《My Naughty Princess Consort》 Chapter 1 - My Lucky Bride Is An Interesting Woman At the Capital of the Great Zhou. It was 18th August. Besides an auspicious day, it was also the wedding day of Mu Yexiao, as known as Lord Xiao, and Qian Yuge, the daughter of Minister Qian. A bridal carriage, together with a substantial amount of dowry and trousseau, were on their way to the Lord Xiao¡¯s residence. As the band celebrated this meaningful day, the parade attracted the attention of everyone in town. It was supposed to be a day worth celebrating for. Yet, a few men were sighing among the crowd. ¡°They would make a good match if Lord Xiao weren''t injured.¡± His friends agreed, ¡°You¡¯ve heard about it too?¡± ¡°Lord Xiao injured himself at war, and will not be able to have young. Moreover, his legs have been crippled and his life is now at stake. Life is so unfair to him.¡± Another man added, ¡°Exactly. However, the Qian family are men of their word. Even after learning that Lord Xiao is sterile, they still wed their daughter to him, hoping to bring some good luck to Lord Xiao.¡± ¡°Hopefully this wedding can hasten his recovery.¡± Among the crowd, the conversation continued. The bride inside the shoulder carriage overheard the gossip. Her lips curled upward before it turned into a disdainful grin. Is she Qian Yuge, the daughter of the noble Qian family? No, she¡¯s not. She was a soul hailed from modern times. On top of that, she took over the body of an unlucky girl, who shared the same name as her¡ªQian Jiujiu. The initial owner of this body was born on 9th September. As Minister Qian was too lazy to think of a name for his daughter, Jiujiu1 was named after her birthday. In fact, children born on 9th September were supposed to bring luck to their families. Unfortunately, Qian Jiujiu was an exception. When she was born, the shaman told her parents that her presence will bring misfortune to her parents. As expected, her father¡¯s first wife was affected. Right after she was born, her father¡¯s first wife fell ill. Therefore, Qian Jiujiu, the cursed girl, and her mother were sent to a village outside of the Capital. She spent 16 years in the village with no one caring for her. This time, she was brought home only to marry Lord Xiao on behalf of her sister. However, the foolish Qian Jiujiu actually fell head over heels in love with the Third Prince. When she learned that the wedding was proposed by the Third Prince, she immediately agreed to it. Later, when she found out the truth, she felt as if she was going to be killed by her sorrow. Indeed, she was now dead. When she was knocked unconscious and brought into the shoulder carriage, she breathed her last. Then, the modern-day Qian Jiujiu came to replace her. Qian Jiujiu was a physician who practiced both Chinese and Western medicines. She reckoned that she would thrive if she was to live in the ancient time.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. However, she needed to first bring luck to Lord Xiao and cure his illness. In fact, what she believed in was not luck. For her, luck was something with no scientific basis, and she would not rely on it. Instead, she believed in her own skills. Qian Jiujiu pouted, as she grumbled under her breath. ¡°This stupid bridal carriage is no fun at all! It¡¯s giving me motion sickness, and we¡¯re still not arriving at our destination.¡± When she finished her rant, the carriage came to an abrupt halt. Someone announced, ¡°Here comes the bride!¡± I¡¯ve arrived? Then? What should I do? Oh, I passed out before I was brought into the carriage. Perhaps I should pretend to be unconscious. Right after she lay down in the carriage, she sensed that someone had drawn open the curtain of the carriage. Through the veil, she studied her surroundings through her squinted eyes. She saw a fleshy woman before she was picked up and placed on the woman¡¯s back. She was sent directly into a room, skipping the traditional wedding ceremony. The plump woman flung the room¡¯s door open and threw Qian Jiujiu into the room. Followed by a loud thud, Qian Jiujiu fell on the floor, narrowly missing the bed. Once again, the door squeaked when the lady closed it behind her. A few moments later, after Qian Jiujiu made sure that there was no one outside the door, she slowly rose to her feet as she massaged her bruised back. Facing the door, she gave the finger and said, ¡°Fat a*s. Don''t you ever run into me, or I¡¯ll throw you down onto the floor. You almost broke my spine.¡± She stretched her body. However, as Qian Jiujiu moved around, her gaze was fixed on the masked man who was lying on the bed. She approached the man and scoffed. ¡°So, you¡¯re the dying Prince? Hmph! Let¡¯s see what an ancient royalty looks like!¡± Intending to remove Mu Yexiao¡¯s mask, she tried to reach out, but her arm quickly paused midair. All of a sudden, Qian Jiujiu felt intimidated by the man¡¯s aura. As she retreated, she looked at Mu Yexiao and pouted. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t remove your mask. I¡¯m not interested in seeing your face, and you don''t have to get so annoyed.¡± Just when Qian Jiujiu finished her words, she noticed that the man had put down his guard. Abruptly, Qian Jiujiu spun around and, at a gallop, unmasked the man. She exposed a face so beautiful that it took her breath away. Despite his pale skin, his alluring facial features stood out sharply, save the pair of eyes which was shut tightly. On top of that, Qian Jiujiu found Mu Yexiao¡¯s thin lips utterly irresistible. Qian Jiujiu gulped. This man is better looking than all the modern-day celebrities combined! It would be a waste if such a handsome man dies. When the idea struck her, she swiftly grabbed Mu Yexiao by his wrist and started checking his pulse. Although Mu Yexiao¡¯s eyes remained shut, he was conscious. He knew what was happening around him, and had not missed a thing Qian Jiujiu did since the moment she entered the room. My lucky bride seems like an interesting woman! After Qian Jiujiu checked his pulse, she furrowed her brows, and intuitively reached out for a silver needle, intending to treat him on the spot. However, she realized that she did not have anything with her. She stared at Mu Yexiao, and patted him on his shoulder. ¡°Brother, wake up. I¡¯ve something to discuss with you.¡± Upon listening to Qian Jiujiu¡¯s strange request, the corner of his lips twitched. Yet, he was afraid that Qian Jiujiu would notice that. With no other option, he spat out some blood, and that shocked Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Hey, hey! Stop bleeding! You¡¯ll get me into trouble if you die!¡± As she spoke, she lifted the hem of her wedding gown to wipe the blood off the corner of Mu Yexiao¡¯s lips. Her action had finally irritated Mu Yexiao. Who is this woman? I''ve seen Qian Yuge from the Qian family before, and this woman is not Qian Yuge. Qian Yuge would never dirty her bridal gown. Abruptly, he opened his eyes and let out a few violent coughs. All of a sudden, two guards entered the room. They asked, ¡°Your Highness, are you alright?¡± Upon finishing their words, they glared at Qian Jiujiu. Meanwhile, Qian Jiujiu was kneading her own cheeks. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything wrong. Why are you glaring at me? Feeling wronged, Qian Jiujiu returned glare for glare. Upon seeing Qian Jiujiu¡¯s response, Mu Yexiao let out another cough. Is this woman a comedian? This time, the guards removed their gaze from Qian Jiujiu before they promptly took out a pill and fed it to Mu Yexiao. Qian Jiujiu stood on tiptoe, trying to take a peek at the pill. Unfortunately, not only she failed to see anything, but she also received another glare from the guard. Flustered, she rubbed her nose. I¡¯m a Princess Consort, and I might dig out your eyes if you continue staring at me like this. Jiujiu (¾Å¾Å) - ¡°nine-nine¡± in Chinese === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 2 - Do You Want To Bet? Mu Yexiao, who finally stopped coughing, stared at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Who are you?¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked as she pondered on how to answer the man¡¯s question. Eventually, she decided to be truthful. Sooner or later, he would probably unearth her background even if she refused to reveal the truth now. Nevertheless, Qian Yuge was the most beautiful lady in the Capital, and Qian Jiujiu definitely looked nothing like Qian Yuge. Furthermore, it had been a few hours since Qian Jiujiu arrived at this place. Yet, she still had no idea how she looked. What if I¡¯m ugly? Perturbed by the thought, she studied her surroundings, trying to look for a mirror. When she finally found a copper mirror on the dressing table, Qian Jiujiu darted toward it. She looked at her reflection, and immediately had an urge to kill herself. Which fool put so much make-up on my face? Is this make-up free? Subsequently, she began to knead her cheek, intending to remove the make-up on her face. However, she forgot how ridiculous she would appear in front of others. Mu Yexiao, who was still lying on the bed, and the two guards were flabbergasted by her action. Where did this strange woman come from? Mu Yexiao, who could not bear seeing this scene anymore, raised his voice and repeated his question. ¡°Who are you?¡± Qian Jiujiu paused in her action before she turned around to look as Mu Yexiao in an awkward posture. ¡°You are Lord Xiao, right? Hi! Oh, no. Your Highness, my name is Qian Jiujiu. I¡¯m the love child of Minister Qian.¡± ¡°Why am I here? I think we should have a tacit understanding on this, and I hope that you can keep this to yourself after I tell you the truth.¡± The corner of Mu Yexiao¡¯s mouth twitched again. What''s wrong with this woman? Why is she so confident? Of course he had heard of Qian Jiujiu, the love child of Minister Qian. Has she always been this interesting? He had heard about Qian Jiujiu since a long time ago. Yet, he paid little to no attention to this woman before, and her presence had definitely caught Mu Yexiao off guard. ¡°Why do you think that I¡¯ll keep your secret save?¡± At that instant, Qian Jiujiu was no longer bothered by the make-up on her face. In fact, what left on her face was merely a layer of make-up foundation. She brought a small stool and arrived before Mu Yexiao. She took a seat and proceeded to look Mu Yexiao in the eye. She articulated each word with precision. ¡°Because I¡¯m your lucky bride, and I¡¯ve already brought luck to you.¡± Mu Yexiao abruptly focused his gaze. ¡°You can cure me of my crippled legs?¡± He had consulted all the best doctors across the country, and none of them were optimistic about the outcomes of their treatments.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Therefore, Mu Yexiao was somewhat astonished by Qian Jiujiu¡¯s words. Confidently, Qian Jiujiu nodded again. ¡°Yes. Not only I can remove the poison in your body, but I can also cure your crippled legs.¡± ¡°I¡¯m merely a bastard of the Qian family. Removing me will hardly affect the Qian family, while allowing me to stay with you will be more advantageous for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all up to you, Lord Xiao.¡± Mu Yexiao stared at the face that was only inches away from his. It was unevenly covered by the make-up powder. However, her imperfect make-up did not dim the limitless confidence that was flowing out of her eyes. It doesn''t seem like she''s faking her confidence. Moreover, she''s such an interesting lady. It might be useful to keep her around. Qian Jiujiu stared at Mu Yexiao as he was lost in thoughts. He was obviously pondering over his options. She believed that Mu Yexiao was sensible enough to make the right choice. ¡°How can I tell if you''ll really cure me?¡± Flustered by the question, Qian Jiujiu blinked awkwardly. It was certainly difficult for her to prove herself. She flashed her teeth. ¡°That''s why this is a reckless bet. So, Lord Xiao, do you want to bet?¡± Mu Yexiao subtly curled his lips upward as he looked at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°If this is a bet, what does the winner get?¡± His question took Qian Jiujiu by surprise. At that instant, she thought that Mu Yexiao was not an unbearable man after all. ¡°I¡¯m allowed to negotiate?¡± Mu Yexiao nodded. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°I only want you to save my mother after I¡¯ve cleared the poison in your body. Then, after I cure your crippled legs, you shall divorce me, and promise to never disturb me.¡± Mu Yexiao had yet to react to Qian Jiujiu¡¯s words, but the guard, who was glaring at her only a moment ago, could no longer suppress his annoyance. ¡°Who do you think you are to negotiate with His Highness? Do you think His Highness will actually fall for you?¡± Qian Jiujiu threw the guard a disdainful glance and pursed her lips. ¡°Yes. He will not fall for me. Perhaps he will fall for you.¡± As she spoke, an idea seemed to have hit Qian Jiujiu. She scrutinized the guard, and noticed that he had rather delicate facial features. No one has ever heard of any woman around Mu Yexiao. Perhaps he''s not a straight man? Is this guard here his secret Princess Consort? Coincidentally, Qian Jiujiu especially loved seeing gay couples. The birth of this theory made Qian Jiujiu¡¯s eyes glow as she stared at Mu Yexiao and his guard. Having noticed her unusual gaze, Mu Yexiao grew intimidating. ¡°Why are you looking at us like that?¡± Qian Jiujiu shrugged. ¡°Fret not. I will not tell anyone about this, and will never expose your relationship.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Your Highness. I''ll make peace with him.¡± Qian Jiujiu winked at Mu Yexiao, as if they had a tacit understanding on this issue, and that had definitely puzzled Mu Yexiao. Mu Yexiao threw a glance at his guard, and realized that his guard was just as confused. Then, he turned to look at Qian Jiujiu, intending to ignore the strange statement she just made. ¡°Fine. I''ll take the bet. I''ll divorce you once you have successfully treated my legs.¡± Qian Jiujiu made a victory gesture. Indeed, I''m the main character of this story. I have actually convinced him without any backups! ¡°Alright. Then, I need to head out to forge a silver needle before we can start the treatment.¡± ¡°First, I''ll prescribe you some medicine to remove the poison in your body.¡± Mu Yexiao stared at Qian Jiujiu who continued to talk despite receiving no reply. This woman must be very talkative. Although Qian Jiujiu received no response, her gaze was fixed on Mu Yexiao. ¡°Also, I need to wash my face first.¡± The corner of Mu Yexiao¡¯s lips twitched again. This woman finally remembers to wash her face. He looked at his guard and ordered, ¡°Dong Chen, lead Princess Consort to her room.¡± Dong Chen, the guard who had been glaring at Qian Jiujiu since the very beginning, stepped forward. ¡°Princess Consort, please follow me to your residence.¡± Without further ado, Dong Chen spun around and led the way while Qian Jiujiu followed closely behind him. Their journey went on for quite some time, yet they were still nowhere near their destination. Besides, Qian Jiujiu realized that their surroundings were far quieter than before. Curious, she turned to look at Dong Chen. ¡°Hey, you are Dong Chen, right? Are we lost? Why are we not there yet?¡± Dong Chen turned around and threw Qian Jiujiu a meaningful yet chilling glance. ¡°We are not lost. All you have to do is to follow me.¡± Qian Jiujiu felt a sudden sense of danger. Is Dong Chen planning to do anything to me? === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 3 - She Used His Cutleries Dong Chen led Qian Jiujiu to a shabby building. At that instant, Qian Jiujiu was certain that she saw a spark of joy in Dong Chen¡¯s eyes, and concluded that he was gloating over her misfortune. ¡°Princess Consort, this is your residence.¡± After introducing her house to Qian Jiujiu, Dong Chen was ready to leave the place. Meanwhile, Qian Jiujiu stared at the scene before her, mouth agape. What the h*ll? Is that a spiderweb? Even a beggar will not live in this place! She turned to look at Dong Chen, eyes filled with disbelief. ¡°Guard Dong, are you sure you''re not taking revenge on me?¡± Haughtily, Dong Chen shook his head. ¡°This is His Highness¡¯ order.¡± Right after he finished his words, Dong Chen walked away. Qian Jiujiu stared at Dong Chen as he gradually disappeared into the distance. Then, she turned to look at the shabby building, which apparently had not housed anyone for the past 10 years. Jiujiu had an urge to cry in the corner, but all she could do now was to curse Mu Yexiao under her breath, hoping that he would never get to eat any supper, ever again. By right, they were partners, and he should not arrange for her to live in this ramshackle house. Qian Jiujiu did not even have the courage to enter the house. No. This is not working out. I need to talk to Mu Yexiao. I need to at least get a place that can truly shelter me. Qian Jiujiu attempted to recall the route she took to come here. Before long, she got lost on the way to find Mu Yexiao. Qian Jiujiu had a poor sense of direction. She studied her surroundings as she cussed under her breath. ¡°D*mn it, Dong Chen. He is definitely trying to take revenge on me.¡± ¡°I''ve already said that I will not take over your spot. Why are you still so bitter?¡± In fact, Dong Chen had not left yet. Instead, he was tailing Qian Jiujiu, and¡ªowing to his superb sense of hearing¡ªoverheard all her mutter of dissatisfaction. However, he remained confused. Why does Qian Jiujiu care about my spot as a guard? After she was done ranting about Dong Chen, she continued grumbling, ¡°Is anyone here?¡± ¡°Where have all the people of Xiao Manor gone? Why haven''t I seen anyone till now?¡± Initially, Dong Chen could not understand what Qian Jiujiu was doing. She seemed unaware that she had walked up and down the corridor twice, and was planning to walk up the corridor for the third time. Dong Chen finally grasped the situation, and understood that Qian Jiujiu had a terrible sense of direction. He made a discreet gesture, and a figure in the dark vanished. Before long, a pageboy appeared before Qian Jiujiu. Qian Jiujiu was relieved to finally meet a man. She grabbed the pageboy and yelled in excitement, ¡°I¡¯ve finally found a living person!¡± The pageboy was evidently taken aback by Qian Jiujiu¡¯s action. ¡°I have met Princess Consort before. How can I help Princess Consort?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Finally realizing how absurd she appeared Qian Jiujiu let out an awkward laugh, and let go of that boy. ¡°Can you please bring me to the bedroom? I need to talk to His Highness.¡± ¡°Sure, Princess Consort. Please follow me.¡± Upon finishing his words, the pageboy led the way. Qian Jiujiu followed closely behind him as they headed for the bridal chamber she was previously at. Meanwhile, Dong Chen arrived before they did, and reported everything he witnessed to Mu Yexiao. Mu Yexiao did not utter a word upon listening to Dong Chen¡¯s words. Instead, the corner of his lips twitched. This woman is certainly very different. How could she get lost within the manor? Expecting Qian Jiujiu, he threw a glance at Nan Feng. ¡°Prepare the meal.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Just when Mu Yexiao took his first bite, Nan Feng brought him the news. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort is here.¡± Mu Yexiao, who had been expecting Qian Jiujiu, was not surprised by her arrival. ¡°Bring her in.¡± Qian Jiujiu entered the room, and immediately took a few sniffs. She smelt the delicious food as she stared at Mu Yexiao with her glowing eyes. This guy knows how to enjoy his life. She looked at Mu Yexiao and said, ¡°Jiujiu greets Your Highness!¡± Mu Yexiao raised his eyebrows. Did she just address herself by her own name? After all, I shouldn¡¯t expect someone with such a simple name¡ªQian Jiujiu¡ªto be sophisticated. Qian Jiujiu could not be bothered by what was going on Mu Yexiao¡¯s mind. After greeting Mu Yexiao, she immediately took a seat, although she was apparently not invited. She looked at the two guards beside Mu Yexiao m¡ªDong Chen and Nan Feng. Dong Chen glared at Qian Jiujiu when she took her seat, while Nan Feng remained cool and composed the entire time. Qian Jiujiu could not help but shake her head as she witnessed this scene. This is why Mu Yexiao is biased against Nan Feng. He''s a Prince, and it''s only normal for him to favor the adorable one. However, Qian Jiujiu thought Nan Feng was the better looking one. On the other hand, Mu Yexiao was bewildered by Qian Jiujiu¡¯s gaze which continued to linger on his two guards. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, what''s wrong with my guards?¡± His words had awakened Qian Jiujiu from her reverie. She seemed nervous after she was called out. Oh, no! Did I just insensibly stare at his lover in front of him? She let out a dry cough, trying to relieve her awkwardness. ¡°I''m only wondering when they will pass me my set of cutleries. I don''t think you want to starve me right, Your Highness? ¡°After all, I''m your partner. Are you not worried that I''ll die in that house? Then, what should you do with your legs?¡± Mu Yexiao got further confused. He looked at Qian Jiujiu and asked, ¡°Why will you die in that house?¡± Qian Jiujiu could not help but roll her eyes. ¡°What if the house collapses in the middle of the night and kills me?¡± Mu Yexiao was taken aback by her words. He let out a dry cough as he glared at Qian Jiujiu. What''s wrong with this woman? Why does she think that the house will collapse just after a one-night stay? Qian Jiujiu stared at Mu Yexiao quietly, and her expression grew unexpectedly solemn. ¡°Your Highness, I''m telling you that I will not move into that house.¡± ¡°If you refuse to place me at another house, I''ll stay here with you.¡± Mu Yexiao pondered upon her request. Qian Jiujiu seems positive that I''ll not fight back. He threw Qian Jiujiu a glance, and realized that she had already grabbed his chopsticks and started eating. Dong Chen could no longer hold back his anger. Knowing that His Highness had noticed Qian Jiujiu¡¯s unruly action, he shouted, ¡°Qian Jiujiu, that''s so rude of you! How can you use His Highness¡¯ cutleries!¡± As if she had done nothing wrong, Qian Jiujiu answered, ¡°I told you to get me my own cutleries. Moreover, I haven''t eaten for the entire day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starving. If I''m to die, I want to die with my stomach filled.¡± Her answer infuriated Dong Chen. ¡°Your Highness, look at what she''s doing!¡± Mu Yexiao turned to look at Qian Jiujiu, and found that her cheeks were puffed up as she chomped her food like a chipmunk. Although she had used his chopsticks, he was not upset at all. Instead, he found Qian Jiujiu¡¯s candidness rather adorable. As the idea hit him, Mu Yexiao intuitively furrowed his brows, while Dong Chen continued to mumble at the side. Mu Yexiao waved his hand and stopped Dong Chen. ¡°Bring another set of cutleries here, and bring her to Bixiao Pavilion after this.¡± Before Qian Jiujiu could react, Dong Chen was yelling in surprise, ¡°Your Highness, you allow her to stay in Bixiao Pavilion?¡± Qian Jiujiu was flabbergasted by Dong Chen''s reaction. Where is Bixiao Pavilion? Why shouldn''t I be allowed to live there? === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 4 - This Is How The Princess Consort Looks? Looking baffled, Qian Jiujiu stared at Mu Yexiao and Dong Chen. Upon noticing Mu Yexiao¡¯s signaling eyes, Dong Chen stopped his protest. His gaze on Qian Jiujiu turned even colder. Qian Jiujiu was puzzled. Have I offended His Highness¡¯ secret lover? But I haven''t done anything wrong! ¡°May I ask a question? Where is Bixiao Pavilion?¡± Dong Chen gave her another glare and replied, ¡°It is where His Highness resides.¡± Qian Jiujiu was shocked. ¡°Are you asking me to share a room with you?¡± Mu Yexiao waited for his cutleries to be set again, and took a bite before he was almost choked by Qian Jiujiu¡¯s absurd question. He looked at her as he coughed. ¡°Have you not been taught that you should not speak during meals and bedtime?¡± ¡°Nan Feng, please assign the Princess Consort with two nannies to advise her on her etiquettes, and send her to her room after the meal.¡± Qian Jiujiu was not happy upon hearing that. Why would he assign advising nannies to me? The idea reminded her of My Fair Princess¡ªthe TV series¡ªwhere none of the nannies were genuinely nice. She rejected without a thought. ¡°That''s not necessary. I¡¯m not going to head out much anyway. Also, I¡¯m going to leave right after I fix your legs, and I don¡¯t need any advising nannies.¡± Mu Yexiao gave her a cold glance. ¡°We have to visit the palace for the wedding gratuity ceremony tomorrow.¡± Qian Jiujiu was caught off guard. She stared at Mu Yexiao for a brief moment before she reacted by pointing at herself. ¡°You¡¯re bringing me to the palace? What if my identity gets exposed? I¡¯m not ready to lose my head yet!¡± Mu Yexiao looked at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched. ¡°You don''t have to worry about that.¡± Qian Jiujiu pouted in displease. ¡°This is about my own life. How can I not worry about it?¡± ¡°I see that you are afraid of death too. I thought you were fearless.¡± Qian Jiujiu rolled her eyes upon hearing Mu Yexiao¡¯s words. ¡°Are you kidding me? I am currently at my blossoming age. Why won''t I be afraid of death?¡± Blossoming age? Mu Yexiao stared at Qian Jiujiu who had yet to show her face under her make-up. His eyes were filled with apparent distaste. Suddenly reminded of her make-up too, Qian Jiujiu shuddered involuntarily. At that moment, she was still clueless about how she actually looked. What if I have pimples all over my face and am ugly? With that thought in mind, she lost all her appetite, in spite of all the delicious food on the table. She put down her chopsticks. ¡°I¡¯ve had my fill.¡± Mu Yexiao threw a glance at the table. She had gobbled up almost half of the food.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He wanted to say something, but a thought hit him. Perhaps Qian Jiujiu ate so much because she has never had any delicious food like these in her life. Instinctively, he threw her a sympathetic look. Qian Jiujiu was confused and could not wrap her head around it. Forget it. She continued staring at him with a strong urge to wash her face. ¡°Your Highness, can you do me a favor?¡± Mu Yexiao continued staring at her, realizing that her mind was full of ideas. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Please assign me a maid for two days. I¡¯m worried that I will keep losing my way around here.¡± She stared at him expectantly. Mu Yexiao realized that her eyes were somewhat similar to that of the puppy he used to have when he was a boy. Convinced, he nodded and turned to Dong Chen. ¡°Bring Hong Ling here. From now on, she will be serving the Princess Consort.¡± Dong Chen looked at Mu Yexiao in confusion. What is wrong with His Highness? Is he seriously making this crude woman his Princess Consort? ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Qian Jiujiu could tell that Hong Ling must be more than just any other maid. ¡°Your Highness, you only have to assign me an ordinary maid. Hong Ling must be a brilliant one since you can remember her name. I can¡¯t take her.¡± Mu Yexiao continued staring at Qian Jiujiu. All of a sudden, he flashed a grin, apparently uplifted. ¡°Do you think that you have the right to turn down my offer?¡± She could only blink in exasperation. Fine, Hong Ling it is! I suppose she wouldn¡¯t reject me if I ask her for directions? Dong Chen approached her in the midst of her mental turmoil. ¡°Princess Consort, please follow me.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Qian Jiujiu had to leave the room in spite of her unwillingness. Fortunately, she was not brought to the same shabby building again. They arrived at the entrance of a lavish palace. ¡°Princess Consort, this is your residence. Hong Ling will be here soon.¡± Dong Chen turned and walked away. Left alone in the palace, Qian Jiujiu studied her surroundings. Eventually, she lay on the bed and patted the sheets. ¡°This is not bad at all, and this is how life should be.¡± This isn¡¯t right. Qian Jiujiu sprung out of the bed. She should be looking for water now to wash her face. Although she was an amiable person, she still cared about her image. She searched her room, but found no water source at all. All she could find was a wooden bucket. Fine. She could just use the wooden bucket to get some water from a pond. She recalled that she saw a pond on the way to her residence. It should not be too far away. She grabbed the wooden bucket and left her residence confidently. Hong Ling, who had just arrived, noticed Qian Jiujiu, and was puzzled. Where is Princess Consort going? Quietly, she followed closely behind Qian Jiujiu. Qian Jiujiu studied her surroundings. She was rather certain that this was where the pond was supposed to be at, but she saw no one around her. Therefore, she casually placed the wooden bucket on the floor. She could not seem to find the pond. It¡¯s fine, Hong Ling will definitely look for me when she realizes that I am missing. She was reminded about her death from the explosion incident. It would never have happened if she had more sense of direction, or if she never went to the dangerous site for a rescue mission by accident. Although she did not die from the explosion, she came to a different world. She wondered how her grandfather and family reacted when they were informed that her remains were blown into pieces. They must have been devastated. After all, she was the genius in the Qian family. Hong Ling continued observing Qian Jiujiu who was sitting there and heaving continuous sighs. She wondered what Qian Jiujiu was up to. Since the sun was setting and the advising nannies were on their way, Hong Ling proceeded forward. ¡°Princess Consort, I am Hong Ling.¡± Qian Jiujiu raised her head upon hearing the woman¡¯s voice. She stared at Hong Ling, face painted with distress. ¡°Hong Ling, you¡¯re finally here. I need to get some water.¡± Qian Jiujiu seemed very upset as she looked at Hong Ling with the wooden bucket in her hands. The corners of Hong Ling¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I understood. Please follow me.¡± She sent Qian Jiujiu back to her residence and brought some water for her. Qian Jiujiu did not hold herself back and washed her face immediately before standing in front of a bronze mirror. Looking at her reflection with sallow and dry skin, Qian Jiujiu touched her cheeks. ¡°Poor girl. My priority now is to fix this face so that I can meet people.