Shuse Jinjia

After discussing the development direction of the Divine Doctor Valley, the five little ones were still eager to continue, pestering Xie Zhaotang with questions.

Finally, Xie Zhaotang stayed at the Crown Prince's residence for a meal, and only took his leave after dark, bidding farewell to Duan Chengyu.

Duan Chengyu escorted Xie Zhaotang back to her residence. On the way, he smiled and said, "Seeing the Crown Prince and Duan Li's attitude towards you, you have no more resentment now, right?"

Xie Zhaotang nodded: "The Crown Prince is very wise and magnanimous!"

Even if the Crown Prince is cured of the poison this time, he won't live for many more years. It's rare that he can maintain such a peaceful state of mind.

Duan Chengyu sighed, "He and the Crown Princess had a very good relationship. If it weren't for Li Ge'er, he might have already gone to the underworld to join the Crown Princess!"

Xie Zhaotang asked curiously, "Isn't there a rumor that the Crown Princess is still alive?"

Xie Zhaotang remembered that once Huo Beiyu took the land deed for the shop that the Crown Prince had given her and even said that he had it officially approved by the Crown Princess...

Duan Chengyu shook his head: "No, the Crown Princess was seriously injured while saving the Crown Prince, and she died after giving birth to Duan Li! The rumors that she was disfigured and ashamed to face people are just that—rumors. It was the Crown Prince who didn't want to marry the Crown Princess again and had them spread."

"The Crown Prince occasionally fabricates rumors, some true and some false, to mislead people into believing that the Crown Princess is still alive..."

"The Emperor has scolded the Crown Prince many times for this matter. In recent years, seeing that the eldest grandson has grown up and the Crown Prince's poison has not been cured, he has given up hope."

Xie Zhaotang didn't ask any further questions. It was all a mix of truth and deception; who knew what was real? After all, this was the Crown Prince's private matter, and it wasn't her place to question it.

After the two arrived at the Huo family's residence, Duan Chengyu went back home.

When Xie Zhaotang entered the room, she suddenly remembered that she had forgotten something. Didn't she hear Duan Chengyu say that he had someone he liked? Was he lying to her or did he really have someone he liked?

She went back to her own courtyard as soon as she entered the gate.

When Chun'er saw her, she quickly told the maid to bring Xie Zhaotang hot water to wash her face.

"Madam, several families sent invitations to the Old Madam today, wanting you to bring some young ladies to enjoy the plum blossoms and snow. The Old Madam said you should take a look; if you're willing to go, accept; if not, decline!"

While washing his face, Xie Zhaotang asked, "Which families are involved?"

Chun'er laughed and said, "There's the Xu family, the Li family, the Xue family, and the Xie family!"

Chun'er glanced at Xie Zhaotang: "Madam Xie sent two invitations before you left the capital. One was for her birthday, and the other was to invite you to a family dinner when Third Master returned to the capital!"

"I heard this is for her nephew from her maternal family. She wants to arrange a marriage with the Li family, and she probably wants you to act as the matchmaker..."

Xie Zhaotang couldn't immediately recall which Li family this was, so he asked, "Which Li family?"

Chun'er said, "It's the Li family, the one whose idea you gave them to open the painting shop, Miss Li Xin!"

Xie Zhaotang then asked, "What kind of person is Madam Xie's nephew?"

Chun'er had already found out about this matter and said, "Madam Xie's nephew is named Lu Kun. Don't you remember him, Madam? He was already married, but his wife died in childbirth, leaving behind a son and a daughter. Lu Kun wants to remarry!"

"He thought that Li Xin was getting old and hadn't married yet, and he also heard that the Li family had opened a painting shop and made a fortune every day, so he had a thought and asked a matchmaker to visit the family to propose marriage. But Miss Li refused, so he didn't give up and went to Madam Xie for help."

Xie Zhaotang gave a cold laugh: "Madam Xie really dares to take on everything herself. I'm not going. I'll reply that I won't get involved in this kind of thing!"

She had previously pleaded for Xie Sanye's transfer to the capital because Xie Sanye was a relatively good official, not because she was grateful for Xie Jianghuai's kindness in raising her.

