Chapter 41 Who will be the "lucky one"? ...
Shen Lingyue naturally only reported good news and not bad news.
But to be honest, she's quite satisfied with her current life.
My father-in-law is out of the loop, my mother-in-law is kind, my husband is obedient, and I can even cuddle with Yan Yan every day!
Seeing her daughter's beaming face, Zhao Lan knew that her daughter was indeed living a comfortable life in the Marquis's mansion.
Hearing Shen Lingyue say that she had her period a few days ago and had been in bed for several days, he frowned almost imperceptibly.
...Never mind, we've only been married for a month, there's no need to rush.
The mother and daughter were chatting when the Taoist priest outside finished performing an exorcism ritual and strode in.
Aunt Liu wiped away her tears and hurriedly went to greet him, asking respectfully, "Taoist Master, why did my master suddenly fall ill? Did he offend something?"
Yes and no.
The Taoist priest stroked his goatee, shaking his head, "Master Shen's illness came on strangely, but he didn't offend any evil spirits, but rather..."
He paused, then suddenly looked at Shen Songyi by the bedside, scrutinized her from head to toe, and was horrified.
"What are the birth dates and times of this young lady in your household?"
Aunt Liu seemed startled, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered her birth date and time to the Taoist priest.
The Taoist priest moved his fingers rapidly, chanting incantations.
Shen Songyi clung to Aunt Liu's arm, looking frightened.
Shen Lingyue stood aside watching the commotion, when a sudden thought struck her and she whispered to Zhao Lan, "This Taoist priest isn't going to say that Second Sister's birth chart is bad for Father and that he wants to move her out of the Shen residence, is he?"
Zhao Lan frowned and remained silent, staring intently at the Taoist priest and Aunt Liu, trying to find a connection between the two.
Aunt Liu wouldn't possibly hire a Taoist priest to dig a hole for herself...
"Oh dear, oh dear, it was my poor judgment that led me here!"
The Taoist priest suddenly stopped making hand seals, took a step back, and bowed deeply to the chanting ceremony.
After getting up, he solemnly addressed Shen Hang on the bed, saying, "Master Shen, your daughter is destined for greatness! If you try to find her an ordinary husband, you won't be able to handle such a noble fate, and it will backfire on you."
Shen Hang opened his mouth in shock, about to speak, but saliva uncontrollably flowed out.
Zhao Lan let out a sneer, then quickly masked it as if nothing had happened.
So that's what Aunt Liu was planning.
"Wow!" Shen Lingyue cupped her face in her hands, her tone exaggerated, "Congratulations, Second Sister! Congratulations, Second Sister! You're going to be the Empress!"
Shen Hang suddenly sat up in bed, muttering something incoherently.
However, his speech was unclear, becoming increasingly incoherent, and his voice rose in pitch, sounding like a short-circuited electronic tadpole.
Shen Lingyue ran to the bedside, "Dad, slow down, say it one word at a time."
Shen Hang clenched his fist and slowed his speech.
"I...I...dare...say...this...is...a...capture...my...heads!"
Shen Lingyue repeated it, and Shen Hang nodded vigorously and let out a loud "Ah!"
After saying that, he glared at his youngest daughter.
Shen Lingyue stuck out her tongue. "That's how it is. She's destined to be a phoenix, isn't she supposed to be the empress?"
The Taoist priest waved his hand with a smile, "Madam, you are mistaken. Your daughter's destiny is not that of a true phoenix, but rather a luan-feng. She cannot become an empress, but she must marry into a noble and illustrious family so that her family can be safe and sound."
"But I read in the book that the phoenix is male and the huang is female. So what species are the luan and phoenix? Are they male or female?"
Shen Lingyue asked with a look of curiosity, "And, according to you, if Second Sister doesn't marry well, then our whole family will be unlucky?"
The Taoist priest hadn't expected to run into such a tough opponent while acting according to the script. He was speechless for a moment and subconsciously looked at Aunt Liu.
Aunt Liu reacted quickly, calmly pushing the Taoist priest aside and stepping forward, "Third Miss, you've already married a good man, why do you still want to make things difficult for your second sister? Are you happy that she married poorly?"
“I didn’t mean that,” Shen Lingyue immediately denied, then muttered under her breath, “Anyway, Dad didn’t get sick because of me.”
Shen Hang sat on the bed, panting heavily, glancing at Aunt Liu and her daughter, then at Shen Lingyue.
“Master, I think what the Taoist priest said might have some merit.”
