Emperor, the Empress Dowager and Empress quietly watched, remaining silent throughout.
Prince Ke’s actions were crystal clear to the Great Empress Dowager, but she simply bided her time and said nothing. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
It was not until Prince Ke’s selection of a consort, when he took a fancy to the legitimate daughter of the General of Fu Country, Grand General Zhong—Madam Zhong (the late Prince Ke’s wife), that the Great Empress Dowager, after a secret investigation, found out that Madam Zhong was arrogant and domineering due to being overly pampered by the Grand General, lacked talent and virtue, and was selfish and self-serving, so she was pleased to grant Prince Ke his wish.
Half a year later, the Zhongs caused their own downfall, and the late Emperor took the opportunity to seize back military power, decisively arranging for his confidants to take control of the army, leaving Prince Ke’s hopes dashed.
Seeing her own family’s decline, Madam Zhong, in order to promote her relatives, forcefully pushed her son to take her own niece as the Princely Heir’s wife.
Unfortunately, young Madam Zhong was even more disgraceful than her senior, and even more selfish and cruel. The Prince Mansion’s inner courtyard was in constant turmoil day after day, and they reveled in watching the drama unfold.
"Such a shameless thing," Meng Jinghui fully unleashed his venomous tongue, "let alone us, the families present have no esteem for you!"
"Fifth brother," Meng Han Yue tugged at her brother’s sleeve, looking at the Prince’s Wife with undisguised disdain and mockery, "At the very least, you are the dignified Prince’s Wife, yet you behave like a common fishwife, really... tsk!" she shook her head as if seriously troubled.
Some people couldn’t help but snicker, Eldest Princess Zhaoyang was indeed formidable; she insulted people without using any foul language.
Those who didn’t understand quietly asked others what it meant, and someone explained in a low voice.
It is common for ordinary women in the marketplace to scold each other, often standing with one hand on their hip and the other pointing at someone, resembling a teapot, hence the term "teapot woman" came to be.
Seeing everyone whispering to each other, the Prince’s Wife, clueless, was about to continue her tirade against Meng Han Yue when she heard Prince Ke snort coldly and immediately shut her mouth, not daring to speak further.
"Crown Prince Meng, although Yanrou may not understand the matters of the people’s livelihood and state affairs, Yanrou is willing to learn..." Long Yanrou looked at Meng Jingqi with hopeful and plaintive eyes.
"Such knowledge is not something that can be learned and applied to practice overnight," Meng Han Yue interjected coldly, "It’s said Princess Yanrou is already eighteen years old. How many years and months do you plan to learn? Besides, in Qing’an Country, the royal ladies are often required to personally engage with the common people in labor. If they don’t, they would be expelled from the royal family. Can Princess Yanrou, who has been pampered since childhood, really endure such hardship? Princess Yanrou had better think it through before answering!"
Seeing the stern looks from her grandfather and father, Long Yanrou couldn’t help but tremble, her eyes slightly drooping, concealing her expression.
When her grandfather proposed her marriage to Crown Prince Meng in order to win over Qing’an Country, she was very reluctant. After all, who knew what Crown Prince Meng looked like? What if he was unworthy of her?
But her grandfather had always been a man of his word, and she dared not defy him, though she was far from resigned.
It was not until Prince Chen’s grand wedding and she saw the distinguished and handsome Crown Prince Meng that her heart skipped a beat, and she no longer resisted her grandfather and father’s suggestion. She was determined to marry Crown Prince Meng. Once she became the Crown Princess Consort of Qing’an, she would first secure Crown Prince Meng’s heart, then eliminate all rivals, and finally take absolute power into her own hands. Then, she would send troops to annex Dong Chu and the other three nations. By then, she would reign supreme, ascend to the throne, and her life would not be in vain.
Now, Eldest Princess Zhaoyang claimed that the royal ladies of Qing’an needed not only to understand the affairs of the people but also frequently labor alongside those lowly subjects, and judging from Eldest Princess Zhaoyang’s demeanor, she didn’t seem to be lying. What should she do?
"Giving up was out of the question, not only would her grandfather and father not forgive her, but more importantly, her grand ambition to dominate the world would go unfulfilled. Persevering was unbearable, the suffering too great, leaving her truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Isn’t there an old saying, ’Only those who endure the bitterest of the bitter can become superior people’?
For the sake of her grand vision, she agreed for now. As long as she could firmly capture Crown Prince Meng’s heart, she believed that she could certainly find a way to avoid the suffering later.
With this thought, Long Yanrou lifted her head and looked resolutely at Meng Jingqi, about to say something, when she saw Meng Jingqi set down his ceramic glaze wine cup and turned towards the Emperor sitting in the main seat.
’Emperor, Jiujiu and Prince Chen are already married, and Dong Chu and Qing’an Country are now related by marriage. If Jiujiu and her children live happily and safely, Dong Chu and Qing’an Country will enjoy eternal peace! Of course, if anyone dares to harm a single hair on Jiujiu or her children, everyone in Qing’an Country will use all their power to exterminate them!’
The implication in Meng Jingqi’s words was that Dong Chu and Qing’an didn’t need to form another marriage alliance, which also meant he saw no worth in Long Yanrou.
Meng Hanyue and Meng Jinghui both nodded in agreement, signaling their support for their elder brother’s stance.
Whether this sentiment came from her siblings or from the step-parents she’d never met, Yang Mengchen was moved to tears by this expression of love.
Long Xuanmo shot Meng Jingqi a warning glare, his aloof features betraying no emotion, yet his eyes clearly conveyed his steadfast resolve: My wife is my own to protect, you needn’t worry about her!
Raising an eyebrow, Meng Jingqi defiantly glared back at Long Xuanmo: She’s my sister, and of course I shall care for her!
The more people there were to look after his sister, the more protection she would have, and Yang Chengrong and his brothers were very pleased about that.
Meanwhile, Long Yanrou’s face turned ghostly pale in an instant. She stared at Meng Jingqi with wide eyes filled with grief and disbelief, as tears streamed down her face like falling pearls, making her seem as pitiful as pear blossoms battered by a sudden frost.
She was willing to compromise completely, yet Crown Prince Meng had rejected her in public, how could she bear such humiliation?
The Emperor did intend a marriage alliance with Qing’an, but the candidate was not Long Yanrou; it was his sixth daughter, Long Yingtong. Long Yanrou’s unexpected emergence complicated matters, but the Emperor did not want to stop her while he also intended to test Crown Prince Meng’s stance. Now that Crown Prince Meng had made his position clear, though it did not entirely match his own intent, the Emperor found the outcome quite satisfactory.
’Crown Prince Meng, rest assured, since Jiujiu is an imperial daughter-in-law and the Auspicious Princess, who has also contributed to the state, if anyone dares to harm her, it is tantamount to rebellion!’
If Meng Jingqi’s words shocked the assembly, then with the Emperor’s pronouncement, everyone was utterly astounded. This was not merely a favor but an immense blessing. The crime of rebellion—after all, who would dare to harm a single hair on Princess Chen?
Yang Chengrong and his brothers, along with Doctor Luo and others, were overjoyed once they came to their senses. With such strong protection for Yang Mengchen, even if another prince ascended the throne, they would not dare to touch her, and they too could rest at ease.
Meng Jingqi and his siblings quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Meng Jingqi gently reminded Yang Mengchen in a warm voice, ’Jiujiu, aren’t you overjoyed? Shouldn’t you thank him quickly?’"
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