Commoner Queen: Falling in Love with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince - Chapter 13

After the morning court session, the ministers engaged in lively discussions. The reason? None other than the imperial edict issued today—His Majesty had decreed that each court official must present a daughter of noble birth to the palace for the Crown Prince to choose as his consort.

Any official with a daughter of even moderate beauty wasted no time in preparing her, dressing her up like a delicate flower in hopes of securing the prestigious position of Crown Princess. If their daughter was chosen, they would become the imperial father-in-law—a path to limitless power and influence!

As for those without daughters or whose daughters were deemed too plain to stand a chance, all they could do was sigh in regret.

Among the ministers, none had a greater chance than Li Guochao. He was already an imperial in-law—his sister was the Emperor’s most favored consort in recent years. Moreover, he had a daughter of his own, whom he had carefully groomed from a young age to enter the palace. His ambition was evident to all.

“Minister Li, I’ve heard your daughter is a peerless beauty. Surely, the title of Crown Princess will be hers,” someone flattered him, ever eager to curry favor.

Li Guochao beamed with pride. “You’re too kind, too kind.”

Before long, he was surrounded by a crowd of sycophants, each trying to outdo the other with their praise, as if he had already ascended to the rank of imperial father-in-law.

Though he had always been an arrogant man who flaunted his influence, even he couldn’t help but grin broadly at their words. However, his smile faded when his gaze landed on Murong Xi. The two had always been at odds, their principles vastly different, and whenever they met, sharp words were exchanged more often than pleasantries.

Pleased with himself, Li Guochao brushed past the fawning officials and walked over to Murong Xi. “Minister Murong, don’t you also have a daughter? I’ve heard she’s quite the beauty. What a shame, though…” He covered his mouth in a mock gesture of sympathy, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Hmph!” Murong Xi scowled and turned away, clearly agitated.

“Oh dear, did I strike a nerve? Understandable, given that your daughter is infamous throughout the capital as a cursed woman—a jinx who has already buried three, no, four husbands! A woman like that is truly one of a kind, Minister Murong. Your family has produced quite the extraordinary daughter!” Li Guochao sneered, his words laced with mockery.

“You—!” Murong Xi’s face turned red with fury, his eyebrows knit together in rage. “My family affairs are none of your concern, Minister Li!” he gritted out. This old fox had gone too far!

Li Guochao scoffed. “Oh, but I do care! After all, we’ve been colleagues for decades. How could I not take an interest in your affairs? But let’s be honest—you should accept reality. Your precious daughter will never find a husband. She stands no chance in this selection. A woman who brings death to her husbands could never become Crown Princess—it would be a disaster for the nation!”

“You—!” Murong Xi trembled with anger.

“Come now, don’t glare at me like that. I’m merely stating the truth,” Li Guochao smirked, savoring his rival’s humiliation.

Murong Xi could no longer contain his fury. “Li, mark my words—my daughter will marry! Just you wait. The Crown Prince will choose her, and I will personally see to it that you swallow those words!”

Originally, he had no intention of sending his daughter into the palace, planning instead to send her to Yangzhou for a marriage match. But now that Li Guochao had provoked him, there was no way he could back down. He had to prove this man wrong!

“Hah! Overestimating yourself, are you? Do you really think your daughter can compete with my Ying Shui? Forget everything else—just look at the names! Murong Ziying—what an ominous and inauspicious name! No wonder she’s cursed to bring misfortune to her husbands. But my daughter, Ying Shui, is as gentle as flowing water. Even her name alone could melt the Crown Prince’s heart. You want to compete with me? Dream on!”