Aunt Liu rushed over, grabbed his hand tightly, and said softly, "Our daughter has a noble destiny that ordinary families cannot afford. Perhaps this is a warning from heaven. Only by marrying Yi'er off to a wealthy and noble family can we benefit our Shen family and your career!"
“@#￥%&…” Shen Hang started playing electronic music again, his voice like a tadpole.
Aunt Liu couldn't understand, and they just stared at each other.
"Oh dear, I guess I'll have to do it."
Shen Lingyue started her misheard lyrics challenge again.
"I just want a son-in-law who is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), why is it so...difficult!"
This time she's learned to answer first.
Shen Hang let out a soft "Ah!" and reluctantly gave Shen Lingyue a thumbs up.
Shen Lingyue smiled slyly and turned back to ask the Taoist priest, "They say that scholars are the reincarnation of the God of Literature, but even the God of Literature can't suppress my second sister's... Phoenix destiny?"
The Taoist chuckled twice, "There are countless scholars in the world, how can every one of them be a reincarnation of a literary champion?"
“That makes sense.” Shen Lingyue nodded seriously. “Anyway, Second Sister has to marry into a powerful and wealthy family, otherwise my father’s illness will never be cured. Is that what you mean, Daoist?”
This wasn't just a hint; it was an explicit statement.
Shen Hang's eyes widened, and his suspicious gaze swept over Aunt Liu and her daughter.
"Third Miss, how could you curse your own father like that?"
Aunt Liu deeply resented Shen Lingyue's sudden return, which ruined her plans. She could only keep changing the subject and swore in front of Shen Hang that she was willing to serve him medicine every day until he recovered.
Shen Hang's doubts were swept away by Aunt Liu's torrent of tears, and she grabbed her hand and cried out.
Shen Lingyue provided the voiceover: "When I'm...received...Yi'er..."
"Let's look at each other again?"
This time it was Aunt Liu's turn to answer first, her eyes sparkling with surprise, "Cousin, you're so kind!"
The two embraced tightly, oblivious to everyone else around them.
...
"Thank you, Mother, for calling me back to see the excitement."
Leaving the room, Shen Lingyue cheerfully linked arms with Zhao Lan.
Please, this is a real-life version of an electronic music tadpole!
Zhao Lan pinched her increasingly round face and pretended to be serious: "Tone it down, that's your father."
Shen Lingyue kept her mouth tightly shut, but some soft chuckles still escaped her lips.
Zhao Lan pretended not to hear.
Once back in the main courtyard, she spoke slowly and deliberately: "I knew I was right not to get involved in her marriage back then."
Aunt Liu even resorted to such crooked and unethical methods in order to help her daughter marry into a better family.
Shen Hang actually believed in such a thing as a phoenix's noble destiny?
Shen Lingyue devoured all the pastries on the table, chewing them one by one.
She still prefers the cooking of the cook at home; the pastries aren't as sweet.
She asked Zhao Lan, "Was Father really sick because he caught a chill at night? Could it be that Aunt Liu poisoned him?"
Zhao Lan frowned, then slowly shook her head.
"She doesn't have that kind of courage."
Shen Hang is Aunt Liu's only support in the Shen family. If anything happens to him, Zhao Lan will be the first to deal with her.
Shen Lingyue didn't pursue the matter further, after all, Zhao Lan knew Aunt Liu better than she did.
Perhaps it was just a coincidence? Then Aunt Liu took advantage of the situation and invited a swindler to her house to deceive people.
Zhao Lan then asked, "Did you know that Princess Heng is about to host a new 'Floating Wine Cups' banquet?"
"Oh? Didn't Princess Tong'an just hold one?"
"Didn't they find poisonous mushrooms at the banquet hosted by the Prince?" Zhao Lan said leisurely. "His Majesty entrusted the task of hosting the banquet to Princess Heng. It was originally supposed to start next year, but Princess Heng recently said that this year's matchmaking banquet was not held and a replacement banquet needs to be held."
Shen Lingyue's expression was subtle.
Sigh, here's the culprit that forces unmarried men and women in Beijing to attend two matchmaking events.
Fortunately, Princess Tong'an seemed to have forgotten about this. She had been visiting the princess's residence every day recently, but she hadn't mentioned it.
Sometimes Shen Lingyue couldn't help but wonder if Princess Tong'an had long since given up on her job.
Matchmaking for unmarried men and women is nowhere near as interesting as Yunshao Girls' School.
“Shen Songyi will definitely still go; I reckon your Marquis’s residence will also receive an invitation.”
