Chapter 369: Great Virtue Carries All

Damn, even the Emperor listened to the Fu King's consort; they just thought she was bragging, and now they believe her.

What kind of person could have such a method?

Immortal? Taoist? Or what? They all wonder at once—could it really be a demon?

But it doesn't look like that, the Crown Prince sneaked a glance at his mother‑in‑law; at that moment Qiao Mai was also watching him, and the Crown Prince felt a shiver in his heart.

He quickly mutters, "When Ling'er comes over as my wife, I'll definitely be good to her and not take concubines. With a mother‑in‑law like this, even tenfold bravery wouldn't let me take concubines."

The side concubine was force‑fed medicine on the spot and carried away; the others were slain then by the guards; the Wang Jiaru's Servant Girls and grandmothers watched in terror, swearing they'd never again dare to join the rear courtyard struggles.

The Little Prince's concubines each curled up obediently into a ball.

Don't underestimate this princess consort; she has a good elder sister who, at the critical moment, not only saved the princess's life but also breathed out a burst of fierce aura for her.

Look at that righteous sister—so domineering, so impressive—she even dares to become the head of the Prince's household.

Even the Emperor is trying to flatter and ingratiate himself—truly, I'm convinced. From now on, as long as we live peacefully for the rest of our lives, that's enough; everyone is scared.

The Crown Prince's eyes burned as he stared at his fiancée, longing to marry at once so he could hold this radiant wife in his arms and give her a proper kiss.

"Yes, elder sister‑in‑law."

Qiao Mai glanced at the bunch of idiots and let out a cold snort, "You country bumpkins, still want to see my daughter's ugliness—now I'll give you a proper demonstration of what music and dance are, hm!"

This piano is the most famous of its era, which she purchased at a high price on the platform as a gift for her daughter, had been kept in Ling'er's bedroom, and she took it away.

"Whoa, what kind of painting style is this? It looks almost real."

The stronger the Yue family, the more insignificant he seems.

Just as they were still immersed in this exhilaration, Qiao Mai tossed a pipa to Ling'er.

"I wonder if Princess Tianshui could demonstrate her talent for us; after all, when she eventually becomes ruler of a nation, she must win our hearts and mouths, right?"

A little girl, yet she writes such fine characters; it seems she has practiced hard.

The Emperor, holding the painting, laughed heartily, "It's my first time seeing a portrait drawn like this—it's just too vivid, unlike theirs, which are so fake. This one is good, this one is good!"

Ling'er happily walked over, positioned them closer to the Empress, while eyeing the Empress and drawing on the paper.

It made everyone's hearts instantly joyful, a feeling of wanting to get up and dance along.

Today truly opened his eyes; a mother‑in‑law like that, her daughter naturally won't be any less impressive.

After watching for a while, he handed it to the Crown Prince again; the Crown Prince swallowed his saliva, finished watching, and gazed affectionately at Ling'er, his love for her deepening.

Ling'er pursed her little mouth, looking at her mother; the Empress looked at Ling'er; Qiao Mai curled a lip.

"Will you check first?"

The hall was quiet, and they all waited silently; Ling'er's colored brush moved like flowing clouds. The Emperor, unable to wait, rushed down behind Ling'er, watching while stroking his beard and constantly nodding.

Qiao Mai retrieved a rectangular wooden box from her sleeve, then took out a painting easel with pre‑clamped paper.

"Mother, where shall we start?"

First a soul‑cleansing mountain tune, then the stirring "Ambush from Ten Sides", raising the court officials' hearts from a leisurely life to a blood‑soaked battle breaking through the siege.

"But the daughter didn't bring any colored pens."

Ling'er arrived on the 28th day of the twelfth month, and after hearing about this, she was also quite indignant.

Without her, his own legs wouldn't be sound, so he couldn't become Crown Prince, nor could he marry such a fine lady; now he is wholly reliant on the Yue family's support.

"What kind of person is this Lady Qiao? How can she dictate matters of the Shun Qin Wangfu?"

Qiao Mai raised her eyes to look at the Crown Prince above, thinking, "This kid is spacing out at this moment—what is he thinking?"

She lowered her gaze, thinking, "I gave you my wonderful daughter in marriage; if you intend to mistreat her even a little, I'll rip your skin off."

