Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

The Queen Mother was delighted. If Yilan Palace was transformed into a secret Taoist temple, it would not only be convenient for her to practice the secret technique of maintaining her youth at any time, but also allow her to erase the last trace of the Yao family in the palace and strike a blow against Chu Yuncang. It would be like killing two birds with one stone.

She looked at the Third Prince with satisfaction, revealing a gratified smile, and said with emotion, "I never expected that the problem that has troubled me for so many days could be easily solved by Yuan'er. Yuan'er is indeed extremely intelligent!"

The Third Prince's face was filled with humility as he said in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, your words are too kind. It is my grandson's duty to help you resolve your worries and difficulties."

The Queen Mother gently patted the Third Prince's shoulder and praised him, "Excellent! You are indeed the one I have chosen!"

She had originally intended the third prince to be the next crown prince, and now seeing how obedient he was, her satisfaction with him increased a bit. It was a pity that the current crown prince was Chu Yuncang.

Immediately, the Queen Mother thought of the great opportunity that could have gotten rid of Chu Yuncang in one fell swoop, but was ruined by that idiot Xuan Yi, and the smile on her face disappeared instantly.

The Third Prince had been gazing at the Queen Mother with admiration, and naturally did not miss the changes in her expression. His eyes flickered, and after a moment's hesitation, he slowly said, "Grandmother, I have a request today. I hope you will make the decision for me."

The Queen Mother collected her thoughts, looked at the Third Prince lovingly, and said softly, "Yuan'er, why are you being so polite to me? Just speak frankly if you have something to say."

The Third Prince hurriedly stood up, bowed slightly, and said solemnly, "Grandmother, my grandson...I have a crush on a woman and would like to ask for your decree to grant her marriage."

A hint of surprise flashed across the Queen Mother's eyes. She nodded slightly and said softly, "Oh? Yuan'er, tell me, who is that woman?"

The Third Prince blushed slightly and said shyly, "She is the second daughter of the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion, her name is Xie Qingyao. I wonder if the Empress Dowager remembers that you met her at Xuanjing Temple that day."

Hearing the words "Xie Qingyao", the Queen Mother's face instantly turned pale and she said sternly: "No!"

The Queen Mother could not forget the "sister" she had peeped at in the back hills of Xuanjing Temple that day, and this incident had even become a source of worry for her. When she learned that the boy Xuanyi had killed was the young master of the Marquis of Jing'an Mansion, she became even more suspicious of Xie Qingyao and therefore sent someone to investigate the Marquis of Jing'an Mansion.

The results of the investigation further aroused the Empress Dowager's suspicions. How could the Jing'an Marquis's household, of such low status, have entered Xuanjing Monastery while she was engaged in retreat? Was her "sister"'s peeping intentional or accidental? Several young ladies from the Jing'an Marquis' household were also present at the monastery at the time, making them all suspects.

The Third Prince had never expected the Queen Mother to be so decisive. His face turned pale and he whispered, "Grandmother, you... you don't like Yao'er?"

The Queen Mother was extremely disappointed. She had thought that the Third Prince was interested in competing for the crown prince position and would look for a powerful relative for himself. However, she did not expect that he would be seduced by women and chose Xie Qingyao, an unidentified woman from the inconspicuous Jing'an Marquis Mansion.

She shook her head slightly and said in a deep voice, "Xie Qingyao is of humble origin and has no connections to the imperial court. Marrying her will only narrow Yuan'er's path. If Yuan'er wants to compete for that position, how can he indulge in women? It's simply foolish!"

She sighed softly and said slowly, "If Yuan'er truly loves Xie Qingyao, it wouldn't be a disgrace to her status to take her into the mansion as a concubine. I will choose a suitable marriage for Yuan'er."

A complex light flashed in the Third Prince's eyes. He gritted his teeth and said softly, "Grandmother, I didn't ask to marry Xie Qingyao for her beauty, but... because she carries the Phoenix's fate!"

