My daughter was sold, I want to divorce her and go back to my parents' home to escape the famin

254. The Emperor Grants Marriage and Xiaoya Agrees

Wen Nuan took the order and immediately called over several agile guards, asking them to follow the stewards and maids and supervise them in handling the accounting issues.

The guards stepped forward, helped the steward and the maids up one by one, and took them out of the study.

After everyone left, the study returned to peace, with only Lin Qingxue, Donghe and Chuntao left.

Chun Tao couldn't help but say, "Master, are you going to let them go so easily?"

Lin Qingxue smiled faintly: "This is just the first step. They have been doing this for so long, it is impossible for them to explain everything clearly at once. I am giving them a chance to see what they will do next and whether there are other people behind this."

Dong He nodded in agreement: "Master, this is very thoughtful, but I'm afraid these people won't give in easily. We still need to be more careful."

Lin Qingxue gently rubbed her temples. "For the next period of time, you should pay more attention to the movements in the mansion, especially the actions of the stewards and the maids, to see if they will do anything small."

Just then, footsteps were heard outside the study, and a little maid hurried in. After bowing, she said, "Princess, the eldest princess has sent someone to invite you over. She said she has something important to discuss."

Lin Qingxue frowned slightly, thinking to herself: Why would the princess come to see me at this time? Could it be related to what just happened?

She turned to Donghe and Chuntao and said, "You stay here and watch over me. I'm going to Dongyang Garden."

Lin Qingxue came to Dongyang Garden. As soon as she stepped into the main hall, she saw Princess Anyang sitting in the main seat with a serious face.

Anyang saw Lin Qingxue come in and raised his hand slightly: "Boss's wife, you are here, please sit down."

After Lin Qingxue bowed, she sat down and asked, "Mother, what do you want to see your daughter-in-law?"

Princess Anyang sighed and said, "I heard that you checked the palace's account books today and found a lot of problems?"

Lin Qingxue's heart trembled. She hadn't expected the news to spread so quickly. She nodded and said, "Yes, mother, I found many suspicious things in the account books. Someone was falsifying the accounts, withholding monthly wages, inflating purchase prices, and concealing the farm's harvest. I was so angry that I asked the stewards and the nanny to come and investigate."

Princess Anyang was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I've heard about these things, but I've never had the energy to take care of them. The internal affairs of the mansion have always been complicated, and it's inevitable that some people will become greedy. Xue girl, you're right. You should investigate if necessary. However, you must also be careful. These people have some roots in the mansion. If you push them too hard, I'm afraid it will cause trouble. If you want to deal with them, you have to uproot them. A servant is a servant. If they are obedient and useful, you can give them some face. Otherwise, you can beat them, kill them, or sell them off. You are the master of the mansion, so you can't be soft-hearted."

Lin Qingxue understood the old lady's intentions and said respectfully, "Don't worry, mother. I understand. I just don't want the hard work of the Duke of Huguo Mansion to be wasted by these people. I have given them a chance to make amends. If they still refuse to change their ways, I will show no mercy."

Anyang looked at Lin Qingxue with a hint of relief in her eyes. "My eldest daughter-in-law, I'm relieved that you think this way. You are a capable person. I will leave the internal affairs of the palace to you. Mother believes that you can handle it. By the way, I called you here today to tell you something. Your uncle, the emperor, plans to arrange a marriage for Xiaoya. He wants to match Xiaoya with the eldest son of the crown prince."

After a pause, Princess Anyang looked at Lin Qingxue with a serious face and said, "Bo Yu is only twelve years old, but he has a steady temperament. His methods and abilities are far superior to those of his peers. I think he is a good match for Xiaoya. However, you are Xiaoya's mother after all. You should think about this matter carefully. If you are willing, you must find some foster nurses to train her well."

Hearing Princess Anyang's words, Lin Qingxue's heart tightened. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's eldest son meant that he would at least be a prince in the future, and very likely the future emperor.

Is her precious daughter worthy of such a noble status? If she is bullied in the future, will she be able to support her?

Suddenly, Lin Qingxue thought of Gu Jinxuan's words. He said that as long as Xiaoya and Xiaowan did not do anything that would harm the interests of Da Zhao and the Duke of Huguo's Mansion, he and the Duke of Huguo's Mansion would be the lifelong supporters of the two sisters.

Lin Qingxue took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She looked up at Princess Anyang, her eyes filled with gratitude and respect. "Mother, I'm grateful for your kindness and that of my uncle, the Emperor. This marriage to such a distinguished family is truly a blessing for Xiaoya. However, this matter is too serious. I'll allow you to discuss it with Xiaoya and then give you a reply. Is that okay with you?"

