This Qiao Jiao is utterly baffling.
Could it be that they were all harmed by Qiao Qiao, yet they could develop special feelings for each other because of it?
It would be one thing to share a common hatred, but now she's clearly trying to plead for Qiao Qiao, and her stance is that everyone is a victim?
"I can't control whether your own sister is willing to forgive you; but asking me to forgive her too is wishful thinking," Xiu'er said bluntly.
Qiao Jiao said, "It's not that I want to plead for her, but ultimately, a woman only marries once. To force her to marry someone like that is truly..."
Not only was Shouzheng of low social status, but he was also a widower with a son and a daughter. Qiao Qiao was going to be someone's stepmother.
Qiao Jiao really couldn't understand why her father would treat her younger sister like this.
Despite the hatred, I couldn't bear to do it in the end.
From childhood to adulthood, her attitude towards Qiao Qiao has always been this conflicted.
"She deserves it!" Xiu'er said bluntly. "Alright, I don't have time to waste with you. If it's about this matter, I'll refuse you on behalf of the Empress. But if you come back next time and tell me that Qiao Qiao is being beaten every day, perhaps I'll take you to see the Empress and make her happy."
Qiao Jiao's pride has made it all the more remarkable that she has managed to persevere this far.
She soon returned home defeated, biting her lip.
Cui Xiaoqiu glanced at Xiu'er a few more times.
Xiu'er walked over and saw Yanran playing chess with him. She said, "My little darling, are these chess pieces clean? Also, there's a layer of dust on this stone table, and it's even gotten on your sleeves... How are you all taking care of the young lady?"
Yanran stuck out her tongue. "Your mother is calling you!"
Xiu'er, however, did not believe it.
Yanran: "Really, the little maid peeked out and looked at you several times just now. And you were so impressive, you chased away that annoying girl. Go back and tell your mother about it."
Although she knew it was a way to send her away, Xiu'er was still worried and went inside. She just kept telling the maid to fetch water for Yanran to wash her hands.
After she went inside, Yanran explained to Cui Xiaoqiu, "Xiu'er is a clean freak. The Great Confucian Scholar Kong gave my mother a Go set, and after each game, Xiu'er has to wash every single Go stone with water. If it were made of cloth, it would be ruined from washing."
Cui Xiaoqiu asked, "Did the Great Confucian Scholar Kong give the Princess Consort a Go set?"
"That's right!" Yanran said proudly. "Have you seen the bracelet on my mother's wrist?"
Do you mean glass beads or prayer beads?
Cui Xiaoqiu was very observant; even though he had only met Tang Zhuyun a few times, he could see her clearly and remember her well.
"Those prayer beads were a gift from Master Hong'en," Yanran said. "Isn't my mother amazing? Her dowry when she married my father was a gift from my grandfather!"
In short, those who were sought after by others but could not be seen all adored the Empress Dowager.
Her mother was the most popular woman in the land.
Cui Xiaoqiu asked, "Did they choose two out of four?"
Yanran misheard, thinking it was "obtained from the temple," and said, "Of course it was obtained from the temple, and Master Hong'en even gave it to me voluntarily! My mother said it would be part of my dowry when I get married! I'm having trouble finding the chess pieces for my brother."
"Buddhist prayer beads are also about fate," Cui Xiaoqiu said. "It's best not to give them away; perhaps they can continue to bless Her Highness the Princess."
"Oh? Is that so? Then never mind." Yanran said, "I didn't like these things in the first place, I just thought that maybe if I wore them, Buddha would bless me to be a little better at studying. If not, so be it, I'm not going to be the top scholar anyway, the most important thing is that my mother is well."
Cui Xiaoqiu smiled and asked, "Shall we continue playing chess?"
"Keep going, keep going!"
Yanran said that she not only "learned" chess, but could also dominate it, and she was going to go back and beat her brother to a pulp that night!
Linlin: Dumbo, don't mess with him.
Meanwhile, inside the Prince's Mansion.
Song Jingyang and Huaishang were discussing Qiao Qiao's marriage with Prince of Jin.
Their focus was also on the identity of the guard at Guang'an Gate.
All three of them had solemn expressions.
Song Jingyang secretly stepped on Huaishang's foot, signaling him to speak.
Huaishang looked completely bewildered.
Why let him speak?
Because you're single, it's okay if the prince beats you up, but when I get beaten up, someone feels sorry for me.
But Song Jingyang couldn't say it; he just silently slipped Huaishang a handful of silver ingots.
Huaishang: I didn't want to be the first to stick my neck out, but he gave me so much.
"Your Highness," Huaishang said slowly, having already received payment for his services, to avoid damaging his reputation and losing business opportunities in the future, "Do you think this arrangement is an attempt to rebel?"
Song Jingyang: "..."
I told you to speak, but I didn't tell you to be so blunt!
You're saying the prince's stepfather is trying to rebel against the prince's biological father... That's the gist of the matter, but shouldn't we phrase it more tactfully?
They had all fought alongside the Prince of Jin for many years and were well aware of the importance of city gates, especially the outer city gates.
Qiao Geng's base of operations was not in Beijing, so the possibility of him causing trouble from within was extremely small.
If he has any foreign aid, it will definitely be sent to Beijing.
The Prince of Jin tapped his fingers on the table, remaining silent for a long while.
Things were indeed unfolding exactly as he had feared—the worst-case scenario was playing out, step by step, irreversibly...
Perhaps because I had thought about it beforehand, it wasn't so hard to accept when it actually happened; it just felt ironic.
"Let him be."
After a long while, the Prince of Jin spoke calmly.
Song Jingyang and Huaishang both bowed their heads in agreement.
The Prince of Jin then asked, "Is everything prepared for tomorrow's trip to the Great Xiangguo Temple?"
If Tang Zhuyun wanted to go, he would go too.
It wasn't entirely for her sake, but rather because the Prince of Jin remembered a detail from before.
When the Ghost Festival had just passed, Nanny Rong said that her mother's memorial tablet had more scratches on it...
At that time, was she trying to imply something to herself, or was she simply stating the facts?
Prince of Jin could sense that Nanny Rong was making a difficult choice.
She was caught in a dilemma, which the Prince of Jin could understand.
"Your Highness, everything is ready."
"Okay. You may all leave now. Proceed according to plan. Huaishang, await my message."
"Yes!"
As soon as the two went out, a guard came in to announce that the Emperor's decree had arrived.
The Prince of Jin, along with his entourage, received the imperial decree.
The person who came to deliver the imperial decree was not Wang Fu, but his young apprentice Zhang Zheng.
The contents of the imperial edict were even more astonishing.
--The Emperor and Prince of Jin want to "recruit" Nanny Rong to enter the palace to tutor the Ninth Princess, who is fourteen years old this year.
However, the news of Nanny Rong's "death" had been circulating for a long time, and not many people knew that Nanny Rong was alive, and most of them thought she had gone mad.
Has the Emperor's edict torn away the last vestiges of decorum?
It seems that Tang Zhuyun taught Director Li too much.
"Your Highness, what should we do?" Song Jingyang asked warily and nervously.
Prince of Jin waved his hand. "Since Father thinks highly of Nanny Rong, let her enter the palace and teach Ninth Sister properly."
Now, the truth is as clear as day.
The Ninth Princess was transferred to Consort De's name just a few days ago.
Haha, they're so impatient, they probably think they have victory in their grasp.
Mother will probably show up soon.
It's okay, he can wait, he's patient.