¡± Hong Ling observed from the side as the corners of her mouth twitched again. So, this is how the Princess Consort looks? === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 5 - A Man Without Money Is No Man At All Qian Jiujiu heaved a sigh of disappointment. She was thankful to have the thick layer of make-up on her face just now. She would rather die than let Mu Yexiao see her bare face. Notwithstanding that, Qian Jiujiu was happy with her eyes. They sparkled and made her attractive. Also, she had great facial features, and the only downside was her skin. She believed that she would look fine after taking good care of her skin. Qian Jiujiu heaved a sigh of relief and gave Hong Ling a smile. ¡°Hong Ling, can you get something for me?¡± That was before she was reminded that she was penniless. Wait! I still have some dowries, right? She looked at Hong Ling again. ¡°Hong Ling, can you please take me to my dowries?¡± Hong Ling stared at Qian Jiujiu as she searched her body, but to no avail. When Qian Jiujiu requested to be brought to her dowries, Hong Ling finally understood what was going on. ¡°Yes, I will bring you there now.¡± The dowries were placed at the room beside the bridal chamber. At that moment, Mu Yexiao had already left the room, and returned to his own bedroom. After all, he did not see the wedding as a real marriage. He only let Qian Jiujiu stay because he thought that she was an interesting woman. Qian Jiujiu followed Hong Ling to the room with the dowries. There have to be some valuables in these hundred cases, right? She opened the first case, and to her aghast, there were pieces of old rags and nothing else. ¡°What the f*ck! Can that old troll from the Qian family be any stingier? I am, after all, his youngest daughter!¡± She refused to believe it, and continued searching through the other cases. It took her some time before she finally realized that the idea was just wishful thinking. There was absolutely nothing valuable there! Enraged, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s face turned purple. She was ready to beat the Qian family up. How could they? They should at least pay me after exploiting me! The cases were the only thing worth any money there. Qian Jiujiu was furious. Back then, she was never necessitous. Now, she finally understood the saying¡ªa man without money is no man at all. Qian Jiujiu turned around and sized Hong Ling up. Hong Ling did not seem like a woman with money as well. Where else can I get any money? She blinked as she worked her mind. Quite a few candidates passed by her mind before she finally selected Mu Yexiao as her target. After all, he was the richest person she knew at that moment. She took a glance at the darkened sky to know the time. She supposed that Mu Yexiao would not bother to see her now, as they had to visit the palace together the day after. Qian Jiujiu was extremely perturbed. On the side, Hong Ling was watching Qian Jiujiu all the time as she ransacked the dowry cases and eventually stood there with anger and frustration. Hong Ling could not help but felt sorry for Qian Jiujiu.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. In fact, Princess Consort, who was standing before her, was rather pitiable. She was forced by her family to wed the Prince, but did not even get any proper dowry from them. Regardless, it was still a blessing for her to be married to Lord Xiao. Before Hong Ling could find the right words to comfort her, Qian Jiujiu abruptly rose to her feet. ¡°Hong Ling, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Knowing that she was not capable of doing anything now, she decided to hit the sack. She had already learned from the historical Qian Jiujiu¡¯s memory that the Qian family was not the kindest. Now that she was treated in this way, she would definitely hold grudges against them. She did not expect the Qian family to be this cold-hearted! Qian Jiujiu followed Hong Ling back to her room and threw herself onto the bed before she quickly fell asleep. The advising nannies arrived at that instant. They looked at Hong Ling and asked, ¡°Where is Princess Consort?¡± ¡°Princess Consort is sleeping. Is there anything I can help you with?¡± The two nannies were puzzled when the Prince ordered them to serve the Princess Consort. We know who Qian Yuge is. She is famous in the Capital. Why would she need an advising nanny? The corners of Hong Ling¡¯s mouth twitched upon hearing the nannies¡¯ query. She was afraid that Princess Consort desperately needed some lessons for her etiquette. They peeked into the room and saw Qian Jiujiu, who was still in her wedding dress, was asleep on the bed with her four limbs wide apart. The nannies¡¯ expressions changed. Nanny Lin spoke out aloud. ¡°How graceless.¡± Her voice woke Qian Jiujiu up from her sleep. She sat up and looked at the trio. ¡°Hong Ling, who are these people?¡± Hong Ling returned to the room and replied, ¡°Princess Consort, your advising nannies are here.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked in confusion as she had completely forgotten about this matter. She gave the advising nannies a glance and beckoned Hong Ling over. ¡°Hong Ling, here. Can I meet His Highness right now?¡± Hong Ling had no idea why Qian Jiujiu wanted to meet Mu Yexiao at this odd timing. However, she shook her head coldly. ¡°No. His Highness is now resting. You should focus on your lesson with the two nannies now.¡± The nannies understood the situation right after they saw Qian Jiujiu. She was clearly not Qian Yuge. Their appearances differ too much. It was clear that this girl had a rather average appearance. She did not even look like the daughter of a noble family. Subconsciously, Qian Jiujiu touched her nose. Does that mean that I have to start the lesson now? She hated etiquette training the most. She never thought that she would ever need to take etiquette lessons. As for the nannies, they were still clueless on why Princess Consort was not the woman they expected. ¡°Princess Consort, you should learn some simple etiquette, and learn how to curtsy to the Emperor and the Empress, since you will visit the palace tomorrow.¡± Curtsy? Qian Jiujiu only knew that she had to kneel down. What else is there to learn? ¡°Princess Consort, please observe my movements. Stand upright, keep your head high, then straighten your chest and legs.¡± Qian Jiujiu thought that the nanny¡¯s voice was as irritating as a fly, but nonetheless, she observed earnestly. However, she continued to make mistakes because she was tired. She took one whole sleepless night just to get a hold of a simple curtsy. To everyone¡¯s surprise, a message was sent from the palace during sunrise. The Princess Consort was asked to take care of the Prince instead of visiting the palace. The corners of Qian Jiujiu¡¯s mouth twitched when she heard the news. Her effort was for nothing. She turned to look at the nannies. ¡°Nannies, since I don¡¯t have to visit the palace anymore, can I have some rest?¡± The nannies gave each other a reluctant glance. When they turned to look at Qian Jiujiu, she was already on the bed, fast asleep. Hong Ling found the scene hilarious. However, she made no delay to report it to Mu Yexiao. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort went straight to sleep after receiving the news from the palace.¡± Mu Yexiao murmured in acknowledgment. ¡°Bring her to me once she¡¯s awake.¡± Upon receiving his order, Hong Ling left the room. Dong Chen looked at Mu Yexiao and asked, ¡°Your Highness, do you actually believe that she can cure you?¡± The question had been bugging Dong Chen¡¯s mind for the whole day. Mu Yexiao shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t, but like what she said, I will not lose anything from this bet.¡± Dong Chen seemed indignant as he continued to gaze at Mu Yexiao. ¡°Your Highness, why wouldn''t you lose anything?¡± ¡°You should inform the Emperor that the Qian family replaced their promised daughter with their illegitimate daughter. Then, the Qian family will be convicted of perfidy.¡± Mu Yexiao snorted. ¡°Do you think that the Qian family doesn''t have a contingency plan?¡± === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 6 - Borrowing Money By then, the worst case would be sacrificing the most pitiful Qian Jiujiu. Just that there was no need to explain these little schemes to Dong Chen. Regarding his legs, Mu Yexiao himself had no confidence. Although it might just be a non-existent chance to recover, he did not want to give up. It seemed like it was also the Qian family¡¯s plot to stop Qian Jiujiu from going into the palace. With Qian Jiujiu in mind, Mu Yexiao had a rare glint of a smile on his face. All the women who came in front of him were ladylike, so it was his first time to encounter such a straightforward girl like Qian Jiujiu. Although her actions were somewhat vulgar, she was special in a way that did not cause detest. He was suddenly curious about what she was working on the night before. When he remembered Hong Ling¡¯s report about Qian Jiujiu going back to bed straight for not being able to enter the palace, he instantly knew that the two nannies must have given her a hard time last night. Still immersed in his thoughts, a sudden voice from outside the door woke him. ¡°Your Highness, the Princess Consort is here.¡± How come she¡¯s awake so fast! Mu Yexiao gave an answer, ¡°Come in.¡± Qian Jiujiu did not want to wake up so early, but she was really concerned about her face! She still liked her originally smooth and fair skin! However, she did not have a penny on her. So, she had to change her plan and work on Mu Yexiao.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Well, she only had him to rely on now! Looking at Mu Yexiao, Qian Jiujiu broke into a grin. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± The corner of Mu Yexiao¡¯s lips twitched. To be honest, other than the really bad skin, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s face was rather delicate, especially her pair of eyes. They were exceptionally adorable. With Qian Jiujiu¡¯s smiley face in sight, Mu Yexiao immediately felt his mood lifting. A rare smile appeared on his face as he asked, ¡°Have you eaten breakfast?¡± Qian Jiujiu sat beside Mu Yexiao casually. ¡°No, I came to see you right after I woke up. It¡¯s good timing, I¡¯ll eat with you then.¡± Dong Chen¡¯s gaze was never friendly, but Qian Jiujiu was a fairly thick-skinned person after all. She could ignore all the unfriendly gazes toward her without breaking a sweat. On the other hand, Hong Ling was smart to have set up two pairs of chopsticks on the table for Qian Jiujiu and Mu Yexiao to have their meal together. The only thing bothering Mu Yexiao now was Qian Jiujiu¡¯s constant stare at him while they ate. Finally, Mu Yexiao could not turn a blind eye to it anymore. Placing his chopsticks down, he turned to look at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°You need a favor from me?¡± Qian Jiujiu gave Mu Yexiao a sheepish grin, rubbed her head, and stared at Mu Yexiao with an expression full of sincerity. ¡°I want to borrow some money from you.¡± Finishing her words, a hint of shyness seemed to be glinting on Qian Jiujiu¡¯s not-so-good skin. ¡°Uhm, there¡¯s nothing valuable in my dowry and it¡¯s hard to go by without money. Besides, we are now partners. Would you not lend me a hand when you see me in trouble?¡± She sounded ever so confident. Mu Yexiao moved his finger as he watched Qian Jiujiu¡¯s little mouth opened and closed, before letting out a few coughs. Qian Jiujiu, who was interrupted, locked gaze with Mu Yexiao. ¡°You¡¯re not willing to? How about this, think of it as you¡¯re buying things from me?¡± ¡°But, I¡¯ll take the money first to buy ingredients. After they¡¯re done, I sell it to you. Detoxification pills, health pills, whatever you like. You have only one chance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you to decide.¡± Qian Jiujiu was still nervous at heart though she sounded assuring. After all, Mu Yexiao looked like a very stingy person. === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 7 - Out Of The Manor Qian Jiujiu had butterflies in her stomach, but Mu Yexiao only glanced at Qian Jiujiu and nodded. ¡°Fine, how much do you want?¡± Qian Jiujiu was clueless about the currency here, so she could not help peering at Hong Ling. ¡°Hong Ling, how much is you pay every month?¡± Hong Ling was stunned for a second. Nonetheless, she answered with ease though she could not understand the reason behind the question. ¡°Princess Consort, my pay for a month is five taels now that I¡¯m a senior servant beside you.¡± Qian Jiujiu gave a quick answer, then blinked her eyes as she calculated the currency in her heart. A senior servant beside the Princess Consort only earns five taels a month, it seems like the things here are not expensive. She then turned to smile at Mu Yexiao. ¡°I¡¯ll need five hundred taels.¡± Mu Yexiao, who was sipping tea, nearly choked himself. At first, he thought Qian Jiujiu would only ask him for 50 taels. Hong Ling could not even have a hundred taels for a year. If Qian Jiujiu was calculating based on this fact, she would not have asked for so much, a whole five hundred taels. Even though the five hundred taels were nothing to him, it should be considered a huge amount for Qian Jiujiu, a little girl who grew up in a village. ¡°Mu Yexiao, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have this much too? The almighty Lord Xiao is so poor?¡± Mu Yexiao¡¯s constant silence left Qian Jiujiu astonished and the words slipped as she looked at Mu Yexiao.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. In response, Mu Yexiao rolled his eyes. ¡°Dong Chen, give the Princess Consort what she wants.¡± Dong Chen was dumbfounded. Give her just like that? He could not resist the frustration in him. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Getting the permission now, Qian Jiujiu stood up abruptly and went in front of Dong Chen. With her hand outstretched, she eyed Dong Chen. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Dong Chen retrieved the silver from his pocket and immediately, Qian Jiujiu took it, then turned to leave with Hong Ling. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go shopping.¡± Studying Qian Jiujiu¡¯s leaving figure, Dong Chen looked at the Prince with confusion. ¡°Your Highness, your kindness toward her seems to be too much.¡± Mu Yexiao only gave Dong Chen a light glimpse. ¡°Send someone to protect her.¡± Dong Chen was infuriated. Sending someone to protect her now? Nevertheless, he did according to the Prince¡¯s instruction. Qian Jiujiu knew nothing of this. Instead, she pulled Hong Ling back to her room and said, ¡°Hong Ling, give me a set of the servant¡¯s clothes.¡± Hong Ling was befuddled. ¡°Princess Consort, why do you need a servant¡¯s clothes? We have already gotten the Prince¡¯s permission, you can go out as you wish.¡± Qian Jiujiu rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not that dumb. There was an imperial edict from the palace, saying that I can only serve the Prince in the manor, how can I go out?¡± ¡°Of course I have to dress up as someone else to leave the manor.¡± Still unable to understand, Hong Ling hurriedly found the clothes of a servant and helped Qian Jiujiu into it. Once she had it on, she twirled. ¡°Not bad. Hong Ling, from now on, call me Little Jiu. I¡¯m the Princess Consort¡¯s maid, Little Jiu. Now, we¡¯re going out to buy things for the Princess Consort, okay?¡± Looking at Qian Jiujiu¡¯s failed attempt to hide her identity, Hong Ling thought it was funny. The Princess Consort did not seem to be the same as the other ladies. With that, both of them successfully went out of the manor. Watching as the passers-by walked past them in the streets, Qian Jiujiu took a deep breath and exclaimed, ¡°I smell freedom.¡± Hong Ling jumped. She thought the Princess Consort was about to run away, but Qian Jiujiu then turned around and looked at Hong Ling. ¡°Lead the way, let¡¯s go to the drugstore. I want to get some stuff.¡± Quickly, Hong Ling brought Qian Jiujiu to a drugstore. After Qian Jiujiu stepped into the store, she started contemplating the surroundings. ¡°I want to see the shopkeeper.¡± === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 8 - What鈥檚 A Silver Needle? When the errand boy of the drugstore saw the little servant, Qian Jiujiu, he was about to say something, but then he noticed Hong Ling beside her. Hong Ling was only a servant, but she was from the manor. The elegance and temperament that she had were not of common people. So, the errand boy treated her with respect. ¡°Please wait here for a moment, I¡¯ll go inform the shopkeeper.¡± After saying that, the errand boy was off to find the shopkeeper. No doubt, Qian Jiujiu noticed all the errand boy¡¯s small gestures and that made her feel depressed secretly. She was the mistress, alright? As a mistress, she was indeed a failure. Her aura could not even be compared to a servant. In her heart, she sighed. Facing Qian Jiujiu, Hong Ling wanted to call her the Princess Consort, but she suddenly remembered the Princess Consort¡¯s instruction a while ago. So, he coughed a few times before asking. ¡°Little Jiu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qian Jiujiu came back to her senses. ¡°Nothing.¡± The shopkeeper came very quickly. Seeing the two ladies in front of her, he could already guess they were the servants of some wealthy family. ¡°Is there anything I can help you two ladies with?¡± Qian Jiujiu let out two coughs and replied, ¡°Nothing much. We just want to know if you sell silver needles here?¡± Hearing Qian Jiujiu¡¯s request, the shopkeeper¡¯s gaze became weird. He glanced at her before shaking his head. ¡°Miss, may I ask, what¡¯s a silver needle?¡± As if she was choked on something, Qian Jiujiu thought to herself, Don¡¯t tell me that there¡¯s no such thing as a silver needle here? It can¡¯t be?This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Peering at Hong Ling, she then pulled Hong Ling to one side. ¡°How do doctors here see the patients?¡± Hong Ling gazed at Qian Jiujiu with wonder in her eyes. ¡°Take the pulse, and prescribe the medicine.¡± Just like that? This would only mean that the technique of acupuncture has not yet been discovered in this dynasty? Qian Jiujiu instantly felt the rush of excitement in her. Did God just leave her a chance to make money here? Looking at the shopkeeper, she continued, ¡°Shopkeeper, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have it. I would like to buy some medicinal herbs then.¡± Speaking of that, Qian Jiujiu took out a list. ¡°Just get the herbs according to this list here.¡± The shopkeeper started reading the list of medicinal herbs, there were Dahurian angelica, hyacinth orchid, Pyracantha berries... The dosage was not a little too. Besides that, there were herbs like the woad leaves, Asiatic moonseed rhizome, snake-needle grass, licorice, Viola philippica, and so forth. It looked like some common medicinal herbs, but the shopkeeper was about to ask something and got interrupted by Qian Jiujiu, ¡°These are all requested by the master. If you have them here, quickly wrap them up.¡± The shopkeeper knew right away what she meant, he had too many questions. Soon after, the herbs were all wrapped neatly. Qian Jiujiu then asked the shopkeeper. ¡°Shopkeeper, how much for all these?¡± ¡°These sum up to 121 taels.¡± ¡°Why is it so expensive?¡± Qian Jiujiu mumbled under her breath before asking Hong Ling to pay up. ¡°Shopkeeper, please help to send these to the Xiao Manor.¡± After that, Qian Jiujiu and Hong Ling left the drugstore. Then, Qian Jiujiu glanced at Hong Ling. ¡°Hong Ling, is there any store that forges metal?¡± A store that forges metal? Hong Ling gave it some thought and then brought Qian Jiujiu to a smithy. ¡°Little Jiu, this store here is the best smithy in the entire Capital. Do you want to forge the silver needles?¡± Qian Jiujiu nodded and led Hong Ling into the store. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go in.¡± The shopkeeper immediately noticed the two ladies with uncommon attires. People like that seldom went to their smithy so he welcomed them both by himself. ¡°Ladies, are you here to buy anything?¡± Qian Jiujiu approached the shopkeeper. ¡°I would like to forge a set of silver needles. Do you have paper and a pen here? I¡¯ll draw for you.¡± Surprised, but the shopkeeper led them inside nevertheless. With the pen and paper ready in front of her, Qian Jiujiu started to draft out the silver needles. === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 9 - Detoxification Pills While studying Qian Jiujiu¡¯s actions, Hong Ling could not help furrowing her eyebrows as she could not see any unfamiliarity or sense of violation with Qian Jiujiu holding a brush. On the other hand, Qian Jiujiu did not seem to notice Hong Ling¡¯s reaction at all. She was all focused on drawing the silver needles, and when she was done with it, she turned to question the shopkeeper. ¡°Shopkeeper, I want pure silver, can you forge this? Around how many days do you need?¡± ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. It can be done, of course. It¡¯ll only take three days. After three days, come and collect them.¡± While speaking, the shopkeeper pondered and looked at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°But, miss. Just a friendly reminder, did you forget to draw something? There¡¯s no hole at the back, how do you thread the needle then?¡± Blinking her eyes a few times, Qian Jiujiu answered with some displeasure, ¡°This is not for embroidery, you¡¯ll just have to forge them according to the picture.¡± Seeing Qian Jiujiu¡¯s frustration, Hong Ling quickly went over to settle the bill. She also made the arrangements to collect the needles after three days. Exiting the smithy, Hong Ling then watched Qian Jiujiu¡¯s carefully. ¡°Little Jiu, are we going back now?¡± Qian Jiujiu took a look at the busy streets. ¡°Are we out for a long time? I was thinking of having some fun!¡± Hong Ling could not find a response to that, but Qian Jiujiu was just saying. ¡°Never mind, never mind, let¡¯s go back.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. When they were back to the manor, Qian Jiujiu received the news from the housekeeper that the medicinal herbs had already arrived. Qian Jiujiu carried all the medicinal herbs into her room and locked herself in to start making the health pills. Hong Ling stood by the door and reminded, ¡°Princess Consort, if you need any help remember to tell me.¡± Qian Jiujiu simply answered, ¡°I know. I¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s anything. You just have to guard by the door for now.¡± Finish her words, Qian Jiujiu continued to ignore Hong Ling. After some time standing by the door, Hong Ling did not hear Qian Jiujiu asking for her help too. Just then, Nan Feng came. ¡°Hong Ling, His Highness requested your presence.¡± Only then did Hong Ling follow Nan Feng away from the room. When she arrived before Mu Yexiao, Hong Ling kneeled down. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. Your Highness, do you any instructions for me?¡± Mu Yexiao glanced at Hong Ling and said, ¡°Tell me every detail about Qian Jiujiu¡¯s trip out of the manor.¡± Of course, Hong Ling would not lie. Starting from the moment they went out the door, she told the entire story. After finishing the story, she did not forget to bring up her suspicion. ¡°There¡¯s one thing that I feel strange though. From what I saw, the Princess Consort was so familiar with using the brush to draw.¡± Mu Yexiao peered at Dong Chen. ¡°Dong Chen, tell me the result of your investigation.¡± Dong Chen gave Hong Ling a look and said, ¡°The Princess Consort grew up in a village. According to intel, she should not have known how to write or draw even a single character.¡± ¡°However, according to further investigation, I found that the Princess Consort has been learning how to read and write in secret. So, it¡¯s not strange for her to know how to use the writing brush.¡± ¡°Regarding the Princess Consort¡¯s medical skills, I did not find any clue. So, this cannot be verified.¡± With that, Dong Chen looked toward Mu Yexiao and noticed a faint smile on Mu Yexiao¡¯s face. ¡°This is easy. Didn¡¯t she just buy a batch of detoxification pills? Let the imperial doctor examine them and we¡¯ll eventually know if she¡¯s lying.¡± That gave Dong Chen a stun. Who would have guessed that this is the actual reason for the Prince to give so much money to Qian Jiujiu so willingly? Just as he thought, how would his wise and great Prince get fooled by Qian Jiujiu?! The only question left now was, when would they get their hands on Qian Jiujiu¡¯s detoxification pills? === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 10 - Face Mask Mu Yexiao gave Hong Ling a look and said, ¡°Hong Ling, go back now and see if the Princess Consort needs anything.¡± Hong Ling went according to command. Just as she reached the entrance, Qian Jiujiu opened the door and came out. ¡°Hong Ling, you¡¯re here. Such good timing. I¡¯m starving, go prepare some food for me quickly.¡± Only then did Hong Ling bring over the food that was long prepared earlier. She did not forget to take a few peeks on Qian Jiujiu¡¯s results. Noticing Hong Ling¡¯s actions, Qian Jiujiu pouted and took out a porcelain bottle. ¡°Here, take this to your master.¡± Hong Ling was taken aback. She turned to look at Qian Jiujiu, but Qian Jiujiu¡¯s head was already down and she was gobbling down the food. Then, she turned around and walked toward Mu Yexiao¡¯s place. With Hong Ling kneeled down on the ground, Mu Yexiao gave her a look. ¡°Your Highness, the Princess Consort sent me to give you this.¡± Dong Chen glanced at the porcelain bottle with surprise and took it. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll let the imperial doctor check on this now.¡± Mu Yexiao nodded slightly. ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± Finishing his words, he looked at Hong Ling again. ¡°Go back and serve beside the Princess Consort.¡± Hong Ling turned to leave. When she returned, Qian Jiujiu was already done with her meal. ¡°Hong Ling, you¡¯re back. Great, get me some water. Quick, quick, quick.¡± Now that she had her stomach filled, Qian Jiujiu finally remembered to do some facial.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. While waiting for Hong Ling to come back with the water, Qian Jiujiu touched her face slightly and clicked her tongue, ¡°Tsk tsk.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what kind of person the original owner was. How could she have treated her face like that, did she not know how to do some whitening?¡± ¡°If she could not afford cosmetics, washing her face with water drained from rice is good too.¡± With the basin of water in her hands, Hong Ling came back to Qian Jiujiu¡¯s low mumbles. She was about to say something before seeing Qian Jiujiu taking out another porcelain bottle. There was another bowl too. From the porcelain bottle, she poured out some powder and added some water into the bowl, mixing them together into a gooey texture. Right after that, she started applying the mixture onto her face. Hong Ling studied Qian Jiujiu confusingly. ¡°Princess Consort, do you need my help?¡± Qian Jiujiu stared with her big eyes before responding, ¡°Yes, find me a lying chair.¡± The corner of Hong Ling¡¯s lips twitched, but she speedily moved a lying chair over. Qian Jiujiu lied down without hesitation and handed the bowl to Hong Ling. ¡°Hong Ling apply this on my entire face. Don¡¯t miss out on a single corner.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess Consort.¡± Taking the bowl, Hong Ling started to apply the mixture onto Qian Jiujiu¡¯s face carefully. In the meantime, she asked curiously. ¡°Princess Consort, what¡¯s this thing? What does it do?¡± With her eyes closed, Qian Jiujiu answered, ¡°This is called a face mask. It can help to improve my skin. If you like it, you can have some too.¡± Face mask? What kind of toy is this? Despite all the confusion, Hong Ling voiced her gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Princess Consort. Let me finish with yours first.¡± The things that she was using were no doubt good enough, but Hong Ling was still touched that Qian Jiujiu would be willing to share with her. Compare to the other mistresses, Qian Jiujiu was indeed better. With that in mind, Hong Ling was gentler now. At the same time, Nan Feng was watching everything from outside. Swiftly, he ran back to report to Mu Yexiao. Mu Yexiao was rather interested in Qian Jiujiu¡¯s weird gestures. Just that, what was this face mask? It seemed like some joke made up by Qian Jiujiu too. ¡°Dong Chen, what did the imperial doctor say?¡± Dong Chen who was off to see the imperial doctor was now back. ¡°Your Highness, the imperial doctor examined it. According to him, they are indeed detoxification pills and in fact, they are of good quality. These pills can be consumed to cure common poisons.¡± === If you want to read more chapters, please leave your message and let us know your thoughts. === Chapter 11 - It鈥檚 Indeed Rather Smooth The fact that the detoxification pills were useful proved that Qian Jiujiu¡¯s medical skills were real. Nonetheless, no matter how did Dong Chen investigate, he could not find out how did Qian Jiujiu learned the skills. Mu Yexiao¡¯s lips could not help curving upward. Qian Jiujiu, it seems like the coming days will be rather interesting. Suddenly, Qian Jiujiu woke from her sleep and sneezed. Rubbing her nose, she mumbled, ¡°Who¡¯s missing me? I can¡¯t even have a good sleep.¡± Saying that, she stretched her arms lazily. ¡°Hong Ling, bring a basin of water for me, will you?¡± Hong Ling who had been beside her all the time instantly went to fetch some water after hearing Qian Jiujiu¡¯s instruction. In a jiffy, she was back with a basin of water. ¡°Princess Consort, here¡¯s the water that you needed.¡± Qian Jiujiu directly rinsed her face clean and looked into the bronze mirror while patting her cheeks. ¡°Hong Ling, look. Is my skin better now? I feel like it¡¯s already smoother now.¡± Hong Ling too was studying Qian Jiujiu¡¯s face tentatively. ¡°It¡¯s real, Princess Consort. Look, your skin does look better now! Is this the function of this face mask? So amazing.¡± Qian Jiujiu chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet the Prince.¡± Qian Jiujiu immediately walked in front, but when she reached the door she stopped. With a few awkward coughs, she said embarrassingly.