Chapter 27 The Master was overjoyed: "Of course, you're the one I value most."

The New Year holidays are over, and the days are getting warmer.

Before Meng Lingyao's spring dress was even finished, the Emperor issued an edict that caused a stir among the wealthy and powerful circles of the capital.

"His Majesty actually arranged a betrothal gift for the Third Prince to Zhao Ruxuan." Xie Chengyu took a big gulp of tea, clicking his tongue in amazement, "and even asked the Duchess of Anguo to act as matchmaker."

The Duchess of Anguo was a first-rank noblewoman personally conferred by the late emperor. She was highly respected and virtuous, and having her act as matchmaker was a very respectable gesture.

"Of course."

Zhao Ruxuan was born into the Wuxing Marquis's family. The current Marquis of Wuxing was only of average ability, but he had married a good wife, a noblewoman from the Cui family of Qinghe. She was said to be a master of household management, having turned the once-declining Marquis's mansion into a well-ordered one. She bore him two sons and a daughter. The eldest son inherited the title of heir apparent and now holds an important position in the Ministry of Personnel. The younger son, unwilling to rely on the legacy of his father and brothers, volunteered to go to the battlefield, determined to make a name for himself.

In the capital, few wives do not envy their husbands' peaceful lives and their sons' success. Those with good-for-nothing sons are even more jealous, their eyes practically bleeding with envy.

As for the youngest daughter, Zhao Ruxuan, she could barely be described as innocent and adorable.

It's not hard to guess the Emperor's intention in wanting her as his daughter-in-law. Anyone with eyes can see that the Third Prince is not marrying Miss Zhao, but rather the Wuxing Marquis's Mansion behind Miss Zhao, and even more so, the Cui family.

"Madam Cui is so capable, raising both of her sons to be successful, how come her daughter..." Xie Chengyu shook his head.

"Isn't it a great achievement to marry into the royal family and become the Third Prince's consort?" Meng Lingyao retorted.

Xie Chengyu was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "That's true."

"So next time she sees you, she'll have to look up at you and greet you with her chin."

Meng Lingyao shrugged indifferently. She had never really taken this person seriously anyway.

What she was more curious about was how Lin Yunshu, who had always been firmly in control of Zhao Ruxuan and only treated her as a tool, would get along with her once she learned that Zhao Ruxuan had the good fortune to become the Third Prince's consort.

Is it to immediately end the estrangement and return to the original state, or is there some other plan?

As she was pondering this, Xie Chengyu grabbed her outstretched right hand.

"Let's not talk about her for now. During my time in Jinling, I heard that you and Zhou San have been getting very close."

Meng Lingyao wrinkled her nose and turned to Songlan, saying, "Go and see if the cook spilled the vinegar. Why does it smell so sour?"

"No need to look." Xie Chengyu glanced at her and said resentfully, "It's me. I'm more sour than ten-year-old vinegar from Jingkou right now."

Meng Lingyao chuckled softly, cupped Xie Chengyu's hands together, and said, "Of course I value you the most. Right now, I just have something to ask her about."

"Fine." Xie Chengyu was even more jealous. "You've been having a little secret with her behind my back."

Upon hearing this, Meng Lingyao decisively instructed Songlan, "Let's have dumplings for lunch today. We can't waste this good vinegar."

The little girls in the room immediately burst into laughter.

Qiluan Palace.

Ever since learning of the Emperor's decree to grant her the marriage, Consort De had been harboring resentment. During this time, the teacups in the palace were being replaced time and again.

A palace maid served her freshly brewed pre-Qingming Longjing tea, but she only took one sip before putting it down.

The eldest daughter of the Marquis of Wuxing and the granddaughter of the Cui family of Qinghe were given to the most timid and submissive third son. Just thinking about it made her heart bleed, and even the tea in her mouth tasted bitter.

"Bang--"

The white porcelain teacups that had just been replaced were shattered again, leaving a mess on the floor.

