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

Yan Xingzhi smiled in resignation, then relaxed, leaning back on the bed, and said, "That's fine too. It just proves the saying, 'To die under the peony is to die a romantic death.'"

Bai Jianan smiled again: "Perhaps, but I'll still accept it as I did at the beginning."

He and Yan Xingzhi grew up together, were teacher and friend, and were as close as brothers. They supported each other and, over ten years, developed Qilin Pavilion to its current state, forcing the Crown Prince's faction to expose their true colors. They were just one step away from success, but Jian Yue, who disregarded certain factors, suddenly changed the course of the game. It can be said that such a decision was reckless and arbitrary, making the final outcome a mystery. No one dared to predict how it would end.

As for Bai Jianan, the creator of this game, he just wanted to pamper his beloved. Watching the characters on the chessboard disappear little by little with his beloved's movements was probably even more enjoyable than playing the game himself.

Early the next morning, Qiu Zhenzhou and Sun were woken up by the noise. Qiu Bo, unusually, dared to stand in front of his master's room and urge him to get up.

"Master, Madam, the young master has come to the manor. He says that the betrothal ceremony will be held in a few days, and he wants to marry the sixth young lady."

Qiu Zhenzhou and Madam Sun were both surprised, especially Madam Sun. She had heard last night that the young master would come to the mansion to propose marriage, but she did not expect it to happen so soon.

Qiu Zhenzhou was also taken aback. He quickly got up, opened the door, and asked, "You mean the young master came in person?"

Uncle Qiu nodded, somewhat excited: "Yes, sir, the young master is standing in the courtyard right now, with eighty cartloads of betrothal gifts shining brightly behind him. Our Qiu family has truly gained a lot of face."

Upon hearing this, Madam Sun's heart tightened: "What did you say? Eighty loads? How could that be so many? She's just a lowly hussy."

Qiu Zhenzhou quickly turned around and looked at Madam Sun with displeasure, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? Lingxiu is now registered under your name, our own daughter! If the young master hears you saying this, you'll be in big trouble."

Madam Sun snorted a few times, displeased, and said, "Yes, I really didn't expect that the young master would value this girl so much. She's really turned a pheasant into a phoenix."

Qiu Zhenzhou shook his head helplessly. Zhao Huren dressed him while comforting her.

"Don't say such nonsense as pheasants or phoenixes. Have you forgotten what the old lady said? Be careful she doesn't beat you. Then I won't be able to save you."

Besides, the young master is proposing to marry our own daughter. While the scale of the ceremony is a bit grand, it's not excessive. Doesn't it make it clear that in the young master's eyes, the Qiu family holds a high position? This way, the remaining daughters can also find partners of higher social standing.”

He patted Madam Sun's hand and said, "Once this girl is married off, hurry up and think about the marriages of your other children. Once they are all married, you will have a much easier time."

Upon hearing this, Madam Sun smiled and said, "My lord, your idea is quite good. There are still quite a few daughters in the capital who are ready to be married. Take the young master of Qingyan Marquis, for example. Although his appearance is not particularly appealing, he is still being eyed. If it weren't for the domineering nature of the Eldest Princess, his doorstep would probably be worn down by now. We've used a concubine's daughter to establish this connection. Who knows how those ladies will scorn our family? If our daughter makes any moves now, aren't you afraid of incurring their hatred?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhenzhou sneered and said, "There are plenty of people who hold a grudge against me, so naturally I have to be on guard against them. But I can't just let them bully me. Hmph! Now that I've climbed up to the Crown Prince and the Grand Princess, anyone who tries to trip me up will die."

"Now that the princess's residence is in trouble, we need to hurry with the crown prince too. Tell Lingfeng to be alert and not let anyone take advantage of the situation or cause any problems with the crown prince."

Madam Sun nodded: "Don't worry, I've already told Lingfeng to be careful. Besides, the Empress has already made her move. Once Sixth Sister's wedding is over, she will ask the Emperor to bestow a marriage upon the Crown Prince and Lingfeng."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhenzhou was overjoyed and spoke to Madam Sun with even greater tenderness: "That's wonderful. You are truly my lucky star. My wife, I have enough to live my life with you."

Before the sun had even risen, the area in front of the Qiu residence was already packed with people. When Qiu Zhenzhou came out, he saw the young master sitting on a large red box, crossing his legs and squinting at the gate.

At this moment, the gate was wide open, and a lot of onlookers gathered outside. They all seemed surprised by the young master's actions and even more curious about which girl from the Qiu family the young master was asking to marry with such a grand display.

Qiu Zhenzhou was overjoyed. When he saw Bai Jianan, his face lit up with a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum. The young master himself had come to propose marriage. What a great favor this was!

"I am late, Your Highness, I have kept you waiting."

Bai Jianan didn't rise, but laughed and waved his fan, saying, "Lord Qiu, there's no need for such formality. This is what I, the young master, should do. After all, I'm marrying a principal wife, so I must give you this much face. From now on, I'll have to call you father-in-law."

