The survival rule of a concubine's daughter 87 is heavy-hearted and heavy

  The thank-you gift sent by the Jingwang Fu was not just a few ordinary gifts, but two large boxes of gold and silver ornaments. There were several small fans made of sandalwood with intricate paintings, embroidered handkerchiefs made of silk, polished bronze mirrors that shone brightly, and two pairs of green glass cups that glowed in the dark. There were also pendants made of sheep's fat jade, bracelets made of top-quality jade, several inkstones made of black stone, a few wolf-hair brushes, and transparent glass vases containing lively goldfish. Additionally, there were numerous hairpins, earrings, and necklaces, some with precious stones, some with agate, some with silver, and some with jade. The sheer quantity was dazzling, making it hard to take it all in.

  Such precious things, many of which are hard to come by in the market, are now right before my eyes and all belong to me, making my heart skip a beat.

  However, the numerous big and small eyes in the house stared at the treasures in the box. No matter how heart-wrenching it was, she had to pretend to be generous and say: "Mother, you like whatever you want, just pick. And sister-in-law, you also choose a few pieces that you like."

  Li's eyes lit up, and after a few polite refusals, she chose a pair of sheep fat jade bangles, three gold-inlaid jade forehead decorations, two copper mirrors, two jade pendants, two small fans, as well as two pairs of extremely fine jade pendants, two pairs of earrings, two brooches, and several hairpins. Under Ling's piercing gaze, she couldn't help but put down the small fan, only to see Ling still staring at her chest, so she awkwardly put down the copper mirror and smiled warmly: "Actually, I'm not just picking these out for myself, I'm also choosing some for your third sister, hehe..."

  Maintaining a smile on her face, "Never mind, it's someone else's gift anyway, so mom can just take some more."

  Li smiled slyly, "How can that be? This was given to you by the Pure Yang Princess, how could I possibly take it from you?"

  Yu Qing smiled and said: "Mother, pick some more, and also pick some for Third Sister."

  "Still, it's best to have a lovely daughter-in-law who is both gentle and generous. Hehe, it was worth spoiling you so much all this time. Alright, I won't be polite anymore." Then, she picked out two pairs of pearl earrings the size of fists, as well as a sheep fat jade pendant, and with her bright black and white eyes shining, smiled and said: "I've chosen a jade pendant and earrings, now let's choose a hairpin to match them perfectly."

  This time, no one paid attention to her. She stared blankly at the suddenly halved sandalwood incense, her heart aching, her mouth twitching, but still maintaining a dignified smile on her face.

  He glanced sideways, looked at the pile of things in Li's arms, and then looked at the empty box, put the night light cup into the box, and said lightly: "Forget it, anyway, after the lady has selected, sister doesn't have many treasures left, just leave some for sister."

  Li's lips stiffened, gazing at the box, then looked up and suddenly her face turned red, saying: "This brooch is of no use to me either, I won't take it." In the end, she couldn't bear the black-and-white gaze of the crowd, and took out a hairpin, a forehead band, a jade pendant, and a bracelet.

  She handed the bracelet back to Mrs. Li, "This is a pair, madam, you'd better take it and make a pair with it. It wouldn't be good if one of them was alone." In her heart, she scolded herself for being hypocritical and insincere, while her heart was bleeding, she pretended to be calm and composed. She comforted herself that this would only happen once in her life.

  Li also readily accepted, and finally, as expected, insisted that He select some, He only selected a pair of night-glowing cups. "Your brother usually likes to drink a little wine, this cup is suitable for him earlier. I'll thank your sister on behalf of your brother here."

  "As if moved by emotion, he took out two handkerchiefs and handed them to her, 'Sister-in-law, take this one. This other handkerchief I won't be using anyway. You are noble, elegant, and dignified, it suits you perfectly.'"

  He also liked the handkerchief, but where was the good intention to press down? After both sides pushed each other for a while, they finally saw that it was true and sincere that he wanted to give it to her, so she smiled and accepted it. Holding it in her hands, she couldn't bear to put it down, and laughed: "You, you're really forcing me to take your hand now."

  With a playful smile, "Right, sister-in-law is being lenient today, don't forget about me if there's anything delicious in the future."

  "You've known how to eat since you were born, you foodie."

  "Life is short, so we should make the most of it and enjoy ourselves while we can. Being able to eat is a blessing."

  "You're just full of twisted logic."

  Later, Qingye chose a good-looking forehead and a "rich and noble" necklace to give to the old lady, and personally selected two copper mirrors that were worthy of admiration, two Luo silk scarves with embroidered edges, and two small sandalwood fans with jade pendants, which were sent to Ruzhen and Rumei.

  While tidying up the nearly half-empty sandalwood copper lock box, she put the precious items that had been accumulated in front of her into the box. Chen Xiang indignantly said: "Miss shouldn't be so generous."

  Yuqin also followed with: "Exactly, exactly, even if it's generous, it's still a meat bun hitting a dog."

  Linglong had a different opinion, "Fortunately, the girl is about to get married."

  Zheng Wei was lying on the couch, holding her heart and silently crying (since there were no tears, she just cried quietly) with a loving expression. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but show an excited face, fortunately, the name given to her at first was Linglong, and indeed, she became more and more lovely.

  ……

  Li's family, who had been treated with favor, was indeed taken advantage of. So, in front of Old Lady and Fang Jinglan, she added oil to the fire and recounted how Yu Qing had been bullied by Wang's mother-in-law at the temple yesterday. After hearing this, Old Lady and Fang Jinglan's faces changed suddenly, and they looked at Yu Qing with gritted teeth, saying: "Is this really true?"