The Second Prince Qi Ying and his wife had just stepped into the palace when they nearly stepped on shards of porcelain. The Second Prince's wife, Zheng Yu, paused, her lips pursed quickly. Consort De looked up, and seeing her son and daughter-in-law, her expression softened slightly, though a hint of coldness remained. "Ying'er has arrived."

Qi Ying glanced at the broken porcelain on the floor and frowned, asking, "What's wrong with Mother?"

"What else could it be? It's still the third son!" Consort De glared at him. "Your good brother will soon be marrying the daughter of the Marquis of Wuxing, yet you're not in a hurry at all."

Qi Ying accepted the tea that the palace maid had just served and sat down casually. "Mother, you are worrying too much. With someone like my third brother, who is neither good at literature nor martial arts, what good is even the best in-laws?"

Consort De found the teacup in his hand displeasing again and said, "The Marquis of Wuxing's mansion has a worthy successor, and the Cui family has many disciples and friends in the court. With such support, how can we not be worried?"

“Unlike some people,” she said casually, her gaze seemingly sweeping over Zheng Yu, “who, despite holding important positions, are never willing to do their best.”

Zheng Yu's heart tightened, but she didn't show it on her face. She simply lowered her eyes and bowed, saying, "Worrying will harm your health, Mother Consort, please don't get upset. If you feel unwell, His Highness will worry again."

Qi Ying felt this made sense and nodded repeatedly.

Consort De sneered, "Why worry about my health? I think you should be worrying about yourselves. With the Zhao family and the Cui family now in power, the Third Prince's influence in the court will be immense." She then changed the subject, "Yu'er, your father is the Minister of Revenue, in charge of the nation's finances. If he could plan more for Ying'er, wouldn't he be far more advantageous than others?"

Zheng Yu curled his fingertips slightly and said respectfully, "Father is always cautious and would not dare to overstep his bounds in the slightest."

"Cautious?" Consort De picked up the newly replaced teacup and took a sip. "Indeed, your Zheng family has always been like this. But this excessive caution may lead to serious consequences."

Qi Ying frowned, unsure how to respond. His mind was rather rough; he only sensed the unfriendly tone of his mother's words, but didn't understand the underlying meaning.

Seeing his blank expression, Consort De became even more annoyed, but she couldn't say it directly in front of her daughter-in-law, so she could only continue to hint at it indirectly, "Ying'er, you should also spend more time with your father-in-law. Matters in the court cannot be accomplished by fighting alone."

Zheng Yu lowered her head even further, appearing even more submissive. Consort De's words sounded grand and dignified, but in reality, she was blaming her family for not fully supporting the Second Prince. However, before she married into the royal family, her father had carefully instructed her that to ensure the safety of the Zheng family, and herself, it was impossible to openly support the Second Prince. The more everyone perceived the Zheng family as part of the Second Prince's faction, the more she needed to maintain a neutral and upright demeanor before the Emperor.

However, the mother-in-law wouldn't listen to or take it to heart.

Qi Ying asked doubtfully, "Mother, my father-in-law works in the Ministry of Revenue, and I work in the Ministry of Justice. We're not in the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of Rites. Where would we need to go to so many places? When I first went to the Ministry of Justice, my father-in-law went to help me. He was very considerate."

Consort De slammed down her teacup and sighed.

Meanwhile, in Consort Rou's Jade Lotus Palace, candlelight flickered gently, casting a warm glow throughout the hall.

Consort Rou clutched her handkerchief, her hands trembling slightly. "Why would His Majesty suddenly bestow such a marriage upon us? The Marquis's family is powerful; we...were we worthy of such an honor?"

The Third Prince, Qi Jing, took the newly delivered celadon teacup from the Imperial Household Department and poured a cup of tea for his anxious mother. He slowly said, "Mother, I was born into the royal family. What kind of favor cannot I accept, and what kind of daughter cannot I marry?"

