kvmb Chapter 280 couldn't possibly be her either.
Chapter 280 couldn't possibly be her either.
"A-Yue hesitated at the time, but in the end, whether she was moved by His Majesty's deep affection or wanted to realize the common ideals she shared with Lady Hua and Crown Prince Chongwen, she finally agreed to the marriage."
"After A-Yue became Empress, Tai Ming Academy was able to remain one of the best academies in the capital even after the Lady of Hua disappeared. Charitable halls in various prefectures and regions were able to obtain some guarantee in terms of treating women, the elderly, and children well. In the past, there were female officials who took exams for women. Although they served in the palace, it was still a way out. A-Yue was a very good Empress. She did a lot of things. The many freedoms that women in the capital have now, including the improvement of divorce laws, are all thanks to A-Yue."
"Many people say that Ah Yue was born to be an empress. Even though she has been gone for many years, many people still remember her kindness. Every year on Qixi Festival, when women release lanterns, many of the lanterns with wishes are lit for her."
“If A-Yue were still alive, His Highness the Crown Prince…” Lan Yin paused, then quickly changed the subject, giving a bitter smile: “I’ve said too much already. It’s all in the past. You say that the Xue family’s daughter looks like the late Empress, but no matter how much she resembles her, she is not her, and it could never be her.”
Lu Yangyang nodded. "That's true, everyone is different."
“Yes,” Lan Yin agreed wholeheartedly. Looking at Lu Yangyang, she suddenly remembered something else, but paused and didn’t mention it.
After Lu Yangyang and Sheng Yunjiao left, Granny Hui came in and saw Lan Yin still in a daze. She couldn't help but ask, "Madam, are you thinking of the late Empress?"
"It's only a fleeting thought that A-Yue has been gone for so many years." Lan Yin came back to her senses and chuckled. "When she was pregnant with Yangyang, A-Yue mentioned several times that she wanted to arrange a marriage for her with His Highness the Crown Prince, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she never got to see Yangyang."
“Who can argue with that?” Granny Hui sighed. “It was fate that the young lady gained the Crown Prince’s favor upon returning to the capital. It should have been an excellent marriage, but…”
Neither of them said anything.
……
Sheng Yunjiao bid farewell to Lu Yangyang and returned to the Duke of Sheng's mansion.
Since Lan Yin left the Duke Sheng's Mansion, the mansion has been without a matriarch. Originally, the Second Madam was supposed to manage the affairs, but she argued that this was not in accordance with the rules and only took over a portion of the work, leaving the rest to Old Madam Li. Old Madam Li was advanced in years and had been idle for many years, so she was overwhelmed by the family affairs and could only occasionally ask her daughter, Sheng Shi, to come back and help.
Therefore, the Sheng family has been making frequent trips to the Duke of Sheng's residence lately.
After returning to the mansion, Sheng Yunjiao, as usual, first went to pay her respects to the people before returning to her own courtyard.
Watching Sheng Yunjiao's retreating figure, Madam Sheng turned to ask Old Madam Li, "Mother, now that Jiaojiao has come of age, what are Second Sister-in-law's thoughts?"
Madam Li leaned against the pillow, squinting her eyes without even lifting them: "How could I know what she's thinking? You're not eyeing Jiaojiao again, are you? I advise you to wake up. That second son of yours is such a good-for-nothing. It's only because your mother is still alive that I'm here. If I close my eyes, he'll be gone like a monkey. His daughter is just like him. If you marry her, hmph, she'll make your life a living hell."
Madam Sheng chuckled twice, then said helplessly, "I used to think Yangyang was the most suitable, but tell me, what is my elder brother thinking? He just won't agree to my proposal. If he had, I would have married her sooner, and none of this would have happened. Our Ziqian is good in every way, and I can't possibly mistreat my own niece. Now, how am I supposed to bring it up?"
Madam Li was very troubled: "Then why do you have to look for someone at home? You only have a few nieces, and those born out of wedlock are not suitable for marrying Ziqian, nor are they suitable to be concubines. Where would your eldest and second brothers put their faces? You came from my womb, how could I not love you? But now you have seen it, it is really not suitable. Ziqian is about the right age, you should take a better look at him."
Still unwilling to give up, Madam Sheng pleaded, "Mother, it's not that I insist on finding one of my nieces, but you know our family's situation. The heir is a womanizer, and we have a bunch of illegitimate children. My father-in-law is no less so. Everyone is eyeing the position of heir. If I don't have my family supporting me, am I supposed to spend half my life only to hand over the position of heir?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Ziqian is the eldest grandson of the Zheng family. The position of heir can't possibly fall into someone else's hands!" Old Madam Li glared at her with dissatisfaction, but she also felt that what she said made sense.
It doesn't seem like a big deal now, but Duke Zheng is getting old. If he goes, given his son-in-law's tendency to seduce anyone, who knows what he might do? When it comes to getting Ziqian named heir apparent, we'll have to rely on Duke Sheng, his maternal uncle.
Naturally, marriage alliances are the most stable.
Madam Li felt a headache whenever she thought of Lu Yangyang, considering her a nemesis specifically sent to bring misfortune to the Sheng family. But after much deliberation, she truly couldn't find a more suitable candidate than Lu Yangyang.
"It's probably hard to say about your second brother and sister-in-law. I'll find some time to sound them out. The fifteenth of this month is the birthday banquet of the old lady of General Cheng's mansion. Although our two families are not very close, Lan Yin has received a favor from that old lady of the Cheng family, so she will most likely take that wild girl there. You should talk to her yourself. If it really comes to fruition, there might still be a chance for your eldest brother and Lan Yin... Tell me, what kind of mess is this? That girl is a real troublemaker." The more Madam Li thought about it, the angrier she became.
Madam Sheng tentatively asked, "Haven't you always had a problem with your sister-in-law?"
“What good is my opinion? Look at your brother, half-dead. He’s like he’s going to die just because he’s separated from a woman. He was determined to marry Lan Yin back then, he only liked her face. What good is a woman who’s so pretty? She’s a vixen. What wife acts like her? Your brother was blind. If he had listened to me back then, things wouldn’t be like this!”
Madam Sheng said awkwardly, "How many people wouldn't like a beauty like my sister-in-law? It's just that the Lan family has strict rules, and Lan family women don't enter the palace, otherwise..."
Old Madam Li turned and glared at her, and Madam Sheng quickly shut her mouth.
……
Lu Yangyang thought of finding an opportunity to ask Crown Prince Yan Yue when he would return, but for several days in a row, the Crown Prince was too busy to be seen, so she had to give up.
Lan Yin called her over and said, "Tomorrow is the birthday of Old Madam Cheng. When I gave birth to you, I was kidnapped by villains and went into premature labor. I almost died in a dilapidated temple. Fortunately, Old Madam Cheng was passing by the temple on her way back to the capital from her hometown and noticed something was wrong. She reported it to the capital, and I was able to be rescued sooner. So I have to go to celebrate her birthday tomorrow. Would you like to come with me?"