I just want to be a princess, no, you want to be a queen

In the study, Lu Mingyang sat upright, writing. Yang Nian'er sat beside him, eating some snacks, occasionally glancing at her second sister who was writing furiously.

"Second sister, can you write a letter with just the two characters you know?"

"Look down on me!" Lu Mingyang glared at his sister in dissatisfaction.

"Let me take a look!" Yang Nian'er walked over and stuffed a candied green plum into her sister's mouth. Turning her head, she saw the densely packed words and was stunned: "Second sister, are you possessed by a ghost?"

"You are the one who is possessed by a ghost!" Lu Mingyang poked his sister dissatisfiedly.

Strangely enough, although there's no record of the Sheng Dynasty in 21st-century history books, the characters are remarkably similar to traditional Chinese. Three years of university life had allowed her, despite being illiterate, to learn a great deal of cultural knowledge. Even with a few guesses, she could still understand it.

"What did you write? Read it to me."

Lu Mingyang said, "Write a letter to grandma to let her know you're safe. Also, tell her a secret to make her happy."

"What secret?"

A cold voice came from outside the room. Lu Mingqin walked in, haggard, the medical gauze wrapped around her head making her look even sicker. She stared at the letter on the desk with lifeless eyes, her pupils suddenly dilated.

"How dare you spread my jokes?"

She tore the letter into pieces like a madman. She had always felt inferior because she was a concubine. Unexpectedly, fate played such a trick on her that she ended up being a bastard of the Xiongnu, born of rape.

Although Lu Mingyang could read traditional Chinese characters, she couldn't write them at all. She had copied the characters one by one from the book, and watching them being torn into pieces by Lu Mingqin, she felt furious.

"Lu Mingqin, you'd better accept this fact as soon as possible. Are you never going out again?"

The emperor had issued a ban on the matter of the Clear Water Pond, but he hadn't issued a ban on the matter of Lu Mingqin's identity. This was because Jin Yiluo had used this as an excuse to exchange for money, silk, and taxes.

The great general who fought against the Xiongnu had adopted a Xiongnu bastard. This bizarre news spread quickly throughout the streets and alleys. Lu Mingqin lived in this torment every day.

"Don't write, I don't allow you to write!" Lu Mingqin angrily threw the fragments at Lu Mingyang.

Lu Mingyang looked at the crazy woman calmly.

"Lu Mingqin! I never meant to laugh at you, nor did I say a single word of ridicule. But this incident has made my grandmother feel guilty towards my mother for the rest of her life. Why should I say no for your sake and not tell the person who loves me the most?"

Apart from Nian'er, her grandmother was the person who loved her the most in this world. She wanted to make the people who loved her happy.

Old Madam Yu was three thousand miles away, and it was difficult for the rumors in the capital to spread to her, so she wrote a letter specifically to inform her.

Lu Mingqin roared: "You just want to see me make a fool of myself."

"Whatever you think!" Lu Mingyang pulled his sister away. If she wasn't allowed to write, she could just go back to her room and write. That should be fine, right?

Lu Mingqin looked at the receding figure and clenched his fists.

Why am I the one being laughed at? Lu Mingyang, since you are so unkind, don't blame me for being unjust.

Back at Qinfang Pavilion, Lu Mingqin poured the box full of jewelry onto the bed.

"Mother, take these jewels and find some people to spread the good news about Lu Mingyang and Prince Ningyuan. The more outrageous the better."

"Why are you angry with her?" Aunt Liu felt sorry for the money.

"I won't." Lu Mingqin's face was filled with resentment. "I'm not Daddy's daughter, so how can she be Daddy's daughter? How dare a shameless whore like her step over me and bully me? If I can't find a good family, she can't even think of marrying into one."

Marriage is a woman's top priority since birth.

At this moment, in the small pavilion in the courtyard of Xunyang Pavilion, Zhong Bo was discussing this matter with Lu Mingyang. His wrinkled face was flushed red.

"Fourth Miss, after all, you and Prince Ningyuan... didn't His Majesty say anything about granting you a marriage?"

Lu Mingyang shook his head. "Your Majesty has ordered a silence, so granting the marriage would be self-incrimination. Besides, he issued an edict to condemn his father as a criminal, and then granted his daughter a marriage. How could he face it!"

Zhong Bo looked at the fourth girl in front of him in surprise. He thought that the fourth girl grew up in the countryside, had no knowledge, and was only brave and courageous, just like the Marquis. He didn't expect that she could think so thoroughly.

"What about His Highness? He just pretends it never happened?"

Lu Mingyang laughed dryly twice, feeling embarrassed to say that he had gotten carried away with his pride and offended someone. He shook his head awkwardly, "He doesn't have many years left to live, what good is there in him?"

"That being said, you and him... all the noble ladies in the capital are connected to the palace and are well-informed. As for how you're going to find a husband, His Royal Highness Prince Ningyuan is your best choice."

This kind of thing was not something he had the right to intervene in, but the Marquis of Chengyang only had one married daughter, and Zhong Bo really couldn't bear to see the Marquis's descendants suffer a miserable life.

Seeing that Uncle Zhong was about to wipe away his tears, Lu Mingyang smiled and chased him away, "Uncle Zhong, go and deliver the letter! My marriage is not urgent at this moment."

"How can I not be anxious..."

Before Zhong Bo finished speaking, the servant in the front yard came running over in a hurry.

"Fourth Miss, Uncle Zhong, someone is coming from the clan residence."

"So fast?"

What's so fast?

Seeing Zhong Bo’s anxious look, Lu Mingyang and Yang Nian’er looked at each other and followed him.

The front yard was filled with soldiers from the clan house. On the steps, a man in a red official robe stood with his hands behind his back, like an expressionless Shura.

"Master Zuo Zong Zheng, please take a seat." Zhong Bo stepped forward attentively and led Zuo Zong Zheng into the main hall. As he walked, he instructed the servant who came to report the news to serve good tea.

When Lu Mingyang walked in, he saw Zuo Zongzheng sitting in the main seat, and Zhongbo standing beside him, bending over, reporting to him about the property of Chengyang Marquis Mansion.

Zuo Zongzheng sipped his tea from the cup and glanced sideways at the standing Lu Mingyang.

"Who is this?" he asked.

Uncle Zhong hurriedly said, "The fourth young lady from the mansion!"

"sit down!"

The tone was indifferent, as if they were at his house. Lu Mingyang felt uncomfortable listening to it. However, she didn't understand the situation and didn't dare to interrupt rashly. She sat down obediently in the first seat on the lower left.

"Two thousand acres of fertile land, two manors, a mansion, five thousand three hundred and twenty-one ounces of silver, three hundred pieces of jade..."

Zuo Zongzheng's brows deepened as he listened to Zhong Bo's report. Without waiting for him to finish his explanation, he took the list from Zhong Bo's hand and asked, "The Marquis of Chengyang is a marquis with a fief of 5,000 households and a general. How can he have so little wealth?"

Zhong Bo said, "The Marquis has always been poor."

Zuo Zongzheng didn't believe it and said angrily, "How could such a huge mansion not even have a shop? I have seen it before."

"The Marquis is not good at business and has never owned a shop. Those shops were run with the wife's dowry, and they were taken away from the Duke of Wei's Mansion some time ago."

"Some of them belong to the Second Young Master's wife and are placed in the Second Young Master's courtyard. The Duke of Song's Mansion has been notified, but they haven't replied yet."

Zhong Bo handed over the account book, "It's all here, Master Zongzheng, please check it."

Zuo Zongzheng impatiently handed the account book to the minister beside him and said indifferently, "Let's check the accounts."