Consort Rou shook her head, her face full of worry, "The Marquis of Wuxing's family and the Cui family are of illustrious lineage through marriage. His Majesty has betrothed Miss Zhao to you, but I still feel..."

"What do you think Father Emperor's intentions are in doing this?"

She bit her lip. "It doesn't seem like they genuinely want to help you out."

“Mother is right,” Qi Jing chuckled. “Father’s move is eight parts testing and two parts balancing.”

Consort Rou clenched her fists tighter, her fingertips digging deep into her palms. "Then why..."

“That’s why your son is going to accept this marriage,” Qi Jing said gently, “Mother, all these years I’ve been showing weakness in every way, just waiting for this opportunity.”

He kept a low profile for many years, willingly letting the emperor think he was mediocre, that even his marriage could be schemed against by someone as unfavored as Princess Suxin.

Finally, the Emperor showed a slight inclination towards us. If we don't seize this opportunity, when will we?

Consort Rou gazed at her son's calm face, her heart filled with mixed emotions: "But Jing'er, what if this move is wrong..."

Qi Jing's eyes darkened slightly, and his voice was as soft as a feather, "There's no mistake. My son has waited all these years for this step."

He lowered his eyes and gently patted his mother's arm. "Mother, be careful not to hurt your hands. You just painted your nails."

As if waking from a dream, Consort Rou released her hand, revealing her perfectly dyed nail polish, the vibrant red adding just the right touch to her overly pale hands.

She smiled slightly. "Yes, your father sent word that he'll be coming over later."

-

On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head.

After several days of rain, Meng Lingyao woke up to find the weather clear and couldn't help but secretly praise herself for choosing such a perfect day.

Today, she introduced Zhou Xiwen to Pei Xu. Whether the clues obtained by the Dali Temple earlier came from her, we may find out today.

The prestigious Dali Temple still needs a young woman like her to act as a go-between when it comes to handling official business.

What useless men.

Last time, Pei Xu said that she was better than many of the musicians in the Imperial Music Bureau. I hope he can be more discerning today and at least say that Miss Meng is insightful and better than most of the judges in the Court of Judicial Review.

After changing her clothes, Songlan took out a purse and handed it to Meng Lingyao. "Miss, Madam said that since it is the Awakening of Insects, snakes, insects, and rodents will all come out. I have filled the purse with some insect-repelling herbs. Please wear it for protection."

Meng Lingyao took a light sniff and smelled the aroma of mint, borneol, and atractylodes. The amount was just right, not unpleasant, and had a slightly cool scent that matched her light-colored clothes quite well.

So he nodded.

Only after receiving permission did Songlan match the clothes for her.

She has always been picky, with requirements for what clothes to wear with what shoes and jewelry, and she would never agree to anything that didn't suit her.

Breakfast was a bowl of dragon beard noodles, in accordance with the season. Meng Yan finished eating first, then sipped tea and looked at his daughter's clothes, saying, "Is Yaoyao going out today?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, he added, "Remember to bring an umbrella, it's going to rain later."

"How could that be?" Meng Lingyao put down her chopsticks, wiped her lips, and frowned. "It's clearly a sunny day."

Meng Shaoqing fiddled with the tortoise shell and deliberately whispered, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

His mysterious demeanor was no different from that of the old Taoist priests who told fortunes at the city gate.

It was no trouble at all, so Meng Lingyao didn't bother arguing with him. She instructed Songlan to prepare an umbrella and then went out the door with light steps.

As Meng Yan watched his daughter's retreating figure, he suddenly felt an urge to cast a divination using a tortoise shell.

The Azure Dragon appears on the Worldly Branch.

Is the Lord celebrating?

Meng Yan stroked his beard, unable to understand for a moment. Could it be that his daughter was going to find silver on this trip?

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Author's note: Jingkou is the ancient name for Zhenjiang.