Chapter 329: So What If It Changes?

Madam Wang was so delighted that she could not keep her mouth shut; Wang Zongsheng, being a sensible man, courteously entertained the guests.

Not long after, Qiao Mai and Yuan Jiaqi's family also arrived; she had waited for Xianggong and Dizi to finish their court duties and return home, then came together with Chuan'er and Ling'er.

A whole family: a Prince, a First‑rank royal consort, a Third‑rank official, a commandery princess, and after the New Year they will add a princess; having this family come truly brings glory to the Wang household.

The old master and the old lady sat in the Keting, comforting Jiaru, who also dutifully stayed with them, calling out whoever was summoned.

When Yuan Jiaqi and Qiao Mai entered Bichun Garden, there was a banquet table at the entrance; the two walked straight past it into the front hall.

Everyone was waiting to see what gifts his family would bring, but to their surprise there was nothing at all; no wonder others said Wang Laoyezi Yuan kept the door shut—looks like it was true.

When the relationship doesn't involve gifts, they become indifferent.

Madam Wang stared longingly at the outside, seeing that Qiao Mai and the others had not brought gifts, and was so angry that—

"Stingy brat!"

He hadn't expected that remark to be heard by Wang Zongsheng; he truly couldn't have imagined his wife had become like this.

"Hmm, she does look a bit more lively; rest assured, even if my son has many women in the back courtyard, the Main Consort is only Ru'er. Once she recovers, we'll bring her back."

Everyone clustered together, exchanging sentences as they chatted and waited.

"I heard Madam Wang prepared One Hundred and Twenty Carries of betrothal gifts for the Gao Shangshu family."

"If you had known, you wouldn't have acted so cluelessly."

Madam Wang, proud and haughty, ordered the items to be carried back; at that moment she remembered that the in‑laws and the Qiao family were backing her, and she had already forgotten the earlier squabble with Qiao Mai.

Our family has a good relationship with the Qiao family, but his wife keeps exploiting that connection, repeatedly taking advantage.

But it can't be stopped. "Everyone, judge for yourselves: is the Gao family short of money or unable to make ends meet? Our Wang family sent One Hundred and Twenty Carries of betrothal gifts to the Gao family, and they actually swapped all the good items for cheap ones. I've never seen such in‑laws; is your family going crazy with poverty?"

The gifts were received while Dizi was away; later we must speak to them properly and see what to do.

At this critical moment, the Old Prince, the Old Prince Consort, and the Little Prince from the Shun Qin Wangfu arrived; for the sake of the Yue family's face, the Little Prince did not bring any side concubines.

"These years have been hard on the Prince Consort."

"Fine, then let's settle the medicine I gave Zihan. One pill costs one hundred thousand taels of silver; a bottle contains ten pills. I gave you five bottles, that is five million taels, plus over the years the things your daughter has asked me for, amounting to two million taels. After deducting what you gave our family, the final sum is two million taels. Hand it over."

At this moment the Gao family was also entertaining guests; seeing the mother‑in‑law start a scene in front of the guests, they realized something was wrong.

"Qiao Niang, do you know what kind of occasion this is?"

In front of so many guests, Gao Shangshu forced Gao Madam to return everything that had been on the Wang family's gift list, amounting to twenty boxes of fine items, which broke Gao Madam's heart.

Seeing the large quantity—one hundred eighty Carries in total, with the Gao family contributing sixty Carries—once the ceremony of bowing to Heaven and Earth was completed, Zihan led the guests into the bridal chamber.

Offending a Main Consort who is out of favor, they are still unafraid, but must handle it cautiously.

Now his family is not afraid of a Main Consort, because the Qiao family's in‑laws are the present Imperial Noble Consort, who still manages the harem; with the emperor's trust in her, it is certain that the throne will be hers.

"Are you crazy? I let you prepare the dowry properly, and you even swapped the other family's betrothal gifts?"

The old Prince Consort asked the old lady, "In‑laws, how is Ru'er?"

The guests all turned to look here, and Madam Wang's aged face turned alternately pale and flushed from the remarks.

"Hehe, marrying an unloved concubine—who knows if the Gao family's matriarch will return it untouched?"

