver inside was gone, the palace maid went to look for Qin Yu in exasperation. ¡°Did you take the silver in my dressing room? What did you do with it? Did you go to buy Rouge and water powder again? Why did you take all of it?¡± ¡°That is the dowry that I have accumulated for many years!¡± Qin Yu said, ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t it just fifty taels of silver? After i become the imperial consort, I will give you five hundred taels, five thousand taels!¡± Hearing that, Qin Xue said, ¡°I don¡¯t want five hundred taels, and I don¡¯t want five thousand taels either. Give me back my fifty taels of silver. If you still want to be the imperial consort, you won¡¯t even be able to meet His Majesty once!¡± Qin Yu said, ¡°I have already gone to buy things with that silver. There¡¯s not a single cent left.¡± ¡°What did you buy that requires fifty taels of silver?¡±Qin Xue asked in shock. Qin Yu took out a bag of medicinal powder from his bosom and said, ¡°Not only that, I even borrowed fifty taels of silver from eunuch Huang. Just this bag of medicinal powder costs one hundred and twenty taels of silver. However, after the deed is done, I will be able to ascend to the heavens and become His Majesty¡¯s Woman!¡± Qin Xue frowned and said, ¡°Just by relying on this bag of medicinal powder?¡± Chapter 348 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine Qin Xue felt that her sister had really gone crazy. ¡°You, how can you be so bold? Why Don¡¯t you quickly return this medicinal powder!¡± ¡°Sister, this medicinal powder can no longer be returned. It¡¯s just that we, the lowly servants, can not enter his majesty¡¯s body at all. Sister, eunuch Huang from the Imperial Manor has wanted to eat with you for a long time. Can you help me?¡± Qin Xue Slapped Qin Yu¡¯s face in anger. ¡°You are simply unreasonable.¡± ¡°Elder sister, I have already spent so much silver. I still owe eunuch Huang fifty silver taels! If I can¡¯t return the silver, eunuch Huang, he, he¡­¡± Qin Xue took a deep breath and said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely impossible to get close to his majesty. If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯ll implicate the entire nine families. How can this messy medicinal powder be used on his majesty? !¡±! ¡°However, the head of the Xie family of the Jiangnan aristocratic family is drunk. He is resting in the courtyard. Later, you will bring him some hangover medicine for me!¡± Qin Yu thanked her profusely, ¡°Thank you, Sister. I will go and get the hangover medicine now.¡± Qin Yu went into the small kitchen and saw the hangover medicine boiling on the stove. He put a packet of medicinal powder into the hangover medicine and poured a bowl of it before leaving. Not long after, Hong Ling also entered the kitchen. When she saw that half of the antidote had been poured, she poured the other half into the bowl and gave it to Qiao Ruoyi to drink. .. Xie Yun had never drunk such strong alcohol before. He was still pretending to be drunk at the banquet just now, but when he went to the room to rest, he was really a little drunk. When he closed his eyes for a nap, the tip of his nose was surrounded by a strong scent of cosmetics. When he opened his eyes slightly, he saw a face that was as white as a ghost. ¡°Master Xie, this is the antidote I specially brewed for you.¡± Xie Yun smelled the fragrance of the woman¡¯s body and felt his head hurt more and more. After drinking the antidote, he said to the palace maid, ¡°You go down.¡± When Qin Yu saw Xie Yun drink the antidote, he deliberately tidied it up slowly. ¡°Master Xie¡­¡± Xie Yun smelled the fragrance of the palace maid and wanted to vomit. The palace maids in the imperial residence were really unruly. Qin Yu went forward and said, ¡°Master Xie, why is there so much sweat on your forehead? Let this servant wipe it off for you, okay?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°No need. You can go down!¡± Not only did Qin Yu not go down, but half of his body was leaning on Xie Yun. Xie Yun felt more and more disgusted. She pushed Qin Yu away and left the courtyard to lock the door. Qin Yu, who was locked in the house, was extremely shocked. After Xie Yun went out, he saw Qin Xue and said, ¡°Hurry up and find the imperial physician!¡± It was unknown what the palace maid had given him, but Xie Yun knew in his heart that it was not something good! How Could Qin Xue Dare to find the imperial physician? If she went to find the imperial physician, wouldn¡¯t she expose her sister¡¯s scheme? When that time came, neither she nor her sister would have a good ending. ¡°Young Master Xie, are you feeling unwell?¡± Xie Yun saw that this woman also had a disgusting fragrance on her body. When she looked at their similar appearances, she felt even more disgusted. She walked straight out of the courtyard. Qin Xue stopped Xie Yun and asked, ¡°Is there anything uncomfortable about patriarch Xie?¡± Xie Yun raised her phoenix-like eyes and said to Qin Xue, ¡°If you want to keep your sister alive, don¡¯t Stop Me.¡± Qin Xue quickly made way for Xie Yun. There were not many palace maids and maids in the imperial residence. Most of them were serving at the banquet in the front courtyard. Xie Yun did not encounter any palace maids along the way. He only felt that his entire body was burning. When he walked into a courtyard, he saw a clear spring inside and wanted to go in to relieve the heat on his body. When he entered the lake, the heat was finally relieved a little. However, his mind became more and more muddled. He unconsciously felt a cold body wrap around him. He did not know whether it was a dream or some bold palace maid. He was not willing to endure it anymore. He carried the woman in his arms and went ashore, heading into the house. At dusk, Lady Qiao and Lu Chen returned to the palace first. Qiao lui ordered someone to find Qiao ruoyi to see if she had sobered up. It was only after they went to the courtyard that they found out that Qiao Ruoyi had disappeared. The palace maids guarding outside the door did not know when Qiao Ruoyi had disappeared. They searched the entire imperial manor for Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao lui walked into the room and said, ¡°This place is connected to the lake. Could it be that Ruoyi was drunk and jumped into the lake? Quickly get someone to go down to the lake to take a look.¡± Fu Lu saw an earring by the bed and said, ¡°This earring belongs to ruoyi. She didn¡¯t really fall into the lake, did she? How did the palace maids serve her at the door? Someone¡­ quickly get in the water!¡± .. In a courtyard across the lake, Qiao Ruoyi slowly opened her eyes when she heard the noise outside. She did not know what had happened just now. She only knew that her body was very hot when she drank the antidote. When she opened her eyes, there was still a sense of oppression from her body. When she fully woke up, she knew what had happened and raised her hand to slap the man on top of her. Xie Yun was suddenly slapped and completely woke up. Looking at the woman¡¯s appearance, he only felt that his head hurt even more. Qiao ruoyi pushed Xie Yun away and picked up the clothes that were scattered all over the ground to put on properly. The clothes on the ground were still a little wet. She heard a palace servant call her name outside. When she opened the door, she did not forget to turn around and say to Xie Yun, ¡°My marriage is imminent. Don¡¯t tarnish my reputation. What happened today is between us!¡± At the moment, she did not care about a woman¡¯s innocence. However, she could not be so courteous to other men when they were discussing marriage. When Qiao Ruoyi stumbled out, she realized that she almost lost her balance. Qiao lui came over to see Qiao ruoyi and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°You scared me to death. I thought you fell into the lake drunk!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I fell into the lake just now, but I came ashore in a daze and fell asleep here.¡± ¡°Hurry back and find a royal doctor to drink some medicine,¡±Qiao Lui said to Qiao ruoyi. Qiao lui saw that Qiao Ruoyi was a little strange when she walked, but he did not think too much about it. When Qiao Ruoyi got into the Qiao family¡¯s carriage, she closed her eyes and saw the scene of her waking up just now. She could not help but shed tears. Her Luck was already bad enough, yet she had to encounter such a thing again. Although it was not important for a woman to be chaste at the moment, she did not want to lose her first time in a muddle-headed manner. Yet, she could not seek justice for herself. If she were to settle the score with Xie Yun, everyone in Chang ¡®an would probably say that she was in the middle of a marriage proposal and even seduced Xie Yun. This matter could only be kept a secret for now. .. After Xie Yun put on her clothes, she found out that Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen had returned to the palace. Xie Yun found eunuch Huang in the imperial residence and dealt with the two sisters, Qin Yu and Qin Xue. She thought of what Qiao Ruoyi had said before she left and rubbed her temples. Since she had already said that this matter was not known to outsiders, she would let it go. When Xie Yun walked out of the door, the subordinates of the Xie family came up to her. Xie Yun said, ¡°Send Gu Kaizhi¡¯s vermilion cross portrait and Wang Youjun¡¯s snow-time sunny invitation to the fifth daughter of the Qiao family. Take it as the Xie family¡¯s makeup for her.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Chapter 349 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine After Qiao Ruoyi returned, Zheng Xiao wanted to discuss the marriage with her in the Marquis¡¯mansion. With the way the old madam of the Marquis was behaving, she really didn¡¯t want to get married to the Sun family. However, when she heard that Qiao Ruoyi was drunk and fell into the water today, she could only give up. When Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s servant girl, Xiao Man, was waiting for Qiao Ruoyi to wash up, she saw the spots on Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s body and sucked in a breath of cold air. ¡°Miss, were you hit by someone?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Maybe I hit a rock when I fell into the water.¡± Another servant girl, Yan Yu, entered the room and said, ¡°Miss, the Xie family still sent you gu Kaizhi¡¯s Weimalakai statue and the snow-time invitation. Master Xie said that he was doing makeup for you.¡± Qiao ruoyi pouted and said, ¡°I won¡¯t accept it. You can return it to the Xie family.¡± ¡°No, wait, I think you should stay!¡± Qiao ruoyi instantly changed her mind. ¡°Go to the place where I hid the silver and take out all the silver notes to send to the Xie family!¡± ¡°Yes, miss. .¡± After Qiao Ruoyi took a bath, she sat in front of the window and looked at the crescent moon in the sky. She could not fall asleep for a long time. However, she still had to go to the morning court the next day. She asked Yan Yu to boil a bowl of medicine and relied on drinking the medicine to barely fall asleep. The matter of Xie Yun being in the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor could not be hidden from the Northern Mountain Secret Guards. After Xie Yun left, the Northern Mountain Secret Guards went to the Tai Chi Palace to report the matter to Lu Chen. Lu Chen frowned slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t let the Empress Know about this. Replace eunuch Huang from the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor. Also, change the serving girls in there. In front of them, deal with those two whimsical sisters!¡± Fortunately, Xie Yun was the one who was affected today. These two palace maids were extremely disgusting. The Secret Guards left. Eunuch Gu handed a cup of tea to Lu Chen and said, ¡°Your Majesty, why didn¡¯t you let the Empress Know About This?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Xie Yun doesn¡¯t like Qiao ruoyi. If the Empress knew about this, she would inevitably seek justice for her sister.¡± Eunuch GU said in bewilderment, ¡°Qiao Wu is the daughter of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate and is now a fifth-rank official. How could the head of the Xie family not like Qiao Wu?¡± Lu Chen said indifferently, ¡°The difference between the direct line of descent and the concubine in the aristocratic families is like the difference between the clouds and the mud. It is a chasm that can not be crossed.¡± .. The next day, after Qiao Ruoyi returned to the Qiao family from the Yamen, Zheng Xiao went to find Qiao Ruoyi. Seeing Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s unpleasant expression, he asked, ¡°Ruoyi, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Qiao ruoyi forced a smile and said, ¡°Perhaps you haven¡¯t recovered from your drunkenness yesterday. Mother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Tell mother that you really like Marquis Jingwu and won¡¯t marry anyone other than him?¡± ¡°That old madam sun is really infuriating. I¡¯ve asked around these past few days. No wonder she¡¯s so anxious to set the wedding date at the end of this month. Not only will the heir-son of Marquis Jingwu be going to the Marquis of Wu an next year to be his first wife. Also, her granddaughter is fourteen years old this year. When it comes to discussing the marriage, when other people hear that there¡¯s no first wife, they all stop talking about the marriage. The Marquise of Jingwu had passed away more than ten years ago. Madam Sun was afraid that the newly married house-fill would bully her grandson and granddaughter. She would delay until the grandson could get married before she wanted to fill the house for her son. With such a disgusting mother-in-law, if she married him.., she would be on guard against him. Ruoyi, listen to your mother. If it weren¡¯t for the deep affection for the Marquis of Jingwu, we would choose another marriage. I don¡¯t believe that all the good men in the world are dead.¡± Qiao ruoyi listened to Zheng Xiao¡¯s advice and said, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s the difference between a different family? Unless I marry far away and leave Chang ¡®an, if I stay in Chang ¡®an, which scholar family would be willing to marry the daughter of a concubine?¡± Zheng xiao sighed helplessly, ¡°The aristocratic families have been in decline for so long, and they still insist on this rule. Sigh! It¡¯s been hard on you.¡± From hundreds of years ago when the aristocratic families were mentioned, there was a difference between the nobles and commoners. The aristocratic families and commoners were not allowed to intermarry. After the great ancestor ascended to the throne, all the emperors of the Tang Empire were devoted to suppressing the aristocratic families. Now, if one were to talk about the aristocratic families, there were only the Xie family, Qian family, and the Qiao family in Jiangnan. However, after the scholars of the Tang Empire who were favored by the imperial court obtained the imperial examinations, not only did they not think about the time when the aristocratic families gained power, scholars like them who were born from humble families would not be able to become officials even if they studied hard for decades. On the contrary, some of the rules of the aristocratic families were respected now, and gradually, the difference between the legitimate and illegitimate children became greater and greater. These were the things that only the aristocratic families would care about, and the scholars were quite concerned about these things now. Some of the important families in Chang ¡®an would not be able to have the difference between the legitimate and illegitimate children in the residence. The illegitimate children and illegitimate children were all equal to the young masters and daughters of the residence, so the mistress of the household would not favor one over the other. However, when it came to marriage matters, the illegitimate children could only be matched with the illegitimate children. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s family background was high, and she was talented. Therefore, some of the illegitimate children who did not inherit the title of nobility were willing to propose marriage. Qiao Ruoyin was able to marry into the family of the Yun Zhou governor because she was a military general. She did not care about the difference between the legitimate children and concubines that the scholars respected. Zheng Xiao said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Fortunately, you still have our Qiao family. You have married into the Sun Manor. If they humiliate you, you must not be like your big sister, reporting the good news without reporting the bad news.¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, mother. Let¡¯s set the wedding date according to Old Madam Sun¡¯s wishes.¡± She was afraid that if the wedding date grew longer, there would be changes. When Zheng Xiao walked out of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard, he helplessly went to old madam Qiao¡¯s side. Old madam Qiao sighed, ¡°The Xie family is the only aristocratic family left. Now, they still have these rules! Ever since the founding of the Great Tang Empire, His Majesty has fought against the aristocratic families for the sake of the common people. He gathered the imperial power and allowed the common people to live a good life. On the contrary, that group of pedantic scholars still followed the old rules of the aristocratic families! Everyone thought that they could become an aristocratic family by following the rules. Little did they know that back when the aristocratic families were big, they were not even worthy to carry shoes for the aristocratic families. ¡°If the aristocratic families were really around, they would not even be worthy to marry the servants of our Qiao family. ¡°Although the rules of the aristocratic families are that of the legitimate son of the concubine, that is also a marriage alliance between the illegitimate son of the aristocratic family and the illegitimate son of the aristocratic family. These poor scholars are nothing!¡± ¡°Mother, your scolding is reasonable. However, it seems that it¡¯s just as ruoyi said, only the Sun family is left.¡±Zheng Xiao said, ¡°What do you think about setting the wedding at the end of June?¡± Old madam Qiao said, ¡°Sigh, since she has already decided, let¡¯s do as she says. However, the wedding date is approaching, so we should not treat her unfairly. There¡¯s also the dowry¡­ you should give her less dowry that can be easily sold.¡± Zheng Xiao would not go so far as to be harsh on her daughter¡¯s dowry. He said, ¡°Mother, how can this be? This should at least be the same as Ruofeng¡¯s dowry, right?¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know her. If you give her a dowry that can be easily sold, she will definitely sell the dowry in two or three days and buy all the bookstores in Chang ¡®an.¡± Zheng xiao smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Then I will prepare more shops for her that are more profitable than our Qiao family¡¯s so that she won¡¯t sell the shops to buy famous calligraphy and paintings.¡± After the marriage was settled, the Hou mansion began to prepare for the wedding. At the end of June, the weather was extremely hot. The next day, they were going to get married. When Qiao Ruoyi went to her family¡¯s temple to worship her ancestors, she was met with a fierce storm, thunder and lightning. It was very frightening. Chapter 350 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine In the pouring rain, the servant girl beside Princess Fu Lu passed on the news that Princess Fu Lu had already given birth. Qiao lui looked at Old Madam Qiao and Zheng Xiao and said, ¡°Grandmother, mother, Xiang Xiang is about to give birth. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°It¡¯s windy and rainy on the road. Be careful. Xiao¡¯er, you should go with her. It¡¯s the princess¡¯first time giving birth. It¡¯s hard not to be afraid.¡± Zheng Xiao agreed and rushed back to Fu Lu¡¯s courtyard with Qiao Lui. Old Madam Qiao pressed her palms together towards the ancestral tablets and prayed for the safety of Princess Fu Lu and her son. Qiao ruoi followed the rules set by the clan leader at the side. When she was offering incense to her ancestors, she felt extremely uneasy when she heard the sounds of thunder, wind, and rain outside. The weather was like this again when Princess Fu Lu was about to give birth. After Qiao Ruoi finished offering incense, she rushed to Qiao Lui¡¯s courtyard. But who knew that when she stepped over the threshold outside the ancestral hall, because of the puddles on the ground, she slipped and fell to the ground. She felt a great pain in her abdomen, xiao Man, who was at the side, exclaimed in shock, ¡°Blood! Miss, you¡¯re injured. There¡¯s so much blood below!¡± Old Madam Qiao saw this and said anxiously, ¡°Someone quickly call the imperial physician.¡± After a moment of busyness, Qiao Ruoyi was in so much pain that she bit her lip. The women carried a small palanquin and carried Qiao ruoyi back to her small courtyard. Princess Fu Lu was about to give birth, and there were already two imperial physicians in the manor on standby. When Qiao Ruoyi returned to the courtyard, Fu Lu had already successfully given birth to a daughter. The two imperial physicians then came to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard. Old Madam Qiao was very anxious. ¡°She¡¯s going to be married tomorrow. If she breaks her leg now, it won¡¯t be good.¡± A younger imperial physician hurriedly went forward to check Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s pulse. Seeing that her lower body was covered in blood, he was shocked after checking her pulse. ¡°Sir, please come and take a look. This fifth lady seems to have had a miscarriage. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to keep her child.¡± After the old imperial physician went forward to check Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s pulse, he said, ¡°Fifth lady, I¡¯ve offended you. I¡¯ll have to trouble the servant girl to expose your lady¡¯s stomach. I¡¯ll give her an injection to protect her fetus.¡± When Old Madam Qiao heard this, her hands kept fiddling with the Buddha beads in her hands. Xiao Man and Yan Yu looked at each other. However, they still obediently changed Qiao ruoyi into a middle-sized shirt, revealing her flat lower abdomen. The old imperial physician took out a silver needle and pricked Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s abdomen several times, then ordered the maidservant to fetch the medicine to brew the medicine. The younger imperial physician said to old madam Qiao, ¡°Fifth Miss is lucky. Originally, sir had already retired in Luoyang city. The eldest princess was worried about the princess, so she asked Sir to return to Chang ¡®an. If not for Sir¡¯s acupuncture skills, fifth miss would definitely not be able to keep the child in her belly today.¡± The old imperial physician said, ¡°It¡¯s also because of the girl¡¯s fate with this child. After so much blood, she was still able to survive. However, she needs to stay in bed for at least a month to recuperate. Let¡¯s forget about tomorrow¡¯s marriage. After all, the child is more important.¡± After Old Madam Qiao thanked them, she rewarded the two imperial physicians. After Old Madam Qiao sent the two imperial physicians away, she looked at Qiao ruoyi and said sternly, ¡°The child in your stomach is not from the Marquis of Jingwu, right?¡± Qiao Ruoyi was in a daze on the bed. When she heard old madam Qiao¡¯s words, she immediately said, ¡°Grandmother, this child can not be kept!¡± Old Madam Qiao was exasperated and fiercely slapped Qiao Ruoyi on the face, ¡°I heard from the old imperial physician that the child in your belly is less than a month old. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have a marriage contract, but after having a marriage contract, you¡¯re still pregnant with someone else. Where does this put our Qiao family¡¯s face?¡± Qiao Ruoyi said with tears in her eyes, ¡°Grandma, I know I¡¯m wrong. I Can¡¯t keep this child!¡± ¡°Who is the father of the child? He abandoned the child in such a disorderly manner. He knows that you have a marriage contract, but¡­ It¡¯s a light punishment to take his life.¡± Old Madam Qiao was extremely angry. ¡°Tomorrow, our Qiao¡¯s residence will become the biggest joke in Chang ¡®an city!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I don¡¯t know who the father of the child is. Grandmother, I¡¯ll just abort the child. I¡¯ll just say that I fell and broke my leg¡­¡± Old madam Qiao sneered, ¡°How long can we keep this a secret? How can we keep the mouths of the two imperial physicians shut?¡±? The eldest master of the Ye family had a good relationship with those imperial physicians. The niece of eldest Grandma Ye was going to marry the eldest daughter of Wu Anhou, the heir of the Marquis of Jingwu. How could we keep this a secret?¡± An yuanhou and Zheng Xiao had heard the news from Qiao Ruoyi. Before they could hug their granddaughter, they rushed over. An yuanhou entered and said angrily, ¡°You did such a shameless thing, and you still want to hide it? Tell me about that adulterer!¡± ¡°Men, arrest Xiao Man and Yan Yu and beat them up!¡± Qiao ruoyi heard this and said with tears in her eyes, ¡°Father, don¡¯t beat them up. They don¡¯t know.¡± An yuanhou forced himself to fight Qiao ruoyi, ¡°You have no sense of shame to do such a shameful thing to our Qiao family. The maidservants by your side didn¡¯t take good care of you. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you¡¯re afraid of one dead body and two lives, they would have beaten you up as well!¡±! Who was the adulterer? Zheng Xiao stepped forward and asked, ¡°Ruoyi, who was the man who lied to You? You¡¯re now an official in the imperial court. After such a thing happened, you might not even be able to hold on to your official position. Why are you still hiding it from that man?¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to tell us today, then we¡¯ll kill one corpse and two lives to save our Qiao family¡¯s reputation!¡±An yuanhou scolded loudly. Old Madam Qiao glared at an yuanhou unhappily and said, ¡°One corpse and two lives, forcing our own girl to die. is letting that man roam free a good reputation? Nonsense!¡± Zheng Xiao persuaded Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Ruoyi, your sister loves you the most. You should also think about your sister in the palace. If your reputation is ruined, how will your sister be able to rule the world as a Mother? Tell us, who is that man?¡± Qiao ruoyi pursed her lips and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s Patriarch Xie.¡± Zheng Xiao frowned. Marquis an Yuan also frowned and asked, ¡°Patriarch Xie of Jiangnan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡±Qiao ruoyi told her everything that happened in the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor on the day of Jin Niang¡¯s birthday. ¡°Father, mother, grandmother, I really don¡¯t have any sense of shame. I don¡¯t know how I got pregnant¡­¡± Zheng Xiaonan sighed heavily. ¡°Sigh, you child, why didn¡¯t you tell your family about such a big matter? What about Patriarch Xie? Patriarch Xie took advantage of you so much, didn¡¯t he say anything?¡± ¡°He gave me the real copy of Qingtie when it was almost snowing, just like Gu Kaizhi¡¯s Wei Mojie.¡± An yuanhou was even more furious. ¡°The real copy of Qingtie when it was almost snowing, and he sent my Qiao family¡¯s daughter away? In your dreams!¡± Old Madam Qiao said to an yuanhou, ¡°Isn¡¯t family head Xie going to trade with the western regions? Does he want us to help him in Yunzhou? ¡°After doing such a thing, he still has the nerve to act as if nothing has happened. Go to the Xie family and ask family head Xie for Justice!¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯er, follow me to the manor of the Marquis of Jingwu and apologize properly. It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re laughed at and scolded by others, but our Qiao family can only swallow the tears of this matter.¡± ¡°Ruoyi, rest well. The child in your belly is more important. Since you can keep it, it means that the fate between the child and you is not shallow. A miscarriage is also extremely tiring.¡± Chapter 351 - making Qiao Ruoyi a concubine On a June Day, the child¡¯s face cleared up after a thunderstorm, like a rainbow hung in the clear blue sky that had been washed. When Qiao Jinniang heard that Fu Lu had given birth to a little daughter, she could not help but want to go out of the palace to take a look. She was extremely covetous of a daughter. Lu Chen brought Qiao Jinniang out of the palace secretly. When they arrived at the Qiao residence, not only did Qiao Jinniang not see the joy of the Hou Manor having a granddaughter, but she also saw the maidservant remove the red silk and the word ¡°Happiness¡±that was used for the wedding the next day. Qiao Jinniang went to Fu Lu¡¯s courtyard. Qiao Lu was not there, and neither was Shou an¡¯s eldest princess. Only Qin Miaomiao was there. It was rare for Fu Lu to be weak and quiet. When he saw Qiao jinniang, he said, ¡°You¡¯re lying. You said that giving birth is very painful.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Yes.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°It¡¯s clearly not very painful. It¡¯s clearly the kind of pain that can not be wished for life or death!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled lightly. ¡°It does hurt, but in the future, you will find that no matter how painful it is, it¡¯s worth it. What about the child? Do you have a name for it?¡± Qin Miao passed the baby in his hand to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been given a big name yet, but its nickname is little rainbow. It¡¯s rare to see a rainbow today.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Ah Lui?¡±Qiao Jinniang carried the baby in her arms and asked, ¡°Usually, as long as he goes to the yamen, you guys will always be together. Why isn¡¯t he here today?¡± ¡°Oh, he went to find Xie Yun to settle the score.¡± Fu Lu weakly told Qiao Jinniang that Qiao ruoi had Xie Yun¡¯s child. Qiao jinniang said in surprise, ¡°There¡¯s such a thing? Why did ruoi keep it from us?¡± Fu Lu whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know why she kept it a secret, but tomorrow, our Qiao residence will lose face. If the marriage doesn¡¯t work out, there will probably be enmity.¡±. There was also Xie Yun. If Xie Yun wanted to take responsibility, he would have said that he was guilty. However, he never mentioned that he might not marry Ruoyi as his wife.¡± Qiao Jin said, ¡°Ruoyi already has his child. Moreover, ruoyi also suffered an undeserved calamity that day. How can a man like him not take responsibility?¡± Qin Miao said, ¡°In the aristocratic families, the first wife is like the clouds and mud. Moreover, Xie Yun is the eldest grandson of the first wife of the Xie family. Even if Ruoyi is the first wife¡¯s daughter, he might not take a fancy to her, let alone a second wife¡¯s daughter.¡± Lady Qiao Jin said coldly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did he provoke ruoyi that day?¡± Fu Lu said softly, ¡°If I had known earlier, I would not have drunk Xie Yun on purpose that day¡­¡± Lady Qiao Jin sighed helplessly. Speaking of which, it was true that Xie Yun did not deliberately make Qiao ruoyi pregnant. .. In the Xie family of Chang ¡®an. When Marquis an Yuan and Qiao Lu entered, Qiao Lu very impolitely went up and grabbed Xie Yun¡¯s collar. Xie Yun was calm, and the Xie family guards on both sides stepped forward. Xie Yun signaled for the guards to leave with her eyes, she said to Marquis an yuan and Qiao lui, ¡°Marquis and uncle of the small country have graced us with their presence. I did not welcome you. Uncle of the small country barged into our xie residence and grabbed my collar. What do you mean?¡± Qiao Lui glared at Xie Yun and said, ¡°You abandoned my sister. She is pregnant now. You have to give my sister an explanation.¡± Xie Yun frowned. ¡°Pregnant?¡± An yuanhou said to Qiao lui, ¡°Ah Lui, let go. Master Xie, it¡¯s a foregone conclusion. My Daughter is pregnant. What plans does master Xie have?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°That day, your daughter and I were schemed against by others. The best way is for the fifth miss to abort the child. The Xie family will make up for it. In the future, things will be peaceful.¡± An yuanhou said angrily, ¡°You want my daughter to abort the child? Do you know how harmful an abortion can be to a woman?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to keep the child. It¡¯s just that fifth Miss¡¯s marriage is already difficult. If you have a child, I¡¯m afraid it will be even more difficult.¡± Qiao lui stepped forward and punched Xie Yun¡¯s face in anger. ¡°How can you treat my sister so badly?¡± Xie Yun did not Dodge. After being punched, she straightened her sleeves and said, ¡°What about your Marquisdom¡¯s opinion?¡± Marquis an yuan said, ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s you who married Ruoyi to settle this matter and give birth to a legitimate child.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°The fifth lady in the residence is a concubine. I can only take her in as a concubine.¡± Qiao Lui was furious when he heard this. When he was about to attack again, Xie Yun used her fan to block Qiao Lui¡¯s fist and said, ¡°Master Qiao, uncle of the small kingdom, the fifth lady and I were schemed against at the Imperial Manor that day. If the Qiao family¡¯s women aren¡¯t willing to be concubines, then it¡¯s better to abort the fetus. It¡¯s best if everything goes well in the future.¡± An yuanhou saw the coldness in Xie Yun¡¯s eyes and said angrily, ¡°What do you mean everything goes well? If you¡¯re so ruthless, don¡¯t blame our Qiao family for being enemies with your Xie family.¡± An yuanhou and Qiao Lui left angrily. After they left, Xie Yun furrowed her brows slightly. When she recalled that day, she really wanted to peel off the skin of the two palace maids who had drugged him. .. After an yuanhou returned to the manor, he heard that Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang had come and went to pay their respects. Zheng Xiao and old madam Qiao only returned from the Marquis Jing Wu¡¯s manor during dinner time. Other than Fu Lu and Qiao ruoyi, who was resting in bed, the whole family was discussing Ruoyi¡¯s matter in the hall. Zheng Xiao said, ¡°That old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu has such a sharp mouth. It¡¯s not enough that she has to apologize with double the dowry. It¡¯s also fortunate that Ruoyi didn¡¯t marry into the family.¡± Old Madam Qiao sighed and said, ¡°We are also in the wrong in this matter. What did Patriarch Xie Say?¡± Qiao lui angrily said Patriarch Xie¡¯s cold words, ¡°He said that he can only take his sister as a concubine and will not marry his sister as a wife.¡± Qiao jinniang said angrily, ¡°He harmed ruoyi and made her a concubine? Why a concubine? Everyone knows that my Qiao family¡¯s daughter doesn¡¯t want to be a concubine. He isn¡¯t willing to marry her, but I have to give him an imperial decree to marry her!¡± Qiao Jinniang did not expect Xie Yun to be such a irresponsible person. Lu Chen calmly took a sip of tea and did not say anything. Old Madam Qiao sighed and said, ¡°Your Highness, this matter is inappropriate. Who is patriarch Xie? He is the head of the aristocratic family. Although the aristocratic family is not as good as it used to be. However, when a hundred feet of worms die, it doesn¡¯t freeze. Not only do the scholars in the world yearn for the aristocratic family to have a good time, even the Xie family¡¯s power in Jiangnan isn¡¯t shallow. Your Majesty has grown up in Jiangnan, so you should be aware of this. ¡°If your Majesty were to force Xie Yun to marry my Qiao family¡¯s daughter today, I¡¯m afraid those scholars who yearn for the aristocratic family to have a good time tomorrow will have to hand in their memorials one by one¡­¡± An yuanhou said, ¡°If the Xie family is unwilling to marry her, our Qiao family doesn¡¯t care either. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t support ruoyi and her child. The children that will be born in the future will have nothing to do with the Xie Family!¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. is the name of having an illegitimate child so nice to hear?¡± An yuanhou said, ¡°Then marry into a husband. I don¡¯t believe that there isn¡¯t a good man in the world who is willing to marry into a family! Even if there really isn¡¯t a husband, just find a random man and give him a large sum of money. At most, we can divorce after giving birth to a child! The child will be born with a proper name.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°This is the only way now. Xiao¡¯er, the princess is going to give birth to a child and Ruo is going to stay in bed to take care of the child. You must take good care of her.¡± Zheng Xiao replied, ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned when she heard this. Chapter 352 In the carriage back to the palace, Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen unhappily, ¡°Is there really no way to make Xie Yun marry Qiao Ruoyi?¡± ¡°Both of them hate each other. Giving a marriage is just creating a pair of resentful spouses. Moreover, there are many rules in the Xie family. The difference between the legitimate and illegitimate children is deeply rooted. The more aristocratic families like theirs care about the legitimate and illegitimate children.¡± Hearing this, Lady Qiao said, ¡°Aristocratic families are already at the end of their rope. They still care about the legitimate and illegitimate. Everyone says that children are important and take in concubines. However, when the illegitimate children of Chang ¡®an are talking about marriage, they are greatly affected by the illegitimate children. ¡°What difference between the legitimate and illegitimate children? Men are happy for a moment. Instead, they let their children suffer. If Chang ¡®an officials are not allowed to take in concubines, let¡¯s see where they get the illegitimate children and where they get the legitimate children.¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s true. Except for officials, merchants don¡¯t care about the difference between a son and a concubine.¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Then what if you make an imperial edict not to take concubines?¡± Lu Chen smiled at her. ¡°I still want to be the emperor for a few more years.¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± Lu Chen looked at the Dankou in her hand and said, ¡°However, it¡¯s okay to let the sons and daughters of the first wife and concubines share the family wealth when they are separated from the family. Do you think that if the sons and daughters of the second wife and concubines gradually become more powerful, would those housewives still be willing to take concubines for their husband?¡± Qiao Jinniang felt that it made sense. ¡°They would definitely not be willing to take concubines. It doesn¡¯t matter if they suffer some grievances for their mother, but once the interests of their children are lost, how could they still be willing to take concubines?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°In this world, if a man wants to take concubines, he needs his wife¡¯s permission. If those housewives are not willing to take concubines for their husband, it will gradually become the norm without the imperial edict.¡± Qiao Jin felt that it made sense. Nowadays, most men took in concubines for the sake of their virtuous reputation or to avoid being called jealous. In any case, when the children of concubines got married, they would not have much money in the public, and the children of concubines would not have much to share in the family business. However, if the children of concubines and legitimate children were given the same amount, would those women still be so generous? Would they still be willing to take in a concubine for a man? .. Qiao ruoyi was resting in bed, so she naturally could not go to the yamen of the Ministry of appointments. Hong Qifeng was even busier now. The wedding invitations of the Marquis of Jingwu¡¯s manor had been sent to all the important figures in Chang ¡®an. Now that the wedding was not successful, Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s pregnancy caused a commotion. Many people looked at the Qiao family as a joke, they could not find out who Qiao Ruoyi was pregnant with. In a teahouse with many women in Chang ¡®an city, they were all talking about the law that had just been enacted. If the family was divided after the death of the parents, the family property would be divided equally between the son and the unmarried daughter, regardless of whether it was the son or the concubine. In the past, most people divided the family property after the death of the parents, so no one dared to divide the family property when the parents were present. Now that the son and concubine of the first wife had the same family property, what was the difference between the first wife and the concubine? The number of officials who objected to this matter was pitifully small. The scholars and officials placed more importance on marrying the daughter of the first wife and the daughter of the second wife. They did not want the name of the daughter of the first wife to ruin their son. However, giving the son of the second wife and the son of the second wife and the son of the third wife and the son of the third wife would be considered a matter of the afterlife. Moreover, the son of the second wife and the son of the third wife was also their son. Although the emperor¡¯s imperial decree was inappropriate, it was not so acceptable. However, the wives of the noble and high-ranking officials were dumbfounded. Their son had lost so much of his family property. Although this was a matter of the afterlife, which woman would not plan for her own child? The young wives had agreed with a common enemy not to take concubines for their husband. Their husband would not be able to take in concubines without their consent. If they had an outer chamber, then they would have an outer chamber. In any case, the illegitimate son of the outer chamber would not even be able to pass the imperial examination. which woman would be willing to ruin the life of her own child for an outer chamber? Nowadays, a woman could do business for a female household with the help of the government. Those who did not have the ability to do business could even get the government to act as an embroidered maid and make pastries¡­ if she could support herself, who would be willing to be an outer chamber. There were also some madams who gave sterilization medicine to their maidservants. However, there was also an imperial edict that the sterilization medicine was not to be sold in folk pharmacies. ¡°How could his majesty give such a good edict?¡±? ¡°My husband was unwilling to give his family business to his brother-in-law, but he hugged his son and said that he did not need to worry about him in the future. I was almost angered to death. If he wants to take in concubines in the future, I can¡¯t play with him anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I will not take in concubines for my husband anymore. If I bear the name of being unvirtuous, I will just admit it. I Can¡¯t let my son suffer all the grievances.¡± By the time many men realized that this imperial decree had caused their wives to no longer agree to take concubines for themselves, it was no longer appropriate to submit a petition to change it. The first-born granddaughter of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor had a full moon wine, and it was extremely lively. Princess Shou ¡®an ordered someone to forge a palm-sized golden calf for her granddaughter. Even the retired emperor and Empress Dowager Zhou, who were far away in Jiangnan, sent many rewards. When Hong Qifeng came to the An Yuan Marquis residence as a guest, he did not see Qiao ruoyi, so he suggested to Zheng Xiao that he should go and see Qiao ruoyi. Zheng Xiao replied, ¡°You go.¡± When Hong Qifeng went, Ye suxin, who was at the side, also followed and said, ¡°Where are you going? Are you going to see Qiao Ruoyi? I heard that she is pregnant, but it is really a disgrace. The Empress actually did not punish her!¡± Hong Qifeng looked helplessly at this person who was about to become his own son¡¯s sister-in-law. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Ye Suxin didn¡¯t give up and followed after her. She had disliked Qiao ruoyi for a long time. She was obviously the daughter of a concubine, but she was above her in everything. .. Qiao Ruoyi was basking in the sun under a tree in the courtyard. She gently waved her fan. Not long after, she heard a sound and opened her eyes. She saw a servant girl beside Xie Yun and gave her a few green oranges. ¡°A few days ago, I heard from the fifth lady that it is acerbic. These are green oranges that were specially picked from the Shu lands. One bite and it will be sour.¡± Qiao ruoyi said to the servant girl beside Xie Yun, ¡°Don¡¯t bring these to me in the future. Even if you bring them, I will not eat them. Who knows if Xie Yun has poisoned them to harm my child?¡± Xin Lan, the servant girl of the Xie family, said, ¡°This was specially ordered by master. How could he poison them? Master thinks highly of the young master in Your Arms.¡± Qiao ruoyi sneered. If she thought highly of him, why would she immediately ask her to abort the child. Lan Xin said, ¡°Master knows that you like to raise orchids, so he specially built an orchid garden for you. You can also raise those orchids in Chang ¡®an. Do you want to go and take a look?¡± Qiao ruoyi covered her abdomen and said, ¡°Is Xie Yun thinking of forcing me to abort the child after he tricked me into going to the Orchid Garden?¡± At first, Qiao Ruoyi did not want the child, but she heard the advice of others. The child had lost so much blood, but she still kept it. This meant that the child was fated to be with her. Gradually, she could not bear to give up on the child. ¡°How can that be? Master has never been so kind to a woman. Back in Jiangnan, master doted on the Empress as much as she did. Master just feels that he can not marry you. He has let you down and wants to make it up to you.¡± Yan Yu¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°Miss Hong, Miss Ye, why aren¡¯t the two of you entering the courtyard?¡± Ye Su was thinking about what she had heard just now. was the Xie Yun that Qiao Ruoyi mentioned the Dead Xie Yun? That Xie Yun was clearly a woman. How could she have become a man? Chapter 353 Qiao ruoyi heard Yan Yu¡¯s voice from outside and got down from the Imperial Consort¡¯s bed. She stood up and went to the courtyard door to welcome her. Hong Qifeng came over and said, ¡°Sister Ruoyi, are you feeling better? When can you return to the Department of Officials¡¯Yamen? I¡¯ve been busy with all the official business for the past month alone and I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°The imperial physician said that the child is already stable and that you just need to be careful on a daily basis. However, I¡¯m afraid that if I go out now, I¡¯ll attract the ridicule of others.¡± Although she did not intentionally get pregnant with another man when they were engaged, this matter could not be publicized. Ye suxin, who was at the side, said, ¡°At least you still have some self-awareness. Qifeng, I advise you to not associate with this kind of shameless and immoral woman. You¡¯re about to get married and you¡¯re pregnant with another man. TSK TSK!¡± Hong Qifeng said to Ye suxin with slight annoyance, ¡°I believe that Sister Ruoyi is not such a shameless person. On the contrary, you pestered my brother and haven¡¯t married into our Hong family yet. Yet, you still dare to come to the Qiao family¡¯s banquet today. ¡°It¡¯s also because the Qiao family wants face. Otherwise, a person like you is not even worthy to enter the Qiao family¡¯s main gate.¡± Ye Su was so angry that she stomped her feet. ¡°Your elbow is turning outward!¡± Qiao ruoyi heard the two cousins arguing and said, ¡°Qifeng, let¡¯s go to the front yard. It seems that the banquet is about to start.¡± Hong qifeng nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± The Qiao family¡¯s Full Moon Banquet was a lively one. There were many guests attending the banquet. The old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu didn¡¯t mind coming to the banquet when the marriage was not going to work out. She was really anxious and if she didn¡¯t make a wife for her son.., when that time came, it would be difficult to talk about her granddaughter¡¯s marriage. Now, there was a new law. The illegitimate son¡¯s legitimate son would receive the same amount of property. Her own grandson did not have the help of his mother. The Marquis of Jingwu still had two concubines. She had to quickly find a girl to suppress those two concubines. While the old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu and the madam of the Marquis of Wu an were conversing, she saw ye suxin, who was beside the madam of the Marquis of Wu an, and said, ¡°This girl looks very unfamiliar. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her before.¡± The madam of the Marquis of wu an said, ¡°She¡¯s My Sister¡¯s daughter. Her ancestors were imperial physicians, an aristocratic family of medicine.¡± Old Madam Sun looked at Ye Suxin¡¯s appearance and said, ¡°The daughter of the Ye family. Have you talked about marriage?¡± Ye suxin was about to say that she was already discussing marriage with her cousin of the Hong family when she heard the madam of the Marquis of Wu An, who was also her aunt, say, ¡°No.¡± Old Madam Sun smiled. ¡°She¡¯s a good choice.¡± At the full moon banquet, when Zheng Xiao and the eldest princess came out with the baby in their arms, everyone was envious of the girl in their arms. She was born with dignity. She was given the title of county head even though it was only the full moon. Although the Empress did not come to congratulate her, the members of the Imperial Family and the Crown Prince came to celebrate this little county head¡¯s full moon. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was doted on by thousands of people throughout her life. .. As the mid-autumn Festival approached, there was still no news of the palace banquet from the palace. Usually, the mid-autumn Palace banquet was an extremely important day, not to mention that the mid-autumn Festival was the Little Crown Prince¡¯s birthday banquet. In previous years, it was always noon for Lu Xi¡¯s birthday, and at night, it was the mid-autumn Palace banquet. The last time on the Empress¡¯s birthday, there was no birthday banquet held in the palace, nor did they let the imperial concubines enter the palace to pay their respects. There was no news about the mid-autumn Palace banquet either. There were already rumors that the empress and the emperor were not on good terms after the longevity banquet, which made everyone feel that the rumors were true. In the Hong family. When Ye Suxin heard the words from the Marquis¡¯wife, she shook her head repeatedly and said, ¡°Aunt, how can you let me marry the Marquis of Jingwu? My cousin is going to marry the heir of the Marquis of Jingwu next year. I¡¯m her cousin, but I¡¯m going to marry the Marquis of Jingwu as his wife and be her mother-in-law in the future? How could old Madam Sun say something like this, which has messed up the rules and ethics? How could you agree to it?¡± Mother ye also said, ¡°Eldest sister, among the three of us sisters, you¡¯re the High and Mighty Marquis¡¯wife. My younger sister is now the Imperial Teacher¡¯s wife. Only My Ye family has fallen. But even so, you can¡¯t look down on my family¡¯s suxin!¡± The Marquis of Wu an¡¯s wife said, ¡°Second sister, the position of the Marquis¡¯wife is so good. If it¡¯s not good, Qiao Ruoyi won¡¯t be willing to marry it!¡± Ye suxin sneered, ¡°That¡¯s because Qiao Ruoyi is a concubine. How can the daughter of a concubine be compared to a legitimate daughter like me? Moreover, even though she¡¯s married into the Marquise of Jing Wu, it¡¯s still a step-by-step house filling. A step-by-step house filling is a concubine ceremony in front of the official wife¡¯s memorial tablet. Qiao ruoyi, a concubine¡¯s daughter, is willing to be a concubine. I¡¯m Not Willing!¡± The Marquise of Wu an said, ¡°Then how can a step-by-step house be a concubine? She¡¯s also a legitimate wife.¡± Madam Hong said, ¡°Second sister, Su Xin, I think what eldest sister said makes sense. The position of the wife of Marquis Jing Wu is also a first-class wife. Many young ladies want to marry someone, but old madam sun doesn¡¯t like them. Old Madam Sun¡¯s heart aches for her grandson, so she let Su Xin be the wife of a Marquis.¡± Ye Su Xin felt extremely disgusted. ¡°Little aunt, you haven¡¯t become the emperor¡¯s mother-in-law yet. Our Ye family is in this state because of you! ¡°I originally thought that if I could marry cousin, I would help cousin enter the palace as a concubine. Now that you and Aunt Look Down on me, I¡¯ll let it Go!¡± Madam Hong asked, ¡°You can let Qifeng enter the palace as a concubine? Are you joking?¡± Ye suxin said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m not joking. Moreover, I know that the Empress is in cahoots with the man outside. The Empress is already on bad terms with him. It¡¯s only ten days before the mid-autumn Festival and there¡¯s no news of the palace banquet. It only means that the empress has already fallen out of favor. ¡°However, His Majesty doesn¡¯t dare to depose the Empress due to the power of the Qiao family, nor does he dare to take in a concubine into the palace. If I present evidence of the Empress having an affair with the man outside, His Majesty will definitely depose the Empress and allow cousin Qifeng to become his concubine.¡± Madam Hong¡¯s eyes lit up, and the marquis¡¯wife asked, ¡°Suxin, do you really have evidence?¡± Ye suxin nodded and said, ¡°Of course I have evidence. It¡¯s just that both of my aunts want me to marry Marquis Jingwu to fill up the room, so please forgive me for letting this go.¡± How could ye Suxin not know what the Marquis¡¯wife was thinking? She was afraid that her daughter would meet a powerful young step-in-law and plead guilty when she married him. But why did she, Ye suxin, want to become cousin¡¯s mother-in-law from her cousin at such a young age? Madam Hong said, ¡°Xin ¡®er, the two of us are only giving you suggestions. There¡¯s no need for you to take it to heart. This marriage between you and Yinglong will be decided by me. Quickly take out that evidence?¡± Ye suxin smiled and said, ¡°Little aunt, the evidence is in your hands. Do you still remember the portrait of the Empress when she was young that fell from cousin¡¯s sleeve that day? There was a Yun character written on the portrait. It turned out that the Yun character was Xie Yun¡¯s Yun, and Xie Yun was not a woman. He did not die either. It turned out that he was a man, and he was also the head of the Xie family who had become famous in Chang ¡®an recently!¡± Madam Hong asked, ¡°Is this true?¡± ¡°I heard from Xie Yun¡¯s maidservant that it is absolutely true. The empress and Xie Yun came from Lin ¡®an together. After Xie Yun came to Chang ¡®an, she has always been deeply in love with the Empress as a woman. She is actually a man!¡± Ye suxin said, ¡°Moreover, the Empress has never been on good terms with him. As long as His Majesty believes in this matter, the Empress will be finished. The Hong family and the Marquis Mansion helped his majesty depose the Empress and punish the Qiao family. In the future, they will definitely be highly valued by his majesty!¡± Chapter 354 Madam Hong and Madam Wu Anhou looked at each other and felt that ye suxin¡¯s words made sense. Madam Hong ordered a servant to fetch the portrait and looked at the Yun character at the bottom. Madam Wu Anhou picked up the portrait and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen Xie Yun¡¯s post before. This Yun character is Xie Yun¡¯s handwriting. As long as we compare it with family head Xie¡¯s handwriting, we¡¯ll know.¡± Madam Hong recalled that there was a letter from family head Xie in Hong Yang¡¯s study room. She brought over the letter from family head Xie. Although there was no Yun character in it, there was a warm character in it. This warm character was exactly the same as the Yun character. At this moment, an oral order from the palace came from outside, inviting Madam Hong and the other first-grade imperial ladies to attend the mid-autumn Palace banquet. Madam Hong asked curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t his majesty already forbid the empress from managing the six palaces? Why is there a mid-autumn Palace banquet now?¡± The marquis¡¯wife said, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because the rumors are spreading outside. Moreover, the Qiao family is now the dominant family. His Majesty must at least give the Qiao family and the little crown prince some face. When the time comes for the mid-autumn Palace banquet, we¡¯ll see how his majesty and the Empress Look. We¡¯ll know.¡± Ye Su said excitedly, ¡°If the mid-autumn Day reveals that the Empress is having an affair with Xie Yun, I think his majesty will directly depose the Empress!¡± The Marquis¡¯wife silently wondered if she had decided on her daughter¡¯s marriage too early. Her daughter was also the eldest daughter of the Marquis¡¯family, so she should have been born higher than Hong Qifeng. If Hong Qifeng could become a concubine in the palace, why couldn¡¯t her daughter? .. After Qiao Ruoyi was able to go out, she returned to the yamen of the Ministry of Appointments. There was a lot of sarcasm behind her back, but Qiao Ruoyi pretended not to hear it. After leaving the yamen, before she could walk to the front of the carriage, she smelled a faint fragrance of orchid grass. Qiao Ruoyi looked over. It was Xie Yun¡¯s maid, Lan Xin, who brought a basin of iron bone element. Iron bone element was the most precious breed of Jianlan, especially the orchid fragrance. Lan Xin said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Fifth miss, this is the Jianlan that master ordered to send you. There are still a lot of orchids in the orchid garden. Master also ordered someone to move a stalk of black orchid from Jiangnan. When it blooms in a few days, he will send it to you.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to send these things over anymore. Even if you do, I won¡¯t take them.¡± Lan Xin said, ¡°Just take them. If you don¡¯t take them, master will blame me.¡± Qiao ruoyi said coldly, ¡°Go back and tell your master that if he feels guilty, there¡¯s no need to make up for it. I know clearly in my heart that he was also schemed by others. ¡°The child belongs to the Qiao family. The child belongs to the Qiao family in the future. There¡¯s no need to make up for my guilt. I don¡¯t need it either. Orchids grow in the forest, ¡°If we insist on keeping it in the courtyard, it will only destroy the orchids.¡± Lan Xin held a pot of orchids and watched Qiao Ruoyi leave. She turned around and returned to the Xie Residence, relaying Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s words to Xie Yun. Xie Yun said to Lan Xin, ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to go to her anymore in the future.¡± Lan Xin carried the orchids and caressed their leaves. ¡°Master, let me say something. Miss Ruoyi is quite good. Since she is pregnant, why are you not willing to marry her? Miss Ruoyi¡¯s literary talent and family background are enough to match you. You have already missed the empress. Do you want to miss the second one?¡± ¡°Lan Xin, you talk too much.¡± Lan Xin said, ¡°You clearly liked the empress in the past, but you despised her as a mere merchant¡¯s daughter. How much did you drink on the night of her wedding? You could have told her not to get married. ¡°If you were willing to marry her, the two elders of the Qiao family would not have let you marry. Even if there were still people from the second branch eyeing you like a tiger, could you really not have protected the empress at that time? You only looked down on her birth from the bottom of your heart, but she is now the empress. It is useless no matter how much you regret it. If you regret it once, do you still want to regret it a second time? The emperor and the Empress have been married for seven years. Even the little crown prince, Lu Xi, will be six years old in a few days. As for you, you are still alone.. Now that you finally have a child, you still refuse to acknowledge it. Do you really want to see Miss Ruoyi marry someone else with your child? Do you want to acknowledge someone else as your father?¡± ¡°Lanxin, you talk too much!¡±Xie Yun rebuked. ¡°Put down the orchid and go down!¡± Lanxin pouted and reluctantly retreated. .. The day before the mid-autumn Festival, Qiao Jinniang gave Little Lu Xi a pony as a birthday present. When Qiao Jinniang went to the North Mountain Racecourse on her birthday, she did not bring Lu Xi and Ang ¡®er with her. At that time, Qiao Jinniang had said that she would give him a pony. There were few masters in the palace now, so the place was also spacious. Qiao Jinniang followed Little Lu Xi to train the horse in the palace. Bao and Yun, who were playing with Little Lu Xi, also wanted to play with the pony when they saw it. Qiao Jinniang saw that the three children took turns playing with the horse, so she was not worried that they would fall. The little boy did not need to be carefully raised. It was good to fall more often. Although Consort Qi and Consort Chu were worried, the empress wasn¡¯t worried that the little crown prince would fall, so they couldn¡¯t be too precious. While the three of them were playing. Consort Chu sipped on her osmanthus tea and said, ¡°The rumors outside the palace are getting more and more ridiculous. People are saying that the emperor and empress aren¡¯t on good terms, and there are even rumors that Hong Qifeng is about to enter the harem as a consort.¡± Lady Qiao said in surprise, ¡°The rumors are still spreading outside the palace? I thought the rumors had stopped spreading after a few days of the longevity banquet.¡± She had not left the palace for a long time. The last time she left the palace, she had only gone to the Qiao family before returning to the palace. She did not know about the rumors among the people. Rumors were not allowed to spread in the palace. Therefore, Lady Qiao really did not know that the outside world was still speculating about the discord between her and Lu Chen because of the matter at the longevity banquet. Consort Qi said, ¡°The main point is not the rumors outside. The main point is Hong Qifeng. That Marquis Wu an¡¯s family has been very rampant recently. The daughter of the Hong family might not even be able to enter the palace as a consort. It¡¯s as if the Marquis Wu An¡¯s manor is going to produce a consort. ¡°Even if Hong Qifeng enters the harem as a consort, she¡¯s only the niece of the Marquis Wu an¡¯s wife!¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. ¡°Hong Qifeng enters the palace? What a joke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke.¡±The Qi king said to Qiao Jinniang in a low voice, ¡°You really have to pay attention to it. I heard that His Majesty praises her every now and then and even allows her to freely enter the harem.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Freely entering and leaving the harem is because his majesty is working in my palace. Hong Yang had something to do and couldn¡¯t come here, so he asked Hong Qifeng to come to my palace to spread the word. His Majesty praises her because she is capable and does things well. How can it be that he wants her to enter the palace as a concubine?¡± Consort Qi said, ¡°Men are all the same. His Majesty and King Qi are brothers. which man doesn¡¯t cheat? You should be more careful.¡± Consort Chu fiercely stepped on Consort Qi, consort Qi hugged her feet and said, ¡°Why are you stepping on me? I¡¯m not wrong. Men are greedy cats. If they aren¡¯t honest, they will cheat. Moreover, Hong Qifeng is at the age of marriageable, and her looks are really good!¡± Three black lines appeared on Consort Chu¡¯s forehead. She used her eyes to signal consort Qi to stop talking. Her words were even more ridiculous. ¡°Sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not a cat, and I don¡¯t know how to have an affair.¡±Lu Chen came from behind and walked to consort Qiao¡¯s side, ¡°On the other hand, sister-in-law, you¡¯re still a member of the royal family. It¡¯s too beneath your dignity to speculate about me. I¡¯ll punish you to copy the ceremony three times.¡± Consort Qi agreed repeatedly. She even wanted to die. Chapter 355 Seeing that Lu Chen had arrived, consort qi and Consort Chu did not dare to stay any longer. They took their leave together with Prince Bao and Prince Yun. Lu Chen sat beside Lady Qiao and said, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the nonsense of Lady Qi.¡± Lady Qiao said, ¡°Yes, Hong Qifeng is the first female official, and also the first female scholar. Her existence is to tell all the women in the world that they can study and become officials and achieve fame and fortune. ¡°Therefore, you should treat her better and praise her more. You can also tell the world that being a female official is not necessarily inferior to being a male official. ¡°Moreover, Hong Qifeng is talented to begin with. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect the rumors outside the palace to be so outrageous. ¡°This rumor has to be dealt with. Otherwise, in the future, everyone will think that Hong Qifeng¡¯s current status is because you have feelings for her. ¡°This is clearly because of her outstanding ability. This is a little too unfair to Hong Qifeng.¡± Lu chen nodded and said, ¡°Yes, we will rest tomorrow. When the morning court comes, I will make it clear to the officials that if there is such a rumor that neglects women to do things openly, we will definitely not let them off easily.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. If we make it clear, it will only embarrass the Hong family. Tomorrow at the mid-autumn Festival banquet, I will ask Consort Qi to give her a copy of the etiquette book. I will give her a few words of advice and knock on the mountain to shock the Tiger.¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Mother.¡±Little Ang ¡®er stumbled over. Little Ang ¡®ER had just turned one year old, and now she dared to learn how to walk. When she saw Qiao Jinniang from afar, she called out to her mother. Qiao Jinniang went over to pick up little ang ¡®er and kissed his little face. ¡°Ang ¡®er is so obedient.¡± Lu Chen walked up to Little Ang ¡®er and said, ¡°Call Me Daddy.¡± Little Ang¡¯er called out to her father softly. Then, she saw Lu Xi not far away. She called out to her brother and tried to get out of Qiao Jin¡¯s arms. The little man who had just learned how to walk felt that he was walking too slowly. So, he simply crawled over quickly and called out to her brother. Little Lu Xi carried little ang¡¯er up from the ground with a look of disgust and helplessness. ¡°The ground is dirty. Why are you still crawling?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at her two sons from afar and could not help but sigh: ¡°It would be great if we had another daughter. Otherwise, we¡¯d better hurry up and have a daughter, right?¡±? ¡°I have nothing to do at the moment. The business outside the palace, Fennel and star anise, is doing very well. ¡°If I get pregnant now, I can still play with Fu Lu Ruoyi¡¯s child when she¡¯s born next year.¡± Lu Chen frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to have another child when Ang ¡®er is three years old?¡± ¡°I thought that Ang ¡®er would stick to me if she was too young, but as you can see, ever since Ang ¡®er got people to stick to her, it was Xi¡¯er who stuck to her even more. He wouldn¡¯t mind having another sister.¡± Lu Chen said unwillingly, ¡°No, the doctor in Lin ¡®an said that you can¡¯t get pregnant consecutively. It¡¯s too tiring for your body.¡± ¡°But the imperial physician said that my body is very strong. It¡¯s fine to have another child now.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m really craving for Fu Lu¡¯s daughter. The little skirts that the Shang Gong bureau made for Fu Lu¡¯s daughter are really interesting.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If you really find them interesting, you can also ask the Shang Gong Bureau to make some dresses for young girls to wear.¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±? ? ?¡± In the Changle Palace on the eve of the mid-autumn Festival, the fragrance of Osmanthus assailed the nose, and the red candles swayed. Qiao Jinniang saw a servant bring a bowl of medicine and poured it into a bonsai. Lu Chen saw her pour the medicine out and frowned slightly. ¡°Jin ¡®er?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I really want a daughter.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°What if it¡¯s a daughter? No one can guarantee a daughter. Moreover, princesses are rare in the royal family. Since the great ancestor, the total number of princesses has never exceeded fifteen.¡± Lu Chen lowered his head and whispered into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want to be a monk for more than a year soon. Can¡¯t I have another two years before I get pregnant?¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± No wonder he was not in a hurry to have a daughter even though he clearly wanted one. It seemed that he had this thought. Qiao Jinniang put her hand around Lu Chen¡¯s neck and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same as having a child early? Won¡¯t it be the same in the future? Besides, when you were pregnant with Xi¡¯er, you weren¡¯t vegetarian for the whole year, okay?¡± Lu Chen said helplessly, ¡°If this child is still a prince, it will have to be born again in another three years.¡± The jinniang replied, ¡°Yes.¡± The next day, the Jinniang only woke up when it was almost noon. When Hong Ling and Lu he came to help her with her makeup, Qiao Jinniang looked at herself in the mirror and felt that her current life was a little ridiculous. In the past, when she was in Lin ¡®an, she also slept late, but at least she had a restaurant to manage and had to get up at the latest. Now that she only woke up at the latest, it was indeed a sin. Lu Chen walked to her side. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. Many princesses and princesses want to visit you, but you¡¯re still sleeping¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang pinched Lu Chen¡¯s hand fiercely: ¡°You still have the nerve to say that. If you hadn¡¯t been unrestrained last night, I wouldn¡¯t have woken up at This Hour? ¡°How can I face those princesses and princesses later?¡± The dignified empress, the mother of a country, actually slept until this late. She didn¡¯t want to see outsiders anymore. Lu Chen picked out a phoenix hairpin and put it on Qiao Jin. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to give birth to a princess as soon as possible? I was just trying to fulfill your wish. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re the Empress. Even if you sleep until noon, they won¡¯t dare to laugh at you.¡± Lady Qiao Jin was both embarrassed and angry. ¡°I won¡¯t talk to you anymore. I don¡¯t want to speak to you again today.¡± In the Hanyuan Palace Hall, the guests arrived. The whispers of the imperial wives and relatives below grew more and more. Everyone also turned to look at the table in Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. When they went to pay their respects to the empress, the palace maids all said that the empress was still resting. How could the Empress Be So absurd on this day? Perhaps it was just as the rumors said, the Empress was not on good terms, so the Empress did not even receive the imperial concubines. Halfway through the luncheon, although the empress came, the two of them did not communicate the entire time. It could be seen that the rumors were true. Outside the palace, in the Hong family, Madam Hong and Hong Qifeng were preparing to enter the palace. Ye Suxin was not qualified to enter the palace for the banquet, but today, Madam Hong needed to use her to expose Lady Qiao Jin, so she recognized ye suxin as her future daughter-in-law. It was also possible for the emperor¡¯s unaccepted daughter-in-law to go to the banquet with the Hong family. Hong Qifeng said unhappily, ¡°Mother, why did you bring ye suxin along? It¡¯s a palace banquet.¡± Madam Hong said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. After tonight, Feng ¡®Er¡¯s future is limitless¡­¡± Hong qifeng frowned and said, ¡°Mother, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± Madam Hong looked at Hong Qifeng who was wearing a red traditional dress and jewelry from the jewelry pavilion. She looked very beautiful. She did not believe that His Majesty would praise his daughter every day and leave such a beautiful young lady unmoved Once the Empress was deposed, Hong Qifeng¡¯s ability, family background, and looks would be the best candidates to enter the harem. The Marquise of Wu an hurried over and said, ¡°Little sister, great joy, Great Joy! Consort Su, who entered the palace to attend the luncheon today, told me that today, the Empress did not even receive the greetings of a mistress. During the luncheon, His Majesty and the Empress did not even say a word!¡± Chapter 356 When Hong Qifeng heard the Marquis¡¯wife repeatedly exclaim in Joy, she was full of doubts and asked, ¡°Why is it so joyous?¡± The Marquis¡¯wife held Hong Qifeng¡¯s wrist and said with a smile, ¡°The empress is very happy.¡± Ever since the longevity banquet, the Empress and the Empress had not been on good terms for a long time. Even at the Empress¡¯birthday banquet and the second Prince¡¯s anniversary banquet, the Empress did not receive any greetings from the wife of the Empress. It was the same today. It was only at the lunch banquet that she arrived late, and she was still unhappy with the emperor, she did not say a single word to the emperor. ¡°The Emperor thinks so highly of you and likes you. The empress is declining. If we help his majesty depose the Empress Today, perhaps you will be conferred the title of Imperial Consort later!¡± Hong Qifeng shook off the hand of the Marquis¡¯wife and said, ¡°Aunt, what nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean by the Empress and the Empress are at loggerheads after the birthday banquet? Clearly, two days ago, the emperor and the Empress were still very loving. Even when His Majesty read the excerpts, he still needed the empress to accompany him!¡± ¡°The reason why the Empress¡¯Birthday Banquet was not held last time was because the empress and the Emperor went out of the palace in disguise and went to the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor for two days. During those two days, His Majesty even specially rested. Father also knew about this matter.¡± ¡°Also, the second Prince¡¯s anniversary banquet only invited a few princesses, princes, and the Qiao family. It¡¯s not that it wasn¡¯t held. It¡¯s just that the Empress didn¡¯t want some unimportant people to surround the second prince.¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why the Empress and His Majesty are unhappy today, they really haven¡¯t been as unhappy as you think for a long time!¡± Hearing Hong Qifeng¡¯s words, madam Hong said, ¡°How do you know that His Majesty and the Empress are in love? Everyone outside has said that the Qiao family¡¯s relatives have been dominant for a long time¡­¡± Hong Qifeng said, ¡°In Changle Palace, His Majesty has always shown those important memorials to the empress. When there are many memorials, His Majesty has always asked the empress to write and approve them. Why would he be afraid of the Empress?¡± Madam Hong said, ¡°Qifeng, are you joking? The harem is not allowed to meddle in politics.¡± Hong Qifeng said helplessly, ¡°Mother, aunt, what joke am I joking about? On the contrary, it is you people who are the ones who are joking. You can even say something like letting me enter the palace as a concubine. I advise you to stop!¡± Madam Wu an marquis said, ¡°You are still young. What Do You Know About Love? Moreover, even if it is love, with Ye Suxin¡¯s evidence, I think there is hope for her to be deposed.¡± Hong Qifeng asked, ¡°What evidence is ye suxin?¡± Madam Hong said, ¡°Qifeng, don¡¯t bother about it. It¡¯s getting late. It¡¯s time to enter the palace.¡± ¡°Mother, even if you want to seek death, don¡¯t harm father and me!¡± Hong Qifeng flicked her sleeves and left, her face full of anger. .. The burning clouds in the autumn day were extremely shocking. The lanterns in the courtyard had already lit up. Looking far to the east, the large and round moon already had faint marks on it. The officials and their families raised their cups to the empress to congratulate her on the mid-autumn Festival. Lu Chen returned the toast and said, ¡°On this mid-autumn Festival, when the Moon is full, I also wish all the people of Tang to be able to reunite with their families.¡± After the banquet started, the ceremonial music sounded and the performers began to dance on the stage. Today¡¯s dance included the local songs and dances of Yunzhou. The dance and music were all novel. Just as everyone was watching the singing and dancing, Ye Suxin stood up and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to report.¡± Lu Chen did not know the woman below. Seeing that she came out from the Hong family, Madam Hong did not stop her and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Ye suxin took out a small piece of paper from her bosom. On it was a portrait of Lady Qiao Jin when she was young. Ye suxin knelt on the ground and passed the portrait to the imperial servant at the side, she knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, this portrait is the portrait of the Empress when she was young drawn by a man. That man has been pretending to be a woman and pretending to have a close sisterly relationship with the empress, but in reality, he is having an affair!¡± The imperial servant handed the portrait to Lu Chen. This was the first time Lu Chen had seen Lady Qiao¡¯s face when she was young. When Xie Yun painted it, it was probably when Lady Qiao had just had her teeth changed. She was smiling so brightly that even her missing front teeth were exposed, there were also sweet dimples. Lady Qiao quickly went forward to snatch the portrait in Lu Chen¡¯s hands, but she saw Lu Chen put the portrait into his sleeve. It was not appropriate for Lady Qiao to snatch the portrait in Lu Chen¡¯s sleeve in public. Hearing this, Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s face turned pale and she was extremely worried. It turned out that Xie Yun¡¯s guess was true. If she really harmed her sister, what would she do? Hong Qifeng stood up and said, ¡°Ye suxin, what nonsense are you talking about? How could this portrait be in your hands?¡± Ye suxin continued to kneel and said, ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t have to snatch the portrait and destroy the body. There is also a Yun character written on it. This Yun character matches the handwriting of the head of the Xie family and Xie Yun. It turns out that the head of the Xie family is Xie Yun, and Xie Yun is the head of the Xie family. ¡°Back then, Xie Yun and the Empress were close sisters in Chang ¡®an. It turns out that they were secretly having an affair¡­¡± Lu Chen said lightly, ¡°Xie Yun is a man¡¯s affair. I knew about it when I was in Lin ¡®an. As for Xie Yun and the empress, they have always been like brother and sister. When the Empress got married, Xie Yun even sent many congratulatory gifts to the Empress.¡± ¡°As for the Empress in this painting, she is only about five or six years old. How can there be love between a man and a woman? If she wants to frame the empress based on this painting, does that mean that any man who paints a woman¡¯s portrait in the future is having an affair?¡± ¡°Hong Yang, who is this person from your family?¡± Hong Yang came out trembling and answered, ¡°This is the daughter of my wife¡¯s sister, Ye suxin, the daughter of the Ye family.¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°That day, you were kind enough to plead for the Ye family, but you didn¡¯t want the Ye family to repay kindness with enmity. ¡°Someone, Ye suxin falsely accused the empress and randomly arranged the matters between a man and a woman. Someone sent her to the northwest border. The entire ye family was banished from Chang ¡®an. For three generations, they were not allowed to take the medical examination. ¡°Madam Hong taught the younger generation poorly. With the exception of her imperial decree as a first-rank wife, they were not allowed to take the imperial decree for life.¡± Madam Hong kneeled on the ground in panic. The Marquis¡¯wife was shocked. She did not dare to say a single word. Fortunately, they had taken advantage of ye suxin. However, weren¡¯t there rumors outside the palace that the empress was not on good terms with them? How could the emperor not blame the Empress at all after obtaining this portrait? Instead, he had imposed such a heavy punishment on the Empress! The third generation was not allowed to take the medical examination, and the Ye family was completely crippled. Ye Suxin was still young after all, so when she heard these words.., she was so frightened that she fell to the ground and said, ¡°Aunt, aunt, save me. It was you who said that you wanted cousin Hong Qifeng to enter the palace as a concubine, so you let me enter the palace to say these words. Aunt, please save me!¡± Lady Qiao Jin¡¯s gaze landed on the Marquis¡¯wife. ¡°Oh? So this matter was under the orders of the Marquis¡¯wife. In that case, I might as well take away her title of first grade Marquis¡¯wife.¡± The Marquis¡¯wife had the intention to kill ye suxin. She knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t dare to treat you like this.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°What do you have to be afraid of? Old Madam Sun, two months ago when you came to discuss the marriage, you said something about a cousin of the Marquis¡¯family entering the palace. The Marquis¡¯family is treating you like a King!¡± Old Madam Sun¡¯s old face turned red. That day, she was anxious about the wedding date, so she naturally said something like this. It was indeed true that it was Wu an marquis¡¯wife who said this to her. She could only come out trembling and kneel down to testify. Chapter 357 The old madam of the Marquis of Jingwu had come out to testify, but the madam of the Marquis of Wu an could not quibble. She could only kowtow and beg for mercy from Lady Qiao. ¡°Your Majesty, your servant has realized her mistake. I beg for mercy.¡± Lady Qiao ignored her and asked princess qi, ¡°Sister-in-law, how is the ceremony record that His Majesty punished you to copy yesterday coming along?¡± Consort Qi immediately took out the ceremony record that she had copied. Naturally, she did not stay up all night to copy the ceremony record alone. Instead, she instructed the maidservants in the Prince Qi¡¯s residence to copy it together. Qiao Jinniang flipped through it a few times and threw the ceremony record on the ground. ¡°The handwriting is clearly not the same person. Is His Majesty¡¯s punishment for you to use perfunctorily?¡± Consort Qi immediately knelt down and said, ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong.¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Hong Qifeng was the first female official in the previous dynasty of Great Tang. She was also the first female scholar. His Majesty valued her highly and praised her highly because she was talented. However, he did not expect the outside world to be full of rumors! ¡°As a prince consort, you are also involved in rumors with those people. Yesterday, His Majesty only punished you to copy the notes three times. It seems that it is not enough. Now, go to Hong Qifeng and apologize properly.¡± Imperial consort Qi felt extremely wronged. As the imperial consort of the prince, she apologized to a little girl, but she didn¡¯t dare to disobey Qiao Jinniang¡¯s orders. Qiao Jinniang swept her gaze toward the Marquise of Jingwu and said, ¡°Also, Old Madam Sun has also misunderstood Miss Hong. Please also apologize to Miss Hong, Madam Sun. Otherwise, in the future, any female official will tell the emperor to invite her into the palace. What does this mean to the emperor? What does this mean to be a female official?¡± Madam Sun repeatedly went to Hong Qifeng to apologize. Consort Qi did not dare to feel wronged anymore and repeatedly apologized. Qiao Jinniang then said to the marquise of Wuan, ¡°In Chang ¡®an city, most of the rumors about Hong Qifeng came from the Ye family and the Marquis of Wuan¡¯s mansion. They took away your imperial decree because they told ye suxin to falsely accuse me. You must not let the matter of the imperial court officials off lightly!¡±! ¡°Your Majesty, What kind of crime do you think she should be charged with?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°She will be imprisoned for three years to serve as a warning to others. Father once said that the mouth of the people is better than the mouth of the river. Therefore, when the rumors in Chang ¡®an were outrageous, the palace did not punish her. ¡°But if it is a rumor about her innocence, she will definitely be severely punished in the future!¡± When the Marquis¡¯wife heard that she would be imprisoned for three years, she felt that it was over. Madam Jing Wu was extremely regretful. She had already offended Marquis an yuan in order to get married to the Marquis Mansion. Now that Madam Wu Anhou was going to go to jail, how could her daughter be worthy of her own grandson? Madam Wu Anhou and ye suxin were both pulled down by someone. The palace banquet continued. Hong Qifeng glared fiercely at Madam Hong and said, ¡°Mother, now that you are satisfied, I will say that His Majesty and Madam are in love. It is our Hong family¡¯s fortune that His Majesty did not punish us today. Don¡¯t do such a ridiculous and generous thing in the future.¡± Hong Yang also felt quite embarrassed, but in the end, it was not the time to quarrel with Madam. Qiao Jin poured a glass of wine for Lu Chen and said softly, ¡°I will ignore you. Return that portrait to me.¡± She did not want the portrait of her missing teeth when she was young to be held in Lu Chen¡¯s hands. Lu Chen took her wine and returned the portrait in his sleeve to Qiao Jin. Qiao Jin conveniently tore the portrait and put it in her sleeve. Madam Hong looked up and saw the emperor looking at the Empress with a smile in his eyes. She felt extremely regretful. She should not have listened to ye suxin and caused this matter. She should have listened to Hong Qifeng just now. Hong Qifeng drank a cup of wine and looked at the Emperor and the Empress. She felt extremely guilty. The Empress had even asked Consort Qi to apologize to her for her sake. But in reality, Hong Qifeng could not lie to herself. She liked the emperor. Ever since she became an official four months ago, she had lived with the Emperor Day and night. When she saw the majesty of the Emperor when he was on the dragon throne, and when she saw his tenderness toward the empress, as a young girl, it was difficult for her to suppress her feelings. When she was young, she could not understand why Zhou Sisi was so stupid as to sacrifice the martial Duke¡¯s public house for the emperor. Now, she understood. If she were Zhou Sisi, she would not be willing to have such a good cousin. However, she was Hong Qifeng, so she could only be willing. The empress was so good to her, and she was always thinking of her. Qiao Ruoyi was her benefactor who was able to enter the imperial court and become an official.. She would always keep her thoughts of the emperor in the bottom of her heart. She would work hard to repay the Emperor and the Empress for her kindness. She would not even think about entering the palace and becoming a concubine. The Empress was so loving, why should she interfere? If that was the case, she would look down on herself. After the sacrificial moon, the banquet ended. Lady Qiao Jin gave Princess Qi the fresh meat mooncake that Prince Bao Jun liked to eat tomorrow to show her comfort. In the Changle Palace, Lady Qiao saw Lu Chen looking at the full moon in the sky. She went over and asked, ¡°Do you miss father and mother?¡± Lu Chen nodded, ¡°Yes, I wonder when they will be willing to go back to Chang ¡®an?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Mother Doesn¡¯t know. Father probably doesn¡¯t want to go back to Chang ¡®an now, for fear of being hugged by those old officials and crying.¡± Lu Chen also smiled and said, ¡°They are quite carefree. Some time ago when they went to Lingnan, father actually wanted to build a boat and go to Japan to play.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Lingnan can¡¯t go to Japan. Now that there is no hurricane, if they want to go to the sea and find a reliable fisherman, they can also go to the island to play. I¡¯m a bit looking forward to it.¡± She had only been to the seaside of Yinzhou and had never taken a boat out to sea, so she didn¡¯t know if the sea had an end. Lu Chen said, ¡°When Xi¡¯er grows up in the future, we can also go to play.¡± .. After the palace banquet, the Qiao family also had their own mid-autumn Festival banquet. When Zheng Xiao returned to the Qiao family, she said to old madam Qiao, ¡°Mother, you didn¡¯t see Old Madam Sun¡¯s expression just now. It was really too satisfying. There¡¯s also the Marquis¡¯wife. She can¡¯t be considered the Marquis¡¯wife anymore. I heard that when Marquis Wu an went out, he gave that woman a letter of divorce.¡± Old madam Qiao said, ¡°Fortunately, there was no marriage with the Marquis Jingwu Manor that day. However, ruoyi, for the sake of the child in your stomach, you should also think about finding a husband to marry. ¡°Whether you want to use it or if you really want to marry, you have to find one to the left and right. Don¡¯t let the child have the reputation of having an illegitimate child.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Yes, the marriage is solely based on mother and grandmother¡¯s instructions.¡± Marquis an Yuan said, ¡°That Xie Yun is really harming people. He even made a portrait of the Empress. It¡¯s a good thing that his majesty trusts the Jin Niang. Otherwise, the Jin Niang and our Qiao family will be finished today. In the future, everyone in the Qiao family will beat Xie Yun up every time they see him. There¡¯s no need to be lenient!¡± Zheng Xiao rarely agreed with marquis an Yuan¡¯s opinion. Even Old Madam Qiao did not stop him. Qiao ruoyi said in a low voice, ¡°Actually, I was wrong about the portrait this time.¡± Qiao ruoyi told the whole story of the portrait. ¡°Xie Yun originally wanted to destroy the portrait and destroy the evidence. It was my fault¡­ Fortunately, His Majesty trusts sister.¡± Zheng Xiao did not blame her. Instead, he said, ¡°In the end, it¡¯s still Xie Yun¡¯s fault!¡± Fu Lu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. If he doesn¡¯t draw this picture, then nothing will happen. Qiao ruoyi, you¡¯re speaking up for Xie Yun, not because you like him, right? You have to wake up. He wants you to be his concubine!¡± Chapter 358 Qiao ruoyi shook her head repeatedly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t like him. I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± Fu Lu asked curiously, ¡°In that case, why did Xie Yun keep the portrait of the Jin Niang? Could it be that Xie Yun has always been in love with the Jin Niang?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right. Since he likes the Jin Niang, why can¡¯t he see that he married the Jin Niang back in Lin ¡®an and watched helplessly as the Jin Niang married an unknown man?¡± Fu Lu couldn¡¯t figure it out, and no one gave her an answer, so he simply stopped thinking about it. Qiao ruoyi was also thinking about Fu Lu¡¯s question in her heart. She thought about it carefully and realized that Xie Yun probably looked down on her sister¡¯s family background at that time. How many men in the world were there like His Majesty who didn¡¯t care about their family background? Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Everyone knows that Ruoyi already has a child in her belly. If she wants to find a husband to marry into her family, I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t be a scholar. She can only find a young general without parents. She doesn¡¯t care about the surname. Ruoyi, what do you think?¡± Qiao ruoyi said softly, ¡°Yes, but can you find someone who isn¡¯t too fierce?¡± The next day, the wife of Marquis Jingwu came to the an Yuan manor with a smile on her face. Zheng Xiao felt a little disgusted when he saw the smile on Old Madam Sun¡¯s face. Old Madam Sun said, ¡°Madam Qiao, it was my fault that day. After I went back, I thought about it and felt that Ruoyi and my son are a perfect match. Why don¡¯t we continue the engagement and get married another day?¡± Zheng Xiao was puzzled, ¡°Old Madam Sun, where did the engagement come from? Moreover, My Ruoyi is almost three months pregnant.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it less than three months?¡± Old Madam Sun picked up a cup of tea and said, ¡°If this child is born, even if the marquisate is willing to take care of it and find a husband for ruoyi, the rumors in the future will harm the child and Ruoyi.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to abort the child and continue the engagement. Ruoyi will not be dragged down by the child. If ruoyi becomes the Marquisate¡¯s wife in the future, no one will dare to mention this matter in front of her.¡±. Zheng Xiao heard this and said, ¡°In that case, isn¡¯t Your Sun family afraid of losing face?¡± Old Madam Sun smiled and said, ¡°If Ruoyi is willing to abort the child, it¡¯s not that our marquisate can not recognize the father of the child. With the engagement, it¡¯s nothing if the two of them have a child.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as Ruoyi is willing to enter our Marquis of Jingwu Manor.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°I want to discuss this matter in detail with mother and ruoyi. Just hold old Madam Sun for a moment.¡± .. In old madam Qiao¡¯s courtyard. Zheng Xiao told old madam sun what she meant. ¡°Mother, what do you think of this matter?¡± Old Madam Qiao heard this and said, ¡°Old Madam Sun is a shrewd person. I just heard a piece of news here. Old Madam Sun went to the Marquis of Wu an manor to cancel the marriage, but the old madam of the Marquis of Wu an manor was unwilling to cancel the marriage. The Wu an Marquis Manor is also a hereditary Marquis family. The marriage of the eldest daughter of the first wife is not so easy to cancel. If my family¡¯s ruoyi were to marry over and old Madam Sun asked Ruoyi to cancel the marriage, do you think the Wu an Marquis Manor would still dare not cancel the marriage?¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Qiao ruoyi covered her abdomen and said, ¡°Mother, I would rather marry a beggar than abort the child. He has survived so strongly. I can¡¯t kill him.¡± She had been bedridden for a month. How could she bear to abort the child she had protected? She did not lack any family background or money. There was no need for her to marry into the Sun family and kill her own child. Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you have a deep affection for Marquis Jingwu? Since the Sun family is willing to take a step back, you can fulfill your infatuation if you abort the child. As for the child, you will have it again in the future.¡± Lan Xin, who was eavesdropping from old madam Qiao¡¯s roof, was extremely shocked when she heard these words. She hurriedly went back to look for Xie Yun. Qiao ruoyi heard the tiles on the roof move and thought that it was a cat on the roof. She said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother. I was the one who lied to you earlier. I don¡¯t even know what Marquis Jingwu looks like.¡± Zheng Xiao helplessly pointed at Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s forehead. ¡°You. What should I say about you? If it wasn¡¯t for your deep affection, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand that old Madam Sun.¡± Qiao ruoyi said guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Alright, just rest assured and take care of the baby. I¡¯ll reject Madam Sun¡¯s request.¡± .. In the Xie Manor of Chang ¡®an. Lan Xin rushed into Xie Yun¡¯s study. ¡°Master, it¡¯s bad, it¡¯s bad. Fifth Miss Qiao is going to abort your child and marry Marquis Jingwu! ! !¡± Xie Yun frowned. ¡°Lan Xin, you¡¯re tired of living, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lan Xin cupped her hands. ¡°Master, you can punish me however you want in the future. I¡¯ll accept it. However, your child is going to be aborted soon. This is your first child!¡± Xie Yun said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s good that it¡¯s aborted.¡± Lan Xin said, ¡°Are you serious? It¡¯s not easy to keep this child. You¡¯re already so old. This is your first child. It would be a pity if you lost it.¡± ¡°Get Out!¡±Xie Yun said, ¡°You are too noisy.¡± If Lan Xin¡¯s biological mother was not his wet nurse, he would not have been able to tolerate Lan Xin if it were not for her parents protecting him when the big house fell. How could she be so talkative at such a young age. Lan Xin reluctantly left the house. Xie Yun picked up the account book in his hand. It was coincidentally the account book of Chang ¡®an pawnshop. From the account book, it was not difficult to see that Qiao ruoyi was a regular customer of the pawnshop. Not only would she go to pawn some expensive jewelry and clothes prepared for her by the marquisdom, she would also buy some calligraphy and paintings from the pawnshop. There was a book with Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s name in it. Xie Yun simply closed the account book and went out. He saw Lan Xin hanging white silk on the crooked tree in his courtyard. Xie Yun frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lan Xin said, ¡°If I return to Lin ¡®an and let my parents know, I will actually watch as master¡¯s first child is aborted. My parents won¡¯t let me off either. It¡¯s better to die first.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°You come down first.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t unless you go to Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor to stop fifth miss from having an abortion!¡±Lan Xin made a gesture and was about to burrow into the white silk. Xie Yun directly left, ignoring Lan Xin who was burrowing her head into the white silk behind him. Xie Yun went to the savory pavilion, but before he could enter, he saw octagonal take out the sign that had been taken out by the door of fennel. However, Lu Chen and dogs were not allowed to enter in the past. Today, Xie Yun and dogs were not allowed to enter. Xie Yun:¡±¡­¡± He could only go to a new restaurant opposite the Savory Pavilion. The business of this restaurant was much worse than the savory pavilion. He did not sit for long when he saw the waiters coming towards him with brooms. The guards beside Xie Yun were all stunned and drew their swords repeatedly. However, these waiters obviously knew some martial arts. Moreover, although the brooms could not hit Xie Yun, the dust on the brooms had all landed on Xie Yun¡¯s body. Xie Yun was wearing a light green robe today. He was originally a handsome and suave young master from an aristocratic family, but because of the dust raised by the brooms, his face was covered in dust.. Chapter 359 Fu Lu brought Qiao Ruoyi to the restaurant she had just bought and said, ¡°The waiters in this restaurant are all from the Qiao family Army who are not allowed to go on the battlefield. The wine sold in this restaurant is all high-quality wine. I specially got the recipe from Qiu Yue. ¡°There is also a lot of flower wine and fruit wine. It¡¯s a pity that you can¡¯t drink wine now, but the smell is also good.¡± Qiao Ruoyi had just gotten off the palanquin when she saw the dust rising from inside. She quickly covered her nose with a handkerchief and coughed a few times. Amidst the dust, she saw Xie Yun come out with a black face. After Fu Lu saw Xie Yun, he said, ¡°You still dare to come to my restaurant?¡± Although Xie Yun¡¯s face was covered in dust, her bearing did not appear to be in a sorry state. ¡°Princess Fu Lu, Miss Qiao Wu.¡± Fu Lu casually picked up the whip on his waist, but Qiao ruoi firmly held her hand down. ¡°Sister-in-law, don¡¯t. There¡¯s no need for others to laugh at you.¡± Only then did fu Lu put down the whip. Qiao ruoi looked at Xie Yun whose face was covered in dust. This was the first time she and Xie Yun had met since the incident at the Northern Mountain Royal Village. Xie Yun¡¯s gaze fell on Qiao Ruoi¡¯s flat stomach. It was hard to imagine that there would be his flesh and blood in it. And this flesh and blood would soon be lost. Qiao ruoyi pulled Fu Lu into the tavern. Xie Yun followed in and said, ¡°Fifth lady, I want to have some time alone with you.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Talk about what? Is there anything I can¡¯t listen to?¡± Qiao ruoyi said to Fu Lu, ¡°Sister-in-law, let us talk alone. I also happen to have a few words to say to Patriarch Xie.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°I¡¯m outside the private room. If he wants to bully you, call out to me loudly!¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded and acknowledged. The private room in the tavern had a rather quaint atmosphere. Qiao ruoyi knelt before a table and handed her handkerchief to Xie Yun. ¡°You can wipe it.¡± Xie Yun took the handkerchief and said, ¡°That day in the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor, I let you down. I also let you down about the child. Now That You¡¯re willing to abort the child and marry Marquis Jingwu, it¡¯s a good thing.¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and said, ¡°Who said that I¡¯m going to marry the Marquis of Jingwu? ¡°When I first learned that I had a child, I wanted to abort it. But now that I¡¯m connected to the child by blood, and he¡¯s trying so hard to survive, how can I give up on this child?¡± Qiao ruoyi could not drink alcohol, she poured herself a cup of tea and said, ¡°I promised to talk to you alone today because I have a few words to explain to you. It¡¯s impossible for me to abort the child. No matter if it¡¯s a boy or a girl, it will only be my child. It has nothing to do with you. ¡°In the future, when the child grows up, I won¡¯t let him know who the father is. You Don¡¯t have to be afraid that a child will come out and plot against your family property. The child has nothing to do with you. ¡°You don¡¯t have to let Lan Xin come to the Qiao residence anymore. There are hidden guards in the Qiao residence. It would be bad if Lan Xin was caught by my father as a spy.¡± Xie Yun looked at Qiao Ruoyi who wanted nothing to do with him and said, ¡°Okay, I hope Miss Qiao will keep her promise.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Of course.¡± After Xie Yun left, Qiao Ruoyi felt a touch in her lower abdomen. She did not know why, but she felt very strange. Perhaps this was the legendary mother and son connection. .. During the good autumn days, the first hunt since the new emperor ascended the throne was put on the agenda. Lu Xi was very excited when she heard the news. He had learned to ride a pony, and he also learned to ride and shoot on a horse. He wanted nothing more than to go to the paddock and have a real fight. It was just that when the royal family was hunting last time, someone had died. This time, the enclosure guards were even more powerful than before. It was just that the enclosure was guarded against people and forgot that wild black bears that were not kept in the enclosure had snuck into the beast area. When Qiao Jinniang heard the news, she was shocked. In the past, when she was young, she would often hear about black bears eating people. When she was young, she did not dare to go deep into the mountains. She knew how scary black bears were. Fortunately, this year, Enke¡¯s champion in martial arts had shot a black bear from afar. He was a first-class hero and instantly became famous in Chang ¡®an. He had also become a good son-in-law in the hearts of many young girls in Chang ¡®an. However, when she asked around, she found out that he had no parents and had grown up with his adoptive father in the Qiao family¡¯s military camp. He was only a ninth-grade military official, and his salary was pitifully low. This ninth-grade military official was awarded the title of champion of martial arts this year. He was unlucky. When the Emperor conquered Xiliang that year, he did not go to Yunzhou. Instead, he was left in Luoyang. His brothers of the same period had more or less achieved meritorious deeds and fame because of the conquest of Xiliang. His adoptive parents also had a biological son. When he married this year, he built a large house outside Chang ¡®an. This champion of martial arts had given all the money he had saved over the years to his adoptive brother to marry his wife. Many daughters who came to propose marriage also withdrew when they heard that this martial scholar¡¯s family background was like this. Only Zheng Xiao felt that this was the best marriage. This martial scholar had no father, no mother, and no one to rely on. He was also capable. He was grateful to others and was filial. When his adoptive brother got married, he was willing to give everything he had to help, it was rare for such a person to be so loyal. Zheng Xiao told Marquis an yuan about this matter, and marquis an Yuan went to meet the martial scholar. The martial scholar¡¯s name was Luo Wei. He did not know where his family was from. He was a beggar since he was young. His adoptive father was surprised to see his bones. At that time, his family had no children and raised him as their son. Although Luo Wei could not read a single word, he was modest, polite, and neither servile nor overbearing. This made marquis an yuan very satisfied. After drinking a few times and discussing military matters, the two of them had indeed become old friends. On New Year¡¯s Eve, everyone in the Qiao family reunited and gave Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s child a full moon wine. The second son of the Qiao family had a grandson, which made the second madam Qiao feel quite proud. However, Qiao Ruofeng and Xu Mingwei were going to take up their positions in Lingnan after the new year. The retired emperor and Empress Dowager went to Lingnan and felt that Lingnan was a good place. However, the pirates in Lingnan were rampant. In the past, the imperial court thought that the people in Lingnan were southern barbarians who were not educated and did not pay enough attention to them. As a result, Lingnan had always been poor. In fact, the seafood there was abundant and it was a good place to live. This time, Lu Chen sent Xu Mingwei and Qiao Ruofeng to Lingnan because he wanted to promote them. Lingnan had the retired emperor in charge. If they made great achievements, Xu Mingwei and Qiao Ruofeng¡¯s future would be limitless. Second madam Qiao said reluctantly, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you to stay in Chang ¡®an for less than two years, and now you¡¯re going to Lingnan. I don¡¯t know when you¡¯ll be back!¡± Qiao ruofeng said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t you still have step-son to accompany you? I¡¯m not by step-son¡¯s side. You have to take good care of him.¡± Second Madam Qiao hugged her little grandson and said, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°It is also a good thing that his majesty has put Mingwei in an important position, but Lingnan is also dangerous. The two of you must be extremely careful when you go to Lingnan.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandmother.¡± Old Madam Qiao coughed twice. Zheng Xiao, who was at the side, brought over a large cloak and draped it over old madam Qiao. ¡°Mother, the north wind is too strong this night. You should go back and rest earlier.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°My body is getting weaker and weaker. Right now, the thing I¡¯m most worried about is ruoyi. She¡¯s going to give birth in three to four months. She hasn¡¯t gotten married yet¡­¡± Zheng xiao smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Marquis has already expressed his intentions to Luo Wei. Luo Wei is also willing to marry ruoyi.¡± Chapter 360 The fifth year of Jing Yuan, early spring. Qiao Jinniang let out a deep sigh. She had wanted to have a girl since three years ago. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to have a child half a year ago, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t keep it. It wasn¡¯t that she had to have another child. It was just that having a child and not being able to keep it was extremely uncomfortable. After recuperating for half a year, she still had not recovered her senses. ¡°Aunt.¡± ¡°Aunt.¡± Two soft and soft calls came from the door. Qiao Jinniang smiled and held a little girl with one hand. ¡°Neon, neon, why are you two in the palace today?¡± Qiao neon was the eldest daughter of Qiao Lui and Fu Lu, and neon was Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s daughter. Although there was a year difference between the two sisters, they were inseparable. Little Nihong said, ¡°Grandmother said that aunty is unwell, where is she unwell? I¡¯ll give you a call.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled and stroked Little Nihong¡¯s head. Nihong was not like Fu Lu. She was like Qiao Lui, obedient and sensible. The Red Mole between her brows was also very outstanding. It was clear that she would be a little beauty in the future. Little Nihong, who was almost three years old, looked more like Xie Yun. The coldness between her brows and her eyes could be said to be the same as Xie Yun. Fu Lu followed up and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°His Majesty said that you¡¯ve been unhappy for a long time, so he asked me to bring Nichang into the palace to accompany you. It¡¯s rare for a person to be happy. If you continue to be unhappy, mother will also worry about you.¡± Qiao Jinniang held the stove in her hands and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already February. Wei Ziyao and yellow flowers are blooming in Qu Jiang Garden. Why don¡¯t we go outside the palace and take a walk?¡± Qiao Jinniang said in a low voice, ¡°No, there are many beautiful peonies in the palace. In the past, I always wanted to see those beautiful peonies in Lin ¡®an, but now I miss the flowers and plants in the Lin ¡®an family.¡± Seeing Qiao Jinniang like this, Fu Lu didn¡¯t try to persuade her. When he left with the two little girls, Lu Chen happened to come back. Lu Chen asked Fu Lu, ¡°Is Lady Qiao Happier?¡± Fu Lu shook his head. ¡°But she said that she misses the flowers and plants in the Lin ¡®an family. She has been in Chang ¡®an for almost seven years, right?¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°No More, no less. It happens to be seven years.¡± It turned out that she had been away from Lin ¡®an for so long. Fu Lu said, ¡°I heard that glutinous rice will be getting married in two months. Lady Qiao and glutinous rice grew up together. The Sisterhood is even stronger than the master-servant relationship. Why don¡¯t Qiao Lui and I take her back to Lin ¡®an? Let her relax.¡± Little Nichang said, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m afraid you want to go to Jiangnan on your own.¡± Fu Lu:¡±¡­¡± Lu Chen entered the Changle Palace and walked to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s bedside. Looking at her pale face without makeup, he held her hand and said, ¡°Do you want to go back to Lin ¡®an?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Forget it. The Empress¡¯honor guard trip is tiring, so there¡¯s no need.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I said. If we travel by water, it might not be tiring for the people along the way. Moreover, Jiangnan is rich to begin with. Now that the National Treasury is full, leading the ministers to Lin ¡®an can bring business to the Jiangnan merchants. ¡°I¡¯ll order the six divisions to prepare this matter so that you can rush back to Lin ¡®an before glutinous rice gets married.¡± Qiao Jinniang threw herself into Lu Chen¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Jin ¡®er, we¡¯ve been married for almost ten years. Why do we need to say this word of thanks between husband and wife?¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about it carefully and said, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been married for ten years¡­ These days pass so quickly. It¡¯s also the tenth anniversary of father and mother¡¯s death. I really have to go back to Lin ¡®an.¡± Lu Chen hugged qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Be happy. If you come to father and mother in a depressed mood, they might think that I haven¡¯t treated you well.¡± Qiao Jin smiled at Lu Chen. ¡°Mm.¡± .. His Majesty was going to tour the Jiangnan region and had set a date for April. The six tribes were extremely busy. Qiao ruoyi and her husband, Luo Wei, brought their daughter, Little Nichang, along the route and arranged the troops along the way. When they reached Lin ¡®an, they informed the local officials that his majesty and the Empress were coming to Lin ¡®an for a tour. Qiao ruoyi arrived at the Jiangnan region and finished discussing the emperor¡¯s route with the Jiangnan officials. After greeting them, she went to the Qian Estate. In the Qian Estate, Qiao Ruoyun was already waiting at the door. Beside her was her son. When Qiao Ruoyi got out of the carriage, she ran to Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s side and hugged her, ¡°Big Sister.¡± Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she said, ¡°Little Sister Ruoyi, I¡¯ve finally met you.¡± Qiao ruoyi came out of Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s arms and bowed to Qian Yin, ¡°Greetings, King Wu.¡± Qian Yin said, ¡°We¡¯re all family, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. This must be brother-in-law, right? I¡¯ve long heard of brother-in-law¡¯s reputation for heroically killing bears in the Jiangnan area. I must get drunk today.¡± Luo Wei cupped his hands and said to Qian Yin, ¡°Brother-in-law, you flatter me.¡± Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s son stared at Qiao Nichang and exclaimed, ¡°Mother, this little sister is so beautiful.¡± Little Nichang bowed and said, ¡°Nichang greets aunt, uncle, cousin.¡± Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s heart almost melted when she saw this. She smiled and said, ¡°No wonder the Empress has always wanted to give birth to a daughter. It turns out that the daughter is so obedient. She¡¯s so cute.¡± Little Nichang bowed and said, ¡°Thank you aunt for your praise.¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°Don¡¯t stand outside. Quickly enter.¡± When they entered, the Qian Estate had already prepared a large table of delicacies. After the few of them took their seats, Qiao ruoyi asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any glutinous rice?¡± Qiao Ruoyun sighed helplessly. At this moment, Zhou Shihui came over. When he saw Qiao Ruoyi and Luo Wei, he said, ¡°Lady Qiao Wu, General Luo, my aunt has been looking forward to seeing you for a long time.¡± When Qiao Ruoyi saw Zhou Shihui, she almost forgot about her. No wonder glutinous rice was not in the Qian Estate. Zhou Shihui looked at the little girl next to Qiao Ruoyi and said in surprise, ¡°Why does the daughter of the fifth miss of the Qiao family look so much like Xie Yun?¡± Qiao ruoyi¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°Zhou Shihui, What Do You Mean?¡± Zhou shihui smiled and said, ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just curious. This is simply the appearance of the same mold.¡± Luo Wei held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said slowly, ¡°Miss Qian, there are many similarities between beauties in this world. Nichang is the child of me and ruoyi. She doesn¡¯t look like Xie Yun, but more like me and ruoyi.¡± Zhou Shihui snorted. After the banquet, Qiao ruoyi and Luo Wei did not stay in the Qian residence. Instead, they went to the house that the Qiao residence had bought. This time, the Qiao family came to Lin ¡®an, so they simply bought a house in Lin ¡®an. After Qiao Ruoyi coaxed little nichang to sleep, she handed her over to the wet nurse to take care of and crept back into her room. Luo Wei was still looking at the troop deployment plan. Qiao ruoyi went over and hugged Luo Wei from behind. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you today. That Zhou Shihui is still like this when she came to Jiangnan.¡± Luo Wei held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and smiled faintly. ¡°Nichang is our daughter to begin with.¡± Qiao ruoyi sighed and said, ¡°But she looks like Xie Yun. After all, it¡¯s a troublesome matter. If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have brought her to Jiangnan.¡± Luo Wei held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to let her go, I¡¯m also unwilling to let her stay in Chang ¡®an alone. So, you might as well remember that she¡¯s my daughter. No matter what others say, she only calls me father.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked up at Luo Wei and smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 361 Xie Manor, Xie Yun¡¯s study. Lan Xin hurriedly barged into the study and said, ¡°Master, can you guess who I saw on the street?¡± Xie Yun had no intention of guessing at all. Lan Xin said, ¡°I saw fifth Miss Qiao. She came to Jiangnan to arrange the reception for His Majesty when he came to Jiangnan. ¡°I also saw a three-year-old girl beside her. She looks exactly like you! ¡°Don¡¯t you want to meet your own flesh and blood and meet Your Daughter?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Get Out!¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Get Out!¡± Lan Xin stomped her feet and left the room helplessly. Just as she left the study, she saw a woman carrying a bowl of soup. This woman was a guest living in the Xie family. She was the daughter of the Jiang family in Langya. Her ancestors were also considered an aristocratic family, however, she was defeated in her early years. Now, her father was the envoy of Langxie, and she could be considered a noble daughter. She had been a guest of the Xie family since two years ago. Lan Xin disliked Jiang Yu very much. She had yet to become the mistress of the Xie family, but she was already acting like the mistress of the Xie family. When Jiang Yu saw Lan Xin, he did not stand on ceremony. He entered the study room and handed over the chicken soup to Xie Yun. ¡°This is the chicken soup that I specially brewed for you. Lan Xin is very hot-tempered. She is becoming more and more unruly.¡± Xie Yun looked at the soup in front of her and said, ¡°Thank you very much. You are a guest of the Xie residence. There is no need to make Soup for me in the future.¡± ¡°I simply have nothing to do. It¡¯s fine as long as you like it.¡±Jiang Yu put down the soup and chuckled. After leaving the study room, she received a post from Zhou Shihui. Jiang Yu had been in Jiang an for two years. Some of the local aristocratic ladies in Jiangnan did not like to play with her. Moreover, she was already 20 years old. Most of the ladies at this age were already married, and they could not play with her. Only Zhou Shihui was talented. She was also the second daughter of another big family in Lin ¡®an, the Qian family. Her status was similar to hers, so the two of them had a lot of interactions. Jiang Yu was invited by Zhou Shihui to a restaurant. This restaurant was specially opened by Zhou Shihui to fight with the Hundred Savory restaurant. It was almost losing money every day. Jiang Yu went to the private room on the second floor of the restaurant and asked Zhou Shihui, ¡°Why did you invite me here today?¡± Zhou shihui said, ¡°You probably heard that his majesty and the Empress will be coming to Lin ¡®an for a tour in two months.¡± Jiang Yu said, ¡°Everyone in Lin ¡®an city knows about this matter. The temporary palace in Lin ¡®an city has already been repaired.¡± Zhou shihui smiled and said, ¡°I treat you as a good friend, so there¡¯s something I don¡¯t want to hide from you and keep you in the dark.¡± Jiang Yu asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Zhou Shihui pointed at Qiao Ruoyi, who was wearing an official uniform and shopping at a street stall downstairs. ¡°Look at the people below.¡± Jiang Yu looked over and saw a woman wearing a female official uniform. There were female officials in Jiangnan now, but the official robe she wore seemed to be of high quality. Looking at the little girl next to her, Jiang Yu was shocked. ¡°She, she, why does that little girl look so similar to Xie Yun!¡± Zhou shihui sighed and said, ¡°I only told you this because we are good friends. You are not allowed to tell outsiders.¡± Jiang Yu raised three fingers and said, ¡°I will not tell anyone. If I break this oath, I will be struck by lightning.¡± Zhou shihui whispered, ¡°This female official is the fifth sister of the Empress. Her name is Qiao Ruoyi and she is now a second rank assistant minister of the Ministry of Appointments. Her husband is the current general of the horse cavalry, Luo Wei. The little girl she is holding is not her husband¡¯s, but Xie Yun¡¯s child! When Xie Yun went to Chang ¡®an, Qiao ruoyi hooked up with Xie Yun and plotted against her to get pregnant with Xie Yun¡¯s child. ¡°However, Xie Yun wasn¡¯t schemed against and refused to marry Qiao ruoyi. Qiao ruoyi had no choice but to marry the useless Luo Wei with the child.¡± ¡°After asking around, you found out that Qiao Ruoyi was pregnant with a child of six months and married Luo Wei. As for the child being Xie Yun, very few people know about it. I only found out about it once through the correspondence between my uncle and the Qiao family.¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s gaze was fixed on the girl beside Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°How could this be? How could this be? What did Qiao ruoyi mean by bringing her to Jiangnan this time?¡± Zhou shihui replied, ¡°What meaning could there be? Although Qiao Ruoyi married Luo Wei, their marriage was a sham. In order to give that bastard a good birth, she wouldn¡¯t be laughed at as an illegitimate daughter.¡±. Qiao ruoyi came to Jiangnan on business with her daughter. Obviously, she hasn¡¯t given up on marrying Xie Yun and becoming the mistress of the Xie Family!¡± Jiang Yu was completely flustered. She held Zhou Shihui¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You have to help me. You Can¡¯t let that disgusting woman, Qiao Ruoyi, succeed in her evil scheme!¡± She had been in the Xie family for two years and had been ridiculed by countless people. In order to marry Xie Yun, how could she allow Qiao Ruoyi to bring Xie Yun¡¯s daughter to ruin her plans? .. Qiao ruoyi brought her daughter around and went to the hundred savory restaurant to look for glutinous rice. Glutinous rice was greeting the guests in the Hundred Savory restaurant. When she saw Qiao Ruoyi coming over, she said in surprise, ¡°Fifth miss.¡± ¡°Glutinous rice, you¡¯re going to be a bride soon. Why are you still busy in the Hundred Savory Restaurant?¡± Glutinous Rice said a little shyly, ¡°The dowry is all prepared for me by my aunt. I can¡¯t embroider, so I might as well greet her in the Hundred Savory restaurant. When will the empress arrive?¡± ¡°She will arrive in about a month. Don¡¯t worry, she will be able to make it in time for your wedding.¡± Glutinous rice said shyly, ¡°Even if I can¡¯t make it in time, I will have to change the wedding date.¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and brought Nichang to sit at a table by the river. She listened to the singing of the singing girls in the boats on the river, which had a unique charm. When Xie Yun walked into the Hundred Savory restaurant, he saw this scene. Qiao Ruoyi brought her daughter to sit by the window, and the little girl knelt on the rattan chair. Not long after, a man approached Qiao Ruoyi. He saw Qiao Ruoyi standing up to welcome the man with adoration in her eyes. The little girl also called out to Luo Wei sweetly, ¡°Daddy!¡± Luo Wei hugged little nichang and said, ¡°I heard that the glutinous rice and sugar lotus root is the signature dish in the restaurant in Jiangnan. Little Nichang loves eating glutinous rice and sugar lotus root the most, right?¡± Little nichang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, she loves eating glutinous rice and sugar lotus root.¡± Qiao ruoyi said to the waiter beside her, ¡°Then give me a serving of glutinous rice candy lotus root.¡± The waiter said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s really unfortunate. There¡¯s only one serving left today. Patriarch Xie has already ordered it.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked up and saw Xie Yun not far away. Luo Wei said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then forget it. Why Don¡¯t You Come and eat it tomorrow?¡± Little Nichang nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± When the dishes were served, the first dish was the glutinous rice and sweet lotus root. The waiter said, ¡°Dear guests, the head of the Xie family said that this glutinous rice and sweet lotus root will be given to you.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Who asked him to send the dishes out of kindness?¡± Luo Wei gently shook Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ruoyi, don¡¯t be like this. Nichang, since that uncle has given you your favorite dish, you should go and thank him.¡± Nichang got down from Luo Wei¡¯s arms and stumbled to Xie Yun. She said, ¡°Thank you, uncle. Thank you for the Sweet Lotus Root.¡± Chapter 362 Xie Yun looked at the soft and cuddly little girl in front of him and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°No need to thank me.¡± Little Niching ran back to Luo Wei¡¯s side and called him Daddy Sweetly. When Xie Yun saw the happy scene of the three of them, his heart skipped a beat. He put down a banknote and left. The amount of banknote in front of the cuddly little girl far exceeded the amount of food on the table that Xie Yun had eaten. She chased after them and heard Xie Yun say, ¡°You should also pay for the dishes on Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s table.¡± Glutinous rice agreed. Jiang Yu, who had been following Qiao ruoyi and Nichang from afar, saw this scene. She clenched her hands and said, ¡°Lowly servant! Qiao ruoyi really wants to take the child and come to the Xie family to take over the family.¡± Zhou shihui said, ¡°If I Were you, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it. This father and daughter are linked by heart. If we don¡¯t get rid of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s daughter, who knows when Qiao Ruoyi will be able to marry into the Xie Family? ¡°Originally, there was only a step between the madam of the Xie family and you. Now, are you going to watch helplessly as you miss the position of the madam of the Xie Family?¡± Jiang Yu shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯ll listen to you. I want to get rid of that little bastard!¡± Zhou Shihui smiled. She had been restrained everywhere in Jiangnan and had been in an for five years. She felt humiliated when she thought of what had happened in Luoyang in Chang ¡®an. Her mother had died tragically, but she couldn¡¯t even observe filial piety. She wanted the Qiao family to get their retribution. If Qiao Ruoi wanted to blame someone, she should blame Qiao Lui and Qiao Jinniang! .. Luo Wei had been very busy recently. The troops in Lin ¡®an had been deployed. Just five hundred miles away from Lin ¡®an were the famous Yandang Mountain Flying Bandits. In the past, the Yandang Mountain Flying Bandits and the officials did not interfere with each other. The local officials and common people had already gotten along well with the flying bandits. But this time, after his majesty led the officials to Lin ¡®an, they still had to patrol. The Yandang Mountain Bandits had to be eliminated. This also gave Jiang Yu and Zhou Shihui a chance to take advantage of. Zhou Shihui said to Jiang Yu, ¡°Luo Weili defeated the Yandang Mountain Bandits. The leader of the bandits will definitely not be satisfied with his escape. Why Don¡¯t you bribe the leader of the bandits? Even if the matter is exposed, it will be retribution for Luo Wei¡¯s suppression of the Bandits.¡± Jiang Yu thought for a moment, she said, ¡°But Lin ¡®an city is now under martial law. The people in Lin ¡®an city only go out and do not enter. Everyone has to be investigated. Even if we find the leader of the bandits, we might not be able to sneak into Lin ¡®an and attack that little bastard.¡± Zhou shihui smiled and said, ¡°How difficult is that? Wouldn¡¯t it be enough to trick Qiao ruoyi into leaving Lin ¡®an with that little bastard?¡± .. After Qiao Ruoyi told the local officials about the etiquette of receiving the emperor, she also began to check the local women¡¯s offices in the yamen. The local women¡¯s offices were originally there for the consideration of women, but there were quite a number of cases where women¡¯s welfare was deliberately taken away. When Qiao Ruoyi was in Lin ¡®an¡¯s yamen, there were female workers from he city¡¯s silk merchants who came to inform on her. Not far from Lin ¡®an, there were some silk merchants in he city who were obviously men who inherited the family business, but they deliberately set up female households in order to pay less taxes. Not only that, but those merchants also exploited female workers. The local female officials turned a blind eye to this matter. After Qiao ruoyi received this news, she thought of making a trip to he city. The Rowei people were at Yandang Mountain. Qiao Ruoyi brought Nichang along and set off for he city. He city was adjacent to Lin ¡®an. From the name of He city, it was known that this was a land of fish and rice. Wu Nong¡¯s soft language was very prosperous. Every household here raised silkworms. When they arrived at he city, they could see the scene of the mulberry girls picking and feeding the silkworms. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks It was niching¡¯s first time seeing a silkworm baby. She was not afraid at all. On the contrary, Qiao Ruoyi was extremely afraid of white squirming worms. Niching grabbed a silkworm baby from a mulberry tree to scare Qiao ruoyi. Qiao Ruoyi was so scared that she kept retreating. Unexpectedly, she fell into a person¡¯s embrace. Luo Wei half-hugged qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Niching, you¡¯re being naughty again. Stop scaring your mother.¡± Qiao ruoyi saw Luo Wei and said, ¡°How did you get here? Aren¡¯t you at Yandang Mountain?¡± Luo Wei said, ¡°The bandits of Yandang Mountain have been exterminated. Only the leader of the bandits and his underlings were left behind to escape under the tip-off of the local officials. Today, they are being tracked down in he city. You¡¯d better bring Nichang back to Lin ¡®an as soon as possible. That leader of the bandits is an extremely vicious person!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I have some business in he city. I¡¯ll return to Lin ¡®an as soon as I¡¯m done with business. Besides, with you around, what am I afraid of?¡± Luo Wei smiled faintly. At night, Qiao Ruoyi and Luo Wei stayed in the magistrate office of He city. After Qiao Ruoyi coaxed nichang to sleep, she whispered to Luo Wei, ¡°When we return to Chang ¡®an from Lin ¡®an, we should have a child too.¡± Luo Wei¡¯s eyes lit up, but he remembered Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s illness and said, ¡°Ruoyi, you don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡± Ever since the two of them got married, although they shared the same bed, they had never been husband and wife. It was because Qiao Ruoyi hated those things. In the past two years, Qiao Ruoyi and Luo Wei¡¯s relationship had gradually improved, and there were many intimate moments, but every time it reached the final step, it would make Qiao ruoyi extremely frightened. Luo Wei did not want to force Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao ruoyi hugged Luo Wei and said, ¡°No, I won¡¯t force you. After we return to Chang ¡®an, we¡¯ll try again.¡± After two years together, she could be sure that she loved Luo Wei very much. Luo Wei smiled lightly. ¡°Okay, when we return to Chang ¡®an, we¡¯ll have a child.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Nichang said that she likes younger siblings. One is not enough. We have to have at least two, so that nichang can have enough of an older sister.¡± Luo Wei nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s best if it¡¯s a son and a daughter.¡± The next day, Qiao Ruoyi brought Nichang to the biggest silk merchant house in he city to check the accounts. She did not find anything out. The silk merchant immediately said, ¡°Sir Qiao, the owner behind us is the Xie family in Lin ¡®an. How would they dare to do such a thing of tax evasion? I don¡¯t know which female worker falsely accused US behind our backs. This is absolutely not the case.¡± When Qiao Ruoyi heard this, she casually flipped through a few books and found that there were no problems. There was nothing wrong with the tax collection, the local Ministry of Revenue official who came with Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Sir Qiao, the Xie family¡¯s business has never had any problems.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°It¡¯s good that there are no problems.¡± Qiao ruoyi and Nichang left the silk merchant¡¯s mansion. In March, it began to rain cats and dogs. It was always raining during the Qingming festival in Jiangnan. It was difficult for the horse carriage to travel on the road. Qiao ruoyi said to Yan Yu, ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry on with such a heavy rain. Let¡¯s find a temple to rest.