It turned out that Zhao Xi wanted to tour the thirteen prefectures with them, so Feng Liyan suggested that she get engaged before leaving.
Originally, Zhao Xi's marriage was supposed to be arranged by Consort Zhang, but who would have thought that she would suddenly die, and even the eldest prince would "die".
Feng Liyan's years of planning were ruined in an instant, and he was extremely anxious, so he wanted to find a new way to break the deadlock.
The first person that came to mind was Zhao Xi. She was now very famous, and her name as a female ruler had spread throughout Dasheng. She was even capable of becoming an empress.
So he actively sought out marriage partners for Zhao Xi, eventually setting his sights on Yang Sheng, the governor of Haizhou.
Yes, that's Cao Mengyuan's maternal uncle, the prefect. His first wife died three years ago, and he's planning to marry a second wife to manage his household.
He was personally sent to Haizhou by the emperor. Over the years, he maintained a distant relationship with the Feng family, but he had been exchanging flirtatious glances with Xiong Chumo.
Haizhou is close to Suzhou and is basically within the sphere of influence of Jianan Pass, so Feng Liyan wanted to win people over.
He had privately sent people to contact the other party, and Yang Sheng did not seem to be rejecting him, so he was determined to make this marriage a reality.
Upon hearing this news, Madam Feng erupted in fury, like a lioness, "That's a man capable of being Xi'er's father, and you actually let him become a second wife?!"
Feng Liyan frowned angrily, "Although Yang Sheng is forty-one, he is still young and vigorous and is a prefect. He is a trusted minister of His Majesty and will be transferred back to Shengjing in less than two years to be given an important post. Why can't he marry Xi'er?"
If Zhao Xi were to marry a young man, where would she find the power and influence of Yang Sheng? Even Li Jun, the most prominent young master in Shengjing, would need many years to reach that level of power.
Yang Sheng, however, was a ready-made helper.
Madam Feng roared, her eyes bloodshot, "Feng Liyan, that's your daughter! You sold her once for personal gain, wasn't that enough? You want to sell her a second time?!"
In order to get closer to Consort Zhang, he plotted to have his daughter save Consort Zhang. As a result, his daughter was taken in by Consort Zhang in an awkward situation and was raised to be arrogant and conceited.
He even wanted his daughter to marry the former eldest prince so that she could gain greater power.
Snap!
Feng Liyan slapped her in embarrassment and anger, "Shut up, who am I doing all this for? My second brother and I have been working tirelessly, isn't it all for the glory of the Feng family?"
Madam Feng covered her swollen cheek, her gaze cold and desperate.
The glory of being enfeoffed?
How ironic! It's nothing but an excuse for being blinded by greed!
She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, straightened her back, and said, word by word, "If you dare to let Xi'er marry Yang Sheng, I will hang myself in the hall that very day, and make the entire household observe mourning for me!"
Feng Liyan was furious. "If you keep making trouble like this, I'll divorce you!"
Madam Feng sneered, "Divorce me? Hahaha, Feng Liyan, you think I'm afraid of being divorced? You heartless bastard, if you have the guts, write a letter of divorce right now!"
Feng Liyan kicked over the wine bottle in anger, veins throbbing on his forehead.
He truly dared not divorce her. Lady Feng's maternal family and the Empress Dowager's maternal family, the Li clan, were related. His mother-in-law and the Empress Dowager were close friends, which was the marriage he had sought through all means.
Madam Feng's eyes were full of mockery. "The glory of the Feng family is thanks to my son, who has contributed half of it. You remember this: unless I die, you must never again treat Xi'er's marriage as a business transaction. You may be shameless, but I am!"
She turned and left, tears streaming down her face.
Her personal maid, Xiaoxing, quickly helped her up and brought her back to the courtyard. Suddenly, another maid, Xiaoyue, knelt down and said, "Madam, are you really going to let the Marquis scheme against the princess's marriage?"
Madam Feng stood there, tears streaming down her face, her mind in a daze.
The maid Xiaoyue knelt and crawled closer anxiously, "Madam, we cannot sit idly by and wait to die."
Madam Feng was taken aback, then looked at her sharply, "Whose side are you on?"
This was a newly promoted first-class maid. After the investigation, there were no problems. She was very considerate, so she was kept by her side. Unexpectedly, she still couldn't prevent someone from planting her.
Xiaoyue remained calm. "Madam, you are a kind person, which is why I dared to reveal my identity. Please contact Princess Fengxi and ask her to find a reliable person to seek help."
Madam Feng waved for Xiaoxing to leave, then frowned as she scrutinized her, her heart filled with anxiety. "A reliable person?"
Besides going back to her parents' home, who else could she turn to?
Now that the Feng family is powerful, even her maternal family can't help her and her daughter much.
After all, Xi'er is Feng Liyan's daughter, and it is only natural for him, as her father, to arrange her marriage.
Xiaoyue whispered, "If you pass on the message, the princess will understand. Madam, we can't hesitate any longer. Once the Marquis arranges a marriage in secret, the princess's life will be ruined."
"The princess is now a noblewoman, her reputation is rising, and she may even be able to serve as an official in the court in the future. How prestigious it is to be a female official! The princess has been living a carefree and happy life outside these past two years. She likes being an official. So, can you really bear to watch her give up her promising future, be locked in the backyard and subservient to an old man, and spend the rest of her life in misery?"
"Furthermore, even if you threaten the Marquis with suicide this time to abandon this marriage alliance, what about next time? And the time after that? As long as he is still the princess's father, he can arrange the princess's marriage at will."
"If you really die, who will the princess of this manor rely on? Won't she be at the mercy of others to arrange her marriage?"
"I'm even more afraid that the princess will be disappointed in you again. What will you do if she gives up on herself and agrees to the marquis's proposal in a moment of disappointment?"
Madam Feng frowned and paced back and forth. Just thinking about that scene made her heart ache so much she could hardly breathe.
She knew Xi'er's personality best; that kind of situation would definitely happen.
"You mean find outsiders? That's easier said than done. And why would outsiders help us?"
Xiaoyue lowered her voice further and reminded her, "Hand over those things in the hidden compartment by your bedside, and you'll surely be able to get help."
Madam Feng scrutinized her closely, "Whose side are you really on?"
She only knows what she hides in the secret compartment, and she doesn't usually check it easily. If someone touches it, she will definitely notice.
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