The survival rule of a concubine's daughter 102 The king's rice bowl is neither stable nor unstable.

  The Wang Fu was located within the city of Beijing, on a truly "first ring" road, not far from the Imperial Palace. The horse-drawn carriage arrived after three quarters of an hour.

  Li Xiu, being a close relative of the emperor and having a close relationship with him, naturally had the qualification to ride horses in the palace. So he took a horse-drawn carriage and drove all the way to the palace.

  Pass through the Thousand Step Corridor, then drive over the wide Tianyi Gate, and the palace buildings are faintly visible in front. After crossing the stone bridge over the moat, after passing through the Tianyi Gate, this is the range of the Imperial City. Next is the Duanmen, another large square, and the majestic Meridian Gate is right in front of you. The Meridian Gate is the main gate of the Forbidden City, and only after passing through the Meridian Gate can one be considered to have formally entered the Forbidden City.

  The royal wedding, generally reported to the Imperial Household Department, Ministry of Rites and the Astronomical Observatory, three parties jointly organized, the etiquette is so complicated that it makes one tongue-tied. This time, the family banquet in the palace was also lively and solemn.

  The family banquet was held in the Baohe Hall, where the Empress Dowager, dressed in magnificent attire and adorned with jade pendants, was already seated. The Emperor and Empress were also present, as well as all the princes, princesses, and nobles from the capital, filling every seat in the hall to capacity. Li Xiong led Ruqin to pay respects to the Empress Dowager with three bows and nine kowtows, then bowed to the Emperor, and after straightening up, was granted a seat before the throne.

  Because of the merits of King Jing, he has the qualification to be granted a seat in front of the emperor, and is also the younger brother of the previous emperor. Li Xu inherited the title of king and sat in the position below the emperor. Like a concubine relying on her husband's nobility, she sat beside Li Xu and could even look down on other kings, princes, princesses, and imperial sons-in-law.

  For a moment, I felt that the world had changed suddenly. Previously, I was just an insignificant speck of dust among the masses, but after marrying into royalty, I became a majestic princess standing high above the crowd.

  The difference between heaven and earth is like a feeling that settles in the chest and throat, making one feel as if they are dreaming.

  At this time, the emperor's loud laughter came, "Li Xiao, this time you have finally married a satisfactory wife, don't you have nothing to say anymore?"

  Li Xiu smiled, bowed and replied: "I was able to marry a good wife, all thanks to the emperor's help." Then he raised his wine cup and toasted the emperor: "The emperor's great kindness, I will never forget even if my teeth fall out."

  The emperor drank the wine in one gulp, and laughed: "You and I are brothers, there's no need to say thanks, just be diligent when I send you on errands in the future."

  The princes thought of Li Xiu's previous behavior, who had refused the emperor's errand in order to marry Ru Qing as soon as possible, and couldn't help but laugh.

  She maintained a shy and elegant smile, slightly sizing up the emperor. The emperor was around thirty years old, with an air of majesty and dignity, bearing some resemblance to Li Xiong. Wearing a large red dragon robe embroidered with mountains and rivers, his sleeves were spread out on the ground. At this moment, he was gazing intently at Ru Qing, and after a while, he praised Li Xiong: "A beautiful and virtuous girl, a gentleman's ideal match. Your younger sister is indeed a talented and gifted person. Among the many famous ladies in the capital city, she is truly a rare find. No wonder you, this wild horse, are so concerned about her."

  Li Xiang turned his head and glanced at Ru Qing with a gentle expression, saying: "Your Majesty's words are indeed correct. In order to marry her as the princess, my brother has made great efforts."

  The emperor thought of him rushing to the palace to meet the saint, with a face ashen, and couldn't help but laugh out loud, pointing at him and scolding: "You look like this, and you can't even do it in a proper way, you have to resort to such lowly means. It's also hard for your younger sister, she actually dares to marry you, haha."

