<h4>Chapter 288 A Surprising Choice for the Expectant Princess</h4>


    This was also a coincidence. Since Empress Jiang tried carrot and stick approaches to get that pill from Qiu Yn in Mount Dizi, Qiu Yn had never seen her again.


    Empress Jiang was annoyed and thought Qiu Yn didn’t know how to behave, so Empress Jiang never called her again.


    But now Madame Zhuang Junior came personally, “I heard the Pce is looking for wives for the Princes. Zhuang Man is just the right age. You know her. Even though she is a bit short-tempered, her look and her bearing are all great among the youngdies. We are a family so I’ll cut to the chase. I’ve heard that Prince of Lu is kind and gentle. I bet he can tolerate her little temper!”


    Because not so long ago, Prince of Qi was nearly forced to kill himself, she then guaranteed, “Zhuang Man knows what she should and shouldn’t do. She also wants to find a tolerant husband to live afortable life!”


    She was the sister of Jiang Yashuang and his sister-inw. Now that she asked, even though Qiu Yn suspected that if she went to ask the Empress, Zhuang Man might just get knocked out directly. Qiu Yn had to agree to ask. She couldn’t tell Madame Zhuang Junior, “You are the daughter-inw of the first branch and are distant by the Empress, so you don’t dare to ask the Empress yourself. But I have talked back to the Empress and shown her a long face!”


    The next morning she went into the Pce. Empress Jiang didn’t put a long face but told her calmly, “The day before yesterday, Madame Shi came. She came for her maiden cousin and said she was also kind and nice. You guys are making this difficult for me!”


    Qiu Yn didn’t know whether Madame Shi came or not and didn’t know whether what the Empress said was true or not. But since she said so, Qiu Yn could only stand up and apologize.


    When she came back with nothing, Madame Zhuang Junior was already waiting in her residence.


    Hearing Qiu Yn say that this couldn’t work, Madame Zhuang Junior felt sorry about it and she naturally asked why. When she heard that Madame Shi went earlier and rmended her maiden cousin, Madame Zhuang Junior thought Zhuang Man wouldn’t be chosen either. After all, Madame Shi’s son just died. People would naturally pity her.


    However, out of everyone’s surprise, the wife of Prince of Lu was not Madame Shi Junior!


    It was Tao Yibin!


    “I guess Madame sent someone to talk to Her Majesty.” Hearing this news, Madame Shi was disappointed, “After all, she is Her Majesty’s rtive. Even though the Tao Family is declining these years, as long as Madame is still alive, they will get all the good!”


    Before she entered the Pce, she thought the Empress would surely grant her ask.


    The Shi Family had been in the government for four generations. Even though they didn’t have a high-ranking official, they did have some level four and five officials. Her cousin was a legitimate daughter with a good look and personality. Even though she would marry a Prince who was destined to be in the background, she was still a possible match.


    Besides, Jiang Jingzhui just died. Everyone in the Jiang Family had been extra careful with her these days.


    Empress Jiang was kind to her then but she didn’t say for sure. ording to her tone, Madame Shi thought she agreed. Now it turned out it wasn’t her cousin. She didn’t dare to say anything to me the Empress, but she couldn’t help having some feelings inside.


    The servants persuaded her, “There are three Princes who are marrying this time! Prince of Lu is marrying a youngdy from the Tao Family, but there still are Prince of Cai and Prince of Wei! Prince of Cai’s mother is a maid of Noble Consort Gu. Maybe Her Majesty couldn’t decide for her. But Prince of Wei’s mother is a maid who has always been serving Her Majesty!”


    Madame Shi agreed. The Shi Family wanted the glory of having a Princess. They didn’t care whom their daughter married. It didn’t have to be Prince of Lu. The only reason why they aimed for Prince of Lu was that he was the eldest and the best-looking.


