Chapter 66: Being a Gun
"Princess... come, I toast you."
While everyone was listening to the music and appreciating the dance, the prince consort and Princess Duanrou were in love with each other, their eyes fixed on each other.
The princess picked up the wine glass and drank it with a smile.
Afterwards, no one knew what the prince consort gave to Princess Duanrou, but she couldn't stop smiling when she saw it, and her face was filled with a happy and sweet glow.
Liu Yuetang couldn't help but lose her mind when she saw such a peaceful scene.
I have heard for a long time that Princess Duanrou and her husband are deeply in love and live in harmony with each other.
Especially the prince consort. After eight years of marriage, even though the princess has no children, his feelings for her remain the same as before, or even stronger.
"Is Lady Liu also envious of the perfect match between the princess and her husband?"
The voice of Rong Meiren came to her ears, and Liu Yuetang turned around and said with a smile: "I'm envious, of course, but our emperor is also very good, isn't he?"
Lady Rong was from the Yu Fei faction, so Liu Yuetang had to be very careful with her words, not wanting to be caught by her in any way.
Rong Meiren turned her eyes and said, "My sister is deeply favored by the emperor, so she doesn't need to envy others, unlike me..."
She lowered her eyes sadly.
Liu Yuetang said gently, "My sister has only just entered the palace and has received some fresh favor from the Emperor. I have been accompanying you for many years, and although I cannot say that you are favored by the Emperor, your favor has not diminished."
"There are only ten concubines accompanying the emperor on this trip, and my sister is one of them. This shows that my sister is also deeply loved by the emperor."
Rong Meiren smiled and said softly, "That's what my sister said."
When she lowered her head, she hid the bitterness from the corner of her mouth.
Only she herself knew that it was all because of Concubine Yu that she could come to the palace this time.
In the three years since she entered the palace, although she had never been neglected by the emperor, she had endured hardships that no one knew about, and only then did she gain the emperor's meager favor.
Ten days passed in a flash, and Lady Bai was very good at making Xiao Heng happy.
Every day he was either taken riding or practicing swordplay.
The concubines all joked that every concubine in the palace learned to play the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.
This concubine who was wielding swords and guns all day long looked like an actor in a play.
One day, Liu Yuetang had nothing to do, so she took her zheng to the koi pond to feed the fish.
Perhaps because the climate in the temporary palace is cooler than in the palace, the fish in the pond are very bright in color and large in size.
Liu Zheng squatted by the pond, letting the fish peck at his hands.
"My dear, look at this fish, it's biting my hand. It's so itchy."
"My lord, you can try it too."
Liu Zheng looked at Liu Yuetang with a smile.
Liu Yuetang was about to reach into the water when a woman's voice suddenly sounded not far behind her.
"Miss Liu, you still have the leisure to play with fish here. The fire is almost burning you."
Liu Yuetang recognized the voice as Mingpin's.
She turned her head and saw Mingpin coming angrily, supported by palace maids.
Liu Yuetang hurriedly stood up and saluted: "I pay my respects to Concubine Ming."
Mingpin was breathing rapidly, and she seemed to be suppressing her anger as she waved the round fan in her hand.
"I thought you were very capable, and this beautiful lady Bai took away half of your favor when she came."
Liu Yuetang's lips curled slightly downwards, her long eyelashes trembling in grievance like cicada wings: "I...I am incompetent. If the emperor doesn't come to my palace, I can't do anything."
Mingpin rolled her eyes coldly: "What an idiot."
"Just as you snatched the emperor away from Concubine Yu before, you will use the same trick to snatch the emperor back today."
Mingpin looked at her with contempt.
Liu Yuetang pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized: "I understand. Thank you, Madam Mingpin, for your guidance."
Mingpin curled her lips in satisfaction and said, "The Emperor is just ahead. If you don't go now, I'm afraid Lady Bai will coax the Emperor to go somewhere else."
Liu Yuetang quickly said, "Yes, I'll go right away."
She took just two steps before stopping again and looking at Mingpin in confusion: "Hasn't Your Majesty always disliked me? Why are you helping me today?"
