Chapter 54 Chapter 54 His Majesty's Preferred Queen
In the imperial garden, all the ladies knelt on the ground, shouting "Long live the Empress Dowager."
The Grand Empress Dowager, supported by a female official, walked slowly towards them. "Everyone, please stand up."
Then the eldest princess arrived, took over the position of the female official, and personally helped the Empress Dowager to sit on the high platform.
Wang Yingxue was of noble status, so she naturally knelt at the front. When the Empress Dowager passed by her, she paused for a moment.
She was quite considerate. She looked up with a smile and called out "Grandaunt" in a sweet and warm tone.
The Empress Dowager was delighted to hear this and praised her publicly, "Well, you are good-looking and have the bearing of my royal family."
"Thank you, great aunt." Wang Yingxue's uneasy heart calmed down. As long as she could please the Empress Dowager, there was nothing to worry about. The position of Queen was almost certain.
When all the female relatives stood up, they couldn't help but look at her with envy.
With the relationship with the Empress Dowager, the throne of empress must belong to the Wang family.
Zhao Qingyi also thought of this and subconsciously glanced at Zhang Wanyan. It seemed that the situation was not favorable for the Zhang family, and his father was also closely related to the Zhang family...
If the Zhang family fails to fight for the throne, the Zhao family will probably have a hard time in the future.
A banquet was held in the imperial garden. After the Empress Dowager and the eldest princess took their seats, the other female members of the family took their seats in order of rank. As the legitimate daughter of the Wang family and the great-niece of the Empress Dowager, Wang Yingxue was naturally arranged to sit below the Empress Dowager, second only to the eldest princess. It can be seen that her importance was extraordinary.
Even the other daughters of dukes and marquises, and the ladies of imperial nobility were ranked behind her, and Zhang Wanyan, the daughter of the Prime Minister, was no exception.
Zhang Wanyan pulled Zhao Qingyi and they sat together, seven or eight people away from the seat above. If they wanted to talk to the people above them, they had to shout.
Wang Yingxue was very sensible. When she was brought before the Grand Empress Dowager in public, she served her with all her might, which made the Grand Empress Dowager very happy. She felt that they were like a family, and everyone else was just a foil.
Zhao Qingyi was still worried. "Wanyan, do you know where His Majesty is?"
Zhang Wanyan shook her head. How could she dare to inquire about the whereabouts of His Majesty? Did she want to die?
Zhao Qingyi couldn't help but feel disappointed. How could she fight for this? If Wang Yingxue really took the position, both her father and Zhang Wanyan's family would suffer.
Zhang Wanyan saw her worry and shook her hand. "Alright, let's do our best and leave the rest to fate. Besides, Your Majesty is not someone who can be manipulated. What the Grand Empress Dowager likes may not necessarily suit Your Majesty's heart."
Although she had never met His Majesty, Zhang Wanyan had heard about His Majesty's character from her father. Back then, His Majesty was able to go against the majority opinion and personally lead the army to the battlefield to subdue the thirty-six tribes in the northwest. With such courage and skills, how could he be a soft persimmon that could be easily manipulated?
Zhao Qingyi thought about it and it made sense. In her previous life, Zhang Wanyan passed away, and His Majesty didn't seem to marry any noble lady as his queen. Not to mention a queen, he didn't even have concubines. It was obvious that His Majesty's will could not be influenced by others.
After careful consideration, Zhao Qingyi felt that either His Majesty had no interest in the harem, or His Majesty favored Zhang Wanyan, but Zhang Wanyan was unfortunately killed in her previous life, so the matter of establishing a queen had been delayed.
Thinking of this, she suddenly understood. Could it be that His Majesty was particularly kind to her, not only because of her father, but also because she and Zhang Wanyan were close friends?
Zhao Qingyi felt that she had discovered the truth, so her most important task at this Flower God Banquet was to take good care of Zhang Wanyan to prevent her from being plotted against. Everything else was none of her business.
The Grand Empress Dowager was won over by Wang Yingxue, and the eldest princess was bored. She leaned lazily in her seat and admired her freshly painted nails.
The Flower God Banquet has separate seats for men and women. Otherwise, she could have sat with her husband.