Zhao Lan said, "Just treat this trip as a chance to eat, drink, and have fun. Don't worry about any trouble she might cause."
The last time was before Shen Lingyue was properly married off, and Zhao Lan wouldn't allow anyone to ruin her youngest daughter's marriage.
Now that Shen Lingyue is living a good life in the Marquis's mansion and her three biological children have all been taken care of, who cares about Shen Songyi anymore?
Zhao Lan felt that she had achieved all her life goals, and from now on she would live a life of doing whatever she wanted, and she didn't even care about Shen Hang's illness anymore.
If Aunt Liu is willing to serve him humbly, then so be it.
Having rarely returned home, Shen Lingyue had dinner with Zhao Lan before returning to the Marquis's residence.
After asking the gatekeeper and learning that Pei Jingyi had already finished his shift, she abandoned her plan to go to Jiusi Courtyard.
Yan Yan is hers during the day, but she can stay with her older brother at night. ^_^
The next day, Shen Lingyue went to play with Yan Yi.
"Why did your stepmother suddenly give birth? Is it a boy or a girl? Did she make things difficult for you when she asked you to go back?"
Upon meeting, she bombarded him with questions.
Yan Yi was both amused and exasperated, and answered each question in turn: "It was a premature birth, a boy, weighing only a little over five pounds, but the midwife said he was well cared for in the womb and there shouldn't be any major problems."
She sighed, "She didn't call me back to make things difficult for me; she just wanted to know if Yanling had come looking for me."
It turns out that Lin Qiyu's premature birth was caused by anger from her biological daughter, Zhou Yanling.
Recently, the mother and daughter have been arguing about blind dates. Lin Qiyu carefully selects a husband for her daughter, but Zhou Yanling doesn't like any of them and even finds a lot of faults in them.
Lin Qiyu was so angry that she scolded her every day, saying that even a princess wouldn't be this picky, and what kind of person was she looking for?
This morning, the maid went to wake her up, but after knocking on the door for a long time, there was no response. When she went into the room, she found that her clothes and jewelry were neatly arranged, and there was only a letter left on the table - Zhou Yanling had run away from home to escape an arranged marriage.
Lin Qiyu quickly sent people out to search, and also notified Zhou Chuan to return from the military camp outside the city. After searching for most of the day without any news, she went into premature labor in her anxiety.
“She thought that Yanling was usually close to me, and maybe I was the one who encouraged her to run away from home, so she insisted that I hand her over.”
Yan Yi frowned. "But Yan Ling really left a note and ran away this time. I didn't receive any news at all."
Lin Qiyu and Zhou Chuan both demanded that she return the person, and Yan Yi, in a fit of anger, swore an oath on her deceased mother's memorial tablet, which dispelled their suspicions.
She didn't stay at the Zhou residence long; she left after putting down her congratulatory gifts.
Shen Lingyue then cursed her biased parents a few times, and said to Zhou Yanling, "She's really bold, she actually did something we wouldn't dare to do."
Yan Yi was somewhat worried. "The Zhou family searched all over the capital for a whole day, and I heard they even secretly asked the Shuntian Prefecture for help, but they still couldn't find Yan Ling's whereabouts. Where could she be hiding?"
Shen Lingyue: "Could they have already left the capital? Perhaps they went to stay with some relatives on their maternal side or something?"
"I don't know, but I think since she dared to leave a note and run away, she wouldn't go looking for the Lin family, otherwise wouldn't she be walking into a trap?"
Yan Yi was worried that Zhou Yanling, a seventeen-year-old girl, was still in danger leaving home alone, even though she knew some martial arts.
Shen Lingyue comforted her, "Maybe she just found a place to hide, to make her parents worry for a while, so they won't dare to play matchmaker anymore, and then she'll come back?"
Yan Yi forced a smile. "I hope so."
Two days later, the Marquis's residence indeed received an invitation from Princess Heng to hold a new matchmaking banquet.
Now, Dong Lanyi is the only unmarried young lady in the Marquis's mansion.
Although Pei Yuzhen was thinking about Pei Jingyi, she didn't want to miss any new opportunities. She had been busy making clothes and jewelry for her daughter these past few days and hadn't had time to pick a fight with them.
Shen Lingyue was also very excited, and every day she would drag Yan Yi to help her choose clothes and jewelry, preparing to dress up beautifully to go eat melons.
However, just one day before the banquet, someone from the Prince Heng's residence came to inform them that the female guests attending the banquet could only wear clothes in pink, white, or light blue; otherwise, they would not be allowed to enter.