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Yan Yu agreed. Coincidentally, there was a temple not far away. Qiao ruoyi had been feeling uneasy in the center of the temple. If the female worker had not been mistreated, why would she specially come to Lin ¡®an to falsely accuse her? ¡°That¡¯s not right! Lin ¡®an has been sealed off for several days. How did the female worker enter Lin ¡®an?¡±Qiao ruoyi fiercely hit her own head. ¡°I¡¯m really stupid to the extreme. Let¡¯s Go!¡± Qiao ruoyi quickly stood up. Xiaoman picked up little nichang and followed Qiao ruoyi outside the temple. The rain was getting heavier. When they reached the entrance of the temple, they saw a man with scars all over his face and stubble all over his face. He was carrying a knife, ¡°You¡¯re Luo Wei¡¯s woman. Is this Luo Wei¡¯s daughter? It just so happens that I¡¯m going to kill you two today to avenge my brother!¡± Chapter 363 Although Qiao Ruoyi had brought her guards with her today, the guards were powerless. Even Qiao Ruoyi felt powerless. She was now certain that someone was scheming against her from behind! When the head of the thief¡¯s blade slashed towards niching, Xiaoman shielded her beneath her body. Her back was stabbed heavily.. When the sword was pulled out, blood spurted out from Xiaoman¡¯s back. ¡°Xiaoman!¡±Qiao ruoyi shouted. Niching cried, ¡°Auntie Xiaoman, Auntie Xiaoman.¡± The bandits raised their swords at niching again. This time, they were struck down by a sword. Luo Wei rushed over. When he saw this scene, he hated that he did not bring enough soldiers. When the two sides were fighting, Qiao Ruoyi hugged niching tightly in her arms. She looked at Xiaoman with tears in her eyes. Xiaoman came to her side when she was six years old. At that time, when Qiao Ruoshui treated her badly, Xiaoman would imitate Qiao Ruoshui¡¯s appearance and fight happily. ¡°Xiaoman, Xiaoman!¡± Xiaoman, who was lying on the ground, could no longer pay attention to her. Yan Yu, who was at the side, said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s escape first.¡± Qiao ruoyi carried Nichang into the carriage with tears in her eyes. Yan Yu said, ¡°Miss, can you give me the little miss?¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll carry her.¡± After getting into the carriage, the bandit behind them chased after them with reluctance. In a bamboo forest where the rain was pouring heavily, the rain of arrows fell one after another and shot into the carriage. Luo Wei jumped onto the carriage and used his knife to shoot down the hidden arrows around him. Unexpectedly, the bandit leader shot out the hidden weapons in his hands and all of them flew towards Luo Wei. Even if Luo Wei¡¯s kung fu was good, he could not dodge the hidden weapons. In a short while, his internal organs were stabbed and he fell off the carriage. At this moment, the carriage had also fallen apart. When Qiao Ruoyi saw this scene, she shouted repeatedly, ¡°Husband, husband!¡± When the rain of arrows fell again, Qiao ruoyi held her daughter in each other¡¯s arms. Just when she thought that she did not have long to live, there was no expected pain. Instead, she saw several men in black stepping forward to help them act as the rain of arrows. The leader of the thieves was also subdued by many men in black. A white horse came over. Xie Yun was riding on the white horse. When he saw this bloody scene, he immediately dismounted and walked towards Qiao ruoyi. When Qiao Ruoyi saw Xie Yun, she gave the daughter in her arms to Xie Yun and walked to Luo Wei¡¯s side. She held Luo Wei, who was lying on the ground covered in blood, in her arms and said, ¡°Husband, you have to hold on. I¡¯ll take you to the Doctor right now.¡± Luo Wei spat out a mouthful of black blood and held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand tightly. He said, ¡°Ruoyi, I¡¯m sorry. I Can¡¯t¡­ I Can¡¯t accompany you for the rest of your life¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s tears kept falling. ¡°Stop talking. You will survive. We agreed that you would have children after returning to Chang ¡®an. You have to have two children.¡± ¡°Ruoyi¡­ you have to live well in the future¡­¡± Little Nichang struggled desperately to get out of Xie Yun¡¯s arms. Seeing that Xie Yun did not let go of her, she bit Xie Yun¡¯s wrist hard. Xie Yun felt pain and let go of Little Nichang. Little Nichang ran over and cried, ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t You Want Nichang anymore? Daddy, you can¡¯t die.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Aunt said that once a person dies, they will leave forever. Nichang doesn¡¯t want Daddy to leave.¡± Luo Wei reached out to touch little Nichang¡¯s face and used his last bit of strength to say, ¡°Be good, listen to your mother¡¯s words in the future¡­¡± After saying that, his hand dropped. Qiao ruoyi knelt on the ground and hugged Luo Wei as she cried miserably, ¡°Husband, husband, don¡¯t die, ah!¡± At this moment, Qiao Ruoyi could not care about the etiquette of the Marquisdom¡¯s daughter. The rain fell on her face and her tears flowed freely. She could not stop crying. Yan Yu and the others did not dare to go forward to persuade her. Xie Yun took the umbrella from his subordinate. Seeing her crying out bitterly, he could only silently hold the umbrella open. After a long while, Qiao ruoyi cried until she fainted. Xie Yun then said to Yan Yu, ¡°This place is very close to my silk village. Let¡¯s go to the silk village first.¡± .. When Qiao Ruoyi woke up, it was already dark. She felt extremely weak and dizzy. When she saw Yan Yu holding the lamp, she immediately said, ¡°Where¡¯s Xiaoman? I Had a dream. I dreamed that Xiaoman and my husband were both dead!¡± Yan Yu pursed her lips and sobbed, ¡°Master, this is not a dream.¡± Qiao Ruo shed tears and said, ¡°Why did this happen? Why? where is this place? Where¡¯s Nichang? Where¡¯s My Husband?¡± Yan Yu said, ¡°This is the Xie family head¡¯s Silk Manor. The young miss was caught in the rain and had a high fever. You also fainted and had a high fever just now, so the Xie family head brought the young miss along. As for the son-in-law and Xiao Man, they are now resting in the magistrate¡¯s office in he city.¡± Qiao Ruo Yi forced herself out of the bed and said, ¡°I want to find ni Shang.¡± Yan Yu hurriedly supported Qiao Ruo Yi and brought her to the courtyard next door. The courtyard next door was brightly lit, and a few doctors were trembling as they waited for orders. Xie Yun hugged the little girl who was crying in his arms and could not fall asleep. He was also somewhat at a loss. He did not know if it was because of the blood connection, but he felt extremely distressed. Qiao ruoyi entered and snatched the crying Nichang from Xie Yun¡¯s arms. She forcefully held back her tears and coaxed nichang, ¡°Be good, mother is here.¡± Nichang said softly, ¡°Mother, I want father to sing a ballad¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi patted little nichang gently and sobbed, ¡°Nichang, be good. Mother will sing a ballad for you, okay?¡± Little Nichang looked at Qiao ruoyi, but Qiao Ruoyi did not know how to sing a ballad. She only knew how to recite poems, but those poems were clearly not something little nichang could understand. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s tears fell. In the past, it was Luo Wei who coaxed little nichang to sing a ballad for her. ¡°Let me do it,¡±Xie Yun said. ¡°Niching, how about Uncle Xie sing a song for You?¡± Niching sniffled. Xie Yun hugged the scalding niching and sang softly, ¡°The little boat passes the village entrance. Sister picks Lotus roots. The water horns are as red as fire, and the embroidered lotus roots are as white as silk. Sing a nursery rhyme to celebrate the harvest. The wind is light and the person is beautiful. After singing sweet songs, it is not heaven. It is not enough to love. ¡°The boat swims in the water. The scenery of my hometown is more beautiful. Don¡¯t say that Jiangnan is intoxicating. The water is better than osmanthus wine. Osmanthus wine. The water is better than osmanthus wine. The water is better than osmanthus wine. The water is better than osmanthus wine¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi watched as Little Nichang gradually fell asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take good care of Nichang. I¡¯m going to the government office. I¡¯ll definitely tear that thief into pieces and avenge my husband¡¯s death!¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The murderer who planned this is Jiang Yu.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Who is Jiang Yu?¡±Qiao Ruoyi was extremely unfamiliar with the word Jiang Yu. After Xie Yun put little nichang down, he said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± The spring rain did not stop. Under the eaves of the corridor, Xie Yun slowly said, ¡°Jiang Yu is the daughter of the Jiang family in Langya. Her aunt is my aunt. She has been living in the Xie family for two years. ¡°Originally, she and I should be getting married soon. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she found out about the existence of you and Ni Shang. It was she who bribed the head of the Yandang Mountain Bandits. She is very familiar with this silk manor. It was also she who gave you false accounts and lured you to he city, ¡°She set up an ambush next to the silk manor in he city!¡± Chapter 364 Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s tears streamed down her face as she sneered, ¡°No wonder the leader of the thieves hid himself after he was killed. He was schemed against by someone else! ¡°Why did Jiang Yu do this? ¡°Nichang and I never thought about what we wanted from the Xie family. Why did she? ¡°Why did she want to kill Xiao Man and my husband!¡± Qiao ruoyi cried helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Xie Yun said helplessly, ¡°Fifth miss, you¡¯re in deep pain now. If you want to blame me, blame me. I¡¯ve already controlled Jiang Yu. If You Want Revenge Now, You Can Wait for Her Majesty to come to Lin ¡®an to take revenge. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Qiao ruoyi held onto the pillar at the edge of the corridor, ¡°I can¡¯t wait for Her Majesty to Punish Me. I want her to sacrifice my husband in blood. I want those murderers to be buried with my husband.¡± Xie Yun saw that she was really heartbroken and said, ¡°After all, she is the daughter of the consul general of Langye¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said with a sobbing tone, ¡°Even if she is a princess, I will make her pay with blood!¡± Luo Wei was so young and had just become a general. He had a bright future. They did not have a child yet, but he would never wake up again.. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Where is Jiang Yu? where is she?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°At the Xie family in Lin ¡®an.¡± Qiao ruoyi said to Yan Yu, ¡°Prepare the horses and return to Lin ¡®an.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s raining heavily. Your Fever has not subsided and you have just woken up. If you want to seek revenge on her now, I will find someone to bring her here.¡±. Qiao Ruoyi did not refuse. She still had to hold on. She had to handle Luo Wei¡¯s funeral matters and take care of Little Nichang. Qiao Ruoyi went to the He city government office. The backyard of the government office was filled with white silk. The He city magistrate was dressed in plain clothes. When he heard Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s arrival, he was extremely afraid. A dignified third-grade general had lost his life in the territory under his jurisdiction. Qiao ruoyi entered dressed in linen clothes. When she saw Luo Wei lying in the Zimu Coffin, tears fell on Luo Wei¡¯s face. However, he would never get up to wipe his tears again. The He Cheng Magistrate asked in a low voice, ¡°Lord Qiao, how do you want to deal with General Luo¡¯s funeral?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°His Majesty and the Empress will come to Jiangnan in half a month. Therefore, my husband¡¯s coffin will probably stay in he cheng for a period of time. He will leave when he returns to Chang ¡®an. Sorry to bother you.¡± ¡°Lord Qiao, you are too kind. It was my fault that I let the Bandits sneak into the territory.¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with you,¡±Qiao Ruoyi said. ¡°You can leave now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡±The He city magistrate wiped the cold sweat off his head and went on. Qiao ruoyi sat next to Luo Wei. She looked at the everlasting lamp at the side and listened to the sound of Taoist priests performing rituals outside. Tears could not help but fall again. In front of her eyes were all the bits and pieces of the past two years with Luo Wei. Everyone mocked Luo Wei for marrying into the Qiao family for the sake of Fame and fortune. However, Luo Wei never cared. He always honestly advised himself not to bother with them. Luo Wei valued friendship and loyalty, and was extremely filial to his adoptive parents. Niching was not his biological child, but he had always doted on niching and responded to her requests. Such a good husband, but he would never wake up again. In the latter half of the night, Yan Yu advised Qiao Ruoyi to rest first. Qiao ruoyi shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. I¡¯ll rest well when I¡¯m tired. I want to accompany him more. This is the last time I¡¯ll accompany him¡­¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Yan Yu stopped persuading her. When it was close to dawn, Lan Xin came over with a white fox fur cloak in her hand. She put it on Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Although it¡¯s almost summer, it¡¯s still very cold in the early morning. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± Qiao ruoyi said in an extremely haggard manner, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lan Xin said, ¡°Jiang Yu has arrived.¡± Qiao Ruoyi stood up and saw Jiang Yu kneeling on the ground while being escorted by the Xie family¡¯s guards. Qiao Ruoyi went forward and gave Jiang Yu a fierce slap. Jiang Yu looked at Qiao Ruoyi in disbelief and said, ¡°You slut, how Dare You Hit Me? Lan Xin, you slut helped this slut treat me like this. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Xie Yun will punish you?¡± Qiao ruoyi slapped Jiang Yu¡¯s face again and said, ¡°I am a rank two assistant minister of the Ministry of Appointments. You spoke rudely to me. Should I hit you?¡± Jiang Yu wanted to retaliate, but she was restrained by the guards of the Xie family and knelt on the ground. She could only say as quickly as she could, ¡°Ptui, the reason why you are a rank two assistant minister is because of the power of the Qiao family¡¯s relatives. A treacherous minister is in Charge!¡± Just as Qiao ruoyi was about to attack, Xie Yun held her hand. Jiang Yu saw Xie Yun and shouted, ¡°Family head xie, please save me. Lan Xin, this B * TCH, is going to rebel!¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun and said, ¡°Are you going to protect her?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Let Lan Xin do the slapping. How hard can your slap be?¡± Lan Xin stepped forward and slapped Jiang Yu¡¯s face. Jiang Yu immediately spat out a bloody tooth! Jiang Yu looked at Xie Yun in disbelief. Qiao Ruoyi stepped forward and pulled Jiang Yu¡¯s hair. Her swollen eyes were bloodshot from crying, she said fiercely, ¡°Jiang Yu, why are you so vicious? You want my husband and child¡¯s lives! Today, I want you to pay for my husband¡¯s life.¡± Jiang Yu said, ¡°Ptui, what husband? Zhou Shihui told me everything. Back then, you used the vile spawn to force Xie Yun to marry you, but Xie Yun wasn¡¯t willing to marry you. That was why you married Luo Wei. After the marriage, the two of you never really consummated your marriage! It was because you were unwilling to accept it. You wanted to rely on that vile spawn, Qiao Nichang, to continue forcing Xie Yun to marry you! ¡°You¡¯re the one who acted shamelessly in the first place. Luo Wei was killed because of you! ¡°Aren¡¯t you capable? Your husband had already hooked up with Xie Yun right after he died! ¡°It¡¯s a pity that he didn¡¯t kill you and that vile spawn of yours.¡± Qiao ruoyi took a knife from the guard beside her and pressed it against Jiang Yu¡¯s neck. ¡°Is it Zhou Shihui who told you that Nichang is Xie Yun¡¯s Daughter?¡± Jiang Yu looked at the knife on her neck and said, ¡°Stop trying to scare me. Zhou Shihui and I are not afraid of you. My father is the Consul General of Langye. If you dare to make a move on me, my father will not let you off. His Majesty will not let you off either!¡± However, Qiao Ruoyi closed her eyes and slashed the knife forward, causing blood to spray onto her face. After the attack, she did not throw the knife away. Instead, she opened her eyes and looked at Jiang Yu who was still staring at the ground. She wanted to step on Jiang Yu¡¯s disgusting face again. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao ruoyi held the knife in her hand and went to the stables in the government office. Xie Yun followed beside her and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To seek revenge from Zhou Shihui!¡±Qiao ruoyi said with red eyes, ¡°What enmity do I have with her? Why does she have to frame me like this? Let Jiang Yu Harm Nichang¡¯s life? Xiao Man¡¯s life, my husband¡¯s life, I will make her pay with blood!¡± After Qiao Ruoyi finished speaking, she rode her horse to the Qian Estate. The sky gradually brightened and the rain gradually stopped. The servants in the Qian Estate had just gotten up to clean when they heard an urgent knock on the door. Chapter 365 White appeared in the sky. The weather was gloomy and rainy. It was very dark during the day. The gatekeeper of the Qian Estate opened the door and saw Qiao Ruoyi standing in front of him. He called out, ¡°Lady Qiao Wu.¡± Qiao Ruoyi went straight in and asked, ¡°Where is Zhou Shihui?¡± Qiao Ruoyun heard the Servant Girl¡¯s report. She went out and saw Qiao ruoyi dressed in white linen clothes. She asked, ¡°Ruoyi, what happened to you? Why are you dressed in mourning clothes?¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes were red as she cried, ¡°Big sister, Luo Wei left me. It was Zhou Shihui who caused his death!¡± Qiao Ruoyun said in surprise, ¡°Luo Wei is gone? How?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I want to kill Zhou Shihui to avenge my husband and Xiao Man!¡± ¡°Xiao Man is gone too?¡±Qiao Ruoyun said in shock. Xiao Man had grown up in the marquisdom since he was young. He was still so young. He was not even twenty yet, and he had already died? Qiao ruoyi bit her lip and said, ¡°Big Sister, tell me where Zhou Shihui is. where is she?¡± ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±Zhou Shihui came out in a red traditional dress, holding an oil-paper umbrella. His face was filled with a proud smile. ¡°If you want to blame someone, you should blame Qiao Lui and Qiao Jinniang. Why are you looking for me to take revenge?¡± Qiao ruoyi placed a knife stained with blood on Zhou Shihui¡¯s neck, scaring Qiao Ruoyun so much that she screamed, ¡°Ruoyi!¡± Zhou Shihui raised his head and looked at Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Do You Dare to kill me? This is the Wu Imperial residence, I¡¯m the daughter of the Wu Imperial residence. Second Lady, my uncle is the Wu Imperial residence. If you kill me, the Wu Imperial residence will definitely not let you off!¡± Qian Yin also rushed out. Seeing Qiao Ruoyi in this state, he hurriedly said, ¡°Fifth sister, show mercy. I don¡¯t know how Zhou Shihui offended you, but our Qian Imperial residence will definitely teach her a good lesson!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been five years. Did your Qian family discipline her well! Letting her live for five more years is letting her off easy!¡±Qiao ruoyi closed her eyes and slashed the knife forward. Zhou Shihui¡¯s eyes widened as he said, ¡°You dare to kill me? Quickly save me, save me!¡± After Qiao Ruoyi withdrew the knife, she stabbed it into Zhou Shihui¡¯s heart again! Qian Yin went forward to cover Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s eyes. Qiao Ruoyun moved Qian Yin¡¯s hand away and trembled as she went forward to hug Qiao ruoyi. Her eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Ruoyi, ruoyi.¡± Qiao Ruoyi put down the knife in her hand and fell into Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s arms. ¡°Big Sister.¡± Qiao Ruoyun knew very well that Qiao Ruoyi was someone that not even an ant would dare to step on to kill. To be able to kill someone at this moment, it could be seen that she hated him to the extreme.. When Xie Yun entered, he saw Zhou Shihui lying on the ground, he walked up to Qian yin and said, ¡°Lord Wu, Zhou Shihui incited Jiang Yu to murder Qiao Ruoyi and Nichang, causing the deaths of General Luo and Lady Xiao Man. Zhou Shihui deserves his punishment!¡± Qian Yin did not have any feelings for Zhou Shihui¡¯s niece. He just felt that it was difficult to explain to his elder brother. After all, it was Ruoyun¡¯s younger sister who had killed Zhou Shihui. After hearing Xie Yun¡¯s explanation, Qian Yin did not have to worry about not being able to explain himself. Qian Yin said, ¡°I did not know that Zhou Shihui had committed such a huge mistake. She deserved to die.¡± Qiao Ruoyun helped the Crying Qiao ruoyi into her room and made her cry as well. Over the past two years, Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s letters had mentioned Luo Wei. Qiao Ruoyun still remembered that when Qiao Ruoyi was young, she was most afraid of marrying a martial artist. In her eyes, martial artists were all rude people. After the two of them got married, Qiao Ruoyun had thought that it was just to let Nichang have a baby, she did not expect that the relationship between the two of them would be so good. The male plaice had a deep love for each other. In Chang ¡®an, people were envious. However, the heavens were so cruel. Qiao Ruoyi was tired from crying. She collapsed on the table with her eyes closed. There were still tears in her eyes. Qiao Ruoyun ordered the servant girl to change a bed for Qiao Ruoyi to rest in her room. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After leaving, Qian Yin said to Qiao Ruoyun, ¡°If I had known that Zhou Shihui would be like this, I wouldn¡¯t have kept her because of my brother.¡± Qiao Ruoyun choked on her sobs and said, ¡°Zhou Shihui deserves to die ten thousand deaths for his crimes. But what about ruoyi¡­ ?¡± Sigh, Xie Yun is really a troublemaker. If it wasn¡¯t for him, how could this matter have happened? Jiang Yu is still madam Xie, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate ruoyi and Nichang. If it were another noble lady, how could she not care?¡± Qian Yin listened to Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s complaints and gestured for him to look at Xie Yun beside him. When Qiao Ruoyun saw that Xie Yun was here, she did not feel awkward. Even in front of Xie Yun, she still had to say this. ¡°Master Xie, you don¡¯t like the Qiao family and it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t like my sister. But why can¡¯t you even control your woman? If Miss Jiang and Miss Li were to harm ruoyi and Nichang today, there wouldn¡¯t be a second Luo Wei to protect them!¡± Qian Yin stopped Qiao Ruoyun and said to Xie Yun, ¡°My wife is unreasonable, please forgive me, family head Xie.¡± Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°What Princess Wu said makes sense.¡± .. In the magistrate¡¯s Office of he city, the surrounding officials came to pay their respects after receiving the news. There were also quite a number of people who knew that Luo Wei had died because of the bandit leader¡¯s revenge. They all came to the magistrate¡¯s office to pay their respects. Little Nichang was also dressed in sackcloth. She obediently paid her respects to the people who had come to pay their respects. It was only at night that she would go to the coffin and ask, ¡°Mother, why is father still asleep? Why hasn¡¯t he woken up after sleeping for so long?¡± Qiao Ruoyi hugged Little Nichang and tears fell from her eyes. However, it seemed that she could not shed any more tears. In the past, she would not believe it when she heard that tears would run out. However, in the past half a month, even her pillow had been wet after she woke up. Qiao Ruoyun went over to console little nichang. ¡°Your father has gone to the heavens. He will protect you well in the heavens. Nichang, be good. Aunt will bring you to bed.¡± Little Nichang replied, ¡°I want to listen to the ballad.¡± Glutinous rice went over to hold little nichang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°How about aunt glutinous rice singing the ballad for You? I used to sing the ballad for Your Crown Prince¡¯s cousin before he fell asleep.¡± Niching nodded. Glutinous rice held niching¡¯s hand and went to the backyard of the government office to rest. When they reached the door, niching saw Xie Yun and called out, ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± Xie Yun raised his hand and wanted to hug niching. He said to glutinous rice, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of niching.¡± However, glutinous rice did not hand niching over to Xie Yun. Instead, she brought niching inside. In the room, little nichang curiously asked glutinous rice, ¡°Aunt glutinous rice, I want to thank Uncle Xie. Uncle Xie is just like father. He treats me very well.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Glutinous rice patted little nichang¡¯s head and said, ¡°No, there¡¯s only one father. He¡¯s different from your father. He doesn¡¯t deserve to be compared to your father.¡± Little Nichang obediently acknowledged, ¡°Father only has one father.¡± After coaxing little nichang to sleep, she went out and saw that Xie Yun was still outside the door, glutinous rice said unhappily, ¡°Family head Xie, Little Nichang has lost her father and Aunt Xiaoman, who took care of her since she was young. She is already suffering. If you really love her, don¡¯t appear in front of her. Don¡¯t let her treat you as her father. What about you? If you want to abandon her again, tell her that because her mother is a daughter of a concubine, the Xie family won¡¯t be able to accommodate her and her mother? ¡°Since you can¡¯t let Nichang become the daughter of Your Xie family, the best thing is that it will be the same as before. We won¡¯t have anything to do with each other! ¡°Please don¡¯t appear in front of Nichang anymore!¡± Chapter 366 Xie Yun heard what glutinous rice said, but in the end, he still could not enter. What glutinous rice said made a lot of sense. Since he could not let little nichang stay by his side, why should he treat her well? At the end of March, Qiao ruoi looked at Luo Wei in front of her. The ice cubes were placed aside, and the entire mourning hall was extremely cold. At this moment, a middle-aged man in armor barged in from outside. He ignored the obstructions of the he cheng government¡¯s bailiffs and barged into the mourning hall, ¡°Where is Qiao Ruoyi? How dare she kill My Daughter?¡±? When Qiao Ruoyi heard this, she allowed Qiao Ruoyun to help her out of the door. She met Jiang Yu¡¯s father, the Lang Ya Constable. When Qiao Ruoyi saw Father Jiang, she said coldly, ¡°According to the Great Tang¡¯s law, the constable can not leave his fiefdom without an edict. Constable Jiang has left his fiefdom without an edict. He is guilty of conspiracy. Men, arrest Jiang Jiedu!¡± When the bailiffs heard Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s words and were about to go forward to arrest the Jiedushi Jiang.., another middle-aged woman appeared and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares! Little daughter of the Qiao family, don¡¯t do whatever you want just because you¡¯re a second grade official. You¡¯ve killed the Jiang family¡¯s daughter without permission. This is a felony murder!¡± ¡°You still dare to arrest us? We should arrest you.¡± The jiedushi Jiang also said, ¡°This is Jiangnan. This is not a place where your Qiao family can be arrogant!¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°This is Jiangnan, and not a place where a Langya Jiedu can be arrogant. If Jiedu leaves his fiefdom without permission, according to the law, he is guilty of treason and should be punished with death!¡± The Jiang family¡¯s second madam said, ¡°Who am I? So it¡¯s Madam Qin!¡± Qiao Ruoyun had been separated from Qin Zhu for six years. This second Madam Qin was really arrogant to the extreme. Qiao Ruoyun heard this and said, ¡°My husband is Qian Yin, the king of Jiangnan¡¯s Wu Kingdom.¡± The second madam of the Jiang family said, ¡°Who cares about the Qian Family? In front of the Xie family, the Qian family is nothing more than a shoestring. Qiao ruoyi, you killed the daughter of the Jiang family and the future mistress of the Xie family. You can forget about living today!¡± Just then, a clear and cold female voice came from behind them, ¡°Just who doesn¡¯t want to live? Jiangnan is also the Jiangnan of great Tang. When did it become the Xie Family? My fifth sister is a dignified second-grade official. How can you kill her just like that?¡±? ¡°Jiang Jiedu left his fief without permission and came to Jiangnan. He has committed treason. Men, tie them up for me.¡± As soon as Qiao Jinniang finished speaking. Everyone present knelt down. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty, the Empress, the crown prince, and the Prince of Pingliang.¡± Qiao Jinniang went forward and helped Qiao ruoi up. ¡°Quickly get up.¡± Jiang Jiedu, who was kneeling on the ground, saw this scene and was so scared that he almost lost his soul. He clearly said that his majesty and the Empress would only arrive in half a month before he dared to come to Jiangnan to take revenge. Second madam Jiang quickly said, ¡°Your Majesty, it is wrong for Jiang Jiedu to leave the fiefdom without permission, but it was also because his beloved daughter was killed by Qiao Ruoyi. As parents in the world, how could they not take revenge for the murder of their daughter? I Beg Your Majesty to make the decision!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The whole story of this matter, Xie Yun and he Cheng¡¯s prefect have already written an excerpt. Jiang Yu and the Flying Bandits of Yandang Mountain conspired to kill the current general and attempted to murder the second rank assistant minister. They deserved to die. Qiao Ruoyi did not do anything wrong by killing Jiang Yu. ¡°However, you guys left Langye without permission. This crime can not be forgiven. There¡¯s no need to quibble anymore!¡± Qiao Jinniang said to the guards, ¡°Drag them away from here. Don¡¯t disturb Luo Wei¡¯s peace.¡± After entering, Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang took the incense that little nichang handed over. After giving the incense to Luo Wei, Qiao Jinniang looked at Qiao Ruoi whose eyes were swollen and sighed slightly, she hugged her and said, ¡°The dead are already dead. The living should be strong. Luo Wei¡¯s spirit in heaven also hopes that you can live well.¡± Qiao Ruoyi choked with sobs and said, ¡°Second sister, why did he have to die? Luo Wei is so good. Why Can¡¯t I Die?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Luo Wei has protected you with his life. You should live well so that Luo Wei¡¯s spirit in heaven can rest in peace.¡± Seeing Qiao Ruoyi cry like this, Qiao Jinniang could feel it too. Her unborn child had left and she still couldn¡¯t recover after half a year, let alone Luo Wei who treated Qiao Ruoyi so well. The He city magistrate heard that His Majesty had come to welcome him. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Lu Chen said, ¡°When the Empress and I heard the news of General Luo¡¯s death, we came to he city to pay our respects. There¡¯s no need to make a big fuss. Just treat it as if the empress and I have never come to he city.¡± The He city magistrate nodded repeatedly. The weather in April had already begun to heat up. Even with the presence of ice cubes, it was difficult to suppress the smell of the corpse. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s expression became worse and worse day by day. She could not stand that Luo Wei¡¯s appearance was gradually changing under her eyes. Qiao Jinniang then said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring Luo Wei back to Chang ¡®an and bury him in peace?¡± Qiao ruoyi replied, ¡°Yes, okay.¡± Qiao Jinniang ordered a group of guards to bring Qiao Ruoyi onto a ship. Afraid that something might happen to Qiao ruoyi, Qiao Lui and Fu Lu, who had rushed over with Qiao Jinniang, sent Qiao Ruoyi onto the ship. Little Nichang also followed Qiao ruoyi back to Chang ¡®an. The day before they left he city, Little Nichang followed Little Nichang and the others around he city. When niching learned that she was going to leave after rushing to Jiangnan, she was somewhat disappointed. However, she was still very sensible and was willing to leave. The rain that had been raining for many days finally cleared up. He city¡¯s streets were bustling with activity. He city was most famous for its silk. There were many more silk shops here than in Chang ¡®an. Fu Lu and Qiao Lui took the two children to a local restaurant for lunch at noon. While the two of them were ordering, niching and niching were playing with the bamboo grasshopper they had just bought from the street on a bench. They only needed to move the bamboo stick on their back to make the grasshopper jump forward. Niching¡¯s grasshopper fell to the ground. She climbed down the bench to pick up the grasshopper. She accidentally fell to the ground and cried out for her father. Qiao lui quickly carried niching up. ¡°Don¡¯t Cry, Don¡¯t cry.¡± When Xie Yun entered, he saw this scene. Seeing niching crying in Qiao Lui¡¯s arms, he could not bear it. He went forward and said, ¡°Niching.¡± Niching saw Xie Yun and sniffed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Niching said, ¡°The grasshopper is broken.¡± Xie Yun saw the grasshopper woven from bamboo leaves in little nichang¡¯s hand. He took the grasshopper from her hand and knitted it again. He handed it to little nichang and said, ¡°The Grasshopper is fine again.¡± Little Nichang took the grasshopper in surprise and smiled sweetly. ¡°Thank you, uncle. Uncle, I¡¯m going back to Chang ¡®an tomorrow.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Xie Yun asked Qiao lui, ¡°Why are you going back to Chang ¡®an so soon?¡± Qiao lui did not speak kindly to Xie Yun, but he was much more mature now. He would not ignore Xie Yun. He said coldly, ¡°Nichang¡¯s father¡¯s coffin can¡¯t hold it anymore. She has to return to Chang ¡®an and bury herself in the ground as soon as possible.¡± Xie Yun asked again, ¡°Will nichang come to Jiangnan in the future?¡± Fu Lu said from the side, ¡°Of course not. With such a sad thing happening in he city, Ruo Yi probably won¡¯t come to Jiangnan for the rest of her life. Let alone Nichang. Nichang, say goodbye to your uncle Xie.¡± Nichang waved her hand at Xie Yun and said, ¡°Uncle Xie, Goodbye.¡± Chapter 367 Qiao Ruoyi returned to Chang ¡®an first. The ship was covered with white silk, but when she arrived at the dock, she saw that the people from the Luo family had arrived. When Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive parents saw Qiao ruoyi, Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive mother slapped her in the face. ¡°You B * Tch!¡± The guards controlled Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive parents. Qiao ruoyi had never expected that Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive mother would slap her in the face directly. Yan Yu, who was at the side, said angrily, ¡°This is a dignified second grade assistant minister. How can a wicked woman like you directly hit him?¡± Fu Lu was also extremely angry. ¡°I¡¯m still here. How dare you directly hit me!¡± Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive mother spat, ¡°I hit that B * Tch Qiao ruoyi. Back then, she married my son with a vile child. If it weren¡¯t for her, my son wouldn¡¯t have been killed at such a young age!¡±! ¡°Aiyo, my son is gone just like that. How am I going to live in the future!¡± Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive brother, Luo Geng, also cried, ¡°Two years ago, my brother was the top scholar in martial arts. He hunted black bears on the hunting ground and had a bright future. However, he married a woman who had an affair with someone else before she married him. These two years, you¡¯re still unwilling to sleep with my brother. My Brother died a terrible death!¡± Mother Luo cried, ¡°Back then, he definitely wanted to marry you. However, he didn¡¯t expect to come to Jiangnan and be harmed by you and your adulterer!¡± Qiao lui went forward and said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about in front of the children? If you dare to talk nonsense again, don¡¯t blame me for sending you to the government.¡± Father and mother Luo cried as they lay on Luo Wei¡¯s coffin. Mother Luo cried bitterly, ¡°Luo Wei¡¯s body is not even cold yet. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will come and take revenge on you for treating Luo Wei¡¯s relatives like this?¡± ¡°Grandmother, Don¡¯t disturb father anymore. Father is already asleep!¡±Little Nichang said coldly. Luo Wei¡¯s mother said, ¡°You are not worthy of calling my son a bastard.¡± Qiao ruoyi went forward and slapped Luo Wei¡¯s mother, saying, ¡°When Luo Wei was alive, you guys were always causing trouble. On account of Luo Wei¡¯s reputation, I have never mistreated you guys. Why are you still causing trouble now?¡± Mother Luo said, ¡°What trouble? You colluded with an adulterer. You wanted to be the wife of the Xie family, so you were schemed against by the Jiang family¡¯s daughter and caused my son¡¯s death. Someone has long written to us about this matter.¡± Mother Luo took out a letter from her bosom and said, ¡°Take a look. This is a letter written by the daughter of the Wu royal family. I Can¡¯t bear to see you disobeying the rules of womanhood. After you get married, you still want to use the vile spawn to become the Xie family¡¯s mistress.¡± Luo Geng also said, ¡°Yes, you killed my brother. You must make up for it. Otherwise, our Luo family will not let you go!¡± Princess Fu Lu was annoyed. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe that Ruo Yi is your daughter-in-law, why do you believe a Zhou Shihui whose reputation in Chang ¡®an is full of lies? Your son was killed by Zhou Shihui!¡± Luo Geng said, ¡°Of course your Qiao family said so. Your Qiao family is powerful now, but our Luo family also believes that there is justice in the world! ¡°If your Qiao family doesn¡¯t take out 100,000 taels of silver to compensate our Luo family, the news of Qiao Ruoyi killing her husband to marry into the Xie family will spread throughout the world in a few days, ¡°The history books will also record that great Tang¡¯s first female assistant was such a fickle person!¡± Qiao lui was extremely angry. Fu Lu said, ¡°A group of unruly people. Men, arrest them all and throw them into the prison. I Don¡¯t care about the history books or the name-calling!¡± Mother Luo panicked when she heard that. ¡°My son, open your eyes when you wake up and see that your good wife is going to arrest your parents. Qiao ruoyi, are you letting Luo Wei down by treating us like this?¡± Qiao Ruoyi stepped forward and pulled mother Luo away from Luo Wei¡¯s coffin. Many workers who were loading goods on the dock heard the noise and came over. Qiao ruoyi, who was dressed in plain white, said angrily, ¡°You are not worthy of mentioning Luo Wei, let alone touching his coffin! Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Ever since Luo Wei and I got married, you used the name of our Qiao family to build a manor in the suburbs of Chang ¡®an and accepted bribes instead of doing anything. One by one, I should have convicted you long ago. It was Luo Wei who begged bitterly that you were the last time, saying that you had brought him up. On account of our relationship as husband and wife, I tolerated you everywhere, i spent money to help you get out of trouble. Over the past two years, how much of Luo Wei¡¯s and my salary has been used on you! But what about you? Luo Wei had just died, and you demanded 100,000 taels of silver. What do you think of Luo Wei? Your Money Tree?¡± Qiao ruoyi clenched her fists tightly. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s sorry, Luo Wei. It¡¯s all of you.¡± Luo Geng said anxiously, ¡°Qiao Ruoyi, what nonsense are you talking about? It¡¯s only right and proper for us to demand money from your Qiao family. You killed my brother, so you have to give an explanation to our Luo family. My Brother Just died, and you want to exterminate our Luo family. My brother has a spirit in the sky. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will come looking for you?¡± Qiao lui said to the guard at the side, ¡°Arrest these few unruly people and shut their mouths.¡± Before her mouth was shut, mother Luo did not forget to shout, ¡°Qiao Ruoyi, you gave your daughter the surname of Qiao and did not want to have the surname of Luo. Didn¡¯t you want to use your daughter¡¯s mother and son to enter the Xie family one day? Unfortunately, the head of the Xie family does not like you, and does not like your daughter who was born with an evil seed!¡± Nichang tugged at Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s sleeve and raised her head to look at Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°Mother, is what she said true? is uncle Xie Yun my father?¡± Qiao ruoyi squatted down and said to nichang, ¡°Your father only has Luo Wei. Your father is General Luo who has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the bandits. He won¡¯t be anyone else¡¯s.¡± Nichang nodded. ¡°Yes, my father is a general. A mighty general.¡± After Qiao Lui controlled all the members of the Luo family, he asked Qiao ruoyi, ¡°What should we do? Should we bring them back to Chang ¡®an for punishment, or let them stay in the prison in he city for a few years so that they won¡¯t talk nonsense again?¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at the coffin and said, ¡°They have committed many serious crimes in Chang ¡®an. Bring them back to Chang ¡®an for punishment.¡± Luo Wei¡¯s body was not cold yet. Qiao ruoyi really did not want to become enemies with Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive parents, who had been filial to him all his life. However, they had gone too far. After Qiao Ruoyi boarded the boat, she looked at the letter Zhou Shihui wrote to Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive parents and said angrily, ¡°Zhou Shihui died too quickly. It was not enough to kill Luo Wei, but he still thought of this trick.¡± Qiao lui looked at Fu Lu and said, ¡°This word doesn¡¯t seem to belong to Zhou Shihui.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Fu Lu¡¯s eyes widened and said, ¡°You still know Zhou Shihui¡¯s Word? Where¡¯s My Whip?¡± Qiao lui held Fu Lu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. This word really doesn¡¯t belong to Zhou Shihui. I have a photographic memory for words. This word definitely doesn¡¯t belong to Zhou Shihui.¡± Qiao ruoyi pointed at the seal at the bottom and said, ¡°But this Red Seal is clearly Zhou Shihui¡¯s seal.¡± Qiao lui said, ¡°The seal is Zhou Shihui¡¯s, but the words are not. Moreover, the news of Luo Wei¡¯s death could not reach Lin ¡®an. Zhou Shihui only found out about Luo Wei¡¯s death when you found the Qian family. He could not write a letter to the Luo family¡¯s adoptive parents in such a short time!¡± Qiao ruoyi listened to Qiao Lui¡¯s words and also felt that it made sense. ¡°But who else would be scheming?¡± Chapter 368 At the gate of Lin ¡®an city, a horse carriage slowly drove in. Little Lu ang lifted the curtain and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Mother, we¡¯re in Lin ¡®an city!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked up and felt a little homesick. She had left this place for a long time, a full seven years, and brother Tuan, who was still babbling in the past, was now almost at her shoulder, he looked like a handsome young man. When she entered the city gate, her subordinate handed a notice to the city guard, the Lin ¡®an prefect. After entering the city and hearing the familiar local accent, Qiao Jinniang knew that she had really come back. After another hour, the carriage finally arrived in front of the Bai Wei building in Lin ¡®an city. Lu Chen got off the carriage first and reached out to help Qiao Jinniang get off the carriage. The waiters in the Hundred Savory restaurant came forward and helped the coachman to tie the carriage. ¡°Langjun, Madam, are you two from other places? Do you want to eat or stay?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°We do. Are there any other private rooms?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s one last private room.¡± Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen each held the hands of a child as they entered the restaurant. Qiao Jinniang saw the appearance of the Hundred Savory Restaurant. It was the same as the memories she had of growing up. There were no changes at all. On the wooden steps, there were also scratches left by her naughty and Sticky Rice when she was young. There were many familiar neighbors among the diners. A painter Bai who was eating in the hall was still shouting loudly after getting drunk. ¡°What right do they have to say that my paintings are not good? The Empress is still my student today!¡± ¡°Old Man Bai, you¡¯re bragging again. You¡¯ve only gone to the academy to teach the students for a few days!¡± Painter Bai said loudly, ¡°Humph, the Empress also has to call me Mister!¡± ¡°Will the Empress still remember you?¡± Qiao Jinniang saw Tofu Zhang arguing with painter Bai, she smiled and said, ¡°Of course I remember Mister Bai. I also remember tofu old uncle Zhang. I¡¯ve been missing the salty soybean milk in uncle Zhang¡¯s house for the past few years! Chang ¡®an doesn¡¯t drink salty soybean milk. Some don¡¯t drink it well either.¡± ¡°Jin ¡®Niang!¡± ¡°Little Jin ¡®Niang!¡± The neighbors who were eating heard the screams of tofu Zhang and painter Bai. They went up to look at Qiao Jin ¡®Niang, and one of the young constable knelt down and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty.¡± The other neighbors also reacted and bowed. Lu Chen said, ¡°No.¡± Qiao Jin went up to help an old lady up and said, ¡°Aunt Qian, your legs are not good. Get Up quickly.¡± Old Lady Qian said with tears in her eyes, ¡°Your Highness, you actually remembered that the old woman¡¯s legs aren¡¯t well.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly and said, ¡°Of course I remember. That year, when those clan uncles of the Qiao family came to the restaurant to look for trouble, it was you who used the crutches to ruthlessly hit those uncles and even broke your crutches.¡± Only then did the shop¡¯s waiter know that Qiao Jinniang was the true owner of the Hundred Savory Restaurant. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t put on airs like an empress and was still treating them like the little shopkeeper of Hundred Savory Restaurant, the neighbors were no longer nervous and were busy reminiscing. Doufu Zhang stroked his white beard and said, ¡°If you want to drink my soy milk, I¡¯ll personally grind it first thing tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll make sure you drink it to your heart¡¯s content. I remember that Brother Tuan loved to drink my soy milk when he was young. Brother Tuan should be very old by now, right?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Lu Xi walked up to doufu Zhang and said, ¡°Grandpa Zhang.¡± ¡°Aiyo, Brother Tuan has grown so tall. Your grandparents should rest in peace in heaven. I went to see them just now during the Qingming Festival. I even lamented that they have been gone for ten years.¡± ¡°Bah, Bah, Bah, what are you talking about? Brother Tuan is now the crown prince. How can his grandparents still be old Qiao and the others?¡± Qiao Jinniang patted Lu Xi¡¯s head and said, ¡°They are also brother Tuan¡¯s grandparents. All these years, I have never come back to pay my respects to my parents. Thank you, neighbors, for helping me visit my parents.¡± ¡°They are all from the neighborhood. It¡¯s my duty.¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°Today, the neighbors¡¯meals will be on me and Jinniang. Take your time to eat.¡± Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen to the private room and ordered a few of the signature dishes of the Bai Wei restaurant. She wanted to try the new chef¡¯s taste. Little Lu ang knelt on the chair in front of the window and looked at the boats passing by the river. ¡°Mother, this place is so beautiful.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°This is the place where mother grew up. Not only are there many beautiful and fun places, but also many. Let your brother bring you to play to your heart¡¯s content these few days.¡± The familiar place did not change in the slightest as she remembered it. The strange thing was that the chefs from Bai Wei restaurant had followed her to Chang ¡®an, and the chefs in Bai Wei restaurant were all new recruits, but the taste of the dishes still had the taste of home in Bai Wei restaurant. Lu Chen said, ¡°The Ministry of Works has already repaired the small courtyard that we stayed in before. Do you want to go and take a look later? Let Xi¡¯er bring Ang¡¯er to Cai City to play.¡± Lu Xi:¡±? ? ?¡± Why did he want to bring Ang ¡®er, this child, to play? He couldn¡¯t go back to the courtyard he used to live in when he was young, even though Lu Xi didn¡¯t remember much of her childhood memories in Jiangnan. At that time, she was really too young. Little Ang ¡®er hugged Lu Xi¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Brother, go and Play!¡± Lu Xi:¡±¡­¡± After Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen finished their meal, they went downstairs. The neighbors had all finished their meal and left. When Qiao Jinniang walked to the door, she saw a woman wearing a silk dress that had been washed many times but had lost its color. Qiao Jinniang saw a familiar face. She recognized the person in front of her when she saw that she was carrying a bamboo basket full of bright red bayberries. ¡°Sister Qian!¡± Lady Qian looked at Qiao Jinniang and fell to her knees with a plop. ¡°Your Majesty, at that time, I was a dog biting Lu Dongbin and didn¡¯t recognize the kindness of others. I even hit you and chased you out of my house. I was really stupid to the extreme!¡± Lady Qian placed the bamboo basket in her hand on the ground and gave herself a hard slap. This person was a sister of Lady Qiao¡¯s neighbor when she was young. She was five years older than her and had married an inhuman man. Her husband had abandoned her and her daughter because she couldn¡¯t give birth to a boy. He had even sold her daughter as a slave to get a new wife. She had told Lu Chen about this when she was in Chang ¡®an. Lu Chen had said that he would punish that heartless man, but she didn¡¯t know if he would be punished. Qiao Jinniang helped Lady Qian up and said, ¡°Sister Qian, I don¡¯t blame you.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Lady Qian handed the bamboo basket to Qiao jinniang and said, ¡°Do you remember that you loved eating bayberries when you were young? This basket of bayberries was picked from my tree. Thank you for helping me punish that unfaithful man six years ago so that my daughter would not be sold as a slave. Now, my eldest daughter is married, and my second daughter is doing some vegetable and fruit business. ¡°The third daughter and fourth daughter are embroidering in the embroidery room. The youngest daughter loves to read and says that she wants to become a female official like Lord Hong and Lord Qiao!¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Sister Qian, you can be considered to have come to a bitter end. Your days in the future will be better and better.¡± Lady Qian smiled and said, ¡°Yes, you have finally come to a bitter end. It¡¯s all thanks to His Majesty and you treating our female household well. However, Jin Niang, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been hiding in my heart for a long time. I Can¡¯t say it out loud. I wonder if I can talk to You Alone?¡± Chapter 369 Qiao Jinniang said to Lady Qian, ¡°Then let¡¯s go to my small courtyard and have a talk. When you were young, you often came to my small courtyard.¡± The small courtyard was not far from hundred savory building. Lady Qian had originally lived opposite her house, but after she got married, the house here was sold. When Qiao Jinniang entered the small courtyard, she found that nothing had changed. It was rebuilt and repaired. It could be seen that Lu Chen had put in a lot of effort to restore this house. Qian followed Qiao Jinniang to the hall of the small courtyard and whispered, ¡°Jinniang, do you still remember Mei Canruo?¡± Qiao Jinniang still had quite an impression of Mei canruo. She was quite a maverick in the academy. It was said that her ancestor was a famous aristocratic family in Jin Ling, the Mei family. The Mei family even had a prime minister in the current dynasty. During the glorious era of the late emperor, it had once made people feel that the aristocratic family had revived. However, when Qiao Jinniang met her, the Mei family had already fallen. She remembered that when she was almost eleven years old, Mei Canruo couldn¡¯t afford to pay her tuition fees and was almost expelled from the academy. She heard that Mei Canruo¡¯s parents had already been killed according to the law. She relied on a pair of loyal servants who had already left the Mei family to support her and survive. At that time, she heard that it was the loyal servants who sold her daughter as a slave, that was why Mei Canruo had been allowed to continue studying in the academy. The girls in the academy were somewhat displeased with Mei canruo. It was also because of Mei Canruo¡¯s bearing as a legitimate daughter of an aristocratic family. At that time, other than Qiao Jinniang and Qiu Su, who were businesswomen in the Academy¡¯s Heaven Class, which one of them was not from an official family? They all hated Mei Canruo¡¯s lofty and lofty bearing. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t like Mei canruo either. She didn¡¯t make fun of her for being a merchant daughter, but whenever she passed by, she would cover her nose with her faded silk handkerchief. When others asked her why she covered her nose, she said she couldn¡¯t smell the stench of money. Qiao Jinniang was also young at that time. She loved to wear bright little dresses in front of Mei canruo. She wore the best silk and used the best perfume, which was much more fragrant than Mei Canruo¡¯s two sets of dresses every year. However, ever since Mei Canruo had relied on her loyal servants to come to the academy to study, Qiao Jinniang had also become more sensible and was no longer so childish. Lady Qian said, ¡°After you left the academy that year, the women in the Academy did not associate with you. It was because of Mei canruo.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because they were afraid of offending the young master of the Lin ¡®an magistrate¡¯s office at that time?¡± Qiao Jinniang asked. When her parents were seriously ill, she had no choice but to leave the school. In fact, many of her classmates who were in the same class as her had also dropped out of school at that time. However, they often had banquets. After Qiao Jinniang left the school, her classmates who had been her classmates for ten years did not interact with her. Even when she married Lu Chen, no one came to write a letter to them. It was not until that year when Qiu Su came to Chang ¡®an that Qiao Jinniang heard from Qiu Su that she did not come to her wedding because she was afraid of offending the young master of the Lin ¡®an prefect. Lady Qian shook her head and said, ¡°No. At that time, I was washing clothes for the caretakers of those young ladies¡¯manors. When I went to their courtyard, I heard Mei canruo gossiping about you behind their backs. ¡°At that time, I did not think to tell you. It was not until a few years ago when something happened to Lord Yang of the Jinling Prefect¡¯s family that I went to the Yang family to deliver the washed clothes. I heard Lady Yang and Lord Yang complain, ¡°It turns out that their daughter, Yang Qinqing, caused the death of Miss Li from the Yue Kiln to slander you. It was because of Mei Canruo¡¯s instigation.¡± Qiao Jinniang heard this and thought of Miss Li, who had died prematurely. She asked, ¡°If Yang Qinqing was wronged, why didn¡¯t he file a complaint?¡± Madam Qian said, ¡°Back then, the Mei family in Jinling and the Xie family in Lin ¡®an were both aristocratic families in the Jiangnan area. The ancestors of the two families were in-laws. I heard Lord Yang say that Mei canruo would be Lord Xie¡¯s concubine in the future. ¡°He has already been demoted. In the future, if he wants to stay in the Jiangnan officialdom, why should he offend the Xie Family? ¡°Moreover, Mei Canruo did not make a move. He only instigated Yang Qinqing.¡± Hong Ling served Qian Jin a cup of tea. Qian Jin took the cup of tea and thanked her profusely, ¡°Jin Niang, you must be careful of Mei canruo. She is a scheming person.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao jinniang sneered, ¡°The concubine of Master Xie? Mei canruo said it herself?¡± Lady Qian said, ¡°This is a secret that will not be spread among the big families in Jiangnan.¡±. This matter has been brooding in my heart for a long time. I wanted to tell it to glutinous rice, but I was afraid that glutinous rice would have a bad temper. Moreover, you are in Chang ¡®an, and Mei Canruo is in Lin ¡®an. She would not harm you, and her hands would not be so long. However, since you came back this time, I felt that I should give you some advice first. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can invite my former schoolmates to have a gathering. When you left Lin ¡®an and disappeared without a trace, the Qiao family clan slandered you for adultery, so after being divorced, they left in shame. Miss Wei, Miss Feng, and the others even spoke up for you¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Thank you, Sister Qian, for telling me about this.¡± Mei canruo¡­ she really thought that Mei canruo was so noble back then. She didn¡¯t expect that she had done so many things behind her back. It was really disgusting. Qiao Jinniang returned to her room and saw Lu Chen sitting by the window. She told Lu Chen what the Qian family had said. After Lu Chen heard it, he said, ¡°Now that you mention it, I remember that there was indeed a young lady who claimed to be from the Mei family in Jin Ling. She came to me and said some nonsense.¡± ¡°What did she say to you?¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°That was half a month after we got married. She told me that you were unruly and capricious in the academy and that you liked to hit people and disrespected your elders¡­¡± ¡°She actually came to you behind my back to say this. Why didn¡¯t you tell me at that time? How did you answer her back then?¡±Qiao Jinniang asked. If she had known ten years ago that Mei Canruo had said so many bad things about her behind her back, she would have torn Mei Canruo¡¯s mouth apart! Lu Chen said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to be angry?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. ¡°It¡¯s already been ten years. I¡¯m not such an angry person.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°When I replied to her back then, not only were you unruly and hot-tempered, you also liked to snore and grind your teeth¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang widened her eyes. ¡°When did I snore and Grind My Teeth?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t say that, she would still pester me. It¡¯s better to let her think that I stayed behind as a son-in-law because of your money. I¡¯m a man with no ability, so she won¡¯t be jealous of you anymore.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me back then?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Back then, father and mother were seriously ill. You were in front of father and mother¡¯s sickbed every day. If I told you about this, wouldn¡¯t it make father and mother even more worried if you went out and caused a ruckus? ¡°Moreover, you and I weren¡¯t close at that time. If I told you about this, I can¡¯t guarantee whether you would believe your classmate of ten years or me more.¡± Qiao Jin understood after hearing Lu Chen¡¯s explanation. ¡°I heard that she was the concubine appointed by Patriarch Xie. I¡¯m going to ask Xie Yun if it¡¯s true.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Lu Chen said, ¡°What if it¡¯s true?¡± Qiao Jin said, ¡°If it¡¯s true, then the death of Luo Wei will have to be investigated. I¡¯m quite curious why Zhou Shihui would do this to harm Qiao Ruoyi and Nichang¡¯s lives? Isn¡¯t she afraid that she won¡¯t be able to keep her life after this matter is exposed? Qian Yin might not be able to protect this niece of his! He hates our Qiao family. Why is he only targeting these two people? Unless she has another way out. It¡¯s just that she didn¡¯t think that Qiao Ruoyi would directly kill her for revenge before she had even revealed her trump card!¡± Chapter 370 Xie Yun did not return to the Xie family¡¯s main residence. Instead, he stayed in his villa. When Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen went to visit him, they saw that everything inside looked very familiar. Xie Yun placed some pastries and tea in the welcoming hall and said, ¡°Your Majesty, why did you come to my residence? Do you have any advice?¡± Qiao Jin asked Xie Yun, ¡°Do you know Mei Canruo?¡± Xie Yun nodded and said, ¡°I know her. She is the daughter of My Xie family.¡± ¡°Rumor has it that she is the concubine of the Xie family¡¯s head. Is that true?¡± Xie Yun frowned and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Jin asked curiously, ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t she entered your Xie residence despite her age?¡± Qiao Jinniang remembered that Mei Canruo was one year older than her. She was considered the youngest among her peers in the academy, and Mei Canruo was almost twenty-five years old. Twenty-five was not young. Xie Yun explained, ¡°Five years ago, the Xie family¡¯s second son once wanted her to be a concubine, but she wasn¡¯t willing. At that time, the Xie family¡¯s leader was still undecided. After the decision was made, I didn¡¯t marry my first wife, so naturally, I wouldn¡¯t take a concubine.¡± ¡°Then you just let her waste her youth like that?¡±Qiao Jinniang raised her eyes and asked, ¡°She was actually willing?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°I never thought of wasting her youth. I already told her that the Xie family would give her a dowry and let her marry someone else as her first wife. I didn¡¯t want to waste her youth. It¡¯s just that she wasn¡¯t willing.¡± Qiao Jinniang Glanced at Lu Chen. Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°If you really suspect her, there¡¯s no need to look for evidence. Just order someone to capture her and interrogate her.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Okay!¡± Xie Yun asked Lu Chen, ¡°Did something happen to Mei Canruo?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Why have you not taken a wife these few years? Not to mention that you have a daughter in Chang ¡®an?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°The matter of the Xie family head¡¯s wife is of great importance. Naturally, we have to look for her slowly. Later, there was Jiang Yu. I thought she could be the wife of the Xie family head, but who knew she would be so crazy!¡± Qiao jinniang teased, ¡°It¡¯s harder for you to find a wife than for the crown prince to find the crown prince¡¯s consort. I really don¡¯t understand you. Do you still think that one day, the aristocratic families will be able to stand above the imperial power? ¡°Now that the people and the prosperous era are in their prime, it¡¯s much better when the people don¡¯t have to face the difficulties of the aristocratic families.¡± Lu Chen followed, ¡°Xie Yun, Jinniang is right. We have known each other for ten years. I am very grateful to you for helping me during the three years when I lost my memory. Otherwise, those three years might really have been wasted. With the trend of the times, so what if you have all the money in the world? The legend of the undefeated aristocratic family should have fallen. The imperial examinations had been filled with talented people for many years, and great Tang has been around for more than a hundred years now. Look at the aristocratic family that was rampant a hundred years ago. Look at what their descendants have become now. You, the Xie family, can not change great Tang! When Father abdicated, he told me to get rid of the root of the Xie family¡¯s problem. ¡°However, in consideration of your three years of kindness, as well as your contribution to the imperial court, I can not be ruthless towards you. ¡°You are almost 30 years old now, but the Xie family has no successor. Even the descendants of the fallen aristocratic families can not shoulder the burden. You should follow the trend of the times. ¡°With your abilities, giving up the name of the aristocratic families and enlisting the private soldiers of the Xie family into the imperial court, you might be able to rank high in the imperial examinations.¡± Xie Yun listened to Lu Chen¡¯s words and believed him. When she helped Lu Chen back then, it was to let the Jin Niang live a good life, but later on, it was also because he admired Lu Chen? Everyone said that the Hui Lin Emperor was an emperor who only appeared once every thousand years, and the Tang empire had flourished for more than twenty years. After Lu Chen ascended to the throne, almost every law was trampled on the bottom line of some scholars. But surprisingly, not only did Lu Chen not let the scholars criticize him, but the market became more and more prosperous. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The days between the common people were far better than when the Hui Lin Emperor was on the throne. ¡°Master, Miss Mei brought you new tea outside!¡± ¡°Let her in,¡±said Lady Qiao, ¡°So I don¡¯t have to look for her.¡± Mei canruo gently walked in. When she saw Lady Qiao and Lu Chen, she bowed and said, ¡°I, Mei canruo, pay my respects to your Majesty, Your Majesty.¡± Qiao Jinniang did not say no, and Lu Chen naturally did not say no either. Mei canruo half bent her legs, not daring to stand up. Xie Yun asked Qiao jinniang, ¡°Did something happen to her?¡± Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen could not ask about Mei canruo for no reason. Qiao Jinniang said to Xie Yun, ¡°Mei canruo, I only know today why I suddenly broke off contact with those young sisters in the academy ten years ago. It turns out that someone is sowing discord behind your back. I wonder if someone is sowing discord between you and me in front of you?¡± Mei canruo said, ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t have a good relationship with the empress and other classmates, so naturally, no one came to sow discord.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°But they told me that you were sowing discord behind my back. Oh right, you also said to my husband that I was unruly and willful¡­ is that true?¡± ¡°No¡­¡±Mei canruo said repeatedly. Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that His Majesty deliberately wronged you? The crime of deceiving the emperor can take your life. Kneel down!¡± Mei canruo held the handkerchief in her hand tightly and knelt on the ground Qiao Jinniang looked at the handkerchief in Mei Canruo¡¯s hand, tSK TSK. ¡°I remember that you used this handkerchief ten years ago. Fortunately, Lin ¡®an¡¯s silk is good and won¡¯t break. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s a flaw in the beauty. After all, the color has faded too much.¡± Qiao Jinniang naturally couldn¡¯t remember what handkerchief Mei Canruo used ten years ago. But when Mei canruo heard this, her face flushed red. ¡°Master, outside, fifth Miss Qiao, uncle Qiao Xiaoguo, and Monarch Fu Lu are breaking into our xie residence regardless of the obstruction!¡± The gatekeeper hurriedly came to report. The gatekeeper had just arrived when the guards beside Lu Chen brought Qiao Ruoyi and the others over. Qiao ruoyi saw that Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were also there, so she quickly bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Sister, there should be someone else who killed Luo Wei! I met Luo Wei¡¯s adoptive parents two days ago when I set off from the dock. They learned that Luo Wei¡¯s death was said to be a letter from Zhou Shihui to them. However, Zhou Shihui was already dead at that time, so they couldn¡¯t write a letter at all!¡± ¡°We returned to Lin ¡®an and interrogated the servant girl beside Zhou Shihui. Only then did we learn that Zhou Shihui was only on the surface on good terms with Jiang Yu. In reality, Zhou Shihui often went to a tea mountain to drink tea. In that Tea Mountain lived a woman who claimed to be Xie Yun¡¯s concubine!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Fu Lu held the portrait of the servant girl¡¯s confession and looked at the kneeling woman. ¡°Jin Niang, it¡¯s her!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Mei Canruo who was kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°There were five horses and ten thousand pieces of corpses that were dismembered after being executed. There were also those who died from exposure to the sun. For the sake of the ten years that we were classmates, I¡¯ll let you choose a way to die!¡± Mei canruo said, ¡°I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t understand what you guys are saying. Family Head Xie, save me.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Your Luck isn¡¯t good. Do you remember that when you won first place in the Jiangnan calligraphy and painting competition, your handwriting was copied and displayed in he Cheng Teahouse for people to Admire. My husband has always had a photographic memory for handwriting. ¡°The handwriting on the letter you wrote to the Luo family¡¯s adoptive parents is exactly the same as the handwriting on your painting. Are you still pretending to be stupid?¡± Chapter 371 Mei canruo looked up at Xie Yun and said, ¡°I did write that letter, but I don¡¯t admit that I murdered General Luo, Lord Qiao, and their daughter. I never wanted to murder them! ¡°As for the letter, I was also entrusted by Zhou Shihui. Zhou Shihui said that if she died and asked me to write this letter and send it to Chang ¡®an in broad daylight, how could you accuse me so casually?¡± Qiao ruoyi said in a cold voice, ¡°Now that Jiang Yu and Zhou Shihui have both died, it¡¯s naturally up to you to say what you want.¡± Qiao jinniang slowly said, ¡°Mei canruo, even if the matter of Luo Wei has nothing to do with you, how should I say about the relationship between me and my classmates and friends that you instigated behind my back?¡± Mei canruo said in a low voice, ¡°I was young back then. If the Empress wanted to use the past ten years to convict me, I would be willing to be punished. However, the Empress is now a high and mighty person, and she wants to argue about the trivial matter of ten years ago with me¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang was angered and laughed, ¡°Back then, you dared to say these things behind my back. Why should I be magnanimous and not argue with you? The crimes committed by the lowly people of the Shengdou can be avoided because of their lowly status? What kind of logic is this?¡± Mei canruo said, ¡°The Empress is not afraid of being laughed at by the world, as long as she wants to argue with a lowly commoner like me.¡± Qiao Ruoyi was extremely angry and said, ¡°In the letter you wrote to the Luo family, you said that in order to marry into the Xie family, I used my son to plot against my husband. You have already falsely accused a second rank official, and should be punished according to the law!¡± Mei Canruo asked Qiao ruoyi sarcastically, ¡°Didn¡¯t you? isn¡¯t Luo Wei¡¯s death just what you wanted? After Luo Wei died, Xie Yun rushed in and out to help you. Do you dare to say that you don¡¯t want to marry into the Xie Family?¡± Qiao ruoyi said coldly, ¡°No, I never thought of marrying into the Xie family. My Daughter is only the daughter of me and Luo Wei. It has nothing to do with Xie Yun!¡± Mei canruo looked at Xie Yun and said, ¡°Xie Yun, I have waited for you for ten years. Back then, there were two concubines. I was willing to follow you without a name. But you said that the Xie family is not in your hands and that you will not take a concubine before you get your revenge. ¡°I have waited for you for five years. For five years, you became the head of the Xie family. I waited for you. You said that you would not take a concubine unless you had a wife. But not long after, you had a child with Qiao ruoyi. Why Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Qiao ruoyi, you don¡¯t have to say it so nicely. You said that you¡¯ve never thought of becoming the Xie family¡¯s head¡¯s wife. Do you dare to swear that you¡¯ll never marry into the Xie Family?¡± Qiao ruoyi was about to swear when she was interrupted by Xie Yun. She frowned and said, ¡°Mei canruo, you kept saying that you¡¯d wait for me for ten years, but I¡¯ve never let you wait. I also said that if you¡¯re willing, the Xie family will give you a generous dowry to marry off!¡± Mei canruo said, ¡°How can a scholar marry off a concubine? My Mei family is a thousand-year-old aristocratic family. I have the bloodline of a woman from an aristocratic family. How can I marry an ordinary person? I would rather be a concubine of an aristocratic family than a concubine of a concubine. Qiao ruoyi, why don¡¯t you dare to swear?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I Dare?¡± Xie Yun only said to Mei canruo, ¡°What right do you have to make fifth Miss Qiao swear?¡± Qiao Jinniang walked up to Mei canruo and said, ¡°I understand. You¡¯ve been forcing Qiao ruoi to swear because you¡¯re afraid that Xie Yun will marry the Qiao family¡¯s daughter? Afraid that the aristocratic family¡¯s last hope will be to ¡°Collude with the Qiao family¡±and work for the Humble Class?¡± Mei Canruo¡¯s eyes widened! Qiao Jinniang especially remembered that Mei Canruo was most proud of the fact that she had the blood of the aristocratic family flowing in her veins. Mei canruo might not have any deep feelings for Xie Yun. Her saying that she would rather be a concubine of an aristocratic family than a lowly wife spoke of the feelings in her heart. Qiao Jinniang looked coldly at Mei canruo who was kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°Since you are not afraid of being a concubine, then what does it matter if mistress is Jiang Yu or Qiao Ruoi? The reason why you care so much and act as a hindrance is because you are extremely afraid that Xie Yun will marry the daughter of our Qiao family, right? Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°After all, in your eyes, the Qiao family is a traitor among the aristocratic families. You think that after the Lu family seized the throne, they wanted to consolidate the imperial power and eradicate the aristocratic families. You think that our Qiao family is helping the Lu family to ¡°Support the evil¡±, ¡°Destroying the aristocratic families, right? ¡°You¡¯re afraid that after Xie Yun, the only one who can revive the aristocratic families, marries the Qiao family¡¯s daughter, she will surrender to the imperial court and completely abandon the aristocratic families that you¡¯re so proud of, right?¡± Mei canruo collapsed on the ground and said, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed coldly and said, ¡°Since you dare to call me by my name, it seems that you are dead for sure. If you want to revive an aristocratic family, let me tell you, it is absolutely impossible!¡± Mei canruo¡¯s eyes were filled with despair and she simply stood up from the ground, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, back then, your Qiao family betrayed the aristocratic family and was disgraced by all the aristocratic families in the world. What kind of Hero is that? It is just that you, the Qiao family, want to be a slave and want a high position. ¡°Back then, when the power of the aristocratic families was above the imperial family, your Qiao family was just a small, insignificant aristocratic family. Naturally, you had to bow down to the Lu family!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°No, why did the Lu family give up the position of the head of the aristocratic families to establish a new imperial court? Why did the Qiao family help the Lu family conquer the world back then?¡±? Even a three-year-old child among the people knew that at that time, because of the separation of the aristocratic families from all over the world, the people did not have a good life. The people of the aristocratic families disregarded the lives of others! There were even some people who owed the aristocratic families hundreds of taels of silver for a year of hard work. Whether it was the ancestors or my ancestors, they were all worried about the people! ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯ve wasted so many years of your studies. You¡¯ve wasted so many years of your life among the people!¡± Lu Chen stepped forward and held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Why are you angry with her? Men, arrest her and send her to the Lin ¡®an magistrate¡¯s office. After autumn, she will be executed.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Mei Canruo was caught by the guards, she did not forget to shout, ¡°Xie Yun, if you marry Qiao ruoyi, you will be a sinner of the aristocratic families!¡± Fu Lu stepped forward and untied the belt of a servant of the Xie family. He stuffed it into Mei Canruo¡¯s mouth. ¡°What sinner? You are the sinner that everyone in the world hates!¡± Mei canruo was stuffed with the belt and could not speak. After Mei Canruo was taken away, Lu Chen said to Xie Yun, ¡°Fu Lu doesn¡¯t know literature and ink, so he knows the truth. Think about it carefully. You might become a sinner of a noble family. ¡°But if you are willing to work for the imperial court, hand over your private soldiers, and hand over the Xie family¡¯s thousands of years of heritage to the imperial court, you will be the benefactor of all the people in the world. Just like how you presented books, a thousand years later.., ¡°Xie Yun¡¯s name in the history books will also be remembered for centuries.¡± After Lu Chen finished speaking, he brought Qiao Jinniang and was about to leave. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Only to hear Xie Yun¡¯s words from behind him, ¡°If you want me to hand over the Xie family¡¯s private soldiers and hand over all the heritage passed down from my ancestors to the imperial court, that¡¯s fine too. There¡¯s only one thing, I want Nichang to return to the Xie Family!¡± ¡°In Your Dreams!¡±Fu Lu and Qiao Jinniang said in unison. Qiao ruoyi, who should have been angry, was not angry at all at this time. Without thinking, she said, ¡°Okay!¡± Fu Lu frowned at Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Ruoyi, are you crazy? Giving niching to him? was he the one who abandoned niching back then? Why should our Qiao family¡¯s daughter be given to him?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Yes, ruoyi, if Niching hears what you said, how sad she will be!¡± Chapter 372 Qiao Jinniang returned to the small courtyard behind the Hundred Savory restaurant and pulled Qiao Ruoyi into the study: ¡°Are you crazy? You promised Xie Yun to give him Nichang? Back then, he didn¡¯t want this daughter. Now that he¡¯s given nichang to him, aren¡¯t you afraid that Nichang will hate you?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Sister, the Xie family is the current head of the aristocratic family. There are still some weak aristocratic families with the Xie family as the head. They want the Xie family to restore the glory of the aristocratic family. If Xie Yun dispels the private army of the Xie family, this is a good thing for the country and the people!¡± Qiao jinniang frowned and said, ¡°You should trust Lu Chen. It¡¯s not that the imperial court can¡¯t get rid of the private army of the Xie family. It¡¯s just that back then, when Lu Chen was in Lin ¡®an, he received a lot of care from Xie Yun. Lu Chen only cares about relationships. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t agree to give Nichang to Xie Yun, Lu Chen still has a way to make Xie Yun willingly submit to the imperial court. Why should he let you and Nichang suffer such grievances?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s not without conditions that I agree to give nichang to him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If he wants Nichang, he has to promise me that he will never take a wife or a concubine for the rest of his life!¡±Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°So many things have happened since we first came to Jiangnan. First it was Jiang Yu, then it was Mei canruo. Not to mention that some of the daughters of the eschatology family all want to become Xie Yun¡¯s wife and concubine. ¡°As the saying goes, how can a thief who has been a thief for a Thousand Days Guard against a thief the day before? Rather than guarding against those women who are scheming in the dark, why don¡¯t I let Nichang become the fair and aboveboard daughter of the Xie Family? Let¡¯s see who else dares to hurt her?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°But ruoyi, if even the Qiao family can¡¯t protect Nichang, what about the Xie Family?¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head and said, ¡°The Qiao family can protect Nichang, but it¡¯s impossible to guard against. And if Xie Yun is willing to stop taking wives and concubines for Nichang, then there¡¯s naturally no need to guard against some women in the dark.¡± Seeing that Qiao Ruoyi had made up her mind, Qiao Jinniang could only say that she had a different opinion. Nichang¡¯s third birthday was coming up. Qiao ruoyi first returned to Chang ¡®an to deal with Luo Wei¡¯s funeral and left Nichang in the Xie residence. Xie Yun planned to hold a birthday banquet when Nichang was three years old and announce to everyone that Nichang was his daughter. However, what made Xie Yun depressed was that after Qiao ruoyi left, Nichang still refused to change the way she addressed him as ¡®Daddy¡¯. She only addressed him as ¡®Uncle Xie¡¯. Tomorrow was the birthday banquet. Xie Yun specially ordered someone to buy osmanthus and glutinous rice sweet lotus root that both father and daughter loved from the Hundred Savory restaurant. He coaxed nichang to address him as ¡®Daddy¡¯. However, nichang pouted and said, ¡°You¡¯re not my daddy. My Daddy is Luo Wei. He¡¯s a very powerful general!¡± Xie Yun touched the little pinch on Nichang¡¯s head and said, ¡°You¡¯re my daughter!¡± ¡°No, mother said that I only have one father, Luo Wei! You are not my father, you are Uncle Xie!¡± Xie Yun really wanted to go and find Qiao ruoyi from Chang ¡®an. Was this the promise she made to return her daughter to him? Xie Yun said with a dark expression, ¡°I am your father, call me father. Otherwise, you are not allowed to eat this sweet lotus root!¡± ¡°HMPH!¡±Little Nichang walked up to Yan Yu and grabbed her hand. ¡°Aunt Yan Yu, I want my mother. I don¡¯t want to stay at Uncle Xie¡¯s house anymore. He is so fierce!¡± Xie Yun said to Yan Yu, ¡°Tell her that I am her father.¡± Yan Yu could only squat down and say to little nichang, ¡°Nichang, he is your father.¡± Niching tilted her head and said, ¡°Is mother going to remarry Uncle Xie? It¡¯s like brother Tang¡¯s mother remarrying him. He will call Uncle Tang father, right?¡± ¡°No.¡±Yan Yu did not know how to explain to niching. She had always been wise. Niching frowned and said, ¡°Since mother is not remarrying him, he is not my father. When will mother come to pick me up? My Birthday is tomorrow. She promised to give me a birthday gift!¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Xie Yun went over to little nichang and said, ¡°I am your father.¡± ¡°Father is mother¡¯s husband. You are not mother¡¯s husband.¡±Little Nichang lay in Yan Yu¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Aunt Yan Yu, I don¡¯t want to be here. I want mother!¡± Little Nichang said with a sobbing tone. Yan Yu said to Xie Yun, ¡°Family head Xie, Little Nichang is still a little young. She will understand when she grows up. Don¡¯t force her.¡± Xie Yun looked at the clear and cold tears in Little Nichang¡¯s phoenix-like eyes. He had no choice but to compromise. ¡°Uncle, uncle. It¡¯s getting late. You should rest early. We still have many guests tomorrow.¡± Little Nichang stretched out her small hand and held Xie Yun¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Uncle, sing ¡®Little Boat¡¯.¡± Xie Yun hugged little nichang and smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± Lan Xin and Yan Yu followed behind Xie Yun. Lan Xin said to Yan Yu, ¡°Master has never been so happy.¡± Yan Yu said, ¡°Nichang is no longer by my lady¡¯s side. I don¡¯t know how she will get over the pain of losing her husband. I also don¡¯t know how she will cry in Chang ¡®an. It was not easy for her to get over the grief of her aunt¡¯s death. This time, she will not be able to get over it for the rest of her life!¡± Lan Xin immediately shut her mouth and didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. The next day, at the Xie family¡¯s birthday banquet, because the guards of honor and the officials were still on the way, Qiao Jin and Lu Chen naturally didn¡¯t want to show their faces at this time. Therefore, the two of them only let little Lu Xi and Little Lu ang go to The Birthday Banquet for their cousin. Qiao Jin and Lu Chen went to the ancestral hall in Lin ¡®an Bo. This ancestral hall was built locally after Qiao Jin¡¯s parents were conferred the title of Emperor. When Qiao Jinniang entered and saw the memorial tablet, she knelt down and kowtowed heavily. Although this didn¡¯t make sense, she and Lu Chen were the only ones here who couldn¡¯t care so much. ¡°Father, mother, I¡¯m unfilial. I only came back to see you after seven years. After this visit, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have the chance to come to my hometown in Jiangnan in the future¡­¡± Lu Chen stood beside Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely have the chance to come back again in the future.¡± Qiao jinniang continued, ¡°Now that I have elder sister to do my filial duty for me, father and mother can rest assured in heaven.¡± At this time, it was raining profusely in Jiangnan. Just as Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were about to go out, they saw that it was raining heavily. It was useless to hold an oil-paper umbrella. Qiao Jinniang stayed in the ancestral hall and heard whispers coming from the side. ¡°I heard that the head of the Xie family just got a daughter!¡± ¡°I went to watch the show just now. That daughter called him Uncle in public.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only It should be two commoners who came to the ancestral hall to take shelter from the rain. Qiao Jinniang sighed when she heard that. ¡°Why does Xie Yun have to do this? Back then, he didn¡¯t want this daughter. Now, seeing how cute and clever she is, he wants to take her back. And ruoi actually gave her daughter back to him!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°A man ultimately values his own bloodline. Moreover, she is such a cute and clever daughter. Xie Yun¡¯s heart is not made of iron after all.¡± ¡°Back then, if he was willing to marry Qiao Ruo Yi, why would there be so many things? Now, Ruo Yi is deeply in love with Luo Wei. From her tone, I¡¯m afraid that she will not get married again in the future.¡±. ¡°Now that her only daughter has been given to Xie Yun, could it be that she will have to live a poor life in the future? ¡°She¡¯s only in her early twenties.¡± Chapter 373 When the royal ship was about to reach Lin ¡®an, Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen returned to the ship. When they arrived at the Lin ¡®an dock, they were kowtowed by all the officials and subjects of Jiangnan. The mighty momentum grew, and the Lin ¡®an city was also unprecedentedly lively. In Chang ¡®an, the Qiao residence was covered with white silk. Zheng Xiao and marquis an Yuan did not go with them. They stayed in Chang ¡®an to oversee things. After all, the northern desert kingdom on the border of Chang ¡®an had been quite stable. When Luo Wei¡¯s coffin arrived at the Qiao¡¯s residence, marquis an Yuan could not care less about the rule that the elders could not visit the deceased. He let out a deep sigh. Luo Wei and he were old friends. Back then, he had chosen Luo Wei as his son-in-law because of his excellent character. Over the past few years, Luo Wei had lived up to his expectations. With the help of the Qiao¡¯s, he had become a great general. Qiao ruoyi wore linen clothes and brought the coffin into the familiar courtyard. This courtyard had been moved over by her after her marriage. She had originally planned to move out. She did not have a good relationship with marquis an yuan, so they would quarrel whenever they met. It was Luo Wei who had persuaded her to stay in Marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. Luo Wei was more like a father¡¯s son than she was. He gave them the courtyard that was second only to Qiao Lui and Fu Lu. There were traces of Luo Wei in every blade of grass and every tree here. Although Qiao ruoyi and Qiao Jinniang were sisters, their preferences were very different. Qiao Jinniang loved the flourishing and beautiful scenery of flowers. Qiao ruoyi preferred leaves and did not like flowers, so Luo Wei planted all kinds of green plants in the garden that would not bloom. He also went to the deep mountains of the Qinling mountains and dug up a lot of mountain soil to plant bamboo and orchid grass. There were some red wild fruits on the mountain soil. When Qiao Ruoyi saw them last year, she thought they were weeds. Luo Wei told her that they were a kind of sour and sweet wild fruit. When he was still young and had not been adopted by the Luo family, he had relied on these wild fruits to feed his stomach. That was why he called them immortal fruits. Luo Wei said that he would be able to eat them this year. Now that Qiao Ruoyi saw the red wild fruit growing on the mountain soil in the courtyard, she thought that the dried tears were flowing down again. She went over to pick a red wild fruit and mixed it with her tears and put it into her mouth. ¡°Luo Wei, you¡¯re lying. This is clearly not sweet.¡± Seeing Qiao ruoyi like this, Zheng Xiao felt heartache and heartache. He said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°The courtyard you lived in before your marriage has already been ordered to be cleaned up. Don¡¯t live here anymore in the future. It will be sad if you see things and Miss People.¡± Qiao ruoyi cried, ¡°Mother, I miss him so much. I really miss him so much that he can get up and taste the wild fruit that he said was very sweet with me.¡± Zheng Xiao¡¯s throat was extremely sore. He let down his tears and said, ¡°Luo Wei must have a spirit in heaven that wants you to be happy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He told me in the end that he wanted me to live well. However, he is no longer by my side. I really can¡¯t Live Well.¡± Qiao ruoyi said with a lump in her throat. It had already been more than a month. Qiao ruoyi still could not accept this fact. ¡°Madam, fifth miss, the Xie family¡¯s head sent a post saying that he wants to meet fifth miss. Master Hou found out about this and took the whip out.¡± Zheng Xiao said anxiously, ¡°Is he afraid that the words of those scholars won¡¯t kill him?¡± Zheng Xiao quickly went out. An Yuanhou¡¯s eyes were red. When he saw Xie Yun at the door, he fiercely lashed out with the whip. An yuanhou had been practicing martial arts since he was young. In the past, he had killed countless enemies on the battlefield with this whip. Now that the whip had hit Xie Yun¡¯s tender flesh, it immediately cut through his silk round-collared robe, causing his flesh to split open. ¡°You still have the cheek to come to my Qiao family¡¯s door! All of them died because of you, Luo Wei. My daughter and granddaughter almost lost their lives in the hands of bandits!¡± An yuanhou lashed out with his whip again. ¡°You even took away ni Shang! Back then, it was you who didn¡¯t want to be responsible for Ruo Yi and her daughter. How can you have the face to come to my Qiao family now?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Zheng Xiao came out and held an Yuanhou¡¯s hand that was raising the whip. ¡°Enough. If you continue to beat him, someone will die.¡± An yuanhou was still unable to vent his anger. Xie Yun¡¯s body was burning from the two lashes, he raised his robe and half-knelt in front of an Yuanhou. ¡°Marquis, you are right. I, Xie Yun, can not shirk the responsibility of General Luo¡¯s death. I am willing to take fifth Miss Qiao as my wife so that General Luo can rest in peace in heaven.¡± Zheng Xiao let go of marquis an Yuan¡¯s hand. ¡°Marquis, go ahead and Fight!¡± What did Xie Yun just say? I did not kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me. Although Xie Yun was innocent in Luo Wei¡¯s death, he did die because of him. Zheng Xiao, who had a good temper, said angrily, ¡°Back then, you looked down on Ruo Yi as a concubine¡¯s daughter. You said that a concubine¡¯s daughter was only fit to be a concubine. Back then, Ruo Yi was pregnant and was ridiculed by others. It was Luo Wei who married her and protected her in every way. ¡°Luo Wei helped you raise your daughter. Now, you want to marry Ruo Yi in the name of letting Luo Wei rest in peace. What do you take our daughter of the Qiao family as?¡± Marquis an Yuan said, ¡°Back then, you looked down on the daughter of the Qiao family¡¯s concubine. Today, you are not worthy to be the daughter of the Qiao family¡¯s concubine. Luo Wei¡¯s corpse is not even cold yet. You said that you would marry his wife and let him rest in peace. Do you still have any face? ¡°Get lost. Don¡¯t appear in front of our Qiao family in the future. Also, hurry up and return Nichang. If she isn¡¯t sensible, I won¡¯t allow my granddaughter to become someone else¡¯s!¡± Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°Nichang is my daughter.¡± ¡°Bah!¡±Marquis an Yuan said in a bad mood, ¡°Nichang¡¯s surname is Qiao. Men, chase him away. In the future, don¡¯t let him come within five miles of our Qiao family. Once he comes near, beat him fiercely!¡± .. Luo Wei¡¯s body could not be left unburied anymore. Therefore, he was buried in the middle of April. Luo Wei was originally a little beggar. He had no parents, and the Luo family did not have any ancestral graves. Therefore, he was buried in the ancestral grave of the Qiao family. Along the way, Qiao ruoyi cried and fainted countless times in the sedan chair. When she reached the ancestral grave of the Qiao family, she saw the gold-thread nan mu coffin being nailed up and placed into the tomb chamber. Qiao ruoyi followed him into the tomb chamber and lay on the coffin for a long time, unwilling to go out. After she went out, in order to prevent tomb robbers, the tomb chamber here would be completely filled with large stones and soil. She really could not see Luo Wei again. Hearing the voice of Little Nichang calling for her mother at the entrance of the tomb chamber, Qiao Ruoyi just went out. After she went out, dozens of people carried a large stone and completely sealed the tomb chamber. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife when she saw the big rock. It was a magnificent scene in early summer, but it made her feel extremely cold. Nichang broke free from Xie Yun¡¯s hand and ran to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s side. She kept calling for her mother, which made Qiao Ruoyi come back to her senses. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao ruoyi squatted down and hugged nichang. ¡°Nichang.¡± Little Nichang asked, ¡°Mother.¡± Qiao ruoyi raised her eyes to see Xie Yun and said, ¡°When I promised to give Nichang to you, I didn¡¯t know that father and mother would be so unwilling. I¡¯m afraid I have to go back on my word.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s only willing to call me uncle now. Only if you agree to marry me will nichang be willing to call me father. ¡°Once you¡¯re willing to marry me, marquis an Yuan and the Marquise naturally can¡¯t stop Nichang from entering my xie residence.¡± Hearing this, Qiao Ruoyi raised her hand and fiercely slapped Xie Yun¡¯s face. ¡°This is in front of my husband¡¯s grave, my husband has just been buried!¡± Chapter 374 Qiao Ruoyi looked fiercely at Xie Yun and said, ¡°My husband just died and you said you wanted to marry me. What do you take me for?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Luo Wei¡¯s last words before he died were that he hoped you could live well. Nichang needs a father!¡± Qiao ruoyi held Nichang¡¯s hand and ignored Xie Yun, bringing nichang onto the sedan chair. Nichang obediently did not say a word as she got onto the sedan chair. However, she still lifted the curtain from time to time to look at Xie Yun behind her. ¡°Mother, Uncle Xie¡¯s wound seems to be torn again. His clothes are covered in blood.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°He deserves it!¡± Back when Marquis an Yuan and Qiao Lui went to Xie Yun¡¯s residence, Xie Yun only said that he was willing to take her as a concubine. In fact, Qiao Ruoyi could understand. Firstly, she and Xie Yun hated each other. Secondly, she knew her own identity. Qiao ruoyi never blamed Xie Yun for not wanting to marry her at that time, but it was impossible for her to not Hate Xie Yun now. If it wasn¡¯t for Jiang Yu wanting to be his wife, Luo Wei wouldn¡¯t have died so young. He still wanted to marry her, it was simply a dream. .. The Xie family was in Chang ¡®an¡¯s villa. Lan Xin applied medicine on Xie Yun and said, ¡°Master, marquis an Yuan was too harsh. But if you really want to marry miss ruoyi, you shouldn¡¯t say it in such a charitable tone. Miss Ruoyi never wanted to marry you!¡± ¡°Back then, I told you that you would regret it, but you didn¡¯t believe me.¡± Hearing Lan Xin¡¯s words, Xie Yun frowned. Lan Xin continued, ¡°If you want to marry Miss Ruoyi as your wife, you should show your sincerity. You Shouldn¡¯t say that you want to marry Miss Ruoyi as soon as her husband died. Miss Ruoyi and her husband have a deep love for each other. It would be strange if you didn¡¯t get angry when you heard that!¡± After Xie Yun finished applying the medicine, she put on her robe and said, ¡°Come with me to the Qiao family.¡± Lan Xin asked nervously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that an Yuan Hou will give you a few more lashes?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Of course not.¡± .. Qiao Ruoyi returned to the courtyard before she got married. When she called Xiao Man out of habit, she realized that Xiao Man would never appear in front of her again. Yan Yu went forward to support Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Miss, please rest for a while. You haven¡¯t slept for two days and two nights. If my son-in-law sees you like this, he will definitely not be at ease.¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. After she closed her clothes and lay down, she seemed to have lost all her strength. Her face was pale as she lay on the bed. That night, she had a high fever. When the imperial physician from the palace came over, he gave Qiao ruoyi a lot of medicine. However, Qiao Ruoyi was so dizzy that she could not even take the medicine. Zheng Xiao could not help but be anxious. He thought of many ways but could not feed her the medicine. When Little Nichang saw that Qiao ruoyi had fainted, she saw the imperial physician give Qiao ruoyi a needle. She huddled in Zheng Xiao¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Grandmother, mother¡¯s needle hurts.¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°The injection is for your mother to wake up as soon as possible.¡± Zheng Xiao remembered that after Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s aunt passed away, she had not been so sad. Perhaps there was a saying that said that grief was no greater than death. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Ever since Qiao Ruoyi returned to Chang ¡®an, she had been very haggard. However, the funeral was not over yet, so she had to hold her breath. Now that Xiao Man and Luo Wei had been buried in peace, it was no wonder that Qiao Ruoyi had become so ill. The imperial physician was anxious. Even needles were useless. Seeing that Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s fever was getting worse and worse, the medicine did not work. The imperial physicians racked their brains to write down the prescription, but it did not have much effect. The white silk in the Hou mansion had not been removed. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s long hair was still covered with white velvet flowers. Her room was filled with a dead atmosphere. Zheng Xiao was anxious. He held the hand of an old imperial physician and said, ¡°Imperial physician, please save Ruoyi. She is so young¡­¡± The imperial physician said helplessly, ¡°Miss Qiao doesn¡¯t have the energy to live anymore. The Qi in her body has dissipated. I¡¯m afraid that she doesn¡¯t have much time left¡­¡± Zheng Xiao shook his head and said, ¡°How could she? There¡¯s still nichang. Her aunt¡¯s life hasn¡¯t been announced yet. How could she bear to die?¡± Zheng Xiao walked up to Qiao Ruoyi and held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand. ¡°Ruoyi, as long as you wake up, I promise you to give your aunt a life. Nichang is so young. Can you bear to see her without a Mother?¡± ¡°Ruoyi, wake up!¡± Xie Yun, who was on the roof of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s house, frowned when he heard the words from below. Lan Xin listened to the words from below and asked nervously, ¡°Master, what should we do?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°She will not bear to let go of Nichang.¡± The imperial physician said that Qiao Ruoyi did not have much time left, so the members of the Qiao family in Chang ¡®an all came to visit. Old Lady Qiao wanted to avoid the funeral, but when she heard that Qiao Ruoyi did not have much time left, she ignored her and came over with a warm filial piety. Old Lady Qiao walked to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s side and looked at the pitiful nichang in Zheng Xiao¡¯s arms. She sighed and said, ¡°Sigh, how could God be so blind? It¡¯s not enough that he took Luo Wei away, but he even took ruoyi away!¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Mother, the imperial physician said that Ruoyi doesn¡¯t want to live anymore. It can be seen how much pain Luo Wei has caused her after he passed away. It¡¯s all because of Xie Yun!¡± Old Madam Qiao held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ruoyi, quickly wake up. When you wake up, grandmother will personally go to his majesty and ask for your aunt¡¯s life. Also, are you willing to let Nichang lose her mother at such a young age?¡± When she held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand, old madam Qiao noticed that there was something wrong with Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s nails. There were streaks of blood on Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s nails. Her nails were uneven and shockingly tight. Old Madam Qiao opened Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s tightly closed eyelids and looked at Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s cloudy eyes. She said in shock, ¡°Ruoyi is not sick, she must have been poisoned!¡± ¡°Poisoned?¡±Zheng Xiao said in shock, ¡°The Miao region has very strict control over gu worms. There are less than five people who know how to use Gu worms now, how could anyone dare to use Gu Worms on ruoyi? Aren¡¯t they afraid of destroying the entire Miao region?¡± Old madam Qiao said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be wrong. It¡¯s Gu Worms. When I accompanied the old marquis in the southwest, I saw the scene after being poisoned. I will write a letter to the chief of the Miao region and ask her to come to Chang ¡®an as soon as possible!¡± Zheng Xiao said, ¡°It will take half a month for the Miao region to go back and forth to Chang ¡®an, but I¡¯m afraid Ruoyi won¡¯t be able to hold on much longer!¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s breathing was much less and her breathing was much less! Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Old Madam Qiao sighed and said, ¡°But there is no other way now. We can only send someone to use the thousand-mile horse to bring the chief to Miao. Otherwise, Ruoyi will also die.¡± Zheng Xiao immediately ordered people to use the thousand-mile horse in the manor and wrote a very urgent letter. He handed it to the guards to go to Miao. Xie Yun came down from the roof and entered the door, ¡°Old Madam, Madam Hou.¡± Zheng Xiao saw Xie Yun enter and frowned: ¡°How dare you trespass into the manor? Where are the guards?¡± Xie Yun said: ¡°Madam Hou, don¡¯t be anxious, I have a way to help fifth Miss Qiao remove the Gu, Why don¡¯t you let me take a look at the Gu worm on fifth Miss Qiao¡¯s body?¡± Chapter 375 Lan Xin followed in and said, ¡°My master was also poisoned by the Gu when he was young. If Miss Ruoyi¡¯s life is hanging by a thread, why not let my master take a look at her?¡± Old Madam Qiao nodded and said to Zheng Xiao, ¡°Now we can only treat it as a last resort.¡± Xie Yun walked forward and looked at the black lines on Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s fingernails. He asked Yan Yu who was beside him, ¡°When did the blood lines on your miss¡¯s fingernails start to appear?¡± Yan Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s been four years. At the beginning, it was only superficial and there was only one finger. After seeing the imperial physician, I thought it was because miss was under too much pressure in the imperial court. In these two years, it gradually increased. There was nothing else, so I used flower juice to dye my fingernails. The Big Red Dan Kou covered the blood lines on my fingernails.¡± Lan Xin said from the side, ¡°Four years ago? Master, could it be that on that day, the GU poison on your body ran into Miss Qiao¡¯s body?¡± Xie Yun frowned. That day, after Qiao Ruoyi got out of the water, there were wounds on her body, and they were so intimate. Perhaps the GU worm had really entered Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s body at that time. Xie Yun said to Yan Yu at the side, ¡°Go and get a bowl.¡± Yan Yu placed a white porcelain bowl in front of Xie Yun. Xie Yun cut open his own hand and dripped the blood into the bowl. Then, he passed the blood in the bowl to Yan Yu and let Yan Yu serve Qiao Ruoyi to drink it. After Qiao Ruoyi drank the blood in Xie Yun¡¯s hand, she slowly woke up. The imperial physicians at the side were all amazed. A person who was about to die could actually wake up after using the blood. Old Madam Qiao held her walking stick and asked Xie Yun, ¡°What¡¯s going on? If she was poisoned four years ago according to what you said, why did the poison take effect at this time?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°The poison I was poisoned with was the ice silkworm Gu, a hundred-year poison gu passed down from the Xie family¡¯s ancestors. The second branch, in order to get the Xie family¡¯s property, poisoned me when I was young.¡± Old Madam Qiao had never heard of a Gu like the ice silkworm gu, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Miao region¡¯s Gu?¡± Xie Yun slowly explained, ¡°In the three hundred years since the founding of the Western Liang Kingdom, the Miao region has been in constant warfare, and the southwest has never settled down. There are many gu worms that have long been lost in the Miao region. Back then, there was an ancestor who liked gu worms. After collecting some Gu worms that had not died for thousands of years, he ordered people to keep them. The ice silkworm Gu was a kind of poisonous worm on the Tianshan Mountain. It was extremely precious and only appeared once every ten thousand years. Usually, it needed to be kept in an ice box made of thousand-year-old ice, and its toxicity was very strong. ¡°Back then, after I was poisoned, the medicine stone did not work. I met a Divine Doctor Who gave me the fire lotus grass, which could suppress the ice silkworm gu once every ten thousand years. That was how I was able to suppress the poison of the ice silkworm Gu. ¡°I once asked the Miao Jiang tribe leader to remove the ice silkworm gu left in my body. They said that they had no way to remove the king of the GU that had existed for hundreds of years. However, they probed the GU worm in my body and said that the fire lotus had already fused into my bloodline, ¡°The ice silkworm gu was useless even in my body. ¡°They searched through several ancient books and found that if the ice silkworm gu found a new host, the host would coincidentally have a wound on his body. Perhaps he would leave my body by himself. I just didn¡¯t think that it would end up in Miss Qiao Wu¡¯s body.¡± Old Madam Qiao asked, ¡°Then why is the poison acting up now?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°The ice silkworm Gu has been suppressed by the Fire Lotus in my body for a long time, so its poison is naturally not as strong as before. This time, it is probably because Miss Qiao is too sad and is not feeling well, which caused the ice silkworm gu to act up.¡± Zheng Xiao asked anxiously, ¡°Then is there still a fire lotus?¡± Xie Yun shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where that fire lotus came from. Moreover, that Holy Doctor said that the fire lotus is a once in a thousand years life, and is specially created to control the ice silkworm gu that comes once in a thousand years.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s long hair was draped over her shoulders. She held the quilt tightly and cried, ¡°Grandmother, mother, I don¡¯t want to die yet. I Can¡¯t bear to part with Nichang and the rest of you.¡± She looked at Xie Yun and said, ¡°Why do you want to harm me like this? It¡¯s not enough to harm Luo Wei, even I can¡¯t live for Long!¡± Qiao ruoyi thought that she had only been promoted to Assistant Minister of the Ministry of appointments for less than three months, and she still wanted to display her strength and work for the people. Also, Nichang¡¯s birthday was just over three years old.. She was really unwilling to accept this! ¡°Good news.¡± Fu Lu hurriedly came in from outside. ¡°Ah Lu and I were just about to go to the Miaojiang to bring their chief here when the Miaojiang Elder happened to come to Chang ¡®an.¡± The Miaojiang Elder entered and bowed to old madam Qiao and Zheng Xiao. ¡°Old Madam, Madam Hou, I came under the Order of the chief to contribute to the imperial court. I didn¡¯t expect that His Majesty was not in Chang ¡®an. I also heard that the fifth miss of your house was poisoned by a Gu.¡± Old Madam Qiao said, ¡°Yes, I will have to trouble you to take a good look at my granddaughter.¡± The Miaojiang Elder walked up to Qiao Ruoyi and looked at the blood on her finger, he said, ¡°This is the ice silkworm Gu! According to the ancient records, the only thing that the ice silkworm gu can counter is the fire lotus. However, the fire lotus has already been given to the eldest daughter of the Xie family! ¡°That¡¯s not right. I heard that the Xie family¡¯s eldest daughter has already died in Miaojiang. Shouldn¡¯t the ice silkworm gu have died along with the Xie family¡¯s eldest daughter? ¡°How did it end up with fifth miss? ¡°The ice silkworm gu can not be transferred unless the flesh touches the wound for four hours.¡± Old Madam Qiao continued to ask, ¡°Is there no way to save my granddaughter now?¡± The Miaojiang elder sighed and said, ¡°If the Xie family¡¯s daughter-in-law was still alive and there was still a way to save her, then the Xie family¡¯s daughter-in-law had consumed the fire lotus. Her blood is the antidote to the ice silkworm Gu. She only needs to take it once every half a month. Unfortunately, the Xie family¡¯s daughter-in-law has already passed away.¡± Not many people knew about the incident with Xie Yun back then, and the Elder was far away in Miaojiang and did not know about it either. After Zheng Xiao sent the elder away, old madam Qiao said to Xie Yun, ¡°Xie family head, ruoyi being poisoned by the Gu is also an undeserved disaster.¡± Xie Yun looked at the thin and frail Qiao ruoyi on the bed and said, ¡°Old Madam, don¡¯t worry. I will donate blood to Miss Qiao Wu every half a month until I am a hundred years old.¡± Lan Xin said, ¡°Master, your body wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand so much blood every half a month! Using such a method, I¡¯m afraid that you and Miss Ruoyi won¡¯t be able to live for many years!¡± Xie Yun reprimanded Lan Xin, ¡°Noisy.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Fu Lu said from the side, ¡°This servant girl of yours doesn¡¯t protect master like this. Ruoyi is a Gu worm because of Xie Yun. So what if Xie Yun gives all his blood to Ruoyi?¡± Lan Xin said slowly, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. When I was young, I also read the ancient records of the ice silkworm Gu in the Miaojiang. It was recorded that after the ice silkworm gu was transferred, if the person who consumed the fire lotus was a man, his blood essence could suppress the poison of the ice silkworm Gu. There¡¯s no need to donate blood. Even if we become husband and wife, we can still suppress it¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°If master Xie is afraid of losing his life and is unwilling to donate blood, I won¡¯t force you. I only hope that master Xie can treat nichang well after I pass away. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off even if I become a ghost!¡± Xie Yun¡¯s phoenix-like eyes slightly twitched. ¡°That was what Lanxin said, not what I meant. Don¡¯t worry, I will only donate blood to you. I Won¡¯t force you to do anything!¡± Chapter 376 It was already summer in Jiangnan, but the rain still did not stop. It rained almost the whole month, and the rain continued until the dragon boat festival approached. It had been several days since they arrived in Lin ¡®an, and glutinous rice was getting married. Glutinous rice was married to a young constable from the Lin ¡®an government who often came to eat at the Hundred Savory Restaurant. She was the same age as glutinous rice, and she often played with him when she was young. Later on, glutinous rice followed her to Chang ¡®an, and when she returned to Lin ¡®an, she became the eldest daughter of the Qian family. The constable did not dare to play with glutinous rice again. However, when glutinous rice and Qiao Ruoyun reopened the Jiangnan Hundred Savory restaurant, she was schemed against by Zhou Shihui. Glutinous rice went to the constable and recognized her childhood playmate. The two got along well. The constable¡¯s family had some savings. Although it was not a wealthy family, it was rare that they had known each other since childhood. It was much better than glutinous rice marrying a family of equal status. Moreover, to be able to become a constable at such a young age, one¡¯s future was boundless. On the day of glutinous Rice¡¯s wedding, Qiao Jinniang went to the Qian Estate. When Qiao Jinniang saw quanfu person combing glutinous rice¡¯s hair, she said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± Quanfu person respectfully handed the comb over to Qiao Jinniang. Glutinous rice hurriedly stood up and said, ¡°Master, how can I let you comb my hair!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve been combing my hair for more than ten years. I¡¯ll only comb it for you this time.¡± Only then did glutinous rice sit down. When Qiao Jinniang was combing glutinous rice¡¯s hair.., with a faint smile, she said, ¡°After you marry her, don¡¯t make yourself feel wronged. If you have any unhappiness, just tell your uncle. If your uncle doesn¡¯t want to care, just write to me, understand?¡± Glutinous rice nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± When sending glutinous rice off to get married, Qiao Jinniang was really reluctant. When glutinous Rice¡¯s groom came to welcome the bride and kneel before her, Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Treat glutinous rice well in the future. If you dare to make her suffer her duty, I will not forgive you!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry. I will treat glutinous rice well.¡± When the groom took the bride away, it was almost dusk. The officials who came to the Qian family for dinner knew that the servant girl of the Qian family¡¯s eldest daughter, the empress, was only married to a small constable, so they were all puzzled. In the evening, in the Qiao family¡¯s small house behind the Hundred Savory Restaurant. Lu Chen saw Qiao Jinniang sitting on the swing in the small courtyard and swinging on it. He walked to her side and said, ¡°I asked you to come to Jiangnan to hope that you would be happy. Glutinous Rice¡¯s marriage is a happy event.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I just remembered the scene when I played with glutinous rice when I was young, and I was quite moved by it. After glutinous rice got married and died, I¡¯m afraid she will leave Lin ¡®an in a few days, right?¡± She would not go back to Chang ¡®an first after leaving Lin ¡®an. Instead, she would travel around Jiangnan to see the local customs and folk scenes. Lu Chen said slowly, ¡°There¡¯s still a chance to come to Lin ¡®an again.¡± Qiao Jinniang pulled Lu Chen to a acacia tree and said, ¡°The fire at that time didn¡¯t burn down the acacia tree. Our hair is still under it. Do you want to dig it up and take it to Chang ¡®an?¡± Lu Chen smiled. ¡°No need. Let¡¯s leave it here. Do you still remember the scene when we buried the knot?¡± Qiao Jinniang also smiled. ¡°Of course I do. Do you still remember when we first met?¡± Lu Chen nodded. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°At that time, my father lied to you that you were my son-in-law. I didn¡¯t expose my father because I thought that you were worthy to be my son-in-law with your looks. However, not long after, you exposed me¡­ at that time, you were still unwilling to marry me!¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist and said, ¡°If I could go back to ten years ago, I wouldn¡¯t have exposed that you were not my son-in-law. I would have said that I wanted to marry you when I saw you!¡± .. Ten years ago. In Lin ¡®an city. Qiao Jinniang, who was only fifteen years old, sent away a group of guards who came to the restaurant to check on people. She sat in the deserted lobby of the restaurant and sighed with her hands resting on her cheeks, ¡°These guards don¡¯t go to the river to save the victims. They only come to our restaurant to check on people every day. Every time they come to check on people, they ask me to give them money!¡± Fennel whispered, ¡°Little master, I heard from the tofu elder Zhang next door that a noble who came to Chang ¡®an for disaster relief has gone missing. These guards have to come and search one batch after another. Maybe they are here to find that noble.¡± ¡°Miss, the Little Langjun who came back with you and the master has woken up!¡±With her hair in a bun, glutinous rice hopped over. Qiao Jinniang followed glutinous rice to the Qiao family¡¯s small courtyard on the back street of Baiwei building with an umbrella in hand. Inside, she saw a man who had changed into a new set of clothes. When she had rescued him from the water yesterday, even though he looked extremely wretched, she could tell that he was a first-class handsome man. She had grown up in a restaurant and had seen all sorts of people from all over the world. This was the first time she had seen a man with the appearance of a banished immortal described in a book. Inside, Father Qiao, who had a weak body, coughed twice and asked the youth in front of him, ¡°You don¡¯t Remember Your Past?¡± Lu Chen felt a splitting headache. He could not remember what had happened earlier. He only remembered his birth date and eight characters. He remembered his name, but he could not remember anything else. Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°Where are we now? Who Are You?¡± Father Qiao¡¯s tanned face was slightly red from the smoke. He had always been honest and would not lie. But this time, he had to lie for the sake of the Jin Niang. Father Qiao coughed twice and said, ¡°I am the manager of the Hundred Savory restaurant in Lin ¡®an. You are the son-in-law of my Qiao family. Yesterday, you played too much and fell into the water. You fainted for a day and a night. I did not expect you to forget what happened earlier after you woke up.¡± ¡°Son-in-law?¡±Although Lu Chen had lost his memory, he subconsciously knew what it meant. When Qiao Jinniang heard the words ¡®son-in-law¡¯, she quickly went in and said, ¡°Father!¡± Father Qiao held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Well, this is my daughter, also your wife.¡± Lu Chen looked up at the young girl in front of him. The young girl, Shang Shan, was wearing a white and green color. Her chest-length dress was light pink. The silver butterfly wings on her head moved slightly as she walked, making her look extremely agile. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Jinniang said to father Qiao, ¡°Father, if your body is not well, you should quickly go back and rest. The Doctor said that your illness is not suitable for you to worry about. Your Daughter has already grown up, so you can rest assured. I will definitely not hand over the hundred savory restaurant to the Qiao family.¡± After Lu Chen sized up Qiao Jinniang, he retracted his gaze. Her voice was soft and soft, but why would he agree to be a child¡¯s son-in-law? Thinking about it, Lu Chen¡¯s head hurt badly. After Qiao Jin helped Father Qiao out of the guest room where Lu Chen was staying.., she said to father Qiao, ¡°Father, why did you choose a man with an unknown background to be my son-in-law? He has forgotten about his future. What if he was already engaged in the past?¡± Father Qiao said, ¡°Father also saw that he was handsome. As long as he is worthy of you, those matchmakers would rather listen to the clan and find a son-in-law.¡± Chapter 377 Qiao Jinniang sighed when she heard this. A year ago, her parents had been lingering on the sick bed. In the past few days, her father had been vomiting blood continuously. Even the Doctor said that her parents would not be able to last through the new year. Her parents had no children, and she was the only daughter. Her daughter could not inherit the family business, and the Qiao family was eyeing her like a tiger watching its prey. In the past year, who knew how many times they had come to cause trouble. A few days ago, she had heard from the doctor that her parents were seriously ill, and she had even proposed to let Qiao Wei be her parents¡¯son, her brother-in-law. For this reason, her parents had proposed to find a son-in-law for her. Most of the men recommended by the matchmaker were either incompetent, ugly, or physically ill. Now that her days were better, no good man would be willing to marry into a family with many sons in the countryside, as long as they did not starve to death? The background of the man inside was unknown and no one knew what his character was. However, the only thing that stood out was his good looks. If such a beautiful man was placed in the Hundred Savory restaurant, perhaps the business of the restaurant would be much better. .. Three days after Lu Chen woke up, he could get out of bed and walk. When he went out, he looked at the dazzling sun and the scene of a flood washing over the village flashed through his mind. He had a terrible headache and heard the soft laughter coming from the courtyard. He walked over and saw Lady Qiao picking the lotus seed pod in the small pond in the courtyard. She was standing on a stone and trying to reach the lotus seed pod in the pond. After removing the lotus seed pod, she smiled and said to the maid, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this lotus seed pod for a long time. I can finally take it off.¡± Unexpectedly, she lost her balance and almost fell into the pond. Lu Chen hurried over and pulled Qiao Jin back to the shore. Qiao Jin smiled at Lu Chen and said, ¡°Thank you. Can you get out of bed now? The Doctor said that you¡¯d better stay in bed and rest for a while. Here, have a taste of the lotus seed I planted myself.¡± Qiao Jin peeled off the lotus seed pod and took out the emerald green lotus seeds. Lu Chen took the lotus seeds and was about to stuff them into his mouth. Qiao Jinniang quickly reached out and snatched the lotus seed back from Lu Chen¡¯s hand. ¡°I forgot that you lost your memory. This lotus seed needs to be peeled off.¡± Lu Chen saw Qiao Jinniang peel off the skin of the lotus seed with a Dan Kou coated with flower juice, revealing the white flesh of the lotus seed inside. Qiao Jinniang passed the White and tender flesh of the lotus seed to Lu Chen. ¡°Here, you can eat it now.¡± Lu Chen lowered his head and took a bite of the lotus seed meat in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. He only felt that the lotus seed meat had a refreshing sweetness to it. Although he had lost his memory, the lotus seeds he remembered were bitter. He had never thought that the lotus seed would be so sweet. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly used her silk handkerchief to wipe the palm that Lu Chen had touched. She peeled another lotus seed for herself to eat. After eating a few, she turned around and saw the eager eyes of the youth. Qiao Jinniang quickly hid the lotus seed. Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± Mother Qiao coughed and came over. She said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Jinniang.¡± ¡°Mother!¡±After seeing mother Qiao, Qiao Jinniang quickly went over and smelled the medicinal smell on her body. She hurriedly said, ¡°Why are you out of bed? Didn¡¯t the doctor say that you should rest well?¡± Mother Qiao looked at Lu Chen, and her eyes lit up slightly. This young Langjun¡¯s appearance was much better than that of Marquis an yuan, whom she had served when she was young. It was just that she didn¡¯t know what his character was like. ¡°Mother is much better now, so I came out of bed to take a walk.¡± Qiao Jinniang supported mother Qiao and said, ¡°It just so happens that the weather is clearing up. Shall I help you walk around the courtyard?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Mother Qiao smiled lightly and patted Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand. ¡°Good girl.¡± Mother Qiao¡¯s body had always been in bad shape. After giving birth to her daughter, she had traveled all the way to Jiangnan. When she had just opened the restaurant, she had to do everything. Father Qiao and her were busy from dawn to dusk. They had to take care of the restaurant¡¯s business and also take care of their daughter. After two years, the business of the Hundred Savory restaurant had improved. The restaurant had also become bigger, and there were apprentices and waiters. However, mother Qiao had to worry about her life. She had to work hard from dawn to dusk. Qiao Jinniang helped mother Qiao admire the lotus flowers on the veranda. She could not help but feel a little uncomfortable. The saddest thing in the world was that one¡¯s son wanted to take care of his family but could not stay with them. Mother Qiao took a seat under the veranda at the side and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Your father said that the young Langjun is good-looking and has no one to rely on and nowhere to go. He is the perfect candidate to be your son-in-law. What do you think?¡± Qiao jinniang said shyly, ¡°I think it¡¯s quite good.¡± Father and mother did not have much time left. It was not easy for them to find a good-looking man with healthy limbs. Although he had forgotten about the past, he did not become a fool. It was extremely suitable for him to be her son-in-law. Mother Qiao smiled gently. ¡°That¡¯s good. Mother will give her last breath to hold a wedding for you. I Won¡¯t let you down.¡± Qiao Jinniang snuggled into mother Qiao¡¯s arms. ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± The next day, Qiao Jinniang, glutinous rice, and Lu Chen went to the wedding shop in Lin ¡®an city. It was full of shops for the wedding. Qiao Jinniang first went to look for a matchmaker. She was inexperienced, so it was good to have a matchmaker to advise her. The matchmaker saw Lu Chen¡¯s appearance. ¡°Good boy, Little Jinniang, where did you find this immortal? I¡¯ve seen many men in my life, and even those young men among the officials of Chu didn¡¯t have such looks!¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°This is my son-in-law.¡± ¡°Son-in-law? If you have a son-in-law, why did you ask me to find you a son-in-law earlier?¡± ¡°Aunt Wang, didn¡¯t I lose him earlier?¡±Qiao Jinniang lied with her eyes wide open. Walking into the tailor¡¯s shop, the old tailor¡¯s eyes also widened when he saw Lu Chen. He said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the youngest daughter of the Qiao Family?¡±? Time really flies. You were already so small when you first came to Lin ¡®an. Your parents put you in a restaurant. At that time, I said that this girl was beautiful when she grew up, and in the blink of an eye, she was going to get married.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and joked, ¡°Uncle Tailor, since you watched me grow up, you have to give me the best material. Don¡¯t Bury My Looks!¡± The tailor said, ¡°Haha, of course, of course. Your future husband is so beautiful. This material is Yun Jin, specially for the nobles in Chang ¡®an. I asked someone to get one from Chang ¡®an, but Lin ¡®an is far from Chang ¡®an. You can wear this material without any problems.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw the dragon and Phoenix patterns on Yun Jin and was extremely beautiful. ¡°How much silver is this material?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only The tailor said, ¡°You know that the cloud brocade is very expensive. I asked someone to collect a lot of silver. I originally wanted to sell it to the daughters of the officials, but now I¡¯m selling it to you at cost. Two hundred silver, and I won¡¯t charge the tailor fees.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll reserve the best seat for Uncle Tailor at the wedding banquet and give you more of the signature dishes of the Hundred Savory restaurant.¡± Lu Chen followed Qiao Jinniang along the way. He saw that Qiao Jinniang was extremely generous in spending money and had a good relationship with the shopkeepers in the various shops. It was also very refreshing to set things for the wedding. In the wedding cake shop, the eldest daughter of the Qiao Clan Head came to buy things for the wedding. She looked out and saw Qiao Jinniang Pass by the door. She walked to a shop that sold jewelry and stopped. A beautiful man followed by Qiao Jinniang. The eldest daughter of the Qiao clan head repeatedly went over and held her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother, do you think that¡¯s Qiao Jinniang?¡± Chapter 378 - . Lu Chen agreed to marry into the family Qiao er¡¯s wife looked out and slapped her thigh. ¡°Aiya, it really is that little hoof of Qiao Jinniang. Why did she come to this street? The man beside her is so good-looking. Why would she be willing to marry into the family?¡± ¡°Mother, let¡¯s hurry back and discuss with father. We can¡¯t let Qiao Jinniang really find a son-in-law. When that happens, we won¡¯t have a share in the Hundred Savory Restaurant!¡±! ¡°Look at the shop that Lady Qiao Jin went into. It¡¯s the only shop in Lin ¡®an city that sells gold jewelry. If she really marries now, wouldn¡¯t she be giving away all our money to someone else?¡± At the moment, gold jewelry could only be worn by the relatives of noble families, the royal family, or the family members of third-rank officials. However, since Huilin Emperor ascended to the throne, it was more open-minded. Therefore, the common people gradually began to wear gold jewelry. However, gold jewelry was expensive. It was not something that an ordinary family could afford. Even in the rich Lin ¡®an city, it was the only one. When dog two heard her daughter¡¯s words, it was also extremely anxious. It quickly went back to Qiao ergou to discuss the matter. When Qiao Ergou heard this, he said, ¡°That Qiao Yu is also a fool who thinks too highly of himself. Why did he give the old Qiao family¡¯s things to his daughter and a son-in-law with a foreign surname? !¡±! Wasn¡¯t there no one in Lin ¡®an city who was willing to be a son-in-law? Didn¡¯t that matchmaker Qian say a few days ago that many people wanted to marry Qiao Jinniang? However, all of them wanted to marry her, and none of them were willing to marry into the Qiao family. Those who were willing to marry into the Qiao family were either crippled or incapable of marrying into the Qiao family. There were also those who were poor and couldn¡¯t find a wife in their ugly family. Why would a handsome Langjun suddenly be willing to marry into the Qiao Family? ¡°There must be a problem!¡± Dog two said, ¡°I also feel that there must be something fishy going on. Go to the Hundred Savory restaurant and ask around.¡± Qiao ergou went to the Hundred Savory restaurant the next day. All the employees in the restaurant did not like him. Qiao Jinniang came to the Hundred Savory restaurant and saw Qiao ergou the moment she entered. She said grumpily, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Dog Qiao pointed at Qiao Jinniang and said in a louder voice, ¡°Is this your attitude when talking to the patriarch? I¡¯m your elder!¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. What Elder? He was just a vicious dog in human skin. His parents had not even passed away yet, yet he had rushed over to plot against the property of the heiress. It was simply a dream! Dog Qiao was immediately enraged when he saw Qiao Jinniang, ¡°I heard that you are getting married? I heard from Matchmaker Qian that you told matchmaker Wang that you have a son-in-law? How come we relatives don¡¯t know that you have a son-in-law?¡± Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Why would I tell you if I have a son-in-law? They are just relatives. Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t Disturb Our Hundred Savory Restaurant¡¯s business.¡± ¡°You!¡±Qiao Ergou was furious. Seeing that more and more people were coming to eat in the neighborhood, he had no choice but to leave first. He went to the Qiao family¡¯s small courtyard and saw Lu Chen coming out the moment he reached the courtyard¡¯s entrance. Lu Chen was already able to get out of bed. Although the doctor had told him to rest in bed, he still wanted to come out and take a walk. Perhaps, he felt that coming out and taking a walk would remind him of some past events. The past events were as blank as a piece of paper. The feeling of not being in control of it made him dislike it. When Qiao Ergou saw Lu Chen¡¯s appearance, he immediately knew that he was the handsome son-in-law of the Qiao family that his wife had mentioned. He looked like a pretty boy. When Lu Chen saw Qiao ergou sizing him up, he frowned and said, ¡°Who are you? Did you know me before?¡± ¡°You are Qiao Jinniang¡¯s son-in-law? When did you become the son-in-law of the Qiao Family? What¡¯s Your Name and where do you live?¡±? ¡°Let me tell you, the son of the County Master in Lin ¡®an city wants Qiao Jinniang to be his concubine. If you dare to marry Qiao Jinniang, you will either be cuckolded by the son of the prefect, or you won¡¯t have a good ending!¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Lu Chen frowned and looked at the shifty-eyed middle-aged man in front of him. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Qiao Jinniang¡¯s uncle. Her family has no conscience at all. They ignored the lives of their relatives and took over the Qiao family¡¯s property,¡±said dog Qiao, ¡°I advise you not to marry Qiao Jinniang. She has a bad temper. She often hits people with a broom and a rolling pin!¡± Lu Chen was a little curious. ¡°You are her uncle, but you don¡¯t know that Qiao Jinniang has a son-in-law?¡± Qiao ergou said, ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s so strange. Where did you come from? You Don¡¯t sound like a person from Lin ¡®an?¡± Although Qiao Yu and his wife had cooked for the hou men in Chang ¡®an when they were young, they had never left Lin ¡®an after returning to the city for so long. This son-in-law was not a person from Lin ¡®an. Lu Chen said, ¡°After I fell into the water, I woke up and forgot about what happened earlier.¡± Qiao ergou slapped his leg and said, ¡°Ah, you forgot about what happened in the past. That son-in-law must have been lied to by Qiao Yu and Qiao Jinniang, that Little B * TCH. Let me tell you, that Qiao Jinniang is very shrewd! ¡°I haven¡¯t heard her mention the son-in-law for so many years. Previously, she was still worried about finding a son-in-law!¡± Qiao Jinniang returned to the small courtyard from the Hundred Savory restaurant with the account book. When she saw Qiao ergou talking to Lu Chen at the door, she pulled Lu Chen¡¯s sleeve and walked in, instructing Butler Zhong to close the door. Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to Qiao Ergou in the future. What did he say to you just now?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°He said that the young master of the Lin ¡®an prefect wants to take you as a concubine?¡± Qiao Jinniang snorted. ¡°He¡¯s talking nonsense. I, Qiao Jinniang, will never be a concubine even if I die.¡± Lu Chen followed Qiao Jinniang to the side of the river in the small courtyard. At this time, the lotus flowers were blooming beautifully. Qiao Jinniang picked two flowers from the shore and planned to put them in a porcelain bottle in the room. Lu Chen said slowly, ¡°Just now, that person said that you and your father lied to me. I¡¯m not your son-in-law at all.¡± Lady Qiao¡¯s hand that was picking the lotus flowers paused. ¡°I told you not to listen to his nonsense.¡± Lu Chen stared at Lady Qiao and said, ¡°If you say that I¡¯m your son-in-law, then what do you say my name is? When is my birth date? How Old Am I this year? Where do I Live?¡± Lady Qiao was stunned by the question. ¡°I¡­¡± Lu Chen said two words fiercely, ¡°Liar!¡± After saying that, Lu Chen turned around and was about to leave the small courtyard. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly pulled Lu Chen¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Wait a minute, father and I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you. You haven¡¯t recovered from your illness yet, and you don¡¯t remember what happened before.¡±. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Now that the flood in Huizhou is serious and there are refugees everywhere in Jiangnan, and you don¡¯t have any silver on you, where are you going by yourself?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, You Little Liar!¡± Qiao Jinniang held tightly onto Lu Chen¡¯s sleeve and refused to let go, she said, ¡°Your Life was saved by me and father, so why can¡¯t we take care of you? ¡°If it weren¡¯t for us saving you, you would have died a long time ago. I spent a total of fifty taels of silver treating your illness. If you want to leave, you have to return the fifty taels of Silver First!¡± In Lu Chen¡¯s subconscious mind, fifty taels of silver was really not much, so he said, ¡°I¡¯ll return it.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°The salary of our staff in Hundred Savory Restaurant for a month is one tael of silver for food and lodging. You have to work in the restaurant for three years for this fifty taels of silver.¡± Chapter 379 - . Lu Chen agreed to marry into the family Lu Chen¡¯s face turned slightly pale. ¡°One tael of silver per month. After three years, it will be 36 taels of silver. This 50 taels of silver will take at least four years and two months.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Alright, four years then.¡± Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡±why did he dig a hole for himself to jump into? Qiao Jinniang saw Lu Chen¡¯s unwilling expression and said, ¡°You should know that most of the waiters in the restaurants in Lin ¡®an city only have a monthly salary of three taels of silver. If you go to Lin ¡®an city to look for them, the monthly salary I¡¯m giving you is already extremely high.¡± Lu Chen gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Four years it is.¡± Qiao Jin looked at Lu Chen¡¯s tender hands and took a look at his hands. ¡°Your hands are even more tender than mine.¡± Qiao Jin usually didn¡¯t do any rough work, but she loved to learn cooking skills from her parents, so her hands were somewhat thick. Lu Chen¡¯s hands were so tender that they were even softer than those of the embroidery girls. ¡°Your hands can¡¯t do the work of a waiter, but your arithmetic is excellent. Why Don¡¯t you help me settle the score?¡± Lu Chen kept withdrawing his hands, and his pale face was a little red. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a deal.¡± Just as Qiao Jinniang had said, he had nowhere to go now. He vaguely remembered his own name, and only remembered that an extremely gentle girl would call him Chen ¡®er, he also vaguely remembered his own birth characters. Other than that, he knew everything else. He had not recovered from his illness and was penniless. He did not even understand the local dialect. It could be said that he could not move an inch. .. Qiao Jinniang cooked a large table of medicinal food for her parents and brought it into the room. When the family was having their meal, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Father, mother, my marriage with that Little Langjun is not going to happen. Qiao ergou found that Little Langjun and exposed the fact that he is not a child¡¯s son-in-law.¡± Father Qiao sighed and said, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not Qiao Ergou¡¯s fault. It¡¯s good that we lied to him and exposed him. I¡¯ll go and Beg matchmaker Wang to find you a better son-in-law.¡± Mother Qiao said, ¡°Why don¡¯t We Sell Hundred Savory Restaurant? While we are still alive, we can give all the silver we have to the Jinniang as dowry.¡±. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for a scholar like the Jinniang to marry a scholar who took the imperial examinations? ¡°Why would we need to hire a man who doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing to make our Jinniang suffer?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Mother, the Hundred Savory restaurant has been your and father¡¯s hard work for many years. You¡¯ve been working hard for it for more than ten years and have fallen seriously ill. How can you sell it just like that? You absolutely can¡¯t ruin your hard work!¡± Mother Qiao sighed. ¡°But Jinniang¡­¡± Father Qiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to that Little Langjun later.¡± Lu Chen saw the meal that the housekeeper brought over. The Qiao family did not treat him harshly because he was unwilling to marry into the family. Hearing the coughing sounds coming from outside, Lu Chen walked out of the door and saw Father Qiao, who had a hunched back and an extremely pale face. Father Qiao walked in and said to Lu Chen, ¡°This Little Langjun, I was the one who made the decision to lie to you about being a child¡¯s son-in-law. I really had no choice! ¡°My wife and I have a daughter, and our relatives are no longer able to inherit the family business. Before my wife and I died, they were already eyeing us covetously. We originally wanted to find a husband for the Jinniang, but it¡¯s hard to find a husband these days ¡°Coincidentally, I saved you that day, so I lied to you. I truly think that your looks are good, and you¡¯re a perfect match for my Jinniang. ¡°My Jin Niang¡¯s looks and bearing are not inferior to those of the housekeeper¡¯s daughters. She knows her words and is well-behaved and sensible. She is a good wife that is hard to find even with a lantern.¡± Hearing this, Lu Chen said, ¡°Benefactor, I will always remember the favor of your Qiao family for saving me. However, I, Lu Chen, am a man, so I absolutely can not marry into your family.¡± Father Qiao sighed. ¡°Alright, then you should take good care of your body.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks However, the next day, Lu Chen was driven out of the small courtyard by Qiao Jinniang and lived in the backyard of the restaurant. There was a woodshed next to it. Qiao Jinniang brought over many old debts. ¡°Well, these are the debts you have to settle.¡± ¡°Do you still remember your name?¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°My name is Lu Chen.¡± ¡°Which Lu, which Chen?¡±Qiao Jinniang asked curiously. Lu Chen picked up a brush and wrote his name on a piece of white paper. Qiao Jinniang looked at it and said, ¡°That¡¯s strange. This Lu is the surname of the nation. There¡¯s also the word ¡®Chen¡¯. When your parents gave you your name, weren¡¯t they afraid that the royal family would know your name and Kill Your Head? ¡°Fortunately, the current emperor is a wise monarch. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able to keep your pretty little head.¡± Hearing the word ¡®His Majesty¡¯, Lu Chen felt that it was extremely familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember it. So, he focused on calculating the account book that Qiao Jinniang had brought over. He needed to pay off the medicine money as soon as possible and save some money so that he could leave this place. Qiao Jinniang saw that Lu Chen almost didn¡¯t use an abacus to calculate the accounts, so she asked curiously, ¡°Why don¡¯t you use an abacus?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Is this all that you need an abacus for?¡± Qiao Jinniang was calculating the accounts by the side, and then she saw that Lu Chen actually wrote down the figures without missing a single cent, she smiled and said, ¡°It seems that you are born to manage the accounts. Then I¡¯ll leave these accounts to you. I¡¯m going to go look for my husband.¡± Lu Chen was focused on calculating the accounts. After Qiao Jinniang left, the faint scent of Jasmine from her body was still left in the room. He remembered father Qiao¡¯s sorrowful words. Qiao Jinniang was indeed a pitiful person. Qiao Jinniang looked at the three men in a row and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She really didn¡¯t understand where this matchmaker found these speechless men. Back in the restaurant, Lu Chen came out with a stack of account books and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°The accounts have been calculated and recorded.¡± Qiao Jinniang flipped through them and answered sadly, ¡°Okay, you can leave them here. In the future, you can have dinner with the workers in the restaurant. You can also stay in the restaurant.¡± Lu Chen saw Qiao Jinniang¡¯s worried look and said, ¡°Did I miscalculate the accounts?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°It has nothing to do with you. I just saw a few disgusting men today. The first man who was over thirty years old entered Chang ¡®an to take the exam for ten years and sold out his family¡¯s land.¡±. ¡°He even said that he would be an official in the future. Marrying into the family is unfair to him. What¡¯s wrong with his shifty eyes? ¡°He even thought of selling the restaurant to accompany him to Chang ¡®an to take the exam after getting married!¡± Glutinous Rice said indignantly at the side, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the sake of the restaurant, miss could easily become an official¡¯s wife. Why would she marry someone who took the exam for ten years?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°As long as I didn¡¯t miscalculate the account.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Fennel said sternly, ¡°Then how did Wang matchmaker introduce such a person to Master?¡± Glutinous rice said indignantly, ¡°That one is still considered good. The second one is called disgusting. He is as thin as a bamboo pole and has a ring of black at the moment. He was brought here by his mother. Even when he drank a cup of tea, his mother would take away the tea foam for him¡­¡± Not only that, the people from the gambling house who were in the middle of the conversation came. It turned out that the man was originally from a wealthy family. After going to a brothel, he loved to play with women and Gamble. He owed a lot of money and wanted to marry into the Qiao family to pay off his debts. ¡°Miss and I are about to leave. He even said that if he didn¡¯t owe a lot of money, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to marry into Miss¡¯s family. It¡¯s so infuriating!¡± Qiao Jinniang sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Sigh, why is it so difficult to find a man to marry into the family?¡± Chapter 380 - . Lu Chen agreed to marry into the family Qiao Jinniang knew that her mother often coughed up blood these days. She heard from the woman who took care of her parents that her mother often coughed at night and woke up, so she didn¡¯t want to drag this on any longer. But looking at the men introduced by the matchmakers, she couldn¡¯t even find a tall man among the short ones. After much difficulty, she finally settled on a man who was the son of the second son in the family. His parents were in poverty and were seriously ill. Sister-in-law and brother did not want to take money to cure the illness. The younger brother was still studying in the academy and wanted to obtain a title. He had no choice but to agree to marry into the Qiao family. His appearance was average, and he was not tall. He could not read a single word, but he was hardworking and willing to work. Qiao Jinniang happily told her parents about this matter, and the waiters in the Hundred Savory restaurant also heard about it. Just as the Qiao family came to make a scene, Qiao Jinniang left with the workers of the Hundred Savory restaurant with brooms in hand. Dog Qiao said, ¡°I heard from the matchmaker that you have been looking for a husband for the past few days, but you haven¡¯t been able to find one. For the sake of being a relative, I advise you to have some self-awareness! ¡°The family has chosen a son for you. For thousands of years, there hasn¡¯t been any mention of a daughter inheriting the family business!¡± Qiao Jinniang held a rolling pin and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ve already found a son-in-law. If he marries into my Qiao family, he will become a member of my Qiao family. There¡¯s no need for you to meddle in other people¡¯s business. If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll report it to the authorities.¡± The Qiao family¡¯s relatives left dejectedly. Qiao ergou felt indignant as he walked, so he went to matchmaker Wang¡¯s house together. Matchmaker Wang was a matchmaker for the people of Lin ¡®an. She knew many people of all walks of life, so she was naturally not afraid of the Qiao family¡¯s relatives. She said in a cold voice, ¡°Qiao Ergou, you are really shameless. You are still alive, yet you want to eat your way out of the family. Bah!¡± Qiao Ergou¡¯s family was making a scene. Matchmaker Wang¡¯s husband could not stand it any longer, so he told Qiao ergou about Qiao Jinniang¡¯s son-in-law. Qiao ergou went to their house to make a scene. When he heard that it was someone whose parents were seriously ill and had to take care of their younger brother, he thought that the money that should belong to the Qiao family¡¯s Hundred Savory restaurant would be given to this little bastard. He also took out the son of the prefect to threaten her. This man was weak to begin with. When he heard that the son of the prefect was interested in Qiao Jinniang, how would he dare to be Qiao Jinniang¡¯s son-in-law? He immediately went to matchmaker Wang to reject the marriage. .. In the evening, the restaurant was bustling with activity. Qiao Jinniang hid in Lu Chen¡¯s house and rolled two eggs. Lu Chen looked at the red and swollen palm print on Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face and looked at her aggrieved eyes. He felt inexplicably uncomfortable. ¡°You really are too much. The husband and wife are fine. How can you persuade a pregnant woman to get a divorce?¡± Qiao jinniang said aggrievedly, ¡°Her child was just born not long ago, and she was pregnant with another one. Her husband either beat or scolded her, blaming her for not being able to give birth to a son. While pregnant, she still had to serve the whole family and eat. She was even beaten and scolded by her husband. So what if he persuaded her to get a divorce? Instead, she beat me up.¡± Qiao Jinniang rubbed the white egg and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about me hiding here and laying eggs, especially the anise, star anise, and glutinous rice. If father and mother find out about it, they will inevitably be worried.¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°Okay.¡± He did not say much. He looked at the account book while Qiao Jinniang rubbed the wound on her face with the egg and looked at the account book. Then, the little glutinous Rice¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Master, are you inside? Matchmaker Wang came and said that Qiao Ergou and the others went to look for the future son-in-law. The future son-in-law doesn¡¯t want to marry into the family.¡± Qiao Jinniang opened the door. ¡°What?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Besides, Qiao Ergou and the others came back and left Qiao Wei in the small courtyard. The Old Master and Madam are worrying in the small courtyard!¡± Qiao Jinniang looked in the mirror and saw that the swelling on her face had subsided. She applied lead powder to cover the bruise on her face. It was the busiest time in the Hundred Savory restaurant. Qiao Jinniang could only bring Lu Chen and a broom to hand to Lu Chen. ¡°Listen to my orders later. If I tell you to fight, fight. I¡¯ll give you an extra tael of silver this month!¡± Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± In the small courtyard of the Qiao family, Qiao Wei, who had triangular eyes and was brightly lit, was sitting in the hall. When he saw Qiao Jinniang, he called her sister. Qiao jinniang frowned and said, ¡°Who¡¯s your sister? Go back to where you came from. Our family won¡¯t take you in.¡± Qiao Wei knelt in front of father and mother Qiao and said, ¡°Uncle and aunt, you can keep me. If I go back, father and mother will beat me to death.¡± Father Qiao coughed twice. Seeing Qiao Wei crying miserably, he said, ¡°Forget it, forget it. You can stay. But you¡¯re not an heir. Just go to the kitchen of the hundred flavor restaurant and help out. I¡¯ll give you a silver monthly salary every month.¡± Qiao jinniang said unhappily, ¡°Father, why do you want to keep him here?¡± Father Qiao said to Qiao Wei, ¡°Go to the backyard of the Hundred Savory restaurant first and find an empty courtyard to live in.¡± Qiao Wei left happily. Father Qiao said helplessly, ¡°Jinniang, the Doctor said that Father and mother don¡¯t have much time left. He has to leave a way out for you. If you really can¡¯t find a husband to marry into, you can only rely on Qiao Wei.¡± Qiao jinniang pouted and said, ¡°Who needs her? Just those people. Last year, when the son of the prefect asked me to be a concubine, that Qiao ergou even took a large sum of money. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the lady of the Xie family helping me find the prefect, I would have long been sold by Qiao Ergou to the son of the prefect to be the 12th concubine!¡± Mother Qiao said sorrowfully, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t give birth to a brother to help Jinniang.¡± ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t think like that. Your daughter will definitely be more successful than your son!¡±Mother Qiao said, ¡°I will let the world know about the Hundred Savory Restaurant!¡± Mother Qiao¡¯s eyes were filled with worry and tears. Lu Chen looked at the three of them and felt a little touched.. After Qiao Wei stayed in the Hundred Savory restaurant, he treated himself like a young master. When Lu Chen was collecting the money, Qiao Wei went straight to the drawer of the accounts room to take the silver. One day, Qiao Jinniang happened to catch him. ¡°How dare you steal the silver from the Hundred Savory restaurant. The Hundred Savory restaurant can¡¯t keep people like you. Hurry up and return the silver. Go back to your own house!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Jinniang was furious when she saw Qiao Wei take a full one tael of silver. She knew very well the character of the Qiao family¡¯s relatives. When she was young, those relatives of the Qiao family wanted nothing more than to take everything from the Hundred Savory restaurant. If the restaurant was given to Qiao Wei and the Qiao family, they might lose it. Qiao Wei saw that there were more people around and reluctantly put the silver back into the distance. He hummed a tune and returned to the room in the backyard of the restaurant. Lu Chen was bored at night and strolled around Lin ¡®an city. When he returned to the restaurant, he saw Father Qiao. ¡°Benefactor, your body is not good. Why did you come to the restaurant so late?¡± Chapter 381 - . Lu Chen agreed to marry into the family Father Qiao looked around the Hundred Savory restaurant by Candlelight. ¡°There used to be only one small room in the Hundred Savory restaurant. The Hundred Savory restaurant grew up with the Jin Niang. The Jin Niang was here before she was a year old. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that I really don¡¯t have the energy to take care of the Hundred Savory restaurant and protect the Jin Niang. Lu Chen, even if I beg you, you might as well just be homeless and have no one to rely on. You¡¯ve forgotten what happened earlier. You said that you were born in 10 years of Hui Lin. If your birthday was earlier, you¡¯d be 17 years old. If it was later, you¡¯d only be 16 years old, at this age, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t have a wife before. Just marry the Brocade Lady. Heaven¡¯s will has already been decided. That day, the Brocade Lady and I went to the FA Xi Temple to seek marriage. When we came back, we met you on the river. Isn¡¯t this Bodhisattva¡¯s blessing?¡± Father Qiao¡¯s hands trembled as he held Lu Chen¡¯s hands. ¡°Please help us. If you recover your memory in the future, it¡¯s fine if you want to separate. Just let the Jin Niang have a son to rely on.. ¡°We won¡¯t be robbed of the family assets that we risked our lives for her!¡± Father Qiao trembled as he said and wanted to kneel down. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. On the account that we saved your life, will you agree to marry into the Qiao Family?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Benefactor, don¡¯t be like this. Please get up first. Let me think about it for one night.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡±Father Qiao looked exhausted. .. The next morning, Lu Chen was woken up by the noise outside. He heard Qiao Jinniang¡¯s beautiful voice. It was not as soft and soft as usual. It was the first time Lu Chen knew how sharp Wu Nong¡¯s soft language was. He could roughly understand the meaning of the dialect. ¡°Qiao Wei, how much silver did you steal from the account? And you ate the yellow croaker that was just brought from Yinzhou this morning before dawn? Do you know how rare that yellow croaker is?¡± Qiao Wei was dug out of his bed by Qiao Jinniang and the manservant in the Hundred Savory Restaurant, he said angrily, ¡°So what if I¡¯m hungry and eat a yellow croaker? I heard that Your Hundred Savory restaurant can earn over a thousand taels of silver a year. I only took two taels of silver. Do you need to come here so early in the morning to cause trouble?¡± Qiao jinniang said angrily, ¡°Even if the hundred savory restaurant earns over a thousand taels of silver, it¡¯s not yours. Hurry up and return the two taels of silver, or I¡¯ll take you to the authorities!¡± Qiao Wei spat, ¡°Qiao Jinniang, you¡¯re just a money-losing good. No one is willing to marry into your family! ¡°The Hundred Savory restaurant will be my property sooner or later. So what if I take some of my future money? ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve decided on a wedding dress worth two hundred taels of silver. So what if I take two taels of silver?¡± Qiao Jinniang was so angry that she was about to burst into flames. Qiao Wei continued to provoke her, ¡°Your parents are terminally ill. They might die tomorrow morning. When that time comes, even if you don¡¯t want to hand the Hundred Savory restaurant over to the Qiao family, you¡¯ll have to Scream!¡± Qiao Jinniang raised the rolling pin in her hand and fiercely knocked Qiao Wei¡¯s head, with red eyes, she said, ¡°Your parents are the ones who are going to die tomorrow. You cursed my parents, and I will beat you until even your own parents don¡¯t recognize you! Star anise, fennel, glutinous rice¡­ Go!¡± The maids and waiters in the Hundred Savory restaurant all took out their weapons and surrounded Qiao Wei, beating him until he let out a series of miserable screams, comparable to a butcher slaughtering a pig in his house. Qiao Jinniang beat him up, but she still didn¡¯t get over her hatred and said, ¡°Strip him of his clothes and throw him to the city gate!¡± Qiao Wei was stunned by the beating and was thrown out. Lu Chen opened the door and saw Qiao Wei, who was beyond recognition. He looked at Qiao Jinniang, who had her hair in a bun and her hairpin slanted. He did not expect this young lady to be so hot-tempered at the age of fifteen. Being a son-in-law had already lost the rigidity of a man. He could not bear to marry such a hot-tempered and Willful Tigress. Lu Chen thought that he should go to Father Qiao now and explain to him that he would repay the favor of saving his life. Even if he could not marry Qiao Jinniang, he would protect Qiao Jinniang. But at this time, he heard the sound of a woman crying from the opposite room. He entered and saw Qiao Jinniang sitting pitifully on the doorsill. She saw that he had a pair of bright deer eyes with tears in them. She was clearly crying, but Lu Chen could not see a trace of ugliness. The Beauty¡¯s tears were heartbreaking. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Lu Chen handed a handkerchief to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°You were clearly the one who beat her up, but you¡¯re still crying?¡± Qiao jinniang whimpered, ¡°He cursed my parents, but if I really can¡¯t find a husband to marry into my family, perhaps this hundred savory restaurant will really be given to him in the future. I¡¯m not convinced!¡± ¡°Whimpered¡­¡± Lu Chen squatted down and looked at Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Who said I can¡¯t find a husband to marry into my family? Don¡¯t Cry.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen and sniffled. ¡°Are you really willing to marry into my family?¡± ¡°Yes, Don¡¯t Cry, you poor thing.¡± Qiao Jinniang wiped her tears with a handkerchief and turned her tears into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not a poor thing, you¡¯re the poor thing. You Don¡¯t even remember your parents!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ve changed my mind!¡± Qiao Jinniang quickly grabbed Lu Chen¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Don¡¯t. You said you would marry into the family. You Can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± .. After father Qiao heard Lu Chen¡¯s reply, he was extremely happy. He was afraid that he and mother Qiao wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for long, and he was also afraid that the Qiao family would cause trouble, so the wedding date was set in a hurry. Ever since they were seriously ill, they had not even held a wedding banquet for Qiao Jinniang. Even when marrying into a family, they had to follow the six rites. However, the six rites had to come in a hurry. The day of the wedding was the same day as Qiao Jinniang¡¯s wedding. The clothes that Lu Chen was wearing at the beginning, Qiao Jinniang was afraid that she might be infected by the poisonous gas in the water, so she had thrown them away long ago. Fortunately, he still had a jade pendant that was not of such a good quality. This jade pendant made Lu Chen certain that he was not from a wealthy family. After all, this jade pendant could only be used as five silver coins. It could only be used to buy a silver hairpin. On the day of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s marriageable birthday, all the good sisters in the neighborhood came to celebrate. Lu Chen saw the exquisite jade hairpin that Qiao Jinniang¡¯s parents had prepared for her. Mother Qiao said, ¡°This jade hairpin was given to me by the old madam when mother was working in marquis an Yuan¡¯s estate. This was the hairpin that the old madam had brought when she was marriageable.¡± Upon hearing the words marquis an yuan, something flashed through Lu Chen¡¯s mind. It was extremely quick, but he could not grasp anything. After the banquet, Lu Chen went to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s room and placed the silver hairpin in her hands. ¡°Here, it¡¯s a marriageable gift for you.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°Thank you, brother Chen.¡± Lu Chen listened to her sweetly call him brother Chen and smiled. ¡°Shall I put it on you?¡± Qiao Jinniang gave the silver hairpin to Lu Chen, and Lu Chen gave the hairpin to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°It looks good.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Of course I look good.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I¡¯m talking about the hairpin!¡± Qiao Jinniang closed the door, her shy face burning up. .. In the Xie family of Jiangnan, Lan Xin walked up to Xie Yun and said, ¡°Master, master, that little shopkeeper of the Hundred Savory restaurant is getting married. I saw her future husband at her birthday celebration today, and he looks even better than you!¡± Chapter 382 Xie Yun took out the portrait of Qiao Jinniang that she had drawn when she was young. At that time, Qiao Jinniang was just a young little sister. Now, it was time for her to get married. Xie Yun could not tell what she felt in her heart. She only felt that a piece of her heart was missing. Not to mention that Qiao Jinniang was not suitable for the struggle for power in the aristocratic families, the Xie family was like a den of wolves and tigers for Qiao Jinniang. .. In the Qiao family¡¯s small courtyard, Qiao Jinniang had written quite a number of invitations. The neighbors had all agreed to it, but her classmates who had been with her for ten years had all accepted the invitations and had not replied to them. Qiao Jinniang was rather depressed. They had not seen each other for more than half a year, so why was she not willing to come on the day of her wedding? Sticky Rice was grinding for Qiao Jinniang at the side, ¡°Master, you¡¯ve invited so many people. Aren¡¯t you going to invite Miss Xie Yun?¡± Qiao Jinniang Thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve actually forgotten about her. It¡¯s the beginning of the New Year Tomorrow. I¡¯ll send her some pastries and personally hand her the wedding invitation.¡± The next morning, the sun was shining brightly. Qiao Jinniang entered the Xie residence and saw a beauty enjoying the shade under a tree. She held a bamboo scroll in her hand, looking as otherworldly as in an ancient painting. In front of such a peerless beauty, Qiao Jinniang could only feel ashamed of her inferiority. ¡°Miss Xie, this is a pastry for you. In two days, it will be my wedding day. The Hundred Savory restaurant will be closed for five days to hold the wedding. From the third to the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, they will hold a flowing water banquet in the Hundred Savory Restaurant. I hope Miss Xie will spare some time to attend the banquet.¡± Xie Yun looked at the pastry that Qiao Jinniang brought over. The pastry in the Hundred Savory restaurant was one of the best in Jiangnan. He slowly asked, ¡°Where did your son-in-law come from?¡± Qiao jinniang said honestly, ¡°He was rescued on the way. He should be a flood victim from Huizhou who was washed down by the flood.¡± Xie Yun frowned slightly and said, ¡°So it¡¯s a man of unknown origin. You actually want a man of unknown origin to marry into your family? Aren¡¯t you afraid that his character is not good?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly and said, ¡°He is very good-looking. I have never seen such a handsome man. More importantly, I have no other choice.¡± Qiao Jinniang had loved reading books since she was twelve years old. The stories of scholars and beauties falling in love in the books were very moving. She had heard Liang Zhu¡¯s story countless times since she was young and could not get tired of hearing it. She also yearned for a man who shared the same mind and loved each other. However, for the sake of the Hundred Savory restaurant, she could not wait any longer. After Qiao Jinniang left, Xie Yun ordered her subordinates to investigate Lu Chen¡¯s background. She found out that Lu Chen¡¯s background was really unknown. There was a vast sea of people, and his sudden appearance in Jiangnan really could not find anything. Lan Xin advised Xie Yun, ¡°Master, you like the little shopkeeper of the Hundred Savory restaurant so much. Are you really going to watch her marry a man who has nothing? That man doesn¡¯t even remember the past!¡± Xie Yun slowly said, ¡°Now the second and third uncle are eyeing my big house covetously.¡± Lan Xin said, ¡°Then you can also secretly raise the little shopkeeper of the Qiao family outside. When the time comes, you can marry her. With the Xie family protecting her, she will definitely be able to protect the hundred savory restaurant. You Don¡¯t have to be in a hurry to marry a man of unknown origin!¡± Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°You¡¯re talking too much.¡± Lan Xin sighed helplessly. ¡°Little shopkeeper Qiao is really pitiful!¡± Xie Yun closed the book impatiently. He could not marry Qiao Jinniang. Why not let Qiao Jinniang find a husband for her to marry into! At that time, he could also help Qiao Jinniang¡¯s husband and protect Qiao Jinniang for the rest of her life. .. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks With the wedding imminent, Bai Wei building was extremely busy. The day before the wedding, a good neighbor sister came to help Qiao Jinniang with her makeup. Qiao Jinniang heard the gossip from tofu elder Zhang¡¯s daughter in the room. It turned out that a son-in-law in Lin ¡®an city had abandoned his wife after he had gained the family business power. He had taken in concubines and killed his first wife, then, he made a fool out of his first wife¡¯s son. When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she was so scared that her face turned pale. Miss Zhang said in a low voice, ¡°When you get married tomorrow, you have to suppress that man. Otherwise, when he sees that you and your family are not helping you, and your parents are seriously ill, how can he bully you and humiliate you?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. It¡¯s said that looks are born from the heart. Lu Chen is so good-looking.¡± Miss Zhang nodded Qiao Jinniang¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯ve always liked good-looking things since you were young. It¡¯s important to know that one can not tell the heart from the face. It¡¯s difficult to paint the bone and paint the skin. This Hundred Savory restaurant can earn a thousand taels of silver a year. Which one wouldn¡¯t think of greed? You¡¯ve only known this man for how long? How do you know he¡¯s not this kind of person?¡± Qiao Jinniang felt that Miss Zhang¡¯s words made sense. She hurriedly held onto Zhang Jinniang¡¯s sister¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Then what should we do? I don¡¯t want to be killed by that time. My Son, who is implicated, will also be made stupid.¡± Zhang¡¯s sister said, ¡°When you get married tomorrow, give that son-in-law a hard blow. Force him to make the bridal sedan chair and diamond skirt. Hang the skirt on the door and let him walk under your skirt. At night, when you get married, let him wash your feet. ¡°On the first day of marriage, you were so tough. If you suppress him, he will listen to you in the future.¡± Qiao jinniang said slightly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that not good?¡± ¡°What¡¯s not good? If he can¡¯t marry you, he won¡¯t even have a place to go. You are the little shopkeeper of the Hundred Savory restaurant, but you have to marry him to inherit the family business. If you don¡¯t suppress him, he will definitely climb up to you in the future.¡± After Qiao Jinniang heard Zhang Jijie¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t want to be suppressed by Lu Chen in the future, so she began to plan for tomorrow¡¯s matter. On the night before the wedding, mother Qiao came over with a pale face and talked to Qiao Jinniang about how to get along with husband and wife. She even gave Qiao Jinniang a fire-proof diagram, ¡°Jinniang, mother really doesn¡¯t want you to have a child so early, but I hope you can have a child soon. This way, when your father and I aren¡¯t around, you¡¯ll still have a blood-related relationship.¡± Qiao jinniang bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Mother Qiao hugged Qiao Jinniang reluctantly and said, ¡°Unknowingly, My Jinniang is going to have a family and set up a business.¡± Qiao Jinniang also hugged mother Qiao and snuggled into mother Qiao¡¯s arms, unwilling to leave for a long time. The next morning, before dawn, Lu Chen was called out by a matchmaker in the small courtyard of the Hundred Savory restaurant. By the time the sun rose, he had already changed into Yun Jin¡¯s clothes. Yun Jin was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. When it was worn by Lu Chen, it looked even more elegant. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Matchmaker Wang stared at the handsome young man in such a way. She wished that she was ten years younger than him and would snatch this husband away from Qiao Jin today. Lu Chen said to the matchmaker, ¡°Isn¡¯t the wedding ceremony at dusk?¡± Matchmaker Wang said, ¡°The young master of the Hundred Savory restaurant in Lin ¡®an is very happy, so he naturally has to go around the city. The bridal sedan has already been prepared for you. Please get on the bridal sedan!¡± When Lu Chen heard this, he asked in confusion, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be Lady Qiao Jin who gets on the bridal sedan? How did it become me who gets on the bridal sedan?¡± Matchmaker Wang waved the handkerchief with a smile and said, ¡°This bride-to-be is naturally a woman sitting in the bridal sedan. As a son-in-law, of course it¡¯s a man sitting in the bridal sedan!¡± Chapter 383 It was hard for Lu Chen to suffer such injustice. Just as he was about to say that he would not marry into the bride¡¯s family, he saw Lady Qiao Jin coming out in the bride¡¯s dress. She was wearing a little makeup and bright red lipstick today. She was truly a peerless beauty in the world. Forget it, let¡¯s sit in the bridal sedan chair. Lady Qiao did not know how to ride a horse. She wore such a beautiful bride¡¯s wedding dress with a flower crown on her head. She could not ride a horse, so she ordered someone to carry the bridal sedan chair into the river and circle around Lin ¡®an city in the river. The people on both sides of the river saw the bridal sedan and immediately began to discuss. ¡°Why is the bridegroom sitting in the bridal sedan while the bride is standing at the bow of the boat?¡± ¡°You must be from another city, right? This is the wedding of the little shopkeeper of the Hundred Savory restaurant. Her husband was married into the Qiao family, so the bridegroom made the bridal sedan. TSK TSK, this pair is really a perfect match!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, these two people¡¯s looks are really beautiful.¡± Everyone praised the bridegroom and the bride¡¯s good looks one after another. After circling around, it was almost quarter past midnight, and the auspicious time had arrived. Everyone got off the wedding boat, and Lu Chen was also carried by the bridal sedan chair to the door of the Qiao family. At the door of the Qiao family, Lu Chen had just gotten off the bridal sedan chair when he saw a dress of Qiao Jinniang tied to the door. The dress was hanging in the middle of the doorsill. It was obvious that she wanted Lu Chen to pass under the dress. Lu Chen asked Lady Qiao in a low voice, ¡°What does this dress mean?¡± Lady Qiao smiled and said, ¡°Since you are my son-in-law, you naturally have to be my subordinate.¡± Lu Chen really wanted to leave. How could he, a seven-foot-tall man, endure such an insult? ¡°His mother, the child¡¯s mother.¡± Father Qiao hurriedly supported mother Qiao, who was about to fall down. Today, Father Qiao and mother Qiao were dressed in bright colors, but they could not hide the paleness of their faces. Mother Qiao¡¯s face was extremely pale, and she could not help but cough. Lu Chen was really afraid that if he left at this time and caused the Qiao family to lose face, mother Qiao would lose her life on the spot. Forget it, he would just endure this pain. After the guests had completely dispersed, he would definitely leave the Qiao residence immediately. He was a good man, so he would not be insulted like this. After the ceremony, the two of them entered the bridal chamber. Matchmaker Wang let them drink the wedding wine, cut off their hair, tied a knot, and put it into the red cloth. When matchmaker Wang left, it was still very bright on a summer day. Qiao Jinniang took off her shoes and socks and placed a pair of jade-like feet in front of Lu Chen, her toes, which were smeared with red flower juice, moved slightly and said, ¡°In the future, you will be my husband and I will be your wife. You have to help me wash my feet!¡± Lu Chen frowned and asked Qiao jinniang, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Glutinous rice came in with a basin of foot washing water, placed it in front of Qiao Jinniang, and then went out again. Lu Chen said angrily, ¡°Qiao Jinniang! That¡¯s enough! It was your Qiao family who forced me to marry into your family. I only agreed to marry into your Qiao family because you were really pitiful and helped you solve your urgent problems. You are really good, humiliating me again and again today! ¡°I originally thought that after today, I would wait for the guests to disperse tomorrow before leaving. However, I don¡¯t want to stay in your Qiao family for even a quarter of an hour.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far! Where¡¯s the paper and Pen? We¡¯ll sign the Divorce Papers Now!¡± Just as Lu Chen could not find the paper and pen and was about to turn around and leave, he heard a sobbing sound coming from behind him. Tears kept falling from Qiao Jinniang¡¯s eyes. The tears were like jade beads that fell on Yun Jin, causing a water stain to appear. Qiao jinniang said softly, ¡°I did this because I didn¡¯t want you to murder me in the future and make our son look silly. Why was I not born a man? Why did I have to be a woman?¡± Lu Chen stopped in his tracks and asked, ¡°What do you mean by murder you in the future?¡± Qiao jinniang sniffed and said, ¡°Sister Zhang said that there was an official with the surname he in Huzhou. He married into his cousin¡¯s family in the early years and eventually seized the family property of his cousin. After that, he killed his wife. ¡°The official he even made his son, who had the surname of his wife, stupid. Later on, he took three concubines and gave all the family property to the son of the concubine. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°I was afraid that you would do the same to me. That¡¯s why I wanted to completely make you lose face today.¡± Qiao Jinniang used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, but she still couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°You¡¯re angry. Can¡¯t I apologize to you? ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to divorce me, but please give me a child. and wait for my parents to go before you leave.¡± ¡°My parents can¡¯t afford to lose such a person. Those people in the clan will laugh at my parents to death. They will definitely use this to force my parents to acknowledge an heir.¡± Qiao Jinniang sobbed as she spoke. Lu Chen saw her in a red wedding dress with tears streaming down her face, and he couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. After hearing the reason she mentioned.., he went over and said, ¡°Okay, Don¡¯t cry. I Won¡¯t leave today. I¡¯ll give you a child.¡± Qiao Jinniang wiped her tears away. The room that was covered with the word ¡°Happiness¡±suddenly became very quiet. The dragon and Phoenix happiness candles were burning brightly. The sky outside gradually darkened. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face gradually turned red. Lu Chen sat beside Qiao Jinniang and glanced at her. Last night, Father Qiao gave him a fire-proof diagram. Thinking about it now, Lu Chen¡¯s face also turned red. The room was so quiet that only the sound of their breathing could be heard. Just as Qiao Jinniang was trying to embolden herself to become the wife¡¯s master, Lu Chen¡¯s hand touched hers. Gradually, Lu Chen was getting closer and closer to her. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s heart was beating rapidly. When she was about to speak, her red lips were pressed against her warm lips.. As their fingers interlocked, Qiao Jinniang saw the two hundred taels of her wedding dress fall into the basin of water in front of the bed. The wedding dress was not allowed to touch the water. It was completely broken. Her heart ached, and she felt the pain of her life. She Bit Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder. Lu Chen took a deep breath. After a while, Lady Qiao and Lu Chen Sat by the bed, staring at each other. ¡°I heard from sister Zhang yesterday that this matter will last for at least fifteen minutes. Have you not fully recovered yet?¡± Lu Chen frowned. Although he had never experienced this before, he vaguely felt that there was something wrong with his body. Feeling guilty, Lu Chen washed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s feet. When he washed her feet, he felt his body heat up when he looked at her jade-like little toes. When the curtain of the bed hung down, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°Brother Chen, you¡­¡± Behind her, Qiao Jinniang couldn¡¯t even finish her sentence. She could only let out a broken whimper.. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep. Lu Chen saw Qiao Jinniang¡¯s sleeping face and looked at the woman¡¯s Fair and tender face. He didn¡¯t think that he would change his mind so soon. He thought that he would never be able to leave Qiao Jinniang in this lifetime. From now on, she was his woman. That call of brother Chen was the most pleasant voice he had ever heard. .. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only The next morning, when Qiao Jinniang woke up, she felt uncomfortable. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in someone¡¯s arms. She almost did not realize that she was already married. She raised her head and coincidentally met Lu Chen¡¯s eyes. She said sweetly, ¡°Good morning, brother Chen.¡± When Lu Chen heard that, his eyes darkened. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang looked even more charming than yesterday, he lowered the curtain of the bed again.. Today, Bai Wei restaurant was still hosting guests, so Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t have to get up early to manage Bai Wei restaurant.. Chapter 384 Newly married, Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were inseparable. No matter where they went, they would stick together. Father Qiao and mother Qiao were very pleased, father Qiao said to mother Qiao, ¡°Ahem, I told you that I have good taste. Lu Chen is a reliable and capable child. Look at how good he is at accounting and managing restaurants. You and I can rest assured.¡± ¡°Yes,¡±mother Qiao replied. When it was mid-autumn, Father Qiao and mother Qiao were really bedridden. Qiao Jinniang was suffering every day. Lu Chen saw that Qiao Jinniang was suffering, so he went to do business with some merchants from Japan and Changbai Mountains. After helping them earn a lot of money, the Japanese foreign merchant sold two thousand-year-old ginseng to Lu Chen. With the thousand-year-old ginseng, father Qiao and mother Qiao were just hanging on by a thread. Qiao Jinniang was reluctant to let them go. No matter how precious the thousand-year-old ginseng was, she was not stingy in wanting her parents to live on. In the twelfth lunar month, Qiao Jinniang¡¯s appetite was not very good. At this moment, her parents were both sick in bed, so she could only cook dried chicken, dried duck, and other dried goods herself. She just prayed that her parents would be able to live through the New Year. At the end of the twelfth lunar month, Qiao Jinniang could not stop vomiting. Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you tired from cooking those dried goods? Why Don¡¯t you let the chefs in the restaurant do it?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°No, they can¡¯t make the taste of my father. The neighbors love to eat my father¡¯s dried goods.¡± Lu Chen said anxiously, ¡°Your complexion is already so bad, and mother can¡¯t even speak. if she sees your complexion, she won¡¯t be able to walk steadily. ¡°I¡¯ll find a doctor to take a look at you. If you¡¯re tired, you won¡¯t be able to rest anymore!¡± After the doctor arrived, he checked Qiao Jinniang¡¯s pulse and said, ¡°Congratulations, little shopkeeper. Congratulations, little shopkeeper. You¡¯re pregnant!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Pregnant?¡±Qiao Jinniang was overjoyed. Lu Chen curved his lips into a smile and picked up Qiao Jinniang. ¡°We have a child!¡± Qiao Jinniang had asked glutinous rice to pay the doctor a lot of money. She was really looking forward to having a child. After hearing the news, Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen held hands and went to their parents¡¯room. Mother Qiao had aged a lot these days. Qiao Jinniang walked to mother Qiao¡¯s bedside and knelt down. ¡°Mother, the Doctor said that I¡¯m pregnant. I¡¯m Pregnant!¡± Mother Qiao had been unable to speak for a long time, but now she was saying ¡®Good Morning¡¯a few times. It was obvious that her spirits had improved a lot. Trembling, she took out two small silver bracelets from her bosom. ¡°These are the ones I left for my little grandson. Jinniang, I¡¯m sorry. Mother may not be able to last through the new year with you. Lu Chen, take good care of my daughter. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off even if I become a ghost!¡± When Qiao Jinniang took the silver bracelet, she saw mother Qiao¡¯s hand hanging down. She knelt on the ground and repeatedly shouted, ¡°Mother!¡± Lu Chen knelt beside her. This new year was the most difficult for Qiao Jinniang. Not long after mother passed away, her father passed away as well. During the New Year, when other people¡¯s families were busy with the new year, Qiao Jinniang was busy dealing with the funeral. Even though she had already prepared herself mentally for her parents to leave, she still felt like a bolt from the blue after this incident. When it came to the Shangyuan Festival, the entire Lin ¡®an city was bustling with activity. However, Lady Qiao Jin stayed in the small courtyard of the Qiao family, unwilling to leave her parents¡¯house. Lu Chen stood beside Lady Qiao Jin and said, ¡°Jin ¡®er, the dead should rest in peace. Moreover, you are pregnant. Father and mother definitely don¡¯t want you to be so sad.¡± Qiao Jinniang wiped her tears with her hand and said, ¡°Lu Chen, do you remember what we said on our wedding night? You wanted to separate then. ¡°Father and mother have passed away, and I have a child. Why don¡¯t we go to the government office tomorrow to separate¡­¡± Lu Chen covered Qiao Jinniang¡¯s mouth with his hand. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Who said we wanted to separate? Your child hasn¡¯t even been born yet, and you want to separate with me? Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Even if you want to chase me away, I Won¡¯t leave!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you outside to see the night scenery of the upper Yuan dynasty in Lin ¡®an city. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡± Qiao Jinniang finally revealed a smile. ¡°Then we won¡¯t separate, okay?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°We definitely won¡¯t separate.¡± Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang shook hands and went to the Golden Ox Lake in Lin ¡®an. The willow trees by the Golden Ox Lake were all hung with lanterns. Today, the bright moon shone brightly, making the golden ox lake water gurgle. Lu Chen followed Qiao Jinniang to a riverbank and sat down. ¡°The moonlight today is really beautiful.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°In the past, my parents would always bring me out to play during the festival. The restaurants would also close early so that people could come to the streets to play. This year, the festival seems to be much more depressed.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I heard that the Crown Prince of Chang ¡®an has gone missing in disaster relief. How could jiangnan officials still dare to organize the festival in such a grand manner?¡± ¡°Many people lost their families because of the flood in Huizhou. Have you ever thought that maybe your parents are still alive? Do you want to go back to Huizhou to look for your parents?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯m very unfamiliar with the terms of ¡®parents¡¯. Maybe it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t have parents before. My Life is pretty good now. I¡¯ll stay in the Hundred Savory restaurant peacefully and wait for our child to come out.¡± ¡°Do you think our child is a boy or a girl?¡± Lu Chen took out a copper coin and said, ¡°You throw the copper coin. If it¡¯s the front, it¡¯s the son. If it¡¯s the back, it¡¯s the daughter.¡± Qiao Jinniang threw the copper coin high up, but it accidentally rolled onto the road. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen repeatedly went to pick up the copper coin. Xie Yun, who was coming over from the opposite side, had already picked up the copper coin and handed it to Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Little Jin ¡®er, long time no see.¡± Lu Chen saw a woman about his height. He was considered tall among men, but this woman was actually only one head shorter than him. She looked beautiful, but she exuded a demonic aura. She was not as beautiful as the Jinniang. Qiao jinniang said happily, ¡°Miss Xie, I¡¯m surprised to see you here today. This is my husband, Lu Chen.¡± ¡°Young master Lu.¡± Lu Chen cupped his hands in return. ¡°Miss Xie.¡± Their eyes met. Xie Yun sized up Lu Chen¡¯s extraordinary bearing. It would not be an exaggeration to say that his bearing was that of a prince and noble in Chang ¡®an. No wonder the Qiao family was willing to let him, who came from an unknown background, be the Jinniang¡¯s son-in-law. Qiao Jinniang said to Xie Yun, ¡°Are you only bringing your handmaidens out? Why Don¡¯t you come with us!¡± ¡°Okay,¡±Xie Yun replied dotingly. This tone made Lu Chen rather unhappy. He said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Quickly see if it¡¯s heads or tails. Is it a son or a daughter?¡± Xie Yun said with some surprise, ¡°Little Jin ¡®er is pregnant?¡± Qiao jinniang replied, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s pregnant.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only She looked at the copper coin in her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s heads. It¡¯s a son.¡± Lu Chen felt that it was a pity. ¡°It would be even better if it were a daughter.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I think it¡¯s better if the first child is a son and a younger sister. This way, if the younger sister wants to go out and play, she can have an older brother to protect her. Who knows, we might have a second daughter soon!¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and smiled. Xie Yun actually felt that Lu Chen¡¯s smile was a little provocative towards him. He was just a youth with an unknown background! Chapter 385 From Afar, Qiao Jinniang saw a rabbit lantern hanging outside a shop. The appearance of the rabbit lantern was extremely cute. She pulled Lu Chen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡± The rabbit lantern was only hung out to attract customers. Many tourists came and went, asking how the lantern should be sold, but the shopkeeper said that he shook his head and did not sell it. However, when a new restaurant opened, the diners who entered would give this exquisite rabbit lantern. Most of the people who came out to tour the lantern festival had already eaten at home, but this rabbit lantern was really exquisite. Some people walked around it and were a little hungry. Seeing that the lantern was really beautiful, they entered. This place was only two miles away from hundred savory restaurant. Opening a restaurant here might affect hundred savory restaurant¡¯s business. However, Qiao Jinniang was not afraid. There were so many restaurants in Lin ¡®an, and hundred savory restaurant¡¯s business had been booming over the past 16 years. Naturally, there was no need to be afraid of the newly opened restaurant. Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen, Xie Yun, and a few others entered. The waiter came forward and asked, ¡°Dear guests, what would you like to order?¡±? The restaurant¡¯s signature side dishes were dry-fried bell, braised spring bamboo shoots, fish ball soup, fish in oil tofu vinegar, crab stuffed orange, preserved chicken, preserved duck, preserved white goose, and so on. What would you like to order?¡± Qiao Jinniang heard that although these dishes were the local dishes of Lin ¡®an, they were also the signature dishes of Bai Wei restaurant. With the intention of exchanging cooking skills with each other, Qiao Jinniang had people serve their signature dishes. Lu Chen loved eating fish balls. He tasted a fish ball and said, ¡°This three-dish soup tastes exactly the same as the fish balls of Bai Wei restaurant.¡± Lan Xin also picked up a fish ball for Xie Yun and placed it in the bowl in front of Xie Yun. Xie Yun tasted it and said, ¡°This skill is almost as good as manager Qiao¡¯s.¡± After a few signature dishes were served one by one, Qiao Jinniang also tasted them and felt that the taste was very familiar. The same dishes were made with the same ingredients and different chefs made different tastes. The cooking skills of the chefs of the Hundred Savory restaurant were very different from those of the chefs of other restaurants, but this taste was clearly the taste of the Hundred Savory restaurant. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s expression became uglier and uglier. There was no one else besides him who could cook like this. Qiao Jinniang said to Lu Chen, ¡°I want to go back.¡± Lu Chen nodded and took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand, giving the waiter three taels of silver. ¡°Miss Xie, Jin ¡®er and I will take our leave first.¡± However, before the two of them could walk out of the door, a woman who was six or seven months pregnant rushed forward and returned three taels of silver to Qiao Jinniang, ¡°Jinniang, I¡¯m really sorry. It¡¯s enough that you can come to my restaurant for a meal. I don¡¯t need this silver!¡± When glutinous rice saw this person, she said angrily, ¡°Mu Liuliu, how can you have the nerve to return to Lin ¡®an? Back then, master Qiao kindly took in your cousins and gave them the ability to look after the house. He regarded them as his beloved disciples. ¡°However, when master was seriously ill, you slipped away, causing miss to have no choice but to leave the academy to take charge of the kitchen in the restaurant!¡± Mu Liuliu said guiltily, ¡°Sister Jin, I know we have let you down, but Feng Lang and I are truly in love. I know that your Qiao family has saved Feng Lang and me, and we will repay you well in the future.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt extremely disgusted. ¡°Lu Chen, let¡¯s Go!¡± After Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang returned to the Qiao family¡¯s small courtyard, they saw that Qiao Jinniang was still puffing her cheeks, so they poked her cheeks with their hands. ¡°Do you know that you are now very much like the puffed-up little goldfish in the lotus pond outside?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao Jinniang shook off Lu Chen¡¯s hands and rested her cheeks on her hands. ¡°The person who gave us the silver just now came to Lin ¡®an with her younger brother six years ago when they were cornered. My parents saw that they were lonely, so they left them to do odd jobs. Her younger brother, Feng Jie, was a man who loved to make progress. He always sneaked into the kitchen to watch the cooks cook and also wanted to become a cook. Later, when my father saw that he liked cooking so much, he passed on everything he had learned in his life to him. At that time, I didn¡¯t know that when my father passed on his cooking skills to him, he mentioned that if he didn¡¯t have a younger brother by the time I got married in the future, he would marry into the Qiao family ¡°Until two years ago, when my father suddenly fell ill and couldn¡¯t go to the kitchen anymore, he mentioned the matter of marrying into the family to Feng Jie. However, Feng Jie took his cousin to Yangzhou overnight. I heard that they got married in Yangzhou¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said angrily, ¡°At that time, he said in some restaurants in Yangzhou that I forced him to marry in, but he and his cousin fell in love and escaped from Lin ¡®an. ¡°Yang Jie¡¯s small eyes were like green beans. I still hated him. I only found out about my father¡¯s intention after he ran away. If I had known earlier, I would have helped him and his cousin!¡± Lu Chen gave Qiao Jinniang a cup of hot water and said, ¡°Alright, be good. Don¡¯t be angry. Now that you and I are married and we have a child, why bother with them?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°If he had told the truth and said that he was having an affair with his cousin, my parents might have helped them arrange the marriage. My father really likes this disciple of his.¡±. ¡°After Feng Jie escaped, my father¡¯s body was a lot weaker. There was a chef in the restaurant. At that time, Old Yang injured his hand. I had no choice but to come back from the academy to take charge of the kitchen. They are simply ungrateful!¡±! ¡°Now, the restaurant is located two miles away from our hundred savory restaurant. They are obviously here to snatch business from our hundred savory restaurant. It¡¯s extremely disgusting!¡± ¡°They keep saying that they feel guilty. If they really feel guilty, why would they open the restaurant not far from Our Hundred Savory Restaurant?¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°The heavens have eyes. The neighbors are also reasonable. The business will not be stolen. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qiao Jinniang let out a breath of turbid air under Lu Chen¡¯s comfort. She leaned on Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Father and mother just died not long ago, and they came back. This behavior is really disgusting.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. They are so ungrateful. They will surely die if they do more ungrateful things.¡± However, a few days later, Qiao Jinniang found that the business of Hundred Savory restaurant was not as good as before. There were even rumors in the neighborhood that after Father Qiao passed away, the taste of Hundred Savory restaurant was no longer as good as before. As for the newly opened Feng family restaurant, the chef was Father Qiao¡¯s eldest disciple, Feng Jie. Only then did he have father Qiao¡¯s original skills. When Feng Jie left that year, Father Qiao and mother Qiao gave him some face. They did not speak ill of Feng Jie¡¯s ingratitude in the neighborhood. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Fennel brought in the rumors from outside and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°That Feng Jie and Mu are simply Shameless! Today, Mu Liuliu is still telling the neighbors that you kept asking Feng Jie to marry into the family. Feng Jie was a good man who did not want to marry into the family, so he was chased away by the Hundred Savory Restaurant! ¡°Look, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Lu Chen glared at fennel and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. The child in your stomach is more important.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the depressed restaurant. It was much worse than when her parents were there. She could not help but feel a little discouraged. ¡°I also said that I wanted to promote the Hundred Savory restaurant, but as soon as my parents left, the business plummeted¡­¡± Chapter 386 Lu Chen hugged Qiao Jinniang in his arms and asked fennel, ¡°Just based on this rumor, the original guests wouldn¡¯t have all gone to the Feng family restaurant.¡± Fennel sighed and said, ¡°The Feng family restaurant said that within half a year after the new restaurant opens, the drinks will be free of charge. Every order will be given a free meal. No one¡¯s money is earned by the strong wind. Naturally, they will go wherever it is cheap.¡± Old Yang sighed and said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Young Master, why don¡¯t we also waive the drinks and free the food?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate. There are still some businesses in the Hundred Savory restaurant that are treated by the wealthy merchants outside the government. There are also officials who come to eat at noon. It¡¯s not appropriate for them to come to eat. It¡¯s not appropriate to waive the drinks and free the food. ¡°I think it¡¯s better for us to give up on doing business in the neighborhood and focus on doing business with those wealthy families.¡±. ¡°That Feng family restaurant tastes the same as our restaurant. He used the signboard of not paying for the drinks and delivering the dishes for half a year. He¡¯s deliberately trying to steal the business of the restaurant.¡±. ¡°If we follow in with such preferential treatment, even if the customers have returned, it would still be a huge loss if we don¡¯t earn money for half a year.¡±. We are all family, and we won¡¯t hide it from you. Just the chefs, waiters, and maids in the private rooms of the hundred-taste restaurant would need more than fifty silver for a month¡¯s salary. ¡°Originally, if business is good and we earn a lot of silver, it would be fine. But if we lose money for half a year and give the profits to the neighbors, we would lose at least three hundred silver. That¡¯s not even including taxes. The silver that we usually give to the government¡­¡± ¡°And the fees for the pots and pans¡­¡± Fennel and the others said, ¡°If hundred savory restaurant really doesn¡¯t make money, we don¡¯t need salaries, as long as we have food to eat.¡± Qiao Jinniang sat in the main seat in the lobby, ¡°Husband is right. If the drinks are all free and the dishes are bought one for one, we will suffer a heavy loss in a month. The cost must not be reduced. In this way, we won¡¯t earn a single cent and will have to pay a lot of silver.¡±. ¡°It¡¯s about time for Bai Wei restaurant to change. From tomorrow onwards, the ingredients we use will be the best in Lin ¡®an city. The price of our dishes will be at least twice that of other restaurants.¡± BA jiao asked, ¡°Then won¡¯t there be no familiar neighbors in the future?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°If those familiar neighbors come to eat again, give them a discount. Uncle Yang, when you go to Yue Yao, tell master Li that I want their set of high-quality celadon and ask him to make fifteen more sets.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Not only do the ingredients and utensils have to be changed, but also the singing girls and so on. It¡¯s best to go to Yangzhou and invite a few famous singing girls over. It¡¯s also good to make a name for yourself.¡± Qiao Jinniang reached out and pulled Lu Chen¡¯s ear. ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re Thinking?¡± Lu Chen covered Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°How would I dare? I just think that if you don¡¯t make a name for yourself, those rich businessmen who come to discuss business and see the rising prices of the dishes will not think that the ingredients are better, but will only think that they are too expensive. ¡°If we use famous singers, famous tea leaves, and famous yellow wine as precious ingredients, only then can those rich businessmen and noble families come one after another.¡± Qiao Jinniang Thought for a moment and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll send someone to invite a few singers over.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Also, the tea leaves are also the most important. The price of the first tea of Longjing every year is very high. I heard that the manor head of the Tea Mountain by the Golden Bull Lake is selling the tea mountain recently. Why don¡¯t We Go and take it? When the time comes, the tea before the Ming dynasty and before the rain will all be used as signboards in the Hundred Savory Restaurant.¡± Qiao Jinniang Thought for a while and said, ¡°If we want to buy that Tea Mountain, the price must be quite high.¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°But it¡¯s worth it. I made about two hundred taels of silver from doing business with the Japanese merchants. I¡¯ll let you buy that Tea Mountain. Is that okay?¡± Qiao Jinniang Thought for a while and also felt that Lu Chen¡¯s suggestion was not bad. It was only a matter of time before the Tea Mountain earned money. In another two or three months, the price of the first-time tea would be very high. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks By March, Qiao Jinniang¡¯s stomach was already showing. She and Lu Chen went to the tea mountain by the Golden Ox Lake to pick tea leaves for the first time. When she was young, Qiao Jinniang watched others pick tea leaves. Lu Chen not only picked tea leaves, but he also had to protect the safety of Qiao Jinniang¡¯s feet. It was always raining in the early spring of Jiangnan. The first batch of Longjing was rarely seen on the market, and the newly-listed Longjing was already in the hundred savory restaurant. Many wealthy businessmen who were entertaining their relatives or business owners from other places loved to dine at the Hundred Savory Restaurant. Some even specially came to the Hundred Savory restaurant to collect money and return home. In April, Lu Chen asked Qiao Jinniang for five hundred taels of silver and said that he wanted to do business. Qiao Jinniang did not know what business he was going to do, but when she heard that he was working with Xie Yun, she generously gave Lu Chen the silver. Lu Chen remembered every payment clearly. In June, Qiao Jinniang used a Yue kiln¡¯s porcelain plate to hold some refreshments to cool off the heat. All of a sudden, she became popular among all the young ladies in Lin ¡®an. For a time, it could be said that it was not an exaggeration to earn money every day. On this day, Qiao Jinniang watched Lu Chen do the accounting in the Hundred Savory restaurant. She leaned on Lu Chen¡¯s shoulder and said generously, ¡°Brother Chen, you¡¯re really amazing. You¡¯ve earned back the capital in one go.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Xie Yun¡¯s help. He treats you quite well.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Sister Xie is pretty good, but you can¡¯t call her by her name.¡± ¡°Little vinegar.¡±Lu Chen scratched Qiao Jinniang¡¯s nose. When they first met, he already knew that Xie Yun should be a man. Only Qiao Jinniang was dumb enough not to know. With Xie Yun as his backer, Lu Chen was indeed making a lot of money. Qiao Jinniang looked at the final balance of silver, then at the banknotes beside her, and said in astonishment, ¡°Is this silver really ours? How can there be so much silver?¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the banknotes of one hundred taels of silver one after another, so shocked that she could not even close her mouth. Lu Chen found her money-grubber expression very funny, ¡°In the future, we will have more and more silver taels. Our child is about to be born, so we have to give him the best of everything. If you love to wear brocade, you have to wear brocade every day in the future.¡± Qiao Jinniang wrapped her arms around Lu Chen¡¯s neck and kissed him on the side of his face. ¡°Brother Chen, you are so nice!¡± Lu Chen¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. He looked at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s pregnant belly and could only sigh helplessly. ¡°Jin ¡®er, should we change to a bigger house?¡± Lady Qiao said, ¡°No need. I like the small courtyard that I grew up in. That courtyard is big enough for four or five of us to live in!¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. But I have a vague feeling that this house is much smaller than what I remember.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°You Remember Now?¡±Lady Qiao asked. In fact, she was a little afraid that Lu Chen would remember the past. In just six months, she knew how capable Lu Chen was. Although it was good to have Xie Yun as a backer, if Lu Chen did not have the ability, he would not have been able to earn back so much silver. He had opened so many shops, but none of them were at a loss. Tea Mountain had even earned back its capital in two months. He had also earned quite a lot from doing business with those foreign businessmen. Such a capable Langjun was definitely not just a pond in the past. Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t remembered.¡± Chapter 387 Qiao Jinniang was about to give birth. Usually, she would only go to the restaurant for a stroll before returning. She was supposed to give birth on the first day of August, but the child refused to come out. It was not until August 15th, which happened to be the mid-autumn Festival, that she gave birth to a son. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chenchu were father and mother. They were still young, so they were somewhat cramped. Qiao Jinniang was not a person who believed in ghosts and gods, but when it came to naming her child, she had no choice but to believe in ghosts and gods. She invited a fortune-teller to read the child¡¯s name. The Fortune-teller said that it was best to give the child a name after the age of three, so Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen named the Child Brother Tuan. Lu Chen clearly discovered that after Brother Tuan was born, Qiao Jinniang did not even read her favorite speech book every day. She could often look at Brother Tuan in a daze all day long. She did not forget to pull Lu Chen along to look at Brother Tuan. The child who had just reached the full moon was very soft and cuddly. As new parents, the two of them could not wait to give everything to the child. When Brother Tuan made a fuss in February, Qiao Jinniang¡¯s most maternal love was still to leave the crying child to the wet nurse to take care of. Lu Chen was very happy. He could finally monopolize Qiao Jinniang again. It must be known that during this month, Qiao Jinniang was afraid that he would pressure brother Tuan, so she did not allow him to lie down beside her. After the full moon, Qiao Jinniang went to work in the restaurant while Lu Chen was busy with the new shops in private. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen did not plan to let others know about the new shops, afraid that the Qiao family would cause trouble. Moreover, they were merchants after all. A big tree attracts the wind, attracting the attention of some people with good intentions. Xie Yun might not be able to protect them. After closing for the night, Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen, and the employees of the Hundred Savory restaurant ate together. Glutinous rice smiled and said, ¡°Master, something happened today to vent my anger. Outside the Feng family restaurant, there are a lot of merchants and growers who came to ask for money for wine and vegetables.¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Glutinous Rice said, ¡°The Feng family restaurant is rented. The annual rent is 500 taels of silver. They didn¡¯t earn so much silver in Yangzhou these two years, so they reluctantly borrowed money from the people on the street to pay the rent for a year. How could they afford to buy any vegetables or meat? It was just that the vegetable farmers and meat merchants were willing to give them credit for half a year when they saw that their restaurant was doing well. However, they put up a sign that they would buy one and get one free. Although their business was good in the first half of the year, they were losing money. How could they pay back the money. ¡°After the buy one and get one free, they raised the price, which was close to the price of our hundred savory restaurant¡¯s vegetables. However, their dishes were not as exquisite as our hundred savory restaurant¡¯s, and their ingredients were not as good as our hundred savory restaurant¡¯s, so their business plummeted, ¡°I heard that Feng Jie and Mu Liuliu have been quarreling non-stop!¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°What do you mean by self-destruction? This is it. They clearly don¡¯t have any capital, yet they still want to fight with the restaurant. They really deserve it.¡± Qiao Jinniang felt that she had vented a lot of her anger. Lu Chen said, ¡°They also owe the government some taxes. If they go to the magistrate¡¯s office, they will have to go to jail!¡± ¡°It¡¯s better for them to go to jail now. Those people who give out money are not to be trifled with. Some of them are better off as husband and wife.¡± After Qiao Jinniang said this, she fiercely bit a piece of meat. Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen, and glutinous rice came out of the Hundred Savory restaurant and went back to the Qiao family¡¯s small courtyard. On the way, Qiao Jinniang saw Feng Jie, who was dressed in embroidered clothes, coming over. Feng Jie was holding a lantern. Under the light of the lantern, his small eyes looked more like a small green bean. ¡°Jinniang, Jinniang, I¡¯m your brother Jie! Do you still remember me? I was deceived by that woman Mu Liuliu¡­ back then, master said that I would be his son-in-law. Jinniang, I¡¯m willing to marry that Mu Liuliu and marry you.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard Feng Jie¡¯s words, she almost vomited the rice she had just eaten. Lu Chen frowned. Did she think he was dead? Lu Chen stepped forward and punched Feng Jie, causing him to fall to the ground. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao Jinniang looked at Feng Jie on the ground and said, ¡°Mu Liuliu lied to you? Did she put a knife to your neck? Shameless? With your green eyes, don¡¯t joke around.¡± Feng Jie knelt down and said, ¡°Jinniang, please give me some silver to save my life. Master loved charity before he died.¡± ¡°Charity also depends on the person. You, don¡¯t come in front of me to disgust people.¡± Qiao Jinniang held Lu Chen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Fortunately, I have already given birth to Brother Tuan. Otherwise, if brother Tuan was still in my stomach and saw such an ugly person, I¡¯m afraid he wouldn¡¯t want to come out.¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± After the Feng family¡¯s restaurant closed down, the business of the Hundred Savory restaurant was much better than before. In the twelfth lunar month, the neighbors who came to the Hundred Savory restaurant to buy preserved meat were all queuing up. At night, Lu Chen dreamed of eating duck legs with soy sauce. When he opened his eyes, the moonlight shone in from the window and he saw Qiao Jinniang looking at him with resentment. ¡°Brother Chen, why are you holding my hand in the middle of the night? I¡¯m not a braised duck leg!¡± Lu Chen¡¯s stomach growled. At eighteen years old, he was still growing. Even though he had eaten a lot of dinner, he had already digested a lot of the gift from Duke Zhou. Qiao Jin put on a cloak and said, ¡°What Kind of supper do you want to eat? I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± Lu Chen said in a daze, ¡°No need. Let the catering company make it.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned. ¡°Who is Dian Shansi? Is it as good as my cooking? You should know that everyone in Lin ¡®an city wants to eat my cooking now, but they don¡¯t mind adding a tael of silver to each dish. How can you not cherish it?¡± Lu Chen woke up. He did not know why he blurted out the word catering company. He replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is either. I just remember that if I was hungry in the past, I would always look for the catering company. Maybe it was my former chef?¡± Qiao Jinniang cupped her face and moved closer to Lu Chen. ¡°Remember this. In the future, you can only remember Qiao Jinniang!¡± Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang who was moving closer and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to get up at night to move the firewood. Why Don¡¯t you come and eat the Little Rabbit?¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± Not only was she cheated by being treated as a sauce duck leg, but she was also eaten as a sauce rabbit. How Pitiful. Winter passed and spring came. The businesses that Lu Chen and Xie Yun worked with gradually gained a lot of stable income. Lu Chen gave a large amount of silver notes to Qiao Jinniang every month. He did not leave a single cent for himself. Little Tuan would gradually stagger and call out to his mother and father. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s favorite thing was to follow Little Tuan. Lu Chen also took time out to take Qiao Jinniang to play around Lin ¡®an. Before they knew it, another year had passed. It was the Lantern Festival of the previous years. This year¡¯s lantern festival was even livelier than the previous two years. The three of them were wearing masks that they had just bought on the street. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Jinniang held Tuan¡¯s hand. Tuan, who had just turned two years old, could not speak clearly, except for the two words ¡®Don¡¯t speak to me¡¯. There were many people by the Golden Ox Lake. Coincidentally, Feng Jie, who had just been released from prison, saw Qiao Jinniang, who had just opened her mask. Feng Jie remembered the humiliation he had suffered from Qiao Jinniang that day, and how she had left him to die. He suddenly rushed forward, wanting to take her down with him. After Lu Chen saw Feng Jie, he pulled him into the Golden Ox Lake. Unexpectedly, he was pulled down as well.. Seeing Lu Chen fall into the water, Qiao jinniang shouted worriedly, ¡°Brother Chen! Someone, someone fell into the lake!¡± Chapter 388 After Lu Chen fell into the lake, the water surrounded him from all directions, and his memory kept going back. He remembered why he fell into the lake at that time. It was the disaster victims of Huizhou who caused trouble. A few men in black took advantage of the chaos and pushed him into the surging waters when the guards did not dare to attack the civilians. He was the Crown Prince of Great Tang, the dignified crown prince! He had actually become the son-in-law of a small city¡¯s merchant daughter in the past few years. When Lu Chen opened his eyes, he was already in the Qiao family¡¯s small courtyard. When he opened his eyes, he saw Qiao Jinniang, who was full of Tears, and brother Tuan, who was softly and softly calling out to his father. Lu Chen got up and let glutinous rice take brother Tuan away. He said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°I remember what happened before. My parents are still alive.¡± Qiao Jinniang was slightly surprised and said bitterly, ¡°This is a good thing. You¡¯ve woken up and remembered the past. This is a good thing.¡± Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang¡¯s face under the candlelight. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her reluctantly. Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Where are my parents? Do you want to send a message to them to come to Lin ¡®an?¡± Qiao Jinniang could not get a reply from Lu Chen for a long time. She looked up at Lu Chen and felt that he seemed to have changed. Lu Chen kissed Qiao Jinniang¡¯s forehead. It was difficult for him to tell Qiao Jinniang his identity right now. He had been living a bland and happy life in Lin ¡®an city for the past three years. He did not even know what the situation would be like after he returned to Chang ¡®an? He was in Lin ¡®an guarding the business of a small plot of land in Lin ¡®an and did not care about the situation in Chang ¡®an. He also did not know how his father was now? Although he had never heard of his brothers becoming crown princes, if they suddenly returned to Chang ¡®an at this time, the Chengen Bo Mansion and the Empress Dowager¡¯s party would definitely be eyeing them covetously. There were too many things that could change in three years. He also did not know whether the power in the Eastern Palace three years ago belonged to him. It was too dangerous to rashly bring Qiao Jinniang back to Chang ¡®an. Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang in his arms and wanted to rub her into his blood. In the future, he would be the high and Mighty Crown Prince of Great Tang, and with Qiao Jinniang¡¯s status, she was not even qualified to enter the Eastern Palace. If he had known earlier, he would not have wanted to recall the past at all. It would have been better to be happy and plain in Lin ¡®an, but he had already remembered that he had to return to the palace for the sake of his mother. It was only after midnight. Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang, who had been exhausted by him, and slowly said, ¡°Jin ¡®er, I was originally from a noble family in Chang ¡®an.¡± Qiao Jinniang leaned against Lu Chen¡¯s chest and played with her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve long guessed that you have an extraordinary background. Shall we go back to Chang ¡®an to meet my parents-in-law?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Jin ¡®er, I have many half-brothers in my family. I was killed by my brother and grandmother when I went missing back then. I don¡¯t know how powerful they are, so I don¡¯t dare to rashly wait for you to go. I¡¯ll come back to Chang ¡®an to find you after Chang ¡®an is stable.¡± Qiao jinniang asked, ¡°Is it because you think my status is not good enough for your family?¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t want to let Qiao Jinniang down, so he said, ¡°Jin ¡®er, I can¡¯t decide my own marriage. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely give you a title to enter my Lu Family!¡± No matter what, he had to find a good wife for Qiao Jinniang so that she could take care of Brother Tuan. Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Are you going to Chang ¡®an? What about the Hundred Savory Restaurant?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°When the time comes, just hire someone to manage the Hundred Savory restaurant. My family is very powerful. When the time comes, I don¡¯t think the Qiao family will dare to come and cause trouble.¡± Qiao Jinniang could not bear to hug Lu Chen and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you to come back and pick me up.¡± Lu Chen thought for a moment and said, ¡°I want to take brother Tuan away.¡± ¡°Why?¡±Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it¡¯s dangerous? Wouldn¡¯t it be more dangerous for Brother Tuan to follow you?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°I have to give brother Tuan a rightful position. If he comes to my Lu family in the future, it will be much worse. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll come and pick you up soon!¡± Lu Chen promised Qiao Jinniang confidently. Qiao Jinniang also trusted Lu Chen and gave him a lot of her savings over the years, ¡°It¡¯s said that the poor are rich. Take this money. If the situation in Chang ¡®an is bad, you might as well bring brother Tuan back. We won¡¯t be poor in Lin ¡®an anymore.¡± Lu Chen took the banknote and said, ¡°Wait for me. I will come back to pick you up and let you go back to Chang ¡®an envied by everyone.¡± .. Five years of Jing Yuan. After Qiao Jinniang suddenly woke up, she realized that she had a nightmare and recalled the years she spent with Lu Chen in Lin ¡®an. Looking at Lu Chen who was lying next to her, she raised her hand and gave him a ¡°Slap¡±. After Lu Chen woke up, he covered his face and looked at Qiao Jinniang with a frown. ¡°Liar,¡±Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°That year, you told me that you would come back to pick me up, but?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Why are you being so calculative about what happened in the past? Alright, Can¡¯t I Be Wrong? I¡¯m leaving Lin ¡®an tomorrow. Why Don¡¯t I bring you to Lin ¡®an city again today?¡± Qiao Jinniang agreed, ¡°It¡¯s been so many years in the blink of an eye. Why didn¡¯t you tell me the truth back then and say that you¡¯re the Crown Prince?¡± Lu Chen asked Qiao jinniang, ¡°What would you have done if I had told you the truth back then?¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t dare to think about what choices she would have had back then, but she cherished the present. Lu Chen doted on her like a treasure, and she was the most honorable woman in the world. On the day she left Chang ¡®an, Qiao Jinniang suddenly fainted when she boarded the ship, scaring Lu Chen so much that his face turned pale. The imperial physician came over to check her pulse and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the Empress is pregnant. Perhaps she walked too much yesterday, so she has the symptoms of fainting.¡± Lu Chen did not dare to take Qiao Jinniang on the road, so he brought her back to the temporary palace in Lin ¡®an. After taking a dose of medicine, Qiao Jinniang slowly woke up. When she found out that she was two months pregnant, she was overjoyed. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant again? This baby must be a princess.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if this baby is a princess or a prince. If we give birth to another one, we won¡¯t give birth to another one.¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s body was not bad, but giving birth to a baby was still hurtful. Qiao Jinniang agreed. ¡°Okay, you and your officials will go on a tour of Jiangnan first. It was agreed long ago that it was not suitable to change. Officials and people everywhere want to see the beauty of heaven. I will give birth here. When my fetus is more stable, I will return to Chang ¡®an.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I will ask Princess Wu and glutinous rice to take care of you. Don¡¯t forget to write to me.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Lady Qiao replied with an ¡®mm¡¯, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There are doctors and female doctors here. It¡¯s also my hometown. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Lu Chen led his officials to other cities in Jiangnan. When Qiao Ruoyun came to the palace to accompany Lady Qiao, she asked, ¡°Lady Qiao, How Can You Trust His Majesty to go to other cities alone? Especially Yangzhou. It¡¯s a city filled with beautiful women. Our colors will grow old, and we won¡¯t be as beautiful as those young ladies¡­¡± Lady Qiao laughed, ¡°Big sister, we¡¯re only twenty-five, how can our colors grow old? I heard from Qiu Yue that most of the twenty-five women in her hometown have yet to get married.¡± Glutinous Rice said to qiao ruoyun, ¡°Little aunt, are you here to take care of the Empress? Or are you here to make the Empress Worry?¡± Chapter 389 Qiao ruoyun choked and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Jin Niang, don¡¯t take it to heart. Our Qiao family is so powerful now, aren¡¯t we afraid that his majesty will be outside¡­¡± Glutinous rice could not help but roll her eyes. ¡°You can shut up, little aunt!¡± Qiao Jin Niang smiled. ¡°I know your worries, but I believe in Lu Chen.¡± Back then, when she invited the famous singers from Yangzhou city, the younger ones could not take their eyes off them. Only Lu Chen talked about the monthly salary with the singers on official business. He did not want to lose any money. After being married for ten years, she still had some trust in Lu Chen. Just like how she knew that Hong Qifeng had some ideas about Lu Chen, but she did not mind at all. Because she knew that the reason why Lu Chen valued female officials was because of her, Empress Qiao. After all, Lu Chen was great Tang¡¯s emperor. If he really wanted another woman, even if the Qiao family¡¯s power was monstrous, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. ¡°Empress, there are two old friends outside who want to see you.¡± Empress Qiao said, ¡°Old Friends?¡± Hong Ling said softly, ¡°They sound like the Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°Quickly invite them in,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. It had been a long time since she had seen the retired emperor and Empress Dowager Zhou. The Hui Lin Emperor and Empress Dowager Zhou only removed the curtains after they entered. Empress Dowager Zhou walked in front of Qiao Jinniang and held her hand. ¡°Stop bowing. I heard that you are pregnant again. It would be great if this child was a granddaughter. Even now, your father doesn¡¯t have a granddaughter.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your kind words, empress dowager. I also think that it would be great if it was a princess.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw that Empress Dowager Zhou was still young, but perhaps because of the Lingnan sea wind, it was a little dark. However, it was clear that their smiles were genuine. Qiao Jinniang asked Empress Dowager Zhou, ¡°Empress Dowager, Why are you here? His Majesty has just left for Yangzhou. Do you want me to send a message to tell him?¡± Empress Dowager Zhou replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need. We are here to invite the imperial physician.¡± ¡°But father and mother are not feeling well?¡±Qiao Jinniang asked. Empress Dowager Zhou said, ¡°It¡¯s your grandmother. After the fall of the Martial Duke¡¯s public house, her body and bones have not been well. After following me to Lingnan, she has improved a lot, but in the end, she is old.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I haven¡¯t been to Lingnan. How is the scenery there?¡± Empress Dowager Zhou said, ¡°When your body is better, you can go to Lingnan to give birth. The scenery there is great. After you give birth to a princess, your mother can help you take care of her.¡± Qiao Jinniang:¡±¡­¡± She did not want to be separated from her daughter. However, she thought about it carefully. Rather than letting her daughter be trapped in the rules of the palace and be a well-behaved princess, it would be better to spend a childhood in Lingnan. ¡°Mother, when the child grows up, if she is willing, I will let her go to Lingnan.¡± ¡°Okay!¡±Empress Dowager Zhou replied. Qiao jinniang continued, ¡°In fact, His Majesty misses the two of you very much. Every time during the holidays, he will always see him looking at the moon in the sky and thinking of the two of you.¡± Empress Dowager Zhou said, ¡°I miss him too.¡± The Huilin Emperor snorted. ¡°Will this little ingrate miss me?¡± Empress Dowager Zhou said, ¡°Will the Jin Niang Lie? Don¡¯t worry, if your grandmother goes, your father and I will return to Chang ¡®an during festivals in the future.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After all, Lu Chen had been on the throne for five years, and those old ministers had no choice but to accept it. They should not bother the Hui Lin Emperor anymore. .. Three months later. Qiao Jin was still in Lin ¡®an to recuperate, and the team that went south had returned to Chang ¡®an. Although Qiao Jinniang missed Lu Xi and Lu Ang, as well as Lu Chen, who entered her dreams every night, she did not want to go back to Chang ¡®an. Everyone in Lin ¡®an knew that the empress was here, but many people still treated her the same as before. In the past, her classmates all married and had children, some good and some bad. Everyone held a poetry conference and talked about the interesting things that happened when they were young. Qiao Jinniang recalled the past and was in a good mood. She became very interested in poetry. The painter of the past was still begging for Qiao Jinniang¡¯s calligraphy. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s paintings were really shameful, so she treated the paintings that Lu Chen had given her as her own. They were husband and wife. In an instant, the Empress¡¯beautiful reputation for her superb painting skills spread to Chang ¡®an. The people of Chang ¡®an also begged for the Empress¡¯calligraphy. The portrait of Lu Chen that Qiao Jinniang had painted was thrown on the ground by Qiao ruoshui. It was picked up by a servant in the kitchen to be used for the fire. When he learned that the Empress¡¯painting had spread far and wide, he dug it out and sold it for 1000 taels of silver. The person who bought this painting was none other than Prince Rong, the number one flatterer of Da Tang. Princess sa Mo¡¯er looked at the painting and said, ¡°This painting is worth 1000 taels of silver. Do you think that the money in the imperial residence is too much to use?¡± Princess Rong said, ¡°What do you know? His Majesty has been back in Chang ¡®an for a month, and he has been separated from the Empress for three months. He has written many times to the empress to ask her to come back, but the empress is so happy that she doesn¡¯t want to go back. This painting can also explain his majesty¡¯s longing for her! ¡°This painting is presented to his majesty. Perhaps it can help our son fight for the position of a County King!¡± Sa mo¡¯er smiled and said, ¡°Then you should go quickly.¡± .. After Qiao Jinniang returned to the palace, she received a letter from Hong Ling. On it was written: ¡°The flowers on the moshang have bloomed. They can return slowly.¡± Qiao Jinniang laughed lightly and raised her brush. ¡°The flowers on the moshang have already withered.¡± Qiao Ruoyun looked at Qiao Jinniang as she wrote these words. ¡°Jinniang, why haven¡¯t you returned? Why Did His Majesty write the words ¡®The flowers on the moshang have bloomed¡¯?¡± Qiao jinniang said in surprise, ¡°You actually don¡¯t know this story?¡±? Qian Yin¡¯s ancestor, the first king of Wu, had conquered the kingdom of Wu and became the ruler of the land of Wu Yue. His wife, the Dai family, was a filial person. She would go back to her parents¡¯house to serve them before and after the Qingming festival until the flowers on both sides of the road bloomed. One year, the Dai family did not return for a long time. The great ruler of the chaotic times wrote this sentence, ¡®flowers bloom on the Moshang¡¯, but she slowly returned, allowing her beloved wife to enjoy the scenery on both sides of the road and return to Lin ¡®an. ¡°He wanted his wife to return, but he was afraid of being urged, so he asked his wife to hurry on her way. Thus, he wrote the word ¡®slowly¡¯. This shows how deep and profound the Wu King¡¯s love for his wife is. The little girl in Lin ¡®an grew up listening to this story.¡± Lu Chen knew that this story was told to him by Qiao Jinniang. That year, she was the one who went to the manor to look at the accounts. Lu Chen had written a letter to her asking her to return earlier. At that time, she had complained that Lu Chen did not understand romance, even the king of Wu Yue, who was born as a martial artist, knew how to use this phrase. Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. It can be seen that the ancestors were very loyal to their wives.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°All the men in the Qian family are infatuated with their wives, except for glutinous Rice¡¯s father.¡± Ruoyun also smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. However, His Majesty has sent many letters to urge you to return to Chang ¡®an. Are you really not going back?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°No.¡± Hong Ling said, ¡°Princess Wu, why wouldn¡¯t your Highness Want to go back? Last night, she called His Majesty¡¯s name in her dreams.¡± Qiao Jinniang Glanced at Hong Ling and said, ¡°Shut Up!¡± Chapter 390 Qiao Jinniang did not deliberately not want to go back. It was just that she had dreamed for too long that day, which reminded her of what Lu Chen had said about coming to Lin ¡®an to take her to Chang ¡®an. Lu Chen still owed her this promise. Qiao Jinniang knew that she had asked Lu Chen, the emperor, to come to Lin ¡®an again. It was quite excessive, and she did not understand the big picture at all. She might even be called the demon queen, but she wanted to be so willful for once. He wanted Lu Chen to personally come and take her back to Chang ¡®an. This was the promise he had made to her that day. .. In Chang ¡®an, after Lu Chen received Qiao Jin¡¯s reply, he crumpled the letter into a ball and asked someone to call Lu XI and Lu ang over. Lu Chen said to Lu ang, ¡°Do You Miss Your Mother? Why Don¡¯t you write a letter to your mother and tell your mother that you miss her very much?¡± Lu Ang raised his head and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Father, but I can¡¯t write yet.¡± Lu Chen looked at Lu Xi, who could already write. Lu Xi shook her little head helplessly. ¡°Father, have you forgotten what you promised mother when you brought me to Chang ¡®an?¡± Lu Chen remembered that he had said at that time that he would go to Lin ¡®an to pick up Lady Qiao Jin. In fact, he still owed Lady Qiao Jin this promise. Lu Chen called Marquis an Yuan and Lin Mo over and ordered them to temporarily manage the matters of the imperial court. He then ordered people to prepare the boat to Lin ¡®an. Marquis an Yuan learned from Lin Mo that the reason why the Emperor had put aside the matters of the imperial court and left Chang ¡®an was to pick up Qiao Jinniang and return to Chang ¡®an. He could not help but feel that Lu Chen¡¯s friendship with his daughter was really extraordinary. All the considerations in the past were unnecessary. When the officials learned that His Majesty had gone to Lin ¡®an to pick up the empress, they were already used to it. When she left Lin ¡®an, the Empress did not follow his majesty. Many officials thought that his majesty would favor others on the way, but none of them did. Over the past few years, the officials also understood that what his Majesty said about not taking in concubines was true. They couldn¡¯t stop it no matter how much they tried, so what could they do? They could only praise the emperor and the Empress¡¯s deep love for each other. All of a sudden, all the three-year-old girls in Chang ¡®an knew about the emperor and the Empress¡¯s deep love for each other. Some scholars from Jiangnan dug out the story of the flowers on the moshang flower returning slowly to set off Lu Chen. Back then, the emperor of Wu Yue only wrote letters and returned slowly. Our Emperor personally went to pick up the Empress! When Fu Lu heard the praises of the scholars in the teahouse, he no longer thought that Lady Qiao was the demon Empress. He thought that his ears were broken. After being scolded for bewitching the Emperor and the demon Empress for so many years, Lady Qiao had done it this time. Even Fu Lu felt that Lady Qiao had gone too far. She could have come back on her own, but Lu Chen had to fetch her. Lady Qiao was not one of those pampered girls. Why did Lu Chen have to put aside his affairs to fetch her? ¡°Qin Miaomiao, is my ear broken? I¡¯m used to people saying that our Qiao family is a treacherous minister in power. Why are they praising the Empress¡¯affection now?¡± Qin Miaomiao chuckled. ¡°Your ears aren¡¯t broken. Xie Yun often comes and goes to the Qiao residence. Now that everyone knows that Nichang is his biological daughter, tell me, who dares to oppose your Qiao Family?¡± ¡°In the past, the Qiao family only had generals and no civil officials. Although Ruo Yi was a civil official, she was a woman. Those sour scholars naturally looked down on the Qiao family. The scholars were even more displeased with the Qiao family. But who is Xie Yun? He is the Xie family head who has always been a scholar in the world.¡± Fu Lu,¡±¡­ Xie Yun is not completely useless.¡± Qin miaomiao said, ¡°Also, His Majesty has been touring Jiangnan for two months and disdained so many peerless beauties. It can be seen that they have already given up. Why must they continue to go against the Qiao family and the Empress? The crown prince is already nine years old. If they still do not know how to adapt to the situation, they will really be stupid from studying.¡± Qin miaomiao continued, ¡°Now, the southwest and northwest are the Qiao family¡¯s armies. Qiao Ruoyun married the king of Wu in Jiangnan. Qiao Ruofeng and his wife were highly valued by the retired emperor and have made great achievements in the south of the ridge. Qiao Ruoyi is the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Appointments. There are also women from the West Mountain Academy who have now entered various professions in Chang ¡®an. The women from the West Mountain Academy are all grateful to the empress. Naturally, the Empress¡¯s power and influence can not be compared to the past. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks A wise man submits to circumstances. Who would be so blind as to oppose the Queen?¡± Fu Lu deeply feel reasonable: ¡°Yes, I heard that Yesterday Mrs. Lin said a few Jinniang Lin Xiangye to the rest? So Old?¡± Qin Wu Wu said in a small voice, ¡°Princess Jing Hua hasn¡¯t been pregnant yet. It¡¯s been five years, and Mrs. Lin is very anxious. She felt that Princess Lin Mo Shang was helped by Lady Qiao. So she said a few nasty words to the Empress.¡±. ¡°Didn¡¯t prime minister Lin propose to divorce her in a moment of desperation?¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Madam Lin really deserved it. If it weren¡¯t for her stopping them back then, perhaps cousin Jinhua and Lin Mo¡¯s children would be even older than Xi¡¯er.¡± Yue Zhan and Qiao Lui walked over side by side. Yue Zhan was ten years older than Qiao Lui, but they felt like old friends at first sight. They were now colleagues. The two of them walked in front of their wives. Fu Lu saw Qiao Lui coming over and pulled Qiao Lui¡¯s hand, ignoring the presence of outsiders. Qin Miaomiao also held Yue Zhan¡¯s hand, but she still had to use her sleeve to cover her face. Yue Zhan Protected Qin Miaomiao¡¯s stomach and said, ¡°Did Princess Fu Lu call you out? Don¡¯t come out and walk around when you¡¯re in Labor.¡± Qiao lui protected Fu Lu and said, ¡°Maybe it was madam Yue who asked Fu Lu to come out? Lord Yue, don¡¯t blame others.¡± The brotherly love at first sight was so short that it broke up. Qin Miaomiao and Fu Lu looked at each other and smiled. They had quarreled for so many years. In the end, it was their husbands who quarreled. They each persuaded their husbands to go back. .. At the end of July, the little flowers on the Moshang River were still blooming and had not withered. When Qiao Jinniang had nothing to do, she would go back to the Hundred Savory restaurant. The palace maids stopped her from cooking, and Qiao Jinniang would only settle the accounts in the restaurant. Those who came were all neighbors. At first, they all bowed to Qiao Jinniang, but as time went on, it seemed that they had returned to ten years ago. At that time, Qiao Jinniang was the same. Tofu Zhang brought Qiao jinniang a cup of soybean milk every day. After Qiao Jinniang became pregnant, she changed her taste of salty soybean milk and fell in love with the taste of sweet soybean milk. She became more and more convinced that the one in her arms was her daughter. She even thought of her daughter¡¯s nickname, Tian Tian. ¡°Jinniang, do you still remember me?¡±Sister Zhang came over with a bowl of sweet soybean milk and said, ¡°I married into Qian City earlier. I came back to visit my parents before the mid-autumn Festival, only to find out that you came back after becoming the Empress.¡± ¡°Zhang Jinniang,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. Zhang Jinniang said, ¡°Jin Niang, when I taught you to suppress his majesty, you must not tell his majesty about it. Otherwise, my head will be lost.¡± Zhang Jinniang was naturally extremely afraid. If she had known Lu Chen¡¯s identity back then, she would not have given Qiao Jinniang that bad idea no matter what. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s over. On the day of our wedding, I told His Majesty that you were the one who instigated me.¡± ¡°Ah!¡±The elder sister of the Zhang family touched her neck and said, ¡°Oh No, oh no. Jinniang, you have to save me. I have an eighty-year-old father and a three-year-old child.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His Majesty is very magnanimous. He will definitely not find trouble with you.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked outside the door of the Hundred Savory restaurant. It was almost mid-autumn Festival. Did Lu Chen not understand what she meant? Or perhaps he felt that she was too troublesome, so he did not want to come? Chapter 391 Just as Qiao Jinniang was about to look away, she saw a man wearing a purple robe with a silver mask on his face. Qiao Jinniang recognized the mask. It was the one Lu Chen was wearing when she, Lu Chen, and brother Tuan were playing on the day of the Lantern Festival. Lu Chen walked in, took off the mask, and walked to Qiao Jinniang. He said slowly, ¡°Jin ¡®er, I¡¯m here to take you back to Chang ¡®an.¡± Qiao Jinniang came out of the counter and walked to Lu Chen, holding his hand tightly. Lu Chen looked down at her abdomen. ¡°Did the child mess with you?¡± Qiao Jinniang shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Chang ¡®an. I¡¯ve ordered people to prepare the guards of Honor.¡± Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen Out and saw that the guards of honor outside seemed to be less than the Empress¡¯Guards of honor, like the Guards of honor of the crown prince¡¯s consort. Lu Chen whispered in Qiao Jinniang¡¯s ear, ¡°The Guards of Honor owe you.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly. ¡°So you still remember.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Of course I remember.¡± Little Lu Ang, who had come along, said, ¡°It was clearly brother who reminded father.¡± Qiao Jinniang squatted down slightly and kissed little Lu Ang¡¯s face. ¡°Fortunately, Mother has you and your brother.¡± Lu Chen helped Qiao Jinniang up with a sour expression. After bringing her into the carriage, he put down the veil and kissed the lips that he had missed for a long time. The people outside were in a hubbub. Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t Push Lu Chen away because she was shy. After the kiss, she whispered into his ear, ¡°Brother Chen, I miss you so much.¡± Lu Chen held her in his arms and said, ¡°I miss you too. These few days when I opened the memorials, you were everywhere. You Can¡¯t be so willful in the future.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°What if I have to be so willful?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll accompany you to be willful!¡± .. In the first month of the sixth year of Jing Yuan, the little princess, whom everyone had been looking forward to for a long time, was finally born. When the Little Princess was born, she was given the name Weiyang. Her title was also the same, Princess Weiyang. The palace in Chang ¡®an during the Han dynasty was Weiyang Palace. The word Weiyang was extremely honorable and had the intention to live a long and peaceful life. For a time, everyone in Chang ¡®an said that they were reincarnated as Lu Weiyang. The Empress was overjoyed. She gave the four seas a year of tax exemption and granted amnesty to the whole world. The Empress even opened a new West Mountain Academy in all the prefectures of Datang, which was specially for women. For a time, all the people in the world were grateful to Princess Weiyang. Since Lu Weiyang was born, she had been the most honorable princess in Datang Dynasty. When she was young, her mother, father, and two brothers would give her whatever she wanted. When Lu Weiyang was six years old, Aunt Jinghua, who had never had a child, finally had a child. She followed her mother out of the palace and went to Aunt Jinghua¡¯s residence. When her mother went to visit Aunt Jinghua, she saw cousin Nihon asking her to go over. Lu Weiyang saw a man who was more beautiful than the other. Although her father, two older brothers, uncle, and grandfather were all very good-looking, after looking at them for a long time, the men in Aunt Jinghua¡¯s residence were also very good-looking. Qiao Nihong said to Lu Weiyang, ¡°My mother said that these are the princes¡¯male pets. Princess da Tang can have dozens of them in the future.¡± Lu Weiyang took out a small abacus. ¡°Raising so many male pets should cost a lot of money, right?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao nihong: ¡°You are a princess, why are you still so greedy?¡± Lu Weiyang calculated that her monthly expenses were not low. If she raised dozens more.. Lu Weiyang shook his head repeatedly. ¡°In the future, I only need one son-in-law. It¡¯s best if I can save some money. I definitely won¡¯t raise so many male pets.¡± Qiao Nihong did not know why Lu Weiyang loved money so much, but after that, Qiao Nihong never saw this princess cousin again. It was said that she had followed the retired emperor and the Empress Dowager to Lingnan. When she saw that everything in Lingnan was cheaper than Chang ¡®an, she followed her grandparents to Lingnan. When Qiao Jinniang found out that her daughter had gone to Lingnan for this reason, she didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. After Weiyang decided to stay in Lingnan, when the first letter came back, Lu Chen and Lu Xi didn¡¯t dare to let Qiao Jinniang see it. They were afraid that Qiao Jinniang would miss Lu Weiyang. At night, Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°Did you get Weiyang¡¯s letter?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Don¡¯t read it. It¡¯s hard to avoid looking sad and missing her.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I won¡¯t be sad. If I were sad, I wouldn¡¯t allow Weiyang to go to her mother¡¯s side. I don¡¯t want Weiyang to be stuck in the walls of the palace. Although she has two brothers who can be an extremely simple little princess in the future, and we can give her endless love and let her be carefree in Chang ¡®an, I don¡¯t want to be such a mother. ¡°I want my daughter to experience the beauty of this world and the customs of the world, not to be a model of a woman raised by a well-behaved nanny.¡± ¡°Weiyang Palace belongs to Chang ¡®an, but our Weiyang should not only be in Chang ¡®an.¡± Lu Chen handed the letter to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang opened it and looked at it. Weiyang no longer praised that things in Lingnan were cheap. Instead, she told her about the vast ocean in Lingnan and even drew a painting for Qiao Jinniang. Although this painting skill was not inherited from her father, it was just like her painting skill. Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Should we invite a painting master for our daughter?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Father is an expert in painting. Now that he is old, he can teach Weiyang and enjoy the happiness of family.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw that there was another letter inside. After opening it, it was actually the Hui Lin Emperor who scolded Lu Chen. He scolded Lu Chen for lying and praising Weiyang¡¯s painting skill, causing Weiyang to feel that it was truly a good painting, it was just like what she had drawn. Qiao Jinniang looked at the letter and chuckled. Qiao Jinniang was relieved that her daughter was able to follow the Hui Lin Emperor and Empress Dowager Zhou. The Hui Lin Emperor only came to scold Lu Chen. It was clear that he also doted on this granddaughter of his. Time slowly passed. When it was the 15th year of Jingyuan, Crown Prince Lu Xi was a weak crown prince. At this time, women already accounted for one-third of the Chang ¡®an officials. Xi Shan Academy in Chang ¡®an was as famous as Qingming Academy. The old officials all retired and left the court. The young officials became the mainstay of the current generation of officials. The new generation of officials also gradually emerged. The younger generation of the Qiao family also began to show their talents. Qiao Ruofeng and Xu Mingwei¡¯s son became the New South Sea General of Lingnan, repelling the rebellious people from the vassal states of glazed tile who came to cause trouble. Qiao Nihong was well-versed in both literature and martial arts. She was also the future heir to the position of Duke of the Qin family. As soon as she reached marriageable age, she was asked by Duke of Qin to take the examination for achievement and fame. Qiao Nihong also took the examination for achievement and fame with Qiao Nichang. Qiao Nichang had not reached marriageable age yet, but she was determined to be the top scorer of the Qiao family. She had to compete with her cousin. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Nihong also wanted to fight for her father who was only a playboy back then. She wanted to be the top scorer. The two cousins spent their days studying. However, the reality was that the two of them did not even make it onto the roll. They had no choice but to continue fighting for another three years. After the three of them, the two of them were ranked at the top. One of them was the top scorer and the other was the top scorer. It was a humiliation from the past. The crown prince¡¯s two cousins were so capable that Lu Xi¡¯s marriage was put on the agenda. Chapter 392 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi In the Changle Palace, Qiao Jinniang was also having a headache over Lu Xi¡¯s marriage. Back then, she and Lu Chen both had children early on, but when it came to Lu Xi, he did not like any woman. The officials often mentioned that Lu Xi should marry Qiao Nichang or Qiao Nihong. Qiao Jinniang had considered it. But to Lu XI, they were just Little Sisters. They might as well get along better with Lu Ang. Qiao Jinniang went to the Eastern Palace and saw that the soft and cuddly little ball had grown to be a head taller than her. She was extremely gratified. ¡°Xi¡¯er, today another official suggested that you should choose a consort. What do you think? Do you want mother to hold a flower feast and you can choose properly?¡± Lu Xi cupped her hands and said, ¡°Thank you, mother, but there¡¯s no need.¡± Qiao Jinniang frowned slightly and said, ¡°Tell me the truth. Do You Like Men? ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to mother. Mother has read many books. Qiu Yue has written many books. There are many good things about long yang. I can take it.¡± Lu Xi said,¡±¡­ mother, don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. I didn¡¯t choose a consort because I have long Yang¡¯s good things. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t met a woman who can make me fall in love with her.¡±. Father and mother have been loving each other for more than twenty years, and I¡¯m very envious. If I want to find a woman, I must find one who has the same mind, and not just make do with her. There will only be one crown prince concubine in the Eastern Palace in the future.¡± Lady Qiao Jin did not force the two children to not take concubines or have a relationship in the future. She just did not ask the Shang Gong bureau to arrange for them to raise palace maids to enlighten the two children. Although ang ¡®er was only eighteen years old, there were already concubines in the backyard of the imperial residence. However, Lu Xi was already twenty-three years old, and there was not a single woman by her side. When Qiao Jin returned to Changle Palace, Lu Chen saw that she was feeling uneasy and said, ¡°Why are you worrying about all this? Xi¡¯er just hasn¡¯t met the right person yet. ¡°I heard that Father¡¯s health is getting worse, so I thought it would be better for Xi¡¯er to temporarily take charge of court affairs. I¡¯ll go with you to Lingnan to visit father and mother. It¡¯s been two years since I¡¯ve seen Weiyang. She should be a big girl now.¡± Qiao jinniang nodded and said, ¡°Mm, alright. Forget it. I Won¡¯t worry about Xi¡¯er anymore.¡± Back then, the Hui Lin Emperor had met his mother when he was over thirty years old. Xi¡¯er was indeed young now. This time, when they went to Lingnan, Qiao Jinniang had not expected to say goodbye to the Hui Lin Emperor forever. The Hui Lin Emperor had already passed the age of seventy, which could be considered a long life. After the death of the retired Imperial Kingdom, Lu Chen imitated the Hui Lin Emperor and gave the throne to Lu Xi. He brought Qiao Jinniang to Lingnan to take care of Empress Dowager Zhou, who was unwilling to return to Chang ¡®an. After the death of Hui Lin Emperor, Empress Dowager Zhou aged a lot. She often stared at the ocean in a daze. After Qiao Jinniang discussed with Lu Chen, she brought Empress Dowager Zhou back to Lin ¡®an. For Qiao Jinniang, Lin ¡®an was the place where she felt most at ease. When she left that year, she was eighteen years old in her youth. Now that she had returned, she was already thirty-eight years old. The only thing she was glad about was that she and Lu Chen were still in their prime. She could take a look at the boundless scenery of Jiangnan. Ever since Lu Xi ascended the throne, the prosperous era that had lasted for two dynasties was still as prosperous as ever. The only exception was the six palaces without concubines. The civil and historical officials could already accept that when the time came, there would be only one empress in the six palaces, but they could not accept that there would be no one in the palace when the new emperor ascended the throne. When Qiao Jinniang returned to the Hundred Savory restaurant, Lu Chen did not allow her to return to the kitchen. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s parents had both died young because they had stayed in the kitchen for too long. Qiao jinniang only taught her disciples how to cook. Weiyang only liked to settle accounts and collect money. The guests in the restaurant did not know that she was a princess and only thought that she was a distant relative of glutinous rice. She hugged the money and smiled all day long. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s disciple was either an outsider or glutinous Rice¡¯s daughter. She was two years younger than Weiyang and loved to make pastries since she was young. However, after learning from Qiao Jinniang for less than two years and reaching marriageable age, she married into Chang ¡®an. After Qiao Jinniang ¡°Lost¡±her beloved disciple, Weiyang could not escape from her vicious hands. For the sake of their mother-daughter love, Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°If you really want to take in disciples, why don¡¯t You Teach Me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡±Qiao Jinniang smiled and pulled Lu Chen into the kitchen to study pastries. They were carefree and carefree on a daily basis. Until two major events that made her want to fly to Chang ¡®an immediately and break the legs of her two sons came from Chang ¡®an. First, the concubine in the Ang¡¯er¡¯s mansion was pregnant. This was not a big deal. It was not a big deal that the eldest son and daughter of the Prince had a concubine. She was angry because Lu ang refused to give the concubine a title. Lu Chen had given an imperial edict. It was the same even for royal relatives and nobles. Without a title, an heir was an illegitimate child. The concubine somehow had the ability to escape from Chang ¡®an. Lu ANG mobilized the troops of Chang ¡®an. Lu Xi could not help but agree to close the city gates of Chang ¡®an and search for his concubine door to door. Fortunately, the two brothers had been very close since they were young, so there was no misunderstanding that Lu ang was going to rebel. Secondly, after Lu Xi stole Tang Yuanyuan, the wife of the former top scholar and now the concubine of the imperial scholar of the Imperial Academy of Han in Chang ¡®an, Tang Yuanyuan met Lu Xi on the way to Chang ¡®an leading a group of ministers hunting. When she was making a beggar¡¯s Chicken by the roadside.., lu Xi went to Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s side under cover of her identity. It was funny to see a bride in wedding clothes squatting by the roadside, cooking a beggar¡¯s Chicken. After tasting the beggar¡¯s Chicken in her hands, the taste reminded Lu Xi of her mother¡¯s cooking skills when she was young. After asking around, she found out that she was aunt glutinous Rice¡¯s daughter. In the early years, she had made a marriage contract with her brother, who was next to her, and her neighbor¡¯s brother stayed in Chang ¡®an four years ago after he passed the exam. She was married to Chang ¡®an. Lu Xi had wanted to take care of Tang Yuanyuan for the sake of aunt glutinous rice. Unexpectedly, after taking care of her, she fell in love with her cooking. On the day she sent Tang Yuanyuan off to get married, he actually brought Tang Yuanyuan back to the palace and announced that the world was going to marry Tang Yuanyuan as their queen! Lu Chen and Lu Weiyang helped Qiao Jinniang to ease her anger. Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s very expensive to take medicine when you¡¯re angry!¡± Qiao Jinniang said,¡±¡­ why do I feel even angrier?¡± Lu Weiyang said obediently, ¡°If you¡¯re really angry, I¡¯ll help you go to Chang ¡®an. I¡¯ll give my brothers a few punches and teach them a lesson!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good girl,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. ¡°I¡¯m still the most thoughtful daughter.¡± Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Xi¡¯er is already so old. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°The matter of snatching an official¡¯s wife will go down in the annals of History!¡±Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Alas, I¡¯m still worried about the two of them.¡±? ¡°And Ang¡¯er. That concubine didn¡¯t cherish him when he was around. Now, he has run away and closed the Chang ¡®an city gates. He has even searched every house. If I see him, I¡¯ll skin him alive!¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to make the first move. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson. You should just go with the flow. It¡¯s not worth it to be angry over those two unfilial sons.¡± Empress Dowager Zhou smiled faintly and said, ¡°I also said the same thing to your father back then. It can be said that the Heavenly Dao is a good reincarnation.¡± Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± After they came out of the private room, Lu Weiyang saw an extremely beautiful woman enter the door. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The woman at the door was very thin and weak. She looked like she would be pitied if I saw her. However, her lower abdomen seemed to be about five or six months pregnant. Lu Weiyang went up to her and asked, ¡°Is this elder sister staying in a restaurant or a top-notch one?¡± The woman said weakly, ¡°I want to ask about someone. Have you heard about the Qian family that lives in that alley? Everyone calls her old lady Qian.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯ll go and ask. Xiaolong, pour this female guest a cup of hot tea.¡± Weiyang went to find Qiao Jinniang to ask about the whereabouts of Old Lady Qian. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Poor Old Lady Qian. She lost her life ten years ago. But her daughters are all promising. Who will come to find her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful sister.¡±Weiyang took Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and went over. Qiao Jinniang walked over. When the beautiful and weak woman saw Qiao Jinniang, she was so scared that her legs went weak and she knelt on the ground. ¡°Empress, no, Empress Dowager.¡± Qiao Jinniang thought about the things in the world. It was really a coincidence. Wasn¡¯t this woman the woman who made Lu Ang Go Crazy in Chang ¡®an? ¡°You don¡¯t have to bow if you¡¯re pregnant. Why are you looking for the rich woman?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my aunt¡­¡± ¡°She passed away ten years ago. But your cousins are doing very well in business now. Do you want me to introduce them to you?¡± Qingyu hurriedly shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to trouble the Empress Dowager. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°Stop, where do you think you¡¯re going with your child? Stay here and have a good rest in the Hundred Savory restaurant. If you¡¯re afraid that Ang ¡®er will be at ease, I won¡¯t tell him about this.¡± Qingyu repeatedly thanked her. ¡°Thank you, Empress Dowager.¡± Weiyang ordered the servant girls in the restaurant to send Qingyu to the side room to rest. ¡°Mother, are you really not going to tell second brother that his concubine is here?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t tell Ang ¡®er, but you two have a deep sibling relationship. I Won¡¯t stop you from snitching.¡± Weiyang understood and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter to second brother now. 800 Li is quite expensive. When our merchant ship goes to Chang ¡®an, we can send the letter along.¡± Qiao Jinniang didn¡¯t care. On the night of the 15th of July, there was no one on the road. Even the night watchman left in a hurry. On that night, Qian Qingyu gave birth to a boy who was eight ounces in weight. Such a heavy boy almost killed Qian Qingyu. Qiao Jinniang held her grandson who had just come out. She made up her mind to give Lu ang a few whips when she saw him. Weiyang also wanted to hug her nephew, ¡°Mother, he looks like me. Second Brother doesn¡¯t want a child, can I have this child?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that raising a child will cost you money?¡±Qiao Jinniang smiled. Lu Weiyang said, ¡°It¡¯s worth it to give such a cute child money.¡± One month later, the child was full moon and it was the mid-autumn Festival. Qiao Jinniang invited Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s family and glutinous Rice¡¯s family to celebrate the mid-autumn Festival together. Poor glutinous rice still did not know that her daughter had been forced to stay in the palace and become an empress. She was still lamenting, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the little master is not here. Today is his twenty-sixth birthday. I still remember how he looked when he was born, just like this child.¡± Qian Qingyu had just given birth. Initially, she would not have dared to have dinner with Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang even if she was beaten to death. However, Wei Yang had threatened her to sink her child into the pond if she did not come. Only then did she find out that she was here to celebrate the full moon for her child. ¡°This child really looks like little master.¡± Qiao Jinniang held the child in her arms and said, ¡°How can I not look like Ang¡¯er¡¯s Child?