  Yu Qing nodded and said, "It's better for Madam, but that Young Master Yu is really arrogant and rude."

  The old lady asked again, "How did she make things difficult for you?"

  As if she didn't want to say it, anyway, she had already taken the upper hand.

  But Li didn't think so. This was the moment she desperately wanted to show her maternal love in front of her husband's mother, so she added fuel to the fire and scolded fiercely.

  Fang Jinglan was so angry that he puffed out his beard and glared with his eyes, scolding Xiang Jia for being too deceitful, taking advantage of others and still pretending to be clever. Now they even dare to bully him to the top of his head, it's really unbearable, intolerable.

  "Father, it's nothing. Anyway, that person didn't gain anything and was even scolded by daughter. I believe with Mrs. Yi's temperament, she won't have a good time when she gets back either." Although she despised Mrs. Yi's shamelessness, she still had some understanding of this woman. Having such an unbearable wife who only cared about winning arguments without considering the occasion was enough to infuriate her. She believed that this time she would definitely increase the intensity of her training and discipline.

  But Fang Jinglan wouldn't let it go, he instinctively believed that it was because he had lost his official position that his little daughter was being bullied at will, and he was powerless to do anything about it. How could he swallow this?

  The more Fang Jinglan thought about it, the angrier he became and couldn't sleep. Finally, he ordered someone to call Zhi Li from his bedroom to his study. As soon as the door opened, he said: "The Ye family is really too much, my son must think of a way, can't let this shameless person bully our family." He really couldn't swallow this insult.

  Zhi Li soon after returning to the mansion, He Shi told him about this matter, but he had a different idea. "Father doesn't need to get angry. If what you said is right, this person is so ambiguous and can't become a great talent. Depending on Madame's temperament, she will clean up her own mess. Why do we need to intervene?" Besides, that woman called Tong something, has such a shallow moral character, and can't even mix with others, wanting to control the Zhi family, there are many ways to do it. However, if you don't give them some color to see, it really shows that the Fang family is nobody.

  "However, the Wang family has taken the path of corruption, and this person is a notoriously greedy official. Moreover, they have also taken the path of the Yu Wang, so it's not easy to make a move."

  Fang Jinglan was greatly disappointed and couldn't help but ask, "Then, can we really only suffer in silence?" When had he ever suffered such a great humiliation?

  Zhi Li shook his head, "Father, don't be anxious, let me tell you in detail."

  Fang Jinglan nodded, knowing that after his father's mood had stabilized, he slowly said: "Nowadays, in the Imperial Censorate, Yang Shicheng and Xie Sheng have always been against evil and not afraid of power. Whenever they discover someone who is breaking the law, they never consider personal gains or losses, and they report it to the imperial court in a straightforward manner. My son can also casually mention Fang Su's corrupt and unlawful behavior, I believe these two will definitely investigate thoroughly."

  The officials of the Daqing dynasty, mostly with the spirit of daring to speak and advise directly, originated from the Confucian political ethics and moral traditions. Many bureaucrats and scholars adhered to the basic principles of serving the emperor, the country, and the people, speaking out and advising, as the saying goes "I have spoken, I will die without regret". Although there is also a connotation of foolish loyalty, it is still beneficial to the country, the people, and society. Especially in this dynasty, the officials formed a strong group consciousness, a group of officials faithfully performed their supervisory duties, exerting a stronger restrictive and regulatory role on the various power systems of the court, to some extent also curbing the drawbacks brought by power and the corrupt factors derived from it. However, there were also individual officials who framed innocent people for personal gain. But most of the time, the officials were indeed fulfilling their duties as "clean officials".

  And these two men in the mouth of the knowing are representatives of the speaking officials.

  Fang Jinglan was just a minor and insignificant figure, far removed from the imperial court's political core. How could he know about these people's great achievements? He asked uncertainly: "Then, if we can't overthrow Wang Su?"

  Zhi Yidao said, "Relying solely on a group of officials, it's impossible to bring down this person. But we must make him lose some face." Anyway, as long as they can drive a wedge between Wang Su and Xiang Yunhan, they will have achieved their goal of attacking the Xiang family.

  ……

  Actually, regarding the young mistress of the Zhao family who has never met but is deeply impressed by her reputation, Zhi Li instinctively thinks that such an ignorant woman who doesn't know how to advance or retreat shouldn't be treated with the same courtesy. Having a wife like this would also affect Xiang Yunhan's official career and make it less glorious. The fact that Madam Xiang chose this kind of woman as her daughter-in-law shows that her vision is also very shallow. With a woman like this as the mistress, the future prospects of the Xiang family are really worrying. So, there's no need to bother with them.

  However, I recently received a pair of precious night-glowing cups as a gift, and it's only fitting that I use them to help my sister vent her anger.

  However, as Xiang Yu said, the fact that Rong Yu was so arrogant in front of everyone and made things difficult for her, really made Xiang's wife angry. If she had been in a superior position, she could have turned a blind eye, but anyway, she really couldn't stand Rong Yu's arrogance. But this niece not only didn't know how to speak properly, but was also scolded and lost face, not to mention being laughed at by others. The more Xiang's wife thought about it, the angrier she became. After saying goodbye to Jing Tai Wangfei, she got into the carriage and shouted sternly: "Look at the good deed you've done! You dare to be so arrogant in front of everyone? Do you have a brain or not?"