Thus, this farce ended simply because Jiaru's parents‑in‑law arrived.

"Uncle, Zihan's wedding—how could we not come?"

"Oh? Ingredients costing a few hundred thousand taels of silver aren't called gifts—then what is called a gift?"

Now it got lively; the Old Prince of Shun Qin Wangfu realized it was his turn to step in.

"No, no, I will go tally it right away."

They even sent someone to deliver the gift; even if the old lady is displeased, she can only accept it for now.

Just as they were speaking, Yuan Jiaqi, accompanied by Qiao Mai, and the Shun Qin Wang family followed closely and arrived at the Gao household.

Thus the old master took charge and began.

Fortunately, Zihan walked over at that moment and said, "Auntie, sit here; my mother seems not fully awake, please don't argue with her."

"She has been eating well these past few days and hasn't thrown a tantrum again."

Returning to Bichun Garden, the banquet had already begun; it was noon, they couldn't keep the guests waiting.

"No need to be formal, it's good that you could come; sit quickly, sit quickly."

"Considering your wedding, I'll let her off this time."

When Madam Wang saw the gift list, she instantly became angry, and immediately led people, disregarding Wang Zongsheng's obstruction, to cause a scene at the Gao household.

Then, with a stern face, she looked at Gao Shangshu, "Quickly return the pilfered betrothal gifts, otherwise I'll go to the imperial brother and tell him that your family is insanely poor, and ask him to increase your salary."

The Little Prince saw Jiaru, opened his mouth to greet her, but seeing his wife not recognize him, he could only sit aside with his parents.

She thought that with so many people, Qiao Mai wouldn't notice her, but unexpectedly Qiao Mai stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"In the end, am I the one deceiving, or are you?"

Qiao Mai glanced at the Madam Wang behind him and said, "Uncle, I won't present the gifts; let's consider those ingredients as the gift, okay?"

After an hour, Zihan finally returned from the bridal escort, with the Gao family's dowry following behind the wedding sedan.

The old master, the old lady, and Wang Zongsheng were all stunned by Madam Wang's shameless words, frozen in place; in such a setting they could neither scold nor strike, their faces turning a deep iron‑blue with anger.

"So what if they change? Their Prince Consort's daughter is like that; the Shun Qin Wangfu wouldn't stand up for them, and Wang Laoyezi Yuan is only a mere ordinary friend to them."

When the Wang family and the main family haven't fallen out, most of the two families' wealth has already been sent to her.

"At first we gave you hundreds of millions of taels of silver."

Madam Wang finally couldn't hold back, "That little thing is also called a gift?"

Later, Prefect Wang stopped giving money to the main family, and the imperial consort in the palace became financially strained. When she heard of Zihan's wedding, she, as a senior aunt, naturally felt the need to make an appearance.

However, the Wang family produced a consort, who is the Xian Fei of the Imperial Palace.

"You, you are too excessive in deceiving!"

Princes, princesses, and the like naturally could not attend; after all, with Prefect Wang's status, it was insufficient to invite those people to celebrate.

What are you saying? I originally treated Ru'er as my own daughter.

Some important guests were all inside; the old master's family sat with the Shun Prince's family, Qiao Mai's family sat at another table, and there was also a Prince at the same table, but Yuan Jiaqi was not given any attention.

The Minister of Rites' face turned red, and he immediately glared at Madam Gao.

Yuan Jiaqi, you have come?

The two whispered, the old master also chatted with the father‑in‑law, and Zihan went to receive the bride.

The Wang Laoyezi of the State and the people from the Great General's residence did not come, and Jiang Yunpeng and his group could not possibly have come.

He glared at his wife, then rose and hurried to greet her.

Look, given Madam Wang's temperament just now, there might be more excitement to watch.

After all, the petty people's scheming is hard to guard against, and they don't want to cause trouble for Qiao Yatou.

This wedding passed with surprise but no danger.

Although the Wang Family married a concubine daughter from the Minister's family, the Gao family's character and appearance caught Zihan's eye, so she was considered a good girl.

After the banquet, the chef led the staff to clean the kitchen, left the remaining ingredients untouched, and, without even eating the rice, returned to Jixiang Yuan.

(End of chapter)