The Lunar New Year is a busy time. Whether it's an ordinary family or a noble family, everyone is busy calculating the gains and losses of the year and also busy building relationships and giving gifts.

These days, Song Yaozhu has been racking her brains. She never imagined that Xie Liwei would have such a ledger behind the emperor's back!

But thinking about it, it makes sense. It's despicable that the dog emperor forced his Ahri to do such shady business!

After doing the math, Mr. Lan charged at least one thousand taels of silver for each private portrait painting session, and with his other paintings, he actually earned nearly one hundred thousand taels of silver a year!

She was dumbfounded. So those officials really had such a wild hobby in private. Such paintings were only good for collecting, and she couldn't just give them away, could she?

Is this something I should give as a gift?

"Your Highness, Princess Xuan has arrived and is waiting for you in the flower hall!"

Song Yaozhu paused, her hands still on the abacus. "Why is she here?"

"I don't know. Princess Xuan doesn't look too well. Why don't you go and take a look?"

After finishing the account books, Song Yaozhu immediately went to the flower hall. Inside, Princess Xuan was wiping away tears with a handkerchief. Upon seeing Song Yaozhu, she stood up and said, "Sister, you must help me!"

Song Yaozhu quickly asked her to sit down, "What's wrong?"

"It's all because of that rebellious Yongle! I don't know when she got involved with the Cui family's son. I found out a few days ago and put her in solitary confinement, but who knew she would go on a hunger strike! Waaah, I only have one daughter, if she's gone, how will I live!"

Song Yaozhu handed her a clean handkerchief to wipe her tears, using five in a row, before she learned about the recent events from Princess Xuan's fragmented words.

Cui Yan has a fiancée back in his hometown, and his family has decided that he should get married after the New Year. He coaxed Yongle, saying that he only has Yongle in his heart and does not want to marry his cousin whom he has never met, and asked Yongle to help him resolve this matter.

After all, they will be together in the future, so his affairs are Yongle's affairs. She can now exercise her rights as the mistress of the Cui family to resolve this matter for him.

"......"

Hearing this, Song Yaozhu was speechless.

She hasn't even been given this title yet, and she's already thinking of taking advantage of Yongle? She hasn't enjoyed the benefits of being a daughter-in-law of the Cui family, but she has to clean up his mess first.

That cousin's family wasn't easy to deal with either. They said they were willing to withdraw and make way for the two of them, but the first thing they said was to ask King Xuan to step in and help them move to a different position.

Cui Yan's cousin's father had been a county magistrate for ten years. With the New Year approaching and the capital examination coming up, he really didn't want to miss this opportunity. He wanted to get promoted and leave that small place.

As a prince, Prince Xuan was already feared by the emperor. He never accepted gifts and only guarded his own little territory in the Dali Temple, for fear of being impeached for forming cliques and engaging in private activities.

However, Yongle thought it was a trivial matter, merely a transfer of a minor seventh-rank official, which wouldn't offend the emperor, so he begged his father for help. Enraged, Prince Xuan ordered his wife to imprison her. She then began a hunger strike in protest.

"Little sister, she admires you a lot. Go and talk to her, and tell her to forget about Cui Yan!"

Song Yaozhu remained silent. "Do you and Prince Xuan both vehemently oppose this marriage?"

Princess Consort Xuan nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "His Majesty dislikes the Cui family. If we were to form a marriage alliance with the Cui family, His Majesty would surely think that our Xuan Prince's Mansion harbors rebellious intentions!"

Since it concerned state affairs, Princess Xuan did not want to speak, but she asked Song Yaozhu for help because she wanted her to do her best to persuade Yongle. Only by making the stakes clear could she do her best.

Song Yaozhu pondered for a moment and said, "Sister, constantly trying to stop it will only backfire. Why don't you let go first?"

Princess Consort Xuan was taken aback and hurriedly said, "No, no, what if the Emperor thinks..."

Song Yaozhu patted her hand reassuringly and said, "Sister, listen to me. Right now, the Cui family is currying favor with us. Cui Yan has Yongle under his control, so he thinks he has the lifeline of the Xuan Prince's Mansion. Why don't we let go for now and let Yongle see their true colors for herself?"

Princess Xuan sniffed. "What should I do?"

“Simple, just go to the palace and cry in front of the Emperor.”

"cry?"

"Cry, cry, cry! What are you crying for! You've been crying for so long, do you think I can dismiss Cui Maosheng from his post without a reason? Yongle is being ridiculous. He already has a fiancée. Does our Great Chen lack talented men? Why does she only have eyes for married men!"

Princess Xuan wiped away her tears, thinking to herself, "Isn't this a case of birds of a feather flocking together? You've taken a liking to my wife too, haven't you?"

Oh dear, I wonder if her King Xuan has this problem too?

"You know what kind of people the Cui family are. How can I let Yongle marry into that family? The Cui family are such opportunists. What if they take advantage of your relationship with me and do evil deeds in your name? Waaah, my life is so hard! I only have one child, Yongle! Waaah! It's all my fault for spoiling Yongle too much and raising her to be so naive. I can't let her see through the evil of the Cui family at a glance!"

Princess Xuan didn't explicitly mention the Cui family's intention to form cliques, but her words carried that implication. She kept trying to distance the Xuan Prince's residence from the Cui family, fearing that the Emperor would hold a grudge against them for it.

Yuwen Wuji was fed up with Princess Xuan's crying, but he was even more annoyed with the Cui family. His disgust was so obvious, yet the Cui family still wanted to climb the social ladder through marriage, and they even chose his own younger brother!

What, do you want them to kill each other?

Their intentions are despicable!

"Alright, stop crying. Yongle is my niece. How could I watch her jump into a fire pit? Don't let this damage your relationship with your mother. It's not worth it. I will let Yongle know the true colors of the Cui family. You should go back now!"

Upon hearing Yuwen Wuji's words, Princess Xuan immediately stopped crying and smiled through her nose.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Just then, Prince Xuan requested an audience outside the palace. Yuwen Wuji then let him in to take his wife away; he was so annoying!

"My wife is ignorant; how could she trouble Your Majesty with such trivial family matters! Please forgive her!"

Yuwen Wuji took in the weariness on Xuan Wang's face and the anxiety in his eyes before saying, "There are no trivial matters among family members. Go back now, I know about this."

King Xuan then expressed his gratitude profusely and said a lot of nice things before leading his wife away.

Once inside the carriage, Princess Xuan rubbed her swollen eyes and kicked Prince Xuan.

"What's wrong? What's wrong!" King Xuan was startled.

"Hmph, I wonder which woman you're thinking about, arriving so late!"

King Xuan was shocked. He had arrived exactly on time, just as the Queen had instructed!

And what do you mean he's thinking about women? Heaven and earth can bear witness, he has no other women. At most, he just looks at the fire-avoidance diagrams to satisfy his lust!