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Hong Ling, lead the way.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess Consort.¡± Hong Ling really wanted to laugh, but she dared not to. Honestly speaking, the Prince¡¯s compound was really near, it was only beside where they were. Qian Jiujiu could even get lost when the distance was so near. She really had some ¡®skills¡¯ up her sleeves. With Hong Ling¡¯s help, Qian Jiujiu reached the entrance of Mu Yexiao¡¯s room. ¡°Your Highness, the Princess Consort is here.¡± Mu Yexiao lifted his head to welcome Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Qian Jiujiu twirled in front of Mu Yexiao, then squatted before him. ¡°Look at me, do you see any changes? Hmm?¡± Mu Yexiao lifted her eyebrows and eyed Qian Jiujiu with frustration. Is this Qian Jiujiu having a stroke now? Seeing that Mu Yexiao said nothing after some time, Qian Jiujiu cocked her head to one side involuntarily. ¡°Such an obvious change and you can¡¯t see it? My face, my skin, such a big difference. Touch it, it¡¯s smoother now.¡± While saying that, she took Mu Yexiao¡¯s hand and rubbed it against her face a few times gently. Everyone in the room had their eyes widened. They were all guessing whether Qian Jiujiu would be instantly flung away by Mu Yexiao¡¯s palm. After all, their Prince Xiao had just one specialty. That was, she never got close to women. No one expected Qian Jiuiju to be so brave. Albeit, Qian Jiujiu was so not sensitive that she did not at all notice the weird atmosphere in the room at the moment. Mu Yexiao was shocked by the sudden action. When he came back to his senses, he unconsciously pinched Qian Jiujiu¡¯s cheek. Qian Jiujiu winced and was about to say something, but Mu Yexiao spoke. ¡°It¡¯s indeed rather smooth.¡± After much struggle, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s face was finally free from Mu Yexiao¡¯s claws. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± ¡°I asked you to touch, not pinch. It¡¯s painful, you know? My skin got better and you were the first one I share this news with. You¡¯re really immoral.¡± Mu Yexiao was shocked by Qian Jiujiu¡¯s words. He was the one she shared the news with? It looked like he was rather important in Qian Jiujiu¡¯s heart now. He could not help lifting the corners of his mouth. ¡°I just can¡¯t help it. By the way, what happened to your face? Don¡¯t tell me its the face mask? It¡¯s that effective?¡± Saying that, Mu Yexiao closed his eyes, not sure what he was thinking about. Chapter 12 - Wheelchair Qian Jiujiu stared at Mu Yexiao¡¯s expression blankly. ¡°What are you thinking? Why do I feel a sudden chill down my spine?¡± Mu Yexiao turned to glare at Qian Jiujiu, yet Qian Jiujiu chuckled sheepishly at Mu Yexiao. ¡°Oh yeah, Your Highness. I¡¯ve been in the manor for a day now, I noticed that you have been sitting here all day long.¡± Mu Yexiao furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? My legs are crippled now, I can¡¯t even stand. If I don¡¯t sit here, should I be walking outside?¡± Qian Jiujiu rolled her eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t there the¡­¡± Speaking of this, she suddenly remembered that silver needles did not even exist here. It might be the same for wheelchairs too. Anyway, she asked just in case. ¡°What I meant was, isn¡¯t there a tool to use?¡± Mu Yexiao looked at Qian Jiujiu curiously. ¡°A tool? What toy is that?¡± It looked like they really had no wheelchairs. Qian Jiujiu shook her head and replied, ¡°Tsk tsk, so pitiful.¡± ¡°How about this? Give me some papers, I¡¯ll draw it out for you.¡± Dong Chen quickly had the papers and pen ready. Qian Jiujiu¡¯s drawing skills were magnificent and it was all thanks to her grandfather. In their free time, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s grandfather would ask her to draw different types of medicinal herbs. Some herbs had very small differences and Qian Jiujiu had to get them all right.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. After some time, Qian Jiujiu managed to be very good at drawing. Soon, with the active movements of Qian Jiujiu¡¯s wrist and fingers, a perfect wheelchair appeared on the paper. After blowing the ink dry, she brought it before Mu Yexiao. ¡°Take a look, how¡¯s it? Ask someone to make this for you, so I can bring you our for a walk next time.¡± Mu Yexiao glanced at Qian Jiujiu and said, ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart, I see. Don¡¯t tell me this is the idea of healing my legs?¡± Qian Jiujiu shook her head. ¡°Of course not. I said I would heal them, meaning you¡¯ll stand on your own legs. I¡¯m a person of my word.¡± ¡°You better don¡¯t gauge the heart of a gentleman with your mean measures.¡± With a faint smile on his face, Mu Yexiao peered at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Wow, you even know a gentleman? Not bad, not bad.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked. ¡°What do you mean? Why do you sound so unusual?¡± ¡°Are you saying that I don¡¯t have a culture? Or are you implying that I¡¯m illiterate?¡± Speaking of this, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s long lashes waved up and down. Only then did she realize that the original owner might really be illiterate. With Mu Yexiao¡¯s weird gaze on her, Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes awkwardly. ¡°Uhm, I learned it in secret. Beside the village I grew up in was a school. I learned how to read and write from there without anyone knowing.¡± She felt guilty, so she spoke louder, ¡°What is really wrong with you?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the wheelchair great? I spent so much effort on it, do you want it or not?¡± Hong Ling shot a worried gaze at Qian Jiujiu, she was scared that Mu Yexiao might easily punish Qian Jiujiu if she said the wrong words. Although the times she spent with Qian Jiujiu was not long, Hong Ling really liked the Princess Consort. Observing Qian Jiujiu¡¯s look, Mu Yexiao simply raised his eyebrow. ¡°Dong Chen, go get me the carpenter.¡± Being able to get out of the room without getting on someone¡¯s back, Mu Yexiao was looking forward to the idea. In fact, it would take some time before his legs could fully heal. Dong Chen went away immediately after the order fell. Mu Yexiao then noticed Qian Jiujiu¡¯s weird expression. ¡°What is it, Princess Consort? Do you have anything else to tell me?¡± Qian Jiujiu rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course I have something to say. Didn¡¯t I tell you that I would make you some detoxification pills? It seems like we¡¯ll have to wait for two more days.¡± Chapter 13 - You Are Truly A Good Person As she spoke, Qian Jiujiu felt the guilt since she had already made a promise. So, she sneaked a peek at Mu Yexiao. However, she did not see any changes in Mu Yexiao¡¯s expression. Only then did she feel relieved, so she continued on with her explanation. ¡°Actually it¡¯s not my fault. The shops don¡¯t sell one of the items for detoxification, so I¡¯ve already requested the blacksmiths to make one.¡± ¡°But the smithy will need three days to make them, so all we could do now is wait. Why don¡¯t I compensate you then?¡± ¡°For these three days, I can make some medicinal dishes for you. What do you think?¡± Mu Yexiao looked at Qian Jiujiu¡¯s shiny eyes and could not help nodding his head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡± Qian Jiujiu let out a sigh of relief, but she had never liked being at a loss, so she eyed Mu Yexiao carefully. ¡°I have something else to say. You will have to prepare the ingredients for the medicinal dishes, you know that I don¡¯t have money.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, have you asked someone to verify the detoxification pills? They¡¯re authentic, right? So I don¡¯t owe you any money now.¡± Mu Yexiao squinted her eyes. ¡°What you mean is, only a few detoxification pills cost me 500 taels?¡± Qian Jiujiu nodded like nothing was wrong with the statement. ¡°That¡¯s of course, I gave you 30 low-quality detoxification pills, one of them cost 10 taels, so it totals up to 300 taels already. Not to mention there are another 20 high-quality detoxification pills.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°In fact, you owe me money! You better don¡¯t bite more than what you deserve.¡± Speaking of money, Qian Jiujiu had her eyes widened and gaze locked on Mu Yexiao. The look made all the goosebumps on Mu Yexiao stand. ¡°What are you thinking again?¡± Qian Jiujiu faked a few coughs and sat beside Mu Yexiao. ¡°Uhm, I just want to ask you, my great Prince. Would you like to do business with me?¡± Isn¡¯t the hierarchy in ancient times like this? Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants from top to bottom. Merchants were at the very bottom, so her very life depended on Mu Yexiao. She had to be careful with her words. Mu Yexiao put on a faint smile and gazed at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to think about tomorrow¡¯s trip back home? You still have the mood for other things?¡± Qian Jiujiu was stunned. Right, tomorrow¡¯s the third day after marriage and I have to visit home. She had totally forgotten about this thing. She pulled her hair as she gave it some thought. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to go back?¡± Speaking of that, an uncomfortable feeling arose in her heart, and a figure appeared in her mind. It was her mother. She had to go back to see her mother. How could she not return?! ¡°Your Highness, I want to go back. I need to go back and see whether they have bullied my mother.¡± Qian Jiujiu was absolutely upset when she was reminded of home. The people in the Qian family was just too petty. Nevertheless, her mother was still there. Thinking of her mother, Qian Jiujiu could only feel a heavy heart. The original owner of the body was a filial person, and so was she. No matter what, she was her biological mother. She had to pay her a visit. Seeing that Qian Jiujiu was totally immersed in her own train of thoughts, Mu Yexiao coughed a few times. ¡°Jiujiu, have you thought it through? You¡¯re free to choose to go back or not.¡± Qian Jiujiu lifted her head. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind, I¡¯m going back. But I¡¯ll need your help with an act.¡± An act? Mu Yexiao shot Qian Jiujiu a meaningful look. It looked like Qian Jiujiu had a very deep grudge with the Qian family. Thinking of this, the corner of his lips curved upward again. The only thing that was left unknown was whether Qian Jiujiu was the big bad wolf or the sheep. ¡°Okay! Tell me what to do.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes blankly. ¡°Your Highness, you are truly a good person. Thank you, and don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make things hard for you.¡± Chapter 14 - First Return After Marriage In a flash, it was the next day. Qian Jiujiu woke up very early in the morning on the day she returned home after marriage. As for the initial memory of the original owner, Qian Jiujiu had thought about it a few times, hence, nothing would possibly go amiss. With that in mind, she paced out in the company of Hong Ling. Nan Feng was standing by the side. ¡°Greetings to the Princess Consort. His Highness ordered me to escort you back.¡± Qian Jiujiu let out a smile. ¡°It¡¯s very kind of His Highness. Let¡¯s get going then.¡± Once they reached the main entrance, they realized that the butler had already placed the gifts in the carriage, waiting for their departure. Seeing that Qian Jiujiu was approaching him, the butler bowed to show his respect. ¡°Greetings to the Princess Consort from your humble servant. Everything is ready now. Please pardon me for adding on. Remember that your current identity is Princess Consort.¡± As the butler was saying that, he spared a glance at Hong Ling. ¡°Hong Ling, remember not to let the Princess Consort feel aggrieved. If not, it will make the Xiao Manor lose reputation.¡± Listening to that remark, Qian Jiujiu glanced at the butler for she was clear that the words mentioned were actually directed toward her. She could not help but feel a little annoyed. Do I look like someone who is easily being bullied? However, the original owner was in fact like that. Without further ado, Qian Jiujiu rode on the carriage, heading toward the Qian Manor. Inside the Qian Manor, everything was as usual where things needed to be done were done, appearing as though they had forgotten about their daughter being married off. Of course, someone could still remember this matter and that person was none other than the legitimate Eldest Young Lady of the Qian family, Qian Yuge, the most talented and prettiest lady in the capital city. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Qian Yuge was accompanying her mother to pay a visit to her great-grandmother. Just as they were about to reach her great-grandmother¡¯s courtyard, Qian Yuge opened her mouth. ¡°Mother, isn¡¯t today the day where the love child will return for the first time after marriage? Have we done our preparation?¡± First return after marriage? Qian Yuge¡¯s mother, Madam Qian sneered as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare well for it.¡± Upon hearing that her mother had done her preparation, Qian Yuge¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°Mother, do you think she will return home? Hasn¡¯t Lord Xiao being cursed to death by her? Didn¡¯t you say that she brings bad luck?¡± Madam Qian cast a glance at Qian Yuge before saying, ¡°Yuge, you don¡¯t have to care too much about them. One is a handicapped person while another is someone who brings bad luck. Both are individuals with tough lives. It seems rather interesting to match them together.¡± While speaking, they had arrived at Old Madam Qian¡¯s courtyard, hence, both of them walked in. ¡°Greetings to Mom from your daughter-in-law.¡± ¡°Greetings to great-grandmother from your granddaughter.¡± Old Madam Qian who was seated high above grinned from ear to ear as she welcomed their presence. ¡°Get up, we are family members. Don¡¯t have to pay such respect.¡± Both the mother and daughter rose to their feet and sat down. As they started chatting, someone came to report outside the door. ¡°Old Madam, Eldest Young Lady is here to pay her first visit after marriage.¡± Old Madam furrowed her brow as she sneered. ¡°Who is this Eldest Young Lady? How dare the b*stard return home? Upon witnessing the furious expression on the Old Madam¡¯s face, both Qian Yuge and her mother exchanged glances with each other. Just then, Madam Qian stood up. ¡°Mother, since she is back.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s allow her to enter. It¡¯s rather inappropriate to let her stand outside the main entrance.¡± Old Madam Qian gave it a thought. Even though she was unhappy, she commanded the person to inform her, ¡°Invite that person in.¡± Once Qian Jiujiu¡¯s carriage arrived at the Qian Manor, it was blocked by the main entrance. Besides, no one was present to welcome her return. Qian Jiujiu¡¯s eyes squinted. These people from the Qian family are audacious or rather foolish, to be exact? Peeking a glance at Hong Ling, she uttered, ¡°Hong Ling, call for someone.¡± Hong Ling strode forward, walking toward a pageboy at the entrance. ¡°What are you waiting for? Quickly inform about the return of the Princess Consort. Today is the first return of our Princess Consort after marriage. How come no one is here to welcome her in?¡± Swiftly, the pageboy who went to inform the return of the Princess Consort came back. He then spoke in the direction of the carriage, ¡°Princess Consort, kindly make your way in. Old Madam is awaiting your presence.¡± Chapter 15 - Thanks To Elder Sister For Your Blessing ¡°How dare you! You slave is so audacious. Are you trying to get the Qian family into a difficult situation?¡± Hong Ling¡¯s voice was loud enough to startle the butler. ¡°This lady you must not spout nonsense. When did I get my Master into a difficult situation?¡± Witnessing that the butler was trying to deny, Hong Ling instantly snorted. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong. Weren¡¯t you trying to ask our Princess Consort to pay her respect to the Old Madam?¡± ¡°Our Princess Consort is a legitimate Princess Consort included in the Royal Family tree. How about the status of your Old Madam? How could the Old Madam do such a disrespectful thing without considering her status difference as a subject?¡± ¡°Your bad communication skills led your Master in a difficult situation. Luckily Minister Qian is merciful enough. If you were working in the Xiao Manor, I bet you must have been beaten up to death.¡± As Qian Jiujiu witnessed Hong Ling demonstrating her power, she felt a surge of excitement. As for Qian Manor, the original owner was only back a few days before she got married. Hence, she was not very familiar with the Qian Manor, however, these few days the butler had not treated her well. As of now, the butler¡¯s forehead perspired with beads of sweat and they began to trickle down. The servant from the Xiao Manor was indeed haughty. Upon finishing her sentence, Hong Ling quickly summoned a quick-witted pageboy to dash in to inform the Old Madam about the situation outside the entrance. As Old Madam heard that, she slammed a cup onto the ground out of anger. ¡°What does this b*stard mean? Is she trying to make me kneel before her?¡± Not to mention the Old Madam, even Qian Yuge, and Madam Qian felt rather discomfort in their hearts. Besides, Minister Qian had also been informed about this matter. He then strode over to Old Madam¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s different now. This girl is indeed Princess Consort Xiao. Even if it¡¯s for the purpose of putting up a show, we will still have to go out.¡± ¡°Besides, the girl does not show up during the matter just now. I bet she must have been under the control of the people from Xiao Manor. Thus, it¡¯s better for us to head over.¡± ¡°Otherwise, if Lord Xiao were to look into this matter, we will get into trouble. Lord Xiao is adored by the Emperor, not to mention that now that he is hurt, if the Emperor found out that we gave the people from the Xiao Manor a cold shoulder, His Majesty will be enraged.¡± Although these ladies were reluctant, they knew that Minister Qian had a point. Therefore, they rose to their feet and walked toward the main entrance to welcome Princess Consort Xiao in. Along the way, Qian Yuge revealed an unpleasant expression. Madam Qian noticed it out of the corner of her eyes, hence she could not help but tug at Qian Yuge¡¯s arm. ¡°Yuge. I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re thinking about but please don¡¯t act like before when you meet Qian Jiujiu later.¡± Qian Yuge snorted in a discontented manner. ¡°She has merely collected useless garbage. Let¡¯s see how arrogant she can get.¡± Madam Qian looked daggers at Qian Yuge. ¡°It¡¯s okay to say this statement in front of us. But if others were to hear that, we will get into trouble for being disrespectful to the Royal family.¡± ¡°Moreover, you¡¯ll be taking that position in the future. Qian Jiujiu is merely the dust on the ground so you don¡¯t have to lower yourself to the same level as her.¡± Although Qian Yuge was filled with displeasure, she had no choice but to obey her mother¡¯s words. ¡°Alright, Mother, you can rest assured. Worse comes to worst I¡¯ll just ignore her.¡± Although Qian Yuge told that to her mother, she did not really mean what she had mentioned. Is this b*tch really expecting me to pay my respect to her! Just you wait! I won¡¯t let you off easily. As these thoughts ran through her mind, they had already arrived at the main entrance. While at this moment in time, Qian Jiujiu was still waiting in her carriage. The Qian family members felt a little displeased at that instant. Hong Ling appeared as though she had not realized the look on these people¡¯s faces. She gradually lifted the curtain of the carriage. ¡°We¡¯re here, Princess Consort. Kindly make your way down.¡± Qian Jiujiu drew a glance at Hong Ling gingerly before looking at the people standing by the main entrance, waiting to welcome her in. Her hands quivered all of a sudden, revealing the unpresentable side of her. Qian Yuge looked Qian Jiujiu in the eye as the corner of her mouth curled up, letting out a sneer. ¡°Indeed she is still unpresentable like always. It seems like the servant is an expert.¡± Qian Jiujiu got off the carriage and walked toward Old Madam and the rest of them. Looking at Minister Qian and others, she felt the urge to kneel down. She looked as though she was scared witless. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. However, just as she made her first move, she heard Hong Ling coughing from the side as she supported Qian Jiujiu to rise to her feet. ¡°Princess Consort, be careful when you walk. Don¡¯t lose your manners.¡± Just as what Qian Yuge had thought about just now. What if Qian Jiujiu is Princess Consort? She will still have to kneel down before us. A b*tch remains a b*tch. Even if she is clad in an imperial robe, she still does not look like a crown prince. Qian Yuge snorted as she paid her respect to Qian Jiujiu alongside Old Madam, Madam Qian, and others. ¡°Greetings to the Princess Consort.¡± The tip of Qian Jiuji¡¯s mouth slightly curled. ¡°Everyone just gets up, let¡¯s talk inside.¡± A group of people walked in and headed toward the hall of Old Madam¡¯s residence. Qian Yuge cast a glance at Hong Ling. ¡°This lady, could you please excuse yourself for a bit so we could have a conversation with our younger sister?¡± This remark was clear-cut as it signified for Hong Ling to make a move. Hong Ling frowned as she advised, ¡°Princess Consort, your humble servant will wait for you outside. Please do not forget your identity.¡± ¡°Do not damage the reputation of the Xiao Manor.¡± Qian Jiujiu¡¯s body trembled as she responded, ¡°I, I know what to do.¡± As Qian Jiujiu watched the figure of Hong Ling walking out, she lifted her head to face the people in the room. Old Madam Qian had already sat on the main seat at this moment. She was waiting condescendingly for Qian Jiujiu to pay her respect to her! As for Minister Qian, he was standing by the side with his wife standing next to him. Madam Qian was clad in a red dress, revealing a standard¡¯s wife demeanor. If it was not for her sarcasm, she actually gave off a feeling as though she was a kind matron to others. While standing right beside Madam Qian was Qian Yuge, who was the prettiest lady in the Capital. She was dressed in cloud-like clothing with butterflies sewn on it, coupled with a jasper, golden buyao on her head. She wore a pair of red jade beads earrings. Her skin was as fair as jade while her mouth was delicately small and her eyebrows were curved elegantly. All was perfect except for her angry face which was suppressed. Qian Jiujiu could not help but let out a sneer. It¡¯s a waste to have such a beautiful look! Qian Jiujiu hung her head low, trying to control her emotions. Just then, she slowly spoke out, ¡°Greetings to Old Madam Qian, Madam Qian, and Minister Qian.¡± For sure, Qian Jiujiu was unwilling to address these people as her great-grandmother, etc. as those were appellations for family members. However, these people obviously did not treat her as part of them, so there was no need for her to address them as such. Moreover, looking at their matter-of-fact facial expressions made her feel the urge to throw up. Minister Qian hummed as he gave Qian Jiujiu a sidelong glance before directing his gaze toward Old Madam Qian. ¡°Mother, since you¡¯re here to serve Princess Consort, I¡¯ll make a move first to attend to my official tasks.¡± Old Madam Qian responded with a tone of acknowledgment. Just then, Minister Qian left, leaving the ladies in the room. Both Madam Qian and Old Madam Qian exchanged looks with each other, then they let out a cough or two before starting to say something. ¡°Jiujiu, how have you been in the Xiao Manor?¡± Qian Jiujiu looked up and shot a glance at Madam Qian. Just then, she quickly lowered her head, replying, ¡°His Highness treats me well.¡± Upon hearing that, Qian Yuge who lacked manners immediately chimed in, ¡°His Highness will definitely treat you well. As for you, the b*tch who is able to make a match with him, it must be a great blessing accumulated from past lives.¡± Hearing Qian Yuge¡¯s words, Qian Jiu Jiu mumbled a tone of acknowledgment before saying, ¡°Thanks to Elder Sister for your blessing.¡± ¡°Shut up, who is your elder sister? You¡¯ve quite a long life, not to mention Lord Xiao who has a tough life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a miracle to think that a malefic Lone Star like you couldn¡¯t kill him.¡± Qian Yuge was in a bad mood, extremely unpleasant mood because this b*tch actually expected them to pay their respect to her at the main entrance just now. She let out a sneer. ¡°B*tch, let me ask you a question. Your identity was exposed in the Xiao Manor but why are you still alive?¡± Qian Jiujiu looked up, staring at Qian Yuge with a surprised look. ¡°What do you mean by that, Lady Qian?¡± Qian Yuge hummed before replying, ¡°What do I mean? Isn''t Lord Xiao famous for being decisive in killing? You¡¯re so lucky to be alive for not being killed after he found out that you are a disaster.¡± Qian Jiujiu was rendered speechless. Qian Yuge claimed to be the prettiest lady and indeed, this was a fact. However, as for being the most talented lady, it must be a lie, judging from her problematic mindset. How does she actually earn the reputation of being talented? Qian Jiujiu could not help but mock her secretly. She sent someone to death and luckily I managed to survive. Now that I¡¯m paying my first visit home after marriage, I was asked why I am not dead yet! Is anyone more pathetic than me? Qian Yuge¡¯s remark had resulted in her being tongue-tied. As a result, she could only ask faintly, ¡°Are you disappointed that I¡¯m not dead?¡± Qian Yuge showed a matter-of-fact expression on her face. ¡°Of course, I was thinking of sending you to death initially, how could you return alive?¡± As expected by Qian Jiujiu, she snorted before uttering, ¡°Since you want me to die, I purposely won¡¯t die so I can piss you off.¡± ¡°How dare you! What did you just say?¡± Qian Yuge was almost upset to death by Qian Jiujiu¡¯s utterances. Never had she thought that Qian Jiujiu would dare to talk to her as such! She must be looking for death. Just as she thought of slapping Qian Jiujiu, Qian Jiujiu took a step backward. ¡°Who is the audacious one here? Are the upbringing of the Qian family members like this? I¡¯m at least someone with high quality.¡± ¡°Do you all just allow her to talk back to me as she pleases? This is too absurd! Even before I stepped in, she has been cursing me to death or maybe this is the wish of the Qian family?¡± As Qian Yuge was about to say something, Madam Qian interrupted after snorting, ¡°Princess Consort has turned so haughty after gaining power. Are you trying to show off in the Qian Manor?¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes. ¡°What are you talking about, Madam Qian? You¡¯re my mother on paper! Oh, not to forget our great-grandmother. Have you forgotten about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m returning as the Eldest Young Lady of the Qian Manor! Do you all know who this person is? She keeps on talking back at me.¡± Madam Qian was taken by surprise. As she stared at Qian Jiujiu, she could feel that she was totally different than she used to be. She observed Qian Jiujiu when she kept silent, realizing that a hint of guilt was flashing through her eyes. It seems like someone had taught Qian Jiujiu to say such words! Could it possibly be a message from the Xiao Manor? Indeed, Madam Qian had over-thought it. As for Qian Yuge, she was extremely infuriated, hence she immediately stood out, pointing at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°You b*tch, are you trying to take my identity?¡± Chapter 16 - Visiting My Mother Qian Jiujiu pursed her lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to take it, but it was given to me though. Do you want me to help you clarify to others about what Minister Qian had done? ¡°Using an illiterate daughter of a concubine to replace the daughter of the first wife for marriage. I don''t know whose idea it is but I¡¯m sure the Qian family will have to bear the crime of deceiving.¡± ¡°After all, I am merely the daughter of a concubine with nothing to lose. I¡¯m not sure if you all have heard of the saying in my village that a barefooted person is not afraid of those who are wearing shoes.¡± All three of them were taken by surprise when encountering such a Qian Jiujiu. Is she still the same person who would kneel before us and dare not even lift her head? They could not help but exchange glances with each other. Staring at Qian Jiujiu, they were stunned to silence by her and they did not know what to say. It was because what Qian Jiujiu mentioned was true. This matter could not be revealed to the public recently, especially these few days. People thought that the Qian family was still willing to marry off the daughter of the first wife after finding out that Lord Xiao had turned handicapped. This had resulted in the Qian family to be highly praised by the people in the Capital. If others were to realize this was fake, then they could not shy away from the crime of deceiving and they would probably turn into a family hated by everyone. Thinking of that, Qian Yuge¡¯s face paled. However, she had never encountered such a matter before, hence she did not know how to respond to it. All she could do was to look daggers at Qian Jiujiu in fury. In the study room of Minister Qian. Minister Qian had just returned to his room not long ago to receive the news that the Third Prince was here. Everyone knew that the Third Prince was the candidate with the greatest potential to ascend the throne. With that in mind, Minister Qian welcomed the Third Prince swiftly. ¡°Greetings to the Third Prince from your humble servant. May I know why you pay a visit today?¡± The Third Prince, Mu Yesheng caught a glimpse of Minister Qian. ¡°I heard that the daughter of your first wife will be back today. I wonder if I can meet her by any chance?¡± Minister Qian was stunned for a moment. Never had he expected that Mu Yesheng paid a visit to meet Qian Jiujiu. The expression in his eyes betrayed his confusion. ¡°Jiujiu is having a conversation with Mother right now.¡± ¡°I can bring you there.