Chapter 540 Gossip of the Capital
When the Earl of Enping returned to the capital, Su Rongrong was immediately taken back to the Earl of Enping's residence.
After seeing Su Rongrong off, Qiao Qinghe also received a message from Min Yuexi.
In the end, the Liu family still sent their illegitimate daughter to the Prince of Qi's mansion.
While Qiao Qinghe was busy with Su Rongrong, Prince Qi quietly carried the person into the palace.
When she heard the news, Qiao Qinghe felt helpless and at a loss.
She had said everything she needed to say. But Prince Qi was clearly more concerned about the Liu family now, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Min Yuexi, on the other hand, seemed to be in a good mood. Her letter to Min Yuexi showed no signs of frustration or melancholy; in fact, she told the story as a joke.
It is said that when the Liu family girl entered the family, her dowry was pitifully small, but she still wanted to put on a show of wealth by bribing the steward with money.
As a result, the steward immediately distributed the silver she had given as a reward to the other servants. When the servants who received the reward heard that it was from Consort Liu, they spat and said that she was stingy, that such a small amount of silver was not even worth their attention, let alone the steward.
When this reached Consort Liu's ears, she immediately slapped both the servant and the steward.
Most importantly, the servant who was beaten was the younger brother of a trusted attendant of the King of Qi.
The steward was a capable steward personally selected by the King of Qi when he established his own government.
Consort Liu offended someone she shouldn't have upon entering the mansion, yet she was unaware of it. Relying on her status as a member of the Liu family, she brought the matter to the attention of Prince Qi, demanding that he use public funds from his mansion to prepare a dowry for her.
The King of Qi was immediately enraged.
Just kidding, King Qi was a pure egoist.
It would be strange if he did something that wasn't in his best interest!
Whether he marries Min Yuexi or takes a woman from the Liu family as a concubine, it's all for his own good.
It's good enough that he didn't ask Liu's daughter to give him any money to help him out; why would he want him to give her his money as a dowry?
That's more like a dream.
However, Prince Qi outwardly declined, saying that the affairs of the manor were managed by Prince Qi's wife, and that the money in the manor was under her control. He told her to go find Princess Qi.
Thus, Min Yuexi met Consort Liu, who came to see her with a perfectly justified attitude.
Min Yuexi smiled and said she would discuss it with Prince Qi, but then she turned around and sent a message to the Liu family, asking if they had forgotten to prepare a dowry for Consort Liu. How could she be making such a fuss about the dowry for her so soon after marrying into the Prince's mansion?
Upon learning of this, Old Master Liu became enraged and smashed his teacup.
The next day, someone sent twenty-four sets of dowry and five thousand taels of silver to Consort Liu.
The Liu family lost face, and Consort Liu was also severely punished by the Liu family.
The servants in the mansion were all laughing at Consort Liu.
Min Yuexi was also pleased. Even Prince Qi, who initially wanted to reprimand Min Yuexi, was happy after seeing the extra dowry from Consort Liu and calculating its value.
Thus, the world where everyone was happy except for Consort Liu, was achieved.
Min Yuexi, in a cheerful tone, described her battle of wits with Consort Liu as a fun game of cat and mouse.
Qiao Qinghe couldn't help but smile as she looked at the letter.
However, she still had Madam He prepare quite a few things and went to Princess Qi on her behalf.
I won't feel at ease until I see it with my own eyes.
After He returned, Qiao Qinghe confirmed that Min Yuexi was indeed doing well at the Prince Qi's residence and had not kept the bad news to herself.
Her fears about Liu's daughter plotting to harm Min Yuexi and her unborn child were completely unfounded.
According to He, Consort Liu was strictly forbidden from entering the courtyard where Min Yuexi lived without Min Yuexi's permission.
The four old women who escorted Min Yuexi to the gate were all incredibly strong. They gave Consort Liu no chance to force her way in.
As for those who are underhanded... hehe, everyone around Min Yuexi is either someone who has been with her since the time of the Marquis of Xuanping's residence, or someone she picked out from the group of assassins in Jiangnan.