¡± At this time, there was a knock on the door of the Qiao family¡¯s small courtyard. It turned out that Lu Xi and Lu Ang had come. When Qiao Jinniang saw the two of them, she wanted to find a broom and a rolling pin. Wei Yang silently handed the whip in his hand to Qiao Jinniang. Lu Chen took the lead and threw it to Lu Xi. ¡°The two of you, give each other three lashes. Don¡¯t let your mother and I fight.¡± Glutinous Rice said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Master, it¡¯s a big festival and it¡¯s Little Master¡¯s birthday. Why hit him?¡± Qiao Jinniang found it difficult to speak. She glared at Lu XI and said, ¡°Tell me what you did.¡± Lu Xi walked up to glutinous rice and gave a big bow. ¡°Mother-in-law.¡± Glutinous rice looked at it carefully. ¡°Brother Tuan, are you calling for me?¡± ¡°Yes, mother-in-law. I¡¯ve decided to marry Yuan Yuan as my queen. Yuan Yuan also has my child. I¡¯ve come to pay my respects to fulfill the six rites.¡± Glutinous rice:¡±¡­¡± Lu Ang saw the whispers on the table and went over in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re actually here? Where¡¯s the child? Do you know how hard I¡¯ve searched for you?¡± Qiao jinniang asked Lu Weiyang, ¡°Didn¡¯t you give the letter to your second brother?¡± Lu Weiyang covered his mouth and said, ¡°Oh my, the ship¡¯s boss didn¡¯t know my identity last time and insisted that I give him three copper coins to deliver the letter. I didn¡¯t want to. I actually forgot about it after that.¡± Lu Ang glared at Lu Weiyang. ¡°Three copper coins. If you give me the letter, how can I lose three copper coins?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. Once you¡¯re in my money bag, there¡¯s no reason for you to spit it out,¡±Lu Weiyang said proudly. ¡°HMPH, you did it yourself. I¡¯m the first one to see your son!¡± Lu Ang was helpless. What else could his sister do? He could only endure it. Lu ang held Qingyu¡¯s hand and knelt with her in front of Lu Chen and Lady Qiao Jin. ¡°Father, mother, I want to marry Qingyu as the princess consort. In this lifetime, I will definitely not let her down.¡± Lu Xi also went to the door and brought Tang Yuanyuan over. She said to Lu Chen and lady qiao, ¡°Father, mother, in-law, father-in-law, I want to marry Yuanyuan as the empress. In this lifetime, she will be my only wife.¡± Lady Qiao said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t ask us. The question should be whether Yuanyuan and Qingyu will agree or not?¡± Tang Yuanyuan lowered her head shyly and said, ¡°I am willing.¡± Qingyu said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to be unwilling.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Ruoyun tried to mediate between them, ¡°Alright, Alright. Today is our family gathering, and it¡¯s the day of the mid-autumn Festival. Let¡¯s eat first, and let the servant girl serve two bowls and chopsticks.¡± The mid-autumn Festival was a full moon, and the gentle moonlight shone on the courtyard of the Qiao family¡¯s small courtyard. The fragrance of osmanthus flowers filled the air, and they drank fine wine together. Qiao Jinniang Glanced at Lu Chen, who was beside her. Seeing that Lu Chen was also looking back at her, the two of them looked at each other and smiled. With their children by her side, the rest of their lives were free and dull. Their lives were also complete. The only worry was that the stingy princess Weiyang would not know when she would be able to find a prince consort that she was willing to spend money on.. Chapter 393 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi Qingming festival in the sixth year of Jingyuan. Qiao ruoyi wore a white mourning dress and went to Luo Wei¡¯s grave. Luo Wei¡¯s favorite wine was placed in front of the grave. It had been a year. This year, when Qiao Ruoyi woke up in the middle of the night, she still remembered that Luo Wei was still by her side. Little Nichang kneeled in front of the grave and kowtowed obediently. ¡°Father, mother and nichang miss you very much.¡± Qiao ruoyi used a handkerchief to carefully wipe the words on the gravestone for Luo Wei. Qiao ruoyi thought back to her entire life. Although she was the daughter of the marquisdom when she was young, she knew that her father and mother were unreliable. Her eldest sister was weak, and her third sister Qiao Ruoshui was unruly and looked down on her in every way. There was Aunt Qian in the residence, and she would act like a demon from time to time. Every time her father and mother were in love, Qiao ruoyi would know that it was her aunt¡¯s bad luck. Although Aunt Qian was doted on by her father and was his cousin, she was still an orphan girl. How could she dare to openly deal with the Marquise? It was even more impossible to spoil a concubine and destroy a wife with old madam Qiao in the manor. When Aunt Qian dealt with her mother, it was mostly to sow discord between her mother and her father. At most, it was between husband and wife. Sometimes, when Aunt Qian failed in her plan, she would bully the weak and bully the strong to humiliate her aunt. The year her mother was pregnant with her younger brother, Qiao Ruoyi was already six years old. At that time, Aunt Qian came to torture her aunt every day. Aunt Qian was already sick, but Aunt Qian still forced aunt Hu to serve Aunt Qian. Aunt Qian hated that Aunt Hu could have children, but she also hated that Aunt Hu was a servant girl. She was a servant girl that she could order around and bow to since she was young, but now she was on equal footing with Aunt Qian. Qiao Ruoyi saw that Aunt Hu¡¯s health was deteriorating, and she was extremely worried. She cried and said that she wanted to tell her stepmother about this to her father. Aunt Hu stopped Qiao Ruoyi. Aunt Hu told Qiao ruoyi that she was originally a servant girl and had a humble background. Aunt Qian used to be a cousin of the marquisdom, so there was a difference in status. Aunt Hu did not want to stir up trouble. She only hoped that she could live a peaceful life with Qiao Ruoyi. When Qiao Ruoyi got married, it would be good as long as her life was peaceful and smooth. Qiao ruoyi secretly told her mother about Aunt Qian torturing her aunt. Her mother was pregnant and came to uphold justice, but Aunt Qian knelt in front of her father and kept saying that it was her mother who had used her aunt to slander her. She even accused her mother of using a child. Her father back then, however, believed Aunt Qian and fiercely blamed her mother and aunt Hu, saying that the two of them had no good intentions and even instigated the young child. Qiao ruoyi felt bad that her mother was implicated. Her mother did not blame her, but Qiao ruoshui came over and scolded her. Sometimes, Qiao Ruoshui was actually quite good. Ever since that incident, she had always been a concubine¡¯s daughter. Aunt Hu hugged Qiao Ruoyi and told her that after she got married in the future, she would not have to suffer such grievances. She would marry a good husband and a husband who loved her. However, Qiao Ruoyi didn¡¯t think so. She began to love books and paintings. She only cared about the principles of the sages. The sages would never make mistakes. She wanted to become a genius herself so that the Qian family would not dare to bully aunt Hu again. However, when she was only twelve years old and her name was widely spread in Chang ¡®an, everyone in the Qiao family was honored. Even Aunt Qian, who had always been on bad terms with her, didn¡¯t say anything. However, her aunt ignored her for several days. At that time, Qiao Ruoyi was extremely frightened. Aunt Hu had always cared about rules. If she was angry from a young age, she would not blame her. Because aunt Hu thought that she was a slave and Qiao Ruoyi was the young lady of the Hou Mansion. However, if Aunt Hu did not agree with Qiao ruoyi, she would only ignore Qiao ruoyi. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao Ruoyi was extremely scared at that time. It was her eldest sister, Qiao Ruoyun, who saw her crying and helped her to plead with Aunt Hu. Aunt Hu finally revealed the truth. All the daughters in the Hou Mansion, apart from Qiao Ruoyin, were of a higher status than Qiao ruoyi. She did not even have a reputation outside, it was wrong for a daughter of a concubine to dare to make a name for herself in Chang ¡®an. Qiao ruoyi was really wronged at that time. Later, Zheng Xiao found out about this from Qiao Ruoyun. Zheng Xiao told Aunt Hu that Qiao Ruoyi was the daughter of the Hou mansion. It was an honor for a sister to be famous. They should not have buried Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s talent like this. Aunt Hu also felt that Qiao Ruoyi was wronged. She held Qiao Ruoyi in her arms and kept her safe. At that time, when Aunt Hu and Qiao ruoyi were in the same room, Aunt Hu told Qiao ruoyi that the most important thing was to find a good husband to marry. Any reputation was a sham. Now that the world had changed, Qiao Ruoyi could openly refute what aunt Hu said was wrong. However, she had missed the best husband. In this life, she would never find a better husband than Luo Wei. After Qiao Ruoyi and Nichang returned to the Qiao residence, she was extremely weak. In the courtyard, Lan Xin stood beside Qiao Ruoyi with a bowl of blood in her hands. She said, ¡°Fifth miss, you¡¯re finally back. This blood is about to solidify.¡± Qiao ruoyi smelled the blood in the bowl and downed the blood in one gulp with a frown. She returned the porcelain bowl to Lan Xin and said, ¡°Thank you for bringing me the blood.¡± Lan Xin wanted to say something, but when she saw Nichang beside Qiao ruoyi, she forcefully stopped herself. Yan Yu saw that Lan Xin wanted to say something but stopped herself, so she left with Nichang. Lan Xin knelt in front of Qiao ruoyi with her back straight. ¡°Fifth miss, my master has been giving you blood every half a month for the past year. His essence is already extremely poor. ¡°If this goes on, my master¡¯s life will be in danger. If you don¡¯t have the antidote, you won¡¯t live long.¡± Qiao ruoyi said coldly, ¡°He owes me the antidote!¡± Lan Xin said, ¡°My master was innocent in that incident. He was just plotted against by the palace maid. He is also a victim! As for General Luo¡¯s death, it had nothing to do with my master. I beg you to change the antidote. You Don¡¯t want Miss Nichang to lose her parents at such a young age, do you?¡± Qiao ruoyi ignored Lan Xin and entered the room. She closed the door and shut Lan Xin, who was still begging bitterly, outside. Qiao ruoyi pressed against the door. She definitely could not accept Xie Yun. If there really was a day, she would probably choose to let Xie Yun live. Xie Yun was still alive and Nichang still had a blood relative who loved her dearly. Although the Qiao family had so many relatives, Nichang was only a cousin after all. Without her parents, she would still be living under someone else¡¯s roof. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only On the 100th day of Princess Weiyang¡¯s birthday, the officials celebrated. When Qiao Ruoyi saw her little niece, she also changed the worries she had for the past year. At the 100th day banquet, Qiao Ruoyi also saw Xie Yun, who had no blood on his lips. He was now the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who had come to receive the main guests of the Ministry of Commerce. He had a flourishing trade with foreign merchants, and this position was extremely popular. The Emperor had given this position to Xie Yun, and all the officials could not understand it. Today¡¯s 100th day banquet was organized by Princess Chu, eldest Princess Jinghua, and the Minister of the Shang Palace. No one knew how it was arranged, but it was actually arranged according to officials, and the wife was to sit together with the wife, according to rank. Qiao ruoyi and Xie Yun, who were also vice ministers of the Minister¡¯s Province, were coincidentally arranged to sit at the same table. Chapter 394 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi The last time Qiao ruoyi and Xie Yun sat together, it was in the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor. Ever since Xie Yun agreed to give him the blood antidote, he had been in and out of the Marquis¡¯Manor many times. The outside world was buzzing with rumors that good things were about to happen between the Xie and Qiao families. But Qiao Ruoyi had never spoken a word to Xie Yun ever since she found out that she had been poisoned. Occasionally, Xie Yun would go to look for Nichang. After Qiao Ruoyi saw him, she would always avoid him. Occasionally, when the sky turned dark, she would ask Yan Yu to take Nichang away. In the officialdom, Qiao ruoyi often avoided Xie Yun. Xie Yun spoke first, ¡°You look good.¡± Qiao ruoyi replied indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Yun calmly sipped a glass of wine in front of him and asked Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see Nichang today?¡± Qiao ruoyi slowly replied, ¡°She played with her aunt and Nihon in the second Prince¡¯s palace. Today, she is also having dinner in the second Prince¡¯s Palace.¡± Xie Yun continued, ¡°When do you plan to let her call me ¡®Daddy¡¯? I may not hear her call me that many times.¡± Qiao ruoyi slightly frowned and said, ¡°You were the one who didn¡¯t want her back then!¡± After the banquet, a servant girl beside neon came to report that the few young ladies in the residence were having a good time in the second Prince¡¯s palace. When night came, the palace would send someone to send them back to the Qiao residence. Today was a day of rest. Qiao Ruoyi had a rare moment of free time and didn¡¯t need to bring neon, so she went to the ten thousand book workshop that she hadn¡¯t been to for a long time. The ten thousand book workshop would often sell some famous calligraphy and paintings, as well as rare rare rare rare books. After Qiao Ruoyi entered, everyone came forward to compliment her. Now, everyone knew that this young woman in front of them, who was only a little over 20 years old, was the younger sister of the Empress. Qiao ruoyi entered and saw an unsigned painting. It was a Buddha statue. Qiao Ruoyi was extremely fond of Buddha statues. Firstly, it was difficult to draw Buddha statues, which tested the skills of the painter. Secondly, Qiao ruoyi believed in Buddha. ¡°This Buddha statue is really good. The brush strokes are comparable to the Empress¡¯brush strokes.¡± ¡°Why do I feel that the brush strokes of this Buddha statue are similar to that of the Empress? Could This be a painting by the Empress?¡± Qiao Ruoyi knew that her second sister knew nothing about Danqing. The paintings that made her famous were all His Majesty¡¯s. However, this Buddha statue did not seem to be his majesty¡¯s work. Although His Majesty¡¯s paintings were good, he did not paint often. They were better than ordinary painters, but they could not compare to the perfection of this Buddha statue. Qiao ruoyi saw the painting of the Buddha statue and asked the shopkeeper, ¡°Shopkeeper, who painted this painting? How much is it sold for?¡± The shopkeeper in the ten thousand books workshop said, ¡°Aiya, why did I hang this painting? Lord Qiao, this painting is Lord Xie Yun¡¯s treasure of ink. He brought it here to be mounted. After I mounted it, I forgot to take it back.¡± Coincidentally, Xie Yun and Lan Xin entered. Lan Xin saw Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Fifth miss, coincidentally, you are also here. Master came here to take the painting.¡± Qiao ruoyi felt that it was a pity. It was a pity that such a superb painting was painted by Xie Yun. ¡°You like this painting?¡±Xie Yun asked Qiao Ruoyi. ¡°If you like it, this painting is for you.¡± Qiao ruoyi replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t accept paintings from nameless people.¡± Xie Yun frowned, and picked up the framed painting before handing it over to Lan Xin. .. Qiao Ruoyi returned to the Qiao residence. Ni Shang, ni Hong, and their little aunt had yet to return. Qiao ruoyi then returned to her study to read her collection of books. She looked at the few ancient books from the Xie family on the bookshelf and placed them at the bottom. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Yan Yu brought a cup of tea to Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a letter from the palace saying that Miss and Miss Neon won¡¯t come until tomorrow.¡± Qiao ruoyi said worriedly, ¡°How can this be? She didn¡¯t even bring a change of clothes.¡± Yan Yu said, ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered someone to send it over. It¡¯s a good thing that Miss Neon is willing to play with people her age.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°That¡¯s in the palace after all. Although there are only two masters in the palace, Sister and His Majesty, I¡¯m still afraid that something will happen to Neon!¡± .. Lu Ang was two years older than his two cousins, but Lu Xi disliked his young age and did not like to play with him. She always liked to play with brother Bao, Brother Yun, and the others. Lu Ang also liked to act as a king among the young children. Not only was Nichang Nichang Nichang alone in the palace, but there was also the young master and young daughter of the Jing public house. The daughter of the Jing public house was the same age as Lu ang. She was only six years old this year, but she was very sensible. The current Old Jing public house did not have a daughter, and he did not want to find another daughter from another branch to enter the palace. Therefore, when the Jing public house asked the emperor to accept the harem in the past, the old Jing public house was on the side of Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang. After all, he did not have a daughter. He only had two granddaughters, the eldest granddaughter was eight years old this year, and the youngest granddaughter was six years old. If he could please Qiao Jinniang, he could have a future for his two granddaughters in the future. Xue Xiaoxiao, who was only six years old, had been raised according to the standards of the princess consort since she was three years old. Xue Xiaoxiao had a cousin who was Lu Ang¡¯s study companion, so she followed her cousin into the palace. Xue Xiaoxiao, who was six years old, also knew that if she wanted to marry Lu ang in the future, she had to let Lu ang remember her since she was young, and at the same time, she had to clear out all those who might stand in her way. For example, Qiao Nihong and Qiao Nishang, especially Qiao Nihong. Qiao Nihong¡¯s grandmother was the eldest princess, and her aunt was the queen. And Qiao Nishang was also the daughter of the Qiao family. Xue Xiaoxiao¡¯s mother had said that the Qiao family was now the exclusive power of the relatives. In at least ten to twenty years, the Crown Prince and the second Prince would marry the daughter of the Qiao family to protect the boundless wealth of the Qiao family. Xue Xiaoxiao looked at Qiao Nichang, who was painting with Lu Ang, and a hint of jealousy appeared in her eyes. However, no matter how precocious she was, she was still a six-year-old child. She could not hide her thoughts and walked to the middle of Lu Ang and Qiao Nichang. Xue Xiaoxiao, who was obviously a few days older than Lu ang, shouted, ¡°Brother Ang, what are you painting? I want to paint too!¡± Qiao Nichang and Lu Ang had been drawing for nearly twenty-five minutes. Because of Xue Xiaoxiao¡¯s arrival, Qiao Nichang¡¯s pen was unstable and there was a black line on the rice paper. Qiao Nichang¡¯s phoenix-like eyes slightly raised. She was young but she was full of vigor. ¡°Xue Xiaoxiao, why did you squeeze over? My painting has been destroyed by you. Accompany Me.¡± Xue Xiaoxiao sobbed and said, ¡°I just, I just want to play with you guys. You guys have been playing together¡­¡± Qiao Nihon held the shuttlecock in her hand and said, ¡°Hmph, I told you to play with the shuttlecock, but you didn¡¯t play with it. Does brother Ang have any treasure on him? You keep going up!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Nihon really thought that Lu ang had some treasure on him, but her words made Xue Xiaoxiao Blush. Xue Xiaoxiao stomped her feet and said, ¡°I just want to take a look, but Qiao Nishang has always been so close to the second prince. Does she want to be the second Prince¡¯s Little Princess Consort?¡± Little Nishang tilted her head and asked Qiao Ruohan, the youngest daughter of the Qiao family, ¡°Little aunt, what does it mean to be the second Prince¡¯s Princess Consort?¡± ¡°It means to let you marry brother Ang and be his wife.¡± Little Nishang said happily and innocently, ¡°That¡¯s great. Then I can always play with brother Ang. I want to marry brother Ang and be his little princess consort now.¡± Chapter 395 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi Late at night. It was the first time that Qiao Nishang and Qiao Nishang had spent the night in the palace. The wet nurse beside them was not allowed to enter the palace. This was the first time that there was no wet nurse beside them, so they could only sleep by themselves. The two of them played until they were almost ugly, but they did not feel sleepy at all. Qiao Jinniang pushed the door open and entered. Seeing that the two children were still not asleep, she said, ¡°Ruohan told me that you are not sleeping at this hour, how can you be unfamiliar with strangers?¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡± Little Nichang also covered her head with the blanket and said, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m going to sleep too.¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled gently. Seeing that the two had fallen asleep, she tiptoed away. As soon as the palace door closed, Qiao Nichang was woken up by the noise. She liked to fall asleep listening to songs. In the past, her father would sing songs for her, and in the past, Uncle Xie would climb over the wall to sing songs for her. Qiao Nichang called out to her sister softly, but when Qiao Nichang did not wake up, she heard footsteps again. She thought that the empress aunt had returned, so she closed her eyes. However, children could not pretend to sleep. She simply lay under the blanket and covered her head with the blanket. She saw a small figure coming over. She walked to their side and pushed the lantern rack on the side onto the bed. Just as the oil lamp was about to fall on Qiao Nihong, she quickly got out of bed and supported the fallen lantern frame. After the lantern frame was straightened, the lantern fell to the ground and started burning. ¡°Sister Xiaoxiao, you can¡¯t Sleep and came to play with us? You have to be careful. If this lantern frame falls, it will catch fire!¡± Xue Xiaoxiao deliberately lured the palace maids away from the door. She sneaked in to destroy the appearance of the two sisters. Otherwise, if they really became Lu Ang¡¯s little princess consort, she would be finished in the future. However, she did not expect Qiao Nishang to see it. Xue Xiaoxiao was not sure whether Qiao Nishang had seen through her scheme or whether she really did not know if she did it on purpose just now. No, she had to strike first! ¡°Someone, someone, Qiao Nishang is going to set fire to Princess Neon Rainbow!¡± Xue Xiaoxiao screamed loudly. Qiao Nishang was only four or five years old and was very innocent. However, at this time, she also knew that she had been falsely accused. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. It was clearly you who bumped into the lantern frame!¡± Xue Xiaoxiao was the first to complain loudly. ¡°It was you, it was you. It was you who knocked down the lantern frame. Quick, someone come!¡± Xue Xiaoxiao had forgotten that the palace maid had been lured away by her. Hence, she took a small lantern from the lantern rack and wanted to throw it at Qiao Nishang¡¯s face, she planned to burn Qiao Nishang¡¯s face with fire. However, the design of the lantern was complicated. When Xue Xiaoxiao took it down, she did not remove the chassis from the lantern rack. The Candle in the lantern fell on Xue Xiaoxiao¡¯s head, igniting her hair. ¡°Ah! Help! Help!¡± The shrill cries were very fierce. When the palace maids and internal servants rushed over one after another, they saw that Xue Xiaoxiao¡¯s long hair had been burned away. Her scalp had turned completely burnt red, and the skin on her forehead was covered with large blisters. When the palace maids saw this scene, the timid ones¡¯legs went limp and they collapsed to the ground. Xue Xiaoxiao was the direct granddaughter of the Jing public house, and her status was incomparably noble. She had been making a fuss in the middle of the night to eat this and that, so the palace maids could only do as she was told. They were afraid that they had treated Xue Xiaoxiao too slowly. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks But they had not expected such a thing to happen. Something Big had happened in the palace. Lanterns were lit up everywhere, as if it was daytime. When Lady Qiao heard about this, she came over worriedly. She first went to the main hall to take a look at the sleeping ang¡¯er and then let out a sigh of relief. She ordered someone to take good care of Ang¡¯er and then went to the side hall. In the side hall, the imperial physicians were already treating Xue Xiaoxiao. A few imperial physicians looked troubled. When they saw Lady Qiao come in, they bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, your Majesty.¡± Lady Qiao walked to the side of Little Nichang and held her hand. She asked, ¡°How is Miss Xue¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, Miss Xue¡¯s scalp has been severely burned by the fire. In the future, there may be scars on her scalp and not even a single hair will grow out. Moreover, I¡¯m afraid that there will be scars on her forehead!¡± Xue Xiaoxiao, who was already in pain, burst into tears when she heard this. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be ugly. I don¡¯t want to be ugly. Your Majesty, it¡¯s her. She used the lantern to hurt me.¡± Xue Xiaoxiao stretched out a finger and pointed at little nichang. Qiao jinniang asked little nichang, ¡°Did you hurt this sister?¡± Little Nichang shook her head. ¡°No, aunt. She picked up the lantern. The candle fell on her hair and caught fire.¡± Xue Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Nonsense. Why would I hurt myself for no reason? You are a treacherous daughter. You must be jealous of my background and hurt me on purpose so that you can take revenge for me destroying your painting.¡± Little Nichang looked at Qiao Jinniang in confusion and said, ¡°Auntie, mother said that good children are not allowed to lie. Why does sister Xiaoxiao keep lying? Mother said that lying will make you ugly.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the lamp stand and said to little nichang, ¡°Nichang, you¡¯re so obedient. Do you want to Go Home?¡± Little Nichang shook her head and said, ¡°I promised brother Ang that I would stay for one night. I¡¯ll play with him tomorrow morning.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Alright, you and sister Nichang sleep together obediently.¡± Qiao Jinniang¡¯s voice was extremely cold as she said, ¡°Someone send young master Xue and Miss Xue Back to the Jing public house. In the future, the children of the Xue family are not allowed to enter the palace.¡± ¡°Yes,¡±the palace servants replied. .. After the palace gates were locked, unless there was a major event, the palace gates would not be opened. When the Xue family heard that someone had come from the palace, they were all worried about what had happened. When the second young mistress of the Xue family saw her daughter being sent back without any hair and the red and rotten look on her forehead, she was so scared that she nearly fainted. ¡°My son, who was so cruel to hurt you to such a state? Didn¡¯t you go into the palace? How could this be? The people in the palace¡­¡± The eldest young mistress of the Xue family berated her second brother and sister-in-law, ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± The eldest young mistress of the Xue family gave a silver ingot to the palace servant and said, ¡°Eunuch suffered a great deal and sent my son back. I wonder what happened in the palace? How could he be injured when he was perfectly fine?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only The palace servant said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. It¡¯s just that the Empress has ordered that the young master of the Xue family and Miss Sun of the Xue family are not allowed to enter the palace again in the future.¡± The eldest young mistress of the Xue family was dumbfounded. It was not easy for her son to become the second Prince¡¯s study companion. It was such a good thing, but if he was not allowed to enter the palace now, wouldn¡¯t her son¡¯s future be ruined? After the palace servant left, the eldest young mistress asked Xue Xiaoxiao in a bad mood, ¡°What exactly did you do in the Palace?¡± Xue Xiaoxiao threw herself into the arms of the second young mistress of the Xue family in fear and said, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s Qiao Nichang, that treacherous birth daughter. She knocked over the lampstand and wanted to harm Princess Nihon. After I found out, she used a candle to hit me. Mother, you have to make justice for me!¡± The second young mistress of the Xue family was furious when she heard that. ¡°Qiao Ruoi¡¯s Daughter? She¡¯s just like her mother. Back then, she got pregnant out of wedlock. Her daughter is just as Shameless. Xiaoxiao, don¡¯t be afraid. Mother will definitely seek justice for you.¡± Chapter 396 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi Eldest Young Madam Xue glared at second young madam Xue and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, be careful of what you say. Qiao Ruoyi is not only the Empress¡¯s sister, she is also a second rank official in the imperial court and Second Brother¡¯s direct superior!¡± Speaking of which, this second young Madam Xue became even angrier. Back then, her husband was blessed by his ancestors and relied on the name of the High Duke¡¯s public house to enter the Ministry of Appointments. After many years of hard work, he had become an assistant in the Ministry of appointments at such a young age. This made second young Madam Xue the envy of all her sisters. However, two years ago, Qiao Ruoyi had descended from the Ministry of Appointments and became the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Appointments, suppressing her husband by a head. Her husband had also been laughed at by everyone and gradually relaxed. By relying on the High Duke¡¯s public house¡¯s face, other people had given her husband some face. However, her husband was depressed and often went to Spring Breeze Street to drink. She was not willing to take in concubines, so her husband kept those girls from brothels as his concubines. Seeing that High Duke Xue was already old, if the Old High Duke Xue went, the Xue family would be separated, and she would not even be the second young mistress of the High Duke¡¯s public house. This was all thanks to Qiao ruoyi. The second young mistress of the Xue family thought of the old and new grudges, and then looked at her daughter¡¯s appearance. She hugged her daughter tightly and said, ¡°Even if she is ranked as the Third High Duke, she still has to be reasonable. My daughter has been harmed by her daughter to this state. If I wanted her daughter to pay with her life, it would be a light punishment. How can my Xue family¡¯s daughter be so easily bullied!¡± Second Young Madam Xue held her daughter¡¯s hand and went to kneel outside the palace gate. She kneeled for about four hours. Officials rushed to the palace gate to attend the court session. Although many officials did not know the second young madam of the Xue family, they knew that she was not an ordinary woman when they saw her well-dressed. Then, they looked at the charred child beside her, whose gender could not be seen, everyone who saw her gasped. When state Duke Xue saw his daughter-in-law, he came forward and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± The second young mistress of the Xue family said, ¡°Father-in-law, you have to make a decision for Xiaoxiao. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s illegitimate daughter burned my daughter to this state.¡± Qiao Ruoyi and Qiao Lui happened to pass by. When Qiao Ruoyi heard this, she went forward and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± The second young mistress of the Xue family stood up, she pointed at Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s nose and cursed, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, that bastard child of yours, who was born unclean before marriage, ruined my daughter¡¯s appearance in the palace yesterday. Even my daughter has become like this. I Can¡¯t live anymore!¡± ¡°Even if I die, I will make that bastard pay with his life!¡± Before Qiao Ruoyi could make a move, an orchid fragrance came. Lan Xin slapped second young Madam Xue twice. State Duke Xue was furious. ¡°Sir Qiao, this is the daughter-in-law of our Xue family. How can your maidservant hit her as she pleases?¡± Xie Yun coughed and said without any energy, ¡°State Duke Xue may have made a mistake. This is my maidservant. Qiao Nichang is my biological daughter. Your Xue family has disregarded the face of the Qiao family and insulted my son as a bastard. So what if you slap her twice?¡± Seeing the commotion, master Qiao came over and said, ¡°Who insulted my Qiao family¡¯s granddaughter?¡± When state Duke Xue saw Master Qiao coming over, he did not dare to stand up for his daughter-in-law, he could only explain, ¡°Master Qiao, My Xiaoxiao has been destroyed to such a state. My daughter-in-law was also careless for a moment. I¡¯m here to apologize to Master Qiao.¡± Second Young Madam Xue frowned and said, ¡°Father, why are you apologizing to them? Xiaoxiao has been harmed to this extent. How Can Qiao Nichang be so precious? I can¡¯t even say it. What should I do if my daughter has been harmed to this extent?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Nichang has always been obedient and innocent. She would never intentionally harm your daughter.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Xue Xiaoxiao cried loudly, ¡°She did it on purpose. Yesterday, I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was hungry, so I went to their room to play with them. When I pushed the door open and entered, I saw Qiao Nichang pushing the lantern frame onto Princess Neon. I quickly ran over to hold the lantern frame. She was afraid that I would tell on her, so she took down another lantern and smashed it on my face, causing it to catch fire.¡± Although Qiao Lui was worried about his daughter, he knew very well how close Qiao Nishang and Qiao Nihong were. How could Qiao Nishang use the lantern to burn Qiao Nihong? The bell rang in the palace. It was time for the court session. Everyone did not delay and entered the main hall. During the morning court session, Lady Qiao was also there. It was the first time the Empress was attending the court session. The scholars and ministers looked at each other, wondering if they should come to the main hall and ask the Empress not to come. It was rare for Lady Qiao to wear heavy makeup today, she said, ¡°I came to court today because I heard that the young lady of the Xue family wants to seek justice for her daughter. Last night, I was here. When I announced them to come in, I will naturally give them justice.¡± When the mother and daughter kneeling on the ground outside the palace doors heard the Empress¡¯s words, the second young lady of the Xue family was extremely happy. Qiao ruoyi might be the Empress¡¯s younger sister, but she was only her stepsister after all. Even if the Empress was doing it for her own reputation, she would not cover up for her stepsister¡¯s daughter. On the way into the main hall, the second young Madam even instructed her daughter, ¡°Xiaoxiao, don¡¯t be afraid. Just tell the truth later.¡± This was the first time Xue Xiaoxiao had seen such a grand scene. She was terrified and sobbed as she recounted what had happened last night. Although no one in the imperial court dared to talk about it, they were all thinking that Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s daughter was too vicious. She had such a vicious heart at such a young age. Not long after, Qiao Nichang and Ni Hong also arrived at the main hall, along with Lu Ang and the palace maids. Lady Qiao asked, ¡°Such a big thing happened in the guest hall yesterday. Where are the palace maids and palace maids guarding the door?¡± The palace maids trembled and knelt down to answer, ¡°Last night, Miss Xue was hungry. One moment she said she wanted to eat this, the next she said she wanted to eat that. We didn¡¯t dare to neglect her.¡± ¡°Yesterday, Miss Xue said that she dropped her earring on the road. It was an extremely precious earring in the jewelry pavilion, so she asked us to look for it with lanterns. So we left.¡± Qiao Jinniang softened her tone and asked little neon, ¡°Did you hear anything yesterday?¡± Qiao neon said, ¡°Auntie, I don¡¯t know either. I only know that Xue Xiaoxiao is lying. How could neon come to harm me!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Xue Xiaoxiao said, ¡°Do I need to lie? I¡¯ve already become like this. She¡¯s the one who harmed me!¡± Qiao Nishang was so angry that she put her hands on her hips. ¡°You¡¯ve wronged me! You¡¯re talking nonsense. You¡¯re lying so you have to become an ugly monster!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Ugly Monster. You¡¯re the B * Stard that your mother had an affair with before marriage. Even your own father despises you and doesn¡¯t want you!¡±Xue Xiaoxiao said without thinking. Qiao Nishang¡¯s eyes were red as she said, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. My father is the great hero General Luo Wei who exterminates bandits. My father is very good at leading troops to war!¡± Second Young Madam Xue knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Your Majesty, my daughter will not lie. There is no need for her to become like this just to slander Miss Qiao. I Beg Your Majesty and the empress to handle this matter impartially!¡± Chapter 397 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi Qiao ruoyi said unhappily, ¡°Fair? I want to ask how your Xue family raised a daughter. A six-year-old child is full of adultery and evil children. Is this something a child would say? ¡°If there were no adults to teach them, I don¡¯t believe that a six-year-old child would say such words.¡± Second young madam Xue said, ¡°No Matter What, Your Majesty, Please Punish Qiao Nichang severely. She is so vicious at such a young age and lies so much. I don¡¯t know how she will harm others when she grows up!¡± Qiao Nichang was still young after all. Seeing the mother and daughter slander her like this, she did not want to cry in public and be ugly. She could only pout in grievance. Xie Yun went forward and held Qiao Nishang¡¯s small hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. His Majesty and the Empress are both reasonable people.¡± Little Nishang looked at her own hand that was being held and said, ¡°Uncle Xie, I believe mother said that those who are innocent are innocent.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Xue Xiaoxiao who was kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°Second young Madam Xue is right. She is so vicious at such a young age. This is the first time I have seen her alive. Initially, I did not want to punish her for the sake of my ancestors. It seems that I have no choice but to punish her now.¡± Second Young Mistress Xue repeatedly kowtowed and said, ¡°Thank You, Your Highness, for your impartial punishment.¡± Qiao ruoyi said anxiously, ¡°Second sister, you watched Nichang grow up. She can¡¯t be so vicious. She is so young and still doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± Second young mistress Xue said, ¡°Assistant Minister Qiao, this is the imperial court. It¡¯s not a place where you can get close to relatives.¡± Qiao ruoyi walked over and hugged little nichang. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Mother is here. No matter what punishment you receive, mother will believe that you are innocent.¡± Qiao Ruoyi believed in her daughter whom she had raised. She also believed that the bloodline of the Qiao family could not be so vicious. Qiao Jinniang smiled. ¡°I did not say that I would punish Nichang. Nichang is so obedient. She has done a good job protecting sister. She should be properly rewarded.¡± Second Young Madam Xue looked at Qiao Jinniang in disbelief and said to Lu Chen, ¡°Your Majesty, Please help my son. I Can¡¯t let my son ruin his life without justice just because he doesn¡¯t have an aunt queen, can I?¡± Qiao Jinniang motioned for the palace servant to take the lantern from yesterday¡¯s Palace. ¡°This is the lantern from yesterday¡¯s Palace. Nichang is only four years old and is a head shorter than Xue Xiaoxiao. She can¡¯t even reach the lantern on the lantern even if she steps on it. Unless she was climbing on a stool to take it down. But if she were to take the lantern, wouldn¡¯t you be unable to escape?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Nichang, go to the side of the shelf and raise your hand!¡± Nichang stood by the side of the shelf. She stretched her hand so high that she was still unable to hook it onto the lantern. Qiao jinniang said slowly, ¡°This evidence is enough to prove that Miss Xue is lying. Moreover, Xue Xiaoxiao, you¡¯re so young to know to send away the maids and palace servants at the door. Have you ever thought that there are guards on the roof as well?¡± The three beloved young ladies of the Qiao family lived in the palace. How could Qiao Jinniang not hold back? Yesterday, she found a secret guard to protect her, and the secret guard witnessed everything. Yesterday, the secret guard almost showed up, but at the critical moment, Nichang saved neon. The Secret Guard on duty last night told everything that happened last night, not leaving a single word. When state Duke Xue heard this, he found it hard to believe that his own granddaughter was so vicious. He immediately went forward and gave Xue Xiaoxiao a slap. ¡°How dare you harm people so openly, and even lie to the family to seek justice for You?¡± Xue Xiaoxiao was stunned by her grandfather¡¯s slap. Second Young Madam Xue looked at her daughter in disbelief and said, ¡°Xiaoxiao, you¡­ how can you be so Vicious?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Xue Xiaoxiao burst into tears. ¡°It was mother who wanted me to be the second prince¡¯s consort, but the second Prince said that he wanted to marry neon dress as the Princess Consort. How could Qiao Neon Dress Be Worthy?¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered coldly. ¡°Ang ¡®er is so young, you don¡¯t even know what a princess consort is. I saw that you had already received your retribution last night, so I spared you. ¡°I never thought that you would still think of bullying others. Today, I will never forgive you! ¡°Xue Xiaoxiao attempted to harm others first and slander her later. Considering her young age and the fact that she did not raise her godfather, her parents are not allowed to have any fame or glory, and they are not allowed to enjoy the inheritance of the Duke of Xue¡¯s estate.¡± Hearing this, second young Madam Xue was so shocked that she fainted. .. After the morning court session ended, everyone discussed this matter. Many people really did not expect that the young lady of the Xue family could be so vicious at such a young age. Qiao Ruoyi had asked for leave after the morning court session. Her daughter was frightened in the palace last night. Today, she was falsely accused. People pointed at her nose and called her a bastard. Qiao ruoyi wanted to spend some time with nichang to dispel her unhappiness. Qiao ruoyi then brought Nichang to the temple fair at the bottom of the Yuan Xi Temple to play. Nichang enjoyed herself for the whole afternoon. On the carriage back.., she did not forget to ask Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Mother, why did they say that I¡¯m a bastard? They even said that my father doesn¡¯t want me. Also, Uncle Xie said that I¡¯m his daughter. Is that true?¡± Qiao ruoyi held Little Nichang in her arms and said gently, ¡°Little Nichang, actually Xie Yun is indeed your father, but that¡¯s only the father who is connected by blood. Back then, mother and he were schemed against by others to have you. Mother and uncle Xie both like you. Back then, Uncle Xie was also very good to you in Mother¡¯s arms. However, mother and uncle Xie did not like each other and could not be together. Later, mother met Father Luo Wei. Father Luo Wei likes mother and treats you as his own daughter. Little Nichang is very happy. She has two fathers.¡± Little Nichang nodded her head as if she understood something. After coaxing little nichang to sleep, Yan Yu said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Miss has finally thought it through and is willing to accept young master Xie.¡± Previously, Qiao Ruoyi kept telling Little Nichang that she only had one father, Luo Wei. Qiao ruoyi stood by the window and looked at the bright moon in the sky. ¡°Yan Yu, you and Xiao Man have followed me since young. I Won¡¯t hide it from you. Xie Yun¡¯s condition is getting worse by the day. Perhaps he won¡¯t be able to give me the antidote next month.¡± ¡°Although I can¡¯t let go of many things in this world, I don¡¯t want Little Nichang to lose her parents. Today, Xue clan humiliated Little Nichang, there will definitely be others tomorrow.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Xie Yun and I will either die together, or he will live if I die. This gu worm is like this, I can only let Nichang have a biological father.¡± Yan Yu¡¯s eyes reddened and said, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t say that, don¡¯t die, if Xie Yun marries another wife after you die, he will not treat Miss Nichang well!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°But there are still brothers and sisters who will protect Nichang. I only hope that Nichang isn¡¯t an orphan.¡±. Yan Yu, after I leave, you have to take good care of Nichang. You have to tell her that I have always loved her. Luo Wei, aunt and I will watch her live well in the sky.¡± Yan Yu said with tears in her eyes, ¡°Miss¡­ Yan Yu will definitely take good care of Miss Nichang!¡± Chapter 398 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi Yan Yu said reluctantly, ¡°Miss, didn¡¯t Lan Xin say that there was another way? As long as you have a good relationship with master xie, using blood essence to make the antidote is the same as donating blood¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi heard this and said, ¡°I would rather die than betray Luo Wei. Also, Lan Xin will return the blood. Tell her that there¡¯s no need to send any more.¡± Yan Yu replied, ¡°Yes!¡± .. It was the first day of the Lunar New Year again. It was the time for Xie Yun to donate blood to Qiao Ruoyi. When Xie Yun arrived at the Qiao family, he was not only thin and weak, but also very weak. When he cut his veins and let out the blood. The imperial physician at the side said with extreme disapproval, ¡°Family head xie, if you continue to let out the blood, I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t have much time to live.¡± Compared to a year ago, Xie Yun was visibly much weaker. Fu Lu sat at the side and sighed, ¡°Xie Yun, why didn¡¯t you eat the pig liver that I sent you?¡± ¡°Thank you for your good intentions, Princess.¡± Fu Lu sighed, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you die, but if you die, Ruo Yi will also die. Sigh, you should eat more pig liver to replenish your blood. You have to Live!¡± Xie Yun:¡±¡­¡±it was obvious that Princess Fu Lu did not have such a kind heart. Xie Yun had finished draining the blood. This time, he had personally taken it for Qiao Ruo Yi because when Lan Xin came to deliver the blood medicine half a month ago, Qiao Ruo Yi had not drunk it. When Xie Yun entered, he saw that Qiao Ruo Yi was drawing. Qiao Ruo Yi¡¯s drawing skills were not low, but she was much better than her sister. Qiao ruoyi saw Xie Yun and said: ¡°Lan Xin did not tell you last time, you don¡¯t have to bring the blood medicine, I will not drink it anymore.¡± Xie Yun frowned: ¡°You will die if you don¡¯t drink it, that ice silkworm Gu is the ten thousand year Frost Gu, the last time it acted up, it was not that strong, if it really acted up, you will have to suffer the pain of not being able to live and not be able to die!¡± Qiao ruo yi said: ¡°If that day really comes, I will kill myself, I have hated you and blamed you, but I will not make you pay for my death, you have to live and take good care of Ni Shang for me!¡± Xie Yun went forward and placed the blood in front of Qiao Ruo Yi¡¯s mouth, ¡°Drink it.¡± Qiao Ruo Yi threw the bowl of blood on the ground, ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink it, I told Lan Xin last time, you don¡¯t have to bring any more blood.¡± Blood splattered everywhere, like blossoming wintersweet on the stone road. Xie Yun¡¯s face darkened when he saw this. ¡°I¡¯ve already let out the blood. Even if you want me to live, I Won¡¯t give it to you next time. What do you mean by throwing it away now?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Your blood makes me sick. Since I¡¯ve made up my mind, I don¡¯t need to drink it again!¡± Xie Yun clenched his hands tightly. ¡°Alright, Qiao ruoyi, don¡¯t Expect Me to save you the next time you have a seizure!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t trouble you, Sir Xie.¡± .. In the Tai Chi Palace. Lu Chen and Xie Yun were playing chess. Lu Chen placed a stone and asked when he saw Xie Yun¡¯s extremely pale blood, ¡°The imperial physician came to report that you can only donate three more rounds of blood to Qiao Ruoyi at most. Have you thought about how to dispose of the inheritance? There¡¯s not a single person in the Qiao family who does business and can¡¯t control the huge wealth of your Xie family.¡± Xie Yun immediately put down a black stone and said, ¡°I¡¯ve disappointed you. Qiao ruoyi doesn¡¯t need me to give her the antidote anymore. She would rather die by herself. I will manage my family business myself.¡± Lu Chen held a white stone in his hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re already in a desperate situation. Why do you still care about other things? Qiao ruoyi lost her husband because of you. If you just watch her die, how will you face Nichang in the future?¡± What was more important was that Qiao Ruoyi and Qiao Jinniang were very close. Jinniang was a person who valued relationships. If her younger sister died at a young age, she would probably be sad for a long time. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Lu Chen placed the white chess piece on the chessboard, and all the Black Chess Pieces lost. ¡°Your expression looks terrifying, let¡¯s stop here! Qiao Ruoyi is dead, and I still have to worry about who will take her place.¡± Xie Yun looked at the chessboard and said, ¡°Your Majesty, if I can let Qiao ruoyi live, what if the Qiao family comes to your Majesty to ask for an explanation and punish me?¡± Lu Chen said slowly, ¡°If you hand over the Xie family¡¯s transportation to me, I promise that I will not punish you on behalf of the Qiao family.¡± ¡°Then if it¡¯s Jin ¡®er¡­¡±before Xie Yun could finish his words, he saw Lu Chen¡¯s eyes that wanted to kill him. ¡°What if the Qiao family begged the Empress?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I guarantee that they won¡¯t be able to see the Empress.¡± Xie Yun left the palace and saw Lan Xin rushing over. When Lan Xin saw Xie Yun, she hurriedly said, ¡°Not good, master. The Gu poison in the Qiao family¡¯s fifth young Miss¡¯s body is acting up again!¡± Xie Yun rushed back to the Qiao residence. The main door of Qiao ruoyi¡¯s courtyard was tightly shut. Yan Yu was biting her lips in Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s boudoir, not daring to cry out loud. The young miss had instructed her not to say anything before she died. She was afraid that the Qiao family would ask for Xie Yun¡¯s blood. Xie Yun climbed over the wall and entered Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard. He pushed open the door and entered. He saw Qiao Ruoyi lying on the bed, shivering. Xie Yun came forward and touched Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s forehead. It was boiling hot. Qiao ruoyi seemed to have lost all meaning. She only spoke coldly. Her brows were tightly knitted as if she was feeling a bone-piercing pain. When Yan Yu saw Xie Yun going to touch Qiao Ruoyi, she hurriedly went forward to stop Xie Yun and said, ¡°Lord Xie, you can not touch my master!¡± Xie Yun said to Yan Yu, ¡°Do you want your master to live, or do you want your master to die today?¡± Yan Yu¡¯s tears kept falling as she sobbed and said, ¡°This servant naturally wants miss to live well. Miss Nichang is still so young. She can not do without her mother!¡± Xie Yun said to Yan Yu, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then listen to me. Go Out Now and guard the door. No matter what sounds come from inside, don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± Yan Yu looked at Qiao Ruoyi, who was in extreme pain, and had no choice but to go out first. After Lan Xin and Yan Yu left, only Qiao Ruoyi and Xie Yun, who were completely unconscious, were left in the room. The bright sun shone in through the window, and Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s face was covered with a layer of light. Xie Yun reached out to touch Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s face, put down the curtains on both sides of the bed, and slowly untied the belt of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s dress.. It had been many years, but Xie Yun always remembered that there was a red mole on Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s heart.. In fact, Qiao Ruoyi was Xie Yun¡¯s only woman. Back then, in order to compete with third uncle and the Xie family¡¯s second son, he disguised himself as a woman. He did not dare to expose himself at all. Although he had maids by his side, he did not touch any of them. Initially, Lan Xin was prepared to be his maid. However, he and Lan Xin had known each other since they were young. Moreover, he did not want to destroy Lan Xin because she had a man that she loved. After he could regain his manhood, he had not taken a wife yet, and he did not want to cause any trouble for his illegitimate son, so he did not have any concubines. Not long after that, he met Qiao Ruoyi. After that, he did not dare to have sex with other women before they got married. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Hence, Xie Yun was almost thirty years old, but Qiao Ruoyi was the only woman.. Xie Yun looked at Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s appearance and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but living is more important than anything else¡­ what reputation, what other things are just worldly possessions.¡± Inside the house, clothes were scattered all over the floor. Yan Yu heard the movement at the door and wanted to enter, but was stopped by Lan Xin. ¡°My Master is saving Miss Qiao.¡± Yan Yu said, ¡°This won¡¯t do. My Miss will hate me to death when she wakes up! She would rather die than have sex with Xie Yun!¡± Chapter 399 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi When Qiao ruoi woke up, she felt her entire body aching. She was still looking at the bed curtain in her room. She got up and got off the bed to see everything she was familiar with. Only then did she know that she had not turned into a ghost. She was still alive. She was still alive in this world, but Xie Yun¡¯s body could no longer support another bowl of blood for her. Yan Yu and the other servant girl heard the commotion inside and rushed in. Yan Yu was relieved when she saw Qiao ruoyi wake up. ¡°Miss, you finally woke up. I really thought you would never wake up again. It would be great if you could wake up.¡± Qiao ruoyi said to Yan Yu, ¡°Xie Yun donated blood to me again?¡± Yan Yu pursed her lips and did not dare to lie to Qiao Ruoyi. After all, Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s body was full of marks. She would probably discover it by herself when she was changing. ¡°Miss, Sir Xie just used another method to give you the antidote.¡± Qiao ruoyi raised her hand in shock and anger and slapped Yan Yu hard on the face. ¡°I trusted you so much, but you helped others to humiliate me?¡± Yan Yu covered her face and knelt on the ground, kowtowing. ¡°Miss, this servant doesn¡¯t want you to die so young. Last year, before General Luo passed away, his last words were also to hope that you could live well. ¡°Miss, this is not something between a man and a woman, but just a good medicine to save lives. What is more important than you being able to live!¡± Qiao ruoyi saw the swelling on Yan Yu¡¯s face and felt both angry and guilty. In the end, Yan Yu was doing this for her own good. ¡°Someone, prepare hot water. I want to take a bath and boil a bowl of pill to avoid children!¡±There was no way Qiao Ruoyi would give birth to another son for Xie Yun. Qiao Ruoyi was soaking in the bathtub. Looking at the marks on her body, her face was extremely dark. Although Qiao Ruoyi liked Confucianism, she did not like the fact that some sour scholars looked down on women. They even gave women the right to be respectable. Due to the influence of the aristocratic families, the customs among the aristocrats had always been open. It was common for men and women to fall in love before marriage. As long as they did not talk about illegitimate children, it would be fine. Qiao Ruoyi did not really care about that time when she had sex with Xie Yun. Not to mention that she was unconscious, even if she was conscious, if she knew that she was poisoned, she would casually pull out a man¡¯s antidote. To Qiao ruoyi, these false titles weren¡¯t that important. But at that time, she didn¡¯t have a loved one in her heart. She wasn¡¯t willing to use this as an antidote because her heart was already occupied by Luo Wei. She was Luo Wei¡¯s wife for the rest of her life. After having Luo Wei in her heart, how could she bear to have sex with another man? Qiao ruoyi covered her lips and leaned against the bathtub, retching. .. Qiao ruoyi took three days off before she returned to the imperial court. When she entered the imperial court, she saw Xie Yun. Her eyes were filled with hatred as she looked at Xie Yun. She should not have gone easy on Xie Yun for Nichang¡¯s sake. She should not have been bullied by him like this! After the imperial court, Xie Yun called out to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Fifth Miss Qiao, wait.¡± Both sides were colleagues of the court. Qiao Ruoyi was after all someone who cared about face, so she could not cause a ruckus with Xie Yun in public. Xie Yun said, ¡°Fifth Miss Qiao, would you do me the honor of dining at the Hundred Savory restaurant this afternoon?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao Ruoyi agreed. There were some things that she had to clearly explain to Xie Yun in person. The business of the Hundred Savory Restaurant at noon was still very good. It was hot outside in the summer, and there were ice cubes all over the place that were very cool. Therefore, many officials in Chang ¡®an liked to come to the savory restaurant and the Hundred Savory Restaurant for meals. In a private room of the Hundred Savory restaurant, Qiao Ruoyi and Xie Yun sat opposite each other. Xie Yun said, ¡°Fifth Miss Qiao, what happened three days ago was an urgent matter. If I have offended you, it is to keep your life. I hope Miss Qiao will forgive me.¡± Qiao ruoyi said seriously, ¡°Thank you, sir. Then I will tell you again clearly. My husband is Luo Wei. My heart and body are Luo Wei¡¯s. I will not betray my husband, and I will not allow other men to touch me. ¡°If there is a next time, I will not let you off easily. I don¡¯t have long to live either. It would be better to die together!¡± Xie Yun poured a glass of wine for Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao ruoyi rejected Xie Yun¡¯s wine and said, ¡°I still have to go to the yamen to handle official business in the afternoon, so I won¡¯t drink this wine.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Luo Wei has already been gone for more than a year. If he had a spirit in the sky, he definitely wouldn¡¯t want you to suffer and die. Don¡¯t worry, fifth Miss Qiao. I just purely want you to live. This matter doesn¡¯t concern men and women, so why do you care so much?¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned. Xie Yun continued to persuade her, ¡°Fifth Miss Qiao, why don¡¯t you think about Aunt Hu? If you die, who will remember Aunt Hu in the future? Aunt Hu¡¯s birthday, Aunt Hu¡¯s death day. Do you still want the Marquise, the mistress of the household, to handle it for a concubine? Or do you want those ¡°Relatives¡±of the Hu family to handle it? You can tell Nichang, but Nichang is only a young child. If she wants to take care of it, what will she do? Aunt Hu has cut off her incense. Can you really leave with Peace of mind?¡± Aunt Hu was originally a child of the Qiao family. Although her brothers were still alive, they were afraid that they would use aunt Hu¡¯s light to take care of some small villages outside. They only plundered Aunt Hu, they did not have the slightest brotherhood or sisterhood. Why would they do these things for Aunt Hu? Xie Yun narrowed her phoenix-like eyes and slowly said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Aunt Hu is one. There¡¯s also Luo Wei.. Although Luo Wei is your Qiao family¡¯s son-in-law, if you were not around, who would make a big fuss about his anniversaries? Even if he was the son-in-law of the Qiao family, the Qiao family would do it for the sake of face. Who would remember Luo Wei like you do? What kind of food would he like to eat? If you were to die, everyone in the world would gradually forget about Luo Wei. Qiao ruoyi, in this world, nothing is more important than living. Luo Wei is alive, and I definitely hope that you can be happy for the rest of your life.¡± Qiao ruoyi picked up the wine cup in front of her and drank it in one gulp. There was a teardrop at the corner of her eye. She could abandon Nichang because at least someone would take care of her. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Aunt Hu and Luo Wei, besides her, who else could be as empathetic as her to handle the funeral affairs for them? She could not die. At least she had to wait until Nichang grew up and was able to organize these memorial days for Aunt Hu and burn joss sticks and paper money for Aunt Hu. Xie Yun handed Qiao ruoyi a piece of paper and said, ¡°This method is not more useful than blood, so it is best to cure it four times in a month. This is a garden in Chang ¡®an city. No one knows that it is my property. ¡°If you want to cure it, you can come to this garden. Besides you, me, Lanxin, and your personal maid, I will not let others know about this and make others gossip.¡± Qiao ruoyi took the paper from Xie Yun¡¯s hand. After a long time, she sobbed, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 400 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi Three days later. After Qiao Ruoyi left the office, she did not return to the Qiao family. Instead, she took a horse carriage and arrived at Xie Yun¡¯s private residence. This private residence was not on the main street that was filled with nobles. Instead, it was close to the exit of the city. It stood on about a hundred mu of land. There were rockeries and streams in it. It was currently the middle of summer and flowers were blooming everywhere. It was quite the scene of an aristocratic family. Lan Xinlai welcomed Qiao ruoyi into the house and said, ¡°The fifth Miss Qiao is here. Master is playing the zither in the courtyard. He has a new zither that has been passed down for generations. I heard that the fifth Miss Qiao is quite accomplished in playing the zither.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I don¡¯t Like Music.¡± When Qiao Ruoyi entered, she saw that Xie Yun¡¯s long hair was gently held up by a streamer. He was wearing a wide-sleeved light smoke luo robe, which was elegant and elegant. With a slight movement of his eyebrows, he showed the elegance of a member of an aristocratic family. The ancient music played by Xie Yun was full of charm, which showed how superb his zither was. Seeing that Qiao Ruoyi had come, Xie Yun stopped the music in his hand and asked, ¡°You¡¯re here? You haven¡¯t had dinner yet, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Let¡¯s finish this quickly. After I use the antidote, I¡¯ll go back to the Qiao family.¡± Qiao ruoyi said in a businesslike manner. She had been telling herself in her heart that the reason she came here was to live a good life. Entering the room, Qiao Ruoyi was a little nervous. The first two times had happened when she was unconscious. She could not accept it when she was conscious. She turned to Xie Yun and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat. Also, I want to drink today.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡± Qiao ruoyi had drunk an unknown amount of wine, but she was still not drunk. She only thought that she had to bring some medicine the next time she came, so that she could be forced to bear all of this. Qiao Ruoyi finished the wine that Lan Xin had prepared. Her consciousness was still clear. Entering the room, Xie Yun could see Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s reluctance. He only said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want aunt Hu to cut off the offerings, you can also leave now.¡± Qiao ruoyi took a deep breath. She recalled the whispers between her and Luo Wei when they were in Jiangnan that day. She and Luo Wei had not slept together since they got married because Qiao Ruoyi was afraid of this matter, and Luo Wei did not want to force her.. They had originally agreed that when they returned to Chang ¡®an, she would accept Luo Wei and give birth to a child for Luo Wei, Luo Wei, Luo Wei.. Qiao ruoyi kept thinking about Luo Wei, forcing herself to think of the person in front of her as Luo Wei. Qiao ruoyi tried hard to find the similarities between Luo Wei and Xie Yun.. Qiao ruoyi walked to a desk in the room, picked up a pen, and pointed a black mole at Xie Yun¡¯s eyes. Luo Wei had a mole here. He said that this was a mole of bad luck. He used to believe it without a doubt. It was not until he met Qiao ruoyi that he realized that the heavens did not give him bad luck, but the greatest pity for Luo Wei. Qiao Ruoyi stepped on the man¡¯s ¡°Black Mole¡±and gradually planted a kiss on it. The hangover from the alcohol also came. She even really thought that the person in front of her was Luo Wei. ¡°Luo Wei, husband¡­¡± When Xie Yun heard Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s address, he wished he could push her away. However, he owed her. He had no choice but to give Qiao ruoyi the antidote. To think that he, the dignified Xie Yun, was actually used as a substitute for a young general by Qiao Ruoyi? This was simply outrageous! Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks .. When Qiao Ruoyi woke up, it was already the morning of the next day. It was early in the summer, and the sun was already shining brightly at this time. Xie Yun had already put on his official uniform and said, ¡°You¡¯re awake? This place is far from the imperial palace. It¡¯s about time to set off for the morning court.¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and said to Xie Yun, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to sleep with me in the future.¡± Xie Yun said slowly, ¡°You were the one who held my hand last night and did not allow me to leave.¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and recalled that she had mistaken Xie Yun for Luo Wei last night. Qiao Ruoyi was dressed in official clothes under the service of Yan Yu. After getting into the carriage, Lan Xin came over and gave Qiao ruoyi a food box. ¡°This is the breakfast that master specially prepared for you.¡± After getting out of the carriage, Lan Xin was in a great mood. Seeing Xie Yun come out, she said, ¡°Master, fifth Miss Qiao finally doesn¡¯t hate master so much. So maybe Miss Nichang will return to our Xie family soon ¡°Master, you won¡¯t be alone anymore. You¡¯ll have a lovely wife and beautiful children to accompany you in the future.¡± Xie Yun touched her eyes and hit Lan Xin¡¯s head with his fan. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Don¡¯t let outsiders know what happened here.¡± .. After Qiao Ruoyi left the Yamen and returned to the Qiao family, Nichang immediately rushed out and threw herself into her arms. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Mother Come Back Last Night? Nichang misses you so much.¡± Qiao Ruoyi kissed Nichang¡¯s face. ¡°Mother misses Nichang too. However, mother had some matters to attend to yesterday. If mother is free tomorrow afternoon, I will bring you to play on the streets.¡± The nurse who took care of Nichang came over and said, ¡°Fifth miss, His Majesty and His Majesty have rewarded Miss Nichang with many good things today. The eldest princess has also given many gifts. They all praise Miss Nichang for protecting her sister at such a young age.¡± Qiao ruoyi chuckled. ¡°Nichang is so obedient.¡± At this moment, Fu Lu came to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard. When Fu Lu saw Qiao ruoyi, he sighed. ¡°Sigh!¡± ¡°Why is sister-in-law sighing? Did Something Happen?¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing important. After the matter with Xue Xiaoxiao, it made me think of something. The Empress has two sons, and our Qiao family also has many little girls. Ruofeng¡¯s little daughter, along with Nichang, all have the surname Qiao.¡± Qiao ruoyi let Nichang play by herself and invited Fu Lu in. ¡°Now that the children are young, why worry about such things?¡± ¡°Back then, Zhou Sisi was five or six years old when she thought of marrying someone other than the crown prince¡¯s cousin.¡± Fu Lu continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want my daughter to enter the palace, but she and Nichang have such a good relationship with Ang¡¯er. If they often play together, there will definitely be rumors outside, and it would be inappropriate to not allow them to play together. ¡°I want to let Nichang and Nichang go to the academy or the academy or private school, so that they don¡¯t only know how to play with Ang¡¯er.¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded and said, ¡°I have already thought about the matter of entering the palace. Nichang and Nichang are both talented. Coincidentally, my sister told me that Ang¡¯er is too playful, so I let Nichang and Nichang go to the palace to study together with Ang¡¯er. He will also be an example for his two sisters.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Fu Lu said, ¡°Hey, how can you do this? I don¡¯t want neon and Ang ¡®er to play together all the time, so I sent neon to study. Otherwise, if studying is so hard, I definitely won¡¯t let neon suffer this hardship.¡± Qiao Ruoyi was puzzled and asked, ¡°Is studying hard? Isn¡¯t it a great blessing for us to be able to study?¡± Fu Lu said,¡±¡­ we really can¡¯t know what summer is like in winter¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s the summer worm that can¡¯t be said to be cold. Sister-in-law, I know your concerns, but the two princes are still young, and the neon dress is even smaller. They are cousins who are connected by blood, why should we avoid suspicion for the sake of others¡¯Words?¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled again and said, ¡°Moreover, I also heard that sister-in-law doesn¡¯t marry other cousins, but didn¡¯t she also marry brother in the end? ¡°Marriage is destined, why should we prepare for such a long-term thing?¡± Chapter 401 - When do you plan to marry Qiao Ruoyi Qiao ruoyi made up a random excuse. ¡°Yesterday, Hong Qifeng invited me to her house to admire ancient paintings. I stayed too late, so I stayed over at the Li family.¡± Hong Qifeng and Li Yun had gotten married three months ago. Li Yun was now a third-grade Hanlin of the Hanlin College, so he had never felt anything for Hong Qifeng. Li Yuan was prime minister Lin¡¯s beloved disciple. Prime Minister Lin was old, and his son did not need to plan anything for himself. Hence, he wholeheartedly groomed Li Yuan and often brought him to the Hong family. Although Li Yuan and the Empress had a relationship, it was a long time ago. Li Yuan had also come out of it long ago, but the marriage was not going well. It was not until they met Hong Qifeng in the Hong family that Li Yuan and Hong Qifeng became familiar with each other. Both of them were not young anymore, and the marriage was finalized very quickly. After their marriage, both of them raised the table and greeted each other respectfully. They were a model couple in the officialdom. Princess Fu Lu pointed at the mark on Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s neck. ¡°Didn¡¯t you look in the mirror when you washed up this morning?¡± Qiao ruoyi quickly went into the room and looked at the clear reflection in the bronze mirror. She blushed in embarrassment. Fu Lu came in and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that it was bitten by a bug? Actually, it¡¯s a good thing that you have a man that you like. It¡¯s good that you can walk out of it. Which family¡¯s young master are you from?¡± Qiao ruoyi said to Fu Lu, ¡°Sister-in-law, I will never be able to walk out of the regret that Lowe lost in my life.¡± ¡°AH? Then did you follow the example of my cousins and look for a male lover? You can look for a male lover, but don¡¯t look for the same male lover as my cousins. Princess Fu an found a male lover, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be cousin Rong Hua¡¯s. The two of them started fighting on the street¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Where am I going to find a boy toy? I was the one who went to look for Xie Yun¡¯s antidote yesterday. ¡°A human¡¯s blood is limited. If he gives me blood every month to make the antidote, he can only live for a year and a half at most¡­ I have no choice but to use this method.¡± Fu Lu understood. ¡°So it¡¯s like this. Xie Yun has really caused a lot of trouble. When does he plan to marry you? He can¡¯t just remain nameless and undivided forever. Although it¡¯s an antidote, once it¡¯s known by others, there will inevitably be gossip.¡± Qiao Ruo Yi recalled last year. Xie Yun had said that he wanted to marry her, but how could she marry someone else? Her husband was only Luo Wei! Fu Lu saw Qiao Ruo Yi¡¯s troubled expression and determined that Xie Yun still looked down on Qiao Ruo Yi¡¯s background and was unwilling to be responsible for Qiao Ruo Yi. Fu Lu ground his teeth in anger. She held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely help you teach Xie Yun a good lesson!¡± Qiao ruoyi did not understand the meaning of Fu Lu¡¯s words, but she felt that Xie Yun deserved to be taught a lesson, so she ignored this matter. .. Fu Lu returned to his own courtyard. The matter of teaching Xie Yun a lesson could not be handled by the Qiao family. Then he would think that no one wanted their Qiao family¡¯s daughter anymore! Fu Lu made a trip to the residence of Grand Princess Rong Hua. The servants and palace servants in Grand Princess Rong Hua¡¯s residence all had extremely bad expressions on their faces. They looked as if a great disaster was about to befall them. Fu Lu entered Grand Princess Rong Hua¡¯s main hall and was thrown a scroll of scripture by Grand Princess Rong Hua. ¡°His Majesty is too biased towards Fu An. I am his biological sister!¡±! ¡°Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer beautiful and talented men. It was not easy for me to take a fancy to one of them. Fu An, a little princess, actually dares to snatch it from me!¡± Fu Lu picked up the scripture on the ground and said, ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Rong Hua saw that it was fu lu and said, ¡°What are you doing here? You and Fu an are on the same side!¡± Fu Lu subserviently handed the scripture to Rong Hua¡¯s eldest princess, ¡°I don¡¯t like Fu An at all. It¡¯s good that his majesty treated his cousin Fu an since she was young. That thousand-year-old Tianshan Snow Lotus was given to Fu an without batting an eye, and all kinds of new year¡¯s gifts were never left behind. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°After the Empress picked out the things that were offered, she gave them to Fu an to pick out. They were comparable to His Majesty¡¯s biological sister. It¡¯s too late for me to be jealous.¡± Rong hua said angrily, ¡°They are both daughters of the Lu family. She is also a princess. How Outrageous!¡± Fu Lu whispered into Rong Hua¡¯s ear, ¡°I heard that Fu an likes Xie Yun very much. The male pets that she found are somewhat similar to Xie Yun. If cousin can find Xie Yun to be your male pet, then Fu an will cry himself to death.¡± Rong hua said, ¡°That¡¯s not appropriate. Xie Yun is now an official of the imperial court. Furthermore, he was previously a member of an aristocratic family.¡± Fu Lu goaded her, ¡°Cousin doesn¡¯t even have this little bit of courage! This is a good opportunity to make that little girl, Fu An, cry her eyes out. What aristocratic family? If he really had the ability, he wouldn¡¯t have entered the imperial court as an official and submitted to the imperial court, Right?¡± Eldest Princess Rong Hua Thought for a moment and said, ¡°What you said makes some sense. Men, please invite Lord Xie Yun Xie over to my residence for a chat!¡± Fu Lu walked out of the eldest princess¡¯residence and said guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cousin Rong Hua, Fu An. I will definitely find a few more beautiful men for you in the future.¡± Eldest Princess Rong Hua had always been very bold. First of all, her mother¡¯s status was not low and she was the first daughter of the Hui Lin Emperor. Before Lu Chen was born, she was extremely doted on. Second, she also knew that unless she rebelled, her position as the eldest princess could not be removed no matter how much she tried. She did not have any children, so she did not need to plan anything for them. It did not matter if the emperor hated her because she was too good at causing trouble. She had endless silver anyway, so how could she be willing to suffer a loss. This little girl Fu an actually dared to steal her things. She also wanted to properly humiliate the man Fu an liked. If Xie Yun wanted to blame someone, she should blame fu an for liking him! .. Xie Yun could not help but frown when she heard that it was the people from eldest Princess Rong Hua¡¯s residence who came to look for him. He had some friendship with eldest Princess Jin Hua, but he had never had any friendship with Rong Hua. At most, they were just acquaintances. How could the princess let him go to the Princess¡¯residence for no reason? Xie Yun went to Princess Rong Hua¡¯s residence with doubts in her heart. As soon as she entered, she smelled a decadent fragrance. This fragrance was so sweet that it made Xie Yun uncomfortable. She saw Princess Rong Hua lying on the wooden chair half-naked. Xie Yun could not help but take two steps back. ¡°I, Xie Yun, pay my respects to the eldest princess.¡± Rong Hua¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°No wonder, no wonder that sickly man is so infatuated with you with your looks.¡± Xie Yun did not understand what Rong Hua meant. ¡°Does the eldest princess have anything to tell me? His Majesty is still waiting for me to report back.¡± Rong Hua walked to Xie Yun¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯ve specially asked around. His Majesty has taken the empress to escape the summer.¡± Xie Yun:¡±¡­¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Rong Hua¡¯s hand brushed across Xie Yun¡¯s face as he clicked his tongue in wonder. ¡°I want to have sex with Sir Xie. Sir Xie Won¡¯t refuse, right?¡± Xie Yun took two steps back and said, ¡°Your Highness, I shouldn¡¯t have rejected you. However, I¡¯m getting married and have a deep relationship with my fianc¨¦e. Please forgive me, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Getting Married? Which family¡¯s daughter are you marrying?¡±Rong hua approached Xie Yun and said, ¡°Are you more beautiful than me?¡± ¡°In terms of appearance, no one in the world can compare to your highness. She¡¯s the fifth young miss of Marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion, Qiao Ruoyi.¡± Rong Hua was not afraid of anything, but he was also afraid of the Empress. After all, anyone who went against the Empress did not have a good ending. Chapter 402 Rong hua usually did not pay attention to the rumors outside, and no one came to her to talk about it. When Luo Wei¡¯s funeral was held, most of the Chang ¡®an nobles were in Jiangnan. At that time, it was only the chief official in the Princess¡¯mansion who sent the money. This was a small matter for Rong Hua. Therefore, Rong Hua did not know that Qiao Ruoyi no longer had a husband. Xie Yun replied, ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know. General Luo Wei died last year because of raiding bandits.¡± Rong Hua¡¯s eldest princess laughed coldly. ¡°This husband died last year because of raiding bandits. Now, he has a deep relationship with Lord Xie. There¡¯s no room for Lord Xie to have another woman?¡± Although Rong Hua¡¯s eldest princess had many male pets, she only began to accept male pets three years after the death of her husband. Rong Hua was very displeased with Qiao Ruoyi in his heart. He put his hand on Xie Yun¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°We won¡¯t let the third person know that we¡¯re having a good time today. Don¡¯t you want to have a good time before the wedding, Lord Xie?¡± Xie Yun quietly moved away Rong Hua¡¯s eldest princess¡¯hand and said, ¡°Perhaps the eldest princess has also heard of the rules of the Qiao family¡¯s daughter. The men who marry the Qiao family¡¯s daughter must be innocent¡­¡± Rong hua frowned and said, ¡°How could I have not heard of such a rule? The Qiao family has set such a rule. Didn¡¯t you see that Marquis Qiao himself had two concubines in the past! ?¡±! Xie Yun unyieldingly said, ¡°Princess, please do not make things difficult for me. The Empress loves Qiao Ruoyi the most. If ruoyi is wronged in this matter, the Empress Will Definitely Not Forgive Your Highness.¡± Rong hua said, ¡°You¡¯re using the Empress to suppress me?¡± Xie Yun only said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare.¡± Rong Hua heard Xie Yun¡¯s words and did not dare to really provoke the Qiao family¡¯s daughter. Firstly, her good younger brother doted on the empress as if nothing had happened. Offending the Qiao family would not do her any good. Secondly, although Xie Yun was good-looking, she was almost 30 years old. Rong Hua still preferred young people who were around 17 or 18 years old. Although her looks and bearing could not compare to Xie Yun¡¯s, it was rare to see a well-behaved and obedient youth. She wanted to have sex with Xie Yun to take revenge on Fu An, but Xie Yun was going to marry Qiao ruoyi. Fu an would naturally have his retribution. Why should she cause trouble for Xie Yun. Rong Hua Glanced at the blush on Xie Yun¡¯s face and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force you. However, you were drugged by my fragrance just now. You need a woman to resolve it.¡± Xie Yun:¡±¡­¡± .. Qiao ruoyi then returned to her room to study the go map left behind by the go expert Wang Yibai 500 years ago. When the aristocratic families were on their own, Go was something that the aristocratic families respected. There were many go experts who specialized in the way of go to become the hangers-on of the aristocratic families. In order to gain the appreciation of the aristocratic families, these go experts would often destroy those important go maps. As a result, there were very few go diagrams that were passed down from generation to generation. Most of them were the ones that only existed since the founding of Great Tang. The Go diagrams that Qiao Ruoyi was looking at were the peerless go diagrams that she had found from the books that Xie Yun had presented to the imperial court. Among them, there were many go diagrams that Qiao ruoyi could not help but marvel at. If these go diagrams were passed down from generation to generation, it would be enough to make the world gasp in amazement. Yan Yu lit a candle and said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s already late. It¡¯s time for you to rest.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I¡¯ll rest after looking at two more chess pieces.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, there was a sound coming from outside the window. Yan Yu went over to open the window to check. Just as she opened the window a little, she saw Xie Yun. Before Yan Yu could react, Xie Yun directly pushed open the window and entered Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s room. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao ruoyi saw Xie Yun and frowned. ¡°What are you doing here? This is the Qiao residence. To think that you¡¯re an official of the imperial court. Do you know what kind of serious crime it is to trespass into the hou residence?¡± Xie Yun walked to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s side and said, ¡°I was drugged by eldest Princess Rong Hua, and I need your help to cure me.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°There are many other women in Chang ¡®an, and the girls in Spring Breeze Street only need to pay silver. There are so many maidservants in the Xie family, why did you come to me for the cure? ¡°Since it was eldest Princess Rong Hua who drugged you, you can find eldest Princess Rong Hua to cure you.¡± Xie Yun went forward and held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this with other women.¡± Qiao ruoyi struggled and said, ¡°Xie Yun, what do you take me for? Last night was to survive. There was nothing I could do. What about today?¡± Xie Yun said in a low voice, ¡°Today, eldest Princess Rong Hua wants me to be her boy toy. I said that you and I are about to get married. That¡¯s why eldest Princess Rong Hua is willing to let me go.¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and said, ¡°Who wants to get married with you?¡± ¡°Eldest Princess Rong Hua wants you to be her boy toy. It¡¯s your good fortune, Xie Yun! Why are you using me as an Excuse?¡± Xie Yun said in a low voice, ¡°Do you want nichang to be burdened with such a joke because of me? ¡°Moreover, those princesses are already overbearing. If I become eldest Princess Rong Hua¡¯s boy toy, do you think she will still allow me to give you the antidote in that way?¡± Xie Yun only felt her body temperature rising. Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°You are an official of the imperial court. The eldest Princess Rong Hua can¡¯t force you. Tomorrow, His Majesty will come back and teach the eldest princess a lesson. As for our marriage, don¡¯t mention it. Also, you can find any woman you want to use as your antidote today. Left and right, there are many women who want to be Xie Yun¡¯s wife and concubine but won¡¯t Be Jealous!¡± ¡°Yan Yu, send the guest out!¡± Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, I have given you a year¡¯s worth of blood. Is this how you repay kindness with enmity?¡± ¡°You owe me that.¡±Qiao ruoyi stared at Xie Yun and said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have to endure such pain.¡± Xie Yun let go of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand, turned around and jumped out of the window. Yan Yu tried to persuade Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Miss, young master Xie is still under the effects of the medicine. He is such a noble man¡­¡± ¡°If you are speaking up for him, go to his side in the future. It just so happens that he still needs a woman with the antidote!¡± Hearing that, Yan Yu knelt down and said, ¡°Miss, Yan Yu wouldn¡¯t dare. But Yan Yu heard from Lan Xin that young master Xie only has you as a woman. He has never touched another woman. If you refuse to give him the antidote, he¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°What does it have to do with me whether he has touched another woman or not?¡± .. When Xie Yun walked out of the Qiao family¡¯s door, it began to rain heavily. He went back to the Xie family and looked for a doctor. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only After the doctor checked his pulse, he said, ¡°Family head, the eldest princess only used a drug to stimulate the mood. This drug can be removed with ice water. However, you have donated a year¡¯s worth of blood to Miss Qiao. Your body is weak. Soaking in ice water for a night will probably destroy your body and bones. It¡¯s best to let a woman make the antidote.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s Soak in the ice water.¡± Large chunks of ice entered the bathtub. Lan Xin looked at this scene and sighed. The Qiao family¡¯s young miss was a little too cruel. After soaking in the ice water overnight, her master¡¯s body would probably be unable to withstand it. Lan Xin steeled her heart and got another servant to serve her master. She then turned around and went to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard.. Chapter 403 Lan Xin went outside the Qiao residence and found a secret guard of the Xie family to sneak into the Qiao residence. She blew a cloud of sweat into Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s room and made sure that the woman inside was sound asleep. Then, Lan Xin carried Qiao Ruoyi on her shoulder and planned to leave the Qiao residence. The Secret Guards of the Qiao residence couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and offered their bodies, ¡°Miss Lan Xin, earlier on, seeing that you guys didn¡¯t do anything, our brothers have always been respectful towards you and Sir Xie. Now, you¡¯re taking my fifth miss away in front of us. Isn¡¯t that inappropriate?¡± Lan Xin:¡±¡­¡± The commotion outside was so loud that Qiao Ruoyi slowly woke up. She saw that the lights were bright and she was struggling to get down from her own shoulder. Lan Xin saw that Qiao ruoyi had woken up so quickly and scolded the profiteer of the pharmacy. The sweat had lost its effect so quickly. Qiao ruoyi asked, ¡°Lan Xin? What are you doing?¡± Lan Xin knelt on the ground and suddenly kowtowed. ¡°Miss Qiao, Please Save My Master. Seeing that my master almost died for you, I beg you to save him! If he soaked in ice water for an entire night, he would probably be a corpse tomorrow!¡± ¡°Miss Qiao, as long as you are willing to save my master, Lan Xin will be your slave in the future!¡± ¡°Please, follow me. My Master is really going to die.¡± At this moment, Little Nichang, who had fallen asleep, ran to Qiao Ruoyi with a small cloth doll in her arms. Little Nichang hugged Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s thigh. ¡°Mother, is Uncle Xie going to die? Will he be like father and won¡¯t be able to sing for Little Nichang Anymore?¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at her daughter who looked similar to Xie Yun. She could not bear to let little nichang lose her parents. ¡°No, uncle Xie won¡¯t die. Little Nichang, wait at home obediently. Mother will go and see Uncle Xie.¡± Little nichang nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Lan Xin got up when she heard this. She wiped the tears from her eyes and brought Qiao Ruoyi to the Xie residence. This was Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s first time entering Xie Yun¡¯s room. His room was very spacious, and the antique shelves inside were all rare treasures. There was even a pearl the size of a child¡¯s fist in the room, shining with a bright pearl light. Qiao ruoyi, who had been used to seeing treasures since she was young, was also surprised. Further in, they saw a silken screen. Silken silk had always been used only by emperors. Now, there were women in West Mountain Academy who were learning silken silk, but it could only be used by the emperors and princesses in the palace. There was actually such a large silken screen in Xie Yun¡¯s residence, and this was in the Xie family¡¯s villa in Chang ¡®an.. Behind the screen was Xie Yun soaking in ice water. The color of his lips had become extremely pale, and his eyes were tightly shut. The doctor at the side advised Xie Yun, ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate for you to continue like this. Why Don¡¯t you find a maid with a clean background to serve you?¡± Xie Yun still had his eyes closed, but his voice was clearly a little hoarse as he said, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°Master, if you continue like this, you¡¯ll have a high fever that won¡¯t go away.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t know if finding a woman will cause such trouble again. When that time comes, Nichang won¡¯t be able to stay.¡± Qiao ruoyi sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to have such thoughts for Nichang.¡± Xie Yun opened his eyes and saw Qiao ruoyi. Qiao ruoyi ordered Lan Xin to get a brush and ink. She approached Xie Yun and pointed at a black mole in front of his eyes. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll help you with the antidote.¡± Xie Yun glanced at the black mole in the bronze mirror and clenched her fists. Luo Wei had such a black mole on his face. Because of this black mole, Luo Wei¡¯s appearance was enhanced by a few points. Qiao ruoyi thought he was Luo Wei again. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Xie Yun came out of the bathtub and held Qiao Ruoyi in his arms. He was going to teach this woman a good lesson today! Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes were all on the mole in front of Xie Yun. Her hand gently wanted to touch the mole, but she didn¡¯t dare because the mole was fake. If she moved it, the mole would never be there again. When Qiao Ruoyi woke up, it was already close to noon. Since the emperor was not here today, there was no need for morning court. Qiao ruoyi slowly got off the bed and called out to Yan Yu. Lan Xin entered with a long line of maids, she bowed to Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Fifth miss, you are awake. There is no need for morning court today, so we did not wake you up. Your clothes are already prepared. Let the servants help you wash up.¡± Qiao ruoyi grew up in the marquisate, and the rules for washing up were quite complicated. However, in front of the Xie family, she knew that it was nothing. After Qiao ruoyi washed up, she left the Xie residence. She first went back to the Qiao family and brought Qiao Nichang to the Yamen of the Ministry of appointments. .. Inside the Rong Hua Palace. A secret guard was reporting to rong hua, ¡°Eldest princess, last night, Xie Yun first went to the Qiao residence and left not long after. Qiao ruoyi then went to the Xie family. She only left the Xie family at this time!¡± Eldest princess rong hua said, ¡°Xie Yun really did not lie to me. The wedding date between Xie Yun and Qiao Ruoi is approaching, how could Fu Lu not know? She deliberately came to play with me for Fu An?¡± ¡°When I go to the Qiao residence, I will also ask this girl Fu Lu properly. How did I let her down! She actually wanted to harm me like this!¡± Eldest Princess Rong Hua went to the An Yuan Marquis residence in a huff. When Zheng Xiao heard that the eldest princess had come, he immediately went to the door to welcome her. Rong Hua did not dare to accept Zheng Xiao¡¯s greeting. He held Zheng Xiao¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Madam, there is no need to bow. This princess came here today to specially congratulate the Qiao and Xie Second Manor on the upcoming wedding. I specially offer a small gift.¡± Zheng Xiao was puzzled and said, ¡°The wedding is approaching?¡± Rong Hua was also puzzled and said, ¡°Yesterday, Xie Yun told me that he and the fifth young miss of the manor have a deep relationship. The two of them already have a marriage contract. Last Night, the fifth young miss even spent the night in the Xie Manor¡­¡± Zheng Xiao saw a few maidservants from other manors walk past the entrance of the manor, he said, ¡°Princess, please come in. I really don¡¯t know about this marriage contract. My Lord Marquis has also said that he will never let Xie Yun be the son-in-law of the Qiao family. I¡¯m afraid that Xie Yun deceived you about this matter.¡± ¡°As for the matter of spending the night, I think your highness must have seen wrongly.¡± Rong hua smiled and said, ¡°Xu Huan really was mistaken. Is Fu Lu Here?¡± ¡°She took her two children to Luoyang yesterday with eldest princess Shou An. Xu wants to come back in three days.¡± Rong hua said, ¡°Okay, then sorry to bother you.¡± .. The maids who passed by the Qiao family¡¯s door went to the teahouse and discussed this matter. ¡°Everyone said that the Qiao and Xie Families¡¯wedding date is approaching. It¡¯s been more than a year. It seems that the wedding is approaching.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect assistant minister Qiao to have such capabilities.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only In the Teahouse, a woman with a head full of golden hairpins stood out and said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Xie Yun is still the head of an aristocratic family. It¡¯s impossible for him to marry his daughter-in-law. At most, he would only marry Qiao Ruoyi as a noble concubine.¡± The maidservants snorted coldly and said, ¡°What era is this? The aristocratic families have long died. Xie Yun has already handed over the water transport collection book to the imperial court. How is the power of the Qiao family lower than the Xie Family?¡± The woman continued, ¡°The aristocratic families have the pride of the aristocratic families.¡± ¡°The Qiao family is also an aristocratic family!¡± The woman sneered, ¡°The Qiao family in the southwest has always been at the bottom of the aristocratic families. If they were not at the bottom of the aristocratic families, why would they work for the humble class? If Xie Yun will marry Qiao ruoyi, I will chop off his head and use it as a kick for you!¡± Chapter 404 The rumors between Xie Yun and Qiao ruoyi became more and more widespread as the debate in the teahouse spread. Qiao ruoyi had been avoiding Xie Yun during the past few days, both in the upper and lower court. Whenever she and Xie Yun got closer, she could always see the strange looks in the eyes of the others. Even Emperor Hong and Prime Minister Lin were watching the lively scene between the two of them. This made Qiao Ruoyi quite unhappy. When she arrived at the yamen, her subordinates asked when Qiao ruoyi would be able to have her wedding feast. Qiao Ruoyi couldn¡¯t keep a straight face in the yamen, and they had no ill intentions, but she didn¡¯t know how to deal with it. While she was troubled, Qiao Ruoyi made a trip to the Qiao family¡¯s ancestral grave in Chang ¡®an. Since Luo Wei had married into the Qiao family, he was the son of the Qiao family. His grave was also in the Qiao family¡¯s ancestral grave. Qiao ruoyi placed the tributes in the bamboo basket in front of Luo Wei¡¯s grave one by one. She used a handkerchief to wipe Luo Wei¡¯s gravestone, ¡°Luo Wei, the outside world is very troublesome now. I really want to shed all pretense of cordiality with them. After all, I¡¯m an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Appointments. My Sister is the Empress¡­¡± ¡°But every time I¡¯m about to lose my temper, I always think of the words you said to me when I was teased when I first entered the Ministry of Appointments. Officialdom is not just a test of knowledge. It¡¯s also important to keep in touch with people.¡± ¡°Luo Wei, I really miss you. Yesterday, I dreamed of you again. I dreamed that you and I had a daughter. Our family of four was living happily.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at the uncarved place on the left side of the tombstone. Perhaps in a few decades, she would be here. The sealed tomb would reopen, so that she could always be with Luo Wei. Under a big tree in the distance, Xie Yun held an umbrella and looked at Qiao ruoyi from afar. Lan Xin, who was at the side, puffed her cheeks and said, ¡°Master is so good, why does she still miss that Tombstone? How can Luo Wei compare to master? ¡°Without the Qiao family, it¡¯s impossible for Luo Wei to get the position of general, not to mention that his adoptive parents used the Qiao family to do all kinds of evil things. Luo Wei doesn¡¯t care about them. A man with no ability can not compare to you at all!¡± Xie Yun used his other hand to knock Lan Xin¡¯s head with his fan. ¡°You spoke ill of him in front of his grave. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will come looking for you at night?¡± ¡°Looking for me? I said the same thing. Thinking of how miss ni Shang has always been your uncle Xie¡­¡± Xie Yun recalled the scene when she saw Luo Wei in Lin ¡®an that day. In his eyes, Luo Wei was definitely not capable. He was just a man who ate the Qiao family¡¯s soft bread. However, he had one ability, which was to be able to understand Qiao ruoyi¡¯s shortcomings, he wanted Qiao Ruoyi to let go of her temper. In Xie Yun¡¯s eyes, Qiao Ruoyi was extremely conflicted. She was born into the marquisdom with a noble status, yet she was only a concubine. There was a pair of unreliable parents in the residence. Her biological aunt¡¯s status was low, and Qiao Ruoyun was weak. Although Qiao Ruoyin was usually a concubine, the situation was completely different. Grandmother doted on Qiao Ruofeng and Qiao ruowan. These sisters in the residence were inferior to Qiao Ruoyi in every aspect. However, everyone in the residence was protected and doted on. Only Qiao Ruoyi still needed to protect her aunt. Qiao Ruoyi did not want to be a concubine who had accepted her fate. However, she knew very well that she was only a concubine¡¯s daughter.. She was a person who unconsciously had a sharp edge. She hurt others and hurt herself because she had low self-esteem and self-confidence. Luo Wei could tolerate such a contradictory person, advise her, and help her find points of conflict to integrate. Since Qiao Ruoyi was able to establish herself in the Ministry of appointments, Luo Wei must have helped her a lot. .. After Qiao Ruoyi returned to the Qiao family, she was called into the study by an Yuanhou. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks An yuanhou asked Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Your mother should have come to tell you about this, but I¡¯m afraid that your mother will be fooled by you again, and you will bring up the past again. Since Xie Yun said that he would marry you a year ago, he probably won¡¯t change his mind now, right? Ask him when he will come to propose marriage.¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and said, ¡°The Qiao family can not tolerate Nichang and me. I have a salary now. I don¡¯t need to marry to be able to support Nichang and me.¡± An Yuan Hou snorted lightly and said, ¡°With your salary, is it enough for you to buy a few paintings at the Wan Juan Restaurant?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°If I want to raise nichang, I will naturally have some restraint.¡± An yuanhou put down the pen in his hand and said, ¡°Your personality is not like SUXUE¡¯s at all!¡± Qiao ruoyi pursed her lips and said, ¡°Do you still remember suxue? How did she become because of you? She spent half her life on a bed of sickness, and I have never seen her smile¡­¡± An yuanhou said, ¡°But I remember that she loved to smile the most. At that time, when the Qiao family was in trouble, she was already sewing a wedding dress. She was going to marry her cousin. At that time, I was only the young heir of the Hou family, so I had no worries. Su Xue was older than me by two years. We grew up together. I was still very reluctant to let her get married. Later, the Qiao family suffered a great defeat. Uncle¡¯s body returned one by one. Your grandfather also died on the battlefield. I had no choice but to go to the battlefield. Because of this, Su Xue had to guard the filial piety of the main family and could not marry her cousin. As for her cousin, he had already broken away from slavery. Originally, he had asked to marry Su Xue because she was the eldest servant girl in front of the heir of the Marquis family. However, the Qiao family was repeatedly defeated. At that time, all the officials wanted to punish the Qiao family for a serious crime. Her cousin was afraid of being implicated, so he repeatedly married someone else as his wife. Because of this, Su Xue¡¯s marriage was delayed. Later, when I became the Marquis, her parents also helped her find a good marriage. She was unwilling. At that time, the Marquis Mansion really couldn¡¯t do without her, the eldest servant girl. She always said that after the Madam entered the house, she could leave with peace of mind. ¡°Later, before your mother entered the house, your grandmother made the decision to let her have sex. She agreed. At that time, I was muddle-headed and always felt that it would be better for Su Xue to stay in the Marquis¡¯mansion than to marry someone who looked like her cousin.¡± ¡°Later, after you were born, I understood that she was unwilling to stay. It was just that at that time, she was unwilling to leave because of you.. ¡°Ruoyi, your aunt and I grew up together. Although I have no romantic feelings for her, I never thought that she would end up like this.¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she said, ¡°But when she was harmed by the Qian family, you didn¡¯t care. When I said that the Qian family harmed us, you still helped the Qian family. My aunt should have left the Qiao residence at that time. She wouldn¡¯t have stayed sick for So Long!¡± An yuanhou said, ¡°Ruoyi, father knows that it¡¯s useless to apologize to your aunt now. But before Su Xue died, she wrote me a suicide note. She hopes that you can be happy. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only With the power of the Qiao family now, what influence does the rumors have on us? It¡¯s just that Father also hopes that you and niching can have a good home. The Qiao family has always been your and Niching¡¯s family. Niching is also the Qiao family¡¯s young miss. After you and Luo Wei got married, you became much more sensible, and your conduct in the world was no longer as sharp as before. Xie Yun was willing to give up the pride of an aristocratic family for you and marry you. Presumably, she will cherish you as much as Luo Wei does. Our family hopes that you can be happy too!¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head and said, ¡°No, there is only one Luo Wei in this world. I will not marry Xie Yun. The Qiao family can not accommodate me. I have my own place to go!¡± An yuanhou said helplessly, ¡°I have said so much, but you still don¡¯t understand. Forget it, if you don¡¯t want to marry, then don¡¯t want to marry.¡± Chapter 405 In the Xie family¡¯s villa. It was the agreed time, but Xie Yun couldn¡¯t wait for Qiao Ruoyi. Lan Xin walked to Xie Yun¡¯s side and said, ¡°Master, do you think something happened to the fifth Miss Qiao? It¡¯s almost time for the curfew. She Won¡¯t Be Coming, right?¡± Xie Yun held the chess piece in his hand and played chess with himself. ¡°She¡¯s surrounded by the Qiao family¡¯s guards. How could anything happen to her? You¡¯ve really worried for nothing.¡± A voice came from the door. Lan Xin went up to welcome her. She saw that Qiao Ruoyi was the only one who came today. She was also carrying a medicine bag in her hand. Qiao Ruoyi handed the medicine bag to Lan Xin. ¡°Please help me decoct the medicine.¡± Lan Xin sniffed the medicine and frowned. ¡°Is this the pill for avoiding children?¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao ruoyi carried the lantern into the room. Seeing the candlelight that was as bright as day inside, her lantern was taken for nothing. Xie Yun glanced at Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°I heard that you beat His Majesty in Chess a few days ago? Why Don¡¯t we have a match? You take the white and go first.¡± Qiao ruoyi took the chess piece and placed a piece on the star position. She said, ¡°It was just a fluke. Moreover, elder sister helped me to Get His Majesty to let me have three pieces.¡± Xie Yun immediately placed a piece on the star position. ¡°Then it¡¯s already very impressive that you can beat his majesty. His Majesty studied under the chess master of the current dynasty. Back then, he had already beaten the chess master. In terms of chess skills, no one can beat him now.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°But sister said that she can beat His Majesty by Seven Eyes.¡± Xie Yun chuckled. ¡°You haven¡¯t played chess with your sister, have you?¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head and placed another stone. ¡°No.¡± ¡°When will you be able to understand how she can beat His Majesty by so much after the next round?¡±Xie Yun said. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to His Majesty¡¯s willingness to play chess with her.¡± After fifteen minutes, Xie Yun put down the black piece and looked at Qiao ruoyi and asked, ¡°Who taught you your chess skills?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°It¡¯s the sage hand, Mr. Cao Wei.¡± Xie Yun looked at Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Cao Wei never accept disciples? Not to mention a female disciple?¡± Qiao Ruoyi put down a piece and picked up Xie Yun¡¯s three black pieces, ¡°Mr. Cao Wei¡¯s chess book is very simple and clear, but his chess book is very expensive. One book costs five taels of silver. In order to buy his chess book, I pawned my new year¡¯s clothes and was scolded by my mother.¡± Xie Yun asked, ¡°The Marquis Mansion is not willing to buy you a go book?¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded and said, ¡°My father doesn¡¯t allow me to play go.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I probably won against him and his colleagues when I was eight years old.¡±Qiao ruoyi followed Xie Yun¡¯s move and played a white go. ¡°Thank you for letting me win.¡± Xie Yun looked at the go game and kept frowning. When he knew that Qiao Ruoyi won a game against Lu Chen, he thought that Qiao Jinniang was cheating. But now, he saw that Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s arrangement was exquisite, her go skills could be said to be on par with Lu Chen¡¯s! It must be known that Lu Chen was forced by the Hui Lin Emperor to acknowledge the go sage as his master since he was young. He had to practice go for two hours every day. During the three years that he went missing, there was only a slight neglect. But Qiao ruoyi could have such ability just by looking at the Go Manual of the current SAGE. Xie Yun was really surprised. ¡°One more game.¡± Qiao Ruoyi agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± When Xie Yun lost three rounds in a row, he looked at the chessboard in disbelief. Qiao ruoyi sighed and said, ¡°The Xie family has so many excellent chess maps, but you still haven¡¯t learned one-tenth of the essence. Sigh! The so-called aristocratic families are just so-so.¡± ¡°One more round!¡±Xie Yun said, ¡°I definitely won¡¯t lose to you with this sentence.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao ruoyi yawned and said, ¡°We still have to go to court early tomorrow. Why Don¡¯t you practice more? Come and play with me again.¡± Xie Yun frowned. ¡°If you can beat me again in this round, you can pick any treasure in the Xie family¡¯s storehouse.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Alright then.¡± Xie Yun played the go seriously. After four rounds, he had figured out Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s move. The pieces changed endlessly, but she was stuck in the moves recorded in the book. Xie Yun had underestimated his opponent, but his mentality had been disrupted, now, his state of mind gradually returned. It was not difficult to break through Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s chess moves. Qiao ruoyi used the Chess Pieces to knock on the wooden table. She let out a deep sigh. ¡°I lost. It¡¯s really because my skills are inferior to others.¡± ¡°My master is Cao Wei. You¡¯ve been able to beat me for so long, yet you managed to last until the end of this round. It¡¯s extremely rare,¡±Xie Yun said, ¡°The main reason is that you don¡¯t have a good teacher to teach you. Your chess moves are all recorded in the book, but the chess board has endless variations.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Not many people are willing to play chess with me. In the ten thousand scrolls building, they are not willing to play with me every time we play a game.¡± ¡°Luo Wei has never played chess with you?¡± Qiao Ruoyi glared at Xie Yun and said, ¡°It¡¯s late at night, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Xie Yun held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand. ¡°There¡¯s still no antidote.¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and walked to the side of the desk. Without the ink, she grinded the ink herself. However, before the ink could be grinded out, she heard Xie Yun¡¯s voice. ¡°This inkstone is broken, it can¡¯t be grinded out.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Then forget about the antidote today.¡± Xie Yun walked towards Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, I¡¯ve tolerated you for the past few times. But now, do you still want to treat me as Luo Wei? You Don¡¯t allow me to talk about Luo Wei, so why do you treat me as Luo Wei?¡± ¡°Today and in the future, I won¡¯t allow you to do anything to my face.¡± Xie Yun carried Qiao ruoyi horizontally and placed her on the wooden couch. ¡°Qiao ruoyi, the person with You is me, not Luo Wei. You treat me as Luo Wei and humiliate me again and again.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun calmly and said, ¡°Yes, you are Xie Yun, you are not Luo Wei.¡± It was time for her to step out. This was Xie Yun, not Luo Wei. When she was playing chess with Xie Yun just now, she had thought of Luo Wei. Luo Wei did not know how to play chess at all. In order not to spoil her mood, he even went to learn chess. During those few days, he had been running to the Chess Hall, but after learning for a long time, he did not even understand what anger was. Later, Qiao Ruoyi stopped watching chess in front of Luo Wei and asked him to tell her interesting stories about the military. However, Luo Wei still secretly learned to play chess day and night. His chess was terrible, but he still found his colleagues to play chess every day. By the time Lin ¡®an arrived, his chess skills had improved a lot. Xie Yun called out for water. Qiao ruoyi walked out from her memories and looked at Xie Yun curiously. In the past, the antidote would take almost an hour. Today, it was less than fifteen minutes. Why did he call for water? Lan Xin brought the medicine over. Xie Yun looked at the medicine in displeasure. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Ruoyi Drank the medicine in one gulp and let the servant girl serve her. Xie Yun returned to the Xie residence in a huff. He, Xie Yun, had never suffered such humiliation. Qiao ruoyi, who was below him, was able to do such a thing without moving. Her mind was clearly filled with thoughts of outsiders. She was truly treating this matter as an antidote. It would be better to treat herself as Luo Wei. At least she would still cooperate. It would not make him feel like he was hugging a piece of wood! Xie Yun was extremely frustrated. He did not know why he had such a feeling. It was just an antidote to begin with. Why did he care so much? Chapter 406 Although Qiao Ruoyi was an official in the imperial court, she would occasionally go back to West Mountain Academy to have a look. After arriving at West Mountain Academy today, it began to rain with lightning and thunder. Nichang, who had come with Qiao ruoyi, threw herself into her mother¡¯s arms. She was extremely scared listening to the loud thunder. The rain did not stop for more than two hours. West Mountain Academy had to go through a muddy road to go back to Chang ¡®an. It was not easy to travel on this muddy road after a rainy day, so Qiao Ruoyi planned to stay in West Mountain Academy for a night with Nichang. Yan Yu whispered to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Miss, today is the day I have made an appointment with Sir Xie¡­ Should I find a guard to go back to the city to report the news so that Sir Xie won¡¯t have to wait for a long time?¡± Qiao Ruoyi looked at the clear sky outside after the rain and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Xie Yun was not stupid. If she could not wait until the curfew, she naturally would not wait any longer. .. In the Xie family¡¯s villa. Xie Yun had specially changed into a green robe today. Her long hair was tied up with a new white jade crown. She looked like an elegant young master who was unparalleled in the world. Lan Xin looked at Xie Yun who had specially changed into a robe. She was puzzled at first, but when she arrived at the Xie family¡¯s villa, she understood that today was the day where she needed the antidote again. After a heavy rain, there were still raindrops hanging on the trees in the courtyard. Xie Yun entered and walked to the side of the chessboard. She played with the chess pieces in her hand. She wondered if her chess skills had improved after seven days? Xie Yun waited until the sky turned dark, and then waited for the sound of the alarm outside. It was already curfew time. Lan Xin said to Xie Yun, ¡°Perhaps Miss Qiao has something to do today. Master, why don¡¯t you take a rest?¡± Xie Yun coldly said one word, ¡°Investigate!¡± Lan Xin understood Xie Yun¡¯s meaning and called the Xie family¡¯s secret guard to investigate. The Xie family¡¯s secret guard returned very quickly and reported to Xie Yun, ¡°Master, this afternoon, Miss Xie Xiumu went to West Mountain Academy. She hasn¡¯t returned to the Qiao residence yet.¡± ¡°Prepare the carriage and go to West Mountain Academy.¡± .. After Qiao Ruoyi coaxed Nichang to sleep, she went out without feeling sleepy at all. West Mountain Academy had no lack of hardworking female students. Even at this time, there were quite a number of students who lit up their lanterns at night. The guard at the gate of West Mountain Academy came to Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Lord Qiao, Lord Xie Yun is here. He said he was looking for you.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Let him in.¡± When Xie Yun entered, he frowned and asked Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you find someone to talk to before you came today? The poison of the ice silkworm is very strong. If you don¡¯t suppress it, you might be poisoned tomorrow.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°It¡¯s just a day¡¯s work. The road is slippery after the rain. It¡¯s not easy to go back to Chang ¡®an.¡± Qiao ruoyi asked Xie Yun, ¡°How did you get here?¡± The road was very muddy and slippery. Horse carriages and horses were not allowed. They had to wait until the next day to dry. Qiao ruoyi looked down and saw that Xie Yun¡¯s black boots, which had never been dusty, were covered in mud. Gradually, he walked over the road. Xie Yun entered Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s room and saw niching who was sleeping soundly. Xie Yun had not seen her for a long time, so he walked over and pulled her hand. Qiao ruoyi patted Xie Yun¡¯s shoulder anxiously and said in a low voice, ¡°She was scared by the Thunder just now. It was not easy for her to fall asleep. Don¡¯t wake her up.¡± Xie Yun let go of Niching¡¯s hand and pulled Qiao ruoyi into his arms. ¡°Are there any other empty rooms here?¡± Qiao Ruoyi was very unhappy to be trapped in his arms, but thinking about it, she could not shirk this matter in the end. She said, ¡°The room next door is empty.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After entering, Xie Yun did not light the candle. He relied on the weak moonlight to find the place where the wooden bed was. Before Xie Yun put down the bed curtain, Nichang¡¯s voice came from outside. Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Let¡¯s forget about the detoxification today.¡± Qiao Ruoyi quickly went out and held niching in her arms. Niching leaned her head on Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Mother, I want to sleep with you today. I¡¯m afraid of Thunder.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Okay.¡± Not long after Qiao ruoyi fell asleep with Niching in her arms, Xie Yun came in and lay on the other side of niching. Qiao ruoyi frowned and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a place next door?¡± Niching opened her eyes slightly. When she saw Xie Yun, she asked, ¡°Uncle Xie? Why are you here?¡± Xie Yun patted niching¡¯s little head and said, ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll Sing a little boat for you. be good and go to bed early.¡± Niching nodded obediently and said, ¡°Uncle, sing.¡± Xie Yun coughed and cleared his throat before singing slowly. Xie Yun¡¯s voice seemed to have been pretending to be a woman for a long time, but there was a hint of gentleness in it. This gentle voice was singing a jiangnan ballad, even Qiao ruoyi, who had been unable to sleep for a long time, gradually fell into a deep sleep. Xie Yun watched as the mother and daughter fell into a deep sleep and smiled gently. Just how foolish was he back then? If he had known this would happen, why would he have cared about a false reputation at that time? Otherwise, he would not have been alone for these four years, while Luo Wei could enjoy the happiness that should have belonged to him. .. The Empress¡¯birthday was approaching. Qiao ruoyi had been looking for what birthday gift to give. She was not willing to admit defeat in front of Marquis an Yuan, but she was indeed a little short on money. She did not have much savings. Qiao Ruoyi could only choose a gift from her treasures to give to her sister. Thinking of her sister¡¯s superb chess skills, she took out a long-treasured Leng Nuan jade chess piece and gave it to her sister as a birthday gift. Qiao Jinniang still did not hold a big birthday celebration this year. She only invited a few princes, princesses, and the members of the Qiao family in the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor. When Qiao Ruoyi arrived here, she remembered what happened five years ago. Seeing that Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s expression was not right, Qiao Jinniang reacted and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that one is pregnant for three years. I¡¯ve already forgotten about it. I shouldn¡¯t have come here.¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s all in the past. Moreover, at that time, I had nichang. I Won¡¯t feel uncomfortable.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Just now, mother came to tell me to persuade you. Fu Lu also told me that you¡¯ve been spending a lot of time with Xie Yun recently, but Xie Yun still isn¡¯t willing to marry you?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Once, the vast sea is difficult to make water. Sister, I¡¯ve seen the vast sea. It¡¯s impossible for me to go to the ditch at the entrance.¡± The Jinniang was relieved. ¡°It¡¯s good that Xie Yun didn¡¯t look down on you.¡± Qiao ruoyi handed the box in her hand to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Sister, this is a birthday gift for you. Sister¡¯s chess is so good. You should use the warm and cold jade chess pieces.¡± Qiao Jinniang took the box and opened it. It was made of Black Jade and white jade. ¡°Is this the legendary warm and cold chess pieces in winter and summer?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao ruoyi nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Lu Chen also has one. He¡¯s so precious that he won¡¯t let me touch it. It seems that sister is still considerate,¡±Qiao Jinniang said. ¡°It¡¯s still early for dinner. Why Don¡¯t you and I play a game?¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded. ¡°Sister, Please Show Mercy.¡± When Qiao Jinniang placed the chess piece in the middle of the Tian Yuan position, Qiao Ruoyi looked at Qiao Jinniang in shock. ¡°Sister is really an expert in chess.¡± Qiao ruoyi had so many people playing chess. This was the first time she saw the first chess piece fall in the Tian Yuan position. Chapter 407 Qiao Jinniang smiled and said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m not bragging, but I have no opponent in the whole of Lin ¡®an. After coming to Chang ¡®an, I seldom play chess. In the past, Mr. Zhu of the Chess Hall and I wanted to pay for free drinks, but in the end, we obediently paid for the drinks.¡± Qiao ruoyi had no choice but to put on 120% of her energy. However, when it came to the 30th stone, the black and white stones on the board were symmetrical. Obviously, Qiao Jinniang was learning from Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s playing style. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s first stone occupied the position of Tianyuan, so it was very difficult for Qiao Ruoyi to win this game. Qiao Ruoyi was stunned when she saw this. ¡°Sister, are you imitating my playing style?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Why, can¡¯t I?¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head and mumbled, ¡°Yes, no wonder your first move is Tianyuan.¡± Qiao Jinniang had played chess for so many years, but apart from losing to Lu Chen in three games, she had never lost to anyone else. Qiao ruoyi stared at the game and placed the piece in the middle. As long as she ate Qiao Jinniang¡¯s Tianyuan piece in the middle, she would not be able to imitate her own way of playing chess. Qiao ruoyi heaved a sigh of relief when she ate Qiao Jinniang¡¯s Tian Yuan white piece. Qiao Jinniang placed a chess piece on the chess piece beside Qiao Ruoyi. It was obvious that she had occupied more territory. Qiao ruoyi glanced at the chess board and calculated the next moves. No matter how she played, she was obviously powerless to turn the situation around. She could only admit defeat and say, ¡°Sister, I admit defeat.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Lin ¡®an Baiwei restaurant¡¯s little chess saint is not undeserved.¡± Qiao ruoyi asked curiously, ¡°How did sister come up with such a way to play chess?¡± Qiao Jinniang clearly knew how to play chess. Even if she was not a saint, her chess skills were considered pretty good among ordinary people. Otherwise, how could she be able to win with one move when she cracked her imitation? Qiao jinniang said, ¡°This started when I was young. When I was very young, no one could beat me when I played chess. But later, I met Miss Xie, also known as Xie Yun. ¡°After he invited me to play chess, I lost three games in a row. Later, I figured out this method. As long as I was the first to go, I can definitely win by imitating the opponent¡¯s playing method.¡± ¡°Then, will the person who played with you later still play with you?¡±Qiao ruoi asked curiously, then muttered in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t your playing method cheating?¡± Who would be able to tolerate such a way of playing chess? Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Yes, those uncles in Lin ¡®an like to play chess with me. Only Lu Chen would rather play chess with those officials than with me. He must be afraid of losing face to me, so he played chess with those officials who flattered him. I wonder what¡¯s the point of winning a chess game by relying on his unreal ability.¡± Qiao Ruoyi stood up and bowed behind Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Let¡¯s play a game. I¡¯ll show you what real skills are and not just flattery.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Okay, I want to play White Chess.¡± Lu Chen gave the white stone to Qiao Jinniang. Qiao Jinniang continued to imitate Lu Chen¡¯s style of playing chess. Halfway through the game, Lu Chen gently placed a stone. When Qiao Jinniang was about to play, she stopped. She raised her eyes to look at Lu Chen. ¡°You! You¡­¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly and said, ¡°Admit defeat.¡± Qiao Jinniang took a sip of water and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to regret your move.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything to regret my move.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao Jinniang lightly tapped the table with the white piece and said, ¡°Your Majesty, if I lose today, I¡¯ll be in a bad mood. If I¡¯m in a bad mood, I¡¯ll feel unwell. Since I¡¯m Not Feeling Well, your majesty, why don¡¯t you rest in Taiji Palace today and not come to Changle Palace?¡± Lu Chen silently took back the chess piece he had just played and casually made a move. ¡°Speak properly.¡± Qiao Jinniang happily added another chess piece to the area that she had overlooked earlier. ¡°Continue, continue.¡± Qiao ruoyi, who was watching from the side, was dumbstruck. So there were chess pieces that could be played like this? She was too short-sighted. In the end, Qiao Jinniang won by half a glance and ended the game. Qiao jinniang said happily, ¡°Fortunately, I still managed to keep my title as the chess saint of Lin ¡®an Baiwei brothel.¡± At the birthday banquet, Qiao Ruoyi did not dare to drink any more alcohol. She did not even dare to drink fruit wine today after such a big incident happened last time. In the afternoon, Lu Xi brought a group of children to the North Mountain Horse Farm to ride horses. Little Nichang was also going. Qiao Ruoyi was a little worried. The Qiao family¡¯s daughter had learned to ride horses since she was young. Qiao Ruoyi had learned to ride horses since she was five years old. Little Nichang was still younger, and she had never learned to ride a horse before. But Nichang also went to ride a horse, so Nichang followed. Princess Fu Lu advised Qiao ruoyi, ¡°There are so many officials in the horse farm. What are you afraid of? Girls in Chang ¡®an city should learn to ride horses at Nichang¡¯s age.¡± Qiao ruoyi sighed. ¡°Okay.¡± Qiao Ruoyi did not have many playmates when she was young. It was only when she grew up and became famous that she gradually had playmates who shared the same ideals. When she was young, she envied her sisters for having so many good friends. Now that niching had so many playmates, it was a good thing. Moreover, Lu Xi was there. She should have been relieved. Consort Chu smiled at the side and said, ¡°I know Lord Qiao¡¯s worries. Back then, I also valued Yun ¡®er more than my life. But children have to grow up. You should relax.¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled at Consort Chu and said, ¡°Thank you for your advice, Consort Chu.¡± Consort Chu said, ¡°Yun ¡®er comes back every day and tells me that recently, the academy in the palace has an extremely good-looking younger sister. She is young but has a photographic memory. She despises his biological sister. She tells me every day that it would be great if Nichang was his biological sister.¡± Qiao ruoyi gave a faint smile and said, ¡°It would be Nichang¡¯s fortune if she could have a brother like Jun Yun.¡± ¡°Nichang is about the same age as my younger daughter. You can bring her to the Chu royal residence to have fun.¡± Qiao Ruoyi agreed. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Consort Chu.¡± After consort Chu left, Fu Lu said, ¡°My cousin-in-law of the Chu King has a good idea. Yun ¡®er is only ten years old. She has already found a Jun consort so early.¡± Qiao ruoyi also knew what Princess Chu meant. ¡°Nichang is so young. It¡¯s too early.¡± Fu Lu smiled and said, ¡°Then you don¡¯t know that my cousin-in-law of the king of Chu has already chosen a few husbands for her little princess.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°So early?¡±Qiao Ruoyi asked. Fu Lu said, ¡°Princess Chu probably thinks that if she is too late, all the good second husbands will be taken away. Some families in Chang ¡®an have already decided on a marriage since they were young.¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s too early. I need to go to the toilet.¡± Qiao ruoyi went to a small courtyard in the horse farm where nobles could rest. Before she entered, she heard the conversation between Princess Chu and her servant girl. ¡°Princess, why do you have to praise Nichang in front of Princess Fu Lu and not Princess Nihon? and isn¡¯t it better to decide on a marriage for Princess Nihon?¡± Chapter 408 Consort Chu said, ¡°I say you¡¯re stupid, but you¡¯re really stupid. Nichang is the daughter of the Qiao family, but their statuses are worlds apart. Qiao Nichang is the eldest granddaughter of the Duke¡¯s manor and the eldest Princess¡¯s only granddaughter. In the future, she will inherit the title of Duke of Qin. How could her husband be a descendant of the royal family. As for Qiao Nichang, her mother was a talented woman and a high-ranking official. Presumably, her future knowledge and bearing would not be too bad. The most important thing was that her father was Xie Yun. The Xie family¡¯s assets were unimaginable. Yun ¡®er was close to the crown prince. Even if he did not enter the imperial court, he still had the title of county prince. If he could have the Xie family¡¯s assets, it would be a good thing for him.¡± The servant girl rubbed her head and said, ¡°But Qiao ruoyi and Xie Yun are not married yet, right? Nowadays, many people say that Xie Yun will not marry Qiao Ruoyi.¡± Princess Chu said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s for Nichang, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the Xie and Qiao families get married. Although everyone knows that Qiao Nichang is Xie Yun¡¯s daughter, it¡¯s still not legitimate! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that Nichang is still young now, but when it comes to the marriage meeting in the future, there¡¯s a huge difference between her and the eldest daughter of the Xie family! ¡°Back then, Qiao Ruoyi was influenced by her birth mother¡¯s background as a slave. Since Xie Yun has already announced that Qiao Nichang is his daughter, why wouldn¡¯t she marry Qiao Ruoyi?¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned. She actually acknowledged Princess Chu¡¯s words from the bottom of her heart. Qiao ruoyi shook her head and silently thought to herself. She didn¡¯t ask Nichang to marry well. After all, Nichang was different from her. She didn¡¯t need to marry into the Xie family to have a good marriage. .. The days passed day by day. This year¡¯s summer was especially hot. There were even more thunderstorms, and there was a lot of rain in the summer. It was the promised day again. The torrential rain did not stop. Qiao ruoyi sat in the carriage and arrived at the Xie family¡¯s villa. The umbrella she held could not withstand the wind and rain. When she reached the house, she was already drenched. Lan Xin quickly prepared hot water for Qiao ruoyi and let her take a bath first. After the Bath, Qiao Ruoyi wore a petticoat made of brocade and went into the room. Xie Yun saw Qiao Ruoyi after the Bath. His Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly and pulled Qiao ruoyi into his arms. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. However, Qiao ruoyi still calmly closed her eyes and did not move, allowing Xie Yun to give her the antidote. Xie Yun gently kissed Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°It¡¯s just the antidote. There¡¯s no need to look at you.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Open your eyes.¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and opened her eyes. She saw the extra mole at the corner of Xie Yun¡¯s eye. Xie Yun said, ¡°Can you open your eyes now?¡± Qiao ruoyi reached out her hand to touch the mole and slowly said, ¡°Husband¡­¡± This ¡°Husband¡±finally pleased Xie Yun, and Xie Yun finally admitted defeat. He really couldn¡¯t stand Qiao Ruoyi not moving when she was given the antidote. Even if she was treated as Luo Wei, it was better than holding a piece of wood. After that, after the two of them washed up, the heavy rain outside had not yet ended. Xie Yun held onto Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s raining heavily outside. Why don¡¯t We Rest Here Today?¡± It wasn¡¯t Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s first time resting here, so she didn¡¯t feel shy. ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Yun ordered Lan Xin to take out a chessboard and said, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Why Don¡¯t we play a game?¡± Qiao Ruoyi agreed. When she saw the chessboard, she thought of how Qiao Jinniang played and wanted to give it a try. She was too embarrassed to play with others. However, she played with Xie Yun. Xie Yun saw how Qiao Ruoyi played and smiled. ¡°It seems that you have played with the Empress.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao ruoyi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I also want to try this chess method.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to try. I discovered the method to conquer this chess when I was young. Later on, when I saw that Little Jin ¡®er was about to lose, my eyes turned red. I just let her go,¡±Xie Yun said. Qiao ruoyi remembered that Xie Yun had once treasured the portrait of her sister and said, ¡°Sir Xie, please show some respect. Now that sister is the empress, it¡¯s inappropriate for you to still call her by her maiden name.¡± ¡°Are you jealous?¡±Xie Yun asked Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao Ruoyi was puzzled. ¡°Jealous of what?¡± ¡°Jealous of me and your sister!¡± Qiao ruoyi, who had always been polite, spat at Xie Yun. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people with thick skin, but I¡¯ve never seen someone as thick-skinned as you. To me, you¡¯re just an antidote. Do you understand antidote? ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll hurt my sister again. Although His Majesty and my sister have deep feelings for each other, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that people will hear you calling Little Jin ¡®er to make a fuss about this and make my sister bear the blame!¡± Qiao Ruoyi put away the chess piece and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I¡¯m going to rest. Please leave early, Sir Xie.¡± Seeing that Qiao Ruoyi was really angry, Xie Yun said, ¡°I was just joking just now.¡± ¡°This joke is not funny at all,¡±Qiao Ruoyi said coldly. Qiao ruoyi lay on the bed and fell asleep. She had a muddle-headed dream about what happened in the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor back then. Although she had been drugged that day, her consciousness was clear after she woke up, the scene where her eyes met Xie Yun¡¯s made Qiao ruoyi wake up screaming. Yan Yu heard the commotion and asked after she woke up, ¡°Miss, did you have a nightmare?¡± ¡°Yes.¡±Qiao ruoyi sighed. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ugly time.¡± But at this moment, the voice of the Qiao family¡¯s secret guard came from outside. Yan Yu hurriedly opened the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Quickly report to the fifth miss. Miss Nichang has disappeared. The entire an Yuan Marquis Manor has been searched, but there is still no trace of Miss Nichang.¡± ¡°How can that be?¡±Yan Yu was shocked. When Qiao Ruoyi heard this, she hurriedly put on her clothes and stumbled out of the door without even combing her hair. Xie Yun also rushed over. Clearly, he had also heard the news. ¡°How can such a big person suddenly disappear from the An Yuan Marquis Mansion?¡± The an yuan marquis mansion was heavily guarded. Xie Yun and Lan Xin were able to sneak into the Qiao mansion often, so the secret guards were only aware of the situation and spared them. Other thieves were not allowed to enter at all. How could niching, this child, suddenly disappear? Qiao ruoi returned to the Qiao Manor as if she had lost her soul. In the Qiao Manor, other than the old madam, everyone else was in the main hall. The maidservants beside Niching knelt on the ground, and the two maidservants had already been tortured. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only When the an Yuan Marquis saw Qiao Ruoi and Xie Yun coming together, he picked up the whip and lashed it at Qiao Ruoi. Xie Yun repeatedly blocked in front of Qiao Ruoi. Zheng Xiao snatched the whip from an Yuanhou¡¯s hand and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Qiao ruoyi, you are a mother. Where are you when your daughter is missing in the middle of the night?¡±An yuanhou said angrily, ¡°If anything happens to nichang today, I will beat you to death.¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s legs went weak and she almost couldn¡¯t stand. Xie Yun quickly supported her. Qiao ruoyi pursed her lips and said, ¡°If anything happens to Nichang, I will definitely not live alone.¡± Zheng Xiao quickly said, ¡°Bah Bah Bah, what nonsense are you talking about? Such a big child, where would she go? Even the gatekeeper said that she didn¡¯t go out, but we searched the entire marquis an yuan manor and couldn¡¯t find any trace of her.¡± Chapter 409 The housekeeper outside hurriedly came in and said, ¡°Marquis, Marquise, the servants in the manor with excellent water quality have already gone into the water to investigate. They didn¡¯t find anything underwater in the well.¡± This news could be considered good news. At least she didn¡¯t fall into the water. Xie Yun supported Qiao Ruoyi and asked the two wet nurses who were kneeling below, ¡°When did nichang leave the sight of the two of you? How dare you wet nurses and maidservants leave Nichang?¡± The two maids continued, ¡°Around the time of the fifth hour, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Miss ni Shang was afraid to look for the fifth miss, but the fifth miss was not in the residence.. We kept coaxing miss ni Shang, but miss ni Shang was still afraid and kept asking for the fifth miss. Soon after, the second prince, Miss ni Hong, and Miss Ruo Han came. Miss ni Shang was not afraid when she saw the second prince. Miss Nihon had been playing with the second prince the whole time. When it was quarter past five, the Lightning had not stopped. Miss Nihon and Miss Ruohan had left, and it was not long before the crown prince came to take the second prince away. When the second prince left, Miss Nihon was still in the room. However, the Lightning had not stopped at that time¡­ Miss Nihon hid under the quilt in fear, and the servants had been guarding outside the door. ¡°When it was 11 p.m. , Miss Nichang entered the room to check if she needed to go to the bathroom at night. Who knew that there was no one on the bed¡­¡± Xie Yun asked, ¡°When the second prince left, did you see Nichang enter the bed with your own eyes?¡± The two wet nurses nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Miss Nichang even specially instructed her to sleep alone today. The servants are not allowed to enter and disturb her.¡± Xie Yun frowned. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s eyes were full of tears. She should not have gone to the Xie family¡¯s villa just now. Why did she leave Nichang alone at home? Qiao ruoyi bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Nichang, Nichang!¡± Xie Yun comforted qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. The second prince came to the Qiao residence. Maybe the second prince took Nichang away. Don¡¯t Cry now. Send a message to the palace to ask the second Prince First.¡± Qiao Ruoyi looked at the dozing Qiao Nihon and frowned. ¡°Nihon, don¡¯t you always love your sister the most? But today, my sister is missing. Why aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡± Fu Lu also noticed that something was wrong with his daughter. Usually, if someone said a few words about nichang, Nihon would beat them until they admitted defeat and apologize to Nichang. Niching went missing today, but neon was not worried at all. Qiao lui asked neon, ¡°Do you know something?¡± Little neon yawned and said, ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m really sleepy. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Neon! My Sister is missing. The whole family is so nervous. If you know something, quickly tell us!¡± Little Neon covered her mouth and said, ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I promised brother Ang that I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone that he took neon away!¡± Fu Lu:¡±¡­¡± Everyone in the Qiao family:¡±¡­¡± Qiao Ruohan patted her head. This niece of hers¡­ sigh.. Qiao ruoyi happily held little neon¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Did the second Prince Really Take Neon Away?¡± Little Neon covered her mouth and said, ¡°I won¡¯t bother with you. Neon already said that you don¡¯t want her. HMPH, if you don¡¯t want her, she doesn¡¯t want you either.¡± Qiao Ruoyi was about to cry. ¡°How can I not want neon? She is my life. I want to enter the palace.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Xie Yun held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°We can¡¯t enter the palace at this time. We can just find someone to go to the palace to confirm the news. If neon was really taken away by the second prince, then nothing will happen to her in the palace.¡± ¡°But how did the second prince take her away?¡± Qiao Ruohan saw that she could not hide it anymore, so she simply confessed. She was afraid that her fifth sister would really barge into the palace at this time: ¡°When the second prince came, he brought a little palace maid who looked somewhat similar to Nichang. The little palace maid was called Qingyu. He asked Nichang and Qingyu to change their clothes. Nichang left wearing the clothes of the little palace maid. The palace maid called Qingyu stayed in Nichang¡¯s room. The two maids did not look carefully at Qingyu¡¯s appearance. When the rain stopped, Qingyu went out of the window. ¡°Qingyu is in my room now. I hid her in my closet.¡± Madam Hou looked at Qiao ruohan helplessly. ¡°You are aunt. You are aunt. Why are you still fooling around with them?¡± Qiao Nihong snorted lightly. ¡°It¡¯s clearly fifth aunt¡¯s fault. This is the third time fifth aunt has left Nichang alone. Nichang is most afraid of thunder and lightning. Every time fifth aunt is not around, brother Ang took Nichang away. HMPH!¡± Fu Lu covered Qiao Nihong¡¯s mouth and said, ¡°What are you snorting for? You really know how to cause more trouble than me!¡± When Qing Yu was brought over, she immediately knelt on the ground and said, ¡°This servant Qing Yu greets the marquises and marquises.¡± Qiao ruoyi saw Qing Yu¡¯s appearance clearly under the lamp. Her appearance was indeed somewhat similar to Nichang¡¯s. She took two more glances at Xie Yun. Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°She¡¯s not my daughter.¡± Fu Lu teased, ¡°What do you mean by admitting it if you don¡¯t beat her up? Isn¡¯t this admitting it if you don¡¯t beat her up? No one said that she¡¯s your illegitimate daughter. However, you, the head of the Xie family, have a lot of romantic affairs. Who knows when you¡¯ll have a daughter outside?¡±. The most popular story in Chang ¡®an was about a rich businessman who went around sparing others. A woman, in order to take revenge on the rich businessman, raised his illegitimate daughter into a thin horse and deliberately seduced the rich businessman¡¯s legitimate son. In the end, the rich businessman¡¯s family was destroyed. The legitimate son knew that the woman he loved was his biological sister and committed suicide by throwing himself into the lake.¡± Hearing Fu Lu¡¯s words, Xie Yun became more and more ridiculous and said, ¡°Princess, you are worrying too much. I, Xie Yun, have only ever touched Qiao ruoyi, and naturally, I only have one daughter, Nichang.¡± Everyone in the Qiao family was shocked by Xie Yun¡¯s words. Xie Yun asked the kneeling man softly, ¡°Hurry up and tell the truth. If there is even half a lie, the board will be yours.¡± Qingyu knelt on the ground and trembled. She said, ¡°This servant also listens to the second Prince¡¯s orders. When the second prince heard the Lightning and thunder today, he was worried about Miss Nichang so he came to see her. Miss Nichang complained that Lord Qiao didn¡¯t want her anymore. The second Prince wanted to take Miss Nichang away, but Miss Ruohan said that the Qiao family would definitely not let the second prince bring Miss Nichang into the palace. Miss Nichang said that she wanted me to replace Miss Nichang and let Miss Nichang pretend to be me to enter the palace¡­¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Nichang said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re not loyal. How could you tell on Me and my aunt? Didn¡¯t we agree that whoever said it would be a puppy?¡± Qiao Ruohan gently pinched Qiao ni Hong¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯re the one who said it first!¡± Qiao Ruoyi did not wait until dawn and went to the palace gate. Xie Yun followed her. At the Palace Gate, Qiao Ruoyi cried helplessly. It was indeed her fault. Ni Shang was still so young, but when she went to the Xie family¡¯s villa to get the antidote, she often left ni Shang alone.. This was too much. She didn¡¯t know if niching would still forgive her. Chapter 410 When the palace doors finally opened, Qiao Ruoyi hurriedly went forward to hand in the invitation. After waiting for about an hour, Qiao Ruoyi was finally able to enter the palace. The moment she entered the palace, Qiao Ruoyi was extremely anxious. She felt that the attendant leading the way was indeed a little too slow. In the past, when she entered the palace, she had never noticed that the attendant leading the way was so slow. When she arrived in front of the second Prince¡¯s palace, it was rare for Lady Qiao to wake up early. There was a hint of guilt on her face as she said, ¡°Ruoyi, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault for not teaching you well. I¡¯ll definitely give Ang ¡®er a good beating later.¡± Qiao ruoyi quickly said, ¡°The second prince did a good job. It¡¯s my fault. Sister, Please Don¡¯t blame the second Prince.¡± The second Prince¡¯s wet nurse came out with little nichang who had just woken up in a daze. When Qiao Ruoyi saw Little Nichang, she quickly went over to hold her in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nichang. I¡¯m sorry.¡± When Little Nichang saw Qiao ruoyi, she leaned her head on Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Mother.¡± When Lu Ang came out, he was a little afraid when he saw Qiao Jinniang¡¯s angry face. Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu ang coldly and said, ¡°You brought your sister into the palace. Do you know that your grandparents and aunts will be worried?¡± Lu Ang was afraid that Qiao Jinniang would be angry, but he also felt wronged and said, ¡°But mother, it was aunt who didn¡¯t want Nichang first.¡± Nichang heard this and also struggled out of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Mother is bad, don¡¯t want Nichang!¡± Qiao ruoyi quickly said, ¡°How can I not want you?¡± ¡°But there were several times of thunder, but I couldn¡¯t find mother¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi hugged nichang and said, ¡°Not in the future. No matter where mother goes in the future, she will bring Nichang. But you must not scare mother.¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded her little head and obediently called out, ¡°Mother!¡± Qiao Jinniang saw that the mother and daughter had reconciled, then she said to Lu ang, ¡°You have caused such a big incident and made your aunt so worried. She will definitely not let you off easily. She will punish you by copying the history book ten times! When you finish copying it, when you can go out to play.¡± ¡°Ah?¡±Lu Ang¡¯s mouth was wide open. ¡°Ten times? Mother, no!¡± Qiao Jinniang found the chief steward and the first palace maid in Lu Ang¡¯s palace and scolded them fiercely. The first palace maid felt wronged and said, ¡°Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Miss Nichang and Qingyu look too much alike. Last night, it was dark. The second prince didn¡¯t allow us to light the lamp too bright. We thought it was Miss Nichang who was Qingyu¡­¡± ¡°Qingyu?¡±Asked Qiao Jinniang. Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°She¡¯s the little palace maid who replaced Nichang in the Qiao family yesterday. She looks about five years old. She does look somewhat similar to Nichang.¡± When Qiao Ruoyi entered the palace, she also brought Qingyu with her. Qiao Jinniang Curiously asked the first palace maid in Lu Ang¡¯s palace, ¡°How can there be such a young palace maid in the Palace?¡± Previously, her mother and Empress had changed the age of the palace maid to enter the palace. There was definitely no palace maid who entered the palace at such a young age. The palace maid quickly replied, ¡°Qingyu¡¯s mother is Xie sizhi from the Shanggong Bureau. Last year, Xie Sizhi went to Lin ¡®an with the empress and found out that her husband who was separated from her was dead. Her daughter could not survive in a relative¡¯s home and was sold by her uncle to be a child bride at the home of a local official. ¡°So, she asked the Shang Gong Lord for mercy and allowed her daughter to enter the palace. This little girl is already seven years old and has reached the age where she can enter the palace.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at the thin girl and didn¡¯t look like a seven-year-old girl. ¡°Xie Sizhi? I remember that Xie Sizhi went to the palace because of illness at the beginning of the year.¡± Qiao Jinniang liked the gorgeous clothes made by Xie Sizhi, but it was a pity that she was weak. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The first palace maid replied, ¡°Yes, she only left a daughter. Later, the second prince went to the palace and saw her. He felt that she looked similar to Miss Nichang, so he brought her back to his palace. He only learned how to do some chores.¡± Qiao Jin thought that she was too lenient with her son. She didn¡¯t even know that he had such a little palace maid by his side, so she said, ¡°This woman has a hard life. Her parents died young, and she almost became her child bride. It¡¯s pitiful for her to stay in the palace as a palace maid to serve others for her whole life. Just send her to the West Mountain Academy, and she can learn some skills in the Academy.¡± Lu Ang quickly hugged Qiao Jinniang and pleaded, ¡°Mother, no, I want Qingyu to stay. I will be obedient and learn to read. I will learn to memorize the four books as soon as possible. Please keep Qingyu.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°No, if she stays, she will be a slave for the rest of her life. If she goes to the West Mountain Academy, she will have a good future.¡± Lu ang snorted, ¡°If mother wants to send Qingyu away, I will ignore mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang would not be threatened by him, ¡°Ask Qingyu. See if she is willing to be your slave for the rest of her life, or go to the West Mountain Academy to study and have a place to settle down in the future?¡± Lu Ang said to Qingyu who was kneeling on the ground, ¡°Quickly say that you want to stay in the palace.¡± Qingyu kowtowed and said, ¡°Thank you for your Grace, Your Majesty. It is my good fortune to be able to enter the West Mountain Academy.¡± Lu ang snorted and said, ¡°No loyalty!¡± Qiao Ruoyi saw the palace maid beside Qiao Jinniang bring qingyu down and said, ¡°This girl¡¯s mother¡¯s surname is Xie? It can¡¯t be related to Xie Yun, right?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°In Lin ¡®an city, Qian Xie is one of the two big families. The pen surnamed Qian and the pen surnamed Xie are all the same. They may be the same ancestor, but they must be far away from each other. Otherwise, my family wouldn¡¯t have ignored them.¡± As for appearance, children at this age didn¡¯t grow up to begin with. The similarity was probably just a coincidence. .. Nichang¡¯s disappearance was a false alarm. However, this made Qiao ruoyi reflect on herself. From then on, she would return to the office early every day to accompany Nichang. After another seven days, Qiao Ruoyi was caught in a dilemma. Looking at the sky, it was clear and bright. It was almost autumn. She did not know if there would be more lightning and thunder. However, Qiao Ruoyi did not dare to leave Nichang alone in the manor. She simply brought her to the Xie family¡¯s villa. When Xie Yun saw Nichang, he was obviously much happier than when he saw Qiao ruoyi. Xie Yun went forward to hold Nichang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Nichang.¡± Nichang called out obediently, ¡°Uncle Xie.¡± Xie Yun frowned slightly and said, ¡°Have you had dinner? Do you want to eat the glutinous rice and sweet lotus root?¡± Nichang nodded and said, ¡°I have had dinner, but I still want to eat the glutinous rice and sweet lotus root.¡± Lan Xin quickly said, ¡°Little Master, please wait for a moment. Lan Xin will go and buy the glutinous rice and sweet lotus root for you.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Don¡¯t spoil her. She just ate a lot of dinner. It¡¯s better to eat less at night.¡± Nichang looked up at Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Mother, just eat one piece!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Xie Yun then instructed Lan Xin to go to the Hundred Savory restaurant to get a serving of glutinous rice and sweet lotus root. ¡°Uncle Xie is so nice.¡± Qiao ruoyi could not help but sigh at the intimate relationship between Little Nichang and Xie Yun.. After nichang used the glutinous rice sugar lotus root, she kept pestering Xie Yun to play games. Xie Yun was rather patient. It was only when he coaxed little nichang to sleep that he realized that it was already past midnight. It could be seen that even time passed extremely quickly when he was with Nichang. Chapter 411 When Xie Yun came out of the Nichang Room, she did not go straight to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s room. Instead, she went to the kitchen. Every time Qiao ruoyi came, she would bring the pill to avoid the child. Once she arrived, she would order the orchid heart to boil it in the kitchen. Xie Yun said to the servant girl in the kitchen, ¡°In the future, every time you boil the pill, change the pill to something that will make it easier for you to get pregnant.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± .. An autumn rain fell. The heat was gone, and the autumn wind rustled. On a hot summer day, it was a good time to hold a poetry meet. There were many banquets in all the noble families. There were all kinds of banquets. Qiao Ruoyi was in the officialdom, so it was impossible for her not to attend. There were many banquets, and there were many rumors. Qiao ruoyi heard the rumors, and as she listened, people began to ask about Qiao ruoyi and Xie Yun. No one knew how rich the Xie family was, but these people also knew that the Xie family was a big family with a lot of wealth. If the marriage between Qiao Ruoyi and Xie Yun didn¡¯t work out, then Xie Yun could be considered a good son-in-law. The others didn¡¯t dare to ask openly, so Qiao ruoyi naturally changed the topic with a few words, not mentioning her and Xie Yun¡¯s marriage. After Qiao Ruoyi left, a few ladies who were holding her whispered, ¡°She still pretends to be noble. A concubine¡¯s daughter is a concubine¡¯s daughter. I heard that she often brings her daughter to the Xie family¡¯s villa and stays there for the whole night.¡± ¡°What noble? Xie Yun doesn¡¯t want to marry her, what else can she do? Beg her sister, the Empress, to marry her? But Xie Yun is not an ordinary family, how can she marry her just like that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already amazing that the daughter of a concubine can do what she did. I heard that her aunt was a servant girl in the past, and now her daughter is an official.¡± ¡°She still has a good sister.¡± The words of these madams did not lack some sourness. When Qiao Ruoyi returned, these madams changed their faces again, praising Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s complexion to be much better, and there was no lack of flattery. After the banquet, the servant girl placed a piece of white-cut chicken in front of Qiao Ruoyi. Qiao ruoyi looked at the white-cut chicken and covered her mouth. She stood up and said, ¡°Excuse me.¡± Qiao ruoyi walked to a small path and could not help but vomit. She vomited so much that her bile was about to come out. Yan Yu asked worriedly, ¡°Miss¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi vomited completely and sat down on a rock beside her. ¡°I don¡¯t know why recently, but I feel like vomiting whenever I see anything.¡± Yan Yu asked, ¡°Are you pregnant? When the princess was pregnant with her second child, she also threw up a lot.¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I clearly took the pill to avoid the child. I didn¡¯t miss it every time.¡± Yan Yu said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to the manor and ask the imperial physician to check her pulse?¡± Qiao Ruoyi Thought for a moment and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone yet. Tomorrow is the day to go to the Xie family¡¯s villa, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡±Yan Yu said. Qiao ruoyi whispered a few words into Yan Yu¡¯s ear, and Yan Yu quickly agreed. The next day, Qiao Ruoyi did not bring Nichang with her this time. Xie Yun looked at Qiao ruoyi, but he did not see Nichang following behind her. He asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t my daughter here today?¡± ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s birthday is approaching. Recently, they are planning to have a birthday gift for the crown prince. They are still playing with the second prince.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Her relationship with the second prince is good.¡± ¡°They are cousins after all,¡±Qiao Ruoyi replied. When the antidote was given today, Qiao ruoyi, who had never spoken, opened her mouth to ask Xie Yun to slow down. This made Xie Yun more and more unable to control himself.. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After that, Lan Xin came in with a bowl of medicine for Qiao Ruoyi. When Qiao Ruoyi wanted to drink the medicine, she could not help but vomit. The filth stained Xie Yun¡¯s extremely precious pair of boots. Xie Yun frowned slightly and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? The imperial family¡¯s doctor.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Don¡¯t look for the imperial family¡¯s doctor. Just look for the imperial doctor.¡± Xie Yun looked at Qiao Ruoyi in confusion. Qiao ruoyi vomited again. ¡°Look for the Imperial Doctor.¡± The imperial doctor was called to the Xie family¡¯s villa by Lan Xin. When he saw Xie Yun and Qiao ruoyi inside, the imperial doctor who had heard of the rumors about the two of them was not surprised. After the imperial doctor checked her pulse, he said, ¡°Fifth miss is pregnant again.¡± Xie Yun was extremely happy and said, ¡°Really?¡± Qiao ruoyi shouted to the outside, ¡°Yan Yu, come in.¡± Yan Yu wrapped the medicinal dregs in a silk handkerchief and entered. Qiao ruoyi said to the imperial physician, ¡°May I trouble the imperial physician to take a look at what this medicine is?¡± The imperial physician looked at the medicinal dregs. Just as he was about to speak, Lan Xin said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for the imperial physician to come all the way here. Why Don¡¯t you go to the side and have a sip of tea before you slowly read the prescription?¡± Qiao ruoyi slowly said, ¡°Cocoon silk, galangal ginger, acacia, angelica, Asarum¡­ I don¡¯t read many medical books. From these medicinal dregs, I can see that these are all pregnancy-enhancing drugs.¡± The imperial physician replied, ¡°Fifth young miss has good eyesight. This is precisely the pregnancy-enhancing offspring soup that is very popular among aristocratic families.¡± ¡°Thank you for your explanation, imperial physician,¡±Qiao Ruoyi said. ¡°Yan Yu, thank you very much, imperial physician.¡± After the imperial physician and Yan Yu left, Lan Xin hurriedly knelt in front of qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, fifth miss. This servant acted on my own initiative. I wanted master to have an heir, so I specially changed your son-avoiding soup. Please forgive me, fifth Miss!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your master¡¯s permission, would a servant girl like you dare to plot against Master¡¯s Heir?¡± Xie Yun calmly sat on a chair at the side and said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°So what if I changed your pill? Now that you have my child, you wouldn¡¯t be thinking of marrying someone else with this child, right?¡± Qiao ruoyi saw Xie Yun like this and said, ¡°I will abort the child.¡± Although she didn¡¯t regret leaving Nichang behind, she wasn¡¯t willing to bear children for Xie Yun. Xie Yun asked, ¡°Is that so?¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned slightly and said, ¡°Of course.¡± Xie Yun looked at Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s flat stomach and said, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, I gave you the antidote because I owe you. But if you dare to kill my son, I will not let you off. The Xie family might be able to fight with your Qiao family to the point where both sides suffer. Do you think the Qiao family will use the entire family¡¯s strength to protect you, a concubine¡¯s Daughter?¡± Qiao ruoyi saw that Xie Yun seemed to have changed. Xie Yun said, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, previously, I felt guilty and felt sorry for the both of you. But if you dare to kill my son, then that¡¯s another matter.¡± Qiao ruoyi covered her stomach and said, ¡°Do you think the child is your son? You just want to use this child to force me to marry you. It¡¯s really sad for the children to have a father like you.¡± Xie Yun only said, ¡°Think about it carefully. I, Xie Yun, have always been a person who doesn¡¯t offend others. The hatred of killing my son is irreconcilable. If you dare to kill my son, you can forget about me detoxifying you.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao ruoyi left the Xie family¡¯s villa in a daze. She did not return to the Qiao residence but went to Luo Wei¡¯s grave. It was dark and it was curfew time again. However, the imperial guards recognized Qiao Ruoyi and did not question her further. Qiao ruoyi went to Luo Wei¡¯s grave and used the candlelight to wipe the tombstone. Her eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Luo Wei, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She should not have agreed to Xie Yun using this method to make the antidote in the first place. She was really stupid. Really Stupid! Chapter 412 In the Xie Manor. Lan Xin entered Xie Yun¡¯s study and reported, ¡°After fifth miss left us, she first went to the Qiao family¡¯s ancestral grave. After staying in the ancestral grave for about 25 minutes, she returned to marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. She even instructed the secret guards not to allow our people to follow her in.¡± ¡°Master, fifth miss originally thought that it would be better to just die. I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t be willing if you don¡¯t give her the antidote and force her to keep the child.¡± Xie Yun said slowly, ¡°She will. She has already sacrificed so much to survive. Why would she give up now? Moreover¡­ she was able to keep Nichang back then. It¡¯s not like she won¡¯t keep the child now.¡± Lan Xin mumbled, ¡°Master, I feel that your actions seem a little despicable.¡± Xie Yun glared at Lan Xin. It was fine if it was despicable, but if he could have two children, why not? As for Qiao ruoyi, he had already felt guilty towards her. He didn¡¯t care if the guilt went up a notch or not. She liked those famous paintings and ancient books. As long as she married into the Xie family, she would have everything. It could be considered as making up for the debt she owed her. Lan Xin asked again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that after the Qiao family finds out about this, they will stand up for fifth young miss? Especially when the Empress finds out. She will definitely stand up for fifth young miss.¡± ¡°That would be my wish,¡±Xie Yun said slowly. Lan Xin did not understand what her master meant, but she also felt that her master had gone too far in this matter. The next day, Qiao Ruoyi applied for half a month¡¯s leave and did not go to court. Fu Lu entered Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s Courtyard to visit. When he saw Qiao ruoyi lying on the bed with a pale face, he was shocked, ¡°Ruoyi, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I¡¯m so stupid, so stupid. I want to kill him! Kill him and get it over with. I can also go see Luo Wei and aunt. ¡°But I can¡¯t bear to part with Niching. I don¡¯t want Niching to be embarrassed when she grows up and finds out that her mother killed her father¡­¡± Fu Lu hugged Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°What happened? How did Xie Yun Bully You? Your brother and I will help you get revenge. Even if we can¡¯t get revenge, there¡¯s still the Empress and His Majesty. The Empress loves you so much¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi sobbed and told Fu Lu about Xie Yun scheming against her for being pregnant. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do now. I Won¡¯t give birth to his child!¡± Fu Lu comforted qiao ruoyi softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. If you enter the palace with me, the Empress will definitely seek justice for you. Xie Yun said that if he doesn¡¯t save you in the future, we will tie him up and force him to be a bloody man!¡± ¡°You are pregnant now. You really shouldn¡¯t cry so sadly.¡± Qiao ruoyi wiped her tears and said, ¡°Okay, enter the palace.¡± After Fu Lu and Qiao Ruoyi went out, they coincidentally met Xie Yun. When Fu Lu saw Xie Yun, he said angrily, ¡°You still dare to come to my Qiao Residence?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°I came to the Qiao residence today to propose marriage. Since Ruoyi is pregnant with my child, she should marry into my xie family as soon as possible.¡± Qiao ruoyi held her handkerchief tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. I will not keep this child. When I come back from the palace, I will abort the child!¡± Xie Yun sneered and said, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, you are now twenty-two years old. At this age, you still have to go to the palace crying and complaining to your sister after something happened?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Fu Lu said, ¡°Ruoyi, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense.¡± Xie Yun walked to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s ear and said softly, ¡°The Empress Values Friendship and loyalty. If you go and beg her, she will naturally stand up for you. But have you ever thought about your sister? Why have there been very few civil officials who went against the Qiao family this year? The Xie family, which all the scholars in the world yearn for, once married to the Qiao family, the position of the Empress and the crown prince will be more stable.¡± Fu Lu spat, ¡°Ruoyi, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. With His Majesty¡¯s position in the Empress and crown prince is very stable, we don¡¯t Need Xie Yun¡¯s help. Our Qiao family also doesn¡¯t lack marriage with the Xie family.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Qiao Ruoyi, why don¡¯t you carefully think about how the Qiao Family Treats You, how the Marquise treats you as a daughter-in-law, how your sister treats you. If you go to the palace and complain, the Empress will naturally help you. But what about you? What have you done for the Empress?¡± ¡°The Empress just came to Chang ¡®an not long ago and gave a rare ginseng to your aunt to extend her life. The emperor¡¯s kindness is as thin as paper. In the past year, those civil officials have stopped writing memorials for the acceptance of the harem. But what if in another five years, when your sister¡¯s appearance is no longer the same, all the officials ask the emperor to accept the harem. When the emperor is faced with those young and beautiful women.., could he still be as focused as he was today? Since ancient times, how many emperors had not been jealous of the Crown Prince until they were middle-aged? The Qin emperor and the Han and the Wu all wished to remain young for a thousand years. Just as the princess had said, the Empress¡¯position was now stable. It was true that the emperor was present, but the heart of the emperor was difficult to predict. In the future, when the Emperor met a woman who was even more moved, what would happen to your sister? ¡°The Qiao and Xie families will be united by marriage. I believe that the Emperor will definitely not have the intention of abolishing the Empress!¡± Fu Lu frowned and said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Everyone knows that His Majesty is deeply in love with the empress. Even in another five years, the empress will still be more beautiful than those young ladies. Ruo Yi, ignore him.¡± Xie Yun said to Qiao ruo yi, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about your consideration for the Qiao family, why don¡¯t you think about Nichang? Nichang is still young now, but what if the marriage is to be decided in ten years? ¡°The status of the Xie family¡¯s eldest daughter is different from the status of the Qiao family¡¯s cousin.¡± Xie Yun saw that Qiao Ruoyi was a little relaxed and said, ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s a good deal for you to marry me. Other than the above, the Xie family has everything you like. The books you want will be yours in the future. ¡°You don¡¯t have to sell your share of the house to buy them in the Ten Thousand Scrolls House. After becoming the Xie family¡¯s mistress, you¡¯ll have an endless amount of silver.¡± When Fu Lu heard this, he said, ¡°That sounds like human talk. Ruoyi, you can marry him and spend all the silver in the Xie family before you divorce him!¡± Xie Yun said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°I believe you know how to choose this deal?¡± Qiao Ruoyi glared at Xie Yun. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want me to marry you, but I have three requirements. First, you must have a tattoo right now. I will tattoo a mole on your body!¡± Xie Yun frowned and thought for a while before finally agreeing. It was just a small mole. It was impossible to see it without looking carefully. ¡°The second requirement is that you and I don¡¯t have to hold a big wedding ceremony, nor do we have to go back to Jiangnan to hold it. We just have to treat our relatives and friends to a wedding banquet in Chang ¡®an. Also, I¡¯m married for the second time, so we have to hold a wedding banquet at noon.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°You¡¯re going too far.¡± How could the Xie family keep such a low profile when they were marrying the matriarch? Moreover, they were holding a wedding banquet at noon. Moreover, there were many second marriages in Chang ¡®an. Not many of them were held at noon, and they were all married at dusk. Qiao ruoyi then said the third request, ¡°Third, Nichang will never believe Xie. She¡¯s Luo Wei¡¯s daughter, so her surname must be Qiao!¡± Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°I can¡¯t agree to this request of yours. Aren¡¯t you going too far?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°You said it yourself back then. I, a concubine¡¯s daughter, am not worthy of your position as Madam Xie. Back then, you didn¡¯t want Nichang first. Why are you saying it¡¯s going too far now?¡± Chapter 413 Lan Xin hurriedly said beside Xie Yun¡¯s ear, ¡°Master, why don¡¯t you agree to the fifth miss? If you can¡¯t marry the fifth miss, then Miss Nichang can¡¯t enter the Xie family¡¯s surname, Xie. Besides, doesn¡¯t the fifth miss still have a child in her belly?¡± Xie Yun listened to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s complaints and Lan Xin¡¯s persuasion, but in the end, she agreed. Fortunately, Luo Wei was married into the Qiao family, so Nichang followed the Qiao family¡¯s surname. If her surname was not luo, why would she care so much? Xie Yun went to the Qiao family¡¯s house to discuss the marriage with an yuanhou. An yuanhou naturally put on airs. Back when he and Qiao lui came to the Qiao family¡¯s house, Xie Yun looked down on the Qiao family¡¯s daughter. Naturally, he had to teach Xie Yun a good lesson this time. Xie Yun was patient. He was not afraid that an Yuan Hou would not agree. When an Yuan Hou took Qiao, Xie Yun smiled and said, ¡°Ruoyi is more than two months pregnant. In order to avoid being criticized in the future, the marriage has to be put on the agenda as soon as possible.¡± An Yuan Hou was furious. He did not have any intention to teach Xie Yun a lesson. He only proposed the marriage as soon as possible. The Qiao family could not afford to lose face a second time. The wedding was set a month later, the day after the double ninth day. On the tenth day of the ninth month, Liu Li left in a hurry. When the Qiao and Xie family¡¯s wedding was set, Chang ¡®an felt that it was a matter of course. However, a group of declining aristocratic families began to cry. They thought that the Xie family still had hope of reviving the aristocratic families. Now, their last hope had been extinguished. Xie Yun marrying her step-daughter as the mistress could be considered to have broken the aristocratic families¡¯emPhasis on bloodline for thousands of years. It also completely tore apart the possibility of those aristocratic families thinking that there was still a chance of prosperity. After the palace banquet was held during the mid-autumn Festival. Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang brought Lu Xi, Lu Ang, and the infant princess to the Qiao family. Qiao Jinniang came to see Old Madam Qiao today. Old Madam Qiao was old and had been coughing non-stop since autumn. She did not enter the palace today. Seeing Qiao Jinniang arrive, Old Madam Qiao wanted to get down and pay her respects, but was stopped by Qiao Jinniang. ¡°Grandmother, we specially came out of the palace to visit you. There¡¯s no need to pay our respects.¡± Lu Xi and Lu ang obediently walked up to old madam Qiao and called her great-grandmother. Old Madam Qiao coughed weakly and said, ¡°His Highness the Crown Prince is already a young boy. Ahem, ahem, that¡¯s great, that¡¯s great. Now that the Qiao family¡¯s children and grandchildren have settled down, even if I die, I¡¯ll still have the face to see your grandfather.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Grandmother, take good care of your body. Grandfather will surely hope that you can live a long life in heaven.¡± Old Madam Qiao sighed and said, ¡°I almost forgot what your grandfather looked like. If we met underground, he would definitely not dare to recognize me as an old woman.¡± ¡°Grandmother is still beautiful.¡± Old Madam Qiao smiled. ¡°He must have been mesmerized by those female demons underground.¡± Qiao Jinniang listened to Old Madam Qiao¡¯s words and thought that grandmother and grandfather must have had a very good relationship back then. It was a pity that grandfather died young. When he died, he was only in his early thirties. Old Madam Qiao held Qiao Jinniang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Empress, cough cough, grandmother knows that the Qiao family has let you down. Grandmother has one more thing to ask of you¡­ forget it, forget it, forget it.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Grandmother, if there¡¯s anything you want to say, just say it. If I can¡¯t do it, I naturally won¡¯t agree to grandmother¡¯s request, nor will I blame you. If I can do it, I will definitely help grandmother.¡± Old Madam Qiao sighed and said, ¡°If there is one person in my life that I have let down, it would be Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s birth mother, Aunt Hu¡­¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Back then, the Qiao family suffered successive defeats. The saliva of the common people almost drowned our Qiao family. Many servants in the manor fled for their lives, but Aunt Hu remained loyal to the Qiao family. However, I have let her down.¡±. Over the years, I actually knew how the Qian family bullied aunt Hu. However, I never stood up for Aunt Hu and ruoyi. Firstly, Aunt Hu was after all a servant¡¯s concubine, and the Qian family still had a cousin in the Hou Manor. Secondly, as a mother, it was not good for me to interfere in the matters of the Hou Manor¡¯s backyard when there was a marquis and a wife. ¡°Alas, I should have allowed her to marry and set her free back then. It wouldn¡¯t have caused her to be miserable for the rest of her life.¡± Qiao Jinniang also felt that the old madam was at fault. However, at this moment, she could only console her, ¡°Grandmother also has grandmother¡¯s difficulties.¡± Old Madam Qiao coughed twice and said, ¡°Last year, when Ruoyi was seriously ill and unconscious, I said that if she could wake up, I would definitely personally request an imperial decree for the Hu clan. Cough Cough, empress, I know that I have let down your mother¡­ alas.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Qiao ruoyi is now an official of the imperial court. It is within the rules to request an imperial decree for her biological mother.¡± Old madam Qiao said, ¡°Actually, when she first entered the officialdom, she had wanted to request an imperial decree for Hu, but was suppressed by the Marquis. Although this matter is within the rules, if it were to be spread out, Xiao¡¯er would definitely be laughed at. ¡°Also, I¡¯m afraid that it would cause people to criticize the empress.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°That¡¯s not how it is said. Since we are a family, why should we care about what outsiders say? There are rules to follow if we are to get an imperial decree for our birth mother. As for mother, as long as she continues to be filial to her mother in the future, she will naturally not be criticized by others. There are a lot of rumors outside, wouldn¡¯t it be very tiring to have to worry about everything? ¡°I will speak to His Majesty about this matter and have his majesty bestow an imperial order on Aunt Hu.¡± Qiao Jinniang left Old Madam Qiao¡¯s courtyard and went into the hall. Today, the Qiao family was complete. Apart from Qiao Ruofeng and his wife who were in the south of the ridge, even Qiao Ruoyin and his wife, Qiao Ruoyun, had come to the Qiao family. They had originally come for the mid-autumn Festival, and also because the old madam was seriously ill, they had come to see the old madam for the last time. When they heard that Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s marriage was approaching, they planned to stay until the marriage and then leave Chang ¡®an. Qiao ruoyi was still pregnant and vomiting. With her weak appearance, it was obvious that she was pregnant. Qiao Jinniang invited Zheng Xiao to a side room. Although she had promised the old madam, she still had to inform Zheng Xiao about the imperial decree. When Zheng Xiao heard this.., he replied frankly, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of being laughed at. All these years, so many things have happened. The Hu family has always respected me, and Ruoyi is filial. This imperial decree position was earned by Ruoyi herself. If you don¡¯t mind, I naturally don¡¯t mind either. ¡°Just as your grandmother said, when the wall of the Qiao residence fell, everyone pushed it down. The Hu family stayed loyally in the Qiao family and gave up her wonderful marriage. They gave up on your muddle-headed and blind father. It¡¯s time to give her an imperial decree.¡± When Qiao Jinniang heard Zheng Xiao scolding an yuanhou, she did not say a word. After returning to the palace, Qiao Jinniang told Lu Chen about this matter. Lu Chen agreed, ¡°This can be considered as adding makeup to Qiao Ruoyi.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao jinniang said, ¡°How can you be so stingy with adding makeup? An imperial decree is not enough. As an elder sister, I can¡¯t be stingy. No matter what, I have to add makeup to a manor and add ten thousand taels of silver.¡± As soon as Qiao Jinniang said this, she heard Little Weiyang burst into tears. Qiao Jinniang hurriedly picked up her daughter and coaxed, ¡°What¡¯s Wrong?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Maybe she can¡¯t bear to part with this silver?¡± Qiao Jinniang glared at Lu Chen. ¡°She¡¯s only been a few months. How can she not bear to part with it?¡± Chapter 414 The palace announced that Aunt Hu would be conferred the title of second-class wife. Once the decree was issued, Chang ¡®an was in heated discussion. Some people said that the emperor was giving face to the Xie family. Since Xie Yun was going to marry a wife, she naturally had to give Qiao ruoyi some face. There were also many people who secretly laughed at Zheng Xiao. The wife of the Marquis¡¯Concubine was getting married, but she gave an order to her biological mother. wasn¡¯t this giving face to the Marquis¡¯wife? There were also some people who guessed that the Empress would definitely not be kind to Qiao Ruoyi in the future. However, all of this did not exist when the Qiao family was getting married. Qiao Jinniang¡¯s makeup was considered the most generous among the sisters. She even specially gave Qiao ruoyi the Shang Fang sword that was often mentioned in the book. The Shang Fang sword was originally the Emperor¡¯s Imperial Sword. However, according to the folklore, the Shang Fang sword was extremely sharp. The book often mentioned that the Shang Fang sword could be executed first and reported later. When Qiao Jinniang gave the sword to Qiao ruoyi, she also gave a verbal order that if Xie Yun dared to bully Qiao ruoyi, Qiao Ruoyi could execute the Shang Fang Sword First and report later. When Qiao Ruoyi got married, Zheng Xiao¡¯s eyes were red. He could not bear to part with Qiao ruoyi, and he could not bear to part with niching. Niching was brought to the Xie family a day in advance. Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s proposal of getting married at noon was rejected by Marquis an yuan. It was impossible for the Xie and Qiao mansions to keep a low profile when they got married. Therefore, the wedding day was still very lively. Qiao ruoyi was in the bridal sedan, looking at the people outside through the wedding fan. She thought of the time when she and Luo Wei got married. Luo Wei was married into the family. During the wedding, the child in her arms had grown older. During the worship ceremony, Luo Wei supported her everywhere, worried that something would happen to her. At that time, Qiao ruoyi and Luo Wei had not known each other for long. But on the wedding day, Luo Wei¡¯s every move made Qiao ruoyi very satisfied. Today¡¯s wedding ceremony was much livelier than the previous one, but Qiao Ruoyi was not happy at all. She touched her lower abdomen and sighed heavily. After the wedding ceremony, it was the nuptial chamber. Qiao Ruoyi was pregnant, so it was naturally impossible for her to have a nuptial chamber. Xie Yun was also outside entertaining the guests. Qiao Lui, Qian Yin, and the rest of the Qiao family naturally would not let Xie Yun off so easily. They toasted one after another. Even Xie Yun, who had a good tolerance for alcohol, could not stop them from drinking. In the end, she entered the nuptial chamber drunk. Xie Yun walked to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s side and laughed. ¡°From today onwards, Nichang will be able to call me Daddy.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Stay away from me. Don¡¯t Smoke Me.¡± Xie Yun reached out and gently caressed Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s face. ¡°If I had known earlier, I would have married you. Five years ago, I shouldn¡¯t have just said that I would let you be my concubine.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°The past is in the past. What¡¯s the use of regretting it?¡± Xie Yun laughed and said, ¡°Fortunately, you can still marry me, unlike little¡­¡± When Qiao Ruoyi heard Xie Yun¡¯s words, she felt that something was not right. The maids around her all retreated. When she saw that Xie Yun was drunk, she asked, ¡°Do you still have little Jin ¡®er in your heart?¡± Xie Yun was drunk after all. He leaned against the bed and said, ¡°At that time, both my parents died. In order to let me live, I had no choice but to pretend to be a woman. As a man, I became a woman. I was very angry. But at that time, there was no other way. I was too young and my family was weak. I had no choice but to endure. That was until I met Xiao Jin ¡®er who came to give me snacks. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks At that time, she was still very young, but she was the little shopkeeper of the Hundred Savory restaurant that everyone in Lin ¡®an city knew about. She was sweet-tongued and obedient, especially when the pastries of the hundred savory restaurant were extremely delicious. Her culinary skills were not inferior to those of the chefs that were passed down from aristocratic families. Later on, I gained more and more control over the Xie family. Xiao Jin ¡®er was also about to get married. At that time, I wanted to let her enter the Xie family, but let her enter the Xie family¡¯s flower.., will she be able to live well in the Xie family¡¯s Dragon Pond and Tiger¡¯s Den?¡± Xie Yun continued, ¡°And her identity as a merchant¡¯s daughter. If I wanted her to enter the Xie family, I could only let her be a concubine. Such a bright and generous woman, entering the back residence as a concubine was a grievance for her. I watched helplessly as she married a son-in-law. All I could do was help her live a better life. ¡°Later, when I found out that she was the daughter of the Qiao family and that her husband was the crown prince, I also regretted it. I regretted not marrying her back then. ¡°However, not long after his majesty ascended the throne, he said that she would be the only one in the six palaces in the future. I no longer regretted it because I would never give up the pride of the Xie family for Xiao Jin¡¯er. ¡°If she can obtain happiness, I will also be happy for her.¡± Xie Yun was a little thirsty. She stumbled to a corner and poured herself a glass of water. She took a sip and said, ¡°But I still put down the pride of being a member of the Xie family¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°So you regret it again. You Didn¡¯t marry your sister back then? You¡¯d better not have such thoughts as soon as possible. Now that His Majesty¡¯s sister is very loving, don¡¯t become a burden to them!¡± Xie Yun held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s waist and shackled her in his arms. He said in her ear, ¡°Today, I understand that His Majesty is willing to give up everything for Little Jin ¡®er because he only has little Jin ¡®er in his heart. ¡°And I was unwilling to give up my pride back then because I only liked the little sister next door. Just because I liked her, I couldn¡¯t give up the pride that I was born with. Today, I¡¯m willing to let go of my prejudice because¡­ I have you in my heart.¡± Qiao ruoyi pushed the drunk Xie Yun away. Her words made her want to vomit. What was the truth after drinking? It should be nonsense after drinking. He was willing to marry her because of Nichang and for the child in her belly. Only a fool would believe her words! The two of them had ten days of rest after their marriage. The Xie Yun clan was in Lin ¡®an, so Qiao Ruoyi did not have to pay her respects to the Xie family¡¯s ancestors the next day, nor did she have to pour tea and water for the elders. When Xie Yun woke up, he had a terrible headache. He did not know how much alcohol he had drunk yesterday. He did not know what he had said when he was drunk. He took the antidote that Lan Xin handed over and drank it in one gulp. Xie Yun asked, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Master, Madam went to the ancestral grave of the Qiao family early in the morning¡­¡± Xie Yun clenched his hands. Veins were popping out on his hands. ¡°Is she so reluctant to let him go?¡± She could really do something like going to the grave of her ex-husband on the second day of her marriage! When Qiao Ruoyi returned, she saw the dark-faced Xie Yun. She said, ¡°What did you say before you married me? The silver of the Xie family will be spent with me. Coincidentally, I have been interested in some of the jewelry in the jewelry pavilion for a long time¡­¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°It just so happens that I have nothing to do these few days. I¡¯ll accompany Madam to stroll around the jewelry pavilion.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Xie Yun pulled little nichang behind Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Can You Call Me Daddy Now?¡± Little Nichang raised her head and said, ¡°Daddy.¡± Xie Yun picked up little nichang. It was worth it for her to call her that. As for Qiao ruoyi, she married her for Nichang¡¯s sake. If she was willing to go to Luo Wei¡¯s grave, then so be it. Business at the Jewelry Pavilion in mid-september was only ordinary. However, there were many ladies who came over after having their meals at the Hundred Savory restaurant. Qiao ruoyi entered. As long as it was placed on the table, she waved her hand and said, ¡°Wrap it up and send it to the Xie family.¡± Chapter 415 The jewelry in the jewelry pavilion had always been expensive. Qiao ruoyi had to make Xie Yun bleed to vent her anger. If Xie Yun did not have this silver, he would have to sell off his ancestral property. He had to vent his anger. It was the first time the shopkeeper had seen such a large sum of money. ¡°Madam Xie, I¡¯m afraid this will cost 500,000 taels of silver. This¡­¡± In this way, the Xie family might not even be able to sell their ancestral residence for this amount of silver! Xie Yun said, ¡°Wrap it up. As for the silver, I will naturally settle it with your boss.¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°Oh, okay. I will wrap it up now.¡± Qiao ruoyi asked Xie Yun, ¡°Do you know the owner of the Jewelry Pavilion?¡± The owner of the jewelry pavilion was very mysterious in Chang ¡®an city. He made a lot of money every day. Many officials wanted to get to know him but were unable to. Not long ago, there was a young lady who came to cause trouble, but it was settled, the young lady who caused trouble was also investigated. Qiao ruoyi also wanted to get to know the owner of the jewelry store. If she could get the account book of the jewelry store, it would be obvious which official was corrupt. Xie Yun nodded. ¡°Do you still have places to visit?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Yes!¡± Since so many jewelry did not make Xie Yun frown, she went to the pawnshop that she had visited before and took all the treasures that she had valued for a long time. The manager of the pawnshop smiled and said, ¡°Madam, please wait a moment. I will wrap it up for you now. I have seen that you are fated with me in the past. In the future, I hope that you will remember that I have given you a few taels of silver in the past and give me some tips.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun who was beside her and Xie Yun said, ¡°This pawnshop is the property of the Xie family.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at the treasures that were wrapped up and felt that it was meaningless. ¡°Then who is the owner of the jewelry pavilion?¡± Without waiting for Xie Yun to reply, the Xie Manor¡¯s housekeeper hurriedly went forward and said, ¡°Master, Madam, the Empress has ordered Madam to quickly enter the palace.¡± Seeing that her sister was looking for her, Qiao Ruoyi did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly rushed into the palace. After entering the Changle Palace, Qiao Ruoyi saw the shopkeeper that she had seen in the jewelry pavilion not long ago. Qiao Jinniang helplessly said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°I remember that you don¡¯t like those jewelry. If you like them, you can say so earlier. But you can¡¯t buy out the jewelry pavilion all of a sudden!¡± Qiao Jinniang was not afraid that the jewelry in the jewelry pavilion could not be sold. She was afraid that the jewelry pavilion had no jewelry to sell. The jewelry in the jewelry pavilion was so expensive because of the good craftsmanship, some of the craftsmanship could only be done by dozens of people in a year. Qiao ruoyi had bought out all the expensive jewelry in the jewelry pavilion all at once. She did not know when the jewelry pavilion would be able to restock. There had been no jewelry for sale. When that time came, even if there were jewelry, not many people would enter the jewelry pavilion again. Qiao ruoyi asked tentatively, ¡°Sister, did you open the Jewelry Pavilion?¡± ¡°Yes,¡±Qiao Jinniang replied, ¡°Return all the jewelry you bought to the jewelry pavilion. If you like it, I¡¯ll ask the Shanggong Bureau to give you a few more sets of exquisite jewelry.¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head repeatedly and said, ¡°No need, sister. I just want to spend all of Xie Yun¡¯s silver¡­¡± ¡°Spend all of Xie Yun¡¯s silver?¡±Qiao Jinniang smiled lightly. ¡°You¡¯re really brave.¡± After Qiao Ruoyi left the palace, she saw Xie Yun waiting for her outside the palace and said, ¡°Do you know that the manager of the jewelry store is sister?¡± ¡°The jewelry store receives so much silver every day. Naturally, it has to cooperate with the money house. The properties under Her Majesty¡¯s name all have dealings with the Xie family money house,¡±Xie Yun said. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Three Days of peace. After Qiao Ruoyi returned to the Qiao residence, Fu Lu pulled her to his courtyard. ¡°You¡¯re really amazing. On the first day of your marriage, you made Xie Yun spend so much silver.¡± Qiao ruoyi sighed and said, ¡°No, the jewelry in the jewelry pavilion can¡¯t be bought out. He didn¡¯t spend any silver afterward.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Why can¡¯t it be bought out?¡± Qiao ruoyi sighed and said, ¡°Because the jewelry pavilion is my sister¡¯s property.¡± Fu Lu widened his eyes and said, ¡°The Empress¡¯s property? Well, she didn¡¯t tell me about it. I wonder if the silver i spent in the jewelry pavilion all these years can be returned?¡± Qiao ruoyi said to Fu Lu, ¡°Where else in Chang ¡®an can I spend money like water?¡± Fu Lu thought for a moment and said, ¡°If you want to spend money, the best place is the gambling den. Come, sister-in-law will take you to the gambling den to see the world.¡± Qiao Ruoyi:¡±¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi had always been well-behaved and had never set foot in the gambling den. This was the first time she had entered. Qiao ruoyi looked at the elegant layout inside, and it was not the gambling den that she had imagined. ¡°This is King Rong¡¯s new gambling house. The old gambling house has been used to open the Hundred Savory Restaurant. This gambling house has just opened and its business is very good. Let¡¯s go and play a few games.¡± When King Rong saw Fu Lu and Qiao ruoyi, he said to Fu Lu, ¡°You are now the wife of the heir of the Marquis Mansion. Why are you encouraging the imperial court officials to come to my gambling house?¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°It¡¯s not good to earn money for you. Let¡¯s play a game. Today, you will be the banker.¡± County Prince Rong replied, ¡°We welcome people who send money. Come, what do you want to Bet?¡± Fu Lu recalled that on the birthday of Qiao Jinniang, Qiao Ruoyi lost when she played dice and plates. Although she cheated, Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s luck might not be good. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s play dice and bet on the size.¡± Betting on the size was the simplest gambling game in the casino. Qiao Ruoyi placed five 100-tael notes on the size. ¡°I¡¯ll bet on the size.¡± Little County Prince Rong opened the Dice Cup. There were two 5s and a 4s inside. Naturally, it was a big one, ¡°Our Casino is not allowed to bet more than five coins. Before the casino opened, His Majesty had repeatedly reminded us that these 500-tael notes don¡¯t count. They don¡¯t count.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you cheating?¡± Young County Prince Rong said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you forget just now? It¡¯s fine if I win five hundred taels for you, but the next round must not exceed five coins. At most, it will be five coins. If His Majesty finds out, my gambling house will be closed again.¡± Qiao ruoyi sighed and looked at Fu Lu helplessly. Fu Lu said, ¡°I know there¡¯s another place. It¡¯s a real life of luxury. I just have to go at night. But at night, your brother won¡¯t allow me to go out with you alone.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Fu Lu turned his gaze to county prince Rong and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Qiao Lui Out? That way, when I return home before Qiao Lui returns, he will naturally not know that I¡¯ve sneaked out.¡± County Prince Rong frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let me get involved in this matter. I Can¡¯t beat your husband.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°If you don¡¯t help, I will tell His Majesty about the bet of 500 taels of silver just now. See if your gambling house can continue to operate!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid of you. But apart from Spring Breeze Street in Chang ¡®an, where else can you spend money like water?¡±County Prince Rong asked curiously. Fu Lu smiled lightly, ¡°That is to go to Spring Breeze Street!¡± Chapter 416 Everyone in Chang ¡®an knew the name of Spring Wind Street. Qiao ruoyi had known about Spring Wind Street since she was a child, but she had never set foot in Spring Wind Street. After entering the imperial court, her colleagues often went to spring wind street when they gathered at the government office. Qiao ruoyi only asked her subordinates to attend social events for her. However, Qiao Ruoyi had heard of the name of Spring Wind Street. There was a curfew in Chang ¡®an, but Spring Wind Street was an exception. It was brightly lit throughout the night. A river separated the inner city from Spring Breeze Street. The river was filled with pleasure boats, and the wide stone bridge was filled with men and women, all wearing silk. Qiao ruoyi could smell the smell of Rouge coming from the other side. She could not help but sigh. ¡°This place is really lively.¡± Fu Lu said, ¡°Now that the world is peaceful and prosperous, this place is naturally lively.¡± Qiao Ruoyi did not dare to take even half a step into Spring Wind Street since she was a child. If it was not for Princess Fu Lu beside her, she would have entered as well. After walking across the bridge, one could see many gorgeous courtyards. In front of them were beautiful women dressed in cool and lead powder who were welcoming guests. ¡°The two young ladies are here to look for their husbands in Spring Wind Street?¡± ¡°These two young ladies are so beautiful, yet their husbands are still here in Spring Wind Street? Are they here for Miss Miaoxue?¡± ¡°Today is Miss MIAOXUE¡¯s first time receiving customers. Everyone says that Miss Miaoxue is the best courtesan in Spring Breeze Street for ten years. I think the two ladies are even more beautiful than Miss Miaoxue¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and said, ¡°How dare you!¡± The girls of Spring Breeze Street dared to compare them with the girls of brothels. This was too much! Fu Lu held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I came to this courtesan auction once with Prince Rong when I was young. It was a real waste of money. I remember that the first time the courtesan was receiving customers was 10,000 taels of silver!¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°But I¡¯m not good at polishing the mirror. Why would I spend 10,000 taels of silver to buy that woman¡¯s Night?¡± As for giving the courtesan Belle to Xie Yun, it was absolutely impossible. Since she was married to Xie Yun, she absolutely would not allow other women and children in Xie Yun¡¯s residence. This had nothing to do with feelings. It was just that after the other daughters of the Qiao family got married, there was no husband taking in concubines. Her surname was Qiao, so she naturally could not break this rule. Fu Lu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Most of the famous courtesans in Spring Breeze Street are also proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. You can spar with her in literary talent. Most importantly, you can spend Xie Yun¡¯s Silver!¡± Qiao ruoyi vaguely felt that it made sense. Miss Mi Xue was a girl from the Peach Blossom House. The Peach Blossom House was a famous brothel in great Tang that only high-ranking officials and nobles could enter. When the Madam saw the two girls coming, she thought that they were here to look for her husband, she was afraid that they would ruin Miss Meng Xue¡¯s Big Day, so she asked someone to chase them out. It was still a tortoise-like official who said, ¡°Madam Madam, one of these two is the female assistant of the Ministry of appointments, Lord Qiao, and the other is Princess Fu Lu.¡± When the Madam heard this, she immediately went forward and smiled, ¡°Princess, this crown prince Qiao has never set foot in my peach blossom brothel. You Won¡¯t be able to catch him today!¡± Fu Lu snorted. ¡°My Ah Lu is a clean person, so he naturally won¡¯t come here. Today, we are here to be Miss Mi Xue¡¯s first benefactor. We will definitely not cause trouble. You can rest assured.¡± When the Madam heard this, she retreated. ¡°Yes.¡± When Miss Mi Xue came out, everyone below was full of praise. They all sighed at Miss Mi Xue¡¯s excellent appearance. Miss Mi Xue¡¯s dance was even more stunning. However, there was no light in Miss Mi Xue¡¯s eyes. This was because she knew that after today, she would be a prostitute in a brothel. When Qiao Ruoyi saw Miss Mi Xue dancing, her eyes were filled with a sigh. If Mi Xue¡¯s appearance, bearing, and dance were born in a wealthy family, she would be praised by all the madams. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Unfortunately, she ended up in a brothel. Qiao ruoyi suddenly had an idea. A way to spend all the money and save this woman from Spring Wind Street. ¡°Madam, name a price. I want to buy your peach blossom brothel.¡± Fu Lu heard Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s words and said, ¡°You¡¯re not joking, right?¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head and said, ¡°The women here are really pitiful. It just so happens that Xie Yun has money¡­¡± The madam said with difficulty, ¡°Lord Qiao, don¡¯t joke around. Peach Blossom Tower has a master behind it. I Can¡¯t make the decision here!¡± ¡°Who is your master?¡±Qiao ruoyi asked, ¡°I will definitely take over peach blossom tower today.¡± The madam said, ¡°I have never seen who the master behind it is. Lord Qiao, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me!¡± Qiao ruoyi replied, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. Miss MIANXUE¡¯s graceful dance on the stage is one of the best even in the academy. She shouldn¡¯t be reduced to the plaything of the people below the stage in the future.¡± Qiao ruoyi thought that if a woman had never studied before, it would be fine. But if she had studied, how could she be willing to be the plaything of a man for the rest of her life. The Madam was after all afraid of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s identity. Not to mention the madam, even those officials in the imperial court whose ranks were not as high as Qiao Ruoyi turned their heads and did not dare to enter when they saw her here. .. Xie Yun knew that Qiao Ruoyi had followed Fu Lu out and had not seen Qiao ruoyi return to the manor. He then looked for Lan Xin and asked, ¡°Has she not returned yet?¡± Lan Xin replied, ¡°The secret guards have come to report that the princess has brought Madam to Spring Breeze Street. I don¡¯t think she will be back so soon.¡± Xie Yun frowned. ¡°She is still pregnant. Why would she go to a place like Spring Breeze Street?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the servant beside Xie Yun hurried over and said, ¡°Master, there is news from Peach Blossom House. It says that Lord Qiao wants to buy Peach Blossom House.¡± ¡°Lord Qiao?¡±Xie Yun asked, ¡°Which Lord Qiao?¡± ¡°That¡¯s madam¡­¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Then let her buy it!¡± Qiao ruoyi drank about an hour¡¯s worth of tea, the madam came over and said, ¡°Lord Qiao, my boss has already said that this peach blossom house will be sold to you. However, our peach blossom house usually receives close to a thousand taels of silver¡­ how much do you plan to offer to buy the Peach Blossom House?¡± Princess Fu Lu said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. How Can Your Peach Blossom House earn a thousand taels of silver a day?¡± The madam said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t lie to you. Our Peach Blossom House has the best business on Spring Breeze Street. Even the poet scholar Mingyue from Chang ¡®an wrote that where there are beautiful sights in Chang ¡®an, there are ten miles of Spring Breeze Peach Blossom House.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao ruoyi took a sip of tea lightly and said, ¡°In that case, how much do you want to offer?¡± The madam didn¡¯t dare to offend Qiao ruoyi, so she followed the owner¡¯s price and said, ¡°200,000 taels of silver.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°That¡¯s not appropriate. Since scholar Mingyue is writing poems for the Peach Blossom Restaurant, 200,000 taels of silver is not enough. I¡¯ll offer another 200,000 taels of silver, a total of 400,000 taels of silver, as a favor to scholar Mingyue.¡± Fu Lu:¡±¡­¡± Fortunately, Qiao Ruoyi was no longer the daughter of the Qiao family. Her bargaining skills were really top-notch. Chapter 417 After Qiao Ruoyi returned to the Xie residence, she first went to Nichang¡¯s room. Little Nichang had returned to the Qiao residence today to play with Nihon for a day and had rested early. Qiao ruoyi closed the door and returned to her room. After entering the room, Xie Yun was holding a chess piece and was about to place it on the chessboard. ¡°You¡¯re back? Is it proper for a dignified assistant minister of the Ministry of Appointments to go to Spring Breeze Street?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°It¡¯s a place frequented by officials, so why can¡¯t I go? Tomorrow, get the accounting office to prepare 400,000 taels of silver. I¡¯ll buy the Peach Blossom House.¡± After Qiao Ruoyi finished speaking calmly, she sized up Xie Yun, but she didn¡¯t see a trace of annoyance on his face, ¡°You said before your marriage that your silver would be used by me. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re angry that I used a mere 400,000 taels of silver?¡± Xie Yun shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± ¡°Oh,¡±Qiao ruoyi said calmly, ¡°I wonder if you can gather all the silver tomorrow?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to gather all the silver. The Peach Blossom House is the Xie family¡¯s property. You Don¡¯t have to pass such a large amount of silver to the government. You also have to pay a large amount of taxes. I¡¯ll just give it to you directly.¡± Qiao ruoyi said in shock, ¡°The Peach Blossom House is also the Xie family¡¯s property? How much property does your Xie family have?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Not your Xie family, but our family. Since you are the mistress of the Xie family, come with me. I¡¯ll show you how much property the Xie family has¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi followed Xie Yun into his study and saw piles of ledgers. They were all arranged according to the state capital. Among them, there were more ledgers in Chang ¡®an, Luoyang, and Linan, Yangzhou, and Huizhou than in other places. Especially in Chang ¡®an, all the money-making shops and books were here, which meant that these were actually the Xie family¡¯s properties. Qiao ruoyi asked Xie Yun, ¡°Then how much money does the Xie family have?¡± Xie Yun slowly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t count it carefully. The Xie family still has the money house. As long as the money house doesn¡¯t collapse, no matter how much money you spend, you won¡¯t be able to spend it all. His Majesty¡¯s private money is all in the Xie family¡¯s money house. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t watch the Xie family¡¯s money house collapse¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi closed the account book and said, ¡°You know this, but you¡¯ve been looking at me as a joke for the past three days.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you as a joke, but if I don¡¯t let you try, how can you be willing? You¡¯re pregnant, so you¡¯d better rest early.¡± Qiao Ruoyi returned to her room. After taking a shower, the smell of Rouge had faded from her body. As she lay on the bed, she couldn¡¯t help but think that she was indeed silly and laughable. Xie Yun was rich enough to rival a country, yet she actually thought of using up Xie Yun¡¯s money.. The next day, Qiao Ruoyi did not bother to think of ways to spend money. However, wanting the peach blossom house was not a whim of hers. She was thinking of changing the peach blossom house into a place similar to a church. The women inside did not need to sell their bodies to live, but they could also live a carefree life. Five days later, Qiao Ruoyi and Xie Yun returned to the imperial court. When the people from the Ministry of appointments found out that Qiao Ruoyi was pregnant, they did not allow her to work. This made Qiao Ruoyi feel extremely uncomfortable. When Qiao Ruoyi returned to the Xie residence, she began to think hard about the memorials. There was a difference between men and women. A woman was pregnant for ten months. Even the servants in the residence, as long as she was pregnant, the master would not let her work anymore. Some women were like this. However, if she rested for ten months, her original position would not be able to accommodate herself? Qiao ruoyi thought about it again and again, and then submitted a regulation on when a woman was pregnant. This regulation could be considered as a complement to the inconvenience for female officials, and it could also allow the people to hire female workers to follow suit. For a time, assistant minister Qiao¡¯s name spread far and wide. During the imperial examinations next year, among the names reported by the various prefectures, one-tenth of them were women. Compared to before, this was already considered a lot. In November, a cold wind blew, and the night became extremely cold. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks This year, Chang ¡®an was colder than the previous years. Charcoal and firewood were both extremely expensive. Qiao ruoyi also began to take leave to focus on her pregnancy. She heard Yan Yu and Lan Xin often talk about how people on the streets outside had frozen to death. People who had frozen to death under the emperor¡¯s feet could be ridiculed by many scholars. The prefectural magistrate of Chang ¡®an was so scared that he wanted to take out his own house and let the people on the streets sleep. Chang ¡®an had a sickroom. People of all ages could go to the sickroom. They would not be frozen to death there. However, there were some hawkers who wanted to earn more money in the morning and seize good stalls. At night, they would secretly sleep in small alleys. The officials would not look in those small alleys when they patrolled. Once the matter of freezing people to death came out, the emperor was furious. Xie Yun suggested that the Ministry of revenue should interfere with the price of charcoal and matches. He also suggested that the hawkers on the streets should also be treated separately, so that the hawkers would not secretly sleep on the streets at night in order to seize territory. Xie Yun¡¯s two suggestions were highly appreciated by the emperor. Xie Yun was also transferred from the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites to the Ministry of Revenue as an assistant minister. They were both assistant ministers, however, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue had more real power than Xie Yun¡¯s assistant minister who specialized in dealing with foreign businessmen. The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites had no right to earn money, but the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue had real power. More importantly, the Minister of Revenue would retire after the New Year. The position of assistant minister was only temporary. Since Xie Yun had a suggestion, these matters were placed on Xie Yun¡¯s head. Xie Yun had been so busy these days that she was nowhere to be seen. However, when it was time to give her medicine every half a month, the bowl of blood would always come. In the blink of an eye, it was December. The atmosphere of the new year in Chang ¡®an became lively. Xie Yun was no longer busy. He said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°There are more than 20 days of rest after the new year. You can go back to Lin ¡®an and bring nichang to pay respects to the ancestors.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°I won¡¯t leave Chang ¡®an during the New Year.¡± Xie Yun looked at her in confusion. ¡°After you and I get married, we have to go back to the Xie family¡¯s old residence. The wedding was rushed, and we didn¡¯t pay respects to the ancestors.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°You can go back by yourself.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ll talk about it next year. After all, you¡¯re still pregnant. It¡¯s not appropriate to go back and forth this time.¡± Before the New Year, the Minister of Revenue had written a letter to retire and return to his hometown. Naturally, Xie Yun became the Minister of Revenue. Many people came to visit during the New Year Festival. On the 22nd of December, the day before New Year¡¯s Eve, many officials in Chang ¡®an brought their families to the Xie residence to congratulate them. However, no one greeted their families. Xie Yun asked Lan Xin, ¡°Where is she?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Ever since they got married, Xie Yun had asked Lan Xin the most. It was probably about where she was. Every Time Qiao Ruoyi went out, she would not tell him. Lan Xin said softly, ¡°Madam, Madam went to the ancestral grave of the Qiao family early in the morning.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Xie Yun pursed his lips. It had only been three months since they got married, and Qiao Ruoyi had already gone to the front of Luo Wei¡¯s grave three times. Could she really not let Luo Wei Go? Was she still going to Lowe¡¯s grave on his good day? Chapter 418 Aunt Hu¡¯s grave was located at the corner of the Qiao family¡¯s ancestral grave. The tombstone had been changed to the grave of a second grade madam. It was time to change the tombstone. However, after the Emperor¡¯s decree, the Ministry of Rites still had to follow the rules and change the tombstone for the second grade madam. They also had to give her a set of objects to be buried with. Today was the day Aunt Hu opened the tomb and put objects that matched her rank into the tomb. Qiao Ruoyi didn¡¯t tell anyone else about this. Aunt Hu was a servant after all. She knew that if she told them, her parents, brother, and sister-in-law would definitely come. However, it was enough for them to order for Aunt Hu. Aunt Hu was the most fastidious about rules when she was alive. She definitely wouldn¡¯t let them come. As for not telling Xie Yun about it, it was also because today was a good day for Xie Yun to be promoted. After all, it was a funeral. Also, Xie Yun probably looked down on aunt Hu from the bottom of her heart. When Qiao Ruoyi saw the tomb open, tears rolled down her face. ¡°Aunt, from now on, you will be a second-grade Gao Ming¡¯s wife. You will never be bullied by the Qian family again.¡± Yan Yu helped Qiao ruoyi up and said, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be so sad. If aunt were in heaven, she would be very happy to know that her daughter is so promising. You are still pregnant. It is not appropriate for you to be so sad.¡± Qiao ruoyi wiped her tears with a handkerchief and went back to the Xie family. Once she returned to the house, she lit the brazier and took off her coat. As soon as she took off her cloak, Xie Yun held one of her wrists tightly, ¡°Qiao ruoyi, you¡¯re really capable. Today, when your husband was promoted, you were still thinking about your ex-husband. Go to his grave. What do you think I am?¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and pushed Xie Yun. ¡°Let go.¡± Xie Yun did not let go. Instead, he carried Qiao ruoyi horizontally and placed her on the bed, ¡°Today, I will let you know who is your husband. You have humiliated me time and time again. You are not willing to return to Lin ¡®an with me. Are you thinking of spending the new year with Luo Wei in Chang ¡®an?¡± Qiao ruoyi saw that Xie Yun was so angry. She covered her lower abdomen and said, ¡°It hurts.¡± Xie Yun¡¯s eyes were actually filled with anger. He held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s chin with one hand and said, ¡°Do you still have children in your eyes? You carry children and go to the cemetery time and time again. Have you ever thought about children?¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned and said, ¡°The Qiao family¡¯s ancestral graves are all buried by my ancestors. They will naturally protect the Qiao family¡¯s descendants. How could they harm the child in my belly?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°You do have an excuse. I won¡¯t allow you to go to Luo Wei¡¯s grave in the future.¡± ¡°On what basis?¡±Qiao ruoyi frowned and said. ¡°On the basis that I am your husband now. If I have an ex-wife, I will never forget her every day. Would you accept it?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I accept it? Before the wedding, when you promised to get a tattoo on your side, you should know that I only have Luo Wei in my heart. Marrying You is your scheme against me. If you can¡¯t stand it, you can divorce me!¡± Xie Yun suppressed his anger and fiercely bit Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s lips. Qiao ruoyi pushed Xie Yun and said, ¡°Let go of me, Yan Yu, Yan Yu!¡± Yan Yu rushed in and saw Xie Yun kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°Son-in-law, the young lady still has your flesh and blood in her arms. Moreover, she will enter the palace for New Year¡¯s Eve in a few days. If the Empress Knows¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use the empress to pressure me!¡±Xie Yun said, ¡°Get out.¡± Yan Yu didn¡¯t go out, but bravely said, ¡°Son-in-law, the young lady set up a new tombstone for Aunt Hu today. She is already sad and has been suffering on the road just now. If you treat her like this, I¡¯m afraid that the child in her belly¡­¡± Xie Yun calmed down and asked Qiao ruoyi, whose eyes were filled with tears, ¡°Today, you¡¯re not going to see Luo Wei, but to re-erect the tombstone for your aunt?¡± Qiao ruoyi ignored Xie Yun and said to Yan Yu, ¡°Pack your things and go back to the Qiao Family!¡± Xie Yun held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I was wrong. I thought you were going to see Luo Wei¡­¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ruoyi. I heard that old Madam Qiao¡¯s health isn¡¯t very good. If you go back to the Qiao family now, it would be a waste for old madam Qiao to worry about you. What do you want me to do? Just say it.¡± Qiao ruoyi¡¯s eyes were blurry as she looked at Xie Yun and said, ¡°I just want you to understand that you forced me to marry you. You only called you father because of Nichang. Whether I have Luo Wei in my heart or not, whether I see or not in the future has nothing to do with you. If you can¡¯t stand it, you can divorce me now.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Forget it. This time, I was wrong. You built a monument for your aunt, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Today, your decree for promotion came down. If I tell you, will you go?¡± Qiao Ruoyi did not say that Xie Yun looked down on Aunt Hu, so that he would not belittle aunt Hu. She thought that aunt Hu probably did not want to see Xie Yun. For a man like Xie Yun to meet him, it really made her have eight lifetimes of bad luck. When Xie Yun heard this, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. She remembered herself in her heart, and even prevented him from going to her aunt¡¯s grave to avoid a collision for the good news of his promotion. As for Luo Wei, he was just a dead man. Time would wash away everything. He and Qiao Ruoyi still had a long life. When they grew old together, how would she remember who Luo Wei was? When Xie Yun realized that he had his own thoughts, he looked at Qiao ruoyi again. He had to admit that he cared more and more about Qiao ruoyi. Knowing that she had gone to the Qiao family¡¯s ancestral grave, he could not suppress his violent emotions no matter what. Xie Yun could no longer lie to himself. He did not know when Qiao Ruoyi had appeared in his heart. Otherwise, if it was for Nichang, he could have found another way to make Nichang call him father. He did not need to marry her. .. After the New Year, a group of guests came to the Xie family residence. Qiao Ruoyi was basking in the sun in the courtyard. When she heard Lan Xin¡¯s report that her uncle was here, she did not react in time. ¡°What uncle?¡± Yan Yu carefully observed Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s expression and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s those Hu family members.¡± Otherwise, if it was for Nichang¡¯s sake, he could have found another way to make Nichang call him daddy instead of taking her as his wife. .. After the New Year, a group of guests came to the Xie family residence. Qiao Ruoyi was basking in the sun in the courtyard. When she heard Lan Xin¡¯s report that her uncle was here, she did not react in time. ¡°What uncle?¡± Yan Yu carefully observed Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s expression and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s those Hu family members.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Otherwise, if it was for Nichang¡¯s sake, he could have found another way to make Nichang call him daddy instead of taking her as his wife. .. After the New Year, a group of guests came to the Xie residence. Qiao Ruoyi was basking in the sun in the courtyard. When she heard Lan Xin¡¯s report that her uncle was here, she did not react in time. ¡°What uncle?¡± Yan Yu carefully observed Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s expression and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s the Hu family.¡± Chapter 419 Xie Yun looked at the man in front of him who was full of servile looks, and his heart was filled with disgust. However, on account that he was Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s biological uncle, Xie Yun suppressed the disgust in his heart and said, ¡°So you are from the Hu family. Someone, go and ask Madam to come over.¡± When Qiao Ruoyi arrived at the front hall, she saw the Hu brothers and their family members whom she had not seen for a long time. When Hu da¡¯s wife saw Qiao ruoyi, she stepped forward and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a few years. Ruoyi, you miss your aunt so much. Your grandmother always misses you. She always says that one day she will return to Chang ¡®an to visit you.¡± ¡°Who is my grandmother and who is my aunt?¡±Qiao ruoyi flung her sleeves and said, ¡°My mother¡¯s family name is Zheng!¡± When Hu da¡¯s wife heard Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s words, she choked and said, ¡°The Zheng family is in exile. To think that you still acknowledge them as your relatives. Our Hu family is the one that is related to you by blood¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi said coldly, ¡°The rules are like this. My uncle¡¯s surname is only Hu. What kind of relatives are you? It¡¯s fine that you came today, but if you come again in the future, I will directly ask the guards to send you away.¡± Elder Hu¡¯s youngest daughter stood up and said, ¡°Cousin, I have often heard of your great name in the countryside. Everyone in the Hu family is honored. I didn¡¯t expect that you would despise the poor and love the rich so much. Now that you have become an official of the imperial court, you don¡¯t even care about your mother¡¯s family anymore?¡± Qiao ruoyi slammed the table and said, ¡°Men, chase them out. Don¡¯t let them come near the Xie family in the future.¡± After the Hu family¡¯s relatives were chased out. Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun and said, ¡°I know that you look down on me from the bottom of your heart. But now that I¡¯ve married into your Xie family, if you let those Hu family members enter as relatives again, it won¡¯t be because of my face, but because of your Xie family¡¯s face.¡± Xie Yun frowned and said, ¡°How is it that they look down on you? After all, they are connected to your bloodline. If I saw them and chased them away, I wouldn¡¯t have given you face. Who knew that you would treat the Hu family like this?¡± After all, since Qiao Ruoyi dared to take the risk of claiming the Hu family¡¯s life, Xie Yun also thought that her relationship with the Hu family was okay. Qiao ruoyi¡¯s abdomen was already high. She stroked her abdomen and said, ¡°Those Hu family members are not my relatives. In the future, you don¡¯t have to give them face.¡± Hu Da and Hu er had taken advantage of Aunt Hu¡¯s presence to get rid of their slave status early on. The Qiao family had some estates in the southwest that were under the control of Hu Da and Hu Er. Hu Da and Hu er should have earned a lot of silver over the years. However, when Aunt Hu was around, the Marquis found out that they were squeezing money from the estate. Hu Da and Hu er came to look for Aunt Hu. At that time, Aunt Hu sold a lot of treasures from the estate to the brothers for silver and asked them to return it to the estate. At that time, Qiao Ruoyi had some fame in Chang ¡®an city and it was also when she was proud of herself. However, the wife of the Hu family led a large group of children to the poetry meet. She begged Qiao Ruoyi to give her brothers and sisters some silver so that they could eat. At that time, Qiao Ruoyi was ridiculed. However, at that time, Qiao ruoyi gritted her teeth for aunt Hu¡¯s sake and pawned all the books and paintings that she had bought previously. She also gave the jewelry, rouge, powder, silk, and satin that had just been distributed from the manor to her new cousins. Qiao ruoyi was not close to the sisters in the manor. Her cousins in the second house were similar in age to her, but in the end, they were separated by a room. After having cousins, Qiao Ruoyi was very happy. She even brought her cousins to the poetry meet in Chang ¡®an. Unexpectedly, just three months later, the Crown Prince of the Duke of Zhongyong¡¯s mansion said that he wanted to take his cousin as a concubine. It turned out that during these three months, his cousin said that she was going to the poetry meet, but in fact, she was going to the poetry meet to find a prince¡¯s grandson to entrust her with the rest of her life. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao ruoyi also learned that she had given her aunt the Rouge powder for her life. The jewelry, Lingluo, had not been sold. Instead, she had given her cousins to dress up and go to many places where princes and princes gathered. Back then, Qiao Lui was only fourteen years old. When he returned to the manor, the Hu family¡¯s cousin had been calling him young master sweetly. After grandmother found out, she harshly blamed the Hu family. At that time, grandmother even went to Qiao Ruoyi and told her not to associate with the Hu family in the future. Qiao Ruoyi was still young at that time. Perhaps it was because of her inferiority as a daughter-in-law, but she thought that grandmother looked down on the Hu family because they were servants of the Qiao family. Later, she gradually learned that the Hu family had done many wrong things by relying on Aunt Hu and her. Her cousin entered the courtyard of the heir-son lord of the Marquis of Zhongyong and, relying on the fact that her aunt was marquis an Yuan¡¯s concubine, caused chaos in the back courtyard of the heir-son lord, in the end, she was driven out of the front gate of the Marquis of Zhongyong¡¯s estate because she harmed the heir-son lord of the Marquis of Zhongyong¡¯s estate. At that time, Qiao ruoyi only knew that the so-called relatives were a joke. Since then, she had never treated the Hu family as her own relatives. In the end, Aunt Hu went to ask the old madam to let the Hu brothers have more than 200 acres of land in the suburbs of Chang ¡®an, so that they could live in the countryside. Aunt Hu would send some silver to them every new year and festival. After Aunt Hu went, Qiao Ruoyi no longer paid any attention to these so-called ¡°Relatives¡±. If the Hu family gave them a good look, they would definitely come up for blood! After all, she was not related to the Hu family. Her legitimate uncle was surnamed Zheng. As long as she did not let the Hu family come to her house, it was not a big deal. .. It was not so easy to get rid of the Hu family members. The few of them were scheming in an inn. Hu er sighed and said, ¡°Qiao Ruoyi is really cold-blooded. She has already made up her mind to not acknowledge us. We have no way to get any benefits from her!¡± Hu er¡¯s wife said, ¡°Qiao Ruoyi doesn¡¯t care about her reputation. I don¡¯t believe that the Xie family doesn¡¯t care. When Luo Wei was still around, he gave us a hundred taels of silver every year. This xie residence is so wealthy. It should be at least five hundred taels of silver.¡± ¡°But Qiao Ruoyi is still an official. and Xie Yun isn¡¯t as easy to fool as Luo Wei.¡± Hu er¡¯s wife added, ¡°Brother, sister-in-law, let¡¯s not take these silver taels.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want your daughter to marry better? Qiao ruoyi has a child now, and there are no concubines in the Xie Yun residence. If the CAIQIN and Caixiao sisters were to enter the Xie family, they would be infinitely rich!¡± Hu Er¡¯s wife was moved when she heard this. They were all children of the Qiao family in the beginning, but now, although they were no longer slaves, they were still very poor, causing their children to suffer. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao ruoyi, on the other hand, was different. She had lived a luxurious life since she was young. If her children were to marry an ordinary man, it would be better for them to enter the Xie family and become concubines. Hu caiqin said, ¡°Father, mother, second uncle, second aunt, back then, cousin doted on me the most. Why Don¡¯t you let me try it in front of her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Hu Caiqin thought of Xie Yun, whom she had met in front of the Xie family¡¯s main gate. The young minister had a dignified appearance, but his face was still shining even though he was almost thirty years old. He was the best-looking man Hu Caiqin had ever seen. If she could be his concubine, her life would be worth it. Chapter 420 Qiao Ruoyi was pregnant and rarely went out. However, there was a banquet at the palace during the Lantern Festival, so she had to go. When they entered the palace in the Xie residence¡¯s carriage, Little Nichang was wearing a newly made red traditional dress. She was wearing a white fox cloak with two small buns tied with red fur balls on her head. She was extremely cute. Xie Yun saw that little nichang was wearing such a festive dress and asked, ¡°Why are you wearing such a festive dress today?¡± Little Nichang stood up from the carriage and walked around in circles. ¡°This is a gift from my aunt.¡± Qiao ruoyi touched Little Nichang¡¯s bun and said, ¡°Sister felt that Nichang was dressed too simply in the past. Today is the Shangyuan Festival, so she specially made festive clothes for her, Nichang, and the princess of King Qi¡¯s Chu Manor.¡± Nichang spun her embroidered golden plum dress around and around, unable to stop. Children always liked bright colors. However, in the past, Qiao Ruoyi liked plain clothes. When she arrived at the Xie family, she had the elegant style of an aristocratic family. All the bright colors were gone. Nichang really liked this dress. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t drop it.¡±Qiao ruoyi smiled when she saw the smugly nichang. The carriage was not fast, but Qiao Ruoyi was still worried. Xie Yun grabbed Little Nichang¡¯s hand. As soon as he grabbed her, the carriage came to a sudden stop. Even though it was not fast, little nichang still fell. Fortunately, Xie Yun pulled her back just now, and Little Nichang only fell on Xie Yun¡¯s body. Qiao ruoyi lifted the curtain and asked outside, ¡°Did something happen?¡± The coachman said, ¡°A woman in shabby clothes suddenly came out just now. That¡¯s why I stopped the horse.¡± Qiao Ruoyi got off the carriage. They were on the street after all. If the horse hit someone, it would be their fault. She walked up and saw that the person lying on the ground was Hu Caiqin? ¡°Caiqin? Why are you here?¡± Hu Caiqin saw Qiao ruoyi and quickly said, ¡°Cousin, please save me. We came to Chang ¡®an this time because we offended the local ruffian in the suburbs. I didn¡¯t expect that the local ruffian would chase us all the way to Chang ¡®an¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyi asked Yan Yu to pull Hu Caiqin up from the ground and said, ¡°Local ruffian?¡± Hu caiqin cried and said, ¡°That local ruffian took a fancy to my looks and insisted on marrying me. At that time, my parents didn¡¯t know the local ruffian¡¯s character and believed in the matchmaker. They accepted me. But later, I learned about his character and he wouldn¡¯t allow me to break off the engagement. ¡°Please save me, cousin. As long as you take me in for a few days and let that ruffian know that my cousin is you, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t come and humiliate me again in the future.¡± Qiao ruoyi had been in the officialdom for several years. If she couldn¡¯t even hear Hu Caiqin¡¯s lies, she wouldn¡¯t be able to reach this position. Qiao ruoyi thought about it. The Hu family was a problem after all. Rather than chasing them away and letting them suddenly appear out of nowhere, it was better to see what Hu Caiqin wanted to do. She might as well get rid of the Hu family in one fell swoop. ¡°Then you go back to the Xie residence and wait for me,¡±Qiao Ruoyi said. Hu caiqin secretly heaved a sigh of relief. When the Hu family came to Chang ¡®an, she was only nine years old. She was two years younger than Qiao ruoyi, so she did not do anything excessive at that time. She thought that even if Qiao Ruoyi blamed the Hu family, she would not blame her. Since Qiao Ruoyi had allowed her to enter the Xie family, Hu Caiqin¡¯s mind had cleared up. After entering the Xie family, why would she worry about not being able to stay in the Xie family for the rest of her life? .. The Lantern Festival dinner had always ended early. Qiao Nichang followed the second Prince and Crown Prince of Nihon to play with the children. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Xie Yun then said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°You have to go to the main street to take a look. I heard that there are many types of ice lanterns this year. They are not comparable to the ice lanterns in previous years.¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± The Shangyuan Festival had always been a festival with lovers, and most of the streets were filled with couples. Qiao ruoyi still remembered the first Shangyuan festival after marrying Luo Wei. Luo Wei had not studied since he was young, and he only knew a few words. He did not know any of the lantern riddles. Luo Wei was afraid that Qiao ruoyi would laugh at him. On the night before the Shangyuan Festival, he had read many lantern riddles and memorized the answers to the lantern riddles. By the second day, he had forgotten all of them. Now, Qiao Ruoyi still remembered how embarrassed and ashamed Luo Wei looked in front of the lanterns.. Qiao ruoyi had thought that if she had a langjun, the Shangyuan festival would be after dusk. They would win all the lanterns by guessing riddles from outside the palace. However, she preferred that Luo Wei brought her to make lanterns, to cut ice on the river, and to carve ice lanterns. She didn¡¯t have to rack her brains to solve riddles. She watched Luo Wei make her a unique lantern. Unfortunately, the ice lantern was short-lived and melted after a night. Xie Yun looked into the carriage and at Qiao Ruoyi who was smiling faintly at the scene on the street. She asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Qiao ruoyi replied, ¡°Nothing much. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Luo Wei was no longer alive. All the good things had become memories. After returning to the manor, Qiao Ruoyi asked the servant girl in the manor about what Hu Caiqin had done in the Xie Manor. After learning that she had stayed in a remote courtyard, she had never left the courtyard. Yan Yu poured a cup of hot tea for Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Madam, why did you stop making Ice Lanterns this year?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°The person who made the ice lanterns with me is no longer here. It¡¯s better not to do it.¡± .. After the lantern festival, she had to get busy with the spring examinations. It was already late at night when Xie Yun finished her work every day, so she did not go to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s room. Hu Caiqin, who had stayed in the Xie residence for a few days, also knew that her chance had finally come. The Sky had just turned dark when she said, ¡°Eh, where are my earrings? Why are they missing?¡± Hu Caiqin searched for the earrings all the way and found Xie Yun¡¯s courtyard. Before she could enter, she was stopped by the guards at the courtyard entrance. ¡°Where did the servant girl come from? Master¡¯s study is not allowed to go near!¡± Hu caiqin said, ¡°Little brother, I don¡¯t know where my earring fell to. I saw a wild cat running into this place just now. I don¡¯t know if the earring was carried in by the Wild Cat? ¡°Little brother, please do me a favor and let me go in to take a look, okay? ¡°After all, this is a daughter¡¯s item¡­¡± Just as Hu Caiqin finished her sentence, Lan Xin laughed behind her back, ¡°Stray Cat? Master can¡¯t even enter a Sparrow¡¯s study. Where did the stray cat come from? You look very unfamiliar. You¡¯re not even wearing the clothes of the Xie family¡¯s servant girl. Who Are You?¡± Hu Caiqin turned around and saw Xie Yun. Under the candlelight, Xie Yun¡¯s appearance was even more breathtaking. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Hu Caiqin¡¯s voice softened as she bowed, ¡°Caiqin greets brother-in-law.¡± ¡°Brother-in-law?¡±Lan Xin said, ¡°When did the Qiao family have another daughter? No, with your appearance, you¡¯re probably not the Qiao family¡¯s daughter!¡± The Qiao family¡¯s daughters were all extremely good-looking. Even Qiao Ruoyun, who was not their biological daughter, was much better looking than this one. Hu Caiqin gently twirled a strand of hair in front of her and said, ¡°My surname is Hu. Qiao Ruoyi is my cousin. These few days, my cousin has allowed me to temporarily stay in the Xie residence¡­¡± As she spoke, Hu Caiqin raised her head and looked at Xie Yun. She then lowered her eyes shyly. Chapter 421 Xie Yun didn¡¯t even give Hu Caiqin a glance. She just said one sentence and was about to leave, ¡°Since your cousin asked you to stay, then you should stay in your courtyard.¡± Hu caiqin said, ¡°Brother-in-law, actually, I have another thing to tell you. Previously, when Luo Wei was around, he gave the Hu family a hundred taels of silver every year during the New Year. But this year¡­¡± When Xie Yun heard the name Luo Wei, he stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Hu Caiqin. ¡°Luo Wei gives you a hundred taels of silver every year?¡± Hu Caiqin nodded. ¡°Brother-in-law is a good person. Cousin has some misunderstandings because of what happened back then. Brother-in-law is much more reasonable¡­¡± Xie Yun sneered. He did not want to comment on the good and bad of the deceased. However, at this moment, he only wanted to scold Luo Wei for being stupid. Giving the Hu family a hundred taels of silver every year was not a lot for the Qiao family. But to the Hu family, it was already a huge sum of money. Every year, a hundred taels of silver was easily obtained, so how could they not be greedy? No wonder, as soon as Qiao Ruoyi got married, they immediately came after her. Hu Caiqin waited for Xie Yun to also say that he would give them a sum of silver, but Xie Yun did not show any expression at all. He only left Hu Caiqin with a back view. .. Qiao Ruoyi was about to rest when Yan Yu came forward and said, ¡°Madam, that Hu Caiqin finally moved today. Earlier, she made an earring and lost it. She found the outside of the son-in-law¡¯s study and even met the son-in-law who had just returned to the manor¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi thought for a while and said, ¡°The Hu family really can¡¯t change their ways. Did she do anything shameful?¡± Yan Yu said, ¡°Not really. But she told the son-in-law that when the general was around, he would give the Hu family a hundred taels of silver every year, as if to ask for silver from the son-in-law¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned. ¡°Did Luo Wei give them silver in the past?¡± No wonder they had not made a fuss over the past few years, but they had come to Chang ¡®an this year. Yan Yu said, ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao ruoyi sighed. Luo Wei was the most polite, so she would not blame him. She just asked, ¡°What about Xie Yun?¡± ¡°Her son-in-law did not say anything, nor did he ask the accountant to give the Hu family silver.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Keep an eye on him. If the Hu family can¡¯t get the silver, they will definitely have a backup plan.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± .. Hu Caiqin didn¡¯t see Xie Yun for several days. Her family urged her to get the silver. Hu Caiqin went to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s room in a hurry. Seeing the luxury in Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s room, Hu Caiqin was full of envy. It was freezing outside, but Qiao Ruoyi was already wearing spring clothes in the room. ¡°Cousin.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Hu Caiqin and asked, ¡°Is that ruffian still in Chang ¡®an?¡± Hu caiqin said, ¡°I heard from father and mother that he is still there. Cousin, I have seen a woman beside brother-in-law these days. That woman¡¯s age is about the same as brother-in-law¡¯s age, and she is very close to brother-in-law. is that brother-in-law¡¯s concubine?¡± Qiao ruoyi knew that she was talking about Lanxin, so she said, ¡°That is not a concubine, but the eldest servant girl who grew up with Xie Yun.¡± Hu Caiqin lowered her voice and said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Cousin, then you have to be careful of that servant girl. You¡¯re pregnant now. If that eldest servant girl seduces brother-in-law, she and brother-in-law have a childhood friendship. In the future, she won¡¯t climb onto your head.¡± Qiao ruoyi slowly said, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Lan Xin doesn¡¯t have that kind of interest in Xie Yun.¡± Hu caiqin said anxiously, ¡°Aiya, cousin, aren¡¯t you being silly? Back then, aunt was also a servant girl who grew up by the Marquis¡¯side. In the end, she also ascended to become the Marquis¡¯Concubine in one step. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Which servant girl wouldn¡¯t be willing to be the master¡¯s concubine? The lesson from the past is here. How can you not be wary of Lan Xin!¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s heart was already boiling with anger. The Hu family had received all the benefits from aunt, but in the end, they still looked down on Aunt Hu in their hearts! The Hu family did not know the hardships aunt Hu had suffered in this generation! Qiao ruoyi took a sip of tea and suppressed the anger in her heart. She looked at Hu Caiqin with her clear and cold eyes and said, ¡°Then in your opinion, what do you think should be done?¡± Hu caiqin said, ¡°As long as cousin is willing to believe me, I will definitely help you win over brother-in-law¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±Qiao ruoyi looked at Hu Caiqin calmly. Hu caiqin said, ¡°Cousin, but I can¡¯t even enter brother-in-law¡¯s study?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Just go in my name.¡± After Hu Caiqin left in high spirits, Yan Yu, who was at the side, asked Qiao ruoyi in puzzlement, ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t you afraid that your son-in-law will really be schemed against by Hu Caiqin?¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°Can Hu Caiqin scheme against Xie Yun?¡± It was just that Hu Caiqin wanted to embarrass herself. .. When the sky had just turned dark, Hu Caiqin carried the lantern and the food box to Xie Yun¡¯s study and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver the pastries to brother-in-law under cousin¡¯s orders.¡± The guard at the door said, ¡°Please Wait a moment, I¡¯ll go in and ask the Master.¡± Xie Yun, who was busy in the study, heard the Guard¡¯s voice. Qiao ruoyi sent someone to deliver the pastries to him and said, ¡°Let her in.¡± The Sun would probably rise from the west tomorrow. After the wedding, this was the first time Qiao Ruoyi had ordered someone to bring him pastries. A pungent smell of ointment came from outside the study. Xie Yun frowned slightly and looked up. The woman in front of him was wearing makeup that was even whiter than a ghost¡¯s. Hu caiqin twisted her waist. She was wearing spring clothes during the first month of the Lunar New Year. She wore a skirt that reached her chest and was extremely low, revealing the beautiful scenery under her collarbone. ¡°Brother-in-law, this is the pastries that sister asked me to bring to you. I made them myself.¡± Hu Caiqin believed that her appearance was the best in the village. Qiao Ruoyi had been pregnant for a long time, and Xie Yun was a man who had sex before him. She did not believe that he could still hold himself back. ¡°Brother-in-law, this pastry is called the tender honey cake. The date cores in it were removed by my mouth one by one¡­ have a taste!¡± Lan Xin, who was lazily drinking pear red date soup outside the door, looked at the red dates in front of her and held onto a pillar and vomited.. Seeing that Hu Caiqin was getting closer and closer, Xie Yun raised his hand and picked up a fan at the side to block Hu Caiqin¡¯s approach. He coldly spat out a word, ¡°Get lost!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Hu caiqin said indiscriminately, ¡°Brother-in-law, don¡¯t be so fierce to me. It was sister who asked me to come and serve you.¡± Hearing this, Xie Yun became even angrier. He said to the outside, ¡°Lan Xin, throw Hu Caiqin out. No, drive all the members of the Hu family out of Chang ¡®an. Don¡¯t let them enter Chang ¡®an city again. If they still won¡¯t let it go, tell the outside world what Hu Caiqin has done in the Xie Family!¡± After Lan Xin vomited, she heard the voices inside and ordered the secret guards to throw the cool-dressed Hu Caiqin out. Xie Yun¡¯s mind was still filled with that sentence. It was sister who asked me to come and serve you. She was so angry that she went to the courtyard where Qiao Ruoyi was! Chapter 422 Qiao ruoyi had already rested. Xie Yun rushed to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard with a face full of anger. He looked at her peaceful sleeping face and had nowhere to vent his anger. Qiao ruoyi seemed to be mumbling in her sleep. She softly called out, ¡°Luo Wei.¡± Xie Yun clearly heard her mumbling in her sleep. He bent down and held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s chin.. Qiao ruoyi woke up from the pain. When she woke up, she felt a burning pain at the corner of her lips. She reached out to touch the corner of her lips, which were covered in blood under the dim candlelight. ¡°Xie Yun, are you crazy?¡±Qiao ruoyi saw that his lips were stained with her own blood and wiped her annoyance. ¡°Are you a dog?¡± Xie Yun wiped his lips with the back of his hand. ¡°Qiao ruoyi, in your eyes, I¡¯m so desperate that I could even seduce a woman with Hu Caiqin¡¯s looks?¡± Qiao ruoyi frowned. ¡°Do you think I sent Hu Caiqin?¡±? ¡°I¡¯m not that stupid to go against my sister. After the Qiao family¡¯s daughters got married, none of their husbands were concubines. Even those concubines in Sister Ruoyin¡¯s room were chased away. Why would I deliberately find a woman for you?¡±? ¡°What does Hu Caiqin¡¯s decision have to do with me?¡±? ¡°The Hu family is difficult to deal with. If I don¡¯t silently admit that Hu Caiqin did such a shameful thing at home, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that they will continue to pester me? ¡°The Hu family is in the wrong now. I think they won¡¯t bother me in the future.¡± After hearing Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s explanation, Xie Yun heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°So that¡¯s the case. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this earlier? The Hu family can just send me away as they please.¡± Qiao ruoyi sneered, ¡°What¡¯s the use of telling you about this? To let you continue to mock me for being a servant¡¯s student, while my aunt¡¯s family are all unscrupulous slaves?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°If I really thought that way, I wouldn¡¯t have married you. In these five years, I have never forgotten that day in the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor. Back then, I said that I would take you in as a concubine because of the rules of the aristocratic families. However, I have long regretted it. Now that I have married you, I will not laugh at you anymore. Since you and I are husband and wife, and our lives are tied together, can¡¯t You Trust me a little more? ¡°I was the one who plotted against you regarding the matter of the child, and I was also wrong about what happened back then. Can¡¯t you forget about Luo Wei and the unhappiness of the past few years? Just treat it as if I had married you back then, can¡¯t You?¡± Qiao ruoyi sneered, ¡°No. Back then, when I was being laughed at by everyone, when I lost all my face, it was Luo Wei who helped me get through the difficult times. What right do you have to make me forget about him? It¡¯s impossible for me to forget about him for the rest of my life. ¡°Since you¡¯ve married me, whether you want to live a good life or not is up to you. It¡¯s good that you can accept Luo Wei. If you can¡¯t accept him, then it¡¯s fine to make a fuss and live a good life.¡± Xie Yun sighed, ¡°Forget it.¡± Xie Yun walked to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s side, lowered his head, and gently stroked her lower abdomen. The doctor had already taken her pulse. There was no doubt that she was his son. He was about to have both his children, so why did he have to quarrel with Qiao ruoyi endlessly? Everything depended on the passage of time. On the sixth day of April, the Xie family¡¯s eldest son was born. Qiao ruoyi named the child Xie Wei, which made Xie Yun¡¯s face darken for three days. Lu Chen brought Qiao Jinniang to the Xie family in disguise. Qiao Jinniang went inside to see Qiao Ruoyi and his newborn child. Lu Chen looked at Xie Yun¡¯s expression from outside and said, ¡°I¡¯m so happy that Lin ¡®er can see that you don¡¯t look very happy.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°There are a lot of Wang characters. In terms of seniority, she should be named Xie Jue. She¡¯s really good, but she chose Wei.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Luo Wei saved her life. Besides, why not name it Wei? When the time comes, wouldn¡¯t she call you father? Or would you take advantage of Luo Wei?¡± Xie Yun did not feel happy about this. Instead, she felt that Lu Chen was gloating. A hundred days after Xie Wei, Qiao Ruoyi returned to the imperial court. The Xie family often accepted ancient paintings and calligraphy from famous artists. Everyone knew that Assistant Minister Qiao loved these, and the head of the Xie family was never stingy with money. All of a sudden, many people were envious. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Xie Yun practically agreed to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s every request. The two of them were in the imperial court together, and treating each other like guests was a model for husband and wife. However, Xie Yun clearly understood that Qiao ruoyi and he could only treat each other like guests. When they returned to the Qiao family for dinner, it was obvious that they were a loving couple. When he and Qiao ruoyi were in the Qiao family, there was only awkwardness. After leaving the Qiao family home, Xie Yun said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°I¡¯ve been married for a long time and I haven¡¯t seen Aunt Hu. It¡¯s still early today. Why don¡¯t we go pay respects to Aunt Hu¡¯s grave?¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun in surprise. Xie Yun said, ¡°In a few days, it will be aunt Hu¡¯s birthday. At that time, we will be going to Luoyang. Today, we will pay respects to Aunt Hu.¡± Qiao ruoyi nodded her head gently. After entering the Qiao family¡¯s ancestral tomb, Qiao ruoyi walked towards a distant place. The people buried here were all the aunties in the residence, but Aunt Hu¡¯s tombstone was different from the others. Xie Yun took the three incense sticks handed over by the tomb keeper and bowed three times towards Aunt Hu¡¯s tombstone. ¡°Aunt, rest in peace in heaven. I will take care of ruoyi in the future.¡± Qiao ruoyi raised her eyes and looked at Xie Yun¡¯s side profile. She was now certain that what Xie Yun said on the night of their wedding night was not nonsense, but the truth after drinking. Otherwise, why would the high and mighty head of the Xie family bow three times to aunt? After Xie Yun placed the three sticks of incense on the incense burner, she held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°If I let Ruo Yi down in the future, I am willing to die without a burial place.¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s expression was calm. She looked at the grave not far away and at the small flowers that had bloomed on the soil added to Luo Wei¡¯s grave last year. Xie Yun followed Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s gaze and looked over. ¡°Luo Wei once wrote to me before he died.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun in confusion. ¡°How come I didn¡¯t know about this?¡± ¡°He came to look for me. He said that if I was willing to marry you and accept Nichang, he was willing to divorce her. He had always felt that he was not worthy of you. Before he died, he told you to live well. After that, we exchanged glances. I knew that he wanted me to promise him to take care of both of you.¡± ¡°Ruoyi, you and I Live Well. Only then can we let the deceased rest in peace.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at the little flower that was blowing in the wind. It seemed like Luo Wei was smiling at her. ¡°I will live well in the future. I will live well in place of Luo Wei and aunt.¡± .. Ten years later. Today was Qiao Nihong¡¯s wedding day. The Anyuan Marquis Mansion was bustling with noise and excitement. Qiao Nihong was the eldest granddaughter of the Marquis Mansion and the eldest princess¡¯only granddaughter. Qiao Nihong was born with incomparable honor. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only She was conferred the title of princess since she was young. She was the successor of the Duke¡¯s Mansion of Qin. Qiao Nihong and Princess Weiyang were known as great Tang¡¯s reincarnation experts. Qiao Nihong saw Qiao Nihong¡¯s annoyed expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? who provoked you again? Today is your wedding day.¡± Qiao nishang said, ¡°It¡¯s Lu Ang. What Time Is it now? Why isn¡¯t he back in Chang ¡®an? If he dares to miss my wedding day, I will definitely ignore him in the future!¡± Qiao nishang said, ¡°Brother Ang is also on official business. As the second Prince of Shu Province, it is his duty to go to the disaster area.¡± ¡°You only know how to put in a good word for him.¡±Qiao Nishang teased Qiao Nishang. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that the two of you are childhood sweethearts? Maybe you have passed.¡± Chapter 423 Qiao Nichang hit Qiao Nichang repeatedly. ¡°If you continue to spout nonsense, don¡¯t blame me for drugging you!¡± Qiao Nichang laughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯re blushing just like that? Everyone in Chang ¡®an knows that the second prince¡¯s consort will be Qiao Nichang in the future.¡± Qiao nichang twisted her handkerchief shyly. ¡°If you continue to spout nonsense, I¡¯ll tear your mouth open.¡± ¡°Oh, the future second prince consort is shy.¡± Qiao Nichang stomped her feet and said, ¡°You are still talking nonsense!¡± Qiao ruoyi came in and heard this. She smiled lightly and said, ¡°Nichang, are you bullying your sister again? You are already at marriageable age. You are already an adult. You are not allowed to bully your sister like this anymore.¡± Qiao Nichang threw herself into Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s arms. Ruoyi looked at her daughter¡¯s appearance and sighed at how fast time passed. Unknowingly, her daughter was already a young girl. In another eight months, Nichang would also be at marriageable age. In the blink of an eye, it was time for Nichang to get married. As for marrying Nichang to Lu Ang, Qiao Ruoyi had never thought about it. Although her mother-in-law was Lady Qiao, the royal family had many rules. Moreover, the royal family was the royal family after all. When nichang was wronged, they would not be able to do anything about it. Princess Fu Lu was still as capricious as before. Qiao ruoyi felt that even if Princess Fu Lu was old, she would probably be a naive and willful old child. Fu Lu helped his daughter and said, ¡°My daughter is not wrong. Although I didn¡¯t know that the Qiao family was going to produce a second prince consort.¡± Qiao Nichang¡¯s face turned even redder. She shyly threw herself into Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Aunt and cousin are all bad people.¡± The few of them laughed. There were many influential families from Chang ¡®an gathered at the banquet today. When Qiao Ruoyun and Qian Yin, who were far away in the south of the Yangtze River, heard that Qiao Nihong had reached her marriageable age, their entire family came over to congratulate her. Qiao Ruoyun and Qian Yin¡¯s son, Qian Yu, had just turned 16 this year. He had turned out to be a handsome man. As soon as he had arrived in Chang ¡®an, he had been adored by many madams. The way they looked at him was that his mother-in-law was becoming more and more fond of her son-in-law. When Qiao Ruoyun brought her son in, Qiao Nichang and Qiao Nihong both looked over. ¡°Greetings, aunt, uncle and cousin Yu.¡± Qian Yu saw Qiao Nichang immediately. ¡°Little Sister Nichang, do you still remember me? Back then, you even stayed at our residence for a few days?¡± Qiao Nichang had long forgotten about her childhood. Now that she mentioned it, she vaguely remembered that when she was young, she had stayed at her aunt¡¯s house for some time. ¡°I remember.¡± Qian Yu smiled. ¡°Little sister still remembers. Little Sister¡¯s ancestors were from Jiangnan. If there¡¯s a chance to visit Jiangnan in the future, I¡¯ll definitely treat you well.¡± Qiao nichang said, ¡°If you go to Jiangnan in the future, don¡¯t think that I¡¯m disturbing you.¡± Qian yu said, ¡°I do have something to disturb you. I¡¯m going to participate in the imperial examinations next year and will be staying in Chang ¡®an during this time. I¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡± Qiao nichang frowned and said, ¡°Why is there another one?¡± Qian Yu did not know what Qiao Nichang meant. Qiao nichang smiled and said, ¡°Cousin, Nichang and I went through a lot of trouble in order to win next year. Once you come to our Qiao family, there will be one more person competing for the top scorer.¡± Fu Lu sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even mention the top spot. Two years ago, you were not enough to be a joke.¡± ¡°At that time, I was still young. I underestimated my enemy too much. These three years, we have been studying hard. I will definitely be able to help my father get back the top spot.¡± Qiao Ruoyun smiled and said to Qian Yu, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that these two cousins are also on the road to the imperial examinations. You have to study hard in Chang ¡®an. Don¡¯t be too far behind your two sisters.¡± Qian Yu cupped his hands and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely study hard and take the examinations to attain fame.¡± Qiao nichang sighed and said, ¡°The two of you can inherit the title of nobility in the future. Why are you still fighting with me for the position of the first scholar? Sigh.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qian yu said, ¡°Sister, I have several articles on the positions of the first scholar over the past decades. I wonder if sister would like to read them together?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Qiao Nichang naturally did not worry about these articles. However, knowing oneself and one¡¯s enemy would not defeat one in a hundred battles. Besides, Qian Yu from Jiangnan might have some literary talent that was different from Chang ¡®an, so they could discuss it together. .. Lu Xi and Lu Ang rushed back to Chang ¡®an to celebrate Qiao Nishang¡¯s wedding, but unfortunately, it rained heavily. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. In order to take a shortcut, they did not take the official road. Instead, they took the mountain path, which was a mountain path. They could not go forward in the heavy rain. They had no choice but to find a nearby West Mountain Academy to rest. When the West Mountain Academy¡¯s Mountain Chief heard that the Crown Prince and the second Prince had come to the West Mountain Academy to rest, he found a few outstanding female students from the Academy to serve the Crown Prince and the second prince. In the tea room. All the women were discussing animatedly. ¡°The Crown Prince and the second prince have come. I heard that the crown prince is already twenty-two, but there is not a single concubine in the Eastern Palace!¡± ¡°The retired emperor¡¯s six palaces seemed to be empty back then, and His Majesty only had the empress. There are no concubines in the harem, and the crown prince will probably only have one imperial consort in the future. Since there is only one, then it¡¯s better to have one than to have one.¡± ¡°The second prince is now seventeen, right? I saw from afar just now that the second prince and the Crown Prince are both too handsome! It would be a blessing if I could get close to them later to serve them.¡± ¡°Eh, why is Qian Qingyu here too?¡± ¡°The mountain chieftain won¡¯t let her serve the crown prince and the second prince too, right?¡± Qian qingyu listened to their unrestrained words and focused on brewing tea. She really wanted to meet the second prince. She still remembered that she had stayed in the second Prince¡¯s palace for half a year. Now that they had grown up, she wondered if the second prince was still the same as when he was young. .. In the Guest Hall of West Mountain Academy. Lu ang complained, ¡°When Qiao Nihong was born, there was a thunderstorm. Now it¡¯s her 15th birthday. This is a thunderstorm.