¡± Mu Yesheng nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± Just then, both of them walked toward Old Madam Qian¡¯s Heshou hall. Once they reached the entrance, they could not hear a single noise. Silence reigned in the hall. The Third Prince stopped in his tracks at that instant and turned to look at Minister Qian. Minister Qian also wondered why there was no noise inside. At this point, it was the most awkward moment for the three people inside which explained why no one was talking. These three people claimed to be noble individuals, hence they always looked down upon Qian Jiujiu. It would be impossible for them to lower their voices and speak humbly to Qian Jiujiu. After a moment of silence, Qian Yuge could not repress her feelings any longer. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, how dare you? You have only married Lord Xiao who will die anytime soon, yet you are dared to show off your power now?¡± Qian Jiujiu raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who are you to talk to me like this? Old Madam Qian, why does your residence have so many people with unknown backgrounds?¡± Old Madam Qian felt a headache. This Qian Jiujiu has confirmed this matter and thought that she has held my shortcomings, hence she was not willing to admit defeat. Qian Yuge was infuriated to an extreme level. She rushed toward Qian Jiujiu, feeling the urge to slap her in the face. However, she was stopped by Hong Ling who walked in unknowingly. ¡°How dare you! Who are you?¡± ¡°How dare you reach out your hand, wanting to hit our princess consort. Anybody? Drag her out and beat her to death.¡± Qian Jiujiu was also frightened by this voice. This was the Qian Manor, hence, it would be impossible for Qian Yuge to be beaten to death. However, it was good enough if she would be able to trigger Qian Yuge. She threw a glance at Hong Ling as a recognition of good work. The actions of Hong Ling made the ladies in the Qian family assume that Qian Jiujiu was also scared witless by the servant. It seems like the Qian Jiujiu now listens to the words of this servant. Hence, Old Madam Qian glanced at Qian Jiujiu as she said, ¡°Jiujiu, there¡¯s nothing much to talk about here¡­¡± ¡°After you pay your respect to me, you can go over to your mother¡¯s place to have a chat with her.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Qian Jiujiu let out a smirk. These people from the Qian family are trying to fool me again. In fact, I don¡¯t really care about my identity in this family. I¡¯m just unreconciled to see Qian Yuge being so full of herself. Let¡¯s treat this as an interest for the initial owner, Qian Jiujiu. Therefore, I have no choice but to take the identity as the daughter of the first wife from Qian Yuge. She blinked her eyes as she stared at Madam Qian. ¡°Mom, can I visit my mother?¡± ¡°After I return home, I will surely inform His Highness that my mother is in good health. In this regard, I could stay in Xiao Manor peacefully to take good care of His Highness.¡± As she said that, she spared a glance at Hong Ling. At this moment in time, Hong Ling¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°Mother? Aren¡¯t you the daughter of the first wife? How come you have another mother? Madam Qian, have you been degraded as a concubine?¡± Once Madam Qian heard Hong Ling¡¯s words, she could not help but give her a menacing glare. She only came to her senses afterward that Hong Ling was the representative of Xiao Manor. No way! This matter cannot be made known to the representative of Xiao Manor. It appeared as though she was deceived by Qian Jiujiu earlier. She went as far as to conceal her identity to avoid being taken down by Lord Xiao! How could it be possible that Qian Jiujiu was not killed by Lord Xiao who was keen on killing others? It was all due to this reason. She could not help but cast a glance at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Jiujiu, why do you say so? I know you are angry with me.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re married, it is only natural that I find someone to accompany me. You don¡¯t have to be angry with Mom just because of others.¡± ¡°Come here, Mother has not told you yet. This is your elder cousin sister, my niece. Something has happened to her house, so I took her in.¡± Qian Jiujiu raised her eyebrows. ¡°Elder cousin sister? Mother, I have never heard you mention about me having an elder cousin sister though.¡± The look on Madam Qian¡¯s face turned gloomy but she forced herself to gaze at Hong Ling who was next to Qian Jiujiu. ¡°This lady, could you please give us some space to have a heart-to-heart talk?¡± Hong Ling turned to face Qian Jiujiu. Seeing that Qian Jiujiu nodded in agreement, she then said, ¡°Alright then. Princess Consort, I¡¯ll make a move first. If anyone dares to bully you, call for me.¡± As Hong Ling uttered that, she gave Qian Yuge a ferocious glance. This had enraged her to a certain extent. She had never experienced this in her life. Moreover, she could only tell what Madam Qian actually meant just now. ¡°Mother, what niece? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Seeing that there were no outsiders in the hall, Qian Yuge spoke out freely. Qian Jiujiu fixed her gaze at Madam Qian. ¡°That¡¯s right, Madam Qian. This daughter of the first wife is a lot more valuable than a niece. What do you think?¡± ¡°It will be quite absurd if it happens to have two daughters of the first wife in the Qian family. It¡¯ll then be hard to explain the situation.¡± ¡°Qian Jiujiu, mind your words. You better don¡¯t think that you¡¯re amazing after getting married. Who knows when Lord Xiao will be dead. How dare you act arrogantly in front of me!¡± Qian Jiujiu turned indifferent as she looked daggers at Qian Yuge. ¡°Mother, did I hear it wrongly? Did my Elder Sister curse His Highness a moment ago?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know where my Elder Sister found the audacity to say it. Could you imagine what would happen to the Qian family if I were to relay her words to the Emperor?¡± Madam Qian was caught off guard, however, she regained her composure very quickly. She then smiled at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Jiujiu, we are family members, what¡¯s the point of doing so?¡± ¡°Family members? Madam Qian treats me as a family member now? I don¡¯t deserve that. I am a daughter who was married off like spilled water.¡± ¡°However, if I was not married, I would be belittled and bullied by you all as wished. Tell me, what should I do now that I have a chance?¡± ¡°Why not Qian Yuge, you kneel down and apologize to me? If not, you may not be able to escape the crime of cursing the royal family.¡± Qian Yuge¡¯s facial expression altered instantly as she stared at Qian Jiujiu with her face looking extremely furious but she still refused to kneel down and apologize. All she did was to fix her gaze at Madam Qian. ¡°Mother, look!¡± Madam Qian smirked at this moment, ¡°Jiujiu, please don¡¯t say that I¡¯ve bullied you. Please do not simply say the words just now. Who has heard Yuge say that in this house?¡± Qian Jiujiu was rendered speechless. Are they trying to deny it? She remained silent because Madam Qian continued to speak. ¡°In fact, look at you! You¡¯re already the daughter of the first wife and also the wife of Lord Xiao. What¡¯s the point of quarreling with your family?¡± ¡°If your Elder Sister marries well in the future, you can also reap some benefits from it.¡± Qian Jiujiu curled the corner of her lips into a smirk. Do you still think I was the old Qian Jiujiu? So easily being deceived? I¡¯m afraid if Qian Yuge marries off well, she will return me with a deadly crash. Even so, she did not care about it. Her main purpose in returning today was to visit the mother of the initial owner. She was here to find out if she was doing well after involving herself with them for a long time. Qian Jiujiu felt a little lethargic. As for the interest of the initial Qian Jiujiu, she had received it. Qian Yuge had turned into the niece of the Qian family, hence her identity was definitely not up to par now. After laughing for a bit, she looked vacantly at Madam Qian. ¡°Madam Qian, you¡¯re not speaking your heart out. But I have to say that you are so good at speaking. You have started to deny the words you have mentioned earlier.¡± ¡°As for the matter of the elder cousin sister, I couldn¡¯t differentiate if it¡¯s real now. What do I do now?¡± Upon hearing that, Madam Qian thought to herself. I initially assumed I won¡¯t have to take her so seriously. However, it seems like Qian Jiujiu has seen through my thoughts. How can this b*tch be taught so well after staying in Xiao Manor for a few days? Or is this b*tch really Qian Jiujiu? Even if it¡¯s a transformation, won¡¯t it be too fast? Unless she was faking it since last time? If so, how scheming does she have to be to conceal her true self from others? ¡°Jiujiu, you can rest assured in this case. After all, everyone knows that the daughter of the first wife in the Qian family got married to Lord Xiao. No one can change the fact that you¡¯re the daughter of the first wife.¡± Qian Jiujiu voiced out suddenly, ¡°Forget it, you see what you can do with it. Where is my mother? I want to meet her.¡± It¡¯s impossible for you to meet that woman. Madam Qian¡¯s facial expression turned extremely grim all of a sudden. ¡°Jiujiu, everyone knows that you are the daughter of the first wife. The servant who came with you is not someone who can be easily ignored. What if your identity is revealed after meeting your mother?¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes. ¡°So does that mean that Madam Qian disallows me to visit my mother?¡± Chapter 17 - Are You Willing To Leave With Me? Looking at Madam Qian¡¯s response, Qian Jiujiu could not help but have a hunch that something might have happened to the mother of the initial owner. Otherwise, why would she disallow me to pay a visit? She could not let it be since she had occupied the body of the original owner, so she should take responsibility for her mother as well. Moreover, she had something very important to discuss with her mother. Not allowing me to meet her? This will not do. As Madam Qian listened to Qian Jiujiu¡¯s voice, she felt a little unpleasant but she still faked a smiley expression on her face. ¡°My dear daughter, you¡¯re now the noble Princess Consort.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to take these people seriously. It¡¯s okay to not meet them. You only have to know that your mother is doing well. That¡¯s good enough, isn¡¯t it?¡± Upon hearing that, Qian Jiujiu snorted. Before she could say something, Madam Qian continued, ¡°Besides, Concubine Wan is not feeling well recently, so it may not be convenient for you to meet her.¡± ¡°Jiujiu, if you want your mother to stay well, you¡¯d better be obedient.¡± ¡°Looking at your expression when you first stepped in, I thought you don¡¯t care about your mother already. Since you still care for her, then we can talk it over.¡± Seeing that Madam Qian had altered the expression on her face, Qian Jiujiu could not help but feel funny about it. It seems like they have already planned to give me the identity of the daughter of the first wife since the beginning. They intentionally show their weakness so that I would think that I have the upper hand and finally reveal my real intention of returning home. Now that I have mentioned it myself, they thought they can grab hold of my shortcomings and use it to threaten me. Thinking up to this point, Qian Jiujiu could not help from clicking her tongue. ¡°As the saying goes, old ginger is still spicier than young ginger. Madam Qian is indeed bravo!¡± ¡°So you all plan to put aside all considerations and use my mother to threaten me?¡± Madam Qian looked at Qian Jiujiu with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate for you to say so. We are all family members. There¡¯s no such thing as threatening! Furthermore, we actually wanted to find out something from you.¡± ¡°Tell us all that has happened in Xiao Manor. If not, we don¡¯t know what will happen to your mother.¡± Qian Jiujiu pursed her lips. ¡°Are you treating me as a fool? If I told you everything, what can I use in exchange? I can tell you if you want to know it but you have to let me meet my mother first.¡± ¡°If not, I am a barefooted person who is not afraid of those who are wearing shoes. In fact, His Highness treats me pretty well these few days, if I bring His Highness along with me to come to fetch my mother, what do you think will eventually happen?¡± Madam Qian let out a smirk. ¡°Who do you think you are? Are you sure you¡¯re able to summon His Highness?¡± ¡°Seems like you don¡¯t trust me. Do you know who the two people that tagged along with me are today? One of them is Dong Chen, Lord Xiao¡¯s personal bodyguard.¡± Madam Qian hesitated for a moment. If that¡¯s the case, then Qian Jiujiu is indeed favored by Lord Xiao? Would Lord Xiao spare a glance at someone with her look? Qian Jiujiu observed Madam Qian looking down upon her coupled with her disdainful stare at her. She could not help but let out a cough. What¡¯s wrong with my appearance? Although I¡¯m not the prettiest, at least I¡¯m decent and graceful. Moreover, my skin condition seems to become better and has turned into pale ivory, making me look rather adorable. Why do I seem unworthy in the eyes of this old lady? I¡¯m extremely vexed about it. ¡°Actually, I will have to express my gratitude to Madam and Elder Sister!¡± My birth chart is just right. If it was the Elder Sister¡¯s birth chart, I bet it might bring harm to His Highness.¡± ¡°But my birth chart is said to bring luck to my husband according to the fortune teller hired by His Highness! Of course, I¡¯ll bring harm to others as well. Those who are affected by me must be those with short lives.¡± ¡°In other words, those who have short lives can¡¯t withstand my prosperous fate.¡± Qian Jiujiu was elated to see the three ladies of the Qian family being enraged to a certain degree. She knew their real intention. She knew these ladies from the Qian family well enough to realize their real purpose of using her as a substitute in marriage. They wanted to use her to bring bad luck, but now it turned out to be the opposite. I do not bring harm to my husband, instead, I bring luck to him. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. She had indeed helped to revive Lord Xiao who was about to die. Madam Qian¡¯s facial expression altered. In the midst of her anger, she thought of something else. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, has Lord Xiao found out that you¡¯re not the daughter of the first wife in the Qian family?¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know about it. Doesn¡¯t the most beautiful lady in the Capital put on a veil whenever she goes out? Oh, I think I know what you mean now. You mean the birth chart?¡± ¡°It was such a coincidence that on the day of our marriage, a fortune-teller came over to make predictions for us. He claimed that we were not compatible, etc.¡± ¡°Then I told him that my original birth chart was another one. It just so happened that His Highness believed in me without any doubts.¡± It was easy for Qian Jiujiu to utter such words but Madam Qian and others could not trust her just like this. Moreover, they could not justify if the words mentioned by Qian Jiujiu were true or fake. ¡°Alright, Madam Qian, I have to stop my nonsense with you. I want to meet my mother. Besides, I have already told you things that have happened in Xiao Manor.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t allow me to meet her, I will summon Dong Chen to break into her room straight away.¡± Madam Qian gazed at Qian Jiujiu. Indeed, she is different from what she used to be. She even dares to intrude the Qian Manor as she wishes. It seems like she is more confident now. After all, it should not be a problem for her to meet the ill person. ¡°Okay, go and meet her.¡± As she uttered that statement, she shot a glance at her senior servant. ¡°Bring Princess Consort over.¡± Qian Jiujiu did not care much. She only murmured a tone of agreement. Just then, she followed the senior servant to her mother¡¯s place. Once she was outside, she saw Minister Qian and the Third Prince standing right there. Based on the memory of the original owner, Qian Jiujiu could recognize the Third Prince right away. However, she did not walk toward him, instead, she chose to turn around and left, pretending as if she had not seen them. Puzzled, Qian Jiujiu wondered how Minister Qian could be granted this title of his! He has the audacity to be involved in the battle for the throne. Does he feel that he has great longevity? No way, I need to speed up to prevent my mother from being killed due to these people. As thoughts ran through her mind, she finally made her way to a dilapidated small courtyard. ¡°Princess Consort, here we are. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Qian Jiujiu mumbled a tone of acknowledgment. Unconcerned, she walked in immediately to find the person right before her lying on the bed weakly. The most disheartening part was her ragged clothes. One could not tell that she was actually the concubine of Minister Qian. People would have thought she was the wife of a farmer! The corner of Qian Jiujiu¡¯s mouth twitched twice. Her heart could feel a sense of familiarity as she approached. It was a mix of grievance and sadness, probably this was how the original owner would have felt. As a result of being affected by the emotions in her heart, her eyes welled up with tears. She paced over to the bed, looking at the person lying on the bed. ¡°Mom.¡± Concubine Wan on the bed struggled to open her eyes. Her eyes filled with joy and pleasure when she saw the person before her. ¡°Jiujiu, is it you? My Jiujiu is finally back.¡± Concubine Wan spent most of her time with Qian Jiujiu in the village. They only had each other to rely on during that time. Never had they expected that an unforeseen calamity would cause them to be brought home. This had resulted in them separating from each other. How could Concubine Wan not be agitated when she got to meet Qian Jiujiu again? As a result of being agitated, she vomited a mouthful of blood out instantly, causing Qian Jiujiu to be petrified by this. ¡°Mom, what happened to you?¡± Amid the chaos, she called out her Mom without any strange feelings. Feeling anxious, she forgot to conceal her identity. She immediately grabbed hold of Concubine Wan¡¯s hand to feel her pulse. Her facial expression was getting worse from day to day. Concubine Wan was only back to the manor for a few days, yet these people who left no room for her were already thinking to poison her to death. Qian Jiujiu¡¯s facial expression turned gloomy. ¡°Mom, let me take you away. This place is real torture.¡± Concubine Wan looked fixedly at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°I know my Ah Jiu is capable now but Mom is useless. How could I allow you to marry¡­¡± ¡°Mom, His Highness treats me well. My purpose in visiting Mom is to ask you something.¡± ¡°Are you willing to leave with me?¡± Concubine Wan was stunned for an instant. She then shook her head in response. ¡°I know my Ah Jiu is filial but I cannot be your burden. Since you said that His Highness treats you well¡­¡± ¡°Then you shall stay by His Highness'' side obediently. You don¡¯t have to care about me, is that alright? I know that my life is almost coming to an end.¡± Upon hearing that Concubine Wan was almost breathing her last, but all she thought of was still her daughter, even if she was merely the mother of this body¡¯s owner, she still felt touched at this moment. She hugged Concubine Wan tightly. ¡°Mom, listen to me, we have lived together for so many years. I can leave you alone. You don¡¯t have to worry about your health. I¡¯ll take responsibility for it.¡± ¡°I need you to stay alive and experience longevity. You need to be here to witness the birth of my children and help me take care of them!¡± ¡°Let me ask you. If I have a way for you to break free from Minister Qian, would you be willing to leave with me?¡± Concubine Wan let out a smile. ¡°You foolish girl. Your mother is merely a concubine so I only need a letter from him. I only have you in my life¡± ¡°And only you. If it was not for you who has always been my pillar of support these past years, Mom would have died long ago. If I could get the letter, for sure I will be willing to leave with you.¡± Qian Jiujiu caressed her head. That¡¯s right. My mother is not the legitimate first wife so she doesn¡¯t need to divorce from him. As for the letter to release the concubine, it¡¯s a piece of cake. Besides, it¡¯s good to hear that my mother is willing to leave with me. She looked at Concubine Wan as she uttered, ¡°Mom, open your mouth.¡± Concubine Wan did not hesitate when she opened her mouth. Just then, Qian Jiujiu inserted a poison healing pill into her mouth. ¡°Mom, this is a poison healing pill given by His Highness. Your body is feeble because you are poisoned. You must promise to wait for me here until I come to get you. Take good care of yourself.¡± Once Concubine Wan heard that it was a poison healing pill, she said, ¡°You silly girl, you shall leave such a thing for yourself to save your own life when necessary. How can you give it to me?¡± Seeing that Concubine Wan said hurriedly and sincerely considered about her wellbeing, Qian Jiujiu smiled at Concubine Wan. ¡°Mom, you can rest assured. I have more for myself. Remember to wait for my return. Do you hear that? I will certainly come back to get you.¡± Chapter 18 - Lord Xiao Is Here Concubine Wan nodded earnestly. ¡°Little Jiu, you can rest assured. Mother initially thought that you would not come out alive after marrying Lord Xiao. Hence, I didn¡¯t take action.¡± ¡°Now that I have you as my gleam of hope, besides the fact that I have consumed the poison healing pills, I will be fine. I¡¯ll wait for you to come back.¡± Even though Qian Jiujiu felt the urge to threaten Minister Qian so that he could write a divorce letter and she could take her mother with her. However, as she pondered it over, it was not realistic. It was better for her to hold on for now as her mother¡¯s health was not in good condition yet. She cast a glance at Concubine Wan as she fetched out a ceramic bottle. ¡°Mother, there are also poison healing pills inside for you. Wait for me.¡± After leaving Concubine Wan¡¯s residence, Qian Jiujiu was preparing to return to Xiao Manor. After all, she had achieved her aim of coming today so there was no need for her to stay any longer. At this point, Hong Ling realized that the princess consort had disappeared. She started to take concern as she recalled that Princess Consort was often being bullied here. ¡°Old Madam, if anything were to happen to Princess Consort, can you afford to pay the price?¡± Just as Qian Jiujiu walked toward the entrance of Heshou hall, the voice of the arrogant Hong Ling resounded in the air. She instantly blinked her eyes. Should I enter slightly later? Old Madam Qian had never been disdained by a servant before after being alive until this age. As such, she was filled with fury in her heart. However, this servant was from the Xiao Manor, hence she could not do anything in particular to her. All she could do was to reprimand Qian Jiujiu secretly as she cast a look at Madam Qian. ¡°What are you waiting for? Quickly summon someone to call for Princess Consort. Otherwise, others will perceive that the Qian family has devoured Princess Consort!¡± Upon hearing that, Qian Jiujiu walked in with a smile plastered on her face. ¡°It seems like Old Madam Qian has the desire to devour Princess Consort but you need to make sure that you have the ability to swallow me. Beware of chipped teeth for having such a huge appetite.¡± This statement infuriated Old Madam to a certain extent. At this moment, Minister Qian walked in. ¡°What did you just say? Quickly kneel down to apologize to your great-grandmother.¡± Kneel down to apologize? Qian Jiujiu rolled her eyes. You want me to kneel before this old tigress? Dream on! She gave Minister Qian a glare before saying, ¡°Are you sure you want Princess Consort to fall to her knees?¡± Listening to Qian Jiujiu addressed herself, Princess Consort repeatedly, the people in the Qian family felt triggered. At this instant, the Third Prince was looking daggers at Qian Jiujiu out of curiosity. Once again, he felt as though the Qian Jiujiu before him was different from before, thus, he could not help voicing out. ¡°Sixth sister-in-law, even if you have married to the Royal family, regardless of anything, Old Madam is still your great-grandmother. Your impolite manner of utterances seems rather inappropriate and unfilial.¡± Qian Jiujiu directed her gaze at the Third Prince as she raised a corner of her lips. ¡°Who is this?¡± Hong Ling understood the meaning immediately, therefore she brilliantly stood out and made an introduction. ¡°In reply to Princess Consort, this is the Third Prince.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes in response before replying, ¡°Then let me ask you. Is His Highness having greater authority than a prince? Do I have to listen to him?¡± Qian Jiujiu¡¯s words were like the sounds of slapping, hitting on Third Prince¡¯s face. He was the Third Prince. As for the First Prince and Second Prince, they died of a young age. Thus, he was now the eldest child of the Emperor while following him was the Fourth Prince, Mu Yezhe. He was fond of nature and liked to travel around, hence resulting in him being reluctant to stay in the Capital. In this case, he could be disregarded. Moving on to the Fifth Prince, Mu Yexing, his brain was malfunctioned, thus he was an id*ot which could be completely ignored. As for the Sixth Prince, Mu Yexiao, he was the Emperor¡¯s youngest child and also his greatest enemy as the Emperor took a liking to him. He had even been conferred the title of Lord. He was also the only one who was granted the title among the princes. Although he was young, he was considered to have a rather high status if compared to other princes. Therefore, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s remark was meant to slap him on the face. Hong Ling was amused by her words. ¡°Princess Consort, you can¡¯t say so. Although Third Prince is the eldest child, you are Princess Consort.¡± The last half of the statement was rather redundant as Qian Jiujiu had finally come to an understanding. She then replied, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Third Prince. Can I address you as Third Brother?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Even if the Third Prince was unpleasant, he nodded as he responded, ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Well Third Brother, I couldn¡¯t agree with your words. Old Madam is my great-grandmother and I know that she is also an elder but I don¡¯t understand something. When did I say impolite words that sounded unfilial to you? ¡± ¡°My utterances were meant to be my concern for her. Everyone knows that Old Madam dotes on me, the daughter of the first wife in the Qian family. I am just trying to care for her by reminding her as I am afraid she would collapse. Is this considered unfilial?¡± The Third Prince stared at Qian Jiujiu with a surprised look. ¡°Never had I thought that Sixth Sister-in-law has such a sharp tongue.¡± Qian Jiujiu gazed at Third Prince indifferently. Just then, she lifted the corner of her mouth, directing a smile at him. ¡°Thanks for your compliment, Third Brother.¡± Mu Yesheng was stunned because he had never expected Qian Jiujiu to let out a smile. At this moment, Qian Yuge who was standing by the side was almost driven crazy. Such a shameless person! Thinking of that, Qian Jiujiu rushed straight out to face Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, you¡¯re so shameless. How dare you seduce the Third Prince even after you have gotten married.¡± Qian Jiujiu raised her eyebrows. ¡°What are you talking about, my dear elder cousin sister? Yuge couldn¡¯t understand what you are talking about. Are you scolding me for being shameless?¡± One statement was enough to vex Qian Yuge to a certain point. Since the Third Prince and Hong Ling were present here, this meant that Qian Jiujiu was Qian Yuge for now. As for Qian Yuge, she was merely a niece to Madam Qian at present. As Qian Yuge came to senses of Qian Jiujiu¡¯s words, she was enraged to a point where the corner of her lips was nearly distorted. When did I mean to scold myself? Qian Jiujiu felt tired of disguising. She tried her best to suppress her laughter but in the end, she could not help but let out a couple of coughs as she peered at Madam Qian. ¡°Mother, I felt that this cousin sister has a bit of a problem with her brain. Do you want to consider getting another one to accompany you?¡± As she uttered, she gave Qian Yuge a threatening glare. If you dare to cause trouble, not to mention taking your identity as the daughter of the first wife, I will even chase you out of the Qian Manor. Madam Qian¡¯s facial expression turned gloomy. This is too absurd but we have no choice but to buy into it. It would be great if Qian Jiujiu was dead. Who knew that she was not dead and even came home publicly. As a result, they were pressured by others in any way. Madam Qian looked at Qian Yuge and uttered reluctantly, ¡°Please apologize to your younger cousin sister.¡± Qian Yuge was utterly baffled with her eyes wide open. ¡°Why do I have to apologize to her? I don¡¯t want to do it. Mother, there are no outsiders here. Who didn¡¯t know that she is merely a b*tch!¡± Madam Qian¡¯s heart was bleeding. Even if the Third Prince was not an outsider, Hong Ling was one. Besides, now was not the right time to expose this matter. Thinking of this, Madam Qian directed her gaze toward Hong Ling and realized that Hong Ling hung her head low, pretending as if she had not heard anything. Qian Jiujiu found the commotion that happened in the Qian Manor was rather lacking excitement. She might as well return to Xiao Manor to have fun with Mu Yexiao. She shot a glance at Madam Qian as she uttered, ¡°Madam, Old Madam, it¡¯s getting late, I shall return to the Xiao Manor already.¡± As she mentioned that statement, she turned over and prepared to leave. Minister Qian was perplexed by her actions. ¡°Wait a moment, Princess Consort. Don¡¯t you want to stay a little longer for a meal first before returning?¡± Looking at the eloquent Qian Jiujiu, Minister Qian started to form other thoughts in his mind. Naturally, he wished to come into contact with her more. Moreover, the Third Prince would not wish to let Qian Jiujiu leave just yet as he needed Qian Jiujiu to deal with something for him. Qian Jiujiu blinked in confusion. