Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Outside the Duchess’s courtyard, Qiao Jinniang heard this shameless request from Old Madam Zheng.
Qiao Ruoyi happened to come over, and when she heard this, she clenched her handkerchief tightly.
Jinniang said to Qiao Ruoyi, Don’t worry, Mother wont agree.”
Qiao Ruoyi tried to force a smile but failed. The Duchess wouldn’t have the heart to refuse the Zheng family. Besides, the Zheng family still had a trump card.
“Second Sister, it’s okay. I know about Mother’s difficulties. Fortunately, Zheng Bo is already a waste.
“Even if I marry him, he wont touch me. Besides, the Zheng family still wants to use me to get benefits from our family. *
In the room, Old Madam Zheng continued to cry. ‘Jinniang beat her aunt the other day, but our Zheng family is broad-minded and we can forgive her.”
Qiao Jinniang entered the room and said, ‘Old Madam, you are wrong. I did your family a favor by hitting Mrs. Zheng.
“If the imperial censors find out that Mrs. Zheng had insulted the Crown Prince’s savior, Earl Lin’an, I’m afraid that Mr. Zheng’s will even lose his featherbed job in the court, right?”
Old Madam Zheng was very angry but couldn’t refute her. She could only change the subject and said, “Princess Fulu has always been on good terms with you. Everyone knows that you are friends. This time Princess Fulu seriously injured your cousin. This must have something to do with you!”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Do you mean I asked Zheng Bo to molest the princess?”
The Duchess sighed. “Mother, your accusation is too much. Fulu is a princess. How is it possible for Jinniang to order her?
“Besides, this accident happened because Zheng Bo molested Fulu. She is the Empress Dowager’s favorite granddaughter, and the Empress Dowager dotes on her even more than her own granddaughter.
‘It’s also because Bo’er lost the reproductive function that Princess Fulu didn’t punish him. If he was charged with molesting a princess, the whole Zheng family might suffer. ”
Old Madam Zheng said to the Duchess sadly, “You weren’t brought up by me, so you are not filial to me, but I don’t blame you.
“But Bo‘er is the lifeblood of the Zheng family. Even his name was given by your grandfather!
“Do you have the heart to leave him disabled without a wife?
“Ruoyi was born by a concubine after all. It’s her blessing to have the chance to marry a future ear! as his wife!”
Qiao Jinniang reminded her. “Old Madam, let me remind you, Zheng Bo can’t inherit the title of nobility from his father. His father is the last Earl Zheng.”
However, Old Madam Zheng had some inexplicable self-confidence. “Now Qiao Ruoshui is quite favored by Prince Mediocre. If she can intercede for us, maybe our nobility title will return!”
Qiao Jinniang really admired this old lady. She was still daydreaming at the moment.
Old Madam Zheng said, “Although Qiao Ruoshui is famous for her talent in literature in Chang’an, she should be grateful to be able to marry Boer as his wife! Besides, do you have the heart to see your nephew live lonely through his life?”
The Duchess said awkwardly, “Mother, although Ruoyi was not born by me, she calls me ‘Mother. She is a very sweet girl and has been very sensible since she was a child.”
Old Madam Zheng snapped angrily, ‘If she is really sensible, she shouldn’t have made herself such a name and outshone Ruoshui!
“She is just a lowly concubine-born girl. Are you going to ignore my grief just for her?
“If you don’t agree to this marriage today, I will kill myself here, and let everyone in Chang’an see what a good daughter I have given birth to! *
Saying that, Mrs. Zheng was about to bang her head against a pillar.
The Duchess hurriedly stopped her. Her voice was a little tired. “Mother, if I marry Ruoyi to Bo’er, who everyone in Chang‘an knows is a waste now, how will people think of me?”
“Is your reputation or your nephew’s life more important?” Old Madam Zheng said.
“Now that little b*tch Concubine Qian has died, you don’t need us anymore, right?
