Jiang Yuyao was extremely anxious when she saw Liao was imprisoned in prison for several days.
Fortunately, her father skillfully used his connections to have the government office temporarily shelve Liao's case with another case, delaying it until the day when the Fourth Prince came to the Yongding Marquis's Mansion to perform the ceremony of accepting the marriage.
Long before, Jiang Yuyao and Xinyi Zigu had already completed the procedures of accepting the marriage proposal and asking for the name. They only needed to exchange the engagement letters and have the Imperial Astronomical Observatory verify that there was no conflict or obstruction in their horoscopes, and then the marriage would be officially confirmed.
The celebration of Naji's day was particularly grand, and the imperial concubine in the palace also gave Jiang Yuyao many gorgeous clothes and exquisite jewelry, each of which showed her importance and love for this daughter-in-law.
The fourth prince even came personally and presented a pair of lively wild geese as a good omen.
Xu was recuperating in the backyard due to illness and did not meet any distinguished guests, but the Marquis of Yongding returned from the army the day before the fourth prince Naji.
Upon his return, he first visited Mrs. Xu, and was then summoned to the old lady's room. The mother and son talked all night long.
The next day, when the Fourth Prince came to visit, Marquis Yongding and the old lady sat in the upper seats. Many Jiang clan members and royal relatives were also invited to watch the ceremony, and the scene was very lively.
Jiang Jinzhao, Jiang Baichuan, Jiang Yuyao, the three sisters of the Hao family and other younger generation members all gathered together.
However, the third son Jiang Yeheng was ordered by the Marquis of Yongding to stay in the army to sharpen his skills and was unable to return.
Jiang Yuyao held tightly in her hand the engagement letter handed to her by the Fourth Prince himself, and the heavy burden in her heart was finally lifted.
At this moment, Marquis Yongding asked gravely, "Fourth Prince, I will ask you one last time. The one who was engaged to me in the past was Jiang Songyi. Are you truly determined to marry Yuyao?"
Jiang Yuyao's heartbeat quickened, and she couldn't help biting her lips lightly, secretly glancing at the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince gave her a soothing look and said firmly, "Yes. The Marquis' Mansion favors Jiang Songyi and wants to leave all the good things to her, but in this prince's heart, only Yuyao is concerned."
Facing the elders of the Jiang family and the royal family, the old lady asked Jiang Yuyao: "Yuyao, have you been honest with the Fourth Prince and told him everything you know?"
Jiang Yuyao knew that the old lady was referring to the mystery of her life, which she had never revealed. Although she did not reveal everything, she nodded.
Seeing this, Xinyi Zigu couldn't bear to see her being blamed in front of the elders, so he immediately stood up to defend her: "Yuyao and I have known each other since childhood. We are as close as brothers and sisters. We are completely open and honest with each other. We are completely different from others."
As soon as he finished speaking, he glanced at Jiang Songyi coldly.
Xinyi Zigu knew very well that Jiang Songyi had always coveted to replace Yuyao, and even did not hesitate to use the elders in the mansion to put pressure on Yuyao.
However, today he would let her understand what true disillusionment was!
"Miss Jiang, this prince and your sister are truly a match made in heaven. What do you think?"
After Xinyi Zigu finished speaking, he openly held Jiang Yuyao's slender hand tightly in front of everyone in the marquis's mansion and the clan members.
Jiang Yuyao lowered her head shyly and whispered softly, "It's not right," and tried to pull her hand back.
But Xinyi Zigu held her hand tightly and showed his clasped fingers to Jiang Songyi.
Jiang Yuyao was secretly pleased with herself and glanced at Jiang Songyi provocatively.
You see, the Fourth Prince only has her in his heart. Even if she snatched the engagement from Jiang Songyi, Jiang Songyi could not take it back.
Jiang Songyi was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "I wish you a long and happy life together."