While Wang Yingxue was carefully serving the Empress Dowager, she was also paying attention to the expression of the eldest princess. She was the emperor's biological sister and the only eldest princess in Daliang, so she could not be offended.
She took the initiative to talk to the eldest princess, "Your Highness, your nails are painted beautifully. I wonder what kind of flowers you used? Look, there's even gold foil."
Hearing the flattery in the other party's words, the eldest princess smiled faintly, "It's just a little more gold foil, otherwise it's no different from ordinary ones."
After all, they are cousins, but the eldest princess really can't like Wang Yingxue. She always feels that she is hypocritical. In comparison, Zhao Qingyi is more likable.
"How did the palace maids arrange it? Why is Princess Chenhua so far away from this princess?"
The two people who were whispering came back to their senses and saw that the palace servants had already approached and wanted to change Zhao Qingyi's seat. The eldest princess saw that she had a close relationship with Zhang Wanyan, so she simply let them go together.
Zhao Qingyi felt that this was an opportunity and motioned Zhang Wanyan to come along. Given Zhang Wanyan's status, she shouldn't have sat too far away. However, the palace people were taking advantage of the situation and privately believed that Wang Yingxue had a greater chance of winning. This arrangement was intended to please the Wang family and the Empress Dowager.
Now that the eldest princess had spoken, the Empress Dowager would certainly not offend her granddaughter. As usual, she praised Zhang Wanyan and then her eyes fell on Zhao Qingyi.
This was their second meeting. Noticing the other's scrutiny, Zhao Qingyi lowered her head and was respectful and polite.
The Empress Dowager thought that the purpose of today's meeting was to establish a queen and choose concubines, so she didn't want to pay any attention to Zhao Qingyi. After all, she was a divorced woman with an unclear background and was not qualified to be selected.
But when Zhao Qingyi came forward, the Empress Dowager saw the phoenix hairpin with pearls on her temples at a glance, her face suddenly darkened, and even a hint of murderous intent flashed in her eyes.
The eldest princess also saw the phoenix hairpin she was wearing, and thought to herself that her brother was becoming more and more daring, without any concealment. Knowing that the other party would come to the palace for a banquet, he still gave Zhao Qingyi the phoenix hairpin that once belonged to their mother.
Thinking about the way to the palace, Zhao Qingyi encountered countless old friends of his mother. Doesn't this clearly tell everyone that there is something fishy going on between Princess Chenhua and the current emperor?
The Empress Dowager also wanted to kill Zhao Qingyi.
The princess suppressed the turmoil in her heart and smiled calmly, saying, "I didn't expect that the phoenix hairpin used by my mother in the past would look so good on the county lady's head. It seems that this phoenix hairpin was not given to the wrong person."
Zhao Qingyi was stunned. This phoenix hairpin was clearly given to her by the Prince of Pingxi. How could it become the Empress Dowager's phoenix hairpin and be given by the eldest princess?
However, the princess had her reasons for saying so, so Zhao Qingyi continued, "Thank you, princess, for the reward."
The Empress Dowager's expression improved slightly. She was glad that it wasn't a gift from the Emperor.
But he still glanced at the eldest princess suspiciously, "How dare you, this is your mother's thing, and you dare to give it away casually."
The phoenix hairpin is a royal item, owned by the former queen and now the empress dowager. It is priceless and symbolizes power and honor. Does Zhao Qingyi deserve it?
"Grandmother." The eldest princess leaned over and hugged the Grand Empress Dowager's arm, acting coquettishly. "After all, the county lady has made great contributions to the court. It's nothing for my granddaughter to reward her with a phoenix hairpin."
It was also a reminder to the Empress Dowager that Zhao Qingyi could not be touched. She was not an unknown girl. She was the daughter of Lord Zhao, a person who had made contributions to the people of Daliang, and a county lord appointed by His Majesty.
The Empress Dowager also realized that her reaction was too much, and she hummed indifferently, "As long as you are happy."
Wang Yingxue was horrified. His Majesty's biological mother's phoenix hairpin was actually worn on the head of this Chenhua County Lady? She couldn't help but take a few more glances, and the more she looked, the more frightened she became.
Fortunately, it was only a reward from the eldest princess. If it was a reward from His Majesty, it would be a real disaster.
