The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

Chapter 662: Extra Chapter – Spring in Full Bloom

The King of Qi was notorious for his womanizing ways, which drove Mrs. Xiao Qiao to despair and forced her to take a young Chu Jinnian back to Yangzhou.

Subsequently, the couple had an easy divorce which initiated a discussion about the custody of Chu Jinnian.

The King of Qi, fretting about his reputation, insisted on having Chu Jinnian brought to the capital. Mrs. Xiao Qiao vehemently disagreed.

Then came the news that Mrs. Ruo had given birth to Chu Jinzhuo in Yangzhou.

Chu Jinnian, being the legitimate eldest son, would potentially lose his claim to the throne if he did not return to the capital, especially given the unpredictable temperaments of the King of Qi and Mrs. Ruo.

Despite her hatred for the King of Qi and Mrs. Ruo, Mrs. Xiao Qiao refused to give up her son’s rightful claim to the throne. Ultimately she agreed to let the King of Qi take Chu Jinnian to the capital.

The same year Chu Jinnian left for the capital, news of Mrs. Xiao Qiao’s impending remarriage began to circulate.

Her new husband-to-be was an ordinary businessman named Chai Lifu.

The royal family was naturally displeased by this turn of events.

After all, Mrs. Xiao Qiao had been the Princess of Qi – their daughter-in-law. Her swift remarriage after her divorce was a great discredit to their reputation.

However, given Mrs. Xiao Qiao’s stubborn personality, the wealth behind the Qiao family, and the King of Qi’s prior misconduct, the royal family left the matter unattended.

Although the royal family might have let it go, the King of Qi took it to heart.

The idea of his woman – even one he did not want – marrying another man was something he could not accept lightly.

Because of this, just a few days before Mrs. Xiao Qiao’s wedding, the King of Qi sneaked into Yangzhou and caused quite a scandal over the marriage.

Even as Princess of Qi, Mrs. Xiao Qiao had never been one to tolerate being bullied. As his former wife, she resisted his tirade fiercely.

Angered at the thought of Mrs. Xiao Qiao serving another man, the King of Qi did something terrible to her…

Following that incident, Mrs. Xiao Qiao intended to call off the wedding.

However, Chai Lifu remained adamant, and magnanimously escorted Mrs. Xiao Qiao into his family home, even after her dowry had been delayed for over two months.

The next year, Mrs. Xiao Qiao gave birth to a baby boy, Chu Jinzhou.

Not being Chai Lifu’s biological son, Chu Jinzhou was naturally ineligible to succeed Chai’s family business. Because he carried the blood of the King Qi, whom Mrs. Xiao Qiao detested, she didn’t want to raise him herself. She assigned him to the care of a trusted nanny who took him to a rural estate for nurturing.

Having been despondent throughout her pregnancy and despairing since the birth of Chu Jinzhou, Mrs. Xiao Qiao’s health rapidly declined and she passed away.

Grief-stricken by the loss of Mrs. Xiao Qiao, Chai Lifu withdrew from the world. Six months later, he was taken by a severe illness and passed away as well.

Mr. Qiao, though he did not like the King of Qi and harbored some resentment against Chu Jinzhou, did acknowledge Chu Jinzhou to have been his grandchild. He thus sent someone to bring Chu Jinzhou to live with the Qiao family, where he lived until Chu Jinnian made arrangements for him to live in the Qingzhuyuan residence, under devoted care.

It would be fair to say that Chu Jinzhou considered himself unlucky.

To the Chu family, he was a child not acknowledged by his own father. To the Qiao family, he was a harbinger of misfortune that indirectly led to his mother’s demise.

The cold remonstrations and indifference he endured in those years were something he can vividly recall to this day. The memory even, occasionally, jolts him awake from his sleep in a cold sweat.

At the same time, Chu Jinzhou also considers himself lucky.

He is lucky to have a big brother like Chu Jinnian who looked after him with all his heart, a caring and considerate Mr. Fan, a lively Sister Sui, and a gentle and virtuous Big Sister Ning.

Now, he is also fortunate to have a complete and happy family…

Shaking off his distant reveries, Chu Jinzhou was brought back to the present by the cold wind.

Touching the cold gravestone with his fingers brought a rush of mixed emotions.

As for the King of Qi, he was unsure whether he should harbor hatred or not…

Chu Jinnian patted Chu Jinzhou’s shoulder comfortingly.

Chu Jinzhou shared a moment of reverence in front of the grave, then turned and strode away – decisive and resolute.

—-

The following year in spring.

In March, when the grass was lush, and the orioles flapped their wings, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom.

After the King of Qi died and the crown prince ascended the throne, Chu Jinnian became the new King of Qi and Zhuang Qingning was now the new Princess Qi.

From her humble peasant origins to becoming the princess of a county on her own, then the designated bride by the former Princess Qi and now, the honorable Princess Qi…

This journey could only be described as remarkable. It became the favorite topic of conversation at tea gatherings and dinner parties.

Princess Qi – Zhuang Qingning – was a person of low profile and rarely made public appearances. Instead, she preferred a simple lifestyle. She even opened a weaving workshop on the outskirts of the capital which employed poor families or people displaced by famines to earn wages and support their families.

The clothes woven there were partly sold in the free market to sustain the regular operations of the weaving workshop, while a portion of the proceeds was donated to soup kitchens to feed the homeless and the poorest residents of the capital.

The remaining fabric was stored and donated to areas suffering from drought or flood.

As such, the fabric woven in this workshop was known as “merit cloth” by the people of the capital and it was greatly respected and admired.

“Hats off to Ning. She indeed came up with an ingenious strategy,” the Empress praised upon hearing this news.

She then laughed, “The Crown Princess did quite well too. As I’ve heard, the Crown Princess has established several women’s academies in the capital to promote female literacy.”

“As women, we play a vital role in the family – to assist our husbands and rear our children. If a woman lacks moral integrity, it could ruin several generations. The Crown Princess’s initiative is a good one. It can lead women to become sensible and reduce a lot of disputes,” she continued.

Take the current Empress Mrs. Qiao, the Crown Princess Mrs. Luo and Princess Qi Zhuang Qingning. Aren’t they live examples?

“Mother, you couldn’t be more right,” Empress Mrs. Qiao agreed with a smile, “With such daughters-in-law, who could help right the dysfunctional ways of wealthy families in the capital, we could ultimately relieve ourselves of many headaches in the future.”

“That’s true,” the Empress nodded repeatedly “With someone taking the lead, others would follow suit even if they initially resisted habits.”

“However, I haven’t seen Ning in the palace recently. Is she tired these days?” she asked.

“Mother, it was okay until you mentioned her,” the Empress said with a smirk.

“What happened?” enquired the Empress, somewhat surprised.

“It’s just that in the lush warmth of spring, the peach blossoms on the mountain are in full bloom. That boy Jinnian has taken Ning into the mountains to admire the blossoms. They’re planning to stay there for half a month before they return,” the Empress explained.