By the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the capital city was already filled with the atmosphere of the New Year. Many families began to purchase items for the New Year, and some families even placed orders with familiar shops a month in advance. During these days, there were many deliverymen delivering goods to various households in the streets and alleys of the capital city.

Early in the morning, someone knocked on the side gate of the Pingxi Marquis's residence. The gatekeeper yawned and opened the door, where he saw a man dressed as a shop assistant carrying a bundle. The man said to the gatekeeper, "We are shop assistants from the silk shop on West Street. Your Lady of the Marquis's residence ordered several bolts of fabric from our shop, and our manager sent me to deliver them."

The gatekeeper glanced at the bundle the shop assistant was carrying, frowned, and said, "Your shop is really something. You usually deliver by the bolt of cloth, so why are you bringing it over in a bundle?"

The shop assistant smiled and said, "These pieces of fabric were all sent from Jiangnan. They are newly produced silk fabrics from there. It was only because the Lady of the Marquis placed a deposit in advance that we were able to get these two pieces of fabric."

The gatekeeper had no idea what new or new fabrics were. He told the shop assistant to wait at the second gate with the bundle, while he sent someone to deliver a message to Madam Chen's courtyard. Soon, the nanny next to Madam Chen came over and led the shop assistant through the second gate.

Madam Chen and Zheng Yunyun had just finished breakfast when they heard someone outside say that a clerk from the silk shop in the west of the city had come to deliver goods. They quickly sent someone in. Zheng Yunyun was already grown up. Although she had agreed with the Seventh Prince to become his concubine, this was all a private matter. Madam Chen dared not let Marquis Pingxi and Old Madam Zheng know. If those two found out, who knew what kind of trouble it would cause.

It was arranged with the Seventh Prince's men that the clerk from the silk shop on West Street would come to deliver the goods, specifically to deliver a message.

Afterwards, in the flower hall, Madam Chen was accompanied by her maid. The shop assistant placed the bundle he was carrying on the table and said to Madam Chen, "The mistress said that we still need to ask Madam to find a way to lure the young lady from the Zheng residence out."

Thinking of Zheng Yuanyuan, Madam Chen felt a surge of annoyance. She couldn't understand how this girl could be so lucky. She had managed to break through such a tight net. It was only in the last few days that Madam Chen had heard that the Third Master of the Yongning Marquis's Mansion had encountered Zheng Yuanyuan's messengers on his way home from his official duties. The Third Master immediately rode his horse over there and managed to rescue Zheng Yuanyuan from under the Sixth Prince's nose. Even the two maids who served Zheng Yuanyuan, Qinglian and Honglian, who were recuperating at the estate outside the city, were brought back by the Third Master of the Yongning Marquis's Mansion with his men.

Despite her meticulously planned scheme, the escape was thwarted. Madam Chen had been furious for days. This was the first time the Seventh Prince's men had come to deliver a message to her since the incident. However, this message was not what Madam Chen wanted. What she desired most was the imperial decree that the Seventh Prince had obtained from the Emperor to grant her a marriage. Even as a concubine, having such a decree from the Emperor would ensure her continued favor and honor in the future.

Madam Chen said with some difficulty, "Zheng Yuanyuan has been staying at the Yongning Marquis's residence the whole time. How can I go into the Yongning Marquis's residence to lure her out?"

The shop assistant smiled and said very politely, "This is Madam's method. Madam, the master has given you this instruction. Please decide on a plan as soon as possible. Once you have it, send it to the silk shop on West Street."

After the shop assistant left, Madam Chen cursed through gritted teeth. Meanwhile, Granny Du sighed inwardly. From the beginning, she hadn't thought it was right to make this deal with the Seventh Prince. Although Zheng Yuanyuan was an orphan, the eldest mistress next door was not someone to be trifled with. It was just a pity that Madam Chen was so stubborn and did something so audacious.

The old lady already knew what Xiao Chen had done. This matter was too big, involving the two princes. The day after Zheng Yuanyuan was brought to the Yongning Marquis's residence, the Yongning Marquis went to tell the Pingxi Marquis. What could the Pingxi Marquis do? He returned and told the old lady Zheng what had happened. The old lady Zheng sighed and told the Pingxi Marquis not to interfere anymore, and to let Xiao Chen continue down this dark path. The Pingxi Marquis even summoned Du Mama, who was by Xiao Chen's side. After giving her a good talking-to, Du Mama agreed that if Xiao Chen had any dealings with the Seventh Prince in the future, she should inform him.

Granny Du recounted what the shop assistant from the silk shop had told Pingxi Marquis. Pingxi Marquis sneered twice. He was now on the same side as Yongning Marquis. Since Yongning Marquis strongly opposed the Sixth and Seventh Princes, Pingxi Marquis, after careful consideration, believed that Emperor Liang Cheng must have some other tricks up his sleeve. Therefore, he felt somewhat disgusted with his wife, who had a narrow vision and did not see far ahead. He wondered why she had taken a liking to Xiao Chenshi in the first place and insisted on marrying her.

Emperor Liang Cheng had been keeping a close eye on the movements of the two princes. When he learned that the Seventh Prince's men had gone to the Marquis of Pingxi's residence to deliver a message, Emperor Liang Cheng shook his head and said to Chen Wufu, "This Marquis of Pingxi is truly a waste of the arrangements the old Marquis made for him."

Chen Wufu stood respectfully with a bow, remaining silent. Emperor Liang Cheng continued, "The old Marquis of Pingxi went to great lengths for the current Marquis of Pingxi. How could the girl personally taught by the old patriarch of the Chen family be anything less than excellent? Yet he insisted on favoring a illegitimate daughter with little knowledge. Over the years, he has turned the once prestigious Marquis of Pingxi's mansion into a chaotic mess. The eldest son of the Marquis of Pingxi was a remarkable person, but what happened? He was forced to be adopted out. It was the second wife who saved the late emperor back then, and the late emperor's favor is now attributed to the second wife. Otherwise, the behavior of the Marquis of Pingxi and his wife would be utterly disgusting."

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