freenovelworld Chapter 856 Is there an imperial decree?
Chapter 856 Is there an imperial decree?
Madam Lu was slightly taken aback, not expecting the Grand Madam to be so well-informed. She subconsciously glanced at Madam He.
"Yes, Mother. I had wanted to pay my respects to the Crown Princess for a long time, but something always got in the way. Now that the Crown Princess is staying at the Prince of Chang Le's residence, I'm going to pay my respects to her."
Mrs. Lu readily admitted it; after all, it wasn't a big deal.
"Hmm, I heard you also took Xiaoxiao and Xiaorou with you?"
Madam Lu chuckled upon hearing this, "Reporting to Mother, these two girls are fifteen and fourteen years old, respectively, and are both of marriageable age."
"Yes, the children are older now, so it's normal to take them out for walks more often. But, daughter-in-law, don't blame me for not warning you, you can't have designs on the Crown Prince."
Madam Lu's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the Grand Madam had overheard something?
"Mother, rest assured. When my daughter-in-law first entered the palace to speak with Her Majesty the Empress, Her Majesty took a great liking to these two girls. Therefore, she even said that they would become her son's wives in the future. However, now that His Highness the Crown Prince has a principal wife, our daughters can only be made to serve as a concubine."
He didn't look up when she heard this, and she didn't show any reaction on the surface, but the contempt she felt for him in her heart was even greater!
Are you still going to put up with this?
Did they really think that since their husbands were the Duke of Dingguo, their daughters were the most noble ladies in the world?
This third sister-in-law is still so unreliable.
Upon hearing this, the old lady's eyelids twitched, and she straightened up abruptly. "How dare you! How dare you say such a thing?"
Madam He quickly gave a signal, and the two maids immediately withdrew. One went to warn the servants not to speak nonsense, while the other stood guard at the door, fearing that this Duchess might say something shocking again.
Madam Lu was taken aback, not realizing there was anything wrong with what she had just said!
That’s what it is!
Mu Xin Nuan is just a daughter of a Marquis's family now, while they are from the Duke's family, which is of a higher rank!
Making her daughter a concubine would be a huge advantage for Mu Xin Nuan, wouldn't it?
"Mother!" Madam Lu was about to defend herself when she was interrupted by the Grand Madam waving her hand.
"Shut up! His Highness the Crown Prince dotes on the Crown Princess now. Putting aside her background, her talent alone was enough to make us two girls feel suffocated! Not to mention, she was once praised by the Emperor! Since the Crown Prince has already stated that he will not take a concubine, why do you go and humiliate her?"
These words were tantamount to slapping Madam Lu in the face.
In front of Madam He, Madam Lu was naturally somewhat unwilling.
Unable to contain herself, she straightened her neck and said, "Mother, I absolutely cannot agree with what you're saying. The Crown Prince is the heir apparent of our Great Yong Dynasty, a man of noble status. How can he spend his entire life with only one Crown Princess? If word gets out, wouldn't that damage the Crown Prince's reputation? Besides, if the Crown Prince only has one Crown Princess, how can the royal family flourish and prosper in the future?"
The old lady laughed when she heard this, she was amused by her own anger!
"You're quite capable! I had no idea that our Duke of Dingguo's mansion had produced someone who could stand up for the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince himself doesn't feel wronged, so why are you worrying about it? Besides, haven't you noticed the Empress's attitude over the past six months? Ever since the Crown Prince returned from the Turks, have you heard the Empress utter a single word about choosing a concubine?"
When Madam He saw the old lady cough, she quickly took the teacup from her.
Madam Lu was still somewhat unconvinced, but seeing the Grand Madam's slightly flushed face, she knew that she was probably in a bad mood.
Looking at how Madam He was serving her, she felt somewhat displeased.
In fact, another reason why the old lady disliked her was that she always seemed to misunderstand her place.
When she first married into the family, her speech and behavior still retained some of the mannerisms of her earlier days as a servant, and she was too petty and unsophisticated.
Later, when her third son inherited the title, this daughter-in-law gradually learned to put on airs. Of course, she also learned a lot of rules and etiquette, and in the end, she did not bring shame to the Lu family.
However, despite being the Duchess of the State, she still lacked the demeanor of a noblewoman.
To put it bluntly, it's just that their clothes and appearance are similar; inside, they still can't shake off that petty, narrow-mindedness from back then.
In fact, many of the capable female officials around the Empress married well.
Some were released at the age of sixteen, and some at the age of eighteen. Regardless of their age, as long as they had served the Empress wholeheartedly, they married into good families.
No matter what, they were all female officials, and people close to the Empress at that. Such a status was not something that ordinary daughters of officials could compare to.
However, ever since she became the proper Duchess of the State, this Lady Lu has been quite resourceful in helping her family. Every time she takes her children back to her family home, she brings large and small bags, filling several carts with things. It's unclear whether she's going to help the poor or to show off to her family.
The old lady did not object to her helping her family.
But is this how you provide relief? It's ridiculous and makes people laugh at you.
It was as if I had seen a country bumpkin coming to the city; he exuded a rustic air from head to toe.
Fortunately, the old lady was not a very picky person, so she tolerated these things.
But now, looking at the third daughter-in-law, she's really a worry.
“Mother, you are right to reprimand me. I wouldn’t dare to have any other thoughts. But since it was Her Majesty the Empress who spoke up, there’s nothing wrong with what I did.”
The old lady paused for a moment, and Madam He quickly took the teacup from her.
At first glance, that statement does seem quite true.
However, the Dowager Lady sneered, "You say the Empress said that? Daughter-in-law, I advise you to think this through. Do you have the Empress's decree in your possession? If not, who can prove that the Empress said those words?"
Madam Lu was stunned. It really was true!
The Empress was just saying it casually back then; how could she possibly issue any decree?
Now, if the Crown Prince disagrees, the Empress will likely side with her own son and refuse to admit that she ever said those words.
Thinking about it this way, Madam Lu began to regret her decision.
If I had known this would happen, I should have asked the Empress to issue an imperial decree in the first place. After all, words are no guarantee!
But now that things have come to this point, it's naturally impossible to ask for an imperial decree anymore.
Seeing her constantly changing expression, the Grand Madam snorted heavily again, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to! Let me tell you, give up on that idea now! Not only will I disagree, but your husband will never agree to send those sisters into the Eastern Palace."