Real Empress from a noble family

After a while, Princess Changping walked in gracefully, and then bowed down, "Your Majesty!"

Qiu Yelan saw her from a distance at the Emperor's birthday last year, but didn't pay much attention to her at that time. When she looked closely at her this time, she found that her eyebrows were like turquoise feathers and her face was as beautiful as hibiscus. She had a double-ringed hairpin and a crown of flowers on her head, wearing an apricot red upper skirt with narrow sleeves, a bellyband with goose yellow embroidered begonia flowers on the chest, a brocade on the arm, a colored tape on the waist, a skirt in green and white, and a golden bell at the corners of the skirt. When she walked, the small bell rang, which revealed her dainty and vivaciousness as a girl.

"She deserves to be cultivated by Empress Dowager Gu." In terms of appearance, Changping was not as beautiful as Yongfu, but in terms of temperament, the elegant and graceful Princess Changping was more in line with the royal style according to ordinary people than Princess Yongfu who was so lively. Qiu Yelan retracted her gaze and thought, "Of course, this is also because the reason Empress Dowager Gu raises her is that she hopes that she can be useful. So naturally, the Empress Dowager didn't pamper her as much as Empress Jiang pampered Princess Yongfu. Princess Yongfu can do whatever she likes."

Then the Empress asked indifferently, "Why do you come here?"

"Your Majesty, I came here to tell you the good news at the command of my grandmother!" Princess Changping said respectfully. Her words surprised the Empress and Qiu Yelan so much. "When the second sister-in-law was bowing to grandmother, something seemed wrong with her, so grandmother called in imperial doctors, who said that she was pregnant for more than a month!"

"Really?" After hearing these words, Empress Jiang's face became gloomy!

It had been so silent in Beijue Hall for a while. Qiu Yelan, who was sitting at the end, kept calm and silent. From the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of Princess Changping's forehead, which was breaking out in a cold sweat. It could be seen that the princess who seemed calm was in fear at this moment.

Qiu Yelan didn't know very well that Empress Jiang had been harmed by Empress Dowager Gu when she was a teenager, so it was difficult for her to have a baby. Thus, she hated the fact so much that Empress Dowager Gu's people were pregnant. Qiu Yelan thought Empress Jiang looked bad just because as soon as she promised to give Princess Changping a decent wedding for the Seventh Prince to continue to overwhelm Prince of Zhou, Princess Changping immediately came here to tell her that Princess Yan, Tang Xinyao was pregnant. The Empress's niece Jiang Qiyun got married before Tang Xinyao got married, but she was not pregnant yet!

"Whether she did it intentionally or unintentionally, it's really a slap in the face." Qiu Yelan muttered in her heart, "Will the Empress be so angry and teach her a lesson, leaving the Seventh Prince behind? But no matter how overbearing the Empress is, she shouldn't be willful in this kind of business, right?"

She waited for the Empress to restore her peace quietly like a quail, but Princess Changping knew that the Empress was not only feeling uncomfortable or irritated. She knew that she might have reminded the Empress of her deepest regrets in her heart, so she lowered her head so obediently.

After a long time, Empress Jiang said blankly, "Just follow the rules." After speaking, she glanced at the little maid at the entrance of the Hall, "Go and tell Lin."

Lin was the most trusted maid of Empress Jiang, and she managed the harem on behalf of the Empress.

Princess Changping cautiously thanked the Empress on behalf of Tang Xinyao, and then the Empress said calmly, "Get up and talk."

Princess Changping, who was kneeling with her legs a little numb, still didn't dare to take it lightly. She kowtowed before she got up, trying to maintain her demeanor without revealing the numbness of her legs, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Changping, it's about time you got married." Empress Jiang's seemingly inattentive words made Princess Changping's expression suddenly change, "There are so many civil and military officials, as well as Jinshi in the court. Is there anyone you like?"

