Chapter 30 Substitute Bride 2
Upon returning to the Earl's residence, Madam Qiao couldn't wait to tell everyone what had happened, and everyone was astonished.
Madam Zhang asked incredulously, "Such a thing really happened?"
Madam Qiao nodded: "That's right. Master Yuankong calculated it himself, so it can't be wrong. Old Madam Ning from the General's Mansion was also present. Moreover, Old Madam Ning likes our Qingci very much and said on the spot that she would treat Qingci like her own daughter after she marries into the family."
After a moment's thought, Madam Zhang looked at Yu Jingsheng and asked, "What does Your Excellency think?"
Yu Jingsheng frowned and remained silent for a long time. This matter was too sudden, no less so than when the General's Mansion forced him to fulfill the marriage agreement between the two families.
The person who was betrothed to the young general was his eldest daughter, Qingyan. The general's family and their Nanping Earl's family were well-matched, and it was a perfect match. However, the young general died on the battlefield in no time, and his body could not be found. Later, somehow, the news of the marriage between the two families spread and became more and more popular.
At this time, if the Ruobo family dared to propose breaking off the engagement, they would be despised by the world. Although he also felt sorry for his eldest daughter, he quickly accepted it for the sake of the family's reputation.
He found it hard to accept that the replacement candidate had been his daughter, Qingci.
The girl named Qingci had just returned to her family and was going to find a good marriage for her so that she could live a worry-free life.
Secondly, Qingci had just come of age, but her marriage to the General's Mansion was less than a month away. He himself was not prepared at all to marry Qingci off so suddenly, and more importantly, how was he supposed to explain it to Chengniang?
If Chengniang knew that the Earl's mansion was going to send her daughter away to become a widow...
Good heavens, he couldn't imagine how Cheng Niang would react.
Thinking of this, he blurted out, "No, I can't agree to this. Qingci can't marry!"
Qiao sneered inwardly. This man really cared deeply for that bastard's child. He said he wouldn't marry her right away, but when the General's Mansion came to force them to marry Qingyan, he didn't say a word of objection.
Qiao's tone turned cold: "Then, in your opinion, Lord, should we still marry Qingyan off? Don't blame me for not reminding you, Lord. Master Yuankong said that if we insist on going against the will of Heaven, it will not only affect the fortune of both families, but also shorten the lifespan and blessings of our elders."
Upon hearing this, Zhang could no longer sit still: "Master Yuankong really said that?"
Madam Qiao nodded: "Of course it's true. How could your daughter-in-law dare to lie about this? Mother, think about it. Since the two families set the wedding date, although your daughter-in-law was sad, she did not insist on stopping it. Instead, she cheered up and prepared for Qingyan's wedding so that our family would not be labeled as treacherous. Mother has seen all of this. But who would have thought that such a change would occur?"
We agreed to marry Qingyan without hesitation back then, so why can't we do it now that Qingci is the one we're talking about?
Now, I urge Mother and Lord to make a decision. If Lord insists on Qingyan's marriage, I will not object.
Having lived together for so many years, Qiao Shi understood Zhang Shi's true nature very well. Whenever her interests were threatened, she would easily change her mind.
Seeing that Qiao spoke frankly, and considering that Qiao had indeed been sincerely preparing for Qingyan's wedding these past few days, Zhang realized that such a change could only be the will of Heaven.
Besides, they are both granddaughters. Qingyan is the eldest daughter of the Earl's family, who has been carefully raised since childhood and has won her her heart. If the young general is alive and well, Qingyan will become the mistress of the general's mansion after marrying into it, which will be a great help to the Earl's family.
Now that the General's Mansion is deserted and only an empty shell remains, it has lost its former prestige. Marrying Qingyan off to the Earl's Mansion at this time would be a huge loss for the family.
As for the third daughter, Qingci, she was only recently adopted, and she was born to that wretched Su, so she really couldn't like her. She had only been back in the manor for a few days and had already caused so much trouble. Who knows what kind of trouble she would cause in the future.
It would be better to marry them off early so that they would have less to worry about, and it would also be considered that the mother and daughter had made a contribution to the family.
Madam Zhang quickly made up her mind and turned her gaze back to Yu Jingsheng, asking, "What does the Earl think? Our Earl's Mansion was willing to give up Qingyan back then, so why can't we do the same for Qingci now?"
The atmosphere in Shouyin Hall froze instantly. No one spoke for a long time, and even the servants who were serving tea and water were on edge, not daring to make a sound.
Changing brides at the last minute is a big deal. Everyone outside knows that the eldest daughter of the Earl's family is about to marry into the General's Mansion. Now, the third daughter is to be replaced, and she has only recently been brought back to the mansion after being raised outside for more than ten years. I'm afraid that if people outside find out about this, rumors will spread. Some people may even suspect that this suddenly appearing third daughter is a smokescreen used by the Earl's family to protect their own daughter.
However, this variable came from the words of the master of Taijue Temple. The old lady of the General's Mansion was also present and had already tacitly agreed to the change of bride. Now it depends on how the head of the Earl's Mansion will decide.
If they insisted on marrying off the eldest daughter against fate, not to mention getting past the old lady's approval first; but if it were the third daughter who returned halfway through the marriage...
I'm afraid that only the Earl himself in the entire household would be reluctant to part with it.
The candles in Shouyin Hall didn't go out until the third watch of the night. Yu Qingci didn't know how their discussion went, and she didn't want to care. She returned to her Wisteria Courtyard and ate and drank as if nothing had happened.
Tong'er, on the other hand, was extremely anxious and desperately wanted to sneak out of the mansion to find Su Chengniang.
The young lady has encountered such a serious matter, we must inform the madam immediately. Only the madam can wholeheartedly care for the young lady and make decisions for her.
Tong'er no longer trusts her master.
Yu Qingci spent quite a bit of effort to calm Tong'er down: "It's so late and you can't go out anyway, so why don't you go back and get some sleep, and see what Father does first."
Today at Shouyintang, she still pretended to be clueless and didn't say anything, just wanting to see how much her father and grandmother still cared for her.
In their previous life, they quickly compromised, but in this life, she is still unwilling to give up and wants to see how long her father can persist for her sake.
Besides, why should the Qiao mother and daughter get their wish so easily? She can cut flesh with a dull knife too.
Many people in the Earl's mansion slept restlessly that night, their minds preoccupied. When they went to Shouyin Hall to pay their respects in the morning, they saw that Madam Qiao and her daughter Yu Qingyan had very obvious dark circles under their eyes, indicating that they had not slept well all night.
Looking at his father again, the old man also looked listless, as if he hadn't slept well, and his gaze was full of guilt.
Madam Zhang looked at her son and knew he was still reluctant, so she decided to speak up for him.
She beckoned to Yu Qingci: "Third girl, come to your grandmother."
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