【May you be together forever, live and die together, and never be separated】
However, her brief silence became a symbol of heartbreak and depression in the eyes of Xinyi Zigu and Jiang Yuyao, and they were very satisfied with it.
Jiang Baichuan and Jiang Jinzhao couldn't help but feel suspicious when they heard Jiang Songyi's thoughts.
Wasn't it said that Jiang Songyi was deeply in love with the Fourth Prince and was determined to compete with Jiang Yuyao for the engagement? Why could she still sincerely wish them well?
Old Madam Jiang and Lord Yongding sipped their tea calmly. Their eyes met, and the schemes and tacit understanding in each other's hearts were unspoken.
…
In the capital of Jin, the news of the engagement between the Fourth Prince, Xinyi Zigu, and the second daughter of the Yongding Marquis, Jiang Yuyao, spread rapidly throughout the streets and alleys. Simultaneously, the story of the Fourth Prince and the Second Miss Jiang, their childhood companionship and their perfect love, spread like a spring breeze. Storytellers in numerous teahouses even wove this story into a book, which was widely circulated.
In this storybook, Jiang Songyi, a young lady who returned from the countryside and was once considered uncouth, becomes the villain, who dreams of usurping her sister's engagement and ultimately fails miserably. Consequently, the noble ladies of Jindu envy Jiang Yuyao and look down upon her.
However, neither Jiang Songyi, Jiang Yuyao nor Xinyi Zigu tried to stop this farce of the storybook. Instead, they condoned its spread and even secretly fanned the flames.
Xinyi Zigu thought that this was a good story for him, which could not only enhance Yuyao's status, but also suppress Jiang Songyi's arrogance.
Jiang Yuyao thought that the more hype about her marriage to the Fourth Prince was, the safer her marriage would be once the truth came out.
Jiang Songyi's idea is exactly the same as Jiang Yuyao's.
…
Time flies, and the Lantern Festival is here in the blink of an eye.
The wealthy merchants of Jindu City had already reserved the high-rise buildings and lit lanterns every night until the Lantern Festival. Even from the depths of the Marquis' Mansion, Jiang Yuyao could still see the bustling city, the magnificent sight of thousands of lights adorning the night sky like stars.
During the Lantern Festival, the palace also held a grand banquet, where the emperor and all officials gathered together to celebrate the festival. High-ranking concubines and the families of important officials were allowed to enter the palace to join in the celebration.
The Yongding Marquisate was at its peak due to its outstanding military achievements, and coupled with its marriage to the royal family, it was naturally the guest of honor at the banquet.
During the banquet, the Duke of the Protectorate visited again, intending to bring Jiang Shu along. However, Jiang Shu was now six months pregnant, overweight, and suffering from frequent morning sickness. She also refused to continue the false show of affection with Hao Ren. Therefore, she declined the invitation to the palace banquet, citing her pregnancy as an excuse. The three Hao sisters also stayed at the mansion to keep Jiang Shu company.
Madam Jiang and Jiang Yuyao were both surprised to see Xu wearing gorgeous imperial robes and with exquisite makeup.
It had been a long time since they had seen Xu dressed so lavishly with jewels and gracefully.
Jiang Yuyao walked forward with light lotus steps, frowned slightly, and said in a concerned voice, "Mother, your body can't stand the cold wind..."
She did not have a close relationship with Xu, nor did she really care about her physical condition. She just did not want anyone to speak for Jiang Songyi and thus weaken her position.
"It's okay. Thanks to Songyi's unwavering filial piety, she's visited my room day after day, carefully tending to my condition. My health has improved significantly." Although Mrs. Xu treated Jiang Yuyao coldly, she tenderly held Jiang Songyi's hand and warmed the hot water bottle together. Worried that her daughter wouldn't be able to withstand the slight spring chill, she even considerately adjusted her soft fox fur cloak.
Jiang Yuyao felt a little uneasy. Wasn't Xu's words implying that she was unfilial?
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