    “Princess of Wei is also fine!” Madame Shi was in a better mood, “Prince of Wei’s mother, Zhaoyi Miao, has a higher rank than Prince of Lu and Prince of Cai’s mothers! Even though Prince of Wei is younger than Prince of Lu and Prince of Cai, he is more prestigious than both of them!”


    However, she was hit again a couple of dayster!


    First of all, because of Empress Dowager Gu’s interference, Princess of Cai was decided to marry Duan Qun’s niece, Duan Wenji.


    Then finally, the new Princess of Wei was the niece of the new Chief Minister Lian Jianhai, Wang Qingqian!


    “How is that happening?!” Madame Shi couldn’t sit still after hearing this news. She immediately sent someone to ask around, “Not Princess of Cai, fine. Now Princess of Wei is Madame Wang who no one has heard of? Chief Minister is lower level five and he just took this position! If the niece is from his father’s side, it’s fine. It’s from his mother’s side?! They only mentioned this Madame Wang’s uncle not her father. I guess her father is not even an official. How can someone like this marry into the royal family?!”


    After asking around, she suspected Qiu Yn, “I’ve never heard of this Wang Qingqian. I wonder how aunt learned about her. Turns out it was Qiu Yn!!! Wang Qingqian is the daughter of a Juren from Lanxi! And that Juren died before they announced it! The fourth branch is impressive! They managed to give someone like her to a Prince!!!”


    The servant said carefully, “I’ve asked around in Beijue Hall. They said when the neenth madame came that day, she did mention the choice of Princess of Lu to Her Majesty, but she mentioned Miss Zhuang.”


    Qiu Yn was acquainted with Nijin. Madame Shi who had married into the Jiang Family way earlier than her also had her own eyes around the Empress.


    But at the moment, she didn’t believe what this person said, “Who is Princess of Lu now? Is it Zhuang Man?!”


    The servant didn’t know what to say.


    “If we talk about age, I’m her sister-inw! If seniority, I married into this family ten years earlier than her!” Madame Shi got more furious when thinking about it more, “I’ve never offended her. Yet she humiliated me like this!”


    If Madame Shi rmended her cousin to the Empress after Qiu Yn, it would be fine. Yet Qiu Yn went into the Pce after her. How could Madame Shi not suspect that Qiu Yn took her cousin’s chance, relying on her husband as he was favored by the Empress?


    She was not happy because her son died. Now thinking about this matter, Madame Shi was angry and hated Qiu Yn. She fell ill on that day!


    However, Qiu Yn didn’t know this. When she heard Madame Shi was ill, she naturally went to visit.


    Madame Shi was angry just by looking at her. But she also couldn’t debate about such a matter. She could only go around and be sarcastic, “I heard your cousin is the Princess of Wei now? What a surprise! I’ve never heard you have such a cousin. I guess she is really a perfect person. Otherwise, how can aunt choose her? Howe you hide her and never let us meet her?”


    When the choice of Princess came out, Madame Shi fell ill. Qiu Yn didn’t think her illness was tied to this choice.


    She just thought Madame Shi went into the Pce to ask the Empress to make her cousin Princess of Lu. Now Princess of Lu was Tao Yibin, so Madame Shi should hate the Tao Family and there was nothing to do with her.


    Yet she didn’t think in Madame Shi’s logic, she was the one to me. So she didn’t think twice about what Madame Shi said, “I’m surprised about it, too! My cousin is from my grandmother’s maiden family. She used to study with me and Sheng Shishui in Madam Shao’s school. She is very cute. My uncle is looking for a marriage for her. Yet we never thought we’d be so lucky!”


    Madame Shi saw Qiu Yn in a good mood. Of course, she was. Her cousin married high unexpectedly. Her husband was of a noble-born yet didn’t have a temper. It was said that Zhaoyi Miao pushed this marriage. As Wang Qingqian’s elder cousin, she was naturally happy.