"Well, today's Flower God Banquet invites everyone to enjoy the flowers together. Please don't be so formal. Dismiss." The Grand Empress Dowager took Wang Yingxue's hand and said, "Good girl, you must come to the palace more often to accompany me in the future."
She also said that it would be even better if Wang Yingxue could stay with her in the palace for a long time. She praised her implicitly and wanted her to enter the palace as queen or concubine.
With these words, Wang Yingxue's fate was almost sealed. She was about to rise to the top and become a phoenix. The other ladies who wanted to enter the palace were extremely envious.
However, no one cared about Zhang Wanyan, the daughter of the Prime Minister who was also competing for the position of empress.
Zhao Qingyi sighed silently and could only hope that His Majesty did not like Wang Yingxue and rejected the Empress Dowager's proposal, so that Zhang Wanyan would have a chance.
After respectfully bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager, the Princess personally helped the two of them up. Zhao Qingyi didn't think anything of it, but Zhang Wanyan was flattered.
This is the first time in my life that I have been so close to the eldest princess, and it was all thanks to Zhao Qingyi.
However, the image of the eldest princess was very different from what she had imagined. Not only was she not aloof, but her words and actions revealed the free and easy spirit of the world, which instantly brought them closer.
The eldest princess said with a pleasant face, "I am going to the men's section. Would you two like to come with me?"
Zhang Wanyan had not yet recovered from the shock, and was at a loss when she heard this, "This, this is not... okay?" She was still an unmarried lady.
The eldest princess slapped her forehead and said, "I almost forgot, Miss Zhang is not married yet. What about the county lady? Does the county lady want to go with us?"
Although it was also unreasonable, who in the palace dared to discuss the eldest princess's right and wrong? As long as Zhao Qingyi didn't care, she would dare to take her over.
Zhao Qingyi actually wanted to see Chu Yuanhe. She had some questions in her mind, so she looked in the direction of the men's seats, which were on the other side of the opposite corridor.
The corridor was covered with continuous gauze curtains, and figures walking and interweaving on the other side could be vaguely seen. Some men in the men's seats were also eager to move. After all, they wanted to see each other, so the palace people turned a blind eye and did not take it seriously.
The eldest princess noticed the blush on Zhao Qingyi's face and couldn't help but teasing her, "If you are really shy, just look outside and find yourself a suitable husband." Her words were full of teasing.
Zhang Wanyan, who was always steady, rarely agreed, "Yes, yes, Sister Qingyi, do you want to take a look?"
My good sister is still young and at the age of being as beautiful as a flower.
Zhao Qingyi looked surprised, as if she was meeting Zhang Wanyan for the first time.
The eldest princess had already dragged them over, one on each side. Zhang Wanyan blushed, "Your Highness, this won't do..."
"I'm so sorry, you two can just look around here. If you see someone you like, come back and tell me, and I'll bring him over for you to see."
The eldest princess squinted her eyes and said, "It's better than marrying a blind man in the future, marrying a man she has never met." After saying that, she let go of the two of them and walked through the gauze curtain alone.
Greetings were heard one after another, followed by the voice of the prince consort.
Zhao Qingyi was slightly surprised. The Empress Dowager was sitting at the table for the female guests. She thought she could see the legendary Emperor at the men's table, but it turned out that the one presiding over the situation was the Prince Consort.
Zhao Qingyi looked at Zhang Wanyan and thought to herself what a pity.
If His Majesty were here, she would shamelessly beg the Princess to ask His Majesty to summon Zhang Wanyan. Given Wanyan's steady personality, she might be the best candidate for queen in His Majesty's mind.
Zhang Wanyan guessed what she was thinking, "Sister Qingyi, you don't have to worry about me. If I get it, I'm lucky. If I don't, it's my fate. I won't force it." Fearing that Zhao Qingyi would be upset, she simply took Zhao Qingyi somewhere else to take a walk so that she could talk to her in private.
The two of them passed by the corridor. A breeze blew and lifted a corner of the gauze curtain. Zhao Qingyi tilted her head to look, trying to find Chu Yuanhe in the crowd, but saw Li Heng's back first.
One cannot help but be surprised. Was Li Heng's promotion so fast in this life? As a bastard, he was not restricted by his status, nor was he implicated by his brother and mother. He had the opportunity to enter the palace and attend banquets.
