The Sinful Woman's Golden Branch: The Jade-Faced Yama is Actually Me (Part Six)...

As soon as he finished speaking, there was complete silence.

Perhaps the atmosphere was too good beforehand, so even if they were slightly neglected, neither Princess Yongning nor the other people attending the banquet paid any attention to such a trivial matter.

But when she jokingly questioned them, everyone was surprised to realize that there was more than one important person at this banquet!

Realizing this, everyone below fell silent, except for Madam Pei, who quickly reacted and raised her wine cup to apologize to the princess.

"Princess, please forgive me! How could my son and I have such thoughts!"

"But the princess is as high as the moon in the sky; I dare only to respect her from afar, how could I dare to approach her and overstep my bounds?"

"Looking up at the moonlight, I am already afraid of losing my composure, and I dare not allow anyone to offend me like this. Please forgive me, Your Highness, for my failure to manage my household properly!"

Princess Yongning glanced down, while Madam Pei, holding her wine cup, dared not move.

After an unknown amount of time, Princess Yongning chuckled softly, waved to her maid, and took the wine cup.

"Madam Pei is making a fuss over nothing. It's just a flower viewing banquet. Why are you being so cautious?"

"I have recently become a widow and am feeling depressed. It is thanks to my sister-in-law that I have the opportunity to attend this grand event."

"I originally thought it was Old Madam Pei's unique idea to comfort me with a new bride, but now it seems to be an unexpected surprise."

"Ah, that makes sense. If Madam Pei really wants me to be happy, she should send me a handsome man like your son. How can I replace him with a beautiful woman? Hahaha."

"Since that's how it is, it must be fate that we meet again."

"This woman has already fallen into my arms, and she admires me so much. Please, master, do me the favor and give her to me."

Everyone: ...

Everything happened so fast, it was fast-forwarded to "a beautiful woman gifting a beautiful woman to a lady".

The one who expressed the strongest opposition was naturally Pei Yu. It was one thing for others, but that person was Guan Xianzhi!

Overwhelmed by emotion, he lost his reason and stepped forward: "Princess—"

However, Madam Pei interrupted him directly, smiling as she said to Princess Yongning, "That is only right. It is a blessing for this girl to have gained Your Highness's favor. The Pei family will prepare a generous gift and send her to our door."

In fact, she was terrified from the start of the banquet, never expecting that Princess Yongning would also come.

Since the main purpose of the banquet was to please the Princess of Nankang, it was impossible to invite another princess to share the spotlight with her.

However, Princess Yongning was recently in low spirits due to the death of her husband. She encountered her sister-in-law, who was returning from Nankang, and was delighted. Upon hearing her purpose, she immediately became interested and went to visit her together.

Having two tigers feasting together at a banquet is probably the most terrifying thing for the host.

If they get along well, that's fine, but if they have a conflict, the people below will be in big trouble.

Sure enough, a problem arose at the beginning of the meal.

Originally, another seat should have been carried so that Princess Yongning and Princess Nankang could stand side by side.

But before the host could react, Princess Nankang had already taken the main seat, acting as if nothing had happened, and looked at Princess Yongning who was still standing there.

A seat is nothing in itself, but who is Princess Yongning? Not only is her father the emperor, but her mother is too.

Princess Yongning's eyes darkened slightly, but her smile was devoid of any gloom. She simply stepped back and sat down, seemingly as if nothing had happened.

Pei's mother was so nervous that her heart was in her throat.

Throughout the banquet, he tried his best to mediate and balance the two powerful figures.

Unexpectedly, this incident occurred. Regardless of who the person was, how could they dare to offend the princess again?

Pei Yu looked at his mother and felt a sense of panic for the first time. He wanted to stop her, but he couldn't stop anything.

Princess Yongning looked at Pei Yu with a different expression, her eyes becoming even deeper, and smiled, "No need, let this person go home with me. I appreciate Madam Pei's kindness."

Once everything has settled, the person at the head of the table can decide a person's fate with just a few words.

Even if Pei Yu's heart was filled with turmoil, he was powerless in the face of the power struggle within the imperial court.

He looked at "Guan Xianzhi" in disbelief. The person who had been entangled and tormented in his heart had suddenly belonged to someone else!

All those unspoken feelings and unexpressed intentions he had left unsaid were now being completely severed at this moment!

After dealing with the chaos, Princess Yongning lingered on Pei Yu for a few moments before looking at the Princess Consort of Nankang at the head of the table, raising her cup and smiling at her.

Princess Nankang looked a little unhappy, but she still forced a smile and raised her glass in return.

But what expression she might have when her face is covered by her sleeve is anyone's guess.

What was originally a peaceful banquet suddenly became somewhat strained after this incident.