Princess Anyang nodded slightly, a look of understanding on her face. "Of course it should be so. After all, this is Xiaoya's lifelong event, so naturally we have to ask her own wishes. However, I have watched Boyu grow up, and he is indeed a good child. If Xiaoya can marry him, it will be a happy marriage."

Lin Qingxue nodded, but she felt mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was happy that her daughter had such a good marriage, but on the other hand, she couldn't help but worry about her daughter's future situation.

The royal family is as deep as the ocean, and one could fall into an irretrievable situation if not careful, not to mention that he is the eldest son of the crown prince and may very well be the future emperor.

The powerful and wealthy families have three wives and four concubines, not to mention the countless concubines in the three palaces and six courtyards. Even if he is not the emperor in the future, but just a prince, with a large number of concubines and maids, I don’t know if Xiaoya can handle it.

After coming out of Dongyang Garden, Lin Qingxue returned to Xuanxue Garden with a heavy heart. Donghe and Chuntao saw that she looked solemn and did not dare to ask more questions. They just followed her silently.

Lin Qingxue returned to the study, sat on a chair, and fell into deep thought. She was thinking about the pros and cons of this marriage.

After an unknown amount of time, Wen Nuan came back from outside and walked into the study. Seeing Lin Qingxue's worried face, she couldn't help but ask with concern, "Master, what's wrong with you? Are you worried about something?"

Lin Qingxue raised her head, looked at Wen Nuan, shook her head, and said, "After Xiaoya and the others finish their classes, ask Xiaoya to come over and tell her that I have something to tell her."

"Yes, master, I will tell the young master about this right away," Wen Nuan replied, then turned and left.

Gu Jinxuan frowned, and after a moment's contemplation, he said, "Xue'er, you don't have to worry too much. The Crown Prince's eldest son is of noble status. If Xiaoya can marry him, it will indeed be a good thing for our Gu family. As for Xiaoya's future situation in her husband's family, I believe that with our Gu family's power and status, coupled with Xiaoya's intelligence, we will be able to handle it."

In the afternoon, Lin Qingxue dealt with the steward and the housekeeper, then went to Dongyang Garden to talk with Princess Anyang. When she returned to Xuanxue Garden, it was already time for dinner.

She didn't ask anyone to go to the small kitchen to order food, so the small kitchen prepared a few dishes that she and Gu Huaiyuan and other young masters liked and served them.

After dinner, Gu Huaiyuan and the others went back to their own yard, and Lin Qingxue left Gu Xiaoya alone to talk.

In the study, Gu Xiaoya looked at Lin Qingxue's serious face and asked with a smile, "Mother, you are so serious, but is there anything difficult you want to tell your daughter?"

Lin Qingxue glanced at Gu Xiaoya, and remembering her conversation with Princess Anyang that afternoon, she couldn't help but sigh and said, "Xiaoya, Mother has something important to discuss with you. This afternoon, your grandmother called me over and told me about something concerning you. The Emperor intends to grant you a marriage with the Crown Prince's eldest son."

"First, I want to compensate you for the incident with the Imperial Farm. Second, I want to win over Mother. The royal family must want the pistol and the black lump in Mother's hand. Third, I want to see if Mother has any other powerful pistols like this one, so that I can bring them to the royal family as your dowry."

After a pause, she continued, "There are certainly many other reasons, but I won't go into detail. I just want to ask if you're willing to marry him. This is a major event in your life, and I don't want to force you. But I still want to talk to you about it. I want to tell you how unfaithful men are. If you don't expect to be together forever, then I suggest you marry him. The Crown Prince and the eldest son will at least become a prince. You can live a rich life, and maybe even have a shot at that position."

"If you want to be together for the rest of your life, your mother and father will find you a man from a humble family with good family traditions and character. Your brothers will also be able to protect your lifelong happiness."

Listening to Lin Qingxue's words, full of satisfaction and knowing that she was thinking about her, Gu Xiaoya couldn't help but tear up. She was so lucky to be her mother's daughter. From childhood to adulthood, it was her mother who risked her life to save her countless times, which led to her current happy life.

Otherwise, she would have died in the Sun family or on the road of fleeing famine, and how could she have become a princess and enjoyed the love of so many people.

Seeing that Gu Xiaoya didn't say anything, Lin Qingxue couldn't help but said seriously: "Xiaoya, marriage is related to your lifelong happiness. Mother will not force you. What do you think? Why not tell me and we can discuss it together."

