In the front hall of the Marquis's residence, Madam Min had been entertaining Princess Ruijia and Prince Ding for more than a quarter of an hour.
After drinking the tea and eating the pastries, Madam Min silently calculated the time in her mind. Soon, Ye Qingxue and Xiang Zhou would come to apologize with thorns on their backs.
With the help of Granny Lai, Granny Tu, and Han Yu, Ye Yabing should have no difficulty in handling this matter.
All she needs to do is wait patiently.
However, Princess Ruijia was unaware of this. As the aunt of Prince Ding, she was here today mainly to fulfill her duty as an elder and to promote the marriage between Prince Ding and Ye Qingxue.
"The day after tomorrow is the auspicious day for the betrothal ceremony. If the Marquis's residence has nothing else to do, the Prince Ding's residence will send someone to the door to present the betrothal gifts the day after tomorrow. What do you think, Madam?" Princess Ruijia said.
Madam Min smiled and said, "The most important thing for the Marquis's mansion right now is to get the eldest daughter married. The matter of betrothal is entirely up to the Prince Ding's mansion."
Prince Ding frowned slightly. A maidservant brought him a cup of fresh tea. He took a sip absentmindedly, and his gaze swept impatiently toward the screen.
We've been waiting for half an hour, why haven't Ye Qingxue and Xiang Zhou come to apologize yet?
Regarding this marriage, his mother had told him: "The Crown Prince has fallen from power. Even if we don't know where he is hiding now, we can be sure that he has no chance of rising again. Moreover, he was seriously injured when he fled and is sure to die."
"Now that you are the legitimate son of the Empress and have outstanding talents, you will eventually sit on the throne as the Crown Prince. Your queen will be the future Crown Princess and the Empress of the Great Zhou. The Empress must not be a wild girl who grew up in the countryside. She will be of no help to you and will only become a burden to you."
“The eldest daughter of the Ye family was abandoned by the family when she was two years old. In any case, the second daughter is much better than the eldest daughter. At least she will not cause you any criticism. Son, you must plan this matter carefully.”
Prince Ding naturally understood what the Empress meant.
They finally managed to overthrow the crown prince, how could they let a country bumpkin drag him down?
But since he was to become the crown prince, he couldn't afford to be criticized, so he could only let Ye Qingxue bear the blame.
As long as he marries the old Marquis's biological daughter, it will be considered as repaying the old Marquis's life-saving grace in the past, and no one can say a bad word about him.
Madam Min asked him, "The Lushan Cloud Mist at your residence, though not as good as that of Prince Ding's residence, was still carefully selected and delivered by your servants. Does Your Highness find it palatable?"
Prince Ding smiled slightly, displaying an air of dignity, composure, and refined politeness: "Madam, you are too kind. This tea is excellent; it is mellow, fragrant, and sweet, quite delightful."
Princess Ruijia wanted to ask Madam Min about any specific requirements regarding the marriage, but at that moment, hurried footsteps came from the back door, and the princess swallowed back her words.
Madam Min listened intently, but the sound vanished without a trace.
Presumably, the person who came was stopped by her head maid, Hongzhu.
Who is so inconsiderate as to barge in here with such an important guest?
Could it be Ye Qingxue and Xiang Zhou who have arrived?
Lady Min waited for a while, and then saw Hongzhu come out from behind the screen. After greeting the Princess and Prince Ding, she whispered something in her ear.
“It was Granny Tu, who was by the Second Miss’s side, who came. She said that the poison of the Broken Moon Orchid had been forced on the Eldest Miss, but the Eldest Miss refused to comply and instead injured the Second Miss and killed Granny Lai. When Granny Tu arrived, she was covered in blood.”
Madam Min's heart tightened. This was impossible. Ye Qingxue had been cautious and yielding in the three days since she returned to the manor. How could she have done something like fighting and killing?
Hongzhu couldn't believe what Granny Tu was saying, but the bloodstains on Granny Tu's body looked so real, and she seemed terrified, even so confused that she wanted to rush to the front hall, but fortunately she stopped her.
Taking a deep breath, Hongzhu continued, "Granny Tu has come to ask you, Madam, to come and uphold justice. They couldn't subdue the eldest daughter. She can use a dagger and whips. She even managed to subdue Hanyu."
Every word uttered by Hongzhu was like a huge pebble falling into Madam Min's calm lake, not only creating ripples but also generating huge waves.
Startled, Madam Min accidentally knocked over the teacup beside her. Hongzhu quickly caught the teacup, but the tea still spilled all over the table and dripped onto the floor.
Hu Mama quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe Madam Min's hands, and then ordered someone to clean up the mess.
Prince Ding immediately asked, "Madam, has something urgent happened?"
Lady Min belatedly realized that she had lost her composure. She quickly composed herself, and with the help of Granny Hu, she stood up and bowed to the Princess and Prince Ding.
"I was quite out of line just now, and I hope that the Princess and Prince Ding will not take offense. It was just that... what Hongzhu and I said just now was too shocking."
The eldest princess pressed, "What is it?"
"It's the eldest daughter," Madam Min sighed.
"Upon learning that the Eldest Princess and His Highness Prince Ding would be visiting today, I asked the Second Miss to invite her to pay her respects early this morning, but she refused and even... she hit the Second Miss and even used a knife on Granny Lai, who was serving the Second Miss."
The eldest princess was greatly surprised!
Prince Ding was not only surprised but also furious. That woman who grew up in the countryside was indeed rude and arrogant, daring to lay a hand on Ya Ya!
The eldest princess said in a deep voice, "How can there be such an arrogant person in the world? Even if he doesn't want to see us, he shouldn't have laid a hand on his own sister, let alone used a knife on a servant!"
If such a girl were married and made the Princess Consort of Ding, what a wonderful thing it would be!
Madam Min quickly explained, "The eldest young lady has only been back in the manor for three days. She probably doesn't know the rules of the manor. She's used to being free and unrestrained on the estate, which is why she made such a mistake. I will teach her properly later. Please, Princess and Prince Ding, don't be angry."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
