Chapter 18

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Crown Prince clenched his jade ring with a jerk. Jinniang, this explained everything.

It was no wonder no matter how hard his men searched in Lin’an, they couldn’t find Jinniang. It turned out that she had come to Chang’an and became the second daughter of Duke Anyuan…

The Crown Prince couldn’t wait to go back to Chang’an to find her.

Qin Shu was surprised. “Did Ruoyun have a miscarriage? Why did no one tell me about it?”

Qin Miaomiao said, “Perhaps Mother didn’t want to make you worry. We’re going back to Chang’an the day after tomorrow anyway.”

The Crown Prince said to the Junior Duke Rong, “Take care of Tuan’er. I need to return to Chang’an right away.”

Junior Duke Rong: “…”

In the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang carved flowers on a melon and made two nice and appetizing snacks. Making sure Qiao Ruoyun didn’t vomit after eating them, she got up and returned to the Jin Garden.

Walking on the way, Qiao Jinniang somehow felt a pair of eyes staring at her.

For the first time, the Crown Prince, throwing aside his demeanor, climbed up the wall of the Duke Mansion and finally confirmed that she was really Qiao Jinniang…

Qiao Jinniang turned out to be the daughter of Duke Anyuan?

The Crown Prince thought it was really incredible, but it was not the time to check this matter tonight. The spring hunt was tomorrow and he was tied up. He wouldn’t have time to see her before everyone returned to Chang’an.

…

In the manor of the Duke Anyuan’s Mansion, North Mountain.

Qiao Ruoshui cried and complained to Duke Anyuan, “Sister Jinniang actually slapped me. You see, the handprint hasn’t disappeared yet. Mother dotes on her blindly. You know, I’m going to be the crown princess. How could she slap me like that?”

Looking at the mark on his daughter’s face, Duke Anyuan slightly frowned.

The Duchess said on the side, “Qiao Ruoshui, the maid has reported to me what actually happened between you two.

“The golden phoenix hairpin was bestowed by Her Majesty to your sister. How could you demand her to give it to you?!

“And this slap still can’t wake you up?

“Don’t you feel ashamed to keep saying you’re going to be the crown princess?”

Qiao Ruoshui raised her face with the red mark. “Qiao Jinniang is a scourge. If it weren’t for her, Sister Ruoyun would not have had a miscarriage!”

The Duchess said, “Jinniang is not a scourge, but you are like a scourge. If you keep being like this, I’ll just marry you off far away instead of finding you a husband in Chang’an, which will just save me a lot of trouble!”

The Duchess felt utterly disappointed that her daughter who she had been carefully educating became what she was now.

But Jinniang, her poor daughter, had been separated from her family for so long and had suffered so much. How could she let her be wronged again?

Qiao Ruoshui yelled, “Mother, everyone says that I’ll be the crown princess, but you and Father are so partial to Qiao Jinniang, and even want to marry me off far away?!”

The Duchess frowned. “Crown princess, crown princess, whenever it comes to the Crown Prince, all your manners and sanity are gone. It will save us a lot of trouble to marry you off far away!”

…

In the Duke Anyuan’s Mansion.

Qiao Ruoyun recuperated for two days and looked better than the day she came home.

Today, all the nobles returned from the North Mountain.

As soon as the Duchess entered the door, she ordered a servant to make an appointment with the Duke Qin’s Mansion to visit Qiao Ruoyun only to be told that the latter was right in the Duke Anyuan’s Mansion.

When the Duchess hurried to Qiao Ruoyun’s courtyard in surprise, she saw Qiao Jinniang telling Qiao Ruoyun about the local customs and practices of the South. “Ruoyun, Why did you come back?”

Qiao Jinniang told her what happened.

“Mother, I know I have no right to take Sister Ruoyun home, so I asked Princess Fulu to do me the favor.

“In that case, even if the Qin family wanted to refuse, they couldn’t. ”

The Duchess was furious. “Humph, how dare the Qin family torture their eldest daughter-in-law like that? Do they not want their face anymore?!”