¡± Lu XI smiled and said, ¡°Second brother, if Nihong hears what you said, she will tear down your mansion!¡± Lu ang said, ¡°If I don¡¯t go to her wedding, she will tear down my mansion. Sigh, why is it raining so heavily in the afternoon when the sun was shining just now?¡± Most of the torrential rain in the summer was at dusk. It was quite absurd that there would be a violent storm just after noon today. The two of them had not eaten yet. Shan Chang ordered the cook from West Mountain Academy to cook some delicacies and the beautiful students from West Mountain Academy came to serve the dishes. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Lu Xi and Lu Ang rode back as fast as they could. It had been a long time since they had eaten. However, the two of them still maintained the etiquette of the palace and ate in a dignified and reasonable manner. After the two of them had their meal, Qian Qingyu went in and handed the crown prince a cup of tea to rinse his mouth. Lu Xi lowered her head and looked at Qian Qingyu. She couldn¡¯t help but take a second look at her. Lu Ang saw Lu Xi¡¯s expression and smiled. After everyone had left.., he said to Lu XI, ¡°Brother, did the iron tree bloom today? You usually don¡¯t even look at other women when you see them. Why did you look at that female student so many times today?¡± ¡°She looks a little similar to Nichang,¡±Lu Xi said. Chapter 424 Lu ang said, ¡°No way. Nichang is the most beautiful woman in Chang ¡®an. How can anyone compare to Nichang¡¯s looks?¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°She¡¯s right there. She just looks a little similar to Nichang.¡± Lu Ang did not believe that there was a woman in this world who looked like Qiao Nichang. He followed her out. Just as he was about to go up to see the woman¡¯s appearance, he saw a woman with a fierce face coming over with a whip in her hand, she fiercely whipped a woman. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, but you¡¯re lazy. I¡¯ll let you be lazy, I¡¯ll let you be lazy!¡± The whip hit the woman on the ground in great pain. The umbrella in her hand fell to the ground, and bean-sized raindrops fell on her body. The other students seemed to have never seen it. Lu ang could not bear to humiliate the woman. He went up and scolded, ¡°Stop, what crime did she commit to let you hit her like this?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you may not know this, but back then she seduced Mr. Melody from the West Mountain Academy. Mr. Melody¡¯s first wife hanged herself and her family came to cause trouble. Our reputation as a female student of the West Mountain Academy was almost completely ruined by her. The mountain chieftain spent a total of 200 taels of silver to settle this matter peacefully. She only stayed in the West Mountain Academy to do some menial work for the slave. She only knew how to be lazy every day, and these clothes were not suitable for her to wear! ¡°The academy just collected wheat, and now the rain is so heavy. She doesn¡¯t help to collect the wheat to dry, but still walks around randomly.¡± Hearing this, Lu ang said, ¡°That serves her right.¡± Lu Ang had known these tricks since he was young. Today, with him and his royal brother here, it was hard to guarantee that there were some women with ulterior motives. She could seduce a married man and force his wife to hang herself. It was difficult to enter the West Mountain Academy. When she came in, she did not bother to study. Instead, she came to seduce a teacher. She even slacked off. She deserved it. Qian Qingyu was on the ground, covering her face with her hair in a sorry state. If she had known, she would not have left the second Prince¡¯s palace that year. A whip came down fiercely again. She gritted her teeth and went back to the miscellaneous affairs yard. The old woman threw a pile of wood in front of Qian qingyu and said, ¡°Hurry up and cut it. There will be a storm today, and there will be many people who want to bathe. If you don¡¯t finish cutting it, you won¡¯t be able to eat anything today.¡± Qian Qingyu picked up the axe, looked at the small mountain of wood, sighed, and began to cut the wood. She looked down at her hand. After three years of grinding her hand to this extent, she was afraid that she would never have the chance to embroider in this lifetime.. Such rough hands could not embroider flowers. Ma Ya sneakily hid a steamed bun over and gave it to Qian Qingyu. ¡°Why were you caught by that old hag again today?¡± Qian qingyu hurriedly stuffed the steamed bun into her mouth and said, ¡°I went to visit the second prince today.¡± ¡°The second prince has long forgotten who you are. No, if the second prince knew about you, would he have saved you? Back then, you were the Empress who let you in.¡± Qian Qingyu ate the mantou in a hurry, almost choking and coughing. His good friend, Ma Ya, handed him a bowl of water. ¡°Be careful.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Just as you said, the Empress and the second prince have long forgotten who I am. The outcome today is also what I believe is Inhuman.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Ma Ya looked at Qian Qingyu and said with heartache, ¡°This year, I have two taels of silver for one portion. I have already collected all of it. It Won¡¯t take long for me to gather enough money to redeem you from the academy. I don¡¯t have to be beaten by that old woman every day.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Yaya, I¡¯m not worthy of you being like this. I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to earn two hundred taels of silver in my lifetime. In the future, I won¡¯t be able to return it to you. Although old woman Wang is fierce, if I don¡¯t sneak out today, she won¡¯t beat me up.¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to beg the second prince, then why are you going to see the second Prince?¡± Qian qingyu smiled and said, ¡°I just want to see how he looks like now.¡±? ¡°When I was in the second Prince¡¯s palace, he was very good to me. No one has ever been so good to me in my life. ¡°Now that I see him so tall and handsome, I¡¯m glad.¡± Ma Ya said, ¡°Are you stupid? You took such a beating just to see him.¡± A bolt of lightning struck, and Qian Qingyu was shocked. ¡°The Lightning today is really strange.¡± It had rained for an entire afternoon. After the heavy rain, there was a fear that rocks would roll down. Lu Xi and Lu ang planned to rest in West Mountain Academy for a night. West Mountain Academy had Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s villa. Qiao ruoyi came over a few times a month, so the mountain chieftain arranged for Lu Xi and Lu Ang to stay in Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s courtyard. He ordered people to change the bedsheets and bedding inside. The bedsheets and bedding that were changed were all cleaned by Qian Qingyu. Qian qingyu had chopped firewood for the whole afternoon, and now her hands were soaked. Not only that, she also had to wash the bedsheets overnight. When she thought about how there would be so many bedsheets the next morning, she sighed helplessly. She probably wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well these two days. The rain stopped at night, and Qian Qingyu coughed a few times. Today, she was caught in the rain, and there were red marks on the places where the whip had struck. She washed the bedsheets and fell asleep indistinctly. Qian Qingyu¡¯s mother was born from an actress raised by the third master of the Xie family. In fact, she had to address Xie Yun as uncle. It seemed that Qian Qingyu¡¯s mother had always been disliked by the Xie family. Many people in the Xie family did not know that there was such a young lady around. Qian Qingyu¡¯s father was an incompetent person. Her mother could not bear the hardships of the family and came to Chang ¡®an. By chance, she entered the Shang Palace. Qian Qingyu had been at home with her father, who drank too much all year round. When she was very young, she knew the taste of chopping wood and washing clothes. Later, her aunt took pity on her and brought her home. However, her aunt did not have any children all year round. One daughter after another was born, and her uncle sold her to be a servant. At that time, being a servant was pretty good. At least she did not have to worry about food and clothing. Later, her mother followed the emperor and the empress to Lin ¡®an and brought her to the Chang ¡®an palace. After her mother passed away, she met the second prince. The second prince was the first person to give her pastries. Before that, Qian qingyu only heard people say that pastries were delicious. The second Prince would also give her beautiful clothes and play with sparkling pearls. A wave of pain came. Qian Qingyu opened her eyes and the person standing in front of her was Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only However, her aunt did not have any children all year round. One daughter after another was born. Her uncle sold her to be a servant. At that time, being a servant was pretty good. At least she did not have to worry about food and clothing. Later, her mother followed His Majesty to Lin ¡®an and brought her to the Chang ¡®an palace. After her mother passed away, she met the second prince. The second prince was the first person to give her pastries. Before that, Qian Qingyu had only heard people say that pastries were delicious. The second Prince would also give her beautiful clothes and play with sparkling pearls. Qian Qingyu opened her eyes when she felt the pain. Standing in front of her was Chapter 425 There were many doctors in west mountain academy who used to treat the students there. There were also some women who came to West Mountain Academy to specialize in medicine. In the future, they would become female doctors. The Shu lands were dangerous. This time, when Lu Ang and Lu Xi went to relieve the disaster, Lu Ang was hit on the back by a mountain rock because of another Earth Dragon Flip. There was a gash on his back. The wound had almost healed, but after being drenched in the rain today, it opened up again at night. Doctor Zhu, who was the best in traditional Chinese medicine in the academy, came to treat Lu Ang¡¯s wound. As soon as she applied the medicine, Old Wang¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Doctor Zhu, come and save her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene here!¡± ¡°Sir, this girl is going to die soon. Only doctor Zhu can save her¡­¡± Lu ang heard the voice of the guard outside and said to doctor zhu, ¡°You can leave now.¡± Doctor Zhu went outside and saw that the person on Granny Wang¡¯s Back was Qian Qingyu, she frowned and said, ¡°I will save others, but I won¡¯t save her. She should have lost her life a long time ago. Mountain chieftain is so kind to let her tarnish the reputation of West Mountain Academy in West Mountain Academy.¡± Granny Wang said nervously, ¡°She¡¯s still so young, and she lost her life just like that¡­¡± Doctor Zhu said, ¡°Who asked her to seduce Sir so well, causing teacher¡¯s wife to hang herself and lose her life? The academy even gave her two hundred taels of silver, which is already considered to be the best they could do. Giving her medicine would also be a waste.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a noble in this courtyard, move her away as soon as possible, don¡¯t offend the noble.¡± Ma Ya rushed over and saw the unconscious Qian Qingyu. She shouted, ¡°Qingyu, qingyu, wake up!¡± ¡°Doctor Zhu, please save Qingyu! It¡¯s said that doctors are benevolent, please save her.¡± Doctor Zhu said coldly, ¡°I won¡¯t save a fickle woman like her. She¡¯s carrying a human life on her back.¡± Lu Ang, who was inside, heard the noise outside and went out to take a look. The few of them were in the courtyard. The candlelight from the Lanterns was Dim, but they could still clearly see the face of the woman on Granny Wang¡¯s back. The internal servant beside Lu ang saw that Lu Ang had come out, so he went forward and said, ¡°If you want to quarrel, go outside and Quarrel. Don¡¯t disturb the princes.¡± Ma Ya and the others knelt down in fear and trepidation. Qian qingyu, who was on Granny Wang¡¯s back, almost fell because of her kneeling action. Lu ang went forward to support Qian Qingyu. Looking at her carefully, she indeed looked too much like Qiao Nichang. Then, he said to doctor zhu, ¡°Save her, save her.¡± Doctor Zhu knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Your Highness, I can not obey. Qian Qingyu has not reached the marriageable age. When he was fourteen years old, he seduced the Music Master in the academy, causing him to divorce his wife and marry Qian Qingyu. After his wife found out about this matter, she hung herself at the academy¡¯s entrance, and because of this, the reputation of West Mountain Academy was ruined! ¡°This woman should have returned her life a long time ago. As a woman, I don¡¯t want to save such a vixen.¡± Maya could not bear it any longer and said, ¡°Everyone says that Qingyu seduced teacher. If that teacher did not take the initiative to look for qingyu, how would Qingyu be moved? Moreover, at that time, Qingyu did not know that teacher was already married. When she and Sir were secretly in love, Sir Never said that he had a wife. She was also wronged. It was clearly that dog that deceived qingyu. After the incident, he was still famous in Chang ¡®an. However, wasn¡¯t it enough that Qingyu had been mistreated for the past three years? ¡°Don¡¯t make yourself sound so noble. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve been jealous of her because of her looks since she was young.¡± Doctor Zhu said, ¡°No matter how good-looking she is, she¡¯s still a vixen. Why should I be jealous of her? Don¡¯t joke around.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Shut up. Men, go back to Chang ¡®an.¡± The internal servant at the side advised Lu ang, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid that the road back will be muddy and stones will fall. Your wound hasn¡¯t healed yet!¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Lu Ang looked at the woman in his arms and said, ¡°Go back to Chang ¡®an. Her body is too hot. I¡¯m afraid that the doctors here can¡¯t save her.¡± Lu Xi heard that Lu ang insisted on going back to the city, so she could only let him go. However, he was not allowed to ride a horse and had to sit in the carriage, which could also block some small rocks in the mountains. It was safe and sound all the way back to Chang ¡®an. Lu Ang announced the imperial physician as soon as he entered the prince¡¯s mansion. The imperial physician rushed over. Seeing that he was checking the pulse of a woman, he did not dare to neglect her. The imperial physician sighed and said, ¡°This girl¡¯s Qi and blood are weak, her spleen and stomach are weak, and she is so thin. It seems that she often has an empty stomach. Today, she seems to have been caught in the rain and was exhausted to the point of fainting and falling asleep. I will prescribe a medicine for this girl to take. She should be able to wake up in the morning.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Okay.¡± The candles in the imperial residence were brighter. When Lu ang looked at the woman¡¯s appearance, he felt that it was different from Nichang¡¯s appearance. It was just that they looked similar at first glance. When he carefully looked at the corner of his lips, the ends of his eyes were a little surprised. .. Last night, there was a rainstorm. Early in the morning, the sky was clear. It was midsummer, and early in the morning, there was the sound of cicadas chirping. Qian Qingyu opened her eyes and looked at everything in front of her. She was puzzled. This was not the shabby house next to the latrine where she lived. She was covered with a thin quilt made of fine satin. ¡°You¡¯re Awake?¡± Qian Qingyu saw a woman around fifteen years old come over. She was about to open her mouth, but her throat hurt terribly. She coughed and asked while enduring the pain, ¡°Where is this?¡± The servant girl replied, ¡°This is Prince Pingliang¡¯s residence. His Highness said that you don¡¯t have to return to West Mountain Academy in the future. He has already given West Mountain Academy a sum of silver and bought your personal contract. After you recover from your illness, you can just work in the Prince¡¯s residence.¡± Qian qingyu coughed twice again. She could not help but sigh at the fickleness of the world. Back then, she had gone to West Mountain Academy from the second Prince¡¯s palace. After going around in circles, she had returned. ¡°Okay, then what should I do in the future?¡± The servant girl said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. After you recover in a few days, I¡¯m sure the Butler will arrange it for you.¡± Although Qian Qingyu did not know what her future would be like, it was better to stay in the second Prince¡¯s residence than to stay in the West Mountain Academy. In this way, she might be able to see the second prince every day. .. Lu Ang entered the palace early in the morning and went to the Changle Palace. After leaving the Changle Palace, Lu Ang went to Marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion to give Qiao Nihong a late wedding gift. Qiao Nihong received the wedding gift from Lu ang and said, ¡°This old-fashioned wedding gift, can¡¯t it be doubled?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Please forgive me. My salary has been used to relieve the disaster. You can ask my royal brother to double it. His salary is much more than mine.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Nishang had been staying at the Qiao family¡¯s house yesterday. When she heard that Lu Ang had come, she hurried to Qiao Nishang¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Brother Ang, I heard that you called the imperial physician last night. Are You Okay?¡± Lu ang smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Yesterday, I hired the imperial physician for a servant girl. That servant girl looks a little similar to you, but she¡¯s different up close.¡± Qiao nishang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine.¡± Qiao Nishang opened the Box Lu ang gave her and saw an exquisitely carved gold bracelet inside, she sighed and said, ¡°Lu Ang, you¡¯re too stingy. A mere gold bracelet is a wedding gift? Do you know that Qian¡¯s cousin gave me and Nishang a rare set of pearls as a gift for our meeting?¡± Qiao nichang said, ¡°Brother Ang went to the Shu lands. After the disaster relief, there was not much silver left. Moreover, the luster of the pearls will dim in a few years. The golden light will not be extinguished for ten thousand years.¡± Chapter 426 Qiao Nichang was a little disappointed when she heard the word ¡°Sister¡±, but she immediately smiled again. Brother Ang did not have a woman he loved yet. He had been playing with her since he was young. As long as she persevered, brother Ang would definitely accept her. Lu ang asked again, ¡°Cousin Qian, Qian Yu is here?¡± ¡°Yes, he is going to take the examinations next year and the Chang ¡®an Qian residence will be renovated. He is staying at my house now.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I went to look for him, but I have not seen him for a long time.¡± After Lu ang left, Qiao Nishang said to Qiao nihong, ¡°Don¡¯t joke around with him in the future. I am afraid that he will hate me because of this. He really only sees me as his sister.¡± Nichang said, ¡°There are no other women around Lu Ang. He has treated you differently from others since you were young. Now that you are still young, he will understand when you are older.¡± Qiao Nichang rested her chin on her hand and sighed. ¡°Sigh, since ancient times, my cousin will not have a good ending if she marries my cousin. That Zhou Sisi from the Zhou family caused the Zhou family to collapse and die¡­¡± Neon looked at Qiao Nichang and smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, is there still time for our Qiao family to sever our relationship with you?¡± Qiao Nichang:¡±¡­¡± .. After Qian Qingyu recovered from her illness, the butler arranged for her to be the second prince¡¯s servant. When Qian Qingyu learned that she would be the second Prince¡¯s servant in the future, she was very happy. Originally, there were servant girls in the manor. Even the smallest one looked bigger on her. Qian Qingyu then asked another servant girl named lucky to borrow a needle and thread. The clothes worn by the servant girls by the second prince¡¯s side in the manor were all made of silk. Qian Qingyu was very careful when changing her clothes. Lucky saw that Qian Qingyu¡¯s needle technique was very good. ¡°Your needle technique is superb. It looks like the skills of the palace.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I learned some skills from the embroidery ladies in the palace when I was in the Academy.¡± ¡°Then you must be very good at embroidery?¡± Qian qingyu shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to Embroider.¡± Lucky said, ¡°The second prince is very kind to people. He treats the servants and palace people very well. Usually, he doesn¡¯t scold or scold them. The chief of the Prince¡¯s mansion and the nanny who manages the servants are a little strict. However, as long as you do your job well, they won¡¯t blame you.¡± Qian qingyu gratefully said to lucky, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lucky said, ¡°You really look like Miss Nichang. Do you know Miss Nichang?¡± Qian qingyu nodded and said, ¡°Everyone knows to thank the eldest daughter. Qiao Nichang, the most beautiful woman in Chang ¡®an. She will be even more famous after she reaches her marriageable age next year.¡± Lucky said proudly, ¡°Not only that, she is also the second prince¡¯s consort. Everyone in the mansion knows that she will be our mistress in the future.¡± Lucky looked at Qian Qingyu¡¯s appearance and said, ¡°You look similar to her and are still working for the second prince. is that a blessing or a curse?¡± The embroidery needle in Qian Qingyu¡¯s hand poked her thumb. Thinking about it carefully, no mistress would be willing to look the same as a servant girl.. No matter how magnanimous Miss Nichang was, she would not be able to tolerate it.. Qian qingyu lowered her eyes and sighed. No matter what, she could only take it one step at a time. Perhaps by the time Miss Nichang entered the house and became a princess consort, she would already be married? Qian Qingyu changed into a new servant girl¡¯s clothes and went to the second Prince¡¯s main courtyard. The main courtyard was managed by eunuch Ma and Nanny Ning, the first chamberlain of the Prince¡¯s mansion. There were a total of eight servants in the second Prince¡¯s courtyard. These eight were the second Prince¡¯s personal maidservants. There were also more than ten second-class maidservants who were doing chores and cleaning in the courtyard. Qian Qingyu entered the second Prince¡¯s study and knelt down to greet him. ¡°Your Servant Qingyu Greets Your Highness the second prince.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Lu ang said, ¡°Get up. You can be my servant in the future.¡± ¡°Thank You, Your Highness, Second Prince.¡±Qian qingyu smiled slightly. In a roundabout way, she became the second Prince¡¯s servant girl again. The second prince must have recognized that he was also a servant girl in front of him when he was young, right? Lu Ang did not remember Qian Qingyu. He had long forgotten the servant girl whom he had spent a few months with when he was young. The reason why he let Qian Qingyu stay by his side was because he felt sorry for her. Also, she had the same face as Nichang at first glance. It was inappropriate for her to be bullied outside. If she was an honest person as her good friend had said, then he would let her be a good maidservant. If she was not honest and had other thoughts in the pursuit of wealth, then he would directly exile her to the border. Lu ang asked Qian qingyu, ¡°Do you know how to grind ink?¡± ¡°Yes.¡±Qian Qingyu went forward and picked up a piece of ink to grind in circles. Lu ang saw her wrist, which was very slender. .. Before the mid-autumn Festival, the people in Chang ¡®an loved to talk about the crown prince¡¯s consort selection. When Nanny Ning was not around, the maidservants in the mansion also gathered together and said secretly, ¡°I heard that the Empress will choose a consort for the Crown Prince and His Highness at this year¡¯s mid-autumn Festival!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Our Highness¡¯concubine already decided to be Miss Nichang?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not just Miss Nichang? After all, there¡¯s no rule. In the future, the royal family can only have one concubine. Miss Nichang is still young. Who knows, she might be given a side concubine first?¡± ¡°Qingyu, His Highness has only allowed you to serve these days. Have you heard about this?¡± Qian qingyu shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Sigh, if a side concubine comes to the estate, I wonder if our days will be so good?¡± ¡°I would rather Miss Nichang enter the estate as soon as possible. Miss Nichang¡¯s personality is extremely good, and the servants by her side are also extremely good. Please don¡¯t come with any side concubines!¡±! Ji Xiang tugged at the servant girl who said this, ¡°If Miss Nichang enters the estate, what about Qingyu?¡± The servant girl said, ¡°What does that have to do with anything? From Qingyu¡¯s words, it can be seen that His Highness can¡¯t wait to let Miss Nichang enter the imperial residence. Otherwise, why would he find a servant girl who looks similar to Miss Nichang to enter the imperial residence?¡± Everyone agreed unanimously. On the night of the mid-autumn Festival, the Master of the residence was not around, so a group of servant girls were in the residence to pay their respects to consort Yue. Lucky tugged at Qingyu and said, ¡°You should make a wish. Consort Yue¡¯s wish will come true.¡± Qingyu looked at the full moon in the sky and silently made a wish in front of the candles. ¡°May the Empress of the Moon Bless the second Prince¡¯s health, peace, and happiness.¡± This was a wish that she made every year during the mid-autumn Festival. Every year at this time, she could always remember that the second prince had secretly hidden the mooncakes that the empress had personally made for her to eat during the palace banquet. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qingyu had known about the fresh meat mooncakes from the Hundred Savory restaurant since she was very young. However, at that time, there was no money at home and her father drank too much, so she could only watch helplessly. After her mother brought her to Chang ¡®an, it was the second prince who gave her the mooncakes so that she could eat the fresh meat mooncakes for the first time. ¡°The second prince is back. What are you guys doing here?¡± Qingyu went into the room to greet the second prince. After Lu ang came in, he took off his cloak and gave Qingyu a box of mooncakes. ¡°Take it and share it with lucky and the others.¡± Qingyu saw the still hot mooncakes and bowed. ¡°Thank You, Your Highness.¡± Chapter 427 The next day, after Qian Qingyu sent the second prince off, she arranged the books on the desk in the room. There were a few pieces of paper beside them, and the words on them were graceful and lively. It was obvious that they were good words. Qian Qingyu took a look and realized that this was an article written by Qiao Nichang. She suppressed her article with a paperweight, afraid that it would be blown away by the wind. After all, to the second prince, Qiao Nichang¡¯s article should be very important. Qian Qingyu went out of the room. When she returned to her room, she heard the second-class servant girl whispering in the courtyard. ¡°Really? Qian Qingyu has always been the eldest servant girl. These days, she has become the eldest servant girl by the second Prince¡¯s side. The second prince trusts her so much. So she is such a fickle woman.¡± ¡°Everyone in West Mountain Academy knows about this. She is really capable. It is not enough that she seduced sir, but she has come to seduce His Highness!¡± ¡°Does his highness know about Qian Qingyu¡¯s past?¡± ¡°His Highness brought her here from West Mountain Academy. How could he not know about this? We can not turn a blind eye to this matter. Miss Nichang is so good to us. Why don¡¯t we tell Miss Nichang about this matter?¡± ¡°Qian Qingyu only got His Highness¡¯s attention because of her resemblance to Miss Nichang. If Miss Nichang knew Qian Qingyu¡¯s true colors, she would definitely advise His Highness to chase Qian Qingyu out of the imperial residence.¡± Lucky walked to Qian Qingyu¡¯s side and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been the eldest servant girl ever since you came to the imperial residence. These second-class servant girls already have complaints in their hearts. Miss Nichang is a reasonable person. You Don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡± Qian qingyu forced a smile and said, ¡°Yes, I know.¡± At worst, she would just leave the Prince¡¯s mansion again. Qian Qingyu returned to her room and looked at the moon cake that had gone cold last night. She could not bear to eat it. After all, it had been many years since the second prince gave her the moon cake. She had to keep it well. .. There was a polo match in Chang ¡®an today. Qiao Nichang and Qiao Nihong were naturally going to participate. The polo matches in the palace today were attended by relatives of the royal family, so there were no separate teams for men and women. Qiao Nihong¡¯s polo skills had always been excellent, but Qiao Nichang was only average. There were no brothers or sisters in the match, and they were all members of the royal family and relatives of the royal family, so there was no need to be tolerant in a fight. When a ball flew towards Qiao Nichang, Qiao Nichang forgot to swing her club and only knew how to Dodge. Unexpectedly, she almost fell off the horse. At the critical moment, Qiao Nishang shouted, ¡°Brother Ang!¡± Lu Ang was too far away from Qiao Nishang. He could not rush over to save her. Qian Yu, on the other hand, anxiously got off the horse and caught Qiao Nishang. Unexpectedly, they were on a slope and he did not manage to catch Qiao Nishang. Both Qiao Nishang and Qian Yu rolled down the slope. With this incident, the Polo match was suspended. Qiao Nishang was worried about her. She was the first to rush down to watch. Qian Yu held Qiao Nishang tightly in his arms. Nothing happened to Qiao Nichang. On the contrary, Qian Yu¡¯s face had been scratched by the gravel, and his arm had also hit a rock.. The imperial physician rushed over to let Qian Yu take a look. He wanted Qian Yu to rest for more than half a year, which meant that he would not be able to write for more than half a year. In the marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor. Qiao Nichang heard that the Xie family¡¯s manor doctor¡¯s words were no different from what the imperial physician had said, and her nose immediately turned red. ¡°Cousin Qian, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ve implicated you.¡± Qiao Nishang¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qian Yu reached out his other good hand to wipe away Qiao Nishang¡¯s tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re the most beautiful woman in Chang ¡®an. You¡¯ll become ugly if you cry. My hand is fine as long as you¡¯re okay.¡± Qiao nishang said, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve implicated you so much that you won¡¯t be able to take the exam again until three years later.¡± Qian yu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. After all, I still have the title of nobility. The crown prince of the Prince¡¯s mansion doesn¡¯t care whether I can take the exam or not. Don¡¯t cry. If you cry, it will hurt me.¡± Qiao nichang asked in confusion, ¡°Why does it hurt when I Cry?¡± Qian Yu gently used his finger to scratch the tip of Qiao Nichang¡¯s nose. ¡°My heart will hurt.¡± When Qiao Nichang heard this, her heart thumped rapidly. She did not know why it was like this, but this feeling was something that she had never felt in the past fourteen years. Qiao ruoyi happened to see this when she entered the house. She could not believe that her big sister, who had always been dull, could give birth to such a Qian Yu. She felt that in front of her little cabbage was a little fox. If she did not protect the little cabbage, she would be taken away by this little fox. ¡°Nichang.¡± ¡°Mother!¡±Qiao Nichang ran over to Qiao Ruoyi when she saw her. Qiao ruoyi said a few words to Qian Yu and brought Qiao Nichang back to the Xie residence. In the carriage, Qiao Ruoyi coughed twice and said, ¡°Nichang, you are not young anymore. Mother wants to ask you, what do you think about the marriage in the future?¡± Qiao Nichang Hung Her head shyly. ¡°Mother, I am still young.¡± Qiao ruoyi hugged Nichang in her arms and said, ¡°Mother also hopes that you can always be young and stay on Mother¡¯s wing. But, mother also knows that you will get married one day.¡± Qiao Nichang lowered her voice and said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Mother, I have a crush on brother Ang. I want to be brother Ang¡¯s princess, but he only sees me as his sister. He likes me, just like a sister.¡± Qiao ruoyi asked, ¡°Then have you revealed your feelings to him?¡± Qiao Nichang shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t dare. I¡¯m afraid that if I reveal them, he won¡¯t talk to me anymore. He won¡¯t even treat me as his sister. He won¡¯t even bring me along to play.¡± Qiao ruoyi asked again, ¡°Then do you know what it means to have a crush on him? Will your heart beat like a drum when you see him?¡± Qiao nichang said, ¡°No. I know that I¡¯m very happy when I see brother Ang because I know that he will give me a lot of delicious food and will even bring me along to play a lot of fun.¡±. ¡°But when I see cousin Qian, sometimes my heart beats like a drum¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi patted Nichang¡¯s head. ¡°Silly girl, you¡¯re still young and don¡¯t know what love is. You might know it when you grow up.¡± Nichang smiled and said, ¡°I know that Father and mother are loving. Father loves mother so much. Why didn¡¯t father come out with you today?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Ruoyi did not answer Nichang¡¯s question. Was It Love? Her Heart had died a long time ago. It was impossible for her to fall in love with Xie Yun. After ten years of being husband and wife, the so-called love was only in the eyes of others. Nichang had just entered the Xie residence when the gatekeeper gave her a letter. ¡°Miss, this was brought over by a servant girl from the second Prince¡¯s residence. She said that you must take a look at it personally.¡± Qiao Nichang opened the letter. ¡°Who sent this letter to me?¡±? As soon as Nishang entered the Xie residence, the gatekeeper gave her a letter. ¡°Miss, a servant girl from the second Prince¡¯s residence brought this over. She said that you must see it for yourself.¡± Qiao Nishang opened the envelope. ¡°Who sent me a letter? Chapter 428 Qiao Nichang glanced at the letter and said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Mother, the letter says that brother Ang has a new servant girl who looks similar to me. ¡°This servant girl used to be in the West Mountain Academy. The letter says that she seduced a Mr. Music Theory with a wife in the West Mountain Academy¡­ now brother Ang has asked this servant girl to be his personal servant girl.¡± Qiao ruoyi glanced at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in this matter.¡± Qiao ruoyi still remembered the tragic scene when the Zhou family building was about to collapse. Lu Ang was a prince after all. Even the Empress did not interfere with the servants and palace maids in Lu Ang¡¯s residence. How could niching interfere. Niching agreed, but she was still a little curious. Why would brother Ang keep such a girl as a servant girl? The next day, Qiao Nishang and Qiao Nihong went to the Prince¡¯s mansion in Pingliang. Qiao Nishang was really curious about the woman who looked similar to her in the letter. Qian Qingyu was on night duty last night, so she did not have to be on duty during the day. Just as she was about to rest and catch up on her sleep, Lucky rushed over and said, ¡°Wake up quickly. The neon monarch and Miss Nishang are here. Miss Nishang wants to see you by name.¡± Qian Qingyu connected the dots. Seeing that Qiao Neon and Qiao neon were in the Flower Hall of the main courtyard and their master was not around, the two of them were pleased with their relationship with His Highness. Qian Qingyu stepped forward and bowed. ¡°This servant Qingyu greets Princess Neon, Miss Qiao.¡± Qiao neon looked at Qian Qingyu carefully. ¡°It¡¯s You?¡± Qiao nichang asked, ¡°You Know Her?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten? When You Were Young, you were afraid of thunder. When aunt was not at home, Lu Ang wanted to take you away and had a servant girl replace you. It was her.¡± To others, they would think that Qiao Nichang and Qian Qingyu were similar, but Qiao Nihon did not think that the two were similar. Qiao nichang said, ¡°I remember now. Later, she betrayed brother Ang and went to West Mountain Academy. Brother Ang was lost for a few days because of this! ¡°The Empress asked you to enter West Mountain Academy. How could you seduce Sir? ¡°Isn¡¯t this embarrassing West Mountain Academy?¡± Qian Qingyu¡¯s face was pale, and her lips were pale. ¡°I did not seduce Sir. Mr. Jiang was well-versed in music theory. Many students in the Academy liked music theory classes at that time. ¡°Mr. Jiang always praised my music theory and asked me to take music theory classes. Later, Mr. Jiang told me that he was happy with me and wanted to marry me. ¡°It was already difficult for me to get married without parents. I was already 14 at that time. When I reached marriageable age, I had to leave West Mountain Academy. My future was unknown, so I agreed to Mr. Jiang¡¯s marriage proposal, ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that he had a wife at home. ¡°If I knew, I would never have dared to get close to him. He also never told me that he had a wife at home¡­¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head guiltily and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why his wife would hang herself and die like this. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt Mrs. Jiang, but she did die because of me¡­¡± Qiao Nishang and Qiao Nihong looked at each other. Qiao nihong said, ¡°I see. is that musician named Jiang still alive?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything about him, but I heard from Ma Ya that he is quite famous in Chang ¡®an and is highly appreciated by some noble families¡­¡± Qiao nichang asked, ¡°Is his name Jiang Wan?¡± Qian qingyu nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jiang Wan was good at music theory, and now he was in the limelight. The Princess of the Su King¡¯s mansion appreciated this musician Jiang the most, and she often held banquets for everyone to enjoy. Jiang Wan¡¯s name was also widely known in Chang ¡®an. Even Qiao Nishang had heard the music he played. It was indeed very good, but she did not expect it to be such scum. Qiao nishang said, ¡°I will verify this matter. Whether the truth is as you say or not, I will make that Jiang Wan lose his reputation and pay for his wife¡¯s early death.¡± Qian Qingyu looked at Qiao Nichang with gratitude and said, ¡°Thank you, Princess Nichang.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Back then, she was unable to defend herself in west mountain academy and everyone was scolding her. The family members of Jiang Wan¡¯s wife also came to blame her, but no one blamed Jiang Wan. Qiao nichang said, ¡°If you really suffered such grievance, why didn¡¯t you tell the mountain chieftain?¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and said, ¡°The mountain chieftain didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of this matter in order to calm things down. There were also classmates in the Academy. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding with me¡­¡± Some misunderstandings were not entirely true. She had entered West Mountain Academy back then because of the Empress¡¯favor. There were many branches of West Mountain Academy. At that time, it was already very difficult to enter the first branch of West Mountain Academy. Those who entered the academy were all from wealthy families, and they had also used many connections to enter the West Mountain Academy. Back then, Qian Qingyu easily entered the academy and attracted a lot of gossip. She did not know why, but her relationship with her other classmates had always been bad. After ten years, she only had one good friend, Ma Ya. After the incident, there were many people who added insult to injury and made up stories about her seducing Sir¡¯s student. Qiao nihong said, ¡°I will investigate this matter properly. If you are really innocent, I will clear your name! ¡°If you really have the intention to seduce teacher at such a young age, you should leave the Prince¡¯s residence as soon as possible¡­ Don¡¯t let me tell the Empress.¡± Qian qingyu bit her lips, ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Nishang pulled Qiao Nihong¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Mother said that I am not allowed to interfere in brother Ang¡¯s backyard.¡± Qiao nichang comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If she really is that disgusting person who would seduce Sir, if the Empress knew about it, she would never allow her to be by Lu Ang¡¯s side.¡± After sending Qiao Nichang and Nichang away, Qian Qingyu returned to her room without any drowsiness. She took out the mooncake wrapped in a handkerchief. A tear fell on the mooncake. Lucky pushed the door open and entered. Qian qingyu wiped her tears away. Lucky saw Qian Qingyu holding a mooncake and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating this mooncake? If you put it down again, it will spoil. This mooncake will only last for five days at most. It has already been ten days. You can throw it away.¡± Qian Qingyu hid the mooncake and said to lucky, ¡°Your Highness is back?¡± ¡°Yes, you are not on duty today. If His Highness doesn¡¯t tell you to go, don¡¯t go. Otherwise, those people will gossip about you.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Just say it.¡± Anyway, she did not have much time left in the Prince¡¯s mansion. She only wished that she could take a few more glances at the second prince. It was not that Qian Qingyu did not trust Qiao Nihong. It was that she knew how bad her popularity in the academy was. Back then, her classmates could falsely accuse her in front of the mountain chieftain. Now, it was hard to guarantee that they would not come and make up stories to blame her. Over the past three years, it was not that Qian Qingyu did not want to explain, but that she had no way to explain herself. Everyone had determined that she was the one who seduced the music theory master. There was nothing she could do to clear her name. Even if Princess Nihon went to the academy to investigate, she would find out that she was the one who deliberately seduced the music theory master. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only It was enough that Princess Nihon was willing to punish Jiang Wan. Qian Qingyu then went to Lu Ang¡¯s room. Inside, Lu Ang was changing his dressing. He could not help but frown. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to be gentle at all. Where¡¯s Qingyu? Let her change the dressing.¡± Hearing this, Ruyi said repeatedly, ¡°I know my mistake. I will go find Qingyu now.¡± Ruyi saw Qingyu as soon as she went out. ¡°You¡¯re just in time. His Highness is asking you to change the dressing.¡± Chapter 429 After Qian Qingyu went in.., si XI said to ruyi, ¡°She is really seductive. She has only been here for a few days and her highness is already so reluctant to part with her. She even asked for a change of medicine. Her hands are full of calluses. I really don¡¯t know how her Highness was seduced by her.¡± Ruyi said, ¡°Her Highness, Be Merciful. I¡¯m not going to let you spout nonsense. be careful that nanny Ning hears it and beats you up.¡± Si XI stuck out his tongue. ¡°If this goes on, we won¡¯t have to work in the future. Let her serve your highness alone.¡± In the room, Qian Qingyu washed her hands and gently applied ointment on Lu Ang¡¯s back. The wound on Lu Ang¡¯s back had already healed. The ointment was used to remove the hideous scar. After applying the ointment, Lu ang put on his own robe and said, ¡°Ruyi is always clumsy when applying the ointment. You can change it in the future.¡± ¡°Yes,¡±Qian Qingyu replied. Lu ang said, ¡°I heard that neon and Nichang came to look for you. What did they say to you?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°When Princess Neon heard about my past, she knew that I was wronged and wanted to uphold justice for me. Princess Neon and Miss Nichang are both very good women!¡± Lu ang smiled slightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. They are both very good. Neon and Aunt Fu Lu are the same. It¡¯s best to uphold justice for the heavens. Nichang is a kind person and has always been happy to help others.¡± Qian qingyu answered, ¡°Yes.¡± His Highness mentioned Miss Nihon with such a gentle smile. Presumably, just as lucky said, Miss Nihon would be the second prince¡¯s consort in the future. Miss Nihon was a kind person. When the time came, she would definitely be able to live in harmony with His Highness. Presumably, His Highness would be able to live in peace and happiness as she wished. .. When Qiao Nihon went to the West Mountain Academy to investigate, almost every student who was at the same level as Qian Qingyu was talking bad about Qian Qingyu. Everyone was disdainful of her and extremely disgusted. ¡°Princess Nihong, Qian Qingyu often uses her good looks to seduce the princes and grandsons who come to West Mountain for an outing. I¡¯ve also witnessed her seducing Mr. Jiang.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, her usual behavior is extremely bad.¡±. ¡°A while ago, when the second prince and the crown prince came here, she even sneakily went in front of the second Prince and Crown Prince, trying to become a Phoenix.¡±. ¡°She really has the ability to let the second prince take her away. Fortunately, the second prince is sensible and only let her be a servant girl.¡± ¡°Princess Nihon, don¡¯t believe Qian Qingyu¡¯s nonsense. Don¡¯t look at how weak she is, but her heart is full of tricks.¡± Qiao Nihon then asked the Gentlemen in the academy. The impression of the Gentlemen in the academy was that Qian Qingyu was studious and capable. However, when it came to seducing Mr. Music Theory, the Gentlemen in the Academy also felt that it was Qian Qingyu who had taken the initiative to seduce him: The Gentlemen said one after another, ¡°At that time, musician Jiang Wan was already famous in Chang ¡®an. What kind of woman did he not want? If Qian Qingyu had not taken the initiative to seduce him, he would not have risked his reputation to say that he wanted to marry a student.¡± ¡°Yes, musician Jiang Wan¡¯s wife is also a beauty. If she didn¡¯t take the initiative to seduce musician Jiang, why would she say that she wanted to marry a student? Even if our great Tang is open-minded, master and disciple are still incompatible¡­¡± ¡°Musician Jiang Wan wouldn¡¯t ruin his reputation and future. Qian qingyu must have used some bewitching enchantment on Jiang Wan. Princess Nihon, don¡¯t be deceived by her.¡± Qiao Nihon had stayed in West Mountain Academy for an entire day. After investigating, she found it hard to believe Qian Qingyu. Everyone in the academy was certain that Qian Qingyu had seduced Jiang Wan. .. Qian Qingyu kept vigil at night and slept on a small wooden couch outside the house. She could hear what was happening inside. She didn¡¯t dare to fall asleep during the Night Vigil, afraid that her highness would make her unable to hear. At night, Qian Qingyu dreamed of the day when she was criticized by everyone in the academy. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks There was also the mountain chieftain who took out two hundred taels of silver and sent madam Jiang¡¯s relatives away, he then said to her, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you were brought here by Shang Gong and that you were afraid that our West Mountain Academy would lose its reputation, I wouldn¡¯t have given you these two hundred taels of silver. In the future, you will be a slave in the Academy!¡± From then on, Qian Qingyu had a worse life than when she was a child. She had to wash everyone¡¯s clothes in the cold weather. She worked from morning to night without a moment of leisure. Even so, she still couldn¡¯t finish her work. She never had a moment of rest. After half a year, she couldn¡¯t embroider anymore. Her rough hands would damage the silk threads, and the flowers wouldn¡¯t look good anymore. Lu Ang woke up in the middle of the night and was thirsty. He whispered a few times, but there was no answer. He walked over and saw that she was sleeping soundly, but there were tears at the corner of her eyes. ¡°She can cry even when she is asleep.¡± Lu Ang was only curious. He had never seen anyone cry when they were sleeping. So he moved closer and heard Qian Qingyu¡¯s murmurs when she was sleeping: ¡°Don¡¯t hit me. I¡¯ll wash it right away. Don¡¯t hit me.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t seduce Sir. I didn¡¯t harm anyone.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t seduce Sir. I¡­¡± Lu Ang could not help but frown. Qian qingyu, who was sleeping, once again experienced the feeling of being unable to explain herself. She woke up in shock and opened her eyes. When she got up, she saw Lu ang right in front of her. At that moment, Qian Qingyu thought that she was dreaming. After all, if it was not a dream, the second prince would not be so close to her. ¡°Your Highness, you have to believe me. I really did not seduce anyone¡­ I was really wronged. I really did not know that Jiang Wan once had a wife.¡± Perhaps thinking that she was in a dream, Qian Qingyu held Lu Ang¡¯s hand without any respect. The lantern in Lu Ang¡¯s hand was put aside. Qian qingyu held Lu Ang¡¯s hand with both hands and said anxiously with tears, ¡°Your Highness, you have to believe me. I just want you to believe me.¡± Lu Ang felt very sad at that moment. He hugged Qian qingyu and said, ¡°Okay, I believe you. I believe that you are innocent.¡± If she was really trying to seduce him, how could she not seduce herself these days. Qian Qingyu pushed Lu ang away and said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t Hug You. Your Wedding Date with Miss Nichang is coming¡­ Even in a dream.¡± Lu Ang was pushed by Qian Qingyu. Seeing her weak strength, Lu ang wanted to get angry after being pushed, but he didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. When he stood up, Qian Qingyu closed her eyes and fell asleep again. Lu ang sighed. Well, he was the best master in Chang ¡®an. He would forgive her rudeness tonight. Lu Ang had to get some water by himself. He drank a mouthful of cold water and made up his mind that he would not need Qian Qingyu to keep watch in the future. When Qian Qingyu woke up, it was still dark and the dream was clear. She was scared and broke out in a cold sweat when she knew that she had fallen asleep. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only She didn¡¯t know if His Highness had called her last night. Fortunately, Lu Ang hadn¡¯t woken up yet. When the sky was still bright, Qian Qingyu gently called His Highness. The first thing Lu ang said when he saw Qian qingyu was, ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep watch in the future.¡± ¡°AH? oh.¡±Qian Qingyu answered repeatedly. Chapter 430 Qiao Nihong investigated for three whole days, and all the people she visited thought that Qian Qingyu had deliberately seduced him. When Lu Ang was not in the mansion, Qiao Nihong found Qian Qingyu and went straight to the point. ¡°These days, I visited many students and gentlemen in West Mountain College. They all said that you were the one who seduced Jiang Wan.¡± ¡°You have been in the West Mountain College for many years. Many of your classmates have known you for many years. I don¡¯t think they need to tell such lies. Qian qingyu, you¡¯d better leave the mansion by yourself. Don¡¯t bring this matter to the Queen¡¯s side.¡± Qian qingyu bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Qiao Nihong looked at Qian qingyu curiously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to explain more?¡± Qian qingyu sighed and said, ¡°This servant knows that this matter can not be explained. It is useless to explain.¡± The prince in the dream hugged himself and comforted him, saying that he would believe her. Even if the dream was fake, it was enough for her. ¡°It¡¯s just that this servant still owes the second prince two hundred taels of silver. The contract is also in his hands. This servant can not leave just because this servant says so.¡± Qiao Nihong took out two hundred taels of silver notes from her purse. ¡°Here, I don¡¯t expect you to return it to me. Just leave the mansion as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± .. Lu Ang had lunch in the Changle Palace before returning to the mansion. He had drunk cold water last night and did not sleep well. Lu Ang wanted to go back to the mansion to take a nap. As soon as Lu ang entered the house, he saw Qian Qingyu kneeling in front of him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head, held up two banknotes with both hands and said, ¡°Your Highness, I have collected the silver taels. I would like to ask your highness to return the deed. I also want to leave the mansion.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you have no parents? Where did you get the banknotes? Besides, what else can you do after leaving the mansion? If you become a servant girl, you will not meet a better master than me.¡± With a new master, Qian qingyu only cared about sleeping by herself last night. She had long been punished. Qian qingyu said, ¡°I still have my aunt in the world. When mother took me away, my aunt¡¯s family was already doing well. My aunt said that if I couldn¡¯t stay in Chang ¡®an anymore, I would go back home to find her.¡± ¡°Where is your aunt?¡± ¡°Jiangnan.¡± Lu ang frowned and said, ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to think about leaving. Jiangnan is a long journey, and you have met many people of all walks of life along the way. You haven¡¯t written to your aunt for many years, so maybe your aunt is no longer in Jiangnan. You¡¯d better stay in the Royal Mansion.¡± Lu Ang carefully looked at the banknote in Qian Qingyu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°This banknote is neon, right? Why did she give you the banknote? Tell me!¡± Qian Qingyu somehow gave herself away, but she did not dare to hide it from Lu Ang, she came out with a tray and said, ¡°Princess Nihon was worried that I was a vixen. She was afraid that your highness would be affected by my reputation, so she went to the academy to investigate for a few days before she let me leave the mansion.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°You just stay in the mansion. Even if you make a scene in front of mother, I will protect you.¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to implicate your reputation. I don¡¯t want others to think that you are stupid and seduced by a fox.¡± Lu ang heard this and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to fulfill my reputation. Just stay in the mansion.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After Lu Ang said that, he left the mansion and went to Marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion. When neon heard that Lu Ang had come, she went out to welcome him. When Lu ang saw her, he said, ¡°You forced Qingyu to leave the Prince¡¯s Mansion?¡± Qiao neon said, ¡°She complained?¡±? Lu Ang, the servant girls in your mansion have all been spread. Qian Qingyu¡¯s reputation was not good when she was in the West Mountain. If you keep her by your side as your personal servant girl, it will only harm your reputation. I helped you out of kindness. You won¡¯t Bite Lu Dongbin, right?¡± Qiao Nishang came over and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call brother Ang a dog!¡± Lu Ang:¡±¡­¡± Lu Ang said helplessly to Qiao nishang, ¡°When have I ever blamed you? I know that you¡¯re doing this for my own good, but Qingyu isn¡¯t that kind of person.¡± Qiao nishang said, ¡°When she was young, she was already disloyal enough to tell us about our plan. In order not to become your maid, she even promised Aunt Queen to go to the West Mountain Academy and Betray You. How do you know that she¡¯s not that kind of person? ¡°You said it yourself when you were young. You will never play with Qingyu again.¡± Lu ang heard Qiao Nihon¡¯s words and recalled the past. ¡°So it¡¯s her! No wonder I feel that she is familiar. She is the Qingyu from back then!¡± Qiao Nihon said, ¡°So you didn¡¯t know that she was the qingyu from back then. Now she is the same as she was when she left you.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°You really misunderstood her. She dreamed about this last night. The murmurs in her dreams were wronged. She cried and begged me to believe her. She even cried in her sleep. If she really is that kind of person, why would she be afraid in her sleep?¡± Qiao nishang said, ¡°I visited West Mountain Academy for three days. Everyone is sure that she seduced Jiang Wan. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go and investigate.¡± Only Qiao Nishang asked, ¡°Brother Ang, why did you hear whispers in your sleep?¡± Qiao Nishang widened her eyes and said, ¡°You slept with Qian Qingyu?¡± Lu Ang found it hard to explain himself. As the second prince, he got up in the middle of the night and poured water for himself. He didn¡¯t have any dignity. He was still thinking of an excuse. Qiao Nishang ran away with red eyes. Qiao Nishang snorted. ¡°You, you disappoint me!¡± Qiao Nishang chased after Qiao Nishang. Only Lu Ang was confused. So what if he slept with his maid? Why did it make him look like he had committed a heinous crime? Qiao Nishang ran all the way to a lake. Her eyes were full of tears. ¡°SOB, sob, sob, sob. I don¡¯t like brother Ang anymore. I hate brother Ang.¡± Qiao Nishang rushed over and said, ¡°Alright, stop crying. Without brother Ang, there are many other brothers. For example, brother Qian Yu. He has always been good to you. He even got hurt because of you!¡± Nishang sniffed and smiled. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s still brother Qian Yu. I Don¡¯t want brother Ang anymore.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Nishang:¡±¡­¡± She had never seen a girl who was easier to coax than Qiao Nichang. Qiao Nichang wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, ¡°However, I¡¯m still worried about brother Ang. If Qian Qingyu is really that kind of vixen, brother Ang will be implicated. At that time, he won¡¯t be able to avoid being blamed by the empress. Have you investigated thoroughly?¡± Qiao nichang said, ¡°I¡¯ve investigated thoroughly. The gentlemen there also said that Madam Jiang¡¯s appearance isn¡¯t bad. If it weren¡¯t for Qingyu intentionally seducing her, musician Jiang wouldn¡¯t do such a thing!¡± Qiao nishang said, ¡°But I believe that a person wouldn¡¯t lie in a dream.¡± Chapter 431 - Lu Ang’s support The temperature of autumn had dropped, and the night air was cold. Qian Qingyu had been treated harshly for the past three years, and the worst part was that it was autumn. Every time the sunflower water came, the pain would be unbearable. Lucky saw that Qian Qingyu¡¯s face was pale, and he looked like he would collapse at any moment, so he asked, ¡°Do you want me to invite a doctor to take a look?¡± Qian qingyu shook her head and said, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll be fine after resting for two days.¡± The first time she came to sunflower water, Qian Qingyu did not know that it was sunflower water and thought that she had some serious illness. At that time, she thought that it was a relief. There was nothing left for her in this world. It was only when she found a bloodstain on the clothes of the washing lady that she found out that it was sunflower water that the lady would come to every month. Ma Ya told her that she could not eat raw and cold water when she came to sunflower water, but she could only eat raw and cold water on a daily basis. As for cold water, she could not avoid it. More and more of the female students who came to West Mountain Academy were the pampered daughters of the manor. The academy did not allow maids to accompany the students, so naturally, someone had to wash the clothes. When Qian qingyu came to sunflower water, it was impossible for her not to touch the cold water. Perhaps because of this, the root of her illness fell and she would be in pain every month, but the pain of autumn and winter was especially severe. ¡°Sister Qingyu, His Highness is calling for you.¡± Lucky said to ruyi at the door, ¡°Go and report to His Highness. Qingyu is sick and needs to rest for a day.¡± Ruyi replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Lu ang heard that Qian Qingyu was sick in the study and said, ¡°Let the female doctor in the Xuanshang Palace take a look at her.¡± Ruyi bowed. After Ruyi left, Lu ang looked at the drawings of the Ministry of works for a while and then went to Qian Qingyu¡¯s room. The female doctor was checking Qian Qingyu¡¯s pulse. Everyone saluted when they saw His Highness coming over. Lu ang said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to salute. How is Qingyu?¡± The female doctor sighed and said, ¡°Miss Qingyu doesn¡¯t take good care of her body. It¡¯s because of the cold evil palace. So every time she comes to the sunflower water, she will be in great pain. Miss Qingyu should take good care of her body. Otherwise, it will be difficult for her to have children in the future.¡± ¡°Miss Qingyu, you are so young. How can the Cold Palace be so serious? Sigh, I will give you a few prescriptions. Miss Qingyu, remember to drink them every day. Only by taking good care of yourself can you have hope of having children¡­¡± Qingyu thanked him weakly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lucky sent the female doctor out and Ruyi helped to get the medicine. Only Lu ang and Qian Qingyu were left in the room. Lu Ang was a little embarrassed when he heard about this illness, so he changed the topic, ¡°Five days later, the princess of the Su King¡¯s mansion will hold a banquet and invite the young masters and Daughters of the noble families in Chang ¡®an to listen to Jiang Wan¡¯s music. Neon dress and the others will avenge you. Do you want to go with me?¡± Qian qingyu nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± She was not afraid of confronting Jiang Wan. She had suffered for three years, and she also wanted to see how Jiang Wan¡¯s reputation was ruined. Lu ang asked Qian qingyu, ¡°When you went to the West Mountain Academy, you should have had a better life. Why did you make yourself so miserable and become my servant girl? If you had known, would you have regretted leaving?¡± Qian qingyu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, but according to the rules of the palace, I could not stay. Moreover, the Empress was doing it for my own good. How could I let her down?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After saying that, Qian Qingyu took a deep breath in pain. His palm-sized face was almost scrunched up. Lu ang asked, ¡°Is it really that painful?¡± Lu Ang did not know when to do it, but he remembered that his mother would also have abdominal pain after eating ice in the summer. His father would put his big hand on his mother¡¯s lower abdomen, as if it could alleviate the pain. Lu ang put his hand on Qian Qingyu¡¯s lower abdomen. ¡°This way, can it be better?¡± Qian Qingyu¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°Your Highness, this can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not acceptable? If you can feel better, then so be it.¡± Qian Qingyu looked up at the side of Lu Ang¡¯s face and pursed her lips. She secretly warned herself that her highness only saw that she was in great pain. Her Highness¡¯Princess Consort was Qiao Nichang. She was just a servant girl. Even if she had long been tempted, she should not have thought too much about it. This kind of warmth, it would be fine after a while. However, this was the first time Lu ang felt that a woman¡¯s waist was only so thin. He did not know what kind of life she had been living in the academy all these years. Lu Ang remembered that there was a person who begged the medical woman to save her that day. It seemed to be someone called Ma Ya. He should have found her and asked her about it. .. Ma Ya was a little scared when the second prince called her over to the Prince¡¯s residence of Pingliang. However, she wanted to see how Qian Qingyu was doing. Ma Ya arrived at the main hall of the Prince¡¯s residence and knelt down before Lu ang, who was seated at the seat of honor. ¡°Your Daughter Greets Your Highness Prince Pingliang.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°No need for formalities. I called you here today because I want to ask you what kind of life Qian Qingyu has been living in the academy these past few years. How did she end up with such a set of problems at such a young age?¡± Ma Ya lowered her head and said, ¡°If it were a court official or a daughter, she would have died a long time ago during these three years in the academy. Granny Wang beat and scolded her. There were at least a thousand people in the academy. Even if every student changed their clothes every three days, she would have to wash three to four hundred sets of clothes every day. ¡°From morning to night, she would have to chop firewood and wash the shoes for those students. Not to mention washing the bed sheets and bedding for the students in the academy. She could only sleep for six hours every day for the past three years, ¡°The rest of the time, she was busy all the time.¡± ¡°There were times when I went to visit her. She was just too tired. After a short rest, she would be whipped. In winter, it was needless to say that her hands were not only swollen from blisters but also full of frostbite. She was an embroidery expert praised by Mr. Lin. It was said that her embroidery skills could not even be matched by the beautiful women in the palace. However, over the years, her hands were unable to embroider anything. They were all calluses, if she was not careful, the silk thread would be destroyed. There was not a single piece of good skin on her body. It was all beaten by Granny Wang with a whip. Not long ago, on a rainy day, Granny Wang¡¯s whip almost killed her.¡± Lu Ang had watched Granny Wang beat her that day. He was quite regretful that he had not been able to go out and stop Granny Wang. If he had known that she would be like this when she went to the West Mountain Academy, he would not have let Qingyu leave no matter what he said. Lu ang asked again, ¡°How much do you know about Jiang Wan?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Ma ya replied, ¡°It was Jiang Wan who deceived qingyu, whose future was uncertain at that time. The women of the same level in the academy were jealous of Qingyu¡¯s appearance, and they casually slandered and slandered her. The three of them became tigers, and Qingyu was killed.¡± Lu Ang went to find nanny Ning and said, ¡°Go to West Mountain Academy, arrest Granny Wang, and send her to the government. Also, find the mountain chief of West Mountain Academy.¡± When the mountain chief of the West Mountain Academy arrived at the second Prince¡¯s residence, he trembled. Lu ang saw the middle-aged woman kneeling on the ground and said coldly, ¡°Back then, mother managed the West Mountain Academy to Save a girl who had nowhere to turn. Now, it has become a good place for some rich family¡¯s daughters to gild their gold. Do they even need someone to wash their clothes? ¡°Qingyu was specially sent to the West Mountain Academy by Mother¡¯s order, except for slaves. Who allowed you to force her to be a slave?¡± Chapter 432 The mountain chieftain kneeled on the ground and could not stop trembling, he said repeatedly, ¡°Your Highness, I forced her to be a slave in order to calm things down. After all, she seduced the teachers in the academy. If we don¡¯t punish her, I¡¯m afraid it will destroy the reputation of all the students in the West Mountain Academy¡­¡± Lu ang said angrily, ¡°As the mountain chieftain, don¡¯t you believe in your own student?¡±? Even if Qingyu had seduced Jiang Wan and Jiang Wan did not want to divorce his wife, his wife would not die. The main culprit was Jiang Wan. What did qingyu have to do with it? Back then, she was only fourteen years old and had yet to reach marriageable age. Jiang Wan was ten years older than her, yet she did not blame Jiang Wan, but Qingyu? How could there be such a reason? The mountain chieftain said, ¡°Your Highness, I know my mistake.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be the mountain chieftain anymore. I will report this matter to my mother. From today onwards, West Mountain Academy will be closed for half a month.¡± The original intention of West Mountain Academy was for women to be more knowledgeable. Over the years, there was no lack of academic excellence in West Mountain Academy. However, as the reputation of West Mountain Academy grew, there were many daughters of wealthy families who came to west mountain academy to be gold-plated, deviating from the original intention of his mother when she ran West Mountain Academy. If this matter was not resolved, the reputation of West Mountain Academy would truly be ruined. After the second Prince entered the palace, Ma Ya went to Qian Qingyu¡¯s room. When she saw Qian Qingyu, she hurriedly said, ¡°Qingyu.¡± After Qian Qingyu Drank the medicine, she was already much better. When she saw Ma Ya, she said with some excitement, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ma Ya smiled slightly and said, ¡°It was the second prince who announced me to come. The second prince is really good to you. No wonder you have been unable to forget him. His Highness ordered the punishment of Old Wang and even dismissed the mountain chieftain for investigation.¡± When Qian Qingyu heard this, she felt even more grateful towards the second prince. Ma ya smiled and said, ¡°Now that I have seen His Highness the second Prince¡¯s feelings for you with my own eyes, I can rest assured in the future. You can finally have a place to stay in the imperial residence.¡± Qian qingyu only smiled slightly. She did not know how long she could stay in the imperial residence, but she would be satisfied if she could stay for one more day. .. The beginning of September was a good day for autumn. Princess Qing Yuan of the Prince Su¡¯s mansion was holding a banquet in a mountain villa on the outskirts of the city today. She invited people from Chang ¡®an city to listen to Jiang Wan¡¯s music. Qian Qingyu sat outside the carriage and watched the scenery along the way. After entering the West Mountain Academy, she had never left the west mountain. When she arrived at the Lu Ang¡¯s mansion, she had never left the mansion. She had been in Chang ¡®an for more than ten years, and this was the first time she could see the prosperity of Chang ¡®an. King Su had always been a man with his tail between his legs in Chang ¡®an. However, because his only daughter was Qing Yuan, he doted on her very much. When Qing Yuan was very young, he had given the imperial manor to Qing Yuan. The people who came to the banquet today were all descendants of the royal families, and the outside of the manor was filled with horse carriages. Princess Qing Yuan welcomed them at the door. When she saw Lu ang coming over, she said, ¡°Second brother, you are here. I have been waiting for you for a long time. Last time, I told you to let Jiang Wan into the palace¡¯s teaching workshop. You said that you wanted to hear Jiang Wan¡¯s songs first. Finally, you have come. After you hear it, you will definitely be amazed.¡± The Chang ¡®an teaching workshop was divided into two types of teaching workshops. However, there was a difference. The teaching workshops in the palace were dedicated to performing songs for the Emperor and the Empress. There were grades. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The second type was for high-ranking officials and nobles who could be hired as long as they paid money. Usually, the emperor would let them perform for the common people and soldiers. There was no rank. They were just singers. Qing Yuan wanted Jiang Wan to enter the palace and become a musician in the academy, but it was not so easy to meet the musicians of Tian Yan Lu ang said, ¡°If he is really capable and has a good character, there is no harm in entering the palace.¡± Qing Yuan said happily, ¡°I knew that second brother is the best.¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and followed beside Lu Ang. She did not dare to raise her head to look at the nobles in the garden. After the banquet started, the sound of zither could be heard from afar. In the river in the manor, a small boat could be seen coming from the mist. The music was moving, as if it was a fairyland. After the song, Jiang Wan got off the boat in white. She walked to Lu Ang and knelt down to greet him. ¡°I, Jiang Wan, pay my respects to Your Highness, Second Prince.¡± Lu Ang sat on the throne. Qian Qingyu stood behind him and looked down. When she saw Jiang Wan kneeling at her feet, even if she was not the one kneeling, it was still very satisfying. After the matter was exposed, his wife¡¯s relatives came looking for him. Jiang Wan did not have a man to take responsibility for it. He pushed all the responsibility onto himself. After his wife died, he said that it was because Qian qingyu forced him to divorce his wife. But before that, Qian Qingyu did not know that he had a wife. Princess Qing Yuan said in front of everyone, ¡°Second Brother, you also heard the music he played. His ability is not inferior to the musicians in the palace¡¯s teaching workshop. Do you think he could enter the palace as a musician?¡± Qiao Nihong stood up and said, ¡°I think it is inappropriate to let him enter the palace as a musician.¡± Princess Qing Yuan said, ¡°Nihong, what right do you have to say that?¡± ¡°The musicians in the palace¡¯s teaching workshop not only have to be skilled, but they also have to have a good character. Jiang Wan abandoned the chaff and seduced the female students in West Mountain Academy when she was teaching. She disregarded human relations and was worse than a pig or a dog!¡± Princess Qing yuan frowned and said, ¡°That was because that female student had no sense of shame and seduced Jiang Wan. Jiang Wan pitied her for having no parents, but who knew that the female student would go so far as to seduce Jiang Wan, causing Jiang Wan¡¯s wife to commit suicide out of jealousy. What does this have to do with Jiang Wan?¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°How is it not related? If he doesn¡¯t want to divorce his wife, how could that female student threaten Jiang Wan? Moreover, that female student didn¡¯t even know Jiang Wan was married. She was the victim.¡± Jiang Wan quickly said, ¡°Princess, no, she was the one who seduced me! ¡°It was all done by Qian Qingyu. She was also the one who forced me. If I didn¡¯t want to divorce my wife, she would tell everyone that I was disrespected as a teacher and humiliated her. I was threatened by her, so I had no choice but to divorce my wife.¡± Qian qingyu frowned and said, ¡°Nonsense, Jiang Wan. At that time, I didn¡¯t even know that you had a wife. How could I threaten you? You lied and harmed people¡¯s lives. Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡± Jiang Wan looked up and saw Qian Qingyu. She was slightly stunned. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Qian Qingyu looked at Jiang Wan and felt very disgusted. ¡°I dare to swear that everything I said is true. Do you dare to swear?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Jiang Wan said, ¡°Of course I dare to swear. If it weren¡¯t for you seducing me and threatening me, I would have gone crazy to do such an indecent thing. Now you still want me to go down with you? Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Qian Qingyu was extremely anxious. It was as if she had returned to that day when no one believed her and everyone came to mock her.. Qing yuan also said, ¡°So that little slut is you. You came out just in time. You almost ruined Jiang Wan¡¯s reputation. If you dare to cause trouble again today, I will make sure you die a horrible death.¡± Lu ang said lightly, ¡°Sister, you have such a big mouth. How can you make a move on my people? Jiang Wan forced his wife to die first and lied to the female students later. His crime is unforgivable. Men, drag him away and send him to the border.¡± Qing Yuan said anxiously, ¡°Second Brother, how can you let Jiang Wan leave without any reason?¡± Chapter 433 Lu Ang looked at Qing Yuan and said, ¡°Do I need a reason to punish a musician?¡± Qing Yuan was speechless. Lu Ang stood up and left the manor. Qiao Nihong chased after him. She glanced at Qian qingyu, who was beside Lu ang, and said, ¡°Lu Ang, Princess Qing Yuan will not be satisfied with you convicting Jiang Wan so easily.¡± ¡°Besides, this doesn¡¯t prove that Qian Qingyu is innocent.¡± Lu Ang said to Qiao nihong, ¡°I can¡¯t punish a mere musician, can I?¡± He really didn¡¯t want to see Jiang Wan and Qian Qingyu continue to confront each other. He was very unhappy to see Jiang Wan. If he couldn¡¯t even punish a musician, then what he did as a prince would be meaningless. When Qian Qingyu went back, she sat in front of the carriage again and saw Jiang Wan being taken away by the guards in the mansion from a distance. She felt relieved and looked at the scorching sun in the sky, which drove away the haze she had had for years. ¡°Qingyu.¡± Hearing Lu Ang¡¯s shout in the carriage, Qian Qingyu went in and asked, ¡°What Do You Want, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Sit inside while it¡¯s outside,¡±Lu Ang said. ¡°From now on, you can stay in the Prince¡¯s residence with Peace of mind.¡± ¡°Thank You, Your Highness.¡± As soon as Lu ang entered the residence, Nanny Ning came over and reported, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re finally back. The Changle Palace has announced that you and Miss Qingyu are going.¡± Upon hearing that it was announced by the Empress, Qingyu immediately became nervous. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°When my mother saw you, she must have wanted to ask about West Mountain Academy. You Don¡¯t have to be nervous. My mother is the gentlest in the world.¡± It was impossible for Qian Qing Yu not to be nervous. As Lu ang entered the palace, Qian Qing Yu did not dare to raise her head to look at the high and mighty woman sitting on the main seat in the hall. She knelt down and bowed. ¡°This servant greets the empress.¡± Lady Qiao said slowly, ¡°No need. Back then, I let you leave the second Prince¡¯s palace. I did not expect that I would harm you. ¡°All these years, I did not know that West Mountain Academy would turn out like this. When we recruit students next year, we will strictly investigate.¡± Qian qingyu knelt down and said, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°You may leave,¡±Lady Qiao said. ¡°Ang-er, you may stay.¡± Qian Qingyu took a few steps back before turning around to leave. After seeing Qian Qingyu leave, Qiao Jinniang said to Lu ang, ¡°I heard from Nihon that Qian Qingyu is someone in your room?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Nihon is spouting nonsense. She is just a servant girl by my side.¡± Qiao jinniang asked softly, ¡°You have never doted on her? In that case, I owe her in the end. I heard that she still has relatives in Jiangnan. I plan to give her a large sum of money so that she can return to Jiangnan to seek help from her relatives to start a small business. Even if she can¡¯t find any relatives, she can still get the Qian family¡¯s Bai Wei Lou to help her. After all, she is only a servant in the imperial residence.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°What¡¯s so bad about being a servant in the imperial residence? I have never mistreated servants. As a servant in the imperial residence, I don¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing. No one dares to bully her.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°A servant is still a servant. How can a servant be compared to a good title? Besides, she will get married in this lifetime. The difference between a servant and a good title¡¯s husband is like the difference between heaven and Earth.¡± Qiao Jinniang saw Lu Ang¡¯s conflicted look and said, ¡°You should think about it yourself.¡± .. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After returning to the imperial residence. Lu Ang took a few glances at Qingyu and felt unhappy. He knew that Qingyu wanted to get married. Otherwise, she would not have been deceived by Jiang Wan. However, if she were to leave the imperial residence.., what if she was bullied by a man like Jiang Wan again? Qingyu handed Lu ang a cup of tea and asked, ¡°Your Highness, is there anything on my face?¡± Lu Ang took the tea and took a sip. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have a headache. Give me a massage.¡± Qian Qingyu walked behind Lu ang and pressed his temple with her thumb. ¡°Your Highness, is your strength okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lu ang narrowed his eyes and made up his mind. He selfishly wanted to keep Qian Qingyu by his side. What was so good about getting married? Nanny Ning was never married, and now she was the one and only nanny in the mansion. If Qian Qingyu stayed in the mansion, she would be the nanny in the mansion even when she was old. Why did she still want to get married out of the mansion? Wouldn¡¯t it be terrible if she married someone else? If she didn¡¯t get married, she could be at ease. Qian Qingyu didn¡¯t know what Lu Ang was thinking, but she had made up her mind. Unless His Highness drove her away, she would stay by his side and be his slave for the rest of her life. .. At the beginning of October, the cold wind in the early winter blew down the leaves on the ground. The temperature dropped overnight, and the maids who had just woken up changed into winter clothes. Qian Qingyu went to Lu Ang¡¯s room early in the morning. Lu Ang had received an errand in the Ministry of Works. He had to attend morning court meetings every morning. Even if there was no morning court meeting, he had to go to the palace to learn. Qian Qingyu entered. Lu Ang had just woken up. He saw Qian qingyu and said, ¡°After today¡¯s court meeting, I have an appointment with Nichang and the others to go to the Yuan Xi Temple. There¡¯s no need to prepare my lunch at noon.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±Qian qingyu walked to a box at the side and took out a large cloak. She handed it to Lu Ang¡¯s personal servant and said, ¡°The Yuan Xi Temple is on the mountain. It¡¯s very cold. Your Highness should put on the cloak when you go up the mountain.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°It¡¯s not so cold. How can people who practice martial arts be afraid of the cold?¡± Qian Qingyu helped Lu ang put on the cloak and tied a ribbon around his waist. She said, ¡°It¡¯s easy to catch a cold in winter. Your Highness should wear more clothes to take care of yourself.¡± Lu ang smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± After Qian Qingyu sent Lu ang off, Si Xi snorted. ¡°Your Highness has an appointment with Princess Nichang at the Yuan Xi Temple. The wedding is coming soon. Qian Qingyu, I advise you to stop your seductive thoughts.¡± Lucky said, ¡°What are you talking about? Be careful that Nanny Ning doesn¡¯t hear you and slap your mouth!¡± Si Xi looked at lucky with contempt and said, ¡°You¡¯re so good to her, do you really think she can be His Highness¡¯sidekick? She¡¯s just a substitute for Miss Nichang.¡±. Yuan Xi temple was famous for holding marriages and seeking children. His Highness had gone to seek marriage. Once Miss Nichang entered, how could Qian Qingyu, the imposter, be worthy of staying in the royal residence!¡± Qingyu looked at Si XI indifferently and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not worthy, then you¡¯re worthy again?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Si XI said, ¡°When Miss Nichang enters, you¡¯ll have a good time!¡± After Si Xi left.., lucky said to qingyu, ¡°Ignore her. She¡¯s just jealous that His Highness thinks highly of you. Miss Nichang is a kind person. Moreover, after a long time, I can see that you and Miss Nichang have many differences.¡± The two of them had different temperaments and figures. Qingyu was the frail Liu Fufeng, while Qiao Nichang was the bright and elegant young lady from an aristocratic family. Qingyu said, ¡°Miss Nichang is a kind person. She Won¡¯t mind these things. I also look forward to her entering the residence as soon as possible. I think His Highness will be happier this way.¡± Qingyu remembered that His Highness wanted Miss Nichang to stay in the palace when she was young. It would be better after Miss Nichang reached her marriageable age next year. Chapter 434 The Yuan Xi Temple had always been bustling with incense. As soon as the carriage stopped at the door, Qiao Nihong¡¯s maidservant carried a lot of gold ingots folded in yellow paper into the temple. Qiao Nihong¡¯s maidservant did not want to be outdone and carried a lot of fruits. A young novice monk came forward to welcome them. ¡°Amitabha, His Highness the second prince, the princess, Miss Qiao, Young Master Qian, please come in.¡± Qian Yu curiously asked Qiao nihong, ¡°This Yuan Xi temple has always been seeking marriage. Aren¡¯t the two sisters here to seek success next year? They should be seeking bodhisattva Wenshu from Wenchang.¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°There are also two bodhisattvas from Wenshu and Wenchang in the Yuan Xi Temple. Moreover, these two bodhisattvas in the Yuan Xi temple usually don¡¯t have anyone to worship them. ¡°Suddenly, there are such generous devotees like us who come to worship them. Bodhisattvas will naturally protect us. ¡°Unlike other temples that are full of worshippers, Bodhisattva Wenshu won¡¯t be able to control Wenchang.¡± Qian Yu:¡±¡­¡±Qiao Nihong had a point. Lu Ang was deeply influenced by Qiao Jinniang. He was not a Buddhist. Usually, he came to the temple because Qiao Nihong did not have a biological brother. He only came to accompany the two Qiao cousins. However, after entering the temple, he went to worship the bodhisattva with respect and drew a lot. When the lot fell out, Lu ang handed the lot to the little novice monk beside him. The little novice monk flipped through the corresponding lot and copied down the lot. Lu Ang saw that it was a good lot and said, ¡°Today¡¯s luck is not bad.¡± The abbot walked over, he gave a Buddhist proclamation to Lu ang and said, ¡°Amitabha. What Your Highness has is a good fortune in marriage. The heaven-fake good fortune is a good match, and the two families are most compatible. The zither tune and the rustling are set before the real one, and the weta is summoned to be stung.¡±. In this fortune, it was said that your highness and the woman with the same mind were destined to be together. In this life, the zither and the rustling would definitely be harmonious, and they would grow old together. There would be many children and grandchildren. ¡°Congratulations, Your Highness, your marriage is coming.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Master, this time, it won¡¯t work. I don¡¯t have anyone who shares the same heart and mind, let alone a woman who loves each other. This fortune doesn¡¯t allow it.¡± The abbot just smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness, keep this fortune. Whether it¡¯s accurate or not, we¡¯ll see in the future.¡± Most of the people who came to the Yuanxi temple were people who sought marriage. Therefore, there was a marriage tree here. Legend had it that by stepping on the Plum Blossom Stakes, one could safely hang the red rope on the marriage tree. The higher the red rope was hung, the more they could be together for life. Lu Ang did not believe in these things. On the other hand, Qiao Ni-hong and Qiao Ni-hong were having a great time. The two of them were competing to see who could hang the red rope higher. When they left Yuanxi Temple, Qiao Ni-hong bought four marriage talismans and gave them to each of them. ¡°Take this with you. This is for me. When I have a marriage, you can take it off.¡± Lu ang sighed. ¡°It can¡¯t be forever, right?¡± Qiao Nihong snorted. ¡°It seems that you want me to tear down your mansion, right?¡± ¡°Come on, I¡¯m afraid of you. I¡¯ll take it day and night and pray for you to get married soon. I¡¯ll have to find someone to control you.¡± Lu ang hung the marriage talismans in front of the sash. They didn¡¯t go back to the Marquis Mansion of an Yuan and the Xie mansion directly. Instead, they went to Lu Ang¡¯s mansion. Lu Ang was not weak yet. He could have stayed in the palace until he was 20 years old. But last year, he begged his parents to come out and live in the mansion. Living in the palace was not as free as living in the mansion. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qian Qingyu heard that Lu Ang had returned and went to the front yard to welcome him. Lu ang saw Qian qingyu and said, ¡°You came at the right time. Go to the wine cellar and bring the peach blossom wine to Qingfeng Garden.¡± ¡°Yes,¡±Qian Qingyu replied. Qian Yu said to Lu ang, ¡°Your Highness, is it inappropriate to drink? Nichang is still young.¡± Qiao nichang said, ¡°Brother Yu, why are you nagging like Father and mother? It¡¯s not easy for us to come out for a day. It¡¯s fine to drink a little.¡± When Qian Yu heard what Qiao Nichang said, he could only agree. ¡°Then you can only drink a little. You¡¯re not allowed to drink too much.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I Won¡¯t get drunk.¡± When Qian Qingyu brought the wine over, she had already placed the wine in the warm wine pot to warm it. Lu ang said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to warm the wine. We all like to eat cold things.¡± Qian qingyu gently smiled and advised, ¡°Your Highness, drinking cold wine is not easy to get rid of. Moreover, it¡¯s already winter. The princess and Miss Qiao shouldn¡¯t eat raw cold things, let alone wine.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Then let¡¯s drink warm wine.¡± Qiao Nihong tilted her head and looked at Lu Ang. ¡°When did you become so obedient? Aunt Empress has always told you to drink warm wine, but you did not listen¡­¡± Qian qingyu smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness is not obedient, but you feel sorry for the two young ladies.¡± Qian qingyu gave Lu ang wine. The four of them could not hold their liquor well. At first, they swore that they would not get drunk, but later, apart from Qian Yu who was still a little sober, the rest were extremely drunk. When Nanny Ning came over, she scolded Qian qingyu, ¡°His Highness wants to drink wine, how can you really give him wine? This wine is from the Crown Prince¡¯s palace. Serve His Highness back to his room to rest first.¡± She could only send the two Miss Qiao home by herself. His Highness had brought his two younger sisters to get drunk and spread it to the palace, so he should be punished again. Qian Qingyu looked thin and weak, but after three years of hard work, she was quite strong. She did not need help from others to help the half-drunk Lu ang back to his room. When they reached the room, Lucky brought a bowl of hangover soup. ¡°I forgot to tell you, when His Highness wants to drink, you must stop him.¡± Lucky walked up to him and said, ¡°Your Highness, drink the hangover soup first before you sleep.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I¡¯m not drunk¡­ Don¡¯t drink the hangover soup. It¡¯s too fishy, I don¡¯t need to drink the hangover soup.¡± Qian qingyu said to lucky, ¡°Give me the hangover soup.¡± Qian qingyu took the hangover soup and said softly, ¡°Your Highness is not drunk, but if you don¡¯t Drink the Soup Tomorrow, you will have a headache. Just drink some.¡± Lu ang frowned, but he still drank the antidote in one gulp. Qian Qingyu then took off Lu Ang¡¯s clothes. When she took off the ribbon, she saw the marriage talisman hanging on it. She took off her outer clothes, and there was a fortune sign hidden in her sleeve. Lucky asked softly, ¡°This fortune sign is a good fortune? What does it mean?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qian qingyu looked at the meaning of the fortune sign, and felt happy for her highness, she said to lucky, ¡°It says that his highness will be able to get married to a woman who is connected to him in his life. He will also be able to play the zither, play the zither, and sing until he has a full family. That is such a good thing.¡± Lucky asked, ¡°Then who is the woman who is connected to him?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I just saw that the marriage talisman on Miss Nichang¡¯s body is the same as the one on his highness¡¯waist. There is no other woman who is connected to him other than Miss Nichang.¡± Lucky looked at Qian qingyu curiously and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you disappointed? I can see that you like His Highness.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°His Highness is so good. Who can not like him? But I know my own limitations. It is enough that I can serve him by his side. It is already my fortune to be his servant.¡± Chapter 435 After Nanny Ning returned from Marquis an Yuan¡¯s and Xie¡¯s residences, she called Qian Qingyu to the courtyard and said, ¡°His Highness thinks highly of you. I have always seen you as a sensible person. How can I allow His Highness to get drunk today?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°This servant understands my mistake. If this happens again in the future, I will definitely stop His Highness.¡± Nanny Ning sighed and said, ¡°Forget it. On account that you are a newcomer, I will let you off this time. If you do it again in the future, Don¡¯t blame me for punishing you.¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and agreed. Nanny Ning warned Qian qingyu again, ¡°Also, there are some rumors in the manor recently. I have already ruthlessly dealt with those maidservants. Si Xi has also been demoted to a third-class maidservant. You are a smart person. If some things become true, then Si XI¡¯s fate will also be yours!¡± Qian qingyu replied repeatedly, ¡°I will definitely do my duty. I don¡¯t dare to have any other thoughts.¡± .. After Lu ang woke up in the middle of the night, he had a terrible headache and called out softly. However, it was the Ruyi who came to watch the night. ¡°Your Highness, do you want to drink water?¡± ¡°Go and call Qingyu over.¡± Lu Ang¡¯s head hurt. Lu Xi lied to him. She clearly said that the peach blossom wine was not drunk, so he gave the peach blossom wine to neon and neon to drink. Ruyi agreed and went into Lucky and Whisper¡¯s room. When Whisper heard that Lu ang was looking for her, she did not dare to delay. Her waterfall-like long hair was roughly tied up with a hairpin. She wore a thin outer garment and went into Lu Ang¡¯s room. ¡°Your Highness, what can I do for You?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°My head hurts. Help me massage it.¡± Whisper walked to the bedside and gently pressed Lu Ang¡¯s head. Lu Ang took in a breath of cold air and reached out to touch Qingyu¡¯s hand. ¡°Why are your hands so cold?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°It¡¯s inevitable that your hands and feet will be cold in winter. Your Highness, Don¡¯t drink in the future. My father died of alcoholism back then. Being drunk is the most hurtful thing.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Okay, I Won¡¯t drink more in the future.¡± Qian Qingyu smiled and held Lu Ang¡¯s head. Seeing that he was gradually falling asleep, Qian Qingyu did not dare to leave just like that. She was afraid that Lu ang would wake up and cry out for a headache later. She borrowed a thin quilt from Ruyi and fell asleep on the foot of the bed. Her body was half-leaning on the bedside as if she had not slept. When the sky was just beginning to Brighten, Lu Ang woke up. Today, he did not go to the morning court but still had to go to the palace. He did not sleep anymore. When he got up, he saw Qian Qingyu leaning on the bedside. Lu Ang looked at her face, which was only the size of his hand, and wanted to kiss her. Lu Ang thought so and did so. He quickly pecked on the side of her face and left. After lying back, his face turned red. Qian qingyu woke up when she sensed the movement. She didn¡¯t know what touched her face just now. Seeing Lu Ang¡¯s Red Face, she went over and touched Lu ang¡¯s forehead. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s so hot. Is she still drunk or Hot?¡±Qian qingyu muttered to herself, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the imperial physician.¡± Lu ang reached out and grabbed Qian Qingyu¡¯s wrist. Qian Qingyu stumbled and fell on Lu Ang¡¯s quilt, close to Lu Ang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Lu Ang didn¡¯t let go of Qian Qingyu, but looked into her eyes carefully. ¡°Your eyes are very beautiful.¡± Lu ang said softly, ¡°Your Highness, you must still be drunk. I Am Qingyu, not Miss Nichang.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I know.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qian qingyu trembled and said, ¡°You let go of me¡­ it is not appropriate to be seen by others.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°What is not appropriate? We used to be like this when we were young.¡± ¡°You already said that we were young. You and I are almost 18 years old. If you continue to be like this, it will be inappropriate.¡±Qian qingyu struggled to get up. Lu ang saw that Qian Qingyu was full of conflict, so he could only let go of Qian Qingyu. Looking at her fleeing back, he sighed helplessly. The fortune written yesterday was still not effective. He realized that he had someone he liked, but she was so against him. How am I inferior to that Jiang Wan? He is a prince.. Qian Qingyu ran to the door and took in the cold wind to calm herself down. If this continued, she might not be able to control her thoughts. After the redness on Qian Qingyu¡¯s face receded, she went back into the room and waited for Lu Ang to get dressed. Lu Ang said to Qian qingyu, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened just now. I didn¡¯t mean to be flirtatious with you. Maybe I was still drunk yesterday.¡± Qian Qingyu was disappointed. Yes, with her status, it must have been the second Prince¡¯s drunken stupidity. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me, Master.¡± Qian Qingyu put on the marriage charm that she picked yesterday for Lu Ang. She felt that the marriage charm was too hot to handle. Since His Highness would have a marriage of zither and rustle, it was better for her servant to keep her heart. .. It was December and the winter plum blossoms were in full bloom in the mansion. Lu Ang invited his family and friends to the mansion for a banquet. The crown prince and the others would be coming today. Qian Qingyu and the other maidservants did not dare to let their guard down. They began to prepare for the banquet early in the morning. There was a red plum hill in the mansion. As far as the eye could see, there were many red plum blossoms in full bloom. It added a touch of color to the cold and boring winter. Qian Qingyu was arranged by Nanny Ning to serve the crown prince. Lu Xi recognized Qian Qingyu as soon as she saw her. ¡°Weren¡¯t you a student of West Mountain Academy? Why did you become a servant in Angdi¡¯s mansion?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Your Highness, the second Prince has helped me a lot. I have no way to repay him. I can only repay the favor of the second Prince for me.¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°I see. You and niching look alike. Naturally, brother Ang will help you.¡± Lu Ang saw that his royal brother, who had always kept his distance from women and looked coldly at beauties, was now chatting happily with Qian Qingyu. He was very displeased and walked over to pull Qian qingyu away. When they reached the depths of Merlin, Lu ang let go. ¡°What did you say to My Royal Brother Just Now? It¡¯s better that you don¡¯t talk to him in the future. He likes to be moody. There are no palace maids in the Eastern Palace.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°How can the crown prince be unpredictable? I often heard in the academy and the backyard that the crown prince has the style of His Majesty when he was young. He is the kindest person.¡± Lu ang asked, ¡°In your eyes, is my royal brother that good?¡± ¡°Of course the crown prince is good.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qian Qingyu answered. She remembered that Lu ang and Lu Xi were very close brothers. When they were young, Lu Ang would follow Lu Xi whenever he saw her. He didn¡¯t allow anyone to say anything bad about the crown prince. Lu Ang¡¯s face turned dark when he heard Qian Qingyu¡¯s answer. He said in a strange tone, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that my royal brother doesn¡¯t like women. Even if you¡¯re as beautiful as a fairy, it¡¯s useless!¡± ¡°Ah?¡±Qian Qingyu was very surprised. It was often said that Lu Xi had a good relationship with long yang. Was It True? Lu ang thought that Qian Qingyu really liked Lu XI. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He held Qian Qingyu¡¯s chin and said, ¡°You are my slave. Don¡¯t change your mind. Do you understand?¡± Chapter 436 Qian qingyu said, ¡°I Am Your Highness¡¯maid. I will never be a maid for anyone else in my life, and I will never change my mind.¡± Lu Ang heard her promise and smiled slightly. He looked at a plum blossom that was blown away by the wind and fell on Qian Qingyu¡¯s hair bun. He raised his hand and took the plum blossom down. The two of them were very close and quiet. Their eyes met. Lu ang lowered his head and kissed Qian Qingyu¡¯s forehead. ¡°I have stamped it. Remember what you said.¡± Qian qingyu touched her forehead. The touch made her whole body numb. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Lu ang lowered his head and kissed her red lips again. His actions were unfamiliar, but he tasted something sweeter than the glutinous rice balls made by his mother. Qian Qingyu was held in Lu Ang¡¯s arms. At this moment, she forgot to keep her identity. She liked his highness so much, why would she push him away at this time? After a long time, when both of them were panting, the two of them separated. Qian qingyu lowered her head shyly. At this moment, Qiao Nichang and Qian Yu¡¯s voices came from not far away. With the cover of the plum tree, only their voices could be heard, but no one could see them. ¡°Sister Nichang, what did you think about what I told you last time? If you agree, I will ask my mother to go to the Xie residence to propose marriage.¡± Qiao Nichang lowered her head and touched the corner of her clothes. ¡°My mother is not well, and I am still young. I don¡¯t want to get married so early. Since you have promised me to stay in Chang ¡®an, why are you in such a hurry?¡± Qian yu said, ¡°I am just afraid that Lu ang¡­¡± ¡°Aiya, I am still young anyway. There is no need to rush the marriage. Let me settle down and get the title first before we talk about it!¡± Qian Yu¡¯s words were not very clear. She then remembered Miss Nishang. From the voice, it sounded like the crown prince of King Wu.. Lu Ang held her hand and went back to the banquet. He did not allow her to serve the crown prince anymore. He even let her sit beside him. Qingyu sat beside Lu ang as if she was sitting on pins and needles. However, because it was His Highness¡¯order, she did not dare to disobey. She could only kneel beside Lu ang. Lu Xi saw this and frowned slightly. She did not say anything. Lu Ang handed a piece of plum blossom cake to qingyu and said, ¡°Try the plum blossom cake. It¡¯s very sweet.¡± Qian Qingyu was stared at by everyone. She was at a loss. She could only take a small sip and said, ¡°It is very sweet.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as sweet as you,¡±Lu Ang said in a voice that could be heard by the two of them. Qian qingyu lowered her head shyly. Yue Rong, the daughter of Qin Miaomiao, asked Qiao nihong curiously, ¡°Sister Hong, who is the sister next to the second Prince? She looks like sister Nichang. I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡± Qiao nihong replied, ¡°Her name is qingyu.¡± Qiao Nihong had forgotten about the past. Lu Ang had never taken care of a woman like this before. After all, he was a prince, yet he was feeding a servant girl with such tenderness and affection today, this was clearly an acknowledgment that Qian Qingyu¡¯s relationship with him was extraordinary. After the banquet, when Lu Ang sent Lu Xi away, Lu Xi warned Lu ang, ¡°Although you are a prince, you can not take concubines and side concubines. Otherwise, others will say that mother is lenient with herself and is strict with others.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I don¡¯t plan to take concubines and side concubines. I only have one princess.¡± Lu Xi understood what he was thinking from Lu Ang¡¯s eyes, and her face was full of displeasure. After all, Qian Qingyu was a servant girl without parents. It was inappropriate for this slave to be a princess. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks When Qian Qingyu heard Lu Ang¡¯s words, she was stunned. She wouldn¡¯t take concubines and no side concubines.. Qian qingyu lowered her head and did not dare to have any more expectations. Qian Qingyu returned to her room and took a sip of hot tea. Lucky and Ruyi came in. Lucky said with a smile, ¡°His Highness asked you to sit beside him just now. It seems that your wedding is coming soon. Congratulations.¡± Ruyi also said, ¡°Since his highness treats you so intimately in front of everyone, at least you can be a concubine in the royal mansion. That¡¯s Great.¡± Behind the two of them was Si XI. She said, ¡°What Prince¡¯s concubine? She just has the same face as Miss Nichang.¡±. ¡°I just found out that Miss Nichang and Prince Wu¡¯s crown prince Qian Yu are in love. His Highness just lost Miss Nichang, so he used Qian Qingyu as a substitute.¡± The hot tea in Qian Qingyu¡¯s hand fell to the ground. Si Xi said, ¡°His Highness likes Miss Nichang, and you are just a substitute fake. To think that the two of you rushed here to congratulate the fake, just waiting to see if his highness will give Qian Qingyu a title!¡± Ji Xiang said, ¡°You are now a third-class servant girl, who allowed you to come in?¡± Si Xi looked at Qian Qingyu with contempt and said in a strange tone, ¡°You took Miss Nichang¡¯s light and really thought of yourself as half a master of the mansion. Aren¡¯t you still a servant girl now?¡± In Qian Qingyu¡¯s mind, the words that Lu Ang had said to the crown prince just now rang out. There was only one princess. She would not take concubines and would not have side concubines. So, just as Si XI had said, she was indeed a fake to replace Miss Nichang. Qian qingyu squatted down to clean up the Teacup that had fallen to the ground. The porcelain pieces were sharp and cut her hand, but she did not feel any pain at all. At night, when Qian Qingyu was about to rest, lucky came over and smiled ambiguously at Qian Qingyu. ¡°His Highness said to leave the night watch to you in the future¡­ When you have a title, let¡¯s see how arrogant Si XI will be!¡± Qian qingyu pursed her lips and said, ¡°Si XI is right.¡± Indeed, she only took advantage of the fact that she looked like Miss Nishang.. Lucky said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe what Si Xi said. Who is the master? If master really likes Miss Nishang, how could he be snatched away by Prince Qian? Miss Nishang is not married yet. What substitute? Si Xi is just jealous of you!¡± Qian qingyu felt better after listening to Lucky¡¯s advice, so she went to Lu Ang¡¯s room. She walked to the small bed at the side and spread the thin quilt. Then she went to help Lu ang wash up and take a rest. When Lu Ang entered the quilt, he grabbed Qian Qingyu¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°Sleep here.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Your Highness, this is not appropriate¡­¡± ¡°Again.¡±Lu ang pulled Qian Qingyu into the quilt. ¡°The small bed outside is very cold. You are still drinking medicine. It is warm in my room.¡± Qian Qingyu looked at his handsome face under the candlelight and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll sleep outside. You can get water if you want at night.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Lu ang held Qian qingyu down and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t really ask you to watch the night.¡± ¡°Then you?¡± Before Qian Qingyu finished speaking, Lu Ang got closer to her and kissed the corner of her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Qian qingyu blinked and raised her head in response to Lu Ang¡¯s kiss. So what if she was used as a substitute? At least it would make her highness happy. If Her Highness was happy, she would be happy too. Chapter 437 The next morning, Qingyu heard some movement around her and slowly opened her eyes. When she saw that Lu Ang had woken up, she wanted to get up, but her whole body was sore. Lu ang saw that she frowned slightly and smiled with satisfaction. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get up. Just let the other maids serve me.¡± Qingyu didn¡¯t try to force herself, because she was still naked.. Lu Ang kissed her forehead and said, ¡°Go back to sleep.¡± After Lu ang left, Qian Qingyu didn¡¯t dare to sleep anymore. She put on her clothes and got up, then went back to her room to wash up. Lucky smiled at Qian Qingyu and said, ¡°Did you serve His Highness Yesterday? It seems that I was right. Did His Highness say that he would give you a title?¡± Qian qingyu shook her head. Lucky said unhappily, ¡°His Highness has always been kind. Why wouldn¡¯t he give you a title?¡± Qian qingyu smiled slightly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t ask for a title.¡± It was her fortune to be able to stay by the second prince¡¯s side. She knew where she came from. She had no parents and her mother was an unspeakable illegitimate daughter. She was as lowly as dust in front of His Highness. How could she dare to ask for a title? Lucky said, ¡°You are so silly. His Highness is so easy to talk to. If you don¡¯t ask for status now, it will be difficult to ask for status in the future.¡± Qian qingyu only smiled faintly. After changing her clothes in the room, she went to prepare pastries for his highness to use when he returned to the mansion later. Lu Ang rushed back to the mansion today. After Lu Xi stopped him.., lu Xi looked at his smug expression and said, ¡°What kind of happy occasion are you having? Father looked at you a few times just now, and you only know how to Giggle.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°You won¡¯t understand my happy occasion.¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°Look at you giggling. What¡¯s with the injury on your neck? What do the maids in the Imperial Residence Do? The mark looks like it was scratched by a cat. Does anyone in the imperial residence have a cat?¡± Lu ang touched the wound and said, ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°Go to the imperial hospital and get a bottle of jade muscle scar removal ointment to apply it. The jade muscle scar removal ointment is very useful.¡± ¡°Thank you for the Reminder.¡±After Lu Ang said that, he went to the imperial hospital. Lu Xi frowned. She didn¡¯t know why he was so silly? Lu Ang went to the imperial hospital and took all the jade muscle scar removal ointment from the imperial hospital. When he returned to the Prince¡¯s mansion, he saw Qian Qingyu at the door and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold. You Don¡¯t have to wait at the door in the future. Come in with me.¡± Qian Qingyu followed Lu ang into his room. Lu Ang reached out to untie the knot on Qian Qingyu¡¯s clothes. Qian qingyu held Lu Ang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s still daytime.¡± Lu ang smiled lightly and said, ¡°What are you thinking about? Last night, when I bathed after the incident, I saw that you had a lot of whiplash injuries. This is the secret medicine in the palace, jade muscle scar removal ointment. Daily application will definitely remove whiplash injuries.¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and said, ¡°Do you dislike my body¡­¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it, not at all. I just feel sorry for you. This jade muscle scar removal ointment can also be used to apply on your hands. This way, you can also do your favorite embroidery as soon as possible. I¡¯m waiting for you to embroider a piece of clothing for me.¡± Lu Ang dug out a thick layer of ointment to apply on Qian Qingyu¡¯s hands. He had no idea how much the imperial physicians in the imperial hospital would feel sorry for him. Qian Qingyu looked at Lu ang applying the ointment on her hands, and her heart was filled with sweetness. After Lu ang finished applying the ointment on her hands, he said, ¡°Move all your things to my place and live here in the future. Oh right, you have to change your clothes too. The clothes on you are all worn by the maidservants in the residence. I¡¯ll go to the Shang Palace¡­¡± Qian Qingyu pulled Lu ang back and said, ¡°Your Highness, I am a maidservant after all. How can I ask the Shang Palace to make clothes for me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Then I will take you to the tailor¡¯s shop on the main street to pick out some clothes to make.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Let¡¯s go now. The clothes of the maidservants in the mansion are on you. It makes your appearance lose a lot of colors.¡± Qian Qingyu was also happy to see that she could leave the mansion. She had never strolled on Chang ¡®an street. She had heard that it was bustling outside, but she had never been there before. Lu ang brought Qian Qingyu out of the mansion and went to the tailor shop next to the Hundred Savory restaurant. Qian qingyu held Lu Ang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I want to go to the Hundred Savory restaurant for a meal. Is that okay?¡± Lu Ang saw that it was time for dinner, so he naturally agreed. ¡°Of course.¡± When the waiter of the restaurant saw that it was Lu ang, he quickly came over to welcome him. ¡°Your Highness, please come in. Do you want a private room?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Yes.¡± Lu ang brought Qian Qingyu to the private room on the second floor and ordered the signature dishes of the restaurant. Qian qingyu said softly, ¡°Lin ¡®an also has the restaurant. Other than my father who drank too much, the only thing I remember about Lin ¡®an is the restaurant. There is a glutinous rice aunt in the restaurant. In the middle of the night, she would always put some new dishes made with leftover ingredients in the alley behind her. ¡°Unfortunately, there were also many people who snatched the dishes. I couldn¡¯t get them every time. At that time, I thought that it would be great if I could eat the dishes in the hundred savory restaurant¡­¡± Lu ang said with heartache, ¡°In the future, if you want to eat, just eat. You Don¡¯t have to worry so much. If you want to eat in the Hundred Savory restaurant every day, you can eat there.¡± Why couldn¡¯t he meet Qian qingyu earlier? When the dishes were served, Qian Qingyu looked at the table full of delicacies and said, ¡°This is too much. If we can¡¯t finish it, it will be a waste.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°It won¡¯t be a waste. You eat first.¡± As soon as he said that, Qiao Nihong and the others came in through the door. Lu Ang said to Qiao Nihong and Qiao nishang, ¡°Take Qingyu to pick a few pieces of good cloth and introduce a good tailor to make clothes for her.¡± Qian Qingyu saw Qiao Nichang and the others arrive and stood up to salute. Lu Ang gently patted her hand and said, ¡°In the future, they will call you cousin-in-law. There¡¯s no need to salute.¡± Qian Yu came over and smiled. ¡°Cousin-in-law.¡± Qian Qingyu was somewhat at a loss. Qiao Nichang looked at Lu ang and said, ¡°Father just said that you knew to smile foolishly when you went to court today. Did something good happen? Could it be that the crown prince¡¯s cousin gave up the crown prince position to you?¡± Qian Qingyu¡¯s face turned pale when she heard this. could these words be said without reason? Lu ang said, ¡°Bah Bah Bah, don¡¯t say such unlucky words on happy days. What kind of happy occasion is this?¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°Then what kind of happy occasion is there?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say that you guys are going to have a cousin-in-law?¡± Yue Rong, who was beside Qiao nihong, asked innocently, ¡°But isn¡¯t she a servant girl? Didn¡¯t the book say that a servant girl can not be a princess consort?¡± Qiao Nihon picked up a drumstick for Yue Rong and said, ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Yue Rong said, ¡°Oh, I understand now. Is it because sister nichang and brother Qian Yu are together? Your Highness, brother, are you jealous, so you deliberately stay with the servant girl that Sister Nichang imagined, wanting sister Nichang to be jealous?¡±? ¡°It¡¯s all like this in the book now.¡± Lu ang also picked up another drumstick for Yue Rong. ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Qian qingyu glanced at Lu Ang. Yue Rong was young, but her words might not be wrong. Otherwise, Lu ang would not have stopped Yue Rong¡¯s mouth. Chapter 438 When they arrived at the tailor¡¯s shop, Qiao Neon and Qiao neon were busy choosing the fabrics for Qian Qingyu. The two of them had chosen the ones they liked. Qian Qingyu had chosen the ones that Qiao Neon had chosen. His Highness liked Qiao Neon, so he had chosen the ones that Qiao Neon liked. His Highness would definitely like them too. When the tailor measured Qian Qingyu, he clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Miss, you are the thinnest person I have ever seen. You Won¡¯t be able to support yourself wearing this kind of fabric¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way,¡±Qian Qingyu said. It was enough that her highness liked it. After the tailor calculated the price, he said, ¡°It¡¯s a total of five hundred taels of silver.¡± After Qian Qingyu learned the price of the clothes, she was surprised. ¡°Why is it so expensive? I don¡¯t want it.¡± Five hundred taels of silver was enough for her to live for her whole life. It was a bit too much to be so expensive for just a few sets of clothes. Qiao nishang said, ¡°Brother Ang has plenty of silver. You Don¡¯t have to save money for him. He¡¯s really too much. He already made you his man long ago and even made you wear the clothes of a servant girl!¡± Qiao nishang said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Spend it. These taels of silver are nothing in front of the imperial residence.¡± Qian qingyu finally nodded under the persuasion of the two of them. However, she still felt a little unsatisfied in her heart. She thought that after her hands were healed, she would make a few sets of clothes for his highness. When the tailor learned that they were from the Prince of Pingliang¡¯s mansion, he did not dare to be negligent and ordered the embroidery girls to work on the clothes overnight. In just three days, the clothes were made and brought to the Prince¡¯s mansion. Qian Qingyu had already lived in Lu Ang¡¯s courtyard. After getting the clothes, she could not wait to try them on. However, although the clothes were gorgeous, they were not something that she could support. She wanted to wear gorgeous clothes and imitate Qiao Nishang, but she could not do it at all. Qiao Nishang was born to be a rich young lady. Her parents were born noble, how could she, a servant, compare to them? Qian Qingyu might be defeated, but this 500 taels of silver was going to be wasted.. Qian Qingyu changed into the original servant girl¡¯s clothes and planned to use her monthly silver to buy a few sets of clothes. In fact, there were no rules in the manor that prevented the maids from going out. As long as they were not on duty, they were allowed to go out. Lucky was not on duty today, so Qian Qingyu allowed lucky to go out of the manor to buy clothes. Lucky heard Qian Qingyu say that the clothes she wore earlier were strange, so he said, ¡°Then you can change them if you can¡¯t wear them. His Highness doesn¡¯t lack these silver taels. What clothes can you buy with your monthly allowance?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that people rely on clothes and saddles. It¡¯s just that if people are not good enough, they can¡¯t even wear gorgeous clothes.¡± Lucky smiled. ¡°Why do you need to belittle yourself? You have the same appearance as the most beautiful woman in Chang ¡®an. How can you not support your clothes?¡± ¡°Your hair style, makeup, and jewelry are just a little bland. Instead of buying new clothes, you might as well buy some rouge, makeup, and jewelry.¡± Lucky pulled Qian Qingyu into the Rouge shop. The shopkeeper in the Rouge shop gave Qian Qingyu a bright makeup. Lucky asked Qingyu to look at her in the mirror, ¡°Look, doesn¡¯t this make her look more like Miss Nichang? What we lack now is jewelry. We can¡¯t use gold jewelry. I know a silver jewelry shop that has very exquisite hair crowns.¡± Qian qingyu followed lucky to the jewelry shop and took a fancy to a set of exquisite hair. It actually cost fifty taels of silver. Qian qingyu only had ten taels of silver on her. This was already the monthly salary of a first-class servant girl in the Prince¡¯s mansion. When the shopkeeper saw that the two of them looked like servant girls from some manor.., he said, ¡°If you can¡¯t afford it, why are you looking at it? Don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t break my hair. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to afford it even if you sell it. A mere servant girl wants to use the same thing as her master.¡± Lucky said, ¡°How can it be damaged? It¡¯s just a light touch. Your jewelry is also imitating the jewelry in the jewelry pavilion. Who doesn¡¯t know that you often go to the jewelry pavilion to look at it and don¡¯t buy it? You secretly draw it and imitate it. You really treat this place as a treasure.¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°Then if you have the ability, go to the jewelry pavilion to buy it. The jewelry in the jewelry pavilion can not be bought even if you sell it a hundred times.¡± Qian Qingyu saw that Lucky still wanted to argue with the shopkeeper, so she pulled lucky and said, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t lower yourself to her level. I don¡¯t want it. Don¡¯t trouble master.¡± Lucky said, ¡°You¡­¡± .. The two returned to the mansion, and Lu Ang was already in the mansion. Lu ang saw Qian Qingyu coming back and said, ¡°Where have you been? I can¡¯t even see you when I come back.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Today is the lucky break, so I went shopping with her.¡± ¡°I saw that the new clothes have arrived just now. Quickly put them on and let me have a look.¡±Lu ang put the clothes in front of Qian Qingyu. Qian Qingyu took the clothes and went behind the screen to put them on, when Lu ang saw Qian Qingyu coming out, he said, ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful, but it¡¯s too thin. From today on, apart from going to the palace for dinner, you will eat with me. I will definitely fatten you up.¡± Qian Qingyu had been skinny since she was young. She was the same age as her, but she was even thinner than Nichang when she was young. It was clear that she had suffered a lot since she was young. ¡°The clothes outside are not worthy of you. Tomorrow, I will get the people from the Shang Palace to make you some nice clothes.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°These clothes cost 500 taels of silver. Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity if you don¡¯t wear them?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°500 taels of silver is nothing. If it can make you happy, I will do anything to make you happy.¡± Qian Qingyu leaned against Lu Ang¡¯s chest and said, ¡°Your Highness, you are so kind.¡± Lu Ang asked the Minister of the palace to make clothes for the maidservants in the residence. The Minister of the Palace could not pretend that he did not know about this. After the Minister returned to the palace, he reported the matter to Lady Qiao. Lady Qiao teased the Parrot in the changle palace and said, ¡°You said that that woman has been doted on by my son?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Lady Qiao said, ¡°Then you should make her a few sets of clothes.¡± ¡°Also, His Highness took all the jade skin scar removal ointment from the Imperial Academy of Medicine for that woman¡­¡± Lady Qiao said, ¡°How many scars do you need to have on this body? Then let the Imperial Academy of Medicine prepare some. In case they need to use it at that time, there are no more.¡± Shang Gong asked Qiao jinniang curiously, ¡°Your Highness, if the future Princess knows that His Highness the second prince dotes on a maidservant in the manor so much, I¡¯m afraid it would be inappropriate¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°That would be his business in the future.¡± Qiao Jinniang did not want to interfere with her son¡¯s affairs in the bedroom. How tiring would that be? Moreover, she believed that Ang ¡®er was a person of love and righteousness. Even if he had a princess in the future, he could be dealt with properly. When ang ¡®er could not be dealt with, she could do it. Lady Qiao said, ¡°Give this parrot to that maidservant.¡± .. Qian qingyu received the parrot from the empress. She did not know what the Empress meant, but when she saw this little yellow parrot, she liked it very much. The parrot would greet her. What Qian Qingyu taught it, it was also smart enough to say. ¡°Xiao Huang, say hello to Your Highness.¡± The little yellow parrot flapped its wings and said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t. Your Highness, be gentle¡­¡± Qian Qingyu:¡±¡­¡± In the future, they could not leave the parrot in the room. They would rather let it freeze to death outside. Chapter 439 - Lu Ang cooks longevity noodles As the new year approached, Lu Ang got busy. He usually left early and returned late. There were many people in the mansion who came to visit and present gifts. Everyone in the mansion seemed to be very busy. Only Qian Qingyu had nothing to do. Although she did not have a status, according to Grandma Ning, she was already considered half a master. On New Year¡¯s Eve, the servants who could not return home for the New Year gathered together to eat and drink. Lucky did not come and asked Qian Qingyu to go. Qian Qingyu could not go over either, so she could only light a lantern and watch the snowflakes fluttering outside. No one knew that today was her birthday. When she remembered, her mother was no longer by her side. Her father drank too much, and only her aunt would bring her home to cook a bowl of longevity noodles for her on new year¡¯s Eve. Qian Qingyu brought in the little yellow parrot outside and taught it, ¡°Happy Birthday.¡± But the little yellow parrot, who had always been quick to learn from others, did not want to say happy birthday. Qian qingyu pointed at the little yellow parrot¡¯s head with her finger. ¡°Stupid.¡± ¡°Stupid thing.¡± Qian qingyu listened to the little yellow parrot and learned this sentence. She was so angry that she laughed. ¡°If you were not given by the Empress, you would have been plucked and made into bird soup.¡± Qian Qingyu could not wait for Lu ang to come back until 11:45 pm. It was almost midnight, so she did not wait any longer. At this time, Lu ang probably would not come back. Perhaps he was drinking happily in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence, so he rested in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence. After Qian Qingyu laid down, she could not sleep either side, so she went to the large kitchen. There were always servants guarding the large kitchen. Firstly, they always prepared hot water, and secondly, they were afraid that their master would want to eat. ¡°Miss Qingyu.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I¡¯ll make a bowl of noodles. You guys go and do your thing.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qian qingyu made noodles. She actually did not know how to make noodles. The Little Chef, Stone, came over and said, ¡°Miss, do you want to make noodles? Do you need my help?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Thank you, Little Brother.¡± ¡°You are welcome, miss.¡± After stone finished the noodles, he said to Qian qingyu, ¡°Miss Qingyu, the noodles still need a while. Why Don¡¯t you go back first and I¡¯ll bring it to you later?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll wait here.¡± The kitchen was some distance away from the main courtyard. It was the new year, so there was no need for the Little Chef to make an extra trip. After the noodles woke up, stone pulled on the noodles and pulled them so long that they did not break. He put the whole noodle into the pot and boiled it. Qian qingyu said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you break the noodles?¡± Stone smiled at Qian qingyu and said, ¡°If the noodles break, it won¡¯t be longevity noodles. Miss Qingyu, Happy Birthday.¡± Qian Qingyu was slightly surprised and said, ¡°How did you know that today is my birthday?¡± ¡°When I brought you dinner just now, I heard that you were teaching the parrot to say happy birthday. Master¡¯s birthday is still a few months away,¡±stone said. ¡°So I guessed that today is your birthday. Am I right?¡± Qian qingyu smiled slightly and said, ¡°No.¡± .. Lu Ang was indeed drunk. His alcohol tolerance was actually not good. Before the age of 15, he was not allowed to drink alcohol in the palace. He could only drink when he lived in the mansion outside, but he did not drink too often. Lu Ang woke up in the middle of the night with a headache and shouted softly. When he could not see her, he woke up and rested at his maternal grandfather¡¯s house. Lu ang endured the headache and frowned. ¡°Someone, go back to the mansion.¡± Today was the New Year¡¯s Eve. How could he let Qingyu be alone? The servant beside him supported Lu ang and said, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s late. It¡¯s still snowing outside. You can rest in the manor.¡± ¡°No, go back. I want Qingyu¡­¡± The servant had no choice but to support Lu ang and said, ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Lu ang leaned against the carriage and went back to the manor. When he entered his own courtyard, he did not find Qian Qingyu. There were only parrots flying around. ¡°Qingyu, Qingyu.¡± The servant girl who was on night duty outside quickly came in and said, ¡°Your Highness, Miss Qingyu just went into the kitchen.¡± Lu ang frowned. ¡°What are you doing in the kitchen so late at night?¡± Lu Ang also went into the kitchen. He saw the candlelight in the kitchen. In front of a small table, Qian Qingyu and a chef were sitting face to face. He didn¡¯t know what the Chef said, but Qian Qingyu¡¯s smile was very touching. Lu ang looked at Qian Qingyu¡¯s smile and felt very bitter. He was not in the mansion, but Qian Qingyu went to the kitchen to talk and laugh with a strange man? Lu Ang entered and knocked over the noodles in front of Qian qingyu without waiting for Qian Qingyu to bow. ¡°You are not in the room in the middle of the night, what are you doing here?¡± Qian qingyu looked at the long-lived noodles on the floor and bowed. ¡°Your Highness, I feel a little hungry in the middle of the night. I even made some food in the kitchen. Are you drunk? Shall I brew you a bowl of antidote?¡± ¡°No need.¡±Lu ang flicked his sleeves and left. He did not hear Qian Qingyu¡¯s voice. He turned around and saw Qian Qingyu squatting down to pick up all the noodles on the floor. He said unhappily, ¡°Hurry up and follow me.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Lu Ang and Qian Qingyu returned to the room. He always felt that there was something wrong with Qian Qingyu¡¯s expression, but he could not tell what was wrong. Qian Qingyu went up to Lu ang and gently pressed his temple. ¡°You should drink less in the future. Last Time, you promised me that I would not get drunk. This time, I am drunk again.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I will not get drunk next time. Today, Qian Yu and the others deliberately made me drunk. Qingyu, can you not smile at other people¡¯s men in the future?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I am not, Your Highness. Do you still think that I am the kind of seductive woman who will casually seduce people?¡± Lu ang held Qian Qingyu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°No, I just don¡¯t want you to smile at others.¡± Qian qingyu smiled and said, ¡°Okay, I will smile at Your Highness in the future. Your Highness, Can You Hug Me?¡± It was almost midnight. Although they could not eat the longevity noodles, it was enough to have your Highness¡¯embrace. Lu ang hugged Qian Qingyu and suddenly remembered that the noodles that he had knocked over was a whole strand. ¡°Is it your birthday today? was that your longevity noodles just now?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Yes.¡± Lu ang frowned and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Lu ang held Qian Qingyu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s still your birthday before dawn. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll bring you to make another bowl.