"Mother, if I am willing to marry, what will my grandmother say? If I don't want to marry, will the royal family make things difficult for you?"

Gu Xiaoya lowered her head and thought for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Lin Qingxue with no expression on her face. For a moment, Lin Qingxue couldn't understand what her daughter was thinking.

"If you're willing to marry, your grandmother said she'll find a nanny to teach you the secret ways of the harem. Mother will also teach you some self-defense techniques, so you can be in a profitable position in your husband's family. They'll pamper you for the rest of your life, treating you like an ancestor and pampering you."

Lin Qingxue said this with a serious face. She did not hide her thoughts at all. To her, the happiness of Gu Xiaoya and her sister was the most important.

As for her two sons, she was not worried at all. If her future daughter-in-law was easy to get along with, she would be content to be the old lord, hand over the household affairs to them, and support her daughter-in-law to prevent her from being bullied by her sons.

If her future daughter-in-law is difficult to get along with, she will take charge of the household affairs, and everything in the house will be done according to the rules. She will live her own life and not get involved in the affairs between her son and daughter-in-law, letting them deal with it on their own.

After hearing Lin Qingxue's words, Gu Xiaoya's eyes flashed with determination: "Mother, I am willing to marry. I know that life in the royal family may be complicated, but I am not afraid. I believe that I can have a firm foothold there. I also want to be your pride, support you and your brothers and sisters, and support the Lin family."

Lin Qingxue looked at her daughter's determined eyes, feeling both relieved and distressed. Parents are always worried about everything about their children.

She gently touched Gu Xiaoya's head and said, "Xiaoya, since you have made up your mind, then mother supports you. However, from now on, you must study harder, improve yourself, and prepare for your future life. You must remember what mother said. You can respect and like your future husband, but you must not love him more than you love yourself. At any time, mother hopes that you will love yourself the most."

Gu Xiaoya nodded vigorously: "Mom, don't worry! I will definitely remember what you said."

Gu Xiaoya made her own decision, so she went to find Princess Anyang and asked her to ask for the nanny to return home.

After she said this, Princess Anyang naturally understood what she meant. In addition to hiring a special nanny for Gu Xiaoya, she also hired one for Gu Huaining and the others.

Soon, the emperor granted marriage to Gu Xiaoya and the crown prince's eldest son Zhao Boyu, and the imperial edict was sent to the Duke of Huguo's Mansion.

A few days after receiving the imperial edict, the nannies hired by Princess Anyang arrived at the Duke of Huguo's Mansion. There were four of them. Lin Qingxue asked them to live directly in Gu Xiaoya's courtyard. She also taught her how to take care of some of the household chores and began to learn the art of housekeeping from her.

From then on, Gu Xiaoya's life became very busy and fulfilling. In addition to learning various rules and housework tricks from the governess, she also had to learn how to make pistols, black bumps, telescopes, bicycles, and other crafts from Lin Qingxue.

Of course, she also had to find time to learn music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and martial arts. After all, she would at least be a princess in the future. She couldn't go out to a banquet without knowing anything, right?

As the days passed, Gu Xiaoya devoted herself to learning and growth, and she got up before dawn every day.

She practiced martial arts in the dim light of dawn, showing her heroic spirit in every move. She didn't care even though her clothes were soaked with sweat. She had only one belief in her heart, which was to make herself strong enough to be able to handle her future royal life with ease.

The nurses had strict requirements for Gu Xiaoya, and they carefully polished every detail from her words and deeds to her interpersonal relationships.

Gu Xiaoya humbly accepted instruction and soon became able to behave gracefully in various occasions, showing the demeanor of a lady from a noble family.

When she was learning the ways of the harem from the maids, she studied them attentively, and she memorized all the complicated interpersonal relationships and hidden fighting skills.

At the same time, Lin Qingxue also tried her best to teach Gu Xiaoya how to make various objects.

Gu Xiaoya learned the exquisite structure of the pistol, the mixing ratio of black lumps, the optical principles of the telescope, and the mechanical assembly of the bicycle.

Whenever she overcomes a technical difficulty, her eyes sparkle with excitement. This is not only an accumulation of knowledge, but also her confidence in the future.

Seeing how busy he was, Gu Huaining and his other brothers and sisters also worked hard in secret.

They knew that their sister was about to face a road full of challenges, and they had to constantly improve themselves so that they could become her solid support in the future.

Gu Huaining worked harder in martial arts, hoping to make a name for himself in the court one day.