The carriage slowly entered the Yuanmingyuan. Through the carriage window, Songgeliya looked at the exquisitely designed courtyard, and her desire to have her daughter serve the Fourth Prince grew stronger.
“Madam, if the princess can come in, you can come and visit her often.” The old nanny who had served Songgeliya for many years was also able to understand her thoughts.
The wives of the princes were personally trained by the princes, and their relationship was that of childhood sweethearts.
As soon as she finished speaking, Songgeliya frowned deeply and gave the old woman a sharp look, which startled her so much that she immediately shut up.
"Shut up! What kind of place is this? How dare you talk nonsense?" Songgriya, having been raised by a prominent family, was well aware of the layout of this place.
After the Golden Festival, Emperor Kangxi said he would be coming to Changchun Garden. Even her husband had prepared things to stay at the villa there. If she made too much of a fuss, it would be difficult to explain when she returned.
"Second Madam, the Princess Consort invites you in!" Su Lan watched from the second gate as Songgeliya alighted from the carriage, looking somewhat reserved. After all, this was a prince's villa, and it was different from her own.
"I'm looking for my great-aunt!" Songgriya hoped to see Jueluo Shi as soon as possible, not Qingyan.
"Madam is unwell, so the Fujin brought her here." Su Lan emphasized the word Fujin. This is the Fourth Prince's villa, and the one in charge is Qingyan, not Jueluo Shi.
Songgriya immediately deflated; Qingyan must have heard the news.
In recent years, the relationship between the mother and daughter has improved, and they have received more and more benefits from Jue Luo.
"Master, the Second Madam of the Jue Luo Clan has arrived!" Su Lan gave Songgeliya no chance to catch her breath and reported directly.
Songgeliya panicked. The Fourth Master should be here too. Could he hear her?
This year is all about the general election. Taking advantage of her connections within the palace, she sent her daughter to the prince's backyard. If her daughter can rise to prominence, she can also use her own status.
Qingyan sat firmly in the high seat, and Yin, Saito, and Eshuo quickly entered the study. She took a deep breath.
"Come in," Qingyan said, taking out an account book and an abacus.
She glanced at the account book seemingly casually, not even sparing Songgriya a glance. When Songgriya entered, she caught a glimpse of this person out of the corner of her eye. He was extremely ordinary-looking, and a calculating glint flashed in her eyes. The Jueluo clan had long since fallen from grace, and the women they could marry from families of low status.
"This servant greets the Fourth Princess Consort!" Songgriya bowed respectfully.
Qingyan sat upright in the seat of honor, holding a teacup in his right hand. He took a sip of tea but did not say a word. Songgriya was in a very bad mood, and Qingyan remained silent.
Songgriya knelt on the cold gold bricks, feeling humiliated.
Before Qingyan got married, Songgeliya never opened her eyes to see Qingyan. Every time on the second day of the lunar new year, when Jueluo returned to her parents' home, Qingyan was always invisible.
Now, the person she despised the most has become the master of the royal family, and they all have to kneel before her.
For the first time, Qingyan felt that the position of the royal primary consort was extremely good. Seeing the person she once hated kneeling on the ground, she felt extremely pleased.
"This servant greets the Fourth Princess Consort!" Songgriya said again.
Apart from learning the rules before the election, Songgriya has not knelt for such a long time in many years.
"Get up and kowtow." Qingyan waved his hand, not particularly concerned. "What brings you here today, Second Madam?"
Songgriya swallowed hard. Qingyan was becoming increasingly shrewd. She could get less and less from the Jueluo clan, probably only a third of what she used to get.
"What brings you here, Second Madam?" Qingyan asked directly.
Qingyan looked up at the woman in front of her. She hadn't even changed her headdress, even though her sister-in-law from her maternal family had pointed out that wearing such a headdress was inappropriate.
According to Songgeliya, these were all mistakes made by the Jue Luo clan.
"Madam, I have something to ask you, please ask her to come out quickly," Songgriya asked hastily.
"Second Madam, Mother is not feeling well and is fast asleep," Qingyan said casually. "If you have something to say, just tell me directly."
Songgeliya's heart skipped a beat. The Jueluo clan was no longer planning to meet with her; this was the worst possible situation.
"Madam, is my headdress inappropriate?" Since the Jue Luo clan and Songgeliya are of the same rank, it is permissible for her to use the Jue Luo clan's headdress.
This time, Qingyan made some changes, directly using the same equipment that only the royal family's in-laws could use.
"Only the primary consort of a prince can possess such jewelry," Qingyan explained directly.
Originally, when Qingyan ordered the headdresses, she was still hesitant. Because of Jueluo's concern for her maternal family, she did not tell her mother about the differences in the headdresses.
To the untrained eye, there might not be much difference; to the people of the Imperial Household Department, these transgressions were merely minor distinctions.
"Fourth Princess Consort, you're trying to harm me!" Songgriya stood up and angrily rebuked Xiaoguai.
Qingyan coldly observed Songgeliya's anxious appearance and glared angrily at the enraged woman. Just a mere appearance could potentially bring down an entire family.
She took a sip of tea and listened to Songgriya's rambling, but she paid no attention to it.
"Shut up!" Qingyan snapped. "What right do you have to use my mother's jewelry? I prepared it especially for her. She can use it, but did I say you can?"
Upon hearing Qingyan's words, Yin couldn't help but spit out his tea.
Saito and Eshuo exchanged a glance. They rarely encountered their second aunt. She was very sharp-tongued and often left Jueluo and the two brothers no match for her, unable to keep up with her sharp tongue.
Today, the two brothers learned a trick: they could completely get rid of this woman without saying a word.
This is a good option; at least they don't have to think about how to respond.
Their skill in creating wooden figures is far superior to Qingyan's, and it's also much easier for them to do so.
"Madam, this... this servant dares not!" Songgriya noticed that Qingyan was angry and quickly lowered her head to admit her mistake.
They could go even further when facing the Jue Luo clan, but in front of Qingyan, they dared not overstep their bounds, for fear of being targeted by Yin.
Qingyan slammed the blanket heavily on the table, her face tense. She stared coldly at Songgeliya, intending to teach her a lesson and make her understand the seriousness of the matter.
The jewelry and other items belonging to the Jue Luo clan were no longer usable by her. Before Qingyan got married, Songgeliya took quite a few of the Jue Luo clan's things, and Qingyan recorded them all in her notebook. Those items were not expensive, and they were indeed designed by Xiaoguai herself. The Jue Luo clan wasted a lot of her hard work.
"You've taken quite a bit from your mother, and I won't pursue those matters further. Now, your mother is acting according to royal rules, so you'd better think twice before taking anything." Qingyan smiled coldly, her mood improving as she watched Songgeliya sitting awkwardly there. (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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