"Whether you can afford it or not is up to me," King Jin said seriously.

"Is the prince so willing to marry an orphan girl as his step-concubine?" Jiang Changning hoped that he could resist the decree.

"Does Miss Jiang dislike this king as his successor?" King Jin asked rhetorically.

"No." Jiang Changning couldn't admit it even if he disliked it.

Prince Jin looked at her pretty face and smiled softly: "Miss Jiang, just relax and wait until the young king comes to marry you."

Jiang Changning also knew that her marriage to Prince Jin was inevitable, and she had nothing to say to Prince Jin. She walked out of the hall and said to the Zhou brothers, "Brothers, please help me greet the prince."

After saying this, she led her maid and followed Miao and Luo to the inner courtyard.

King Jin waited for Jiang Changning's figure to disappear around the corner, and then reluctantly looked back.

He made a small discovery. Except for the draft, Jiang Changning always wore a mutton-fat white jade hairpin on other occasions.

This little discovery made King Jin happy.

Jiang Changning didn't expect King Jin to be so attentive. She was looking at her new residence.

Although she is here, she won't stay for too long.

This house is much smaller than other wealthy families, with only one acre of land.

However, the original owner was quite interesting and tidied up the house, making it beautiful at every step.

There are five large and small courtyards, two attics, a pond, three rockeries, four gardens, and a water pavilion.

As he walked, he suddenly smelled the fragrance of osmanthus. Jiang Changning looked around, but did not see the osmanthus tree.

Just as I was wondering, I turned the corner and saw lake rocks piled up in the corner, with an osmanthus tree planted on the lake rocks.

"It's not even August yet, and the osmanthus is already blooming this morning." Jiang Changning said with a smile.

"Only this osmanthus tree has bloomed, and the others in the garden have not." Miao said with a smile.

While they were talking, they entered the main courtyard, which was a three-entry courtyard with a complete set of rosewood furniture.

The weather is hot, so there is an ice basin placed in the corner of the house. As soon as you enter the door, you can feel the coolness and the heat disappears immediately.

"Girl, do you think this arrangement is okay?" Miao asked carefully.

Jiang Changning smiled, "The layout is very good, I like it very much, sister-in-law, thank you for your hard work."

Hearing this, Mrs. Miao felt relieved and said with a smile: "It's not hard, it should be."

Although King Jin knew that Jiang Changning would not come out, he still stayed for lunch before leaving.

"When spring comes, you and the four of them will stay." King Jin ordered.

"Your Majesty, I have arranged for someone to protect the girl and will never put her in any danger." Zhou Chengcheng said.

Prince Jin stared at him, "I don't question your ability, but I don't want anyone to bump into my princess, do you understand?"

"I understand," Zhou Chengcheng replied.

King Jin took the remaining entourage out of Jiang's house, got into the carriage, and left Juechen.

In the inner courtyard, Jiang Changning had gone to bed to take a nap.

Half an hour later, she was woken up by her maid. After washing herself, she came out to see Jiang Nan.

Jiang Nan was an orphan adopted by Mrs. Jiang. His original name was unknown, so Mr. Jiang gave him the surname Jiang and raised him like a son.

"Girl." Jiang Nan called out excitedly after not seeing Jiang Changning for more than a year.

Jiang Changning smiled and responded, "Uncle Nan."

"The girl finally left that mud pit." Jiang Nan had no good impression of the greedy bankers. "The old woman didn't stop the girl from moving out?"

"There was a way to stop me, but I went with Prince Jin's entourage, so she couldn't stop me." Zhou Chengcheng said with a smile.

"It's quite thoughtful." Jiang Nan was not satisfied with Prince Jin, his niece-in-law.

Jiang Changning deserves better than being a stepwife, even if that person is the prince.

Zhou Shouxin said: "It's quite thoughtful. Your Majesty just came to congratulate me in person. Those two pots of evergreens are a congratulatory gift."