Princess Changping forced a smile and said, "Thank you for your care, Your Majesty! But I was nurtured and cultivated by my grandmother, and I can't bear to leave her now, so…"

"Your younger brothers and sisters have also reached the age of marriage. Are you going to block their marriages by refusing to get married?" The Empress interrupted her coldly.

Princess Changping was so anxious as she couldn't skirt around the subject any more for this reason, so she had to say, "I'm really at a loss now, Your Majesty. I beg you to give me a few days to think carefully!"

In normal circumstances, she should have said, "Everything is up to you and I'll follow your words, Your Majesty," which not only conformed to the main idea of "marriage is up to the parents" in this era, but also showed her reserved manner. But if she had really said that, Empress Jiang, her official mother, might have married her to someone terrible or dispensable quickly.

Therefore, after thinking about that, the princess didn't even care about being laughed at by others after it was spread out, and she said bluntly, "Your Majesty, since you give me the opportunity to choose, then I have to think carefully and choose a good one."

"It makes sense. You've been raised by mom, so you should go back and discuss it with her." Empress Jiang narrowed her eyes and looked at her playfully, "Then you go back and tell me your decision in two days."

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty!" Princess Changping didn't expect the Empress to let go of her so easily, so she couldn't help feeling overjoyed and kowtowed to thank her.

When Princess Changping left, Qiu Yelan also proposed to leave.

Empress Jiang looked gloomy after she heard that Tang Xinyao was pregnant, so she didn't keep her but just said, "I've already prepared the gifts for you after you married into the Jiang Family. As for Sheng Shishui, I will let someone take some tonics from the warehouse, and you bring them back to her for me."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Qiu Yelan responded. Seeing that the Empress had nothing else to say, she bowed and followed the servant out.

When she went outside, seeing the Empress' gifts, all jewelry and silk and satin, Qiu Yelan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "I just took a carriage here today…" Even if I was willing to walk back, the carriage couldn't hold so many things!

"Don't worry. I've sent someone to the Imperial Army for the eighth young master Jiang. He will find another carriage and a few more servants to send you home." A familiar maid called Nijin said, "We used to do it when Her Majesty awarded a lot."

Qiu Yelan thanked her immediately and picked up a jade bracelet as a gift for her. She was now Jiang Yashuang's wife, and everyone in the court knew that the Empress treated Jiang Yashuang, her nephew, so much. Nijin refused to accept it, "I used to take many benefits from you, Madame. How can I accept such a precious gift from you? I just sent someone to run an errand."

"If you don't accept it, you regard me as an outsider. I brought this bracelet into the Palace especially for you today. It fits you so well!" Qiu Yelan pretended to be unhappy. Nijin then accepted it happily as she saw that she really wanted to give it to her, and then she said to her in a low voice in return, "Although every madame will be rewarded when they come to greet Her Majesty after they marry into the Jiang Family, no one can get as much and good as you. It shows how much Her Majesty likes you!"

"That's because Her Majesty likes Jiang Yashuang!" Qiu Yelan didn't take this seriously. The Empress liked Princess Yongfu the most, then Jiang Yashuang, and then Chunfu Princess. In addition, she had so many nephews and nieces who were of the same blood as her, while she was just the wife of her nephew! She knew she got the glory at this moment just because of her husband.

However, as the youngest niece-in-law, the awards she got had overshadowed all other sisters-in-law. Qiu Yelan couldn't help wondering if Empress Jiang did this on purpose.

"Even the Empress hopes that the contradiction between our branch and other branches can be more acute?" They were all nieces-in-law, while the youngest one got the most generous gifts. In normal families, Qiu Yelan would be the first one to arouse jealousy and dissatisfaction of her sisters-in-law.

But…

While it was not just the branches that would be affected by it at this time!

Empress Jiang was already the Empress Dowager-to-be in the eyes of some people in the Jiang Family, so how important her attitude towards the people in the Jiang Family was!