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble Minister Qian. I will return to Xiao Manor to take my meal with His Highness. After all, His Highness will be unhappy if I don¡¯t have a meal with him.¡± Minister Qian could tell that Qian Jiujiu wanted to leave Qian Manor right away, however, how could he allow Qian Jiujiu to leave so easily? Just as he was about to say something, a servant came to inform him about the arrival of Lord Xiao. ¡°Old Master, Lord Xiao is here.¡± Minister Qian thought he had heard it wrongly. Who is here? Lord Xiao? Isn¡¯t he someone who is about to die? Why is he still in the mood to come here? The Third Prince also thought he was hearing voices, thus he could not help exchanging glances with Minister Qian. On the other hand, Qian Jiujiu was over the moon. ¡°Hong Ling, do you think His Highness is here to pick me up? I told you that His Highness is a decent man. He can¡¯t live without me.¡± Upon saying that, she darted out with an exhilarated expression on her face to welcome Lord Xiao in. Minister Qian followed suit and found that it was indeed Lord Xiao at the main entrance. Although Lord Xiao was wearing a mask, his extraordinary demeanor could be recognized instantly by anyone who came across him. Minister Qian fell to his knees immediately. ¡°Greetings to Your Highness. Your humble servant is curious as to why you made an appearance all of a sudden.¡± Mu Yexiao let out a sneer. ¡°I am here to bring Princess Consort home for lunch.¡± Once the words were uttered, the corner of everyone¡¯s mouth twitched twice while Minister Qian felt as though he was underestimated. He was a dignified minister after all. Do I have a problem preparing a meal for my daughter who has just returned after marriage? Besides, I still needed His Highness to purposely come to get her personally. The news just now must have been spread to Lord Xiao. It seemed like he was still a domineering person in the Capital even when he was injured. At least the news was transmitted to him on time. Qian Jiujiu was overjoyed. She walked over to the front of Lord Xiao in a wink. Her face filled with emotions as she looked at Lord Xiao, ¡°Your Highness, you treat Yuge so well, I am so touched.¡± The corner of Lord Xiao¡¯s mouth twitched, who the hell is Yuge? He gave out a couple of discreet coughs. ¡°Princess Consort, please behave yourself.¡± After embarrassing His Highness, Qian Jiujiu immediately altered her demeanor to reveal the virtuous and dignified side of her. ¡°Thanks for picking me up, Your Highness. Now let¡¯s return to the residence together.¡± Mu Yexiao finally came to a realization that this Qian Jiujiu had varying personalities. I guess she was probably thinking of tricking someone earlier. He gave Qian Jiujiu a meaningful stare before replying, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s return then.¡± As they were about to leave after speaking, Minister Qian started to panic. He knew very well the reason why the Third Prince was here today. He was here to get some updates but he had not found out anything yet, hence his purpose had yet to be fulfilled. How could he allow these two people to leave just like this? Rumors had it that Lord Xiao was seriously ill, and could only stay on the bed. Why is he out today? What is that thing he was sitting on at the bottom of his buttocks? A chair that can move around? Does the Great Zhou have something like this already? Chapter 19 - Smelly Fart Both Qian Jiujiu and Lord Xiao could see through Minister Qian¡¯s doubt in his eyes. However, both of them could not be bothered to help resolve Minister Qian¡¯s problems. Mu Yexiao called out Qian Jiujiu amicably, ¡°Princess Consort, what are you waiting for? Are you reluctant to leave this place?¡± Qian Jiujiu stuck out her tongue. Who would want to stay here for long? It¡¯s full of scheming since I entered just now. She hated that the most as she was someone who preferred a simple and carefree lifestyle. She chuckled in the direction of Mu Yexiao. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m coming now.¡± As Qian Jiujiu said that, she turned around to face Minister Qian. ¡°Father, please take good care of yourself. I have to leave now.¡± Minister Qian could sense Third Prince¡¯s glare. No way! I can¡¯t let them go so easily. As such, he immediately yelled, ¡°Please wait for a moment, Your Highness and Princess Consort.¡± ¡°Whose daughter will not stay for lunch after returning home from marriage. If so, others will perceive that we don¡¯t like Princess Consort. We can¡¯t let this happen.¡± Qian Jiujiu gazed at Mu Yexiao in confusion. I didn¡¯t know that the Great Zhou dynasty has such a tradition though. She was merely an outsider so it was only natural that she was unaware of such a thing. Hence, all she could do was to look at Lord Xiao. It happened that Mu Yexiao misunderstood her real intention. That¡¯s right, Qian Jiujiu is merely a daughter of the concubine, for sure she craves for recognition from the Qian family. With that in mind, he nodded. ¡°Alright, since we are already here, let¡¯s pay a visit then. Princess Consort, let¡¯s enter together.¡± Mu Yexiao could move the wheelchair himself on flat ground while for slopes, he could utilize his martial arts to make the wheelchair fly up. However, he could not reveal this side of him under the watch of so many people. Hence, when we made his way into the residence, Nan Feng and Dong Chen were directly responsible for carrying him in the wheelchair. Upon the arrival of Lord Xiao, naturally, Madam Qian and others including Qian Yuge and Old Madam Qian would have to pay their respect to him. ¡°Greetings to Your Highness.¡± ¡°Greetings to Your Highness.¡± ¡°Greetings to Your Highness.¡± They paid their respect to Lord Xiao one after another. As Qian Jiujiu listened to Qian Yuge¡¯s melodious and appalling voice, she made a disapproving tone. She was so ferocious when she was accusing me just now, but look at her now! Mu Yexiao shot a glance at Qian Jiujiu. Her oblivious look that pretended that she had not seen or heard anything amused Lord Xiao. She could clearly tell that the voice that Qian Jiujiu made was right after the young lady spoke. Hence, he could not help from glancing at the young lady. As he came to an understanding, he assumed that this lady must be the pampered child of the Qian family, Qian Yuge. With that, the corner of his mouth curled up as he gave Qian Yuge a stare. ¡°Is this young lady your daughter as well, Minister Qian?¡± Listening to Lord Xiao¡¯s question, Qian Yuge felt a surge of elation. As expected, being stunning can attract attention easily. Qian Yuge thought to herself. She then lifted her head to throw an alluring glance at Mu Yexiao but she did it surreptitiously. In her point of view, she was considered very careful with her actions. However, Qian Jiujiu witnessed all her actions. She then sneered and rolled her eyes. She didn¡¯t want to get married to him by all means but now she is trying to seduce him! Is anyone sure that Qian Yuge is not a st*pid person? Mu Yexiao had certainly seen Qian Yuge¡¯s luring glance at him, hence he sneered in his heart. How dare this lady even dream of that position? He could not help but suppress his laughter as he looked at Minister Qian, waiting for his reply. Minister Qian was certainly aware of the conversation among these ladies in the Heshou hall. He caught a glimpse of Qian Jiujiu awkwardly. Qian Jiujiu curled her lips, revealing an unconcerned look on her face. Minister Qian knew from her expression that he could not control this daughter of his anymore, hence he said, ¡°This is the niece of my wife. Now that Yuge is married to Xiao Manor, I purposely send someone here to accompany my wife for a period of time.¡± Mu Yexiao lifted his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± When Qian Yuge heard Lord Xiao asking for her name, she appeared rather delighted as she directed her gaze at Qian Jiujiu. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. As for Qian Jiujiu, she found Qian Yuge rather hilarious. Doesn¡¯t she know that His Highness was trying to confirm her new identity? From today onward, she will not be associated with the title as the daughter of the first wife in the Qian family. Minister Qian was dumbfounded for a bit. He then looked toward Mu Yexiao before replying, ¡°Her name is Wang Wan¡¯ge.¡± Mu Yexiao murmured in agreement. ¡°How is the preparation of the lunch so far, Minister Qian?¡± Upon saying that, Mu Yexiao looked at the Third Prince with an astonished look. ¡°Ah, Third Brother is here too. I have just seen you here. I¡¯m so sorry about that. I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°But why is Third Brother here today?¡± Mu Yesheng¡¯s facial expression changed instantly. ¡°It just so happened that I have something to discuss with Minister Qian. I¡¯m about to make a move. I better not disturb your family reunion.¡± Once the Third Prince said that, he turned around and left directly without giving others a chance to persuade him to stay. Upon seeing that the Third Prince had left, Minister Qian heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Your Highness, your lunch is done, please.¡± Inside the hall of the Qian family, a screen was used to divide it into two with each side placing a table. One side was used to serve His Highness, Mu Yexiao while another side was to serve Princess Consort, Qian Jiujiu. However, the table Qian Jiujiu was sitting on was not as happening as Mu Yexiao. Qian Jiujiu could tell that Minister Qian was currying favor with Mu Yexiao since he sat down. Pouting her lips as she listened in on their conversations, she began to lose her appetite. With a sigh, Qian Jiujiu lowered her head, preparing to drink her soup. Just as she was about to drink her soup, she could sense a weird smell coming from the soup. Qian Jiujiu frowned. They can¡¯t wait to lay their hands on me? She put on a smile all of a sudden as she fixed her gaze at Qian Yuge. ¡°Elder cousin sister, this is our first time seeing each other! Therefore, I will like to grant you this bowl of soup.¡± After giving it a sniff, she knew that the ingredients added into the soup were not poisonous, instead, it was something used to embarrass others by farting perpetually. Well, Mu Yexiao was handicapped so her life or death was not the main concern. All they wanted to achieve was for her to experience an embarrassing moment so she would not dare to lift her head in front of the people in the Qian family. Even if it was for her to embarrass herself in front of Mu Yexiao. That was good enough. However, they miscalculated Qian Jiujiu¡¯s competency in medical skills. Such a thing will never be able to scheme her! Once Qian Jiujiu¡¯s voice subsided, Qian Yuge¡¯s eyes were wide open, looking astounded. Looking at the change of Qian Yuge¡¯s facial expressions, Qian Jiujiu was a little upset. ¡°Why? It¡¯s your pleasure to be granted this. Are you trying to reject it?¡± Now that you have said so, can she still reject you? Madam Qian furrowed her brow, looking extremely anxious. If she were to reject it, then this would provide you an opportunity to condemn her, right? To be honest, Madam Qian was not aware that the bowl of soup was prepared by Qian Yuge ahead of time to embarrass Qian Jiujiu. If she knew about it, she would not think that way. ¡°Wan¡¯ge, quickly drink it up.¡± The resentment in Qian Wan¡¯ge¡¯s heart was inexplicable. She was thinking of taking it over and finding a way to spill it. As she was deep in her thoughts, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s voice resounded in the air. ¡°Hong Ling, serve the soup to Lady Wang. Don¡¯t spill it.¡± Hong Ling immediately rose to her feet. ¡°Yes, Princess Consort.¡± As she was responding to Qian Jiujiu, she took the bowl of soup to the front of Qian Yuge right. ¡°Lady Wang, please help yourself.¡± Qian Yuge¡¯s eyes bored at the bowl of soup bitterly. Just then, Hong Ling pushed the bowl closer to her. ¡°Madam Wang, please.¡± Perturbed by the scene, Madam Qian gave Qian Yuge a stare. Drink it up quickly! ¡°Wan¡¯ge, this is bestowed upon you by Princess Consort. Quickly drink it up.¡± As Qian Yuge heard what Madam Qian had said, she took over the bowl and finished it up in one go. She then directed her gaze at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Thank you very much for your kindness. Your humble servant is not feeling well. Could you allow me to dismiss myself so I can get some rest?¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not feeling well. Hurry up and call for an imperial physician.¡± ¡°Ow! Look at your pale face, you look rather sick.¡± Listening to Qian Jiujiu, Madam Qian began to look worriedly at Qian Yuge. ¡°Wan¡¯ge, what happened to you? Let me get you a physician right away.¡± The commotion at this side caused a stir and attracted the attention of the people on the other side of the screen. Mu Yexiao¡¯s voice reverberated around the atmosphere swiftly. ¡°What¡¯s going on there, Princess Consort?¡± Qian Jiujiu felt a sense of warmth upon hearing Mu Yexiao¡¯s words of concern. ¡°Your Highness, could you please summon Nan Feng to get an imperial physician? It seems like Lady Wang is not feeling well.¡± As Mu Yexiao found out that Qian Jiujiu was alright, he felt a sense of relief. It was alright to call for the imperial physician after all. ¡°Go now, Nan Feng.¡± The surrounding people who witnessed the scene had their own thoughts in mind at this instant. It seemed like Qian Jiujiu played an important role in Mu Yexiao¡¯s heart. Otherwise, why would he summon Nan Feng to call for the imperial physician straight away? Just then, the hall was filled with an almost never-ending sound. Puff! Following that, there was an unpleasant smell spreading across the room. Qian Jiujiu frowned. She felt she had made the wrong decision for not allowing Qian Yuge to excuse herself first. Such a smelly fart is great torture to the nose! Madam Qian looked daggers at Qian Yuge in astonishment. How could she embarrass herself in front of the crowd? Madam Qian was not a dense person, hence, she came to a realization of that bowl of soup just now. Just as everyone was shocked and annoyed, another puffing sound resonated across the atmosphere Minister Qian was enraged. ¡°What is going on? Who is that?¡± As it was separated by a screen, he could not tell who did that but never had he thought that his eldest daughter whom he placed great expectations on would be the one farting. Qian Jiujiu let out a couple of coughs. ¡°Lady Wang, it seems like your condition doesn¡¯t allow you to stay here. Quickly leave first before the smell spread to His Highness.¡± ¡°I wonder what you have eaten. Why is the smell so strong?¡± As she uttered those words, she waved her hands before her nose as an indication of being disgusted. Qian Yuge was infuriated to a point where her face was as pale as a ghost. Due to her sudden impulse, she pushed the screen, causing the screen to topple. The situation on this side was immediately exposed. While at this moment in time, Qian Yuge farted again. As Hong Ling witnessed the scene, she yelled, ¡°Lady Wang, what are you trying to do? You¡¯re lucky that Princess Consort forgave you for being offensive, now you are trying to offend His Highness instead?¡± Chapter 20 - Drag Out and Beat To Death Qian Yuge was indeed frightened by Hong Ling¡¯s voice. She immediately fell to her knees in front of Mu Yexiao. At this moment, she recalled the terrifying memories of Mu Yexiao. Even though His Highness was handicapped, he was more horrified than ordinary individuals. There was once a lady reached out her hand toward him and it was broken apart by him within split seconds. Now that she farted in front of him, she bet she would be done for this time. Thinking of this, Qian Yuge was in a total mess and trepidation. She trembled while kneeling down. ¡°Your Highness, please spare my life. I¡¯m wronged.¡± Mu Yexiao seemed to feel disgusted by the stinky smell all over the hall. However, he drew a glance at Qian Jiujiu as he could not tell for sure if this was a prank of Qian Jiujiu. Qian Jiujiu had surely met Mu Yexiao¡¯s gaze. She then sneered with an unpleasant tone. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Since Lady Wang said that she is wronged, let¡¯s get someone to investigate this matter then.¡± ¡°Father-in-law, will you blame me for exceeding one¡¯s duties and meddling in others¡¯ affairs?¡± Minister Qian¡¯s face was drenched with cold sweat at this moment. ¡°For sure not, this, this...¡± Upon hearing that, Qian Jiujiu turned to look at Mu Yexiao. ¡°In this case, Your Highness might as well investigate this matter so that this beautiful lady here will not be wronged. Otherwise, others will be sad due to this.¡± Mu Yexiao let out a cough or two before uttering, ¡°Let¡¯s pass this on to Minister Qian then. After all, this is the Qian Manor. Besides, it¡¯s something related to the guest of the Qian family. It¡¯s better to make things clear.¡± Qian Jiujiu sat down calmly. As the entire compound was filled with the awful scent, she had lost her appetite. Therefore, she stood up immediately. ¡°I feel that I have to change to another place. Besides, please ask Lady Wang to keep a distance from me.¡± Mu Yexiao murmured in agreement before adding, ¡°Dong Chen, quickly push me out of this place.¡± Dong Chen spare Qian Yuge a disdainful glance as he pushed Mu Yuge out. Qian Jiujiu followed suit. To be frank, Qian Yuge felt the urge to leave the place as well. However, she still kept making the puffing noise, hence Qian Jiujiu said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go out. If not, what¡¯s the point for us to leave.¡± Upon hearing that, Mu Yexiao who was very polite suppressed a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right! Lady Wang, you can just stay here.¡± After the crowd went outside, not long after, Nan Feng came back with the imperial physician. The imperial physician conjectured that Lord Xiao was in a poor condition again as Nan Feng was the one inviting him over. This time he was well prepared to be dead but once he arrived at the place, he realized he was merely there to check on a female patient. He heaved a sigh of relief in his heart as he began to feel the pulse of Qian Yuge. ¡°Excuse me, could you please stretched out your hand?¡± Although the entire compound was filled with bad odor, the imperial physician before her did not even frown. Qian Jiujiu wondered if he could scent the stinky smell. In a wink, the imperial physician diagnosed the cause of the problem, hence he walked out of the hall. ¡°Greetings to Your Highness and Princess Consort. This lady has consumed something inappropriate, hence, resulting in her emitting gas constantly.¡± It took Qian Jiujiu quite a while to understand the term, emitting gas. Emitting gas means farting. She then blinked her eyes as she fixed her gaze at the imperial physician. ¡°In this regard, what do you think¡­¡± ¡°What inappropriate food do you think this lady has consumed?¡± The imperial physician cast a glance at Princess Consort. The lady before him was rather adorable and graceful but she was not considered the prettiest after all. Looking at this, he felt that seeing is believing! The imperial physician bowed as he uttered, ¡°In reply to Princess Consort, eating lots of food that consists of beans will result in emitting gas.¡± ¡°But it won¡¯t cause the lady to emit gas unceasingly. It seems like it was not only an ingredient, it was a concoction of herbs used to achieve such a result.¡± Qian Jiujiu murmured in acknowledgment before saying, ¡°Does this mean that this lady is schemed by someone? Tsk, tsk, this is such a huge embarrassment. Imperial physician, you¡¯ve to swiftly check out the situation then.¡± ¡°Check the food the lady has eaten just now to look for the cause of the problem.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. At this instant, Madam Qian finally understood that the bowl of soup was the source of the problem. However, she was curious as to why Qian Jiujiu was so eager to look for the solution. Indeed, the imperial physician did not let others down. Soon, he spotted the bowl of soup. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, this bowl of soup has a problem.¡± Qian Jiujiu raised her eyebrows. ¡°Father, do you dislike me being back for a meal? Minister Qian was dumbfounded. Obviously, he had not come to senses of the meaning behind Qian Jiujiu¡¯s words. His expression was still perplexed as usual. ¡°What are you talking about, Princess Consort? For sure, I welcome your return anytime.¡± Qian Jiujiu sneered as she directed her gaze at Mu Yexiao, expressing her grievances. ¡°Your Highness, I was placed in a dangerous situation just now. That bowl of soup was initially mine.¡± ¡°But I found that elder cousin sister kept staring at the bowl of soup so I thought she wanted to drink it so badly. Hence, I granted the bowl of soup to her. Who knows this has resulted in her embarrassing herself.¡± ¡°Your Highness, someone is trying to harm me. You need to bring justice to me.¡± Qian Yuge was furious due to Qian Jiujiu. I¡¯m the one experiencing the embarrassment. Now Qian Jiujiu is claiming to be wronged. This is too outrageous! Mu Yexiao showed an expression resembling a smile at Qian Jiujiu. Then, he burst out in fury. ¡°Minister Qian, what do you mean by that?¡± Minister Qian kneeled down immediately as he looked fixedly at Mu Yexiao. ¡°Calm down, Your Highness. I¡¯m in the midst of investigating this matter.¡± Qian Jiujiu shot a glance at Hong Ling. ¡°Hong Ling, go with him. I want to know the results after the investigation.¡± ¡°At your command.¡± After replying to Qian Jiujiu, Hong Ling left with others. Seeing the figure of Hong Ling, Qian Yuge swallowed back her words. Lord Xiao was infuriated so Minister Qian could not bear to delay the investigation. He ordered people to investigate this matter very quickly. However, the results of the investigation caught everyone off guard. Hong Ling came out after a while. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Consort, the poison was added by this lady. I have asked someone to check with the drugstore and they have taken the witness here with them in no time. The lady who was brought out by Hong Ling was none other than the senior servant of Qian Yuge, Jade. Qian Yuge¡¯s expression on the face turned extremely hideous. For sure she knew that the poison was purchased by Jade. It was also Jade who had added it. However, never had she expected Hong Ling to be so capable in finding the culprit so rapidly. Qian Jiujiu had never met Jade before, hence she stared at the servant. ¡°What¡¯s your name? How dare you try to cause me to get embarrassed in public? What¡¯s your real intention?¡± Once she finished her sentence, Hong Ling let out a cough. ¡°In reply to Princess Consort, this servant is named Jade. She is your personal senior servant back at home previously.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes twice before drawing a glance at Qian Yuge. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Jade. I didn¡¯t see clearly just now. Who are you serving right now?¡± Once Madam Qian heard this question, she had a hunch that Qian Jiujiu had a wicked mind. Not only did she make her daughter embarrassed herself, but she had also planned to accuse Qian Yuge as the plotter of this matter. Madam Qian would never allow this to happen. She gave Jade a menacing glare and right after that, Jade immediately kowtowed in front of Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Please spare my life, Princess Consort. It¡¯s my bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just pissed off because you didn¡¯t bring me along to the Xiao Manor when you got married. After all, we grow up together.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes in confusion. It seemed like Madam Qian was not an easy character. She then coughed twice. ¡°Your Highness, what should we do with such a narrow-minded servant?¡± Mu Yexiao let out a half-smile as he looked Qian Jiujiu in the eye. ¡°The behavior of this servant is considered a betrayal to her master. Drag her out and beat her to death directly.¡± Qian Jiujiu was taken aback by his words. One life is sacrificed just like this. It seems like the life of a person in ancient times is not valuable at all. She shot a rather sympathetic look at Jade as she fell into deep thoughts. Upon witnessing this scene, Hong Ling could not help from glancing at Minister Qian. ¡°Minister Qian, have you not heard the words of His Highness?¡± Just then, Minister Qian came to his senses and immediately ordered, ¡°Anybody? Drag this servant who has betrayed her master out and beat her to death!¡± Jade was dragged out by someone right away. Qian Jiujiu stroked her belly, feeling a little hungry as she looked at Mu Yexiao. ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s return home.¡± Certainly, Mu Yexiao agreed with her suggestion. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back,¡± After such an incident, it was only reasonable for Minister Qian to send them off. Once stepping out of the Qian Manor, Qian Jiujiu got on the carriage, looking rather surprised. Mu Yexiao entered the carriage as well. Both of them sat next to each other. Qian Jiujiu kept staring at Mu Yexiao, causing him to feel shy due to her constant stare. ¡°May I know why do you keep staring at me? What can I do for you?¡± Feeling wronged, Qian Jiujiu caressed her belly, ¡°Your Highness, both of us are co-partners, right? Now your partner is feeling hungry.¡± Thinking of food, Mu Yexiao seemed to recall the awful odor previously. He could not help but show Qian Jiujiu a funny yet annoyed expression on his face. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe you still have an appetite after smelling the strong scent just now.¡± Qian Jiujiu who was triggered rolled her eyes in response. ¡°It¡¯s not that I have an appetite, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m hungry. After all, we have to have our meals. Probably I can ask Hong Ling to buy two steamed buns for us.¡± Mu Yexiao agreed with her. ¡°As you wish.¡± Once Qian Jiujiu received his approval, she summoned Hong Ling excitedly, ¡°Hong Ling, buy two steamed buns for me.¡± ¡°At your command.¡± Upon finishing her sentence, Hong Ling shot a glance at Dong Chen who was riding the carriage beside her. ¡°Dong Chen, why are you not stopping yet? Didn¡¯t you hear that Princess Consort wanted to get some steamed buns?¡± Dong Chen had no choice but to stop the carriage. Hong Ling then got off the carriage to buy two steamed buns for Qian Jiujiu. Qian Jiujiu started eating once she saw the buns. She would voice out her opinions every now and then. ¡°Food in this era is indeed aromatic for they are all made of natural ingredients.¡± As she spoke, she turned to look at Mu Yexiao. ¡°Do you want a bite, Your Highness?¡± Mu Yexiao immediately shook his head and rejected her. ¡°I¡¯m good, you can finish the food yourself.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll eat it myself. Since you have performed well today, I¡¯ll cook a sumptuous meal for us later.¡± Upon finishing her sentence, Qian Jiujiu continued eating her food, while Mu Yexiao curled the corner of his mouth into a smirk but he did not utter anything in the end. Chapter 21 - A Craving For Her...? Once Qian Jiujiu finished her food, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the Xiao Manor. Qian Jiujiu got off the carriage first as she summoned Dong Chen and Nan Feng to carry Mu Yexiao down. As they walked into the manor, Qian Jiujiu told Mu Yexiao, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll go prepare food for you now.¡± ¡°Wait a second.¡± Looking at Qian Jiujiu walking toward the direction of the kitchen, Mu Yexiao quickly stopped her. Qian Jiujiu returned a doubtful glance at Mu Yexiao. ¡°What can I do for you, Your Highness?¡± Mu Yexiao touched his nose only to realize it was covered by his mask. He then awkwardly retrieved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to shower first before you start cooking. If not, I¡¯m afraid the smell lingers.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes twice and sniggered before bursting into laughter. ¡°Haha, at your command. I¡¯ll shower right away. Your humble concubine thought Your Highness will even perceive the fart as a fragrance when coming into contact with the prettiest lady.¡± Upon finishing her statement, Qian Jiujiu turned around and left. Anyone could tell that she looked extremely happy but Ye Muxiao, on the other hand, put on a straight face. Even if she is a beauty, her fart won¡¯t be aromatic anyway. This is, whatever. Thinking of the smell, Mu Yexiao let out a sneer. ¡°Dong Chen, get ready for me to take a shower.¡± ¡°Alright, Your Highness.¡± Once Dong Chen replied to His Highness, he went off to make preparations. He mumbled under his breath occasionally. ¡°His Highness is too merciful. Ladies who dare to offend His Highness are meant to be beaten to death.¡± Dong Chen was indeed dissatisfied with the fact that Qian Yuge was able to escape her punishment! After all, Qian Yuge was an extremely detestable person for him because she dared to look down on His Highness. She even requested someone to marry to His Highness on her behalf. Even though he found Qian Jiujiu not so detestable, he still thought that she did not deserve to be together with His Highness. At this moment, Qian Jiujiu had finished showering. She then headed toward the kitchen to prepare honey egg tea and salted egg yolk ingot-like shortbread cookies. Once she was done, she brought over the food to Mu Yexiao¡¯s place. When Qian Jiujiu entered, she realized Mu Yexiao had already taken a shower and he was reading a book in his room. The person who came across Qian Jiujiu was none other than Dong Chen. ¡°Princess Consort is here.¡± Upon hearing the voice, Mu Yexiao lifted his head to look at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Here you are.¡± Qian Jiujiu murmured in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll be hungry so I didn¡¯t prepare anything too complex. I ordered the servants to make these salted egg yolk ingot-like shortbread cookies before I went out this morning.¡± ¡°I made a cup of honey egg tea for you and came over immediately. Try it. How¡¯s the taste?¡± Mu Yexiao grabbed a piece of the salted egg yolk shortbread cookies and took a bite. ¡°This pastry tastes pretty good. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re not only good at herbal cuisine but you¡¯re also an expert at this.