Chapter 65 Appearance

"What's all this commotion at the palace gate? Aren't you ashamed as you already are?!"

Xiao Jue rode his horse slowly closer, warning his younger brother inside.

He was outside, riding on horseback, and had already seen the princess's carriage approaching. He felt uncomfortable with Xiao Yuxuan eagerly trying to get closer to the princess.

No matter what, Xiao Yuxuan is still a daughter of the Xiao family. She's only been back for less than two months, and she's already so impatient and eager to curry favor?!

Just as she was getting annoyed, she heard her younger brother making a fuss in her own carriage, and she couldn't help but feel a little angry.

Xiao Jin was startled, wondering what she had done to offend Xiao Jue, and shrank back towards Madam Xiao like a quail.

Once the people were a little further away, he muttered:

"What's wrong with my brother today? He's like a firecracker..."

"Hey, it's our turn!"

Xiao Jin frequently visited the palace and was quite familiar with these guards. After the group disembarked from the carriage, while the eunuchs and palace maids searched their bodies and the carriage for any weapons, he chatted with the guards.

Nowadays, most of those who can serve as palace guards are scions of noble families who have some wealth and background but do not want to live a life of mediocrity. They are assigned to guard positions by their elders to gain an official post and become more familiar with the nobles, so that they can wait for a promotion in the future.

“We arrived an hour early, but we still had to wait for quite a while. You guys must be exhausted.”

"Who says otherwise? But palace banquets are always like this, and we get used to it after a few times."

As they were talking, Xiao Jin's gaze was drawn to a young girl dressed in finery, eagerly waiting inside the palace gate.

"Who is that person? They look unfamiliar. With such a large entourage, is she one of those princesses who doesn't often come to the capital?"

The guard followed his gaze, glanced inside, and after recognizing the person, looked at Xiao Jin with a strange expression.

"You don't recognize her? That's Princess Minying! It's said that your Xiao family took her in for a while before she returned to the palace, and you don't even know that?!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin immediately slapped his forehead:

"Oh, it was too far away, I couldn't see it clearly, haha."

How could he have forgotten about that?

Princess Minying, also known as Hongzhu, served in Yuyao's courtyard and was later taken away by Yuxuan.

Cheng Bu only mentioned it briefly, probably because he was afraid of disturbing Xiao Jin's studies, and didn't explain much. Xiao Jin listened to it briefly but didn't take it to heart at all.

What do servants and princesses have to do with him?

It was just a coincidence that I met a stranger, and I asked casually in order to start a conversation, but I didn't expect that the question would lead to Princess Min-young.

It's true that clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse. The little girl who used to always keep her head down and never looked people in the eye when she spoke has now transformed into a princess. There's no way he would recognize her.

"What is Princess Min-young doing standing at the palace gate on such a hot day?"

Now that the topic had been brought up, Xiao Jin continued to ask.

He prided himself on being mature and appropriate in his dealings with people, and able to glean information from casual conversations.

The guard was even more puzzled. He crossed his arms and glanced at Xiao Jin from head to toe:

"How can you, as the older brother, not even know this? Why are you asking me?"

"What does this have to do with being an older brother?"

“Princess Min-young and your sister are good friends. His Majesty and the Empress both said they wanted to meet her in person. She's here now, of course, to pick up your sister—”

Before the guard could finish speaking, his colleague called him over. He gestured with his chin to indicate that he would go ahead and get busy, then jogged away.

Pick up his sister?

Xiao Jin subconsciously thought of Yu Yao, after all, Hong Zhu had spent the longest time in Baozhen Courtyard.

Knowing that Princess Minying was waiting for Yuyao inside, he was quite happy. Princess Wenyue had reportedly been confined to her home these days, and Yuyao seemed rather depressed. Now that she had a playmate, she would naturally be much happier.

He walked over to his mother and Yuyao and said with a smile:

"Yuyao, when did you become so close to the princess? She actually came to the palace gate to wait for you herself."

Xiao Yuyao's face stiffened: "Princess?"

Her interactions with the palace were limited to the bond that her third brother had with the fourth prince as his study companion. When did she ever have any romantic relationships with the princess?

etc.

Speaking of princesses, just a few days ago, wasn't there a princess who had just returned...

Seeing that Xiao Jin was still waiting for her reaction, Xiao Yuyao could only force a shy smile.

"Third Brother is joking. Yuyao doesn't have any princess friends."

Madam Xiao, as if struck by a thought, interjected:

"Is it Princess Minying? Wasn't she Hongzhu from your courtyard before? If we're talking about the credit for taking her in, those rewards should have been given to you. Yuxuan got them for nothing. It seems Princess Minying came here specifically to pick you up!"

Supported on one side by Madam Xiao and Xiao Jin, Xiao Yuyao's words of explanation stuck in her throat, unable to utter a single word, and she could only continue to give a dry laugh.

"The Princess has arrived!"

With a sharp, high-pitched voice, the crowd at the palace gate fell silent. They watched the procession slowly come to a stop and quickly stepped aside to pay their respects.

His Majesty has many sisters, but they either married far away for political reasons or died young in a coup. The few who remain live in seclusion in their fiefdoms.

Only Princess Ningyang, the emperor's elder sister, was allowed to have her title omitted and be called Princess because of His Majesty's favor and her long-term residence in the capital.

As the eldest princess held a rank comparable to a prince of the highest rank, her status was extremely prestigious. On such a formal occasion, second only to the emperor and empress, she naturally received the kneeling salutations of officials and their families.

Xiao Yuyao lowered her head, intending to pay her respects to the Princess, but she felt a sense of humiliation for no reason, as if she were kneeling to Xiao Yuxuan, not the Princess.

Xiao Yuxuan, supporting the princess's carriage, easily spotted Xiao Yuyao, dressed in dazzling brocade, amidst the throng of people, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"Your Highness, I never knew there were so many people at the palace banquet today. This is the first time I've ever seen such a grand occasion."

She spoke first, her voice filled with the liveliness and wonder unique to a girl her age. The princess smiled and patted her hand.

"It's alright, you'll get used to it after a few more times..."

The princess's words came to an abrupt halt, for she too had spotted a figure kneeling quietly in the crowd, clad in flowing brocade.

The smile on her face faded, and she turned her head slightly to look at Aunt Meng on the other side.

Aunt Meng squinted and examined her for a while, her brows furrowed, before nodding.

The eldest princess suddenly grabbed Aunt Meng's hand, which was outrageous!

The things she gave Yu Xuan, Yu Xuan couldn't bear to wear, yet just a few days later, she was wearing someone else's clothes! Did she think she was dead?!

While the princess was still angry, the women nearby also secretly observed the graceful young woman beside her.

With her jet-black hair, snow-white skin, arched eyebrows, and pearly teeth, her beautiful eyes were captivating, and every gesture she made exuded the grace and poise of a noblewoman.

When did such a divine figure appear in the capital? How come they have never seen him before?