The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 204: Nanli’s Arrogance Lasted Too Long

Chapter 204: Nanli’s Arrogance Lasted Too Long

Empress Xie saw Qiao Yu’s refusal and thought she was just being shy. With a gentle smile, she said, "A’Li rarely gives talismans to people. Come on, don’t be afraid."

With her words, Qiao Yu felt even more reluctant to refuse. She hesitated but eventually moved forward slowly to accept the talisman from Nanli’s hand. Her hands were trembling, and even her voice was shaky as she said, "Thank you, the Ninth Princess."

After receiving the talisman, she felt nothing unusual about her body, and she let out a sigh of relief.

However, Nanli’s smile grew even deeper, and her eyes revealed a chilling coldness. She didn’t respond to Qiao Yu and simply turned away, leaving Qiao Yu with a bad premonition.

But to her surprise, Nanli didn’t act on it, leaving her unsure if Nanli had sensed something or not.

Throughout the banquet, she felt restless and anxious.

After the banquet was over, Empress Xie wanted to look at the booklet. Despite feeling a bit tired, she forced herself to stay alert as the matter concerned her son’s marriage, which in turn affected the stability of Mu Nation.

As the saying goes, appearance reflects one’s heart. Most of the names Nanli crossed out were high-born ladies she didn’t like. But Qiao Yu’s name was also crossed out.

Empress Xie was stunned and couldn’t come to her senses for a while. After a moment, she asked, "Didn’t you say that the young lady from the Mansion of Marquis Wuyang is a rare beauty? Why did you cross her name out?"

Nanli had eaten little during the banquet, but now in the inner hall, she could enjoy pastries without any reservation.

After swallowing a chestnut cake, she said, "She has a deceitful heart and is not a suitable match."

"Oh..." Empress Xie shook her head gently. "It’s a pity. I really liked her at first sight."

The steward aunt asked why Qiao Yu’s heart was deceitful. After all, daring to use tricks while coming to the palace to attend the banquet meant she didn’t respect the empress.

"It’s not a serious trick, just a kind of illusion technique that will disappear in a few days. She’s still young. If you blame her, she won’t be able to marry in the future," Nanli explained. She was willing to give Qiao Yu a chance because what she did wasn’t unforgivable.

"You are kind-hearted," Empress Xie understood what Nanli meant by the small trick and didn’t press further.

Several high-born ladies were still left in the booklet. Empress Xie had seen their appearances and behavior and was quite satisfied. In the end, she selected a few people, had their portraits painted by artists, and sent them to the Heir’s Palace for Ye Chengyan to choose.

There’s no such thing as a secret in the world. The news of the artists painting portraits of several women naturally spread in secret.

Marquis Wuyang was confident as he waited at home for the artists, but they never showed up. After waiting for a long time, he sent someone to inquire, only to find out that his daughter hadn’t been chosen.

He was furious and smashed a white jade teacup before storming into his daughter’s courtyard, cursing loudly, "Where did you go wrong that day? You weren’t chosen. I’ve truly raised a useless person!"

Qiao Yu had been uneasy for several days. Hearing that she wasn’t chosen, she breathed a sigh of relief. But facing her father’s questioning, she was also afraid. She lowered her head and bit her lip, saying, "Father, the Ninth Princess gave a talisman to her daughter that day. Perhaps the methods used by the master were discovered by the Ninth Princess, so her daughter wasn’t chosen."

Marquis Wuyang was both furious and afraid. "Is that true?" he asked. "Where is the talisman?"

Qiao Yu took out the talisman seal.

Marquis Wuyang couldn’t understand it, so he called Tiancheng over.

Tiancheng arrived quickly and was shocked to see the talisman seal. His arrogant expression changed instantly.

He hurriedly asked, "Was this really drawn by the Ninth Princess?"

Qiao Yu nodded. "Yes, I saw her draw it with my own eyes."

"Excellent!" Tiancheng exclaimed several times, his eyes gleaming. He held onto the talisman seal tightly.

Marquis Wuyang’s expression turned ugly. "Master, didn’t you say she wouldn’t be able to discover your methods? Now that my daughter wasn’t chosen, how will you take responsibility?"

Tiancheng smiled slyly, his narrow eyes fixed on the two of them.

He said in a slow voice, "I have another technique here that can make the Royal Heir only have affection for the young lady and ignore everyone else. It depends on whether the lord and the young lady have the courage to compete with that Ninth Princess."

He had never encountered an opponent when using these unconventional methods. Finally encountering one, he naturally wanted to spar with her.

It must be said that this Ninth Princess was kind-hearted. She only broke the spell for Qiao Yu and didn’t blame her further.

Qiao Yu’s heart trembled, and she immediately said, "No, the Ninth Princess already knows. If I offend her again, she won’t let me off easily."

She wanted glory and riches, to be above all others, but she also needed her own life. Nanli might be kind-hearted, but the Ninth Prince behind her wasn’t.

Marquis Wuyang hesitated, "Is what the master said true?"

If the Royal Heir really had affection for his daughter, wouldn’t the Mansion of Marquis Wuyang be able to turn things around?

"Father, please think carefully," Qiao Yu hurriedly said.

"If you continue to hesitate like this, how can you be the Royal Heir’s consort?" Marquis Wuyang scolded her.

Qiao Yu said, "Although the master’s method is good, the Ninth Princess is not to be trifled with. If we continue to use these unconventional methods, the Ninth Princess will definitely not let it go easily."

"You can rest assured, Miss. This is a technique developed by my ancestor. It’s foolproof. Even if the Ninth Princess is formidable, she won’t be able to break it, let alone detect it," Tiancheng assured her.

Qiao Yu rolled her eyes, thinking that you were so confident last time, but in the end, Nanli still saw through it.

She wanted to persuade her father to stop, but Marquis Wuyang had already lost his mind and agreed, "Since the master guarantees this, I’ll trust you again. If this succeeds, I’ll definitely reward you generously!"

"No need for money. I just want to spar with that Ninth Princess. Hmph, she has been too arrogant for too long. It’s time to crush her spirit," Tiancheng said with a cunning smile, stroking his beard and regaining his arrogant demeanor.

This statement resonated with Marquis Wuyang’s thoughts. He clenched his fists and angrily said, "That’s right, Nanli and the Mansion of Marquis Anyang have been too arrogant for too long!"

They had stolen the limelight from his Mansion of Marquis Wuyang!

Once the decision was made by the head of the family, Qiao Yu couldn’t stop it.

Seeing his daughter’s reluctance, Marquis Wuyang first scolded her, then comforted her, saying comforting words about her future as the Royal Heir’s consort.

Qiao Yu was still young and was persuaded by her father’s words. She started to have thoughts about it.

Which woman wouldn’t want to wear unique palace robes, wear rare and precious jewelry, and be worshipped by thousands of people?

Her expression gradually became firm, and she nodded, "Father, I understand your intentions. This is not only for our Qiao family but also for myself."

"As long as you understand!" Marquis Wuyang laughed heartily with joy, feeling relieved. He urged Tiancheng to quickly set up the altar and perform the ritual.

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