Qiao Ruoyun bowed her head and said nothing.

Qiao Jinniang said, “Mother, I know I shouldn’t gossip about the relationship between Sister Ruoyun and her husband, but that concubine maid, Yuzhui, claimed to be Qin Shu’s cousin…

“If she is not driven out, even if Sister Ruoyun goes back, there would be no peace. ”

The Duchess asked Qiao Ruoyun, “When did Qin Shu take in that concubine maid?”

Qiao Ruoyun said, “I have been unwell recently, so my grandmother-in-law wanted to give my husband a concubine, but he refused. Then my grandmother-in-law directly gave Yuzhui to him as a concubine maid. She is the granddaughter of my grandmother-in-law’s half cousin, who was born by a concubine…”

Even the Emperor had poor relatives. Duchess Dowager Qin dug out this so-called “cousin” just to make things difficult for Qiao Ruoyun.

The Duchess patted Qiao Ruoyun’s hand. “Just have a good rest in the Duke Mansion. The Duke Qin’s Mansion must give us an explanation for this matter. If they don’t, you can divorce your husband.”

Qiao Ruoyun looked at the Duchess in shock. “Mother…”

“No men in the world are reliable.” Qiao Jinniang said, “Your husband couldn’t even protect his child and allowed his concubine maid to humiliate you. If you don’t divorce him, do you want to be angered to death by him?”

The Duchess swallowed after hearing Qiao Jinniang’s words. “Jinniang, this is just an angry remark. You don’t have to take it seriously.”

Qiao Jinniang knew that Sister Ruoyun’s miserable experience had reminded her of that jerk.

Hongling hurried in and said, “Miss, Duke Rong’s daughter, Princess Fu’an, sent you an invitation, inviting you to visit her.”

“Princess Fu’an?” In Qiao Jinniang’s memory, she had never seen this princess.

The Duchess said, “Princess Fu’an has been in poor health since childhood, so she rarely sees guests. Why did she invite Jinniang to visit her?”

Hongling nodded and said, “The concierge said that Princess Fu’an just said, ‘Second Miss, please do come’.”

The original Second Miss of the Qiao Family had already been married to the Southwest, so the Second Miss she referred to must be Qiao Jinniang.

Qiao Jinniang asked the Duchess, “Mother, should I go?”

The Duchess said with worry, “Duke Rong and His Majesty are brothers of the same mother and are very close, and Junior Duke Rong is very close to the Crown Prince…

“But if you don’t want to go, I can refuse it for you. ”

Qiao Jinniang said in a low voice, “I’ll go. I’ve just come to Chang’an after all. It’s not bad to get to know more nobles.”

Qiao Jinniang got into the carriage of the Duke Mansion, wondering why Princess Fu’an invited her to visit her.

When she arrived at Duke Rong’s Mansion, Qiao Jinniang was still upset. A maid of the Duke Rong’s Mansion led her in, but the more they walked, the more Qiao Jinniang felt it was not right.

Normally, the backyard and the front yard of a family were separated, and the womenfolk would usually live in the backyard.

But the maid was clearly guiding her to the front yard.

After guiding Qiao Jinniang to the Kirin Pavilion, the maid left.

Qiao Jinniang frowned and entered, only to hear someone call her “Mother”.

Tears immediately gushed out of her eyes. Her little Tuan’er who she had been missing all this time ran staggering towards her from a distance.

“Tuan’er.” Qiao Jinniang hurried forward and picked up Tuan’er, holding and kissing his little face. “My dear Tuan’er!”

Tuan’er rubbed his chubby little face against Qiao Jinniang’s neck and said sweetly. “Mommy, I miss you so much.”

Qiao Jinniang burst into tears. “I miss you too. I will not let anyone take you away this time.”

Qiao Jinniang wiped her tears with her handkerchief, but then she spotted the man standing under the cypress trees in the courtyard. He was as handsome as she remembered. Undeniably, his face was even more beautiful than a woman’s. Everyone said he was so handsome that he was like an immortal banished to the mortal world..