“when she was alive, if you didn’t have the help of our Zheng family, how could you have the status you have today?
“If [hadn’t forced Concubine Qian to drink the sterilization soup, would you have been able to keep your position as the Duke’s wife?
“And when you almost died at home, who was there to take care of you day and night?
“Now that you have secured your position as the Duchess, you have become so ungrateful!
“Do you still remember that in order to take care of you, your sister-in-law lost her little daughter who had just been born for half a year! Can you return your little niece’s life?”
‘The Duchess closed her eyes, her hands shaking, “Mother, I can help Bo’er find a good wife. There are always some poor girls who are willing to marry him..”
“Lonly want a daughter of the Qiao family!” Old Madam Zheng said, ‘If you think Qiao Ruoyi is not suitable to marry Zheng Bo, let Qiao Jinniang marry him!”
Qiao Jinniang: *.”
The Duchess said, “Mother, I need to discuss with the Duke about Ruoyi’’s choice of husband.”
“You are the mistress of the Duke Mansion, but you can’t even decide who a concubine-born daughter will marry?” Old Madam Zheng said.
‘Just tell me if you agree or not! If your poor niece who died so early because of you had known that her aunt is so ungrateful, she must have felt very sad. Your sister-in-law sacrificed her daughter’s life to take care of you, but you still care about your reputation?”
The Duchess closed her eyes and said, “Mother, stop it. I agree, okay? You can ask a matchmaker to come to propose marriage.”
With that, Old Madam Zheng left happily.
Qiao Jinniang said, “Mother, you are literally pushing Sister Ruoyi into a fire pit. Today, Old Madam Zheng forced you to sacrifice Sister Ruoyi, and another day she will use this excuse to force you to do something else you don’t want to. Are you still going to say yes?”
Tears flowed out of the Duchess’s eyes. “Jin’er, go back.”
“Mother…”
The Duchess slumped on the stool, wiping the tears from her face with a handkerchief.
Qiao Jinniang walked out to the gate of the courtyard and said guiltily to Qiao Ruoyi, “The matchmaker hasn’t come yet. There must be a way to solve this.”
Qiao Ruoyi said calmly, “Sister, don’t blame Mother. Ever since Old Madam Zheng had turned her eyes on me, I knew that I couldn’t escape. Now that Zheng Bo has lost his reproductive function, it’s a good thing for me.”
“After all, the Zheng family not only gave birth and raised Mother, but Mother also owes thema life.”
Qiao Jinniang asked curiously, ‘Owes them a life?”
Qiao Ruoyi asked Jinniang to follow her to a pavilion in another yard and ordered her maid to guard outside before she lowered her voice and said, “Didn’t I tell you last time? Brother and Qiao Ruoshui were born in the Zheng Mansion when Brother and Mother almost died.”
“Back then, Mother couldn’t move, so she had to recuperate in the Zheng Mansion. Grandmother and Second Aunt couldn’t go to the Zheng Mansion to take care of her, so it was Mrs. Zheng, who had just given birth to a child, took care of Mother.
“Mrs. Zheng took care of Mother and her twins day and night, but neglected her own daughter, so her daughter who was born half a year ago died due to her negligence. *
“For this reason, Mother felt a deep sense of guilt towards Mrs. Zheng. Every time the Zheng family demands something, Mother will always compromise as long as they mention this matter.”
Qiao Jinniang asked in doubt, “It’s not like the Zheng family has no maids or mammies. Even if it was not convenient for Grandmother to go to the Zheng Mansion to take care of Mother, she could send mammies over. Why…”
Qiao Ruoyi said, ‘At that time, the Zheng family said that the mother’s premature birth was caused by Concubine Qian, so they didn’t trust the people sent over by the Qiao family. Only when I was about to be born did the Zheng family send Mother and her twins back.”
Qiao Jinniang somehow felt that something was not right about this matter, but she couldn’t find what it was..7
