“Mother has a way,” Lady Qin gripped his hand firmly, “Rest assured.”
In the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince’s wife, Lady Qin, removed her pearl-adorned headdress in front of the bronze mirror. The maidservant attending to her hair bowed and whispered, “My lady, today the Ying Guo Gong Fu’s Lady Qin sent someone to pay respects to Fu Concubine, and they sat and talked for quite a while in the hall.”
The Crown Prince’s wife thought for a moment and understood, smiling, “Let her be. I heard that Jing Ning Hou has returned to the capital, and Lady Qin must be feeling uneasy. She’s rushing to curry favor with our palace.”
“He may be disabled, but he hasn’t fallen,” Lady Qin said. “Jing Ning Hou has extremely high prestige among the people and in the court, and he still holds military power in the North Frontier. Even if he returns, the North Yan military is full of his old direct subordinates. To speak disrespectfully, even our palace master must give him some leeway.”
Lady Qin’s father was the Jing Chu Provincial Governor Qin Hong Fang. Growing up under his guidance, she was as knowledgeable as a man. If Fu Shen hadn’t gone to the North Frontier, Qin Hong Fang might have considered him as a potential son-in-law.
Setting aside his temperament, Jing Ning Hou was upright, young, heroic, and had brilliant military achievements, making countless unmarried young ladies admire him.
Lady Qin said, “I remember Fu Concubine has a brother who will be requesting the Ying Guo Gong heir title in a few years?”
“Yes.”
“Originally, our palace master had his eye on Jing Ning Hou’s direct sister, who is now the Qi Wang’s wife. He privately inquired about the Fu family’s thoughts. At that time, the Ying Guo Gong Fu was still managed by the second master. He asked Jing Ning Hou about it. Jing Ning Hou, who was about the same age as Fu Concubine’s brother, heard that his sister was unwilling and immediately refused.”
The Fu family are all stubborn – they would rather offend the palace master to choose a satisfactory marriage for his sister.
She brushed her temples, and suddenly a faint, inexplicable sourness welled up in her heart.
