Chapter 222 Min Changzhong's Marriage
After explaining to Li Sanqi that she was just a messenger, Qiao Yuanyao briefly relayed Wei Jia's message to Li Sanqi. Then, Li Sanqi took her to pay respects to the Empress and the Empress Dowager, where she received a few words of advice from each of them. With that, she was able to settle down in the palace.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince was furious because the Crown Princess had suffered a miscarriage. After learning the reason, he immediately sent someone to reprimand the Wu family. Then he ordered them to apologize to the Marquis of Xuanping's residence to appease Madam Min Qiao's anger and to make the Marquis of Xuanping's residence downplay the matter so as not to cause trouble for the Crown Princess.
The Wu family was furious, but there was nothing they could do. They had no choice but to prepare generous gifts and send Mrs. Liu, the third wife, to apologize on their behalf.
As a result, Madam Min Qiao didn't even see the person before kicking them out.
"Is this really a good idea?" Ayi asked with some concern. "After all, they are the Crown Princess's family. Is the Grand Madam really not going to see them?"
Madam Min waved her hand, her attitude very firm, "I won't see you."
Although she persisted in her accusations, the Wu family could easily have the steward take the blame. In fact, given the Crown Prince's influence, the authorities might not even sentence the steward to any serious offense, and there was even a possibility of acquittal.
However, she still wasn't going to handle it with care.
The Wu family disgusted her, so she'll disgust them back!
Every day this lawsuit drags on, the Wu family will be in the spotlight and the subject of public discussion.
The longer it drags on, the greater the impact on the Wu family.
The Wu family was affected, and the Crown Princess naturally couldn't escape it either.
If the Crown Prince dares to put pressure on the government, she can drag him down with her.
Wasn't the Crown Prince putting pressure on her through Min Rong? Ha, she still remembers that.
Although she couldn't do anything to the Crown Prince, she was still happy to have the chance to annoy him.
Several days passed slowly like this.
Just as Min Qiaoshi had predicted, the Wu family pushed all the blame onto the steward.
The steward insisted that he was a loyal servant and that he had taken it upon himself to orchestrate this slanderous incident because he couldn't stand Min Qiaoshi bullying his master.
Finally, the yamen sentenced the steward to fifty strokes of the cane and fined him one hundred taels of silver as compensation for the damage to Qiao Yuanyao's reputation.
The other three were each punished with twenty strokes of the cane, and their ill-gotten gains were confiscated.
The matter has come to an end.
But the Wu family ultimately lost face.
Surprisingly, the Crown Prince did not intervene.
However, the Crown Prince's dislike for the Marquis of Xuanping's residence was already out in the open.
The evidence is that on several occasions during the morning court sessions, the Crown Prince seized upon any mistakes made by the Ministry of Works and attacked Min Rong, the acting Right Vice Minister of Works, as if Min Rong was in charge of the Ministry of Works and that any mistakes were his responsibility.
With the Crown Prince's attitude setting an example, Min Rong's days in the Ministry of Works became extremely difficult.
Madam Min Qiao naturally didn't care about these things. Occasionally, when she heard people say that Min Rong was being harassed by the Crown Prince, she would just laugh it off.
It wasn't until her eldest grandson, Min Changzhong, knelt before her, begging her to help him talk to Min Rong about his marriage that she realized Min Rong wasn't unresponsive; he was simply changing his approach.
"Whom does your father want you to marry?" Madam Min wanted to pick at her ears to see if she was getting too old and her hearing was failing.
Min Changzhong lowered his head, his face full of resentment, "The seventh granddaughter of the Wu family, and she's an illegitimate granddaughter!"
Madam Min frowned. Whether she was born out of wedlock or not, or her birth order, was unimportant. What mattered was, "The Wu family your father mentioned, could it be the Crown Princess's family?"
Min Changzhong nodded frantically, "It's the Crown Princess's family! The girl my father made me marry is their seventh daughter, an orphan!"
Upon hearing the affirmative answer, Madam Min frowned.
What is Min Rong trying to do?
Did Min Rong not know about the feud between the Wu family and her?
Is marrying the Wu family's granddaughter at this time an attempt to curry favor with the Wu family, or a slap in their face?
"Grandmother, please help your grandson! I don't want to marry the Wu family's daughter!" Min Changzhong clenched his fists and said earnestly, "I'm still young and don't want to get married so early. Please, Grandmother, help me plead with my father."
Min Qiaoshi looked at Min Changzhong with a somewhat complicated expression.
In his previous life, Min Changzhong also got involved with "Yimei" at a young age and insisted on marrying "Yimei".
However, because she stood in his way in his past life, Min Changzhong ultimately failed to achieve his wish.
This led Min Chang-chung to hate her, just like his sister and parents.
In this life, due to too many changes, Wei Jia was not by her side, and the new "Yi Mei" also had an intersection with Min Changzhong.
However, due to the obstruction of Wei Jia and Min Yuexi, the two were only very close, and it was far from the point where they would marry no one but each other.
"Grandmother? Even if not for her grandson's sake, for the sake of the Marquis's reputation and for her own face, you cannot let your grandson marry that Wu family girl!"
Min Changzhong said again, "Although I am devoted to my studies, I am not deaf or blind. I know that Grandmother and the Wu family have a bad relationship. If we really let the Wu family's daughter into the family, where will Grandmother put her face?"
Madam Min glanced at Min Changzhong and said indifferently, "You should say this to your father. You understand such a simple principle, how could your father not understand it?"
"Alas, in the end, it's still my fault for offending the Wu family and displeasing the Crown Prince, which has made your father's career difficult."
"Your father wants you to marry Miss Wu; he's trying to curry favor with the Crown Prince."
"Instead of begging me, you should try to persuade your father to have some backbone and not kneel down in front of the Crown Prince."
Min Changzhong gritted his teeth and silently lowered his head.
He had already pleaded with his father.
Just as my grandmother said, my father's decision to have him marry the Wu family's daughter was indeed aimed at seeking peace.
My father said that the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion had already declined, so where did it get the confidence and resources to confront the Crown Prince?
If his grandmother hadn't acted willfully and offended the Wu family, which in turn angered the Crown Prince, why would he have needed to use his marriage to apologize to his grandmother?
He is the eldest son of the Marquis's family, the future heir, and the future Marquis of Xuanping!
Now, in order to make up for the mistakes made by his grandmother, he actually wants to marry a concubine's daughter from a humble family!
This is an utter disgrace!
He initially thought his father's words were biased. Although his grandmother acted rashly and without considering the consequences, she couldn't just let the other party bully her without fighting back, could she?
As a grandmother's son and grandson, one should stand with her and share her hatred of the enemy.
So he went to his grandmother for help.
But to his surprise, no matter how much he pleaded, his grandmother completely ignored him!
So, what Father said is true! Grandmother is a selfish person; she only cares about her own pleasure and doesn't care about their lives!
"Grandmother, are you really not going to help me?" Min Changzhong raised his head and stared intently at Min Qiaoshi.
Madam Min glanced at him and said, "Since you're not blind or deaf, you should know that I've already said I'm not involved in anything related to the Marquis's mansion."
You've asked the wrong person.
"Okay. I understand." Min Changzhong agreed, quickly stood up, bowed to Min Qiaoshi, and strode away from Songhe Hall.
However, his departing figure was filled with determination, and his eyes were even more fierce, as if he had made some momentous decision.
This scene was witnessed by Wei Jia, who had come to find Min Qiao Shi.
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