Chapter 78 The Legal Wife and the Mistress

The two of them arrived at Jingxin Pavilion. The old lady was sunbathing in the courtyard. The reason she didn't go to the flower hall was that she was upset and didn't want to see Zheng Qiaohui.

Seeing her two granddaughters coming over, the old lady felt complicated. They are all girls from the Ruan family, so why is there such a big difference between them?

Since Xiaoyue got engaged, she would find different ways to ask for dowry whenever she came to Jingxin Pavilion. Her words showed her dissatisfaction with the favoritism towards her. Qinghuan was originally given dowry by her grandfather, but she refused to believe anything.

Ruan Qinghuan could see that her grandmother was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk about those unhappy things. She took the brocade box from Xia Lian and took out a bracelet from it: "Grandma, this is a gift from my mother-in-law. I heard that this white jade bracelet with cloud pattern is gentle and nourishing, dignified and generous. My mother-in-law said it is suitable for a blessed old lady like you."

After these words were spoken, the gloomy old lady finally smiled. It was not because the bracelet was expensive, but because the thought was precious. She was even more moved: "Mrs. He is thoughtful. Grandmother, accept this thought."

Zhou Xiaoyue, who was standing next to him, said coldly, "Giving a broken bracelet as a favor is really mean."

"Xiaoyue, don't talk nonsense." The old lady felt tired just seeing her. She waved her hand and said, "Go back and prepare for your wedding. Don't waste time here."

"Grandma...you said you were not partial, but you only had Ruan Qinghuan in your eyes. Could it be that Xiaorou and I were adopted?"

"This child is simply lawless. If you were half as gentle and sensible as Xiaorou, you wouldn't do such a shameful thing."

When this matter was mentioned, Ruan Xiaoyue felt embarrassed. Thinking of how she was caught by Ruan Qinghuan in the Prince's Mansion earlier, she turned around and walked out of Jingxin Pavilion in anger.

Old Lady Ruan sighed helplessly: "What a sin this is! Xiaoyue is blinded by greed. Isn't the Pei family a good family?"

Ruan Qinghuan comforted her, "Grandma, don't think too much. Everyone has their own destiny. Things have already happened. After you have experienced more, you may be more sensible."

The old lady shook her head: "If that's the case, it's a lesson."

**

At the Pei family, Pei Chong came back from work with a sullen face. He slammed the door shut as soon as he entered the house. This action caused the servants passing by to lighten their steps, fearing that they would anger the general.

When Mrs. Pei heard that her son was unhappy, she was worried and came to see for herself. She learned that the position of commander of the capital's garrison had been appointed to someone else, and she knew that her son was unwilling to accept this.

Madam Pei advised: "The Ji family has a richer foundation than us, so if you can take it, then so be it. You are young and have plenty of opportunities. Don't miss the promotion because of a temporary setback."

"I understand, mother." Pei Chong responded, but his heart could not calm down for a long time.

The second prince had promised earlier that he would let him take that position within a year. By then, he would have 150,000 soldiers guarding the city, which would not only make him more powerful but also revive the Pei family's reputation.

However, no one expected that the Second Prince, who had just been released from house arrest, would be placed under house arrest again for a year. During this year, it is feared that he would not be able to be promoted again.

Madam Pei said, "Promotion can be done slowly, but marriage cannot be delayed. When do you plan to propose?"

“No hurry.”

"What do you mean by no hurry? Now that the engagement has been made, don't delay it any further. Your sister went to get information a few days ago and heard that the Ruan family gave a lot of dowry, five thousand taels of silver alone, as well as shops and farms. Although the family background of a merchant family is a bit low, the silver and wealth are real. Bring her back quickly, it will be very helpful for you to manage everything."

The Pei family is now just an empty shell. The merits and wealth accumulated by the ancestors have been almost squandered. The old man only holds a sixth-rank idle position, and that salary is not enough at all.

If you want to find a way out in Beijing, relying on your own abilities is far from enough. This is why Mrs. Pei settled for the next best thing and agreed to this marriage.

Although the Ruan family is wealthy, they are ultimately no match for the daughter of an aristocratic family. Anyway, rumors are as fierce as wolves and tigers, and she can't let people think that her son is a treacherous and ungrateful person.

