Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 1277 - 1274_1

In the end, Zhang Qingqing did not get the Empress Dowager’s consent to betroth her to Shangguan Xuanyi.

The Empress Dowager’s reason was that Prince Rui preferred a woman of extraordinary beauty and outstanding talent, with high martial arts skills, not of her type.

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Qingqing felt disheartened. What did the Empress Dowager mean by that? Was she not a woman of extraordinary beauty and outstanding talent herself?

As for her martial arts skills being high, wasn’t it supposed to be the case that a woman should be as gentle as water? Having high martial arts skills was simply too crude! How could a man possibly like it?

The Empress Dowager dismissed Zhang Qingqing, saying that she would have the Empress help her find a good marriage prospect, and then she no longer cared about her!

The Empress Dowager entrusted Zhang Qingqing to the Empress’ care. Her own health was deteriorating day by day, and she simply did not have the energy to concern herself with the marital affairs of someone else’s daughter.

She would rather conserve her energy to watch her own golden grandsons grow up and see her grandsons go on to have their own children!

When the Empress Dowager thought of the first birthday gifts she had prepared for her four golden grandsons and had not been able to send because of their absence, she said to the maid serving her, "Go and retrieve the first birthday gifts I had prepared for Chen’er and the others. Let me take a look, and then send them to Prince Rui’s Mansion. I forgot to give them to the children earlier."

The Chief Maid hurriedly withdrew to arrange it.

Upon hearing the Empress Dowager’s words, Zhang Qingqing decided that since the Empress Dowager wouldn’t help her, she would take the initiative to seek her own happiness!

So she spoke up and said, "Empress Dowager, I have been here in the Imperial Capital for so long and I have not yet paid a visit to Prince Rui and Princess Rui. Previously, since they were not in the Imperial Capital, it wasn’t an issue, but now that they’re back, both in terms of affection and reason, I need to pay them a visit. I can help deliver the first birthday gifts for the Empress Dowager!"

Upon hearing these words, the Empress Dowager glanced at her. She knew Zhang Qingqing was not giving up, but she still nodded her head and said: "Alright then."

After all, if she wanted to slam into a wall, she would let her do so to avoid any accusations that she, as Zhang Qingqing’s maternal aunt, did not look out for her.

The Chief Maid ordered people to carry out the first birthday gifts that the Empress Dowager had prepared for the four children.

The first birthday gifts that the Empress Dowager prepared for the children were plentiful, including not only longevity lockets, silver bracelets, jade talisman, Ping An buttons, jade pendants, clothes, and so forth.

Especially for her two little granddaughters, the Empress Dowager had even turned out her own jewelry from when she was young, sorted out two boxes, and sent them over.

The Empress Dowager planned to accumulate some dowry for her two granddaughters every year!

Zhang Qingqing looked at the first birthday gifts the Empress Dowager was sending to the children and was amazed!

A toddler’s jewelry collection was bigger than her own! And it was much more beautiful and exquisite!

These pieces of jewelry were far more dazzling and splendid than hers!

"Empress Dowager, these pieces of jewelry are really beautiful! However, the little princesses are still too young to wear them, aren’t they?"

The Empress Dowager was checking the gifts she had prepared earlier to see if she needed to add a few more items. Upon hearing Zhang Qingqing’s words, without lifting her head, she replied: "These pieces of jewelry are not for the two young girls to wear right now. They are to be kept for when they grow up and need to use them as dowry, to be tucked away at the bottom of the chest."

The jewelry her granddaughters wear will, of course, be the most fashionable of the season! There is no lack of silver! They can buy some more when the time comes!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingqing felt even more envious and jealous! Although her own parents had also started preparing her dowry since she was one year old, even after ten years of preparation, they hadn’t prepared as much as the Empress Dowager had for her granddaughters in one year. It was so true that nothing was more frustrating than comparing oneself with others!

"The Empress Dowager treats the two little princesses so well! Even with all the dowry I’ve saved up over these years, it’s not as much as what the little princesses have!" In the end, Zhang Qingqing adopted a pitiful tone in her voice, hoping that the Empress Dowager would feel pity for her and prepare a dowry for her too.

The Empress Dowager lifted her eyelids and looked at her: "Can you compare yourself with my great-grandchildren? My granddaughters are the descendants of dragons and phoenixes! However, if you plan to marry into a family in the Imperial Capital, remember to remind your mother to prepare more dowry for you. If the dowry is too small when marrying into a well-off family in the Imperial Capital, it will be shameful! Don’t make me lose face! I have so many grandchildren that, even if I wanted to help you, I simply don’t have the ability to do so!"

The Empress Dowager couldn’t help feeling angry. This Zhang Qingqing and her sister were both shallow, wanting to get their hands on her stuff!

Her stuff was all of good quality, how could she let an outsider profit from it? At that moment, the Empress Dowager’s kind demeanor towards her own descendants and harsh treatment of others was exposed!

She scoffed, her own things were not enough to distribute among her great-grandchildren!

It’s not like Princess Rui won’t be able to give birth again after having one child, right? Given Princess Rui’s current age, it is estimated that she can still give birth to four or even five more children! If indeed she gives birth five times, with each birth giving four children, then there would be twenty more great-grandchildren waiting for her to give gifts to!

She couldn’t be too partial either. Princess Qi, Princess Xian, the Crown Princess, and the Fifth Princess also deserve gifts for their children!

Adding them all together, she is likely to have thirty or forty grandsons expecting her to accumulate betrothal gifts and dowry for them!

Thinking about this, the Empress Dowager felt that even her private treasury, plus everything the deceased Emperor left her, was barely enough! She would never let an outsider get their hands on it!

Zhang Qingqing’s face stiffened after hearing this. She could have just said no, right?

Why did she have to compare herself with her own grandchildren?

Who didn’t know she was the Empress Dowager?

Back then, if it were not for her stealing her mother’s marriage prospect, she would be a princess today! There was no place for her to speak in her presence!

Moreover, this old hypocrite, who had so much stuff, was unwilling to give her a decent dowry. She was ungrateful! If it wasn’t for her stealing her mother’s marriage prospect, all this stuff would already belong to her!

The Empress Dowager had no idea what Zhang Qingqing was thinking. She watched as the maid finished checking the gifts according to the list and ordered the addition of a few items and some delicacies before letting someone send them.

Outside Prince Rui’s Mansion

An old man, with white hair and wearing coarse clothes, came to the gate of Prince Rui’s Mansion and asked the guard, "May I ask if Prince Rui and Princess Rui are in the mansion?"

"May I ask who you are, sir? What business do you have with the prince and princess? Do you have a card?" The guard did not seem to look down on the old man, but the standard interrogation was still necessary.

Otherwise, anyone entering Prince Rui’s Mansion would merely have to ask if Prince Rui and Princess Rui are in, and that would be it!

At this time, an extravagant carriage stopped outside the gate of Prince Rui’s Mansion.

The old man replied, "I don’t have a card, I am....."

Before the old man could finish his words, Zhang Qingqing stepped down from the carriage. Seeing the old man in his coarse clothes, she couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose in disgust, "Where did this beggar come from? He even dares to beg at the gate of Prince Rui’s Mansion! What kind of guards are you, not driving him away!"

The old man, hearing these words, stepped back a few steps, letting them go in first and preparing to ask for an audience later.

When Zhang Qingqing saw he had moved to the side, it was clear that he was still planning to seek an audience with Prince Rui. With his lowly status, how could Prince Rui possibly grant him an audience! Therefore, she scolded him again, "Get out! Or I will have you thrown into jail!"

The old man shook his head upon hearing this and then walked away.