Hairpin Phoenix

   Chapter 100 Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law

   Queen Qiao sighed for a moment, then smiled and said, "No matter what, your grandfather and grandmother always love you. Don't be alienated from them."

  Li Jing nodded with a smile.

   Queen Qiao smiled again: "You don't have to worry about things like accepting a pin. Just wait until you marry Fourth Miss Lu."

   When Lu Mingyu was mentioned, Li Jing's eyes brightened a bit: "Thank you mother."

   Queen Qiao was also a visitor, how could she not see the joy in her son's eyes. He couldn't help but sighed with a smile: "Your grandmother said something right. It's not as good as your heart. You like Miss Lu Si. If you marry her in the future, you have to live a good life."

   That Fourth Miss Lu is not a soft and easy-going temperament.

   This sentence, Queen Qiao did not say it, and 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."

  Queen 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," Cai Lan 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 Queen Qiao on weekdays. It is rare to take the initiative to call today, and it must be something important.

   Queen 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, Queen Qiao entered the Shouning Palace, first smiled and saluted: "Daughter-in-law has seen mother and queen."

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

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

   A graceful and luxurious empress dowager.

   Just looking at the appearance, he doesn't look like a mean person.

   In fact, Empress Dowager Zhao's reputation inside and outside the palace is really not very good. He is neither shrewd nor powerful, but he is still partial, blindly partial to Concubine Qin, but he is lukewarm to the serious daughter-in-law Queen Qiao.

  Perhaps, most of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the world are like this. I can't tell the specific reason, that is, I don't like you very well, and you don't see me as happy and comfortable.

   Queen 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.

   Queen 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 relocate the three Prince's Mansion."

   This also has precedents to follow.

   One month before the eldest prince got married, he moved out of the palace and lived in the prince's mansion. At the time of the big wedding, Mrs. Liang passed the door to marry the eldest prince concubine.

   The three brothers of the second prince got married, and naturally they also got married in the prince's mansion.

  The Prince’s Palace was built several years ago. After going out of the palace gate, you will arrive by horse-drawn carriage and tea kung fu. 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 three brothers. Empress 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 he is partial to the fourth prince, he is also very concerned about the marriage of the second prince and the third prince.

   Queen Joe smiled and agreed.

   Empress Dowager Zhao asked in detail about the dowry.

   Queen Qiao said calmly: "My daughter-in-law has also carefully thought about accepting the betrothal. The eldest prince is a concubine, and he went to Liang's house to deliver the betrothal that day. The total price of the betrothal gift is 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 prince. Therefore, the daughter-in-law will prepare the betrothal gift according to this standard. I wonder what the mother will think?"

   There is a difference between the descendants and the concubines, which is justified.

  Queen Qiao spoke righteously.

   Empress Dowager Zhao listened, but it was slightly harsh.

   庶出庶嶼, what happened to the 庶嶶?

   At that time, she was also the eldest daughter of the Zhao family. The head of the Li family died of his original wife and married her concubine as his successor. 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 is a descendant, and her son is the eldest son of the Li family. When Li Yuan was sixteen, he married the daughter of the Qiao family as his wife.

   When the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law are not matched, when did it 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 the Qin family passed the door. She sympathized with her aunt and 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 has the upper hand over her daughter-in-law. She is the empress dowager, and Queen Qiao can only respectfully make concessions and compromise.

   Empress Dowager Zhao glanced at Queen Qiao and said lightly, "Aren't the queen afraid of losing a reputation for being unkind to her mother-in-law?"

   Queen Qiao sneered in her heart.

   As long as she does things, the Queen Mother Zhao is rarely picky.

   Queen Qiao replied calmly: "If the dowry gifts are the same and the descendants are the same, 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: "Ai's family is old, and I don't know what jokes are not jokes. Ai's family is distressed by several grandsons, who are obviously brothers and sisters of direct relatives. Come nine. There is no need for others to instigate, there will be a gap between the brothers first."

   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. You can't do this. Otherwise, if the imperial censors in the court hear a memorial and impeach the third prince and the fourth prince, how can this palace bear it?"

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

   Queen Joe sat upright, not moving.

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

   Empress Dowager Zhao saw that Queen Qiao was not allowed to enter, and she felt annoyed in her heart, and said lightly: "Ai's family is a little tired, the queen does not need to accompany Ai's family here, let's retire first!"

  Queen Qiao respectfully got up and retire.

   When Empress Qiao left, Empress Dowager Zhao snorted heavily: "What a majestic empress!"

The dissatisfaction in the tone of    almost gushed out.

   (end of this chapter)