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

"Bo Yue seems to be only thirteen years old this year? She and Huai Yuan are five years apart. How did the emperor come up with the idea of ​​bringing them together?"

Lin Qingxue frowned. Boyue will be a princess in the future, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince currently has only one son and one daughter. There is no way he could promise Boyue to Huaiyuan to win over the Gu family.

"What are you thinking? I mean that the emperor uncle might marry Boyue to the Lin family, and Huaiyuan's wife should be chosen from the powerful people in the imperial city. Mother's intention is to let Huaiyuan marry the niece of the second son's wife."

After a pause, Gu Jinxuan thought carefully and said, "There are three girls of marriageable age in the second son's wife's family, and none of them are engaged yet. Mother wants to marry Huaiyuan to Zhao Linlang, the eldest daughter of Prince An. The other two are illegitimate children."

"Why don't I have any impression of this Zhao Linlang? Is there such a person in the Imperial City?"

Lin Qingxue frowned and asked, "She's been a prominent figure in the imperial city these past few years, hasn't she? She's attended no fewer than fifty banquets, large and small, yet she's never met the eldest daughter of Prince An."

"Princess An and Prince An are completely estranged. Back then, Prince An favored his concubine over his wife, nearly killing the Prince An's brother and sister. He also favored his concubine's children. In a rage, Princess An went to my grandmother and asked her to seek justice. She directly appointed Prince An's son as the Crown Prince, arranged a marriage for her daughter, Princess Lin, and Jin Yu, and then set up a Buddhist temple in the mansion."

After a pause, he continued, "Zi Rui, also known as Prince An, was worried that Prince An would mess up his marriage, so he asked his uncle, the Emperor, to grant him a marriage. To prevent his children from repeating the same mistake, he had no concubines and only married the Crown Prince's wife, who gave birth to three sons."

"I thought they would only have a son in this life, but I didn't expect that the concubine would bribe the servants to drug Zi Rui in order to stir up trouble. In order not to betray his wife, he drew his sword and killed the daughter that the concubine sent him. That time, he and the Crown Prince's wife had Linlang."

"Because of the medicine she took, Linlang became ill, so Princess An took her in and carefully nursed her back to health. Unexpectedly, while the Crown Princess was pregnant, the concubine drugged Zirui. Forced to do so, Zirui had no choice but to favor the Crown Princess's maidservant for the antidote. Furious, Princess An drew her sword and killed the concubine and her two children, then broke Prince An's legs."

"At the time, this incident caused a huge uproar, and it was my mother who stepped in to protect Princess An. However, others still held grudges. To quell the consequences, Princess An lived with Linlang in a Buddhist temple for over ten years. Only when Linlang was old enough to get married did she contact my mother and discuss a possible marriage with the Gu family."

After listening to Gu Jinxuan's story, Lin Qingxue was completely enlightened. Is there really a man who favors his concubine to such an extent?

Is it true that the wild flowers outside are more fragrant than the flowers at home?

A wife is not as good as a concubine? A concubine is not as good as a secret lover?

Lin Qingxue touched her chin, her thoughts scattered and she began to think wildly. She was thinking that although she and Gu Jinxuan currently had a good relationship.

But when he gets older, Gu Jinxuan shouldn't be so confused, right?

Gu Jinxuan looked at Lin Qingxue, whose eyes were fixed and whose fingers were unconsciously rubbing her chin. He raised his hand and waved it in front of her eyes: "Why, are you scared by what happened in Prince An's Mansion? There are so many dirty things in the backyard. Don't think too much."

Lin Qingxue came back to her senses, her gaze lingering on Gu Jinxuan's face for a moment, and asked with a half-smile, "I'm wondering, when we're old and gray, will you also be confused and dazzled by the beautiful women out there?"

Gu Jinxuan was at a loss for words when he heard this. He reached out and tapped her forehead. "What nonsense are you thinking about? Prince An is a joke in the circle of the powerful in the capital. I, Gu Jinxuan, have been determined to be with you since I met you, and that won't change in the future."

"Hmph!" Lin Qingxue snorted twice, indicating that she didn't believe his nonsense.

"Regarding Huaiyuan's marriage, if you are not satisfied with Linlang, just change her," Gu Jinxuan said indifferently. Anyway, there was no imperial decree, so there was room for regret. Even if an imperial decree was issued and Huaiyuan and Qingxue were unwilling, he could also ask his uncle the emperor to revoke the decree.

"Let's see what happens to Huaiyuan! This is his chance to marry, as long as he likes her. My opinion is not important. It's not like I'm going to spend my whole life with that Linlang."

Lin Qingxue shook her head. Since Princess Anyang agreed to this marriage, then Linlang must have some merits and would be of some help to Huaiyuan's future. So she would not get involved.

