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Chapter 1113: Princess Consort of the Perfecture Lord

The calm demeanor of the monk, as if he hadn’t heard anything, further fueled her suspicions. With a bow and a polite gesture, he left the scene.

The temple in the outskirts of the capital often received visits from high-ranking officials and nobility. Open and covert struggles were not uncommon, although the temple usually remained uninvolved.

“Well then, let’s descend from the mountain,” one of the ladies sneered. “We worried for nothing! Instead, she stumbled upon great fortune and fled without facing us, as if she feared we would follow her. She even concocted such a ridiculous story—claiming that we went to the back mountain when we didn’t, and she had someone fetch her.”

“Yes, she’s simply making excuses for herself!”

Another lady chimed in, and the rest remained silent.

Madame Su also smiled. “Very well, let’s go.”

All the ladies descended the mountain together.

Some among them, driven by their desires for fame and fortune, started venting their frustrations towards Qiao Xuan. Their anger grew more intense.

Had it been someone from the Prefecture Lord’s mansion delivering the message, they could have used the excuse of concern for Qiao Xuan and the need to pay their respects to the Princess Consort of the prefecture, accompanying her to the mansion.

However, it was the monks from the intermediate area of the monastery who conveyed the message. No matter how shameless they were, they couldn’t simply barge into their residence like that!

The Prefecture Lord’s mansion wasn’t a place they could casually visit. They would become a laughingstock if they were stopped at the doorstep.

How could they not be angry at missing such a golden opportunity?

But Qiao Xuan remained unfazed. She wasn’t worth cultivating a friendship with, in their eyes.

At the mansion, Qiao Xuan extended her greetings to the Princess Consort of the prefecture, who belonged to the Anping Lord’s lineage.

The Princess Consort of the Prefecture displayed grace and warmth, delighted to witness her precious son forming such a close bond with Qiao Xuan. Despite being 14 years old, the young heir had the innocence and demeanor of a four or five-year-old child. Gender was not a concern in their relationship.

The Princess Consort harbored reservations about allowing her son to interact with others, fearing he might be mistreated. It seemed that both the young heir and Uncle Jiang, who had known him since childhood, had never seen him develop such a close connection with anyone outside their family. Consequently, they treated Qiao Xuan with even greater enthusiasm. The only regret was that Qiao Xuan was a woman; it would have been more convenient if she were a man.

Nevertheless, the young heir grew extremely attached to Qiao Xuan, and he might even seek a close relationship with Primus Shao in the future.

Qiao Xuan crafted two grasshoppers for the young heir—a large one and a small one. Delighted, the young heir proudly presented them to the Princess Consort of the prefecture. He pointed at the big one and said with a smile, “This is Mother,” then pointed at the small one and said, “This is Yi.” The Princess Consort of the prefecture burst into laughter, filled with joy.

Even the Princess Consort of the prefecture began to show a gentler disposition toward Qiao Xuan.

Qiao Xuan remained in the courtyard of Lord Anping Manor until four in the afternoon, when the Princess Consort of the prefecture finally managed to calm down the young heir. Only then did Qiao Xuan take her leave.

With a smile and a nod, Qiao Xuan acknowledged the young heir’s invitation to have fun together the following day. She had no reason to decline, as she found solace in the pure-hearted young heir. He was far more agreeable than the troublesome ladies.

As the Princess Consort of the prefecture owned orchards and vegetable gardens, she instructed her servants to gather two large baskets filled with fresh fruits such as apples, pears, evening peaches, persimmons, dates, walnuts, grapes, and more. Additionally, she arranged for two boxes of homemade snacks from the small kitchen to be packed for Qiao Xuan to take home.