Chapter 160: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 160: The Tang Family's Plans
Qi Wangfei felt that the capital city was both large and small. Familiar faces were often seen, and it was easy to encounter the same people repeatedly.
For this reason, she didn't think much about her recent encounters with the Tang family, including today's intentional attempts by Madam Tang to prolong their conversation. Recalling the day she returned to the city from the countryside and noticed the Tang family’s carriage nearby when she met with Prince Qing, she realized that her initial assumption of having misread the situation might have been wrong.
At that time, she had been focused on her conversation with Prince Qing and had merely glanced at the Tang carriage without giving it much thought. In retrospect, it was likely the Tang family after all.
Frequent encounters within a short period raised her suspicions, especially with today’s overt attempts at cordiality, which felt like an effort to cultivate a relationship for future purposes. In a city fraught with hidden currents, she couldn’t help but think more deeply about these events.
Fortunately, she had previously made arrangements for a quiet stay at the temple and had instructed a little monk to help maintain some discretion regarding her accommodations. She simply wanted peace and didn’t want to force the young monk to lie against his nature.
So, when she asked the little monk to inform others that she wished to stay in a secluded area, he conveyed her words without any falsehoods. Now, seeing the Tang family also staying in the inner courtyard, she furrowed her brow and inquired about the situation from Aunt Qiu.
Although Aunt Qiu wasn’t an all-knowing source, she was adept at gathering information about the city's gossip. Because of this skill, Qi Wangfei Consort, despite her gentle demeanor and avoidance of competition, rarely suffered in social dealings.
Upon hearing Qi Wangfei Consort’s question, Aunt Qiu looked around to ensure no outsiders were present before whispering, “I’ve heard some things, but I can’t guarantee their truth.”
Aunt Qiu often prefaced her gossip with disclaimers, knowing that her insights might not always be reliable. Qi Wangfei had grown accustomed to this, nodding for Aunt Qiu to continue.
With Qi Wangfei Consort’s assurance, Aunt Qiu smiled and said, “I heard that the palace intends for the Tang family’s fourth daughter to become a concubine for the Crown Prince, but the Tang family doesn’t seem too eager about it.”
As she spoke, Aunt Qiu gestured towards the direction of the Tang family's quarters, clearly indicating that the fourth daughter in question was Tang Youqing.
Such matters rarely circulated unless something was already in the works. Given that this news was reaching Qi Wangfei Consort, it likely indicated that the queen was expressing interest, but the Crown Prince's stance remained ambiguous.
It seemed that the Tang family was hesitant about the arrangement. Although a concubine in the royal household held a higher status than other secondary wives or concubines, she would still not enjoy the same dignity as the main wife.
Madam Tang, by associating with Qi Wangfei Consort, was likely eyeing the sons of the Qi family. Although Tang Youqing was the fourth daughter, she was still a legitimate daughter of the family, and Madam Tang, as the sister-in-law of the empress, held considerable status and reputation.
Thus, she would likely only consider the eldest son of the Qi family as a potential match. If the two families were to join through marriage, the Qi family would inadvertently ally itself with the Crown Prince’s faction.
While the Crown Prince was known for his good character and prudence, it was understood that the emperor would generally not easily replace an heir without substantial cause. Aligning with the Crown Prince would not entail a high risk, but Qi Wangfei Consort was not particularly keen on the idea.
If her husband were more politically astute and diligent, she might have considered it reasonable to pursue additional wealth and influence through such an alliance, especially given that the Qi family had many children.
However, her husband had always preferred leisure over ambition. As the younger brother of the emperor and a son of the empress, he felt no pressure to worry about political matters, instead focusing on his own enjoyment. Now in middle age, he had begun to seek out more daughters, yet remained indifferent to pressing concerns.
Because of this, Qi Wangfei Consort had adopted a more laid-back attitude. She recognized that they could not carelessly engage in political maneuvers with the Tang family.
Once on board a metaphorical ship, it was often difficult to disembark. Given the current dynamics, it seemed that the Tang family was indeed setting their sights on the Qi family. While the situation remained uncertain, Qi Wangfei Consort felt she was not mistaken.
She decided to observe further; if things didn’t seem favorable, she would arrange for an engagement for her eldest son soon. They could claim it was a childhood promise made during a casual chat, now deemed appropriate to formalize.
With these thoughts in mind, Qi Wangfei Consort felt a sense of relief. She turned to Aunt Qiu and instructed, “Keep an eye on Suisui for me. That little boy from the Tang family is quite mischievous; we can’t let him bully her.”
Though Madam Tang had a favorable demeanor, and the children's quarrels were trivial, Qi Wangfei Consort’s maternal instinct couldn’t overlook the possibility of her daughter being bullied.
The constant pretense of cordiality was tiresome, and Qi Wangfei Consort found it increasingly frustrating.
Seated quietly, she attempted to read scriptures while contemplating the developments. She continued to do so until Suisui woke up, at which point Qi Wangfei Consort's expression brightened, “Let’s go check on Suisui.”
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