  Li Xiu and the emperor asked each other questions, speaking crudely and without restraint, feeling very much at ease. In contrast, the other princes became mere accompaniments, only smiling and nodding in agreement. When the emperor laughed, they followed suit; when he scolded Li Xiu, they chimed in with a few words of their own. Meanwhile, the other princesses and duchesses couldn't help but gaze at Ruoxi with admiring eyes, and even someone as thick-skinned as her couldn't bear being stared at by so many pairs of eyes.

  The Empress Dowager occasionally looked at Chong'er with a gentle expression, and finally beckoned to her, "Good child, come here, let me take a look. See if Li Xiu has bullied you."

  After a moment of sentimental silence, Li Xuan glanced at the Empress Dowager and smiled: "The Empress Dowager is worried about you, afraid that you will lose a piece of flesh. Go ahead, just don't drink wine, or I won't be able to carry you when you're drunk."

  Inside the palace, there were bursts of laughter, some high and some low. Ruo Qing's face turned red as she stood up and walked over to sit beside the Empress Dowager. Her majestic and noble golden crane-embroidered jacket with intricate gold thread patterns shone brightly in the candlelight, and the pearl decorations on her head sparkled as they swayed gently. The Empress Dowager held Ruo Qing's hand, examining it carefully from left to right, nodding in satisfaction from time to time. "Look at this lovely appearance, not necessarily extremely beautiful, but truly comfortable to look at, warming the heart. No wonder Xiao Er likes you." She chuckled and took off a string of red coral bracelets from her wrist, handing them to Ruo Qing. "This bracelet was given to me by the late Emperor, now I'm giving it to you as a reward. Take good care of it."

  As soon as she hastily thanked and accepted it, she saw that the coral beads were deep red like blood, plump and round, and with a slight movement, they emitted a flowing red light, and as soon as she caught sight of them, she felt a radiant splendor.

  The queen also looked at Ruoxi with a smile and said, "What the empress dowager said is exactly what I wanted to say. I liked the princess of Jing from the moment I saw her. Just look at her eyebrows and eyes, look at her figure, she's as delicate as if made of water, it's pitiful."

  Her face was flushed with emotion, pretending to be shy, but in her heart she was still quite pleased, however, she still had to thank Zhu Niang for giving birth to a spoiled and pampered appearance that made elders dote on her automatically.

  The queen sat under the phoenix throne, wearing a bright red brocade dress with golden embroidery and five auspicious phoenixes, a beautiful thousand-leaf gold peony headdress, branches and leaves wrapped in gold thread chain, holding up the magnificent crimson gold double-peeled peony palace flower on her chignon, as if she was covered in a layer of golden light. The majesty of the imperial palace was extraordinary. Compared to the simple yet joyful attire of the empress dowager, it seemed even more solemn, but somehow, such grand and beautiful makeup seemed a bit overdone, as if showing off something.

  The Empress Dowager saw that she was as lovely as a flower and said: "This is your sister-in-law, you will eventually become sisters-in-law, so you should get along harmoniously."

  As if possessed by a spirit on the throne, with a clear and respectful voice, "Your Majesty."

  The queen smiled faintly and nodded, her dignified face calm and serene, sacred and inviolable. "We are all family, no need for courtesy, Princess Jing."

  Among the many princesses, not a single one was recognized at first, and finally only Princess Qi of the Zhū clan was recognized. This Princess Qi had previously been betrothed to Li Xīao by the Empress Dowager, but unfortunately Li Xīao looked down on her, so in the end the Empress Dowager had no choice but to change the engagement to Prince Qi instead.

  The King of Qi is the current emperor's half-brother, sharing the same father but different mothers. His mother, Consort Su, was buried with the Emperor in the imperial mausoleum. He had been depressed for a long time, but later when the Emperor ascended to the throne, he was granted the title of King of Qi and moved out of the palace to his own residence.

  Princess Zhi of the Ji clan was a dignified and wise person, with a reputation for being virtuous among all the princesses. When she saw him, her eyes lingered, and she slightly nodded her head, exuding a quiet elegance amidst her reserved demeanor.

  As if smiling and nodding in greeting.

  Apart from Princess Zhi, there was also the Princess of Yu, but unfortunately she was at the back among a group of princesses and princes' consorts, and it took Ronghua a great deal of effort to catch sight of her.

