The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

When Madam Sun returned to the house, her face began to show displeasure. In her frustration, she knocked over the tea set on the table before sitting down, panting.

"That damned slut, I didn't expect her to win over your father's heart as soon as she came back. Even the old lady gave her a lot of instructions. It seems that her good behavior in the mansion these past two days was all an act."

Qiu Lingfeng frowned. She also suspected that Jian Yue was faking it, but seeing how weak and dying she looked, she couldn't be sure.

Qiu Lingrong sat to the side, unconcerned, and said with a smile, "I knew it. Bringing such a slut back would make things quite lively at home. Who would have thought the show would start so soon? Hehe, that slut Qiu Lingyun always puts on airs and tries to seduce Cousin Xin. Let's see how she tries to act this time."

Upon hearing this, Madam Sun frowned: "What filthy talk are you spouting? If your father heard this, he would certainly not forgive you."

Qiu Lingrong pouted and said coquettishly, "Father isn't home, I was just saying it to Mother."

Madam Sun glared at her, then looked at Qiu Lingfeng and said, "Have you investigated what happened last night? Could it be that those servants who were beheaded really had nothing to do with her?"

Qiu Lingfeng nodded: "It was because the guards who were searching didn't know the rules and barged into Lingxiu's room, almost ruining Lingxiu's reputation. Father was afraid that the Princess's mansion would find out, so he had everyone present beaten to death."

"Mother, don't worry. I think that no matter what Lingxiu is really like, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Besides, we've given her the status of a legitimate daughter; she'll be too busy trying to curry favor with us to oppose us. When the time comes, we'll give her enough benefits, and she'll naturally be on our side."

Madam Sun nodded: "Then you must keep a close eye on things and make sure she is of one mind with you."

Qiu Lingfeng nodded, while Qiu Lingrong pouted: "You always make it so complicated. She's going to get married anyway. That prince is supposedly a violent man. She might get killed after she marries him. Why bother?"

Madam Sun frowned and scolded, "What do you know? What if? What if she is favored and spares her life? The power of the Eldest Princess plus the power of Qingyan Marquis, do you think this is insignificant? The Crown Prince's power is not secure now, and the Second Prince and the Third Prince are both eager to make their move. If we don't have more bargaining chips, no one knows what the final outcome will be."

Lingrong, you shouldn't always be so carefree. The Marquis of Qingyan's heir is getting married, and the prince from another family will soon be arriving in the capital. If you seize the opportunity and help Mother win over that young prince, that would be the best thing for our family.

At this point, Qiu Lingrong blushed immediately, and Qiu Lingfeng teased her, "My little sister has grown up quite a bit now. Look at how red her face is. What, have you already fallen for that little prince?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Lingrong gave Qiu Lingfeng a reproachful look and said, "Sister, you just know how to make fun of me."

Madam Sun also relaxed and said with a smile, "The little girl has grown up, and it's inevitable that she will be shy when it comes to marriage."

Qiu Lingfeng continued to laugh: "Isn't that right? Doesn't my sister blush and look like she's in love every time Mother mentions the little prince?"

Qiu Lingrong didn't mince words, blushing as she said, "Of course I've spoken of this young prince's abilities. What's wrong with admiring him? On the contrary, it's you, sister, who's shameless and flirts with Cousin Chuan all day long. You have no shame."

When Qiu Lingfeng heard her younger sister's words, she thought of Murong Chuan's daily correspondence and naturally blushed as well. She glared at Qiu Lingrong reproachfully, which made Qiu Lingrong giggle.

The three rooms on the east side of the Qiu family's house.

"This caused quite a commotion today. I didn't expect that the new girl to have such abilities."

The Third Master Qiu Zhenqi sat up, crossed his legs, and lay on the soft couch. He held a pipe in one hand and tapped the surface of the low table beside him with the other. His not-so-handsome face had a faint look of amusement on it, making it hard to believe that he was a good-for-nothing who spent his days consuming Five-Stone Powder.

After he finished speaking, a slender, pale hand appeared beside him and snatched the pipe from his lips. A coquettish voice rang out, causing Qiu Zhen's heart to tremble.

"And you know what? If this hadn't happened, I wouldn't have known that this girl held such a high position in the master's heart, and that the old lady was actually publicly protecting this little girl today."

Qiu Zhenqi chuckled and casually slipped his hand inside the woman's clothes, causing her to gasp slightly. He then smiled and said, "Isn't this a good thing? Someone is brazenly acting arrogantly right under my sister-in-law's nose, and no one can find any fault with him. Do you think my sister-in-law can swallow this?"

Upon hearing this, the woman spat in displeasure and said, "Why can't you swallow it? Isn't there an imperial decree bestowing the marriage over there? Wanting someone else's daughter to jump into a fire pit to exchange for her own daughter, you have to swallow this anger."