¡± Qian Qingyu followed Lu Ang to the kitchen. Qian Qingyu saw Lu ang take the flour and make it himself, so she said, ¡°Your Highness, this is absolutely not allowed. A gentleman cooks from afar, how can I Let You Cook?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I only know how to make longevity noodles. I learned it when I was young for my mother¡¯s birthday. The longevity noodles I made are very delicious. If you had told me that today was your birthday, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to the Hou Mansion.¡± Qian Qingyu looked at Lu Ang¡¯s hand gesture of kneading and making noodles. He did look like an old hand. Lu ang put his fingers stained with flour close to Qian qingyu and said, ¡°Your place is dirty.¡± Qian qingyu avoided him and said, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Lu ang smiled and said, ¡°I miss my sister. She was the one who suggested learning how to make longevity noodles for my mother. Later, I found out that she wanted to save some money. She should be a beautiful lady now.¡± Chapter 440 - I want to marry Qian Qingyu as a princess Qian qingyu asked, ¡°Princess Weiyang? Isn¡¯t she in Chang ¡®an?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°No, she¡¯s in Lingnan with her grandparents. After she went to Lingnan, I met her five times. Each time, I became more and more stingy. Usually, I don¡¯t even want to write letters. I feel that writing letters to me is a waste of paper.¡± ¡°Every time, I wrote a lot of letters to her. In order to save some ink and brush, she answered several letters at the same time. Usually, it takes half a year to receive a reply from her.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the princess is thrifty and doesn¡¯t waste money.¡± Lu ang smiled lightly and scooped out the noodles in the pot. ¡°Here, try it. Don¡¯t bite it off. You have to eat all of it.¡± Qian Qingyu looked at the simple bowl of clear broth noodle soup in front of her. Her eyes were slightly red as she said, ¡°This is your first time making longevity noodles for me. I¡¯m a little reluctant to eat it.¡± Lu ang touched Qian Qingyu¡¯s head and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be reluctant about? If you like it, I¡¯ll make it for you every day in the future, Okay?¡± Qian Qingyu hugged Lu Ang. ¡°Thank You, Your Highness.¡± Lu Ang also hugged her and said, ¡°Qingyu, Happy Birthday.¡± .. Because of the New Year¡¯s Eve incident this year, Lu ang proposed to bring Qian Qingyu to the palace to celebrate the New Year. Qian qingyu said, ¡°How can that be? I have a lowly status, how can I enter the palace to celebrate the New Year?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°After I enter the palace, I still don¡¯t know when I can leave the palace? ¡°My brother always stays in the Changle Palace until midnight. If he doesn¡¯t leave, I can¡¯t leave either. ¡°If you don¡¯t follow me into the palace, you will have to spend the new year alone in the mansion.¡± Qian Qingyu was still a little afraid of entering the palace. Another reason why Lu ang wanted Qian Qingyu to enter the palace with her was to let his parents see Qian Qingyu. After he got together with Qian Qingyu, Lu ang wanted Qian Qingyu to be his princess. However, he did not dare to speak to his parents rashly. The difference in status was too big. Moreover, Qian Qingyu¡¯s ancestors were not honorable. Qian Qingyu did not mention it, but it was not difficult to find out her background. Her maternal grandmother was originally a brothel girl, her maternal grandfather was third master Xie, and her mother was an illegitimate daughter. If she wanted to become a princess consort, it was not necessarily impossible for people to use her identity to say something. Lu ang planned to let his parents and empress take a look at Qian Qingyu. As long as his parents agreed, it would not be difficult for him to marry Qian Qingyu. Lu ang said, ¡°The palace is not a tiger¡¯s den that will eat people. Why Don¡¯t you come with me to the palace for the New Year?¡± ¡°Okay,¡±Qian Qingyu agreed. Lu ang happily picked up Qian Qingyu. ¡°I have to find someone to dress you well. When we go to the palace, you have to follow me closely.¡± Qian qingyu replied, ¡°Okay.¡± At the New Year¡¯s Eve Palace banquet, all the guests were family members of high-ranking officials and nobles. Everyone was surprised to see a woman sitting next to the second prince because they had never seen this woman before. She looked a little like Qiao Nichang, but she was not Qiao Nichang. They were all curious about the identity of this woman. Qian qingyu lowered her head more and more under the scrutiny of the officials and their families.. Lu ang looked at Qian qingyu and said, ¡°No need to lower your head. Let them look if they want to.¡± Qian Qingyu did not have the courage to raise her head. Because she saw Qiao Nishang and Qian Yu sitting opposite her, she could not help but guess that His Highness had brought her to the palace banquet to make Miss Nishang jealous? Everyone¡¯s eyes sparkled as they looked at her and Miss Nichang. This made Qian Qingyu feel that she was just a fake.. After the palace banquet, Lu ang was going to bring Qian Qingyu to the Changle Palace. However, before they could reach the entrance of the Changle Palace, they were stopped by Lu Xi.. Lu Xi asked Lu ang, ¡°It¡¯s rare for our family to get together. Are you going to bring irrelevant people in?¡± ¡°What do you mean by rare? We usually get together every few days,¡±Lu ang said. ¡°Besides, Qingyu is not an irrelevant person.¡± Lu Xi said to Qian qingyu, ¡°Miss Qingyu, it¡¯s just a family banquet later. Please go back to the mansion first.¡± Lu Ang looked at Lu Xi unhappily. ¡°Brother!¡± Qian Qingyu saw that Lu ang wanted to argue with the crown prince, so she said to Lu ang, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯ll go back to the mansion to rest. I¡¯ll wait for you in the mansion.¡± Seeing this, Lu ang could only nod. After Qian Qingyu left, Lu Ang said to Lu XI unhappily, ¡°Why did you chase Qingyu Away?¡± Lu Xi asked coldly, ¡°Ang-er, she¡¯s only your concubine now. No, she¡¯s not even your concubine. She¡¯s just a servant girl. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate to bring her to see Father and mother today?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I¡¯ve never treated her as a servant girl. I want to marry her!¡± Lu Xi said unhappily, ¡°How old are you to be sure that she¡¯s yours for Life?¡± ¡°She¡¯s also very capable. Her status is as different as the clouds and mud from yours. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate to have a mother who is an adulterer and a grandmother who is a servant girl of a brothel as the Princess Consort?¡±? ¡°Ang¡¯er, the matter of the princess consort is of great importance. You have to think about it slowly. You and she are still young, so there¡¯s no hurry to get married.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°I¡¯m not young anymore. I know the decision I made. I want to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her!¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not young anymore? You haven¡¯t even gotten a crown yet. You¡¯re just bewitched by her beauty for a while.¡± Lu ang retorted, ¡°No, it¡¯s not bewitched by her beauty.¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°Do you dare to bet with me? I bet that three years later, if you still like her so much and decide that she wants to be a concubine, I¡¯ll beg father and mother to agree to it.¡± Lu Ang was not fooled. ¡°Why should I bet with you? After the new year, I¡¯ll tell father and mother that I want to marry Qingyu as my wife.¡± Lu Ang was absent-minded when he entered. He answered Qiao Jinniang¡¯s question incoherently. Lu Chen looked at Lu ang and said, ¡°Your mother is asking you a question. What are you thinking about?¡± Lu Ang regained his thoughts. ¡°Mother, what are you asking me?¡± Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly and said, ¡°Forget it. You should go back to the mansion. After all, if you don¡¯t go back, the Prince of Pingliang¡¯s mansion will face North.¡± Lu ang asked, ¡°Why would it be facing north?¡± ¡°Then how many times have you looked outside the Palace Gate?¡±Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Go back.¡± Lu ang bowed and was about to leave when Qiao Jinniang gave him two red packets and said, ¡°This is the new year¡¯s money.¡± Lu ang asked curiously, ¡°Why are there two?¡± ¡°And one is for the person you miss so much.¡±Qiao Jinniang smiled faintly. Lu ang kowtowed to Lu Chen and Lady Qiao and left without stopping. Lu Xi looked at Lady Qiao unhappily and said, ¡°Mother, you spoil little brother too much. That servant girl¡¯s grandmother is a brothel girl. How is she fit to be little brother¡¯s Princess Consort? Little brother was just muddle-headed.¡± Lady Qiao was surprised. ¡°Ang-er wants to marry that concubine as a princess consort? But Yue Rong, that little girl, told me when she entered the palace that ang-er found that little servant girl as a substitute because Nichang and Qian Yu were together¡­¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°Yue Rong is right. The matter of wanting to marry the servant girl as the Princess Consort, perhaps brother is just trying to anger Nichang.¡± Nichang, who was in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s Manor, sneezed fiercely. Qian Yu hurriedly took off his outer clothes and put them on Nichang. Qiao ruoyi and Xie Yun frowned when they saw this scene. Chapter 441 - Qingyu wanted to leave the imperial residence Qiao Ruoyun and Qian Yin were overjoyed. If it were not for Qiao Ruoyi and her husband¡¯s ugly expressions, Qiao Ruoyun would have really wanted to settle the marriage on the spot. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if they were to kiss and marry? .. In the Prince¡¯s residence of Pingliang. After Lu ang returned, he found Qian Qingyu playing with a little parrot in front of the light. He did not know why his mother had given Qian qingyu a parrot. Usually, she looked at the parrot much better than she looked at herself. Lu Ang put the red packet in front of Qian Qingyu. Qian Qingyu saw the red packet and bowed, ¡°Your Highness, where did you get this Red Packet?¡± ¡°Mother gave us the lucky money. One for you and one for me.¡±Lu Ang put the red packet in Qian Qingyu¡¯s hand. Qian Qingyu opened the red packet and saw two banknotes of 100 taels of silver inside. She asked in surprise, ¡°So much?¡± ¡°Mother has plenty of silver.¡±Lu ang said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you this too.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Lu ang smiled and said, ¡°Is that too much? Then in the future, the entire mansion will be given to you¡­¡± Qian Qingyu did not wait for Lu Ang to finish his words and whispered, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t Make Fun of me. I¡¯ll take it.¡± Qian Qingyu did not want to hear the joke about the whole mansion being given to her. She did not want the whole mansion. She only wanted Lu ang. .. After the New Year, the spring examinations would be held once every three years. This time, the number of women participating in the spring examinations was the highest since the imperial examinations began. Qian qingyu rarely left the mansion. She could only listen to the little maidservants in the mansion talking about the bustle outside. In the past, when Qian Qingyu was in the West Mountain Academy, she would always hear those female students studying the scriptures and preparing for the imperial examinations reciting books day and night. She was in the embroidery class, so she did not need to recite books day and night. She only needed to know how to read. At that time, Qian Qingyu was envious of those girls. In the future, when those girls went out to the West Mountain Academy, they would at least be able to become teachers in other academies. There were very few slots in that academy, and it was unknown if there would be any classmates going to take the examinations this year. Lucky took out a post and gave it to Qian qingyu, ¡°Qingyu, this is a post given to you by someone outside the door.¡± Qian Qingyu opened it and saw that it was a post from Ma Ya. Today, the results were released, and Ma Ya had invited Qian Qingyu to watch the show. Qian Qingyu had not left the prince¡¯s mansion for a long time. Recently, the imperial examinations had been very busy, and Lu ang was usually very busy, so Qian Qingyu followed Ma Ya to the taste pavilion beside the results. When Ma Ya saw Qian Qingyu, she did not dare to recognize the woman in front of her. ¡°Qingyu, you¡¯ve changed too much, haven¡¯t you? No Wonder His Highness did not let you go out. You¡¯re so beautiful that even I don¡¯t allow you to go out.¡± Qian Qingyu¡¯s face heated up slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me.¡± The private rooms in the savant pavilion had already been booked long ago. The two of them stood by the window near the corner of the street. The results were about to be released, and there were many people standing outside. Ma Ya said, ¡°After three years, I also want to take the exam and have a try. I don¡¯t know if there will be children at that time. Qingyu, I¡¯m getting married. It will be at the end of March. Could you come to send me off?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I will definitely come. How come I haven¡¯t heard you mention it before?¡± Ma Ya said, ¡°The marriage is set in a hurry. You must remember to come.¡± Qian qingyu nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely go.¡± In the darkest three years of her life, it was Ma ya who constantly helped her and trusted her. If it weren¡¯t for Ma Ya, she would have died long ago. Qian Qingyu would always remember this friendship. After the results were released, some people in the crowd cried, some laughed, some knelt down, and some even did a backflip in front of everyone. Qian Qingyu looked over and saw Lu ang in the crowd. Beside Lu ang were the neon and Neon Sisters. When they saw their names on the list, they were extremely happy. Qiao neon was so excited and happy that she hugged Lu ang. This scene deeply stung Qian Qingyu¡¯s eyes. Qian Qingyu no longer looked over. She took a sip of tea and suppressed the pain in her heart. After that, Qian Qingyu could tell that Lu ang was in a good mood. After the court examination, the rankings were determined. The Qiao sisters were both among the top this time. Qian Qingyu knew that Lu ang must be very happy, so she asked the kitchen to cook a lot of Lu Ang¡¯s favorite dishes to celebrate. However, Lu Ang did not return at night. The servant beside Lu ang came over and said, ¡°Miss Qingyu, the two Qiao girls have won the title. His Highness will take the two Qiao girls to visit the manor in Luoyang City for half a month. You Don¡¯t have to wait for His Highness to come back for this half a month.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Okay, Tell His Highness to drink less.¡± Qian Qingyu had her period today. Although she had taken medicine to recuperate for half a year, there were times when the pain was unbearable. Since Lu Ang was not there, she simply stayed in the room to rest. On the carriage out of Luoyang, Qiao Nihong teased Lu ang and said, ¡°You have followed us to Luoyang for half a month. Don¡¯t You Miss Your Precious Servant Girl? She hasn¡¯t been to Luoyang City, right? Call her along.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°That won¡¯t do. Her period is coming. Every time her period comes, she will feel unbearable pain. Just let her recuperate in the residence.¡± This trip to Luoyang city was to celebrate the two of them getting a good ranking and also to celebrate Qiao Nichang¡¯s birthday. The Xie family had already prepared a birthday banquet for Qiao Nichang in Chang ¡®an. However, there were many people at the birthday banquet, so it was better to go to Luoyang city to celebrate her birthday. Lu Ang and Qiao Nichang¡¯s birthdays were close, so they celebrated together in Luoyang. At the end of March, Qian Qingyu remembered her promise to Ma Ya. When the time was near, Qian Qingyu found out that Ma Ya¡¯s family was in Luoyang. She had promised earlier and could not go back on her word now. Moreover, Ma Ya had done a lot for her. Lu Ang did not come back, so Qian Qingyu could only tell Nanny Ning. After all, the journey to Luoyang was neither far nor near, and they had to use a carriage. Moreover, after three days of traveling back and forth in Luoyang, Qian Qingyu did not dare to leave the mansion for three days. Nanny Ning heard her and said, ¡°If Miss Qingyu wants to go out and play in Chang ¡®an city, I will definitely prepare a carriage for you. But this is going to Luoyang city. Please forgive me for not being able to prepare a carriage for you.¡± Qian qingyu said gently, ¡°Nanny, Maya is really important to me. I Can¡¯t not go to her wedding. Once she is married, I will rush back. I beg for your forgiveness.¡± Nanny Ning said, ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. I don¡¯t know what will happen on the three-day journey to Luoyang. If anything happens, I won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences if the Lord blames me.¡±. ¡°If you really think that Miss Ma is important to you, I can ask the servants of the manor to apply makeup in the name of the Lord¡¯s Manor. This can be considered miss¡¯kind gesture.¡± Qian Qingyu was helpless. She did not read the wedding invitation in the beginning. Now there were only three days left for the divorce.. She could not get Lu Ang to agree. Nanny Ning said, ¡°Miss Qingyu, do you want me to find a servant girl to apply makeup on Miss Ma?¡± Qian qingyu bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, Nanny.¡± Chapter 442 - misunderstanding After Qian Qingyu returned to her room, she remembered how Ma Ya had taken care of her for the past three years. If she agreed to Ma Ya¡¯s request and did not send her off, she would be letting Ma ya down. Qian Qingyu made up her mind. Even if her highness scolded her, she would personally send Ma ya off to get married. Even if she did not have a carriage maid from the Prince¡¯s mansion, she still had money on her. It was only a day¡¯s journey from Chang ¡®an to Luoyang by carriage. In such a short time, it should be fine for her to go alone. Qian qingyu left a letter in the room and dug out the clothes that Lu ang had not thrown away in the past. At that time, Lu Ang¡¯s figure was almost the same as her current figure. Qian Qingyu changed into Lu Ang¡¯s clothes and sent away an old woman who was in charge of a side door. After leaving through the side door, she went to the courier station in Chang ¡®an. In the courier station, she easily rented a horse carriage with Lu Ang¡¯s jade pendant. When the horse carriage left the city gate of Chang ¡®an, Qian Qingyu¡¯s heart beat very fast. She did not know how many people would be implicated. This was also the first time she did it so smoothly. Qian Qingyu did not dare to let anyone down. She forced herself to be alert and opened the curtain of the horse carriage. It was very dark outside. Qian Qingyu clenched the dagger in her hand.. It was not until the sound of a rooster crowing was heard and the sunlight penetrated through the curtain of the carriage that Qian Qingyu slightly relaxed her vigilance. When she heard the voices with different accents, she pulled open the curtain and looked at the words ¡®Luoyang¡¯. She let out a sigh of relief, they had already arrived at the borders of Luoyang. Qian qingyu showed the groom the location of the wedding invitation. It took another two hours before she arrived in front of the horse residence. Ma Ya¡¯s father was a sixth-pin judge in Luoyang city. There were many guests coming and going to celebrate the wedding of their daughter. Qian Qingyu handed over the wedding invitation, and the maids beside Ma Ya came out to welcome her, ¡°Miss Qian, you¡¯re finally here. My miss has been waiting for you!¡± Qian qingyu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m finally here.¡± After entering Ma Ya¡¯s room, the inside was already covered with the words ¡°Wedding¡±. The bright red wedding dress was hung on the clothes rack. Ma Ya was going to be married tomorrow, and the residence was very busy today. Ma Ya held onto Qian Qingyu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Qingyu, why are you so pale? Do you see Black and blue under your eyes?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I had to travel all night last night.¡± Ma Ya said guiltily, ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you, quickly take a rest. I¡¯ll get a servant girl to bring you to the guest room to sleep.¡± Qian Qingyu was really tired and could not hold it in any longer. She went to the guest room to rest for a while. When she woke up, Ma Ya¡¯s room was filled with sisters who came to add makeup. Qian Qingyu said to Ma ya, ¡°I won¡¯t stay any longer. After all, I¡¯m a servant in the mansion. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to come out rashly. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Ma Ya held Qian Qingyu¡¯s hand and said reluctantly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to watch me leave after I Get Married Tomorrow?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Yaya.¡± Ma Ya said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry about? It¡¯s just that I want you to see how I look when I¡¯m wearing my wedding dress. It¡¯s not easy for you either. You should be careful on the way back to Chang ¡®an.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±Qian Qingyu agreed and then left the horse mansion. Qian Qingyu knew that Lu ang was in Luoyang city and she had not seen him on the 12th day. Qian Qingyu missed him very much and came to Luoyang from both sides. She wanted to take a look at Lu Ang. When she arrived outside the Luoyang Palace, she saw Lu Ang, neon, Qiao Nishang, Qian Yu, and a few others riding on horses. She did not know where they were going. Qian Qingyu got on the carriage and let the coachman follow them. He watched them arrive at a mountain in Luoyang and play games in a pavilion in the mountain. Lu ang smiled very happily. When he was with Miss Nishang, they were perfect for each other. From Afar, they could hear Qiao Nishang¡¯s voice from the other side. ¡°Today is the birthday of the two birthday stars. It¡¯s your turn to drink.¡± Qian Qingyu slowly realized that Lu Ang¡¯s birthday was only a few days away. It turned out that his and Qiao Nihon¡¯s birthdays were also very similar. Lu ang said, ¡°I¡¯ll drink it. You¡¯re not allowed to bully Nihon. I¡¯ll drink her wine too.¡± ¡°Brother Ang, don¡¯t get drunk.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t get drunk.¡± Qian Qingyu looked at Lu Ang who was drinking for Qiao Nihon. A tear fell from her eye. She hated alcohol. When her father was drunk when he was young, he would beat her up. Alcohol was not cheap. There was no savings at home. She was often hungry, but her father always borrowed money to drink. The rice that her aunt used to help them was also used by her father to exchange for alcohol. Lu Ang had promised himself twice not to drink too much, and he drank so much. ¡°Miss, are you still leaving? Chang ¡®an has a curfew. If you don¡¯t Leave Now, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to make it back before the curfew.¡± Qian Qingyu got on the carriage and returned to Chang ¡®an. However, she didn¡¯t expect that it was already curfew time when she arrived at the Courier station outside Chang ¡®an. The Courier Station was already full of people. Qian Qingyu went to the city gate and took out the silver taels and Lu Ang¡¯s jade token. She wanted to enter the city, the city guard said, ¡°No, there are many distinguished people in Chang ¡®an these days. No one can open the city gate without permission. You can wait outside the city until midnight before you enter.¡± A sudden clap of thunder came from the sky and the rain started to fall. The carriage was already in the courier station. Qian Qingyu hid by the city gate without an umbrella. However, the heavy rain and wind still made her wet. Qian qingyu squatted by the city wall, hoping that the rain would stop soon. Unexpectedly, the rain continued to fall until the morning. When the city gate opened, Qian Qingyu walked for more than an hour before she arrived at the gate of the Prince¡¯s mansion. As soon as she entered the mansion, she could not help but faint when she saw lucky. Lucky hugged Qian Qingyu and said to nanny ning, ¡°Nanny Ning, Qingyu is back, but she was caught in the Rain¡­¡± Nanny Ning came out and frowned. ¡°Why Bother? Someone, quickly get a doctor.¡± When Qian Qingyu woke up, she woke up from the pain caused by the medicine, when Lucky saw Qian qingyu wake up, he said, ¡°You finally woke up. You secretly left the Prince¡¯s residence and Nanny Ning was angry. You went to Luoyang, why didn¡¯t you come back with the Prince?¡± Qian qingyu forced herself to stand up and said, ¡°The prince is so happy in Luoyang, why should I bother him?¡± Lu Ang liked Qiao Nichang. With the real master around, a fake like her would only make the prince unhappy. On the 10th of April, Lu Ang and the others came back from Luoyang. After Lu ang came back, he took the things he bought from Luoyang and went to the room. ¡°Qingyu, these are all brought to you from Luoyang.¡± Qian Qingyu looked at the things in the hands of Lu Ang and the manservant behind her and smiled. ¡°Thank you for Remembering Me, Your Highness.¡± She thought that when Lu Ang and Miss Nichang were playing together, she would not be in his heart. His Highness still remembered that she brought so much food for her to eat and play with. Lu ang smelled the scent of medicine on Qian Qingyu and heard her hoarse voice. ¡°Are you sick?¡± Qian qingyu coughed twice. ¡°I caught a cold in the rain a few days ago. I¡¯m much better now.¡± Lu ang walked up to Qian Qingyu, hugged her, and kissed her on the face. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for so many days. I miss you so much.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Me too. I Miss Your Highness very much.¡± Lu ang spread the curtain and whispered into Qian Qingyu¡¯s ear, ¡°Then let me see how much you miss me!¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Your Highness¡­ I¡¯m sick. Don¡¯t give me your sickness¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±Lu ang really missed Qian Qingyu. Next time he went to Luoyang, he must bring Qian Qingyu with him. Chapter 443 - having a child! Lu Ang had naturally heard of the rumors. He had not brought Qian qingyu out of the manor for the past few days because he was afraid that Qian Qingyu would feel uncomfortable when she heard those words. Qian Qingyu was playing with the parrot that Lady Qiao Jin had given her in the manor. Suddenly, it jumped out of the parrot¡¯s mouth. ¡°A woman from a brothel, an adulterer who has given birth to a daughter. She is just a servant girl who can not even earn the title of a concubine.¡± When Lucky heard this, he immediately chased the parrot away and walked to Qian Qingyu¡¯s side. He said to Qian qingyu, ¡°I don¡¯t know what this damn parrot is talking about!¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and said, ¡°Lucky, I know that outsiders always say this about me, right? That¡¯s Why Your Highness isn¡¯t willing to take me out these days. With My Background, Your Highness will also feel embarrassed, right?¡± Lucky said, ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. Why would his highness care about these things?¡± Qian qingyu sighed heavily. She did not want to fight for any status, but she was really afraid that because of her identity, she would attract the ridicule of outsiders towards Lu Ang. She did not want Lu Ang to be ridiculed because of himself. From then on, even if Lu ang wanted to take Qian qingyu out of the mansion, she was also unwilling and stayed in the mansion. She was really afraid that she would attract ridicule from others if she left the mansion. Until Qiao Nichang and Qian Yu made a marriage agreement and a banquet was held in the Marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion, Lu ang was determined to bring Qian Qingyu along. Lu Ang¡¯s idea was very simple. Qiao Nichang and Qian Yu made a marriage agreement, and all the elders in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion would be present. His grandparents would also be present. It was just a few months away from his weak crown. He would first introduce Qian Qingyu to his relatives in the Marquis Mansion. Qian qingyu said, ¡°Your Highness, there is a lot of discussion about my background. If I were to go out, I would embarrass you.¡± ¡°Who is talking nonsense in your ear?¡±Lu ang said, ¡°Everyone in the Marquis an Yuan¡¯s residence is their own relative. No one will talk about your background. We will go together. Don¡¯t tell me you won¡¯t listen to Me?¡± Qian qingyu helplessly agreed. It was very lively in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion. Qian Yu and Ni Shang¡¯s engagement was a joyous occasion, so they invited their relatives and friends to come. Qin Miaomiao and Yue Zhan¡¯s family also came. Qian Qingyu followed Lu Ang gently and carefully. After a banquet, she didn¡¯t say anything at all. After eating wine, her face was slightly red, so she walked to the lakeside to relax. Yue Rong walked to her side and said, ¡°Sister Qingyu, you are so pitiful. His Highness Prince Pingliang is really a scum. Your background is so tragic, but he still treats you as a substitute. Today, sister Nichang and brother Qian Yu are engaged. He brought you here to help him save face by treating you as a substitute. He deliberately embarrassed brother Qian Yu and sister Nichang!¡± Yue Rong said indignantly, ¡°Sister Qingyu, you should do your best. Don¡¯t be used as a stand-in by His Highness anymore. After all, a stand-in is still a stand-in. A fake is still a fake.¡± Qian qingyu found it interesting when she heard Yue Rong say this at such a young age. ¡°I¡¯m willing to be a stand-in for his highness. As long as His Highness is happy, it¡¯s good enough.¡± Yue Rong frowned. ¡°AH? Why?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Because His Highness is the first person who treats me very well.¡± Yue Rong did not understand. ¡°Why is this different from what is written in the script?¡± ¡°What script?¡±Qiao Nihong came over and asked. Yue Rong did not say another word. Qiao Nihong said to Qian qingyu, ¡°The outside world is talking about you now. You Don¡¯t have to hide in the mansion and not come out. If anyone dares to say these things in front of you in the future, you can call them. If it doesn¡¯t work out, come find me.¡± Qian Qingyu looked gratefully at Qiao Nihong and said, ¡°Thank you, Miss Nihong.¡± Qian Yu and Qiao Nichang¡¯s wedding date was set for the year after next. After the wedding date was set, Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s family returned to Lin ¡®an and Qian Yu returned to Lin ¡®an to prepare for his exams. Qiao Nichang usually played around with Qiao Nihong so that she would not miss Qian Yu. However, their little brother was still young. Sometimes, when they went out, their parents would not feel at ease. They had to find Lu ang. After Lu Xi ascended the throne, Lu Ang was much busier than before, so he did not have time to take them out to play. Qiao Nishang went to find Qian Qingyu. If Qian Qingyu wanted to go out to play, she did not believe that Lu ang would not have time to take Qian Qingyu Out? These days, Qian Qingyu often played in Chang ¡®an city with Qiao Nishang and Qiao Nishang. Later on, even if Lu Ang was not allowed to take them to places, the two sisters would come to find Qian Qingyu to play with. Lu Ang had not seen Qian Qingyu many times when he went back to the mansion. He only heard that it was Qiao Nihong who took Qian qingyu away. It was the same today. Qian Qingyu did not come back until it was dark, she saw Lu Ang and said with a smile, ¡°Today, Princess Nihong took me to Hibiscus garden. It was the first time I saw so many hibiscus. It was like entering a fairyland. At night, when the lanterns were lit, the hibiscus flowers were of different colors and were very beautiful.¡± Lu Ang saw that she hadn¡¯t been so happy for a long time and said, ¡°If you like it, get someone to plant hibiscus flowers all over the manor.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Not good. I prefer the red plum forest in our manor.¡± Lu ang looked at Qian Qingyu¡¯s red lips and said, ¡°Me too. I like the red plum forest the most, and I like you even more in the Red Plum Forest!¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and said, ¡°I wonder when the plum blossom will bloom?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°It should be soon, but how about I bring you to Lin ¡®an city for the New Year?¡± Qian Qingyu said with some excitement, ¡°Lin ¡®an? That would be great. Although my father doesn¡¯t treat me well, I haven¡¯t gone to his grave to pay my respects for more than ten years¡­¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you back to pay my respects. I went to Lin ¡®an once when I was young. The winter in Lin ¡®an is warmer than in Chang ¡®an.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I almost forgot what Lin ¡®an looked like. I almost forgot the dialect of Lin ¡®an when I was young.¡± ¡°I remember when we first met, you spoke in Lin ¡®an dialect.¡±Lu ang recalled what happened when he was young. Qian Qingyu had been looking forward to returning to Lin ¡®an for the new year. She wanted to see her hometown, which had become blurry. She didn¡¯t know if her aunt was still there or how her cousins were doing now? However, Qian qingyu kept vomiting when they were about to leave in December. After the imperial physician came to check her pulse, he was not sure if she was pregnant. But when he asked about the situation, it was almost the same as being pregnant. He said, ¡°Your Highness, from the look of madam, she may be pregnant. But her pulse is still shallow. We have to wait for a month to take a look.¡± When Lu ang heard the imperial physician¡¯s words, he knew that it was almost certain that she was pregnant. He hugged Qian qingyu excitedly and said, ¡°Qingyu, we finally have a child.¡± Qian Qingyu¡¯s body had been damaged by three years of harsh treatment in the West Mountain Academy. It was difficult for her to have a child. However, she finally had a child today. After having a child, no matter how much the royal brother disagreed, he had to agree to his marriage with Qingyu! Qian Qingyu was held by Lu Ang and reached out to touch her abdomen. She did not know whether she should be happy or sad.. Chapter 444 - having a child Lu Ang had naturally heard of the rumors. He had not brought Qian qingyu out of the manor for the past few days because he was afraid that Qian Qingyu would feel uncomfortable when she heard those words. Qian Qingyu was playing with the parrot that Lady Qiao Jin had given her in the manor. Suddenly, it jumped out of the parrot¡¯s mouth. ¡°A woman from a brothel, an adulterer who gave birth to a daughter. She¡¯s just a servant girl who can not even earn the title of a concubine.¡± When Lucky heard this, he immediately chased the parrot away and walked to Qian Qingyu¡¯s side. He said to Qian qingyu, ¡°I don¡¯t know what this damn parrot is talking about!¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and said, ¡°Lucky, I know that outsiders always say this about me, right? That¡¯s Why Your Highness isn¡¯t willing to take me out these days. With My Background, Your Highness will also feel embarrassed, right?¡± Lucky said, ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. Why would his highness care about these things?¡± Qian qingyu sighed heavily. She did not want to fight for any status, but she was really afraid that because of her identity, she would attract the ridicule of outsiders towards Lu ang. She did not want Lu Ang to be ridiculed because of himself. From then on, even if Lu ang wanted to take Qian qingyu out of the mansion, she was also unwilling and stayed in the mansion. She was really afraid that she would attract ridicule from others if she left the mansion. Until Qiao Nichang and Qian Yu made a marriage agreement and a banquet was held in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion, Lu ang was determined to bring Qian qingyu along. Lu Ang¡¯s idea was very simple. Qiao Nichang and Qian Yu made a marriage agreement, and all the elders in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion would be present. His grandparents would also be present. It was just a few months away from his weak crown. He would first introduce Qian Qingyu to his relatives in the Marquis Mansion. Qian qingyu said, ¡°Your Highness, there is a lot of discussion about my background outside. If I were to go out, it would be hard for you to avoid losing face.¡± ¡°Who is talking nonsense beside your ear?¡±Lu ang said, ¡°Everyone in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor is their own relative. No one will talk about your background. They will just go together. Don¡¯t tell me you won¡¯t even listen to me?¡± Qian qingyu helplessly agreed. It was very lively in the marquis an Yuan¡¯s mansion. Qian Yu and Ni Shang¡¯s engagement was a joyous occasion, so they invited their relatives and friends to come. Qin Miaomiao and Yue Zhan¡¯s family also came. Qian Qingyu followed Lu Ang gently and carefully. After a banquet, she didn¡¯t say anything at all. After eating wine, her face was slightly red, so she walked to the lakeside to relax. Yue Rong walked to her side and said, ¡°Sister Qingyu, you are so pitiful. His Highness Prince Pingliang is really a scum. Your background is so tragic, but he still treats you as a substitute. Today, sister Nichang and brother Qian Yu are engaged. He brought you here to help him save face by treating you as a substitute. He deliberately embarrassed brother Qian Yu and sister Nichang!¡± Yue Rong said indignantly, ¡°Sister Qingyu, you should do your best. Don¡¯t be used as a stand-in by His Highness anymore. After all, a stand-in is still a stand-in. A fake is still a fake.¡± Qian qingyu found it interesting when she heard Yue Rong say this at such a young age. ¡°I¡¯m willing to be a stand-in for his highness. As long as His Highness is happy, it¡¯s good enough.¡± Yue Rong frowned. ¡°AH? Why?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Because His Highness is the first person who treats me very well.¡± Yue Rong did not understand. ¡°Why is this different from what is written in the script?¡± ¡°What script?¡±Qiao Nihong came over and asked. Yue Rong did not say another word. Qiao Nihong said to Qian qingyu, ¡°The outside world is talking about you now. You Don¡¯t have to hide in the mansion and not come out. If anyone dares to say these things in front of you in the future, you can call them. If it doesn¡¯t work out, come find me.¡± Qian Qingyu looked gratefully at Qiao Nihong and said, ¡°Thank you, Miss Nihong.¡± Qian Yu and Qiao Nichang¡¯s wedding date was set for the year after next. After the wedding date was set, Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s family returned to Lin ¡®an and Qian Yu returned to Lin ¡®An to prepare for his exams. Qiao Nichang usually played around with Qiao Nihong so that she would not miss Qian Yu. However, their little brother was still young. Sometimes, when they went out, their parents would not feel at ease. They had to find Lu ang. After Lu Xi ascended the throne, Lu Ang was much busier than before, so he did not have time to take them out to play. Qiao Nishang went to find Qian Qingyu. If Qian Qingyu wanted to go out to play, she did not believe that Lu ang would not have time to take Qian Qingyu Out? These days, Qian Qingyu often played in Chang ¡®an city with Qiao Nishang and Qiao Nishang. Later on, even if Lu Ang was not allowed to take them to places, the two sisters would come to find Qian Qingyu to play with. Lu Ang had not seen Qian Qingyu many times when he went back to the mansion. He only heard that it was Qiao Nihong who took Qian qingyu away. It was the same today. Qian Qingyu did not come back until it was dark, she saw Lu Ang and said with a smile, ¡°Today, Princess Nihong took me to Hibiscus garden. It was the first time I saw so many hibiscus. It was like entering a fairyland. At night, when the lanterns were lit, the hibiscus flowers were of different colors and were very beautiful.¡± Lu Ang saw that she hadn¡¯t been so happy for a long time and said, ¡°If you like it, get someone to plant hibiscus flowers all over the manor.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Not good. I prefer the red plum forest in our manor.¡± Lu ang looked at Qian Qingyu¡¯s red lips and said, ¡°Me too. I like the red plum forest the most, and I like you even more in the Red Plum Forest!¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and said, ¡°I wonder when the plum blossom will bloom?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°It should be soon, but how about I bring you to Lin ¡®an city for the New Year?¡± Qian Qingyu said with some excitement, ¡°Lin ¡®an? That would be great. Although my father doesn¡¯t treat me well, I haven¡¯t gone to his grave to pay my respects for more than ten years¡­¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you back to pay my respects. I went to Lin ¡®an once when I was young. The winter in Lin ¡®an is warmer than in Chang ¡®an.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I almost forgot what Lin ¡®an looked like. I almost forgot the dialect of Lin ¡®an when I was young.¡± ¡°I remember when we first met, you spoke in Lin ¡®an dialect.¡±Lu ang recalled what happened when he was young. Qian Qingyu had been looking forward to returning to Lin ¡®an for the new year. She wanted to see her hometown, which had become blurry. She didn¡¯t know if her aunt was still there or how her cousins were doing now? However, Qian qingyu kept vomiting when they were about to leave in December. After the imperial physician came to check her pulse, he was not sure if she was pregnant. But when he asked about the situation, it was almost the same as being pregnant. He said, ¡°Your Highness, from the look of madam, she may be pregnant. But her pulse is still shallow. We have to wait for a month to take a look.¡± When Lu ang heard the imperial physician¡¯s words, he knew that it was almost certain that she was pregnant. He hugged Qian qingyu excitedly and said, ¡°Qingyu, we finally have a child.¡± Qian Qingyu¡¯s body had been damaged by three years of harsh treatment in the West Mountain Academy. It was difficult for her to have a child. However, she finally had a child today. After having a child, no matter how much the royal brother disagreed, he had to agree to his marriage with Qingyu! Qian Qingyu was held by Lu Ang and reached out to touch her abdomen. She did not know whether she should be happy or sad.. Chapter 445 - Qian Qingyu wanted a status Qian Qingyu didn¡¯t care about her status as long as she could stay by Lu Ang¡¯s side. But if she had a child and had no status, what should she do with the child? In the future, Lu Ang would have to marry a concubine. It was fine if she had a daughter, but if she had a son, the future princess might be able to tolerate Lu ang having a bastard son? Lu ang saw that Qian Qingyu was not smiling and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy that we have a child?¡± Qian qingyu forced a smile and said, ¡°Yes, why wouldn¡¯t I Be Happy?¡± Lu ang put his hand on Qian Qingyu¡¯s abdomen and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a son or a daughter. Do you like a son or a daughter?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°Both are good. I prefer your Highness.¡± Lu Ang was very satisfied when he heard Qian Qingyu¡¯s words. ¡°I hope the first one will be a girl. It would be even better if she looks like you.¡± Qian qingyu frowned slightly when she heard this. She gently stroked her belly. She could be willing to be Lu Ang¡¯s substitute, but she did not want her daughter to live in the shadow of a substitute. After the pregnancy, the trip to Lin ¡®an could not be carried out. Lu Ang went to the palace to find Lu Xi. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m about to become a weak tiara. Qingyu is pregnant now. Please help us!¡± Lu Xi frowned. ¡°You¡¯re quite capable. Do you still think that a mother is expensive because of her child?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°It¡¯s not that a mother is expensive because of her child. Qingyu and I are in love with each other. Brother, do you have the heart to let your little niece be born with the reputation of an illegitimate daughter?¡± Lu XI said, ¡°You can take her as a side concubine first. After all, given her background, the position of side concubine is already considered very good.¡± Lu ang frowned. ¡°No, the position of side concubine is not enough. If that¡¯s the case, you can only watch as your first little niece is born with an illegitimate daughter!¡±! Lu Xi was really helpless, but she was also not threatened by Lu Ang, ¡°That is your child. Although he is my nephew, he is your biological child. Think carefully about whether you want to give him the position of imperial consort or a side Consort.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°When Qingyu¡¯s fetus is more stable, I will take her to Lin ¡®an to find her parents. Why didn¡¯t I think of it earlier? How can you decide my marriage?¡± Lu Ang had been following Lu Xi since he was young. He had forgotten that marriage was supposed to be arranged by his parents. What did his marriage have to do with Lu Xi? His parents were both there! His mother had always doted on him and felt guilty towards Qingyu. If he had told his mother, perhaps his marriage with Qingyu would have been a success! .. In the imperial residence, Qiao ni Hong and Qiao ni Shang heard that Qian Qingyu was pregnant, so they came to the imperial residence to look at her. Qiao nishang said, ¡°I¡¯m going to be an aunt. By the way, you already have a child. Doesn¡¯t Lu ang plan to give you a status?¡± Qiao nishang also said, ¡°Brother Ang already told us to call you cousin-in-law, but you don¡¯t even have a status. What kind of cousin-in-law are you?¡± Qiao Nishang said to Qian qingyu, ¡°Qingyu, it¡¯s fine that you didn¡¯t ask for a status before, but when you have a child, you can¡¯t not ask for it. You know that it¡¯s not acceptable to have children in this world.¡± Qian qingyu nodded and said, ¡°Thank you for your advice, Princess Nihon. I understand.¡± She didn¡¯t care about it herself, but she had to care about the child. But she didn¡¯t know how to tell Lu Ang. After all, she had told Lu ang that she didn¡¯t ask for status. She was also afraid that if she asked too much, Lu ang would hate her, and then she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to stay by her side. Over the past few years, Qian Qingyu had gotten used to this warmth. She did not know what she would do if she was chased away by Lu Ang? With this thought in mind, she would rather not have this child. However, the child was already here. She could not bear to not have this child. This was His Highness¡¯child.. Qian qingyu felt uncomfortable in her stomach and vomited. Lu ang walked to Qian Qingyu¡¯s side and handed her a glass of water without even frowning. ¡°Why are you vomiting so badly?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°The imperial physician said that this is normal.¡± Lu ang touched Qian Qingyu¡¯s stomach and said, ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t make your mother feel uncomfortable.¡± Qian Qingyu leaned against Lu Ang¡¯s embrace. She did not know how to say what she wanted. She just hugged Lu ang and said, ¡°Your Highness, Do You Know My Mother?¡± ¡°She was born an illegitimate daughter of a prostitute. She was supposed to be the high and mighty young lady of the Xie family. At that time, third master Xie was in control of the Xie family. Even Xie Yun had to disguise as a woman. But he refused to acknowledge my mother. The prostitute saw that my mother couldn¡¯t let her enter the Xie family, so she sold my mother to my father as a child bride. My mother learned how to make jewelry in the Qian family. Later, she couldn¡¯t stand my father anymore, so she left. I don¡¯t even remember her when she left. ¡°When I was young, everyone said that my mother didn¡¯t want me anymore. But later, when my mother came back, I knew that she loved me¡­¡± ¡°Qingyu is so good. Your Mother Must Love You,¡±Lu ang advised Qian Qingyu. ¡°However, your mother may have her own difficulties, right?¡± Qian qingyu nodded. ¡°Yes, my mother has her own difficulties. Your Highness, I¡¯m going to be a mother soon¡­¡± Lu ang asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Qian qingyu still found it hard to say that she hated a title. ¡°Nothing, just rest.¡± Lu Ang had decided to wait for Qian Qingyu to vomit better and the fetus to stabilize. Then, he would go to Lin ¡®an and ask for his parents¡¯consent. At that time, he could get married in Lin ¡®an. Winter passed and spring came. The Imperial Court¡¯s annual Hunt began at least once a year. Lu Ang did not bring Qian Qingyu with him before he went hunting. He was afraid that the hunting ground would be blind. It would be bad if he slept with Qian Qingyu. Qian Qingyu stayed in the Prince¡¯s mansion to make a round-necked robe for Lu ang. After three years of recuperation, her hands had recovered a lot. The jade muscle scar removal ointment was really effective. However, after a long time of not embroidery, Qian qingyu found that her skills had become rusty. She did not know if Lu ang would dislike her skill in this dress. Lucky came in and said, ¡°Madam, the sky is dark. If you continue to embroider, it will be hard for you to free your eyes. Why Don¡¯t You Embroider Again Tomorrow?¡± Qian qingyu also felt a little sore at her waist. She touched her belly and said, ¡°Well, okay.¡± At night, Qian Qingyu had a nightmare. She dreamed that after her daughter was born, she was laughed at by everyone. Qian Qingyu was woken up by the cries of adulterers, and her head was full of cold sweat. Adulterer.. She didn¡¯t want it. She didn¡¯t want her daughter to be reduced to the appearance in the dream. She wanted a title. She had to quickly seek a title. She didn¡¯t want any other title, as long as she was a concubine. As long as her daughter had a legitimate birth, even if Lu Ang would despise her, at least she would not be laughed at by others. Qian Qingyu made up her mind to tell Lu ang about this when Lu ang came back. Chapter 446 - Your Highness, I want a title Qian Qingyu was looking forward to Lu Ang¡¯s return. When Lu Ang finally came back, she was also looking forward to a young woman. The woman was not old. She was wearing a wedding dress and there were many servants carrying the dowry behind her. ¡°Yuanyuan, this is my mansion. You can stay here before you get married!¡± Tang Yuanyuan looked at the grand mansion and said, ¡°Brother Ang, it¡¯s so grand here. You live alone in such a big house? What about brother Lu Xi? Does he live with you too?¡± Lu ang smiled and said, ¡°He is the emperor, so he naturally lives in the royal palace.¡± Qian qingyu bowed to Lu ang and asked, ¡°Your Highness, who is this girl?¡± Lu ang introduced, ¡°She is aunt glutinous Rice¡¯s daughter and also my mother¡¯s disciple. She came to Chang ¡®an many days ago to get married. I will let her stay in the Prince¡¯s mansion first. Nanny Ning, find a better courtyard for her.¡± Nanny Ning should be. Qian Qingyu did not know who aunt glutinous rice was. When she heard that she was the Empress¡¯disciple, she naturally asked respectfully, ¡°May I know how to address this lady?¡± Tang Yuanyuan replied, ¡°My name is Tang Yuanyuan, and my nickname is Tang Yuanyuan.¡± ¡°Miss Tang.¡± After Lu Ang had settled Tang Yuanyuan, he returned to his room and said to Qian qingyu, ¡°Yuanyuan came from Lin ¡®an and knows nothing about Chang ¡®an. She is a simple person. You should tell her more about Chang ¡®an¡¯s customs and customs these few days.¡± ¡°Okay,¡±Qian qingyu replied, ¡°Your Highness, I have something to tell you¡­¡± Before Qian Qingyu could say anything, Lucky rushed in and said, ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty is here.¡± Lu ang frowned. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Because Lu Xi didn¡¯t agree to the marriage, Lu Ang didn¡¯t want him to come to the mansion at all. Qian Qingyu gently persuaded Lu ang, ¡°Whether you are a ruler, a minister, or a brother, your Majesty probably Misses Your Highness.¡± Misses? He had just come out of the palace, so he did not think that Lu Xi was here to visit his younger brother. As expected, Lu Xi went to the courtyard where Tang Yuanyuan was staying. When Lu Ang and Qian Qingyu arrived, Lu Xi was in the room looking for trouble. ¡°Why aren¡¯t the curtains here made of tobacco? and the embroidered thread on the quilt is not clean enough, this¡­¡± Lu ang frowned. ¡°Brother, this is the best thing in My Mansion!¡± Tang Yuanyuan also said, ¡°Yes, brother Lu Xi. Everything here is already very good. I like it very much.¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°If there¡¯s anything missing, just ask Grandma to tell me. Don¡¯t be polite. If I don¡¯t take good care of you, I¡¯ll treat aunt glutinous rice badly.¡± Tang Yuanyuan nodded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing missing. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not used to the dishes here. Can I use the kitchen?¡± ¡°Of course,¡±Lu Ang said. ¡°Since you studied under your mother, you must be very good at cooking, but you have to cook something light. Qingyu is pregnant and will vomit if she smells greasy.¡± Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Tang Yuanyuan worked in the kitchen for nearly two hours. Lu Ang saw that Lu Xi had not left, so he asked curiously, ¡°How come imperial brother has so much free time today? You just came back from hunting, so there should be a lot of manuscripts waiting for you to review, right?¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°Since father, mother, and the Empress left the palace, you and I rarely eat together. I will eat with you today.¡± Lu ang snorted and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so hypocritical. You are just a dish made by gluttony yuan yuan! You can have dinner in my residence, but you have to eat at the same table as Qingyu.¡± Qian Qingyu was so scared that she directly knelt on the ground. ¡°Your Highness, this is absolutely not allowed.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°What¡¯s not allowed? You are the Master of this residence, and he is the guest. The guest is up to the host.¡± Qian Qingyu was even more frightened. Lu Xi said, ¡°Then let¡¯s eat together.¡± Tang Yuanyuan worked for two hours and placed the five dishes and one soup on the round table, tang Yuanyuan placed the cold dish in front of Qian qingyu and said, ¡°This cold dish will appease the pregnant madam. It will also be good for the fetus.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Tang.¡±Qian Qingyu felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. After all, the other side was the king of the world. Tang Yuanyuan was used to it among the people. Glutinous rice had never asked Tang Yuanyuan to learn any etiquette. Tang Yuanyuan did not feel restrained in front of Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang. He treated Lu XI and Lu ang as if they were his master¡¯s sons. Tang Yuanyuan even picked up a piece of fish for Lu Xi with his chopsticks. ¡°Master always said that you like to eat fish. Have a taste of my cooking and master¡¯s cooking. Is there any difference?¡± The eunuch servants around Lu Xi wanted to blame Tang Yuanyuan for being impolite, but Lu Xi stopped the eunuch and ate the fish that Tang Yuanyuan had picked up with her chopsticks. Lu Ang looked at Lu Xi, who had always been particular about public chopsticks, and felt that it was abnormal that she could eat the fish that Tang Yuanyuan had given him with her chopsticks. Lu Ang tried to pick up a piece of meat for Lu Xi with his own chopsticks, but Lu Xi glared at him! Lu Ang:¡±¡­¡± Even his own brother was despised. Why didn¡¯t Lu Xi despise Tang Yuanyuan? After a meal, Lu ang found that Qian Qingyu had eaten quite a lot. He couldn¡¯t help but say happily, ¡°It seems that today¡¯s dishes are to your liking.¡± Qian qingyu smiled. ¡°Miss Tang is indeed worthy of being a disciple of Empress Qiao. Her culinary skills are really good. Lord Zhou will be blessed in the future.¡± Lord Zhou was the person Tang Yuanyuan was going to marry in Chang ¡®an this time. Lu Xi could not help but frown when she heard this. Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time. When he left Lin ¡®an, I was still a very, very little girl. I wonder if he is as handsome as before?¡± Lu XI asked, ¡°Do you like handsome men?¡± Tang yuanyuan nodded and said, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like beautiful men in this world? I also like beautiful men.¡± Lu Ang looked at Lu Xi and almost asked Tang Yuanyuan if he was handsome. He was not as unbrotherly as Lu Xi. He said to Tang Yuanyuan, ¡°Then do you think His Majesty is Handsome?¡± Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°Of course brother Lu Xi is handsome, but I think brother Ang is more handsome!¡± Lu Xi¡¯s peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Lu Ang sinisterly. For the first time, he felt that it was not bad to agree to his marriage with Qian Qingyu, so that his face would not attract the attention of others. Qian qingyu nodded in agreement. She also felt that Lu Ang¡¯s face was the most handsome in the world. Lu Ang saw Lu Xi¡¯s angry and helpless look and smiled. Lu Xi could not stay outside the palace for long, so she instructed Lu ang to take good care of Tang Yuanyuan. Lu ang said, ¡°I know. I¡¯ve never seen you so dilly-dallying.¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°She is aunt glutinous Rice¡¯s daughter. She married into Chang ¡®an alone, so I naturally have to take care of her more.¡± After Lu Ang sent Lu Xi away, he returned to his room. Qian Qingyu heard Lu Ang¡¯s footsteps coming from outside, so she took a sip of water. The moment Lu Ang came in, she mustered up her courage and said, ¡°Your Highness, I want a title!¡± Chapter 447 - he decided to leave the mansion Lu ang walked to Qian qingyu and said, ¡°Why did you suddenly think of this? Don¡¯t worry, I will give you the title.¡± Qian Qingyu said with tears in her eyes, ¡°A few days ago, I dreamed that because I didn¡¯t have the title, I gave birth to an illegitimate daughter. She was laughed at by others. Your Highness, I don¡¯t want to be a concubine¡¯s wife. A concubine¡¯s position is enough.¡± Lu ang said unhappily, ¡°You actually want to be a concubine? Do you know what it means to be a concubine?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I know that my status is lowly. Even if I am a concubine, I am not worthy of you¡­ But I beg you to give me a status for the sake of my child. ¡°In the future, when the concubine of the princess enters the house, I will definitely abide by my status and will not act Rashly!¡± Lu ANG¡¯s expression became more and more unsightly. Qian qingyu, on the other hand, knelt down and pulled on Lu Ang¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I really don¡¯t want my daughter to follow in my mother¡¯s footsteps and be ridiculed by everyone for being an illegitimate daughter. Your Highness, I Beg You¡­¡± Lu ang looked at Qian Qingyu who was kneeling on the ground and his eyes were filled with disappointment. ¡°How have I treated you these three years? Can¡¯t You Feel It? Concubine? Concubine? What do you take me for?¡± Lu Ang was really angry. He had never thought of making Qian Qingyu his concubine. He had planned everything for Qian Qingyu to make her his princess. He was wholeheartedly devoted to Qian qingyu, but she could easily say that she was his concubine and ask him to find another princess. What did these three years of relationship count for? Qian qingyu knelt on the ground. Looking at Lu Ang¡¯s anger, she felt regret. She should have known that she was just a fake, a substitute for Qiao Nichang. What right did she have to demand a title? Lu ang saw her pale face and helped her up. ¡°Qian Qingyu, you have disappointed me!¡± Qian Qingyu sat on the bed, tears streaming down her face. Yes, she was just a servant. She was from a humble background. How could she ask for the position of a concubine? But what about her child? Did she really want the child to be born and laughed at? Lu Ang saw her crying and did not know how to comfort her. He just said, ¡°Okay, stop crying. Think about our relationship.¡± Qian qingyu wiped her tears and covered her stomach. No, she had to do something for her child. She could not let her child go back to the same path as her mother. If Lu Ang was not willing to give her a title, then she had to think of another way. She could not let her child be laughed at and mocked. Lu ang saw that Qian qingyu finally stopped crying and heaved a sigh of relief. Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s wedding day was approaching. Qiao Nihong and Qiao Nishang came to the mansion under Lu Xi¡¯s orders to accompany Tang Yuanyuan to relieve boredom. Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s lively personality was very compatible with Qiao Nihong¡¯s personality. Qiao Nihong said to Tang Yuanyuan, ¡°Come to think of it, we still have relatives. Nishang is going to marry your cousin Qian Yu soon.¡± Although Qian Yu was only a few years older than Tang Yuanyuan, his seniority was a whole generation higher. Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°I heard from my cousin that Nichang is really the number one beauty in Chang ¡®an. She is really beautiful.¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°Eh, we have been here for so long. Why isn¡¯t Qingyu Here?¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time. Let¡¯s go and find her together.¡± Neon nodded and followed Qiao Nishang to the main courtyard. When they entered, Qiao Nishang saw Qian Qingyu making a round-necked robe. ¡°This embroidered robe is so serious?¡±Qiao Nishang clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Your skills are almost as good as those in the palace.¡± Qian Qingyu put down the round-necked robe and said, ¡°You are here?¡± Qiao Nihong saw the tears on Qian Qingyu¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Why are you crying? Did Lu Ang Bully You?¡± This time, Qian Qingyu could not say no. After all, she did not know what to do. She sobbed and said to Qiao nihong, ¡°Princess Nihong, His Highness is not willing to give me a title. He is not even willing to give me the title of a concubine. I can not let the child in my belly become an illegitimate child. Can you help me?¡± ¡°Lu Ang, this is too much!¡±Qiao ni Hong said indignantly, ¡°You have served him for three years, and he is not even willing to give you the title of a concubine. This is too much!¡± Qiao ni Shang said, ¡°Brother Ang is not willing to give you a title. It is not like you have no other way. Back then, my father was not willing to marry my mother. Later, my mother did not want me to become an illegitimate daughter, so she found my father and married him. ¡°I¡¯ve been following my father¡¯s surname for my entire life. I didn¡¯t enter the Xie family tree and entered the Qiao family tree. In the future, all future generations will recognize Luo Wei!¡± Qiao neon said, ¡°Qingyu, Nichang is right. Lu Ang didn¡¯t want to give you a title, so you took his child and married someone else!¡± Qian qingyu listened to their suggestion and said, ¡°That¡¯s not very feasible, right? After all, this is the royal bloodline¡­¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Since Lu Ang is not willing to give you a title, do you really want your child to become an illegitimate child? Nowadays, regardless of whether it is the royal family or not, any child born without a title is an illegitimate child.¡± Qian qingyu heard what Qiao Nihong said and felt that what Qiao Nihong said made sense. ¡°But how can I find a man who is willing to pretend to be married to me? Also, I can¡¯t bear to part with His Highness¡­¡± Qiao nihong touched Qian Qingyu¡¯s forehead with the back of her hand, ¡°If you don¡¯t have a fever, why are you spouting nonsense? Please, it¡¯s been three years. Lu Ang isn¡¯t even willing to give you the title of a concubine, and you still can¡¯t bear to part with him? Can you fight for Us Girls?¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head. She knew this, but she was extremely reluctant to part with him. If it weren¡¯t for the child, she definitely wouldn¡¯t want to part with Lu Ang. Qian Qingyu said to Qiao nihong, ¡°But how can I leave the mansion? His Highness will not allow me to take his child and marry another man.¡± She was different from Qiao Nichang¡¯s mother. Qiao ruoyi had a strong family to support her. Qiao nihong asked, ¡°What about your family? Is there no one in your family?¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°I have an aunt in Lin ¡®an, but I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time. Is she still in Lin ¡®an?¡± Qiao Nishang heard Lin ¡®an and said, ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll bring you to Lin ¡®an to find your aunt?¡± Qiao nishang said, ¡°You want to see Qian Yu on your own, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t expose me!¡±Qiao Nishang said with a slightly red face, ¡°Tang Yuanyuan will be getting married in a few days. There will be a lot of people in the mansion that day, so you can sneak out in the dowry. When that time comes, I¡¯ll bring you to Lin ¡®An, okay?¡± Qiao Nihon said, ¡°I¡¯ll go too, I¡¯ll go too!¡± Qian Qingyu thought about it carefully and felt that this was also a solution. The only place she could go now was indeed Lin ¡®an. At least Lin ¡®an and her family¡¯s ancestral home had a place to settle down and not be displaced.. Chapter 448 - reluctant to part After they had agreed on how to leave the Prince¡¯s mansion, Qian Qingyu was reluctant to part with the Prince¡¯s mansion. She was most reluctant to part with Lu Ang. It had only been ten days since Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s wedding. Qian qingyu almost did not want to leave Lu ang at all times. It would be great if he was willing to give himself an identity. Lu Ang was very pleased to see Qian qingyu sticking to him like this. Qiao Ruohan, who was married today, held a flower feast in her residence. She invited the handsome young masters of Chang ¡®an city and the daughters of various manors. Lu Ang also received an invitation. He had to stick to Qian qingyu like this, so he also brought Qian Qingyu with him. Tang Yuanyuan heard that there was a flower feast, so he also wanted to attend it. ¡°Brother Ang, can you take me with you? I heard that the peonies in Chang ¡®an are very beautiful. Unfortunately, there are no peonies in Lin ¡®an city, not even peonies.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°You¡¯re about to get married, and you¡¯re still the new wife. It¡¯s not good to go out rashly, right?¡± Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll treat you as Sister Qingyu¡¯s maid. I¡¯m dying of boredom.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Alright, just in time. There will inevitably be places that I can¡¯t take care of at the banquet later. Help me protect Qingyu.¡± Tang Yuanyuan nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, okay.¡± The butler of the Qian family who sent Tang Yuanyuan over was already very helpless. According to the rules of Lin ¡®an, after marrying a brother from a distant family, the rest of the relatives were not allowed to send him off. Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s seniority was low and he did not have a brother. The butler of the Qian family could not care about Tang Yuanyuan at all. He only told Tang Yuanyuan about the appearance of Zhou Gu. Today, Qiao Ruohan invited all the young talents in Chang ¡®an. Zhou Gu might also be at the banquet. There were many people attending Qiao Ruohan¡¯s flower feast today. Firstly, Qiao Ruohan¡¯s status was high. Secondly, the Emperor and the second prince were not married yet, and the empress dowager was not in Chang ¡®an. Qiao Ruohan was the Empress Dowager¡¯s youngest sister, and the emperor was also her nephew. Perhaps the flower feast was organized for the Emperor. Therefore, not only did the people who sent out the invitations all come, but there were also many young ladies who specifically begged the people who had the invitations to come to Qiao Ruohan¡¯s banquet. As the name suggested, the reason why Qiao Ruohan held the flower feast was really to enjoy the flowers. She had loved flowers and plants since she was young. This year, there was a purple peony that had actually grown a deep purple and gradually turning black du Dan Flower. This was a rare sight in the world. As soon as Lu ang arrived, he was called away by a few princes from the royal family. Qian Qingyu was very observant and did not go over. Just as Tang Yuanyuan had said, there were no peonies in Lin ¡®an city. She was determined to leave and had to see more of the magnificent peonies here. It was the first time Tang Yuanyuan saw so many varieties of peonies. She said, ¡°No wonder everyone says that peonies are beautiful and graceful. Today, when I saw the peonies, I was indeed very generous. I wonder if I can make a dish with peonies?¡± Qian qingyu smiled lightly. Tang Yuanyuan seemed to be able to think of anything better than cooking. While the two of them were admiring the flowers, the voices of a few people could be heard. ¡°Lian ¡®er, your brother¡¯s wedding date is approaching, right? It should be less than ten days, right?¡± Zhou Lian ¡®er said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m almost annoyed to death when I talk about this. That Tang Yuanyuan might be the daughter of the Wu royal family, but her father is just a small constable. He hasn¡¯t made much progress after so many years. ¡°I heard that she has been learning to cook these two years and has been following her mother to show her face in the restaurant. She doesn¡¯t have the self-awareness of the future Prime Minister¡¯s wife at all.¡± The young sisters beside Zhou Lian ¡®er said, ¡°Lord Zhou Gu is already the top scholar in high school at such a young age. Over the past few years, there have been many matchmakers who have proposed to Lord Zhou Gu. Indeed, they are not suitable for the women of the common people.¡± Zhou Lian ¡®er sighed and said, ¡°When I think about how my brother has a bright future ahead of him but wants to marry Tang Yuanyuan, that woman who is nothing, I feel extremely depressed. My Brother is an auspicious scholar, the prime minister in the future.¡± When Tang Yuanyuan heard Zhou Lian ¡®er¡¯s words, he was extremely angry. He stood out and said, ¡°So what if I¡¯m a Cook? If it wasn¡¯t for the engagement back then, I wouldn¡¯t have been willing to marry your brother. Who would be willing to marry into your Zhou family!¡± Zhou Lian ¡®er recognized Tang Yuanyuan, who had grown up. She did not expect that her looks had improved a lot after not seeing her for a few years, ¡°Tang Yuanyuan, your wedding date is approaching. Why are you at this banquet instead of waiting at the Courier Station to get married? And you¡¯re even with a fake.¡± Zhou Lian ¡®er saw Qian qingyu, who had a slightly bulging stomach beside Tang Yuanyuan. ¡°You¡¯re about to get married to my brother. Before your marriage, you were so close to the descendant of a brothel lady. It¡¯s a disgrace to our Zhou family.¡± Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s the most shameful thing for the Zhou family to have you.¡± Zhou Lian ¡®er pointed at Tang Yuanyuan and said, ¡°You!¡± Zhou Gu saw the change and quickly came over. ¡°Lian ¡®er, did you cause trouble again?¡± Zhou Lian ¡®er said, ¡°Elder brother, it was Tang Yuanyuan who came to scold me.¡± Zhou Gu looked at Tang Yuanyuan. In his memory, she was still a delicate child, but now she was a young girl. Zhou Gu looked at Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s appearance and said, ¡°Yuanyuan, Lian ¡®er is young and insensible. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Tang Yuanyuan lowered her head and said quietly, ¡°She is even older than me.¡± Zhou Gu said to Tang yuanyuan, ¡°Why did you come to the banquet today? Do you want me to send you back to the Courier Station?¡± The Qian family of the Tang family had set off early so that Tang Yuanyuan would not have to travel on the road. Therefore, they had arrived in Chang ¡®an half a month earlier. They could not get married before the auspicious day. Zhou Gu did not know that Tang Yuanyuan was in the Prince¡¯s mansion and had always thought that she was in the courier station. Tang Yuanyuan took a look at Zhou Gu. When he was young, Brother Zhou was handsome in Lin ¡®an city, but when he came to Chang ¡®an, she felt that Zhou Gu¡¯s appearance was too ordinary.. Tang Yuanyuan replied, ¡°No need. I have been living in the Prince¡¯s mansion in Pingliang recently.¡± ¡°The Prince¡¯s Mansion?¡±Zhou Gu was stunned. Tang yuanyuan nodded and said, ¡°It was brother Lu Xi who let me live in the Prince¡¯s Mansion.¡± When Zhou Gu heard Lu Xi¡¯s name, he immediately said respectfully, ¡°Shh, You Can¡¯t Call His Majesty by his first name.¡± Tang Yuanyuan did not want to talk to Zhou Gu anymore. She said to Qian qingyu, ¡°I think there are more beautiful peonies ahead. Let¡¯s go over there!¡± Qian qingyu replied, ¡°Okay.¡± On the way, Qian Qingyu looked at Tang yuanyuan guiltily and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Tang. It¡¯s all because of me that you were ridiculed by the Zhou family¡¯s miss¡­¡± Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°Zhou Lian ¡®er has the face of a villain who has achieved success. Just ignore her.¡± On the other side, Zhou Lian ¡®er said to Zhou Gu, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re actually helping Tang Yuanyuan?¡± Zhou Gu said with slight annoyance, ¡°Zhou Lian ¡®er, are you brainless?¡±? Tang Yuanyuan was the eldest cousin of the Wu royal family. Her mother used to be the empress dowager¡¯s maidservant. If you dare to ruin my marriage with Yuanyuan and ruin my future, I¡¯ll definitely teach you a lesson!¡± ¡°Brother, if you marry Tang Yuanyuan, what will happen to cousin?¡±Zhou Lian ¡®er asked. ¡°You are the future prime minister. She doesn¡¯t have much relationship with the Prince of Wu¡¯s mansion.¡± Zhou gu said, ¡°You should show some respect to Tang Yuanyuan!¡± Although the Prince of Shu had the title of prime minister, he might not be able to enter the cabinet. Tang Yuanyuan lived in the Prince¡¯s mansion when he came to Chang ¡®an. It could be seen that his majesty and the Prince valued Tang Yuanyuan. Marrying Tang Yuanyuan would be beneficial to him in the future! Chapter 449 - Lu Xi stole the bride and left quietly Lu Ang had recently noticed that Lu Xi had come to his mansion many times. Both lunch and dinner were left in the mansion for dinner. Red Silk began to hang in the mansion. There were still three days until Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s wedding day. Before dinner, Lu Ang really did wait for Lu Xi to come. Lu Ang waved a fan in his hand and blocked Lu Xi at the door. ¡°As the saying goes, brothers always settle their debts. If you don¡¯t grant me a marriage, you come to my mansion every day to eat and drink for free. Do you have any shame?¡± Lu Xi used her hand to move Lu Ang¡¯s fan away and took out a gold ingot from her pocket. ¡°Is it enough?¡± Lu Ang returned the gold ingot to Lu Xi. ¡°Who cares about your gold ingot?¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°After Yuan Yuan gets married, you can invite me here in a palanquin. I Won¡¯t come.¡± Lu ang snorted and let Lu Xi in. He said as he walked, ¡°After Yuan Yuan gets married, I¡¯m going to take Qingyu to Lin ¡®an to find my parents to discuss the marriage.¡± Lu Xi said, ¡°Up to you.¡± Qian Qingyu was shocked to have dinner with Lu Xi, so she stayed in her room to eat. When it was time to leave, her mind was full of memories of being with Lu Ang. Even though everyone said that Lu ang had treated her as a fake body double. But Qian Qingyu could not deny that she was happy every time she was with Lu Ang. Lu Ang had never disrespected her. He would carefully apply medicine to her old whip wounds. As long as she cried out in pain, he would be very gentle.. After they were together, Lu Xi would not let the maids and servants serve her in the room. In the middle of the night, if Qian Qingyu was thirsty, Lu ang would personally get out of bed and pour water for her to drink. Many times, when he whispered in her ear, Qian Qingyu felt that he did not use her as a stand-in.. When Qian Qingyu heard Lu Ang coming in, she ran over and hugged him. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Lu ang felt that Qian Qingyu¡¯s expression was very wrong and asked, ¡°What¡¯s Wrong?¡± ¡°Just give me a title. The title of a concubine will not affect you. If you are afraid that the future princess will be angry, I will take the child to a corner in the future¡­¡± Lu ang said angrily, ¡°Last time, I thought you had figured it out, but you still haven¡¯t figured it out.¡± Seeing that Lu Ang was angry again, Qian Qingyu sighed helplessly and said, ¡°I understand, Your Highness.¡± With Lu Ang¡¯s attitude, Qian Qingyu was finally not so reluctant to leave Chang ¡®an. The day before Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s wedding, Qian Qingyu heard that there was a big commotion in Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s courtyard. She did not take the initiative to inquire about it, but lucky came back to tell her. ¡°That Zhou family is too shameless. Miss Tang has not married yet, but they actually caused an illegitimate child. Zhou Gu has a cousin staying at home, and they have been secretly doing it for a long time. Yesterday, they found a doctor and even had a child!¡± Qian qingyu heard Lucky¡¯s words and asked, ¡°How was this discovered?¡± ¡°His Majesty¡¯s heart ached for Miss Tang, and he sent a nanny from the palace¡¯s Shanggong Bureau to help with the wedding. When the servant from the palace went to the Zhou family, she saw that the Zhou family¡¯s cousin was pregnant and immediately knew that something had happened before the marriage. ¡°TSK tsk, that Zhou family¡¯s cousin is really indecent!¡± Qian Qingyu clearly knew that lucky was not scolding her, so the Zhou family¡¯s cousin really deserved to be scolded. But what was the difference between her and the Zhou family¡¯s cousin? Wasn¡¯t she the same kind of person? She felt extremely angry for Miss Tang. What about the future Princess Consort? Qian Qingyu was very disappointed. She didn¡¯t know how they were talking over there, or if it was Zhou Gu who had been drenched in the heavy rain for four hours. Tang Yuanyuan still agreed to continue tomorrow¡¯s happy event, but after the door was closed, she would have the Zhou family¡¯s cousin get an abortion and find another man to marry. How could Zhou Gu not agree. After a night of heavy rain, Qian Qingyu was not sleepy at all because of the sound of the rain outside. She opened her eyes and looked at Lu Ang¡¯s sleeping face under the candlelight. ¡°Your Highness, you have to take care of yourself in the future!¡± It was sunny in the morning. It was the first time in the royal mansion to hold such a wedding, so it was inevitably a bit messy. Tang Yuanyuan was married in the Lu ang royal mansion, so how could the officials not see it and come to give gifts? So early in the morning, Lu Ang met the officials who gave gifts in the hall. Qian Qingyu followed the route that Qiao Nihong had prepared for her and sneaked into a box when the servant girl next to her was not paying attention. Qiao Nihong and Qiao Nishang would follow her box along the way and leave in the chaos when they reached the Zhou family. However, before they reached the Zhou family, there was the sound of soldiers approaching. Qian Qingyu almost thought that her plan had been exposed. She pricked up her ears and heard the voice of His Majesty coming from outside. Then, there was a commotion. There were people outside the box. Qiao ni Hong came forward and opened the box. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qian qingyu came out of the box and followed Qiao ni Hong into a palanquin. When they reached the palanquin, Qian Qingyu asked Qiao ni hong, ¡°What Happened Just Now?¡± Qiao ni Hong said, ¡°Nothing big. His Majesty just stole Tang Yuanyuan.¡± ¡°His Majesty stole my wife. Isn¡¯t that a big deal?¡± Qian Qingyu could tell that Lu Xi must have a special feeling for Tang Yuanyuan since she came to the mansion every day. But she didn¡¯t expect that His Majesty would dare to steal my wife in public. When they reached the dock, Qiao Nihong was already waiting. The Xie family had a shipping business, so Qiao Nihong bribed her younger brother, Xie Wei, to get a ship. When Qiao Nishang and Qian Qingyu arrived, they set off on the ship. When Qiao Nishang learned that Her Majesty¡¯s cousin had stolen her official¡¯s wife in public, although she was a little surprised, she agreed, ¡°Zhou Gu wanted to rely on Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s official fortune to prosper, but before the marriage, he caused an illegitimate child. Well done, well done!¡± Qiao Nishang thought the same. ¡°Yes, well done. I didn¡¯t expect that His Majesty, who has always been unkind, would fall in love with a little girl so much younger than him.¡± Qian Qingyu looked at the deck and saw that the Chang ¡®an pier was getting further and further away from her. She touched her belly and decided not to look at the Chang ¡®an pier anymore. Lu Xi did such a big thing quietly. She directly brought Tang Yuanyuan back to the palace and gave her an imperial edict as her queen. All the officials were shocked and they all went to look for Lu Ang. Lu Ang was also very helpless. could he still care about his elder brother¡¯s matters? Moreover, he was on Lu Xi¡¯s side. Lu Xi had not fallen in love for many years, which made Lu ang feel that he was going to be lonely for the rest of his life. It was a good thing that he could have a lover. It was already dark when Lu ang returned to the Prince¡¯s mansion. When Nanny Ning saw Lu ang return, she immediately knelt down in front of Lu Ang and said, ¡°Your Highness, Miss Qingyu has gone missing. She has not been seen since the afternoon. The entire Prince¡¯s mansion has been searched, and only this letter was left.¡± Lu Ang opened the letter and looked at Qian Qingyu¡¯s handwriting. His heart was in a mess, and he immediately went to the Jinwu Guards. He ordered the Jinwu guards to close the Chang ¡®an city gate. He also mobilized the troops in the Prince¡¯s mansion to guard all the exits in Chang ¡®an city. Chapter 450 - Don’t you want to see Ang ‘er in the future Lu Ang took the letter and hurried to the gate of Chang ¡®an city. At the gate, he carefully watched the women pass by one by one. They were not Qian Qingyu. ¡°How can you be so stupid? Qian qingyu, you came out!¡± The sky was completely dark, and Lu Ang was completely panicking. He gathered the soldiers of Chang ¡®an¡¯s three David and ordered them to find Qian Qingyu. They searched every neighborhood. Chang ¡®an was under martial law, and some people thought that something big had happened. After some officials learned about this, they naturally went into the palace. In the palace. Qiao ruoyi said to Lu XI, ¡°Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Pingliang sealed the city gate for a woman. He imposed martial law on Chang ¡®an and went door to door to investigate. ¡°Even if we were to catch a key criminal of the imperial court, there wouldn¡¯t be such a big battle. The people are anxious about this matter. I Hope Your Majesty Can Stop His Highness Prince Pingliang.¡± Lu XI nodded and said, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. I Won¡¯t let him do anything.¡± Lu Xi personally left the palace and went to the city gate. She saw Lu Ang, who was extremely flustered. There was no news about Qian Qingyu, so Lu ang became more and more irritable. Lu Xi walked to Lu Ang¡¯s side and said, ¡°Ang-er.¡± Tears rolled down Lu Ang¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°Brother, just agree to let Qingyu become my princess consort. I really like her¡­ really.¡± Lu Ang held the envelope tightly in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t tell her in advance and let her live in fear¡­¡± ¡°Where can she go? She¡¯s pregnant and has no family. Don¡¯t let her be bullied. She¡¯s always been easy to bully.¡± Lu Xi had wanted to persuade Lu Ang to withdraw his army, but seeing him like this, she let him be. It had been almost 20 years, but Lu Xi had never seen her brother so heartbroken. It was clear how important Qian Qingyu was to him. Lu ang searched for three whole days. Even his beard had come out, and he looked very haggard. The ministers were already complaining about Lu ang. Even marquis an Yuan, who had been recuperating for days, personally went to the Prince¡¯s mansion to persuade Lu Ang. However, Lu ang still acted as if he had gone mad. He went out of the city gate of Chang ¡®an and dug three feet into the ground to find Qian Qingyu¡¯s whereabouts. There was no news. After half a month and a month, he gradually became desperate. Lu Ang drank all day long. Qian Qingyu hated him drinking the most and hated him being drunk the most. He drank so much today that Qian Qingyu could no longer tell him about himself. Lu Ang looked at the letter left by Qian qingyu and sighed, ¡°How could you be so stupid!¡± The handwriting in the letter was beautiful, ¡°Your Highness, I was no longer in Chang ¡®an when you read this letter. I was very happy to be by your side these few years, even though I knew that you liked Princess Nishang and you only treated me as a fake. But I was willing to do it. I will never forget the kiss you gave me in Merlin for the rest of my life. ¡°I want to stay by your side for the rest of my life, but my status is indeed not worthy of you. The difference between you and Me is like the clouds and the mud. I don¡¯t even dare to dream of having a concubine. ¡°However, I am going to be a mother. Your Highness, I know how much the three words ¡°Treacherous child¡±have an impact on the child. Therefore, I have no choice but to leave you and leave Chang ¡®an with the child. ¡°I hope that your Highness will live a peaceful life year by year and be able to find a princess who will be compatible with you for the rest of your life as soon as possible. Don¡¯t worry.¡± In just a few words, Lu ang remembered Qian Qingyu¡¯s abnormality. This silly girl had no idea that he had never used her as a substitute. He had always liked her, Qian Qingyu! It was not because she was not qualified to be his concubine. Lu Ang really regretted not explaining at that time. Qian qingyu would not have such a misunderstanding with just a few words of explanation. She was nowhere to be found in Chang ¡®an city. Where did Qian Qingyu go? .. Lin ¡®an city was very lively. Qian Qingyu had been on the boat for a month. She felt a little dizzy when she got off the boat. Qiao Nichang and Qiao Nihong took Qian Qingyu to the Qian family. Qian Qingyu declined their kindness. She had an ancestral home in Lin ¡®an city. However, it was dilapidated after she went to the ancestral home. Half of the house had collapsed. Qian Qingyu wanted to find her aunt, Granny Qian, but there was no one at her house and the house had collapsed. She asked her neighbors about her aunt¡¯s whereabouts and said she didn¡¯t know. Qian Qingyu wanted to ask the nearby hundred savory restaurant. After all, people in the restaurant would know about this. What Qian Qingyu didn¡¯t expect was to see the Empress Dowager in the Hundred Savory Restaurant! The retired emperor and the Empress Dowager had always announced to the outside world that they were taking care of their ¡°Old age¡±in Luoyang¡¯s temporary palace, even though they were far from the age to take care of their old age.., qian Qingyu did not expect the empress dowager to ¡°Show her face in public¡±in the restaurant. Qian Qingyu did not dare to disobey Qiao Jinniang¡¯s orders, so she stayed in the guest room of the restaurant. Living in the restaurant, Qian Qingyu had seen a lot of excitement. Lu Weiyang brought a bowl of bird¡¯s nest into Qian Qingyu¡¯s room. When Qian Qingyu saw the princess bring the bird¡¯s nest over personally, she quickly stood up and said, ¡°Your Highness, how can I Do This?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t Call Me Your Highness. Just Call Me Weiyang. This is the bird¡¯s nest that I specially prepared for you,¡±Lu Weiyang said. ¡°Other than my grandmother, I usually can¡¯t bear to give food to others.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°This is too precious.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant and have traveled a long distance, so you naturally have to take good care of it. The Doctor said that your fetus is unstable, so you have to nourish it as much as possible. If you don¡¯t eat it, are you looking down on me?¡± Qian qingyu scooped a spoonful of soup and said, ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± Lu Weiyang asked Qian qingyu, ¡°You can rest assured here and take care of the fetus.¡± Qian qingyu pursed her lips and said, ¡°But Your Highness, my child doesn¡¯t have a title¡­¡± ¡°With your parents here, are you afraid of not having a title?¡±Lu Weiyang advised Qian qingyu, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if my mother doesn¡¯t recognize my second brother, she will recognize the child in your arms. Just rest assured and take care of the child.¡± Qian Qingyu also couldn¡¯t live free in the Hundred Savory restaurant. When her fetus settled down, she would help out in the restaurant. She couldn¡¯t serve tea or water, but she could collect money. Before she knew it, it was already half-july. Qian qingyu suddenly gave birth prematurely. Although it was premature, the baby was white and fat and weighed at least eight pounds. Qian Qingyu did not dare to imagine that if the baby was born at full-term, she would have difficulty giving birth. It was not the daughter of her dream, but a son. Qian Qingyu was not disappointed. Looking at the sleeping face of the baby, Qian Qingyu felt that although her life was full of suffering, it was worth it. After Qian Qingyu¡¯s baby was born, Qiao Ni and Qiao ni went back to Chang ¡®an. When the baby was about to be full moon, Qian Qingyu went to find Qiao Jinniang. Seeing Qian Qingyu come out, Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°You haven¡¯t given birth yet? It¡¯s not easy to come out. It¡¯s a lifetime thing to be exposed to the wind.¡± ¡°Empress dowager, it¡¯s not a long-term plan for me to keep disturbing you in the Hundred Savory Restaurant. The ancestral house next door has been repaired. I want to take the baby to live in the ancestral house.¡± Qiao jinniang asked Qian qingyu, ¡°Qingyu, do you really not want to see Ang ¡®er in the future? Do you want to hide from Ang ¡®er forever with your child?¡± Chapter 451 - Lu Ang and Qian Qingyu get married Qian Qingyu didn¡¯t know how to answer. She couldn¡¯t let go of Lu Ang. She didn¡¯t want Lu Ang to be unable to see his child, but she was afraid that Lu ang would hate her. Qiao jinniang continued, ¡°After you left Chang ¡®an, the usually sensible Ang ¡®er went crazy looking for you in Chang ¡®an and mobilized the army to cordon off Chang ¡®an. Ang ¡®Er had committed a serious crime. If Xi¡¯er did not care about the brotherhood, she could have directly convicted Ang ¡®er of treason! ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened between you and Ang ¡®Er. ¡°But I think Ang ¡®er has already regretted it after you left Chang ¡®an. Qingyu, are you willing to give Ang ¡®er another chance?¡± Qian qingyu nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then after the mid-autumn Festival, when you leave the courtyard, I will take you back to Chang ¡®an. If ang ¡®er is still muddle-headed and is not willing to give you a title, I will give you the title of first-class wife. No one will use the identity of a child to argue. You can rest assured.¡± Qian qingyu bowed to Qiao Jinniang and said, ¡°Thank you, Empress Dowager.¡± Qian Qingyu looked at the Moon that was getting more and more round. She still had that piece of mooncake that she was reluctant to eat. She sealed the mooncake with wax so that it would not have a bad smell. Now, she could eat as many mooncakes as she had in the restaurant, but she missed the mooncakes that Lu ang brought back from the palace every year. On the night of the mid-autumn Festival, Qian Qingyu was brought by Lu Weiyang to have dinner with Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang. Qian Qingyu was very reserved. Soon, she saw Lu Xi returning with Tang Yuanyuan. Beside them was a gaunt, much thinner Lu ang. Qian Qingyu had just stood up when she fell into an embrace. Lu Ang hugged the person in front of him fiercely. ¡°Qingyu.¡± What happened next made Qian Qingyu feel like she was dreaming. Lu ang actually said that he wanted to marry her as a princess consort. Ever since she got together with Lu Ang, Qian Qingyu had never dreamed of being a princess consort. She knew that the gap between them was too big. After the banquet, Lu ang took Qian Qingyu to a nearby palace. He hugged her for a long time and refused to let go. If she had not just given birth, Lu ang would never be willing to just hug her. Qian Qingyu was hugged by Lu ang and said, ¡°Your Highness, do you really want me to be a princess consort? But my identity¡­¡± Lu ang slightly let go of Qian Qingyu. He looked at her eyes and said, ¡°Qian Qingyu, listen well. The moment I kissed you in Merlin, I had already decided to have you as my princess consort. All these years, I thought you knew my intentions, but I didn¡¯t know that you actually had such a stunt double in your heart! How did I treat you badly? How could I let you think that I have made you a stunt double?¡± Qian qingyu lowered her head and said, ¡°You have never made me a stunt double for Miss Nichang?¡± ¡°Of course not. If I really like Nichang, why don¡¯t I fight with Qian Yu and let the people in front of me go and find a stunt double instead? Besides, if I really love her, why would I find a stunt double?¡± Lu ang pointed at Qian Qingyu¡¯s head and said, ¡°Do you think you are stupid?¡± Qian qingyu held Lu Ang¡¯s finger and said, ¡°So all these years of sweetness are real, not fake. I am not lying to myself!¡± Lu ang once hugged Qian Qingyu with heartache and said, ¡°It¡¯s true. I have always liked you. You are the only one in my heart.¡± Qian Qingyu leaned on Lu Ang¡¯s shoulder and sobbed softly. ¡°Me too.¡± While the two of them were affectionate, Lu Weiyang came in with the child and said, ¡°Second brother, Little Treasure can¡¯t stop crying. He must be about to eat.¡± Lu Weiyang came in like this and gave Lu ang a fright. Lu Ang only thought of his child after a while. He got off the bed and took the child from Lu Weiyang¡¯s arms. The crying child was now in Lu Ang¡¯s arms, crying even harder. Lu Weiyang said with disdain, ¡°Second brother, be gentle. Let second sister-in-law carry him.¡± Qian Qingyu took her son and held him in her arms to gently comfort his back. The child gradually stopped crying. Lu Weiyang looked at Qian qingyu and said, ¡°He is really cute. Second Brother, second sister-in-law, can you keep him in Lin ¡®an?¡± Lu ang asked, ¡°What do you think? If you really like children, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to have one yourself?¡± Weiyang sighed and said, ¡°Who should I find to have one?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. I think it¡¯s time to find you a husband.¡± Weiyang said, ¡°No, no. After marrying the husband, he will use my money. I don¡¯t want any husband.¡± ¡°Just be a miser for the rest of your life. Father and mother have so much money that you won¡¯t be able to spend it all day and night. I don¡¯t know where you get your stinginess from! For three coins, you caused me and Qingyu to be separated for so long.¡± He had to be his own sister. He could only pamper her and not blame her. Otherwise, Lu ang would have taken action long ago. Wei Yang said, ¡°This is called being thrifty and frugal. I¡¯m not stingy. Even if I have a mountain of gold and silver, I¡¯m willing to use gold and silver to build a house of gold and silver, but I¡¯m not willing to spend it.¡± Lu Ang:¡±¡­¡± It was October and autumn. The Prince of Pingliang¡¯s residence was filled with red silk. It was very lively when Prince Pingliang married the Princess Consort. Those who had been pointing fingers at Qian qingyu were now filled with regret. They only hoped that Prince Pingliang, who was holding a grudge, would not find trouble with them. Although the wedding was rushed, the officials of the Ministry of Rites stayed up all night to complete the ceremony. Qian qingyu came down from the sedan chair in a bright red wedding dress. When she saw Lu ang in red, she smiled faintly. Little Princess Weiyang and Tang Yuanyuan looked at them from below and bowed, she said, ¡°The wedding is too extravagant. Second Brother spent 100,000 taels of silver to marry a princess. When you marry eldest brother next year, you won¡¯t spend more taels of silver, right? I have to leave Chang ¡®an quickly.¡± Tang Yuanyuan held Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave. You said that you would accompany me until I married into the palace. Besides, the empress dowager and master and Master are both in Chang ¡®an. Where can you go by yourself?¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s marriage was a major event. It was not something that the ministry of Rites could complete overnight. It was announced to the world that the wedding would be held in April of the following year, so that all the small countries could come to great Tang to watch the grand event. It was impossible for Lady Qiao not to be present for such a major event like Lu Xi¡¯s marriage. Weiyang held Tang Yuanyuan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°But I feel like I¡¯m bleeding when I see all these extravagance and waste. ¡°Do you know how many maids there are in My Princess¡¯mansion? ¡°There are a total of 300 maids in the Princess¡¯Mansion!¡± Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s hard for you to give out monthly allowances to 300 people.¡± ¡°Good sister, you really understand me.¡± Lu Xi came over and heard Wei Yang¡¯s words. She smiled and said, ¡°This monthly allowance will be paid by the palace. You still have to change your stingy habit. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to find a son-in-law.¡± Wei Yang said, ¡°Big Brother, if you continue to talk about the son-in-law, I will, I will become a monk!¡± Tang Yuanyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s good to become a monk. It¡¯s peaceful and doesn¡¯t need to spend money. The Taoist temple is self-sufficient¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, she saw Wei Yang leave. ¡°The wedding banquet hasn¡¯t started yet. Where are you going?¡± ¡°To become a monk!¡± Chapter 452 - Weiyang wins Lingxuan’s Buddha beads Tang Yuanyuan pulled Weiyang back. ¡°Although you don¡¯t need to spend money to become a monk, it¡¯s still difficult. You Can¡¯t eat the meat and meat that you love.¡± Weiyang pondered for a moment. For the sake of meat, she decided not to become a monk for the time being. After the wedding banquet, Weiyang returned to the Princess¡¯residence. The Princess¡¯residence was given to her by her parents the moment she was born. The carvings, beams, and paintings were all the most exquisite in the world. The first thing Wei Yang did when she returned to the Princess¡¯residence was to count her own money. Today, her second brother was marrying a princess. As her younger sister, she had no choice but to take out a lot of silver as a gift.. The palace maid beside Wei Yang, Xiao Mang, said, ¡°Master, you¡¯ve counted it several times. Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be a lack of silver notes.¡± Weiyang said, ¡°I can only be at ease if I count them every day. I don¡¯t need to worry about the restaurants. I have nothing to do. I¡¯m quite happy counting banknotes.¡± Qiao Nihong and Qiao Nichang had not seen Princess Weiyang for a long time. Knowing that she had come to Chang ¡®an, Qiao Nihong brought Qiao Nichang to see her. She did not know if she was as stingy as she was when she was young. When Weiyang heard that her two cousins had come, she let them in and asked the palace maids to serve them tea. Qiao nihong teased, ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t even be able to get a cup of tea at the Princess¡¯residence. The princess is not as stingy as they say.¡± Weiyang said, ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s been a long time. You teased me the moment you came. No matter how stingy I am, I know my manners. I still have to spend money where I should. ¡°What business do you two cousins have with me?¡± Qiao nihong smiled and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t been back to Chang ¡®an for a long time. Do you want us to take you to Chang ¡®an city to play?¡± ¡°No, it costs money to play,¡±Weiyang refused. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Cousins.¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°We are going to Yuan Xi Temple. It doesn¡¯t cost money to pray at Yuan Xi Temple. Do you want to go with us?¡± Wei Yang nodded when she heard that they could play without money. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go together.¡± The incense in the Yuan Xi Temple had always been very popular. The day after Lu Ang and Qian Qingyu got married, they also came to the Yuan Xi Temple to rebuild the golden body of the bodhisattva. Lu Ang said to Qian qingyu, ¡°Back then, I asked for a fortune here and it was quite effective. There was a marriage tree in front. Back then, Nihon asked for four marriage talismans here and asked us to wear them to pray for her. Later, Qian Yu, Nihon, and I all had a home, but she was gone.¡± Hearing Lu Ang¡¯s words, Qian Qingyu remembered how deep her misunderstanding was. She didn¡¯t want to say it out loud and let Lu Ang make fun of her again. When the two of them entered the hall, they saw Weiyang, Nihon, and Nihon in the hall. After Weiyang knelt down, the novice monk took a tray and walked to her side. Lu Weiyang did not know what he meant. She looked at Qiao Nichang and Qiao Nichang who took ten hundred taels of silver notes and placed them on the tray. Weiyang widened her eyes and said, ¡°I forgot to bring the silver when I was in a hurry.¡± The novice monk looked at the gold hairpin on Weiyang¡¯s head. Wei Yang gritted his teeth and pulled out a gold hairpin from his head and placed it on the tray. The young novice monk did not take the tray away. Instead, he handed it to Wei Yang. Wei Yang gritted his teeth again and took off the silver bracelet on his right hand. The gold bracelet on his left hand was placed on the small tray. Only then did the young novice monk take the tray and leave. Wei Yang¡¯s breathing stopped and he almost fainted. Qiao Nihon, who was at the side, quickly supported Wei Yang. Wei Yang whispered into Qiao ni Hong¡¯s ear, ¡°Cousin, you lied to me! Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t need to spend money to come to the temple? How Are They Merciful Monks? They are simply bandits!¡± Qiao ni Hong:¡±¡­¡± Lu Ang stepped forward and asked, ¡°Wei Yang, what¡¯s wrong? Do you feel uncomfortable?¡± Wei Yang forced a smile and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Second Brother and sister-in-law, are you also here to worship Buddha?¡± Lu ang nodded and said, ¡°A few years ago, I asked for a fortune here. It was very effective, so I came here today to reconstruct the golden body of Bodhisattva¡­¡± Wei Yang turned around and saw two guards carrying a small box of gold. She felt dizzy and stuffy again. Wei Yang went to the back of the temple to get some fresh air. She was afraid that she would really faint if she saw her second brother squandering so much. Wei Yang had always been used to being free outside and did not like her maidservants following her. As she walked into the back of the mountain, she saw the word ¡°Abbot¡±written on it. There was an ancient ginkgo tree inside. At this time, the ginkgo leaves were slightly yellow and fell with the wind, landing on the monk¡¯s kasaya inside. Wei Yang looked over and saw that the monk¡¯s kasaya inside was different from the others¡¯red-gold color, he was wearing a white-gold kasaya. Great Tang had a rule that only the abbots of a temple could wear kasaya of this color. The abbots of a temple were also the masters of this temple. Wei Yang thought of the silver taels that she had been cheated of just now, so she entered and saw the monk¡¯s appearance clearly. Wei Yang had seen all the beauties since she was a child. Her parents and brothers were all beauties. However, when she saw the young monk in front of her, she was still stunned by his appearance. ¡°Amitabha, female benefactor, are you lost?¡± Wei Yang said, ¡°No, I saw master playing chess alone and wanted to spar with him. I wonder if Master can teach me a game?¡± Ling Xuan raised his head to look at the girl who had just reached marriageable age and said, ¡°Female benefactor, if you don¡¯t mind, I will naturally accompany you.¡± Wei Yang sat opposite Ling Xuan and a ginkgo leaf fell right in front of her. Wei Yang held the ginkgo leaf and placed a white chess piece on Tianyuan. Ling Xuan placed a black stone on the star position. Wei Yang played with the ginkgo leaf with one hand and played chess with the other. After twenty stones, Wei Yang said, ¡°Master, it¡¯s not fun just playing chess. Why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± Ling Xuan held the Buddha bead with one hand and said, ¡°Amitabha. Buddhists don¡¯t gamble.¡± Wei Yang said, ¡°But isn¡¯t winning or losing a chess game between two black and white stones also a Gamble?¡± Ling Xuan fiddled with the Buddha bead and said, ¡°In that case, what do you want to Bet?¡± Wei Yang immediately took a fancy to the Buddha bead in Ling Xuan¡¯s hand. The hairpin on her head and the bracelet on her hand added up to at least five taels of gold. The Buddha bead in Ling Xuan¡¯s hand was carved from precious wood, which was just enough to match her five taels of gold. ¡°If I win, I want the Buddha bead in your hand.¡± Ling Xuan asked, ¡°What if the female benefactor loses?¡± ¡°How can I lose?¡±When she was young, she learned chess from her father. Later, when she went to Lingnan to learn chess from her grandfather, many go masters lost to her in chess. Wei Yang said, ¡°If I lose, I will come to the temple every day to clean the fallen leaves for a month.¡± ¡°Okay,¡±Ling Xuan replied. Wei Yang continued playing chess. After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Wei Yang¡¯s playing slowed down a lot. It had been a long time since she had seen such a difficult opponent. If she had known earlier, she would not have played Tianyuan first. Every time Wei Yang played, it was very difficult. In the end, she won by a fluke. Wei Yang also saw the astonishment in the eyes of the monk in front of her. Ling Xuan put his palms together and said, ¡°Amitabha. The chess skills of the female almsgiver are unparalleled in the world. I am willing to accept my loss and give this Buddhist bead to you.¡± Wei Yang took the Buddhist bead from Ling Xuan and said, ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Chapter 453 - unraveling the exquisite chess game Lu Weiyang walked out of the abbot¡¯s courtyard with the Buddhist beads. Neon saw Lu Weiyang coming over from afar and said, ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you. I was so worried. Where have you been?¡± Lu Weiyang spun the Buddhist beads and said, ¡°I just played chess with the abbot of this temple.¡± Neon asked, ¡°Do the abbots here still know how to play chess? It¡¯s time to go back.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Wait for me a little longer. Just now, I donated so much silver to Bodhisattva, but I still haven¡¯t made a wish. Wouldn¡¯t that be even worse?¡± Lu Weiyang entered the temple again, he worshiped the bodhisattva in front of him sincerely and said, ¡°Bodhisattva who saves the suffering and saves the suffering, on account of the fact that the fairies have donated so much gold, you must bless the Peace of the great Tang Empire. Father, mother, grandmother, brother, grandmother, grandfather¡¯s health¡­¡± Qiao Nihong waited for Lu Weiyang to make a wish by the side. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lu Weiyang¡¯s wish had yet to be fulfilled. Qiao Nihong said softly to Lu Weiyang, ¡°Alright, if you continue to make a wish, bodhisattva will be annoyed to death.¡± Lu Weiyang smiled faintly and said, ¡°I have spent so much silver, I will definitely make a full wish.¡± She picked up the fortune-teller again and a fortune-teller fell out from the fortune-teller. Lu Weiyang went to the side of the little novice monk to exchange for the fortune-teller. He saw that the words ¡®fierce¡¯were written on it. Lu Weiyang frowned. ¡°Second Brother is lying. Yuanxi temple is not effective at all.¡± After saying that, Lu Weiyang threw the fortune-teller on the ground. Qiao Nihong looked at the poem written on it. ¡°I once thought that amorous feelings would harm the Buddhist practice, but once I entered the mountain, I was afraid that I would be able to turn the city upside down. The world is safe, and I will not let down the Tathagata.¡± When Qiao Nihong saw the poem, she recalled that there was a princess who fell in love with a monk in the great ancestor¡¯s era. The monk was sentenced to death, and the princess plotted a rebellion and eventually became crazy. Could it be that Lu Weiyang also fell in love with a monk? Qiao Nihong shook her head as she thought about it. Perhaps she was thinking too much. Perhaps there was another meaning behind this poem. In the abbot¡¯s courtyard. Lu ang entered and asked, ¡°Master Ling Xuan? Why are you here?¡± Master Ling Xuan was not the abbot of the Yuan Xi Temple, but the abbot of the Prime Minister Temple. With the rise of Buddhism among the people, the Prime Minister Temple became the National Temple, and Master Ling Xuan was conferred the title of National Master two years ago. Ling Xuan looked away from the chessboard and said, ¡°Your Highness, I was invited by Master Tong Ming to play chess today.¡± Lu ang looked at the chessboard in front of Ling Xuan, then at the black piece that Ling Xuan was holding, and asked curiously, ¡°You actually have a time to lose?¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Today, I know that there is always someone better than me. The female benefactor who plays chess with me looks to be at the age of marriageable age, and the first move she made in Tian Yuan won half an eye, which shows her superb chess skills.¡± ¡°The person who played Tianyuan in the first move should be my sister. If you lost to her, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. An ordinary chess master wouldn¡¯t be able to win against her when she was holding a white stone.¡±Lu Ang looked at the chess game carefully, ¡°It really looks like it¡¯s her.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°So it¡¯s her highness the Princess.¡± .. Everyone knew that Lu Weiyang had returned to Chang ¡®an, but the number of people who had seen Princess Weiyang¡¯s appearance could be counted on one hand. However, those who had young talents in their families were all afraid that Princess Weiyang would choose her husband. The princess¡¯reputation was already extremely bad. Even if her husband could enter the imperial court and rely on the princess to obtain a bright future, there were still very few people who were willing to be her husband. After Weiyang received the Buddha Bead, she wore it on her body. Although she had thrown away the signing document, she was still a little afraid that it would come true. Putting the Buddha bead on her body might save her from some bloody disaster. Today, neon came to find her to play again. Neon promised that she would not let Weiyang spend money today, so she sent Weiyang to the Marquis¡¯mansion in an yuan. Weiyang had not seen her maternal grandmother for a long time. She was very happy to see her maternal grandmother. What was even happier was that her maternal grandmother gave her two big red packets. ¡°Thank you, maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother.¡± Zheng xiao laughed and said, ¡°You have grown so much. You have not been in Chang ¡®an all these years. You should have fun in Chang ¡®an. The marriage between your two brothers has been decided. You¡­¡± Weiyang said, ¡°Maternal grandmother, I am still young. I am not in a hurry to find the Prince Consort.¡± Zheng xiao nodded and said, ¡°Yes, there is no hurry to find him.¡± Left and Right Wei Yang was the only eldest princess and His Majesty¡¯s only sister. There were too many choices for marriage. There was no need to worry about finding a husband. Moreover, Wei Yang looked so good. Why would he worry about not finding a husband? Wei Yang smiled. ¡°I think grandmother should be worried about cousin. Next year, cousin Nichang and brother Qian Yu are going to get married, but cousin Nichang hasn¡¯t decided on a marriage yet!¡± Qiao Nichang glanced at Wei Yang. This little princess must be seeking revenge for spending a large sum of silver at the Yuanxi Temple a few days ago. Zheng Xiao said, ¡°Today, I¡¯ve asked you to come precisely for this matter. I plan to hold a chrysanthemum appreciation poetry meet in the mansion in a few days and invite all the young talents of Chang ¡®an. You two can also see if there¡¯s a man you like.¡± Nihon and Weiyang did not need to worry about their husbands, but because their positions were too high, the men did not dare to rashly come and propose marriage. It was better to let them choose one that they liked first. Then, even if the woman went to propose marriage, what harm would it do? Weiyang did not want to disappoint her grandmother¡¯s good intentions, so she agreed. However, she did not have the slightest intention of finding a prince consort. If she found a prince consort who knew how to spend money, she was afraid that she would suffocate every day. After Weiyang left the marquis an Yuan¡¯s manor, she did not allow the servant girls to follow her to the main street. The shouts along the main street were all things that women loved. Along the way, there were quite a few vendors. Most of the women would not be able to endure not spending money. However, Weiyang really endured it and did not spend a single silver tael. Weiyang held a Buddha Pearl in her hand. When she passed by a vendor, she saw a group of people surrounding her. She also went over to watch the commotion. She saw an old man placing a go manual in front of her. People kept giving her five cents to solve the game. Basically, she lost the entire game. Wei Yang looked for a woman who was watching the show and asked, ¡°Sister, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t you know? This is a remnant game, also known as the exquisite go game. This game is said to be a remnant game set up by the number one Go player, Imperial Preceptor Ling Xuan. Until now, no one in the world has been able to solve it. ¡°Five coins per game. If you can solve this remnant game, you will get five taels of silver if you win. If you can¡¯t win this five coins, you won¡¯t be able to get it back.¡± Wei Yang looked at the go game and was eager to go forward. However, she didn¡¯t want to spend five coins. If she was asked to take out silver, even if it was just five coins, she would feel her heart ache. It was really painful. ¡°Master Ling Xuan is really the number one saint in the world. In today¡¯s go world, no one is better than him.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡±Wei Yang said unwillingly, ¡°This chess piece is just so-so. Is it worthy of being called a rare chess game? Great Tang is full of talents. This chess piece is not the number one expert, right?¡± Chapter 454 - Crown Prince of Uncle Zhao’s mansion When the old man saw that it was a little girl, he said, ¡°You little girl, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Master Ling Xuan¡¯s exquisite go game has stumped so many divine hands in Chang ¡®an.¡± Wei Yang said, ¡°This go game is very easy to break.¡± The old man said in disbelief, ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re not afraid of losing your teeth even if you talk big. In that case, I won¡¯t charge you five cents. If you can break this game, I¡¯ll give you fifty taels of silver.¡± Weiyang knelt on the futon opposite the old man and placed the black piece on the star position of the chessboard. With one move, she turned the dead game of the black piece. The old man looked at the position where Weiyang was playing and followed up with another move. Weiyang calmly played another move. All the chess lovers in Chang ¡®an gathered around and looked at the game. Every time Weiyang played a move, everyone around cheered. After about an incense stick, Weiyang said to the old man, ¡°I won. Give me the Silver!¡± The old man took out fifty taels of silver from his pocket and gave it to Weiyang. He cupped his hands and asked, ¡°May I know your name, Miss?¡± Weiyang smiled and said, ¡°Lu Weiyang.¡± When Weiyang heard this, the old man immediately knelt down and saluted, ¡°Greetings, eldest Princess Weiyang.¡± Lu Wei yang chuckled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Tell that Master Ling Xuan or whatever that he is, there¡¯s always someone better than you. Not everything is worthy of being called the number one Go player in the world.¡± Lu Wei Yang was in a great mood after taking the banknote. He did not expect that although Chang ¡®an had many places to spend money, there were also many places to earn money. He could win so many things just by playing two games of go. In the crowd, the young master of Uncle Zhao¡¯s house looked at Lu Weiyang¡¯s back and felt a ripple in his heart. He jogged after him and said, ¡°Miss, please wait.¡± Lu Weiyang turned back to look at the young master behind him and asked, ¡°Are you calling for me?¡± Zhao qingquan nodded and said, ¡°I am the Crown Prince of Uncle Zhao¡¯s house, Zhao Qingquan. I just saw your amazing go game. I wonder if you have time to talk to me?¡± Lu Weiyang looked at the sky as if it was going to rain and said, ¡°Another day.¡± As expected, as soon as he said that, bean-sized raindrops fell and Lu Weiyang ran back to the Princess¡¯mansion. When he ran back to the Princess¡¯mansion, Xiao Mang opened his umbrella and greeted Lu Weiyang, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Lu Weiyang took the umbrella and said, ¡°This day is really strange. It rains when it says it does, or is that fortune-telling really effective?¡± Just as Lu Weiyang was pondering, Xiao Mang whispered to Lu Weiyang, ¡°Your Highness, do you know that Little Langjun who followed you?¡± Lu Weiyang looked at the panting man behind him and asked Zhao Qingquan, ¡°Why did you follow me here?¡± Zhao Qingquan, who was caught in the rain, panted and said, ¡°I was afraid that the princess didn¡¯t have any maidservants and guards following her, and I brought an umbrella. But the princess ran too fast, i¡­¡± Lu Weiyang burst out laughing, thinking that this person was really stupid. ¡°Forget it, for the sake of your sincerity, I¡¯ll play a game of go with you today.¡± Hearing Lu Weiyang call himself me, Zhao Qingquan smiled slowly and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask the Princess to teach me.¡± In the main hall of the Princess¡¯mansion, the palace maids set up a game of go. Lu Weiyang knelt on the jade ground and said, ¡°You play first.¡± Zhao Qingquan cupped his hands and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Lu Weiyang and Zhao Qingquan had just played the middle game when she said to Zhao Qingquan, ¡°You¡¯ve lost.¡± Zhao Qingquan looked at the chessboard and carefully thought about the next few steps. He was indeed powerless to alleviate the situation, he sighed and said, ¡°The princess¡¯chess skills are rare in this world. I submit. I wonder if you can give me some pointers on my chess moves?¡± Lu Weiyang was not stingy in this aspect. He pointed out Zhao Qingquan¡¯s shortcomings in her chess moves and before he knew it, it was already evening. Zhao Qingquan saw that the sky was already dark. He bowed to Lu Weiyang and said, ¡°Your Highness, the sky is already dark. I will come and Bother Your Highness Another Day.¡± Lu Weiyang wanted to tell him not to bother her anymore, but before she could finish, Zhao Qingquan had already left. Lu Weiyang saw that the rain had stopped outside, so she went to the neighboring Prince Pingliang¡¯s residence for a meal without any meaning. Rather than saying that the meal was empty, Lu Weiyang felt sorry for the silver. After all, her second brother¡¯s house next door did not have a pair of chopsticks like hers. Lu Ang did not have any objections to Weiyang coming to the residence for a meal. He looked at the string of red sandalwood Buddhist beads in Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and looked at it carefully. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the string of Buddhist beads in Master Ling Xuan¡¯s Hand?¡± Weiyang said rather smugly, ¡°Master Ling Xuan is the abbot of the Yuan Xi Temple. I won this from the abbot of the Yuan Xi Temple.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Master Ling Xuan is the son of heaven. When he was born, there were strange phenomena in the sky, and the sky was filled with golden light. The abbot of the Prime Minister Temple said that he was fated with Buddhism and was born a small monk in the Prime Minister Temple. ¡°Two years ago, Ling Xuan became the abbot of the Prime Minister Temple. Now he is the great Tang temple. In places like Japan, Tibet, and the northern desert, there are people from the Buddhist sect who come to great Tang to ask Master Ling Xuan for Buddhist teachings. He is just a weak crown now.¡± Wei Yang said, ¡°So that Monk is still the prime minister. Then this string of red sandalwood Buddhist beads should be extremely precious?¡± Lu ang replied, ¡°Of course. This is a rare red sandalwood, extremely precious. It can be said to be a treasure of the Prime Minister Temple.¡± Wei Yang fiddled with the Buddhist beads and said, ¡°Then I didn¡¯t lose out on my gold hairpin and gold bracelet.¡± .. A banquet was held in the manor of Marquis an yuan. Wei Yang had no choice but to go because of her maternal grandmother¡¯s good intentions. When she arrived at the manor of Marquis an Yuan and saw the courtyard full of ¡°Young talents,¡±she did not have anyone that she was moved by. Looking at these men, it was better to see the cordiality of money. Zhao Qingquan walked to Wei Yang¡¯s side and said, ¡°Your Highness, do you still remember me?¡± Lu Weiyang nodded. ¡°Yes, I remember. A stinky chess basket¡­¡± Lu Weiyang revealed an apologetic expression and quickly corrected himself, ¡°No, it¡¯s crown prince Zhao.¡± Zhao Qingquan said, ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing hard recently. I wonder if I can play chess with the princess again?¡± Lu Weiyang was not very willing to play chess with Zhao Qingquan. His chess skills were too poor. The difference between their chess skills was like heaven and earth. There was no point in playing chess with him. Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Okay. If you lose this game, then you¡¯re not allowed to play chess with me in the future.¡± Zhao Qingquan heard this and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Lu Weiyang said to Zhao Qingquan in embarrassment, ¡°Your chess skills don¡¯t have any fun for me. So if you lose this game, don¡¯t play chess with me in the future.¡± Zhao qingquan quickly said, ¡°Then the princess may delay this game for a few days and let me think about it again?¡± ¡°Okay,¡±Lu Weiyang replied. Qiao Jinniang heard that her mother had arranged a banquet for the two men to choose their husbands, so she came over with Lu Chen to have a look. The two looked over from the waterside pavilion and saw Weiyang talking to a man. She asked Lu Chen, ¡°Who is the man with Wei Yang?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°The crown prince of Uncle Zhao¡¯s mansion. He stayed in Wei Yang¡¯s mansion until dark a few days ago before he left the Princess¡¯mansion.¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°Crown Prince Zhao¡¯s looks are not bad. I wonder what his character is like?¡± Chapter 455 - the Prime Minister’s Temple Lu Chen said, ¡°I don¡¯t think Zhao Qingquan is good enough for Weiyang.¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°According to your standards, no one in this world is good enough for Weiyang! However, I also don¡¯t think Crown Prince Zhao is good enough. ¡°However, Xi¡¯er¡¯s wedding is coming from all over the world. If the Tubo of the northern desert asks to marry the princess and refuses rashly, it will hurt the harmony between the two countries. We have to arrange a marriage for her first.¡± Great Tang¡¯s national strength was prosperous, so it was naturally not afraid of fighting with the Tubo from the northern desert. However, since the beginning of the trade, the various countries had maintained a friendly appearance. If they used the position of the mother of the country to ask to marry Princess Great Tang, if Great Tang was unwilling, it would hurt the harmony. It was not only the princess who needed to marry during times of war, but the princesses in the prosperous era also had to marry. It was just that their status was different from the past. The Tubo imperial court was already discussing the matter of marrying Princess Datang. Therefore, Lady Qiao was also happy to see Weiyang find the one he loved in his heart as soon as possible. Lu Chen said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. Datang¡¯s national strength is flourishing. I think they won¡¯t insist on marrying her.¡± Lu Weiyang did not see anyone he liked after a day. However, many young masters were shocked by Princess Weiyang¡¯s appearance. Princess Weiyang was not in Chang ¡®an in the past. No one had seen how good-looking she was in person. Today, she was standing with Qiao Nichang, the publicly recognized number one beauty in Chang ¡®an. They did not lose at all. They all went forward to please Lu Weiyang. Lu Weiyang was finally annoyed. He hid to the side to find some peace and quiet. When he saw Qiao Jinniang, he ran over and jumped into her arms, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t let Grandmother do this in the future. I don¡¯t like it at all. I don¡¯t like getting married. Isn¡¯t it good for me to stay by your side for the rest of my life?¡± Qiao Jinniang stroked Lu Weiyang¡¯s head and smiled dotingly. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll dislike mother in a few years.¡± Lu Weiyang hugged Qiao jinniang tightly and said, ¡°Why would I dislike you?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°You¡¯ve been cooped up here all day today. It¡¯s been hard on you. Do you have anywhere you want to go to play? Mother will accompany you.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°I want to go to the temple of Prime Minister. Some time ago, I drew a huge ominous lot at the Yuanxi Temple. I¡¯ve always been thinking about it, and I¡¯ve been very unlucky these past few days.¡± When Lu Chen heard about the ominous lot, he consoled lu weiyang, ¡°Misfortune is a blessing in disguise, and misfortune is a blessing in disguise.¡±The ominous lot might not necessarily be bad, but it could also turn for the better. What did the lot say?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°What does it say about the world being safe and sound? It doesn¡¯t let down the Tathagata, and it doesn¡¯t let you down. A monk can not eat meat. I don¡¯t want to become a monk.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°This signing document refers to the great ancestor¡¯s Great Aunt Hui an¡¯s great grandmother. When Princess Hui an was young, she fell in love with a monk. After she got married, she often interacted with the monk. In a fit of anger, the great ancestor ordered the monk to be sentenced to death. Princess Hui an rebelled.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t rebel. A rebellion will cost a lot of money. I Won¡¯t be willing to part with it.¡± Qiao Jinniang chuckled. ¡°I know you won¡¯t rebel.¡± Lu Chen sighed. ¡°I Wonder Who Your Miserly character followed?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯ve always been generous. She definitely followed you.¡± Lu Chen:¡±¡­¡± .. Qiao Jinniang had always been skeptical about the matters of the Gods and Buddhas. However, in order to make Lu Weiyang Beg for Peace of mind, she still brought Lu Chen to the Prime Minister Temple. Lu Chen went to look for Ling Xuan. When Ling Xuan learned of the purpose of the noble¡¯s visit, he put his palms together and said, ¡°Amitabha Buddha, there is no such thing as fate in Buddhism. The lottery in Yuanxi Temple is also a combination of the folk temples and Daoists¡¯lottery. ¡°The Buddha cultivates in this life and wishes to come to the next life. In this life, only by accumulating merit can one be blessed in the next life. As for the lottery of great evil, the princess does not need to take it to heart. ¡°Only by doing more good deeds in this life can one have merit in the next life.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°But second brother said that the lottery in Yuan Xi temple is very effective.¡± Ling Xuan pressed his palms together and said, ¡°Amitabha Buddha, if the princess can¡¯t Let It Go, why don¡¯t you quietly copy the Scriptures in front of the Buddha? You can repay your sins in half a month.¡± Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Weiyang and said, ¡°There is a side room in the Prime Minister Temple. Mother will accompany you to stay on the mountain for half a month. If you sincerely copy the Scriptures, you can also pray for Peace of mind.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°It¡¯s cold on the mountain. Daughter can stay here alone to copy the scriptures. Mother doesn¡¯t have to accompany me.¡± Lu Chen also said to Qiao jinniang, ¡°Weiyang is not young anymore. Just let her stay in the temple together.¡± ¡°She has never suffered since she was young, and she likes to eat meat. I¡¯m afraid that she is too poor in the temple.¡± Qiao Jinniang was really worried about Lu Weiyang staying in the temple alone. Lu Chen smiled lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Master Ling Xuan, I¡¯ll leave Weiyang in your care.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry. I will take good care of the Princess.¡±Ling Xuan put his hands together and bowed. Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen said when they left the mountain, ¡°Master Ling Xuan has an extraordinary appearance. He is one of the best men in Chang ¡®an.¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°If he was not a Buddha at birth and still living in the secular world, he would be one of the best among the princes and Sons of Chang ¡®an.¡± ¡°Is he from an extraordinary family?¡± Lu chen nodded and said, ¡°He was originally the son of the eldest son of the Zhao family. The current Uncle Zhao is his uncle.¡± Qiao jinniang asked curiously, ¡°In that case, the title of nobility of Uncle Zhao¡¯s estate originally belonged to him?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°Yes. His father died early that year, and he was a posthumous child. When Old Uncle Zhao was still alive, he once wanted to confer this grandson the title of crown prince. Later, the abbot of the Prime Minister Temple said that he was a son of Buddha destined by Heaven. His infant child became a monk and his title fell to the current Uncle Zhao.¡± Qiao Jinniang asked, ¡°Then isn¡¯t he very pitiful? He became a monk at birth, and I¡¯m afraid that he doesn¡¯t even know what meat tastes like. Did he just miss out on the delicacies of the human world?¡± Lu Chen smiled faintly. ¡°Yes.¡± .. Lu Weiyang quietly sat on his knees in a corner of the great hall, copying scriptures. He watched Ling Xuan kneel in front of the Buddha statue, devoutly reciting the Heart Sutra, and knocking on the wooden fish. The afternoon sun shone on Ling Xuan¡¯s body, seemingly casting a layer of golden light on his body. Lu Weiyang rested her chin on her hand, unable to shift her gaze for a moment. Until she heard a voice from master Ling Xuan, ¡°Your Highness, copying scriptures requires sincerity. If the heart is not sincere, the sin will become even deeper.¡± When Lu Weiyang heard this, she continued to copy scriptures until the sky darkened and she returned to the side room. Lu Weiyang did not like extravagance to begin with. The rooms in the prime minister temple were prepared for the nobles and were not truly poor. For Lu Weiyang, they were just right. The vegetarian dishes in the prime minister temple were not bad either. Lu Weiyang felt that it was a good choice to become a monk here. However, Lu Weiyang, who was woken up by the ringing of the bell and chanting of the scriptures before dawn the next day, completely gave up on the idea of becoming a monk. She asked the palace maids outside that it was only a quarter past three in the morning and they were already unable to sleep because of the sound of the chanting. They had no choice but to get up. Chapter 456 - , female benefactor, respect yourself Lu Weiyang combed her hair into a bun and went to the main hall of the Prime Minister Temple. Inside, Ling Xuan led the monks in the temple and piously recited the scriptures. Lu Weiyang found an empty seat and knelt down to recite the scriptures with them. For some reason, she had been disturbed by the chanting just now. After hearing Ling Xuan¡¯s recitation, Lu Weiyang felt at ease. When the Sun Rose, Ling Xuan left the hall after finishing his morning lesson. Lu Weiyang followed him and said, ¡°Master.¡± Ling Xuan stopped and asked Lu Weiyang, ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Lu Weiyang went forward and returned the Buddha bead to Ling Xuan. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll return this to you.¡± Ling Xuan asked curiously, ¡°How can the princess bear to return the Buddha bead to this little monk?¡± Lu Weiyang smiled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t there something I need to ask of you? When you recite the scriptures and cultivate, can you help me recite the scriptures to eliminate the Evil Karma?¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Okay.¡± Ling Xuan took the Buddha bead from Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand, and a light fragrance drifted into his nose. The red sandalwood Buddha bead he had held since he was a child not only had the scent of sandalwood, but it also had the faint fragrance of a woman. Lu Weiyang walked to the side of the square in front of him and looked at the rising sun in the distance from the guardrail. He said to Ling Xuan, ¡°The morning sun here is actually not worse than the morning sun in Lingnan. The Morning Sun in Lingnan is very beautiful. The Red Sun that was born in the vast ocean gradually hangs above the clouds and shines over the world. Looking at the distance from here, you can see the morning sun gradually covering the entire Chang ¡®an city. It¡¯s really beautiful!¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°It¡¯s like this every day. How beautiful is it?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Boring.¡± .. After three days in the temple, Lu Weiyang began to crave for meat. However, she was still a little afraid of the Great Evil¡¯s signature and did not dare to eat meat. Lu Weiyang went to the abbot¡¯s courtyard in the afternoon. Ling Xuan was meditating and cultivating when she heard the sound coming from the courtyard door. She opened her eyes and saw that it was Lu Weiyang. She asked, ¡°Your Highness, what brings you here?¡± Lu Weiyang said slowly, ¡°I came here to ask master how to resist eating meat. I don¡¯t think I can endure it for more than half a month.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°All creatures in the world have spirits. Those who eat meat kill, and there are many bad karma.¡± Lu Weiyang took the teapot in front of Ling Xuan, he poured himself a cup of water and said, ¡°But vegetables also have spirits. When I was young, I grew vegetables in Lingnan. I watched a seed grow bigger and bigger, and I was even more reluctant to eat it. Vegetables are also life. Why can you eat them?¡± ¡°Master, have you eaten meat?¡± Ling Xuan looked at Lu Weiyang lightly. ¡°Since your highness is here to eliminate the evil karma, and you haven¡¯t been devout to Buddha yet, don¡¯t think about the matter of meat and fish killing people.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Then what if I can¡¯t help it? Master, your Buddhist skills are profound. Can you give me some guidance?¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°If the princess can¡¯t help it, then she can meditate and recite scriptures. The scriptures are profound and the merits are profound. She is addicted to the profound Buddhist skills, so she naturally won¡¯t think about meat and fish anymore.¡± Lu Weiyang looked at the chessboard at the side and said, ¡°I heard that master is very skilled in chess. Last time, I only won a small victory. How about another game?¡± Ling Xuan replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Weiyang did not play Tianyuan this time, but this time, Ling Xuan did not underestimate his opponent. After two hours, Ling Xuan won by a narrow margin. Lu Weiyang counted the Chess Pieces and looked at Ling Xuan¡¯s eyes. He had a pair of pure eyes. Lu Weiyang looked at his pure eyes and suddenly felt his heart palpitate slightly. There was actually a thought in his heart. If he were to give the silver to him, he would not be reluctant to part with it. ¡°It seems that master is not old, but he actually has such good chess skills. I wonder who master learned it from?¡± Ling Xuan replied, ¡°My Master.¡± Lu Weiyang:¡±¡­¡±wasn¡¯t he wasting his words. ¡°I lost in chess, and I want to eat meat even more. This time, I lost because I did not eat meat. If I ate meat, I would definitely win against Master.¡± Lu Weiyang leaned closer to Ling Xuan and said, ¡°Master has never eaten meat before. If master tasted meat, would he be unable to endure it?¡± Ling Xuan saw that Lu Weiyang was very close to him, so he said in a cold voice, ¡°Female benefactor, please have some self-respect.¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Ling Xuan¡¯s Red Ears and smiled lightly. He reached out and touched the tip of Ling Xuan¡¯s burning ears. ¡°AH, master, your ears are red!¡± Ling Xuan frowned and stood up. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t forget that you came to the temple to eliminate the evil karma.¡± Lu Weiyang tilted his head and said, ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t tease you anymore.¡± Lu Weiyang went out to the main hall to copy the scriptures. When she was copying the scriptures, it was difficult for her to calm down. She thought of the first time she met Ling Xuan in the Yuanxi Temple. The wind blew down the fallen leaves and fell on Ling Xuan¡¯s shoulders.. When he was meditating in the afternoon, the sunlight sprinkled gold on his body.. Also, when she was teasing him just now, her face was red.. Lu Weiyang thought about it and shook her head. She just wanted to tease the son of Buddha, who was aloof, unsmiling, and strictly abiding by the rules. How could she really be moved? It was just a smelly monk. But that smelly monk was really quite good-looking. Lu Weiyang lowered her head and looked at the scripture that she had copied. For some reason, she had copied the last two words into Ling Xuan. It had taken her so much effort to copy a page of the scripture, but it had all gone to waste. Lu Weiyang was very upset and continued to write another one. As she wrote, her heart was in a mess. She simply stopped writing scriptures. After leaving the temple, she went to the back of the mountain to relax. There was a hot spring in the back of the mountain. Lu Weiyang wanted to go to the side of the pool to wash her hands. She had been writing Buddhist scriptures for so long. If there was no charcoal in the temple, her hands were about to go stiff. When she walked over, she saw the pitter-patter of water. She looked over and saw a platinum-colored kasaya placed on a stone. The back of a bald head was leaning against a rock. Lu Weiyang stepped forward. When she was face to face with Ling Xuan, she stared at the Naked Ling Xuan with Her Eyes Wide Open. Then, she realized that staring at a man like that seemed a little inappropriate, so she covered her eyes with her hands, but she still secretly left a gap. Ling Xuan said angrily, ¡°Your Highness, the back of the mountain is a place that outsiders are not allowed to enter.¡± Lu Weiyang put down his hand and said, ¡°I am not an outsider. This prime minister temple belongs to my family, so why can¡¯t I Come Here? Not only do I want this place, I also want to use the hot spring water here to warm my hands.¡± Lu Weiyang leaned closer to Ling Xuan and said, ¡°And you have dirtied my water.¡± Ling Xuan Saw Lu Weiyang getting closer and closer. His face was livid as he said, ¡°Princess, have some self-respect.¡± Lu Weiyang liked to see the cold expression on Ling Xuan¡¯s face change because of her, so he continued to move forward with bad intentions. He did not see the stone under his feet and tripped over it. Just when Lu Weiyang thought that she was going to fall this time, and perhaps her face would be disfigured, she fell into the Hot Spring Pool with a plop. Chapter 457 - . The master’s heart was stirred Lu Weiyang fell into the hot spring. Ling Xuan could not care less about the difference between a man and a woman. He grabbed Lu Weiyang¡¯s waist and pulled her out of the water. Lu Weiyang fell into the hot spring unprepared. For a moment, she was panicking and her hands could not stop moving. After Ling Xuan hugged her waist, she wrapped her arms around Ling Xuan¡¯s neck. Lu Weiyang looked into Ling Xuan¡¯s eyes. This time, it was her turn to blush. In the back of the mountain, the occasional cries of sparrows could be heard. Ling Xuan only let go of Lu Weiyang after some time. He got up in a hurry, put on his monk robe, and put on his kasaya. Then, he left in a hurry. It was as if some wild monster was chasing after him. Lu Weiyang was soaking in the hot spring pool. When she saw the string of Buddhist beads left by Ling Xuan by the stone, she picked up the beads and smiled lightly. She rubbed the beads with her fingers. No wonder second brother said that the verdicts in Yuan Xi temple were quite accurate. What was the saying that the world was safe and sound? It did not let down the Tathagata and did not let down the minister. She, Weiyang, was the most honorable princess of Great Tang. She was born to be the Empress¡¯pearl. She was loved by all and no one could let her down. Only, she did not let down Tathagata! Xiao Mang came over with clean clothes and said, ¡°Your Highness, are you really here? Why are you soaking in the hot spring with your clothes on? Quickly change into your wet clothes. It¡¯s cold in winter, don¡¯t catch a cold because of it.¡± Lu Weiyang changed into his clothes and put the Buddha beads on his wrist. Then, he went to the main hall to copy the Buddhist scriptures. As soon as he arrived at the main hall, he saw the Xuanling kneeling in front of the Buddha statue with another string of Buddha beads in his hand. He was chanting the scriptures. When he was chanting the scriptures, he still looked cold and indifferent. Lu Weiyang found Xiao Mang and said, ¡°You guard the door and don¡¯t allow anyone to come in.¡± Xiao Mang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Lu Weiyang closed the door of the hall. Seeing that the door was closed, Xuanling stood up and asked, ¡°Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?¡± Lu Weiyang walked closer to Xuanling and said, ¡°Master Xuanling touched my waist just now and ruined my innocence. I want Master Xuanling to be responsible for me.¡± Xuanling put her palms together and said, ¡°Amitabha. This is an important place of Buddhism. Your Highness, please be careful.¡± ¡°Master is, after all, a abbot of a temple. This is in front of Buddha. How can master not take responsibility for me?¡± Xuan ling frowned and said, ¡°Your Highness, I was helpless just now. You know that you fell into the pond just now. If I didn¡¯t save you, you would have lost your life. I didn¡¯t return your Highness¡¯innocence.¡± Lu Weiyang tiptoed and lightly touched Xuan Ling¡¯s lips. ¡°There is now.¡± Xuan Ling gasped. He had never seen such a bold woman. ¡°Your Highness, how is your behavior different from that of a Hooligan? I Hope Your Highness has some self-respect. Otherwise, I will send a message to his majesty.¡± Lu Weiyang laughed heartily. ¡°This is different from a hooligan. After all, a hooligan molested a virtuous woman. A virtuous woman does not like them. And I know that Master has me in his heart.¡± Xuanling frowned. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Lu Weiyang whispered in Xuanling¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯m talking nonsense? You did hug me just now to save me, but after I was saved, master still hugged me and refused to let me go.¡±. ¡°Also, why did master run away in a hurry in the hot spring pool just now?¡±? ¡°If Master¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t in a mess and he didn¡¯t have me in his heart, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid of breaking the rules. He only saved my life, so why did he run away in a hurry?¡± Lu Weiyang reached out his finger and drew a circle on Xuanling¡¯s heart. ¡°You already have me here, don¡¯t deny it.¡± Xuanling put her hands together, and cold sweat kept breaking out on her forehead. Xuanling looked at Lu Weiyang. She was not princess da Tang, but clearly the seductive demon that her master described when she was young. ¡°Amitabha.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be Amitabha anymore. You hugged me and Kissed Me¡­ You have to give me an explanation!¡± Xuan Ling said, ¡°Your Highness is so unreasonable. It was clearly you who kissed me just now.¡± Lu Weiyang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you remember this kiss. I am understanding and will not force you today.¡± Lu Weiyang opened the door and left the hall. Xuan Ling walked to the place where Lu Weiyang was copying the scripture. She picked up the scripture that she had copied and looked at it. The words ¡®Xuan Ling¡¯were written all over it. Xuan Ling sighed. She had been observing the rules and regulations for twenty years. She did not expect that she would break the rules today. She did not expect that the Buddha Dharma that she had cultivated for twenty years would not be able to defeat a young girl who had just turned fifteen. Lu Weiyang returned to the room and was in a good mood. Xiao Mang asked Lu Weiyang, ¡°Your Highness, why are you so happy today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have a son-in-law soon.¡±Lu Weiyang smiled. Xiao Mang was puzzled, ¡°Ah?¡± The next morning, when the bell rang, Lu Weiyang got out of bed and went to the main hall to listen to Xuanling¡¯s lecture on Buddhism. When Xuanling saw Lu Weiyang, she paused for a moment. However, there was a disciple beside her who reminded her before she continued. After the morning lesson, Lu Weiyang followed Xuanling back to the abbot¡¯s courtyard. She closed the door and said, ¡°Master, have you thought about it? Have you thought about when to renounce asceticism?¡± Xuan Ling said Amitabha and said, ¡°Your Highness, this little monk will not renounce asceticism.¡± The smile on Lu Weiyang¡¯s face stopped. ¡°Why? You clearly like me too. Isn¡¯t it good to renounce asceticism and marry me?¡± Xuan Ling fiddled with the Buddhist beads in her hand and said, ¡°This little monk was born to be a Buddhist. Ever since I learned how to speak, I grew up in a temple. His Majesty has taken pity on this little monk and made him the National Master. He is famous throughout the world. If this little monk renounces asceticism, it will inevitably cause the people in the world to laugh at the great Tang Buddhism.¡± Lu Weiyang said anxiously, ¡°There are many people with profound Buddhist skills in Datang. You have already moved your mortal heart and violated the rules and regulations. You are no longer qualified to be the National Master. Why Can¡¯t you renounce asceticism and marry me?¡± Xuan Ling said, ¡°Even if you have moved your mortal heart, you can still stop it.¡± ¡°How can I stop it?¡±Lu Weiyang approached Xuan Ling with tears in his eyes. ¡°Tell me, how can I stop it?¡± Xuan Ling said, ¡°Everyone in the world makes mistakes. Since you¡¯ve made a mistake, you should stop it in time if you have thoughts that you shouldn¡¯t have. For the sake of the princess, please leave the mountain as soon as possible. I hope that the princess will forget about me after leaving the mountain for half a year.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°What if I can¡¯t forget it after half a year?¡± Xuan Ling said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be willful.¡± At this time, there was a knock on the door of the courtyard. Lu ang entered and said, ¡°Weiyang, what did you do in the temple? Master was so tired that he asked me to take you away early in the morning.¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Xuan Ling, whose expression did not change, and said, ¡°I just molested the holy monk.¡± ¡°Molested?¡±Lu ang held Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Are you crazy? Molested the monk? Do you think that the reputation of the princess of Chang ¡®an is not bad enough?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°If he was not tempted, how could I flirt with him? If he was tempted, he wanted me to stop being tempted. Master, is this the equality of all living things in Buddhism?¡± Xuan Ling spun the Buddhist beads and read the scriptures. Lu ang finally understood and said to Xuan Ling, ¡°So Master is also interested in my sister? Then wouldn¡¯t it be a good thing for both of us to return to the secular world?¡± Chapter 458 - master does not wish to renounce asceticism Ling Xuan said, ¡°Your Highness, you must be joking. I am the National Master of Great Tang. How can I renounce asceticism when I was born a Buddha? The princess is intelligent and beautiful. She will definitely have a good marriage fate waiting for her.¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Why can¡¯t I renounce asceticism? My sister likes you. Even if you are a eunuch, you have to become a man!¡± Lu Weiyang tugged at the corner of Lu Ang¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Second brother, forget it. If he doesn¡¯t want to, why force him? It¡¯s not like I, Lu Weiyang, can¡¯t find a prince consort. There are many men in Chang ¡®an who want to be my prince consort and my male companion. I don¡¯t want him anymore!¡± Lu Weiyang did not want to use her status to pressure Ling Xuan. What was the point of using her status to force Ling Xuan to submit. He had already made up his mind. To be his son-in-law was not to willingly renounce asceticism. Even if she allowed Ling Xuan to renounce asceticism, it would only be an unfortunate fate. If she could not forget it for half a year, then it would be a year. It would only take a few days for her to be moved. She should be able to forget about it for half a year. On the way down the mountain, Lu ang saw his unhappy sister and said, ¡°If you really can¡¯t bear to part with Ling Xuan, just ask Big Brother to issue an edict to force him to renounce asceticism. Why Are You So Unhappy?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°The marriage that he was forced to get is just a bad fate after all. He can¡¯t bear to part with his tathagata¡­¡± Lu Ang did not know how to comfort Lu Weiyang. After bringing her back to the manor, he told Qian Qingyu about it. Qian Qingyu was really surprised when she heard about it. ¡°The princess actually fell in love with a monk?¡± ¡°Princess Datang fell in love with a monk, but I don¡¯t know if Weiyang is alone,¡±Lu Ang said. ¡°In the future, the Chang ¡®an Temple should order that handsome men should not be monks.¡± Qian qingyu said, ¡°The princess has never been wronged before. She must be very sad this time, right?¡± Lu ang said, ¡°She has not spoken all the way. She is not so dispirited usually. She does not want to use her identity to threaten Ling Xuan. This matter must not be known to her parents.¡± Qian qingyu sighed. ¡°Sigh, what should we do?¡± She fell in love with a monk, who was also the state preceptor of great Tang. He was born a man who was known as the son of Buddha. The one who suffered was still Lu Weiyang. ¡°Your Highness, Princess, the princess has left.¡± Lu Ang and Qian Qingyu looked at each other and chased after her. Lu Weiyang walked to the main street. Whenever he saw a jewelry shop, he would walk into the Lingluo shop. Every shop would spend at least 100 taels of silver. For a time, the news spread to all the shops on the main street of Chang ¡®an city, hoping that Lu Weiyang could come from her own shop to spend money. Lu Ang was not happy at all when he saw Lu Weiyang, who had changed her personality and was not stingy at all. This was Lu Weiyang, who would not even send a message with three taels of silver. If she was not extremely uncomfortable, she would have spent so much silver at once, would she really do that? Qian Qingyu went up to Lu Weiyang and advised, ¡°Weiyang, there are all these in the palace. There is no shortage of them. You better not spend more silver coins.¡± Lu Weiyang sniffled and said, ¡°Second sister-in-law, don¡¯t tell me I can¡¯t even spend silver coins?¡± Qian Qingyu looked at Lu Weiyang with heartache and said, ¡°Yes, you can spend as much as you want. If you feel uncomfortable, just cry it out. It will be fine as long as you cry it out. There are thousands of good men in this world. Don¡¯t keep it in your heart all the time.¡± Lu Weiyang leaned into Qian Qingyu¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°Why can¡¯t he renounce asceticism for me? What Buddha? What National Advisor? As long as he is willing to renounce asceticism, these aren¡¯t problems. But he isn¡¯t willing¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t like me, but I know that he loves me. I can understand that he has feelings for me.¡± Qian qingyu sighed helplessly. ¡°Weiyang, time will take care of everything. Everything will be fine.¡± Lu Weiyang returned to the Princess¡¯residence in a daze. Lying on the bed, her eyes were slightly red. It was the first time she liked someone so much. She was willing to spend money for him, but he was not even willing to return to the secular world. Lu Weiyang took off the Buddhist beads in her hand and placed them in front of her. She wanted to throw them away, but she was reluctant to do so. ¡°Princess, Princess Nihon is here to see you.¡± Lu Weiyang heard Xiao Mang¡¯s voice and said, ¡°Let her in.¡± Qiao Nihon entered Lu Weiyang¡¯s room and said, ¡°Have you changed today? Everyone in Chang ¡®an is praising you for your generosity. Normally, you aren¡¯t even willing to spend a single cent. Today, you actually spent so much silver. You Don¡¯t feel bad about it, right?¡± ¡°The heartache of spending silver is nothing compared to the heartache of him not wanting to marry me.¡±Lu Weiyang turned the prayer beads in his hand and sighed. Qiao nihong said, ¡°Who is so blind?¡±? When Lu Weiyang heard Qiao Nihong¡¯s words, he said, ¡°Cousin is right. He just doesn¡¯t have eyes, so he deserves to not eat meat for the rest of his life. He has to abide by his rules and regulations for the rest of his life.¡± ¡°You really like a monk?¡±Qiao nihong said in shock, ¡°Didn¡¯t the fortune-telling in Yuan Xi temple say that it was a great fortune? You actually fell in love with a monk?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t tell me I can control my feelings?¡± Qiao Nihon said, ¡°That¡¯s true. But since the fortune of the Yuan Xi Temple said that it was a big bad fortune, he didn¡¯t want to renounce asceticism, so that¡¯s it¡­¡± Lu Weiyang pursed his lips and said, ¡°But cousin, I really feel bad, really, really bad!¡± Qiao Nihong hugged Lu Weiyang and said, ¡°It will all pass.¡± Lu Weiyang gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°This is the first time in my life that someone has treated me with such contempt. I want to choose my son-in-law. I want him to see that I don¡¯t want him.¡± Qiao nihong said in shock, ¡°Choose your son-in-law?¡± .. In the abbot¡¯s courtyard in the Prime Minister Temple. Ling Xuan¡¯s fingers were stroking the chess piece that Lu Weiyang had once touched. He was thinking about meditating and cultivating, but his mind was filled with scenes of that delicate and pretty girl. Ling Xuan Sighed. He had broken the rules of the mortal world. Even if he cultivated Buddhism, he would only be fooling himself. But he was born a Buddha, and he was also the National Master. How could it be so simple to renounce asceticism and take a wife? ¡°Master Fang Zhang, the Crown Prince of Uncle Zhao¡¯s family outside requests to see you.¡± Ling Xuan said to the little novice monk outside, ¡°Let him in.¡± Zhao Qingquan entered and gave Ling Xuan a Buddhist proclamation. ¡°Master Ling Xuan, I want to ask you to help me play a game of chess.¡± Ling Xuan frowned. ¡°Play chess? Why?¡± Zhao Qingquan said, ¡°It concerns the future of Uncle Zhao¡¯s residence. I hope you can help me, Master.¡± ¡°Who do you want to play chess with?¡±Ling Xuan asked. Zhao Qingquan said, ¡°Princess Weiyang, I fell in love with Princess Weiyang when I saw her on the street. Princess Weiyang is good at chess, and she likes to play chess very much. Recently, she even announced to the whole of Chang ¡®an that she wanted to choose her son-in-law from chess. Over the past half a month, I¡¯ve looked for quite a few saints to play chess. I¡¯m still afraid that I can¡¯t beat Princess Weiyang, so I want to ask you to help me.¡± Ling Xuan saw this layman¡¯s cousin and said, ¡°How can anyone help me when I¡¯m playing chess?¡± Zhao Qingquan said, ¡°The last time the princess played chess with me for an entire afternoon, I think the princess must have some feelings for me as well. ¡°It¡¯s just that my chess skills aren¡¯t good enough to guarantee my victory in the consort selection ceremony. ¡°If I have the help of a master, I can gain the recognition of Princess Weiyang and become the consort, which will be of great benefit to Uncle Zhao¡¯s residence.¡± Chapter 459 - Chess moves for the son Ling Xuan listened to Zhao Qingquan¡¯s words and frowned slightly. ¡°Your Highness wants to use chess moves for the son-in-law?¡± Zhao Qingquan said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Please help me, Master.¡± Ling Xuan fiddled with a Buddhist bead of his own and said, ¡°I can¡¯t help you with this.¡± Zhao Qingquan stood up and asked, ¡°Why? Now that Uncle Zhao¡¯s residence is declining in Chang ¡®an, the Zhao family¡¯s ancestors are a famous aristocratic family. Now that they have the title of nobility, if I can become the son-in-law, I will definitely be able to restore the Zhao family, brother¡­¡± Ling Xuan glared at Zhao Qingquan and said, ¡°Amitabha. I have long entered Buddhism. There is only Ling Xuan here, not almsgiver¡¯s elder brother.¡± Zhao Qingquan said, ¡°Auntie already knows about this. Can¡¯t you help our Zhao family this time for Auntie¡¯s sake?¡± Ling Xuan closed his eyes and turned the Buddha Pearl in his hand, no longer paying attention to Zhao Qingquan. Zhao Qingquan angrily flicked his sleeves and left. ¡°Ling Xuan, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to help. Without your help, I might be able to become the Prince Consort!¡± Not long ago, he had recruited the powerful go masters of Chang ¡®an. With the help of those go masters, he might be able to win against Ling Xuan. After Ling Xuan sent Zhao Qingquan off, he looked at Zhao Qingquan¡¯s back with a hint of unconcealable envy in his eyes. If he had not been recognized as a Buddha by the Prime Minister Temple as soon as he was born and had grown up in the secular world.., he would definitely not let go now. Ling Xuan entered a dark room and lit a candle. He took a small knife from the side and ruthlessly cut his own arm. In front of where the knife had cut, there was a scar. This scar was caused by a series of master¡¯s orders when he had been bewitched when he was young and followed a few monks to secretly catch pheasants. This knife had eliminated the evil karma, allowing him to see this scar and remember not to break the rules. Ling Xuan watched the blood continuously drip onto the ground, gradually forgetting the lively figure in his heart. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, there were many pilgrims from the Prime Minister Temple. Some of them came to taste a bowl of Laba congee from the Prime Minister Temple. Outside the Prime Minister Temple, the Princess¡¯ceremony was grand and grand. Ling Xuan heard that Princess Weiyang had arrived. As the abbot of the Prime Minister Temple, he had to go out to welcome her. When he reached the door, Ling Xuan bowed to Lu Weiyang and said, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Lu Weiyang looked at the man in front of him, whom he had not seen for almost a month, and said coldly, ¡°I am going to select a prince consort in Chang ¡®an city tomorrow. I want to invite Master Ling Xuan to go and observe.¡± Ling Xuan pressed his palms together and said, ¡°I have no choice but to obey the princess¡¯order. However, there is a spiritual conference in the Prime Minister Temple Tomorrow, and as the abbot, I am unable to escape. Please forgive me, Princess.¡± Lu Weiyang sneered, ¡°Master, is it really for the spiritual conference?¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Weiyang stared at Ling Xuan¡¯s face. His eyes were as pure as before, and no change could be seen on his face. He really did not care about her anymore. Lu Weiyang clenched his hands. She was really too stupid. The dignified princess had become restless and sorrowful because of him, but he was still the high and mighty abbot of the Prime Minister Temple, and also the son of Buddha who could not move the hearts of mortals. ¡°Tomorrow, I will choose a prince consort,¡±Lu Weiyang said. Ling Xuan smiled slightly and said, ¡°Then congratulations, Your Highness.¡± Lu weiyang frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to find someone else to be the prince consort. Is that a happy thing for you?¡± Ling Xuan put his palms together and said, ¡°If the princess can find a good man to be the prince consort, I will naturally be happy for her highness.¡± Lu Weiyang wanted to find out from Ling Xuan¡¯s expression that he was lying, but his eyes told her that he was happy and did not care about her at all. She was the only one who was silly and still worried about Ling Xuan. Tomorrow was the day of the selection of the prince consort, but she still did not give up and came here. She was very cheap. .. Princess Weiyang¡¯s matchmaking ring was set up outside the palace gate. Many people had rushed over early in the morning. There was a huge iron chessboard hanging on the side with magnetic chess pieces on it. With every step on the stage, the palace staff would stick the chess pieces on the huge iron chessboard for the audience to admire. Those who could come here to compete in the match of marriage naturally had to hand over the chess books they had played in the past. There were a total of ten people who were shortlisted, and each of them was a young master from the city of Chang ¡®an. The format of the competition was two-on-two chess games, and the winner was determined by five people. Among the five winners, one of them could draw lots to advance directly, and the other four people would still have two winners in two-on-two chess games. The three people would then play chess separately, the winner would play against Weiyang. The chess competition started in the morning. They rested for a while at noon. It was not until dusk that the winner, Zhao Qingquan, was decided. When Lu Weiyang saw that Zhao Qingquan had won, she was quite curious. She had played against Zhao Qingquan before, but his chess was far from this good. The palace maid at the side lit up the sandalwood incense. Lu Weiyang touched the Buddha bead in her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Lu Weiyang played the white piece first, so her first move was naturally to play Tianyuan. Zhao Qingquan saw the Buddha bead in Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°This string of Buddha beads belongs to Master Ling Xuan, right?¡± ¡°You Know Him?¡± Zhao Qingquan said, ¡°Master Ling Xuan was my cousin when he was a layman.¡± Lu Weiyang understood and said, ¡°I see, let¡¯s continue.¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Zhao Qingquan¡¯s fierce go style. He did not expect that his go skills had improved so much in just a month¡¯s time. In a private room in a teahouse not far away, Lady Zhao smiled at Ling Xuan and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. I really can¡¯t even invite you. Today, you must accompany me to finish playing this game.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Lady Zhao, this little monk has already become a monk.¡± Lady Zhao looked at her son and said, ¡°Let¡¯s play.¡± First Madam Zhao looked at the little servant girl at the side and gestured with her actions. Then, she counted the pieces on the chessboard and placed a stone. Ling Xuan looked at the position where first Madam Zhao placed the stone. The first move was Tianyuan, and the way she placed the stone was very similar to Lu Weiyang¡¯s. Ling Xuan looked at his arm. His unscabbed arm was still hurting. He thought that he could endure it. However, he should not have thought of Lu Weiyang after playing chess. On the stage, Lu Weiyang and Zhao Qingquan were playing chess. Their initial underestimation of the opponent had turned into a serious confrontation. How could that be possible? How could a person¡¯s go skills change so much in such a short period of time? Moreover, she was too familiar with this go style. This was clearly Ling Xuan¡¯s way of playing chess. Because Zhao Qingquan had placed a black piece, the people watching the battle praised, ¡°Good, this chess piece is very well placed!¡± ¡°I see that Crown Prince Zhao¡¯s chess style is very similar to master Ling Xuan¡¯s.¡± ¡°Crown Prince Zhao is master Ling Xuan¡¯s secular cousin. Since they are brothers, perhaps their chess style is similar too.¡± After Lu Weiyang placed a piece, she did not see Zhao Qingquan place a piece for a long time. She felt strange in her heart. Zhao Qingquan did not need to think about her position at all. She followed Zhao Qingquan¡¯s gaze and saw all the people who came to watch the game. Just when Lu Weiyang was curious about what he was looking at, she saw Zhao Qingquan place a stone next to her stone. Chapter 460 - , the princess and Ling Xuan were in love Lu Weiyang placed another chess piece, and Zhao Qingquan started to think. Soon, he looked at the crowd and placed another chess piece. After Lu Weiyang placed another chess piece, he saw someone leave the crowd. Not long after, he turned back and raised his hand as if he was watching a show. However, his hand had more than Lu Weiyang, so he could not understand the gesture. After Zhao Qingquan saw it, he quickly placed another chess piece. Lu Weiyang casually placed a stone. When everyone was exclaiming that Lu Weiyang had placed the wrong stone, only Zhao Qingquan¡¯s expression did not change as he continued to ponder. Lu Weiyang immediately got up from his chair, got down from the arena, and stared at the servant as he entered a teahouse. Lu Weiyang followed him into the teahouse. When the servant came out, he saw Lu Weiyang and was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. Lu Weiyang directly looked at the Teahouse¡¯s private room and pushed the door open. He saw the two people playing chess in the private room. The chessboard was exactly the same as the chessboard that she and Zhao Qingquan played? Lu Weiyang raised her hand and gave Ling Xuan a hard slap on the face. When Ling Xuan Saw Lu Weiyang coming over with red eyes, he did not react for a moment before he received such a slap. Zhao Qingquan chased in from the outside and panted heavily as he said to Lu Weiyang, ¡°Your Highness¡­ This chess game is not over yet!¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Zhao Qingquan and sneered, ¡°Uncle Zhao¡¯s estate deceived me and lied to me about the chess game and the marriage match. I must take away your uncle Zhao¡¯s title as a royal brother.¡± Zhao qingquan quickly said, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Lu Weiyang stared at Ling Xuan with hatred and said, ¡°Ling Xuan, is this your so-called Buddhist monk? Buddhist monks don¡¯t lie, but you helped Zhao Qingquan cheat. Aren¡¯t you afraid that it will damage the prestige of the abbot of the Prime Minister Temple?¡± Ling Xuan finally understood what was going on. He frowned at Lu Weiyang and said, ¡°I was also schemed against in this matter.¡± Lu Weiyang said sarcastically, ¡°Plotted against? Do you think I¡¯m Stupid? You must be mocking me in your heart. The princess has fallen in love with a bald donkey like you. You¡¯re complaining that I¡¯m blocking your path of Buddhism, so you can¡¯t wait to push me to another man, right?¡± Ling Xuan sighed and said, ¡°It really isn¡¯t, your highness. It was a good ploy by Zhao Qingquan and Lady Zhao. If I knew about it, I would have fallen into the Devil Path forever, into Avici Hell.¡± Lu Weiyang flicked his sleeves and said to the Zhao family, ¡°Just wait to be demoted!¡± After Lu Weiyang left, Zhao Qingquan anxiously looked at Ling Xuan in front of him and said, ¡°Master Ling Xuan, did the princess just say that she likes you?¡± ¡°How are you worthy? You are a monk who is worthy to be the princess¡¯son-in-law. Are you jealous that I can become the crown prince of the uncles¡¯estate and marry the princess, so you deliberately told the Princess?¡± Lady Zhao looked at Ling Xuan angrily and said, ¡°Although you have been a monk since you were young, the Zhao family is still your secular family after all. They gave you your life. You are really good. If the Zhao family is robbed of their title, let¡¯s see how you will still have the face to be the abbot of the Prime Minister Temple!¡± Ling Xuan looked at Zhao Qingquan and Lady Zhao, made a Buddhist proclamation, and then turned to leave. Lu Weiyang was really annoyed. What did the Zhao family think she was? They actually came to deceive her so openly. After Lu Weiyang entered the palace, he told Lu Xi how Zhao Qingquan had cheated in the chess match. ¡°Big Brother, you have to help me stand up for myself. The Zhao family has gone too far. What¡¯s the difference between doing this and lying to the emperor? Quickly issue a decree to seize the Zhao family¡¯s title. ¡°And Ling Xuan, he helped the Zhao family to cheat and deceive me. You have to punish him harshly too.¡± Lu Xi was really angry when she heard this. ¡°The Zhao family¡¯s title will definitely be seized, but why would master Ling Xuan help the Zhao Family?¡± Master Ling Xuan was a monk, how could he be involved in this kind of secular world. ¡°Sister, you must have a misunderstanding with Master Ling Xuan.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°What misunderstanding? He¡¯s just afraid that I¡¯ll continue to pester him!¡± Lu XI asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Weiyang said slowly, ¡°I like him, and he knows that I like him. But he chose to stay in Buddhism and doesn¡¯t want to return to the secular world to marry me. He would rather be his son of Buddha for the rest of his life. ¡°Instead of watching me constantly disturbing his cultivation, why don¡¯t you push me to Zhao Qingquan¡­¡± Lu Xi sighed. ¡°Do you still like him now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him anymore. He treats me like this. If I still like him, I¡¯ll be belittling myself.¡± Lu Xi smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. Otherwise, it would be a lot more troublesome for him to return to the secular world since he¡¯s the imperial preceptor of this dynasty.¡± Lu Xi immediately issued an imperial decree to strip the Zhao family of their title of nobility. The Zhao family was already an aristocratic family with no title of nobility. After losing their title of nobility, the entire Zhao family immediately fell into decline. Zhao Qingquan also became a joke to everyone. In the tavern, Zhao Qingquan was ridiculed by his peers, he said, ¡°I was also schemed by that Bald Donkey Ling Xuan. He had a relationship with Princess Weiyang a long time ago. He was unwilling to let the title of a layman be mine, so he conspired with the princess to set up this trap to lure me in!¡± ¡°Princess Weiyang and Master Ling Xuan actually have a relationship?¡± ¡°Is this really true?¡± Zhao Qingquan said drunkenly, ¡°It¡¯s true. I heard that not long ago, Princess Weiyang stayed in the Prime Minister Temple for a period of time. I wonder how many disgusting things these two people have done in the Buddhist peaceful land!¡± Zhao Qingquan was after all Master Ling Xuan¡¯s layman¡¯s cousin. His words made many people in the teahouse take it seriously. It was not the first time that the princess fell in love with a monk. Back then, Emperor Taizu had ordered the death of the monk that the princess loved. The princess later rebelled because of this. The Little Princess Weiyang did not grow up in Chang ¡®an. People had already paid a lot of attention to her. The words that Zhao Qingquan said in the tavern gradually spread to Chang ¡®an. Lu Xi also received a petition from the officials to impeach Weiyang. It was fine if the princesses were willful, but the emperor¡¯s wedding was approaching, and the four seas were coming to court. Ling Xuan was also a famous National Master of Great Tang in the four seas, and he was a famous person in the Japanese, Tibetan, and Buddhist sects. It was not just the royal family¡¯s face that he and the princess made such a rumor. It would also destroy the prestige of the Great Tang Empire. There were also people who used a book to get Princess Weiyang to settle the marriage as soon as possible. After the marriage was settled, the rumors dispersed just like that. The three of them became tigers, and the rumors outside became more and more ridiculous. Lu Weiyang was in the teahouse listening to the Storyteller reading the unofficial history that the scholars had just written, which was about the Wild Mandarin ducks in the great hall. She was dumbfounded when she heard it. Although the officials were catching these ridiculous storytellers, but the people loved to hear it. As long as the storytellers gave money, they would say anything. When Lu Weiyang heard that she was already pregnant, if the storytellers were talking about other people¡¯s romantic affairs, she would also love to hear it. But when they were talking about herself, she could not take it anymore! Chapter 461 - a Master who was similar to Zhao Qingquan The storyteller said, ¡°After Princess Weiyang found out that she was pregnant, she secretly gave birth to a son. She placed him in a wooden basin and carried him away with the flowing water of the Yangtze River. Did he drown in the river or was he saved by someone? If you want to know what happened next, please listen to the explanation next time.¡± The people in the teahouse were unwilling to listen. They threw money on the stage and said, ¡°Hurry up and tell us. We can¡¯t lack your money. Hurry up and tell us. Don¡¯t keep us waiting.¡± Lu Weiyang walked to the storyteller and said, ¡°The next part is that the storyteller is going to jail. When did I get pregnant? How dare you make up this story about me?¡± When the storyteller saw that it was Lu Weiyang, he quickly covered his head and ran away. This matter was too big. Lu Ang could not hide it from Qiao Jinniang at all. Qiao Jinniang went to the Princess¡¯residence. The moment she entered, she saw Lu Weiyang lying in the courtyard basking in the sun with a string of Buddhist beads in his hand. When Lu Weiyang saw Qiao Jinniang, he said happily, ¡°Mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang walked to Lu Weiyang¡¯s side and said, ¡°Weiyang, Tell Mother the truth. Do you like Master Ling Xuan?¡± Lu Weiyang leaned into Qiao Jinniang¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°Yes, I like Master Ling Xuan, but what¡¯s the use of that? He is not willing to return to the secular world for me. It is destined that there is no fate between us.¡± ¡°Mother, I am already much better. When I found out that he was not willing to return to the secular world for me, my heart really hurt, but now it won¡¯t.¡± Lady Qiao Jin gently patted Lu Weiyang¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Weiyang, mother hopes that my daughter can live a carefree life. If it¡¯s really uncomfortable, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t force Lingxuan to return to the secular world now.¡± People were biased. Lady Qiao Jin would rather risk the world¡¯s heresy to make her daughter happy. Lu Weiyang said, ¡°If he¡¯s not willing, he wants to be his Buddha. Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m really better now. I really won¡¯t feel uncomfortable.¡± Qiao Jinniang understood Lu Weiyang. If she really didn¡¯t feel bad, she wouldn¡¯t be so dispirited. After Qiao Jinniang left the Princess¡¯residence, she went to the Prime Minister Temple with Lu Chen and Ling Xuan. When Ling Xuan heard that the two of them had come to visit, he came out to welcome them. ¡°The two saints have graced us with their presence. Are you here to worship Buddha?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°I¡¯m not here for Buddha, but for Weiyang.¡± Ling Xuan cupped his hands and said, ¡°Please come in.¡± When they reached the Fang Zhang Courtyard.., lu Chen said, ¡°I remember that the year you were born was the year I became emperor. At that time, old Uncle Zhao even specially came to ask for the position of grandson. Later on, master said that you were fated with Buddhism and converted to Buddhism when you were still a baby. ¡°May I ask if Master¡¯s six roots can be pure? ¡°Can it really be used for cultivation in the mortal world?¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°If it can not be used for cultivation, then it can only be used for cultivation in the afterlife. Buddhism cultivates in the afterlife, and all the suffering in this life is a blessing in the afterlife.¡± ¡°I have never believed the words of suffering in this life and enjoying the blessings in the afterlife,¡±Qiao Jinniang said, ¡°No one knows what happens after a person dies. Isn¡¯t it ridiculous to not cherish the blessings in this life and ask for blessings in the afterlife?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°When Master Xuanji was still alive, he once told my father that Buddhism emphasizes on sowing good karma and reaping good karma. Meeting each other in the world is karma. Why didn¡¯t you sow good karma in your previous life when you met Weiyang in this life? Why is it karma in this life?¡± Ling Xuan pressed his palms together and said, ¡°The two saints love their daughters dearly, but this Little Monk was born as a Buddhist to promote Buddhism. This little monk still needs to help all the people in the world.¡± Qiao Jinniang sneered. ¡°What a joke. You Can¡¯t even help a little girl, yet you want to help all the people in the world?¡± Ling Xuan choked for a moment. He didn¡¯t know how to answer Qiao Jinniang, so he could only give her a Buddhist title. A young monk¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Master abbot, the first lady of the Zhao family is here to see you again.¡± Ling Xuan said to Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen, ¡°Two saints, I have a guest to see¡­¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°You can go.¡± Ling Xuan walked to the door and saw the eldest madam Zhao who was looking for him. The eldest Madam Zhao was here to ask for money from Ling Xuan. The Zhao family was originally an empty shell. Without the title of nobility, Zhao Qingquan was caught making up stories about the princess. The Zhao family had to go to the yamen to settle things. Now, the Zhao family was penniless. It was not the first time that the first lady of the Zhao family came to ask Ling Xuan for silver. Qiao Jinniang looked at the Lady of the Zhao family from afar and said in annoyance, ¡°How can a mother bear to see her child become a monk when he is still a baby?¡± Qiao Jinniang was someone who could not bear to see her child born unable to taste the beauty of the human world, so she had to live a hard life as a monk. Ling Xuan ordered the young monk to bring out the silver taels and handed them to Lady Zhao. ¡°Amitabha. Buddha has the virtue of living well, but he does not save those who are insatiable in greed. After you return this time, Lady Zhao, you must not come to Buddhism again.¡± Lady Zhao took the silver taels and said, ¡°Sigh.¡± Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang entered a courtyard within the abbot courtyard with the previous abbot tablets of the Prime Minister Temple. They had originally come to pay their respects, but Lu Chen saw one of the portraits at a glance. Qiao Jinniang saw the portrait and asked, ¡°Master Yitong? Why does this master Yitong look somewhat similar to Zhao Qingquan?¡± Lu Chen replied, ¡°Send someone to investigate and you¡¯ll know.¡± .. There were many new year banquets approaching, and Lu Weiyang had received many invitations, but she was unwilling to go, so she simply followed Qiao Nihong and the others to Luoyang to play. Luoyang was the second capital city of Great Tang. It was as lively and bustling as Chang ¡®an. Lu Weiyang had never been to Luoyang in her entire life. After arriving in Luoyang, she gradually forgot about Ling Xuan. However, the Buddha beads on her wrist had never been removed. Qiao Nihong brought Lu Weiyang to a Luoyang Chess Hall. ¡°This chess hall is filled with great Tang¡¯s Go Masters. Perhaps you like Ling Xuan just because he plays chess well?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Who said I like him just because he plays go well?¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°I just think it¡¯s fun to tease him, especially when I break his serious look and make his expression change for me¡­¡± Qiao nihong frowned and said, ¡°What kind of bad taste is this?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. Today, Master Ling Xuan from Chang ¡®an Prime Minister Temple came to Dai Lu temple to preach Buddhist scriptures. If we¡¯re late, we won¡¯t be able to see him!¡± Lu Weiyang¡¯s gaze shifted to the Dailu temple not far away. Why was she still able to see him when she was already in Luoyang? She had already tried very hard to forget him. Why was he in front of her again? Lu Weiyang sighed heavily. Qiao Nihong pulled Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we listen to it together? Look at you, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve let it go at all!¡± Lu Weiyang followed Qiao Nihong. The Imperial preceptor of Ling Xuan came to give a sermon, and the people of Luoyang were all surrounded. Lu Weiyang and Qiao Nihong could only stand outside the door and watch. Lu Weiyang looked over. There were devout believers kneeling at the feet of Ling Xuan. In fact, Ling Xuan was like Buddha to these devout believers. Once he renounced asceticism, how many people would lose their faith? Chapter 462 - willing to renounce asceticism The Dharma lecture lasted for two hours before it stopped. Everyone felt that they had benefited greatly. After Ling Xuan finished his lecture, he headed towards the backyard of the temple. Lu Weiyang followed. Qiao Nichang wanted to catch Lu Weiyang but could not catch her at all. ¡°Weiyang!¡± Lu Weiyang followed Ling Xuan into a side room. The novice monk behind Ling Xuan said, ¡°Almsgiver, outsiders are not allowed to enter here.¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Ling Xuan and said, ¡°Master Ling Xuan, Am I an Outsider?¡± Ling Xuan let the novice monk leave first and said to Lu Weiyang, ¡°Your Highness, what are your orders?¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Ling Xuan and said, ¡°Do you know where the storyteller in Chang ¡®an is now?¡± Ling Xuan looked at Lu Weiyang in confusion. ¡°What storyteller?¡± ¡°The storyteller has already said that our son was picked up by the monks of the prime minister temple in the water and found the Buddha beads on his neck.¡± Ling Xuan pressed his palms together. ¡°Amitabha. It¡¯s better for the princess to not listen to such a low-class storyteller story so as to avoid dirtying your ears.¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Ling Xuan and said, ¡°But I would rather that what they said is true.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Ling Xuan and said, ¡°I wanted to forget you. That day at the chess match, I really wanted to never see you again and never think of you again. I thought that I could do it. ¡°But I came to Luoyang, and you also came to Luoyang. When I saw you again today, I realized that I couldn¡¯t forget you at all. I said that I had forgotten you, but it was all a lie. I couldn¡¯t forget you at all.¡± Lu Weiyang hugged Ling Xuan¡¯s waist from behind. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s good about you either. You¡¯re still a bald donkey. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to grow hair again in the future, but I just like you.¡± ¡°Today, I saw the devotion of those believers toward you. I understand that you don¡¯t want to return to the secular world. Then, can you not return to the secular world, but stay with me?¡± ¡°Amitabha. Your Highness, this is Heaven¡¯s punishment for sending you to Hell.¡± ¡°For you, I¡¯m Not Afraid of Heaven¡¯s punishment!¡±Lu Weiyang leaned on Ling Xuan¡¯s back. ¡°Ling Xuan¡­ I don¡¯t want to feel bad anymore. I don¡¯t want to do anything that looks like you. I¡¯ve never felt so wronged since I was young.¡± Ling Xuan stood tall and straight, his hand fiddling with the Buddhist beads as he chanted the Buddhist scriptures.. Seeing him like this, Lu Weiyang sighed helplessly and let go of his hand. Qiao Nihong¡¯s eyes turned red when she saw Lu Weiyang coming out. She asked, ¡°Did that bald donkey bully you?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s go hunting.¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°Hunting at this time?¡± Lu Weiyang whispered a few words into Qiao Nihong¡¯s ear. Qiao Nihong looked at Lu Weiyang and said, ¡°But what if he doesn¡¯t come?¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t come, my heart will die. Cousin, please help me with this.¡± Qiao nihong said, ¡°Alright.¡± After Lu Weiyang left, Ling Xuan¡¯s heart could not calm down. He looked at the scar on his hand. The scar had just formed a scab and was very ferocious. When he was young, after being cut, he no longer had any thoughts about meat. But why did he have to give up on Lu Weiyang? It was so difficult not to have a mortal heart. ¡°Master, master, something bad has happened.¡± Ling Xuan put down his Kasaya and heard Qiao Nihong¡¯s voice from outside. Qiao Nihong rushed over and said breathlessly, ¡°Master, something bad has happened. Weiyang went hunting on Laojun mountain just now, but when she went deep into the mountain while hunting, she disappeared without a trace. Please go and look for her together!¡± Ling Xuan frowned. He did not have the time to consider whether the princess should not go to the officers and soldiers first, nor did he have the time to consider why he went hunting on Laojun Mountain at this time. It was going to be dark tomorrow, but when he heard that the princess had disappeared.., ling Xuan knew that he was worried. He connected to the horse at the gate of Dailu Temple and rode towards the depths of Laojun Mountain. The sky gradually darkened. There was already a thick layer of snow on Laojun Mountain. Every step was very difficult. The withered branches were covered in white snow and the ground was filled with gravel. Ling Xuan saw that his Kasaya was cut by the branches, but he did not care. he shouted loudly, ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness!¡± Snowflakes fell from the sky. Ling Xuan kept going deeper into the mountains. As he walked, he shouted, ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness!¡± Seeing that the sky was about to turn dark, Ling Xuan became more and more anxious. Although most of the wild beasts were hibernating in the winter, it was very cold in the mountains. Weiyang had been well-fed since she was young, so how could she suffer this hardship. Ling Xuan shouted loudly, ¡°Wei Yang, Wei Yang!¡± ¡°Ling Xuan, I¡¯m here.¡± Ling Xuan looked over. Under the setting sun, Wei Yang stood under a tree branch with a red face and wearing a red cloak. Ling Xuan got off the horse and ran over to hold Wei Yang in his arms. Wei Yang also reached out to hold Ling Xuan and looked up at Ling Xuan. Ling Xuan lowered his head and kissed Wei Yang¡¯s lips. He did not care about Buddha, evil karma, or hell. He only knew that he could not abandon Wei Yang. For her, so what if he went to hell? Wei Yang stepped on the snow and kissed Ling Xuan. The two of them, one red and one white, were entangled in the sunset light. They were very intimate. The sky was completely dark. It was impossible to go down the mountain at this time. Wei Yang took out a lighter from her purse and picked up a tree branch to light it up. ¡°Ling Xuan, there¡¯s a cave not far away. Let¡¯s pick up some branches and go into the cave!¡± Ling Xuan picked up the tree branch and went into the cave. He watched as Wei Yang neatly put up the tree branch and lit it up with fire. Finally, there was a trace of warmth in the cold cave. Ling Xuan took off his Kasaya and placed it on the ground of the cave, letting Wei Yang sit on it. Wei yang smiled and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Buddha will blame you now?¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°This is just a piece of cloth after all. When I return to Chang ¡®an, I will renounce asceticism.¡± Wei Yang leaned on Ling Xuan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Really? Don¡¯t try to coax me.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Really.¡± Wei Yang saw a very deep scar on Ling Xuan¡¯s wrist. He held his wrist and asked, ¡°Where did this scar come from? The scab is still there. Haven¡¯t you been injured for a long time?¡± Ling Xuan slowly explained, ¡°When I was young, when I wanted to break the precepts, a master cut a scar on my wrist. From then on, I didn¡¯t dare to break the precepts again. After meeting you, I thought that by cutting this scar, I wouldn¡¯t be able to break the precepts again, but in the end, I made a huge mistake.¡± ¡°This scar can only make me remember you more and more. After seeing you, I couldn¡¯t help but want to break the precepts.¡± Wei Yang looked at the scar on Ling Xuan¡¯s wrist with heartache and rubbed it with her hand, ¡°Your mother is really cruel. When you were still a baby and didn¡¯t know anything, she sent you to the temple and made you suffer.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°She also had her own difficulties. I still have an elder sister, and my father passed away that year. ¡°Even though grandfather protected me, he was too old and sick to protect me from growing up. ¡°The power in the house is in the hands of second uncle and second aunt. If my mother didn¡¯t agree to a series of master¡¯s orders to send me to the temple, perhaps I might not be able to live to this day.¡± Wei yang asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chapter 463 - , return to Chang ‘an prime minister temple Ling Xuan held Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°When I was young, I learned of my identity from my senior brother. When the Zhao family came to the temple to offer incense, I met Lady Zhao once. ¡°When I was young, I asked her why she didn¡¯t want me. She said that this was the only way I could live. ¡°Moreover, Master Yitong was the abbot of the Prime Minister Temple. Master Yitong said that I was fated to be Buddha¡¯s son, so she agreed to send me to the temple.¡± Lu Weiyang had grown up in a harmonious family, but she also understood that the two brothers were fighting for the title of nobility. The second uncle of the Zhao family would not be so easily willing to give up the position of the imperial residence to his little nephew. Lu Weiyang reached out and touched Ling Xuan¡¯s bald head. Ling Xuan held Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand, and his eyes revealed a hint of danger as he said, ¡°Weiyang!¡± Lu Weiyang smiled and said, ¡°My mother always touches my head like this when I feel uncomfortable. I know that you must feel very wronged when you think about what happened when you were young, so I want to touch your head too!¡± Ling Xuan let go of Weiyang¡¯s hand and let Weiyang touch his head. The candlelight was lit at the side, and Lu Weiyang and Ling Xuan leaned against each other and gradually fell asleep. The few secret guards outside did not know whether they should barge in or not. If they did not, they were afraid that their master would blame them. If they barged in and ruined the princess¡¯good deed, they would not have to think about living a good life. They had been on tenterhooks for the whole night and did not hear the voices that should not have come from inside. They let out a sigh of relief. .. Lu Weiyang and Ling Xuan returned to Luoyang City. Ling Xuan was pulled into a ready-made clothing store by Lu Weiyang. After changing out of his kasaya, he changed into a black round-necked robe, and put on a crown, he became a young man dressed in fresh clothes. Ling Xuan had been subject to Buddhist rules all his life, and he had never worn clothes other than a monk¡¯s robe. Lu Weiyang paid the silver in satisfaction. Qiao Nihong happened to see this scene. ¡°TSK tsk, our little Princess Weiyang has finally changed her personality. The Sun Won¡¯t rise from the west, will it?¡± Lu Weiyang snorted. ¡°Cousin, cousin Nichang will be getting married next spring. Do you have someone to marry?¡± ¡°You!¡±Qiao Nihong Sighed. ¡°Alright, I helped you so much yesterday. You turned around and treated me like this. Cousin¡¯s heart is cold. My Heart is cold. Master Ling Xuan¡­¡± Lu Weiyang quickly covered Qiao Nihong¡¯s mouth and said, ¡°The Yuan Xi temple is very effective in seeking marriage. Cousin will definitely be able to find a good marriage if you go to the Yuan Xi temple a few more times.¡± Qiao nihong smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Lu Weiyang held Ling Xuan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t had a good time in Luoyang city in the past few days. You have to make it up to me!¡± Ling Xuan nodded. He had already decided to return to the secular world, so he naturally had no objections to Lu Weiyang. Lu Weiyang first pulled Ling Xuan to the palace to build a snowman and said, ¡°I went to Lingnan when I was very young. There was no snow in Lingnan, and the snow in Lin ¡®an was not very heavy. I¡¯ve always thought of the Snowman I used to build when I was young.¡± Ling Xuan helped Lu Weiyang build a snowman. ¡°The Prime Minister Temple is on the mountain. Even though it was the first place in Chang ¡®an where it snowed, I often built snowmen with my senior and Junior Brothers when I Was Young.¡± Lu Weiyang put a piece of coal into the Snowman¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°If you want to return to the secular world from the Prime Minister Temple, will you regret it?¡± Ling Xuan replied, ¡°No.¡± Lu Weiyang smiled faintly. ¡°It would have been better if you had said so earlier. You¡¯ve made me sad for so many days. Look, my eyes are much purer than before.¡± Ling Xuan lowered his head and looked into Lu Weiyang¡¯s eyes. He gently planted a kiss on her eyes, ¡°I promise that I won¡¯t make you sad again in the future, and I won¡¯t Make You Cry again. When I return to Chang ¡®an, I¡¯ll give the abbot¡¯s position to someone else and immediately return to the secular world.¡± ¡°But I may not be able to marry you right away.¡± ¡°Why?¡±Lu Weiyang asked. Ling Xuan said, ¡°I have no achievements and fame. After renouncing asceticism, I have nothing. If I want to marry Princess Shang, I¡¯m not qualified.¡± Lu Weiyang said helplessly, ¡°But I have a lot of silver. Although I was a little stingy in the past, I won¡¯t feel sorry for giving you silver.¡± Ling Xuan smiled faintly. ¡°How can I Use Your Silver?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°I don¡¯t want it. Although I don¡¯t want to get married so early, what if you have no fame and fortune and want to go back to being a monk? ¡°No, you must marry me immediately. At worst, you can fight for fame and fortune after marriage. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want my silver. We can go to a street stall and play chess. Last time, I played the exquisite chess game you set up on the street, and I even got fifty taels of silver.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Any gambler who gathers together can not get more than five taels of silver once.¡± ¡°Five taels of silver is enough. I¡¯m very easy to feed. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t eaten steamed buns and pickled vegetables before. That year, during the drought in Lingnan, I mingled among the disaster victims and relied on pickled vegetables and porridge to survive.¡± Lu Weiyang made a small snowball with his hand and said, ¡°This is all I can eat in a day. Moreover, I¡¯m still a princess. Royal Brother Won¡¯t watch me starve.¡± Ling Xuan smiled lightly. ¡°Okay, after I return to the secular world, I will propose marriage to the two saints.¡± .. Ling Xuan and Lu Weiyang returned to Chang ¡®an together. When they reached the gate of Chang ¡®an, they had no choice but to part ways. In the end, Ling Xuan still did not return to the secular world as the abbot of the Prime Minister Temple. These few days, Ling Xuan had a great time in Luoyang. When Ling Xuan returned to the gate of the Prime Minister Temple, it felt like a lifetime had passed. ¡°Master Fangzhang, you¡¯re back. These past few days, Old Madam Zhao and first Madam Zhao have been coming to the temple every day to look for you.¡± Ling Xuan Sighed and said to the little novice monk, ¡°Go and bring Ling Yuan, ling FA, and Ling Xin Junior Brothers to the Fangzhang Courtyard.¡± ¡°Yes, Fangzhang.¡± Ling Xuan entered the FANGZHANG courtyard and knelt before the memorial tablets of the successive abbots of the Prime Minister¡¯s Temple. After his junior brothers arrived, they clasped their hands together and asked Ling Xuan, ¡°Senior brother, do you have any instructions?¡± These junior brothers were all much older than Ling Xuan, but Ling Xuan had grown up in the temple since he was young, so he naturally became his senior brother. Ling Xuan said, ¡°I have decided to renounce asceticism. In the future, the position of Abbot of the Prime Minister Temple will be handed over to junior brother Ling Yuan.¡± Ling yuan immediately said, ¡°Senior brother Abbot, you must not. Back then, when Master Yi Tong was around, he said that you and Buddha were fated to cultivate to become Buddha in the future. The Four Seas Buddhism holds you in high esteem. You must not renounce asceticism!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, senior brother abbot, if you renounce asceticism, what will happen to our Prime Minister Temple? The reputation of the Prime Minister Temple is great, and you are also the National Master. If you are not in the Prime Minister Temple, the reputation of the prime minister temple will definitely be greatly weakened.¡± Ling Xuan heard Ling Xin¡¯s words and said, ¡°When you enter the Buddhist sect to cultivate Buddhism, you don¡¯t care about fame or obscurity. If you meditate and recite scriptures and do more good deeds, you will definitely be rewarded with good fortune and become a Buddha.¡± Ling Yuan said, ¡°But senior brother Fangzhang, why do you want to renounce asceticism? In a few days, the great masters of the Japanese and Tubo will come to my great Tang. At that time, we may not be able to have your attainments in Buddhism.¡± ¡°Yes, senior brother, you are the National Master. If you want to renounce asceticism, I¡¯m afraid the imperial court will not be willing!¡± Chapter 464 - No returning to the secular world Ling Xuan pressed his palms together and said, ¡°Junior brothers, there is no need to persuade me anymore. I have made up my mind.¡± Ling Xin frowned and said, ¡°Senior brother, you can not return to the secular world. Back then, master said that you were the son of Buddha. After you return to the secular world now, where will the prime minister temple get the incense in the future?¡± Ling FA also said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The believers in the common people have a lot of trust in you, senior brother. Once you leave the Prime Minister Temple, you will only make the prime minister temple a laughing stock.¡± ¡°Does senior brother want to renounce asceticism for the sake of the Princess?¡±? Princess da Tang mostly played with men¡¯s beauty. Princess Wei Yang was still a princess who stood high and mighty even after she had had enough of playing with them. However, senior brother, you will be cursed by the world and will even go to Hell for betraying the Buddha.¡± Ling Xuan pressed his palms together and said, ¡°I will renounce asceticism.¡± Lingyuan and lingxin LINGFA saw that they could not persuade Ling Xuan to stay, so they went out to discuss it together. From the prime minister temple¡¯s incense offerings, they definitely could not let Ling Xuan renounce asceticism. ¡°Senior brother Ling Xuan wants to return to the secular world so much, but once he does, our prime minister temple will only become a laughing stock.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to go all out and imprison senior brother Ling Xuan¡­¡± ¡°How is this possible? Senior Brother Ling Xuan is the state preceptor? Moreover, her highness the princess is here.¡± While the few of them were discussing, they kept sighing. Ling Yuan said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and find first Madam Zhao? After all, the first madam of the Zhao family is senior brother¡¯s biological mother in the secular world. I think she can listen to the first madam of the Zhao family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but Old Madam Zhao and first Madam Zhao have spent money and have been to the temple more than once¡­¡± Ling Xuan knelt in front of the memorial tablets of the previous abbots for an entire day before getting up. Just as he left the door, he saw Ling Yuan bring first Madam Zhao in. After first Madam Zhao saw Ling Xuan.., she immediately said, ¡°Ling Xuan, please save your brother! Qingquan already knows his mistake. His days in prison are simply not human. If he is locked up again, I¡¯m afraid he will lose his life.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Zhao Qing Quan also asked for it. When he made up about me and the princess, he should have thought of this outcome.¡± First Madam Zhao said, ¡°Your brother is the only male in the Zhao family. The Supreme Court sentenced him to ten years of punishment. Isn¡¯t this a little too heavy?¡± Ling Xuan scoffed, ¡°Just ten years. Is It Heavy?¡± First Madam Zhao frowned and said, ¡°How is it not heavy? And I heard that you are going to renounce asceticism? This is absolutely not allowed! Back then, after Master Yi Tong took you away, he said that you were the destined son of Buddha. ¡°If you renounce asceticism, you will destroy the Zhao family and the lives of your loved ones. ¡°Your father died because of you. You renounce asceticism because you want to destroy your sister¡¯s and mother¡¯s lives as well? ¡°You absolutely can not renounce asceticism!¡± Ling Xuan frowned. Lady Zhao said, ¡°You were born with no father, no mother, and no family. Master Ling Xuan was very accurate. Your father really lost his life at a young age. You became a posthumous child. If you had not entered Buddhism and severed your relationship with the secular world, I would have been killed by you long ago!¡± Ling Xuan fiddled with the bead in his hand and said, ¡°Lady Zhao, don¡¯t talk about such nonsense. Buddhism has never paid attention to the theory of fate.¡± Lady Zhao said, ¡°Everyone in the Zhao family knew this back then. Otherwise, how could your grandfather and grandmother bear to let the only posthumous child of their eldest son become a monk? Did you really renounce asceticism and destroy our entire Zhao Family?¡± Ling Xuan was silent. Madam Zhao said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to save your brother, or if you want to watch our Zhao family fall, but if you want to renounce asceticism, you must not! If you want to renounce asceticism, you might as well kill me yourself! ¡°It¡¯s not to the extent that I would be scolded by the ancestors of the Zhao family to give birth to a vile creature like you who destroyed the Zhao family!¡± ¡°Vile creature?¡±Lu Weiyang pushed open the door and entered. He frowned and said to first madam Zhao, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a mother speak of her own child like this!¡± First Madam Zhao Saw Lu Weiyang and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Princess Weiyang.¡± Lu Weiyang went over and held Ling Xuan¡¯s hand. ¡°Have you already arranged the matters in the temple? Have you renounced the secular world? I¡¯m here to bring you down the mountain.¡± First Madam Zhao said, ¡°You can¡¯t return to the secular world. Returning to the secular world will harm the entire Zhao family!¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Ling Xuan. ¡°Ling Xuan, you won¡¯t go back on your words and refuse to return to the secular world again, right? You promised me! If you don¡¯t want to return to the secular world, I¡¯ll slaughter the entire Zhao family today. At worst, I¡¯ll just be stripped of the title of Princess!¡± Lu Weiyang naturally wouldn¡¯t slaughter the entire Zhao family. He only said this for the sake of what Madam Zhao said. Lu Weiyang did not believe that Ling Xuan¡¯s renunciation of the secular world would harm the entire Zhao family! Ling Xuan held Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I know that the princess will not slaughter the entire Zhao family. Don¡¯t worry, Princess. Give me some time and I will return to the secular world.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to wait another day. Why Don¡¯t you follow me down the mountain today?¡± Ling Xuan saw the worry in Lu Weiyang¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Okay!¡± Hearing that, Lady Zhao was very angry. ¡°Ling Xuan! You really want to take your mother¡¯s life!¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Lady Zhao, I always thought that you sent me to the temple because second uncle wanted the title of nobility. You¡¯re a widowed mother who can¡¯t protect me, so you might as well let me enter the temple. I didn¡¯t know that the reason you actually let me enter the temple was so laughable!¡± Lu Weiyang pulled Ling Xuan and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to waste words with her. Let¡¯s go.¡± Ling Xuan gave Lady Zhao a deep look, then turned around to leave the prime minister temple with Lu Weiyang. At the entrance of the Prime Minister Temple, Ling Yuan brought a group of monks to kneel in front of Ling Xuan and said, ¡°Senior brother, don¡¯t leave the Prime Minister Temple!¡± ¡°Senior brother, please don¡¯t leave the Buddhist path and fall into the path of the Devil!¡± Lu Weiyang saw that all the monks of the prime minister temple were kneeling at the entrance of the temple and could only helplessly hold Ling Xuan¡¯s wrist even tighter. She was extremely afraid that Ling Xuan would stay here because of the monks kneeling in the temple. Ling Xuan patted Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand to signal her to be at ease, then, he pulled out his hands and put them together. ¡°Devout Buddhist cultivation requires sincerity and purity. My Heart is no longer sincere and my heart is no longer pure. If I were to stay here and forcefully cultivate, I would go mad and fall into the Devil Path. Amitabha. Take care of yourselves.¡± Then, Ling Xuan held Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Princess, let¡¯s go.¡± Lu Weiyang smiled at Ling Xuan and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± It was almost dusk when they descended the mountain. After descending the mountain, Ling Xuan looked at the temple that he had lived in since he was a child and no longer had any lingering feelings. ¡°Princess, I have already given up everything for you to return to the secular world. You Can¡¯t let me down.¡± Lu Weiyang smiled faintly and said, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t Let You Down.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Since I have returned to the secular world, but I don¡¯t have a secular name. Princess, please give me a name, okay?¡± Lu Weiyang rubbed his chin and thought for a while. ¡°Zhao Aiyang, or Zhao Muyang? Okay?¡± Ling Xuan chuckled. ¡°Zhao Muyang, that¡¯s a good name.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate to really call it that. It sounds like we¡¯re brother and sister. Why Don¡¯t You Call It Ling Xuan? After all, this name has already been engraved in my heart.¡± Ling Xuan said to Lu Weiyang, ¡°Okay, listen to the princess. Let¡¯s call him Ling Xuan.¡± Chapter 465 - No returning to the secular world Ever since Ling Xuan left the mountain, she had been staying in Lu Ang¡¯s mansion. Lu Weiyang really wanted Ling Xuan to stay in her princess mansion, but she knew that this was against the rules. In the mansion. Lu Ang and Ling Xuan were playing chess. After Lu ang placed his stone.., he said to Ling Xuan, ¡°Royal Brother still wants you to be the National Master. Your attainments in Buddhism are not low. Now that the people are spreading the word about Buddhism, even if you are not in Buddhism, you can go to the people and spread some correct Buddhist scriptures to guide the people toward good.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°That¡¯s true. Nowadays, some Buddhists rely on the trust of the people to receive incense money, but they don¡¯t lead the people to do good deeds wholeheartedly. It¡¯s not appropriate to use money to deceive the people. However, if they spread Buddhism among the people, I¡¯m afraid they will mistreat the princess.¡± ¡°Do you think she is the little princess who stayed in Chang ¡®an? She has been to more places in her life than I have,¡±Lu Ang said. ¡°She was born to love freely.¡± This was the best outcome for Ling Xuan. He had been practicing Buddhism all his life. Now, he could preach Buddhism and advocate the good in the world, and he could be together with the princess. Lu Weiyang carried his nephew over and looked at Lu ang playing chess. ¡°TSK TSK, second brother, your chess skills are exactly the same as mother¡¯s¡­¡± Lu ang said, ¡°Be careful, I won¡¯t let you carry Bao¡¯er.¡± Lu Weiyang teased the baby in his arms. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to hold it, then don¡¯t hold it. Maybe I can have one next year too!¡± Ling Xuan¡¯s face was red as he coughed twice. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t joke around.¡± Lu Weiyang said bashfully, ¡°How can I joke around? You and I have already done that. Who knows, maybe I already have one in my arms?¡± Lu ANG¡¯s expression changed. He threw away the chess piece in his hand and grabbed Ling Xuan¡¯s collar. ¡°You, you haven¡¯t married Weiyang yet! How Dare You Bully Weiyang?¡± Ling Xuan¡¯s face turned even redder. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood. The princess must have also misunderstood. I have never been married to the Princess.¡± Lu Weiyang said anxiously and shyly, ¡°Ling Xuan, Don¡¯t you want to be responsible for me? You and I were clearly on the mountain in Luoyang¡­ Lips to lips¡­ are you not going to admit it now?¡± Ling Xuan explained with a red face, ¡°Princess, you¡¯ve really misunderstood. This is not the marriage between husband and wife¡­ you¡¯ll know when we get married.¡± Lu ang smiled and let go of Ling Xuan¡¯s collar. ¡°So the omniscient Princess Weiyang also has something she doesn¡¯t know.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t make fun of the princess. The princess is still young.¡± Lu Weiyang returned the child to Lu Ang. Lu Weiyang, who had been an omniscient student since he was young, encountered something he didn¡¯t know for the first time. Lu Weiyang followed Ling Xuan back to his courtyard and pestered Ling Xuan to tell him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense that all monks know about husband and wife, but I don¡¯t.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°There are Buddhists who are happy, so I know. The princess doesn¡¯t need to know now. She will know when you and I get married.¡± Lu Weiyang pouted and said, ¡°But royal brother can not get married until March. No matter what, you and I have to get married after him. Why Don¡¯t you tell me now?¡± Ling Xuan poured himself a glass of water to cool down and said, ¡°Princess, have some self-respect.¡± Lu Weiyang approached Ling Xuan and said, ¡°You are not a monk anymore, why do you still want me to have self-respect? Humph! If you are not willing to tell me, I will go and ask someone.¡± Ling Xuan held Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Princess, wait for me for a few days. I will go and find the statue of the joyful Buddha. You will understand once you see it.¡± A few days later, when Lu Weiyang saw Ling Xuan take out a box of statues, she blushed and closed the wooden box. She would never take this thing out in front of others. Ling Xuan Saw Lu Weiyang¡¯s extremely red face and smiled lightly by her ear. ¡°Your Highness, does this count as me taking back a city?¡± Not long ago, she had been seducing herself like a fairy. It turned out that she did not know anything about men and women. It was also her fault for not being able to control herself. .. Ling Xuan had been in the Lu ang residence for the past few days and had not left the residence. However, the news of Master Ling Xuan¡¯s renunciation of the secular world had spread throughout Chang ¡®an, and everyone in Chang ¡®an knew about it. Eldest Madam Zhao was on tenterhooks every day, but old Madam Zhao had personally come to the Prince¡¯s residence. Ling Xuan heard that Old Madam Zhao had come, so he could not not see her, so he had the gatekeeper bring old Madam Zhao to the courtyard. Old Madam Zhao was followed by the eldest madam of the Zhao family. When Ling Xuan saw that the eldest Madam¡¯s expression had changed slightly, he had insisted on not paying any more attention to her after they had parted at the Prime Minister Temple that day. Old Madam Zhao saw that Ling Xuan was wearing the clothes of the secular world and a wig, with tears in her eyes, she said, ¡°Yes, you really look alike. You are extremely similar to your father. Ling Xuan, since you have already renounced the secular world, you should return to the Zhao family. The Zhao family is your home!¡± First Madam Zhao said anxiously, ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you say that you were fine when you came?¡±? ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling well these few days, and you are also feeling very dizzy. Isn¡¯t this just like what the Great Master Said?¡±? ¡°He is the Lone Star of Heaven¡¯s evil. If he doesn¡¯t become a monk and is still in the secular world, you and I won¡¯t be able to live for long!¡± Old Madam Zhao said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t care about those hindrances. Isn¡¯t it enough that this child has suffered twenty years of hardship in Buddhism?¡±? ¡°I¡¯m already old and can¡¯t care about these things. Child, are you willing to go home with grandmother? ¡°Grandmother has let you down. I should have kept you by my side back then¡­¡± Ling Xuan saw the white-haired old madam and said, ¡°Grandmother, I appreciate your kindness, but since eldest madam has determined that I will hinder you, I¡¯d better not go back to the Zhao family.¡± First Madam Zhao said, ¡°Not only should you not go back to the Zhao family, you should also continue to become a monk. My body is getting worse and worse. If you don¡¯t become a monk, sooner or later, even I will die.¡± ¡°When that time comes, let¡¯s see if you can withstand the notoriety of everyone in the world! You were born to be a lone star. Do you think that you can have a good ending as a Princess? When that time comes, you will also be a hindrance to the Princess!¡± Qiao Nihong¡¯s voice sounded at the entrance of the courtyard, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that Princess Weiyang has a good life? Princess Weiyang has such a good life. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Moreover, Weiyang is the daughter of the Tian family. She will naturally be protected by the Dragon Qi!¡± Lu Weiyang saw Lady Zhao coming over and frowned, ¡°Why are you here again? I have never seen such a mother. She called her son the Lone Star of Tianshan and even helped her nephew plot against her own son!¡± ¡°Back then, there were people who said that my aunt was born Tiansha lonxing, but when my grandmother heard it, she would only make others unhappy. How could a mother not help her own child?¡± Lu Weiyang really could not understand why a mother would say that her child was Tiansha lonxing. Lady Zhao said, ¡°Your Highness, I really did not make this up. It was said by a master himself. Back then, everyone in the Zhao family knew about this¡­ Mother-in-law, say something!¡± Chapter 466 - the story of Xie Yun and Qiao Ruoyi Old Madam Zhao sighed and said, ¡°This is really what master Yitong said back then. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have been willing to let Ling Xuan become a monk¡­¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°There is no such thing as fate in Buddhism. Heaven Demon Lone Star is what Taoism said. There is no such thing in Buddhism. I don¡¯t know why Master Yitong said this back then, but this theory of fate is nonsense.¡± Lady Zhao covered her heart and said, ¡°Good, good. You are going to watch mother lose her life because of you!¡± Ling Xuan said helplessly, ¡°If you think so, just think so. I have a clear conscience.¡± Lady Zhao saw that Lady Zhao¡¯s heart was hurting, so she did not ask Ling Xuan to follow her back to the Zhao family. That would only make the house restless. Qiao nihong said, ¡°This is really strange. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a mother.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Fortunately, we won¡¯t stay in Chang ¡®an after we get married. Ling Xuan, Don¡¯t take this matter to heart.¡± Ling Xuan held Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never taken this matter to heart.¡± Lu Weiyang asked Qiao nihong, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen cousin Niechang for a long time. What has she been doing?¡± Qiao ni Hong said, ¡°Fifth aunt has been seriously ill recently. She has been taking care of fifth aunt. Fifth aunt hasn¡¯t been going to the imperial court for a long time.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°AH, fifth aunt is sick. I actually didn¡¯t know about this. I¡¯m going to visit fifth aunt.¡± Qiao ni Hong pulled Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go for now.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Why?¡± Qiao Nihong sighed, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go. The Xie residence is already in a state of chaos. A few days ago, fifth aunt thought that she didn¡¯t have much time left, so she called her loyal death attendants and brought her to the Qiao family¡¯s ancestral grave. She opened Uncle Luo¡¯s grave.¡± Lu Weiyang didn¡¯t even know about uncle Luo. When she was sensible, she only had an uncle, Xie Yun. She didn¡¯t have any impression of Luo Wei. Qiao Nihong told Lu Weiyang about the past, ¡°This fifth aunt planned to be buried together with uncle Luo after she died. After uncle Xie found out about this, he went into the grave and brought her out. These few days, the Xie family has been in a mess. Fifth aunt¡¯s illness has been repeated over and over again. It¡¯s better that you don¡¯t go.¡± .. The Xie family. Qiao Nichang stood in front of Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s sickbed. Her eyes were red as she said, ¡°Mother, you have to persevere. You will recover soon.¡± Qiao ruoyi said slowly, ¡°Yes, mother will persevere, at least you have to watch my Nichang get married! Yu¡¯er is a good person, with sister¡¯s character, you will not be mistreated as a mother-in-law.¡± Qiao nichang said, ¡°Mother, you will definitely recover, definitely!¡± Qiao ruoyi slowly closed her eyes, ¡°Mother is tired, sleep for a while. Nichang, you have to remember, in the future, you have to bury mother and your father Luo Wei together.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. If you dare to close your eyes in front of me, I will never allow you to be buried together with Luo Wei!¡± Xie Yun entered and said to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°It¡¯s been 15 years, a long 15 years. Our Son is almost 13 years old. Can¡¯t you let him go? How am I not as good as him? He¡¯s only been with you for three short years, and I¡¯ve been with you for 15 long years¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun and said, ¡°Xie Yun, this doesn¡¯t concern the length of time, it only concerns whether my heart is moved or not. My heart is very small, and it can only accommodate the child and Luo Wei. Xie Yun, I know that you¡¯ve been extremely good to me these 15 years, even better than how Luo Wei treated me back then. ¡°I¡¯ve also chosen to forgive you and raise my children with you. Cough, cough, cough, but I don¡¯t love you¡­¡± Xie Yun clenched her hands tightly when she heard this. ¡°Are you really that heartless? If I had agreed to marry you back then, nothing would have happened to Luo Wei. Luo Wei has been dead for 15 years. He has been reincarnated long ago! ¡°As long as you dare to die in front of me, you can only be buried with me!¡± Qiao ruoyi held Qiao Nichang¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Nichang, you must bury me and Luo Wei together.¡± Nichang cried bitterly and said, ¡°Mother¡­¡± Qiao Nichang looked at her father, who looked extremely pale, and then at Qiao ruoyi, who looked extremely pale. She did not know that she had made such a decision. Qiao Nichang remembered Luo Wei¡¯s father. When she was young, she forced herself to remember Luo Wei¡¯s father. She also had to remember that Xie Yun did not want her at the beginning, but later on, Xie Yun treated her very well. Fifteen years of getting along was not a short period of time. Qiao Nichang felt guilty and grateful towards Luo Wei, so she did not dare to forget. Hence, when Xie Yun suggested many times that she change her surname to enter the Xie family tree, Qiao Nichang did not agree. She knew that Xie Yun loved her very much, so Xie Yun would compromise on this matter. However, she did not know what to do when it came to the question of who Qiao ruoyi would be buried with? Her father loved her mother very much. All these years, he had treated her extremely well. If she chose to bury her mother and father Luo Wei together, it would really hurt her father¡¯s heart. However, if she were to bury her mother and father together, how would she be able to let her mother down? Qiao Nichang could not stop her tears from falling as she said, ¡°Mother, you will get better. You will live a long life. Little Brother is still so young. You Can¡¯t bear to leave us.¡± Qiao ruoyi held Qiao Nichang¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Promise Me, okay?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Nichang.¡± Qiao Nichang simply broke free from Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t force me. I don¡¯t know what to do! I don¡¯t want you to leave, mother. I don¡¯t want either of you to be sad!¡± Qiao Nichang wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t think so much. Just take care of your body, okay?¡± Lan Xin came in from the door and said, ¡°Master, Madam, outside, the Wu King couple and crown prince Qian Yu are here.¡± Qiao Ruoyi was seriously ill and Qiao Ruoyun wanted to discuss the wedding. Firstly, the wedding had already been prepared and the wedding could be celebrated in advance. Secondly, if there was an accident, Qiao ruoyi would not have any regrets. Qian Yu saw that Qiao Nichang¡¯s eyes were red and his heart was upset. However, because of the elders, he could not go forward to comfort her. Qiao Ruoyun saw that Qiao Ruoyi was thin and weak and asked, ¡°Are you still a Gu worm from the early years?¡± Qiao ruoyi replied, ¡°It has nothing to do with Gu Worms. It¡¯s just that my body is not well. Ahem, big sister¡­ the marriage between Nichang and Yu¡¯er might be brought forward¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyun held Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯m here for this.¡± Qiao ruoyi said, ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s good to see Nichang get married.¡± Qian Yin said to Xie Yun, ¡°The wedding has been prepared long ago. We¡¯ve chosen three good dates for the wedding. What do you think?¡± Qiao ruoyi forced herself to stand up and said, ¡°Just the next few days. The closer the better¡­ Yu¡¯er.¡± ¡°Fifth aunt.¡±Qian Yu walked up to Qiao Ruoyi and said. Qiao ruoyi said to Qian Yu, ¡°Treat Nichang well. Also, Nichang is not the daughter of the Xie family after all. She has to get married from the Qiao family¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyun and Qian Yin looked at each other and looked at Xie Yun, ¡°This¡­¡± Chapter 467 - other than Xie Yun and Qiao ruoyi Xie Yun said coldly, ¡°Unless I die, ni Shang will have to get married from the Xie Family!¡± Qiao ruoyi coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood. Qiao Ruoyun quickly supported Qiao ruoyi and said, ¡°Ruoyi, Xie Yun, ruoyi is already like this. It doesn¡¯t matter where she gets married. Just Promise Ruoyi¡­¡± Xie Yun looked at the weak Qiao ruoyi and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s fine if Nichang doesn¡¯t change her surname after so many years. If you let her get married from the Qiao family, what would I become? I will never agree to this.¡± Qiao ruoyi coughed and said, ¡°That year¡­¡± Xie Yun¡¯s voice was extremely cold. ¡°That year¡­ that year again? Aren¡¯t these fifteen years enough to make up for that year?¡± Lan Xin added, ¡°Madam, master really liked Miss Nichang back then. Before she was born, he had always been concerned about her. After Miss Nichang was born, it¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t want her. To be fair, even though master had committed a heinous crime back then, he still had to be sentenced! ¡°In the past fifteen years, has master treated you or Miss Nichang badly in any way?¡± Qiao ruoyi held Qiao Ruoyun¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°If I don¡¯t allow Nichang to get married from the Qiao family, I¡¯ll die with a grievous grievance.¡± Xie Yun quickly added, ¡°If Nichang wants to get married from the Qiao family, I¡¯ll have to die blind.¡± Qiao Nichang looked at Qiao ruoyi and then looked at Xie Yun. Tears streamed down her face as she said, ¡°I won¡¯t get married.¡± After saying that, Qiao Nichang jogged away. Qian Yu made a fist at the elders and followed Qiao Nichang. ¡°Nichang, Nichang.¡± Qiao Nichang stood by the Lakeside and kept crying in a low voice. ¡°Qian Yu, I¡¯m not getting married. I¡¯m not getting married. This way, it doesn¡¯t matter if I get married from the Qiao family or the Xie Family!¡± Qian Yu went over and hugged Qiao Nichang. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve been waiting to marry you for two years!¡± Qiao nichang sobbed softly, ¡°Mother is seriously ill, and I don¡¯t know what to do. I know I should listen to mother, but father has treated me well. If I choose anyone, it will hurt the other person¡¯s heart, so I might as well not marry!¡± Qian Yu wiped Qiao Nichang¡¯s tears with Heartache. Seeing her emotional expression, he comforted her, ¡°Okay, we won¡¯t get married for the time being. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Qiao nichang whispered, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Qiao Ruoyi was filled with worry when she saw Qiao Nichang run out. She coughed violently again. Xie Yun closed his eyes and walked to Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s side. Qiao Ruoyun gave the bedside to Xie Yun and held onto Qian Yin¡¯s hand as they walked out. She sighed deeply and said, ¡°Sigh, once ruoyi has decided on something, even eight horses wouldn¡¯t be able to pull her back.¡± In the room, Xie Yun picked up the warm water by the bedside and handed it to Qiao ruoyi, ¡°Why do you have to force Nichang so much?¡± Qiao ruoyi¡¯s voice was hoarse, she said helplessly, ¡°Am I forcing her, or are you forcing her? This is something that you, Nichang, and I owe to Luo Wei. Qiao Nichang is Luo Wei¡¯s daughter. Naturally, she has to be married off from the Qiao family. This is the rule. When you married me back then, you also promised. Why are you going back on your word now?¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want me to promise Nichang to be married off from the Qiao family, but you must also promise me that after you die, you will share the same acupuncture point as me.¡± Qiao ruoyi shook her head lightly and said, ¡°When I sent Luo Wei to his grave back then, I had already left my heart there. I will only be buried together with Luo Wei.¡± Xie Yun Xin asked, ¡°Fifteen years? In these fifteen years, have you not had a single moment of feelings for me?¡± Qiao ruoyi smiled and said, ¡°My Heart is already dead. Why would I still have feelings for her?¡± Xie Yun looked at her smile. It was as if he was mocking him for not wanting to marry her back then. If he could go back to eighteen years ago, he would definitely have agreed to marry her back then. The fifteen years of loving couple that he thought was just his own opinion in the end. Qiao Ruoyi had never liked him from the beginning to the end. Never. Xie Yun stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s up to you. If you want Nichang to get married anywhere, it¡¯s fine. You Can Bury yourself with whoever you want¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun¡¯s back as he left. She did not know why, but she actually felt a little heartache for him. Qiao ruoyi laughed at herself. What was there to feel heartache for Xie Yun? When Xie Yun left, Qian Yu came over and bowed. ¡°Fifth uncle, I don¡¯t know about the past between you and fifth aunt, but Nichang is in a lot of pain because she can¡¯t decide between the two of you. ¡°I think that since fifth aunt is seriously ill, it would be better for her to get married in the Qiao family to fulfill fifth aunt¡¯s wish. ¡°The Xie family and the Qian family¡¯s ancestral home are both in Jiangnan. It would be better for them to hold two weddings. One is to get married from the Qiao family in Chang ¡®an, and the other is to get married from the Xie family in Lin ¡®an. This is also the best way to achieve both.¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Let¡¯s get married from the Qiao family.¡± Qian Yu looked at Xie Yun¡¯s expression and was a little puzzled. ¡°Fifth uncle¡­¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°Just don¡¯t make things difficult for Nichang.¡± Qian Yu cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you, fifth uncle.¡± When Qiao Nichang heard from Qian Yu that her father had agreed to marry from the Qiao family, she was a little puzzled. She went to the study to look for Xie Yun, who was drinking strong wine. When she saw nichang, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making things difficult for you earlier. Just listen to your mother. Wherever your mother wants you to get married, you will get married and be buried in the same place as she wants you to be buried!¡± ¡°Father!¡±Qiao Nichang went over to grab the wine cup in Xie Yun¡¯s hand. ¡°This is hard liquor. Don¡¯t drink anymore. What did mother say to you, and you agreed to marry me from the Qiao Family?¡± Xie Yun said to Qiao nichang, ¡°Nichang has grown up. Father and mother don¡¯t want you to be troubled. As long as you can be happy, everything is enough.¡± Qiao Nichang returned the wine cup to Xie Yun and said, ¡°Father, I also hope that you, mother, and brother can be well.¡± Xie Yun laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°How can we be a family? She has never treated me as a family. Fifteen years. Fifteen years, I have only been a joke.¡± Xie Yun drank up the wine in his cup, and a tear fell from the corner of his eye. Qiao Nichang looked at Xie Yun¡¯s tears, and her heart was filled with discomfort. Early February, on the bright spring day when the grass was long and the birds were flying, the manor of Marquis an yuan was filled with red silk. Qiao Nichang was getting married, and the guests were all over the place. The Emperor of the palace also personally came to send off Qiao Nichang¡¯s marriage. It could be said that it was very well arranged. Qiao ruoyi weakly leaned on the servant girl¡¯s body. After sending off Qiao Nichang, Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s illness became even worse. In the middle of February, the imperial physicians were practically already living in the Xie residence. Xie Yun¡¯s head was covered in silver-gray hair. Seeing that Qiao Ruoyi was getting worse day by day, the time he woke up was also getting lesser day by day. His white hair was also getting more and more day by day. On the fifteenth day of February, Qiao Ruoyi suddenly became much better. The imperial physicians could not be happy. This sudden improvement was probably a sign of a return to the past. Qiao ruoyi went outside the courtyard and looked at the paper kites that were coming from outside. She did not know which family¡¯s daughters were flying kites when the spring was beautiful. Qiao ruoyi said to Xie Yun, ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t bring Nichang¡¯s child to fly kites¡­ When we were young, we sisters often flew kites. Qiao ruoshui bullied me honestly¡­¡± Xie Yun said beside her, ¡°Do you want to fly kites together today?¡± ¡°Sure, no more.¡± Chapter 468 - Xie Yun and Qiao Ruoyi’s side On a small hill in the Xie family¡¯s backyard, green grass was growing. Early spring butterflies were resting on the small wildflowers. Lan Xin brought over a butterfly-shaped paper kite. Xie Yun took the paper kite and raised it high. After that, he placed the kite string in Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s hand. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at the high kite and said, ¡°Xie Yun, after I leave, you have to teach wei¡¯er well. Nichang is already married. With big sister around, I naturally don¡¯t have to worry. Wei¡¯er is still young. When you help him find a wife, you have to remember to find a more virtuous wife. ¡°However, the most important thing is that Wei¡¯er likes it. You Can¡¯t set some boundaries for your status. Having a lowly background doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re a lowly person.¡± Xie Yun sat beside Qiao ruoyi and replied, ¡°Alright.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at the white-haired Xie Yun and said, ¡°After I leave, you can also find another wife. When Wei¡¯er is better, you can think of a way to blacken your white hair. You¡¯re clearly not old yet¡­¡± Xie Yun did not respond to Qiao Ruoyi at this moment. Qiao Ruoyi looked at the clouds in the sky and said, ¡°You¡¯ve already agreed to let me and Luo Wei be buried together. You Can¡¯t go back on your words!¡± Xie Yun laughed, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid, because I won¡¯t have the chance to go back on my word.¡± Qiao ruoyi looked at Xie Yun in confusion. Xie Yun reached out and hugged Qiao ruoyi, covering the mole under his eyes. ¡°Can you kiss me one last time?¡± Qiao ruoyi said unwillingly, ¡°Xie Yun, why?¡± ¡°Yes, why!¡±Xie Yun said, ¡°Your kite is about to fall. Pull the string.¡± Qiao ruoyi pulled the string, but the wind was strong enough to break the string. The kite flew away with the wind. Qiao ruoyi looked at the kite in the distance and felt a little disappointed. This might be the last time she would fly a kite. Lan Xin¡¯s voice rang in Qiao ruoyi¡¯s ears, ¡°Master!¡± Qiao ruoyi looked down and saw Xie Yun lying on her leg. Xie Yun¡¯s lips were bleeding. Qiao ruoyi shouted, ¡°Xie Yun, Xie Yun! Don¡¯t die.¡± Xie Yun held his last breath and said, ¡°I said, unless I die before you, I Won¡¯t watch you die at the same acupoint as other men.¡± Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s tears kept falling. She hugged Xie Yun and said, ¡°You¡¯re crazy. You¡¯re too stupid. Do you think I¡¯ll change my mind? No! No!¡± Xie Yun said, ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t watch you die at the same acupoint as other men. Ruoyi, wait for you by the bridge of helplessness.¡± Qiao ruoyi saw the blood dripping from the corner of Xie Yun¡¯s lips and leaned her head against Xie Yun¡¯s head. ¡°Xie Yun, Xie Yun¡­¡± Qiao ruoyi leaned over and covered the mole at the corner of Xie Yun¡¯s eyes. She kissed Xie Yun¡¯s lips, but she couldn¡¯t get any response. ¡°Xie Yun¡­¡± Lan Xin knelt on the side and cried uncontrollably. When she raised her head, she saw Qiao Ruoyi lying on Xie Yun¡¯s body. The two of them held each other¡¯s hands tightly. Lan Xin was very upset. ¡°Master, Madam¡­¡± The kite with its string cut in the sky fell to the ground. Qiao Nichang, who had come back to visit her parents, heard Lan Xin¡¯s crying voice and trotted over. When she saw her parents lying on the ground, Qiao Nichang almost fainted. Qian Yu held Qiao Nichang. When Qiao Nichang came closer, she knelt on the grass and shouted sternly, ¡°Father, mother! Wake Up! What should I do if you leave? What should Wei¡¯er Do?¡± Qian Yu hugged Qiao Nichang and did not know how to comfort her. Xie Yun and Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s deaths shocked the entire Chang ¡®an city. Lu Xi¡¯s wedding date was extended by two months. The wedding date was originally in March, but it was moved to May. The Xie family in Chang ¡®an was covered in white silk, and the mourning hall was filled with guests. Xie Wei was young, but he grew up in a day when his parents died. Qiao Ruoyun and her husband were helping the Xie family with the funeral. Qiao Nichang cried until her voice was hoarse and she looked like she was wasting away. Qiao Ruoyun had no choice but to look for Lady Qiao and said, ¡°When Ruoyi was alive, she had a dying wish to be buried with Luo Wei. However, if she and Xie Yun died on the same day, it wouldn¡¯t make sense if they weren¡¯t buried together. Xie Wei didn¡¯t know about Luo Wei since he was young. Naturally, he wanted his parents to be buried together. Ni Shang was heartbroken. It would not be appropriate for me to ask her. Lady Jin, what do you think we should do about this? Even if my parents were to give up their lives, I can¡¯t make things difficult for them. I don¡¯t even know how to properly handle this matter.¡± Lady Qiao sighed and said, ¡°No wonder Xie Yun would die together with Ruoyi. Xie Yun used his final life to make Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s final life depend on him¡­¡± Qiao Ruoyun said, ¡°The problem lies here. I wonder if Ruoyi changed her mind in the end?¡± Qiao jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s actually not difficult to say this. Cremation is very popular in Lin ¡®an now. When the time comes, half of the ashes will be left in Chang ¡®an, and the other half will be brought back to Jiangnan to be buried together with Xie Yun. After death, they will all be like floating clouds. It¡¯s just a thought of the future generations. This will fulfill ruoyi¡¯s wish.¡± Qiao ruoyun sighed and said, ¡°Now it seems that this is the only way.¡± At the beginning of April, the raging fire engulfed the two people holding hands. Thousands of people on Chang ¡®an street were sent to the funeral. Qiao Ruoyi was the first female official and the Early Mountain Chief of West Mountain Academy. The female students who sent Qiao Ruoyi¡¯s ashes back to Jiangnan occupied almost a street. There were also people who witnessed the cremation. Seeing that Xie Qiao and his wife were tightly holding hands, it was rumored that Xie Qiao and his wife loved each other very much. In front of the Qiao family¡¯s ancestral grave, they sent the ashes to the grave. After coming out, Qiao Nichang knew that mother had never loved father. She also did not know if mother had changed her mind when father died in front of mother.. Qian Yu patted Qiao Nichang¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The boat is about to leave. We still have to rush back to attend His Majesty¡¯s wedding. Father and mother¡¯s wishes have been fulfilled. There will be no regrets in heaven.¡± After the funeral boat left Chang ¡®an pier, a rumor was once again prevalent in Chang ¡®an city. ¡°The first lady of Uncle Zhao¡¯s mansion said it herself. I heard it personally at the funeral.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The first lady of Uncle Zhao¡¯s residence said that Lord Xie and Lord Qiao¡¯s deaths were caused by Master Ling Xuan¡¯s interference. It turns out that Master Ling Xuan was born with the fate of a lone star. ¡°One must become a monk in front of Buddha to cultivate. Once one renounces the secular world, it will interfere with the people around him.¡± ¡°But what does Lord Xie and Lord Qiao have to do with Master Ling Xuan?¡± ¡°Qiao ruoyi has nothing to do with Ling Xuan, but she has something to do with Princess Weiyang. Qiao Ruoyi is Princess Weiyang¡¯s fifth aunt. With the imperial edict given to her as the emperor¡¯s son-in-law, Qiao Ruoyi and her husband both died. wasn¡¯t it because of Ling Xuan¡¯s interference?¡± ¡°How could it be? How far are they related? Why aren¡¯t Princess Weiyang and the prince affected?¡± ¡°At that time, because Princess Weiyang and the prince were from the Tian family, the royal family had God¡¯s protection, but Qiao ruoyi and the Xie family didn¡¯t! They died at such a young age.¡± Chapter 469 - give half of your mother to you Lu Weiyang was furious when she heard the news in Chang ¡®an. However, the source of the news came from the first lady of the Zhao family. If the first lady of the Zhao family was not caught, she would not be able to find trouble with the people who were gossiping behind her back. Ling Xuan Saw Lu Weiyang¡¯s angry look and said, ¡°Why are you angry at their ignorant words?¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Fifth aunt¡¯s early death is incurable. Fifth Uncle died because he used poison. What does it have to do with you? Fifth Aunt¡¯s body was already in bad shape long before you returned to the secular world.¡± Ling Xuan advised Lu Weiyang, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry with ignorant people like them. If You¡¯re angry, you¡¯ll only be angry at yourself.¡± Lu Weiyang said with a dark face, ¡°It¡¯s fine if they say that I¡¯m stingy and stingy, but they can¡¯t say that I¡¯m the only one! The source is Lady Zhao. If I go and find trouble with her, will you blame me?¡± Ling Xuan sat in front of Lu Weiyang and said, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t blame you. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want the princess and Lady Zhao to argue for me. There¡¯s no need for that. The theory of fate is just a joke in front of Buddhism. No one will believe it.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°But the people all believe it! No, I can¡¯t bear this resentment. I have to ask Lady Zhao why she treats her own flesh and blood like this.¡± Ling Xuan Saw Lu Weiyang leave in a huff and went forward to hold Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you, Princess, but I want to ask this question myself.¡± Lu Weiyang looked up at Ling Xuan. ¡°Okay.¡± Ling Xuan had not been to the Zhao family since he renounced his secular life. His feelings for the Zhao family were also very thin. He used to have respect for Lady Zhao, but now even that respect no longer existed. First Lady Zhao saw Ling Xuan at the entrance of the Zhao family and screamed, ¡°Quickly get out! Don¡¯t come and disturb our Zhao family!¡± Second Master Zhao saw Ling Xuan and went forward to say, ¡°Ling Xuan, you¡¯re finally willing to go home. This is a good thing. It¡¯s a good thing, sister-in-law. It¡¯s our Zhao family¡¯s honor that Ling Xuan is willing to return home.¡± Ever since the Zhao family¡¯s Earl¡¯s manor title was snatched, second master Zhao had been using his connections everywhere in order to restore his title. The people who used their connections felt that second master Zhao was unnecessary. The wedding date between Ling Xuan and the princess had already been set. Would the emperor not restore his brother-in-law¡¯s title? However, second master Zhao had always been ashamed of going to look for Ling Xuan. Naturally, he was happy to see Ling Xuan come over today. ¡°Ling Xuan, you have never entered the Zhao family¡¯s gate. Now that you are back, you can go in openly,¡±second master Zhao said. Ling Xuan looked at first madam Zhao and said, ¡°Second master, I came to your residence today to have a few words with first Madam Zhao. Mother and son are one. If first Madam Zhao doesn¡¯t care about the relationship between mother and son, don¡¯t blame me for not doing so.¡±. Buddhism did not have the theory of fate. The so-called temples that talked about the theory of fate were all unorthodox and not the orthodox sects of the Great Tang Buddhist sect. Taoism had the theory of fate, but Buddhism and Taoism were not one family. I had never looked for a Taoist priest to read my fate before. ¡°Since Lady Zhao cares so much about the theory of fate, why don¡¯t we go to the Taoist temple together and carefully calculate whether I am destined to be a lone star or not. ¡°I also hope that Lady Zhao will not randomly make arrangements in the future. If there are any more arrangements, don¡¯t blame the officials for seeing you.¡± Lady Zhao stomped her feet and said, ¡°How did I give birth to such a monster like you? Now, for the sake of your position as the Prince Consort, you still refuse to acknowledge your master¡¯s words.. ¡°Ask the people of the Zhao family, ask your second uncle, your second aunt, did Master Yitong say these words twenty years ago? ¡°Master Yitong is your master, a master who attained the Dao, how could his words be false?¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Master Yitong is indeed boundless in the Buddhist dharma, but Buddhism indeed does not have a theory of life!¡± Second Master Zhao sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Ling Xuan, this matter is true. When Master Yitong came looking for you, your grandfather thought that second uncle had sought out master Yitong for the sake of the Earl Manor¡¯s title. But who was this series of Masters? He was already fifty years old back then, and was the grand abbot of the Prime Minister Temple. How could he be someone that I could bribe? When you were still a baby, everyone had no enmity with you. No one would go looking for a series of masters to treat a baby like you like this, right?¡± Ling Xuan examined second master Zhao¡¯s expression and saw that second master Zhao¡¯s expression was sincere. It did not seem like he was lying. He habitually twirled the Buddha beads in his hand. ¡°I will investigate this matter to find out.¡± Second master Zhao said, ¡°Ling Xuan, you are after all a child of our Zhao family. Second Uncle and your grandmother both wish for you to return. The Zhao family¡¯s title of nobility has been lost in our generation. We have truly let down our ancestors. ¡°And Qingquan, he is after all your younger brother. Can you, on account of Grandmother¡¯s old age, beg the Princess to release Qingquan as soon as possible¡­¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Zhao Qingquan deserves it.¡± First Madam Zhao said, ¡°Second brother, he can¡¯t wait for Zhao Qingquan to not come out. If he kills the entire Zhao family, then the Zhao family will belong to him alone!¡± Second master Zhao said, ¡°Sister-in-law, how can you say that about Ling Xuan?¡± First Madam Zhao said, ¡°I am not wrong either. Qingquan has been sensible and obedient since he was young. It is the hope of our Zhao family. And because Ling Xuan had the intention to return to the secular world, he was disrespectful to Bodhisattva and caused Qingquan to be confined in prison. This is all his fault!¡± When Ling Xuan heard this, his heart turned cold. His biological mother would rather help a nephew who was not related by blood, but she believed those superstitious words. She had determined that he was the lone star of Tiansha. It was simply ridiculous. Lu Weiyang looked at the scene in front of the Zhao family from afar and felt that Ling Xuan was too pitiful. After Ling Xuan left the Zhao family, Lu Weiyang let Ling Xuan get into his own carriage and hugged Ling Xuan. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Your Mother doesn¡¯t want you. Can I give you half of my mother?¡± Ling Xuan hugged Lu Weiyang and said, ¡°I want to go back to the prime minister temple and ask martial uncles. Did master really say that I was the lone star of Tiansha back then? Master is a disciple of Buddhism, so there¡¯s no need to say that. But everyone in the Zhao family says that it was master who said it.¡± Lu Weiyang held Ling Xuan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you to go back to the Prime Minister Temple. ¡°After we get married, you¡¯ll be the legitimate son-in-law. If Lady Zhao dares to say anything against you again, I¡¯ll put her in jail.¡± Lu Weiyang took Ling Xuan to a villa in Chang ¡®an city. Ling Xuan followed Lu Weiyang out of the carriage and asked, ¡°Where is this place?¡± ¡°This is my parents¡¯villa in Chang ¡®an city.¡±Lu Weiyang got out of the carriage and led Ling Xuan inside. ¡°In the future, my mother will be your mother. You Don¡¯t have to be sad for that crazy woman.¡± Ling Xuan lowered his head and smiled. Returning to the secular world for her was his life¡¯s purpose. Otherwise, he would miss this dazzling gaze for the rest of his life. Tang Yuanyuan saw Lu Weiyang coming and said, ¡°I just made a table full of dishes, and you came.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°You are about to marry your royal brother, why are you still cooking?¡± Tang Yuanyuan circled the handkerchief in his hand and said, ¡°Am I not nervous? I don¡¯t even know if I can be a good empress¡­ only cooking can calm me down.¡± Chapter 470 - Zhao Qingquan was the child of Master Yitong Lu Weiyang went inside and looked at the dishes. ¡°Yuan Yuan, why are they all fishy vegetables? There¡¯s not even a vegetable dish?¡± Qiao Jinniang came in and chuckled. ¡°Yuan Yuan didn¡¯t know that you and Ling Xuan were coming. I¡¯ll get someone to cook two more bowls of vegetable dishes.¡± Lu Weiyang smiled. ¡°I knew that mother is the best. Unlike first Madam Zhao, I¡¯ve never seen a mother like first Madam Zhao. She scolded her son for being the lone star of Tiansha and doting on her nephew.. ¡°Can I give half of mother to Ling Xuan?¡± Qiao jinniang smiled and said, ¡°Of course, but what do you mean by the Lone Star of Tiansha?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you listen to the rumors outside Chang ¡®an?¡± Lu Weiyang told Qiao Jinniang about the rumors in Chang ¡®an about Ling Xuanke¡¯s death of Qiao Ruoyi and Xie Yun. Qiao jinniang said, ¡°It¡¯s nonsense. How could the first lady of the Zhao family spread such a rumor? It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve never seen such a mother.¡±Lu Weiyang hugged Qiao Jinniang¡¯s waist and said, ¡°Fortunately, I have a good mother.¡± Qiao Jinniang scratched Lu Weiyang¡¯s nose and said, ¡°You¡¯re the only one who knows how to make mother happy. But didn¡¯t the master say that Ling Xuanke was the chosen one? How come he¡¯s The Lone Star of Tiansha Now?¡± Lu Chen walked to Qiao Jinniang¡¯s side and said, ¡°Do you still remember the portrait of Master Yitong when he was young that we saw in the Prime Minister Temple not long ago?¡± Qiao jinniang nodded and said, ¡°I remember that the portrait of Master Yitong when he was young is somewhat similar to Zhao Qingquan.¡± Ling Xuan heard this and hurriedly asked, ¡°How is that possible? How can master be similar to Zhao Qingquan when he was young?¡± When Ling Xuan saw Master Yitong when he was young, he was already over 50 years old. Ling Xuan had never seen Master Yitong when he was young, so when he heard Qiao Jinniang¡¯s words. He carefully thought about master Yitong¡¯s appearance, and it seemed to be very similar. Lu Chen said, ¡°That portrait is in the Abbot Court. Perhaps you have never seen it before. The secret guards found that ever since second madam Zhao married into the Zhao family, she had never been out. A year before Zhao Qingquan was born, she had been going to the prime minister¡¯s Temple to pray for a child¡­¡± Qiao Jinniang had a bold guess in her heart. In reality, the storyteller had also said a lot about this matter, and it was often mentioned in the unofficial history. Some women who had not been pregnant for a long time went to the temple to pray for a child. They would soon have a child. It was not because Bodhisattva had appeared, but because they had borrowed a child from a monk. Qiao jinniang asked Lu Chen, ¡°So Zhao Qingquan is the son of second Madam Zhao and Master Yitong?¡± Lu Chen said, ¡°We still have to ask second madam Zhao about this, but I think it¡¯s about the same. Otherwise, master Yitong had no enmity with the Zhao family, and he was not entrusted by the second son of the Zhao family. There was also no need to say that a baby in his infancy was the lone star of Tiansha.¡± When Ling Xuan heard this result, he could not accept it for a moment. ¡°Master Yitong was wholeheartedly devoted to Buddhism. Why would he commit such a transgression? He is an eminent monk outside the secular world¡­¡± After Lu Weiyang understood, he said, ¡°Master Yitong has already made up that you are the lone star of Tiansha. Why Can¡¯t he commit such a transgression? ¡°Master Yitong asked you to be a monk and said that you are the chosen son of Buddha so that his biological son, Zhao Qingquan, could obtain the title of nobility of the Zhao family? And those muddle-headed people of the Zhao family actually believed Master Yitong¡¯s absurd words and sent their family¡¯s bloodline to the temple, pampering Zhao Qingquan as he grew up. ¡°Master Yitong is simply a scum of Buddhism.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°However, we can¡¯t just rely on Zhao Qingquan and master Yitong¡¯s appearance when they were young to determine that Zhao Qingquan isn¡¯t a child of the Zhao family. I¡¯m afraid that this matter will not be convinced by the masses.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Yan Guo left a mark. If that second Madam Zhao is really having an affair with Master Yitong, there will definitely be a loophole in this matter. Let¡¯s go to the Zhao family and find out.¡± The next day, Lu Weiyang and Ling Xuan arrived at the Zhao family. When second master Zhao heard that the princess had arrived, he immediately asked the whole family to come out to welcome her. ¡°It is the Zhao family¡¯s honor to have the princess come. Please come in, Princess.¡± First Lady Zhao glared at Ling Xuan. She did not like Ling Xuan entering the Zhao family. Once Ling Xuan entered the Zhao family, she felt extremely stifled and could not breathe. However, since the princess and Ling Xuan came together this time, First Lady Zhao could not push Ling Xuan out. Lu Weiyang entered and said, ¡°Second Lady Zhao, I have something to ask you.¡± Second Madam Zhao obediently came out and said with a smile, ¡°Your Highness, what are your orders?¡± Lu Weiyang took the tea that the servant girl handed over and said, ¡°This princess has heard that the Guanyin in the prime minister temple is very efficacious when it comes to seeking children. Back then, second Madam Zhao and second master Zhao had no children for many years. However, after a few days in the Prime Minister Temple, they had children. It can be seen how efficacious the Guanyin in the prime minister temple is.¡± A hint of embarrassment appeared in second Madam Zhao¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°Yes, the prime minister temple has always been effective.¡± ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t second Madam Zhao go and ask for a few more children?¡± Second Madam Zhao said, ¡°Bodhisattva bestowing children is already heaven¡¯s mercy.¡± ¡°Bodhisattva bestowing children?¡±Lu Weiyang snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t come and spoil bodhisattva. Why would bodhisattva bestow a hypocrite like Zhao Qingquan? Zhao Qingquan is extremely hypocritical. He is somewhat similar to master Yitong¡¯s sanctimonious appearance!¡± Second Madam Zhao held the handkerchief tightly and said, ¡°Your Highness, what do you mean? Qingquan and Master Yitong are not father and son. How can they be similar?¡± First Madam Zhao followed, ¡°Your Highness, Master Yitong is an eminent monk who has attained immortality. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Ling Xuan turned the Buddhist beads in his hand and said, ¡°Second Madam Zhao, the princess never said that Zhao Qingquan and master Yitong are father and son. The princess only said that they are similar. Why would second madam think of Father and Son?¡± Second Madam Zhao said, ¡°I, this¡­¡± Lu Weiyang placed the Teacup to the side and said, ¡°Second Master Zhao, perhaps you have never seen a portrait of Grandmaster Yitong when he was young? This was drawn by an artist when Grandmaster Yitong was young. Look at this portrait of Grandmaster Yitong when he was young. Isn¡¯t it exactly the same as Zhao Qingquan?¡± This painting was naturally not the one in the Prime Minister Temple. Instead, it was a painting that Lu Weiyang had drawn overnight based on Zhao Qingquan¡¯s appearance. When she was young, her painting skills were on par with Lady Qiao¡¯s. Later on, under the pressure of her imperial grandfather, she was very good at drawing people. Using fake to confuse the real could be obtained. Second Master Zhao looked at the painting in front of him and saw the flustered expression on second madam Zhao¡¯s face. He already had a rough idea of what was going on in his heart. Second Madam Zhao knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Master, I have never told you that Master Yi is my biological father and Qingquan¡¯s biological grandfather¡­ the grandfather and grandson are rather similar¡­¡± Second master Zhao said, ¡°Is that so?¡± Lu Weiyang clapped his hands and saw a royal doctor enter from outside. Lu Weiyang said, ¡°This is the royal doctor with the best medical skills in the imperial hospital. Why don¡¯t we let him take second master Zhao¡¯s Pulse?¡± The royal doctor went forward and took second master Zhao¡¯s pulse. He said, ¡°Your Highness, just as you guessed, second master Zhao can¡¯t give birth to any children. That Zhao Qingquan is not of second master Zhao¡¯s bloodline.¡± Second Master Zhao lowered his head and looked at the flustered second Madam Zhao. He slapped her hard and said, ¡°You B * Tch!¡± Second Madam Zhao collapsed on the ground, her eyes filled with tears. Chapter 471 - Great Tang Weiyang Lady Zhao did not react for a moment. Old Lady Zhao almost fainted when she heard this. ¡°Second daughter-in-law, you, you really did such a shameless thing?¡± Second Lady Zhao collapsed on the ground and said, ¡°At that time, eldest sister-in-law was already in her third child. I was also anxious. Eldest sister-in-law and I married into the Zhao family in the same year, so we wanted to go to the Prime Minister Temple to pray for a child. It was that darn bald donkey that forced me¡­¡± ¡°Later on, after I got pregnant, I also thought that no one else would know about this matter. Moreover, I wanted a child too much, so I took the risk and made the mistake. Everything that happened after that was the work of a great master. It had nothing to do with me!¡±! ¡°What heaven-ordained Fozi? The Heavenly Fiend Lone Star was all fabricated by that darn bald donkey for the sake of his son being able to inherit the title of nobility. I could only keep my mouth shut for the sake of clear spring!¡± Hearing this, First Lady Zhao kept shaking her head. wasn¡¯t she just a joke all these years? She was certain that her son was the Heavenly Fiend Lonestar, so she doted on her nephew. However, she did not expect Zhao Qingquan¡¯s background to be so unbearable. Second Master Zhao was really angry. He kicked Second Lady Zhao several times on the ground. ¡°Slut, Slut!¡± Then, he knelt in front of ling xuan and said, ¡°I have let you down, let Father Down, let Big Brother Down!¡± Ling Xuan made second Master Zhao stand up and said, ¡°This junior does not deserve such a kneel from you.¡± Eldest Madam Zhao looked at Ling Xuan, her eyes full of guilt and regret. ¡°Ling Xuan¡­ Mother has let you down! I have let you down!¡± With that, eldest madam Zhao fainted. The Zhao family¡¯s matter could not be hidden in Chang ¡®an city, and the reputation of the prime minister temple was ruined. The wedding of the Emperor was approaching, and the arrival of a foreign court was undoubtedly the biggest joke in Chang ¡®an. As a result, a master was whipped to death, and second Madam Zhao directly gave him a cup of poisoned wine. Zhao Qingquan was innocent, but he could not escape being implicated in this matter. After first Madam Zhao woke up, she went crazy. She hugged a pillow and thought it was her last child. The Prime Minister Temple was sealed and the monks inside were all dispersed. Ling Xuan Sighed heavily when he heard about this. Lu Xi later ordered Ling Xuan to become the national temple and spread the correct Buddhism among the people instead of those evil rumors. .. In the early summer of May, cicadas chirped. Lu Xi¡¯s wedding and the foreign imperial court came. The entire Chang ¡®an was bustling for a whole month. However, after Lu Xi¡¯s wedding, the people from the Ministry of Rites still did not have the slightest bit of leisure. After His Majesty¡¯s wedding, it would be Princess Weiyang¡¯s wedding. His Majesty originally only had one sister. Weiyang had been pampered by the royal family since she was young. Even if the wedding was more grand than His Majesty¡¯s wedding, His Majesty and the Empress would probably not say anything. As long as the Ministry of Rites made it as luxurious as possible. However, when the officials of the Ministry of Rites prepared for the Princess¡¯wedding, they had a terrible headache. Lu Weiyang saw the list of wedding banquets presented by the officials of the ministry of Rites and kept frowning. The Minister of Rites said helplessly, ¡°Your Highness, this is really the lowest list of wedding banquets for the royal family. You must know that when the concubine Princess of the Su Royal Family gets married, it is also the same list of wedding banquets!¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°No, no, this is too expensive. A table like this costs a hundred taels of silver. Can¡¯t we use some fish, shrimp, or something cheaper¡­¡± The Minister of Rites said helplessly, ¡°Your Highness, this is Chang ¡®an, not Lingnan. Ordinary officials in Chang ¡®an city have to pay a hundred taels of silver for a wedding¡­¡± Qiao Nihong chuckled. ¡°Weiyang, don¡¯t make things difficult for the old minister. Look at how much his hair is missing! The Prime Minister¡¯s Temple is closed. The minister won¡¯t be able to find a place to become a monk.¡± Lu Weiyang puffed his cheeks and said, ¡°It¡¯s so expensive. Why don¡¯t we go to the Hundred Savory restaurant to entertain the guests? We won¡¯t need to spend so much silver¡­¡± The Minister of Rites was really afraid that Lu Weiyang would go to the Hundred Savory restaurant to entertain the guests, so he quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it again. It¡¯ll definitely save us a lot of money.¡± Lu Weiyang flipped through the other books and held Qiao Nihong¡¯s hand. ¡°Cousin, my heart aches. If I knew that getting married was so expensive, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten married.¡± Qiao Nihong smiled. ¡°There are still plenty of opportunities to go back on my words now.¡± Lu Weiyang looked at Ling Xuan, who had just entered the room, and went over to explain, ¡°Ling Xuan, don¡¯t listen to cousin. I still want to get married.¡± Ling Xuan smiled lightly. ¡°I know. That¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking. Our wedding is indeed not so grand. With this money, it¡¯s better to do good. The capable will help the world.¡± Lu Weiyang said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, that¡¯s what I think.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Minister, everything about the wedding can be simple.¡± When the Minister of Rites heard the Prince Consort Say the same thing, he felt that the hair on his head was falling even more. The Minister of Rites had no choice but to look for Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang. He went there to show his loyalty. It was not that he had mistreated the princess, the wedding of the princess was so simple. Qiao Jinniang also knew her daughter¡¯s character. Other than the days when Ling Xuan was unwilling to return to the secular world, Lu Weiyang had never been generous. Usually, he had to spend every penny carefully. So she let the Minister of Rites Follow Weiyang¡¯s thoughts. In order to save money for the banquet, Lu Weiyang had specially set the wedding date on the same day as Qiao Jinniang¡¯s birthday. It was both a wedding banquet and a birthday banquet. Qiao Jinniang did not want to celebrate the birthday banquet to remind herself that she was one year older, but she had to accept the ¡°Little cotton-padded jacket¡±¡¯s kindness. In order to show his love for his sister, His Majesty specially ordered someone to rebuild Weiyang Palace in Chang ¡®an and give it to Weiyang as a new princess residence. Everyone thought that the wedding would be extremely luxurious. However, on the wedding day, everyone looked at the pomp and ceremony of the Princess¡¯wedding and felt extremely cold. Even the princess, who was not favored by the imperial family, would not be so cold. Before everyone could react, some scholars had written poems praising Princess Weiyang for her diligence and thrift, and the empress dowager, the empress dowager, the empress dowager, and the Pope¡¯s daughter. In an instant, the reputation of the princess in Chang ¡®an for hundreds of years had been reversed. In the past, when the princess was mentioned, there was only extravagance and extravagance. Now, when the princess was mentioned, she was thrifty and loved the people. For a time, many daughters of prestigious families followed her example of thrift. Lu Weiyang and Ling Xuan left Chang ¡®an to go to various places to preach Buddhism. When Lu Weiyang heard these compliments in Luoyang City, he could not help but smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that being stingy would also have benefits.¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m frugal, not stingy.¡± Lu Weiyang smiled at Ling Xuan. ¡°Although I¡¯ve been doted on since I was young, no one understands my frugality.¡± Only Ling Xuan was willing to live frugally with her. Although she had spent a lot of money on this trip back to Chang ¡®an, it was not a loss to exchange for a husband. Ling Xuan held Lu Weiyang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You have me to accompany you.¡± Lu Weiyang looked down at the prosperous Luoyang city from the city wall of Luoyang. She saw her father, mother, second brother, and second sister-in-law playing in the city. She smiled lightly and interlocked her fingers with Ling Xuan¡¯s. ¡°Ling Xuan, do you have any ideals?¡± Ling Xuan said, ¡°Spread the dharma to the whole of Datang.¡± ¡­ unmodified..