The Empress's face instantly darkened.
An invisible pressure forced Qu Jingyun to lower her head. If she uttered even half a wrong word at this moment, the General's Mansion would probably be doomed.
Seeing her caution, a hint of disdain flashed in the Empress's eyes.
She smiled and said, "Madam Zhang, what are you saying? If Jingyun is not satisfied, just pretend I never said it."
After saying this, the Empress looked at Qu Jingyun.
What does Jingyun think of the Fifth Prince?
As expected, he is the Fifth Prince.
Qu Jingyun knelt down and kowtowed deeply to the Empress.
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. However, Yue'er is still young, and her husband has just passed away. I'm afraid she will have to observe three years of mourning for the General."
Upon hearing this, the Empress's expression, which had finally eased somewhat, turned gloomy again.
Lady Gongshun glanced at the Empress, then looked thoughtfully at Qu Jingyun.
Qu Jingyun felt as if she were being stared at by a venomous snake, which made her very uncomfortable.
She had to brace herself and wait for the three men to surround and attack her.
"Oh!"
Lady Gongshun gave a cold laugh.
Her eyes, seemingly laced with venom, stared intently at her as she said, "Madam Shen has given us a good reminder. Miss Shen is not young anymore. If she delays for three years, won't she become an old maid? She can get married before the general's body is found."
Qu Jingyun could no longer bear it, and she looked at Madam Gongshun with resentment.
Then came another cold laugh.
"Madam, you're quite the schemer. You think my general's daughter is going to be married off so hastily?"
Seeing the terrifying look in her eyes, Lady Gongshun suddenly felt a little panicked.
Lady Gongshun avoided her gaze and continued, "Given the circumstances, if you truly care about your daughter, you should marry her off as soon as possible."
Qu Jingyun looked directly at Empress Wang.
"Your Majesty, although the Fifth Prince is somewhat dissolute, he is still the Emperor's son and has some of the true dragon blood in him. My daughter's father has made great contributions to our dynasty and guarded the border for many years. If she is hastily married into the royal family and cannot have a grand wedding, it will disappoint the people."
"Enough!" the Empress shouted angrily.
She looked at Qu Jingyun with displeasure, "I was only doing this for your daughter's sake. It is your words that have truly broken my heart."
Qu Jingyun lowered her eyes and wiped away her tears.
Then came another sigh.
She solemnly kowtowed to the Empress.
Upon seeing this, the Empress's heart began to race.
This person just looked unwilling, what's he doing now?
"If Your Majesty insists on this, then I have no choice but to take the General's family and everyone else to their deaths."
After speaking, she looked up and met the Empress's surprised gaze.
The Empress remained silent for a long time, her phoenix eyes blazing with fury.
Because of Qu Jingyun, she has developed several more fine lines around her eyes.
Seeing that the situation was about to reach a stalemate, Madam Zhang suddenly raised her voice and questioned, "Madam Shen, what do you mean by this? Do you feel wronged? Is it wrong for Her Majesty the Empress to kindly bestow a marriage upon Miss Shen?"
Qu Jingyun said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "If my husband were still alive, I would be very grateful to Your Majesty. But now that my husband has just passed away, I am in a hurry to marry off my daughter. What will outsiders think of me?"
“They will think that I am trying to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. My husband’s body is not even cold yet, and I’m already rushing to marry off my daughter. If that happens, the General’s Mansion will really have no way to survive.”
After speaking, Qu Jingyun kowtowed to the Empress again.
"Your Majesty, I only wish to keep Yue'er by my side for a few more years. I have missed too much time with my child in these five years since I last returned. Your Majesty is also a mother. Please have pity on me."
"Enough!" the Empress snapped impatiently.
She looked at Qu Jingyun with annoyance.
"I was just saying it casually. If you don't want to, then forget it."
"Your Majesty..."
Mrs. Zhang panicked.
She looked at the Empress helplessly.
Wasn't the plan to get rid of Chen Yue and leave Qu Jingyun all alone?
The Empress frowned and looked at Madam Zhang with displeasure.
"Does Madam Zhang perhaps want me to play matchmaker for her?"
"This humble woman dares not," Madam Zhang quickly shook her head in refusal.
She dared not accept such a large hat.
The Empress glanced at Qu Jingyun with annoyance.
It's a tough nut to crack, really hard to gnaw on.
Not wanting to see her again, the Empress dismissed her with a few curt words.
Qu Jingyun finally breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the palace.
As soon as I entered the General's Mansion, I saw Shen Yue standing at the door with tears in her eyes.
Upon seeing Qu Jingyun, Shen Yue looked aggrieved.
Seeing that she was crying, Qu Jingyun strode forward.
"What's wrong?"
"I……"
Thinking of what the Fifth Prince had said when she went out to see him, Shen Yue bit her lip nervously, still unsure how to start the conversation.
Seeing that she hesitated for a long time without uttering a single word, Qu Jingyun frowned.
"Be open and honest, and say what you want to say directly."
Sensing her displeasure, Shen Yue became even more flustered.
"I... am... the Fifth Prince..."
Upon hearing that it was related to the Fifth Prince, Qu Jingyun's brows furrowed even more.
Those eyes, which could see right through people, became even sharper.
She sternly warned, "The Fifth Prince is not suitable for you. Stop thinking about him."
Shen Yue lowered her eyes sadly and said aggrievedly, "I never thought about marrying him. It was the Fifth Prince who said that you came to the palace today for my marriage with him."
"You went to see the Fifth Prince?"
Qu Jingyun's tone became extremely cold.
Realizing she had said the wrong thing, Shen Yue covered her mouth, her dark eyes filled with fear.
She sighed in disappointment.
"Come with me."
After saying that, she led the person back to the main courtyard.
As soon as she entered, Shen Yue knelt down in fear, grabbing her mother's arm and saying anxiously, "Mother, I don't want to marry the Fifth Prince."
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