The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

Zheng Jie rushed back to the Zheng residence in a panic, stumbling and staggering into the main hall.

Madam Zheng was drinking tea when she saw Jie'er's pale face and red, swollen eyes. She was startled: "Jie'er, what's wrong? Didn't you go to the Princess's residence?"

Zheng Jie threw herself into Madam Zheng's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, "Mother, the Princess... the Princess wants to marry me off to the Prince of Zhennan! Mother, I don't want to marry him, Mother, please help me!"

Madam Zheng's face changed drastically: "What? The Prince of Zhennan? He's older than your father... How could the Princess..."

Zheng Jie nodded, sobbing, her voice trembling: "Mother, I heard it with my own ears! I heard her tell the Prince of Zhennan that I should marry him as his second wife! Mother, I don't want to marry him! His son is even older than me!"

Madam Zheng hugged her and said through gritted teeth, "Don't worry, your mother won't let you marry him. I'll go find your father right now and have him talk to the Princess."

Minister Zheng entered from outside and, seeing the mother and daughter embracing, frowned and asked, "What are you doing, crying like that? Weren't you going to the Princess's residence? What did you do to anger the Princess?"

Before Zheng Jie could speak, Madam Zheng interrupted, "My lord, the Eldest Princess wants to marry Jie'er to the Prince of Zhennan!"

Minister Zheng was taken aback, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "The Prince of Zhennan? Which Prince of Zhennan?"

Madam Zheng was anxious: "Who else? It's that Prince Zhennan, whose wife died, and who's even older than the master! The eldest princess wants to marry Jie'er to him as her second wife! You have to deal with this! My beautiful daughter, whom I raised with such care, cannot marry such an old man!"

"Slap!" Minister Zheng raised his hand and slapped her across the face, hissing, "Shut up! That's the Prince of Zhennan, what old man? If you don't want to live, don't drag your whole family down with you!"

Even if the Prince of Zhennan has no real power, he is still a prince. He is just a lowly vice minister. It is as easy for others to crush him as to crush an ant!

Madam Zheng covered her face, staring at him for a long time without saying a word. She knew she had said the wrong thing. After a while, she finally spoke, this time without the anger in her voice: "Master, we can't really marry Jie'er off to the Prince of Zhennan, can we?"

Minister Zheng walked to the chair and sat down, sighing with a worried expression: "If it really is the Princess's decree, do you dare to disobey?"

Zheng Jie looked up at him, her eyes blurry with tears: "Father, please think of something, I really can't marry him..."

Seeing her like this, Minister Zheng felt sorry for her, but could only say helplessly, "The Prince of Zhennan is a prince after all. If you marry him, you'll be a princess. Actually, it's... not bad..."

Zheng Jie burst into tears and screamed, "I won't marry! I'd rather die than marry!"

Minister Zheng slammed his hand on the table: "Nonsense! The Princess herself arranged this marriage, how dare you refuse? Can you afford to refuse?"

Madam Zheng, heartbroken for her daughter, looked at Minister Zheng and choked out, "My lord, can't you think of a way? Perhaps... perhaps we should go find Yu'er and ask her to speak to the First Prince, so that he can plead with the Eldest Princess on her behalf..."

Minister Zheng shook his head, his face contorted with worry. "Yu'er isn't having an easy time either. Her face still hasn't healed. The First Prince says he doesn't care, but he rarely visits her courtyard these days. What good would it do for her to beg him? Besides, does the First Prince have any influence with the Eldest Princess? If he had that much influence, would I have remained a mere Minister for so many years?"

Madam Zheng paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "Then, why don't you go and plead with the Fifth Prince?"

Vice Minister Zheng sighed and finally told the truth: "I made a small mistake in the Ministry of Revenue, and now Prince Yu has his eye on me. In order to keep me out of the limelight, the Fifth Prince will soon transfer me out of the Ministry of Revenue."

"Prince Yu?" Zheng Jie exclaimed in surprise. "Father, how could His Highness Prince Yu possibly be targeting you? You must be mistaken!"

"How could there be a mistake? His Highness said it himself." Minister Zheng glared at her.

Madam Zheng asked in surprise, "But how could this be? Why are you being transferred out of the Ministry of Revenue? Was there any mention of where you're being transferred to?"

Minister Zheng shook his head: "The Fifth Prince didn't say anything, he only told me to lay low for a while, it's probably a sinecure."

Madam Zheng fell silent. This news shocked her even more than her daughter's impending marriage to the Prince of Zhennan.

Although her husband was only a vice minister in the Ministry of Revenue, it was a powerful department with lucrative positions, and their family lived a comfortable life. She didn't even want to think about what their family would face if they were given a sinecure.

Looking at her father and mother, Zheng Jie cried and asked, "What about me? Father, I don't want to marry..."

"No, something's not right!" Minister Zheng interrupted her, suddenly standing up and pacing on the ground. He circled around a few times, muttering to himself, "The Princess usually doesn't act as a matchmaker, so why would she suddenly want to act as one for you, or even make you a second wife...?"

Hearing his words, Madam Zheng asked in bewilderment, "Yes? Why Jie'er of all people?"

Minister Zheng suddenly stopped and looked at Zheng Jie: "Tell me the truth, did you do something to offend the Princess?"

Zheng Jie shook her head: "My daughter wouldn't dare offend the Princess."

"If you haven't done anything to displease the Princess, why would she target you?" Minister Zheng questioned coldly. "Think about it carefully!"

Zheng Jie suddenly turned pale, bit her lip, and lowered her head.

"Speak! What exactly did you do?" Minister Zheng looked at her like this and understood everything. He shouted at her.

Zheng Jie was so frightened that she dared not speak, her lips trembling as she stammered, "I...I didn't..."

"You still won't tell the truth!" Minister Zheng slammed his hand on the table, startling Zheng Jie so much that she shrank back, but dared not speak.

"Oh dear, Jie'er, what have you done? Tell me!" Seeing this, Madam Zheng quickly grabbed her shoulder and asked.

Zheng Jie then stammered out how she had instigated Princess Yamin to deal with Yun Jin.

"You wretched girl! Look what you've done!" Minister Zheng slapped her across the face, trembling with rage. "Why did Prince Yu target me? Why did Princess Chang have to act as your matchmaker?! You brought this on yourself! You brought this on yourself!"

He looked at Madam Zheng with a pained expression and said, "What a fine daughter you raised! She actually dared to take advantage of the Princess, without even considering who the Princess is. Since the Princess has arranged this marriage for her, you should prepare her dowry! I am powerless to do anything about it!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves, turned around, and left!

Zheng Jie covered her face, watching her father's retreating figure, and cried as she looked at Madam Zheng, "Mother..."

"Jie'er, are you confused!" Madam Zheng looked at her daughter, both heartbroken and angry, and said with exasperation, "Why are you targeting that adopted daughter of the Yun family? What does it matter to you whether she seduces Prince Yu or not?"