Chapter 88

Qiao Zhongguo’s eyes lit up at the words, and he shouted to Qiao Diyi not far away, “Second, come over here!”

Qiao Diyi: ???

Huh?

I’m just sitting here quietly, where am I going to get scolded again?

Before entering the palace, Qiao Zhongguo and his wife repeatedly urged him to be obedient.

Qiao Diyi indeed listened obediently, sitting quietly in his seat without moving at all.

Seeing this, Qiao Jiaojiao couldn’t help but grin.

“Silly Second Brother, come over here! Your future father-in-law wants to see you! Show yourself properly!”

Qiao Diyi wasn’t far away, and upon hearing Qiao Jiaojiao’s thoughts, he couldn’t help but feel a jump in his heart.

He immediately stood up straight and walked over to Qiao Zhongguo.

Qiao Zhongguo pushed Qiao Diyi forward, “General Xiao, this is my second son. Take a look and see if he’s qualified.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Diyi’s heart pounded!

He had no idea about becoming a disciple and thought Qiao Zhongguo was really introducing him to General Xiao as a prospective son-in-law. His face turned red.

Xiao Hongda’s eyes showed a strong smile as he reached out and pinched Qiao Diyi’s arm, his lips curling slightly.

“Excellent potential, not bad.”

Qiao Diyi couldn’t help but feel dizzy at his words. Did this mean that General Xiao had accepted him as his son-in-law? So quickly?

Qiao Zhongguo’s lips curved, “General Xiao, does this mean you agree?”

Xiao Hongda nodded, “I am satisfied, but… I still need to ask His Majesty’s opinion.”

The Xiao family held military power, and now with a daughter becoming the Crown Prince’s consort, the Qiao family was extraordinary. Whether Qiao Diyi could become his student still depended on His Majesty’s opinion.

Qiao Zhongguo agreed, “General Xiao, your words make sense. I will seek a favor from His Majesty later.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Diyi was stunned.

Huh? So does this mean that His Majesty still needs to approve of my marriage to Miss Xiao?

Seeing Qiao Diyi’s bewildered expression, Qiao Jiaojiao knew he had misunderstood and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Silly Second Brother, Dad wants you to become General Xiao’s disciple first. You know what they say, ‘Near the water’s edge, catch fish first.’ This opportunity is right in front of you!”

“But I remember that there was no such thing as becoming a disciple. Maybe Dad just came up with the idea on the spot.”

“However, this might still work out because the Dog Emperor is going to strip General Xiao of his military power soon. After all, Miss Xiao becoming the Crown Prince’s consort, the Dog Emperor can’t just sit idly by.”

“To compensate General Xiao and avoid offending the old ministers, a small request like becoming a disciple shouldn’t be rejected by the Dog Emperor.”

Qiao Zhongguo, upon hearing Qiao Jiaojiao’s words, sighed inwardly. He had long expected that his entire family would have an unfortunate end, and his brother’s fate would probably be no different…

Just as Qiao Zhongguo was contemplating this, Qiao Jiaojiao also thought of the same thing.

“Alas, among this group of loyalists, none have a good ending.”

“After the Dog Emperor pushed the Second Prince to the position of heir, to avoid criticism that he was exterminating the Crown Prince’s lineage, he didn’t move against the Xiao family for a long time.”

“But behind the scenes, he didn’t hesitate to undermine General Xiao’s power.”

“In the end, when the Dog Emperor died and the Second Prince ascended the throne, General Xiao was quickly framed for rebellion and was executed by Lingchi!”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhongguo’s heart trembled, overwhelmed with sorrow.

Reminiscing about the past, the two of them made a solemn vow together to serve their country.

At that time, Old Da’s eyes were bright, and he said loudly, “Old Qiao, I, Xiao Hongda, am willing to sacrifice my life and shed my blood for the Great Yong Dynasty, for the people of Great Yong. Are you willing?”

Under the clear sky, with youthful spirits high, that oath was etched into Qiao Zhongguo’s blood and bones.

—For the country, for the people, with unwavering determination, they would not regret even if they died a hundred deaths!

Who could have imagined that the two brothers would not die on the battlefield, but rather perish in the struggle for power and intrigue!

Old Xiao, oh Old Xiao, this time we’ll defy fate together. Let’s live well and witness the prosperity of the Great Yong Dynasty!

Thinking of this, Qiao Zhongguo casually pinched General Xiao’s arm, speaking politely but exerting force.

Xiao Hongda felt something, meeting Qiao Zhongguo’s gaze. The two brothers were filled with emotions, buried deep in their hearts.

In contrast to the somewhat serious conversation between the men, the women’s chatter was much more relaxed.

Unlike Qiao Zhongguo, who was despised by everyone, Mrs. Qiao was popular among the women.

After all, she was beautiful, kind-hearted, and graceful. Those who had met her sincerely praised her.

Mrs. Yang and Sister Chen had the best relationship. They sat next to each other, surrounded by other ladies.

Sister Chen was quite adept at keeping up with the latest trends. At this moment, she mysteriously pulled out something from her handkerchief and said with a smile, “I got something nice the other day. Everyone, come and take a look.”

Mrs. Qiao was curious and leaned over to take a look. She saw Sister Chen gradually revealing a delicate little ceramic jar.

Mrs. Qiao’s heart skipped a beat. This jar looked… very familiar.

“Sister Chen, what is this?”

The ladies gathered around, trying to get a better look.

Sister Chen smiled and opened the lid, revealing the contents of the jar.

“This is a little thing that has become popular in Qingzhou recently, called lipstick! It’s similar to lip balm, but the color is vibrant, the scent is strong, and it lasts longer.”

“I have a relative in Qingzhou, who happened to come to the capital recently and brought me this good stuff. It’s really nice!”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qiao hurriedly covered her mouth with the handkerchief, suppressing a smile.

The other ladies were curious, “Is it really that good?”

Sister Chen nodded confidently, “If it weren’t good, I wouldn’t have shown it to you. My relative also said that along with this lipstick, there are also soaps and perfumes!”

“The soap is left at home, and as for the perfume, you can smell this handkerchief.”

As she spoke, Sister Chen took out a blue handkerchief from her sleeve, waved it in her hand, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.

“It smells so good—”

Someone exclaimed.

“What kind of scent is this? Why can’t I recognize it all of a sudden?”

Sister Chen shook her head, “I don’t know either. I just know it smells really good. I heard that these three things are selling like hotcakes in Qingzhou, and now they’re hard to come by!”

With these words, many of the ladies began to think.

Such a good thing would surely spread quickly to the capital.

They had to send someone to inquire as soon as possible, whether it was for gift-giving or personal use, it would be very prestigious!

Mrs. Qiao looked at Sister Chen with a smile in her eyes and thought to herself:

Sister Chen, not only are you the matchmaker for my eldest son, but you also take care of my husband’s business.

There’s no handkerchief more intimate than the one from Sister Chen!