The news that the Crown Prince had closed his villa and was recuperating there spread throughout Jiangnan, and the wives of officials began to stir, hoping to get some information from the women of the royal family.

Qingyan sat in her study, listening to Yiken'e and Hutulifengshengzhalafen reciting their textbooks. She watched the two children standing on the floor, reciting each word carefully.

"Master, the Madam is here, and I hear that Lady Jue Luo is also with her!" Su Lan hurriedly walked in and said to Qing Yan.

Jue Luo was having a headache. Her sister-in-law had come to the south and even said she wanted to pay her respects to Qingyan. There was definitely something wrong with that. Jue Luo wanted to remind Qingyan first.

"Let them in." Qingyan put down the book in her hand. "You two go and practice your calligraphy first. Your mother has something to attend to!"

Recently, the Jue Luo clan has been very well-behaved, as if they have received some kind of hint, and have remained silent.

Is this tranquility about to be broken?

Qingyan helped Suzhu into the flower hall, where Jueluo Shi and Jueluo Erfuren were sitting. Jueluo Shi anxiously gave Qingyan a meaningful look, and Qingyan walked in with a smile on her lips.

"Mother, what brings you and Aunt here?" Qingyan asked directly.

"My dear child, if there were nothing wrong, would I not come to pay my respects?!" said the Second Madam of the Jue Luo Clan affectionately.

Qingyan began to feel annoyed. This second wife was very eloquent. If the Jueluo clan needed anything, they would definitely send this second wife.

"Second Aunt, do you believe that?" Qingyan showed her no mercy and directly exposed her.

The Jue Luo clan used the Jue Luo clan as a stepping stone. They would only turn to the Jue Luo clan for help when something happened, and otherwise they would completely ignore them.

That's why Qingyan urged her to explain quickly; once she received definite information, this lady would definitely run faster than anyone else.

The master of the Jue Luo clan accepted the noble lady given to him by Li Xu. Now, that noble lady is very favored. She said that she has a younger sister and if someone could help her, she wouldn't have to participate in the imperial selection.

The second master of the Jue Luo clan thought of the Jue Luo clan and believed that Qingyan should be able to handle the matter well, so he completely ignored Qingyan's predicament.

"A minor selection?!" Qingyan was stunned. This minor selection was held within the palace and required the approval of Consort Tong. "I can't plead for this, and Mother certainly won't agree!"

Madam Jue Luo understood that Qingyan, being her daughter-in-law, would certainly not concern herself with matters concerning her. However, these men were different; they only thought about bringing benefits to their favored female relatives and never considered anyone else.

"Sister-in-law, why don't you invite Second Brother?" Jue Luo was stunned. If she had known about this kind of thing, she definitely wouldn't have brought Second Madam Jue Luo along.

"Little Darling, is there really no way?" Madam Jue Luo hoped that Qingyan could handle it well. If that man were to be rigid and inflexible, he might hit someone's weak spot.

Qingyan nodded. While Kangxi was on his southern tour, the palace selection process had already begun, so Qingyan was powerless to stop it.

"Second Aunt, those selected young ladies have already been sent to the palace. If there's a way, how could I not help?" Qingyan advised, and Second Aunt's mood gradually improved.

“Little darling, I’ve really caused you trouble. In the future, if your second uncle comes to ask for this, please just refuse him.” Second Madam Jue Luo quickly said.

Qingyan nodded and then had someone see the guest out.

“Little darling, I’m sorry to trouble you today. Actually, your second aunt’s life isn’t easy either. You know about the women under Li Xu’s command. They can easily control men’s affections, as if they were made specifically for these men.” Jue Luo Shi had also encountered this situation. Li Xu wanted to send women to Sai Tuo and E Shuo, but the two brothers refused.

"Mother, please don't interfere. It's not appropriate for you to meddle in your maternal family's affairs!" Qingyan ruffled her hair, hoping that Jue Luo Shi could understand her good intentions.

"Yes!" Jue Luo nodded, agreeing with Qingyan's words, and then got up to take her leave.

It all seemed to be over, and Qingyan completely forgot about it.

After breakfast that day, Qingyan reclined on the chaise lounge, leisurely reading a storybook. The warm sun shone on her body, making it not too hot.

"Master, something's happened! Consort Tong wants you to go to her courtyard!" Su Zhu rushed in and said to Qing Yan.

"What?!" Qingyan was still completely bewildered. What had happened this time?

The palace and the villa were both quiet; it seemed that the son of the Jue Luo clan had given up on the matter.

Half an hour later, Qingyan's sedan chair stopped in Consort Tong's courtyard. She got out of the sedan chair and noticed that Shu's expression was a little strange, which aroused her curiosity.

"Aunt Shu, who is inside?" Qingyan asked in a low voice.

"It is said that the head steward of the Imperial Household Department filed a complaint, saying that the Second Master of the Jue Luo Clan did something under your name!" Shu was helpless; the Fourth Princess's maternal family was really a headache.

As Qingyan entered the hall, she became increasingly tense, feeling that the atmosphere was strange and lacked its usual ease.

"Qingyan, do you know your mistake!" Consort Tong did not believe Qingyan's words. The head of the Imperial Household Department came to complain in person. Kangxi wanted to tell Qingyan the truth, but Qingyan was kept in the dark.

Qingyan knelt directly on the ground, staring blankly at Consort Tong.

"Mother, I really don't know what I did wrong?!" Qingyan asked quickly.

"I told you, Consort Tong, Qingyan is a woman of principle. How could she say such things?" Consort Hui firmly believed that Qingyan was unaware of the situation. Therefore, after receiving the news, she kept urging Consort Tong to give Qingyan a chance to explain.

"Mother Hui, I still don't understand!" Qingyan seemed oblivious to everything.

Consort Tong directly handed Qingyan the memorial written by the head of the Imperial Household Department, telling her to take a good look and see how to explain it.

"Mother, I can't accept this. Isn't this fabricated out of thin air?" Qingyan looked at the Imperial Household Department's writing on it, saying that she agreed to bestow a marriage upon the Second Master of the Jue Luo Clan, directly removing Li Xu from the list.

"Alright, Xiao Guai, sit down too. Whose family is this selected lady-in-waiting?" Consort Tong was filled with conspiracy theories, believing that someone had done it on purpose.

"Li Xu gave my second uncle a woman, saying she was his sister, who had participated in the preliminary selection, hoping my second uncle could help her out." Qingyan couldn't understand why she would sign up if she didn't want to.

There are also rules for the preliminary selection. Apart from the designated families, the rest of the people are not required to participate in the preliminary selection!

"It seems that Li Xu thinks the princes are completely unyielding, so he has simply shifted his focus!" Consort Tong sneered. These people really are persistent.