Several days later, on April 30th.

Once April passed, it would be the Dragon Boat Festival.

This day was Empress Wen’s birthday. Empress Wen was hosting a banquet in the palace, inviting noble ladies from inside and outside the court as well as legitimate daughters from families of third-rank officials and above, as a gesture of warmth before the Dragon Boat Festival.

This news had long spread, causing an uproar throughout the court.

Streets and alleys were all discussing Empress Wen – her appearance, her background, her mystery, her various affairs.

As Empress Wen became the subject of heated discussion, the Crown Prince also became a topic of much debate among the people of the capital.

Early that morning, Qin Shuying and Luo Meixiang set out together.

Luo Meixiang’s body had become very weak after several severe blows. Each time she had just recovered a little, new setbacks would knock her back down to bed.

Just a few days ago, she had comforted the tearful Liang Qiong who had come home crying.

After Liang Yunshan left, she had written him a letter mentioning their sons’ marriages. Liang Yunshan, concerned about his sons, readily replied saying he would look for daughters-in-law among his subordinates’ daughters in the army.

Luo Meixiang nearly spat up blood.

Liang Yunshan was a great general, and several of his deputy generals held relatively high positions – some were junior third rank, third rank, and junior second rank. But Luo Meixiang clearly knew the situation of these deputy generals – their families didn’t have daughters of suitable age.

Going further down would be fourth-rank officials. These people were scattered all over the country, with only a few in the capital. But their family backgrounds were about the same as the current Zhao family – what kind of good daughters could they raise? Moreover, these families only had concubine-born daughters of suitable age, no legitimate daughters.

Then there were military officers below fourth rank, whom Luo Meixiang didn’t even want to consider.

If they were fourth-rank civil officials, Luo Meixiang felt she could still consider them, but daughters from military families were, in Luo Meixiang’s eyes, all lacking in proper upbringing – each one broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, fond of showing themselves in public, crude and vulgar. How could they be worthy of her sons?

Having such families’ daughters as daughters-in-law was unthinkable.

Luo Meixiang feared that Liang Yunshan would arrange her sons’ marriages without her knowledge, so she quickly sent another letter saying that as their mother, she would personally worry about her sons’ lifelong important matters, and Liang Yunshan should focus on guarding the frontier with peace of mind.

After that, she began intensively searching for daughters-in-law.

The families she had previously favored were all legitimate daughters from powerful noble families.

She commissioned matchmakers to sound them out, but when people heard it was matchmaking for Liang Yuan and Liang Jie, they very politely escorted the matchmakers out.

Luo Meixiang also knew that now the Liang family wasn’t a marquis household, and more importantly, her own imperial title was only fourth rank. It was understandable that princesses and such wouldn’t look favorably upon her sons.

After testing the waters without results, she lowered her standards to legitimate daughters from third-rank officials’ families.

This time, the matchmakers were still escorted out by these families.

Luo Meixiang had no choice but to change strategy. Instead of personally proposing marriages, she commissioned matchmakers to arrange matches for her two sons.

The matchmakers worked quickly, but the news they brought struck the barely recovered Luo Meixiang back down into the dust.

The several suitable young ladies mentioned were all daughters from sixth or seventh-rank officials’ families – what were these!

How could her Yuan’er and Jie’er possibly marry daughters from such family backgrounds? They weren’t even as good as Qin Shuying!

Once in the carriage, Luo Meixiang couldn’t help complaining to Qin Shuying: “…What kind of families are those? How could your second and third brothers possibly marry daughters from such families? They really don’t know their place – they don’t even look at what they are!”

Qin Shuying sat calmly without saying a word.

Liang Jie’s arm was injured and could never exert strength again, essentially making him disabled. Although Liang Yuan’s two leg injuries had healed, when he walked, there were subtle differences from normal people.

Liang Yuan’s marriage prospects might be better, but Liang Jie’s marriage would be very difficult.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, disabled men couldn’t participate in imperial examinations, and it was also very difficult for them to advance in their careers. Therefore, Liang Jie’s life was basically set this way.

