Empress Qiao sighed for a moment, then smiled and said, “No matter what, your wàizǔfù and wàizǔmǔ always love you. Don’t be alienated from them.”

  Li Jing nodded with a smile.

   Empress Qiao smiled again: “You don’t have to worry about things like betrothal gifts and other such things. Just wait until you marry Fourth Miss Lu.”

   When Lu Mingyu was mentioned, Li Jing’s eyes brightened a bit: “Thank you, Mother.”

   Empress Qiao was someone who had seen the world, how could she not see the joy in her son’s eyes? She couldn’t help but sighed with a smile: “Your wàizǔmǔ said something right. A thousand good qualities cannot compare to the one who has captured your heart. You like Fourth Miss Lu. If you marry her in the future, you have to live a good life.”

   That Fourth Miss Lu was not a girl with a soft and easy-going temperament.

   This sentence, Empress Qiao did not say out but showed it in her eyes.

   Li Jing smiled meaningfully: “My mother doesn’t have to worry about me. Even if she is angry, she will only act against others, not against me.”

  Empress Qiao suppressed the worries in her heart and agreed with a smile: “I hope so.”

  Li Jing smiled but said nothing.

   “Report to the Empress,” Cailan came to report with a smile: “The Empress Dowager sent a message asking the Empress to go to Shouning Palace.”

   Empress Dowager Zhao doesn’t pay much attention to Empress Qiao in general. It was rare to take the initiative to call like today, so it must be something important.

   Empress Qiao thought for a while and then guessed one or two.

   She smiled and got up: “Bengong will go to Shouning Palace now.”

  …

   Before a cup of tea, Empress Qiao entered the Shouning Palace, first smiled and saluted: “Daughter-in-law pays respect to Empress Mother.”

   Empress Dowager Zhao swept her gaze and said with a faint smile: “Empress, please sit down and talk!”

   Empress Dowager Zhao was fifty-eight years old this year, approaching her sixtieth year soon. However, Empress Dowager Zhao always paid attention to maintenance, and her slightly gray hair must be dyed black. She dressed up every day, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and brows are mostly covered by powder.

   A graceful and luxurious Empress Dowager.

   Just looking at her appearance, she didn’t look like a mean person.

  But in fact, Empress Dowager Zhao’s reputation inside and outside the palace was really not very good. She was neither shrewd nor powerful, and she was blindly partial to Concubine Qin while being lukewarm to her main daughter-in-law Empress Qiao.

  Perhaps, most of the mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law in the world were like this. They can’t tell the specific reason why I don’t like you very well, and why I can’t see you happy and comfortable.

   Empress Qiao was accustomed to her mother-in-law’s indifference and partiality. After thanking her, she sat down.

   Empress Dowager Zhao didn’t have to go around the corner and asked directly: “How do you plan to handle the marriage of the three princes?”

   As expected, it was for the marriage of the princes.

   Empress Qiao replied respectfully: “The Ministry of Internal Affairs completed the construction of the Prince’s Mansion two years ago. Now that the princes have decided on marriage, the daughter-in-law intends to order the Ministry of Internal Affairs to renovate and redecorate the three princes’ mansions.”

   This also had precedents to follow.

   One month before the Eldest Prince got married, he moved out of the palace and lived in the prince’s mansion. On the day of the wedding, he welcomed his bride, Consort Liang in the Prince’s Mansion.

The next three brothers getting married, will of course marry from their own Prince’s Mansion.

  The Princes’ mansions were built several years ago. After going out of the palace gate, it only takes a cup of tea time to go by carriage. Several palaces of princes, two palaces of princesses, and other close relatives of the royal family also lived near the palace.

Empress Qiao said that she had prepared for three brothers. Empress Dowager Zhao was quite satisfied, and her voice softened a bit: “The Second Prince and the Third Prince have reached the age of marriage. The Fourth Prince is two years younger, and the wedding date will be delayed by a year or two. Don’t be in a hurry. First, tidy up the Second Prince’s Mansion and the Third Prince’s Mansion.”