    But in Madame Shi’s eyes, she was clearly showing off. Therefore, when Qiu Yn left, she gritted her teeth, punching the bed and swearing, “There’s no way I’ll let your cousin marry Prince of Wei! Not over my dead body!”


    Madame Shi was actually not the only one who suspected that Qiu Yn said she was rmending Zhuang Man but went into the Pce to sell her cousin, Wang Qingqian. For example, the Zhuang Family.


    After all, Madame Zhuang Junior went to see Qiu Yn in person, yet in the end, Zhuang Man didn’t get to marry any Prince. This Wang Qingqian whom no one had heard of became the Princess of Wei!


    Luckily, after hearing the news, Jiang Yashuang went to his uncle’s home and exined it, “Yn didn’t know this before. She was surprised when she heard it too!”


    If he only said that, the Zhuang Family might say they believed him but actually didn’t.


    So Jiang Yashuang directly told them the main point, “It’s not strange if you think about it. This time, Zhaoyi Miao begged my aunt for the choice of Princess of Wei. It’s really because of the Jiang Family’s scandal. What happened with Prince of Qi really scared Zhaoyi Miao!”


    Zhuang Mo was clever. After hearing that, he immediately understood, “Zhuang Man is known for being quite perky. With what happened to Prince of Qi before, no wonder Zhaoyi Miao didn’t dare to choose her. The Shi Family’s girl is said to be nice and kind, yet she is a youngdy raised by a prestigious household after all. She is also the cousin of Marquess Qin’s eldest legitimate grandson’s wife. If she’s only pretending to be kind, then it will hurt Prince of Wei. Miss Wang is the best choice!”


    His wife Madame Ai didn’t quite understand it. She asked anxiously, “I know why Zhuang Man and Miss Shi didn’t get chosen. But why Miss Wang is the best? We’ve never heard of this person before.” There were tons of nieces of level five officials in Jing City. There were also many who were rtives of the Jiang Family. Why Wang Qingqian?


    “You are...” Hearing that, Zhuang Mo was speechless. He shook his head and said, “Just think about it. Miss Wang is an only child with no siblings. Her father was made Juren after he died. With this background, any normal people will be on their tiptoes every day. Let alone a Prince. Most importantly, her father died early. She grew up with her mother in her maiden family. Even if Lian Jianhai felt sorry for them and saw her as his own child, she still lived in someone else’s home! With this experience, how will she have any temper? Will Zhaoyi Miao still worry that Prince of Wei will be bullied by his wife?”


    He then said, “Besides, who’s Miss Wang’s cousin? Qiu Yn! Miss Wang is of low born, but she can use Qiu Yn’s power! There’s no outsider here, so I can say this honestly. From the point of the Jiang Family, Miss Shi is the cousin of Marquess Qin’s eldest legitimate son’s wife. This is higher than Qiu Yn’s status. But in front of Her Majesty, how can Jiang Yaqingpare to Jiang Yashuang? And Jiang Yashuang is known for loving his wife. Zhaoyi Miao asked Miss Wang to be the wife of Prince of Wei. Besides the fact that she is of low born, but actually, she didn’t take any fewer advantages!”


    Madame Ai finally understood. She was angry with Jiang Qiyun, “It’s all her...” Before she could finish the sentence, she saw Jiang Yashuang was still here, so she stopped because of him. She just sighed and said disappointedly, “Since Zhuang Man is not lucky enough to be a Princess, we’ll find her someone else then!”


    When the Zhuang Family and the Shi Family were so disappointed, the Lian Family was torn by this surprise. When the Lian Family had a Minister, which was the most prestigious time for them, they never had anyone who married into the royal family. Old Princess Lian only married a Prince who had a different surname from the Emperor.


    Wang Qingqian now had such a good chance. Even though she was not from the Lian Family, they did watch her grow up and she was more emotionally inclined to the Lian Family than the Wang Family. The Lian Family was genuinely happy for her.


    But aside from that, they had a very realistic problem: the dowry!