Chapter 25, Chapter 3: The Heir Apparent's Wife
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a dignified and elegant face inside.
Unlike Xiaotang, who is charming and beautiful, Xi Qingyao has a dignified and elegant appearance.
If Xiaotang is a seductive poppy, then Xi Qingyao is a dazzling peony.
In addition, she was taught the manners of a noble lady by the Changrong Marquis's family from a young age, so her temperament is gentle and elegant.
Her appearance was the kind that the prominent families in the capital preferred, the kind that could carry the air of a matriarch.
But they were the type that the young master disliked the most.
Just look at Xiaotang, and you'll know what kind of girl the young master likes.
At that moment, she leaned against the car wall, smiling gently.
It was a gentle smile, but Xu Qingzhou's eyelids twitched, and a bad premonition suddenly arose in her heart.
Before the word "person" could even be uttered, the premonition came true.
The woman, who had been smiling gently, lifted her skirt without hesitation and kicked him.
Xu Qingzhou was caught off guard and was kicked squarely, causing him to stumble and fall off the carriage.
If the coachman hadn't pulled him back in time, he, a prince, would probably have fallen flat on his face in front of everyone.
Even though he hasn't fallen to the ground yet, the situation isn't much better.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, and Xiaotang caught a glimpse of the woman's face the moment the curtain was lifted.
I stood frozen in place, feeling a chill run through my body.
She recognized the woman...
She is Xi Qingyao, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Chengqing and the heir apparent of the Marquis of Changrong.
Xu Qingzhou's legal wife.
Xu Qingzhou helped the coachman to his feet, looking completely bewildered.
"What are you doing, Madam?"
Holy crap!
Isn't the Crown Princess in the story supposed to be a dignified and elegant noblewoman?
How could someone make such a vulgar gesture?
Why is the mission objective so out of character again?!
etc……
Why did he say "again"?
Yu Wanwan lifted the carriage curtain with one hand, leaning half her body out to fully reveal her face.
Xiaotang lowered her head and secretly glanced at her.
A smile played on her lips, and her eyes and brows exuded peace, without a trace of anger or resentment.
This was completely different from what she had imagined.
How could this woman not be angry at all when her husband came to propose to her with betrothal gifts without her consent as his legal wife?
Unfortunately, no matter what Xiaotang thought, Yu Wanwan didn't take her seriously at all, and didn't even give her a second glance.
"Why isn't Your Highness going to find your sweetheart? What are you doing climbing onto my carriage?"
Xu Qingzhou suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and put on the frivolous and charming expression that was typical of a young master.
"There are plenty of fish in the sea. If she's not interested, why should I, this young master, be hung up on her?"
"Is that so?"
Yu Wanwan's smile widened, and Xu Qingzhou tightened his grip on the folding fan, instinctively feeling that this woman wouldn't say anything nice.
Sure enough, the next second, Yu Wanwan's smiling voice rang out.
"Then Your Highness, go to the vast grasslands to find your fragrant herbs. My carriage is too small to plant any trees."
"..."
Xu Qingzhou choked, his mind filled with questions.
Yu Wanwan chuckled softly and lowered the carriage curtain.
"Let's go back."
The coachman glanced at Xu Qingzhou, then at the lowered carriage curtain, touched his nose, and lowered his voice again.
"Your Highness, would you please make way for me?"
"..."
Xu Qingzhou glared at the coachman, gritting his teeth.
"Is she your master or am I your master?!"
This coachman is clearly from the Marquis's household, yet he dares to speak to him, the heir apparent, like that?!
That's absolutely outrageous!
The groom looked up at the sky.
He wouldn't have dared to do this before.
But as everyone just saw, the young master was no match for the young master's wife.
Moreover, their Marquis and his wife are both on the side of the Crown Prince's wife.
The carriage remained motionless for a long time before the window was pushed open.
Xu Qingzhou subconsciously looked up, but it wasn't Yu Wanwan, but Tinglan, the princess's dowry maid.
Tinglan's attitude was respectful and her manners were impeccable, but the words she spoke were completely devoid of respect.
"Your Highness, the lady says, 'A good dog doesn't block the way.'"
"..."
Xu Qingzhou felt very aggrieved; he really wanted to go in and have a good debate with the woman inside.
But thinking about the mission, he took a deep breath and silently stepped aside.
Xu Qingzhou gave way, and the coachman immediately spurred the horse and drove the carriage away.
They really have absolutely no intention of waiting for their heir.
There were murmurs of discussion among the onlookers. Although it was impossible to hear what they were saying, it was clear that it wasn't anything pleasant.
Xu Qingzhou put his hands on his hips, adopted the demeanor of a prince, and glanced over.
"What are you all doing standing around like that? Get out of the way!"
These people were quite afraid of Marquis Chengqing, and they scattered in an instant, with no one daring to continue watching the spectacle.
Xu Qingzhou had a servant bring the young master's horse, mounted it, and slowly rode towards the Chengqing Marquis's residence.
He sighed and complained of a terrible headache the whole way.
He had a premonition that the days to come would not be as peaceful as he had imagined.
From beginning to end, neither Yu Wanwan nor Xu Qingzhou gave Xiaotang a second glance.
The entrance to Zuixianlou, which was bustling just moments before, was deserted in an instant.
Xiaotang held her breath and returned to Zuixianlou. Only after she was back in her room, completely cut off from the outside world, did she smash the cups and saucers on the floor.
