Xiao Wanyin tried hard to recall the saddest thing in her life, and then she forced herself to suppress the corners of her smiling mouth.
She bit her lip and turned back, saying with difficulty: "I...I feel sad when I think of the great disaster."
She barely finished the sentence, then leaned back on the desk, grinning secretly over it.
[Woqu, little cousin, can you do this? You're being too fake, aren't you?]
Liang Zhirou pretended to be understanding and said slowly: "Well, after all, you are older and should be more sensible."
At this moment, Xia Miaoyuan pinched her thigh hard, making her expression look more painful, and then said with a wronged voice: "You haven't answered me yet?"
"If one day, it really happens as you said, will you help me?"
Feng Manman raised an eyebrow and glanced at Xia Miaoyuan with disdain. "You look so pitiful. We'll try our best to plead for mercy and save your life when the time comes."
Liang Zhirou echoed, "If you're still alive, we can just go and beg the Empress Dowager to show mercy and allow you to leave the palace."
"When the time comes, I'll let you come to my house and be a maid."
"Although you're so clumsy, I don't think being a maid would be desirable."
"But since Liang Zhirou is beautiful and kind-hearted, I'll just treat it as a good deed."
Liang Zhirou's voice was very gentle, but her tone revealed an annoying sense of superiority that she conferred upon others.
[Bah! I'll give her back to you as a maid! I'll just consider it a good deed!]
[Returning kindness to others, ugh...]
Although Xia Miaoyuan was complaining in his heart, he still had a silly expression on his face.
Feng Manman cast an admiring look at Liang Zhirou, "Sister Zhirou, you are so kind. I am moved by what you said."
"With such a broad mind and such magnanimity, she is truly a role model for women in the boudoir!"
This wave of flattery made Liang Zhirou feel very comfortable.
She slowly raised her head, squinted her eyes slightly, and showed a pretentious smile, "No, no, Sister Manman, you are too kind."
"Ugh..." Xia Miaoyuan covered her mouth with a painful expression.
This time, Liang Zhirou's pretentious look really disgusted Xia Miaoyuan. She finally couldn't hold it in and almost vomited out her breakfast.
"What are you doing?" Feng Manman pointed at Xia Miaoyuan and exclaimed.
"You are so rude! You are a princess!" Liang Zhirou screamed in horror.
Xiao Wanyin smiled and tried to smooth things over: "I'm sorry, Miao'er ate too much breakfast! Please don't blame me."
At this time, Yan Ruoxi, who was sitting in the row behind Feng Manman and the others, glanced at Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou with a stern look and said calmly, "You two study companions should stop talking nonsense."
"After all, this is a place for study, not a backyard for gossip."
Feng Manman had been looking arrogant, but Yan Ruoxi's words suddenly provoked her, and her expression instantly darkened.
"We didn't say anything to you, why are you so anxious?" Feng Manman turned around and glared at Yan Ruoxi.
Yan Ruoxi's expression remained calm. She looked at Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou steadily and said, "We are in the academy, so we shouldn't talk about other things."
"Study hard and follow your teacher's instructions. This is the duty of a student."
"It is our duty as the princess's companions to accompany her, be respectful and courteous to her, and provide timely advice."
"Also, regardless of our status, it's not our place to discuss state affairs."
"Please be careful with your words."
After saying that, Yan Ruoxi's expression remained normal as she continued to read with her head down.
Liang Zhirou glanced at Yan Ruoxi and coaxed Feng Manman softly, "She's just an ignorant nerd. Let's ignore her."
Liang Zhirou patted Feng Manman on the shoulder and asked her to sit down and wait for class to start.
Xia Miaoyuan stared at Yan Ruoxi in a daze.
[As expected of the granddaughter of an important official in the court! ]
[She's not even ten yet, and she's saying this, tsk tsk tsk!]
[She has clear ideas, is well-organized, and has solid reasoning when she speaks. What a talented woman!]
[What's even more rare is that one has his own opinions and can clearly distinguish right from wrong.]
At this time, Yan Ruoxi may have felt that someone was watching her, so she slowly raised her head, and her clear eyes met Xia Miaoyuan's eyes.
Yan Ruoxi smiled at Xia Miaoyuan in a friendly manner, and that smile seemed to silently comfort her.
Xia Miaoyuan was instantly warmed and a little surprised.
[Wow, I always thought she had a cold personality. This smile is so warm!]
[Is she worried that I was frightened by those two bastards just now, and is deliberately comforting me?]
【I feel so warm! 】
Xia Miaoyuan felt sweet in her heart, and she smiled sweetly in response to Yan Ruoxi.
Three days later, an imperial decree came.
A palace banquet is going to be held in the palace.
The palace banquet had two purposes. One was to celebrate the great victory in the northern border. Although the battle in the northern border had not yet ended completely and the soldiers had not yet returned to the court, Xia Zhengqi wanted to hold a celebratory palace banquet first so that everyone could have some fun.
The second purpose of the palace banquet was to celebrate the birthday of the queen's mother, Meng.
Because this year is exactly Meng's 60th birthday, it should be celebrated in a grand manner. Moreover, her condition has improved, which is a happy event, so it is necessary to celebrate even more.
When the news came out, everyone in the court and the harem was shocked.
Civil and military officials, royal relatives, aristocratic families, and even the eunuchs and maids in the palace were all talking about it.
Because throughout the dynasties, many emperors would congratulate their mothers-in-law on their birthdays, but in the imperial palace, there were very few who would hold a proper birthday banquet for their mothers-in-law.
In a private room in the Tianxiang Restaurant, several men in brocade robes were drinking and chatting happily.
A middle-aged man with a goatee said, "Have you heard? The Emperor is actually planning to hold a birthday banquet for Meng Kezun in the palace."
A fat man responded, "Isn't it said that the Queen has lost the Emperor's heart? Why is the Emperor still holding a birthday banquet for his mother-in-law?"
"Is the news inaccurate?"
An old man at the table said, "My Lords, why can't you figure it out?"
“Many things in the world are not what they seem.”
"It's one thing on the surface, and another thing on the inside."
The fat man and the goatee said in unison, "I'd like to hear the details."
The old man stroked his beard and said, "Haha, it's very simple."
"The Emperor celebrated his mother-in-law's birthday for her reputation as a virtuous man and to save face for the Northern Frontier."
"But in reality, they are still using the Meng family as a hostage to control the Xiao family."
The goateed man and the fat man praised him repeatedly: "Older people still see things more clearly!"
The fat man said, "Now that you put it this way, we understand."
"I was just worrying about what to give Meng Kezun for his birthday party. Now, it seems like I can just give him something worthless to fool him."
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