"Whether you can afford it or not depends on my opinion," said Prince Jin seriously.
"Is the prince so willing to marry an orphan as his concubine?" Jiang Changning hoped that he would disobey the order.
"Miss Jiang, do you dislike the fact that I am your second wife?" Prince Jin asked.
"No." Even if Jiang Changning disliked it, he couldn't admit it.
King Jin looked at her beautiful face and smiled softly, "Miss Jiang, just rest assured and wait for the prince to come and marry you."
Jiang Changning also knew that her marriage with Prince Jin was inevitable, and she had nothing to say to Prince Jin. She walked out of the hall and said to the Zhou brothers, "Please, brothers, please greet the prince for me."
After saying this, she led her maid and followed Miao and Luo to the inner courtyard.
Prince Jin waited until Jiang Changning's figure disappeared around the corner before reluctantly looking away.
He made a small discovery. Except for the talent show, Jiang Changning always wore a mutton-fat white jade Ruyi hairpin on other occasions.
This little discovery made King Jin happy.
Jiang Changning didn't expect Prince Jin to be so attentive. She was looking around the new house.
Although she is here, she won't stay for long.
This house is much smaller than other wealthy families, occupying only one acre of land.
However, the original owner was quite interesting and tidied up the house so that every step was a beautiful scene.
There are five courtyards, large and small, two attics, a pond, three rockery, four gardens and a water pavilion.
As he walked, he suddenly smelled the fragrance of osmanthus flowers. Jiang Changning looked around but did not see any osmanthus trees.
Just as I was wondering, I turned the corner and saw a pile of lake rocks in the corner, with a sweet-scented osmanthus tree planted on the rocks.
"It's not even August yet, but the early osmanthus is already in bloom." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"Only this osmanthus tree has bloomed. The others in the garden haven't bloomed." Miao said with a smile.
As they were talking, they entered the main courtyard, which was a three-courtyard building filled with a full set of rosewood furniture.
The weather was hot, and there was an ice basin in the corner of the house. As soon as I walked in, I felt cool and the heat disappeared.
"Miss, do you think this arrangement is okay?" Miao asked carefully.
Jiang Changning smiled, "It's well decorated, I like it very much, sister-in-law, thank you for your hard work."
Miao was relieved when she heard this and said with a smile: "It's not hard, it's what I should do."
Although Prince Jin knew that Jiang Changning would not come out, he still stayed and had lunch before leaving.
"Chunlai, you and the four of them stay." King Jin ordered.
"Your Highness, I have arranged people to protect the girl and will never let her be in any danger." Zhou Chengxin said.
King Jin stared at him, "I don't doubt your ability, but I don't want anyone to offend my princess. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Zhou Chengxin replied.
Prince Jin left Jiang's residence with the remaining followers, got on the carriage, and sped away.
In the inner courtyard, Jiang Changning had already gone to bed for a nap.
Half an hour later, she was awakened by her maid, and after washing up, she came out to see Jiang Nan.
Jiang Nan is an orphan adopted by Old Master Jiang. His original name is unknown, so Old Master Jiang gave him the surname Jiang and raised him like his own son.
"Girl." Jiang Nan hadn't seen Jiang Changning for more than a year and called out excitedly.
Jiang Changning responded with a smile, "Uncle Nan."
"The girl finally left that mud pit." Jiang Nan had no good impression of the greedy Zhuang family. "The girl moved out, but the old woman didn't stop her?"
"She tried to stop me, but I was bringing Prince Jin's entourage with me, so she couldn't stop me." Zhou Chengxin said with a smile.
"That's thoughtful." Jiang Nan was dissatisfied with the Prince of Jin, his nephew-in-law.
Jiang Changning deserves better than being someone's stepwife, even if that person is a prince.
Zhou Shouxin said: "It's very thoughtful. The prince just came to congratulate us in person. The two pots of evergreens are gifts."
It is a foregone conclusion that Jiang Changning will marry into the palace. It is a good thing that the prince values her.
"The meaning of this gift is good." Jiang Nan said.
Jiang Nan's face darkened visibly. "He doesn't need his people. He wants to monitor the girl. Why did you agree?"
"Uncle Nan, it's not up to Brother Chengxin to decide whether he agrees or not." Jiang Changning said something fair.
"Don't let those five people get close to the girl." Jiang Nan glared at Zhou Chengxin.
"Those five are eunuchs," Zhou Chengxin added.
"Eunuchs won't work either." Jiang Nan snorted coldly, "Xiaochun, listen to me, if the girl goes out, she must be followed by our people."
"Yes, Uncle Nan." Xiaochun was the person responsible for staying at Jiang's house for protection.
For fear of affecting Jiang Changning's reputation, Jiang Nan arranged for all the people to protect her to be women.
Jiang Changning lived quietly in the Jiang residence. When Zhuang Qingru learned that she had moved out, she hurried back to her parents' home.
"Mother, why did you just let her move out like that?" Zhuang Qingru asked impatiently when she saw Wu.
"What else? Even the old lady couldn't stop it." Wu said unhappily.
"Mom, we can't just let this happen. After all, our family has raised her for six years."
"What good ideas do you have?"
Zhuang Qingru smiled, "A concubine."
Wu scoffed, "I thought you had some good ideas, but this won't work."
"Why not? This is a good thing."
"The old lady had thought of this a long time ago. She brought five maids here, hoping that Miss Ning would pick two of them to take to the palace. Miss Ning refused to take any of them. She is such an ungrateful person."
"Oh, mother, if I were her, I wouldn't want to take care of the girl from the banker's house."
"Why?" Wu was puzzled.
"She has no relatives or friends in Beijing, and she has to rely on the Zhuang family for everything. If she brings the Zhuang family's girl into the palace, who will the Zhuang family help? Who is the Zhuang family closer to?"
Wu suddenly realized and said, "But if you don't bring the girl from the Zhuang family, then there's no need to marry her off as a concubine."
"Mother, you can let her bring something that is related to us but has nothing to do with the banker."
"what do you mean?"
"My cousin Qiaozhen, you will be a 15-year-old girl next year. Can you find a good family to marry into?"
Wu's eyes lit up, "He's a suitable person."
"Mother talked to my aunt, and they agreed that I would take cousin Qiaozhen to meet cousin Ning." Zhuang Qingru said with a smile.
"Okay, okay, I'll go see your aunt tomorrow."
The next day, Wu went to the Jin family.
Jin Wu was Zhuang Wu's younger sister. Three years ago, her husband passed away, so she moved to Beijing with her children and lived with her brothers and sisters.
When Jin Wu heard that Wu wanted Jin Qiaozhen to be a concubine, she was somewhat reluctant, "Being a concubine is simply inferior to others."
Wu sneered, "Sister, what are you talking about? In the palace, except for the queen, all the others are concubines. How can they be inferior to others?"
Jin Wu was choked with speech.
"Besides, this concubine is different from ordinary concubines. If Qiaozhen gives birth to a boy or a girl, she can be promoted to concubine or even the principal wife."
Jin Wu hesitated for a moment and said, "Then I'll listen to my sister."
Jin Wu asked her maid to call Jin Qiaozhen over and tell her what happened.
After hearing this, Jin Qiaozhen said, "Thank you Auntie for thinking of me. Qiaozhen is willing to be your concubine."
Prince Jin, he is the ideal man that all the girls in the capital long for. She would be happy to be his concubine.
Wu took Jin Qiaozhen back to the Zhuang family. The next day, Zhuang Qingru couldn't wait to take Jin Qiaozhen to Nanmen Street.
The Zhuang family won't give up so easily.
(End of this chapter)