3279 No manners

"It was agreed that within three hundred years, each generation would have a pair of juniors marry. Whether a Long family woman married into the Mu family, or a Mu family woman married into the Long family, there would always be one pair required to form a marital alliance."

"So my mother was just a sacrificial lamb for this alliance?" Qiaomu frowned slightly, feeling a surge of displeasure.

Such an alliance was completely unacceptable. Acting so rashly would surely ruin her mother's lifelong happiness.

Chen Shang sighed deeply. "There was nothing that could be done. The ancestor's pact could not be violated. Due to their bloodline, the Long family's direct descendants grew increasingly scarce with each generation. By your mother's generation, there were only your maternal uncle Long Chuyu and your mother, the two siblings."

"For the sake of this marital alliance, Miss married in, but... the outcome was heartbreaking," Chen Shang lamented.

Then she looked at Qiaomu and said, "It's fortunate that Young Mistress married well. If your mother has a spirit in heaven, she would surely be very pleased."

The Crown Prince was truly too good to their young mistress. It would be hard to find another man like the Crown Prince in this world.

Lord Qiao Qiao wrinkled her small nose. "Since Mu Qingya is as strong-willed and resilient as Granny says, why would she get entangled with Mu Jingfeng, knowing that the alliance between the Mu family and the Long family was inevitable?"

"This?" Chen Shang couldn't help but smile bitterly, glancing at the expressionless little girl in front of her. "This old woman has never experienced matters of the heart in her life, so Young Mistress's question truly stumps me."

Qiaomu curved her lips. "Perhaps she just concealed it too well, and both Granny and Mother were kept in the dark by her?"

"That's impossible." Chen Shang shook her head, instinctively about to defend Mu Qingya. "Ever since Qingya became pregnant, she repeatedly tried to get rid of the child."

"I remember the most drastic time was when she took abortifacients. But it's strange to say, several times she was on the verge of disaster, yet Mu Rouxuan always survived well. Later, the Old Madam intervened and kept the child. Speaking of which, that child Mu Rouxuan is quite lucky to be alive."

Speaking of the past, Chen Shang couldn't help but sigh softly, looking out the distant window and whispering, "Not long after that, due to the Long family's affairs, Miss no longer had time to attend to other matters."

"Young Mistress, you don't have to doubt. I checked the abortifacients afterward, and the Old Madam also sent people to check. She wasn't acting; it was truly real."

The young Crown Princess pursed her small lips, nodding absentmindedly.

"How could there be such a good person in this world?"

Chen Shang no longer tried to persuade her, knowing that this child was extremely cautious and wouldn't suddenly develop a liking for Mu Qingya without reason.

As they were speaking, some commotion seemed to come from outside the door. Qiaomu frowned slightly.

"My concubine and Eighth Miss have an urgent matter to see the Crown Princess. Why do you always block us?" A sharp voice, mixed with a child's cries, came from outside the door.

"Audacious!" Aunt Jing's voice suddenly rang out. "Without the Crown Princess's summons, you casually trespass inside. A mere outer chamber, you are truly too bold!"

"So undisciplined! Who gave you the audacity to do this?"

Yuan Qionger's face turned pale. She tightly held the daughter in her arms, appearing like a delicate white flower swaying in the wind and frost, on the verge of tears.

"Eighth Miss is seriously ill, please, Crown Princess, save her!"