This was one of the reasons Song Jing had mentioned for not wanting Song Wanning to marry Yin Yichen, and it was the biggest reason. No one knew who would be the heir to the throne. Princess Xiangyu had previously won over the court officials for her brother's sake.

But who would have thought that she would set up a scheme to make Yin Yichen take a concubine, but in the end, she would be the one who suffered the consequences. For a long time, the court officials in the capital kept their distance from her.

Now that Concubine Xian has brought Prince An here, I'm afraid the purpose of this peony banquet is not just to appreciate the flowers.

The current emperor does not like the princes to contact court officials privately. Now that Prince An wants to expand his power, it would be a good idea if Concubine Xian could contact them through the wives of the nobles in the court.

As soon as the virtuous concubine took her seat, Song Wanning bowed and joined the other ladies in paying their respects to the virtuous concubine, Princess Xiangyu, and Prince An. The virtuous concubine was now blessed to have given His Majesty a son and a daughter.

The virtuous concubine glanced at the ladies in the room and said with a slow smile, "Thank you ladies for your courtesy. The peonies in the imperial city are in full bloom right now. It would be a shame for only the people in Dehua Palace to enjoy them by themselves, so I invite you ladies to come into the palace and enjoy them together. There is no need to be restrained, just enjoy them as you please."

As Concubine Xian spoke, her eyes fell on her son Xie Ke, and she said softly, "Ke'er, these ladies are mostly older than you. They are elders after all, so you should pay your respects to them one by one."

"I understand, mother." Xie Ke took a few steps forward, looked at the ladies, and said, "I would like to thank you ladies for visiting Dehua Palace today. I would also like to ask you ladies to give my regards to the master at home."

Xie Ke's words were obviously meant to win over the other party, and the ladies were not fools either. They immediately laughed and changed the subject.

Xian Fei and Xie Ke also knew that this matter would not be accomplished overnight, so they were not surprised to see the ladies' attitude. Instead, Xie Ke acted like a young man and looked at the ladies very humbly.

Xie Ke walked down from upstairs and immediately saw Song Wanning sitting there.

Although I had never seen her before, it was not difficult to guess who she was. Song Wanning was extremely beautiful, with clear eyes and eyebrows, and she was easily recognized among these ladies.

Xie Ke had long heard that the Prime Minister had married the daughter of the Grand General of the General's Mansion. Although Song Wanning was a second-married woman, she was extremely beautiful and quite prestigious in the capital. So, it was no surprise that Yin Yichen would marry her.

Xie Ke didn't show any emotion on his face. When he saw Song Wanning, he just smiled faintly, which was considered polite.

Dehua Palace had previously intended to marry Princess Xiangyu to Yin Yichen, intending to win him over, but Yin Yichen was unwilling to marry her. In the eyes of Xie Ke and Concubine Xian, the Prime Minister's move was a refusal to join Prince An's faction.

If we are not friends, we can only be enemies.

Prince An was now quite critical of Yin Yichen, and naturally had no good face towards Song Wanning. However, he still had to put in some superficial effort.

Song Wanning still didn't know what she would have to endure after entering the palace, so she could only keep still and sit quietly waiting for the person in front of her to make trouble.

Song Wanning was sitting quietly when the virtuous concubine above her spoke up, "Is the Prime Minister's wife here?"

"Yes." When Song Wanning heard Concubine Xian calling her, she immediately stood up and saluted. "Prime Minister Yin Yichen's wife, Mrs. Song, greets Concubine Xian. Long live the Concubine Xian."

Seeing this, Concubine Xian just looked at Song Wanning and smiled faintly, "I've heard that the Prime Minister's wife is a rare talent, and now I see that it's true."

Princess Xiangyu, who was sitting next to Concubine Xian, curled her lips in displeasure when she heard this.

"Your Majesty, your praise is too great." Song Wanning lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty and Princess Xiangyu are truly the most beautiful women in the world. How can a humble servant compete with them?"

"That's what you say, but everyone in the capital knows that you, Song Wanning, married the Prime Minister. Xiangyu wanted to marry before and asked the emperor to grant her a marriage, but the Prime Minister was unwilling to marry him. In the end, he married you, a second wife. Now Xiangyu has no face in the whole Shengjing." The Concubine's face turned stern and she suddenly attacked, "Since you said you are plain-looking, why does the Prime Minister like you so much? Could it be that he is after the power of the General's Mansion?"

Upon hearing this, Song Wanning hurried forward and knelt on the ground, speaking to the Concubine Xian above her, "I truly have no intention of disrespecting the princess. My body and hair are a gift from my parents, and everyone has their own beauty and ugliness. Now that the Prime Minister has taken a fancy to me, I'm afraid it's because I've caught his eye. A mutual affection is based on fate. The princess is worth a fortune, and I'm afraid she could find a husband a thousand times better than the Prime Minister. I'm truly unaware of the Prime Minister and the princess' affairs. When the Prime Minister refused the marriage, I and the Prime Minister hadn't even met. I hope the Concubine Xian will examine this matter."

Seeing that Song Wanning was now speaking clearly, Concubine Xian feared that if she continued to make trouble, she would appear unreasonable, so she changed her tone and said with a smile, "Look how scared you are. I was just joking with you. Go back and sit down."

Song Wanning responded, looking up to thank Concubine Xian, "Thank you, Concubine Xian. Now that I'm married to the Prime Minister, I'm naturally cautious in everything I do. I hope Concubine Xian doesn't harbor any grudges against the Prime Minister because of the engagement."

"Of course, you don't have to tell me." The smile on Concubine Xian's face froze, and she watched Song Wanning stand up and return to her seat.

At this point, Concubine Xian couldn't say anything more. She just looked at the ladies below and said, "The peonies outside are in full bloom. Ladies, please go out and enjoy them. Don't delay your enjoyment because of me."

After hearing what Concubine Xian said, the ladies slowly went out to enjoy the flowers. Song Wanning also followed the crowd out.

The virtuous concubine, who was still in the palace, looked at Princess Xiangyu beside her and frowned as she said, "My dear, Song Wanning is very cautious and prudent. She doesn't seem like the type to say treasonous things behind your back. Now, it's hard for your mother to help you make trouble. I'm afraid someone is trying to make trouble for you and make her life difficult. I think it's better to ignore her. Your brother's matter is more important."

Princess Xiangyu was now feeling very aggrieved. "Mother, she has made me lose face so much, I will definitely not forgive her. If it weren't for her, wouldn't I have become the laughing stock of the capital? Now everyone in the capital is saying that the Prime Minister would rather marry a second wife than me."

Xian Fei now looked somewhat helpless. She spoke softly and dotingly, "Okay, okay, since you still don't like her, mother will find a way to help you cure her."

Prince An, standing by, sneered twice and said slowly, "Mother is still too kind. Such a person should be torn into pieces by five horses to avenge my sister's humiliation."