Morning light streamed into the room through the cracks in the window. A small protrusion appeared on the mahogany carving. Qingyan was fast asleep. After a few days of interrupted rest, Yin's body had fully recovered. From today onwards, he would attend the morning court every day, just as before.
"Master, Madam Tong and Madam Tong have arrived!" Lady Jue Luo and Madam Tong Guowei arrived at the door together. Su Lan had no choice but to disobey Yin's wishes and tell Qing Yan to get up.
In her half-awake state, Qingyan overheard Sulan's words that her mother and Madam Tong Guowei had come together, clearly because of the rumors circulating outside.
"Sulan, hurry up and get me all clean." Qingyan would never get up this late at the old house; Jueluo would definitely hold her to Qingya's standards.
After sitting with Madam Tong in the palace for so long, Lady Jue Luo's face grew even more unpleasant. The Fourth Prince's residence did not have any elderly servants, and no one would take care of the matriarch in her old age.
"Lady Ulanara, since Her Majesty is not at the residence, it is understandable for the Fourth Prince's wife to stay in bed a little longer. In addition, the Fourth Prince has been ill recently, and many people feel that Qingyan should bear full responsibility."
Jue Luo felt utterly humiliated. She stared at the door of the inner chamber, hoping Qing Yan would come out as soon as possible.
"Mother, Madam Tong, what brings you here?" Qingyan was dressed in a lake-blue palace gown, with a faint smile on her face. Madam Tong's dark eyes flashed; the Fourth Princess Consort was quite attractive.
Lady Jue Luo and Lady Tong considered themselves elders and held themselves in high esteem, so they did not greet each other with the same proper etiquette as they would in the palace.
Emperor Kangxi sent spies to observe her daily life.
Qingyan pursed her lips as she watched the two of them act.
"Fourth Princess Consort, there are rumors circulating outside that the Fourth Prince is ill!" Madam Tong merely made up an excuse.
Instantly, Qingyan's mood soured; the Jueluo clan was not afraid of airing their dirty laundry in public.
"Mother, what about you?" Qingyan stared at Jue Luo Shi. Fei Yanggu rarely went back, and with no one to control the old house anymore, Jue Luo Shi's relationship with her had improved over the years.
The whole thing—the whole scheme to frame Qingyan—didn't happen at all.
“Qingyan, Madam Tong is right. This time, you should think about it carefully. Apart from the primary wives, the princes are all served by concubines. The primary wives don’t have the energy to take care of them, but the concubines will!” Jue Luo Shi quickly said.
Qingyan was disheartened. The managers of Linglong Pavilion were right; the Jueluo family had probably gotten a lot of benefits from their maternal family.
"Mother, what do you mean...?" Qingyan felt a pang of sadness; Yin would be back soon.
The benefits that the Tong family and the Jue Luo family envisioned will certainly not be realized.
“Qingyan, your mother knows you’re in a bad mood. No woman wants other women by her husband’s side. You are a royal wife, how can you be so ignorant? Your uncle’s family also has illegitimate daughters. Their backgrounds are very low, they won’t affect your status. Sending them to you to secure your favor is also acceptable.” Jue Luo Shi quickly said, “The two socialites from the Tong family are also quite good.”
Qingyan's coldness completely extinguished her expectations.
At this moment, Yin stood outside the door, listening to Jue Luo's whispered words of comfort to Qingyan, and his heart was truly heavy. The Tong family had probably already been notified, which was why Madam Tong had sought out Jue Luo.
Qingyan pursed her lips tightly, not uttering a single word, for fear that the Jue Luo clan would once again slap a heavy label on her.
She looked up and saw Yin standing in the doorway, staring intently at her.
"Little darling, come out now!" Yin's icy voice made Jue Luo Shi and Madam Tong stiffen.
Qingyan overheard their conversation. Madam Tong quickly corrected herself, saying that all the words that had spoken up were from Lady Jue Luo. She had only made a few suggestive remarks, and that Yin should not hold it against Consort Tong out of consideration for her reputation.
“Grandma Guoluoma, Mother has already made it clear to Grandma Guoluoma that Father will not allow the Tong family to remarry into the Prince’s harem. At most, she can only marry into a member of the imperial clan.” Yin wanted to completely put an end to Madam Tong’s hopes.
What? !
Qingyan was very surprised. Consort Tong was definitely the most favored, yet Emperor Kangxi had begun to guard against the Tong family so early.
"No way!"
“Grandma Guoluoma, if you don’t believe me, go back and ask Grandma Guoluoma,” Yin said to Madam Tong.
Instantly, Madam Tong's face darkened. Tong Guowei had repeatedly warned against causing trouble for Qingyan, and sure enough, Yin had already informed him.
"Mother-in-law, Father-in-law will handle Xiao Guai's matter directly." Yin dismissed the two women and Su Peisheng escorted them to the door. Madam Tong gave a cold snort, glared at Jue Luo Shi, and angrily got into the car.
Inside the hall, Yinzheng comforted Qingyan, telling her not to be hurt by Jue Luo's words.
"Fourth Brother, what exactly is your mother doing here?" Qingyan asked, puzzled. She didn't really care what outsiders said.
Yin took her hand and they went to the dining hall together. Su Peisheng reported that Jue Luo Shi and Consort Tong had arrived at the residence, and he directly informed Fei Yanggu and Tong Guowei.
"Eat quickly!" Yin noticed Qingyan's sullen face. "Let's eat first."
As soon as Jue Luo got out of the carriage, she noticed Fei Yanggu sitting in the main hall, looking at the courtyard with a gloomy expression. She swallowed hard and walked over.
"So happy to be used?" Fei Yanggu's eyes widened as he looked at Jue Luo Shi and trembled.
Outsiders were all ready to watch Qingyan make a fool of himself and guess how long it would take for Yin to be disliked. Not only did Jueluo not have any self-awareness, but she also added fuel to the fire. As soon as she and Madam Tong entered the Fourth Prince's residence, the upper-class ladies were betting on whether Jueluo's or Tongjia's illegitimate daughter would be able to enter the Fourth Prince's backyard first.
Jue Luo shook her head directly, looking deeply shocked. She really had Qingyan's best interests at heart.
"I... just didn't want her to be scolded." Jue Luo believed she had done the right thing.
"If they're not going to get scolded, they can handle it themselves. Why are you getting involved?" Fei Yanggu slammed his hand on the table, making her tremble.
He had no choice but to handle it personally. The Fourth Master informed him and Tong Guowei with a dark expression, which contained a warning element.
"No, I think Madam Tong is right. If we can use a concubine's daughter to help Qingyan solve her troubles, it's better than His Majesty arranging a marriage for her," Jue Luo Shi argued softly.
Fei Yanggu sneered, "Did Madam Tong instigate this?"
As expected, Longkodo's son had a much higher status than Consort Tong. Even though he was disliked by Emperor Kangxi, he still held prestige within the family.
"Next time, you are not allowed to go to the Fourth Master's residence again." Fei Yanggu didn't waste any words and directly told Jue Luo Shi not to cause trouble.
As soon as he finished speaking, Jue Luo Shi immediately wilted; Fei Yang Gu was truly enraged.
"Yes, I understand." Jue Luoshi dared not challenge Fei Yanggu's limits and was forced to comply.
On the other hand, Madam Tong's days were far from pleasant. Tong Guowei said a few words and then went directly to his concubine's room. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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