  Tong Qingwen bit her lip in frustration, "Auntie, I didn't expect that cheap woman to be so glib, able to turn black into white. I, I just wanted to help you vent some anger."

  "Is there anyone as vicious as you? Let me tell you, this isn't called taking out your anger, it's called making enemies for the Wei family. Do you understand?"

  Tong Qingwen retorted in discontent, "Anyway, the Fang family has also lost power, and Fang Ru is no longer the official lady she used to be. What's there to show off about?"

  The lady's forehead bulged with blue veins, and she couldn't help but let out a cold laugh: "No matter how much they've fallen from power, they're still the descendants of a scholarly family. That's still better than being a lowly merchant's daughter who's lost both parents."

  Tong Qingwen's face turned pale as she stared at Madame Yu in disbelief, "Auntie, I'm your own niece, how could you say such things about me?"

  "Put away that pitiful look of yours," she said to the madam in a stern voice. She jabbed her forehead with her finger, "I'm warning you, you're now the noble mistress of the Xiang household, you must be dignified, elegant and generous. Don't go around crying all the time, take a look outside, which official's wife and mistress of the house would behave like you? You're always crying as if your mother had just died or you've been mistreated, it's not only annoying to me, but also unlucky."

  Tong Qingwen's tears flowed even more fiercely, "Auntie, didn't you say that men all love weak women? You also taught me that if I want to make my brother agree to marry me, I have to pretend to be weak? I, I..."

  "Shut up." With a sudden burst of anger, Madam's face turned red and her veins bulged out. She slapped her palm on the table, still not satisfied, and pointed at her with a trembling voice: "This is one thing, that is another. Now you are already the young mistress of the Zhang family, how can you still be so unreasonable? Don't you know that if you use the same trick too many times, it won't work anymore? Look around, which respected lady of a big family behaves like you, crying at every turn?"

  Tong Qingwen wiped away her tears and indeed did not dare cry again.

  "Also, don't always think you can do as you please just because you're my niece. Let me tell you, now that you're the daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, there are things you should be doing as a daughter-in-law. I'm sure your mother taught you some of these things before she passed away. I'm not a cruel mother-in-law who will make you follow rules or try to intimidate you, but please don't embarrass me in front of others. Is that too much to ask?"

  Tong Qingwen wiped away her tears, her face full of grievance, yet she didn't dare to argue back, and could only grit her teeth and nod.

  "Madam, I've finally vented some of my anger. You heard what your aunt said earlier, didn't you? I won't beat around the bush with you either. To be honest, although Fang Jinglan lost his official position, his son has made a name for himself and is now a fourth-rank imperial censor, a coveted position that many people envy. If your cousin had married into the Fang family back then, why would he have failed to pass even the Hanlin Academy examination? After breaking off the engagement with the Fangs, your aunt was furious with me too. On the day of your wedding and during the baby's third-day celebration and full-moon banquet, she excused herself from attending, claiming illness. People in official circles are always opportunistic; seeing this, they all stopped associating with our family. Your cousin's career prospects seemed bleak as well. That's why I thought of pulling some strings to get him an external appointment. If he had married the Fang girl back then, would we have needed to spend so much money on his behalf?"

  Tong Qingwen lowered her head, a flash of resentment on her face, but the sky was dark and gloomy, and even if she looked at Madame, she wouldn't be able to see anything. Seeing that her niece didn't say a word, she continued: "At first, your aunt, the queen, said it right. Although the Fang family has lost its power, its foundation is still there, and all of its relatives are extraordinary people. But I still insisted on marrying you, firstly because I pitied you for losing your parents and couldn't bear to see you lonely and helpless, with no one to rely on. Secondly, I was also afraid that if you married into a family without roots or foundation, you would suffer from idleness, and I wouldn't be able to help you. So I steeled myself and was willing to offend the Fang family in order to bring you into our home. I thought that once my niece became a daughter-in-law, we would get along well in the future and there wouldn't be any discord between us. But you're good, since giving birth to the child, you've become even more unmanageable. Last time, you had a falling out with Fang Ruoyi and got into a mess, but you still didn't learn your lesson. This time, you're at odds with her again. You don't even consider your own weight, no matter how unbearable the other person is, they are after all the sister of a fourth-rank official's family, and their relatives are all extraordinary people. Can we compare to them?"

  Tong Qingwen no longer wiped away her tears, but her lips were tightly pursed. She just lowered her head and twisted the handkerchief, not knowing what she was thinking about.

  "In short, don't be so impulsive and thoughtless from now on. Did you listen to what Princess Wang said earlier? It seems that taking the path of the royal family is not going to work out."

  Tong Qingwen couldn't help but say: "But didn't Auntie say that her words were like fart?

  Three black lines appeared on Madame's forehead, and she growled in a low voice: "It was just a casual remark, why did you take it seriously?" Taking a deep breath, she sighed and said: "Hanner's aunt is indeed hot-tempered and has a big attitude. But her eyesight is poisonous. If she says the Wang family is no good, then they must be bad. We should also have more discerning eyes. Since we can't take the path of the Wang family, we'd better think of another way. Can't let Hanner suffer in that place where he can't even swallow his anger."

  "But they've all been transferred already, can they be transferred back?"

  "Let's not panic for the time being, let's take a look at the situation first. However, since we can't go through the Wang family's door, we'll have to find another way."

