Yixiu is reborn, fights against her elder sister, and becomes the queen mother

Zhou Xiuniang knelt on the ground and said calmly, "I beg your Highness to forgive me, Your Highness. I did not intend to conceal my true identity."

The prince swallowed dryly, staring into Zhou Xiuniang's eyes with a complicated tone.

"I thought we had been through life and death together, and you were willing to tell me the truth."

Zhou Xiuniang said calmly, "I am of humble status, far inferior to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I am afraid I may offend His Royal Highness's ears."

Hearing Zhou Xiuniang's repeated rejections, the prince felt more and more upset.

He stared at Zhou Xiuniang for two seconds, then said with a half-smile, "Okay, okay, it turns out I was wrong about her."

Even though he understood his feelings for Zhou Xiuniang, she was already married and the couple loved each other very much, so there was no need for him to act so worthless.

The prince turned around, but the pain in his heart made him a little unsteady.

.........

East Palace

The prince took out his own portrait which had been crumpled into a ball and gave a bitter smile to the person in the painting.

"It turns out you have no feelings for me at all. Everything is just my wishful thinking."

After saying that, the prince drank another glass of wine.

The four princesses who returned from the palace, except for Princess Zhou, all invited people to come and entertain them tonight.

The prince threw a teacup to the ground and cursed, "Get out of here! It's funny, it's really funny. A prince like you can't even get a woman he likes. It's really funny."

The prince's abnormal behavior was naturally reported to Yixiu and Su Chou.

Su Chou quickly found out the whole story and was in a great headache. He had originally thought that the prince was a rare and wise man, so why did he choose to marry someone else's wife?

Never mind, it's not a big deal.

The Manchus do not have as many rules as the Han people. Even many of the wives of Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing Dynasty, were second-married.

"What a pity! This woman is truly a character. If she had no connection with the Crown Prince, her business would have been of great benefit to the country!"

Now that the Crown Prince is in charge of government affairs, Taiqing is no longer as focused on agriculture and suppressing commerce as before, and several trading ports are also being tried and opened.

I’m afraid that the status of merchants will be improved in the future. The prince even plans to let the royal family participate in these businesses. It’s really a pity.

Su Chou asked someone to call Zhou Xiuniang to inquire about the matter between her and the prince.

"You don't have to be afraid. These things should have been spoken to by the Empress, but the palace has many rules, and it's too troublesome to always go there. If you and the Crown Prince really have feelings for each other, after you and Doctor Wen divorce, you can marry into the Eastern Palace as a concubine!"

Su Chou spoke directly to the point.

But he didn't expect that Zhou Xiuniang knelt down directly, her eyes firm and she said:

"Your Excellency has misunderstood. The Crown Prince and I were just casual acquaintances. There is nothing wrong with this."

Su Chou was stunned. He didn't expect that Zhou Xiuniang would actually refuse.

After all, even if she was only a concubine when she married the prince, if she was favored and gave birth to a son, she could be made a concubine after the prince ascended the throne.

In addition to the prince's love for Zhou Xiuniang, her path will be easier than that of an ordinary woman.

"Please forgive me, my lord. I only want to serve the Empress wholeheartedly and vigorously develop business. I have no intention of having any romantic relationship with her. I hope your lord can understand."

Su Chou raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Xiuniang, his lips gradually straightening. "Don't you know the Crown Prince's affection for you? Doing business as a woman is definitely more difficult than for ordinary people. You need to know that marrying into the Eastern Palace is the safest choice."

Zhou Xiuniang shook her head, met Su Chou's gaze, and said slowly:

"I also heard these words when I was young. My mother had just passed away, and my grandfather asked me if I wanted to go to Jiangnan with him. I could continue to live the carefree life of a wealthy lady in Jiangnan, and when I grew up, my grandfather would find a good family for me.

But I chose a path full of thorns. I don't want to let my fate be in the hands of others. A woman's life shouldn't just be about raising children in the backyard. Although I know this path is difficult, I still want to be the master of my own destiny.

These words really touched Su Chou. Since ancient times, women have obeyed their fathers before marriage, their husbands after marriage, and their sons after their husbands' death.

Su Chou couldn't help but think of his mother. If one day women could decide their own marriages, there would probably not be so many tragedies in the world.

"Okay, I understand. But once something is said, it must be carried out. Now that it's out, let me see what you can do. There's no rush. There's a very complicated business in Jiangnan, a mess that someone else left for me. Since you want to work for the Empress, then put in some effort."

After saying that, Su Chou threw an account book to Zhou Xiuniang and told her that he only had three days to pack his bags and go to Jiangnan to deal with the matter.

"If this is accomplished, I will commend you to the Empress. I will also quickly arrange your divorce, and I will also be lenient with your business in the future. Whether it succeeds or not depends on your ability this time."

Zhou Xiuniang was overjoyed. She responded repeatedly, "I will do my best and will never let you down."

After seeing Zhou Xiuniang off, Su Chou walked out of the room, looked at the dazzling stars in the sky, and said with a smile: "I'm afraid the world is about to change."

The day for the Crown Prince to marry a concubine is soon approaching. Although he is only marrying a concubine, the entire East Palace is still extremely festive. Red silk is hung everywhere and there is a grand ceremony.

This made the concubines in the backyard extremely envious. Princess Yu looked at the red silk and the big red wedding characters and said:

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's wedding to a concubine was such a grand affair! I remember when we first entered the palace, we were just carried into the East Palace. Marrying a concubine was such a grand affair, I wonder how grand it will be when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince marries a principal wife in the future."

Ming Gege did not seek trouble this time, but she was secretly thinking in her heart. After all, the Empress Dowager had personally instructed her.

The four of them thought that the prince must have touched each other, but they didn't expect that the prince didn't touch anyone.

Li Gege also sighed, "When the two concubines come to the palace, I'm afraid I'll have to pay my respects to them frequently, and I won't be able to sleep in anymore."

After she finished speaking, she realized that she had spoken out of turn and quickly shut her mouth.

"Today, the two concubines came into the palace together. I don't know where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will go."

Ming Gege said.

"Wherever His Royal Highness goes is His Royal Highness's business. All we need to do is serve His Royal Highness and his two concubines."

Princess Zhou stood aside elegantly and chuckled.