"The Qiao Family's invitation has arrived. Would you like to prepare a gift?"
Tang Zhuyun didn't react immediately, and asked in confusion, "An invitation from the Qiao Family? What's going on with them?"
Xiu'er said, "It can't be that Qiao Qiao is getting married, can it?"
"How can it be so fast?" Tang Zhuyun said, "Do you think we can get engaged today and married tomorrow? If it were this fast, wouldn't Granny be holding a grandson by now?"
Nanny Jing looked somewhat embarrassed and said, "No rush, no rush, this old servant will serve the young master first."
Xiu'er raised an eyebrow smugly.
--Her future mother-in-law is the best mother-in-law in the world.
In the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the most important thing is not what she does, but how her mother-in-law views her.
Tang Zhuyun laughed and said, "I forgot, you mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are naturally of one mind, ganging up on me."
After the banter, Nanny Jing said, "Your Highness, Xiu'er is not wrong about this matter; it is indeed the marriage of the second daughter of the Qiao Family."
Tang Zhuyun stared in disbelief. "When is it scheduled?"
"End of month."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
This Qiao Geng is too decisive and efficient.
Xiu'er said, "The longer we wait, the more trouble Qiao Qiao might cause. After she gets married, someone else will have to take the blame. We should get rid of this mess as soon as possible."
The reason why Nanny Jing asked Tang Zhuyun for permission was because of Qiao Qiao.
Whether to sever ties or continue to maintain relations as relatives, only Tang Zhuyun can make the decision.
After thinking for a moment, Tang Zhuyun said, "Prepare the gifts, then let's go to the wedding banquet."
She had so many questions in her mind; maybe she could gain something from going there.
Xiu'er said, "Alright, then you can go then. Don't let the Prince go. I'm afraid Qiao Qiao cling to the Prince's leg and won't let go."
"Even the prince goes to the front yard."
Tang Zhuyun actually wanted Prince of Jin to go as well.
The biggest oddity in the Qiao Family lies with Qiao Geng.
Nanny Jing said, "Then this old servant will go and prepare the gifts, and then please take a look at them, Your Highness."
Compared to Nanny Rong, she wasn't good at these things, and she was well aware of that.
Tang Zhuyun said, "There's no need for that. Just give me five hundred taels of silver."
Nanny Jing agreed.
She then brought up Xiu'er and Song Jingyang's marriage. "... It's set for the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, so that after the wedding, she can continue to help you with the New Year preparations."
Xiu'er hid away.
--Actually, I hadn't gone far; I was standing outside the window, my ear pressed against the paper windowpane, listening intently.
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "You can arrange it, Granny."
Nanny Jing said somewhat awkwardly, "There's one more thing, Your Highness, could you mention it to the Prince...? After their marriage, they will definitely still live with the Prince and Your Highness respectively, they won't need to move out..."
Tang Zhuyun replied matter-of-factly, "That's exactly what was said. You see, I don't have any useful people around me. Xiu'er is the first in line, and I can't bear to let her leave."
"This old servant knows. Xiu'er has mentioned it to me several times. Although one should prioritize the husband's family when getting married, she definitely prioritizes Your Highness."
Tang Zhuyun laughed and said, "This silly girl, to say such a thing, shows she doesn't treat me like an outsider. She didn't mean it, so please forgive her."
Nanny Jing hurriedly said, "This old servant is extremely satisfied with Xiu'er. Jingyang is a bit absent-minded, so it's our blessing to have such a clear-headed and capable wife like Xiu'er. However, this old servant would like to say that since the two of them will be living in the mansion from now on, Your Highness doesn't need to bestow any additional residence upon them."
Did the Prince of Jin bestow a new house upon Song Jingyang?
Tang Zhuyun was unaware of this matter.
However, this is nothing. Regardless of whether it's out of respect for Nanny Jing or Xiu'er, Prince of Jin should treat Song Jingyang well.
"It's just a house, nothing special," Tang Zhuyun said. "After all, it's more Zi'an."
Nanny Jing, however, was filled with trepidation. "Your Highness, it wouldn't be a problem if it were an ordinary residence, but a three-courtyard house just across the street from the Prince's Mansion is something that even many high-ranking officials of the third and fourth ranks in the court don't live in. It's really too conspicuous."
It turns out they thought it was too high-profile.
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "You watched the prince grow up. He treats those he likes with the utmost kindness. He never hesitates to show favoritism to anyone. Since this is a gift from the prince, you don't need to refuse."
Nanny Jing sighed and said, "Your Highness, that's ten thousand taels of silver. Although this old servant hasn't read many books, I know that everyone wants good things, and if they're not distributed evenly, it will cause trouble. There are many people around the Prince who are more capable than Jingyang. What will happen if others surpass him in the future?"
"Granny, you mean Huaishang?"
"Huaishang is a good person too," said Nanny Jing, "But he may not be without his own reservations. Besides, the Prince has more than just those two as his trusted advisors."
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "You are the prince's only wet nurse, Jingyang is the prince's wet nurse brother. No one can compare to this relationship."
Ultimately, Nanny Jing was always thinking of Prince of Jin's best interests, feeling that he was being too good to Song Jingyang and wondering what would happen in the future.
If you don't treat everyone equally, it can easily alienate your subordinates.
If everyone is treated fairly, how much silver will the Prince's mansion have to pay?
So let's just not give them any at all.
After seeing Nanny Jing off, Tang Zhuyun smiled and said to Xiu'er, "Were you in your heart just now, afraid that I would agree to take back the house?"
Xiu'er said, "This servant doesn't! That big house needs someone to look after it, and we're not even going to live there; it's just a waste of money."
"Why don't you just rent it out? It's still a family fortune, after all. A house in the capital is incredibly valuable; you can leave it to your descendants. The prince gave it to you willingly, so why not take it?"
After Tang Zhuyun finished speaking, she turned to ask about Xiu'er's dowry.
"I gave the money to my mother, and she's preparing it. She's discussing it with Nanny Jing," Xiu'er said. "Your Highness, when will you know if you're pregnant?"
The topic changed way too fast...
"These past few days, but I'm definitely not pregnant."
"That's not necessarily true."
Tang Zhuyun rolled her eyes.
The bed collapsed—wasn't that Prince of Jin's fault? What does it have to do with pregnancy?
"Where did Yanran go?" Tang Zhuyun asked.
"They must have gone to see Cui Xiaoqiu."
Tang Zhuyun sighed, "Actually, she shouldn't have gone..."
Now that the Cui Family has seen her, they will surely be furious.
Xiu'er was somewhat unconvinced. "We don't know who they're after! Our Prince's Mansion certainly has a lot of trouble, but the Cui Family is so big, Old Master Cui holds such a high official position, so why isn't anyone keeping an eye on them?"
Tang Zhuyun laughed and said, "That's just sophistry."
All crows are black.
Old Master Cui has already joined the cabinet; otherwise, how could the Cui Residence be located next to the Wang and Tang Residence?
This street was all granted by the royal family and was not open to trade.
Those who manage to climb up, haven't they all stepped over countless corpses?
--Except for Tang Mingfan.
There's nothing we can do; she's the emperor's ideal woman, and no one can compare.
Just then, Yanran entered, holding a jade pendant in her hand, her face full of confusion.
"Mother, this was given to me by Cui Xiaoqiu."