Since the passing of the madam, Ning'er has gained a lot of benefits from Lady Liu and now acts like a head maid, just as if Liu Ruhua were the legitimate wife of the household.
After much deliberation, Qi Jingxuan finally agreed to Jiang Congzhi's request.
Rather than saying I agreed to his request, it's more accurate to say that this is exactly what he wanted, only it was said out loud by someone else.
After Jiang Congzhi announced this decision in the court, three factions emerged: one side tried hard to get close to him, another side ignored him, and the third side consisted of Jiang's old subordinates who looked down on him.
"Lord Protector of the Nation, Lord Protector of the Nation, please wait!" The Minister chased after Qi Jingxuan, seemingly having something important to discuss.
"Lord Protector of the Nation, what are your plans after court?"
"My concubine just gave birth to a daughter and has been too busy these past few days to go back and see her."
“The young lady will be well taken care of, so the Duke of Huguo need not worry.”
Seeing that Qi Jingxuan did not speak, he immediately followed up with the next sentence.
"If there are no other arrangements, would you mind moving to the Minister's residence? We could compose poems together." The Minister clearly had spent a lot of time with the civil officials in the court, yet he would invite a man of military background to his home to compose poems.
Qi Jingxuan found it really interesting, so he went along to see how the Minister would compose and match poems!
"Your Excellency, would you please lead the way?"
"Okay, okay!"
In fact, the Minister had never had any dealings with Qi Jingxuan. The Emperor's invitation was given because he saw that Qi Jingxuan had little influence in the court and the position of the principal wife was vacant.
The Minister's family has an eldest daughter, but because the Minister dotes on her and she dislikes civil officials, the marriage has been put on hold.
Yesterday after court, the Emperor spoke with him privately for a while. He thought it was a good idea, but ultimately it depended on his daughter's wishes. That's why he invited Qi Jingxuan to his home.
"Madam, are the wine and dishes ready? We have distinguished guests visiting today, so please make sure to entertain them well!"
As soon as he entered the gate, the Minister began calling for his wife.
The Minister is indeed a renowned incorruptible official; the gate and furnishings of his residence are almost identical to those of the Qi family's villa. It lacks the grandeur of a Minister's mansion. Although Qi Jingxuan has passed by many times, this is his first time entering.
"Lord Qi, please come quickly for some tea. The food will be ready soon."
"Very well, thank you for your hospitality, Your Excellency."
"Lord Qi will be different from us officials from now on. We will have to rely on you in the future!" The Minister was very polite, as he did not want to offend the future emperor.
"No need to be polite, just say what you mean!"
The two chatted for a while, and then the food was served.
Along with them came two stunningly beautiful women.
Qi Jingxuan could tell at a glance that today's meal was not so simple. As a military officer, he went straight to the point and asked, "Are these your two young ladies?"
"Yes, this is my beloved daughter, Cai Shuqi, and next to her is my second daughter, Cai Shuli. The second daughter is still young and is learning embroidery!"
"A female worker, very good, very good." This implies that the eldest daughter is of suitable age.
When the Minister saw that his daughter had no reaction and even sat down to eat, he knew that things were looking promising.
Qi Jingxuan was originally a soldier, and he had an air of authority when he stood or walked. In addition, he was in his prime and although he had been fighting on the front lines for many years, there had been a six-month ceasefire.
His face had long since regained its former fair complexion, his angular features exuded a cold and handsome air, his dark and deep eyes held a captivating gleam, and he had thick eyebrows, a high and straight nose, and a smile that seemed to always be playing on his lips.
Her outstanding features and graceful figure exude nobility and elegance.
After the meal, the Minister took Qi Jingxuan to his study, saying it was to discuss important national affairs.
"The Duke of Protectorate is a smart man. He must have seen at a glance why I have hosted this banquet today."
The Minister, with a worried expression, began to speak in detail.
"Yes, I think this is probably not just your opinion!"
"His Majesty came to see me yesterday. I saw that he was now eating the amount of a three-year-old child, and his legs were very weak. The imperial physician said that he would not survive the rest of the month. I never expected that after the tragic death of the late emperor, His Majesty, who had finally ascended the throne, would not even be able to sit on the throne for two months."
The Minister is worried about the country. The State of Jiang has always passed the throne to the virtuous and capable. With nearly a million troops in the hands of the Duke of Protectorate, no one dares to say anything.
"When the imperial edict was issued this morning, I saw that everyone reacted quite strongly. I was afraid that I would not be able to be a good emperor and would not be able to accept the imperial seal."
Qi Jingxuan replied truthfully, "Since we'll soon be family, the Minister will surely give his full support, so why can't I tell the truth?"
"His Majesty thought of this earlier than you, so he wanted to issue an edict to arrange a marriage between our two families, so as to fill the void left by your absence from court for many years and the lack of support from civil officials!"
"Then what does the Minister think of this matter?" Qi Jingxuan certainly didn't dare to ask for the marriage proposal. His wife had just passed away a little over a month ago, and to suggest that someone else's eldest daughter go and remarry would be a sure way to get beaten up.
"This humble official dares not agree to your request. Today, I brought you back to my residence, and my daughter took a look at you. She doesn't seem to have any intention of refusing. Cai Shuqi is actually quite old, now twenty-four. If the Duke of Huguo doesn't mind, I will petition the Emperor to grant us a marriage tomorrow!"
As he spoke, the Minister stood up and raised both hands in a gesture indicating that he was about to begin his audience.
Seeing this, Qi Jingxuan quickly took his father-in-law's hand away. "I should be the one to bring this up, Minister. In urgent situations, we must act expediently. My wife has just passed away, so we can't hold a grand celebration. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble your young lady."
"That's wonderful!"
The Minister was naturally willing to do anything about the thought that his daughter would soon become the Empress.
The next morning, as soon as the court session began, Qi Jingxuan and the Minister stood up at the same time to request a marriage decree. Everyone present understood what this meant.
A group of people only dared to mumble in the back, but no one dared to come out and refute them.
With a decree from the Emperor, Qi Jingxuan had a new wife.
Ruan Yumu was surprised. How could the Minister, who always considered himself superior, push his daughter into a pit of fire? His ex-wife had just left, and he was already marrying her off to remarry. She felt there must be something fishy going on.
The most hurt person is Liu Ruhua, who just gave birth to a daughter for Qi Jingxuan. Not only did he not name the child, but now that 7 or 8 days have passed, he has not even come to see her once.
Liu Ruhua thought about it carefully and realized that the general had visited her courtyard very infrequently. She was planning to find a woman from Jiangnan to learn some musical instruments and singing after she finished her postpartum confinement, so that she could keep Qi Jingxuan's heart.
Unexpectedly, she was once again bestowed a wife by the Emperor, which directly disrupted her plans.
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