She didn't cause trouble for the Xie family, but Madam Xie still wanted to use her influence to curry favor with the Li family. Where did she get the nerve!

Li Xin's father, Lord Li, has now been promoted, so even if Li Xin is old, it's not his turn to remarry.

This kind of thing can't be allowed to start; it must be nipped in the bud to prevent the Xie family from taking advantage of it!

Chun'er already understood Xie Zhaotang's temper, and after hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "Madam, you really have to refuse some of the invitations. I heard from Aunt Xia that two families who sent you invitations both have daughters of marriageable age who want to give to the young marquis as concubines."

"They don't know that the people in the manor before weren't the young marquis. They thought that since the young marquis's leg was broken, they wanted to send them here to help you serve him!"

Xie Zhaotang was speechless. She and Huo Beiyu hadn't even become a real couple yet, and now a love rival had appeared?

Moreover, Huo Beiyu defied the imperial decree to refuse the marriage for Murong Qing's sake. How could these people think their daughter is better than Murong Qing?

"From now on, you and Aunt Xia can handle these kinds of posts yourselves; you don't need to tell me!"

Xie Zhaotang was so busy that he wished he could have two days in one, and he really didn't want to waste his time on this kind of thing.

Chun'er had a good idea of ​​what was going on, and then she told Xie Zhaotang some gossip: Xie Linzhu had died.

"Lord Xie sent her to the estate. When the first snow fell, the servants were lazy and neglected her. She couldn't stand the cold and ran out, only to fall into a ditch. By the time she was found the next day, she was already frozen stiff!"

Xie Linzhu was a distant memory for Xie Zhaotang, and he felt no pity upon hearing her story.

The original owner of this body had already been killed by Xie Linzhu's swarm of bees, and what she did to Xie Linzhu afterwards was simply an eye for an eye.

If Xie Linzhu hadn't harbored ill will towards her again and tried to kill her with a rabid dog, she wouldn't have retaliated.

Xie Linzhu's fate was entirely her own doing!

"Why did the Xu family send me this invitation?"

Xie Zhaotang wondered if Madam Xu still thought she and the Xu family could reconcile.

She still remembered that Madam Xu had instructed Granny Qiao to release dogs to bite Shen Jin, and Granny Qiao had already retaliated.

She spared Madam Xu's life back then because Xu Muyuan was acting as an inside agent for the Emperor, but that doesn't mean she can accept the Xu family being close to her.

Chun'er was both amused and exasperated: "Madam Xu has a niece who is only eight years old and is incredibly beautiful. Her brother used to study at the Imperial Academy with Young Master Yan. Madam Xu probably wants to marry her niece to Young Master Yan. She asked Madam Xie, and Madam Xie said that Young Master Yan's marriage requires your approval..."

Uh, Xie Zhaotang was stunned.

Xie Yan was only ten years old. Although people got married early in ancient times, she couldn't imagine getting engaged so early.

Moreover, Madam Xu came with blatant ulterior motives. She wanted to secure Xie Yan's position as the eldest grandson's study companion, given his promising future.

Fortunately, Madam Xie wasn't completely senile and didn't dare agree, otherwise she would definitely make the Xie family pay the price.

Xie Zhaotang thought for a moment and asked Chun'er to call Aunt Xia over and have her go to the Xie family to give Madam Xie and Xie Jianghuai a warning.

The Xie family was forbidden from interfering in the marriage of Yan Ge'er and Xie Tiantian, lest the two of them sell out Xie Yan and Xie Tiantian for their own benefit without their knowledge.

"I won't mistreat them if they behave themselves, but if they dare to sacrifice their children for the Xie family's benefit again, I'll expose the Xie family for what they truly are!"

Xie Zhaotang's words included her several half-sisters. Although she was not close to them, they were sisters, and she did not want them to follow in her sister's footsteps. She would protect them if she could.

In addition to giving the Xie family a warning, Xie Zhaotang also bluntly told Aunt Xia to talk to Shen Jin.

Shen Jin was inexperienced, and Xie Zhaotang didn't want her to be deceived and ruin Xie Yan and Xie Tiantian's lives.

She knew that saying these things to Shen Jin would damage their mother-daughter relationship, but Aunt Xia's words were meant as advice, hoping that Shen Jin would listen...