Zhang Wanyan also saw this, and fearing she would be upset, she hurriedly explained, "He was promoted by my father, but unlike his brother, he has considerable talent and outstanding abilities. My father didn't want to miss out on this promising young man, so he gave him the responsibility of the New Policy School. That's why... Sister Qingyi, please don't be angry."
The Zhang family definitely had no intention of slapping her in the face.
Zhao Qingyi was not unhappy. He praised the Prime Minister for his keen eye for talent. Although Li Heng was not the most outstanding one, with some training, he would be a sharp sword hanging over the heads of the aristocratic families, which would undoubtedly be more conducive to the implementation of the new policy.
The two walked along the corridor, but did not see any trace of His Majesty or Chu Yuanhe. Zhao Qingyi was disappointed and prepared to go back to the Imperial Garden to appreciate the flowers.
As soon as she blended into the crowd, an unfamiliar lady grabbed her arm and said, "Oh, we finally found the county lady."
The other party was very enthusiastic, with a smile on his face. He asked Zhao Qingyi about her former uncle Li Heng, "...I wonder how old this Lord Li is, and is he married?"
Among all the people present, only Zhao Qingyi knew Li Heng best. Zhao Qingyi first asked about the other party's identity. She was the wife of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, with the title of fourth rank, and wanted to arrange this marriage for her concubine's daughter.
A concubine's daughter and a concubine's son are indeed suitable, but Zhao Qingyi politely declined, "I am not familiar with him. Madam, please ask someone else."
If she really wanted to get married, she should ask Li Heng herself instead of asking her, her former sister-in-law. Privately, Zhao Qingyi didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Li family.
The lady had no choice but to give up.
Unexpectedly, not long after the person left, Li Heng actually walked over from the side of the corridor and went straight to Zhao Qingyi to greet her.
He noticed them when they came with the eldest princess and had been wanting to come over and say hello.
Zhang Wanyan was not blind. She quickly saw from Li Heng's face that he was longing for Zhao Qingyi. Then she thought about how Zhao Qingyi had just declined the wife of the Minister of the Honglu Temple's inquiry...
"Um, should I step aside for a moment?"
It's just a matter of etiquette, it's not as important as the happiness of your best friend.
Li Heng was very grateful. He did have something to say, but it was somewhat inconvenient with outsiders present.
But Zhao Qingyi had nothing to say to him and didn't want to be misunderstood, so she hurriedly grabbed Zhang Wanyan's sleeve. She was also worried about her being alone. Li Heng was not as important as Zhang Wanyan.
"Today is the Flower God Banquet, and men and women sit separately. Lord Li, please go back. We can talk later if you have anything to say." She could only refuse.
"County Princess..." Li Heng hesitated to speak.
Zhao Qingyi left. She came quickly and left even faster without even looking at him.
Now that his brother is gone, does he still... have no chance at all?
Li Heng couldn't hide his disappointment and secretly clenched his fists.
Little did they know that Chu Yuanhe, who was on the Drum Tower, had a panoramic view of the entire scene.
When Li Heng came out, he was nervous for a moment, but Zhao Qingyi didn't give him any face at all, which made him feel a lot more relieved.
At this time, only Fugui was serving him personally. Fugui lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, Li Heng obviously has ulterior motives. Why don't you arrange a marriage for him?" This would save him from thinking about people he shouldn't be thinking about all day long.
Chu Yuanhe was puzzled. "It's fine if I don't punish him, but you also want me to grant him a marriage?"
What a big face! Does he look like such an easy-going emperor?
After scolding Fugui, he changed his mind and thought... it seemed like... it might be a good idea.
"Go and see if there is any suitable woman."
The heart of an emperor is as deep as the sea.
Fugui shook his head...
Zhang Wanyan felt ashamed of her previous misunderstanding. Fortunately, Zhao Qingyi didn't care, so she decided to just enjoy the flowers quietly.
As soon as Zhao Qingyi left, Chu Yuanhe had to move to another place in order to see her. Fortunately, the Drum Tower was located at the highest point in the center of the imperial city, which was enough to overlook the entire imperial palace, let alone a mere imperial garden.