"Phoenix's destiny? Are you serious?!" The Queen Mother stood up suddenly, her sharp voice full of disbelief. Xie Qingyao looked very scheming, and every move she made was calculated. She didn't look gentle and virtuous at all. How could she be the Phoenix's destiny?

The Third Prince hurriedly supported the Queen Mother and said confidently, "Grandson has already consulted an expert to calculate Yao'er's birth date and horoscope. She is indeed a rare phoenix in the world, and her fate is extremely compatible with my own. If I can get her, I will definitely be even more powerful."

The Queen Mother's heart was filled with ripples. She believed that the Third Prince would not lie about this matter, but she still found it hard to believe.

The Third Prince frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "The reason why this grandson is so eager to ask the Imperial Grandmother for help is because he is worried that if the other princes hear about this, they will take action first. What's more, if Chu Yuncang asks the Emperor to grant the marriage, then this grandson will never have the chance to overthrow him again in this lifetime..."

"How dare he!" the Queen Mother shouted angrily, "I will never let him succeed."

She pulled the Third Prince back to the phoenix couch, her expression solemn. "I agree to your marriage, but Xie Qingyao is of humble origins after all, and it might be difficult to convince the public to directly confer her the title of principal consort. It would be better to give her the position of concubine first, and then find a suitable opportunity to confer her the title of principal consort in the future."

She patted the Third Prince's hand and said earnestly, "Yuan'er, don't worry. As long as Xie Qingyao enters your mansion, she won't be snatched away by anyone else. Besides, if her phoenix fate is real, fate will favor her."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your help!" The Third Prince's eyes showed joy. His goal today was only to ask for a status for Xie Qingyao and tie Xie Qingyao to his big ship. He didn't care whether Xie Qingyao was the main wife or the concubine. Moreover, if the position of the main wife was vacant, he could use it to win over other people.

The Queen Mother's lips curled up into a faint smile, and she spoke carefully, "Yuan'er, you are well aware of the rules of our royal family. You don't have a principal wife yet. If I were to suddenly decree that you take a concubine, I'm afraid it would be laughed at. It would be better to decree both the principal wife and the concubine at the same time, so that we can have double happiness."

The third prince was startled and felt vaguely uneasy. A bad premonition came over him.

The Queen Mother's smile widened as she spoke softly, "My granddaughter Xin'er, although two years older than Yuan'er, is beautiful, intelligent, and gentle. She is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She is the most suitable person to be Yuan'er's principal wife."

The Third Prince's head buzzed. As a prominent family in Shengjing, the Cao family's power should not be underestimated, but compared with the Meng family, which has been in the limelight in recent years, it is still a long way behind.

Before meeting Xie Qingyao, he had originally planned to win the support of Queen Meng and marry the most favored second daughter of the Meng family as his principal wife in order to consolidate the relationship between the two parties.

He had never considered the Cao family's Xin'er. He quickly refused: "Grandmother, this..."

The Queen Mother didn't wait for the Third Prince to finish and said slowly, "Yuan'er, only if you marry Xin'er can the Cao family support you wholeheartedly. I will also do my best. Otherwise..."

She didn't continue, but the warning and threat in her words were self-evident.

Seeing the Third Prince's expression soften, the Queen Mother breathed a sigh of relief and continued to advise, "As for Xin'er, if she truly encounters misfortune because she blocked Xie Qingyao's fate, then she can only blame her bad luck. The Cao family will never pursue the matter."

The Third Prince was extremely reluctant, but if he refused, he would completely offend the Empress Dowager, and his path to the throne would end there. After hesitating for a moment, he finally lowered his head, his voice filled with a hint of helplessness and compromise: "Grandson... obey your command."

The Queen Mother showed a satisfied smile on her face and said softly, "Such a great event should naturally be known to your father. I will go find him now. Yuan'er, please leave the palace early and wait for good news."

The Third Prince walked out of the Cining Palace with heavy steps. Recalling everything that had just happened, he had a vague feeling that from the moment he asked the Imperial Grandmother for an imperial decree to grant him a marriage, he had been falling into her trap step by step. Behind that seemingly kind smile, there was actually an unfathomable scheming and calculation...