Manman hurriedly asked, "How was it decided?"

"The Lady of the Marquis is seeking a marriage for the Heir Apparent with me; we've already exchanged betrothal gifts," Xie Xiangxiang said shyly. Exchanging betrothal gifts meant the engagement was finalized.

"Wasn't the Second Miss supposed to be staying at Prince Jing's residence?"

"The Xie family needed someone to repay my grandfather's kindness, so they chose me."

Xie Xiangxiang answered with a lot of words, her eyes fixed on Xie Zhaozhao.

Xie Zhaozhao only said one word, "Okay," her face remaining calm and composed, revealing neither joy nor anger.

He said sarcastically, "Then congratulations, Miss Second."

Xie Xiangxiang didn't appreciate the compliments, so she didn't argue. She put the things down and left Xie Zhaozhao's courtyard.

As she walked, she sneered, "Xie Zhaozhao, your sour days are yet to come! In this life, you can forget about being high and mighty again."

Manman scoffed behind her: "Marriages are decided by the elders. How can you be so arrogant and shameless?"

Yuanyuan found it strange: "People strive to rise higher, water flows downhill, but I've never heard of anyone deliberately trying to marry down."

Xie Zhaozhao had a guess in her mind.

Xie Xiangxiang was determined to marry Gu Chengyan, and she slandered the eldest grandson of Prince Jing to the point of being completely worthless. But right now, Zhou Lingyin, the eldest grandson of Prince Jing, is not yet of legal age and is studying at the academy. How could he be as bad as she described?

The only explanation is that Xie Xiangxiang was also reborn.

In her previous life, Xie Xiangxiang was unhappy in Prince Jing's mansion. She and her husband were not on good terms. Zhou Lingyin frequented gambling dens and brothels. Xie Xiangxiang and her group of concubines fought each other fiercely. She died even earlier than Xie Zhaozhao.

Before her death, Gu Chengyan had already been granted the title of Duke of Yi.

In this life, she fought tooth and nail for Gu Chengyan, hoping to become a first-rank noblewoman and a duke's wife, and enjoy immense wealth and honor.

"Miss, will you marry into the Prince Jing's household?"

"Yes, it's easy for sisters to marry. The Prince Jing's mansion is much better than the Marquis Pingyang's mansion."

Granny Xu came in and scolded Yuan Yuanyuan: "What kind of talk is this, getting married and taking wives, you're corrupting the young lady."

She recounted the day's events with a cheerful laugh, and Granny Xu was quite pleased to see that the young lady she had raised remained calm and composed.

"Miss will only marry into a family better than the Marquis's! Whether or not she marries into the Prince's family is up to Master, not that other person."

The "that one" she was referring to was Xu, Xie Zhaozhao's stepmother.

However, Granny Xu also leaned towards the idea of ​​sisters marrying into the same family, and Xie Zhaozhao would definitely marry into Prince Jing's mansion.

Xie Zhaozhao smiled but did not answer.

Xie Xiangxiang left Xie Zhaozhao's courtyard, feeling unhappy, and went to Xu's courtyard.

Mrs. Xu said with dissatisfaction, "Can't you learn from her? She talks about this everywhere, she doesn't understand etiquette at all."

“Mother, I just wanted to see how she would react. But she's still the same as always, I can't tell anything from her.”

Not seeing Xie Zhaozhao heartbroken as he had hoped diminished his sense of accomplishment by half, leaving him somewhat resentful.

"That's her brilliance; she never shows her emotions. Since you're marrying into the Marquis's family, she'll naturally marry into the Prince Jing's family. She's secretly overjoyed!"

Madam Xu said unhappily, "Those two siblings are cunning and shrewd, unlike you who are so foolish. Why would you refuse a prince's mansion and insist on marrying into a lowly marquis's family?"

"No! Mother, we can't let her marry into Prince Jing's household."

"Didn't you say the Prince's Mansion was bad?"

"I won't marry her, and I won't let her have it so easily."

"She is the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife, and her reputation is renowned. Her marriage prospects will only be better than yours. If she doesn't marry into the Jing Prince's family, the palace will dare to arrange a marriage for her with a prince as his principal wife!"

