Chapter 259

Chapter 259: Returning to the Clan

The Princess Consort of Prince Huai froze.

A flash of shock also crossed Meng Yang’s eyes.

That Commandery Princess who had always been bold and arrogant, who had used an ordering tone to force Meng Yang into the water and frame Sheng Zhi Wan, was actually going to apologize to Meng Yang?

How was that possible?

Thinking of the savage force Ming Jia had used when Ming Jia tried to strangle Meng Yang, Meng Yang instantly raised her guard to the highest.

But the Princess Consort of Prince Huai was delighted.

Although the Princess Consort of Prince Huai held resentment toward Ming Jia, Ming Jia was still the daughter the Princess Consort of Prince Huai had raised for more than ten years. How could there be no feelings at all?

What the Princess Consort of Prince Huai wanted most was for both daughters to live in harmony.

The Princess Consort of Prince Huai looked carefully at Meng Yang. “Yang’er?”

Meng Yang nodded obediently. “Meng Yang listened to Princess Consort.”

“Good! Good!” The Princess Consort of Prince Huai’s heart surged with joy, and the Princess Consort of Prince Huai quickly ordered someone to bring Ming Jia inside.

When the Princess Consort of Prince Huai saw that Ming Jia’s bandaged wound had split open again, the Princess Consort of Prince Huai’s heart softened.

Ming Jia only kept her head down, repeating Nanny Guan’s instructions to herself again and again. At last, Ming Jia said, “Miss Meng, yesterday I was blinded by my own fixation. If… if Miss Meng truly is Consort Mother’s daughter, then Ming Jia took your identity, and Ming Jia also took Consort Mother’s love…”

At that, Ming Jia lifted her face and tears rolled down. Those reddened eyes held a kind of fragility the Princess Consort of Prince Huai had never seen before.

Ming Jia said, “Ming Jia was too afraid. Ming Jia was afraid Consort Mother would not want Ming Jia anymore, so Ming Jia tried to drive Miss Meng out. Ming Jia… Ming Jia understands now. Miss Meng, Ming Jia is willing to pour you tea as an apology. Could Miss Meng forgive Ming Jia?”

After saying all of that, Ming Jia felt as if a giant hand had squeezed Ming Jia’s heart.

[Hatred. Unwillingness.]

Ming Jia was the noble Commandery Princess. When had Ming Jia ever needed to humble herself like this to a lowly maid?

But Nanny Guan had said it clearly. Only by doing this would Consort Mother feel sorry for Ming Jia, and only then would Consort Mother continue to love Ming Jia.

Ming Jia took a deep breath and poured tea with her own hands.

Ming Jia had never even poured tea for herself. Now Ming Jia had to pour tea for a lowly maid.

Ming Jia carried the teacup over with both hands and presented it to Meng Yang.

The Princess Consort of Prince Huai watched, and the Princess Consort of Prince Huai’s eyes also reddened.

When had the Princess Consort of Prince Huai ever seen Ming Jia like this?

The Princess Consort of Prince Huai had originally suspected Ming Jia might already know the truth of Ming Jia’s birth. But after what happened yesterday, the Princess Consort of Prince Huai instead dismissed that suspicion.

If Ming Jia truly knew, Ming Jia would never have dared to strangle Meng Yang so boldly and righteously.

Besides, Ming Jia had been swapped at birth and raised right beside the Princess Consort of Prince Huai all along. Ming Jia had never even gone to the estate, so how could Ming Jia have known?

Most likely, Ming Jia really had been driven into fury by Sheng Zhi Wan’s words that day.

Thinking of that, the Princess Consort of Prince Huai looked toward Meng Yang. “Yang’er?”

Meng Yang naturally did not believe Ming Jia’s words, but Ming Jia had already gone this far.

Meng Yang quickly stood up, acting flustered and honored, and accepted the teacup. Meng Yang said, “Ming Jia Commandery Princess did not need to do this. Meng Yang never blamed Ming Jia Commandery Princess to begin with. If Meng Yang learned that Meng Yang’s mother was not Meng Yang’s birth mother, then Meng Yang would probably have lost control even more than Ming Jia Commandery Princess did.”