After all, she is just Gu Jinxuan's second wife and Gu Huaiyuan's stepmother. It is better not to express her opinions on such a big matter as marriage.

Seeing that Lin Qingxue didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, Gu Jinxuan didn't say anything. The two chatted for a while and then went about their own business.

Lin Qingxue brought Chuntao and Donghe to the private storehouse and asked them to go in and find the fine and precious silk fabrics.

"Princess, I have three pieces of Xiangyunsha, five pieces of Shujin, six pieces of Yunjin, and three pieces of Jinshaluo. How do you want to arrange these pieces of fabric?"

Donghe and Chuntao found all these and put them in the most conspicuous place in the warehouse, waiting for Lin Qingxue's order to take action.

Lin Qingxue walked to the pile of precious silk and gently stroked a piece of Xiangyunsha with her fingertips. The dark brown silk was glowing and felt smooth and cool to the touch.

"Give one piece of Xiangyunsha, Shujin, and Jinshaluo to Xiaoya as her dowry, and another piece of Yunjin to make a set of clothes for each of the ladies in the mansion."

Lin Qingxue thought about it and realized that her eldest daughter’s wedding was approaching, so the dowry had to be prepared decently. It was not enough to just focus on the quantity, the quality had to be guaranteed as well.

"Yes, Princess," Chuntao responded and walked out holding a piece of brocade.

Lin Qingxue left the rest of the matters to Donghe, and she took Chuntao back to the main hall. Chuntao said something to her, and then took Yunjin to find the embroiderer in the mansion to make clothes.

At this moment, a little maid ran in in a panic, almost falling down while bowing. "Princess, a lady has come from Dongyang Garden. She said that Prince An's concubine and the eldest daughter, Zhao Linlang, are here to visit. The princess wants you to go over and entertain them."

Lin Qingxue frowned slightly, thinking to herself: Prince An's visit was so sudden, could it be because of Huaiyuan's marriage?

She turned to Dong He who had just returned and said, "Come with me to see him!"

"Yes, Princess," Dong He responded and followed Lin Qingxue towards Dongyang Garden.

Arriving at the main hall of Dongyang Garden, I saw Princess Zhao, the Crown Prince of An, dressed in a dark purple embroidered skirt with gold embroidery, with a dignified demeanor. Next to her stood a slender girl, who was none other than Zhao Linlang.

Princess Anyang was sitting on the main seat, and Princess Lin was sitting on the second seat on the other side. The two were chatting in a harmonious atmosphere.

When Princess Lian, the Crown Prince of An, saw Lin Qingxue come in, she immediately stood up and greeted her with a smile: "Princess, I hope you won't mind my sudden visit."

Lin Qingxue smiled back: "You are so polite, Princess. Please take a seat."

She glanced at Zhao Linlang and saw that the girl had eyebrows as dark as distant ink and eyes as clear as autumn water, but her face was a little pale, revealing a kind of sickly beauty.

"Eldest wife, you are here, please sit down!" Princess Anyang said after seeing that Lin Qingxue and Prince An had already greeted each other.

"Sister-in-law, these are my sister-in-law and niece from my mother's family. They came to visit me today and wanted to discuss Linlang and Huaiyuan's marriage with mother and you. What do you think of this marriage?"

Lin Qingxue had just sat down when she heard Princess Lin's words. She looked up and saw the helplessness in her eyes, and she understood.

I guess I came late, and the Princess Consort of Prince An should have brought it up before she came. However, neither Princess Lin nor Princess Anyang gave a definite answer. They should have said that they were Huaiyuan's mother and they needed to ask her before making a decision.

That's why a maid went to Xuanxueyuan to invite her over, and Princess Lin was forced to act as the bad guy because of her sister-in-law's order.

Lian Shi saw that Lin Qingxue was silent and thought for a moment. After a moment's thought, she said, "I came here mainly to discuss the marriage of Linlang and Huaiyuan with the Crown Prince's Consort. I heard that the Crown Prince's Consort hasn't arranged a marriage for Huaiyuan yet, so I thought of coming to introduce myself. My daughter, and I'm not boasting, was raised by my mother-in-law, Princess An. She has excellent character and first-class housekeeping skills."

Princess Anyang listened to Lian's words without saying a word. She just drank her tea silently.

Princess Lin would be even quieter. She and her sister-in-law had been good friends since they were still in school, so she would not say anything negative now.

However, it was not easy for her to be caught in the middle. She could only give Lin Qingxue a look and then imitate Princess Anyang, drinking tea silently without saying a word.