After walking around the Drum Tower for a while, he found the person he was thinking about near the lotus pond.
The woman he likes is beautiful. She stands out among thousands of flowers and can always be noticed at a glance.
Chu Yuanhe held his chin with his hand, squinted his eyes, and raised his thin lips, unable to hide his joy. However, his smile completely faded with the appearance of Wang Yingxue and others.
Following her aunt, Madam Wang's suggestion, Wang Yingxue led her men to block their path. "County Lady, Sister Zhang, why don't you join us in appreciating the flowers?"
Wang Yingxue has been complimented by everyone until now, and she looks very proud. When she looks at them, especially at Zhang Wanyan, her eyes are full of provocation without any concealment.
Zhang Wanyan didn't want to pay attention to it, so she took Zhao Qingyi's arm and turned in another direction, only to find that she was surrounded by people in front, behind, and on both sides. They were all the young ladies from official families who had flattered Wang Yingxue before.
Even the most good-tempered person would be angry at this moment, "Wang Yingxue, what do you mean?"
Wang Yingxue stroked the tassels on her temples. "Why is Sister Zhang so angry? It's rare for sisters to get together, so we were just chatting and laughing."
"Are you kidding?" Zhang Wanyan scoffed. "Who's the joke? You?"
Wang Yingxue frowned, but then thought about how she should be more tolerant and generous since she was about to become the queen. "Who is the joke? Isn't it obvious?"
She touched her golden hairpin again and said, "This is a gift from the Grand Empress Dowager. It shows that the Grand Empress Dowager favors me, not you."
"It's not even time to go to bed yet, and I'm already dreaming."
Zhang Wanyan was not someone who could be easily bullied. She was so aggressive that she could not be polite. "You'd better wait until the imperial decree comes down to establish the empress, then you can show off in front of me."
Wang Yingxue was under the care of the Empress Dowager, and the palace maids would not risk offending Wang Yingxue to rescue them. Zhang Wanyan simply used her arms to push them away, "A good dog doesn't block the road!"
Wang Yingxue staggered and gritted her teeth, "Zhang, Wan, Yan!"
The ladies around her hurried over to comfort her and advised her not to argue with the other party, but Wang Yingxue still couldn't swallow this insult.
Don't think that you can rest easy just because you have a county lady protecting you. She wants to make Zhang Wanyan regret what she did today and regret ever thinking of competing with her Wang family!
"Don't leave!" Wang Yingxue once again brought people to surround them.
Neither Zhang Wanyan nor Zhao Qingyi had expected that Wang Yingxue would be so lingering and dare to be so presumptuous in the imperial city.
"Are you done yet?"
Zhang Wanyan was impatient. "You are not the Queen yet. My father and your father are of equal status. This woman was personally appointed by His Majesty as the Princess of Chenhua County. She is of a certain rank! You'd better think about it!"
The other party had more people and more power, so Zhang Wanyan could only use her identity to make Wang Yingxue feel intimidated. It was better to have less trouble than more.
"I'm here to see the county lady, do you have the right to speak?"
Wang Yingxue stared straight at Zhao Qingyi. Not only did she not show the slightest respect towards the county lady, but her tone was rather provocative. "Someone just asked me if the county lady's brother-in-law is married. I was asked to come and find out."
Zhao Qingyi subconsciously protected Zhang Wanyan behind her, "Miss Wang, you're asking the wrong person. I have nothing to do with the Li family anymore."
"Really? Did the Li family divorce you?" Wang Yingxue kept bringing up irrelevant issues.
Zhang Wanyan was slightly annoyed and wanted to speak out, but Zhao Qingyi held her back. She smiled faintly and said, "It's a divorce."
"So that's how it is. Did the county lady get the divorce papers?" A young lady next to Wang Yingxue asked in a puzzled manner.
Seeing that she didn't answer, he smiled again, "Since there is no divorce letter, it can't prove that you have nothing to do with the Li family. In that case, Li Heng is still your brother-in-law. They say that an elder sister-in-law is like a mother. Isn't it normal for him to ask you about it?"
"Oh, stop talking. Can't you see that the county lady is unhappy?" Wang Yingxue laughed maliciously. "Someone saw you talking in private earlier. The county lady even lied to us, saying that you and your uncle were not familiar with each other and that she would not allow anyone to propose marriage to your uncle. Could it be..."
