Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

Wei Fengyun also smiled, his eyes sparkling, as he looked down to admire Princess Feixue's beauty.

However, Jiang Huaiyu's smile vanished instantly, and her expression turned serious. Watching Wei Fengyun and Princess Feixue so intimately entwined, her heart remained calm.

Wei Fengyun absolutely cannot be with Princess Feixue.

After Princess Feixue left, Jiang Huaiyu began to think about how to solve the problem at hand. She couldn't let the two of them get together, but at the same time, she didn't want to hurt Wei Fengyun or ruin the relationship between mother and son.

Previously, Jiang Huaiyu had always believed that Wei Fengyun's happiness and well-being were the most important things, but with Princess Feixue, Wei Fengyun's future would certainly not be happy. Therefore, in order to prevent an even bigger mistake from happening, she must take action now.

Jiang Huaiyu suddenly thought of Ye Qimo, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Changning. The Marquis of Changning is now the Minister of War, a second-rank official. The Marquis of Changning's family is prominent and extremely wealthy, and his marriage to Wei Fengyun is undoubtedly a perfect match.

Among other powerful families, such as the Duke of Huguo's Mansion, the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion, and the Marquis of Changtai's Mansion, none could rival it. The newly appointed Marquis of Zhenbei's Mansion, however, held military power. If it were to form a marriage alliance with the illustrious Duke of Wei's Mansion, its power would likely reach its zenith, a cause for concern. Jiang Huaiyu did not want to see Wei Fengyao fall into trouble because of this.

Therefore, Wei Fengyun's ideal marriage partner was none other than Ye Qimo, the principal wife of the Marquis of Changning.

"Cuiying, go to the Marquis of Changning's residence and tell Madam Ye that I have important matters to discuss with her and ask her to come over in person."

"As ordered."

……

Inside the Duke of Huguo's mansion, Old Madam Chao sat at the head of the table, with the Duke's wife beside her. She addressed her daughter, Chao Huimin, who stood in the center, saying, "I have already discussed it with your father. When the apricot blossom banquet is held, we will ask the Imperial Concubine to request the Emperor to grant you and Prince Duan a marriage. At that time, you will become the esteemed Princess Consort of Prince Duan."

Chao Huimin stared blankly at Old Madam Chao, who sat at the head of the table, her face expressionless.

"Was this also Grandmother's wish?"

Old Madam Chao remained silent, while Madam Chao nodded firmly, saying, "This is the consensus of all of us."

“The masses?” Chao Huimin raised her voice. “Did any of these so-called masses ask for my consent?”

Seeing her daughter's rebellious behavior, Madam Chao felt a surge of anger. "How dare you!"

"The marriage of children should naturally be in accordance with the wishes of their parents and the words of the matchmaker. Your grandmother, your father, myself, and the Imperial Concubine have all reached an agreement on this matter. Huimin, when Prince Duan ascends the throne, you will become the Empress, the mother of the nation, enjoying the highest honor in the world. What more could you ask for?"

Chao Huimin smiled slightly, a hint of sarcasm on her lips. "I grew up with my grandmother, who always taught me that women should be independent and strong, take control of their own destiny, dare to resist all oppression, and never bow to fate. Now, the rest of my life has been decided without my consent. What am I supposed to do?"

Old Madam Chao took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and looked somewhat heavy-hearted.

Madam Chao patiently advised, "Huimin, becoming a princess or empress is the glory that countless women dream of. What more could you want? The Duke's Mansion has paved a smooth road for you, allowing you to enjoy all the honor and wealth. You cannot be so selfish. You must also think of the entire Duke's Mansion, your grandmother, your father, and your mother. Only when you become the Princess Consort of Duan can the glory and favor of our Duke's Mansion continue, and your grandmother and father's years of hard work not be in vain."

Chao Huimin stared blankly at the old lady Chao, who was resting with her eyes closed. This grandmother, who had given her endless pampering since childhood and taught her countless life philosophies, had now betrayed all the teachings she had given her.

After a long silence, Chao Huimin noticed that Old Madam Chao still had no reaction, and her eyes were filled with disappointment and helplessness.

"Alright, my daughter agrees to marry Prince Duan."

Madam Chao immediately beamed with joy, "Excellent! This is the demeanor and responsibility that the eldest daughter of the Duke of Huguo's family should have."

Chao Huimin also gave a bitter smile, "I was quite ignorant just now, I hope Grandmother will forgive me."

Grandma Chao then slowly opened her eyes and said in a calm tone, "If Huimin is dissatisfied with this marriage, then let us choose a daughter from a collateral branch of the family to marry Prince Duan in your place."

Chao's face instantly turned to astonishment, "Mother...this..."

Old Madam Chao, leaning on her dragon-headed cane, slowly stood up. "No matter who it is, they are all of the Chao family bloodline and will become the glory of the family."

As soon as she finished speaking, she led her trusted nanny outside. A chill ran through Chao Huimin; she knew her grandmother was putting pressure on her.

Just as Old Madam Chao was about to step out of the room, Chao Huimin suddenly spoke up: "Granddaughter is willing to marry Prince Duan as a concubine for the benefit of the Duke of Huguo's mansion."

Old Madam Chao paused briefly, said nothing, and then continued walking away.

Recently, the teams that Steward Zheng sent out to purchase grain have been returning one after another.

Jiang Huaiyu purchased five estates in the suburbs of Beijing and stored the acquired grain in granaries. The grain piled up like mountains, filling ten huge granaries, each capable of holding about a thousand tons of grain.

He also organized his tenants to dry various vegetables and pickle them. Dried radishes, dried potato slices, dried eggplant strips, as well as pickled radishes, peppers, cucumbers, and other salted vegetables, along with various salted duck eggs and salted chicken eggs, were all sealed in earthenware jars for consumption during famines the following year.

That day, Jiang Huaiyu was checking the account books when Cuiying rushed over with news from the palace.

"Consort Li has been reinstated."

Jiang Huaiyu simply nodded, unsurprised. Judging from the current situation in the harem, Consort Cao held immense power, supported by the princes and the Duke of Huguo's mansion. Consort Xi, lacking a prince to rely on, was naturally unable to contend with Consort Cao. Only by reinstating Consort Li, creating a three-way balance of power in the harem, could Consort Cao be effectively restrained, paving the way for the Seventh Prince's future ascension to the throne.

Jiang Huaiyu had no idea how Wei Fengyao in his previous life had defeated Prince Duan, Prince Rui, and Prince Shu in the ever-changing court, thus successfully ascending to the throne.

However, she clearly remembered that Wei Fengyao had once been in financial trouble in his previous life. Therefore, Jiang Huaiyu decided to work hard to accumulate wealth now so that she could provide assistance to Wei Fengyao when the time was right.

"Consort Cao has already issued the order to hold the Apricot Blossom Banquet. Have all the masters of the mansion prepared the clothes and accessories they need to wear on the day of the banquet?" Jiang Huaiyu asked Cuiying.

“Everything is ready. The three young masters will all be dressed in their official robes, but Miss Biao will be wearing her own clothes. Several weeks ago, we commissioned a tailor from a local workshop to make a custom-made outfit for her. The clothes were completed yesterday and delivered to your residence,” Cuiying replied.

Jiang Huaiyu nodded, indicating his satisfaction.