  At a distance, it's hard to see clearly, only the King of Yu's wife is wearing a rose-red and gold-embroidered double-layered jacket with a dignified and extraordinary appearance, bright pearl decorations, and a curved moon-shaped hairpin with a large hanging pearl pendant, the tail of which extends outwards with a string of three tassels, below which hangs a large round South Sea pearl, heavily made up and looking very majestic.

  As if she had been embroidering for many years, her eyes were no longer as sharp as they used to be, but she could still vaguely see that the Princess of Yu County seemed to have something to say to her. However, since they were relatively far apart, it wasn't easy to speak up casually. She just sat there, frequently wanting to interject, but every time she started to say half a sentence, someone would interrupt her, and after several times, she simply stopped speaking.

  Among all the princesses, there are both seniors and peers, but overall, the first impression is quite good. They are all polite and courteous, entering and exiting with propriety, treating Ruo Xue with great courtesy and friendliness. The senior ones address Ruo Xue as "Auntie" and then bestow some gifts such as jewelry and bangles. The peers call her "Elder Sister-in-law So-and-so", "Younger Brother's Wife So-and-so", and so on.

  Next was to pay respects to the elder princess, and Ning Jing Princess was the first. She had a loud voice and a clear tone. When Yu Xing paid her respects, before she could even bow down, Ning Jing Princess had already helped her up, looked her up and down, and praised: "Yu Xing's wife is indeed a heavenly beauty, elegant and refined, with a gentle and lovely spirit. In the capital, there are many famous beauties, but compared to Yu Xing's wife, they all lack a kind of charming warmth. No wonder Yu Xing likes her so much." As she spoke, she gave Yu Xing a thick purse, "Here, I've prepared it especially for my niece-in-law. Take it, consider it a gift from your aunt to welcome you."

  With a big smile on her face, she curtsied and said, "Thank you, Auntie, for the gift."

  Princess Ningjing watched as she curtsied, her pearl decorations not swaying, her shoulders not moving, her skirt not shaking, like flowing clouds and water, with a gentle breath, her movements neither slow nor fast, yet respectful and sincere. It turned out that even performing the ritual of paying respects could be so beautiful to behold. Princess Ningjing nudged the young woman beside her, "Qing'an, are you stupid? Don't you greet your sister-in-law?"

  The eldest daughter-in-law of the quiet princess, Princess Qing'an, the illegitimate daughter of King Jeongjo, the younger half-sister of Yi San, and the adopted daughter of the empress dowager, got up reluctantly upon hearing this, and hastily paid her respects to Yu-jin. "Elder sister."

  Princess Ningjing frowned, about to scold, but Ruqin had already nodded and said softly, "Good, Second Sister."

  Princess Qing'an suddenly raised an eyebrow, wanting to say something, but she endured it, and her face showed great disdain.

  Princess Ning Jing was furious and secretly pinched her waist, causing Princess Qing An to feel pain but dare not make a sound, only glaring with reddened eyes.

  She looked at her with a sincere expression, but didn't say anything, only smiled warmly and said: "Second sister's complexion isn't very good, is there anywhere uncomfortable?"

  Princess Ningjing shot a glance at Princess Qing'an, and said to Ruyi with a smile: "Don't mind her, she's always been one to make a fuss over nothing."

  Princess Qing'an raised an eyebrow, but she also knew her mother-in-law's tactics. She glared at Ruqun with a sideways glance, shifting her gaze to the side and falling silent.

  She smiled and didn't say much, then under the introduction of the Empress Dowager, she paid respects to Grand Princesses Ning Qing, Ning Xian, Ning Yi, and Ning Mu, receiving some rewards. The Emperor's aunts were called Grand Princesses, mostly with titles and ranks, but Ruoxi couldn't help feeling a pang in her heart as she saw their awkward smiles, such noble birth and yet so desolate after marrying out.

