In the evening, when Prince Jin came back, Jiang Changning told her the day he was scheduled to sleep in the concubine's room, and said considerately: "I will tell Jin Ya to remind you on the day, and I will also help you remember it."
Prince Jin's face darkened slightly and he looked at her with complicated eyes.
"Isn't this date arranged properly?" Jiang Changning asked anxiously.
"There's nothing wrong with it, it's just not necessary." said the King of Jin.
unnecessary
Jiang Changning was stunned for a moment, then he understood instantly that it was indeed not necessary, and explained: "The Concubine asked me to arrange it. If you don't like it, just treat it as I didn't arrange it. You can do whatever you want."
He is a prince and can be willful. He can sleep with whomever he wants and whenever he wants. If he happens to have his period, the worst that can happen is that he can have a few more maids in the same room with him.
"I will tell my mother about this. There is no need to make any arrangements in the future." Prince Jin leaned on the pillow, "Come here, let me hug you."
Jiang Changning hesitated for a moment, took off his shoes, climbed onto the kang, and leaned into his arms.
Prince Jin hugged her and said nothing.
After a while of silence, Jiang Changning thought of something, "Yong Zhou, when do you want Chen to marry you?"
"What Chen family?" asked King Jin.
We were together during the Mid-Autumn Festival, how could you have forgotten so quickly
Jiang Changning didn't believe it, but still reminded him with a smile, "The Queen Mother issued two marriage decrees, one for me and the other for Chen."
King Jin frowned slightly, "Let's talk about it in two or three months."
Jiang Changning didn't care. It would just be two or three months.
At the beginning of the next day at noon, Park, Zhou and Liu came to Rujingyuan and waited, but they were just in the warm room.
At the second quarter of the morning, Jiang Changning came out dressed up and saw that the three of them were dressed exactly the same as yesterday.
Jiang Changning snorted coldly, "When did the Prince of Jin's Mansion become so poor that you don't even have the money to make a few more winter clothes?"
The three of them knelt down in panic and said, "Princess, please allow me to report."
"Go ahead." Jiang Changning sat down on the kang with a dignified look.
"The Queen said that every meal should be appreciated, and every piece of cloth should be cherished. We live in the inner palace and cannot earn a penny. We should not be too extravagant and should be frugal," said Park.
Jiang Changning chuckled, "She's right."
Park looked up at Jiang Changning in astonishment, but when she met Jiang Changning's gaze that seemed to see through everything, she quickly lowered her head again.
"I'm going to pay my respects to the Concubine Dowager. You guys can go back to the yard." Jiang Changning stood up and walked out.
This Park's level of eye drops is a bit lacking.
The three concubines escorted Jiang Changning out of the yard and watched her walk away.
Liu asked with a worried look on her face, "What should I do? The princess seems to be afraid of Concubine Dao as well?"
Zhou sneered, "I told you this method wouldn't work."
"My method is not good, so you should think of a way." Park said unhappily.
Zhou was about to say something, but when she saw the little maid next to her, she changed her words and said, "Let's go back to the yard first."
Jiang Changning knew that the three concubines wanted him to seize power, but he had other considerations.
If Qiao was an honest housekeeper, she would not play tricks, make things difficult for the servants, or bully her in front of the concubine.
Jiang Changning really didn't want to compete with her for the position of housekeeper. It was nice to enjoy the scenery, read books, practice piano, sleep and do yoga every day. But on this day, Qiao deliberately refused to let the kitchen give Madam Cui the fish and chicken she wanted.
Of course, Mrs. Qiao did not withhold the ingredients from the small kitchen. She only withheld the few ingredients that Madam Cui wanted.
"Why do you like doing things that don't hurt anyone but are annoying?" Jiang Changning rested his chin on one hand and leaned lazily on the pillow.
"Just like Miss Zhuang Wu." Fu Cui placed the peeled walnut kernels in front of Jiang Changning.
"Don't we need to spread this?" Su Fei asked.
Jiang Changning smiled, "No hurry, I have to suffer more grievances to show her dominance."
"Hasn't the princess suffered enough injustice these days? Now she even withholds food. If this continues, I'm afraid she will become more arrogant than she actually is." Shu Fei said angrily.
Jiang Changning thought for a moment and said, "I'll find a chance to fight back."
The opportunity came as it should. The next day, the concubine dowager told her two daughters-in-law that she would go to Prince Qing's mansion in a few days to celebrate Princess Qing's 60th birthday.
Jiang Changning asked in surprise, "Sister-in-law is going too?"
Without waiting for the concubine and Qiao to speak, she continued, "Grandma Zhuang is also a widow at home. She never goes out. She just stays at home to take care of her parents-in-law and educate her daughter. I thought my sister-in-law is the same."
"Princess Chun'an, you compare me with a woman of no rank. How can I be the same as her?" Mrs. Qiao said dissatisfiedly.
"What's the difference? They are all women who remain faithful to their husbands." Jiang Changning scoffed at the idea of chastity, but that didn't stop her from using it to embarrass Mrs. Qiao.
He deliberately lowered his head and said to himself, "The Zhuang family is an official family, and they still follow the etiquette of aristocratic families. The royal palace, on the other hand, does not follow this. I am confused."
The concubine's face suddenly changed. Although she had been married into the palace for many years, she was still proud of her noble family background.
Qiao called out in panic: "Mother, I..."
"You just stay in the mansion, and all the banquets outside will be handled by Brother Yu's daughter-in-law." The concubine addressed Jiang Changning more intimately.
"Mother, the county princess is young and just got married. She doesn't even recognize everyone, so how can she socialize with others? If something goes wrong, it will bring shame to the Prince Jin's Mansion." Qiao said anxiously.
"Sister-in-law, you are worrying too much. With mother's advice, how could I make a mistake? Besides, I am the Princess of Jin. I can attend the banquet to give them face. Who dares to find fault with me?" Jiang Changning said domineeringly.
The concubine smiled and said, "Brother Yu's daughter-in-law is right." Girls from aristocratic families should have such pride.
“Mother, I…” Qiao wanted to fight again.
Jiang Changning added calmly, "Sister-in-law, do you like going out for social events so much that you don't want to stay at home and keep your chastity? Could it be that, oh my, look at what I am talking about."
Jiang Changning covered his mouth with a handkerchief, a smug smile flashed in his clear eyes, which made Qiao Shi feel very angry.
"Just stay at home." There was a hint of disgust in the concubine's eyes when she looked at Qiao.
"Yes, mother." Qiao replied helplessly.
The two sisters-in-law sat for a while and then came out of the concubine's yard.
"Jiang, stop right there. What do you want to do? Do you think you win if you don't let me go out for social events?" Qiao said angrily.
Jiang Changning smiled, "Sister-in-law, it was my mother who didn't let you go out for social events, not me."
"If you hadn't said those words, why wouldn't mother let me go out?" Qiao said hatefully.
Jiang Changning's face darkened, "Sister-in-law, you make a move, I take it, I attack, you have to take it."
"What do you want?" Qiao appeared to be timid but inwardly weak.
"If someone respects me one foot, I will respect him one yard. If no one offends me, I will not offend anyone. Sister-in-law, remember this." Jiang Changning left with the maid.
Qiao looked at her back with a gloomy look.
Over the next few days, Qiao was very well behaved and didn't do anything strange. No one knew if he was planning any big moves.
Jiang Changning calmly instructed Xiulan, "Ask Xiaochun, if she has learned the rules of Liuye well, then arrange for her to do the job."
"I'll arrange it right away." Xiulan immediately understood Jiang Changning's intention.
(End of this chapter)