Rongze Hall.
"What exactly is the old lady planning!" The second wife's eyes seemed to burn with two flames. She slammed her hand on the kang table, causing the teacups on it to splash water. "The prince's concubine isn't enough for her? What does she think Mingwei is!"
The second wife grew angrier the more she thought about it, and spat on the ground, saying, "She's nothing but a lowly servant girl who crawled out of her belly!"
The maids in the room had long since been dismissed, leaving only her trusted confidante, Mama Gu, by her side. Seeing the Second Madam's fury, she naturally tried to persuade her. "Madam, please calm down. Seventh Miss is the Old Madam's darling right now, and she dotes on her in every way. She must be looking for an excellent marriage for Seventh Miss."
"Even if he's spoiled, there's no reason for him to be so lawless!" The second wife was tempted by Princess Deguang's promise, but she said irritably, "Who do you take Prince Cheng for? Prince Cheng is the most promising of the Emperor's three sons to succeed to the throne! If Prince Cheng ascends the throne, the current Prince Cheng's heir will be the Crown Prince!"
“Now that Princess Cheng comes from the Duke of Qing’s mansion, which holds military power, Prince Cheng still needs to rely on her a lot. Moreover, Princess Cheng’s two legitimate daughters have married very well, leaving only the heir apparent. Rong Hao’s position as heir apparent is the most secure. Mingwei marrying him as a concubine is already incredibly lucky!”
Mrs. Gu said with some surprise, "You should explain it to the old lady in detail. If she knew, she would be completely unmoved."
"The old lady didn't even let me finish speaking!" the second wife said, flustered. "She only heard that Princess Deguang sent me, and she immediately flew into a rage. I think she's gone senile! Even if Ming Wei were to marry into the family as Rong Hao's concubine, it wouldn't be a disgrace to her!"
Mrs. Gu was also at a loss.
This sounds incredibly tempting, and the second wife has put together a very logical and reasonable argument this time. There's no reason why the old lady wouldn't be tempted!
"What's more, it looks like Jue-ge'er and Yu-ge'er will be taking the exam next year..." the second wife murmured anxiously, "Among the three most popular candidates for the chief examiner next year, two are students of Lord Yuan. You must know that Lord Yuan is the father of Princess Deguang's husband!"
The second wife felt as if cat claws were scratching at her heart when she thought about her two sons' future.
The second master and she were estranged, and now they were even finding it increasingly difficult to maintain appearances. Her only hope lay with her two sons. "And then there's the upcoming selection of the junior officials..."
Thinking this, the second wife's eyes gradually changed.
"No matter what, Mingwei must marry the Prince of Cheng!" A cold light flashed in the Second Madam's eyes as she said with a determined look, "For Jue-ge'er and Yu-ge'er, I will do anything!"
Hearing this, Gu's mother had a bad feeling.
"Madam, what are you going to do?" Gu Mama asked worriedly for the Second Madam. "Now that the Old Madam is protecting the Seventh Miss so much, it won't be so easy for you to take action!"
The second wife curled her lip in disdain and said, "Does the old lady insist on making Mingwei the Crown Prince's consort? Does Mingwei even have that destiny? The Crown Prince's concubine is already the best choice for her! If she's unwilling..." The second wife's eyes were cold, and she smiled indifferently, "Then don't blame me for being impolite!"
"Madam!" Gu Mama said worriedly when she heard the Second Madam's words, "Please don't act rashly! The Old Madam dotes on the Seventh Miss. I've heard rumors from Rongshan Hall that the Seventh Miss's marriage will only be valid if she agrees!"
The old lady actually gave Mingwei the right to be picky? The second wife was even more furious upon hearing this. No matter how much Gu Mama tried to persuade her, the second wife remained unmoved. Gu Mama earnestly said, "Even for the sake of the two masters, you must at least consider your reputation!"
