Zhao Ying served the meal, and the mother and daughter were eating happily when Nanny Li suddenly came in.
"Your Highness, something happened at the family banquet ahead!"
Zhao Ying put down her chopsticks, her eyes lit up, her gossip burning in her soul. "What's going on?"
[Of course, Daddy requested this morning that Princess Huaian's eldest daughter, Hu Yanxue, be named Princess Jingguo. My stubborn second brother objected and will be spanked by Daddy!]
Shangguan Qingyue curled his lips, which were greasy from gnawing on the lamb leg.
"Your Highness, the Second Young Master heard that the Crown Prince submitted a petition this morning requesting that Hu Yanxue be named Princess Jingguo. At the banquet, he saw Hu Yanxue mention the late Empress' marriage to Princess Huai'an and insulted her with his words. So he pointed at her nose and cursed, 'Princess Jingguo? You barbarian daughter, whose country are you pacifying? What kind of princess are you?!'"
"The Crown Prince and the old Duke are furious and are about to beat the Second Young Master with a stick!"
The gossip fire in Zhao Ying's eyes was extinguished.
It turned out that it was her house that was burned.
She sighed, it was the same old question.
"Bai Lin is right. Huai'an married for the sake of the country and now prays for the country's blessing. She will never marry. It's nothing to make her daughter a princess. The prince is loyal and affectionate, so there is nothing to blame."
"Even insulting the late queen... Xue'er has Xiongnu blood in her veins. She's not as reserved and tactful as us people from the Central Plains, so it's inevitable that she's a bit unrestrained and unbridled. Now that she's gone, everyone can judge her achievements..."
"But Princess Huyan is too arrogant. She relies on Princess Huai'an's willful behavior. The emperor is partial to her, and even the people in the Duke's Mansion are partial to her. Even my serious sister has to obey her. I really can't stand it. Your Highness, even if you feel you owe Princess Huai'an, you shouldn't allow her children to climb over my brothers and sisters!"
Zhao Ying felt that she owed Huai'an from the bottom of her heart.
She put down her chopsticks and sighed, "I was unruly when I was young, and my status was noble enough, so I was a bit willful and unrestrained. I didn't like staying in the palace on weekdays, and my father, the emperor, and my mother, the empress, also doted on me. It just so happened that my second uncle was on a royal business trip, so I mostly followed him around. Before I came of age, I had never met the prince of the Zhenguo Duke, nor had I heard that the prince and Princess Huai'an had secretly engaged."
"Later, I followed my second uncle to the southwestern border to transport grain. I was feeling playful for a moment, so I changed into a soldier's uniform and went to the battlefield."
Fights on the battlefield are different from everyday fights. Her martial arts skills, which she could usually see through, were useless on the battlefield, and her weapons were knocked away in just a few moves.
"Runlang came out to save me."
"I have been ignorant for half my life, never having experienced the word love. At that moment, I understood what 'beloved' meant."
"After returning to the palace, I secretly fell in love with Runlang. Later, when Huai'an got married, the prince came to me and knelt down to beg me to save Huai'an. Only then did I realize that I had feelings for him but he was heartless. But how could I change the imperial decree?"
"But Huai'an suffered misfortune because of my momentary emotion. At that time, the prince angrily asked, 'Why wasn't it you who got married?' I know he has been blaming me."
"Over the years, I've told myself that no matter whether Runlang has me in his heart or not, as long as he's well and Huai'an is well, I can make up for the sins of my good mother..."
"But fortunately, Runlang and Huai'an have finally moved on..."
She has seen how good the prince has been to her over the years.
She only favored her wife and did not take concubines, and was loyal to her father and brother.
People's hearts can be warmed, can't they?
[No! They're still meeting privately...]
[Daddy always says he's going to inspect Weidu Prefecture, but he's actually going to see Princess Huai'an...]
Zhao Ying's eyes suddenly widened, her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly by a big hand, and her mind went blank.
Do they meet privately?
"Your Highness, what's wrong with you?"
Nanny Li looked at Zhao Ying's sudden distraught look and said worriedly.
"It's okay, I owe Huaian all this, originally all of this belonged to Huaian..." Zhao Ying muttered to himself.
[Mother, there's no need to feel sorry. Princess Huai'an did it herself!]
[It was Grandfather who personally requested the marriage from the Imperial Grandmother. It was Grandfather who favored Mother, and Father later relented. When Princess Huai'an learned of this, she took an unconventional approach and attempted to drug Mother at the state banquet, ruining her innocence and reputation.]
[As a result, his evil deeds were met with retribution. He was caught by the Empress Dowager and was caught having sex with the guards. They were so indecent that they lost all sense of the world~]
[After the incident, Concubine Ji Shu knelt down and begged the Imperial Grandmother to spare Huai'an's life. In order to cover up the royal scandal, the Imperial Grandmother had no choice but to marry Huai'an to the Xiongnu to save her life!]
My grandfather also knew about this. He was the one who forced my mother to marry him. He didn't want that whore Huai'an as his daughter-in-law!
Shangguan Qingyue hated himself for being mute and illiterate and unable to tell his mother the truth!
Big liars! They are all big liars!
Shangguan Qingyue could no longer control her tear incontinence, and tears began to fall... She tried hard to hold them back, but a few tears still flowed down.
When Aunt Li saw her crying, she quickly came over to comfort her, "What's wrong, young lady? Why are you crying?"
Nanny Li picked up Shangguan Qingyue, then went to look at Zhao Ying, and found that Zhao Ying was also sitting there with red eyes.
Zhao Ying was in a state of confusion.
According to Yue'er, she and her mother were not at fault, but were instead betrayed by Huaian and her daughter?
Empress Xiaomin was charming and seductive, and was jealous by nature.
Although Concubine Ji Shu was not of high birth, she was virtuous and kind, making her more suitable to be the mother of the country?
Princess Chengqian was extremely naughty, unruly and arrogant.
Princess Huaian is kind and cautious, and cares about the people. Although she has married twice, her heart is pure and perfect.
For many years, she gave in to Huai'an in everything. As a legitimate princess, she received an annual salary of 100,000 taels of silver and a fief of 3,000 households. As a concubine's daughter, she spent 300,000 taels of silver and a fief of 5,000 households a year under the guise of praying for the country!
Her one son and two daughters are all princes and princesses, and they are even going to be conferred the title of princess beyond the rules?
Zhao Ying was feeling angry when he heard Shangguan Qingyue's inner voice. It was like a sword piercing his chest, completely breaking his defenses.
[Oh my mother, you are so miserable. Daddy treats you well only to paralyze my grandfather and uncle, the crown prince. If he wants to rebel, his whole family will rebel!]
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