"What new tricks is Princess Heng up to?" Shen Lingyue whispered to Yan Yi. "It's just a blind date banquet, and she's even setting up dress codes. Does she think she's the Met Gala?"
Yan Yi: "Anyway, we're just there to make up the numbers, so there's no need to dress up in fancy clothes."
The two then decided on two sets of light pink dresses with matching embroidery patterns to wear when they went out the next day.
Shen Lingyue clenched her fist: "Next time, find an embroiderer to make a few more sets of new clothes. We should all wear the same clothes when we go out."
She wanted everyone in the capital to know that she had taken over Yan Yan's wardrobe!
*
The banquet was held at the Prince Heng's Mansion, where it is said that there is a spring that brings in water from outside the city, and that the water is very sweet.
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi got off the carriage. At the main gate of the Prince's Mansion, two burly stewardesses were standing there, meticulously checking the guests' attire. They were very strict, and even those with brightly colored accessories were required to remove them.
"Why are there regulations only for women's attire, while men can enter regardless of what they wear?"
Shen Lingyue looked around while standing in line and noticed the differential treatment, which made her somewhat dissatisfied.
She soon found out the answer.
Upon entering the Prince Heng's mansion, one could see a young girl in a bright red dress adorned with gold butterflies walking arrogantly through the crowd.
Her dazzling gown stood out even more against the backdrop of other pink, white, and blue outfits.
She was none other than the daughter of Princess Heng, the host of this banquet, and the Princess of Rongcheng.
Shen Lingyue tried to hold back, but couldn't help rolling her eyes.
The attempt to smuggle in personal agendas is far too obvious!
Is this meant to make all the women in the room just there to be there as foils for your precious daughter?
Soon, the others realized this as well, and their expressions became quite subtle as they looked at each other.
No wonder everyone says that Prince Heng is on a roll lately and there are many calls for him to be the crown prince. Look, Princess Heng can't wait to enjoy her special privileges.
What can be done?
They might just be future empresses or princesses; who would dare offend them?
Shen Lingyue touched her chest and comforted herself, "Luckily, we're both married women."
Let's just relax and be spectators today!
As the two chatted, they walked into the Prince's mansion. They saw a large group of people ahead of them, all smiling, talking to the person at the very back of the circle. Their friendly attitude was tinged with a hint of flattery.
Who is this VIP guest?
Shen Lingyue stood on tiptoe to look and met Zheng Chunyun, who was being surrounded by people and was getting annoyed.
Zheng Chunyun also saw her, her eyes lit up, and without saying a word, she pushed aside the women from various families who were trying to flatter her and went straight to the two of them.
Today, she wore a light blue dress and had her hair styled in a high bun, revealing her full and generous forehead. She looked cheerful, composed, and confident.
"We've finally waited for you."
Zheng Chunyun grabbed one of them with each hand, turned to the women and smiled politely, "My two sisters and I have some private words to say, please excuse us, we'll talk to you another day."
"Madam Ling, you're too kind. Please go about your business. We'll have time anytime."
"That's right, that's right. Your business is important, so we won't bother you any longer."
The crowd tactfully dispersed.
With no one around, Zheng Chunyun finally relaxed a little, rubbing her cheeks a couple of times. "It's been so long since I've gone out for social events, my face is so stiff from smiling."
Shen Lingyue smiled and said, "That's because Sister Zheng is very popular right now, and she's already met the Duchess of Lingguo~"
Yan Yi smiled at her and said, "Congratulations, Sister Zheng, your hard work has finally paid off."
Zheng Chunyun is no longer the granddaughter of a disgraced official whom everyone avoids, but rather the wife of Gu Lin, the Duke of Lingguo, the war god of Daye, who is favored by the emperor and highly sought after.
It is said that in order to cure Gu Lin's leg, Emperor Qingxi directly sent three imperial physicians to live in the Duke of Ling's mansion, to be available at any time, and to send the medical records to the palace every ten days for him to review personally.
This is a privilege that even many members of the imperial clan do not enjoy, not to mention that Zheng Chunyun became the mistress of the Duke of Ling's mansion at a young age, and countless people were eager to curry favor with her.
Shen Lingyue asked with concern, "How is Brother Gu's leg recovering? Last time I heard you went out of the city to search for a reclusive doctor, what did he say?"
Zheng Chunyun smiled and nodded, "With that old gentleman and the imperial physicians working together to treat me, I have been given medicinal baths and acupuncture every day. They all say it's effective, but I still need time to recover slowly."