The first branch, who had enjoyed the priority supply of resources from the Jiang Family, the third branch, who believed that the eldest son should not be subordinate to his cousin, and the sixth branch and eighth branch, who had not revealed their ambitions clearly but were still hard to handle…

Would they be willing to see that Empress Jiang still favored Jiang Yashuang and the fourth branch as before after she became the Empress Dowager?

"Well, it will show how important the Empress' support is after being attacked by a group." Qiu Yelan mocked lightly in her heart, "It seems that everyone wants to send us charcoal in snowy weather!"

So, they intended to send us heavy snow first?

Nijin didn't know what had crossed her mind, and she smiled and said, "Her Majesty likes Jiang Yashuang indeed, but she also likes you very much."

After a few words, seeing that they were far away from others, she lowered her voice, "We didn't expect Princess Yan to be pregnant first. Now Princess Qi must be so embarrassed."

Qiu Yelan smiled and said, "It is fated. Maybe there will be good news about Jiang Qiyun tomorrow!"

"You are right." Nijin thought thoughtfully, "But… I've heard a piece of news."

"Can you tell me?" Qiu Yelan asked, although she knew that Nijin would tell her certainly as she said so.

Nijin said in a lower voice as expected, "You can never tell other people! Otherwise, Her Majesty will punish me badly after she knows it!"

"Of course, I won't. How can I harm you?" Qiu Yelan said lightly.

"I heard that Princess Qi thought that Prince of Qi was cowardly and incompetent. Since getting married, Prince of Qi has rarely been allowed to enter the inner chamber. He always sleeps in the study." Nijin said in a low voice, "Even when there were no other people around, she hit and scolded Prince of Qi! Her Majesty knew it two days ago and summoned her to reprimand her! But from her expression when she left, I don't think she will listen to Her Majesty."

Qiu Yelan looked surprised, "She… She treated Prince of Qi so badly! He is her husband after all!" While she was not surprised at all in her heart, "Jiang Qiyun is so arrogant and domineering, and she even can't bear that her cousin is more beautiful than her, so how could she bear that her dream to be the Empress in the future was broken? Prince of Qi is cowardly and mediocre, and his biological mother is also humble, so how can they not bear her anger and be bullied by her?"

"That's right." It could be seen that Nijin was very sympathetic to Prince of Qi, "Prince of Qi is loyal and honest, and he dares not say anything even if he is wronged. I heard that he always cried secretly in the garden in the middle of the night. It is… It's too pitiful… He is a prince after all!"

Qiu Yelan's lips twitched, "The eldest prince in his twenties has been reduced to such a comedown! Jiang Qiyun really just cares about herself when doing things! But if there is something wrong with the prince out of her, will it be good for her? What a fool!"

It was definitely not suitable to say so, so she could only say, "Fortunately, Her Majesty is just and strict. Jiang Qiyun should be more restrained in the future since Her Majesty cherishes Prince of Qi."

When Nijin was about to speak, a servant came over and told them, "The carriage and staff are ready. Madame, are you going back now?"

Qiu Yelan would like to go back certainly. Although she still wanted to see if Nijin had any other news to tell her, the Empress hadn't asked her to stay for dinner, so it would be improper if she stayed here for a long time.

As usual, Nijin sent her to the gate of the Palace, and they two exchanged greetings before bidding farewell. The carriage left the square in front of the Palace and turned into the street. Qiu Yelan felt a little hot, asking Su He to lift the corner of the curtain to feel the wind. When she was pressing the veil on her forehead, a rush of hooves sounded!

Su He suddenly exclaimed, and Chen Shui in the same carriage teased her, "You're afraid of the sound of hooves?"

"The one who passed by just now seems to be eighth childe Jiang Yadan!" Su He, who had always been clever-toothed, didn't bother to quarrel with her, and hurriedly pulled Qiu Yelan's sleeves. "He is still wearing the costumes of the Imperial Army. It seemed he was running towards Marquess's Mansion!"

"Something happened at home?" Qiu Yelan's heart sank, and she ordered the coachman in a deep voice, "Quickly! Don't mind the things in the carriage behind. Go back quickly!"