Princess Huayang, clutching her handkerchief, thought, that old fox Mo Ruhai, how could he not know the Emperor's mind? In the current situation, no one was more suitable to lead the troops than the Duke Huguo's Luo family.
His pushing and shoving was likely because he had guessed the Emperor's thoughts and was forcing her to speak!
As expected of the Emperor's foremost strategist, a true blessing for Great Wei.
Granny Yu saw that the Princess showed no anger but instead smiled, feeling a bit perplexed.
"Princess, you're not angry?"
"My Great Wei is blessed with talents, I should be happy. Granny, I am a wife of the Luo family and even more so, the Eldest Princess of Great Wei." Princess Huayang chuckled. Her marriage to the Luo family was for the sake of the Xiao family's empire.
If that day truly came, she would be unable to have it both ways. As the Eldest Princess of Great Wei, she would have to die for her country, sacrificing herself on the battlefield to bolster the might of Great Wei's army.
However, Lingyi and Lingyuan were innocent.
She had only these two daughters, and she couldn't bear to part with them.
In truth, the moment she entered the capital, she had already made her choice.
Her brother, truly... the Emperor's heart was unfathomable.
Princess Huayang's eyes turned slightly red. She was a member of the Xiao family and understood them best. Even if the Seventh Prince disliked Yi'er, he wouldn't take her life.
Princess Huayang looked out the window. Autumn had just begun, and the weather was already so cool.
"The Princess is righteous. I hope the Emperor will show more care to the two young ladies," Granny Yu sighed softly.
"He will," Princess Huayang's voice was carried away by the rustling wind.
Everyone has a weakness, and he did too.
...
Lately, the Emperor had lost his temper in court several times, making the ministers' lives difficult. They returned to their residences with grim expressions, and the bustling capital seemed to fall silent all at once.
Yet, news of the Seventh Prince's intention to marry Luo Lingyi as his official consort spread like wildfire. Yu Mingyue, however, remained oblivious to the outside world, dedicating herself solely to studying the classics.
Consort Cui's condition worsened, and she disliked going out, spending her days in her own courtyard. The mother and daughter were quite in sync on this matter.
The Old Madam miraculously recovered. To assert her status as the Duke's matriarch, all branches were required to pay morning and evening respects, and her arrogance soared.
Unexpectedly, the Eldest Daughter, Yu Miaoyan, suddenly caught the Old Madam's eye, and the Second Branch's status also rose considerably.
The Old Madam said that Yu Miaoyan had reached the age to be considered for marriage. She would take her out everywhere from now on and ensure she found a good match. Yu Miaoyan was naturally delighted.
When the Old Duke was alive, he was also a close confidant of the late Emperor. The Old Madam had also enjoyed prestige in those days, and naturally, she had some old connections.
The Old Madam even specially bestowed a pair of white jade bracelets upon Yu Miaoyan and a jade hairpin upon the Second Madam. To show off the Old Madam's favor, the mother and daughter practically wore them every day.
After the incident with Su Wanqing last time, Yu Mingyue had fallen out with the Old Madam and couldn't be bothered to curry favor with her. She simply used the excuse of being busy with her studies to forgo the daily greetings.
"It seems our Duke's mansion is about to produce a female top scholar?" the Old Madam said sarcastically.
"Reading so many books is useless for a woman. It's better to marry well. A wife's prosperity comes from her husband's success," the Second Madam said, smiling maliciously at the last few words.
"That makes sense." The Old Madam had been finding Madam Zhao more agreeable lately.
The Third Madam, Lin Shi, felt that this was not right, but she dared not openly defy the Old Madam. The single word "filial piety" was enough to crush her.
After all, even Consort Cui had suffered losses at the Old Madam's hands because of it.
However, even if she said nothing, the Old Madam found her an eyesore. Even the color of her clothes and her hair ornaments were deemed by the Old Madam as not festive enough and lacking taste.
The Third Madam dared not retort and could only accept it all.
She even used the excuse that the Fifth Daughter did not respect her elder sister and was not harmonious with her sisters, and that the Third Madam had failed in her upbringing, to punish her by making her kneel in the corridor, with a young maid watching to ensure she didn't miss a moment.
Due to being born of a concubine, the Third Branch held a low status and could barely command respect from the servants. With the Old Madam's suppression, their lives became even more difficult.