Chapter 475 The Woman Who Wanted to Get the Imperial Throne
“Mother, do I have to go with you?” Shao Yanru looked at Madam of Duke Xing with displeasure. She frowned slightly and looked arrogant. But even so, she was still a very beautiful Young Madam.
Under her willow leaf shaped eyebrows, there was a placid look in her eyes. Although she had the proud air of aristocratic families, she was not the kind of person who made people detest her. They even felt that the woman in front of them was beautiful, elegant and attractive.
No wonder everyone said that the First Miss Shao was talented and beautiful. Not only did she have outstanding talent, but she was also very beautiful. She had a rare kind of beauty.
“According to the Empress Queen’s decree, you have to go at this age. You were in the Yuhui Nunnery before, but now you have to go after coming down from the mountain!” Madam of Duke Xing said helplessly and reached out to press her forehead. “It is all that b*tch’s fault. She forced you to come down from the mountain and ruined the situation!”
Madam of Duke Xing, of course, cared about the prince’s concubine selection. She not only cared about it, but also thought that her daughter was likely to be chosen. However, she was afraid that her daughter would be selected at this time. At present, it was the most dangerous time. Her daughter left before in order to avoid being present at the most dangerous time.
“If she marries into the mansion of Prince Zhou, what will she do when Prince Yue succeeds?”
“What will happen if Prince Zhou eventually becomes the Emperor after she is married to Prince Yue?”
Of course, Shao Yanru did not want to marry anyone at this moment. She would rather be an old lady. Before the situation was clear, she had been living on the mountain and used the reason of wanting to learn how to paint as her excuse. Others would only say that she was indifferent to fame and wealth. When other Misses from aristocratic families dressed up, she stayed alone on the mountain and lived a peaceful and unambitious life.
Anyone would think highly of her.
With her fame and wisdom, as well as the relationship with Chu Liuyue and Chu Liuzhou, it would be easy for her to marry anyone. It did not matter if she was the official wife after she got married. With her personal strength and that of Duke Xing’s Mansion, Shao Yanru thought it would only be a matter of time before she became the next Empress.
Even if she waited and got married at the age of 20, she still felt fine!
Six years was enough to make the situation clear, but now it was not the best time. She was not willing to appear in front of others.
After showing up early in front of others, without that kind of dignity and air of mystery, she would lose a lot of advantages in the future.
She only said that she would live on the mountain for more than half a year. If the situation was still unclear, she would continue to live there. She could say that her painting lessons were difficult and she needed to pay more attention to it.
She did not expect that Shao Wanru, an unknown person, would ruin the whole thing.
“That girl is too cunning. Mother, didn’t I ask you to be careful of her? You even let the First Miss of Qin’s Mansion pin her down. How could you let her recognize her kin so amicably?”
Shao Yanru said with an unhappy look.
“Who knew that this b*tch would be so sly. I did not pay attention to her for a while and I was driven to this situation!” Madam of Duke Xing frowned and defended herself.
Seeing her daughter’s face, she felt a little guilty.
Shao Yanru was her daughter, but after Shao Yanru matured, Madam of Duke Xing would always feel nervous when facing her daughter. Compared with herself, this daughter was too sensible and amazing. Even Duke Xing, who had always thought little of women, praised his daughter highly.
Her daughter was perfect in every aspect. In the entire capital, there was no Miss from any aristocratic family who could compare with her. She was not only beautiful, but also graceful in every way. Every step she took was well planned. With a daughter like her, even the mother would feel inferior.
Shao Yanru leaned on the sofa behind her. There were some mockery on her elegant face. “Mother, don’t quibble. You cannot get away with it. Don’t fight if you are not sure. You must hit her hard when you fight and you cannot get yourself involved. Mother, I think you have been Madam of Duke Xing for a long time, so you don’t even have any awareness of any crisis in the least!”
She raised her brows with a hint of iciness, making her look even more regal than before.
Such an aura was very stressful to Madam of Duke Xing. Her daughter’s noble aura was stronger than that of the other imperial concubines in the palace and only the aura of the Empress Dowager and the Empress Queen could be compared with it.
Did this mean that her daughter would definitely become the future Empress one day? Thinking of this, Madam of Duke Xing became more and more warm-hearted and obedient toward her daughter.
“This… is my fault. I thought she was just a little girl. It is not a big deal. I did not expect such a big change to happen. Later, I could not suppress it anymore. Your father is still blaming me for burning your big brother’s yard. Even if I want to burn this girl to death, I will not burn your big brother’s yard.”
Thinking of this, Madam of Duke Xing felt that her heart was still painful at this time. They were her treasures, her yard and all her painstaking efforts. She would not spare that person once she found out who had done it.
“Mother, since you cannot bear to give the courtyard to her, you should not have given her a place to live. She is a just a girl who came into our mansion. It is normal for Mother to have only an ordinary relationship with her. Why do you have to think so much about seeking fame?”
