bayedsolid Chapter 359 The Generations Have Gone Astray?
Chapter 359 The Generations Have Gone Astray?
Before Liu could finish speaking, Mu Xin Nuan could roughly guess why they were so worried about her.
The Crown Princess's family name is Xie, a well-known and prestigious family in the Great Yong Dynasty. Although they are not as wealthy and powerful as the Empress Dowager's family, the Wang family, they still have a rich history spanning generations and should not be underestimated.
The Xie family cannot compare to the Wang family, but compared to the small Mu family, they are far superior. To put it bluntly, even three or five Mu families combined wouldn't be as powerful as one Xie family!
Although the Empress had her eye on someone from her own family, it was only the title of a concubine. The Empress didn't necessarily have to force the Prince to marry the woman she had chosen. After all, the future principal wife of Prince Changsun was already from the royal family, so other things weren't really that important.
But the Crown Princess might not think that way.
Whether she wanted to win over Prince Chang Le or keep a close eye on him, the Crown Princess would definitely send someone to keep an eye on him. And the best way to do this, of course, was to become Prince Chang Le's bedmate!
This is exactly what Liu and Li were worried about!
Once the Xie family's daughter enters the Prince's mansion as a concubine, although her status is lower, the Xie family has a powerful background and is older than Mu Xin Nuan, so she will naturally enter the mansion earlier. If Mu Xin Nuan marries into the mansion two years later, who knows what will happen?
If the prince's heart has already been bewitched by someone else, then even if Mu Xin Nuan has the status of a principal wife in the future, it will be nothing but empty talk!
Both women were experienced and naturally understood how casual men could be about matters of the heart. Especially Liu, who, while not exactly disappointed in her husband, was at least no longer as naive as she had been before her marriage.
As for Madam Li, she had personally witnessed how Prince Chang Le treated Mu Xin Nuan, and she also believed that with her daughter's intelligence, she might not lose to those young ladies from wealthy and powerful families. However, she was afraid that it would be a bit more difficult for her.
"Anuan, did the Prince give you any hints about this matter beforehand?"
Mu Xin Nuan shook her head, but to reassure her mother and aunt, she said shyly, "The prince did mention before that I would be the only mistress of the mansion, and the other women would be either guests or servants."
Liu was taken aback. She had heard before that the Prince of Chang Le was devoted to Mu Xin Nuan and doted on her. She was quite surprised to hear this from Mu Xin Nuan herself.
"Anuan, what you said was just the prince coaxing you before. You actually believed it?" Liu Shi naturally didn't believe that a man could be sincere when he said such things, especially since it was said by a prince of high rank and power.
“Aunt, he said those words; I’m just repeating them.”
“Anuan, you came here this morning not just because of this.” Madam Li’s expression became slightly more serious, and she gently rubbed her forehead. “Her Majesty the Empress has decreed that a tea party will be held in the palace tomorrow, and she specifically requested that you attend.”
Mu Xin Nuan's heart skipped a beat. Tomorrow? So soon?
No wonder my mother and aunt looked so upset; this was what was really worrying them!
The so-called tea party was nothing more than a group of women sitting together, chatting, and perhaps showcasing some talents to impress the Empress. For her, it was not only disadvantageous, but far too troublesome!
Mu Xin Nuan could even imagine what would happen if the Empress directly stated her opinion on which one she wanted to make a concubine. How would she, the unmarried principal wife, cope with that? How would she put herself in that situation?
Of course, who is the Empress? If she wants to choose a concubine for Prince Chang Le, even if Mu Xin Nuan is Prince Chang Le's principal wife, she has no say in the matter!
Thinking of this, Mu Xin Nuan's palms began to sweat.
The Empress appears kind, but she doesn't know the details. Just thinking about it, the fact that the Empress has almost exclusively favored the harem over the years is enough to demonstrate her abilities!
“Anuan, you absolutely must attend the tea party tomorrow. Fortunately, your aunt and I are also among the invitees. So please make sure you don’t leave our sight.”
"Yes, Mother. Your daughter understands."
Madam Liu nodded anxiously, "Sister, isn't there any way to stop Anuan from going? I feel there's something strange about this. Besides, I heard that the people the Empress favored and the Crown Princess chose all had feelings for Prince Chang Le. What if they join forces to harm Anuan?"
Madam Li shook her head. "This is Her Majesty's decree. How can we disobey it? Besides, since Anuan has been bestowed the title of Princess Consort of Prince Chang Le by imperial decree, she must have the awareness and ability of a royal wife!"
Liu choked for a moment, and said somewhat unwillingly, "But Anuan is only fourteen, she's still a child."
Seeing how much her two elders had gone to great lengths for her, Mu Xin Nuan smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Mother is right. Who would dare disobey Her Majesty's decree? Besides, if I'm so stupid that I can't even handle a few young ladies, how will I help the Prince manage the Prince's mansion in the future?"
Seeing that Mu Xin Nuan herself had expressed such a stance, Liu could only sigh and shake her head. "Very well! You just need to be more careful then. Especially that girl from the Xie family named Xie Yi Lin, I really don't think she's a good person. She's clearly just a concubine's daughter, but she acts like a legitimate daughter wherever she goes, it's really disgusting!"
"Xie Yilin? That name sounds familiar," Mu Xinnuan murmured.
"She is a concubine's daughter from the Xie family's main line, and also the Crown Princess's niece. I heard she is a famous talented woman in the capital, and she also has beautiful handwriting. Even the Emperor has praised her," Liu explained.
"Now it seems that Miss Xie is probably the most popular candidate to become the concubine of Prince Chang Le," Li sighed.
Madam Liu chimed in, "Yes, this Miss Xie is truly remarkable! I've heard that even the eldest daughter of the Xie family isn't as favored in the household as she is. Of course, this is partly because she has a favored concubine, but it's also inseparable from her own shrewdness."
"But if we really choose her, wouldn't the generational order be messed up?"
Mu Xin Nuan wasn't concerned about her abilities, because she felt that she didn't need to rush things. Duanmu Chu Ze would definitely find a way to handle everything properly. But Xie Yi Lin paired with Duanmu Chu Ze? It just seemed a bit ridiculous.