The rest were all maids under her direct control, including their parents and siblings. Anyone who wanted to betray her would have to consider the consequences.
More importantly, before Liu's daughter entered the house, Min Yuexi only made one request to Prince Qi: without her permission, even Prince Qi was not allowed to bring Liu's daughter into her courtyard.
King Qi would naturally not object to buying Min Yuexi, who was so open-minded and magnanimous.
Therefore, Consort Liu could hardly even see Min Yuexi, let alone plot against her.
After hearing the news brought back by Madam He, Qiao Qinghe was finally relieved.
As time passed, the news of Princess Feng's death was replaced by new gossip.
Aside from the fact that Consort Liu, who was newly brought into the Qi family by the Princess Consort, made a big joke about her dowry, the Sixth Princess, who had never been favored, was also granted a title before her marriage.
It is said that the Crown Prince personally pleaded with Emperor Xiaozhao before he was granted the title of Liyang.
Although she did not have her own residence, she had a title that was no less prestigious than that of Princess Huaiyang, and a good marriage prospect. The Sixth Princess was gradually gaining the momentum to rival the Seventh Princess.
Of course, what attracted the most attention was not the unspoken rivalry between the two princesses, but the marriage of the King of Chu.
The Emperor personally ordered the Empress to select a consort for the Prince of Chu.
As a result, all relevant institutions, including the Imperial Clan Court, the Ministry of Rites, and others, sprang into action.
Because Emperor Xiaozhao had previously stipulated that the Empress should select a principal wife for the Prince of Chu from among the daughters of officials of the third rank and above.
As a result, families who met the criteria put in a lot of effort to ensure their daughters were selected.
Suddenly, countless beautiful young women appeared in every household in the capital.
All eyes in the capital were on these women, and some even secretly opened betting pools, placing bets on which family's daughter would eventually become the Prince of Chu's principal wife.
Whether intentional or unintentional, the selection of a concubine by the King of Chu has caused quite a stir this time.
After learning the news, the crown prince spent the whole day practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard with a gloomy face.
When he got married, Emperor Xiaozhao chose a concubine for him from a family of low social standing.
But when it came to the King of Chu, Emperor Xiaozhao chose one for him from among the noble families.
What is this called? This is called favoritism! This is called valuing someone too much! This is called a threat!
So, just a few days after the news of the King of Chu choosing a concubine spread, it was revealed that a woman was being hidden in the inner quarters of the King of Chu's residence.
Someone with a keen eye dug around carefully, and that's how Min Pan'er was discovered.
The woman from the Min family went to Daxi with the marriage alliance. After returning, she broke her leg and was protected by the King of Chu while she was at the border.
For her sake, the King of Chu first argued with the Seventh Princess, and then publicly fell out with Lady Qinghe.
After returning to the capital, the King of Chu took her to the palace to meet the emperor and, at her request, transferred Jiang Huaisheng to the capital.
Finally, when Min Pan'er made a mistake and was kicked out of the Jiang family and left to wander the streets, he took her back to the mansion and took good care of her.
Tsk tsk... If this isn't true love, what is it?
After thoroughly investigating the past experiences of King Chu and Min Pan'er, the fervor surrounding King Chu's selection of a concubine instantly cooled down by half.
Although the position of the King of Chu's principal wife is good, what pampered girl raised by a high-class family doesn't have a bit of arrogance?
Before even stepping inside, they've already foreseen the days of vying for favor.
It might be more than just a competition for favor! Given the King of Chu's affection for Min Pan'er, she's probably already carrying his eldest son. Just thinking about it is distressing.
For a time, many families backed out.
In particular, those families with truly upright character and good family traditions quietly withdrew from the competition to become the Princess of Chu.
Qiao Qinghe, as an observer, was thoroughly enjoying the gossip.
Just then, she received an invitation from Lady Wen of the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion to go to Fahua Temple outside the city to offer incense.
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