When Wan Jinlan heard the imperial concubine's aunt mention her, she was shocked. She knew that this was the reason why she could sit in Jinchun Hall today.
Shen Qing's ears also pricked up, but he remained expressionless.
Last night, she told her husband about the matter. Although she received a positive answer from her husband, the imperial concubine was still determined and could not relax for a day.
Concubine Wan stared at her husband eagerly, wanting to see what he would say.
The old man is exactly sixty years old today. Most of his hair is white, and the wrinkles on his face tell of the hardships he has experienced in his youth and middle age.
He put down the teacup and said, "Qin'er, my grandson has always been Princess Anyang."
It’s not that the third prince is a bad person. On the contrary, he is very attentive to the mansion.
But his diligence was purposeful and not pure.
Judging from the emperor's style of doing things in recent years, the old duke does not want to get involved in the fight for the throne anymore. The future is unclear, and he does not want to gamble with the entire mansion. As long as there is stability, it will be fine.
Concubine Wan understood and frowned.
"Father, I'm already hanging there."
There was a hint of worry in her voice.
The old lady held her hand tightly. "You've been living peacefully in the palace for many years. We all believe you can handle it. The Third Prince is not your biological son. Even if you become indifferent to him, no one can say anything to you."
"No matter when, the Duke's Mansion will always be your backing." The Duke of Zhenguo said it forcefully.
The old lady sighed inwardly.
When Concubine Wan told her about her plan, she had really imagined the future.
Which family doesn’t want to have a queen and become a royal family?
Although her second granddaughter is a little fond of martial arts and fighting with spears and sticks, she is very beautiful and has a sharp mind. She is smart. If she holds a high position and has the support of the government, she will be able to live a stable life.
However, since the old Duke and the eldest son had said so, she could only reluctantly let go of those thoughts.
What else could Concubine Wan do? She could only rethink her future path.
She stretched out her hand, beckoned Wan Jinlan to her front, and took off an extremely gorgeous blood-red bracelet from her wrist.
"After hearing this, do you have any opinion about your aunt?"
Wan Jinlan shook her head. "It's not easy for my aunt. I hope she's doing well."
Every time she entered the palace, her aunt treated her very gently, and in the palace, it was her aunt who protected her.
She wouldn't feel resentful towards her aunt just because things weren't settled.
Compared to the warrior with a leg disease whom Tang Xiuning was about to marry and Wu Shouren whom the Princess of Kangping was going to marry, the Third Prince, a descendant of a noble family, was not inferior in terms of status and appearance.
Concubine Wan was already bright and dazzling, and when she smiled, the tassels in her hair swayed slightly, making her even more eye-catching than the winter jasmine in February.
She held Wan Jinlan's hand and said with relief: "Aunt knows that you are a good child. Go out and find Anyang."
Wan Jinlan bowed and left Jinchun Hall.
The elders didn't allow her to continue listening, so she had no choice but to come out.
Now that she no longer has to worry about getting married, Wan Jinlan feels more cheerful.
Princess Anyang was playing pitching pot with a group of noble boys and girls. Because she never hit the target, she was laughed at by Wang Minghui, Chen Yueru and others.
Wan Jinlan joined the battlefield and was hit several times in succession.
Anyang clapped her hands in approval, looking very proud, as if she had won.
Xiao Minghuan, who was wearing a blue brocade robe, praised: "Cousin Lan is really amazing. She can paint and pitch pots at the same time, and she never misses."
Wan Jinlan felt that his praise was so childish and superficial, and it didn't touch her heart at all.
Although she was young, she could clearly feel the flattery in San Xiao Minghuan's words.
Half a month ago, not long after she returned to Beijing, when he came to the palace to deliver river seafood, he also asked his personal servant to bring Jinji cakes to Chuntao.
Wan Jinlan felt that the Third Prince might think that she was young, greedy, and liked to listen to nice things.
The imperial concubine returned home and stayed in the mansion for less than an hour before returning to the palace.
Even so, everyone who came to the banquet today felt that the imperial concubine was worthy of being the favorite concubine for many years, even overshadowing the queen. This emperor's favor had remained the same for ten years.
Wan Qiuyu, who is far away in Menghao Pavilion in Yangzhou, has had some bad luck recently.
After falling ill with a high fever from washing clothes due to his delicate body, he found that his life had started over again.
She was happy and anxious.
I am anxious because I am still stuck in the quagmire and need to find a way to get out.
There is still a long time before Wan Jinlan and Shen come to Yangzhou, and she has a hard time every day.
During her recuperation, she no longer had to worry about her mother Hong selling her, so she had the time to review what happened in her previous life.
When she first entered the palace, the queen knew that she was also a girl from a noble family and had been lost when she was young. She treated her with both kindness and strictness, and was somewhat close to her. She was also able to observe people's words and expressions, so she and Wan Jinlan were quite harmonious at first.
When she was walking freely in the palace, she asked a lot about the queen.
At that time, there was already a crack in the relationship between the Queen and His Majesty. She heard from the palace maids that when His Majesty was still Prince Duan, he and the Queen were childhood sweethearts, and that His Majesty and the Queen had a story of a hero saving a beautiful girl.
Considering the reputation of his daughter's family, the late emperor granted the marriage between Prince Duan and Wan Jinlan.
At this time, Wan Qiuyu was sitting on the couch with a plain face, thinking hard about when that incident happened.
It happened in a temple outside Beijing around the Mid-Autumn Festival of a certain year.
She couldn't be sure of the exact year, but she was worried that if she didn't return to the mansion, Wan Jinlan would be married to Prince Duan again.
When she had a good relationship with Wan Jinlan, Wan Jinlan had confided in her.
When Wan Jinlan was young, she had no romantic feelings for His Majesty and did not want to marry him.
Wan Qiuyu wanted to return to the palace and become a superior person, and did not want to be inferior to Wan Jinlan anymore.
She was self-aware and knew that as a concubine of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, she could not become the principal wife of Prince Duan. But if Wan Jinlan wanted to become the principal wife of Prince Duan, wouldn't she have to live under her control in the future?
That woman had controlled the government for many years and was so cruel and ruthless that she even poisoned the emperor to death.
Thinking of Wan Jinlan's methods in his previous life, Wan Qiuyu was still frightened.
Anyone can be the queen, but it can’t be her!
She was confident that with her experience in her previous life, she would be able to stand out in Xiao Minghuan's harem.
As long as she reaches a high position, she will naturally suppress Wan Jinlan.
This year's Mid-Autumn Festival is only about ten days away. In order to feel at ease, she has to do something.
The sunlight filtered through the window and the thin and charming curtains, falling on Wan Qiuyu's fair face, reflecting her ambitious, bright eyes.
Since the old Duke's birthday, Shen Qing's complexion has visibly improved, his spirit has recovered, and he has become plump and smooth again.
The appointment document for Duke Wan Shizhong as the new Minister of War has also arrived. He has been attending court for several days in a row, and he is busy going to the office every day, leaving early and returning late.
This incident caused quite a stir in the capital, but most of the discussions were private. Many people felt that it was foolish for the Duke of Zhenguo to take the initiative to return from the southwest.
But there are also those who see things clearly and think that the Duke of Zhenguo is also a man of great courage and ability.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