She pursed her lips and softened her voice: "My husband said I would be bored staying at home with him every day, so he insisted that I come out for a walk and get some fresh air."
As soon as the results came out, she was surrounded by women from various families whom she barely knew. If it weren't for seeing Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi, Zheng Chunyun would have wanted to go straight back to the Duke of Ling's mansion.
"Oh my, Brother Gu is so thoughtful~" Shen Lingyue winked at her, determined to make Zheng Chunyun blush.
So the gossip team gained another member, and the three of them set off together.
Shen Lingyue whispered, "Princess Heng is using all of them as stepping stones for Princess Rongcheng. It seems she's determined to choose a son-in-law today."
Yan Yi suddenly pointed and said, "Aren't those Qi Xiuyuan and Jiang Tanhua? They're here today too."
Thinking of something, she and Shen Lingyue exchanged a glance.
Could it be that the Princess of Rongcheng still hasn't given up on Qi Xiuyuan?
...
"Brother Jiang, you can't go wrong by listening to my experience. After the banquet starts, don't touch any food or drink. Just drink the water you brought and eat the snacks you brought. Just bear with it and you'll be fine when you get home."
Qi Xiuyuan was earnestly sharing his experience, and even held up a full water bag in his hand, saying, "I brought some, I'll share half with you in a bit."
Jiang Yunlin looked confused. He hadn't attended the matchmaking banquet hosted by Tong'an Gong because he was feeling unwell. Later, he heard that everyone had found poisonous mushrooms in their food and were talking nonsense.
"Brother Qi, is it really that dangerous?"
Qi Xiuyuan nodded emphatically, "The danger isn't the poisonous mushrooms, but... cough, you'll understand later."
Although Brother Jiang's reputation for being a jinx to his wives has already spread, what if there are some who are not afraid of death?
The beauty of the third-ranked scholar was an authoritative certification passed down through generations of imperial examinations.
Qi Xiuyuan repeatedly instructed, "Stay close to me for a while, don't get separated from me, and don't leave with any unfamiliar maids."
"Alright, alright, I'll be relying on Brother Qi today."
The two of them made sure they were mentally prepared before going inside, as if they were heading to a dangerous place rather than a banquet.
A head peeked out from the bushes behind.
"Seeing how vigilant Qi Xiuyuan is, I feel relieved."
Shen Lingyue waved to the two people hiding behind her, "Come out, they're gone."
Zheng Chunyun and Yan Yi emerged from behind the tree, and after a moment, they realized, "What were we hiding from?"
Isn't today a matchmaking event? Besides, they're all married, so it's not a big deal for them to exchange a few words with other men.
Shen Lingyue froze, then looked up at the sky.
Ah, dogs are used to sneaking around like that...
"Huh, who's that person? I don't think I've seen him before?"
Shen Lingyue has found a new target.
Zheng Chunyun looked in the direction she pointed and said, "Oh, that's the top scholar of this year's imperial examination, Jiang Ping."
"Huh?" Shen Lingyue was greatly disappointed. "How could the top scholar look like this?"
While it's wrong to judge a book by its cover... after seeing Qi Xiuyuan and Jiang Yunlin first, and then seeing this top scholar Jiang Ping, the difference is really quite significant.
Well, to put it simply, he's just ordinary, unremarkable, the kind of person you wouldn't notice in a crowd... with uneven eyes, huh?
Zheng Chunyun knew more: "This man has a nickname among the people: 'The Scholar Who Picks Up Bargains'."
It is said that Jiang Ping's essay was originally ranked third in the provincial examination. Generally, the rankings in the palace examination and the provincial examination do not change much. In other words, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Jiang Ping was very likely to become the third-ranked scholar in this year's examination.
But on the day of the palace examination, when Emperor Qingxi entered the Hall of Preserving Harmony and saw... looking like this, what does he have to do with being the third-ranked scholar?
The news spread, leading neighboring countries to believe that Da Ye was deserted.
As a result, Jiang Ping performed exceptionally well in the palace examination, writing a truly exquisite and beautiful essay that was on par with Jiang Yunlin, who ranked first in the provincial examination.
Emperor Qingxi hesitated for a long time, and finally with a stroke of his vermilion pen, he appointed the handsome Jiang Yunlin as the third-ranked scholar, and Jiang Ping became the new top scholar.
As for the runner-up? The runner-up is a middle-aged man who is almost forty years old. His eldest son is about to get married. He performs very consistently and is always the second best.