Shao Yanru’s voice was very soft and pleasant. If one did not listen to the content clearly, one would feel as if they were bathed in the spring breeze. However, the content of her words was a direct accusation against Madam of Duke Xing and she did not spare her mother’s dignity.
Madam of Duke Xing’s face turned blood red and she argued forcefully, “I thought wrongly at that time. I thought she was just a bumpkin from Jiangzhou!”
“But it turns out that you were wrong. You are the bumpkin, aren’t you?” Shao Yanru narrowed her eyes slightly and her expression became more and more unpleasant.
Originally, the plan she made was to be appreciated by her grandmother and father, which was very good. But now, it was destroyed by her mother. Shao Yanru felt that even if she was in a good mood, she would still vent her anger at this time.
“But… but…” Madam of Duke Xing was embarrassed.
“Mother, there is no ‘but’. If you feel that you cannot deal with it, just tell my father directly. Don’t talk so much that it is delayed. My eldest brother will be back. If my eldest brother sees his burned out courtyard, he will not be happy. Think about how you are going to explain it to my eldest brother!”
Shao Yanru waved her hand and started to drive her away in an unpleasant manner!
“I will explain this to your eldest brother! Your father… I can’t discuss this with him. I don’t know what he thinks about it in his heart. Maybe he will also…” Madam of Duke Xing said.
“Mother, you don’t need to explain anymore. Does it make sense for you to be jealous all day long? The relationship between father and that woman has nothing to do with you. Such a crazy woman does not deserve to be always in your thoughts for so many years. What’s worse, it makes you lose control of yourself! Mother, are you really that stupid? Why do you have to be jealous of a mad woman? No wonder father likes you less and less now!”
Shao Yanru coldly picked up the tea by the table, took a sip and said this with a smile that did not reach her eyes.
Being ridiculed by her own daughter, Madam of Duke Xing could not bear it, no matter how well-cultivated she was. What she said cut Madam of Duke Xing to the heart.
“Ru’er, you don’t understand this kind of thing. You don’t need to defend your father. It is not that I am jealous…”
“Mother, you had better forget about it. It does not make sense. You can tell them that I am sick, at this banquet. Just tell them that I got a cold after coming down from the mountain. Let the doctor in our mansion take a look at me and then the doctor outside the mansion.”
Shao Yanru became impatient and raised her eyebrows.
Being provoked by her daughter over and over again, Madam of Duke Xing was so depressed that she could not breathe properly. But now she could not ignore this serious matter. So she pretended that she did not hear the first half of Shao Yanru’s words. She calmed down and said with a dry smile, “It is fine to ask the doctor in our mansion to say that you caught a cold. I am afraid that you cannot ask for a doctor from outside.”
It would be a crime to deceive the emperor if someone who was not sick, feigned illness, to avoid attending the banquet held in the palace. Although the banquet was held to choose imperial concubines and it was said to be a process of selecting imperial concubines, it was still the Empress Queen’s order. If she really went against the Empress Queen’s order, it would be a big deal!
“Mother, you really have no ideas. You can get someone to pour some water on a few servant girls and then let the girls stay up for a night in their wet clothes. Look for the one who becomes seriously ill, then they can carry her to me and let the doctor have a look at her. Then that will be okay!”
Shao Yanru said unconcernedly.
It was cold even if one dressed in heavy clothes on such a cold winter’s night. If someone had a few pots of water poured over them during such a cold winter and stayed in their wet clothes for a whole night, she might get sick and die.
However, the lives of a few servant girls did not matter.
Madam of Duke Xing’s eyes lit up when she heard this. She immediately nodded and said, “Good, good, good, you have a good idea. I will go and ask someone to do it now.”
“Don’t you think it is too early now? Mother, the sun is still high up in the sky. When you do this kind of thing, don’t you have to do it in the evening, so few people can see you?”
Shao Yanru felt that she really could not talk to her mother anymore. It was not a routine at all. No wonder her mother was defeated by a bumpkin who just arrived in the capital city. She had to leave the mountain because of this.
In this way, that bumpkin was only a little smarter than her mother. She still did not take her seriously.
She ignored Madam of Duke Xing, who was still smiling. She thought to herself whether she should see Prince Yue first, or Prince Zhou, in private. Of course, this meeting was not meant to be a special visit. She had to meet them accidentally and express her helplessness.
Only keeping in touch with both sides could help her secure the position of Empress in the end.
She could afford to wait for three or four years. With her beautiful appearance and excellent talent, she would succeed no matter who became the Crown Princess.
However, knowing oneself and one’s enemy was the only way to obtain the final victory. She would not fight without confidence.
After thinking it over, she sat up and walked to the window. A servant girl had already prepared the ink for her. She picked up the brush and thought about the names of several ladies from the aristocratic families who might become Princess Chu and Princess Zhou. She wrote down the names one by one, and then carefully analyzed the shortcomings and advantages these ladies had.
Only after understanding all of this would she be able to plan and make a move…
As for Shao Wanru, she did not need to care at all…