CHAPTER 684: CHAPTER 684: A MASTER AT FRYING

Over the years, the Ji family had thought of sending their daughters to Xuzhou to accompany Princess Consort Ji, hoping to serve Prince Min. They meticulously trained girls from their own family or purchased from outside, recognizing them as adopted daughters, but none received Princess Consort Ji’s consent.

The reason was that Prince Min didn’t fancy them.

The Ji family held some resentment in their hearts, believing Princess Consort Ji did not know how to scheme for the family. She only knew how to advise them to behave and not to cause trouble. If you could help your family’s daughters rise to glory, wouldn’t that assure the family’s wealth and prosperity?

When the family is wealthy and strong, only then do you have more confidence. But Princess Consort Ji’s mind doesn’t work like others; she simply refused to support her family’s daughters and only had eyes for those outside seductresses.

Can outsiders, no matter how they pretend, truly align with you like family?

"Do you think a concubine is like a common street cabbage you can buy whenever you wish? It’s a concubine, also worthy of the Jade Butterfly." Princess Consort Ji held back from rolling her eyes dramatically.

Madam Ji said, "Lady, why can’t it be done? You are the Prince’s biological mother. Don’t you have the right to make decisions for him? Like Dalang, his wife, wasn’t it me who arranged the marriage for him?"

Princess Consort Ji followed her gaze to the confidently postured Madam Ji and thought, You married a good daughter-in-law; who knows what you saw in her. She can’t read a word, or did you just want her for her wide hips for childbearing?

Look at this daughter-in-law, secretly implying that even I, as the Imperial Concubine, can’t make decisions and am Imperial Concubine in vain.

"Aunt, mother is right. You are the Prince’s biological mother. Forget about the concubine, even for the official wife; if you take a liking, can’t you marry her in?" Madam Ji said, "Aunt, don’t mention having to treat that Princess Chongyang as an ancestor if she marries in. That Fang, who is so aloof and calculating, has captivated the Prince. Do you think you can still be in charge of this mansion?"

"How dare she!" Princess Consort Ji’s eyes widened.

To manage household affairs, Princess Consort Ji was incapable. Fortunately, Prince Min gave her two nannies and further appointed Concubine Liu, who bore him a son, to help manage, keeping things from chaos.

But if those two were to enter, and Concubine Liu were still to manage, it seems quite unreasonable.

Managing the household signifies holding power and representing income. Princess Consort Ji couldn’t bear to lose such a large amount of silver coin just like that.

Madam Ji, seeing there was hope, was secretly delighted and added fuel to the fire: "Dalang’s wife is right, winning over the Prince to seize household rights isn’t much, but what if they whisper pillow talk, causing the Prince to distance himself from you, his mother?"

There’s no denying that Madam Ji played a fine hand fueling the flames. These words set Princess Consort Ji’s heart ablaze, irritated and restless.

"This child, after all, is close to relatives by blood. As long as Suhua bears a son, if he can be registered under the official wife’s name and raised by you, then he will be your legitimate grandson. Once you have a legitimate grandson, you can also support the family. It’s a win-win situation. Lady, without family roots, one is like duckweed without a root. The stronger the family, the more stable you will be."

Princess Consort Ji, annoyed, said, "Enough. No matter how much you say, is it not all for the good of the Ji family."

"Lady, the heavens are our witness, we are working for the Ji family’s good, which is also for your good!" Madam Ji gritted her teeth and said bitterly, "Last time, the damned Lady Song interfered, and the Empress Dowager rebuked us. The market value of our family’s girls dropped vastly, and those proposing are all impoverished. However, if a sister becomes a concubine, things would be different. The suitors would certainly come from better households. Lady, having in-laws from higher households is also support for the Prince, don’t you think so?"

Song Ci: Am I stirring shit? It’s like I’ve dug up your ancestral grave!