Busy arranging matchmaking? Worried you'll miss out if you don't hurry?

She, Xie Ruizhi, a dignified princess, worried about not being able to marry?

The Xu family, with their social standing, being able to marry a princess would be a blessing accumulated over ten lifetimes. They should be busy currying favor, yet they're still arranging matchmaking for their son?

Yu Qingwu's eyes turned slightly cold as she secretly glanced towards a woman in the farthest corner.

She had seen that woman in the portrait album provided by Nanny Xun. It was Xu Si's older sister, Xu Fengxia, who, she heard, had married a fifth-rank official. She herself had no particular talents or merits.

Logically speaking, Xu Fengxia wouldn't have been qualified to participate in the spring banquet. One didn't know how much sweet-talking she had done with Xie Ruizhi to obtain this opportunity.

At this moment, Xu Fengxia kept looking towards Yu Qingwu. When she saw Yu Qingwu looking at her, she quickly averted her gaze.

Yu Qingwu saw it, but paid it no mind.

She merely slowly grasped Xie Ruizhi's hand, smiling as she asked, "Sixth Princess, may I ask you a question? Who told you about the Xu family arranging a wife for Xu Si? And who told you that if you didn't hurry, you would miss out on him?"

Yu Qingwu's eyes smiled, her peripheral vision intentionally or unintentionally glancing towards Xu Fengxia in the distance.

Hearing this, Xie Ruizhi was immediately stunned, and then a little embarrassed, stammering, "Sister-in-law, it was indeed Xu Family's eldest sister who told me, but she was doing it for my own good."

For her own good?

Only Xie Ruizhi would believe that.

As a member of the royal family, especially as Xie Jin Yan's younger sister, it was quite absurd that Xie Ruizhi could be so naive.

Yu Qingwu smiled lightly, glancing at Xu Fengxia on the side with slight sarcasm, and said softly to Xie Ruizhi, "Sixth Princess, would it be alright if I have a chat with Xu Family's eldest sister?"

"What?" Hearing this, Xie Ruizhi's eyes lit up, and she quickly walked to Xu Fengxia's side with a grin, helping Xu Fengxia come over.

Xu Fengxia wasn't afraid of death either. Xie Ruizhi hadn't even entered the family yet, and she was already acting like an elder sister-in-law, and in front of the Empress, no less. Leaving aside that Xie Ruizhi was a princess, even if she was just an ordinary commoner, she wouldn't tolerate her husband's sister acting so high and mighty.

But she seemed to have no brains, being extremely attentive, no wonder the Empress was angry.

When Xu Fengxia came forward, Yu Qingwu clearly saw the sharpness in the Empress's eyes, but the Empress was, after all, the Empress. There was no change in her expression, and she continued to chat with the other imperial consorts.

At this time, Xu Fengxia had already walked to the table. She wasn't polite at all, directly sitting cross-legged and immediately grasping Yu Qingwu's hand, smilingly calling her, "This must be Ruizhi's sister-in-law, right? Aiya, I've heard Ruizhi mention you, saying that you're a very nice person. Well, we're counting on you for the matter of our Fourth Brother and Ruizhi."

Xu Fengxia's face was full of smiles, but her eyes faintly revealed disdain.

Yu Qingwu saw it, but wasn't surprised. After all, she was born from a merchant family and had entered the Crown Prince's residence with such a bad reputation, so many noble ladies in the capital still looked down on her.

However, this Xu Fengxia was just too funny, asking for help while still putting on a noble appearance.

With such an elder sister-in-law, not to mention that Xu Si was not a good man to begin with, even if he were a good man, Xie Ruizhi would probably suffer a lot if she married into the family.

Although Yu Qingwu didn't like the royal family, she still liked Xie Ruizhi quite a bit. Although Xie Ruizhi was in the royal family, she was simple and kind. Even when she learned that her mortal enemies, Xiao Yumo and Qiu Shiyi Niang, had encountered trouble, she was initially gleeful, but then more often sighed and sympathized. Usually, Xie Ruizhi treated the servants around her extremely well.

