Chapter 1268

Chapter 1268 Weddings, Each Livelier Than Another

“What’s wrong? Talk things over calmly.” Consort Dowager Qing looked rather displeased.

Chu Qing was scared. Along the way, many people had seen him in such a mess, and he was quite beside himself with anger. However, her mother’s reproachful glare sobered him up a little. After a deep breath, he coldly told Mo Qiuyi, “If you don’t think your plan through, don’t make any reckless moves. You almost got me killed.”

After that, he wildly swung his sleeves and strode away. He had got into this unholy mess. How could he be in the mood to talk about the matter in detail?

Mo Qiuyi was scolded for no reason right before Consort Dowager Qing. She felt ashamed and wronged for a moment, and her tears fell immediately.

Chu Qing had always been obedient to her. Never had he treated her rudely like this!

“Well, I know you feel aggrieved. When Qing’er returns, I’ll ask him to apologize to you,” Consort Dowager Qing gently comforted her. Although she didn’t know why Chu Qing lost his temper, she was not angry with him for losing his temper at Mo Qiuyi. If her son was always good-tempered and under the control of a woman, she would hold him in contempt.

“Consort Dowager Qing… I was wrong. I’m afraid my plan was not good enough. Because of it… His highness suffered.” Mo Qiuyi said, wiping her tears.

Chu Qing had just returned from Prince Chen’s Mansion. Since he came back in such a sorry plight, it was apparent that things did not go well. In this case, she would never let Chu Qing apologize.

“It’s best if you can think in this way. You will soon marry into the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion. You two should live together with one heart. If a couple unites as one, their strength is powerful enough to cut metal. When I am old, I’m glad you can accompany Qing’er.” Consort Dowager Qing said with great relief and a kind look.

At this time, no matter how aggrieved Mo Qiuyi was, she gradually managed to reveal a smile. She must please Consort Dowager Qing. In the past, she did not think it was necessary. After all, her strength was not negligible. Her family had contributed a lot to helping Consort Dowager Qing bring up Chu Qing in the Yuhui Nunnery. Because of this, Consort Dowager Qing and Chu Qing owed her gratitude and respect.

Unfortunately, since Princess Yuyan showed up, Mo Qiuyi had to adopt a lower profile. With Princess Yuyan in mind, Mo Qiuyi flared up into a fury. What right did such a woman have to pick her fruits?

Unexpectedly, they then had a peaceful time. Prince Yue, Prince Zhou, and Commandery Prince Qing married, respectively.

The three Princes got married almost at the same time. Though all their weddings were grand, Prince Yue’s wedding looked relatively normal. Prince Zhou and Commandery Prince Qing each had a sensational wedding with distinctive features.

Prince Zhou married his legal wife and consort at the same time. Several bridal sedan chairs entered his mansion simultaneously. Because so many brides married into his mansion together, Prince Zhou did not go to welcome Infanta Yuan’an in person. He just waited for the bridal sedan chairs of his brides at his mansion. One after another, his women got out of their bridal sedan chairs. Crowded by these graceful women with slender figures, Prince Zhou completed the formal wedding ceremony.

All the onlookers enjoyed the bustling scene, but Infanta Yuan’an was so angry that her face under the red veil was always livid. She couldn’t help crumpling her handkerchief into a ball.

If the other women didn’t marry Prince Zhou with his legal wife, how could they qualify for a grand wedding ceremony with him? Besides, Prince Zhou might not come to her place today. Since Prince Zhou had been cold to her during this period, Infanta Yuan’an didn’t have much confidence in herself. Angry and hateful, she was on the verge of violently slapping the other women beside her.

But she had to swallow the insult, no matter how reluctant she felt. Before getting on the bridal sedan chair, Ruiping Great Elder Princess repeatedly told her that today’s wedding was her last obstacle. Surmounting it, she would become Princess Zhou. No matter how many women Prince Zhou had in Prince Zhou’s Mansion, she had the highest status.