The second wife ignored her and continued, "That's right, the old lady is unwilling... but what if Seventh Girl is willing?" The second wife revealed a strange smile, and her voice grew softer and softer: "I once saw Prince Cheng's son from afar, and his appearance and character were impeccable. What girl wouldn't love a handsome and dashing young man?"
"If Mingwei meets the Prince Cheng's son, she will definitely fall in love!" The second wife's words became more and more outrageous. She excitedly said, "As long as Mingwei is willing, as the saying goes, a son is no longer under his mother's control when he grows up. Can the old lady still control her?"
Since the old lady was unwilling to let the seventh daughter marry the heir of Prince Cheng, she took the seventh and second daughters far away to the Western Hill Villa. This was a clear indication that she wanted to prevent anyone from interfering. Moreover, the Western Hill Villa was the old lady's dowry property, so the second wife probably couldn't interfere!
If the Crown Prince wants to see Mingwei, the old lady will probably be the first to block it!
Upon hearing this, Gu's mother felt a chill run through her body.
Could it be that the second wife is going to resort to the same old tricks again? It hasn't been long since Mingrong fell into the water! And such methods are hardly clever!
If she makes another mistake this time, it will be even more difficult for the Second Madam to maintain her position in the Chengping Marquis's mansion!
"Madam, I'll say it again, even for the sake of the two gentlemen, you must consider your reputation!" Gu Mama felt that the Second Madam's plan was very inappropriate, so she could only plead, "If Seventh Miss and Prince Cheng's son have an affair... how will the two gentlemen maintain their standing if word gets out?"
After hearing what Madam Gu said, the fanaticism in the Second Madam's eyes lessened slightly.
She kept her head down, her hand constantly stroking the jade bracelet on her wrist, and remained silent for a long time.
Just as Gu Mama was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the Second Madam suddenly raised her head, as if she had come up with an idea.
"You don't need to say anything more, I have my own ideas." The second wife's eyes flickered slightly, and she said firmly, "I need to think about it by myself!"
Mother Gu was startled, only then realizing that the second wife was completely ignoring her advice.
She knew that the second wife was somewhat eccentric, and she was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to offer advice or to go too far. Just as she was about to leave, the second wife called her back.
"Tell Granny Liu to prepare a carriage for me; I'm going to pay my respects to Princess Deguang this afternoon!"
******
Before sunset, the old lady and her party finally arrived at the villa in the western mountains.
The old lady was quite old and exhausted after a long day's journey. After washing up and changing her clothes, she fell asleep without exchanging more than a few words with Mingwei and Mingqian.
Seeing this, Mingwei and Mingxi quietly withdrew and went to their small courtyard.
Although there were other rooms available, the two agreed to stay together, so they put all their belongings together and chose to stay in the Green Garden. The courtyard was filled with teenage girls, from the mistress to the servants, who naturally chattered and made a ruckus for half the night until Granny Xu came and spoke to them once, which finally calmed them down.
Mingwei was prepared to "take refuge" and have a vacation here. She whispered with Mingqian for a long time that night, discussing where to go for fun the next day.
Mingxi had lived in the villa for quite some time when she was little, so she was fairly familiar with the surroundings. Unable to resist Mingwei's combination of coquetry and threats, she told Mingwei about a few fun places. The two agreed to ask the old lady for her approval before going fishing in the stream behind the mountain.
The two fell asleep contentedly side by side.
Before tomorrow even arrived, even Mingwei couldn't figure out what the old lady meant.
The old lady brought them out not just to let them escape the limelight...
Early the next morning, Mingwei and Mingxi were summoned to the old lady's courtyard.
The old lady looked at them with a smile, sitting calmly on the soft couch. Xu Mama took out a small booklet from her bosom and began to read it to Mingwei and Mingqian.
"You even have to learn how to cook?" Mingwei's eyes widened in surprise. "My second sister and I have to... learn to cook?"
Mingxi also looked puzzled.
Seeing that the two of them seemed unconvinced, the old lady sighed. She looked up at Granny Xu, who nodded and then patiently began to explain to them.