If such a Xie Ruizhi entered the leech-like Xu family, the consequences were unpredictable.

Moreover, since she had promised the Empress, she naturally wouldn't let Xie Ruizhi enter such a den of wolves.

So, facing Xu Fengxia's familiarity, Yu Qingwu didn't respond.

She smiled at Xu Fengxia, withdrew her hand that had been grasped by her, and said with a dignified air, "Madam Cao, you don't need to be in a hurry to thank me. This palace is acting under the orders of the Empress Dowager to test Young Master Xu Si. As for whether he can pass the test, that will depend on Young Master Xu Si himself."

Yu Qingwu's words were very amiable, but every sentence contained "this palace" and "the Empress Dowager's orders."

First, she was telling Madam Xu that she was the Crown Prince's Consort and that she should pay attention to etiquette, and second, she was telling her that she was acting under the orders of the Empress and would never be able to act for personal gain. Her attempts at getting close were useless.

Xu Fengxia originally thought that Yu Qingwu was just a woman from a small merchant family without any background. As long as she flattered her a few times, the other party would be as easily fooled as Xie Ruizhi and listen to everything from the Xu family.

Now, after being given a gentle but firm dressing-down by Yu Qingwu, she was somewhat embarrassed in addition to being stunned.

With a flash of displeasure in her eyes, Xu Fengxia put on a smile again, glanced at Yu Qingwu unwillingly, and said, "Sister-in-law, my Xu Si and Ruizhi are truly in love. It's just that he was a little muddled in the past, which is why he has caused the Empress and His Majesty to have some prejudice against him. Crown Prince's Consort, you yourself are also from a merchant family, so you know how difficult it would be if the Empress and His Majesty don't agree. Actually..."

"Are you saying that Father Emperor and Mother Empress are petty and intolerant?" Xu Fengxia sighed, using Yu Qingwu and Xie Jin Yan as examples, intending to make her empathize. However, before she could finish her sentence, the Crown Prince's Consort on the opposite side suddenly asked coldly.

Xu Fengxia was stunned. Before she could open her mouth, Yu Qingwu said sharply, "Madam Cao, I will forgive you this time since it's your first offense. If you dare to slander Father Emperor and Mother Empress again, be careful that this palace reports you to the Empress Dowager. Just the crime of speaking ill of the Emperor is enough for you to lose ten heads."

Yu Qingwu's voice was very low, but the sharpness in her words was not diminished at all.

Xu Fengxia was immediately dumbfounded. She never expected Yu Qingwu to suddenly become angry.

When she heard that her head would be chopped off, her face turned pale, and the words she had prepared were swallowed back into her stomach.

Subconsciously, she looked towards Xie Ruizhi in a panic.

Seeing this, Xie Ruizhi quickly smoothed things over, pulling Yu Qingwu and saying, "Sister-in-law, Xu Family's eldest sister didn't mean any harm. I know you always respect Father Emperor and Mother Empress, but Xu Family's eldest sister really didn't mean it, so don't be angry with her."

In fact, when she heard Xu Fengxia say those things about her parents, Xie Ruizhi still felt a little uncomfortable. Although she herself often said that the Empress Dowager was arbitrary, that was her own mother, she could say it, but others couldn't.

But because of Xu Si, she didn't say anything to Xu Fengxia.

However, Xu Fengxia didn't notice Xie Ruizhi's displeasure. Seeing Xie Ruizhi speaking up for her, she immediately calmed down a little, thinking that the Crown Prince's Consort in front of her was just an orphaned girl from a merchant family without any family background. No matter how favored she was in front of the Empress, she couldn't compare to Xie Ruizhi, a proper princess.

Then, her eyes rolled, and she cried out to Xie Ruizhi with great grievance, "Ruizhi, I was just trying to be helpful, but now it seems that this Crown Prince's Consort doesn't like us Xu family either. I think... I should go back, so as not to be annoying here."