If Prince Zhou became the Emperor, she would be the Empress. In the future or now, she had to accept the reality — she could never be the only woman with Prince Zhou.

Anyway, she could bear it…

When she sat on the edge of the bridal bed, she could hear teasing remarks. Of course, even Ruiping Great Elder Princess had some enemies. People with sharp tongues in the clan deliberately pierced her heart at this time.

Everyone could see that Infanta Yuan’an almost couldn’t bear it anymore. At that time, Shao Wanru was also in the bridal chamber. She just sat aside silently and watched Infanta Yuan’an’s embarrassed look indifferently.

She ranked as many people’s junior in the clan but had a distinguished status. It was widely known that Prince Chen was the darling of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. At present, the Emperor was seriously ill, but he still doted on Prince Chen. There were even rumors that Prince Chen would be the crown prince.

Of course, rumors couldn’t be taken seriously. Prince Yue, Prince Zhou, and even Commandery Prince Qing were said to stand a chance. But no matter what, every one of them might get the position before the final result was announced. In this case, people wouldn’t offend any of these candidates.

Commandery Prince Qing’s wedding also caused a stir. It was mainly because the Xu State princess married into the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion together with the Miss from the Mo family. Miss Mo was just an orphan, but the other bride was a Princess of the Xu State. As a result, the latter enjoyed much greater treatment and more splendor parade on the way to the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion. When the princess and Miss Mo were placed alongside, Princess Yuyan threw her into the shade. During the wedding, she seemed to be the legal wife instead of Miss Mo.

In the end, when they came in through the door, Princess Yuyan was said to have domineeringly pulled Commandery Prince Qing forward and left Miss Mo behind. Did this mean Princess Yuyan would become Commandery Prince Qing’s legal wife?

This view made sense. After all, it was right and proper for Princess Yuyan, a princess of a country, to be the legal wife. Upon arrival, many guests first praised Princess Yuyan’s striking appearance. They uttered sighs of admiration unceasingly when Princess Yuyan married into the mansion, saying she and Chu Qing were a perfect match of remarkable talent and good looks. No one took notice of Miss Mo next to them!

Miss Mo had no parents. Besides, her only uncle was Wei Dahai, merely a moderate-ranking official. Few guests of the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion paid attention to him. Even if some people talked to him, they did it for the sake of Commandery Prince Qing.

Therefore, like Infanta Yuan’an, Mo Qiuyi was also sent to the bridal chamber with a livid face.

After Chu Qing reprimanded her that day, she had never seen him for a long time. Even when she visited him, Chu Qing refused to see her, saying she shouldn’t meet him often before their upcoming wedding.

However, Mo Qiuyi felt even more aggrieved when hearing that Consort Dowager Qing and Chu Qing personally received Princess Yuyan when she came to the mansion. They often invited her to dinner. Both Princess Yuyan and Mo Qiuyi were going to marry into the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion, but there was a world of difference in their treatment.

Mo Qiuyi was also very annoyed and told Wei Dahai’s Madam to ask for an explanation from them. However, they said Mo Qiuyi’s idea that day almost killed Commandery Prince Qing. How could Commandery Prince Qing not be mad at her? It was perfectly understandable that he didn’t want to see her in these few days.

Nevertheless, Consort Dowager Qing also made a reassuring promise to Wei Dahai’s Madam. Mo Qiuyi and Chu Qing had been childhood sweethearts. Even if such an unpleasant thing happened, Chu Qing would soon cool down. Consort Dowager Qing let Mo Qiuyi prepare for her wedding in peace. When she married into the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion, she could take her time to explain to him, and everything would be fine.

Mo Qiuyi had no choice but to wait. To her dismay, she was publicly humiliated on her wedding day.

Then, an unexpected change enraged her even more. The bridal chamber Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion had prepared for her was given to Princess Yuyan. The one she was going to enter was supposed to be Princess Yuyan’s, which was perfunctorily set up by the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion.

When Mo Qiuyi was sent to her bridal chamber, her servant girl told the situation to her. A vicious look emerged on Mo Qiuyi’s face under the red bridal veil. By gasping for air, she finally managed to calm herself down.