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes. ¡°I am only good at two things, one is treating patients and another is cooking. The dishes that I cook are mainly related to herbs.¡± The corner of Mu Yexiao¡¯s mouth twitched. As a daughter from a prominent family, you¡¯re not good at performing arts and painting, but surprisingly you¡¯re good at cooking. Are you preparing yourself to become a cook? Qian Jiujiu could sense the hint of disapproval by observing Mu Yexiao¡¯s expression in the eye. She could not help but express her confusion, ¡°You seem to be dissatisfied with my skills.¡± Mu Yexiao let out a cough or two before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t really care about it. But do you think it¡¯s appropriate to not know about performing arts and painting as a princess consort?¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked in the direction of Mu Yexiao twice. ¡°I only claimed that I am proficient at these two things but I didn¡¯t say that I don¡¯t know the rest of the things. How long do you think I can last as Princess Consort?¡± ¡°We can all tell that the Emperor has great expectations for you. Besides, you promise to pass me the divorce letter so what¡¯s the big deal of not having the knowledge about performing arts and painting?¡± ¡°Once I leave Xiao Manor, I will find a small place to open a herbal cuisine restaurant. Then, I can be carefree and enjoy the rest of my life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay at a place full of rules and regulations like this one! If it was not for my mother, I would have left long ago.¡± Upon hearing Qian Jiujiu¡¯s remarks, Mu Yexiao felt a surge of unpleasant emotions lingering in his heart. ¡°So you are not heavy-hearted of anything? Wealth and power are things that the surrounding people crave badly.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Qian Jiujiu merely let out a chuckle. ¡°Oh, I suddenly thought of something. I think my silver needles are done. Can I leave the manor to collect them?¡± Mu Yexiao mumbled a tone of acknowledgment. ¡°Go ahead, bring Hong Ling along with you. Besides, Dong Chen, go get Hong Chou to serve Princess Consort from today onward.¡± How can a princess consort only have a servant to serve her! Dong Chen immediately arranged for another servant to serve Princess Consort. Hence, this time when Qian Jiujiu left the manor, she had two ¡®tails¡¯ tagging along behind her. When Qian Jiujiu left the manor, she seemed to be more carefree compared to the last time where she was extra careful as she lacked the sense of security. As of now, it was more of her curiosity in exploring the ancient era. Moreover, her foodie potential was once again unleashed. As she walked out, she took a look at Hong Ling. ¡°Hong Li, last time we were in a rush when we came out. Since we have a bit of time today, let¡¯s shop around after collecting the items.¡± Hong Chou subconsciously felt it was inappropriate, hence she chimed in, ¡°This is inappropriate, Princess Consort.¡± Qian Jiujiu gave Hong Chou a glare before replying, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that outside. Are you eager to let others find out our real identity?¡± Hong Ling rolled her eyes. His Highness approved of their trip this time. Besides, this was different from the one previously so it was alright to do anything openly. However, she was curious as to why Princess Consort was unwilling to reveal her identity. Hong Chou shot a glance at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam. Are we returning home after collecting the items?¡± This time it was Qian Jiujiu¡¯s turn to roll her eyes. ¡°Of course not. I want to savor some good food first. Alright, I am the boss. Listen to me.¡± Hong Chou looked a little worried and seemed to have the urge to say something but she was stopped by Hong Ling who shook her head toward her. Hong Chou frowned and kept silent. As for Qian Jiujiu, she could not be bothered much about these two servants. In an instant, she reached the blacksmith shop she came last time. ¡°Shopkeeper, have you done my stuff already?" ¡°Here you are, Madam! The things that you need are done. You can check and see.¡± Qian Jiujiu nodded in satisfaction after looking at the items. Just then, she kept the items and looked toward Hong Ling. ¡°Hong Ling, make payment.¡± Once Hong Ling made the payment, Qian Jiujiu turned around and left. Since the customized silver needles were done, then she could help Mu Yexiao undergo detoxification. After she had done detoxifying for him, she would then proceed to cure his leg. Once Mu Yexiao was healthy, she would leave this place. Whenever Qian Jiujiu thought of leaving, she felt a surge of excitement. Yes, this is a good opening. ¡°Hong Ling, quick, lead me the way to buy some delicious food.¡± Anyway, even though Qian Jiujiu was adept at cooking, she was only skilled at making herbal cuisine because she had a special gift for medicine. As for other food, she could not do anything about it. Hong Ling fixed her gaze at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡± Qian Jiujiu fell into deep thoughts. ¡°Which restaurant serves the best chicken? Okay, let¡¯s buy chicken back to eat.¡± Qian Jiujiu suddenly recalled that it was time for her to care for her body. Her body condition was so weak until she was not strong enough to protect herself. Thinking of this, she felt upset. Hong Ling started to consider it seriously. Which restaurant serves the best chicken? ¡°I know it! A restaurant along Dongda Street sells stewed chicken, it tastes pretty good.¡± Qian Jiujiu immediately clapped her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go and buy then.¡± Three of them went over to purchase three pieces of chicken and then walked back to the Xiao Manor. Once they reached home, it was already evening. Qian Jiujiu finally had the time to sit down and rest for a bit. Just then, she saw Nan Feng striding toward her courtyard and Hong Ling was already out to welcome him. ¡°Bodyguard Nan, what brings you here at this time?¡± Nan Feng made eye contact with Qian Jiujiu and paid his respect. ¡°Greetings to Princess Consort. His Highness invites you over to have a meal with him.¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there in a while.¡± Upon finishing her sentence, Qian Jiujiu reminded Hong Ling, ¡°Hong Ling, remember to send the chicken over as well.¡± Of course, Hong Ling would not forget it. Qian Jiujiu went over to Mu Yexiao¡¯s courtyard swiftly. She found that Ye Muxiao was already seated at the table waiting for her arrival. Qian Jiujiu walked toward him. ¡°Greetings to Your Highness. What good food have you prepared for tonight? How come you thought of eating with me today?¡± Mu Yexiao frowned. ¡°Eating?¡± Qian Jiujiu chuckled. ¡°It means to have a meal. It¡¯s just that my way of saying it is more straightforward. You haven¡¯t told me what we are having for tonight.¡± Mu Yexiao drew a glance at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°My dishes are all herbal cuisine prepared by you. What else can I consume?¡± Qian Jiujiu finally recalled that she had made changes to Mu Yexiao¡¯s menu. ¡°I thought you had good food to share with me. Why do you summon me then?¡± ¡°Oh, now I know! You must have known that I had bought some chickens back. Are you trying to snatch them from me? Actually you don¡¯t have to do this. You¡¯re His Highness. If you feel like eating chicken, you can order someone to buy for you.¡± ¡°I am just a poor, humble individual with little money. What is that for you to crave for?¡± Mu Yexiao pulled a long face after being told off by Qian Jiujiu. He felt that after Qian Jiujiu was here, they had meals together every day so that was why he summoned someone to call for her. How has this turned into a craving for her chickens? I am the prominent Lord Xiao, do I really need to steal a bite of the chicken? This is too much. Just as Mu Yexiao wanted to say something, Hong Ling arrived at the place. ¡°Princess Consort, I have heated your chickens. Let me serve you the food now.¡± Counting the number of pieces, Qian Jiujiu felt overjoyed. She then looked fixedly at Mu Yexiao. ¡°I have only bought three pieces of chicken. Initially, I thought of sharing these with Hong Ling and Hong Chou but now they are willing to contribute one for you.¡± ¡°Let me share it with you then.¡± The corner of Hong Ling¡¯s mouth twitched. My dear Princess Consort, do you have to care so much about a piece of chicken? Hong Chou and I will be done for if His Highness were to settle accounts with use afterward. However, Princess Consort did it out of kindness so Hong Ling could only pretend as if she had heard it and forcefully ignored the glare of His Highness in her direction. As Mu Yexiao looked at Qian Jiujiu who was trying to show off her generosity, this had almost resulted in His Highness to have internal injuries somewhere in his body. He immediately reached out his chopsticks to pick a piece of chicken and place it into his bowl. The surrounding people exchanged glances with each other upon witnessing the scene. Is His Highness driven crazy by Princess Consort already? === We will continue to update the following chapters on patreon. Please support us on patreon if you like our novels. === Chapter 22 - Dancing Posture Mu Yexiao felt very content when he saw the delicious breakfast. Qian Jiujiu¡¯s appearance was a little plain and did not have any artistic skills. However, she could at least satisfy his belly. Mu Yexiao was forced to be pleased with her and sat down to eat breakfast with her. Ancient people would not speak at the dining table or bedroom. Qian Jiujiu understood not speaking in the bedroom, but she could not endure the silence while eating. When she saw that Mu Yexiao had finished half of his food, Qian Jiujiu could not help speaking. ¡°How¡¯s the food?¡± He simply stared at her and said, ¡°So undisciplined.¡± After saying that, he buried his head and continued eating. Qian Jiujiu was saddened by his remark. She was merely being considerate. So ungrateful. Qian Jiujiu¡¯s shoulders drooped in disappointment, leaving him to eat in silence. After having breakfast, she also gave him the silent treatment. Mu Yexiao frowned as he looked at her. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, what¡¯s wrong. Why are you so dispirited?¡± He had never seen her so unenergetic before. Qian Jiujiu merely rolled her eyes at him and silently thought to herself. Why do you care? She merely grunted and left, without giving him a reply. Mu Yexiao felt a little troubled after being given the cold shoulder. Thinking that something was amiss, he peered at Qian Jiujiu again. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, I thought of something. Do you want to hear it? Otherwise, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± She turned around and looked him in the eyes. ¡°I wonder what it is? I don¡¯t want to regret it, so please do tell me. Mu Yexiao was clearly displeased with her attitude. However, he hated seeing her so dejected more. Hence, he continued with a sigh. ¡°I remember that your mother is unwell, so I originally wanted to send someone to protect her secretly. Seems like someone is ungrateful.¡± After hearing that, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Is Your Highness speaking the truth? You want to help protect my mother?¡± Mu Yexiao could not help laughing when he saw her brighten up. ¡°I¡¯ve always been...¡± Mu Yexiao purposely stopped speaking because he wanted to see Qian Jiujiu¡¯s anxious expression. He wanted to say that he would never go back on his words. Seeing that he suddenly stopped, Qian Jiujiu could not help make wild predictions. She narrowed her eyes as she fell deep into her thoughts. Since we¡¯re partners, I must reward him with something for his effort. With that, her eyes lit up in epiphany as she stared at Mu Yexiao. ¡°I understand now. Your Highness, you wanted to say that you must receive proper rewards for your effort, right? Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure to repay you appropriately for protecting my mother.¡± ¡°Say it, what do you want me to do? I will do anything that¡¯s within my capability.¡± Perplexed, Mu Yexiao merely stared at her with a frown. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, what do you think of me actually?¡± What do I think of you? Has he gone insane today? Why is he suddenly interested in this? Blinking her eyes, she replied, ¡°Your Highness is impressive and almighty!¡± ¡°I respect you deeply!¡± ¡°Fine, stop spouting nonsense. I wanted to say that I will never go back on my words. I¡¯ll always fulfill my promises. Alright, I¡¯ll send someone to protect your mother.¡± ¡°Dong Chen, bring me out for a stroll.¡± Qian Jiujiu stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. Did I misspeak? I was complimenting him, why did he leave so suddenly? I haven¡¯t even finished speaking. ¡°Hong Ling, why did His Highness leave so abruptly? How can he cut off the conversation so rudely?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Hong Ling also looked at Mu Yexiou leaving with a pitiful expression, wondering how she should reply to Qian Jiujiu. After all, she was just as confused. She merely shook her head. ¡°I have no idea why he¡¯s angry as well. Why don¡¯t you make a delicious meal for lunch later?¡± Qian Jiujiu merely rolled her eyes and grunted coyly. ¡°Why do I need to appease him? I did nothing wrong!¡± Hong Ling deliberated for a moment before saying. ¡°Princess Consort, since His Highness promised to protect your mother, shouldn¡¯t you thank His Highness?¡± Ah, true! Qian Jiujiu nodded in agreement. ¡°This seems reasonable. I¡¯ll head to the kitchen then.¡± Mu Yexiao felt a bit despondent after leaving as he wondered. What do I seem like exactly in her eyes? He truly wanted to know, but asking her would merely invite nonsensical remarks from her. It would simply hurt his heart and dignity. Helpless, Mu Yexiao could only sigh. Why is she like a nemesis to me? His emotions became complicated as he stared at Dong Chen. ¡°Dong Chen, look at what Princess Consort is doing now.¡± Dong Chen was extremely unwilling to do so. Looking at Mu Yexiao, he said, ¡°Your Highness, why are you so concerned about her? Do you really want to make her the princess consort?¡± Instead of being furious, Mu Yexiao merely asked, ¡°Is there anything wrong making her the princess consort?¡± Dong Chen could not help rolling his eyes. ¡°But, she¡¯s merely an illegitimate child. She doesn¡¯t know the arts, it would be disastrous if Noble Consort finds out.¡± ¡°She will never agree to this. If you fall in love with her, you¡¯re the one that¡¯ll be suffering.¡± Mu Yexiao frowned. ¡°Are you saying that my imperial mother will split us up?¡± Just as he finished speaking, a woman¡¯s voice echoed from a distance. ¡°What is my son saying? What do you mean by splitting you up? Who am I beating?¡± Mu Yexiao jumped in surprise at the familiar voice. He seemed very flustered when he saw Noble Consort Qing entering. ¡°Imperial mother, why are you here?? Noble Consort Qing grunted coldly. ¡°I heard that you went to Qian Manor yesterday? What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you know that your parents are worried about your health?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t visit us even when you left the palace, and went to Qian Manor instead. By the way, where is your princess consort?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even ask her to greet us at the palace, so she can stay here to take care of you. Where is she?¡± Dong Chen lowered his head and stared blankly into space, as though he did not hear her question. Mu Yexiao, on the other hand, was quite unsettled about his imperial mother¡¯s demanding attitude. He knew that trouble had come knocking at the door, she might actually split them up soon. He let out a cough and replied, ¡°Imperial mother, Jiujiu¡­¡± Noble Consort Qing was befuddled when she heard an unfamiliar name. ¡°Wait, who is this Jiujiu. I¡¯m asking about your princess consort Qian Yuge, not some Jiuiju.¡± Mu Yexiao mused silently. This foolish Qian Jiujiu can¡¯t even hide it from me, much less from my perceptive imperial mother. Well, she never really tried anyway. Should I be honest? I¡¯ll protect her, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. With that, Mu Yexiao decided to tell the truth to her. ¡°Imperial mother, my princess consort is Qian Jiujiu, not Qian Yuge.¡± Noble Consort Qing¡¯s eyes grew wide in astonishment. ¡°What are you saying? The girl we chose for you to marry is Qian Yuge, who is this random Qian Jiujiu?¡± Mu Yexiao felt troubled. ¡°Imperial mother, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s a person and she¡¯s an important person to me.¡± Important person? Noble Consort Qing was clearly perplexed as she stared at her son. ¡°How important is she?¡± Ahem ahem! Mu Yexiao felt asphyxiated as he let out a sigh. ¡°Imperial mother, do you want me to be able to stand?¡± Noble Consort Qing immediately became excited when she heard it. ¡°Did you find a genius physician? That¡¯s amazing. If it wasn¡¯t for my mistake, you wouldn¡¯t have that incident.¡± Mu Yexiao¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of that incident. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. They were too ruthless, but my destiny would not be crippled by this disability.¡± ¡°Qian Jiujiu is someone that can cure me. So, I hope that imperial mother will overlook her status for me.¡± Noble consort Qing answered, ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, right? Can a young lady like her really save you?¡± Mu Yexiao nodded. ¡°I know it best, it¡¯s my body after all. I can now bask in the sunlight in my wheelchair, I¡¯m getting better by the day.¡± ¡°When I¡¯m better, she¡¯ll remove the toxins from my body. After that, she¡¯ll start treating my legs.¡± Noble Consort Qing decided to believe him for now since he was very persuasive. ¡°Well, let me have a look at her then.¡± Mu Yexiao did not reject her wish. After some deliberation, he realized that he did not know where Qian Jiujiu was. Hence, he asked Dong Chen, ¡°Dong Chen, bring the princess consort here.¡± He signaled with his eyes to ask Dong Chen to hurry up and inform Qian Jiujiu that his imperial mother was here. Dong Chen understood his intent clearly, but their momentary exchange of glances did not escape Noble Consort Qing¡¯s keen eyesight. When Dong Chen left, she grunted coldly. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll follow you. I want to see what your princess consort is doing now.¡± She stared at Dong Chen coldly and said, ¡°Dong Chen, bring me to her now.¡± Helpless, Dong Chen brought her and Mu Yexiao along. When Mu Yexiao saw his butler, he gave him a vicious glance. The butler gasped silently in fear. It¡¯s not my fault, Noble Consort would not let me announce her arrival. So, he hung his head low and naturally followed behind them, as the group moved toward the courtyard where Qian Jiujiu was in. Meanwhile, Qian Jiujiu was cooking up a storm in the kitchen and had boiled the chicken soup for hours, with its fragrant aroma filling the air. I¡¯m sure Mu Yexiao will love it. If he doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll make bitter soups for him in the future. She gloated ecstatically at that thought. Hence, she hastened her movements and suddenly, Noble Consort Qing arrived. When she looked at the courtyard, there was not a soul there. === We will continue to update the following chapters on patreon. Please support us on patreon if you like our novels. === Chapter 23 - Noble Consort Qing Had Arrived Mu Yexiao felt very content when he saw the delicious breakfast. Qian Jiujiu¡¯s appearance was a little plain and did not have any artistic skills. However, she could at least satisfy his belly. Mu Yexiao was forced to be pleased with her and sat down to eat breakfast with her. Ancient people would not speak at the dining table or bedroom. Qian Jiujiu understood not speaking in the bedroom, but she could not endure the silence while eating. When she saw that Mu Yexiao had finished half of his food, Qian Jiujiu could not help speaking. ¡°How¡¯s the food?¡± He simply stared at her and said, ¡°So undisciplined.¡± After saying that, he buried his head and continued eating. Qian Jiujiu was saddened by his remark. She was merely being considerate. So ungrateful. Qian Jiujiu¡¯s shoulders drooped in disappointment, leaving him to eat in silence. After having breakfast, she also gave him the silent treatment. Mu Yexiao frowned as he looked at her. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, what¡¯s wrong. Why are you so dispirited?¡± He had never seen her so unenergetic before. Qian Jiujiu merely rolled her eyes at him and silently thought to herself. Why do you care? She merely grunted and left, without giving him a reply. Mu Yexiao felt a little troubled after being given the cold shoulder. Thinking that something was amiss, he peered at Qian Jiujiu again. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, I thought of something. Do you want to hear it? Otherwise, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± She turned around and looked him in the eyes. ¡°I wonder what it is? I don¡¯t want to regret it, so please do tell me. Mu Yexiao was clearly displeased with her attitude. However, he hated seeing her so dejected more. Hence, he continued with a sigh. ¡°I remember that your mother is unwell, so I originally wanted to send someone to protect her secretly. Seems like someone is ungrateful.¡± After hearing that, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Is Your Highness speaking the truth? You want to help protect my mother?¡± Mu Yexiao could not help laughing when he saw her brighten up. ¡°I¡¯ve always been...¡± Mu Yexiao purposely stopped speaking because he wanted to see Qian Jiujiu¡¯s anxious expression. He wanted to say that he would never go back on his words. Seeing that he suddenly stopped, Qian Jiujiu could not help make wild predictions. She narrowed her eyes as she fell deep into her thoughts. Since we¡¯re partners, I must reward him with something for his effort. With that, her eyes lit up in epiphany as she stared at Mu Yexiao. ¡°I understand now. Your Highness, you wanted to say that you must receive proper rewards for your effort, right? Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure to repay you appropriately for protecting my mother.¡± ¡°Say it, what do you want me to do? I will do anything that¡¯s within my capability.¡± Perplexed, Mu Yexiao merely stared at her with a frown. ¡°Qian Jiujiu, what do you think of me actually?¡± What do I think of you? Has he gone insane today? Why is he suddenly interested in this? Blinking her eyes, she replied, ¡°Your Highness is impressive and almighty!¡± ¡°I respect you deeply!¡± ¡°Fine, stop spouting nonsense. I wanted to say that I will never go back on my words. I¡¯ll always fulfill my promises. Alright, I¡¯ll send someone to protect your mother.¡± ¡°Dong Chen, bring me out for a stroll.¡± Qian Jiujiu stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. Did I misspeak? I was complimenting him, why did he leave so suddenly? I haven¡¯t even finished speaking. ¡°Hong Ling, why did His Highness leave so abruptly? How can he cut off the conversation so rudely?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Hong Ling also looked at Mu Yexiou leaving with a pitiful expression, wondering how she should reply to Qian Jiujiu. After all, she was just as confused. She merely shook her head. ¡°I have no idea why he¡¯s angry as well. Why don¡¯t you make a delicious meal for lunch later?¡± Qian Jiujiu merely rolled her eyes and grunted coyly. ¡°Why do I need to appease him? I did nothing wrong!¡± Hong Ling deliberated for a moment before saying. ¡°Princess Consort, since His Highness promised to protect your mother, shouldn¡¯t you thank His Highness?¡± Ah, true! Qian Jiujiu nodded in agreement. ¡°This seems reasonable. I¡¯ll head to the kitchen then.¡± Mu Yexiao felt a bit despondent after leaving as he wondered. What do I seem like exactly in her eyes? He truly wanted to know, but asking her would merely invite nonsensical remarks from her. It would simply hurt his heart and dignity. Helpless, Mu Yexiao could only sigh. Why is she like a nemesis to me? His emotions became complicated as he stared at Dong Chen. ¡°Dong Chen, look at what Princess Consort is doing now.¡± Dong Chen was extremely unwilling to do so. Looking at Mu Yexiao, he said, ¡°Your Highness, why are you so concerned about her? Do you really want to make her the princess consort?¡± Instead of being furious, Mu Yexiao merely asked, ¡°Is there anything wrong making her the princess consort?¡± Dong Chen could not help rolling his eyes. ¡°But, she¡¯s merely an illegitimate child. She doesn¡¯t know the arts, it would be disastrous if Noble Consort finds out.¡± ¡°She will never agree to this. If you fall in love with her, you¡¯re the one that¡¯ll be suffering.¡± Mu Yexiao frowned. ¡°Are you saying that my imperial mother will split us up?¡± Just as he finished speaking, a woman¡¯s voice echoed from a distance. ¡°What is my son saying? What do you mean by splitting you up? Who am I beating?¡± Mu Yexiao jumped in surprise at the familiar voice. He seemed very flustered when he saw Noble Consort Qing entering. ¡°Imperial mother, why are you here?? Noble Consort Qing grunted coldly. ¡°I heard that you went to Qian Manor yesterday? What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you know that your parents are worried about your health?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t visit us even when you left the palace, and went to Qian Manor instead. By the way, where is your princess consort?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even ask her to greet us at the palace, so she can stay here to take care of you. Where is she?¡± Dong Chen lowered his head and stared blankly into space, as though he did not hear her question. Mu Yexiao, on the other hand, was quite unsettled about his imperial mother¡¯s demanding attitude. He knew that trouble had come knocking at the door, she might actually split them up soon. He let out a cough and replied, ¡°Imperial mother, Jiujiu¡­¡± Noble Consort Qing was befuddled when she heard an unfamiliar name. ¡°Wait, who is this Jiujiu. I¡¯m asking about your princess consort Qian Yuge, not some Jiuiju.¡± Mu Yexiao mused silently. This foolish Qian Jiujiu can¡¯t even hide it from me, much less from my perceptive imperial mother. Well, she never really tried anyway. Should I be honest? I¡¯ll protect her, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. With that, Mu Yexiao decided to tell the truth to her. ¡°Imperial mother, my princess consort is Qian Jiujiu, not Qian Yuge.¡± Noble Consort Qing¡¯s eyes grew wide in astonishment. ¡°What are you saying? The girl we chose for you to marry is Qian Yuge, who is this random Qian Jiujiu?¡± Mu Yexiao felt troubled. ¡°Imperial mother, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s a person and she¡¯s an important person to me.¡± Important person? Noble Consort Qing was clearly perplexed as she stared at her son. ¡°How important is she?¡± Ahem ahem! Mu Yexiao felt asphyxiated as he let out a sigh. ¡°Imperial mother, do you want me to be able to stand?¡± Noble Consort Qing immediately became excited when she heard it. ¡°Did you find a genius physician? That¡¯s amazing. If it wasn¡¯t for my mistake, you wouldn¡¯t have that incident.¡± Mu Yexiao¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of that incident. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. They were too ruthless, but my destiny would not be crippled by this disability.¡± ¡°Qian Jiujiu is someone that can cure me. So, I hope that imperial mother will overlook her status for me.¡± Noble consort Qing answered, ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, right? Can a young lady like her really save you?¡± Mu Yexiao nodded. ¡°I know it best, it¡¯s my body after all. I can now bask in the sunlight in my wheelchair, I¡¯m getting better by the day.¡± ¡°When I¡¯m better, she¡¯ll remove the toxins from my body. After that, she¡¯ll start treating my legs.¡± Noble Consort Qing decided to believe him for now since he was very persuasive. ¡°Well, let me have a look at her then.¡± Mu Yexiao did not reject her wish. After some deliberation, he realized that he did not know where Qian Jiujiu was. Hence, he asked Dong Chen, ¡°Dong Chen, bring the princess consort here.¡± He signaled with his eyes to ask Dong Chen to hurry up and inform Qian Jiujiu that his imperial mother was here. Dong Chen understood his intent clearly, but their momentary exchange of glances did not escape Noble Consort Qing¡¯s keen eyesight. When Dong Chen left, she grunted coldly. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll follow you. I want to see what your princess consort is doing now.¡± She stared at Dong Chen coldly and said, ¡°Dong Chen, bring me to her now.¡± Helpless, Dong Chen brought her and Mu Yexiao along. When Mu Yexiao saw his butler, he gave him a vicious glance. The butler gasped silently in fear. It¡¯s not my fault, Noble Consort would not let me announce her arrival. So, he hung his head low and naturally followed behind them, as the group moved toward the courtyard where Qian Jiujiu was in. Meanwhile, Qian Jiujiu was cooking up a storm in the kitchen and had boiled the chicken soup for hours, with its fragrant aroma filling the air. I¡¯m sure Mu Yexiao will love it. If he doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll make bitter soups for him in the future. She gloated ecstatically at that thought. Hence, she hastened her movements and suddenly, Noble Consort Qing arrived. When she looked at the courtyard, there was not a soul there. Chapter 24 - Was My Acting Not Realistic? Noble Consort Qing was slightly disgruntled when she saw the vacant courtyard. ¡°Where¡¯s your princess consort?¡± Dong Chen was slightly baffled as well. However, he knew her usual whereabouts quite clearly. ¡°Noble Consort, if she¡¯s not in the courtyard, she¡¯ll be in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Recently, all of His Highness¡¯ meals are prepared by the Princess Consort since she wants to improve his health. She must be making lunch now.¡± Dong Chen quietly gave the Prince a glance after saying that. His Highness, I¡¯ve tried my best to praise the princess consort. Mu Yexiao was satisfied with his effort. Noble Consort Qing merely replied, ¡°Oh, then let¡¯s head over to the kitchen. When we¡¯re there, none of you shall speak. I¡¯ll enter alone.