  "...... Then, whose path should we take?" Tong Qingwen suddenly thought of something and her eyes lit up, "I heard that the He family is a renowned and noble clan with a long history of producing high-ranking officials? Auntie, can't we find them?"

  She paused, gazing at her, and Tong Qingwen suddenly realized something. She lowered her head, speechless, filled with regret and resentment.

  Madam Xiang's heart wasn't feeling well either, suddenly she thought that her younger sister-in-law was indeed speaking words of gold and jade, unfortunately she was blinded by personal gain, only seeing the benefits in front of her eyes, letting the big fish slip away from her hands, and for a little short-term benefit, she lost the most valuable and useful resource in official circles... Suddenly, Madam Xiang felt like she couldn't breathe, feeling extremely terrible...

  ……

  It's hard for Madam to bear in her heart. Alas, it's a heart that is both sour and heavy with regret. And as for Jing Tai Wangfei, she also didn't say much at this time.

  In the intricately carved and painted pavilion, Princess Jingtao wore a blue silk jacket with six embroidered flowers, her hair styled in two buns, without any hairpins or adornments except for a single green jade pin. She sat upright on the spacious imperial couch, holding a teacup in one hand and gently stirring the tea water with the lid in the other, blowing softly before gazing at the fresh green buds floating on the surface, yet not taking a sip. Her gaze was instead fixed lightly on Wang Hu, the kneeling palace guard captain who didn't dare breathe loudly.

  "Actually, you don't have to say it, I already know. Fang Ruoxi once saved Xiong'er from drowning using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, isn't that right?"

  King Hu knelt on the ground, sweating profusely on his forehead, and bowed deeply. "Your Highness, this concerns the reputation of a young lady from a respectable family. I had promised Miss Fang that I would not reveal anything about this matter to anyone. A man's word is as good as gold, how can I go back on my promise? Please forgive me, Your Highness."

  The princess of Jing Tai let out a sigh, "I didn't expect the captain of our palace guards to be so faithful to his promise. Although I'm just a woman, I must admit that I admire him greatly. However, as a mere woman, even if I knew about it, what's the harm? As long as you don't speak out, it won't affect Miss Fang's reputation. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore, come and tell me what happened."

  Wang Hu took a deep breath and explained, "In the fourth year of Qingyuan, Master Wang was on his way back to the capital when he encountered bandits disguised as Tartars. The enemy was numerous and powerful, and it seemed that Master Wang would be outnumbered. Fortunately, the carriage of General Zhen Guo's family happened to pass by, drawing away more than half of the bandits. Master Wang thus escaped danger. Given his relationship with General Zhen Guo, even if he had escaped danger, he wouldn't have left without permission and instead chased after them to rescue Miss Fang Si, who was almost driven to jump into a lake by the bandits." After pausing for a moment, Wang Hu looked at Queen Jing Tai again and continued, "Master Wang personally jumped into the water to save Miss Fang Si but couldn't swim back up due to exhaustion. When we finally pulled Master Wang ashore, he had fainted. We tried many methods to revive him, but none worked. Miss Fang Si bravely offered to use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save Master Wang."

  The silver-white candle flames, as thick as an infant's arm, jumped quietly on the swan-shaped silver candelabra, and the room was so quiet that even a silver needle could be heard.

  The Empress Dowager Jing Tai let out a soft sigh and said, "At that time, the Fourth Princess was also not supposed to know about it, so I strictly ordered you all not to reveal anything to outsiders, isn't that right?"

  Wang Hu said with gratitude: "The imperial concubine is wise and farsighted. The fourth young lady had indeed strictly warned the lower-ranking people not to leak a single word outside. I think that Miss Fang, as a chaste and virtuous woman, dared to rescue the prince in such an unconventional and shocking way, disregarding worldly conventions and appearances. I also deeply admire her."

  The King's wife nodded slowly, "You've done very well, worthy of being the iron-blooded sons of the royal family. The king was not wrong about you back then."

  "It is too kind of you to praise me, I am unworthy and dare not accept it."

  The Crown Princess of Jingtao thought that after this group of people fell into the water, they repeatedly urged Li Xiao to rescue them with a kiss, and became a laughing stock in the capital. At this time, she remembered it was quite funny, so she smiled slightly: "No wonder, you always shout that kissing can also save people. It turns out to be like this."

  Wang Hu lowered his head and said, "Originally, I was also unclear about it, but today seeing Fang Si Niang being rescued in the same way, I have no choice but to believe it."

  The Empress Dowager nodded, she didn't believe it at first either. But now she had new worries, "At that time, if Ruo Xian saved the Emperor in this way, did the Emperor know?"

  "At that time, Wang Ye was dizzy and didn't know anything."

  The Queen Mother of Jing Tai let out a slight sigh of relief. Since her son didn't know about this matter, it would be easier to handle.

  "Alright, it's none of your business, go down." Queen Jingtao waved her hand, "Today's matter, not a single word or sentence is allowed to be leaked out, understood?"

  Wang Hu respectfully said, "No need for the empress to instruct, I am already aware of it and have strictly ordered those below me not to utter a single word."

  The Empress Dowager Jing Tai was finally satisfied and praised him a few more times, ordering the eunuchs to reward him heavily and also gave some delicious food as rewards to other guards.

  On the second day, Princess Jing Tai got up from bed with fatigue and heard a servant deliver a message to her: "Your Highness, the king had someone prepare a thick gift early this morning and said it was going to be sent to Fang's residence to wish Miss Fang a happy surprise."