Damn it!
However, before she could catch her breath, a maidservant came trembling to report.
"Girl... Mother Flower is here..."
Xiaotang's face turned pale instantly.
Xu Qingzhou could ride a horse much faster than a carriage.
Before long, they had caught up with the extremely plain-looking carriage and were slowly following behind.
Tinglan glanced out the car window, then pulled her head back in and fanned Yu Wanwan.
"Miss, the young master is following behind. What do you think he's planning this time?"
Yu Wanwan picked up a grape and put it into her mouth one by one. Upon hearing this, she made a "hmm" sound, thought for a moment, and then chuckled softly.
"Perhaps it's... a prodigal son returning home, turning over a new leaf?"
Tinglan was speechless.
Her young lady has been much more lively than before since she came out this time, and she's even started joking around.
She shook her head and sighed.
"If that's really the case, then that would be good."
Even in a family like the Earl's Mansion, it's not easy for a daughter to divorce after marriage.
If Xiaotang hadn't been so greedy this time, and had instead agreed and entered the manor, what could their young lady do but endure it?
I just hope that after this, the young master has truly given up on Xiaotang.
Yu Wanwan could tell what Tinglan was thinking, but she didn't say anything.
In short, Xu Qingzhou couldn't possibly neglect her; in fact, he had to treat her with utmost respect.
Even if Xu Qingzhou hadn't done that, if she wanted to leave, they wouldn't have been able to stop her.
Even if she said these words, Tinglan wouldn't believe them. Instead, she might think that she had been so traumatized that she had developed hysteria.
When Yu Wanwan and Xu Qingzhou returned to the Marquis's residence, someone was already waiting at the back gate.
Upon seeing the carriage, they hurried over to greet it.
Tinglan glanced outside, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Miss, it's Xueya."
Xueya is a year older than Tinglan. Compared to Tinglan's liveliness, Xueya is more composed and acts more appropriately.
This is also why Xi Qingyao kept her in the mansion.
Xueya stepped forward and curtsied.
"Young Master, Madam, the Marquis has been waiting in the front hall for quite some time."
Xu Qingzhou tossed the reins to the servant and looked at Yu Wanwan in disbelief upon hearing this.
"You actually tattled on me?!"
That didn't happen at all in the story!
The Crown Prince openly sought to take a prostitute as a concubine in the street. This was an embarrassing matter for the Crown Princess, so she naturally kept it a secret.
If the young master hadn't been so unrestrained and caused so much trouble, with the young master's wife cleaning up his messes behind the scenes, the marquis would never have known anything about it.
In the story, it was only after the young master was rejected by Xiaotang that his romantic affair became the talk of the town. The Marquis overheard the rumors and that's how he found out!
How long has it been since that incident? Rumors haven't even had a chance to spread yet. How could the Marquis know?
Yu Wanwan chuckled and looked at Xueya.
"What happened?"
Xueya also disapproved of Xu Qingzhou and explained in a deep voice.
"After the Marquis left the court, he returned home with Minister Zhang and happened to meet Young Master Zhang, who was returning from afar."
The suggestion was brief, but Xu Qingzhou immediately understood what was going on.
This Minister Zhang is the Minister of War. He and Marquis Chengqing are both military generals, and they are both enemies and friends. The two often quarrel over trivial matters, stabbing each other in the back.
Young Master Zhang, whose name is Zhang Ruizhi, is the same age as the young master. The two studied at Chengxi Academy and have been at odds since childhood.
Young Master Zhang is also a regular at Zuixianlou. This time... he probably watched the show and gossiped about it to Minister Zhang.
In the story, even after being rejected, the young master did not give up. He talked with Xiaotang for a long time in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and did not scold the others to disperse. It is likely that Young Master Zhang will not return so soon.
But this time was different. He immediately distanced himself from Xiaotang and dismissed everyone else...
Even after figuring it out, Xu Qingzhou wasn't happy at all.
He felt pain in his head, stomach, liver, and everywhere else.
Yu Wanwan gave him a half-smile and raised her chin slightly.
"Let's go, don't keep the Marquis waiting."
Yu Wanwan had already left, so Xu Qingzhou had no choice but to follow.
Even if he had a thousand or ten thousand reasons not to face it.
The Marquis's mansion was very large and luxurious, and the back gate was some distance from the front hall.
But no matter how far the distance, there will always be a time to reach the destination.
Xu Qingzhou had just stepped one foot into the hall when a teacup flew out.
His body reacted faster than his brain; with a light tap of his toes, he hid behind Yu Wanwan.
After everything was done, Xu Qingzhou belatedly came to her senses, glanced at the spot where he had just been standing, and narrowed her eyes.
I almost forgot, as a family of military generals, the Marquis of Chengqing's family, even though the young master was required to study from a young age, also practiced martial arts.
It's not just for show; it's real martial arts, the kind that combines lightness skill with internal strength!
Xu Qingzhou suddenly felt excited and eager to go back and lock himself in to study the lightness skill and internal energy that he had only seen in novels and TV dramas.
The next instant, a loud shout rang in his ears, interrupting his thoughts, and all his excitement and exhilaration shattered into pieces.
"You dare to hide?! Come here and kneel down!"
Author's Note: Xu Qingzhou: Why is everything so hard for me? *hugs herself in sympathy* [melts emoji]
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