Only the Crown Prince of Nankang had the leisure to cheerfully flirt with Princess Yongning: "Aunt, what use do you have for a beauty? Why not be a good person and give her to your nephew?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Siyin laughed and scolded, "It's true that if I have something good, your whole family wants it. If you want it, go and get it yourselves. If you anger me, you'll be asking for a beating."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince of Nankang retreated dejectedly, but his eyes remained active, as if he had not given up his treacherous intentions.

Ji Siyin snorted coldly, refusing to even glance at him, and continued to indulge in pleasure.

This time, the entire room was filled with people who no longer dared to treat her as if she were nothing, and they all began to flatter her, creating an exceptionally joyful atmosphere.

As one side rose, the other sank, and Princess Nankang's joy was halved.

Offstage, people sang and danced, while onstage, everyone had their own thoughts.

When it came time to part ways, everyone went their separate ways.

Just as Ji Siyin was in a bad mood and turned to get into the carriage, Ye Xiqing grabbed her sleeve and said pitifully, "Princess, may I ride with you?"

Ji Siyin was definitely not in a good mood today. This woman dared to do this; she was asking for death.

But the brave enjoy the world first, and the braver they are, the more they enjoy it. Princess Yongning's eyes darkened slightly, and she smiled coldly, "Fine."

...

The princess's carriage was extremely luxurious.

It can accommodate not only a couch and table, but also two maids and Ye Xiqing.

Once inside the private car, there was no need to pretend anymore. The princess closed her phoenix eyes slightly, leaned against the soft couch, and was served by two maids.

He half-opened his eyes and looked at Ye Xiqing: "What is it? Speak."

If she couldn't explain what happened, she couldn't guarantee what would happen to her.

Looking at the princess being served so attentively, Ye Xiqing felt extremely envious. She wished she could own such a private car in ancient times.

But clearly this wasn't the time to think about that; she had important matters to attend to. She knelt obediently at the lower seat and said, "Princess, there are outsiders here; it seems inappropriate to discuss this matter."

Ji Siyin smiled nonchalantly: "Heh, there are no outsiders on my imperial carriage."

Ye Xiqing still hesitated: "This matter is indeed not suitable for outsiders to know."

Ji Siyin, who already had limited patience, became even more annoyed upon hearing this: "If I want you to say it, then say it. Stop talking nonsense!"

Ye Xiqing looked up and saw that the second female lead really insisted on this, so she decided to be direct—

"Princess, do you want to be the emperor?"

Ji Siyin:...

Her subordinates: ...

Without needing to say anything more, the two maids immediately knelt down, their foreheads touching the ground to show their loyalty.

What are you doing! Just say it when I tell you to!

...

The carriage rumbled through the dust and soon arrived at the princess's residence.

Ji Siyin had indeed changed locations, but she still had the same two maids by her side. It seemed she didn't care if her two subordinates found out, so Ye Xiqing continued.

“Princess, you are a woman of destiny. Your mother and father are both true emperors. Yet the Princess Consort of Nankang seems to disregard you. Doesn’t the princess feel wronged?”

Ji Siyin sneered: "The Princess Consort of Nankang is my sister-in-law. What grievances could there be between me and her?"

Ye Xiqing smiled and said, "Indeed, we cannot allow anyone to feel wronged. The princess is just a princess, but the Princess Consort of Nankang may become the future empress."

"When the Holy Mother Emperor is alive, the princess is the most dignified among noble ladies. But after the Holy Emperor passes away, the princess will have to rely on the Princess Consort of Nankang to survive. How dare she complain about her grievances in front of the Princess Consort?"

Upon hearing this, regardless of Ji Siyin's intentions, her maidservant was already furious and shouted, "How dare you! How dare you utter such disrespectful words in front of the princess!"

Ji Siyin stopped the maid's questioning and looked coldly at Ye Xiqing: "And what about you, Miss Guan, who was personally sent to the Pei residence to apologize by your own father?"

The second female lead revealed her true colors, but Ye Xiqing felt happy instead of scared.

This shows that the second female lead is not someone who has been reduced to a level where she is only like a "daughter of two emperors" in terms of romantic relationships; she also has the strength that a "daughter of two emperors" should have in terms of connections and information.

It's not that I'm afraid of helping mud to stick up a wall, it's that I'm afraid of helping someone to stick up a wall when they are truly a lump of mud.

Ye Xiqing raised her head and looked intently at Ji Siyin.

"Now that the princess already knows, I, the sinful woman, have no intention of concealing the truth. I would like to ask the princess, why are women like us always so ill-fated?"

"Perhaps the princess would say, 'It is we who are ill-fated,' while the princess is of noble birth and of the highest order; how could she be ill-fated?"

"But Princess, do you think you are comparable to your royal brother?"

"When your elder brother returned from Nankang, all the officials and ministers immediately came to curry favor with him. Princess, you have been living in the capital for a long time. Have you received the same treatment?"

