After Being A Slave For Three Years, The Entire Marquis’s Manor Kneels To Beg For My Forgiveness

Chapter 22: Qiao Nian, This Prince Will Marry You

Prince Ming, who had originally intended to mock Xiao Heng, instantly changed his expression.

Seeing this, Xiao Heng raised an eyebrow slightly, his low voice tinged with sarcasm, “It seems she doesn’t know. Then, isn’t this what the common people call a deceptive marriage?”

“How dare you!” Prince Ming shouted in a low voice, staring hard at Xiao Heng. “Xiao Heng, don’t think that because you’ve achieved some military merits and gained favor with Father Emperor, you can step on this prince’s head! My affairs are none of your business!”

“Your Highness needn’t be so flustered,” Xiao Heng’s lips curled into a smile, but the contempt in his eyes seemed to trample Prince Ming’s dignity underfoot.

Prince Ming was no longer the gentle and warm figure he had been earlier. His handsome features were even tinged with a hint of distortion. He lowered his voice, his tone ominous, “Even if it is a deceptive marriage, so what? Xiao Heng, you can deceive her too, but would she pay any attention to you?”

A murderous intent flashed through Xiao Heng’s dark eyes for an instant, and the smile froze on his lips.

Then Prince Ming sneered, quite smugly, “In any case, this Lin Nian, no, Qiao Nian, this prince will definitely marry her! General Xiao had better stay away from her in the future, lest it invites gossip.”

With that, he left in a huff, leaving Xiao Heng standing alone in the Imperial Garden, the chill around him causing a few red plum blossoms to fall.

Sitting in the carriage returning to the mansion, Qiao Nian remained silent throughout.

Madam Lin looked at her, her mind full of thoughts of Qiao Nian from three years ago.

Three years ago, Qiao Nian had been a restless character. Even sitting in the carriage, she would chatter non-stop. Every time they went to the palace, she, as her mother, had to give her a good lecture, fearing she might say something wrong.

But now, Qiao Nian’s mouth seemed to be set in gold, rarely opening.

So much so that if she wanted to hear her say something, she had to think hard about a topic.

Fortunately, today’s topic wasn’t hard to find.

“Nian Nian, what do you think of Prince Ming?”

There was a hint of uneasiness on Madam Lin’s face. After all, although Qiao Nian had left with Prince Ming today, she had returned first.

And her expression wasn’t good when she returned.

But at that time, due to Noble Consort De’s presence, she couldn’t ask much. Now she could finally inquire.

But Qiao Nian didn’t answer Madam Lin.

Instead, as if suddenly remembering something, she looked up at Madam Lin, “Can Madam tell me the truth, why did Noble Consort De choose me?”

Although she had asked Prince Ming this question before, his answer didn’t seem credible to her.

Hearing Qiao Nian ask this, a flash of panic crossed Madam Lin’s face, “Silly girl, it’s naturally because you’re obedient. Moreover, Noble Consort De and I are close friends, and she watched you grow up. She knows you have a kind heart and likes you very much, so choosing you is only natural.”

Madam Lin’s answer was even less believable than Prince Ming’s, and her panic just now had been fully visible to Qiao Nian.

This made Qiao Nian understand that there were hidden reasons behind Prince Ming marrying her.

She averted her gaze and said nothing more, knowing that even if she asked again, Madam Lin probably wouldn’t tell her the truth.

But her silence made Madam Lin panic. She hurriedly began to explain, “Nian Nian, I know what you’re thinking. Prince Ming has a noble status, and you feel that since you’re not the Lin family’s biological daughter now, you can’t match up to him, right? But no matter how noble he is, he’s just an idle prince. Even if you don’t have the Lin surname, you’re still your father’s and my daughter. You have the entire Marquis’s mansion backing you.”

Again, such ridiculous words.

Qiao Nian wanted to laugh, but the bitterness in her heart spread, and she couldn’t bring herself to smile.

Madam Lin held her hand, her movements very gentle, “Indeed, the Marquis’s mansion’s position is no longer what it used to be, but even a broken ship has three thousand nails. If Prince Ming wants to return to the capital in the future, he can only rely on the Marquis’s mansion.”

At this point, Madam Lin still sighed slightly, “Of course, I do have my own intentions. Xiao Heng is young and promising, has achieved many military merits, and the Xiao family is now at its peak in the court. But you also know how wary the Emperor is of our Marquis’s mansion now. So, if we want Yuan’er to marry into the Xiao family smoothly, you can’t marry into any powerful family… This Prince Ming is the best choice.”

Qiao Nian understood.

In the end, her marriage was the result of balancing several interests.

The Marquis’s mansion wanted to climb up through the Xiao family, Prince Ming wanted to borrow the remaining power of the Marquis’s mansion, so her lifelong happiness naturally became less important.

“I see,” she spoke softly, feeling a sense of relief.

If Madam Lin’s answer today had been the same as Prince Ming’s, Qiao Nian would have felt uneasy. But now she understood that her marriage was still being calculated.

She had thought that Madam Lin only started calculating after Xiao Heng said he needed her to marry first before he could marry Lin Yuan, but now it seemed that it probably started after the Old Madam went to the palace to ask the Empress to release her from the laundry.

Or perhaps, even earlier.

This was right, this matched their attitude towards her.

Perhaps her sense of relief was too obvious, so even though her voice was soft, it seemed to stab into Madam Lin’s heart like a knife.

Madam Lin’s eyes reddened, “Does Nian Nian blame me?”

Qiao Nian shook her head, “Thank you, Madam, for telling me the truth.”

Her tone was very sincere. She was indeed grateful for Madam Lin’s honesty at this moment.

But the more sincere she was, the more Madam Lin felt she had wronged her. The redness in her eyes grew more intense, and by the time the carriage stopped outside the Marquis’s mansion, Madam Lin’s tears had already fallen.

Qiao Nian frowned as she looked at Madam Lin’s tears.

She didn’t understand what was happening.

She hadn’t done anything, had even agreed to this marriage, fulfilling their wishes, yet why had Madam Lin suddenly started crying?

Qiao Nian thought that in this aspect, Lin Yuan might have taken after Madam Lin.

She didn’t get out of the carriage, just sat there waiting for Madam Lin.

Madam Lin also knew she had lost her composure. She hurriedly wiped her tears and forced a smile, “It’s me who lost composure. Let’s get out of the carriage.”

“Alright,” Qiao Nian responded flatly, getting out of the carriage first.

Just then, Lin Ye walked out of the mansion. Seeing Qiao Nian, his brows furrowed, and he intended to come forward and say something to her.

After all, he had indeed been terribly wrong that night on the 30th.

But before he could get close, he saw Madam Lin also getting out of the carriage, her eyes red and still bearing tears, clearly having cried.

Lin Ye’s heart instantly tightened. He took two steps in three strides, grabbed Qiao Nian’s arm, and yanked her sharply, “Qiao Nian, do you have any conscience at all? What did you say to Mother? Making her cry like this!”

He shouted harshly, immediately determining her guilt.