Of course, Liang Yunshan was still a great general and could provide for Liang Jie through his position, ensuring Liang Jie wouldn’t lack food and drink in his lifetime.

But what about when Liang Yunshan and Luo Meixiang died?

Then the Liang family would divide the estate. Liang Zhe was currently the heir and would become the earl in the future. But the brothers Liang Yuan and Liang Jie could only receive a small portion of the wealth and live separately.

What would Liang Yuan and Liang Jie’s lives be like then?

Even a fool could calculate this clearly.

If Liang Yuan and Liang Jie made no progress in their careers by then, they would be worse off than the husbands of Qin Yunyun and Qin Lulu.

Which housewife from families of fifth rank and above couldn’t see this clearly? Who would be willing to marry their daughters to such people? Only those who didn’t yet understand the Liang family’s future trajectory would associate Liang Yuan and Liang Jie with the earl’s mansion.

“…You’re the eldest daughter-in-law and the heir’s wife. How can you stand by and watch? You should pay more attention to your second and third brothers. Speaking of which, there’s actually a ready-made good marriage here. Eldest daughter-in-law, you should bring it up tomorrow.”

Qin Shuying asked: “Old Madam, whose family?”

“The young lady from the Zhao family. Speaking of age and family background, isn’t this a ready-made good match?”

“Yuan Niang?”

“So that child is called Yuan Niang? Look at my memory.”

The Zhao family was a proper in-law family of the Liang family, yet Luo Meixiang had never taken the Zhao family seriously. Yuan Niang had naturally never come to the Liang family all these years.

Not even knowing Yuan Niang’s name, yet wanting to have her marry in – this was truly laughable.

She just wanted to marry Yuan Niang back to torment her.

Such intentions…

Qin Shuying immediately stated her position: “Yuan Niang won’t do.”

Luo Meixiang couldn’t help but snort through her nose: “Why won’t she do?”

Qin Shuying said indifferently: “Uncle and aunt already have someone in mind.”

“It’s just having someone in mind, they’re not married yet. This can still be changed.”

Qin Shuying glanced at her from the corner of her eye and fell silent.

After half a year of repeated blows, Luo Meixiang had gradually grown stronger, determined to keep battling with Qin Shuying to the end. This point was clear to Qin Shuying, and naturally even clearer to Luo Meixiang herself.

However, Qin Shuying had no intention of taking the bait.

She was the head mistress of the Liang family – everything had to follow her way of thinking.

Being virtuous and gentle – she wouldn’t do that.

Seeing that Qin Shuying didn’t respond, Luo Meixiang was somewhat indignant: “Eldest daughter-in-law, although you’re in charge now, I’m still your elder. What kind of attitude is this, ignoring me completely? Who are you putting on this act for?”

Qin Shuying smiled faintly and said: “I remember when I went to the Lu family, Great Aunt said exactly the same thing about me, saying I had no respect for elders. Now, where is Great Aunt?”

After the Lu family incident, Great Aunt Liang’s husband needless to say was not only imprisoned but beheaded. Her son, Lu Ruyang’s father, who had been a promising young talent, was also imprisoned for failing to report what he knew. The time of his release was uncertain, and even if he was released in the future, his prospects were naturally finished.

The female relatives were spared, but they couldn’t stay in the capital. Great Aunt Liang took her family’s women and underage children back to the Lu family’s ancestral home.

Great Aunt Liang could only spend her remaining years in the countryside of the Lu family’s old home.

People in the world all worship the successful and trample on the fallen. One could imagine what kind of life Great Aunt Liang and Lady Lu were living. However glorious they had been before, that’s how wretched they were now in the countryside.

Luo Meixiang was immediately struck silent. After a while, she muttered unwillingly: “The Lu family is the Lu family, I am me. How can they be the same?”

Qin Shuying paid no attention. Luo Meixiang was angry for a while, but thinking that they were about to enter the palace, she couldn’t be bothered to continue taking it out on Qin Shuying. She gathered all her energy, determined to perform well in the palace.