Springtime Farming: A Happy Wife At Home

Princess Consort was growing increasingly irritated.

She had never anticipated such behavior from the Fourth Princess Consort.

Shao Yunduan served the Crown Prince, while the Fourth Princess Consort presented gifts to Qiao Xuan. It left her bewildered. What was happening here?

Whether or not this individual was the spy dispatched by the Fourth Prince’s household was beside the point. Xiang Rui possessed beauty and an appealing figure. She couldn’t possibly be foolish to have been chosen by the Fourth Princess Consort. The uncertainty of her intentions weighed on Princess Consort’s mind.

Neither Shao Yunduan nor Qiao Xuan could simply dismiss her. On the contrary, they had to treat her well because of her title bestowed upon her by the Fourth Princess Consort.

Princess Consort had nothing to fear. If an opportunity arose for her to gain favor with Shao Yunduan, she could consider taking Xiang Rui as a concubine. Why not?

Who could guarantee that such a situation would never transpire?

The more Princess Consort pondered these thoughts, the more her annoyance grew.

Nevertheless, she had never contemplated turning down the Fourth Princess Consort’s favor in favor of Qiao Xuan. She was, after all, the Princess Consort, and she had to display respect for her sister-in-law, the Fourth Princess Consort, in front of numerous witnesses; otherwise, she’d be labeled as narrow-minded and petty.

Such a reputation was something she couldn’t afford!

Princess Consort didn’t arbitrarily send someone to the Shao Family. She had made a decision – she would assign someone to discreetly monitor Xiang Rui and ensure she didn’t achieve her goals.

Qiao Xuan should have chosen someone clever to serve the Crown Prince, enabling Shao Yunduan to take her as a concubine and assist in managing the household so that he could wholeheartedly serve the Crown Prince.

With her resolve made, Princess Consort’s anger began to dissipate.

She smiled and turned to Qiao Xuan, who was still in a daze. “Ms. Qiao, the Fourth Princess Consort has shown her generosity; you should thank her!”

Qiao Xuan’s eyes widened, clearly taken aback by the situation.

She remained silent, assuming that Princess Consort would come to her defense.

Aren’t they supposed to be a team, even if Princess Consort didn’t hold her in high regard?

Princess Consort couldn’t possibly just stand by and allow the Fourth Princess Consort to send the maid to the Shao Family, especially when the maid was so beautiful. Qiao Xuan could easily discern the Fourth Princess Consort’s intentions.

Attempting to keep her composure, Qiao Xuan smiled and gracefully bent her knees. “Thank you for your generosity, Fourth Princess Consort, but my humble abode cannot accommodate so many people, so I must respectfully decline your offer.”

Gasps filled the room as people exchanged bewildered glances. Had Ms. Qiao lost her mind? How could she publicly disrespect the Fourth Princess Consort like this?

Regardless of Shao Yunduan’s status in the East Palace, he was just a lowly fifth-ranked officer, not even ranking above the Fourth Prince. Ms. Qiao wouldn’t dare to do this unless she had a death wish.

The Fourth Princess Consort sneered, her tone biting. “Madame Shao, are you rejecting my offer? If you recognize my goodwill, why decline?”

Qiao Xuan had intended to pressure her into accepting the proposal, but it seemed that she had become the one humiliated.

Tian Shanshan sneered, deeming Qiao Xuan too petty for such a public display.

What noble wife from a prestigious family would act so ignorantly?

Qiao Xuan responded, her voice firm, “I am not worthy of such kindness.”

“Ridiculous!”

The Fourth Princess Consort decided not to further embarrass Qiao Xuan in public; that would be beneath her.

Qiao Xuan didn’t merit such humiliation from her.

She turned to Princess Consort, raised an eyebrow, and offered a half-smile. “You share the same sentiment, Princess Consort? I merely intended to extend a kind gesture, yet you seem to think I have ulterior motives. Am I mistaken?”