The Princess of An's Invitation

Zhao Ruxi spent a long time talking with Kang Shilin at the Kang Residence Kang Residence, and it wasn't until almost noon that she left.

As soon as they got off the carriage at home, the gatekeeper came up to them, handed Qingfeng a card, and said to Zhao Ruxi, "Miss, this is from the Prince of An's Residence. They say that the Prince of An's Consort invites you to visit her home tomorrow."

Zhao Ruxi: "..."

Prince of An's Consort? Xiao Lingpu's wife? Miss Cen Family?

Is she trying to cultivate a relationship with her sister-in-law beforehand, or is she trying to achieve some other goal?

Several thoughts flashed through Zhao Ruxi's mind in an instant.

It's no wonder she overthinks things.

After Xiao Lingyan made up his mind to take the throne, he was no longer as wholehearted in assisting Xiao Lingpu as before.

Of course, he wasn't stupid; he couldn't just openly say, "Brother, I don't support you anymore; I'm going to fight for the throne myself." If he did, Xiao Lingpu might just kill his brother first.

After Xiao Lingyan transmigrated, he had to keep the secret of his transmigration, so he never showed Xiao Lingpu most of his strength.

After all, the original owner was just a child who was well protected by his mother and brother and had no real abilities. Suddenly, he transformed into a shrewd, capable, wealthy, strategic, and highly intelligent person. Wouldn't that obviously make people suspect he was possessed by a ghost?

The small portion of ability he displayed was something that gradually emerged as he got older.

After confirming Zhao Ruxi's identity and reaching an agreement with Zhao Ruxi, he didn't want to expose Zhao Ruxi and put Zhao Ruxi in danger. Therefore, he kept the money Zhao Ruxi earned for him a Xiao Lingpu. He used this money behind Xiao Lingpu's back for training assassins, gathering intelligence, making secret weapons, and purchasing provisions.

Because of his and Zhao Ruxi's involvement, the border battle did not turn out as described in the book. Therefore, almost none of the things he prepared were used, and they were ultimately used to train suicide soldiers and establish an intelligence network.

Xiao Lingpu knew about training assassins and establishing an intelligence network, but he only knew the tip of the iceberg.

But this was only the tip of the iceberg, and Xiao Lingpu discovered that his younger brother was becoming more and more capable, and his personality was becoming more and more pleasing to their father. Xiao Lingpu's expectations of him grew, and he always hoped that he could contribute more money and strength to help him, while at the same time he became more and more wary of him.

He began to suspect that Xiao Lingyan was no longer wholeheartedly assisting him and wanted to become emperor himself. His attitude towards Xiao Lingyan also became strange.

On the one hand, he treated Xiao Lingyan better, showing him great care and concern. On the other hand, under the guise of concern, he controlled everything about Xiao Lingyan, such as arranging his marriage. Xiao Lingyan did not follow his advice and marry the woman he suggested, which made him very Gao Xing for a while.

On the one hand, he used various pretexts to make Xiao Lingyan money, trying to squeeze every last penny out of him from the auction house; on the other hand, he began to build his own intelligence system and no longer trusted Xiao Lingyan.

Although Xiao Lingyan felt a chill upon seeing this, emotionally, he had the original owner's memories and didn't want to break ties with Xiao Lingpu; strategically, with Xiao Lingpu in front of him, his and Zhao Ruxi's safety would be much greater, so there was no need to distance himself from Xiao Lingpu.

Therefore, on the surface, he still supported Xiao Lingpu, and although the level of support did not increase, it did not decrease either. Outsiders, including the Cen Family and Noble Consort Cen, could not see the conflict between the two. However, Xiao Lingpu's suspicion of him and the estrangement between the two brothers were well known to each other.

In this world, Xiao Lingyan and Zhao Ruxi felt that the most trustworthy people were each other. Therefore, every time they met, Xiao Lingyan would tell Zhao Ruxi about all the big and small things happening in the capital.

Although Zhao Ruxi was in Nanyang and seemed oblivious to what was happening outside, spending her days in the fields overseeing land reclamation and water conservancy projects, she was still quite familiar with everything that was happening in the capital, the personalities of the princes, and the risks involved, all thanks to Xiao Lingyan.

She took the invitation from Qingfeng and looked at it. She found that it was written in delicate, elegant calligraphy, inviting her to have tea at the Prince of An's Residence. The calligraphy was so beautiful that she wondered if it was written by Cen Peixuan herself.

She returned to her courtyard and wrote a letter in Chinese, telling Xiao Lingyan what had happened and asking him what to do. Then she sent someone to the Prince of Qi's Residence in a straightforward manner, instructing the gatekeeper to deliver the letter to Xiao Lingyan.

Although women in the Great Jin were not required to adhere to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, the system of male superiority and female inferiority still existed. Women were expected to consult their husbands and obtain their consent before doing anything, which was considered a commendable act.

Now that Prince of An's Consort has invited her to her residence for tea, it's naturally because she is the future Consort of the Prince of Qi. So, it's best to consult with Prince of Qi first; doing so shouldn't be a problem.

After Xiao Lingyan received the letter and wrote a reply, which he then sent to Zhao Ruxi, the matter was reported to Cen Peixuan by a servant.

Cen Peixuan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "What does she mean? I, the dignified Prince of An's Consort, the eldest daughter of the Cen Family, invited her for tea; does she expect me to refuse?"

"That's right." Her personal Daya snorted. "Even if she's going to marry Prince of Qi after the New Year, she's not married yet, is she? Even if she is, she'll still have to call you 'sister-in-law' and 'cousin', Your Highness. Prince of Qi is always very respectful to you. It's so inconsiderate of her to put on airs in front of you."

The head maid, Granny Nanny Wan, gave the Daya a warning look and advised, "Isn't it precisely because the Princess Consort is Prince of Qi's sister-in-law and cousin that she consulted Prince of Qi? Wouldn't it be better if she acted according to Prince of Qi Highness's wishes rather than making decisions on her own? From now on, she will surely treat you, Princess Consort, with utmost respect."

Cen Peixuan's expression improved slightly. She took the herbal tea handed to her by Nanny Wan, drank a sip, patted her protruding belly, and said nothing more.

Zhao Ruxi selected a set of Feicui jewelry from her own jewelry shop and went to Prince of An's Residence the next day as scheduled to present her invitation.

Nanny Wan rushed over and smiled at Zhao Ruxi, "Please forgive me, Miss Zhao. Our Princess is currently pregnant and it's inconvenient for her to come out to greet you, so she's been waiting for you in the hall."

Qingfeng gave Nanny Wan a meaningful look, then turned to look at Zhao Ruxi.

It was Prince of An's Consort who sent the invitation. When they arrived on time, there was no one to greet them at the door. The gatekeeper even told them to wait while he went to report. After waiting for a long time, Nanny Wan finally came.

If this wasn't a deliberate attempt to intimidate the young lady, then it was intentional neglect. What benefit would the Prince of An's Residence gain from doing this?

Zhao Ruxi smiled, her expression unreadable, and said, "Your Highness is too kind. Your health is important. I haven't congratulated Your Highness yet."

"I'm glad Miss Zhao doesn't blame my princess. Come, please get into the sedan chair." Nanny Wan stepped aside and gestured for a sedan chair to proceed.

The mansions were large, and it took a long time to walk from the main gate to the second gate, so most wealthy families had sedan chairs.

Zhao Ruxi usually disliked riding in sedan chairs. But since she was a guest, she followed the host's lead and got into the sedan chair without saying much.