The residence arranged for Lu Qing Wan by Si Feng Wu would naturally not be far from the imperial palace.
It was barely past half-past the hour of the snake, yet a large crowd had already gathered before the prince's mansion.
Upon seeing Lu Qing Wan alight from the carriage, everyone knelt in unison to greet her, "Your subjects pay their respects to the Princess Consort, may the Princess Consort be well!"
The display suggested that Lu Qing Wan was already the Empress.
Lu Qing Wan had grown accustomed to this, and merely raised her hand, "Rise, all of you."
She then proceeded directly inside, without exchanging further words with the crowd.
No sooner had Lu Qing Wan entered than court officials' wives began to whisper amongst themselves, "Did you see that? She's not even the Empress yet, and she's already putting on airs like one."
The woman speaking was dressed in the ceremonial robes of a noble lady of the court, her tongue unrestrained.
Her companions, terrified, shied away from her like snakes and scorpions. One close acquaintance whispered, "Sister-in-law, please stop. She is the future Empress, after all. Besides, where is the profligate son? With so many people here, what else can they say if not this?"
Seeing that the woman beside her was on the verge of tears, the speaker continued brazenly, "What are you afraid of, you coward! The court's foundation is unstable and requires the revenue from our family's canal transport business! She wouldn't dare to make trouble for us! Aren't most of us older than her? And she still puts on airs? She's been married for five years and can't even produce a mouse. Who knows if the Prince will still want her, a hen that can't lay eggs, after he ascends the throne..."
"I was unaware that the stability of the court relied on a mere Canal Transport Commissioner. Esteemed officials, you must curry favor with Madam Xiang! What if she becomes displeased and the court becomes unstable? Would we all lose our positions?"
The speaker was the Left Censor-in-Chief, who had previously treated Lu Qing Wan with disdain. Accompanying him was the Minister of Communications, whose wife Lu Qing Wan had recently ordered to be divorced. Many other court officials were also present. Had Lu Qing Wan been there, she would have recognized these men as those whose families had been on the verge of ruin due to the Turko-Mongols, but whose lives and fortunes she had mercifully spared. Over a year had passed, and some had diligently served in their original positions, while others had risen rapidly through the ranks. Regardless of the smoothness of their careers, these individuals were deeply grateful to Lu Qing Wan in their hearts. Now, hearing someone openly slander her, how could they stand idly by?
After the Left Censor-in-Chief spoke, the Minister of Communications chimed in, "Lord Xing speaks wisely. We have learned much! Upon returning, we shall certainly instruct our families to show utmost respect and reverence to Madam Xia whenever we see her!"
"Indeed, indeed. After all, Madam Xia's husband manages the canal transport of the capital. We must indeed curry favor with him!"
...
A group of officials ranked third or higher spoke in turn, cornering the Canal Transport Commissioner's wife. Even the ignorant woman sensed something was amiss and wanted to say something, but her words were preempted by an assertive voice.
"Madam Xia is indeed formidable, but I heard that the Qianjiang River channel was silted up, and many merchant ships were wrecked. It was the Unnight Continent that deployed manpower and resources to clear the channel and rescue the drowning merchant and fishing vessels along the way. I wonder what the Canal Transport Commissioner was doing then? Madam Xia must know, right?"
As the words fell, a young girl in a Xiangfei-colored qipao, wearing heeled shoes and a magnificent qipa, appeared before everyone. Beside her stood Princess Jinyang, clad in an emerald green qipao embroidered with phoenixes and peonies, also wearing heeled shoes and a qipa. The empire had changed hands, and she had transitioned from a princess of the previous dynasty to a subject's wife in the new one. However, the respect shown by Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu had spared her the turmoil associated with her former lineage, and she remained dignified and elegant to this day. At that moment, she was looking at the Canal Transport Commissioner's wife with disdain.
"Princess Consort, your background is from a marquisate. The bravery of Marquis Zhaolie is known throughout the land, and Princess An Yang of Xiliang was also a renowned woman. Since she married the Prince, the Xuanjia Army has never lacked funds for military expenses, and she has saved the Prince from danger on multiple occasions. During the campaigns against Yunqiang, Xiliang, and Northern Wei, the Princess Consort's blood was spilled on every battlefield, and every inch of the new dynasty's territory bears her merit. If she truly wanted to put on airs, she could wear the dragon robe and crown. To deny her value simply because she has no heirs—how narrow-minded are you?"
That Canal Transport Commissioner's wife, having suddenly achieved a measure of success, thought the new dynasty could not function without her husband's family and had consequently lost her composure. She also felt that since she was older, Lu Qing Wan would not be inclined to argue with her, which led to her indiscreet remarks. When she had been so quick with her tongue, she had never imagined so many people would speak up for Lu Qing Wan. She had already been intimidated when those ministers had spoken sarcastically to her. Now, being squeezed by Shao Min Min and Princess Jinyang, she was both fearful and ashamed, losing her senses and retorting.
"Who do you think you are? Still acting like a Grand Princess! Wake up, the Great Gan has long since fallen! If not for your husband's military power, and if you still wanted to put on airs of a princess, you wouldn't even be as good as a pink-clothed palace maid. And you're here..."
*Slap!* A sharp blow landed on Madam Xia's face. It was the woman who had been advising her earlier. After delivering the slap, she knelt on the ground.
"Your Highness, please calm your anger. Sister-in-law comes from a merchant family and has always believed that the Xia family's wealth was due to her maternal family. Elder Brother also owes a debt of gratitude to her maternal family, which is why we indulged her. We never expected it to make her lose her composure and utter such treasonous words. I humbly beg Your Highness to spare her life. I will take her back and report the matter to Elder Brother, asking him to discipline her strictly. There will be no next time." With a few words, she explained the reason for Madam Xia's vulgar behavior, distanced the Xia family, and then pleaded for clemency for Madam Xia. She appeared to be someone who valued loyalty and possessed intellect.
However, Princess Jinyang merely said coldly, "No need. This withered flower of yesterday cannot bear the title of Grand Princess." Having spoken, she bypassed the two kneeling ladies of the Xia family and headed towards Lu Qing Wan's residence. The woman quickly crawled aside to let her pass but said nothing. During this time, she firmly held Madam Xia's mouth, never daring to let go.
...
Inside Lu Qing Wan's residence, guests were gathered. Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu sat in the main seats, conversing happily with several elder officials. As everyone was discussing the impending oath-taking ceremony, Li Su walked up to Lu Qing Wan and whispered something in her ear. Lu Qing Wan's brow furrowed slightly. She then whispered a few words to Li Su and sent him away. Si Feng Wu saw this and inquired with his eyes what had happened. Lu Qing Wan shook her head, signaling everyone to continue. Since there were too many people present, Si Feng Wu said no more and directly asked, "With all the guests gathered, shouldn't the oath-taking ceremony begin?"
Everyone readily agreed. Lu Qing Wan, however, spoke up, "I suddenly remembered that the witnesses for the brotherhood between my brother and me are all men. Perhaps I should invite a female witness as well?"