  The Empress Dowager nodded and said, "Alright, you may go." The son had a strange feeling about Fang Ruo's behavior, but his mother didn't seem to notice. As long as it wasn't over the line, she would turn a blind eye. Anyway, Fang Ruo was going to get married soon, and in two days, her son would be leaving for Shandong Province, so they wouldn't see each other again for a while.

  Just as the old woman had just withdrawn, she suddenly saw Song Jiang's trusted aide, whose face was full of things he wanted to say but didn't dare to, and couldn't help asking: "If there's something on your mind, just say it directly."

  Song Jiang's family hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, Fang's daughter once saved the prince with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I'm sure the prince already knows."

  The Empress Dowager's heart tightened and she quickly looked at her, the golden tassels on her head shaking violently as she asked, "What did you just say?"

  Song Jiang's family whispered: "Last night, when the Empress Dowager interrogated Wang Hu, the Queen also summoned all the attendants who were with them in Datong to Longxian House. All the maids in the house were driven out."

  The Queen of Jing Tai had a bad premonition in her heart, "Are you saying..."

  "It's almost ten o'clock." Song Jiang's eyebrows also furrowed, listening to the returned little maid report, "The king didn't let them out until very late, and then he rode his horse alone out of the mansion."

  The Empress Dowager Jing Tai was shocked, "Did Xiao Er still go out of the mansion last night?"

  "Yes." Song Jiang's household servant nodded heavily, "The guards who followed him out came back and said that the king rushed to Fang's mansion. However, the king only lingered in front of Fang's mansion gate for a while before returning."

  After a while, she heard Jing Tai Wangfei mutter in a low voice, "This is good." Depending on how much Yier liked the young lady from the Fang family, now that she knew the young lady had saved him with her own mouth, she didn't dare imagine what Yier's temper would lead him to do.

  After a while, another servant came in to report, "Empress Dowager, there is news from the palace that Her Majesty has arranged a marriage for Princess Qing'an."

  The Empress Dowager Jing Tai asked, "Which young master of which family has the Empress Dowager arranged for her to marry?" while she was being attended to and having her hair washed.

  The woman who spread the news endured for a while, and then didn't let her mouth corners rise too much. "It's the eldest son of Ning Guo Gong." Afraid that Tai Fei would wake up in the morning with a dull head, she added another sentence, "That is, the eldest son of Ning Jing Gong Zhu."

  The Empress Dowager was stunned for a while, then suddenly burst out laughing and clapped her hands. "Yes, from that day on, she will be the quiet and proper daughter-in-law. The Grand Empress Dowager indeed has an eye for talent. The eldest son of the Ning Country Duke is matched with this child, it's indeed a perfect match, after selecting from thousands."

  Song Jiang's family who was combing her hair also burst out laughing, "Indeed, the empress dowager really has a good eye for people."

  The Empress Dowager was also delighted from the bottom of her heart, but after the delight passed, she furrowed her brow again. "Ning Jing has always had some connection with me, if we really marry Qing An to him, wouldn't that harm her?"

  Song Jiang's family hairdresser paused, then smiled and said: "The Empress Dowager is afraid that Princess Ningjing will annoy you in the future. You can go to the Ningguo Gongfu first and explain Princess Qing'an's temperament. However, based on Princess Ningjing's clever and cunning nature, I believe Princess Qing'an will definitely be well-behaved."

  ……

  Celebrating the sixth year of Mid-Autumn Festival, the golden autumn brings a refreshing breeze, crab apples are fragrant, and the unique fragrance of osmanthus flowers welcomes the grand wedding of Princess Qing'an.

  The Empress Dowager, who doted on Princess Qing'an, finally found a son-in-law who was satisfactory in all aspects after more than a year of strict selection.

  Inside Song He Tang, three generations of women from the Fang family, old, middle-aged and young, were tasting the delicious golden crab while discussing this matter.

  "Isn't the Ningguo princess's son? Didn't our dynasty stipulate from its founding that princesses are not allowed to marry into scholar-official families?" As she spoke, her hands weren't idle as she cracked open a crab, and when she opened the shell, the golden crab roe burst out. She took a bite, and it was rich and refreshing. Unable to help herself, she devoured another big mouthful, sighing in satisfaction.

  Mr. He eats a lot of hairy crabs every year at this time, and it's elegant to eat them slowly and elegantly while saying, "There are also extreme exceptions. Just like the Ningguo Duke, who married the Ningjing Princess from the previous dynasty."

  "When marrying Ning Guo Gong, she had written a letter to the previous emperor, stating that if she were to marry the prince, any children born would not hold important positions in court. The eldest son of Ning Guo Gong also expressed at the time that after marrying the princess, he would devote himself to serving her and stay away from politics. Only then did the previous emperor agree to let Princess Ning Jing marry into the Ning Guo Gong household."

  "Then, in that case, after the Duke's household marries the princess, won't it become an empty shell with only a prestigious status?"

  He gazed at Ru Qing with admiration and sighed, "In those years, Ning Guo Gong was still the prince, but he was hated by his father for being incompetent. He only knew how to indulge in pleasure and romance, but had no other skills to revive the family. Many slightly better-off aristocratic families in the capital did not want to form alliances with him, and his father's vision was high, refusing to accept anyone who was not a legitimate daughter of an aristocratic family. In the end, he suffered from cold treatment, so he made up his mind to seek out the Empress Dowager, and married Ning Jing Gongzhu as his daughter-in-law."