How could Xie's eldest daughter marry someone worse off than someone from a marquis's family?

Xie Xiangxiang clenched her fist in resentment. In her previous life, her eldest sister married Gu Shizi and smoothly rose to become the Duchess of the State.

In particular, Gu Chengyan's backyard was spotless, and his elder sister couldn't even give birth to a child. Gu Chengyan would rather adopt a child named Chengjue than take a concubine.

Why is it that the eldest sister is constantly favored in her family and is still pampered by her husband after marriage, always being overshadowed by her?

Fortunately, I was reborn!

Xie Zhaozhao, in this life, don't even think about marrying better than me, and don't even think about living a better life than me.

“Mother, you are so…” she whispered to Madam Xu.

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), Xie Xiangxiang came running in like a gust of wind. She came in with a beaming smile and didn't even try to suppress her voice.

"Eldest sister, your marriage has been arranged."

Yuanyuan was planting balsam flowers in the yard when she heard her words. She dropped the watering can and ran over, hurriedly asking, "Second Miss, what did you say?"

Granny Xu quickly put down her work as well.

The fact that it was decided so quickly must mean it's a prince's residence!

Xie Zhaozhao sat on the couch, holding a book in her hand. The setting sun cast a soft glow on her face.

Xie Xiangxiang saw no ripples or expectations in her eyes, not even a change in her reading posture.

"Elder sister, aren't you curious?"

"Marriage is a major life event, and parents should make the decisions."

Xie Xiangxiang gave a soft hum, somewhat unwilling, but urged by Xu Mama, she blurted out, "The old lady of the Marquis's mansion begged Grandmother to marry you off to the young master Gu's uncle, and Grandmother and Father both agreed."

"The young master's uncle? Grand Secretary Gu?"

Yuan Yuan's eyes lit up with joy when she heard the news.

Gu Shaoyu, the youngest son of the Marquis of Pingyang, entered the cabinet at the age of twenty-six.

If she were to marry him, it would be even better than marrying into the Prince Jing's household.

Xie Zhaozhao was also taken aback.

Gu Chengyan's uncle?

She knew very little about this person.

In both lifetimes, he never attended any banquets, big or small, in Kyoto, and she never met any other men without permission.

All she remembered was that in her previous life, when she married into the Pingyang Marquis's mansion in early summer, Gu Shaoyu was on official business in the south. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, news reached the mansion that he had died a violent death and his body was never found.

"It was the old lady of the Marquis's mansion who brought it up herself. She said she didn't want to miss out on her elder sister. Her elder sister also knows Grand Secretary Gu, right?"

Xie Xiangxiang saw the fleeting surprise in Xie Zhaozhao's eyes as she had hoped, and knew that she was also interested in the matter.

"Grandmother originally wanted you to marry into Prince Jing's family, but how can Prince Jing's grandson compare to Grand Secretary Gu?"

"I thought my eldest sister would like it, so even though my mother scolded me for being unreliable, I couldn't help but come and congratulate her."

She smiled brightly, as if her mother had arranged the best marriage in the world for her elder sister, and she was extremely happy for her sister.

Granny Xu and Yuanyuan were both very happy and brewed her some top-quality purple bamboo shoot tea: "Second Miss, thank you for your hard work."

Xie Xiangxiang said happily, "Grandma, Father, and Mother will surely tell my elder sister that I'm going back now."

Xie Xiangxiang left, overjoyed.

Granny Xu clasped her hands together and said, "That's wonderful! May Miss's spirit in heaven bless the young lady and bring her a good match."

Yuanyuan was also very excited and kept talking about going to Huguo Temple to burn incense.

Xie Zhaozhao remained silent.

She had only suspected Xie Xiangxiang's rebirth before, but now she was completely certain: Xie Xiangxiang had been reborn!

Gu Shaoyu died young, and if he hadn't been reborn, no one would have known.

Xie Xiangxiang was unwilling to give Xie Zhaozhao even the Jingqin Prince's Mansion, which she despised the most, for fear that she would become too rich and powerful and would instead be paired with an old man whose life was nearing its end.

Her stepmother and sister had no good intentions; they were just scheming to arrange a marriage for her with a widow.