Lin Qingxue's heart trembled, but she remained calm on the surface. "Since the Crown Prince's Consort is straightforward, I won't be pretentious. Huaiyuan will be the heir of our Duke's Mansion in the future. As the eldest son and grandson of the family, will Linlang be able to manage the household and be a good sister-in-law and mistress of the house after she marries him?"

After a pause, Lin Qingxue glanced at Zhao Linlang's frail figure and continued, "There are only four brothers in the Duke of Huguo's Mansion. The task of expanding our family will be very important. I wonder if Linlang's body can withstand the pain of childbirth."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Linlang lowered her head slightly, a blush on her cheeks. She didn't expect that the Crown Prince's wife of the Duke of Protectorate would speak so directly and talk about having children in front of her, a girl.

Not only Zhao Linlang did not expect this, but Princess Lin and Princess Anyang also did not expect Lin Qingxue to say these words, and Lian Shi did not expect it even more.

Seeing that Lian Shi didn't say anything, Lin Qingxue continued, "Our two families are already relatives. Princess, please don't mind my directness. Marriage between our two families is a friendship, not an enmity. If your family wishes to marry Miss Linlang, I have some unpleasant things to say in advance, so as to avoid a quarrel between the two families after my death. It would be difficult for my second brother and his wife to be caught in the middle."

"Of course," Lian said embarrassedly. She had been doing this for so many years, but this was the first time she met someone who didn't give her face.

In the past, no matter how much those people looked down on her, no one dared to say such words openly and embarrass her.

"Princess Consort, our Gu family doesn't have the bad habit of taking concubines. My mother didn't place anyone in her two sons' rooms, and my second brother's wife and I won't do that in the future. However, this daughter-in-law must be able to bear children. Moreover, if she can't, she must accept her husband taking concubines and bearing illegitimate sons and daughters. The Gu family's incense can't be cut off in our generation."

Lin Qingxue's words were very harsh, without any mercy. In addition, Princess Anyang did not say anything, which made her more confident in speaking.

She didn't have any problem with the little girl Zhao Linlang, but Lian was too rude. She came to their Duke of Huguo's Mansion and acted like the Prince An's Consort, and she didn't deserve her.

Faced with Lin Qingxue's aggressiveness, he put on an awkward smile and said a few words, then said goodbye on the pretext of having something to do at home.

Princess Lin did not try to keep her, and Princess Anyang and Lin Qingxue would not try to keep her either. She was just a prince's consort, and she herself was also a prince's consort, not inferior to her. Gu Huaiyuan's status and position, as well as her own abilities and means, were also among the best in the imperial city.

Lin Qingxue just couldn't stand Lian's arrogant attitude and her attempt to control her. Lin Qingxue would not tolerate her and did not get angry directly because she was considering Princess Lin's face.

As soon as Lian left, the atmosphere in Dongyang Garden became better. Princess Lin said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you are really amazing. I really have so much trouble that I can't express it. My sister-in-law is old and can hardly hear what others say."

"She is a junior, and as her elder, I cannot say anything. You will have many interactions in the future, so you don't have to be humble to her," Princess Anyang said calmly.

"Mother, are you really planning to let Huaiyuan marry that Linlang?" Lin Qingxue asked with a frown. She was a little confused about what the charm of this Linlang was.

"I owe Princess An two favors. I repaid one, and she's using the other to ask me for a marriage between Linlang and Huaiyuan. I can't refuse outright. If this matter requires only you to step in, and Princess An is the mother of your second brother and sister-in-law, it would be even more difficult for your second brother and sister-in-law and I to step in."

Princess Anyang shook her head and said helplessly that in order to help the current emperor ascend to the throne, she owed favors to several people, and she has almost repaid them over the years.

"Okay! Second sister-in-law, tell me what your niece is like? Is she a good match for Huaiyuan?" Lin Qingxue said, turning to look at Princess Lin. If the person is suitable and Huaiyuan likes her, she would not mind the marriage.

"Don't be afraid to say that, but Linlang was taught by my mother herself. Her methods, cunningness, and knowledge are absolutely first-rate, and she is also suitable to be the mistress of the house. However, my sister-in-law often prioritizes the interests of Prince An's Mansion. I just don't know if my niece can withstand the pressure from her own mother."

Princess Lin shrugged. She knew best what kind of person her mother was. She had lived the same life since she was a child, but she didn't like that kind of life, so she chose to marry Gu Er.

"You mean your sister-in-law would ask for money?" Lin Qingxue touched his chin and said thoughtfully.

"Extorting money? Sister-in-law, you described it perfectly. Let me put it this way! After Linlang married in, she definitely wanted Linlang to influence Huaiyuan and do everything she could to promote Linlang's three brothers."

Princess Lin spoke helplessly. After all, her sister-in-law was somewhat patriarchal, otherwise her mother would not have taken Linlang in to raise her herself.