"That's true, but according to you, that girl won't have her life arranged so easily. My sister-in-law is definitely going to suffer some hardships."

Upon hearing this, the woman didn't reply. Instead, she leaned against Qiu Zhenqi and said with a mixture of sorrow and resentment, "Now that things have come to this, you're concerned about other women? What's wrong? I've served you for so many years, and all I've done is let you think about the woman who's making your brother jealous."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhenqi burst into laughter, pressed the woman down beneath him, and took a deep breath on her neck before saying with satisfaction, "Could it be that you're not my elder brother's woman? I've slept with you for many years, and I've even planted the seed. Are you trying to renege on your promise?"

The woman was quite frank, showing no shyness whatsoever. She casually climbed onto Qiu Zhenqi's neck, offering her red lips, her tone even more mournful: "And what have you been all these years? You gave your own woman to your own elder brother for nothing, and made your son and daughter call you the wrong father. Don't you feel ashamed?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhenqi chuckled, reached out and pinched the woman's buttocks, scolding, "What? Feeling wronged?"

The woman stood up, revealing her beautiful face. She was none other than Zhang, Qiu Zhenzhou's second wife. Zhang got up listlessly, nestled in Qiu Zhenzhou's arms, and spoke with a hint of resentment.

"How can I not feel wronged? We were already engaged back then, but your father interfered and forced me to marry your own brother. You were happy to do so, putting your seed in your brother's bowl and making him a cheap father. But what about me? I only have you in my heart, yet I have to serve another man for so many years. Tell me, don't I feel wronged?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhenqi smiled, patted her shoulder, and sighed, "Bear with it. If I hadn't followed my father and elder brother's wishes back then, where do you think we would be now?"

Dissatisfied, Zhang saw Qiu Zhenqi suddenly say sarcastically, "My second brother and Miss Shangguan have been missing for fifteen years. Let's wait and see what else the Qiu family can do."

At this moment, in everyone's eyes, Prince Bai Jianan was still on his way to the capital. After all, the rule that no prince or nobleman could enter the capital was passed down from the emperor's ancestors and could not be violated.

However, everyone in the capital's elite circles knew that this prince had actually arrived in the capital long ago and was living in his mother's residence.

At this moment, the Grand Princess Murong Yan was looking at her silly son with a headache, her tone full of earnest advice.

"Do you know what the situation will be if you agree? The Qiu family only has two legitimate daughters. Apart from Qiu Lingfeng, the other one is completely incapable of taking on any responsibility. Moreover, given the actions you've taken, they will definitely not marry their legitimate daughter into the family. They might just get a child born to a concubine from somewhere, who is not worthy of you at all."

I've met the eldest daughter of the Qiu family. She's beautiful, elegant, and exceptionally intelligent—a rare find indeed. She'll be of great help in your matter. I've used my status to keep them in check; they wouldn't dare disobey my decree. But I never expected you, this good-for-nothing, to look so disdainful. Are you trying to drive me crazy?

She finished speaking, but after looking at the person in question, she suddenly felt a headache coming on. She felt that having such a spendthrift son might shorten her life by ten years, no, maybe twenty years.

Bai Jianan leaned casually against the chaise longue, as if he hadn't heard the princess's words. Since no one else was around, he openly showed his face, smiling at Murong Yan, which made Murong Yan so angry that she wanted to slap him.

However, Murong Yan couldn't bring herself to slap him. She had raised him herself, and she still felt sorry for him. So she could only continue, "Have you thought this through? You mustn't let a small thing cause you to lose something bigger?"

"Well, I've thought it through."

Bai Jianan nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something, and smiled again, her eyes crinkling as she said, "Mother, please rest assured. We know Qiu Zhenzhou's purpose in this marriage. If we refuse, it will only breed hatred, and we certainly won't be of one mind. Since he is so determined, why not go with the flow? Perhaps you will even gain something unexpected. Why not welcome it?"

Murong Yan frowned, disagreeing with Bai Jianan's statement, and continued, "Even so, even if we don't marry, we absolutely cannot settle for less. Do you know that once you marry, there will be no room for negotiation?"

"I know, but in this capital, Mother, which family's daughter do you think would willingly marry a crooked-mouthed, slanted-eyed, uneducated, and incompetent prince who is not far from being deposed?"

Bai Jianan smiled as he spoke and continued, "Mother, don't worry. Sometimes, forced fruit isn't sweet. On the contrary, if you really taste what's sent here, it might just be a good melon, wouldn't it?"

Murong Yan paused, then looked at Bai Jianan with a probing look in her eyes: "What? You mean you already have a target?"

Bai Jianan smiled but remained silent, his mind filled with the image of Jian Yue smoothly and shrewdly dealing with Qiu Zhenzhou.