Ming Jia bit her lip and said nothing.

The Princess Consort of Prince Huai felt deeply comforted. The Princess Consort of Prince Huai grabbed one hand from each of them and placed their hands together.

The Princess Consort of Prince Huai said, “This is how it should be. You two are both Consort Mother’s precious treasures. If you live like this from now on, Consort Mother can finally feel at ease.”

The Princess Consort of Prince Huai continued, “Once Yang’er returns to the clan, Consort Mother will go request a title for Yang’er as Commandery Princess.”

Ming Jia’s body went stiff.

Returning to the clan? Requesting a title as Commandery Princess?

Did Consort Mother want everyone to know Ming Jia was not Consort Mother’s biological daughter? Had Consort Mother ever thought about how Ming Jia would live with herself then?

Ming Jia hated it to the bone, yet Ming Jia forced herself to endure it and did not say a single word.

In truth, even without the formal return to the clan or the request for the title of Commandery Princess, the capital’s noble families already had a silent understanding after the Empress Dowager issued the decree.

Meng Yang being the Princess Consort of Prince Huai’s biological daughter was no longer a secret.

Those who were most pleased by it, aside from Meng Yang herself, were the Duke’s residence and the Third Prince.

Duke Qi had never expected that the woman Shu Xian casually brought back from Cang Nan would have such an origin.

A farm girl had turned into the Princess Consort of Prince Huai’s daughter, a true imperial clan noble lady.

Because of that, the Duke’s residence became in-laws with the Prince Huai Residence.

Shu Xian, as the son-in-law, would surely receive Prince Huai’s support and guidance.

As for the Third Prince’s joy, it was even simpler.

Originally, Ming Jia had been the future princess consort the Princess Consort of Prince Huai chose for the Third Prince.

Yet by a twist of fate, Ming Jia ended up paired with the Crown Prince.

The Third Prince had been worried, afraid the Prince Huai Residence would lean toward the Crown Prince because of that.

Now Meng Yang was the Princess Consort of Prince Huai’s biological daughter. Ming Jia, that fake Commandery Princess, was no longer that important, no matter who Ming Jia married.

More than that, Meng Yang had always been on the Third Prince’s side.

The Third Prince personally sent a congratulatory gift to the Prince Huai Residence.

The Second Prince refused to fall behind and did the same.

For a time, Meng Yang’s status rose higher and higher.

In the blink of an eye, Meng Yang went from a bedchamber maid forced by the Empress Dowager’s decree to a noble lady of a prince’s residence that everyone looked up to.

Even Ming Jia, who had always been loud and high-profile, seemed to get along extremely well with Meng Yang.

When Sheng Zhi Wan heard the news, Sheng Zhi Wan’s carriage had just stopped outside a newly opened Needlework Workshop.

Sheng Zhi Wan looked up at the Needlework Workshop’s plaque and felt very satisfied.

But when Sheng Zhi Wan walked inside, Sheng Zhi Wan only saw a handful of people in line.

Even those few looked hesitant and uneasy.

When they saw someone as noble and well-dressed as Sheng Zhi Wan enter, they quickly stepped to both sides to make way.

Xin He said, “Princess, it has been a whole morning, and only this many people applied for work. All of them applied to be embroiderers. There was not a single applicant for steward, hostess, or accountant.”

Xin He had been recommended by Nanny Yu. Xin He worked quickly and neatly, and Xin He now handled all hiring matters for the Needlework Workshop.

Sheng Zhi Wan nodded. Sheng Zhi Wan had expected this scene.

In Sheng Kingdom, women’s status was low. Even when there were female workers, they only did cheap work.

Even a highly skilled embroiderer, after the workshop skimmed off layer after layer, ended up with less silver than a serving boy who ran errands.

If Sheng Zhi Wan wanted to sit in that position, Sheng Zhi Wan had to raise women’s status little by little.

Power and money decided who stood at the top.

Women entering officialdom was clearly impossible right now, but what if women could earn more silver than men?