Shen Lingyue pouted after hearing this, "What a pity, Jiang Tanhua could have been the top scholar."
Yan Yi also lamented, "When you're unlucky, being too good-looking has become a sin."
If Jiang Ping were even slightly decent-looking, his nickname of "the lucky one who got the top scorer" wouldn't be for nothing.
Shen Lingyue asked Zheng Chunyun, "Jiang Ping shouldn't have been chosen as a son-in-law by the list of successful candidates yet, right?"
Zheng Chunyun shook her head. "Anyway, I've never heard of it."
Which young lady doesn't love a handsome young man? Jiang Ping is indeed very talented, but which adult would dare to play matchmaker for their daughter? They would be punished by their wives by kneeling on a washboard when they got home.
Shen Lingyue thought about it. Shen Hang really doted on Shen Songyi, and he hadn't even mentioned bringing Jiang Ping home for a meeting.
I wonder who will ultimately snag this bargain-hunting champion?
...
"Me and Jiang Ping? Mother, are you crazy? What makes him compare to Qi Xiuyuan?"
Princess Rongcheng stared at Princess Heng in disbelief. "You want me to marry someone that all the noble ladies in the capital look down on? Am I some kind of lowly thing?"
"You think I'd be willing to do that? It's all because your father hinted at it."
Princess Heng coaxed her gently, "Think about it, all the young ladies in the capital think Jiang Ping is ugly, but he has the talent of a top scholar. If you marry him, wouldn't that show that you have a discerning eye and value inner qualities more than appearance?"
"No, I don't want that. I'm shallow and vain. I just like Qi Xiuyuan's face!"
Princess Rongcheng stamped her foot, "Don't even mention marrying Jiang Ping, just seeing his face makes me so sick I have nightmares!"
Princess Heng was worried and inadvertently blurted out her true feelings, "How can you help your father win over those upright scholars if you act so willfully?"
Men don't care whether Jiang Ping is beautiful or ugly; they only know that Jiang Ping is the top scholar and talented.
If Princess Rongcheng were to marry him when everyone else was looking down on him, wouldn't that make the Hengwang Mansion appear to be courteous to scholars and eager to recruit talented people?
Princess Rongcheng then realized, "So Father wanted to use me as a raft to win over the people? But he can't sacrifice my lifelong happiness!"
Her eyes lit up, and she came up with an idea. "My aunt is the same age as me. Isn't she also looking for a husband? She's Father's own sister. Let her marry Jiang Ping!"
Outside the door, Princess Lekang, who was carrying snacks, stopped and lowered her eyes.
She held her breath and heard Princess Heng inside the room ask hesitantly, "Will this work?"
"Anyway, Grandma doesn't like her, so she doesn't care who she marries."
Princess Rongcheng made her decision on her own, "She is the daughter of the Emperor, a golden branch and jade leaf. A princess and a top scholar are a match made in heaven. This has been a beautiful story in all dynasties."
At the end, she chuckled, a laugh that was both innocent and malicious.
Princess Lekang didn't make a sound and turned to leave.
She was the youngest daughter of Consort Xian. At that time, the palace was full of beauties. Consort Xian, who had given birth to the eldest son of the emperor, was old and faded and was already half out of favor.
She had finally managed to win the emperor's favor by using their past relationship, but in the end, she only gave birth to his daughter.
Consort Xian was utterly disappointed. She had been ignored since childhood and grew up in the palace like a nobody. Now that she had reached marriageable age, Consort Xian simply handed her over to Princess Heng for arrangement.
As a result, her good sister-in-law and good niece actually wanted to pair her up with that universally disliked top scholar who had gotten the title by chance, just to give Prince Heng a good reputation.
Princess Lekang endured her anger all the way back to her resting room, but she couldn't hold back any longer. She threw the pastries she had made to please Princess Heng on the ground and stomped on them.
She won't let that mother and daughter have their way.
Qi Xiuyuan… Princess Lekang murmured the name, her eyes flashing slightly.
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Let me see!] Master Bean is back in top form! I've added another 1000 words today!
I was so engrossed in writing yesterday that I was in a daze. I braved the heavy rain and went straight to the dental clinic. They didn't even give me anesthesia before they started drilling into my tooth... The moment they drilled into my tooth, I felt like the world went silent [crying][crying] It worked like a charm!
Going to the dentist is truly the hardest thing in life TAT But I still want to remind everyone not to delay, go early to avoid suffering!
Continuing to pay off debts tomorrow [heart emoji][heart emoji]
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