Li Jiǎo knelt upright, but her hands tucked within her sleeves trembled slightly.

She had thrown caution to the wind. If this still didn’t work, her grandmother would no longer show her any mercy and would swiftly arrange her marriage, making becoming the wife of a farmer her inescapable fate.

She was seventeen this year. After seventeen years of living in frustration, was she to be frustrated for her entire life? In the future, when they returned to their maiden home on the second day of the New Year, Third Li would be surrounded by attendants and admired by all as the Marquis’s wife, while she, the eldest sister, would be an insignificant farmer’s wife whom no one regarded.

She refused to live such a life!

The person from the Prince’s residence looked at Li Jiǎo kneeling straight on the ground, a flash of mockery passing through his eyes.

This was the first time he had seen a girl who threw herself forward so eagerly. But this was good too—he could finally complete the task the Prince had assigned him. Otherwise, dealing with a stubborn person like Scholar Li would require considerable effort.

“Old Madam, Master Li, you see your residence’s young lady has already accepted our Prince’s betrothal token. Please don’t be the ones to break up this loving couple.”

Old Madam Deng suppressed her fury, her gaze burning as she stared at Li Jiǎo kneeling on the ground: “Eldest girl, grandmother will ask you one last time—have you thought this through?”

Li Jiǎo’s expression was resolute: “I humbly request grandmother’s blessing.”

Old Madam Deng closed her eyes, instantly becoming utterly exhausted: “Fine, fine. Since this is the path you’ve chosen for yourself, then grandmother won’t be the villain.”

Li Jiǎo completely relaxed, her expression joyful: “Thank you, grandmother!”

The person from the Prince’s residence drew out a card from his sleeve and presented it to Old Madam Deng: “This contains the auspicious date our Prince had someone select. If you have no objections, the Prince’s residence will come to fetch the bride when the auspicious day arrives.”

Old Madam Deng glanced at it coldly. The date written on the gold-leafed card was just a few days away—the twenty-second day of the first month.

Glancing at her eldest granddaughter, whose thoughts had flown who knows where, Old Madam Deng said indifferently: “That day it is.”

News that the eldest young lady had caught Prince Rui’s eye quickly spread throughout the West Residence.

Li Guangshu was drinking tea when he heard the news and spat out his tea.

Bing Niang hurried to take a handkerchief to wipe for him. Li Guangshu waved his hand to stop her, his face dark: “What kind of dog shit luck has eldest brother had? One daughter became a Marquis’s wife, another daughter entered a Prince’s residence. Is he trying to ascend to heaven?”

Bing Niang smiled gently, not speaking carelessly.

Li Guangshu lowered his head and kissed Bing Niang’s cheek, then stood up: “Today, I’ll rest in the main courtyard. You should retire early.”

Bing Niang showed no unwillingness on her face, escorting Li Guangshu to the moon gate before returning.

Though Li Guangshu was reluctant to leave his gentle companion, he still steeled himself to go to Lady Liu’s place.

Speaking of which, his two daughters were also approaching marriageable age. He had been away from the capital for several years already, and it wouldn’t do for his relationship with his daughters to grow distant.

When Lady Liu heard the maid’s announcement, she thought she had misheard. Only when Li Guangshu walked in did she confirm that this man, who had only spent two nights in her room since returning home as a mere formality, had unprecedentedly come over in broad daylight.

“I thought you had already gone to sleep. I remember you used to have the habit of afternoon naps.”

Looking at the man’s relaxed brow and eyes, Lady Liu was slightly stunned.

She thought they would never have such a peaceful conversation again.

After chatting about trivial matters, Li Guangshu turned the topic to their two daughters: “How is Yan’er and Chan’er’s progress in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Is the teacher from the East Residence still reliable?”

“The East Residence women’s school has been disbanded. Yan’er and Chan’er now mainly learn needlework from me.”

Li Guangshu was quite surprised.

He hadn’t paid much attention to these matters concerning daughters, since they weren’t sons who needed their father’s instruction.

The East Residence women’s school had been disbanded?

“Learning only needlework—wouldn’t that delay the children? I should hire them a teacher.”

The saying that women without talent are virtuous was just empty talk. If they truly couldn’t read, when men spoke, they could only stand there like wooden posts—who would care about them then?

“When Third Miss has free time, they go over to study reading and writing with her.” Seeing Li Guangshu concerned about their daughters’ education, Lady Liu’s expression unconsciously softened.

Li Guangshu’s eyes lit up: “Yan’er and the others are very close to Third Miss?”

Thinking of that girl with the indifferent expression, Li Guangshu felt displeased, but having been an official for many years, he had long known that personal feelings were the most insignificant matter.

Having his two daughters close to the future Marquis Champion’s wife was something he was delighted to see.

However, Lady Liu’s heart gradually sank because of Li Guangshu’s suddenly brightening eyes, her tone becoming cold: “They’re all sisters from the same residence. Isn’t it natural for them to be close to Third Miss?”

“Right, right. Sisters from the same residence should indeed be close. Not only is Third Miss—Eldest Miss the eldest sister, so they equally shouldn’t neglect that closeness.”

Lady Liu sneered: “Master is joking. I don’t want my daughters to be close to someone who eagerly makes herself another’s concubine!”

Li Guangshu’s face darkened: “What kind of talk is that? Eldest Miss is someone entering a Prince’s residence—how can she be compared to an ordinary concubine?”

“Isn’t a Prince’s residence concubine still a concubine?” Lady Liu retorted.

“Foolish! By your logic, even the imperial consorts in the palace are concubines. Would you outer-court ladies dare not bow when meeting them?”

“Who would happily rush to meet them?”

“Unreasonable!” Li Guangshu left in a huff.

Lady Liu remained silent for a long while, then laughed coldly.

She had thought this man had changed his nature, but it turned out he was planning to use her two daughters now that Eldest Miss had latched onto a high branch.

If he dared sell his daughters for advancement, she would fight him to the death!

In Yahe Courtyard, when Qiao Zhao learned of this matter, she could only smile bitterly.

She didn’t know whether this eldest sister was clever or foolish.

If foolish, she could seize every opportunity to achieve what she wanted. But if clever—

Prince Rui was already thirty years old. Could he have taken a liking to a young girl because of one drowning incident?

She could only hope Li Jiǎo would seek her fortune and cause less trouble for the Li residence.

Soon it was the twenty-second day of the first month. Li Jiǎo was carried to the Prince’s residence. Though this wasn’t welcoming a Princess Consort and she couldn’t use the main gate, the entire Prince’s residence was decorated with lanterns and completely renewed, still giving Miss Li proper face.

Night quickly fell. In the bridal chamber, the dragon and phoenix wedding candles gave off soft light, and the large red double happiness characters on the windows dazzled the eyes.

Li Jiǎo looked down at the pink wedding dress she wore. A moment of grievance that had surged in her heart quickly dissipated upon hearing steady footsteps.

Though she was now only a concubine in the Prince’s residence, she had the opportunity to become someone above others. What was there to feel grieved about?

Marrying an idle man who couldn’t even get enough to eat would allow her to wear a red wedding dress, but what good would that do?

Li Jiǎo strengthened her resolve and showed a brilliant smile to Prince Rui as he entered.

Prince Rui felt his heart stir upon seeing it. He wanted to embrace his new woman and thoroughly enjoy himself, but remembering the divine physician’s warning not to get close to women for a year, and fearing he couldn’t control himself with such beauty beside him, he stopped in Li Jiǎo’s smile and said with a light smile: “You’ve been busy all day and must be tired. Undress and rest early. This Prince will sleep in the side room.”