  The Emperor's sisters were all called Grand Princesses, namely Qingyang, Qingtai, Qinghe, Qingcheng, Qingren and Qing'ai. The six Grand Princesses performed the ceremony of equal rank with Li Xiu and received some gifts. Then came Qingping and Qingfeng, who were younger than Li Xiu, and they had to pay their respects to him instead, receiving some rewards from him in return.

  Above princesses, except for Princess Ningjing and Princess Qing'an and Princess Qingping, all the other princesses lived in the tenth prince's mansion. Their husbands mostly did not follow them. The princesses were much more courteous than the other imperial consorts, each one being gentle and polite. The gifts they gave out were also of higher value, such as holding a pile of rewards in their arms, their hands almost numb from carrying so many things.

  The queen's reward was a set of beautiful jade pearls, each pearl round and transparent, very uniform, the jade carved with peacocks was green and moist, both workmanship and color were top-notch.

  The Empress Dowager bestowed a basket of fresh seasonal fruits, "I know you're a foodie and have always loved eating fresh fruit. Here are the best products from all over the country, I'll give them to you, go back and eat your fill."

  There were big, golden loquats and large, red apples, Zhaozhou's imperial pears, Northeastern jujubes, all packed tightly into a wicker basket. Among the fruits sold in the capital city, he had tasted most of them before, but this orange was not available locally, yet it was transported from afar, rarely circulating on the market, making his mouth water uncontrollably. With great joy and gratitude, he held up a big, round orange, looking left and right with an expression that seemed to say "I want to eat it, but I dare not".

  The Empress Dowager pointed at her and scolded with a smile: "You glutton, after all these years, you still haven't changed your greedy nature." Then she ordered the palace maid to take a knife and cut open the orange, slicing it into small pieces that were placed on a white jade plate adorned with a magpie perched on plum blossoms. She elegantly picked up a small piece and ate it, and indeed it was sweet and juicy, her fingers involuntarily moving in excitement, and she continued to eat two more slices. Suddenly thinking of something, she dared not eat anymore.

  The Empress Dowager was curious, "Why aren't you eating?"

  Her face turned red with emotion, she said in a low voice: "The weather is cold, I don't dare eat too much."

  The Empress Dowager smiled and ordered the palace maid to take the tangerines away and steam them with boiling water. Ning Jing, the eldest princess, asked in surprise: "From the tone of the Empress Dowager's voice, it seems like she knew Xiao'er's wife before."

  The Empress Dowager glanced at her and looked at Ru Qing. Ru Qing replied slowly, "Earlier, the Empress Dowager summoned my wife to enter the palace and gave her an orange to eat. Ah, my wife has always liked eating oranges."

  Princess Ningjing smiled and said, "This year, it snowed in various places, blocking the roads to the capital. Many of the fresh fruits offered as tribute were frozen and spoiled. Our estate still has some left. If you like them, I can send some over another day."

  As expected, she heard Princess Qing'an's disdainful snort, accompanied by a low murmur, and the surrounding conversations were endless, only faintly hearing "...it's really not up to par, just knowing how to eat..."

  As soon as Qing glanced at Princess Qing'an, she said slowly: "From what my second sister means, these fresh fruits are only for appreciation and not for eating? The Empress Dowager bestowed some seasonal fresh fruits on me, and my second sister came up with a sentence that doesn't make sense. Could it be that my second sister has something better than the Empress Dowager's reward?"

  The words were spoken slowly, like a gentle breeze and fine rain, but those around her heard clearly, and they all looked towards Princess Qing'an.

  Princess Qing'an was taken aback, she didn't expect him to dare to refute her, and angrily said: "Sister really loves to twist my words. I didn't say that the Empress Dowager's reward was bad, I just said you..."

  "What's wrong with me? Is second sister going to blame me for being unrefined?" Yu Ru was still smiling, but her expression had turned cold.

  Princess Qing'an was speechless, she really looked down on Ruoxi, if they were in a deserted place, she would definitely mock her, but in public, no matter how arrogant she was, she didn't dare to lose face, so she could only turn away angrily and remain silent.