Ling'er took it, instantly leapt to the center of the stage, and swayed to a lively rhythm with the dance steps.

These four characters fully showcased her skill; the script resembled a person, radiating spiritual energy, as if clouds and winds were shifting, stirring waves in the heart of the onlookers.

At this moment Ling'er took the rice paper Qiao Mai handed over, grasped a medium‑sized brush, and wrote the characters "Great virtue carries all things!"

The Emperor returned to the Dragon Throne, passed the painting to the Empress, who looked at it with excitement.

Having already showcased two items—calligraphy and painting—seeing her mother lift a piano with both hands, she happily stepped forward to embrace it.

"Your character painting is fine; why not paint a portrait for your future mother‑in‑law?"

It appears to be a compliment, but in fact it's just looking for trouble.

The Emperor and Empress, with the Crown Prince, returned to the palace; the old gentleman and old lady insisted on taking their granddaughter back for convalescence. Shun Prince could do nothing but agree, saying that once Ru'er recovered, the whole family would go to fetch her.

After settling Jia'ru's affairs, the rest was left for them to negotiate; Qiao Mai rubbed her forehead, flashed, and disappeared into the Shun Qin Wangfu.

The Emperor and Empress had never witnessed such a dance or melody; all the women turned green with envy.

However, those who went through this incident have all uncovered the mystery for themselves.

On the thirtieth night, the Imperial Palace held a banquet to reward civil and military officials for a year's hard work; Yuan Jiaqi went with his family to attend.

The old gentleman and his party didn't respond, took Jia'ru back to Jixiang Yuan; had Qiao Mai not supported them, the matter wouldn't have been resolved so smoothly.

"The Emperor grants Princess Tianshui in marriage to Crown Prince Highness; surely the princess possesses both virtue and talent, right?"

Although the old Prince wrapped up the matter, the side concubine's natal family was still uneasy; they lost a legitimate daughter, how could they not be angry?

"Drink quickly, take a rest."

At this point Ling'er's dance ended; she was slightly out of breath, and Jia Mei, with her big belly, poured her a glass of fruit juice and handed it over.

The Crown Prince then ordered both the painting and the calligraphy to be retrieved, carefully rolled them up, instructed them to be taken back to the palace for framing at once; he wants to hang them in his room to look at daily.

Half an hour later, Ling'er took the painting down and gave it to the Emperor.

Thus, in the court, both openly and covertly, the Minister of Revenue's family began to pick a fight with the Yuan Jiaqi family.

No wonder Mother forbids the Crown Prince from taking concubines; not only does having more women in the rear courtyard pose a life risk, it's also disgusting.

"Who composed the piece, who choreographed the dance—how wonderful it is."

This time the officials' gazes toward their family shifted, showing envy, fear, and a touch of reverence; perhaps the matter of the Shun Qin Wangfu has begun to spread.

"No more wild guessing; they truly rely on genuine skill."

As he kept watching, he suddenly felt a bit insecure; to be honest, his becoming Crown Prince was all thanks to his mother‑in‑law's prestige.

"Ling'er, since everyone wants to see your talent, why not perform?"

The Crown Prince sat there, his heart feeling like a cat's claw, also wanting to walk over and watch.

Before Qiao Mai could answer, the Empress smiled, "Having virtue and talent alone is not enough; it also requires that my family's Xian'er likes him. Their hearts are in sync, so we granted the marriage."

When the sound of the qin rang, the court officials who were delivering books and paintings fell silent.

Portraits were passed among the court officials, and everyone was shocked by this style of painting; no one had ever painted like this before.

Ling'er handed the qin to her mother for safekeeping, then obediently helped Jia Mei sit down, and instantly applause filled the palace.

"Not surprising that you're Crown Princess, qin, chess, calligraphy, painting—everything Exquisite, wonderful,"

The Emperor laughed heartily, "Hmm, Crown Princess truly has technique Yishu Exquisite, and at home she also helps the Princess manage the household, runs the auspicious countryside shop, excels even more in women's needlework. I won't reward her further, after all the world will belong to her and the Crown Prince in the future, haha."

That sentence made the Emperor's stance clear: no one should entertain any crooked ideas; the next heir is the Crown Prince, no escape.

(End of Chapter)