Compared to the grand opening ceremonies in the palace, the Jiang residence was much calmer. The servants carried out their work in an orderly manner, each with a smile on their face.

When the masters are well, the servants are well. The Jiang family has only two young ladies: one is a concubine of the Third Prince, and the other is a concubine of the Emperor, a Noble Consort second only to the Emperor. The future of the Jiang family is limitless, and the servants are very proud to go out.

Even the servants were so happy and excited, so you can imagine Jiang Jing's feelings—he was happier than if he had won the lottery. He had thought the Emperor was only slightly interested in his daughter, but unexpectedly, a huge windfall had fallen from the sky, and she became a Noble Consort as soon as she entered the palace.

It should be noted that the highest-ranking concubine in the Emperor's harem was Consort Shu, and the position of Empress was vacant. It was thought that the Emperor's harem structure would never change, but then a newcomer suddenly appeared and trampled on the heads of the concubines who had endured more than ten years of hardship.

All of this proves how much the Emperor values ​​his daughter. He will now be the Emperor's father-in-law, no longer needing to be subservient to others or scheme for them. From now on, others will fawn over him, beg him, and cater to him.

On the very day he received the imperial decree, Jiang Jing took the initiative to propose that Chunyan, Wuyou's mother, be placed in the ancestral hall and recorded in the family genealogy as her secondary wife. If he had dared to do this in the past, the Prince of Nan'an's mansion would have certainly made his life miserable, but now they didn't dare utter a word, clearly understanding the significance that Wuyou represented.

"I'll be heading to the clan's territory this afternoon to update the family genealogy. Steward, you stay home and take good care of the Second Miss. Whatever she asks for, you must fulfill it at all costs." Jiang Jing, sitting in the study, couldn't hide his smile as he carefully instructed the steward, afraid of neglecting Wuyou.

"Yes, sir." The butler bowed respectfully.

The person they were focusing on remained silent. Quiet sunlight streamed through the window, casting beautiful silhouettes on the floor.

A woman dressed in a light blue dress, her hair loose and looking slightly languid, sat in front of her dressing table, her eyes fixed on her reflection in the mirror, her expression unreadable.

Wuyou truly hadn't expected that he would fall into Jiang Changle's trap. After the bridal sedan chair was taken away and he returned to his room, he immediately sensed something was wrong. The rich, sweet fragrance was simply too hard to ignore, especially given his own superb medical skills.

The dosage was too strong; he felt weak all over after just smelling it.

Just as he was about to leave the room, a thin, down-on-his-luck scholar-looking man barged in. He recognized the face all too well; it was clearly the husband that Jiang Changle had chosen for Jiang Wuyou.

When this person's face came into his view, he knew exactly who had attacked her.

At that time, Wuyou wanted to use the driving Gu worm to poison the other party. Because of the soul contract agreement, Xiaobai had always been by his side to protect him, so killing a weak scholar was naturally no problem.

At the critical moment, the lewd-looking scholar collapsed to the ground, his head bleeding profusely. It turned out that Zhou Huaijin had come specifically to see her and happened to witness this scene, thus playing the hero and rescuing the damsel in distress.

Looking back, Wuyou found the subsequent events baffling; they had consummated their marriage the very next night. Zhou Huaijin, who already deeply loved him, was overjoyed that they had become husband and wife, and naturally wanted to carry him back to the palace to protect him from being bullied outside.

This time, he was lucky to have run into someone. What if it had been some other lecherous man? Wouldn't that have led to someone else hurting his beloved? Zhou Huaijin was more determined than ever before.

Looking at the other person's happy profile, Wuyou couldn't bring herself to refuse. She agreed without thinking and became the first and only Imperial Concubine since Emperor Xuan of Zhou ascended the throne.

Life went on uneventfully, and the Jiang residence gradually became more lively. Many people came to offer their greetings with gifts, all hoping to see the Imperial Concubine who was destined to be the most favored concubine in the harem.

However, Wuyou preferred quiet and disliked flattery, so she had everyone kept outside and left the steward to deal with it, since no one dared to offend Wuyou anyway.

Unexpectedly, two days later, someone arrived whom there was no way to stop. The tradition of returning to one's parents' home on the third day after marriage is still in effect. If the husband's family values ​​this, the husband will accompany her on the return visit.

A magnificent carriage stopped in front of the Jiang residence. The gatekeeper, who was used to this, went down to prepare to receive the carriage, only to see a familiar face.

"Sister Rouge is back?!" The gatekeeper's voice was filled with undisguised surprise.

"Today is the day Miss returns home, of course she has to come back." Rouge's brow twitched, and she forced a smile as she teased. In her heart, however, she was pounding with anxiety. Shouldn't the return home be a very important event? The master should have given the order in advance. Why was the gatekeeper so surprised, as if he knew nothing about it?

Just as they were about to say a few more polite words, the person in the carriage became impatient and coughed, scaring the two of them into not daring to say another word.

Rouge quickly helped the woman down from the carriage. Jiang Changle wore a rose-red long dress, with a peony hairpin in her hair. Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and she wore a simple white cloak. Her glamorous makeup added a touch of mature womanhood to her appearance.

"You're the only one waiting outside today, out of the three wedding banquets?" Jiang Changle glanced at him, frowning with displeasure. This was far too shabby and didn't suit his status at all.

"So it's Miss who's back. This servant has been waiting here for quite some time." Upon receiving the news, the butler stepped forward with a smile, his hair standing on end.

The master was so focused on returning to the clan's territory that he completely forgot about the eldest young lady's three invitations to return home. He's not even home right now. If the eldest young lady finds out, she'll probably cause a huge uproar. We have to keep this a secret for now and not let it become a laughing stock.

“You…” Jiang Changle sensed something was wrong and was about to reprimand him when the Third Prince got off the carriage, reached out and grabbed him, and said with a smile.

"Chang Le, let's go inside quickly." He came with a purpose today, so we can't waste any more time on pleasantries.

Seeing the Third Prince's fake smile, Jiang Changle forced a gentle smile and agreed. The group then entered the mansion.

Jiang Changle, who married the Third Prince, should have been brimming with pride and joy, but all of this was without his knowledge that Wuyou had been favored by the Emperor and made a Noble Consort. Now, it all makes sense. No wonder her father said to raise Wuyou well and not offend her; Jiang Wuyou is now her mother!

Originally, they were of the same generation, and he was even firmly above the other. Now, the roles have been completely reversed. He even has to perform a grand ceremony for the other and call her "Mother Consort," thus lowering his generation.

Nothing is more painful than having the person you hate and despise most high above you, firmly stepping on your head.