Mingpin was slightly stunned, then she raised her lips and smiled, her beauty suddenly revealed.
"No matter how much I dislike you, we are all from the Central Plains, sisters. How can we allow her, a woman from another country, to bully us?"
Liu Yuetang understood and said obediently, "Yes, I understand."
After saying this, she turned and left, the respectful and submissive expression on her face gradually turning cold.
Mingpin, I'm not competing for your favor just because you're using me.
But...I want to fight for it myself.
She had originally wanted to reap the benefits, but if she stopped vying for favor, she was afraid that the emperor's curiosity about Bai Meiren would gradually turn into a liking for her.
Mingpin looked at Liu Yuetang's receding figure, covered her face with her round fan and chuckled softly, "What a fool! She has such a pretty face for nothing."
The palace maid couldn't help but smile, and after a while she looked up and said, "That beautiful lady Bai is so arrogant that she doesn't even take you, the queen, seriously."
Mingpin waved the round fan in her hand leisurely, "Wouldn't it be better for me to go there and deal with her alone?"
As he spoke, with an expression that looked like he was enjoying the fun, he said, "Luzhu, who do you think will win this fight, Lady Liu or Lady Bai?"
Lu Zhu thought for a moment before answering, "Even Concubine Yu was silenced by Lady Bai. I don't think Lady Liu can defeat her either, so I bet Lady Bai will win."
Mingpin laughed out loud: "No matter who wins or loses, one of them will be disliked by the emperor."
When Liu Yuetang walked around the rockery next to the koi pond, she saw Xiao Heng and Bai Meiren in the pavilion next to the horse farm.
Xiao Heng sat on the cushion, drinking wine carelessly.
Bai Meiren stood in front of the pavilion, holding a bow and arrow, her body straight as a pine tree, her eyes staring straight at the bull's eye.
With a "whoosh" sound, the arrow hit the target steadily.
She turned around and looked at Xiao Heng with a gleaming look: "Your Majesty, I have hit the target. Is there any reward?"
At this moment, she was bright and dazzling, with a touch of stubborn and confident beauty.
Liu Yuetang seemed to see in her the comfortable life of galloping on the grassland and living among the grass.
It seems that such a heroic woman can indeed arouse men's interest.
but……
The emperor's interest arises like a gust of wind and goes away like a sudden downpour.
If a woman wants to win a man's heart, she needs to be gentle on the outside and strong on the inside, combining both strength and gentleness.
Xiao Heng was about to speak when his eyes inadvertently caught sight of Liu Yuetang standing in the distance.
She stood there in shock and embarrassment, as if she wanted to leave.
Xiao Heng called out in a deep voice, "Lady Liu, am I a fierce tiger? Are you afraid to approach me?"
If it were another woman, she would just come forward and greet him with a polite look on her face.
But she was like a blushing kitten, having difficulty moving forward or backward.
When Bai Meiren heard this, the smile on her face suddenly froze and she turned around to look.
I saw Liu Yuetang coming in with lotus steps in a long green dress. Her skin was already snow-white, and the green color made her look gentle and refreshing, like a white magnolia blooming in the wind on a branch in spring.
"Your concubine pays her respects to the emperor." Liu Yuetang saluted gracefully.
Seeing that Liu Yuetang, whom he hadn't seen for a few days, seemed to have regained some of her charm, Xiao Heng suddenly wanted to tease her. Then his voice became deeper: "Lady Liu has not yet answered my question."
Liu Yuetang could tell there was a hint of joking in Xiao Heng's solemn tone, but she still feigned panic and explained softly, "I didn't mean to disturb the Emperor's interest. I just ran into Concubine Ming, who told me there was a beautiful sight here and asked me to come and see it. I really didn't expect the Emperor and Lady Bai to be here."
Xiao Heng frowned slightly: "Mingpin?"
"That's right." Liu Yuetang replied.
Xiao Heng closed his eyes, and he already understood Mingpin's little thoughts.
She was using Liu Yuetang in front of her as a gun.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was already gently fixed on Liu Yuetang.
He waved at her: "Come to me."
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