¡± Then, all of them instantly traveled to the kitchen. Mu Yexiao and Dong Chen could not help exchanging nervous glances with one another. How is the purpose of Noble Consort Qing¡¯s visit today? He had an ominous premonition that his imperial mother was here to stir up trouble. However, Mu Yexiao soon abandoned that thought. When they arrived, Noble Consort Qing saw that a figure was busy cooking in the kitchen. The smell of delicious food emanated from within, somewhat assuring her of her daughter-in-law¡¯s capability. She seems quite useful. With that thought, she let out a cough to announce her presence. When Qian Jiujiu heard it, she reflexively turned around. Seeing that a majestic and elegant lady standing behind her with such grandiose, she knew that this visitor must be someone important. After a second of contemplation, Qian Jiujiu presumed that she needed to be more well-behaved and courteous. Hong Ling and Hong Chouse could instantly recognize Noble Consort Qing, but they wondered why she suddenly appeared. Just as both of them wanted to greet her, Noble Consort Qing signaled them with her eyes for them to stop. Immediately, both of them were muted and could only look at Qian Jiujiu apologetically. Meanwhile, all of Qian Jiujiu¡¯s attention was focussed on Noble Consort Qing. She took a few steps forward and greeted, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so beautiful. Are you here to look for me?¡± Noble Consort Qing was slightly taken aback by the address, but she was silently pleased. ¡°You have great taste, are you cooking something?¡± The surrounding people were absolutely aghast with horror when they heard Qian Jiujiu address her as such. Princess Consort, that¡¯s your mother-in-law, not your sister! However, they were very impressed when they heard Noble Consort Qing¡¯s reply. You must not abandon your values just because you¡¯re complimented. Aren¡¯t you here to seek troubles? Noticing that the people in the courtyard had no intention of stopping her, she felt relieved as she could speak freely. ¡°This is the chicken soup that I cooked, it¡¯s for nourishing the body. The Prince¡¯s health is not optimal and needs to be improved. It should take about a week to see an improvement.¡± ¡°By the way, sister. I made a lot, so why don¡¯t you have a try later. My cooking skills are pretty good.¡± Mu Yexiao could not help coughing twice and interjected, ¡°Imperial mother, this is your daughter-in-law. This is my imperial mother, Noble Consort Qing. You should address her as imperial mother as well.¡± When Qian Jiujiu heard his remark, a look of utter astonishment covered her entire face. What? This is my mother-in-law? Wait, no, what mother-in-law? She won¡¯t be one after I left. But, she is now. Suddenly, her eyes lit with excitement. So, this is the Emperor¡¯s wife. Strangely, a rush of excitement overcame Qian Jiujiu. Hence, she looked at Noble Consort Qing and said with a sweet, charming smile, ¡°Imperial mother, please accept my humble greetings.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t visit imperial mother to greet you, so I¡¯ve been feeling very anxious. Now, imperial mother even has to visit me here, please forgive me.¡± Mu Yexiao and the others stared at Qian Jiujiu in utter disbelief when they saw her became a completely different person and behaved in a perfect lady-like manner. Is this still the same person?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Does she have a dissociative personality disorder? Can she instantly turn into another person? Noble Consort Qing was flustered as well, wondering if her presence was really so imposing. Mu Yexiao coughed awkwardly and looked at Qian Jiujiu, whispering, ¡°Speak properly.¡± Qian Jiujiu felt wronged. She had tried her best to put on an act for him, so that her identity would not be exposed. What did he mean by ¡®speaking properly¡¯? With a confused expression, she answered, ¡°I¡¯ve always spoken like this.¡± Mu Yexiao could not help staring at the sky in incredulity. You¡¯ve almost exposed yourself to others already, do you think you can continue to keep up an act? What''s wrong with her brain? Mu Yexiao felt speechless at her absurd reply. Qian Jiujiu lowered her hands in disappointment when she noticed their reactions. ¡°Why do you all look like I¡¯m a stranger. Don¡¯t the other noble ladies speak like this?¡± ¡°Was my acting not realistic?¡± Noble Consort Qing laughed. ¡°It¡¯s great, but almost too great. I suppose they were surprised because they¡¯ve never seen that side of you before.¡± Qian Jiujiu looked very touched. ¡°Imperial mother, you¡¯re a kind person, much kinder than all of them.¡± ¡°Oh, imperial mother, do you smell something?¡± Qian Jiujiu took a few whiffs, before realizing. ¡°Oh my, my food is burnt!¡± The sudden visit caused her to forget about her dish. Hence, she immediately returned to her wok, only to realize that it was completely burnt and inedible. Noble Consort Qing pursed her lips and stared at Mu Yexiao. ¡°Imperial son, I¡¯ll stay here for lunch with you.¡± He did not refuse her suggestion. ¡°Please do, Jiu¡¯er¡¯s cooking skills are very impressive.¡± Qian Jiujiu felt a chill down her spine when she heard him. Why do I feel so cold? I¡¯m getting goosebumps! What is he thinking of doing? How dare he speak about me so affectionately before his imperial mother. Doesn¡¯t he know that mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are the greatest nemeses? Will Noble Consort Qing find faults with me? It doesn¡¯t seem so for now. Forget it, let¡¯s cook first. If she really finds trouble with me, I¡¯ll just endure it. After all, she¡¯s so pitiful, having to fight for a man with so many other women. Since she seems pitiful, I¡¯ll be patient. With that thought in mind, she abandoned her worry and continued to cook lunch. As there was another person, she made more food for everyone. ¡°Hong Ling, take the food out.¡± Hong Ling and Hong Chou hastily took the dishes out. In the dining room, Mu Yexiao and Noble Consort Qing were already seated. Then, Mu Yexiao shouted, ¡°Jiujiu, sit next to me.¡± Qian Jiujiu shuddered a little. Are we that close? Hmm, since his mom is here, I¡¯ll just comply. She merely smiled benevolently and said, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Then, she sat down, bringing a bowl of chicken soup for him. ¡°Your Highness, your chicken soup. I put a lot of herbs in it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious and good for your health.¡± Mu Yexiao took her kind offer and instantly downed it. ¡°This tastes quite delicious.¡± Noble Consort Qing felt that something was amiss when she witnessed their interaction. However, she could not quite place her finger on it, so she merely lowered her head and continued eating the tantalizing dishes. Nevertheless, she was still a little troubled as Qian Jiujiu was an illegitimate child after all. Even though she might be a genius doctor, her status is still too low. Seeing that she can treat my son, I won¡¯t find faults with her. After all, the others don¡¯t know her status. When he recovers in the future, I¡¯ll find a noble lady that complements his imperial status. Having made up her mind, she did not reveal her intentions on her countenance. Instead, she continued to look at Qian Jiujiu amicably. Qian Jiujiu felt a little uneasy. The Emperor¡¯s wives are all seasoned elites of the palace, how can she act so kindly? Seeing that she¡¯s so friendly to me, should I also repay her with something? As Qian Jiujiu was submerged in her thoughts, Mu Yexiao looked at her and said, ¡°Jiujiu, do you have the mask that you use every night? If you have, give one to imperial mother.¡± Noble Consort Qing was a little baffled. ¡°What mask?¡± Qian Jiujiu blinked a little, before replying. ¡°Your Highness, those masks are for my skin. Imperial mother¡¯s skin is already glowing.¡± ¡°Furthermore, if she needs it, I¡¯ll create a new one as a present for her. Only then, I can show my sincerity. How can I give her scraps?¡± Mu Yexiao coughed awkwardly. ¡°How long do you need? Imperial mother needs to return soon.¡± Noble Consort Qing felt dejected by his remark. Why is my son so anxious about sending me back? I just left the palace. It must be that he no longer loves me since he has a wife now, I feel so miserable! When she glared at Mu Yexiao with contempt, he felt extremely helpless. Qian Jiujiu merely locked her eyes onto Noble Consort Qing for a very long time, until the person being stared at felt very uncomfortable. Only then, she looked away at Mu Yexiao instead. ¡°Your Highness, if I make it, I¡¯ll need to head over to the infirmary or ask the butler to procure some ingredients, as I don¡¯t have any available.¡± ¡°Imperial mother, please wait for a day. I¡¯ll make it by tomorrow and visit you and imperial father at the palace.¡± Noble Consort Qing had no idea what a face mask was. However, she merely replied in a friendly manner, ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re so thoughtful. As you wish, then.¡± After that, the butler led a eunuch in. When he saw Noble Consort Qing, his expression seemed a little peculiar. ¡°Imperial Consort, the Emperors has requested you to return to the palace.¡± Noble Consort Qing was unhappy and pursed her lips in dismay. ¡°I just left for a moment. Fine, I¡¯ll ho. Oh, my daughter-in-law. Remember to find me at the palace tomorrow.¡± Qian Jiujiu nodded. ¡°Have a safe journey home. I¡¯ll visit you tomorrow, Imperial Mother.¡± Noble Consort Qing only left after hearing Qian Jiujiu¡¯s promise, while the eunuch took a quick glance at Qian Jiujiu before he left. Hmm, it seems like Noble Consort really likes the princess consort. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so unwilling to leave only after meeting for such a brief moment. === We will continue to update the following chapters on patreon. Please support us on patreon if you like our novels. === Chapter 25 - What A Great Idea Qian Jiujiu could only finally heave a sigh of relief after seeing that Noble Consort Qing had left. ¡°Your imperial mother appeared out of nowhere.¡± Mu Yexiao glanced at Qian Jiujiu with a hint of amusement in his eyes. ¡°I think that both of you got along well.¡± Qian Jiujiu merely let out a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I tell imperial mother this.¡± Mu Yexiao frowned when he heard her. What does that mean? Suddenly, he remembered that his imperial mother would become extremely furious when people mentioned her age, causing him to break into a cold sweat at that thought. Qian Jiujiu placed the remaining chicken soup before him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve cooked this with all my effort for hours. Hurry up and finish them, so I can go out.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t left the house after being injured, right? Great, you¡¯ll follow me along today, then.¡± However, he merely stared at her blankly in response. Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes and asked, ¡°Why? Are you afraid?¡± ¡°Actually, I want to ask something. Didn¡¯t you go out yesterday? You even went to Qian Manor. You have to give my imperial mother a present tomorrow, but what about my father?¡± Qian Jiujiu was a little suspicious. ¡°Why do I feel that you¡¯re making me give presents to your parents?¡± Mu Yexiao felt that her assumption was quite ridiculous and retorted, ¡°Well, I¡¯m doing it with your best interest in mind. If you make them like you, you¡¯ll have an easier life here.¡± She merely scratched her chin and stared at Mu Yexiao, saying, ¡°Your Highness, there are so many people in the imperial palace. How many presents should I prepare? I should know that I¡¯m a poor pauper.¡± Mu Yexiao¡¯s lips twitched a little as he said, ¡°I have money. Take as much as you need.¡± Qian Jiujiu simply looked at him warily at his sudden generosity. Why do I feel like you have some covert intention? Why are you suddenly so kind and nice to me? ¡°There¡¯s nothing free in this world. Spill the beans, what do you want exactly.¡± Mu Yexiao merely coughed awkwardly and replied, ¡°What¡¯re you thinking about? What do you even have for me to steal? Even if you¡¯re a genius doctor, you already promised to treat me. What else can I do to you?¡± Qian Jiujiu nodded, assured by his response. ¡°True, but I still feel uneasy.¡± Mu Yexiao was rendered speechless by her attitude. This Qian Jiujiu, not only she¡¯s dumb, but she¡¯s also so sensitive. Of course, he had his own agenda. Since he liked Qian Jiujiu, he wanted to make sure she was his forever. Thus, he would shower her with unlimited love until she would never leave him. He would surely employ this great tactic to keep her by his side. He decided to pamper her constantly, so that she became too used to it. Then, she would never abandon him. However, Qian Jiujiu became so wary when he treated slightly better just now, to his surprise. She may be an idiot, but she¡¯s quite smart too. But, she still looks a little foolish. What kind of person is this Qian Jiujiu exactly? Meanwhile, Qian Jiujiu was utterly oblivious to his internal conflicts. She hastily rose to her feet and said, ¡°Since Your Highness is so generous, I¡¯ll gladly accept it.¡± ¡°After all, I¡¯m giving presents to your family, so you should be the one spending money anyway. Well, let us head out soon. We¡¯ll buy some things as presents for tomorrow.¡± Mu Yexiao had never gone shopping with a lady before, this would be his first. Hence, he was still a little excited. ¡°Let¡¯s go, push my wheelchair out.¡± Qian Jiujiu replied, ¡°So, you want us to walk? Fine, I¡¯ll just take it as training.¡± Even though her legs were trembling in fear, other people could not notice it. When they left the house, she realized that a guard was following behind them with a carriage. Mu Yexiao looked at Qian Jiujiu and said, ¡°When you¡¯re tired, we can go in for a rest.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She merely replied, ¡°Hmm, you are quite considerate after all.¡± Then, she wheeled Mu Yexiao out. Before leaving Hong Ling gave her a veil to cover her face, which made her felt very uncomfortable every time she spoke. The expectations held upon women here were quite stringent, although one would not be held to the same standards if one was a servant. Hence, Qian Jiujiu was the only one wearing the veil among them. She unconsciously sighed and said, ¡°Would anybody even look at my plain face?¡± ¡°I even have to wear this unnecessary veil, it¡¯s so inconvenient to speak with this on.¡± Exasperated, Mu Yexiao replied, ¡°You said that it¡¯s uncomfortable, but you kept speaking anyway. Enough, let¡¯s hurry up and buy what you want.¡± Many commoners could not help glancing at them as they traveled in a large group. Of course, people will stare! Mu Yexiao was rendered speechless by her ridiculous remark. Qian Jiujiu arrived at an herbs store and took out her list. ¡°Hong Ling, ask the person at the counter to prepare these and send them to Xiao Manor.¡± Hong Ling took the list and entered the shop, so Qian Jiujiu continued onward with Mu Yexiao. ¡°Your Highness, do you know if there¡¯s anything fun on this street?¡± He replied curtly, ¡°How would I know? Do you think I¡¯m like you, wasting my free time loitering in the streets?¡± Qian Jiujiu could not give him a reply. Even though she had only arrived at the manor for a few days, she had already ventured out three times. In ancient times, this would truly be unheard of. After all, women barely left the house in ancient times. Qian Jiujiu shuddered at that thought and said, ¡°Well, I have things to do. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± However, this ancient main street had nothing interesting. Other than the herbs, she found the area quite unappealing and boring to her. Since Hong Ling had bought the herbs, she said, ¡°Let us return, then. There¡¯s nothing fun today. When there¡¯s a festival, we¡¯ll return here.¡± Mu Yexiao agreed. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s head home.¡± As they prepared to return, someone suddenly lunged toward them. Without wasting a moment, Dong Chen reacted instantly and stood before them. However, the person was very evasive. Still, Dong Chen managed to trip the person, causing him to fall sprawling before Mu Yexiao and Qian Jiujiu. She could not recognize him, but Mu Yexiao instantly identified the person. His mouth twitched a little as he uttered, ¡°Dong Chen, help Fifth Brother up.¡± Fifth Brother? Qian Jiujiu suddenly recalled that the Prince was the sixth son. Then, isn¡¯t fifth brother his elder brother? I heard that he¡¯s an idiot. Qian Jiujiu eyed him curiously but the idiotic prince did not cry. He merely stood up and said, ¡°Younger brother.¡± He spoke with a large smile, baring his rows of white teeth. When Qian Jiujiu saw his exposed teeth, she fell into silent contemplation. Mu Yexiao merely said, ¡°Hmm, why is Fifth Brother here?¡± Mu Yexing merely replied with a smile, ¡°I came out to play. When I saw you, I wanted to give you a surprise but Dong Chen was too swift.¡± Qian Jiujiu saw that the Fifth Prince spoke smoothly and elegantly. Why do people say he¡¯s an idiot? As she stared at him with great interest, Mu Yexing noticed her unrelenting gaze too. Hence, he looked up at her and¡­ Tore her veil away with one swift swipe! Then, he announced happily while clapping his hands, ¡°I took it! I took it!¡± He then threw it away, causing Qian Jiujiu to be stupefied in shock. What just happened? Mu Yexiao was a little annoyed. ¡°Let¡¯s ride the carriage instead.¡± Qian Jiujiu did not refuse his offer, since she was becoming exhausted anyway. After entering the carriage, she asked, ¡°What is up with the Fifth Prince?¡± Mu Yexiao glanced at her, saying, ¡°Well, he speaks fine. He¡¯s simply called an idiot because he¡¯s very childish.¡± ¡°Even though he¡¯s an adult now, his manner of speech and his attitude was very child-like. He even likes to play pranks on others.¡± Qian Jiujiu finally understood. This must be what they called as mentally challenged, he seems quite pitiable. Mu Yexiao peered at her and said, ¡°If you empathize with him, can you try treating him? I heard that he was poisoned as a foetus in the womb, so he turned out this way because the toxins have not been completely removed yet.¡± Stunned, Qian Jiujiu replied, ¡°I¡¯m not the Goddess of Mercy with divine powers. How can I treat everyone?¡± ¡°In actuality, I refuse to come into contact with wealthy and noble people like you. I simply want to lead a stable, peaceful life.¡± Suddenly, the atmosphere in the carriage plunged into an awkward silence. Neither of them spoke, and they traveled back to the manor without further conversation. When they arrived, Qian Jiujiu instantly got down and said to Hong Ling, ¡°Hong Ling, can you check if the herbs are here? If they are, send them to my medicine room.¡± Even though she had only been here for a few days, she had already created a medicine room for herself. No matter where she was, this room was of crucial importance. Hong Ling was holding a package of herbs in her hands as she replied, ¡°Princess Consort, they''re already here.¡± Qian Jiujiu took them and entered her medicine room. Although Hong Ling wanted to offer her assistance, she could only guard by the door as Qian Jiujiu did not request it. Mu Yexiao did not say anything when he saw her leaving. Instead, he merely asked to be wheeled to his study. ¡°Dong Chen, it''s been so peaceful recently. Are there any secret movements?¡± Naturally, Dong Chen knew what he was implying about. ¡°The Third Prince keeps investigating information about the princess consort and the reason why you¡¯re still alive.¡± Having heard these developments, something piqued Mu Yexiao¡¯s interest. ¡°Are you saying that the mother and daughter from the Qian family is moving into the palace tomorrow as well?¡± Dong Chen nodded. ¡°Yes. Apparently, they are visiting the Empress Dowager to reveal Qian Yuge¡¯s identity. Since the fake Qian Yuge is married to Your Highness, the real one wants to redeem her place.¡± Mu Yexiao sneered, ¡°It seems like they think that they could behave lawlessly after I approve of Qian Jiujiu. We¡¯ll explain to imperial father tomorrow.¡± He must be the one to inform imperial father about the drama regarding Qian Jiujiu¡¯s identity. === We will continue to update the following chapters on patreon. Please support us on patreon if you like our novels. === Chapter 26 - Visiting The Palace
He wanted to show her to the ruler of this mighty land, so that she would no longer have to assume a fake identity as Qian Yuge.
Qian Jiujiu had already prepared the herbal soup for dinner long ago. Hence, it would be fine for her to hide in her medicine room for the entire day. Eventually, she left the room at midnight.
She was extremely satisfied with the item that she was holding in her hand. That elegant mother-in-law will definitely be very pleased with her gift. After a few celebratory giggles, she swiftly entered her room and fell asleep.
The next morning, Qian Jiujiu woke up early in the morning to train her ¡°demonic dance¡± in the courtyard. After cooking and eating breakfast, she took the presents and headed to the palace.
Mu Yexiao accompanied her with a worried expression on his face. ¡°Jiujiu, have you learned the palace manners?¡±
Qian Jiujiu was perplexed. ¡°When did I learn it? I can¡¯t remember it.¡±
Mu Yexiao¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°Didn¡¯t you learn during the first night here?¡±
Realization seemed to dawn on Qian Jiujiu as she said, ¡°Oh, that. I know it, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re such good partners, I won¡¯t embarrass you.¡±
A crack of disappointment appeared on his countenance when she mentioned ¡®partners¡¯. Then, he said, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, don¡¯t say that word ever again.¡±
¡°If your relationship is exposed, don¡¯t blame me when I can¡¯t protect you in the future.¡±
Qian Jiujiu suddenly felt a wave of coldness down her spine. ¡°Stop, you can¡¯t call me Jiu¡¯er. It¡¯s fine for my mother to call me that. But, it¡¯s a little disconcerting to hear it from you.¡±
Mu Yexiao almost exploded in anger.
As they conversed, they soon arrived at the palace. Qian Jiujiu clicked her tongue when she saw the majestic gates. Before she could say anything, Mu Yexiao hastily dragged into the palace.
Noble Consort Qing¡¯s eunuch was already waiting at the palace entrance. Mi Yexiao said, ¡°You should visit imperial mother first, I¡¯ll talk to my imperial father for a moment.¡±
Qian Jiujiu agreed and followed eunuch into the palace to find Noble Consort Qing, with Hong Ling and Hong Chou tagging behind.
Noble Consort Qing was waiting in the palace and when she saw Qian Jiujiu¡¯s arrival, she beamed with joy and said kindly, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, you¡¯re finally here. Come in.¡±
Hearing that, Qian Jiujiu was flabbergasted. ¡°Imperial mother, do you know my true identity?¡±
She nodded in reply. ¡°Of course, I do. My son can never hide anything from me.¡±
Qian Jijiu blinked her eyes in surprise.
She¡¯s warning me to act like a perfect daughter-in-law, so that I never ruin their mother and son relationship.
Qian Jiujiu wanted to speak her mind. N
Qian Jiujiu was wise enough to know that daughters-in-law of the imperial family would spend their lives in the palace. It would be utterly impossible and a ridiculous daydream for them to think of leaving the place.
Qian Jiujiu may have the guts to negotiate with Mu Yexiao, but she did not have the courage to speak bluntly to Noble Consort Qing. After all, she would do anything for her beloved son.
No matter how Qian Jiujiu tried to package her words, everything she did seemed to reveal that she looked down on Mu Yexiao. Otherwise, why did she want to leave?
Hence, Noble Consort Qing would certainly become furious, so Qian Jiujiu decided to keep her mouth shut. She must only agree and praise her robotically.
¡°Of course, imperial mother¡¯s relationship with His Highness is second to none.¡±
Noble Consort Qing looked at her with a smile and said, ¡°I especially adore honest people like you. Come, let¡¯s visit the Empress¡¯ palace to greet. Then, we¡¯ll come back.¡±
¡°My son should come soon, we can have lunch together.¡±
Qian Jiujiu blinked her eyes helplessly.
¡°However, we don¡¯t have much time now. I¡¯ll show it to you after lunch later.¡±
Noble Consort Qing had no interest in what an illegitimate child could offer her. However, Qian Jiujiu was also a genius doctor.
Furthermore, she had heard about the face masks yesterday. When she recalled that her son requested Qian Jiujiu to make it for her, she became immensely thrilled.
¡°Jiu¡¯er, why don¡¯t we do this. Let¡¯s look at your present. We can greet the elders later.¡±
¡°After all, we don¡¯t have to do it now.¡±
Qian Jiujiu did not know that greeting the elders could be delayed. However, since Noble Consort Qing said so, she would merely obey her wishes. She bowed and then presented the gifts, ¡°I purposely came here to bring these to imperial mother.¡±
Hong Ling cleverly brought the face masks in a wooden box over. This wooden box was personally handpicked by Mu Yexiao for his mother as well.
After all, Qian Jiujiu had nothing at all. When Noble Consort Qing saw the box, she was very excited. Then, Qian Jiujiu opened the wooden box, revealing the ten porcelain bottles within them.
¡°Imperial mother, these are the face masks that I prepared. They whiten and nourish the skin, which will make you look younger. Do you want to try them?¡±
¡°Look at my skin. When I entered the manor, it was rough and pasty as it was in very poor condition. After a few days, my skin became so glowing.¡±
Noble Consort Qing looked at her face and professed, ¡°It is very smooth. Let me try.¡±
Seeing that Qian Jiujiu must be trying her best to gain her favor, she naturally would not harm her.
Qian Jiujiu continued, ¡°I¡¯ll apply it for you. After a minute, wash it off and you¡¯ll be able to see the change.¡±
Noble Consort Qing was slightly surprised. ¡°Is it that effective? I¡¯ll have to try it. What should I do now?¡±
Qian Jiujiu hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Imperial mother has to remove your makeup first. Also, let your servant watch and learn how to do it, so that they can apply it for you in the future.¡±
Noble Consort Qing answered, ¡°Okay, Cai Xiu. Learn from the princess consort properly.¡±
Cai Xiu replied, ¡°Yes, Noble Consort.¡±
Then, Cai Xiu smiled at Qian Jiujiu and said, ¡°Greetings, Princess Consort.¡±
Qian Jiujiu asked Noble Consort Qing to lie down on a reclining chair and helped her remove her makeup. As Noble Consort Qing lay with her eyes close, she opened the porcelain jar and poured the essence from it.
These are plant oil and essences that Qian Jiujiu formulated yesterday night. It could be applied directly onto the face, it would even feel cooling and refreshing.
Qian Jiujiu soon covered Noble Consort Qing face entirely with the essence. Then, she said, ¡°Cai Xiu, have you learned it. This is actually pretty simple. You only need to apply it and wash it off after an hour.¡±
¡°If Noble Consort Qing felt bored, you can massage her as well.¡±
Qian Jiujiu then stood behind Noble Consort Qing and began massaging her temples.
Cai Xiu was pleasantly surprised. This princess consort was so gentle and amicable, she even knew how to massage and make people happy.
She nodded meekly and asked, ¡°Princess Consort, can you teach me this massaging technique?¡±
Qian Jiujiu laughed and replied, ¡°Of course! Wait for a moment, look for a servant to practice on later. When you master it, you can massage Noble Consort.¡±
Noble Consort Qing, who was enjoying the facial and massage treatment, felt extremely pleased with Qian Jiujiu. Even if she was an illegitimate child, she was very amiable and kind.
Furthermore, she felt very comfortable. After an hour, Cai Xiu brought a basin of water and watched as Qian Jiujiu washed Noble Consort Qing¡¯s face. After all that, Noble Consort Qing¡¯s skin condition had indeed drastically improved.
Cai Xiu spoke in disbelief. ¡°Noble Consort, Princess Consort truly brought something precious for you.¡±
Noble Consort Qing swiftly caressed her cheeks when she heard it, realizing that her skin was smooth and glowing. ¡°It¡¯s quite amazing. Jiu¡¯er is indeed a filial daughter.¡±
Qian Jiujiu snickered and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad imperial mother loves it. There are ten bottles here. As they are all essences, you can¡¯t keep them for long.¡±
¡°Please apply them once every night for the best effect. After 10 days, I will send more over.¡±
Noble Consort Qing nodded, utterly content. Then, Qian Jiujiu even helped her to apply makeup. After all, it was a common skill that everyone knew in the modern society.
Even though she was not extremely skilled at it, modern makeup was much more detailed. In just a brief moment, a benevolent and majestic makeup was painted on Noble Consort Qing¡¯s face.
Coupled with her smooth, flawless skin, Noble Consort Qing seemed to be much more impressive. Even though she was still the same person, she appeared much gentler and imposing.
Noble Consort Qing held Qian Jiujiu¡¯s hand with immense joy. ¡°I never knew that Jiu¡¯er has such a nimble pair of hands. Perfect. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll greet the Empress now.¡±
Qian Jiujiu could sense a hint of veracity in her tone. It seemed that the women in the palace were full of drama. There might be a great show coming later.
As she chuckled in her heart, Qian Jiujiu meekly followed her to the Empress¡¯ palace. Many beautiful consorts and women were already gathered within it.
It seemed that the last to arrive was Noble Consort Qing. When they entered, before the Empress could speak, the person sitting on her left began saying loudly.
¡°This Noble Consort is so full of herself. She actually comes in the last minute before we¡¯re done.¡±
Noble Consort Qing ignored the rude comment and looked at the Empress seated in the center. ¡°Please accept my humble greetings, Empress. I wish great health and prosperity upon you.¡±
Qian Jiujiu also kneeled down with her. ¡°Please accept my humble greetings, Empress. Long live, the Empress.¡±
Every consort in the room was taken aback. Who is this new face? Instantly, everyone in the room had their eyes firmly locked on Qin Jiujiu/
===This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. We will continue to update the following chapters on patreon. Please support us on patreon if you like our novels. === Chapter 27 - The Fight Begins
However, she did not claim that the person was Qian Yuge.
