Chapter 26 – Good Girl, So Clever

After sending her son to the academy, Tang Chaoyang returned to the General’s Estate. Carrying her acupuncture needles, she went to Rong’en Hall, intending to perform acupuncture for her grandmother.

When she stepped into the main hall, she saw the Grand Madam Su, Lady Li, as well as Su Miao and Su Ling already there.

Tang Chaoyang greeted them and sat down.

Lady Li glanced at her, then continued discussing the previous topic with the old madam.

“On the fifteenth, the Dowager Empress will hold a flower-viewing banquet in the palace. She specifically requested noble young ladies of rank three and above, aged sixteen to nineteen. Mother, doesn’t this mean…”

Though she didn’t finish her sentence, the old madam understood what she meant.

Clearly, it looked like the event was meant to select imperial consorts.

Seeing the pleased look on Lady Li’s face, the old madam knew exactly what her eldest daughter-in-law was thinking.

Lady Li wanted to send her daughter into the palace to become a noble consort.

The old madam sighed in her heart. What was so good about entering the palace?

But whether or not they wished to enter the palace was no longer something they could fully decide for themselves.

The old madam had once glimpsed His Majesty’s countenance from afar—a young and handsome emperor.

The Su family’s daughters had a strong chance of entering the palace, though it was impossible for any of them to ascend to the phoenix throne, because behind the Su family stood the army.

Su Miao and Su Ling pricked up their ears, listening nervously to their mother and grandmother.

This flower-viewing banquet in the palace was most likely for choosing noble young ladies to enter the harem, and they were both of the appropriate age.

The two girls felt both anxious and shy.

The old madam lazily tapped her cane on Lady Li. “We don’t need to speculate what the Dowager Empress intends. If you go to the banquet, don’t move about too much. Best not to get involved in any trouble.”

Lady Li quickly agreed.

Tang Chaoyang sipped her flower tea. In her previous life, she didn’t recall any such flower-viewing banquet being held around this time.

She didn’t know why this had changed, but she remained calm—such was life. Change could sometimes turn out to be a good thing.

After scolding Lady Li, the old madam smiled and looked at Tang Chaoyang. “Chaoyang, you’ve come at the right time. After midday, Xiao Miao and the girls are going out to buy hair ornaments. You should go and pick out some pretty ones too.”

Tang Chaoyang knew this was her grandmother’s goodwill. She couldn’t bear to refuse.

She smiled softly. “All right.”

Seeing her agree, the old madam’s face revealed a satisfied smile. “That’s better. Girls shouldn’t dress too plainly. You should look bright and beautiful.”

Since her granddaughter returned from Han City, she hadn’t worn any of her once bold and colorful clothes.

The old lady’s heart ached for her.

Hearing that Tang Chaoyang was going shopping with them, Su Ling secretly pouted.

She really didn’t want to go out with Tang Chaoyang.

If other noble girls saw them together, she would feel humiliated.

Once they went out, she’d have to find a way to separate from Tang Chaoyang!

“If there’s nothing else, you three can leave first. Chaoyang still has to do my acupuncture.”

Lady Li led her two daughters to bow and left Rong’en Hall.

Watching her daughter-in-law’s delighted figure departing, the old madam shook her head. Her eldest daughter-in-law’s vision was truly too shallow.

Tang Chaoyang helped her grandmother into the inner chamber.

The old lady sighed heavily.

“Grandmother, you mustn’t worry too much. If you truly don’t want my cousins to enter the palace as consorts, Grandfather will surely find a way.”

Tang Chaoyang gently held the old lady’s hand. “Please put your mind at ease.”

The old madam sighed again and smiled faintly. “Your aunt has set her heart on sending her daughters into the palace. No wonder she stopped arranging matches for Xiao Miao these past two months—she’s been waiting for this.”

On this topic, Tang Chaoyang could say nothing. After all, Lady Li was an elder, and she, as the younger generation, could not criticize her.

“If Xiao Miao were to enter the palace, it wouldn’t be so bad. Her temperament is gentle and composed; she does things steadily and could adapt. But Su Ling’s nature is too blunt.”

The old madam was truly worried. Su Ling’s straightforward personality would be dangerous in a place like the imperial palace—it would get her killed sooner.

Tang Chaoyang thought for a moment, then spoke softly to reassure her. “Grandmother, please don’t fret too much.”

“My guess is that the Dowager Empress’s flower-viewing banquet is related to selecting the Empress. As for my cousins attending the banquet, they’ll likely just be there to make up the numbers.”

After all, the phoenix throne had nothing to do with the Su family—naturally, it would be a mere formality.

The old madam was startled by this and asked, surprised and puzzled, “Chaoyang, why do you think that?”

She suddenly recalled something her husband had mentioned last night:

This year’s selection of consorts had been postponed by the new emperor, and in recent days, many ministers had been submitting remonstrations.

With the consort selection delayed, the inner palace remained empty. At such a time, it made sense that the palace would first choose an Empress.

“My good girl—you’re so clever!” The old lady felt that she was getting old, her mind growing a bit dull.

If this flower-viewing banquet on the fifteenth had nothing to do with their family, she would have Lady Li hurry to arrange a marriage for Su Ling!

Her grandmother was sincerely thinking of Su Miao and Su Ling’s wellbeing. Tang Chaoyang thought of her own mother, who had passed away so early.

If her mother had still been alive, she would surely have poured her heart into arranging a good marriage for her, too.

And perhaps there would never have been that incident—her dragging Fei Yan off the street to marry him.

Seeing her grandmother brighten up, Tang Chaoyang curved her lips in a smile.

“Madam Zhou,” the old lady called, “once the acupuncture is done, go fetch Lady Li. She used to consider many eligible young men. There must be someone suitable for Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling cannot enter the palace.”

The old lady had clearly made up her mind, unwilling to delay any longer.

She feared that Su Ling’s character was too unsuited to palace life. She hadn’t known before that her eldest daughter-in-law intended to give both daughters a chance to enter the palace.

Now that she did, she thought it best to arrange a suitable marriage for Su Ling as soon as possible.

At that moment, outside the curtain, Su Ling was standing there holding the embroidered headband she had made to give to her grandmother. She hadn’t expected to hear such words.

Why did Grandmother think she wasn’t fit to enter the palace as a consort?

She felt utterly unconvinced!

It was all Tang Chaoyang’s fault! All her fault for talking too much!