Inside the carriage, Xu Lingqing was somewhat absent-minded, her mind filled with Zhao Zhiyan's words from earlier.
"The Sixth Prince was suddenly poisoned and was on the verge of death. He wanted to ask you for help, but you turned him away. The Second Prince then went to the palace to ask the Crown Princess for help. The Crown Princess gave him medicine and cured the Sixth Prince's poison."
"princess……"
Upon hearing this, Xu Lingqing slapped the maid across the face: "You wretched thing, it's all your fault for instigating this! You made me delay important matters!"
The maid covered her face and trembled.
Half an hour later
The carriage stopped at the palace gate.
Xu Lingqing slowly walked down, one hand supporting her waist.
"Isn't this the Eighth Prince's Consort? Why is she attending the banquet despite not feeling well?"
"Look at what you're saying. The Eighth Princess Consort is made of iron. She can be gentle when she needs to be and strong when she needs to be."
Snickers came from all around.
Xu Lingqing's face flushed red, and she pursed her lips, pretending not to hear.
At that moment, a horse-drawn carriage stopped.
"They are princes from Japan!"
Xu Lingqing turned around upon hearing the sound and indeed saw three familiar figures. She stood there, her gaze fixed on the three of them.
Xuanyuan Ming saw the person from afar, muttered a curse under his breath, and turned to leave.
“Ming, Ming’er?” Xu Lingqing called out.
Xuanyuan Ming pretended not to hear and ignored it.
Xuan Yuanche stopped and glanced at Xu Lingqing. His gaze lacked its usual gentleness and instead held a deeper meaning that sent chills down one's spine.
"Second brother, I was indeed unwell that day and was unaware that Ming'er had been poisoned," Xu Lingqing said with a look of self-reproach.
Xuan Yuanche took a deep breath: "It's all in the past."
"Is my second brother blaming me?" Xu Lingqing sniffed and choked up.
"How could that be?"
Xuan Yuanche shook his head. He said this, but he was very disappointed. Sixth Brother had been poisoned for three days, and Xu Lingqing hadn't gone to check on him.
Instead, a palace banquet was held today.
Hearing Xuan Yuanche's tone, Xu Lingqing's heart sank, and she immediately sensed something was wrong. She hurriedly explained, "Second brother, it was all the maid's doing without permission. She was worried about the baby in my womb, so she kept it a secret."
"Alright," Xuan Yuan Ye said appropriately, "There are people coming and going, let's talk about it when we get back."
Xuanyuan Che nodded and didn't pursue the matter further.
"Senior brother." Xu Lingqing raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, and forced a smile as she looked at Xuan Yuan Ye: "Senior brother is here, why didn't you tell me?"
Xuanyuan Ye smiled slightly: "It's a sudden arrival, but we'll see each other sooner or later, so it won't make a difference."
"How have you been lately, Senior Brother?"
"Still the same as always."
Xu Lingqing nodded and sat close to Xuan Yuan Ye, chatting about the past.
Xuanyuan Ye's attitude was neither warm nor cold, revealing neither his joy nor anger.
As they walked to the main hall, they found a scene of singing and dancing, with festive red lanterns hanging all over the courtyard, creating a joyous atmosphere.
"The Crown Princess has arrived!"
Song Yue wore a scarlet long dress, looking charming and graceful. The plum blossom decoration between her eyebrows added a touch of allure to her appearance.
The surroundings were stunning.
"The Crown Princess is dressed beautifully today."
"Only the Crown Princess truly deserves the title of 'beauty that could topple kingdoms'."
Song Yue smiled and said, "Everyone, there's no need for formalities today. Please be seated."
As she passed by the three princes, she greeted them generously. Xuan Yuanming knew that his savior was Song Yue, and he remembered that his previous prejudice against Song Yue was all because of Xu Lingqing.
Now, Xuan Yuanming set aside his prejudices and returned a smile: "The Crown Princess truly lives up to her reputation; she is extremely beautiful."
"The Sixth Prince is handsome and dashing, a refined and noble young man. His mere appearance made countless girls in Northern Chu blush," Song Yue praised.
Xuan Yuanming blushed slightly upon hearing this: "Your Highness is joking."
Song Yue looked at Xuan Yuanche again, then turned her gaze to Xuan Yuanye: "It's you?"
Xuanyuan Ye was also surprised: "Crown Princess."
Xuan Yuanche was somewhat surprised by their tone: "Does the third prince know the Crown Princess?"
We met once.
“Yes.” Song Yue said to Xuan Yuan Ye, “I must thank you for that day, young master.”
"I wasn't of much help either, Your Highness is too kind."
Xu Lingqing, standing to the side, watched as the three princes treated Song Yue with completely opposite attitudes, chatting and laughing, just like herself a month ago standing beside them.
No, it shouldn't be like this.
They should really hate Song Yue.
"Ahem." Xu Lingqing cleared her throat, reminding herself of her presence.
Song Yue turned her head and glanced at Xu Lingqing: "Isn't this the Eighth Prince's wife? If you're not feeling well, you shouldn't be out wandering around. The Eighth Prince is not young anymore. He finally had a son. We can't let anything happen to him."
Xu Lingqing's eyes widened: "Is the Crown Princess cursing me?"
Song Yue rolled her eyes: "Whatever you say."
After saying that, he was too lazy to talk to her anymore and turned away.
Xu Lingqing stood timidly beside Xuan Yuanche, and Xuan Yuanming rolled his eyes at the sight: "I think the Crown Princess is quite easy to get along with because she is straightforward."
“Ming’er?” Xu Lingqing said unhappily, “You can know a person’s face but not their heart.”
“Yes, you can know a person’s face but not their heart. Some people may seem gentle, but they are actually very cruel. If the Crown Princess were more tactful, she wouldn’t have such a bad reputation.” Xuan Yuanming wanted to stay as far away from Xu Lingqing as possible. He pursed his lips and deliberately chose a seat far away.
Xu Lingqing was breathing rapidly.
"Ming'er is still young, don't take it to heart," Xuan Yuanche reassured her perfunctorily.
"No, it's nothing. It's understandable that he blames me. I always make mistakes and cause misunderstandings." Xu Lingqing forced an ugly smile and sat down. In reality, the handkerchief in her hand was almost torn to shreds. She regretted not seeing Xuan Yuanche back then.
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