Unexpectedly, Xia Manni's question made Mrs. Zheng feel like she had found a close friend.
She pulled Xia Manni aside and said, "My son is back. He has been given the title of prince of a different surname and a house."
"Oh, so the family they were talking about in the lobby just now was yours?"
Mrs. Zheng nodded and sighed.
"Isn't this a good thing? After all, being named a prince of a different surname is also a sign of the emperor's appreciation. Such wealth and honor are not something that anyone can obtain if they want it."
No wonder there was such a grand ceremony when Mrs. Zheng came today.
Madam Zheng shook her head. "That being said, it's just a glitz in the eyes of outsiders. In reality, being a prince of a different surname isn't that easy."
"What do you mean?"
Xia Manni was a little confused. From what Mrs. Zheng said, it seemed like there was a routine here.
"If the political situation has been determined, and there are other princes, we can make him a prince of a different surname. But if we push him out now, it's not certain."
After hearing this, Xia Manni understood a little.
Could it be that this newly appointed prince is cannon fodder in the struggle between the old and new forces?
So she asked, "Could it be that there is something fishy about this decree?"
This question made Mrs. Zheng's eyes light up. She always felt that something was wrong, but she had never thought about it in this way.
"What do you mean?"
Xia Manni wanted to comfort Mrs. Zheng, so she didn't have so many reservations and said whatever came to her mind.
"I'm talking nonsense too."
"It's okay. I'm in a mess right now. Maybe you can give me some advice, but I can't say for sure. Just tell me whatever comes to your mind."
Mrs. Zheng knew that Xia Manni was a smart person, not an ordinary farmer, nor an ordinary shopkeeper.
"Look, it's like two factions. The new emperor is one, the empress dowager is another. How many behind-the-scenes rulers have ever been successful? Since your son has been crowned a prince, he must have a special relationship with the emperor, right?"
Madam Zheng nodded and said, "They are sworn brothers. You are right. The conflict between the two factions pushed my son out first."
She continued, "Do you know what's even more outrageous? The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Queen have already filled the palace with people. Even the few maids following outside, some were sent by the Emperor and some by the Empress Dowager."
Xia Manni felt suffocated when she thought about this scene. "Isn't this surveillance? And he has only been on the throne for a few days? Everyone who comes out of the palace has been selected."
"Isn't it? There are even more outrageous ones."
Mrs. Zheng became more and more excited as she spoke, and Xia Manni couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't tell me, my son brought me grandchildren I didn't even know."
"Ah? You don't know?"
Mrs. Zheng nodded. "Yes, I don't know anything about that. Besides, those two children are about the same age as your third child."
“Is it already this big?”
"Not only is he so old, but he's also so uneducated."
"What about their mother? Do you have a bad relationship with her?"
"She's already buried. How can I have any relationship with her?"
Xia Manni opened her mouth. Why is the plot so rich?
Not only did his son suddenly become a prince of a different surname in a dangerous position, but he also brought back an illegitimate child from outside.
The child's mother's origins are unknown.
"So what does your son say?"
Mrs. Zheng didn't know what to say at this point. She just said, "My son was born a piece of wood. You can't make anything out of him even if you hit him with three sticks. He just said the child is his."
Xia Manni burst out laughing. Ever since she met Mrs. Zheng, she had never heard her say a good word about her son.
"Don't laugh, it's really like this."
At this time, Mrs. Zheng felt that the frustration in her heart had finally eased a little.
"Oh, it seems that being the prince's mother is not easy either."
"Who says it isn't?"
"The Queen Mother is sending you a maid, will she send you a princess later?"
Xia Manni was just joking, but Mrs. Zheng seemed to be frozen in time.
"What...what happened?"
Madam Zheng suddenly grabbed Xia Manni's hand and said excitedly, "Why didn't I think of this?"
"If they can stuff people in, so can I! I'll find a strong wife to be my princess, and then train Xiao Tao."
"Haha, that makes sense."
Xia Manni burst into laughter at Madam Zheng's amusement. She knew she shouldn't laugh, but Madam Zheng was so lively.
When she finished laughing and looked up, Mrs. Zheng was looking at Xia Manni with a smile.
"What's wrong, Madam Zheng?"
"I think you're quite suitable."
What fits? Where fits?
Xia Manni was confused. Didn’t they just say that Madam Zheng was going to fight back?
"Didn't you just say you wanted to send someone away? How about we send you to our house?"
Xia Manni almost choked on her saliva.
"Mrs. Zheng, don't forget that I'm a widow!"
"So what? My son's wife died too."
"I have four children with me."
"My son also has two bastards, ugh, two children."
"But that's the palace."
"What's wrong with the palace? Don't I still have you?"
"But, I haven't thought about getting married?"
"You're only about twenty this year. I heard Cuiling say that you were just bought into the Xia family and you're still a virgin. How could you not want to get married?"
Xia Manni said seriously, "At first it was because of the child, but later it was because I didn't have that kind of thought anymore and I felt that I was pretty good."
"It's not that good. It's so hard to raise four children by yourself."
"If we just hold on for a few more years, the kids will be able to make it big. Then my good days will come, won't they?"
What he said made some sense, and Mrs. Zheng did not refute it.
After all, each of the Xia family's children is better than the other.
If children like these were her grandchildren, she would probably wake up laughing at night.
"But when they start a family and have a career, it will be difficult to find a mother for them."
Xia Manni smiled and said nothing.
"Oh, I just think you're a nice person, no worse than anyone else. Why don't you think more about yourself?"
"For myself?"
"Yeah, let's not talk about what you wanted to do after you were sold to the Xia family."
Xia Manni really started to think about it. Before, she just wanted to save enough money for retirement.
But she definitely wouldn't tell Mrs. Zheng about this, but what she said about thinking about herself did remind her.
"I didn't think about anything before. I just wanted to live a life of wealth and glory."
"Yes, you see, isn't this the life of a princess?"
Xia Manni glanced at Mrs. Zheng, and she kept talking about the topic.
"Manny, think carefully. Marrying into our family will be a powerful alliance. I will give you wealth and honor, and with the support of the palace, we can also provide a good future for our children."
"As for me, I'll borrow your abilities and together we can drive the bad guys out of our house."
Xia Manni was amused. "Madam, you are really sharp-tongued. What about your son?"
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