Chapter 62 How can stealing your own fiancé be considered stealing...?
"So what if the position of chief minister was taken away? Some people can't even keep their wives; they're just people in name only."
"If Your Highness wants to sit on that throne in the future, it's just a matter of choosing who to appoint as the Phoenix Minister. For us men, winning over our wives' hearts is the most important thing."
"His Highness has already promised me that he will welcome me into the Prince's residence as a concubine in a few days. At that time, Lady Liu will see clearly who His Highness's true husband is..."
Xu Qinghan appears gentle and weak on the surface, but in reality, she is full of ambition.
It's hard to say whether he truly loved Yuan Jing. But in the eyes of ordinary people, Prince Qi was the future crown prince, wielding immense power. That's why Xu Qinghan went to great lengths to stand out at the Spring Banquet, hoping to catch Yuan Jing's eye.
Xu Qinghan had originally planned to have Yuan Jing marry him as his chief minister.
However, in Yuan Jing's heart, no matter how beautiful a woman was, she was not the most important. In order to marry the Minister of Revenue, she gave up Xu Qinghan.
This incident left Xu Qinghan with a lingering resentment, and she also harbored a secret hatred for Liu Shi, waiting only to teach Liu Shi a lesson after she married into the Prince's mansion and became a concubine.
However, even such a wish was not easily fulfilled.
When Xu Qinghan heard that Lady Lu planned to offer a son to His Highness as a concubine, his heart skipped a beat.
"Father, what kind of person is this man from the Lu family? What does he look like? Have you found out anything about him?"
Xu Qinghan asked her father anxiously.
He hasn't entered the palace yet. The young man from the Lu family comes from a prominent and noble family, with a strict upbringing. He must also be knowledgeable in poetry and literature, and have something to discuss with His Highness. If he were more handsome than him, would His Highness even remember him after he enters the palace?
Thinking of this, Xu Qinghan's previously calm and composed attitude was immediately shattered.
She had originally intended to keep Yuan Jing around for a while so that His Highness would cherish him more in the future, but now she had changed her mind and couldn't wait to marry into the Prince's mansion and take the title of concubine.
"This... Father doesn't know. Perhaps Father could ask around again?"
All the information Xu's father received was deliberately leaked to him by Yuan Yan's people, so when Xu Qinghan asked him for details, he knew nothing.
"No, we can't wait any longer... Father, quickly have a carriage prepared, I need to go find His Highness," Xu Qinghan said, biting her lip.
Inside the Qi King's residence.
"When will Your Highness be able to bring Qinghan into the household? My mother has already asked my father to arrange a marriage for me."
"If this continues, I'm afraid my mother will marry me off to someone else, and then I'll never see Your Highness again..." Upon seeing Yuan Jing, Xu Qinghan threw herself into her arms after only a few words, crying her heart out.
Yuan Jing felt very sorry for him seeing him cry like this. But considering that he had only been married to the principal wife for less than a month, if he were to marry a concubine wife now, it would probably attract gossip and be detrimental to his reputation, so he hesitated.
"Qinghan, why are you crying like this?" Yuan Jing comforted her gently.
"This matter is not difficult to resolve. I will have someone inform Lord Xu first, so Qinghan will not have to worry."
Xu Qinghan was surprised by Yuan Jing's words, and her anxiety grew even more, but she didn't show it on her face, and her expression became even more pitiful.
"Qinghan misses Your Highness every day. Doesn't Your Highness want to bring Qinghan into the manor as soon as possible?"
"In that case, Your Highness and I will no longer need to hide, and can be together openly."
Xu Qinghan wore a light pink dress, with a jade belt around her waist that accentuated her slender figure, making her appear even more frail. Her crying appearance was truly pitiful and incredibly moving.
Clearly, Yuan Jing was also unable to withstand such an offensive, and his eyes wavered.
He was then coaxed by Xu Qinghan with soft words and various tricks, and finally he reluctantly agreed.
...
After Zhuiying returned to the Qin Prince's mansion.
"How is it?" Yuan Yan asked Zhui Ying without looking up as he revised the legal manuscript.
"Your Highness, the matter has been taken care of," Zhuiying reported.
Yuan Yan had Zhuiying and Zhuilan take turns keeping watch over the Xu residence, and report any new developments to her.