However, everyone took it as such and was a little astonished. Consort Xian, the lady who mocked Noble Consort Qing just now, opened her mouth again. ¡°This is the most beautiful woman in the Capital?¡±
¡°Why do I feel that it¡¯s overstated? Raise your head.¡±
Noble Consort Qing retorted, ¡°Sister Consort Xian, the Empress hasn¡¯t spoken yet, but you kept disregarding her. Isn¡¯t that a little out of the line?¡±
Consort Xian¡¯s expression instantly darkened, and her glare was marred with intense animosity. However, Noble Consort Qing ignored her vicious stare and looked at the Empress again.
Qian Jiujiu merely kept her head lowered. She knew the talkative women as she had seen a few sketches of her face. Surely, she was the Third Prince¡¯s imperial mother Consort Xian.
She was one of the four consorts in the palace. Furthermore, she was given the title of Consort Xian because she gave birth to the Third Prince.
The current Emperor had two sons. However, due to some misfortune, the eldest Prince passed away when he was young. Meanwhile, the Fifth Prince was intellectually challenged. Hence, his position in the palace had always been ambiguous.
Other than Consort Xian who did not treat the Empress with respect, Noble Consort Qing was also eyeing for the position as the Empress. Hence, it was tough to survive in the harem.
At that thought, a look of compassion flashed in Qian Jiujiu¡¯s eyes. However, she quickly became bored.
Because of Noble Consort Qing, Consort Xian was rendered speechless. The main hall suddenly plunged into a deafening silence. After some time, Qian Jiujiu heard the Empress¡¯ orders.
¡°Princess Consort Xiao may rise now.¡±
Only then, Qian Jiujiu could heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Empress.¡±
After saying her thanks, Qian Jiujiu rose to her feet. However, she was at a loss. After all, all of the people here were consorts, so there would not be a seat for her.
However, since she was a princess consort, she was still much higher ranked than the other noblewomen here. While Qian Jiujiu was deliberating on what to do, Noble Consort Qing gently said to her.
¡°Princess Consort Xiao, stand by my side.¡±
Qian Jiujiu swiftly moved to Noble Consort Qing¡¯s side. Seeing that, Consort Xian sneered, ¡°It seems like Noble Consort is very satisfied with Princess Consort Xiao.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not surprised. After all, you must treasure her a lot since she agreed to marry someone like Prince Xiao.¡±
Then, Consort Xian proceeded to hurl indirect insults at Mu Yexiao with her as an excuse. Although she did not love him, they were partners, after all. Additionally, he was a decent man.
Hence, Qian Jiujiu was infuriated by the veiled mockery. However, her status was lower and the person was a senior, so she could not openly argue with her. Thus, she could only suppress her emotions and let the raging misery bubble secretly within her.
After all, it was not worth it to go against these lowly women. In actuality, Mu Yexiao was quite outstanding. However, when she imagined the horde of wives he would have in the future, she started to have goosebumps from disgust.
Noble Consort Qing was vexed as well. However, she would not make a scene and fight in the public with her.
So, she could only hold Qian Jiujiu¡¯s hand gently and said, ¡°I¡¯m certainly quite satisfied with her. Prince Xiao is very content as well. I wonder if the Third Prince can actually find someone as impressive as her.¡±
Seeing how close they were, a glint of suspicion flashed in Consort Xian¡¯s eyes. Of course, this did not go unnoticed by Noble Consort Qing.
This woman is definitely not the Capital¡¯s most beautiful woman. Yet, she¡¯s protecting the secret so tightly and says that she¡¯s satisfied with her. It¡¯s clear that this is a lie.
This pretentious woman!
The Empress tried to calm the air down with a smile, saying, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Since you¡¯ve all greeted me, you can leave already if there¡¯s nothing else.¡±
Qian Jiujiu was flustered.
Every morning, the Empress would gather everyone there to listen to Consort Xian and Noble Consort Qing argue. Then, she would dismiss them. It was almost like watching a free movie every morning.
As everyone rose to their feet to leave the hall, they found that Consort Yun was still sitting unmovingly while staring at Noble Consort Qing.
It was particularly conspicuous as everyone else had stood up. Consort Yun was very close to the Empress and she was very honest.
Hence, they did not think much of it, until the Empress let out a discernible cough. ¡°Consort Yun, what are you looking at?¡±
Hearing someone addressing her, Consort Yun suddenly regained her senses. Seeing that everyone else had risen, she hastily rose to her feet with her head lowered meekly.
¡°Empress, I was merely looking at Noble Consort Qing. She seemed exceptionally beautiful today.¡±
Noble Consort Qing merely blinked innocently. In actuality, everyone had noticed it when she walked in just now, but they did not want to publicly compliment her.
Also, Qian Jiujiu was verbally attacked by Consort Xian, so the thought was swiftly discarded. They probably wanted to ask her privately in the palace later.
To their surprise, Consort Yun mentioned it before everyone left, reeling the thought back in. Even the Empress was a little impressed when she saw Noble Consort Qing¡¯s stellar makeup.
After all, every woman in the palace wanted to become even more beautiful, especially those in the harem. All of them wanted to stand out and be the prettiest flower in the garden, so that they could dominate the Emperor¡¯s affection.
Consort Xian merely grunted in disapproval, as she knew that Noble Consort Qing would never reveal her secret. However, she did not leave the hall or open her mouth.
After all, it would be useful to hear about the secret to her flawless beauty. Perhaps, she could even use it on herself!
The Empress knew that everyone was equally intrigued by her wonderful makeup, so she said with a smile. ¡°I also think that Sister Qing seems especially different today as well.¡±
¡°Did sister find anything amazing?¡±
Noble Consort Qing answered hastily when she heard the Empress. After all, she had to respect her status. ¡°It¡¯s something that my daughter-in-law made.¡±
¡°Look at my skin, Empress. Isn¡¯t it much smoother and glistening? Only after using it once, the effect is so apparent. My daughter-in-law says so.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep using it, so that I¡¯ll become prettier!¡±
All the consorts instantly turned around to look at Qian Jiujiu when they heard the revelation. The braver ones even asked her directly, ¡°Where did Princess Consort Xiao find these cosmetic products?¡±
Qian Jiujiu was a little stunned, wondering if she could reveal its origin. Hence, she glanced at Noble Consort Qing, who replied with a smile.
¡°Just say the truth.¡±
Qian Jiujiu suddenly realized that Noble Consort Qing merely introduced her as her daughter-in-law and Princess Consort Xiao, but she did not claim that she was Qian Yuge.
Thus, she had an epiphany. The mother and son had never planned to hide her identity.
Furthermore, they wanted to reveal her identity publicly in a positive manner. After understanding their intentions, Qian Jiujiu suddenly felt a wave of relief sweeping through her.
After all, she loathed the idea of living with someone else¡¯s name forever, especially someone that she despised.
Hearing Noble Consort Qing¡¯s words, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s lips curled up into a coy smile as she said, ¡°I made them on my own. I merely wanted to repay imperial mother¡¯s affection and offer her my gratitude.¡±
When they heard this, all the consorts in the hall started to form wild plans in their minds. It seemed that they had to form a good relationship with Princess Consort if they wanted to acquire it.
Then, they could embellish their beauty and rise the ranks in the harem. Furthermore, she had Noble Consort Qing and the Xiao Manor supporting here, so she must not be trifled with.
Hence, everyone hastily wore a welcoming smile on their faces, afraid of making her the enemy. However, Consort Xian snorted in disbelief, ¡°Just because you say so, it¡¯s definitely true?¡±
¡°You must¡¯ve stolen someone else¡¯s creation to appease us. If you truly made it, why don¡¯t you give us a demonstration now?¡±
Blinking, Qian Jiujiu stared at Consort Xian in exasperated disbelief. Then, she glanced at Noble Consort Qing and spoke in a disgruntled tone.
¡°Imperial mother, I really made them. I spent the entire day yesterday to make them until it was late in the morning. I didn''t have a good night¡¯s rest just so I can make you happy.¡±
¡°Yet¡­¡±
Qian Jiujiu was almost in tears as she wore a pained expression on her face. She almost choked on her words in despair, as beads of tears cascaded down her cheeks. It was a pitiable sight indeed.
The Princess Consort Xiao is so fragile. Even with just a little suspicion, she broke down into tears. She¡¯s dainty and delicate, like a pear flower covered in raindrops. She seems especially adorable!
Noble Consort Qing could not contain her emotions as well and tugged Qian Jiujiu closer to her. ¡°Jiu¡¯er, don¡¯t cry. I can see your filial love, don¡¯t be hurt by jealous words.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not worth it, my dear child.¡±
The other consorts gaped at this touching scene in complete silence. It turned out that even Noble Consort Qing had such a gentle side to her. They knew that Noble Consort Qingcould be quite unreasonable and crude, which was why Prince Xiao was so domineering and relentless.
Of course, in the public¡¯s eyes, Mu Yexiao was the god of war; in the harem ladies¡¯ eyes, he was a domineering Prince.
They could finally see how important Princess Consort Xiao was in Noble Consort Qing¡¯s eyes. Qian Jiujiu did not notice their amazement. However, when she heard Noble Consort Qing¡¯s comforting words, her tearful expression turned into a smile.
¡°I understand.¡±
After that, the other consorts regained their senses. This Princess Consort Xiao is a professional actor. Her crocodile tears flow effortlessly at her command, without stopping at all.
Noble Consort Qing saw that she managed to calm Qian Jiujiu down, and turned around to stare at Consort Xian disdainfully. ¡°Sister Consort Xian is so vicious, please direct your anger at me only.¡±
¡°You immediately bullied my daughter-in-law the moment she stepped into the palace, you really have no respect for me, right?¡±
The crowd was completely taken aback by this abrupt turn of events.
===Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! We will continue to update the following chapters on patreon. Please support us on patreon if you like our novels. === Chapter 28 - Was Her Identity Exposed?
Why is she taking it so seriously today? Is she so fond of this Princess Consort Xiao? But, my son told me that he specifically brought an enemy to Mu Yexiao.
That¡¯s really odd.
Instead, she had gained complete trust and affection from Noble Consort Qing. At that thought, Consort Xian could not help laughing, unaware that Noble Consort Qing actually knew about Princess Consort Xiao¡¯s true identity.
If I tell her, she won¡¯t treasure this illegitimate child anymore.
She¡¯s completely illiterate and has no skills. How can she make these cosmetic products? She must¡¯ve bought them to trick Noble Consort Qing.
If I really expose her, Noble Consort Qing would be utterly humiliated. When she imagined the scene, Consort Xian burst with joy.
She put on a grave expression and uttered, ¡°Hmph! Sister, what you¡¯re saying is wrong. I merely want Princess Consort Xiao to prove that she made them.¡±
¡°Since she can make the first batch, I¡¯m sure she can make another one. If it¡¯s not a trouble, why is she crying?¡±
When she finished speaking, the crowd shifted their gaze onto Qian Jiujiu, as they felt that Consort Xian¡¯s explanation was quite reasonable.
Seeing that, Qian Jiujiu decided to continue her act of a weak, fragile woman. She carefully peered at Consort Xian, before exchanging a glance with Noble Consort Qing.
Noble Consort Qing obviously received her signal and after letting out a cough, she said, ¡°Jiu¡¯er, tell me anything you want to honestly. I¡¯ll understand.¡±
¡°You¡¯re my daughter-in-law. Anyone that crosses you will be an enemy of mine.¡±
Qian Jiujiu threw a scornful look at Consort Xian. Then, after some hesitation, she gritted her teeth and said.
¡°Imperial mother, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to do it here. I¡¯m just worried that all the ingredients to make the face masks need to be measured correctly. You can¡¯t just simply learn it after a few tries.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t measure them properly, it will be a toxin that corrodes your skin, instead of a beauty product. I have already prepared the face masks for you beforehand.¡±
¡°If I made them now, when you need to use them, they would have expired. Everyone knows that things will turn bad after leaving it for long. This applies to cosmetic products as well.¡±
Noble Consort Qing was very satisfied with her words, so she nodded and started at Consort Xian viciously.
¡°Sister Consort Xian, did you hear this? Not everyone can succeed after stealing other people¡¯s ideas.¡±
Qian Jiujiu¡¯s words implied that Consort Xian wanted to steal the formulation by making her demonstrate making it. Now, Noble Consort Qingeven pointed it out directly.
Even though many other consorts thought that Consort Xian wanted to steal the recipe as well, thew news still came as a shock when everyone heard it.
Thank goodness, she didn¡¯t demonstrate it. If she did it, our skin might rot and it would be extremely embarrassing. Furthermore, losing one¡¯s beauty would be a life sentence for someone in the harem.
A rage of fury blazed in Consort Xian¡¯s heart. She pointed at Qian Jiujiu and bellowed, ¡°Princess Consort Xiao, tell me exactly, When did I want to steal the formulation for your cosmetic product?¡±
Qian Jiujiu merely wore a bitter expression and looked at her pitifully. ¡°Consort xian, you misunderstood me. I was merely worried, I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re going to do it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just warning everyone. After all, if I show it in public and reveal all the ingredients, some unscrupulous people would definitely steal my ideas, but I¡¯m not pointing at you?¡±
Noble Consort Qing also sneered, ¡°Exactly, Sister Consort Xian, what do you mean? I¡¯m the one that accused you, why are you bullying my daughter-in-law?¡±
Consort Xiao was absolutely fuming when she saw them verbally assaulting her in tandem.
However, she was no match for both of them. Furthermore, everyone here wanted to request cosmetic products from Qian Jiujiu, so they surely would not speak up for her.
Noble Consort Qing gloated when she saw it. ¡°True, Sister Consort Xian knows that you¡¯ll never receive the item, so you want to steal my daughter-in-law¡¯s formulation, right?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, even if you did, it might not work. Let me tell you, she made the face mask specifically for my skin type only.¡±
Thus, even if you stole them, it would be useless for your skin. I¡¯m sure you can never create something like this.¡±
Consort Xian¡¯s turned ashen pale in anger.
Noble Consort Qing was not a forgiving person. In fact, she was extremely domineering and relentless. Today, she brought her daughter-in-law to greet everyone, but she was so frightened.
She was even bullied to tears. Hence, she would not let this issue go so easily, especially her long-time nemesis.
¡°Consort Xian, let me tell you. If you don¡¯t have a proper excuse for today¡¯s issue, I will report this to the Emperor and seek his justice.¡±
When Consort Xian heard the threat, she rolled her eyes in disbelief.
Right, she¡¯s just an illegitimate child. If I expose her true identity, won¡¯t Qian Jiujiu become the sinner?
Then, the evil daughter-in-law would be the one being humiliated instead. Hence, Consort Xian became confident again.
She sneered and said, ¡°I wonder what explanation Sister Noble Consort Qing wants? Tell me, I¡¯ll see if I can do it or not.¡±
Noble Consort Qing was utterly irked by her rude behavior. Meanwhile, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s eyes darted furtively between the Empress and Consort Xian, as her mind seemed to be scheming something.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s easy. Since you want to steal her formulation, you just need to apologize to her. This is not an unreasonable demand, right?¡±
Consort Xian was the Emperor¡¯s consort, but they wanted her to apologize to a princess consort, who was s junior. If she really did it, she would be utterly humiliated and would have to hang her head in shame before Qian Jiujiu.
Furthermore, the reason for that apology was that she was trying to her formulation. Thus, her expression turned pale with burning anger, ¡°Noble Consort, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too unreasonable?¡±
Noble Consort Qing rolled her eyes, saying, ¡°Since you bullied my daughter-in-law until she broke down, I don¡¯t think so.¡±
Consort Xian raised her finger to point at Qian Jiujiu. ¡°Then, do you know who your so-called daughter-in-law is? She¡¯s an illegitimate child and a bad luck omen that grew up in a poor village. Yet, you want me to apologize to her?¡±
When she said it, everyone gaped in complete horror.
Isn¡¯t she a precious daughter from an outstanding educated family? She even holds the title as the most beautiful woman in the Capital, so how can she be an illegitimate child?
Prince Xiao is injured, so this marriage is actually a ploy to wash away the bad luck. Does this mean that the Qian family did the unimaginable and swapped their precious daughter with an illegitimate child to marry him?
This is a severe crime of lying to the imperial family. The Qian family should not be so daring to pull this, right?
She doesn¡¯t seem like an illegitimate child. But, Consort Xian would never make such a huge lie.
Consort Xian was gloating in joy, assuming that she had successfully swayed everyone¡¯s opinions. ¡°So, Noble Consort Qing, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know your daughter-in-law¡¯s true identity, right?¡±
¡°Let me enlighten you, she¡¯s the second young lady and an illegitimate child of the Qian family. Since she¡¯s a symbol of bad luck, the family sent her away to live in a village.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure they sent you an impostor because they know Prince Xiao is dying. What a shame that you¡¯re treating her like a gem.¡±
Noble Consort Qing¡¯s expression instantly darkened. Consort Xian knew every move taken by the Qian family. After all, Minister Qian was under the Third Prince.
Noble Consort Qing felt angry when the information was revealed. Furthermore, Qian Jiujiu¡¯s identity was exposed in front of everyone, so what should she do now?
She had been in the harem for so many years, but she had never encountered a scenario like this before. Hence, she could not help glancing at Qian Jiujiu, who merely stood there with a placid expression.
It was as though the people were not talking about her.
Noble Consort Qing was a little confounded.
When the surrounding onlookers became silent saw Noble Consort Qing looking at Qian Jiujiu, they turned around to focus on her as well.
Qian Jiujiu wondered.
¡°Do you really hate me? If you spread this rumor, do you really want Minister Qian¡¯s family to be punished?¡±
Qian Jiujiu hastily kneeled before Noble Consort Qing and wailed, ¡°Imperial mother, even though I¡¯m already part of the imperial family, I don¡¯t want your family to bear such a big crime.¡±
¡°I hope that you can invite my parents to the palace immediately to testify if I¡¯m the true daughter of the Qian family.¡±
This is a great idea.
She wanted the entire Qian family to be punished for Qian Jiujiu¡¯s crime. If so, the Third Prince would lose a powerful ally. That would be much more worth it than having an illegitimate child as her daughter-in-law.
With that in mind, Noble Consort Qing began to think that it would better to clear the crime for the Qian family. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Emperor to invite Minister Qian¡¯s family to the palace now.¡±
Qian Jiujiu shuddered when she heard it. Like a train that had gone off the tracks, what was Noble Consort Qing planning to do?
If her identity was exposed, her death would be imminent.
===The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. We will continue to update the following chapters on patreon. Please support us on patreon if you like our novels. === Chapter 29 - Do You Feel Guilty?
¡°Hmph, Qian Jiujiu! If I were you, I will admit to the crime. Otherwise, you¡¯ll drag the entire Qian family down with you!¡±
Hearing that, Qian Jiujiu wore a smile on her face. She suddenly remembered that Mu Yexiao said that the Qian mother and daughter would visit the palace today.
She knew that they would not expose her. Otherwise, the Qian family would be destroyed and Qian Yuge would be done for.
She thought to herself, wondering if Consort Xian was truly foolish. She stifled the urge to roll her eyes and looked at Consort Xian. ¡°Consort Xian, why are you mad at me?¡±
¡°Why must you push to the brink of death? My parents are not here yet, but you kept asking me to admit to my crimes. Luckily, the Empress and imperial mother are here.¡±
¡°Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll be harmed. Is it because you are certain that you can¡¯t receive the cosmetic products form me?¡±
¡°First, you suspect that I didn¡¯t make them myself, so that you can steal the formulation. Now, you accuse me that I¡¯m not a legitimate child and even slander the Qian family of lying to the imperial family.¡±
¡°I really don¡¯t understand how I annoyed you. Was it because the Third Prince was rejected by the Qian family¡¯s daughter, so you¡¯re slandering me?¡±
The Empress was taken aback. ¡°Oh, did that happened? Why do I not know about it?¡±
This incident truly occurred, she was not lying. However, Mu Yexiao was not injured then, so Minister Qian was very indecisive.
He did not agree to the Third Prince, but coincidentally, the Emperor ordered Qian Yuge to be married to Mu Yexiao.
The other consorts grew doubtful.
Consort Xian noticed their doubtful gaze, and instantly fumed angrily. ¡°Tsk, even if my son proposes, it¡¯s not you! It¡¯s the true daughter of the Qian family, is that you?¡±
¡°Can you swear that you¡¯re a legitimate daughter of the Qian family? How shameful! You¡¯re just an illegitimate child, yet you tried to slander me!¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one that should shut up, Consort Xian. Stop trying to besmirch my daughter-in-law!¡±
Noble Consort Qing had been quiet for some time. When she suddenly exploded in anger, Consort Xian jumped in astonishment.
Consort Xian said, ¡°Why, do you feel guilty? Don¡¯t you want to ascertain if she¡¯s the Qian family¡¯s illegitimate daughter?¡±
Noble Consort Qing sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask them to invite Minister Qian over. I also called for the Emperor. When they arrived, the truth will be revealed.¡±
¡°But, you¡¯re still bullying my daughter-in-law like this, it¡¯s very disgraceful. Even if you¡¯re fine with it, it¡¯s an eyesore for me!¡±
Consort Xian¡¯s expression stiffened. This was true. After all, she was an elder of Qian Jiujiu, so it was unpleasant for her to be so adamant with her.
Consort Xian had an epiphany and fell silent after grunted in reply, waiting for the servants and eunuchs to return.
Since the Qian family¡¯s mother and daughter were already in the palace, they swiftly arrived. When they entered, Consort Xian looked at them with anticipation.
As Qian Jiujiu stared at them, Madam Qian instantly fell onto her knees. ¡°My daughter and I offer our greetings to Noble Consort Qing, Consort Xian, and Consort Yun.¡±
After that, she noticed Qian Jiujiu¡¯s presence. ¡°And also Princess Consort Xiao.¡±
Qian Jiujiu merely smiled at her and said, ¡°Mother, please hurry over.¡±
None of the surrounding crowd noticed anything amiss. However, Consort Xian asked, ¡°Madam Qian, let me ask you. Is the Princess Consort Xiao before you the legitimate daughter of the Qian family?¡±
Madam Qian looked at her in confusion. ¡°She is my daughter, so naturally, she¡¯s the Qian family¡¯s legitimate daughter.¡±
Consort Xian¡¯s expression instantly darkened, which Qian Jiujiu felt was funny.
If Madam Qian doesn¡¯t want her entire family to be beheaded, she has to grit her teeth and admit that I¡¯m Qian Yuge.
Seeing how heartless the palace is, I should try to avoid it. No one here is decent at all.
Then, Qian Jiujiu could not help hoping that Mu Yexiao would appear soon and bring her out of this place. Compared to the palace, the manor was simply a peaceful haven.
Hong Ling and Hong Chou had been standing silently behind Qian Jiujiu. When they saw that she remained calm and collected, they felt great respect for her.
Unbeknown to them, she could be so calm because of Mu Yexiao. If the Emperor really appointed Mu Yexiao as the crown prince, she would be free from harm if she could treat him.
He would even protect her, so she was not anxious at all.
At the scene, Madam Qian was in a daze. As she stared at Consort Xian, she asked, ¡°What do you mean? The Emperor commanded us to wed Qian Yuge to Prince Xiao.¡±
¡°She is a noble lady with an outstanding attitude, why are you doubting her?¡±
Consort Xian was impeded by Noble Consort Qing multiple times today.
¡°How dare you question my words!¡±
Consort Xian even suspected that Minister Qian might have laid a trap to humiliate her today.
Noble Consort Qing sneered when she saw Consort Xian¡¯s ruthless behavior. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Consort Xian. Have you turned furious from the shame? You failed to slander my daughter-in-law, so you want to vent your anger by hitting them?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t forget how powerful a mother¡¯s love is. Just because of a slap, you expect Madam Qian to disown her daughter? That is quite absurd.¡±
Consort Xian was enraged by her snide remarks. She pointed at Noble Consort Qing, saying, ¡°You, don¡¯t be too proud. I won¡¯t let you go.¡±
After that, a man¡¯s voice echoed from a distance. ¡°Who? Tell me. I didn¡¯t know that Consort Xian is actually so ruthless.¡±
¡°You actually intimidated the minister¡¯s wife in public. Pray, tell me. Who are you not letting go of?¡±
The Emperor¡¯s sudden appearance sent the consorts into a state of panic. They hastily greeted him, ¡°Please accept our greetings, Emperor.¡±
¡°Rise, who is my daughter-in-law?¡±
Qian Jiujiu stepped forward and had a quick glance at the man before her. He was about 30 or 40 years old, with a sturdy built. However, his sons were all grown up now.
She wondered if he felt a little sad about it. OF course, she only peeked for a second. Then, she slowly walked before him.
¡°Please accept my greetings, imperial father. Love live the Emperor!¡±
¡°Rise, what are you talking about? It seems to be very lively.¡±
The Emperor glanced at Consort Xian as he said it, yet she remained kneeling on the ground. She started to worry, as the Emperor seemed to have heard everything.
I¡¯m done for, he¡¯ll surely punish me. This is so humiliating.
Qian Jiujiu looked at the kneeling Consort Xian and the Emperor again. Then, she peered at Noble Consort Qing, who signaled her to keep silent, so she lowered her head eventually.
¡°A child shall never denounce their parents. No matter what, Consort Xian is an elder, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say it.¡±
The Emperor laughed heartily, saying, ¡°What a great child, you¡¯re so filial. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let a filial child like you be bullied.¡±
After that, he glanced at Noble Consort Qing. ¡°Noble Consort Qing, tell me. What were you discussing? Are you part of the people that slandered the minister¡¯s wife?¡±
Noble Consort Qing was a little astonished by his severe accusation, knowing that the Emperor was displeased by her.
If she had stayed silent, the Qian family¡¯s mother and daughter would not be summoned, and everything would be settled. However, this scene meant that Noble Consort Qing wanted a drama to happen.
However, the Emperor arrived too quickly. Hence, nothing had happened yet. Qian Jiujiu¡¯s uneasiness disappeared when she saw that Mu Yexiao followed the Emperor in.
Although she felt calm surprisingly, she was a little confused. Why was she so certain that Mu Yexiao would protect her?
Occasionally, she would glance at Mu Yexiao in confusion. After listening to the Emperor¡¯s words, Qian Jiujiu realized that the source of her uneasiness was not him, but Noble Consort Qing.
She could not help frowning as she thought that she was very close to Noble Consort Qing. It seemed that Noble Consort Qing was always ready to abandon her.
It seemed that Noble Consort Qing was not an amicable friend. Even after reaping all the benefits from her, she would still sacrifice her without a blink.
Hence, Qian Jiujiu remained silent, waiting for Noble Consort Qing to reply.
Noble Consort Qing looked at him pitifully. ¡°Emperor, am I this kind of person in your eyes? I¡¯m the one who was wronged today.¡±
¡°Suddenly, Consort Xian wanted to know Princess Consort Xian¡¯s cosmetic product¡¯s secret formula. Since she failed, she accused that she¡¯s an illegitimate child.¡±
Noble Consort Qing answered with a pitiful tone, explaining the entire situation. Then, she said, ¡°Emperor, don¡¯t you think she has a grudge against me?¡±
¡°I brought my daughter-in-law here, yet she tried to humiliate me. I feel wronged, Emperor.¡±
Seeing Noble Consort Qing¡¯s delicate expression and her stunning makeup, Noble Consort Qing seemed to exude a certain charm, which greatly irritated Consort Xian.
Instead, the Emperor asked Consort Xian, ¡°Consort Xian, is that the truth?¡±
===Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. We will continue to update the following chapters on patreon. Please support us on patreon if you like our novels. === Chapter 30 - Evil Mother And Daughter
https://www.patreon.com/posts/38710227
Chapter 30 - Evil Mother And Daughter
https://www.patreon.com/posts/38710227