Although he had been hesitant in the past, he had accepted Su Xi-er as the future Princess Consort Hao and his female master after recognising Pei Qianhao’s feelings for her.
“How are Ruo Yuan and Hong Li doing at the Prince Hao Residence?”
“Oh, them? They are fighting to work in the residence. Ruo Yuan is a little shy, while Hong Li isn’t scared of anything. She once accidentally stumbled into the bathing area for the imperial guards, but she came out from there in a composed manner. If it had been any other woman, they would probably have wanted to dig a hole and bury themselves in it.”
Su Xi-er was stunned. Hong Li actually entered the bathing area for the imperial guards.
“Miss Xi-er, today is the day that Prince Hao will be announcing his intentions to take you as Princess Consort Hao. He will also be sending out invitations to the monarchs of each country.
Su Xi-er’s expression remained the same. “Everyone will say that the scale of Prince Hao’s wedding is similar to that of an emperor, overstepping his bounds, and that he plans to compete with His Majesty for the imperial power. However, His Majesty can assist when that happens.”
Wu Ling was taken aback. “You want His Majesty to step in to help?”
“Mmm, His Majesty is pure and kind, and Prince Hao also has no intentions of stealing his power.” Su Xi-er smilingly replied.
~~~
Meanwhile, the imperial guards from the Prince Hao Residence had announced to the world that Prince Hao was going to marry Grand Tutor Kong’s goddaughter as his Princess Consort Hao soon.
The piece of news was circulated around the capital, resulting in fervent conversations breaking out everywhere.
“With the previous engagement agreement between the Pei and Xie families, I thought that it’d be Commandery Princess Xie!”
If Prince Hao didn’t like Grand Tutor Kong’s goddaughter, there’s no way he would’ve rejected the previous engagement. You have to keep in mind that the Xie Family is a prestigious house in Beimin!”
“Grand Tutor Kong didn’t marry, nor does he have any children. Now that he’s suddenly taken a goddaughter, I have to wonder what she’s like.”
Countless questions emerged in the people’s minds, prompting them to continue speculating. One of them guessed, “Do you all still remember the woman that Prince Hao previously brought back from Nanzhao? Could Grand Tutor Kong’s goddaughter be that woman?!”
His theory received much agreement. “It’s very likely that you’re right, but with Prince Hao’s status, why does he want to marry a woman from Nanzhao?”
Right as the crowd began to latch onto this statement, a young man carrying a wine pot at his waist walked by. “Who told you all that it’s a woman from Nanzhao? That woman is a citizen of Beimin who is more beautiful than the three great beauties. With her cleverness, she has captured Prince Hao’s heart.”
This young man was none other than Yu Xiao. He had come from the Prince Hao Residence, while Feng Changqing went to the fields with a group of flower growers to observe the soil quality and continue researching Lingrui. He had simply grown bored of sitting around in the residence alone, and had come out for a stroll.
The people didn’t believe him at first, but they gradually came around to the idea when they saw the confidence in Yu Xiao’s expression.
Hence, the rumour that the future Princess Consort Hao was more beautiful than Beimin’s three great beauties quickly spread. Some even commented that not only was she beautiful, but she was also smart, being accepted as the goddaughter of the literary world’s leading scholar. Her knowledge must also be great!
The rumour spread further and further, with the excitement of the commoners being as effective as any propaganda could have been.
A family servant from the Tan Residence went out to purchase some items when he overheard these rumours, and he quickly returned to the residence to report.
The Tan Residence Head was at a loss of what to do as he held the hairpin. When he received the news that Tan Ge had gone missing, he felt a splitting headache coming on. My daughter always carries this item on her person, but now it has come back to me stained with blood. Could she have met with a mishap?
His heart involuntarily trembled.
A family servant suddenly reported, “My Lord, there’s a man with an exceptional aura waiting for you in the main hall. This servant originally wanted to block him, but I wasn’t successful, and he forced his way in.”