The young ladies looked at each other, understanding each other tacitly.
Said nothing, and said everything.
As the saying goes, three people make a tiger. This group of people deliberately came to ruin Zhao Qingyi's reputation.
Zhang Wanyan knew very well that Wang Yingxue was targeting her, so she implicated those who were on good terms with her.
"That's enough! You're offending the princess in the palace and talking nonsense. Be careful or someone will twist your tongue!"
In Wang Yingxue's view, she was like an angry cat whose tail was stepped on, and she laughed even more happily.
This action completely annoyed Zhang Wanyan. Before she could explode, Zhao Qingyi once again held down her restless hand. Anyone could do it, but Zhang Wanyan couldn't. She was competing for the position of queen and couldn't leave any stains that would be criticized.
Wang Yingxue humiliated herself with words for no reason, just waiting for Zhang Wanyan to make a mistake. Then Wang Yingxue would cry in front of the Empress Dowager, and they would become the wrong ones even if they were right.
"Miss Wang." Zhao Qingyi raised her eyes and looked at Wang Yingxue and the others with an unusually sharp gaze. "So gossiping, spreading rumors, and disrespecting the royal family are part of your Wang family's upbringing."
"I'm just curious and asked a few more questions. The county lady wouldn't be so petty, right?" Wang Yingxue tilted her head and raised her eyebrows, looking like, "What can you do to me?"
Zhao Qingyi pursed her lips and smiled, then suddenly raised her hand and slapped her.
Wang Yingxue waited for Zhang Wanyan to make a move, but she never imagined it was Zhao Qingyi who did it. She covered her face in disbelief, "You dare to hit me?"
Who the hell was Zhao Qingyi? A notorious divorced woman! She'd traded thirty thousand taels for the title of county lord, and she really thought she was a piece of cake!
"It's a matter of reciprocity. Miss Wang cares so much about me, and I care about you too. Are you tired of talking so much?"
Wang Yingxue's face flushed, "You——"
She was just a spoiled rich girl. If she was beaten, she would fight back immediately.
"Not convinced?" Zhao Qingyi was quick to grab her wrist, his eyes cold. "You're disrespectful to this county lady, and your words are full of humiliation. How can I not hit you?"
After saying this, she fiercely shook it off, took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped her hands. "I am the county lady. You are just relying on your father's power. You have no rank yourself. How dare you speak so shamelessly in front of me? Or... are you defying the imperial power?"
No matter how empty her title is, she is still a county princess, personally conferred by His Majesty, and represents His Majesty's face.
Wang Yingxue cursed her countless times in her heart. If she had known that donating 30,000 taels could get her the title of county lady, she would have donated it too. Let's see what Zhao Qingyi could be proud of.
She will remember today's humiliation and complain to the Empress Dowager when she becomes the Queen... No, she will go to the Empress Dowager now to complain.
Zhao Qingyi glanced at the other person's colorful face and smiled, "Why, are you thinking about how to go to the Grand Empress Dowager to plot against me? Okay, let's go together and see if the Grand Empress Dowager will help you, a spoiled young lady who despises imperial power, or will she make the decision for me, a county lady appointed by His Majesty?"
Wang Yingxue's face turned even uglier as her true colors were exposed, turning pale and blue.
Zhao Qingyi put away her smile and shouted coldly, "Why don't you get out of the way?"
Wang Yingxue was humiliated, and the other young ladies looked at each other and silently made way for her, not daring to go up and offend anyone again.
Seeing that they all acted like quails, Wang Yingxue was furious and stepped forward to block Zhao Qingyi's way.
Zhang Wanyan had tolerated her for a long time, and subconsciously reached out to push her away, trying to get her out of the way.
"You dare to push me?"
Wang Yingxue was not convinced and pushed back. During the argument, the other ladies, after hearing Wang Yingxue's call, also joined in and pushed each other. A group of people were crowded together, pushing each other, and unknowingly they were getting closer and closer to the lotus pond.
This time, Zhao Qingyi was protected by Zhang Wanyan behind her. Behind her, where she couldn't see, a hand quietly pushed towards her.
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