  The empress dowager glanced at Princess Qing'an, frowned and rebuked her lightly, "Qing'an, you're not a three-year-old child anymore, how can you still be so willful after getting married?" Then she looked at Princess Ningjing, "Qing'an doesn't understand the rules, offending her elder sister-in-law, as her mother-in-law, you should also teach her well. If this gets out, it would be said that even the daughters of our imperial family are no better than this."

  Princess Ning nodded, "Sister is absolutely right, I understand, and when I get back, I will definitely discipline her well." Then she gave Qing'an a sideways glance. This thing that can't even accomplish anything but can cause trouble, if she had known earlier that she was such a useless piece of wood, she would never have agreed to let her son marry her.

  ……

  After lunch, accompanied by a smiling face for two hours, I was finally released. The Empress Dowager pitied the new bride's hard work and bustling about, and readily allowed Li Xiu to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pay her respects.

  The Empress Dowager was advanced in years and did not like noise, so Li Xiu took Ruqin to the palace of the Empress Dowager and performed three bows and nine knocks.

  The Empress Dowager was reclining on the kang, with a lotus-green satin pillow embroidered with gold thread and a hundred pomegranate flowers under her body. She wore a blue-black satin jacket with golden thread embroidery of intertwined phoenixes, her white hair combed neatly, although her jewelry was simple, yet the majesty of the imperial palace that had been in power for many years was extraordinary, as if she had experienced the weight of the crown, and did not dare to take it lightly. She stood up straight and bowed her head respectfully.

  The Empress Dowager gazed at Li Xiao with a mixture of affection and concern, beckoning him over. "You child, always causing people to worry. Now that you're finally married, although it was quite a shock, your wife seems proper and well-mannered, which is a relief. As a married couple now, don't do anything in the future that would make people worry sick."

  Li Xiao sat on the edge of the kang, smiling: "Don't worry, Imperial Grandmother, I understand."

  The Empress Dowager was deeply fond of this grandson, and with a sympathetic tone, she said many words of advice and warning. All were about being respectful and observant of etiquette, diligently fulfilling the duties of a subject, and strictly adhering to the law, so as not to bring shame upon the late Emperor. And Li Xiao, who was normally so arrogant, became a well-behaved child in front of the Empress Dowager. Whatever she said, he agreed with it all, his attitude very sincere.

  After scolding Li Xiu, Empress Dowager summoned Ruyi again with a wave of her hand.

  As Ru Qing stepped forward, under the guidance of the old man, she also sat down on the edge of the kang, and Empress Dowager looked her up and down. Her gaze was slightly approving. "This person relies on their clothes, you wear this outfit, it's great. You look very spirited, compared to your usual elegant and refined appearance, you seem even more steady."

  Ruqin's face turned slightly red as she said, "Empress Dowager Lao."

  The Empress Dowager slightly beckoned, and the servant girl beside her immediately brought over a purple sandalwood box with a red gold inlaid silver lock. The Empress Dowager handed it to Ru Qing, "This is a meeting gift for my granddaughter-in-law, take it."

  Receiving it with a respectful attitude, the box is exquisite and heavy, so the things inside must be extraordinary. Thinking that this trip was still profitable, if they get divorced in the future, it can also serve as alimony.

  However, going back to the topic, divorce was not popular in ancient times.

  But judging from her understanding of Tai Huang Tai Hou, after giving sweets, what comes next should be cannonballs.

  As expected, after a round of reprimand, the Empress Dowager suddenly changed her tone, "I heard that Consort Xiang is pregnant, did you suggest an abortion?"

  It just happened this morning, and unexpectedly the Empress Dowager in the palace also knew about it. It seems that either there is a traitor in the palace or the Empress Dowager has a keen intuition. Ruqing replied respectfully: "The Empress Dowager's concern is appreciated. Last night at midnight, Xiang Niang ordered someone to enter the prince's room, disregarding the prince's exhaustion from the whole day. She insisted that the prince go visit her. Xiang Niang has been found to be pregnant, but the fetus is unstable and can only recover if the prince goes to see her." Ruqing carefully observed the Empress Dowager's expression and continued: "This morning, Father and Mother were very angry about this."

