novelaction Chapter 276 Who is the Pawn?
Chapter 276 Who is the Pawn?
Mu Xin Nuan looked over at Madam Yang and indeed found that her expression was a little off. Upon closer inspection, she could see a deep sense of worry in her eyes.
It seems that her prediction was correct. Ever since the last incident, Madam Yang has been out of favor in the Duke of Anguo's mansion. Although she is still the legitimate wife, it is said that she is not the only one in charge of the household now!
Duke Anguo has brought in another concubine. Although her background is not as prestigious as Lady Yang's, it is not far behind. She now manages all the external affairs of the household. Lady Yang only manages the internal household affairs.
Outsiders couldn't really say anything about Duke Anguo's actions. After all, this concubine came from a high-ranking family, and now that the two of them were managing the household—one inside and one outside—it made Duke Anguo seem like a capable person in managing his household!
On an occasion like today, the concubine did not come.
Mu Xin Nuan sneered inwardly. A concubine? While Yang Luo Shi was alive, that woman was a concubine, a secondary wife. But if anything were to happen to Yang Luo Shi, then this concubine would be the most qualified candidate to become the second wife!
Of course, this would only be possible if the Duke of Anguo had no intention of remarrying!
Mu Xin Nuan took a sip of tea. It seemed that the Duke of Anguo's mansion was bustling with activity. She knew that the concubine also had children and was very favored! Furthermore, in recent years, she had been in charge of the external affairs, and it was said that her income was even greater than when Yang Luo Shi was in charge!
Although the Duke of Anguo's mansion is not short of money, who would complain about money being too hot to handle?
Now that Madam Yang has lost her status in the household, she has no choice but to send Yang Yu'er to His Highness the Grandson as a pawn!
At this moment, Mu Xin Nuan finally understood why Madam Yang was in such a hurry!
That day, Madam Yang's behavior was suspicious. Now, Mu Xin Nuan finally understands that Madam Yang's eagerness to recognize Mu Xin Yao as her goddaughter was to use Mu Xin Yao as a pawn in place of Yang Yu'er!
What a pity!
She hadn't expected that even her status as the Duchess of Anguo wouldn't be enough to get Li to agree! Even more unexpected was that the Duke of Anguo, or perhaps the Prince of Ming, would push her so hard!
Mu Xin Nuan raised an eyebrow slightly. Ming Wang's original intention was for her to win over the Mu family, but she had unexpectedly botched the job. Now, he was probably thoroughly furious with her!
It was this Lady Yang who humiliated Prince Ming at Princess Zhaoyang's residence!
Now that she is ineffective, the only option left is to use her daughter, Yang Yu'er.
Yang Yu'er is seventeen this year. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's passing, she probably would have been married long ago!
Now, after all this time, although she is not very old, no one from this prestigious family is willing to marry her.
Although she was of high status, her character was extremely poor. Although no particularly offensive rumors spread, many nobles and dignitaries kept their distance from her after that day.
Yang Yu'er's current predicament stems from this.
Despite her noble birth, she had a bad reputation. Marrying her as his principal wife was a risky move, as it would invite ridicule from outsiders.
Some people from lower social classes, unaware of the specific circumstances of that day, though having heard some rumors, were still willing to curry favor with the Duke of Anguo's mansion! However, Yang Luo's mother looked down on them, feeling that it was unfair to her daughter!
In doing so, the Ming King and the Duke of Anguo ended up plotting against Yang Yu'er.
If Yang Yu'er had already been engaged, why would things have come to this?
As Mu Xinnuan pondered, Yang Yu'er finished her song, and everyone present naturally praised her.
Duanmu Chen wasn't stupid; he had absolutely no interest in Yang Yu'er! He must have been crazy to bring such a troublesome person back to the Eastern Palace!
However, just because he didn't want to provoke her and the Crown Princess didn't think much of it didn't mean the matter was off!
"Yu'er is seventeen this year, isn't she? She's at the prime of her life. Chen'er, what do you think of Miss Yang?"
Princess Ming's words caught Duanmu Chen, who had intended to remain uninvolved, off guard for a moment!
If he says yes, then Princess Ming will most likely go along with it and bring up her own choices of wives and concubines. If she says no, wouldn't that be a public slap in the face to the Duke of Anguo's mansion?
Although the Crown Prince is not afraid of a small Duke Anguo's mansion, they cannot afford to offend the ministers too much in public, otherwise they will be criticized.
However, as the eldest grandson of the emperor, how could he be stumped by this?
Duanmu Chen smiled, rested one hand on his lap, and tilted his head slightly. "This piece is quite good compared to the one played by that young lady. However, I feel like something is missing. Uncle, you are also a lover of the zither, so why don't you tell me what it is?"
Duanmu Chuze smiled faintly. Was he pushing the problem onto himself?
"Ah Chen is indeed a connoisseur of the zither! I'll take a look; he's not bad. However, compared to my elder sister's zither skills, he's still somewhat lacking."
This is already giving face to the Duke of Anguo's mansion!
There's nothing shameful about not being as good as Princess Zhaoyang!
Firstly, because she was a princess; secondly, Princess Zhaoyang's musical skills were indeed famous throughout the capital.
Princess Zhaoyang smiled brightly, "You two, you're here to amuse me again! I'm getting on in years, and it's been so long since I played the zither that I've become rusty. How can I compare to the young ladies? Miss Sun, I've heard that your dancing is excellent. Miss Yang played a piece today, so why don't you perform a dance for her?"
"Your Highness, I obey your command."
As Sun Ruoxiang stood up, one of the Luo family's young ladies smiled and said, "Miss Sun, if you're going to dance, how about I accompany you with music?"
Mu Xin Nuan was startled upon hearing this, and her hand trembled slightly. It was no secret that the Sun family and the Yang family were at odds! The Luo family and the Yang family had always been close, so why would she kindly come to be a mere supporting character?
Sun Ruoxiang's gaze swept over her for a moment before she smiled and said, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Miss Luo. If I were to dance, I would certainly be accompanied by a close friend."
One sentence immediately made Miss Luo's face turn awkward, and she didn't know whether to sit or stand.
Unsurprisingly, Sun Ruoxiang's gaze fell on Mu Xinnuan.
Mu Xin Nuan smiled faintly and stood up gracefully. "Which part do you want to dance?"
"Let's use 'Yu Fei Yin'. The melody there is beautiful and melodious, quite fitting for the occasion." Sun Ruoxiang's words weren't particularly polite, but a hint of gratitude surfaced in her eyes. If Mu Xin Nuan wasn't willing to step forward, she could ask her herself. However, she couldn't help feeling somewhat uneasy.
Mu Xin Nuan's seemingly casual question not only relieved her predicament but also made it appear to everyone that the two had a good relationship. It also avoided putting the Luo family in too much of a bind.