The Xiao family mansion was located at the end of East Street, and its courtyard was smaller than those purchased by the Bai and Chen families.
Xiao Guangyuan glanced at the sky and said slowly, "I'll have my servants take you to the courtyard to rest first. We can discuss everything tomorrow, okay?"
"I'll leave everything to my husband's arrangements," Chen Zhixiu said softly, her eyes full of trust.
Bai Tuantuan looked up. The sun hadn't completely set yet, so there was plenty of time to explain things clearly. Obviously, Xiao Guangyuan had gone to find someone to confirm the news.
The butler looked at Chen Zhixiu and Bai Tuantuan with great respect.
"Uncle Butler, is this courtyard so remote?" Bai Tuantuan frowned as she looked at the courtyard in front of her.
The butler sighed, "Only this courtyard in the house is empty..."
"How could that be?" Bai Tuantuan feigned surprise. "I've seen quite a few courtyards along the way!"
"Miss, you may not know this, but some of those courtyards are for the Madam to admire the flowers, and others are for Miss Ruyan to play in. This is the only place that has room available."
"Oh, I see." Bai Tuantuan nodded obediently. "Alright then, my mom and I will stay here."
Chen Zhixiu nodded gently: "I suppose the steward hasn't had time to arrange maids since we arrived so suddenly, so there's no need for that. Tuantuan and I both have people with us."
The steward looked at Ruotang and Granny Bai and nodded to them: "This servant will have someone send over the things that Madam and Miss need later. If there is anything missing, this servant will go and buy it tomorrow."
"Thank you," Chen Zhixiu replied, watching the butler leave.
Once inside the room, Chen Zhixiu and Bai Tuantuan found the small but clean courtyard acceptable.
However, Ruotang and Granny Bai's eyes were full of heartache.
“Such a small courtyard is only for servants in the Prime Minister’s residence. It must have been difficult for the Madam and Miss.” Granny Bai sighed. “They left in such a hurry that they didn’t take anything with them.”
As Ruotang tidied up, she said, "The bedding looks clean, but it's too old..."
"No, you can't sleep here."
Upon seeing the hole in the bedding, Ruotang was shocked and immediately said, "I'll go back to the Prime Minister's residence to get my things."
Chen Zhixiu smiled: "No need, we'll go back in a bit."
Granny Bai and Ruotang were taken aback and looked at Chen Zhixiu with some confusion.
Chen Zhixiu didn't say much. After the housekeeper brought the things, Chen Zhixiu led Bai Tuantuan towards the courtyard of the Xiao family's old lady.
Along the way, the maids and servants looked at Chen Zhixiu and Bai Tuantuan and whispered among themselves.
"Are these the master's first wife and daughter? They are so beautiful!"
"That's right, I heard she's the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter, and now she's a princess and a county princess!"
"My God! This status is so prestigious!"
"Yes, and I also heard that the lady and young lady have very good tempers! They even received a reward for delivering the gifts!"
The surrounding chatter naturally reached Chen Zhixiu and Bai Tuantuan's ears.
At this moment, Xiao Guangyuan looked at Old Madam Xiao with a headache: "Are you sure she accepted the letter of divorce? That she agreed? Then why?"
Old Mrs. Xiao had been well taken care of these days, and with a rosy complexion, she looked at Xiao Guangyuan and said, "What, that little hussy has come to the capital? Yuan'er, don't be afraid, Mother will go and deal with her for you!"
As she spoke, Old Madam Xiao was about to get off the bed, but Xiao Guangyuan stopped her: "How should we handle this? She is now the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter! She is a princess!"
Grandma Xiao was stunned, looking at Xiao Guangyuan in disbelief: "Princess? This, how is this possible?"
After Xiao Guangyuan briefly recounted the events, Old Madam Xiao slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh dear! What a loss! What a huge loss! That's the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family! A princess! She's far better than your current daughter of some Grand Secretary! And Xiu'er is obedient; if I tell her to go east, she wouldn't dare go west. Unlike your current wife, who gives me the cold shoulder at the drop of a hat! Anyone who didn't know better would think I was a servant in the manor!"
"Alright, Mother! What's the use of saying all this now?" Xiao Guangyuan said irritably. "Things have come to this point. If we don't handle this properly, the Zheng family might put pressure on me."
"So what if you put pressure on me? Your Chen Zhixiu is deeply in love with you, and you have the Prime Minister protecting you. What can a mere Grand Secretary do to you?"
"What I fear is not the Zheng family, but the Prince Ping's Mansion behind the Zheng family!"
Grandma Xiao looked surprised, opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.
After a long pause, he finally said, "The Prince's Mansion is still more powerful. So, what are you planning to do?"
"Mother, there's only one way now." Xiao Guangyuan took a deep breath and said slowly, "You must find a way to persuade Chen Zhixiu to become your concubine!"
"That's easy!" Grandma Xiao smiled with relief. "Don't worry, Chen Zhixiu listens to me the most!"
To be a concubine?
Chen Zhixiu and the others outside naturally heard it.
Granny Bai was furious, and Ruotang's face was also full of anger.
Chen Zhixiu took a deep breath. Xiao Guangyuan wanted to ruin her by making a princess his concubine!
If she were truly head over heels in love with Xiao Guangyuan, she might have agreed to his plea to avoid putting him in a difficult position. However, this would have been a slap in the face to the Emperor. Throughout history, there has never been a case of a princess becoming a concubine!
Bai Tuantuan naturally thought of this as well. Xiao Guangyuan wanted the emperor to stop supporting his mother, which might also implicate the Bai and Chen families!
"Mother?" Bai Tuantuan called softly.
Chen Zhixiu forced a smile and pushed Bai Tuantuan next to Granny Bai and Ruotang: "Take good care of the young lady."
When she looked up again, tears were streaming down her face. She rushed inside, crying, "Husband! How could you do this to me!"
The heart-wrenching sound was so powerful that it broke the hearts of those who heard it and brought tears to their eyes!
"My mom's acting is really good," Bai Tuantuan exclaimed.
Ruotang and Granny Bai exchanged a glance, and they could vaguely guess why Chen Zhixiu had done this.
"Perhaps Miss wants... revenge," Granny Bai said tentatively.
Bai Tuantuan nodded: "Yes, it's revenge! I want to ruin my cheapskate father's reputation!"
Upon hearing this, Ruotang seemed to realize something: "Could it be that Lord Xiao has really abandoned Miss?"
"They also wanted to kill us."
Bai Tuantuan chimed in, which angered Bai Mama and Ruotang so much that they almost rushed in after her.
Inside, Chen Zhixiu's sobbing voice came again: "Husband, we promised to be together for life. I don't blame you for marrying someone else, but now you want me to be your concubine? I am a princess! Aren't you afraid that the emperor will hate me and then hate you?"
Xiao Guangyuan was surprised that Chen Zhixiu had overheard his conversation with Old Madam Xiao, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Looking at Chen Zhixiu, who was adorned with gold and silver, Old Madam Xiao's eyes turned red with jealousy. She said, "Shut up! I only made you a concubine because you are the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter. If you were still a commoner, you wouldn't even be worthy to carry my son's shoes!"
"Pah! You beast!" Granny Bai couldn't help but spit out her saliva upon hearing this.
"Pah! You hypocrite!" Ruotang couldn't help but curse.
Bai Tuantuan thought for a moment and then echoed, "Pah! Old trash!"
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