  As for questioning and defending against the powerful and elderly, it is indeed a technical skill. There's no need to be too sharp-tongued; just lay out the facts straightforwardly and pick words that make people sensitive.

  The Empress Dowager had also experienced the cruel palace struggles in her early years, so she knew the intricacies of this place. With a hint of artistic and profound emotion, she was truly enraged, staring intently and saying: "Is it really like that?"

  As if frightened, "The daughter-in-law did not dare to deceive even half a sentence."

  "Empress Dowager, please don't be angry. Lian Xiang relied on the fact that you personally bestowed her upon your grandson and has been arrogant in the manor for a long time. Now, she actually dared to do this on the day of my grandson's grand wedding, which is not just overstepping boundaries, but also extremely presumptuous. That's why I had someone give her an abortion potion."

  The Empress Dowager's expression slightly eased, as if she was deep in thought, gazing at Ruqing, but her tone was still unpleasant, "If there is anything else, after all, you are of the same flesh and blood, how could you also bear to do so?"

  Li Xiu said: "The imperial grandmother loves her grandson, but if all of your great-grandsons are born out of wedlock, wouldn't that be a laughingstock?"

  Who would have thought that this guy is actually quite eloquent?

  The Empress Dowager nodded her head in satisfaction, her expression softening. "Not bad, the eldest son has not yet been born, and there are already a bunch of younger sons, it's not proper. You've done well." Then she said to Ruoxi, "This matter is indeed not right for Ruo Xian. However, the royal palace is not like an ordinary household, if the concubines do not behave properly, as the main wife, you must show your authority. Don't always let men take charge for you, you need to understand that as the main wife, managing the concubines and raising the younger sons and daughters is your responsibility. Men are not born to manage these internal affairs."

  The Empress Dowager said: "Remember what I taught you, Imperial Consort."

  The Empress Dowager saw that she was respectful and not arrogant, and was slightly satisfied. She said: "Although Xiǎo'ér is deeply in love with you, but as a prince, he now has only a few concubines, which is somewhat humiliating. You must remember your responsibilities and get along well with the concubines in the future, to help Xiǎo'ér prosper. The Jing Wang Fu is a large and powerful household, and seeing how weak you are, I'm afraid it would be difficult for you to manage on your own. I was thinking of finding another consort for Xiǎo'ér to assist you in managing the household and sharing your worries."

  As if struck by a thunderbolt, she stared at the Empress Dowager in incredulity, unable to utter the words "it's not good", and could only gaze pleadingly at Li Xiu. Hopefully this guy won't let her down.

  Fortunately, the sugar-coated cannonball given to Li Xu this morning has not yet taken effect. Li Xu frowned and looked at the Empress Dowager with dissatisfaction, "Imperial Grandmother, I have just married and now you want me to hastily take a concubine, this is not proper."

  The Empress Dowager also had her own considerations, "This daughter-in-law of yours may have a good appearance and temperament, but can she manage the large mansion of the Wang family? I think the girl from the Qingchang Hou Mansion is quite good, with a lively personality, straightforward and efficient in doing things. If she were to be your concubine, those slaves would not dare to be presumptuous." Then, with a hint of meaning, she looked at Ruoxi, "As the Wang princess, if you can't even control a slave, it would be a scandal if it got out. Xiao'er, you are the prince, don't always prioritize romantic love, your responsibilities cannot be shirked."

  As if the Emperor was furious, it seemed that someone still looked down on her humble status, so he wanted to marry a noble-born Miss Yang as his concubine, specifically to manage the servants in the mansion. And last night's slow response from Miao Yin and others probably also reached the Empress Dowager, thinking that either there was someone in the mansion who was leaking information or there were spies planted by the Empress Dowager, otherwise how could the news have spread so quickly to the palace?

  Li Xiao smiled and said, "The news of the imperial grandmother is indeed spiritual. Even the slaves in the mansion know that they should give face to Ruqing."

  It seems that the Empress Dowager does not want her grandson's household to be peaceful. With things going so well, she still wants to marry a concubine from a large and wealthy family to control this slave? If this gets out, it won't just be said that I, Li Xiao, favored my concubine and abandoned my wife, but also that the Empress Dowager does not distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate children.

