"Madam, Miss has come to pay her respects."
Song Xia paused in teasing the dog: "Tell her to come in."
“Mother.” Zhou Ying has been very obedient these past few years. Whenever Song Xia is in the mansion, she will come to pay her respects.
It was only at this moment that Song Xia realized that Zhou Ying's etiquette was actually quite good. Not only was it good, but her manner of bowing was also quite charming. It wasn't the kind of vulgarity that made her seem vulgar; on the contrary, her temperament was elegant and unforgettable.
"Get up. Don't take your father's reaction to your aunt's matter to heart. It was indeed your aunt who was wrong."
"Your daughter knows." Zhou Ying curtsied again. "That's why your daughter has come today to ask your mother for a favor."
Song Xia raised an eyebrow: "Go ahead and speak."
"My daughter wants to go to Guoan Temple to chant sutras for Aunt Meng's unborn child."
Upon hearing this, Song Xia instantly understood her meaning. What talk of salvation was nothing more than using this opportunity to see the Fifth Prince.
Tsk, Zhou Ying is indeed quite beautiful. Although she is only fourteen, she has already grown into a graceful young lady.
Under her stepmother's scrutiny, Zhou Ying was extremely nervous, fearing that Song Xia would discover something.
This is a rare opportunity, and she must try to meet Prince Huai. Otherwise, she doesn't know if she will have another chance, or if her stepmother is looking for someone for her. She must get close to Prince Huai before her stepmother does.
Just as Zhou Ying was about to say something to get Song Xia to agree, Song Xia agreed: "I am very pleased that you have this idea. In that case, go to the gatekeeper to get the key and have them arrange a carriage."
Zhou Ying was overjoyed that things went so smoothly: "Daughter thanks Mother."
“As an unmarried young lady, you should bring more servants with you when you go out. Granny Sun, please take good care of the young lady.”
"Yes, madam."
"Don't worry, Mother. My brother will be with me, so there won't be any problems."
"Okay, go back if there's nothing else."
Song Xia seemed completely unconcerned and continued to play with the puppy. After Zhou Ying finished her greetings, she left with light steps.
"Tsk, no matter how deep your thoughts are, you're still young!"
Furong asked, puzzled, "Madam, don't you plan to do anything?"
"Isn't this to have Granny Sun stay close to take care of her?"
Seeing her puzzled, Song Xia chuckled: "I begged Sun Mama from the palace back then. There's no reason why the Fifth Prince wouldn't have found out about this. By having Sun Mama accompany me to see the Fifth Prince, it means that I approve of their relationship."
"Wouldn't that be even worse? Madam, didn't you say before that neither you nor the Prince would participate in the struggle for the throne?"
"It's just to make the Fifth Prince misunderstand that I agree with Zhou Shuqing and Zhou Ying's plan, not that I'm really involved in the struggle for the throne."
"Won't outsiders misunderstand?"
"There's no misunderstanding. Her Majesty the Empress already knows about this matter in our family. Once they've settled things, your wife and I will go to the palace tomorrow to complain to Her Majesty the Empress."
Seeing that Song Xia was confident, Furong was completely relieved. She said that Madam had no plans and that she should have trusted Madam's actions long ago.
After Zhou Ying received permission, she began trying on clothes and jewelry in her boudoir, determined to appear before Prince Huai in the most stunning way.
But no matter how many times she tried them on, she was never satisfied. Her clothes and jewelry were not the best. How could she possibly meet the eyes of His Highness Prince Huai, who was used to seeing the world?
In the end, she got her inspiration from her aunt, Liu Fangniang.
Upon learning that her daughter was going to seduce a man, even if that man was His Highness Prince Huai, Liu Fangniang still felt uneasy. No matter how high the other party's status was, it was still a low-class act for a woman to take the initiative.
But given the current situation, this is their last resort to turn things around.
"You're going to a temple; dressing up too heavily would just look deliberate."
"What Mother means is..."
"Your Highness, you are used to the glamorous appearance of the ladies and noblewomen in the palace. Even if you wear the most gorgeous clothes and the most precious jewelry, you will not stand out. It would be better to keep it simple, with plain clothes and silver hairpins, which will better highlight your delicate and elegant appearance."
The more Zhou Ying listened, the more sense it made, and she nodded in agreement.
“And your excuse is that you’re going to pray for Aunt Meng’s child…” At this point, Liu Fangniang’s face contorted with rage. “If you dressed more simply, people would be more likely to believe in your sincerity.”
"Mother, I understand."
"When you meet His Highness Prince Huai, don't try too hard to strike up a conversation. Just stand behind your brother and lower your head slightly."
After listening to the servant's report, Song Xia couldn't help but sigh. Aunt Liu had a way of dealing with men. No wonder Zhou Yongli's feelings for her had remained unchanged all these years.
Someone like Prince Huai, who is used to eating rich and delicious food, would occasionally try some simple porridge and side dishes. Moreover, Zhou Ying combines the best features of Zhou Yongli and Liu Fangniang, making her quite beautiful even in the entire capital.
A beautiful woman offered to him willingly, and with the support of the power he desired, King Huai probably wouldn't refuse.
Song Xia shook her head and chuckled. She had previously worried that Zhou Ying would scheme against Runsheng just like in her previous life, but now the situation had completely changed.
The eldest son of the Marquis of Yong'an is quite lucky. As long as Zhou Ying doesn't marry his half-brother again in this life, he should be able to escape this calamity!
However, to Song Xia's surprise, Zhou Ying stopped pursuing Song Runsheng, but Zhou Shuqing started pursuing Song Baoning.
He wasn't stupid. After interacting with powerful figures a few times, he figured out what Prince Huai was thinking. He knew that Prince Huai wanted to see him because of his stepmother and the Chengjun Prince's Mansion behind her.
However, he knew that Song Xia could not truly help him, so the best way to gain the support of the Prince Cheng's mansion was for him to marry Song Baoning, the eldest granddaughter of the Prince Cheng.
Normally, his stepmother would definitely not agree to such a marriage, so he had to think of another way; he wanted to tie the Prince Cheng's mansion and himself to the same boat.
“The Prince of Cheng is getting old. Once the heir inherits the title, can the Prince of Cheng’s mansion still be Song Xia’s support? After all, no matter how close a sister is, she is not as close as a daughter.”
Zhou Shuqing became increasingly smug. As long as he married Song Baoning, he would have victory in his grasp. Not only would Prince Huai be on his side, but even the Prince Cheng's mansion would be on his side.
"Brother is going to marry her?" Zhou Ying frowned. She had disliked Song Baoning since childhood. Although they were close in age, Song Baoning had everything, while she could only secretly admire her.
Zhou Shuqing comforted him, "Brother knows you don't like her, but once you marry His Highness Prince Huai, when he ascends the throne, won't she have to bow to you?"
Zhou Ying thought about it and realized it made sense, so she smiled contentedly.
"But brother, how can you marry Song Baoning? Mother and the Prince Cheng's mansion look down on us now."
Zhou Shuqing smiled and said, "A woman values her reputation the most. There will always be an opportunity. When the opportunity comes, she will have to marry me whether she likes it or not. After all, I still have an official title. Does the Prince Cheng's mansion really want her to stay in the family temple for the rest of her life? Once we get on the good side of Prince Huai, they will take a good look at us."
Using the name of Prince Cheng's Mansion to get close to Prince Huai, and then using Prince Huai to bind Prince Cheng's Mansion, there couldn't be a better plan.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