It is a foregone conclusion that Jiang Changning will marry into the prince's palace. It is a good thing that the prince values ​​him.

"The metaphor of this ceremony is pretty good," Jiang Nan said.

Zhou Chengcheng touched his nose and whispered timidly: "The prince has left five people to protect the girl."

Jiang Nan's face darkened visibly, "He doesn't need his people. He wants to monitor the girl. Why did you agree?"

"Uncle Nan, Brother Chengxin cannot agree with this matter." Jiang Changning said something fair.

"Don't let those five people get close to the girl." Jiang Nan glared at Zhou Chengcheng.

"Those five are eunuchs." Zhou Chengcheng added.

"Not even eunuchs." Jiang Nan snorted coldly, "Xiao Chun, please listen to me. If the girl goes out, she must be followed by one of our people."

"Yes, Uncle Nan." Xiao Chun is the person responsible for staying in Jiang's house for protection.

Afraid of affecting Jiang Changning's reputation as a good friend, Jiang Nan arranged for all the people who protected her to be women.

Jiang Changning just settled down quietly in Jiang Zhai. When Zhuang Qingru heard the news about her moving out, she hurried back to her parents' home.

"Mom, why did you let her move out like this?" Zhuang Qingru asked impatiently when he saw Wu.

"Otherwise? Even the old lady can't stop her." Wu said angrily.

"Mom, we can't just do this. Our family has raised her for six years after all."

"What good ideas do you have?"

Zhuang Qingru smiled, "I'm getting married."

Wu sneered, "I thought you had some good ideas, but this didn't work out."

"Why not? This is a good thing."

"The old lady had thought of it a long time ago. She picked up five girls and expected Ning Yatou to pick two of them to take to the palace. Ning Yatou refused to take any of them. She is really a heartless white-eyed wolf."

"Oh, mother, if I were her, I wouldn't take care of the banker's girl."

"Why?" Wu was puzzled.

"She has no relatives or friends in Beijing, so she has to rely on the banker. If she brings the banker's girl into the palace, who will the banker help? Who is the banker closer to?"

Mrs. Wu suddenly realized, and then said: "But if you don't bring a girl from the banker, there is no need to marry."

"Mom, you can ask her to take care of things that are related to us but have nothing to do with the banker."

"what do you mean?"

"Cousin Qiaozhen, I'm going to get haircut next year, are you ready to talk to me?"

Wu's eyes lit up, "He seems to be a suitable person."

"Mom and aunt talked about it, and we agreed that I will take cousin Qiaozhen to see cousin Ning." Zhuang Qingru said with a smile.

"Okay, okay, I'll go find your aunt tomorrow."

The next day, Wu went to Jin's house.

Jin Wu is the sister of Zhuang Wu. Her husband died three years ago and she brought her children to Beijing to live with her brothers and sisters.

Hearing that Mrs. Wu wanted Jin Qiaozhen to be a concubine, Mrs. Jin Wu was a little reluctant, "Being a concubine is just inferior to others."

Wu laughed and said, "Sister, what you are saying is that in the palace, except for the queen, all the others are concubines. Are they inferior to others?"

Jin Wu choked on her words.

"Besides, this concubine is different from ordinary concubines. If Qiaozhen gives birth to a boy and a girl, she can become a principal concubine, let alone a side concubine."

Jin Wu thought for a moment, "Then just listen to my sister."

Mrs. Jin Wu asked her maid to call Jin Qiaozhen and tell her the matter.

After hearing this, Jin Qiaozhen said, "Thank you, aunt, for thinking of me. Qiaozhen is willing to be a concubine."

King Jin, the beloved man that my daughter’s family in Beijing has longed for can be his concubine, and she is happy to do so.

Wu took Jin Qiaozhen back to the banker's house. The next day, Zhuang Qingru couldn't wait and took Jin Qiaozhen to Nanmen Street.

－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
Chapter completed!