   Empress Dowager Zhao did not want to see her daughter-in-law, but the princes were all her grandsons. Even though she was partial to the Fourth Prince, she was also very concerned about the marriage of the Second Prince and the Third Prince.

   Empress Qiao smiled and agreed.

   Empress Dowager Zhao asked in detail about the dowry.

   Empress Qiao said calmly: “This daughter-in-law has also carefully thought about the betrothal gift. The Eldest prince is a concubine-born, and when we sent the betrothal gift to Liang’s house the total price of the betrothal gift was about 10,000 taels.”

   “The daughter-in-law thought, the Third prince and the Fourth prince are the same as the Eldest Prince. The Second Prince is a direct descendant, so he should be 30% higher than the concubine princes. Therefore, the daughter-in-law will prepare the betrothal gift according to this standard. I wonder what the Empress Dowager thinks?”

   There was a difference between the descendants and the concubine-born children, so this was justified.

  Empress Qiao spoke righteously.

   Empress Dowager Zhao listened, but it was slightly harsh.

   Concubine-born, concubine-born, what was wrong if someone was concubine-born?

   At that time, she was also the eldest daughter of the Zhao family. The main wife of the head of the Li family died and married her, a concubine-born daughter, as his second wife. Fortunately, the deceased first wife only gave birth to two daughters, and within two years of her entering the door, she gave birth to a son Li Yuan.

   She was concubine-born, and her son was the eldest son of the Li family. When Li Yuan was sixteen, he married the daughter of the Qiao family as his wife.

   When did the disagreement between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law start?

   Probably the pride of the Qiao family’s daughter-in-law was a bit dazzling, which made her mother-in-law feel unhappy. She was cold and critical, and Qiao Shi had to endure it, and there was inevitably some resentment in her heart.

  Especially after Qin Shi was brought in as a concubine. She showed favoritism to her niece, and she was especially fond of her fourth grandson. The daughter-in-law Qiao was dissatisfied, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law became more and more estranged.

   However, she didn’t take it seriously at all.

   Being a mother-in-law, she had the upper hand over her daughter-in-law. She was the Empress Dowager, and Empress Qiao can only respectfully make concessions and compromises.

   Empress Dowager Zhao glanced at Empress Qiao and said lightly, “The Empress prepares a dowry like this, are you not afraid of losing the reputation of a direct mother who is not kind?”

   Empress Qiao sneered in her heart.

   As long as she does things, Empress Dowager Zhao will find something to complain about.

   Empress Qiao replied calmly: “If the dowry gifts are the same for the main line and the concubine-born, it would be a joke in the eyes of people who pay attention to etiquette.”

Empress Dowager Zhao’s eyes were slightly cold, and she snorted from her nose: “This old woman may be old, but I understand what is and isn’t a joke. I simply cherish a few imperial grandchildren. They are obviously full-blooded brothers, but you still want to divide them into different ranks. There’s no need for others to stir up trouble, as there’s already a rift between the brothers.”

   Empress Dowager Zhao deliberately found fault, and her words were rather harsh.

Empress Qiao’s heart sank, but there was no expression on her face, and she replied with a smile: “The mother-in-law said so, but the daughter-in-law doesn’t know what to say. If it’s just food and clothing, the daughter-in-law will treat them equally. But I can’t compromise on this. Otherwise, if the imperial censors in the court hear a memorial and impeach the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, how can Bengong bear it?”

   Empress Dowager Zhao frowned and gave Empress Qiao a deep look.

   Empress Qiao sat upright, not moving.

  Other things can be compromised, but the dignity and decency of the legitimate son must not be compromised.

   Empress Dowager Zhao saw that Empress Qiao was not going to give up an inch, and she felt annoyed in her heart, and said lightly: “Ai’s family is a little tired, the Empress does not need to accompany Ai’s family here, let’s retire first!”

  Empress Qiao respectfully got up and retired.

   When Empress Qiao left, Empress Dowager Zhao snorted heavily: “What a majestic Empress!”

The dissatisfaction in the tone almost gushed out.