Yi Qing knew that there were four dukes in the Great Jin Dynasty. Besides her grandfather, the Duke of Di, there were three others. However, she didn't know who the other three were.
"Is the Duke of Yuan very powerful?" Yi Qing felt that Bai Yutang seemed to care especially about that Lady Yuan.
Although she was well - behaved and amiable to everyone, she showed a bit more affection towards Lady Yuan. But Lady Yuan just treated her politely.
"Back then when the emperor ascended the throne, it was the Duke of Yuan who persuaded the local clans to support the emperor. The Duke of Yuan has in - law relations with many clans. What do you think?" Xiao Jinghan had countless military merits, but he was quite wary of the several dukes.
"Isn't this forming a clique for selfish ends?" Yi Qing thought this matter should be quite serious.
Xiao Jinghan didn't explain it to Yi Qing. There were many problems when the emperor ascended the throne back then, and there were many helpless compromises, which had now become drawbacks.
As they were talking, the lunch was over. Everyone moved to the garden, where tea and refreshments were served. This was the real venue for the banquet.
Yi Qing and Xiao Jinghan walked at the back, and no one dared to say anything.
"Princess, princess, something's wrong! The eldest young lady was in a huff and didn't eat lunch. Now she suddenly has a severe abdominal pain." Xiao Yu reported in a flurry.
"Just call a doctor for the abdominal pain." The princess said angrily.
"The eldest young lady heard that Lady Xiao is highly skilled in medicine and wants to invite Lady Xiao to take a look." Xiao Yu looked embarrassed.
Yi Qing instantly became the focus again. She waved and nodded to greet people.
The princess now disliked Yi Qing no matter how she looked at her: "Then Lady Xiao, go and take a look."
Yi Qing felt that it must be the eldest young lady causing trouble, but she couldn't refuse. She had just established the persona of a divine doctor: "Okay." She said and followed Xiao Yu.
Xiao Jinghan also wanted to follow, but was blocked by Xiao Yu.
"It's inappropriate for a man to enter my young lady's boudoir." Xiao Yu bowed.
"Just let her take a look. No one's going to eat her. You just wait here for a while." The princess said impatiently.
Xiao Jinghan nodded and then paced aside, keeping a distance from the female guests.
Yi Qing followed Xiao Yu through several long corridors and got lost.
"How much farther?" Yi Qing saw Xiao Yu walking in a hurry.
"Almost there, almost there." Xiao Yu said as she pushed open the courtyard gate.
Yi Qing stood there and didn't move forward: "Your young lady lives here?"
"Yes. Lady Xiao, come in quickly." Xiao Yu was anxious.
"I heard that well - bred young ladies usually live in elegant towers. This mansion seems wrong." Yi Qing listened to the sounds around.
"My young lady likes this kind of mansion." Xiao Yu said and tried to pull Yi Qing.
Yi Qing directly shook off Xiao Yu and gave her a needle. Xiao Yu slumped down softly.
At this time, several people rushed out of the yard. Having learned from the previous experience, Yi Weiwei didn't dare to drug Yi Qing again. She directly ordered people to tie her up.
"Yi Weiwei." Yi Qing saw Yi Weiwei and laughed. "What? Want to try the same trick again?"
"Yi Qing, you won't be so lucky this time." Yi Weiwei said proudly.
"Aren't you afraid of me shouting?" Yi Qing smiled slightly.
"Shout then. This place is far from the flower - viewing banquet. It's no use even if you scream your lungs out." Yi Weiwei was very confident.
"Help!" Yi Qing shouted loudly.
Three black - clothed men immediately appeared behind Yi Qing.
Yi Weiwei was startled: "You even brought assassins into the princess's mansion."
"Have you got any common sense? Do assassins look like this?" Yi Qing sneered. "Tell me, what do you want to do?"
Yi Weiwei knew that she had no chance today: "This is the princess's mansion. Let's see what you can do to me."
Yi Qing folded her arms and looked at Yi Weiwei, then at the shadow guards behind her: "What can I do to her?"
"Just one wall away is outside the princess's mansion. We can carry her out and beat her to death." The shadow guard said seriously.
"Then do it like this." Yi Qing nodded.
"I'm warning you. If you dare to touch a single hair on me, I'll make you..." Yi Weiwei threatened, but didn't know what to threaten with.
"Hair." Yi Qing suddenly laughed. "Hold her down."
The three shadow guards directly knocked out the yard guards and then held Yi Weiwei down.
"Yi Qing, what do you want to do? I'll call for help." Yi Weiwei was scared.
"Call then. It's no use even if you scream your lungs out." Yi Qing said as she started to pluck Yi Weiwei's leg hair.
"Ah—" Yi Weiwei cried out in pain.
Her leg hair was thicker than that of ordinary women, and Yi Qing plucked it seriously.
Since Yi Qing wasn't at the flower - viewing banquet, it didn't take long for Xiao Jinghan to be called by the princess. She asked him about some previous matters, and Xiao Jinghan replied that he had nothing to say about all of them.
"It's a pity that there are no princesses in the royal family now. Otherwise, only a royal princess would be worthy of you. How about this? Qian'er is just at the age of marriage. You can take her in. I won't ask you to divorce your original wife. Just give her the status of a co - wife." The princess said generously.
The noble ladies below perked up their ears. They all wanted to marry their daughters into the general's mansion, but the princess had proposed it first.
Xiao Jinghan didn't expect the princess to be so straightforward: "She's not worthy."
The princess thought she had misheard: "What did you say?"
"I said, she can't be compared with my wife." Xiao Jinghan said clearly again.
This was a direct slap in the princess's face. He just wanted to tell everyone that he could reject the princess like this. Others could try if they wanted.
"Say it again." The princess pointed at Xiao Jinghan angrily.
"No matter how many times I say it, it's the same. I, Xiao Jinghan, already have a wife, and Yi Qing will be my only wife." Xiao Jinghan said firmly.
He dared to say this in front of the emperor, and he was even more unreserved in front of others.
The princess was so angry that her hands began to tremble, but she couldn't say a word.
"Mother, mother, go and have a look quickly. Lady Xiao is..." Qin Miao suddenly ran over.
"What is she doing?" The princess was so angry that she wanted to throw things.
"She took a look at your daughter and said it was okay. Then she had her eyes on your backyard. Now she's..." Qin Miao hesitated again.
"Where?" The princess was in a fit of anger and didn't think there was anything wrong with this matter.
"With Young Master Ouyang." Qin Miao said helplessly.
"She really doesn't take the princess's mansion seriously." The princess said and walked away.
Xiao Jinghan wanted to follow.
Qin Qian subconsciously grabbed Xiao Jinghan's sleeve. Xiao Jinghan didn't know where he got a dagger from and directly cut off the sleeve, which surprised the female guests beside them.
"Second young lady, just say what you want to say." Xiao Jinghan said with disgust on his face.
Qin Qian was still holding the cut - off sleeve in her hand. The people beside them immediately knew what was going on and secretly gasped.
"That Young Master Ouyang is my mother's new favorite. General Xiao, you'd better not go." After saying that, Qin Qian ran away crying.
There was a lot of information in this. Lady Xiao had gone to see the princess's new favorite. With the princess's temper, she wouldn't even let others take an extra look at what she fancied, not to mention that General Xiao was still here.