In just the time it took to finish half a cup of tea, Old Lady Jiang, Jiang Wenxiang, Shen Ruoliu, along with a group of maids and guards, all hurriedly arrived.
Qinghe kicked open the door.
“Yue’er, Yue’er!”
Jiang Wenxiang rushed in first.
Jing Mofeng was so frightened that he trembled, instantly losing his composure.
Without even bothering to put on his clothes, he grabbed a blanket and wrapped both himself and Jiang Qingyue inside.
“Yue…”
Everyone present was struck dumb by the sight before them, as if struck by lightning.
It took a long moment before Shen Ruoliu let out a wail.
“Yue’er! You foolish girl, what are you doing?”
She cried while raising her hand to strike Jiang Qingyue.
Old Lady Jiang closed her eyes and cried out in anguish toward the sky, “What a sin, what a sin!”
Jiang Wenxiang was also so angry that his face turned red and his neck thickened. He took a wooden stick from one of the guards.
“What villain dares to break into my Chengxiangfu at night and ruin my daughter’s purity? This minister will have you cut into a thousand pieces!”
His precious daughter was a true phoenix from heaven; the man she married must be the next emperor.
Any other man who dared to touch her would face only one outcome—death!
At that moment, Jing Mofeng turned his head unhappily. “It is this prince!”
“Th… Third Prince?”
Jiang Wenxiang was stunned at first, but then his heart swelled with joy.
Although he had arranged for Jiang Qingran to replace Jiang Qingyue and marry into the Seventh Prince’s Mansion, that was ultimately just a clever trick.
Now, with the Third Prince sleeping in Jiang Qingyue’s bed late at night, he not only had a solid reason but could also use this opportunity to pressure the emperor to grant a marriage between Jiang Qingyue and the Third Prince.
He immediately clasped his hands and said, “Your servant greets the Third Prince. I did not know of Your Highness’s arrival and beg for forgiveness.”
Shen Ruoliu also stopped her hand. “Your servant greets the Third Prince. May the Third Prince live a thousand years!”
“All of you, leave. This prince needs to dress.”
“Yes.”
A moment later, Jing Mofeng sat in the main seat.
Jiang Wenxiang stood before him, wearing a worried expression.
“Although Yue’er’s heart belongs only to the Third Prince, and I have always wanted to assist Your Highness, the imperial decree has been issued, and Yue’er is about to marry into the Seventh Prince’s Mansion. Now that such a thing has happened, impurity before marriage is no different from sending Yue’er to her death.”
Before Jiang Qingran married into the Seventh Prince’s Mansion, everyone still tacitly regarded Jiang Qingyue as the future Seventh Princess Consort.
No matter how useless the Seventh Prince might be, he is, after all, a prince. If tonight’s incident were to spread, the Jiang family would be trampling on the royal family’s dignity.
From then on, not only would his carefully nurtured daughter be ruined for life, but his position in the court would also become precarious.
Therefore, no matter what, Jiang Qingyue must marry into the Third Prince’s Mansion!
Jing Mofeng looked up and said, “Minister, rest assured. This prince will take responsibility. While dressing earlier, Yue’er told me that she has a younger sister, Jiang Qingran, who was born on the same year, month, and day as her. The Wang Fei that His Majesty betrothed to Old Seventh must undoubtedly be her. Early tomorrow morning, I will go to His Majesty to request a decree, allowing Yue’er to marry into the Third Prince’s Mansion in the coming days.”
Both Jiang Qingyue’s body and her background were exactly what he needed.
If it weren’t for that vile Consort Xu interfering, he had originally intended to marry Jiang Qingyue into his mansion anyway.
Now, it was merely a matter of facing some punishment from His Majesty.
Jiang Wenxiang was overjoyed in his heart but showed no sign of it on his face.
“There is no other way.”
As soon as Jing Mofeng left, Jiang Wenxiang glanced up at the roof.
“Jiang Qingran, you despicable villain, come down here!”
Since Jiang Qingran had Qinghe call for him, she never intended to hide it in the first place.
Leaping down from the rooftop, she covered her mouth with a light laugh.
“The Prime Minister’s nurturing of the Fourth Miss is indeed comprehensive and painstaking. Her skills in bed are truly remarkable—moaning and crying, not only seductive but also skilled with her tongue. No wonder she has the Third Prince utterly bewitched.”