Xu Junzheng knew that Nanning was lying.
The Imperial Noble Consort has not appeared today and hasn't even met him, so how could she let Nanning go over to pay her respects?
Nanning was smart enough to use the Imperial Concubine as a pretext to get away, but it was a pity that Prince Duan's great-granddaughter was too ignorant to know what was good for her and kept pestering Nanning. It was obvious that she had no good intentions.
Xu Junzheng was anxious. The Nanning County Lady had done the Xu family a favor, and he couldn't just sit back and watch.
He planned to show up and take Nanning away. Although it was a bit inappropriate for a man and a woman to travel alone, he was not afraid of gossip if he went to see the imperial concubine together and found a few eunuchs to lead the way.
"The Imperial Concubine has arrived~" A loud voice came from far away, and the bright yellow ceremonial guard was particularly eye-catching.
Soon, the phoenix sedan chair arrived, and Taohong helped the imperial concubine get off the sedan chair.
Ji Yunhuan wore a royal concubine's gown with a red background and gold embroidery. The intricate patterns were lifelike, and the golden phoenix seemed to be about to flap its wings and fly. She had several jade ornaments hanging on her body. According to the palace ladies-in-waiting, each one had a profound meaning and none of them could be omitted.
Her black hair was combed into a single bun. The imperial concubine's crown must have weighed several pounds, which made her neck a little sore, not to mention that there were many jewels on her head. After being dressed up, it was really difficult for her to move without someone to support her.
Nanning was the first to kneel and salute, "Your humble servant greets the Imperial Noble Consort. May Your Majesty live a thousand years, a thousand thousand years. Your humble servant has been too busy playing and delayed paying her respects to the Empress. I am truly ashamed to trouble the Empress to come in person."
Xiaoying also knelt down with her master. She thought that the Princess of Nanning was just talking nonsense, but she didn't expect that the Imperial Noble Consort would really come.
"Please understand, Your Majesty, our county lady didn't delay us intentionally. It was just that County Lady Qiaoyue took advantage of her power and insisted on dragging our county lady along to enjoy the scenery, which delayed us."
Ji Yunhuan glanced at Qiao Yue indifferently. Her face was cold and she did not show any blame, but her majesty had already made Qiao Yue's legs go weak.
Qiao Yue knelt down with a plop and explained anxiously, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty didn't mean that. I just like Nanning and can't bear to see her leave. I thought she was lying..."
Ji Yunhuan ignored Qiao Yue and reached out to help Nan Ning up, saying soothingly:
"You and she are both county ladies, there's no distinction between high and low. She's the great-granddaughter of Prince Duan, and you're the county lady personally appointed by His Majesty, and the adopted sister of Prince An."
"In my heart, the Nanning County Princess is a chivalrous and courageous person. She single-handedly saved tens of thousands of disaster victims in Jiangnan. Her achievements are outstanding. You are worthy of the title of County Princess. There is no need to belittle yourself."
Nanning lowered her head, tears falling to the ground.
No one had ever said such words to her. They would only talk about her behind her back, saying that she was from the countryside, that she was rude and unruly, and that their eyes were full of ridicule when they looked at her.
She knew that people should respect themselves, but she was still affected by these words, thinking that she had not done well enough and brought shame to His Royal Highness Prince An.
Ji Yunhuan touched Nan Ning's head lovingly and quietly handed the handkerchief in his hand to her.
"Nanning, your father has taught you well. You don't need to compete with them, because they can't compare to you! That's why they exclude you, insult you, and even want to destroy you. Only by getting better and better can you leave them far behind, so that they can only look up to you and kneel down to you!"
Nan Ning wiped her face clean and smiled brightly, "I understand. Thank you, Noble Consort, for your guidance."
Princess An once told her that the Imperial Noble Consort cared about her very much, so she dared to tell this lie today.
The Imperial Concubine was even better than she had imagined. Not only did she not expose her, she also comforted her. The Imperial Concubine was truly a very gentle person.
Xu Junzheng felt relieved when he saw Ji Yunhuan come forward to help the Nanning County Master. He did not show up, but left quietly.
Qiao Yue's knees ached from kneeling, but she didn't dare to stand up and could only endure it.
Taohong stood aside and, following the Imperial Noble Concubine's instructions, scolded Qiao Yue in a very arrogant manner.
It feels so good to be a bad guy. Taohong felt good while scolding people. At the end, she asked Qiaoyue to kneel down and reflect on what she had done wrong.
Qiao Yue's face turned red and she was shaking with anger. She had never been insulted like this since she was a child!
What's more, being pointed at and scolded by a lowly maid was a great humiliation!
Zhou Shuang'er looked at the imperial concubine's back as she left, her heart full of envy.
She was also a daughter of the Zhou family, but her relationship with the queen was different, so the Zhou family did not choose her, but chose Zhou Ling'er instead.
It is obvious that she is a hundred times smarter than Zhou Ling'er. If she had entered the palace first, the situation might have been different.
The Imperial Noble Consort was born in a humble family, but now she is so majestic that she can even scold County Master Qiao Yue at will. One day, she will also be so majestic!
"Zhou Shuang'er, what are you daydreaming about? Come over and help!"
Qiao Yue shouted angrily, and Zhou Shuang'er immediately ran over with her head lowered. She didn't care about the pain in her knees, but half-knelt on the ground to massage Qiao Yue's knees.
"Sister Qiaoyue, you've suffered so much. The Imperial Concubine is really too much. I'm thick-skinned, which is not a big deal, but what if Sister Qiaoyue gets hurt kneeling for so long?"
Qiao Yue gasped in pain and said angrily, "Who the hell is she? Can she compare to the noble status of the eldest princess? Come on, help me find the eldest princess. I will never let go of what happened today!"
********
Zhaoyang Palace is not far from the Imperial Garden and was the residence of the eldest princess before she left the palace and built her own residence.
After the emperor ascended the throne, in order to show respect for his eldest sister, Zhaoyang Palace remained empty. Occasionally, when the eldest princess came to the palace, she would rest here.
Zhaoyang Palace still retains its former appearance, with carved beams and painted rafters, and is magnificent, as if it wants to incorporate the prosperity of the entire Dazhao Kingdom into it.
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