So, a few days later, Yuan Yan received the news.
Yuan Jing brought Xu Qinghan and Lu Shi's son into his household one after another, and gave them both the position of concubine.
Because she took two concubines just one month after her wedding, it was a huge loss of face for Lady Liu, which inevitably led to some gossip in the capital about the discord between the Prince of Qi and his wife.
Therefore, Feng Qing couldn't help but summon Yuan Jing to the palace and questioned him reproachfully. Upon learning that it was because Lady Liu was disliked by Yuan Jing that she was forced to marry a concubine so quickly, she couldn't help but resent Lady Liu again.
“Jing’er, if you really dislike Liu, you can tell your father. Your father will give your cousin Zhilan to you as a concubine as soon as possible.”
"Now look what's happened. You've married those two women, Lu and Xu, and taken over the position of concubine in the Prince's mansion. How can your cousin possibly enter the mansion now?"
"Even if you have the nerve to call Zhilan a concubine, I have no face to mention it to my elder sister again. It was such a wonderful marriage between relatives, but those two men ruined it."
Feng Qing sighed deeply, and a sense of dislike for Madam Xu and Madam Lu also arose in her heart.
According to the rules, the ranks in the Prince's mansion were: one chief minister, two assistant ministers, four junior ministers, and countless servants.
Given Sun Zhilan's status, being a concubine of Yuan Jing would be acceptable, but being a junior official would be too humiliating. Even if Feng Qing had the nerve to suggest it, the Sun family wouldn't agree. Feng Qing's original plan had to be put on hold for the time being.
"Father, I married them for the sake of our great cause," Yuan Jing tried to cover up.
She had no affection for her unruly and shallow cousin from the Sun family, and had no intention of taking Sun Zhilan as a concubine. Therefore, when Lady Lu sent a boy, she reluctantly agreed, secretly taking him into the Prince's mansion without informing Feng Qing first.
“Jing’er, please don’t say such things to your father anymore. Others may not know your temperament, but how could your father not understand you?”
Feng Qing understood this clearly and couldn't help but shake her head, "You can say that you married Lu Shi to win her over, but what was the purpose of marrying Xu Shi?"
Yuan Jing was speechless.
"Let me give you some advice," Feng Qing said in his final words. "Although that Liu family member is not well-liked, he is, after all, your chief minister. It was I who spoke up and asked His Majesty to personally issue an edict to grant you this marriage. You should still give him the respect he deserves. Otherwise, unpleasant rumors may spread later and damage your reputation."
"Your subject understands." Yuan Jing agreed to everything in front of Feng Qing.
However, Yuan Jing's words at this moment are completely unreliable.
With Xu Qinghan around, constantly seducing Yuan Jing, how could she possibly have the chance to think of Liu Shi again?
Furthermore, Lu Shi was a man whose looks and cunning were no less than Xu Qinghan's. To be chosen by Lu Yingkan to enter the Prince's mansion, he was naturally no ordinary person.
Ever since entering the manor, Madam Lu and Xu Qinghan have been exchanging blows, constantly vying for Yuan Jing's attention.
With the two vying for favor, Yuan Jing's energy, which should have been focused on political affairs, was largely diverted.
Once, a trusted advisor sought to discuss matters with Yuan Jing, but after waiting and waiting, Yuan Jing never appeared. The servants assumed His Highness was busy and refused to reveal what Yuan Jing was doing.
When the staff finally saw Yuan Jing, they smelled the faint scent of perfume on her, and their expressions changed drastically. They left in disappointment after only a few words.
In addition, even on the first and fifteenth of the month, when he should have stayed at the Zhengqing Courtyard according to custom, Yuan Jing ignored the servants' reminders and went to Xu Qinghan's place.
Since marrying into the Prince's mansion, Lady Liu had always been treated coldly by the mistress of the house. Now, even the Minister of Rites had lost face, which inevitably made her disheartened and caused her to fall seriously ill.
His illness persisted, and he remained bedridden.
"It's about time. Find some gossips to spread these stories of infighting in the Qi King's harem," Yuan Yan said to his subordinates.
Soon, fueled by Yuan Yan's instigation, rumors began to circulate in the capital.