  The Empress Dowager was delayed, seeing her grandson smiling and laughing, but she didn't get angry, only saying: "You child, you're just a concubine, how can you be favored over your wife?"

  Li Xiu sighed, "Marrying a concubine to control this slave, what kind of thing is this? Since ancient times, the affairs of the inner house have been handled by the main mother. I'm good at it, but I still need to marry a concubine specifically to take care of it. The consequences of not distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate children, Sunzi also suffered greatly in recent years. Can't the Empress Dowager see that there is too much peace in her grandson's house?"

  The Empress Dowager thought of the sinister tricks that Li Xiu's concubine had used in the past and said, "It's not the same... If it weren't for your mother constantly promoting her, how could such a tragic event have occurred?"

  "The Empress Dowager's words are indeed correct. It was because of the Empress's promotion that Consort Liu dared to be so reckless. But now, the Empress Dowager is also promoting a consort in the same way, isn't the nature of this act the same as the Empress's? Li Xiong continued: "I heard my father mention before, when the Empress Dowager was residing in the central palace, she once issued an imperial decree to summon her niece from her maternal family to enter the palace and serve Emperor Taizong. Not only was she conferred the title of Guifei, but also given the power to oversee the entire harem. Does the Empress Dowager still remember the reason given by Emperor Taizong at that time?"

  The Empress Dowager was delayed, and the empresses of all dynasties since the Great Celebration came from among the people. Her family background was indeed ordinary, her father was only a fifth-grade official, and although she was the mistress of the imperial palace, there was no one to rely on. At that time, the Empress Dowager also looked down on her origin, fearing that her low status would not be able to suppress the concubines with strong family backgrounds, so she took the initiative to bring her own niece into the palace and gave her the position of Guifei, saying that she was in charge of the six palaces, but in fact, she had emptied all the rights and powers of the Empress.

  Thinking of the cruel palace struggles she had gone through in her early years, Empress Dowager was speechless for a moment, but then asked unwillingly: "But with such a large royal mansion, can you really manage it as a daughter-in-law?"

  The Empress Dowager finally showed some signs of relaxation, and Li Xiu let out a sigh of relief. He hastily said: "Perhaps the Grandmother doesn't know yet, but as soon as she arrived at her mother's house, she took charge of things for her brother and sister-in-law. The humble Wang Fu is naturally not worth mentioning." Li Xiu thought that the Fang family was well-organized from top to bottom, and the eldest daughter of the Fang family had also managed the Zhong Fu in an orderly manner. Although the third daughter of the Fang family did not manage things at the Yang family, she still kept her own courtyard's maidservants in line, so it was likely that Ruo Xin would not be too different either.

  Even if you don't manage the household well, it's not a big deal. Just find a few capable people to help with the chores and that's settled. With him around, what's there to worry about?

  The Empress Dowager saw Li Xiu being so stubborn, and also saw Ru Qing standing aside with respect, only lowering her head and twisting her fingers, thinking that the new daughter-in-law had just entered the door, and now her grandson was in a state of confusion, probably unable to listen to anything, so it would be better to put off the matter of marrying a concubine for the time being.

  All the elders under this sky are the same, they can't bear to see their children suffer, and marrying a daughter from a lower family always makes them feel uneasy, still thinking of getting a high-ranking concubine. Although it's understandable, it's still very uncomfortable, and it's only the first day of marriage, yet he's already given himself such a slap in the face. It's clear that being a princess is not something an ordinary person can handle, but there's no other choice.

  Digression

  It's really a busy autumn, the eldest ate too much barbecue and probably got a cold while taking a bath this morning. The third child still hasn't fully recovered from hand, foot and mouth disease and has infected the second child. Today, the third child had an IV in the daytime and will take the second child to see a doctor tonight, then take the eldest to another hospital for a check-up because the eldest only takes medicine from that other hospital. Having many children is really not a good thing, it's chaotic for the whole family. Don't learn from me, folks, twins may look cute but they're actually headache-inducing devils.