Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Fulu said, “I don’t know if my imperial cousin bribed him but you can do it.
“As long as you give them enough money, these Pinshu performers can say anything you want to hear.”
Qiao Jinniang was so angry that she kept drinking the tea to quench her anger. “I’m afraid not. Even if I pay them, would they dare to speak ill of the Crown Prince?”
Fulu: “…”
This was true. Although they made stories about members of the royal family from time to time, if it were the Crown Prince, they would not dare to cross the red line.
Qiao Jinniang was not interested in listening to the Pinshu performers smearing her, so she went to the street.
Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the streets were already full of lanterns.
Fulu looked at the lanterns and said, “It should be the first time for you to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chang’an.
“Tomorrow night, people will write their wishes on water lanterns and float water lanterns beside the moat to honor the moon god.
“After the imperial palace banquet is over, you can also come and have a look.”
The imperial palace banquet on the Mid-Autumn Festival would end early. It was so that the nobles and ministers could go back home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and enjoy the full moon with their families.
Qiao Jinniang said, “Okay.”
“Is she that woman? Tsk, shame on her. How could she be so stupid as to abandon the Crown Prince, who is such a perfect man?”
“But she is very lucky. She turned from a merchant girl to a duke’s daughter, and even became the mother of the imperial grandson.”
“Bah, she’s just a snob. The Pinshu performer probably didn’t name all the bad things she had done.
“I’ll just wait to see Qiao Jinniang kneel to His Royal Highness in tears and beg for his forgiveness tomorrow!”
A few women in their forties gossiped about her behind her back. If Qiao Jinniang argued with them, she would be lowering herself.
But if she didn’t, she really couldn’t swallow it.
Back to the Duke Mansion.
When she entered the Jin Garden, she saw Lu Chen pushing Tuan’er on the swing in her courtyard.
When Tuan’er saw Qiao Jinniang, he reached out for her arms.
“Mother, Daddy wants a rabbit doll too. Can you make one for him too?”
Qiao Jinniang picked up Tuan’er and looked at Lu Chen suspiciously.
“How old are you, Your Royal Highness? You’re already 20 years old. A rabbit doll?”
Lu Chen said to the imperial maid beside him. “Take Tuan’er to play with the young master of the Qiao family.”
The imperial maid nodded and left the Jin Garden with Tuan’er.
This was the first time that Lu Chen had come to the Jin Garden openly. He looked at the courtyard and said,
“You still miss Lin’an. The layout here is very similar to the courtyard in Lin’an.”
“Why are you here, Your Royal Highness? Didn’t you say that I’m not a fairy and I shouldn’t shamelessly slander you for being interested in me?”
Sensing the irony and the anger in Jinniang’s words, Lu Chen said helplessly, “I didn’t mean that.”
“Do you know that in the previous dynasty, the old distinguished families monopolized the opportunity to become an official and young men not from those families had no chance at all? Long had the common people suffered from the ills of this unfair system!
“My ancestors and yours founded the Tang Dynasty for the common people, and created the imperial examination system, giving the common people a chance to serve the court and creating this prosperous world.
“The imperial examination system is the most important foundation of the country. I was angry because you said that I manipulated the imperial examination. I didn’t mean to humiliate you. Don’t misunderstand me!”
Qiao Jinniang bit her lip and said, “Since I misunderstood you, why did you come here?”
Lu Chen tentatively shook her hand and said, “Now, everyone in Chang’an knows that you are my wife, and from the attitude of the Li family, you should know that no one in Chang’an dares to marry you except me…”
“Then I’ll remain unmarried for the rest of my life. At worst, I have money and I can buy myself a house.”
Seeing that she hadn’t shaken off her hand, Lu Chen held it even more tightly, “For the sake of Xi’er, please don’t be angry with me…
“Tomorrow, my father will confer Xi’er as my heir. If you don’t want to become my crown princess and let some other woman be it, she may torture Xi’er.”
“I know it was wrong for me to think of demoting you from my wife to my concubine. I shouldn’t have thought that you were not qualified to be my crown princess.”
Qiao Jinniang looked up at Lu Chen and said, “I can forgive the fact that you wanted to demote me from your wife to your concubine, and the divorce letter is also fine.
“But I can’t accept that I have to share my husband with many women. I don’t want to be like my mother. She couldn’t even protect her daughter from a concubine!
“Look at His Majesty’s harem, a large group of women are fighting with each other and trying to kill each other’s children.
“How many girls had Prince Mediocre harmed for the throne? Ruofeng almost died in the river.”
Lu Chen sighed. “Jin’er… As the Crown Prince, the future ruler of the world, if I only have one woman in my harem…”
Qiao Jinniang said, “I know! But it’s written in the novel I just read that Emperor Yang of the previous dynasty had only one woman in his life, who was his queen.”
Lu Chen: “So the previous dynasty was destroyed, because they only had an absurd son who caused the national subjugation.”
Qiao Jinniang was angry. “Are you saying that Xi’er will be absurd in the future?”
Lu Chen shook his head and said, “Jin’er, just because your foster parents didn’t have a son, your relatives all coveted Myriad Taste, and the royal family owns the entire world. If we don’t have a good descendant…”
“I’m still young. I can give birth to a lot of children!” Qiao Jinniang retorted, “Besides, in the previous dynasty, there were some emperors who had countless concubines but were childless! Some had many children, but these children killed each other, so they still ended up being childless.”
“So this is just an excuse you men made to take concubines! Even if I end up like Miss Jian today, I will still call you ‘Jerk’!”
Lu Chen was a little stunned at her words. Since he was a child, he had been told that as a man should have as many children as possible to carry on the family.
Therefore, men took concubines not for themselves but for their families.
Especially Junior Duke Rong had even more excuses…
After listening to Qiao Jinniang’s words today, however, he suddenly realized that this was just an excuse men made to have more women.
Now that his position was stable and Qiao Jinniang’s father was Duke Anyuan who had powerful military power.
He didn’t need to find a powerful wife from a powerful family like Prince Mediocre, nor did he need to balance the relationship between different powers like his father.
Although his father said that if he married Qiao Jinniang, he couldn’t explain to the ministers.
His father was very healthy and could act as the emperor for at least 20 to 30 years. He could rely on his father.
If the ministers tried to stop him, he could let Xi’er take a few concubines.
Qiao Jinniang wanted to take back her hand when she heard Lu Chen say,
“I can promise you that I’ll never take any concubines. Then, are you willing to continue to be my wife?”
Qiao Jinniang reached out and touched Lu Chen’s forehead. “Your Royal Highness, are you possessed?”
Lu Chen put his hand around Qiao Jinniang’s waist. “You wanted to marry Li Yun just because he promised not to take any concubines, right? I can do it too. If you agree, go with me. I’ll ask my father to write the imperial decree!”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Didn’t you say that I wasn’t that attractive? Are you willing to give up all the beautiful women in the world?”
“I don’t want any other woman except you.”
Lu Chen really disliked his father’s concubines.
It was troublesome enough to handle Qiao Jinniang. If there were a group of Qiao Jinniang, he was afraid that his lifespan would be much shorter.
Qiao Jinniang’s lips curled slightly. “Can you really guarantee that you won’t take any concubines?”