Before she was sent here, Wei Dahai’s Madam, Madam Ouyang, repeatedly told her not to lose the greater for the less. Lack of forbearance in small matters upsets great plans. More importantly, she reassured her they would never let her suffer losses.

When they were performing the formal wedding ceremony outside, Chu Qing and Consort Dowager Qing did not say Princess Yuyan would be the legal wife. Otherwise, Mo Qiuyi felt that she could not bear it.

However, Chu Qing did not say she would be the legal wife either. Thinking of this, Mo Qiuyi felt quite resentful. She could hardly smother her annoyance. They had agreed that she would marry Chu Qing as his legal wife and Princess Yuyan as the secondary legal wife. But why didn’t they say anything about it even until now?

Shao Wanru also finished watching Commandery Prince Qing’s wedding quietly and peacefully. Then she returned home leisurely with Chu Liuchen. She was not close to none of these mansions and attended their weddings merely as a mere formality.

After the three princes married one after another, it came Shao Wanru’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Chu Liuchen had specially prepared it for her. Women were considered to have come of age at 15. It was considered the best part of their lives. Many people came to watch the ceremony. The well-dressed girl wearing a gradient light green dress decorated with plum blossoms appeared. As she slowly stepped into the hall, everyone there was amazed.

They knew long ago that Princess Chen was exceedingly beautiful and pretty as a picture. But when seeing her, they were still startled by her unimaginable beauty. She was endowed with very delicate and glamorous facial features. Under her long and curling eyelashes, her eyes were as limpid as water. Then, there was her well-shaped nose and tender lips. As she slightly turned her eyes, Princess Chen naturally exuded authentic charm. Her lips were bright red without any makeup. Against the red plum blossoms at her dress corners, she looked like a gorgeous plum blossom proudly blooming on the branch.

The plum blossoms were regarded as the promise of the arrival of spring.

Even though the hall was packed with women, most were stunned by her peerless beauty.

Zhang Qilan calmly pulled her dress, seemingly in peace. However, she lowered her head to hide the gloomy look in her eyes after a glance at Shao Wanru.

She was wearing a bright red dress today. It hadn’t been long since her wedding, so it was not strange for her to wear such clothes and dress like a bride. Unlike before, she wore a lot of jewelry this time. She looked bright-colored and beautiful. These pieces of jewelry made her eye-catching. In the past, she was simple and unadorned. But now she looked as gorgeous as a full-blown peony renowned as the queen of flowers.

Since she had newly married Prince Yue, it was normal for her to dress up so gorgeously.

It was just that her face was not dazzling. She looked delicate, but this layer of glittering clothes and accessories outshone her. As such, she even appeared less attractive than usual. People at a distance only noticed her splendid clothes and jewels instead of her face.

It was improper for her to dress like this when attending someone else’s coming-of-age ceremony. After all, Shao Wanru was supposed to be the focus of attention today. The other guests were tastefully dressed in a simple style to highlight Shao Wanru, the central figure today. They knew they shouldn’t steal her limelight.

However, although Shao Wanru was not dressed as gorgeously as Zhang Qilan, she was much more outstanding than her. Therefore, Shao Wanru grabbed everyone’s attention as soon as she arrived. Things went contrary to Zhang Qilan’s wishes. Slowly, she lowered her head. No one could see her face, but how could she look well?

“Such a long dress doesn’t look good!” Someone beside Zhang Qilan said and pulled her sleeve.

Zhang Qilan turned her head and looked at Princess Yuyan with deep eyes.

“What? Don’t you think it’s ugly?” Princess Yuyan said with a grin, still pulling her sleeve rudely. It made Zhang Qilan very uncomfortable. She gently shook her sleeve but failed to shake Princess Yuyan’s hand off. Seeing Princess Yuyan approach her again, she had to swing her arm violently. “Ah!” Princess Yuyan let out a scream and almost fell off the chair.

It was quite a stir, and they attracted everyone’s attention…