The beloved is reborn as a substitute, and the tyrant begs for forgiveness every night.

Xu Leyao turned around and saw a handsome man in black robes looking at them with a serious expression.

The young eunuch in his arms cowered first, struggling to kneel on the ground and shouting:

"This servant greets Your Highness Prince Su."

Xu Leyao dared not cause trouble and also bowed.

His mind raced, searching for information about this Prince Su.

Speaking of which, Prince Su, Zheng Lingjia, is indeed a brother of Zheng Zhihe from the same mother. Whenever you see him in a formal setting, he always has a serious and stern demeanor.

So incredibly boring!

Xu Leyao pondered various ways to escape, waiting for Zheng Lingjia to speak.

"Who are you, and why have you entered the palace?"

Zheng Lingjia spoke coldly.

"My daughter is a young lady from the Yongning Marquis's residence, and she has come to visit the Imperial Concubine."

Xu Leyao lowered her head and answered obediently.

Zheng Lingjia frowned even more deeply:

“I have seen the daughter of the Marquis of Yongning before, and she does not look like you.”

Xu Leyao was secretly surprised.

She vividly recalled Zheng Zhihe's lament that if his talented and accomplished younger brother hadn't been so uninterested in politics, he wouldn't have become emperor.

“My younger brother’s studies always earned praise from Father, which I envied greatly at the time! However, my younger brother is aloof by nature and does not like to communicate with others, which is why he was not made crown prince.”

Zheng Zhihe sighed as if he had survived a disaster.

Zheng Lingjia's ability to remember Jiang Xiuxiu's appearance without frequently going out suggests that he either has a photographic memory or is extremely knowledgeable about the aristocratic families in the capital.

She immediately decided to tell the truth:

"My daughter was raised among commoners and only recently returned to the Marquis's residence. It is perfectly normal that Your Highness does not recognize her."

Even though Xu Leyao made such concessions, Zheng Lingjia still didn't let her go.

"Who told you to copy her?"

Xu Leyao frowned, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

He snorted coldly:

"You have the guts to imitate her, but not the guts to admit it? You're just a poor imitation, do you even deserve to imitate her?"

Even if you imitate someone perfectly, what good will it do? You can never defeat a dead person!

After saying that, he took the little eunuch away and turned around to have his guards escort me out of the palace.

Throughout the journey, Xu Leyao was frantically trying to figure out the meaning of his words.

isn't it?

She admitted that she was close to Zheng Zhihe and Prince Li, but she had no desire to get close to Prince Su.

What did he mean by those words just now?

Before, she was portrayed as a heartless woman who seduced and then abandoned men.

Are they familiar?

Xu Leyao arrived at the palace gate, bewildered, and met the anxious Mother Jiang.

Jiang's mother looked her up and down for a long time before finally taking her back home with peace of mind.

What Xu Leyao didn't know was that no sooner had she gone to her own courtyard than both her father and the old lady of the Jiang family received a letter from the Imperial Concubine.

The letter was very simple and unadorned; it was just a plea for marriage.

Jiang Yuwei was to be engaged early and married off after reaching marriageable age.

——

Jiang's father acted quickly, and the next day a large stack of portraits of noble sons from prominent families in the capital appeared on Xu Leyao's table.

Jiang's mother eagerly pulled Xu Leyao to examine him closely, and even helped her analyze the man's strengths and weaknesses, as if the barrier between the two had never existed.

Xu Leyao nodded in agreement without saying a word, then snatched a bowl of soup from the kitchen and carried it to the door of Jiang's father's study.

"Why aren't you choosing your own husband? What are you doing here?"

Jiang's father still harbored resentment towards her and told her to leave.

Xu Leyao not only didn't leave, but instead took a few steps toward the desk.

Mr. Jiang's face darkened, but Xu Leyao remained completely calm:

"Father really knows how to do things; he loses the watermelon to find a sesame seed!"

Mr. Jiang gave her a focused look, signaling her to continue.

"No matter how favored the Imperial Concubine is, she is still just a concubine without children to rely on. How long can she bring glory to the Jiang family?"

Mr. Jiang was taken aback. He had already agreed with Xu Leyao's statement in his heart, but he still maintained a serious expression on the surface.

"Both thunder and rain are blessings from Heaven. Moreover, the Empress is currently the most favored concubine in the harem, so it's only a matter of time before she conceives a prince."

Xu Leyao raised her head, revealing a mocking smile.

"Father, why do you think the Empress has been childless for so many years? The Empress has already won the favor of the harem, this is just the Emperor's compensation to her."

The Emperor now has many children, and above them are three princes born to the Emperor while he was still a prince. What chance do you think the Empress has?

Xu Leyao spoke her thoughts expressionlessly.

Father Jiang's face grew increasingly grim.

Actually, it wasn't that Xu Leyao lied to him. Every year, the man would go to her grave to pay his respects and talk to her about what had happened in the past year.

He despised Jiang Yunxue, who conspired with him to kill Xu Leyao.

Every time I see her, I feel sorry for Xu Leyao, who died tragically.

He then punished her by forbidding her from having her own children.

Few people knew this royal secret, but it was enough to plant a seed in Jiang's father's mind.

Sure enough, the next day, the portraits that had been continuously delivered to her room stopped, and even the ones that had been delivered before disappeared.

Xu Leyao knew she had succeeded.

——

As she sipped her tea, Madam Jiang glanced unfriendly at Xu Leyao, who was standing to the side in a daze.

"Boss, Weiwei will be of marriageable age next year. You should pay more attention to her and find her a good husband!"

"Don't let her say again that I'm a biased old woman!"

Father Jiang stood up and refused:

“Mother, Weiwei has finally returned home. I want to keep her here for a few more years to properly teach her manners. Only in this way can we live up to the reputation of our Marquis’s family.”

Madam Jiang gave Xu Leyao a look that was hard to describe.

"How long are you going to keep this! Don't waste her precious time!"

Staying in the manor will only cause her distress; it's better for her to get married sooner!

This would also put his imperial concubine daughter at ease.

However, Jiang's father remained unmoved by reason:

"Don't worry, Mother, I've already made arrangements for Weiwei."

The matter should have ended there, but when Madam Jiang thought of Xu Leyao's arrogant and domineering manner, she wished she could pack her up and throw her out right now.

What arrangements can you make?

Old Madam Jiang turned to her mother and instructed:

"Eldest sister, you need to pay more attention."

Jiang's mother nodded with a wry smile.

After leaving the old lady's courtyard, Zhu'er was very worried.

"Miss, what if the old lady and madam just casually let you marry someone? What should we do then!"

Xu Leyao smiled mysteriously:

"No, they wouldn't dare."