  The current Empress Dowager has two sons and one daughter, namely the late Emperor, the current King Jeongjo, and Princess Nyeongon.

  The serene princess was born of an empress, and her status and prestige were unmatched by other princesses.

  As if he was in a good mood, he stared blankly and sighed, thinking: You people look down on my son, humph, I'll make sure my son marries a princess who is even more noble than your daughters. When the time comes, wherever the princess goes, see if you dare not lower your noble heads?

  Of course, all of the above are just emotional brain supplements. This Ning Guo Gong Ye knew that his son had married a princess, it was like marrying a Bodhisattva back to worship. Can't move easily, can't throw away, and after marrying a princess, he could only stay away from the imperial court, become an idle and scattered national grandfather, but still let his son marry a princess. I don't know what he's thinking.

  Mr. He explained in detail: "At the beginning, all the big families did not understand and ridiculed him. They thought that this old man was really out of his mind and cut off his son's and family's future. However, after a series of political upheavals, now no one dares to discuss this old man's decision at that time."

  After Princess Ningjing married into the Ningguo Duke's mansion, her husband, who succeeded to the dukedom, indeed stayed away from politics and became a idle duke. However, he was extremely loving to the princess. In twenty years, they had two legitimate sons and two daughters. Although she lost actual power, this Princess Ningjing was exceptionally capable. She maintained good relationships in the palace, initially being close with Empress Su. After Emperor's passing, Empress Su was buried alongside him in the imperial mausoleum. This princess then got together with Empress Jing, who had been missing for over a decade. Later, Empress Jing surpassed Empress Su and directly ascended to become the empress, then from empress to empress dowager. With the support of the grand empress dowager and the empress dowager, this Princess Ningjing held prestige in the palace and among civilians, being more dignified than ordinary princesses by a margin of seven parts.

  Many children of princesses who married commoners lived a stifling life, and were merely known as the daughter or son of a princess or a general, but in reality they had no financial support from the imperial court and were usually penniless.

  But the children of this quiet princess, however, were born with the halo of the national duke's mansion, and from a young age they wore brocade clothes and ate jade food, spoiled to adulthood, compared to other cousins, can be said to be outstanding.

  Of course, Princess Ningjing was able to become a unique and inimitable model. Nowadays, Princess Qing'an, with the favor of the Empress Dowager and the double identity of being the beloved daughter of the King of Jing, also followed suit and learned from Princess Ningjing, vowing not to marry anyone from a humble background or a commoner. The Empress Dowager and the Queen of Jing also went along with her, and after selecting for over a year, they finally found a suitable match, the son of Princess Ningjing.

  "That Princess Qing'an, I've met her twice, and she's indeed very beautiful. However, with such a temper, it's really not easy to flatter her. If she were to marry into the Duke's household, I wonder if she can still put on airs as a princess?"

  Li was also bullied by Princess Qing'an in the past, and even now, she still remembers it with hatred. Upon hearing this, she coldly snorted: "There's a princess above her, I don't believe she dares to show off as a princess in front of that princess." When a princess marries down, she has to pay respects to her mother-in-law at her husband's home. However, if the mother-in-law is also a princess with a title and rank, then it's a different story... Hehe...

  He guessed it, and so did she; then the two women exchanged a smile, with some sinister and gloating meaning on their faces.

  The old lady smiled and glanced at them, took the crab roe dipped in special crab vinegar, slowly chewed, the rich crab flavor filled her heart, after eating enough, she said leisurely: "Jing Tai Wangfei endured for so many years, it's not in vain."

  As the situation stands, wanting to take revenge on the concubine's children is not about beating them down or retaliating against them, but rather about lifting them up high. The concubine's son was raised to be a useless person, while the concubine's daughter was raised even better than the legitimate daughter, given good food and clothes, never losing out to the legitimate daughter in anything. Outsiders would all think that this stepmother is truly kind-hearted. Queen Jing didn't need to personally take action to suppress the ungrateful and often arrogant concubine's daughter; she only needed to use her own methods to make her taste the bitter fruit of her arrogance for the rest of her life.

  ……

  The Princess Qing'an's grand wedding, her loving Empress Dowager ordered, the capital city celebrated universally, and almost all the slightly decent official families in the capital came to congratulate. Upon hearing of Princess Qing'an's grand wedding, the Emperor instructed the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Rites to provide the princess with a full ceremonial sendoff according to tradition. The Empress Dowager also prepared a generous dowry, and the Jingwang Fu followed suit, providing a dowry in accordance with the customs for marrying off a daughter. Princess Qing'an's dowry flowed into the Ningguo Gongfu in an endless stream, with the retinue stretching as long as three streets, and it took three whole days to deliver everything.

  Compared with other princesses of this dynasty, only Princess Qing'an stands out, wherever she goes, she is radiant.

  Of course, in order to marry this princess, the Ningguo Duke's estate also spared no expense or manpower.

  "It's said that Princess Ning paid a huge price to marry this daughter-in-law." He Shi gossiped, still elegant and refined, yet subtle and thought-provoking.

  "If the son-in-law were just an ordinary person, that would be fine, but the princess's son is also a hereditary duke, and this time the betrothal gifts and dowry are enough to fill three big streets."

  "Then, are these betrothal gifts being taken to the palace or to the Duke of Jing's residence?" This was what Ruhua cared about most.