"Have you heard? The King of Qi's favoritism towards his concubine has ruined his husband, and has made the chief minister sick with anger..."
"Oh dear, that Prince Qi is such a lecher! Less than two months after the marriage, he's already taken several concubines and spends all his time in bed with them. The chief minister is practically driven mad with anger!"
The rumors spread like wildfire through the streets, each one more distinct than the last, gradually becoming exaggerated.
Even many court officials knew about this, and these past few days, their gazes towards Liu Qian, the Minister of Revenue, have become somewhat subtle.
Your son has only been married into the royal household for a little over a month, and he's already been tormented to the point of near death. Yet you're still as close to Prince Qi as if nothing happened. Isn't this just selling your son for personal gain?
Unexpectedly, Minister Liu, who appears to be a virtuous and upright person, is actually such a sycophant in private.
Little did Liu know that she was a filial daughter and did not want to worry her mother, so she did not tell her mother what had happened. Liu Qian was still kept in the dark.
As for King Yuanjing of Qi, many ministers' opinions of her also changed.
Previously, under the suppression of Feng Qing and Lord Sun, Yuan Jing had presented himself as virtuous and wise, and his reputation had always been excellent. Apart from the previous dispute with Yuan Yan over the marriage, he had no other moral flaws.
Who would have thought that not long after he was appointed Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, his lecherous nature would be exposed. He couldn't even manage his own domestic affairs, and his scandalous behavior became widely known, causing some upright senior officials to feel disappointed.
Finally, thanks to the efforts of some people with ulterior motives, the matter eventually reached Yuan Hao's ears.
"My lord, do you know why I summoned you here today?" Yuan Hao immediately summoned Yuan Jing into the palace.
"But I have handled some political affairs incorrectly, and I beg Your Majesty for guidance." Yuan Jing's attitude was respectful, and he appeared humble and gentle, not at all like the lecherous and muddle-headed person he was rumored to be.
"If you can't even manage your own palace, how can you expect people to believe you have the ability to govern a country if such a thing gets out?"
Yuan Hao's words were extremely harsh, and Yuan Jing was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to admit his mistake.
"Your subject knows his mistake and begs Your Majesty for forgiveness." Yuan Jing felt somewhat flustered.
"If you knew this would happen, why did you do it? You shouldn't have asked for my forgiveness, but should have thought about how to quell these rumors."
"Treat Liu well, and deal with your own affairs properly. I don't want to hear about this again." Yuan Hao ordered the imperial physician to go and treat Prince Qi Zhengqing.
Yuan Jing looked somewhat embarrassed after being reprimanded by his mother.
Upon returning to the Prince's residence, she first investigated and dealt with the suspicious individuals who had leaked information, and reprimanded Xu Qinghan and Lady Lu, forbidding them from causing any more trouble. Then, she ordered her belongings to be moved to Lady Liu's courtyard, where she stayed overnight, thus demonstrating to her mother, the Empress Dowager, her determination to repent.
But it was too late. The more upright a person appears on the surface, the harder it is to regain their former reputation once it's tarnished. Some things inevitably had their subtle impact after all.
[Host, the King of Qi has been reprimanded by the Queen Mother, and his reputation has suffered. It seems he will behave himself for the time being.] The system received the data change and quickly informed Yuan Yan of this good news.
"She can't be allowed to be restless; this is just the beginning."
“Since Yuan Jing dares to touch my people, he should be prepared. I am not a pushover; I hold grudges. If you provoke me, I will retaliate no matter what method I use,” Yuan Yan sneered.
Then, the system watched helplessly as Yuan Yan, who had just been speaking so arrogantly, scaled the wall of the Changhuang Manor and transformed into a notorious womanizer.
Practice makes perfect, and he easily slipped into her boudoir.
[Hey, host, wake up! You're a princess... How can you be climbing over other people's walls every few days and doing such illicit affairs!]
The system was startled by her actions and screamed in alarm, but was immediately suppressed by Yuan Yan.
"Nonsense, how can stealing your own fiancé be called stealing?" Yuan Yan ignored him and continued on his own.
"Yi'er and I are officially recognized and have a proper relationship, but we were tragically separated. Our reunion now is clearly a reunion on the Magpie Bridge. If you, as a system, don't make a fuss if you don't understand."
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