Chapter 137 No
The emperor's heart softened instantly, and he began to speak up for the imperial concubine.
Xie Qingran was not shy at all. Instead, she nodded solemnly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing this, even the emperor felt somewhat embarrassed. Matters between husband and wife were not for outsiders to concern themselves with or comment on, especially since he was the emperor; such remarks were even more inappropriate.
Fortunately, the Empress did not say anything; she merely gave the Consort a warning look.
The emperor, not wanting to stay and suffer in the middle, could only say that he had other things to do, and got up to walk outside.
After he left, the imperial concubine became even more arrogant.
She looked coldly at Xie Qingran: "I heard that the Crown Princess didn't sleep with the Crown Prince last night? Why is that?"
"Your Highness is so amazing! You even know whether my husband and I sleep together at night?"
"It seems that the inner quarters of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion are entirely under the control of the Imperial Concubine."
Xie Qingran immediately burst out laughing, staring sharply at the Imperial Concubine without giving her any face.
The reason why she didn't confront the Imperial Concubine directly before was because Xie Qingran's status didn't allow it. Now, she is the heir apparent of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and a first-rank imperial consort, so she can be on equal footing with the Imperial Concubine.
The Imperial Concubine was clearly surprised that Xie Qingran would speak to her so presumptuously.
She has always been aloof and superior, and no one has ever dared to be so presumptuous over the years. Now, seeing that the person who used to grovel before her dares to speak so arrogantly, how can she tolerate it?
"How dare you! Who do you think you are to speak to me like that!"
"As the heir apparent of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, I can speak however I want."
Xiao Jue rushed ahead and met the Consort's eyes.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room became tense.
Seeing this, the Empress frowned and looked at the Consort with some helplessness: "The two children have come to the palace to express their gratitude. It should be a good thing. What are you doing? Why do you always seem unhappy?"
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Concubine's expression changed, and she snorted, "I was merely concerned about them. Since some people don't appreciate my kindness, I have nothing more to say. I'll take my leave now!"
With that, the Imperial Concubine stood up and strode outside.
She originally intended to teach Xie Qingran a lesson, but she never expected that Xie Qingran would have the Empress and Xiao Jue backing her up. For a moment, she found herself unable to control her!
Thinking of this, the Imperial Concubine's face grew even more gloomy. She gritted her teeth and said, "Summon Xie Yankang to the palace to see me!"
In the end, it was all Xie Yankang's doing. If it weren't for him, how could Xie Qingran dare to be so arrogant and domineering!
Seeing that the couple's relationship was not bad, the Empress breathed a sigh of relief. After giving them a lot of rewards, she looked at Xie Qingran and said, "Those two children are spoiled by their families, which has made you suffer."
The Fifth Prince was present when the two children were fooling around that day, so it was not surprising that the Empress knew about it.
Xie Qingran hadn't taken the children's matter to heart, but upon hearing the Empress's words, she hurriedly got up and knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, regarding these two children, I have a request for Your Majesty!"
Xiao Jue's expression changed. He thought Xie Qingran wanted to take the opportunity to send the two children away. He stared at Xie Qingran with a cold face.
The Empress's expression also became more serious.
"Just say what you have to say."
The Empress's tone was somewhat cold, clearly lacking the previous warmth.
“Ayu and Yanran are seven and six years old, respectively. They are both of age to start their studies. Therefore, I would like to ask Your Majesty to find a good teacher for them. I wish to open a school at home.”
"Furthermore, Yanran is, after all, a woman. She will definitely need to find a good family and live a good life in the future. A young lady cannot be completely ignorant of the rules of conduct. I would like to ask Your Majesty to arrange a nanny to teach her properly."
Xie Qingran knelt there, neither humble nor arrogant, but her eyes were full of worry.
Logically speaking, children should start learning at the age of three, but Xiao Jue felt sorry for his two children and wanted to delay it as much as possible. In addition, he had been tormented by illness over the years and often struggled on the brink of life and death, so he could not take care of his two children at all.
Hearing Xie Qingran say this, Xiao Jue felt guilty and realized that he had already neglected his two children.
"Okay, okay, you're a good sister-in-law."
"You think so much about the two children. They are lucky to have a sister-in-law like you."
"I can naturally arrange things for you, nanny. As for the teacher... the Fifth Prince studied under Mr. Liao when he was studying, but the old gentleman is getting quite old now and probably won't be coming out of seclusion easily."
The Queen took a deep breath; apart from Mr. Liao, she didn't trust anyone else.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will definitely find a way to have Mr. Liao come to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to teach the children."
Xie Qingran immediately understood the Empress's meaning.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is already in the eye of the storm, so they definitely have to be extremely careful when it comes to hiring people!
Everyone who enters the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion must be thoroughly investigated; otherwise, they will be bringing disaster into the family.
The Empress nodded in satisfaction and then said, "Alright, you all worked hard at yesterday's wedding. Go back and get some rest."
"yes!"
Xiao Jue immediately agreed and led Xie Qingran outside.
Looking at Xie Qingran's profile, Xiao Jue smiled slightly and said calmly, "I didn't expect you to care so much about the two children?"
"I promised you before that I would manage your household affairs and take good care of the two children."
"This is what I should do."
Xie Qingran gave a faint, indifferent smile, her words devoid of warmth.
Xiao Jue wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Xie Qingran's expression seemed a little off, and even her attitude was different from before the wedding.
Before, she kept saying she liked me and was in love with me, but now... it feels like I've been tricked into marriage?
Xie Qingran wanted to marry Xiao Jue because she wanted a peaceful life. Now that she has married into the family, she should take on the responsibilities. She can't let the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion remain a disorganized mess.
As soon as she got home, Xiao Yu rushed over and bumped into Xie Qingran, causing her to stumble.
"You wicked woman, what right do you have to punish my wet nurse!"
"Let me tell you, this is the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. I won't allow you to bully my family!"
Xiao Yu gritted his teeth and stared intently at Xie Qingran.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com