  He smiled and looked at her, "Although Princess Qing'an is the daughter of the King of Jing, she has been raised by the Empress Dowager all these years. Therefore, in order to observe etiquette, both the palace and the Wang Mansion each sent half."

  With a clap of the hands and a hearty laugh, "So to speak, even Princess Jingtao is not making a loss." Even if the Jing Wangfu had prepared a generous dowry for their daughter, the betrothal gifts sent by the Ning Guogongfu should not be too shabby either. All in all, the Jing Wangfu actually didn't make a loss.

  "These betrothal gifts are actually nothing, the most important thing is that the Empress Dowager took this opportunity to heavily collect return gifts which were indeed substantial." The princess descended, and all under heaven rejoiced together. All civil and military officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital entered the palace to offer congratulations. Although they could eat two meals of wine and enjoy a grand feast in the palace, the gifts sent out would not be so humble as to go unnoticed.

  As for the gift to be sent out this time, He Shi smiled and said, "Your brother is only a fourth-rank official, barely hanging on by his tail. No matter how expensive the gift is, no one will notice it. So I just plan to send a sheep-shaped jade pendant that has been used before."

  "Like a tongue-tied lover, 'Jade of sheep's fat? Isn't it too precious?'"

  He smiled and pulled out a thumb-sized zodiac sheep from his sleeve, tied with a red string, and silently sighed that He was indeed a clever person.

  Recently, Zhi Li has been getting along well with the princes, and the emperor is increasingly fond of him. The rewards he receives are indeed not few, and these two small pieces of jade are nothing to mention.

  In the sixth year of Qingyuan, the Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated with great fanfare in the capital city. The princess's wedding procession stretched for over ten miles, and the people within the imperial city were finally able to witness a grand royal event. The beautifully dressed Princess Qing'an made her way out of the palace to the Ningguo Duke's residence - since there was also a Princess Ningjing with a similar title and rank in the Ningguo Duke's household, Princess Qing'an could not be referred to as "descending" or "marrying down", but only as "getting married".

  He returned from the palace with a rich harvest, judging by her flushed face, she must have made many acquaintances among the ladies of the court.

  "...The airs Princess Qing'an puts on are not small, a group of elderly first-rank ladies-in-waiting were almost out of breath from being ordered around. Not to mention us low-ranking officials' families, the three bows and nine kowtows nearly broke my legs. When it comes to Princess Qing'an's unparalleled grandeur, Madame He could only shake her head in wonder."

  Even if one's imagination runs wild, perhaps even a real princess from a royal family wouldn't be as majestic as this knockoff version of Princess Qing'an.

  "Sister-in-law, I suppose Elder Sister and Second Sister and Third Sister have also entered the palace? Have you met them?"

  He nodded and said, "Your elder sister's husband is a military general of the Wei guard, he doesn't count. The second aunt did go... but she is the wife of a prince, no need to kowtow to the princess. As for the third aunt, she didn't come today."

  "Li hastily said: 'Why? The Yang family is a marquis house with a bell and drum, and my uncle is also an official of the second rank. How can he not go there?"

  He said faintly: "According to what Yang's family's elder lady told me, the Third Young Mistress was not feeling well, so she didn't enter the palace."

  "Is Meisheng's body unwell? This girl has always been healthy and strong. I just saw her the other day, and she was fine."

  The old lady also glanced sideways at He Shi and said, "What's going on with San Piao Tou? Stop being mysterious."

  He hesitated with a difficult expression, and Li's heart skipped a beat. Could something have happened to Mei again? She hurriedly urged He on.

  He fell silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully, and said: "At first I didn't believe it either. Later, I asked my sister privately, and she said that Third Sister had gotten into an argument with the young lady from the Yang household while serving lunch to her parents-in-law. The old mistress was furious and made Third Sister stand outside in the courtyard as punishment. Probably she stood for too long, because when her husband came home, she fainted."

  As if I had sucked in a mouthful of cold air, I didn't dare believe it.

  "Li was stunned for half a day, 'This, this, why did Rumei have to quarrel with her younger sister-in-law? This girl is really something, can't she just tolerate it? And, the mother-in-law is also too harsh, just because of this small matter, she has to set rules for Rumei. Oh dear, my poor Rumei, how did you end up so miserable, how did you encounter such an evil mother-in-law...' The more she thought about it, the angrier and more worried she became, unable to hold back her tears, sobbing uncontrollably."

  The old lady glared at her with dissatisfaction and said, "Before things are clear, you're already crying and making a scene. What's the point of that? You should calm down and listen to what I have to say." Then she turned to He Shi, "How did San Niangzi get into a dispute with Xiao Guzi? There must be a reason for it?"

  "He nodded, 'I heard my sister say that it was the day before yesterday morning. The third sister got up late and went to the dining hall when the meal had already started. The Yang family's daughter complained a few words, and the third sister didn't respond happily. Later, when serving the elders' meals, this Yang family daughter kept saying she wanted to eat this and that, making the third sister run around. The third sister endured it all, but this Yang family daughter asked the third sister to peel shrimp for her. Just as the third sister was about to peel the shrimp, this Yang family daughter complained that the third sister's hands were dirty and told her to wash them first before peeling, which finally angered the third sister.'"

  Li shouted at the shore, "Which girl doesn't go from being a daughter to becoming someone's wife? This Yang family girl doesn't think about it, she'll eventually become someone's wife too, and in the future, she'll have to serve her parents-in-law and treat her younger brother and sister-in-law well. Why is she so willful?"