Qiu Zhenzhou burst into laughter: "How dare I? From now on, we're all family. Young Master, please."

Eighty loads of betrothal gifts were conspicuously placed in the courtyard, personally guarded by the people brought by the young master. Some people wanted to come and see what the young master had brought, but they dared not move because of the cold faces of the guards.

Of course, there are also those who are blind to reason, such as Qiu Lingrong.

Qiu Lingrong was awakened by the noise in her own courtyard before she was fully awake. She was so angry that she got up and slapped the maid next to her.

"What are you good for? It's so noisy outside, why don't you do something about it? Aren't you my precious daughter? Are you just here to freeload?"

The maid Yunxiang was beaten until her eyes were filled with tears, but she dared not cry. She quickly knelt down and said, "Miss, please calm down. It is the heir of the Marquis of Qingyan who has come to present the betrothal gifts. It is said that he brought eighty loads of betrothal gifts. Everyone is talking about it and wondering what is inside. I will go over there and ask them to keep their voices down."

Qiu Lingrong was stunned. A betrothal gift? Eighty loads of it? This young master of Qingyan Marquis was really willing to spend so much. Immediately, a feeling of jealousy arose in her heart, which twisted Qiu Lingrong's face. After a while, Qiu Lingrong said, "Give me some clothes to change. I want to see what kind of treasures these are. That little slut really doesn't deserve such good things."

After getting ready, Qiu Lingrong rushed to the front yard. When she saw the bright red chests carried by eighty people, her jealousy became even more obvious. She walked straight toward the chests, but was stopped by someone when she got close to them.

She immediately looked up, huffing, "What are you doing? How dare you stop me?"

The guard remained expressionless, showing no fear whatsoever, and said, "The young master's betrothal gifts must not be opened by anyone before they have been counted."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Lingrong's expression shifted, and she asked, "Who is your young master asking to marry? Is it my sixth sister?"

The guard nodded: "Indeed."

Qiu Lingrong smiled slightly and said smugly, "Well, I am the elder sister of Sixth Sister. We are both legitimate children. I'll take a look at my sister's betrothal gifts. Surely there won't be any problems!"

The guards were indifferent, pretending not to understand or hear, which made Qiu Lingrong furious and jump around, but she didn't know what to do. This young master's guards were completely impervious to reason.

"Oh my, who is this? Isn't this our third sister, the legitimate daughter? What? This guard doesn't even give you face? Hehe, he's really doing his duty. Hey, third sister, what do you think they would do if the sixth sister came to make the request herself?"

Qiu Lingrong looked over immediately and then sneered, "Oh, it's Fifth Sister! Ah, why isn't your face healed yet? Is the ointment in the manor not good enough? Hurry up and ask Father to get some better ointment, lest your face gets worse and you end up finding someone who isn't as good as Sixth Sister."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Lingyun's eyes widened, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Third Sister. My face is no match for Sixth Sister's, so it's impossible for me to climb the social ladder. But Third Sister, although the young master is rumored to be ugly, no one has ever seen his true face. Last night, when the young master came, I happened to catch a glimpse of him and noticed that he was wearing a mask. I wonder if the rumors are true or false."

As she spoke, Qiu Lingyun leaned closer to Qiu Lingrong and whispered, "Third sister, what do you think? If the young master is handsome, but Sixth sister takes advantage of him, wouldn't you be the one who suffers the most?"

"Our parents have already arranged my eldest sister's marriage to the Crown Prince. But what about you, Third Sister? You are a true legitimate daughter, and this marriage should have fallen to you. Now, Sixth Sister has snatched it away. Tell me, Third Sister, can you swallow this insult?"

Qiu Lingrong's face turned ashen. She turned sharply to look at Qiu Lingyuyun and said coldly, "I know without you saying it. He's just a man. Do you think I haven't considered it? What if he really looks like the rumors? Wouldn't I be the one who suffers? You're just trying to sow discord by making my sixth sister an enemy. Do you think I'll fall for that?"

Qiu Lingyun chuckled: "I didn't mean to stir up trouble. I just thought that what I did was really dishonest, so I talked to you about it so much, Third Sister. If you don't like what I said, there's nothing I can do."

Despite the rumors, what if he's handsome? And the young master's mother is the Grand Princess; after marriage, wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wants?

Qiu Lingrong narrowed her eyes, reaching out to slap Qiu Lingyun. This time, Qiu Lingyun was smarter; she saw Qiu Lingyun's movement immediately, and with sharp eyes, she pulled back, laughing:

"Third sister also wants to hit me? But what I said is correct, isn't it? Third sister, are you just angry because you're embarrassed? I actually think you're quite wronged, third sister. Your status has been taken over by someone else, and you still have to greet them with a smile. Now, that vile woman has even caught the eye of Father and Grandmother. Once she gets married and becomes the Crown Prince's wife, won't she be arrogant and look down on everyone?"

Third sister, do you really think it's not a loss?