Chapter 90 Double Happiness!
Xiao Qingxuan held Qian Yueshu firmly beneath him.
She was the wife he begged for!
She was the woman he traded his promising future for!
From this day forward...
She will rightfully belong to him, and he will belong completely to her.
They can stand hand in hand openly before others, accepting blessings or criticism.
They can be together day and night, whispering sweet nothings to each other.
They can have children and have many offspring.
They can vow to grow old together, witness the world's splendor, and spend every dawn and dusk together.
Thinking about these achievable futures.
Xiao Qingxuan felt his blood boiling. His fingers deftly found the knot of the ribbon at her waist and gave it a slight tug...
Xie Mansion.
Qian Yueshu was betrothed to the Crown Prince.
Xie Jingxing then went to great lengths to persuade the Xie family members to support the Crown Prince once again.
It has to be said.
Xie Jingxing is quite capable.
He always knows how to hit the nail on the head.
Last time.
He persuaded the Xie family to abandon their support for the Crown Prince.
It depicts a grand plan to assist another prince in ascending the throne.
In that grand plan, the Xie family would stand out from the crowd, not only wielding immense power in the court but also able to usurp imperial authority and become the true rulers of the Dayong Dynasty!
Every stroke on that diagram.
They were all stained with the ink of the pinnacle of power, enough to make any ambitious aristocratic family tremble with excitement.
And this time...
When it is necessary to persuade the family to support the crown prince again.
He once again demonstrated his ability to simplify complex matters and get straight to the point.
Xie Jingxing did not elaborate on the Crown Prince's wisdom and popularity.
It also did not overemphasize the legitimacy of imperial power.
He placed all his bets on Crown Princess Qian Yueshu and the Qian family.
Xie Family Ancestral Hall.
Inside the council chamber, the candlelight illuminated the solemn faces of every key member of the Xie family present.
Xie Jingxing sat upright in the main seat, his expression calm.
But occasionally, a glint of confident control would flash in those deep eyes: "My uncles and brothers, my previous consideration of supporting another prince was for the sake of the family, seeking wealth and power in one step. Now the situation has changed, and we need to re-evaluate the risks and opportunities."
He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping across the room: "Qian Yue Shu becoming the Crown Princess is a foregone conclusion. But do you all know how deep the affection is between that newly rich member of the Qian family and Yue Qiu in my courtyard?"
Xie Jingxing paused deliberately, making the words "Yueqiu in my courtyard" carry a certain intimate implication, "Although the two sisters were not born of the same mother, they have been together since childhood and are as close as blood relatives, even closer than biological relatives."
then.
He abruptly changed the subject, directly linking this emotional connection to the power structure: "Yueqiu is my favorite concubine, a fact known to everyone in the household. And His Highness the Crown Prince's deep affection for Miss Qian Yueshu is also common knowledge throughout the court and the public. I, Xie Jingxing, suddenly feel that becoming 'brother-in-law' with the future emperor seems... not so bad."
The two characters “连襟” (lián jīn).
He spoke casually, yet his words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.
Then Xie Jingxing once again painted a grand picture for the Xie family: "As long as the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the Qian family will inevitably become the new powerful family. However, the Qian family is, after all, a merchant family, and its foundation in the court is shallow. They need allies, and they need a powerful family like our Xie family to consolidate their position... At that time, our Xie family can be ranked alongside the Qian family as the most powerful family in the Dayong Dynasty."
Most of the Xie family members thought this was acceptable, but a small number of them were unwilling.
Xie Jingxing rolled his eyes at them: "Since you don't agree, from now on, you'll be the one to do anything involving killing or paying money or labor..."
In short.
That left those people speechless.
Supporting the Crown Prince is indeed the least risky option!
After that, no matter what the clansmen said...
All of this vanished without a trace thanks to Xie Jingxing's witty and skillful rebuttal.
“Since no one has any further objections,” his voice regained its usual calm and powerful tone, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness, “then I declare: from this day forward, the entire Xie family shall be of one mind and one heart, and shall once again fully support His Highness the Crown Prince, and shall not have any further disloyalty!”
He paused briefly before stating his primary purpose for the day: "Furthermore, to demonstrate the sincerity of my Xie family and strengthen our ties with the future Empress's maternal clan, I have decided to choose an auspicious day to elevate Qian Yueqiu to the status of a secondary wife."
The Xie family members are of no significance to this.
Since the decision has been made to support the Crown Prince...
Let alone a secondary wife, even the position of principal wife would be acceptable!
The Qian family mansion.
After the emperor bestows a marriage, the couple must first get engaged before they can get married.
The Crown Prince really couldn't wait a moment longer.
The marriage was arranged on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, they went to the groom's house to arrange the engagement and send betrothal gifts.
When the Crown Prince consulted with officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices about this matter...
The officials exchanged glances, then cautiously reminded him, "Your Highness, according to custom, after a marriage is bestowed, the Imperial Observatory must first select an auspicious day before the six rites of betrothal, name inquiry, auspicious date selection, gift presentation, date setting, and the wedding ceremony can proceed. It is currently the New Year, and all ministries are sealing their seals; perhaps we should wait a few more days…"
“I can’t wait.” Xiao Qingxuan said decisively, his brows furrowing with unwavering resolve. “I will personally speak to the Imperial Observatory. All procedures will be simplified and expedited as much as possible, but the betrothal gifts…” He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, “must be generous.”
The sixth day of the first lunar month.
Today is a day of double joy for the Qian family.
One piece of good news is that Qian Yueqiu has been promoted to the position of a secondary wife in the Xie family.
The second joy was that the crown prince came to propose marriage.
Moreover, the Crown Prince's betrothal gifts were so numerous that they blocked three streets in front of the Qian residence.
Don't underestimate the prince just because he's poor.
He may have limited cash on hand, but he has plenty of valuable items, all of which were imperial gifts.
Those imperial artifacts represent the emperor's favor; who would dare to sell them so easily?
But these things can be used as betrothal gifts.
The Crown Prince was the legitimate son of the Empress, and he received various rewards from birth.
Later, he became skilled in both literature and martial arts, and was frequently rewarded by the emperor.
The Crown Prince prepared eighteen boxes of imperial gifts for Qian Yueshu.
They really wish they could empty the entire Eastern Palace.
These eighteen boxes are only the main contents; in addition, there are various brocade boxes, lacquerware plates, precious ornaments, and countless jewelry pieces.
The palace prepared one.
The Crown Prince prepared a private gift, consisting of eighteen boxes of imperial gifts.
The Empress gave one.
The jewelry and other valuables that the Empress gave them were extorted from Crown Prince Xiao Qingxuan by his mother...
The chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, who was in charge of announcing the rites, had a loud voice. Every time he read out a rite, it caused a collective gasp from the surrounding crowd.
Those jewels, antiques, silks, and satins were all priceless...
night.
Qian Yueshu was very happy after the betrothal ceremony today.
She got everything she didn't get in her past life in this one.
In my previous life, I wouldn't have been able to be the principal wife or receive such a grand betrothal gift.
She essentially took most of the Qian family's wealth and had to pay extra to get the position of concubine!
Even after entering the Eastern Palace, she still lived cautiously every day, constantly trying to please everyone...
I'm so happy tonight I can't sleep.
So she thought of those days in her previous life when she stole the Crown Prince's heart on her wedding night!
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