  Yu Qing and He Shi exchanged a glance, without saying a word, but in their hearts, they were both thinking, "Could this be the legendary 'an eye for an eye'?"

  Unlike Li's sudden rage, the old lady was much calmer, glancing at her and saying: "From ancient times to the present, there have always been sharp-tongued and cunning young ladies. What's the use of getting angry? Think back to when San Niangzi was in her mother's family, didn't she also put on a haughty young lady's airs?"

  Li's face turned bright red with anger and humiliation, it was unclear whether she was angry or embarrassed.

  "Old lady, that's different, even if Mei was being willful at her mother's house, she wasn't as arrogant as the Yang family's daughter."

  "Is that so? I remember when Zhi Li's wife first entered the house, San Ya Tou had even asked her to set rules in front of everyone. She said that other people's wives had to serve their mothers-in-law and younger sisters-in-law as well. When Zhi Yi's wife first entered the house, San Ya Tou did the same thing. These two are still our family's legitimate daughters-in-law. But when it comes to Zhi Lian's wife, San Ya Tou has put on a big show of being a younger sister-in-law in front of her. If you don't admit it, then let's call all the elderly people in the house and have them testify."

  "......" Li's face turned red and her ears were burning, she didn't dare to look at the old lady, nor did she dare to look at He Shi, but she twisted her handkerchief in anger and said: "It's just a figure of speech, you all took it seriously?"

  He sighed and said: "Whether it was a joke or not, I don't remember anymore. All I know is that time I was really heartbroken for a long while."

  Li's eyes blazed with anger, but she knew He's ferocity and didn't dare to speak out of turn. In the end, she could only indignantly shout: "No matter what, Rumei is still our family's daughter. As a member of her natal family, can we really just sit back and watch her being bullied without doing anything?"

  "What can I do about it? As for the family rules, our Fang family is far away. Moreover, Auntie is San's mother, so it would be better if you personally took care of it."

  Li was hesitant, thinking of the Yang family's door god, who dared to knock on the door? Twisting her handkerchief for half a day, she finally covered her face and cried: "Isn't there any other way?"

  The old lady glared at her and shouted, "What are you crying about? Which girl doesn't become a few inches shorter after getting married? Is your Rumei so noble? You're just suffering from the temper of a young girl, why make a scene in front of your mother-in-law? Can't she show some weakness?"

  Nodding in deep agreement.

  Li's wife was choked even more, and the old lady looked at her like this, she couldn't help but get angry, suppressing the resentment in her heart, and said with a bitter tone: "I told you from the beginning, Yang's family is not good to marry into, the old madam is strict and picky, and the young lady is willful and sharp-tongued, you should be careful, be careful, but you didn't listen, and actually thought I was jealous of Rumei marrying well. Rumei is also my granddaughter, how could I harm her? You're good, one sentence and you dismissed me. Now it's all good."

  Li's face was uncertain, with an unspoken anger, yet she couldn't help but argue: "I originally thought that Yang family's daughter was about to get married and it would be fine once she got married...and there's also the old lady of the Yang family, who is already very old and shouldn't have many years left..."

  The old lady slapped the table heavily, "Third girl, you've just been bullied a bit and you're cursing people like this. Is this how you teach your daughter to be a good wife? You don't teach her properly, only teaching her all sorts of nonsense."

  "Li was startled and exclaimed, 'Rumei has suffered enough already! Old lady, didn't you hear what Li's daughter-in-law said? Rumei fainted from being scolded by the rules, isn't that serious?' "

  The old lady looked at He Shi, and He Shi replied with a bitter smile, "According to my sister, Sanmei just stood in the courtyard for more than half an hour when there was no wind, rain or sun. When her husband came, she fainted."

  Li's mouth opened slightly, her face filled with surprise and doubt, as she stammered: "R-really, is it really like that?" She couldn't believe how fierce Rumei had become.

  "What's more, Madam Yang was so worried that she immediately ordered the servants to take Third Sister back to her room to rest and recover. Even the groom was chased out of the house."

  Li was stunned, his mind went blank.

  But as soon as I saw it, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

  In the early years, Zhang Yiniang was also asked to set an example in front of Li Shi when she first entered the gate. Zhang Yiniang stood in Li Shi's courtyard for less than half a time and fainted, coincidentally seen by Fang Jinglan. Fang Jinglan was heartbroken and scolded Li Shi for not being worthy of being the mistress of the family, and also exempted Zhang Yiniang from performing morning and evening greetings to Li Shi.

  From then on, Zhang Yinniang's skill in pretending to be weak became the best weapon for her to alienate Fang Jinglan and Li Shi.

  Unexpectedly, Meizi actually took Zhang Yinniang as a model for her villainous role, it's unclear whether to blame Zhang Yinniang's negative influence or praise her for setting an example.

  Unfortunately, Mrs. Yang was not a Li, and Yang Qitai was not Fang Jinglan. Usually, behind the weak woman who loves to dress up is a hot-blooded party. Mei didn't get a clear understanding of the enemy's situation before using it rashly, which indeed drew a tiger but got a dog instead.

  Li's expression changed from sunny to cloudy and she couldn't help but wonder why the same trick worked on Zhang Niang, but not on her own daughter Rumei.

  Digression

  No need for me to reveal the next plot, anyway, just wait for the wedding ceremony in the next chapter, and it's all about watching a good show. Now, no one will want to put a sack on my head again, right?