"A princess who has just returned to the capital can sit in a superior position in front of Your Highness. Once Your Highness's brother becomes the new emperor, will Your Highness still dare to speak your displeasure so openly as you do today?"

Ji Siyin was indeed unhappy today because of her sister-in-law's neglect, but while she could be unhappy, others could not say so.

"That is my own brother, the Emperor. How we are related is none of your business!"

"If the princess's elder brother obtains the throne, after his death, will he pass the throne to his son, or to you, princess?"

"Oh, by the way, it seems the chances of it being passed on to the princess are greater than those to the queen."

"presumptuous!"

Ji Siyin finally couldn't hold back any longer, and smashed the teacup in her hand on the table with a single slap.

The two maids were shocked and quickly checked the princess's hands to see if they were injured.

Ji Siyin was so angry that she lost her temper: "How dare you sow discord in front of me!"

Ye Xiqing, however, was even more agitated than her: "I am pleading with the princess!"

"Women in this world suffer much injustice, and it is only thanks to the Holy Mother Emperor that they have a chance."

"Now that the Holy Mother Emperor is getting old, the country will once again fall into the hands of men. How many women will be like me, driven by their fathers and mistreated by their brothers?"

"The sinful woman had fallen to this state, having lost all hope in the world. She had originally intended to end her life, but unexpectedly, she met the princess."

"If the princess abandons the sinner, the sinner will have no other choice but to die."

"But the princess is kind and took the sinner into her life, giving her a glimmer of hope. So why can't the sinner ask the princess to take another step forward and ascend to the throne?"

"Women all over the world need someone to speak up for them."

"If this person isn't a princess, then who else could it be!"

Ji Siyin:...

Why does it sound kind of nice...?

No one in this world can resist the sense of accomplishment that comes from being "imparted to a noble cause".

No matter what it is, have someone kneel down and say with a passionate expression, "I want to see you become emperor! I think you're the only one who's fit to be emperor!"

It's really hard for someone who's been praised so highly not to get carried away.

Ji Siyin remained expressionless, though she was actually quite pleased inside, but she didn't say it.

Looking down at Ye Xiqing, he sneered, "Anyone can say nice things. What ability do you have to help me ascend the throne? Just your silver tongue?"

Ye Xiqing was not discouraged at all and said seriously, "With the head of the sinner and the princess's true dragon body."

"The sinner's mind is a clever one that will not disappoint the princess."

"But doesn't the sinful woman know that the princess is a steadfast executor who will never let her down?"

Ji Siyin raised her chin: "You are very presumptuous. Even if I really do as you wish, you cannot question your lord."

Ye Xiqing looked at her seriously: "But fighting for the throne is not like fighting for a toy. You can't just fight if you want to, or not fight if you don't want to."

"If the princess cannot give me a clear answer, then I would rather you not go on your way and be a good subject to please the princess's sister-in-law. At least that will save your life, and it would be for your own good."

Ji Siyin gritted her teeth: "You say you're doing this for my own good, but you're just trying to provoke me."

Ye Xiqing said solemnly, "This is not to provoke you, but as long as you don't try to seize that position, you will have to endure this resentment forever."

"If you can't even tolerate a few disrespectful words from this sinful woman, then this sinful woman suggests that you start a fight directly."

"The true future is often foreshadowed in the present."

"You hope to pretend you don't see it and avoid it, but that's probably not possible."

"Your only choice is to endure it or not to endure it."

"Being half-hearted won't make you successful in both directions; it will only make you miss out on the initiative."

Ji Siyin:...

Whether Ye Xiqing is smart or not is unknown, but she has already witnessed her eloquence.

Ji Siyin pondered for a long time before finally smiling.

"If the throne could be shoved directly into my arms, I would have to be a fool to push it away."

"But everything in the past has already told me that for me to get that position is like trying to catch the moon in the sky."

"With just a few words from you, you've made me look like a coward."

"You won't even let me see the ladder to heaven, yet you expect me to risk my life?"

"We don't have lobbyists like you!"

Hearing the second female lead's words, Ye Xiqing finally smiled.

"Actually, the Sinful Woman just wants the princess to show her attitude. As long as you have the ambition to pick the moon, the Sinful Woman will build a ladder to heaven for you."

"But there's something I want to tell you upfront. It might make you very angry, but I hope you'll agree."

Ji Siyin perked up at her rambling words: "What are you saying?"

Ye Xiqing looked at her, placed his hands on his knees, and said in a serious tone:

"That means if you want me to serve you, you'd better not treat me like an ordinary subordinate. I can't stand being wronged."

"I will not kneel before you again. Partly because I am not in good health, and partly because I really do not want to kneel."

"Actually, I'm getting a little tired of kneeling. Can I get up first?"

Ji Siyin:...

You haven't even taken a chance yet, and you're already getting all high and mighty?