After his mother left, Pei Chong sat on the stool with a sullen face. He had planned to marry Ruan Xiaoyue earlier in order to help the second prince raise money, and also wanted to rely on the Ruan family to control He An.

Now that the Second Prince has made a mistake, all his plans have failed. Even if he wants to make a comeback, it will be extremely difficult. What worries him even more is the Emperor's attitude.

House arrest for one year and a three-year salary deduction were not a big deal, but this matter was known to everyone in the court, and it was obvious that the emperor was furious...

Pei Chong didn't dare to think about what happened next. The only fortunate thing was that this trip to He'anlu City was carried out in the name of disaster relief and bandit suppression from beginning to end. Does this mean that the emperor does not intend to pursue the matter?

Ruan Xiaoyue...

Pei Chong sighed in his heart. He really didn't want to marry this woman if she was no longer useful. But his mother was right. The Ruan family was wealthy, and if anything went wrong, they could use that to manage relationships.

This wait lasted for a month, and just when Ruan Xiaoyue was becoming increasingly uneasy, the Pei family finally came with a matchmaker and three letters and six gifts to propose marriage.

Zheng Qiaoyue was in her room complaining about the Pei family's inefficient work. When she heard the maid's words, she immediately smiled and got up eagerly to go out: "It's here, it's here. I'll go and see how much betrothal gifts the Pei family has prepared."

Ruan Xiaorou was also happy for her sister and followed her mother to the flower hall.

As soon as she entered the room, Zheng Qiaohui was stunned. There were many gifts of all sizes in the hall, but after a closer look, she found that apart from the usual betrothal gifts, there were no other valuable items.

The matchmaker said cleverly, "Mrs. Pei said that since the two families have already been engaged, the wedding should be held as soon as possible. When Miss Xiaoyue gets married, she will be the mistress of the Pei Mansion, and the gifts from the mansion will naturally be handed over to her."

This sounds pleasing to the ear. What the matchmaker meant was that no matter how many good things one brings to the Ruan family, it is not as good as keeping them in the daughter's hands. When she really gets married, won't everything in the Pei family be hers?

Zheng Qiaohui's expression softened a bit, but the old lady was not very happy: "The Pei family is a noble family after all, this betrothal gift is really too shabby."

The matchmaker immediately made up for it: "The old lady loves her granddaughter, and Mrs. Pei also loves her daughter-in-law. Isn't this the best betrothal gift?"

"Nonsense! Although no one in our Ruan family is an official, we are rich. Is it possible that we have never seen good things? If it is true as you said, that Madam Pei has taken a fancy to Xiaoyue, why would she handle such an important event as the betrothal in such a shabby way?"

The matchmaker's face changed. Knowing that the old lady was not someone who could be easily talked to, she came up to Zheng Qiaohui and said, "Madam Ruan, Xiaoyue and the general are in love with each other, and the Pei family is an honest family. This is the best we can do."

Zheng Qiaohui felt that the matchmaker was right. After all, the marriage was already made, so there was no need to make it unpleasant. "Okay, then when you go back, you must tell Madam Pei that our Ruan family is very considerate and that Xiaoyue loves her mother-in-law and is not picky. Madam Pei, please love our Xiaoyue more in the future."

The matchmaker knew it was done when she heard this, and her mouth opened wide: "Of course, General Pei is the only son of the Pei family, and Miss Xiaoyue will be the first wife and mistress when she enters the house, so she will not be at a disadvantage."

The words "legal wife and mistress" touched Zheng Qiaohui. She had been under the control of the eldest wife all her life. This time, her daughter was the mistress after all and had the final say.

Ruan Chengfu and Zhou Yunzhi didn't say anything. Zhou Yunzhi didn't expect Zheng Qiaohui to be so foolish as to believe the matchmaker's sweet talk.

After everyone left, Mrs. Ruan gave Zheng Qiaohui a cold look and walked away supported by her eldest daughter-in-law.

Ruan Chengfu, who had been silent the whole time, shook his head and said, "My sister-in-law did something wrong today."

Zheng Qiaohui thought that they just couldn't bear to see her doing well, so she snorted coldly and hurried back to the west courtyard. She had to tell her daughter the good news as soon as possible.