The abandoned concubine who transmigrated woke up shouting "Long live the widow!"

Prince Rui Yemu asked a probing question, "No, Third Brother, when did your attitude towards Third Sister-in-law change?"

Ye Muchen straightened up and said shamelessly, "Since we're already husband and wife, it's not good to be so awkward all the time! Besides, Xue'er is actually quite nice."

"Tch!" Ye Musi and Qin Jing said in unison.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to rebel? Hurry up and help me think of a gift for Xue'er or something to do for her." Ye Muchen said, his eyes wide.

"Cousin, you mentioned giving a gift, do you have any interesting new items?"

Ye Muchen blinked twice. At first, Jingxue seemed to particularly like silver, but now that her shop is very profitable, it seems that the small amount of gold and silver she spends doesn't catch her eye anymore. The key is that he doesn't have much either.

But he didn't have any new gadgets!

"By the way, my caravan brought back a batch of fireworks from Jiangnan. They said they're pretty good. Let's set them off for my cousin-in-law at the New Year's Eve banquet!" Qin Jing said.

Ye Muchen was also a little excited when he heard this, "Really?"

With slightly red eyes, Ye Musi said, "When you set off fireworks at the New Year's Eve banquet, it seems like you saw more than just Third Sister-in-law, right? Even the sisters-in-law in the palace could see them."

Qin Jing smiled and said, "That's true!"

Ye Muchen added, "Didn't your caravan bring back anything new? Go back and find some for me. The fireworks still need to be set off."

"If you have any rare treasures, find me a couple, and I'll give you money!" After he finished speaking, he was met with two eye rolls.

Finally, all three of them were a little drunk, and then each took their people back to their residences.

When Li Huan returned to his residence, it was already lunchtime, and his family members were all sitting in the dining hall.

"Why are you back so late today? Did something happen at court?" Old Madam Li asked when she saw her eldest son return.

"Reporting to Mother, I was summoned by the Empress Dowager after court, so I returned late!" A hint of worry was visible on Li Huan's face.

Madam Li seemed oblivious and was about to ask further when Li Huan spoke first, asking, "Did Yizhi go out to meet friends again today?"

Sun Hua replied, "Ever since he came to the capital, he always goes out very early, and I don't even know when he comes back."

Everyone present could hear the complaint in her tone. Not wanting to spoil everyone's appetite, Madam Che said, "I've been meeting with friends before the New Year, and I guess it'll be over soon. Let's have our meal first!"

"Alright! Have someone serve the dishes!" Madam Li instructed.

After the meal, Sun Hua was the first to leave.

Li Huan and his family of three accompanied Madam Li back to her courtyard.

“Mother, the Empress Dowager has arranged a marriage for Qianqian with Qin Jing, the heir of the Duke of Anguo,” Li Huan said.

Most of the prominent families in Beiye had heard of Qin Jing. The Duke of Anguo's family was the Empress Dowager's maternal family, and the Crown Prince Qin was now in charge of most of Beiye's salt industry. Although the Crown Prince did not hold a real position, he was a figure that no one could underestimate.

Madam Che said excitedly, "The heir of the Duke of Anguo? Does the Empress Dowager value our Qianqian so much?"

Li Qianqian was also a little confused, recalling Qin Jing's appearance in her mind. Why did the Empress Dowager suddenly arrange a marriage for her?

"I heard that Duke Anguo only has one son. Does that mean he'll have to take a concubine to ensure he has an heir?" Old Madam Li said, frowning.

“That’s not necessarily true. In the generation of Duke Anguo, there were only him and the Empress Dowager, and neither of them took concubines. I just don’t know if the generation of Prince Qin will…” Li Huan said.

Madam Che said, “Qianqian’s two older sisters married into families of similar social standing to ours, and they didn’t object to our requests. But the Anguo Duke’s family is just too prestigious. How can we ask them if we don’t want to take a concubine?”

Looking at Li Qianqian, who was bowing her head and remaining silent, Madam Li said, "I just don't know if our rejection of this marriage proposal will anger the Empress Dowager?"

Sitting to the side, Madam Che looked worried and replied softly, "Mother, we must not act rashly in this matter! If we are not careful, it may not only affect my husband's career, but may also bring unexpected trouble to our entire family."

Upon hearing this, Madam Li's tense face instantly darkened. She slammed her hand on the table and said angrily, "So, according to you, are you just going to watch our Qianqian marry into the Duke's mansion and suffer all the humiliation from those concubines? I can't bear to see my precious granddaughter suffer such injustice!"

Li Huan sighed, “Mother, please calm down. Our first two sons-in-law were not only sons, so it wasn’t difficult for them to agree not to take concubines. Besides, both of them had given birth to legitimate sons. But the situation with the Duke of Anguo’s mansion is different this time.”

"Moreover, this time our Qianqian is clearly marrying up, so some things can't be rushed. Even if we don't want to get married, we have to think of a way. If all else fails, I'll go to the Zhan Prince's mansion tonight. The Zhan Prince and the Duke of Anguo are close relatives. I'll see if the Prince can pass on a message between us."

Madam Che interjected, "That's right! I heard that Xue'er is doing business with Prince Qin. Tell her to talk to Qin Jing about it."

Li Huan frowned. Jingxue wasn't someone they could order around at will. He paused, then said, "I know what to do. Don't overthink it!"

After dinner, as Li Huan left the mansion with his entourage, he realized that his younger brother had not yet returned home. It seemed he would have to find time to talk to him; it was getting a bit out of hand for him to be away from home so often.

Upon arriving at the Prince of War's residence, the steward escorted Li Huan directly to the Mingyuan Pavilion.

Ye Muchen had already received the report and had the steward bring the person over directly.

Li Huan greeted Ye Muchen and directly explained his purpose.

Ye Muchen originally thought that he was worried about Li Guangxing! It turned out that he was not very willing to marry Qin Jing.

"Uncle, I can pass on your message regarding this matter. However, is it because you don't like Xiao Jing, or do you simply not want him to take concubines in the future?"

“Your Highness, this family rule was set by Xue’er’s maternal grandmother. When your father-in-law and mother-in-law got married, they also agreed not to take concubines. That’s why my mother agreed to my younger sister’s marriage,” Li Huan said with a slight nod.

Ye Muchen understood. He remembered that when he and Jingxue got engaged, Jing Zhiyuan had not made such a request of him.

"So what do you plan to do if they don't agree to this request?" Ye Muchen asked.

Li Huan sighed, "If it were an ordinary official family, we would simply cancel the engagement. Someone had proposed to Qianqian before, but they didn't accept it for the same reason, so the engagement didn't happen. But this time it's the Empress Dowager's arrangement, and it's a marriage with the Duke's family, so we can't be too direct. That's why I'm troubling Your Highness."

"Uncle, you're too kind. We're all relatives, so it's no trouble at all! I will pass on this message to you, but the Duke's mansion will need to discuss the outcome before giving a reply. I believe there will be a result before the New Year's Eve banquet, so don't be too anxious."

One is Jingxue's uncle, and the other is his own uncle. It would be great if they could become even closer through marriage. Ye Muchen thought he should ask Xue'er's opinion tomorrow.

Li Huan only drank one cup of tea, inquired about Li Guangxing's situation, and, finding the boy to be quite well-behaved, took his leave.