Jiang Qingyue stepped forward and knelt. Her heart pounded so hard it felt as if it might leap into her throat. “Your subject humbly receives the decree!”
The eunuch unfurled the imperial edict and read aloud: “By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Jiang Qingyue, daughter of Jiang Wenxiang, is both graceful in appearance and wise in character, virtuous and intelligent. We hereby bestow her upon Prince Jing Mofeng, the Third Prince, as his Secondary Consort. Two days hence, she shall marry alongside her younger legitimate sister, Jiang Qingran. Thus is Our will.”
A secondary consort? As though she had not understood what she had just heard, Jiang Qingyue stared blankly ahead, shock hollowing out her eyes.
The rest of the Jiang family also turned pale at once. Shen Ruoliu’s legs gave way beneath her, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.
With his shrill voice, Gao Jian urged, “Fourth Miss Jiang, accept the decree.”
“I… I accept the decree.” Yet the moment the imperial edict touched her hands, tears streamed down her face.
Jiang Wenxiang quietly slipped two silver ingots into Gao Jian’s hands. “Eunuch Gao, why has His Majesty bestowed my fourth daughter upon the Third Prince as a secondary consort? Shouldn’t she be his principal consort?”
Gao Jian shot him a cool glance. “Prime Minister Jiang, have you become confused? The Third Prince is the most likely candidate to become Crown Prince in the future. How could his principal consort possibly be the daughter of a concubine?”
Jiang Wenxiang felt as though thunder had exploded in his head. “But looking across the entire imperial capital, whose daughter could possibly be more outstanding than my Yue’er?”
Gao Jian couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Honestly, Prime Minister Jiang, just because you favor concubines over your wife and value the children of concubines above the legitimate heirs doesn’t mean everyone else does the same. Especially in the imperial family. Legitimate is legitimate, and illegitimate is illegitimate. If that distinction is ignored, wouldn’t everything fall into chaos?”
“But…” Jiang Wenxiang wanted to argue further, but Gao Jian placed a hand over his. “As for this position of Secondary Consort, the Third Prince earned it only after taking twenty strokes of the board, while Her Majesty the Empress knelt for half an hour to plead for him. A few days ago, His Majesty bestowed a bride upon the Seventh Prince. Although the imperial decree did not name her, everyone knew it referred to Fourth Miss Jiang. Once the Emperor has spoken, his decree cannot be changed. Fortunately, Fifth Miss Jiang and Fourth Miss Jiang were born in the same year, month, and day. By having Fifth Miss Jiang marry into the Seventh Prince’s residence instead, the matter was smoothed over. Otherwise, with a future prince’s consort losing her chastity before marriage, Prime Minister Jiang, you would likely have been stripped of your office and sent into retirement. My advice? Never bring this matter up again. As the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind. Even setting aside the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born daughters, no family could possibly have two daughters become the principal consorts of imperial princes.”
Jiang Wenxiang’s heart skipped a beat. How had he failed to think of that?
The Emperor was naturally suspicious and had been gradually weakening his influence. How could he possibly allow Jiang Wenxiang’s most favored daughter to become the principal consort of the prince with the greatest power and prospects?
It seemed the Emperor’s earlier decision to betroth Yue’er to the Seventh Prince was merely a convenient move, taking advantage of Consort Zhao’s suggestion and going with the flow.
“Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Gao. I understand now.”
“Hahaha. Good. We all serve the Emperor and live on the imperial stipend. In all things, we must obey His Majesty’s will.”
After Gao Jian left, Jiang Qingyue collapsed to the ground and burst into uncontrollable sobs.
“Why? Father, why? Ever since I was little, I’ve excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. My martial arts and medical skills are no less accomplished. I am beautiful and gentle by nature. What exactly am I lacking? Why would His Majesty grant me only the position of the Third Prince’s secondary consort…?
“Waaah. I won’t accept this, Father! I won’t accept this!”
Jiang Wenxiang patted her shoulder. In that instant, he seemed to have aged several years. “Yue’er, where there’s life, there’s hope. What difference does it make whether you’re a principal consort or a secondary consort? As long as the Third Prince loves and favors you, that’s enough. When he becomes Crown Prince and eventually ascends the throne, making you Empress would be no more than a single command.”
He firmly believed that his Yue’er was destined to rule the world as its mother.
Tears streamed endlessly down Jiang Qingyue’s face, her heart aching as if cut by knives.
A secondary consort… a secondary consort… Wasn’t that just a concubine? How many noble ladies from prestigious families would ridicule her for it?
Jiang Qingran. That bitch, that jinx, Jiang Qingran! Sure enough, she was smiling!
“Jiang Qingran, have you gotten your wish at last?”
Jiang Qingran shrugged. “A wish? Something as trivial as this doesn’t need wishing. Anyone with common sense knows that a mere concubine-born daughter could never become the Third Prince’s principal consort. It’s only you people who were daydreaming and indulging in fantasies. Hahaha… What a bunch of fools!”
Jiang Qingyue was rendered speechless. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she turned reproachful eyes toward Jiang Wenxiang. “Father, you dote on Mother and me so much. Why were you never willing to divorce the Madam and make my mother the principal wife? If you had, wouldn’t I have become a legitimate daughter?”