The rumors about Young Mrs. Meng being a seductress like Daji were completely confirmed after her visit to the palace.
She entered the palace as Young Mrs. Meng.
But as soon as The Emperor saw her, he was captivated by her beauty.
He was stunned, considering her a heavenly beauty.
Without hesitation, The Emperor bestowed upon Young Mrs. Meng the title of Princess Caiyi.
It was said that on that day, Young Mrs. Meng wore colorful and vibrant clothes, so dazzling that The Emperor could barely open his eyes or see clearly.
Upon seeing her in person, The Emperor was overjoyed, disregarding the fact that she was his great-niece and already married. He granted her the title of Princess Caiyi.
This title came with land and a salary.
It's worth noting that the court hadn't bestowed such a title for over a decade.
Suddenly, tailors in the Capital City began producing all sorts of colorful garments.
Even the nobility's custom-made clothes now featured an additional colorful silk ribbon, or colorful cuffs and collars. Everyone tried to incorporate a splash of color in their own way.
Some people inquired with Consort Zhang, asking if Princess Caiyi was indeed exceptionally beautiful, capable of captivating hearts at first sight.
Consort Zhang smiled and tacitly agreed.
Rumors suggested that Consort Zhang and Princess Huiyun were at odds, yet Consort Zhang still acknowledged Princess Caiyi's beauty. This seemed to confirm the rumors.
As a result, the prices of vibrant fabrics skyrocketed.
When Jiang Changtian's family received this news, they were all a bit bewildered.
They wondered, "Are they talking about Elder Sister Yu?"
No wonder they say rumors can't be trusted.
Elder Sister Yu was the most honest child in the family, yet rumors painted her as having countless schemes. There were even reports of people selling courses outside, with books like "The Biography of Princess Caiyi" being published. Apparently, there were also private tutoring sessions, where high-level palace intrigue experts offered one-on-one classes in small groups, charging exorbitant fees per lesson.
Mianmian even considered making money from this. Who said ancient people lacked business acumen? They were quite up-to-date with the times.
The Jiang Family felt that if Elder Sister Yu could develop even eight schemes, it would be impressive.
And five of those eight schemes would probably be related to food.
The Emperor bestowed the title of Princess Caiyi simply to appease the Meng Family.
It had nothing to do with scheming.
Oh well, let them spread rumors if they want.
Jiang Changtian thought it was fine. Better to be fierce, or at least pretend to be fierce, to avoid being bullied.
In a place like the Capital City, people only respect those who show strength. Even if you're as gentle as a white rabbit, you'd better bare your teeth and act fierce.
Shao Xia and Feng had both gone off to war.
Life had to go on.
The Meng Family's twin boys' hundred-day celebration was canceled. The people of the capital had been looking forward to Princess Caiyi's appearance, but now they'd probably have to wait until the first birthday celebration.
Jiang Wan hadn't expected her grandmother to die.
She didn't have to wait for rumors about Jiang Er's family being unfilial.
After all, no matter how wrong the grandmother had been, she had raised Jiang Er.
Instead, she was faced with the hot gossip about Princess Caiyi.
Jiang Wan was furious.
It was like a fishbone stuck in her throat.
If it had been any other noble lady, it would have been tolerable.
But why Jiang Yu of all people?
With her intellect, if she didn't have her father and brothers protecting her, and if she hadn't found a good husband, how could she possibly live such a good life?
Moreover, the more outstanding she became, the more people would remember that Immortal Liu had once cursed the Meng Family to be without heirs, yet they had given birth to twins.
Fortunately, her aunt had finally agreed to her marriage with Chu Xi.
Starting over, at least she would be properly married to her cousin.
However, they were still in mourning for her grandmother. Once the mourning period was over, they could get married.
So this time, Jiang Wan firmly rejected all those ambiguous relationships from her past.
Liu Tongxin was heartbroken to learn that Qing Qing had actually moved into the Seventh Prince's Mansion. Back then, Qing Qing had sworn that the prince was just like a brother to her, but now...
Liu Tong was dead, living like a walking corpse, lifeless at home.
But the Liu family wasn't at peace either, as Inspector He had set his sights on them.
Meanwhile, Lu Jiuzhang, the youngest son of Minister Lu who had once fought with Liu Tong over Immortal Liu, was now in prison. Immortal Liu never came to see him, but he did catch a glimpse of her.
Immortal Liu had gone to the prison to visit her grandmother and passed by.
There was no eye contact, nothing else, just passing by.
Minister Lu never imagined that the reason his entire family wasn't sentenced to death was because of his hated rival, Inspector He.
Those subordinates who used to bow and scrape before Minister Lu now wished for nothing more than his death.
Yet at this time, Inspector He was still able to handle the case impartially.
Those who deserved to die would die, those who didn't would be spared.
Life is like a play. Only after the curtain falls do we know who was an actor, who was an audience member, and who was the boss.
Lu Jiuzhang, Minister Lu's youngest son, was released because he was a wastrel, too stupid to have been involved in the family's power plays.
After this ordeal, Lu Jiuzhang left the Capital City, his whereabouts unknown.
A crafty rabbit has three burrows.
Although Minister Lu was sentenced to death, he might still have some tricks up his sleeve.
Coincidentally, when Minister Lu's faction was being interrogated, they revealed their plans to frame the Sixth Prince.
Upon learning this, the Sixth Prince went to the palace and wept bitterly.
The father and son poured out their hearts to each other, which was quite touching.
For a time, support for the Sixth Prince quietly rose again.
The Seventh Prince remained motionless.
He hadn't expected Jiang Er to be Princess Huiyun's son. Their grudge with Jiang Er was already irreconcilable.
The Seventh Prince now felt a bit regretful. Jiang Er was incredibly lucky; even when they had specifically sent people to kill him, they had failed.
Heir Apparent Chu Xi was a bit worried, "Father, since Jiang Er is Aunt Huiyun's son, wouldn't The Emperor favor him more?"
The Seventh Prince shook his head: "The Emperor extremely dislikes Buddhism and Taoism because he utterly despises Jingjue. So he may not necessarily like Jiang Er. Just wait and see."
