Qin Shuying coldly glanced at Liang Qiong. “Second Sister, since you’ve returned, you are an honored guest. Hong Juan, pass the word down to treat Second Young Madam well.”

After saying this, Qin Shuying lifted her feet and walked out.

Ever since seeing Old Madam Liang once in prison, Liang Qiong had become extremely restless and agitated, constantly mocking this person and ridiculing that one. Having learned her lesson from before, she didn’t dare go too far, only venting the stifled anger in her chest.

Since there was nothing particularly excessive, Qin Shuying and Liang Zhen treated it as watching a play.

But this didn’t mean Liang Qiong could repeatedly treat Qin Shuying with such disdain, finding fault with everything she did.

Liang Qiong angrily shouted: “Qin Shuying, stop right there!”

How could Qin Shuying pay her any attention? She walked away leisurely.

Liang Qiong was so angry she wanted to cry, and finally, holding her head high, went to Luo Meixiang’s courtyard.

Liang Yunshan had left the capital on the fourth day after Liang Qiong’s wedding. Until his departure from the capital, Liang Yunshan had not seen Luo Meixiang again. Because of various guilts in her heart, Luo Meixiang also didn’t dare to see Liang Yunshan.

This time, Liang Yunshan had taken no one with him and left alone. The matter of the imperial marriage decree to County Princess Qin’an was like an illusion.

Aside from Concubine Zhou having once sounded out Qin Shuying’s attitude, no one mentioned the marriage between County Princess Qin’an and Liang Yunshan, as if it were just a farce.

Emperor Delong had forgotten it, Prince Huai’an had forgotten it, County Princess Qin’an had forgotten it, Liang Yunshan had forgotten it… everyone had forgotten about this matter.

As soon as Liang Qiong entered Luo Meixiang’s room, she saw Concubine Yue standing to one side, saying: “Old Madam, you should at least drink a little, otherwise how can your body recover?”

Before Liang Qiong had entered, a maid at the door had already informed Luo Meixiang. Therefore, seeing Liang Qiong walk in, Luo Meixiang pushed away Concubine Yue’s hand: “Qiong’er…”

Concubine Yue lost her balance, and the medicine bowl in her hand crashed to the ground with a “crash!”

The crisp sound startled everyone.

Luo Meixiang frowned. As soon as Qiong’er returned, Concubine Yue had dropped a bowl, which she felt was very inauspicious. “How were you holding that bowl?”

“Mother!”

Liang Qiong walked in, her eyes like knives as she glared at Concubine Yue. This lowly woman was deliberately causing displeasure.

Concubine Yue smiled: “Second Young Madam has returned! Old Madam, look how Second Young Madam has become even more radiant and fresh. Marriage really makes a difference. Old Madam, this concubine won’t disturb your intimate time with Second Young Madam.”

Luo Meixiang frowned in disgust. How nauseating these words sounded! What did she mean by “even more radiant and fresh”? What did she mean by “marriage really makes a difference”?

A concubine is just a concubine, something that can’t be presented publicly!

Luo Meixiang couldn’t help but recall Old Madam Liang’s every word and action, and a trace of longing arose in her heart. She couldn’t help but imitate her somewhat: “Enough, go out.”

After speaking, she glanced indifferently at Concubine Yue, who was completely unfazed, curtsied briefly, and withdrew.

What airs was she putting on?

Now it was Qin Shuying who was in charge of the household, and Qin Shuying would be delighted if she spent every day pestering Luo Meixiang, preventing Luo Meixiang from wandering around in front of Qin Shuying. She, Concubine Yue, understood Qin Shuying’s meaning perfectly, which was why she came to bother Luo Meixiang every day, adding to Luo Meixiang’s troubles and preventing her from having time to find fault with Qin Shuying.

As long as she did well, Qin Shuying would treat her and her children kindly, as well as the child in her womb. Concubine Yue didn’t care at all whether Luo Meixiang was angry or not, and as for Liang Qiong, Concubine Yue feared her even less.

The inner and outer courtyards now had clear boundaries and were managed as tightly as an iron barrel. Even the Second Master and Third Master couldn’t enter the inner courtyard, and even when they occasionally did, they had to leave quickly. Concubine Yue wasn’t afraid of them at all.

Walking to the outer room, Concubine Yue felt quite pleased. Her children had now entered school and would become precious young masters and misses of the Earl’s manor in the future. She herself didn’t have to return to the border city to endure the wind. Yes, this was the good life.

Liang Qiong had her personal maid drive everyone away before throwing herself beside Luo Meixiang: “Mother, I want a divorce!”

Luo Meixiang was startled: “Qiong’er, what nonsense are you talking? Your marriage was personally decreed by His Majesty. How could you possibly divorce?”

“Mother, I can’t go on living like this! Mother, he, he, he actually with his wet nurse… with his wet nurse… I really can’t bring myself to say it!”

Luo Meixiang was shocked: “What nonsense are you talking? How can you speak carelessly about such things?”

“I saw it with my own eyes, Mother, I saw it with my own eyes! Not only are they shameless, they’re actually proud of it!”

Luo Meixiang’s lips trembled: “This, how is this possible? You mean the wet nurse who came to the capital with him? She’s already in her twenties, several years older than him. How is this possible? Qiong’er, you are so beautiful and talented, how could he, how could he…”

Liang Qiong threw herself into Luo Meixiang’s arms, crying until she could barely breathe.

Of course she couldn’t believe it either, but the fact was just so.

She, Liang Qiong, in the flower of her youth and stunningly beautiful, couldn’t compare to an aging, faded wet nurse!

Luo Meixiang remembered what Old Madam Liang had told her in prison: “Meixiang, without status and position, beauty is worthless and will ultimately only become a plaything. Remember, you must never let Qin Shuying and Liang Zhe succeed. You must grasp the great power of the family! Only with power in hand does beauty become the icing on the cake. Otherwise, it would be better to be an ordinary woman.”

Luo Meixiang had asked her then: “Mother, your status wasn’t high either back then. How did you make them…”

How did she make the old Marquis and Prince Liang devoted to her, and even have Emperor Delong look favorably upon her?

Old Madam Liang’s answer was: “If a woman is like a plum blossom, fragrant and cold, men will think you’re different from others and won’t be able to let you go. They’ll think of you for a lifetime and never forget you. Do you know why I named you Meixiang? Though the name is common, it constantly reminds me to always be that branch of winter plum, and it’s also my expectation for you.”

Thinking of this, Luo Meixiang rubbed her forehead. She, Luo Meixiang, didn’t have Old Madam Liang’s background and experiences, and couldn’t naturally become a branch of winter plum. She had grown up with fine clothes and rich food, living in luxury, happy every day. She was a lively pomegranate flower. To force her to become a branch of winter plum—she couldn’t do it!

Her Qiong’er was the same, born only slightly inferior to a princess, always successful, more brilliant than even a pomegranate flower by three degrees. How could she possibly become a branch of winter plum?

The mother and daughter cried and raged, talking for a long time. When she learned that the people at the second gate had blocked Liang Qiong, Luo Meixiang’s vision went black. Her health had never been good, and now she became even more seriously ill, lying in bed for more than ten days.

“Qiong’er, you cannot divorce, and you cannot admit defeat. You are the legitimate wife and a princess. You must stand up for yourself…”

Liang Qiong returned crying and had a big fight with Prince Huo Luo. Prince Huo Luo only found it extremely annoying. The noble ladies of Great Zhou were hypocritical, boring, and narrow-minded, making him even more unwilling to visit Liang Qiong’s quarters.

As for his wet nurse, Liang Qiong couldn’t even touch a corner of her clothing.