Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

At the end of the month, Xi Qiao's wedding day arrived.

Although Prince Mu had passed away, this posthumous marriage—no, I mean wedding—was still a joyous occasion, as it involved the marriage of a primary consort. Therefore, the emperor decreed that the Minister of Rites, who was nearly fifty years old, should serve as the wedding envoy to escort Xi Qiao back to the Prince's residence on behalf of Prince Mu.

A grand wedding procession escorted Xi Qiao out of the Yu residence, followed by a magnificent eight-bearer sedan chair and 166 bearers of dowry.

Although there was no male host, this unique wedding still included a banquet, welcoming guests from all directions, and the scene was extremely lively.

The person who personally received the guests on behalf of Prince Mu was a highly respected old prince of the royal family, who was also a member of the royal family who had taken the initiative to befriend Xi Qiao and had a close relationship with him.

In the main courtyard of the new house, since there was no groom, there were naturally no ceremonies related to him. Only the four wives of the imperial family, who had both sons and daughters, accompanied them.

In the bridal chamber, Xi Qiao, supported by Granny Xi, sat on the edge of the bed and then lifted the red veil herself.

Her appearance wasn't stunning, just pretty enough, but the gorgeous clothes and jewelry she wore didn't look out of place at all, and her overall aura was something no one dared to underestimate.

"The Princess Consort is of fine character and appearance."

The imperial concubines in the room were not the kind of pedantic and dull-witted women who would bring up the fact that she had lifted her red veil. They simply smiled and flattered her, saying things that pleased them.

Xi Qiao accepted the gift readily and then asked them, "Thank you all for your hard work today, sisters-in-law. I had someone prepare some warming soup in advance. Would you four like some?"

It was already quite cold in Beijing at the end of November, and walking outside in the freezing weather was a real ordeal.

"My sister-in-law is so thoughtful."

As soon as Xi Qiao addressed her as "sister-in-law," she immediately smiled and changed her address to "sister-in-law," instantly creating a warm and intimate atmosphere in the bridal chamber.

When the banquet ended and the four wives who had accompanied him in the bridal chamber were about to leave, Xi Qiao personally handed them the prepared return gifts.

"These are just some small tokens of my appreciation, mostly little things that the children like. Consider them a gift from me, their new aunt, to my nephews and nieces. Please don't refuse them, sisters-in-law."

Upon hearing that it was for the children in the family, the four wives' faces lit up with joy; this was a good sign!

The Prince Mu's mansion truly has a title that can be inherited!

Although it was a child she had carried for ten months and given birth to, it was still a princely title!

Although the eldest son has a noble status, it is still the title of Prince!

Although being adopted means you can't call yourself "Mother," it's still a title of Prince!

Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them. If they can ensure that their own child receives a royal title that can be inherited, then their descendants will have nothing to worry about. So what is wrong with giving up this title?

Moreover, when Yu Jia adopted a son for her deceased mother, she publicly told him not to change his address and to continue calling his parents "father" and "mother," so that he could take care of them in their old age and see them off when they died.

Although this incident doesn't prove anything, it at least shows that the wife of Prince Mu is not domineering or unreasonable.

If her own child were to be adopted into the Prince Mu's mansion in the future, at least they wouldn't end up separated from their parents and unable to be close.

The four wives smiled broadly and said, "Alright, we'll bring our children to pay our respects to our younger brother and sister-in-law later. We won't accept this gift yet, as we haven't paid our respects to our elders."

Xi Qiao smiled and agreed, "That's right. Once I've sorted things out at home, I'll send invitations to my sisters-in-law. I hope you can take the time to come."

"Haha, then we'll have to wait until spring. Right now it's the twelfth lunar month. The Emperor has bestowed a lot of property upon the Prince Mu's mansion, so my sister-in-law will be busy for quite some time. The palace banquets will start again in the latter part of the month, not to mention the first lunar month. I wish I could do the work of two people at once."

Xi Qiao laughed along, "That's perfect. There's not much to do in winter, so it's better to go after the New Year and into spring. When spring comes and everything is renewed, I'll invite my sisters-in-law to go horseback riding and enjoy the spring scenery at the estate."

"However, this will inevitably take a while, so please don't be distant with me, sisters-in-law."

These wives were eager to befriend her for the sake of their second and youngest sons, and she also wanted to use them to enter the circle of noblewomen in the capital.

Being the principal wife of a member of the imperial clan has always been difficult. Many men in the Aisin Gioro family have the bad habit of favoring concubines over their wives. A principal wife with a son is slightly better off, even if she hopes her husband will die early so that her son can take charge of the household. At least that is something to look forward to.

Those who have no children or only daughters are in a terrible situation, as the Mongol tribe always needs people.

For men of the imperial clan, the chance of gaining an important position from the emperor by marrying a legitimate daughter they didn't like was incredibly valuable.

For the primary wife, this was tantamount to having her heart and flesh ripped out.

If one does not have a daughter, although one does not have to worry about the pain of separation from one's flesh and blood, one is all alone, day after day, guarding an empty courtyard, being mocked and bullied by concubines, and in the future, one will have to live under the watchful eyes of illegitimate sons.

Is such a life really meaningful?

The reason why these four wives were able to have both sons and daughters, each with three to five children, was not only because they were capable and competent, but also because their maternal families were all incredibly powerful.

In patriarchal societies where arranged marriages were common, women often relied on their natal families to maintain their dignity. If the natal family was powerful and could maintain control, the man wouldn't dare to act recklessly. Once the man was subdued, the husband's family would naturally be more amiable.

Birds of a feather flock together. These four wives came from powerful families, and they themselves were not pushovers either. Most of the people they associated with were capable and shrewd.

The husbands of capable and shrewd noblewomen are usually not dull-witted or people who only hold others back.

Xi Qiao is not afraid of others plotting against him, nor is he afraid of being exploited or oppressed.

She's not afraid of being judged or schemed against; she's only afraid of encountering fools who waste her time and energy.

She did indeed have connections and informants in the palace, which made things go very smoothly for her.

Outside the palace, however, she was blind and deaf.

Even after becoming the wife of Prince Mu, she still had no power or influence, and there were many things she could not do or was unable to do.

However, people should always be good at accepting their own shortcomings. Whether to correct them or not is up to them, but leveraging strengths to make up for shortcomings is a skill that everyone should learn.

Since what she possesses is insufficient to support her needs, she will seek external assistance. With the guidance of these four wives, she will surely be able to quickly infiltrate the circle of wives of high-ranking officials. Once inside the circle, she will naturally have no shortage of information.

These four wives also needed her help, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement between them.

There is nothing of value to be gained, so there is no guilt or indebtedness.

It's just an exchange of benefits; it's all consensual, and it all depends on how much each person can profit from this "business."

Xi Qiao is confident that his gains will far outweigh his efforts.