Chapter 495 Reencounter with the Countess of Annam
"Madam, there's no need to be so cautious."
"To be honest, I'm just a sickly fellow without a title and without the emperor's favor."
"Those with good intentions treat me like a princess, while those without good intentions are probably spreading rumors and slandering me behind my back."
At this point, a hint of melancholy appeared on Li Jingyue's face.
Qiao Qinghe smiled awkwardly and didn't reply. Li Jingyue's hand was already on hers, and she couldn't very well pull away.
And so, Qiao Qinghe was led by Su Rongrong on her left and Li Jingyue on her right, making quite a spectacle as they helped her walk toward the Jiang residence.
The crowd watched with curiosity and began to whisper among themselves.
"When did Madam Qiao become so close to the Sixth Princess?"
"That's right! Wasn't it said that Madam Qiao and the Seventh Princess were close?"
"It's common knowledge that the Seventh Princess and the Sixth Princess are at odds. How come Old Madam Qiao is on good terms with the Seventh Princess, yet so close to the Sixth Princess?"
"Hiss! Will the two princesses start fighting?"
"I don't know if the two princesses will fight, but I do know that this old lady Qiao is truly capable!"
"Hehe, I'm afraid she'll try to please both sides but end up losing everything and offending both."
"Tsk tsk, this person is really insatiable."
...
News of what happened at the Jiang residence gate quickly reached the palace.
After hearing the news from the spy, Emperor Xiaozhao smiled at first, but then frowned.
This change in expression left Liu Xin, who was standing to the side, unsure whether he was happy or unhappy.
Just as Liu Xin was feeling uneasy, he heard Emperor Xiaozhao say, "Old Lady Qiao is indeed a smart woman. However, she ruined my test of the Earl of Enping."
"This is not good."
Liu Xin listened with trepidation, thinking that since the Emperor had even uttered the words "very bad," Old Madam Qiao was likely to be punished.
Just as I was worrying about Qiao Qinghe, I heard Emperor Xiaozhao instruct: "Have the spies around Old Madam Qiao warn her that loose tongues can bring disaster, and that she shouldn't say things that don't belong to her."
Originally, Qiao Qinghe had intended to test the Earl of Enping through Feng Yudie, but before Feng Yudie could even truly exert her power, Qiao Qinghe exposed Feng Yudie's scheme to everyone.
Tsk tsk, how boring.
***
Most of the banquets at the Jiang residence were for Li Jingyue, the sixth princess.
This was, in fact, Li Jingyue's first appearance at a banquet outside the palace.
Everyone was very curious about why the sixth princess, who had been sickly since childhood and had not won the emperor's favor, had made such an unprecedented trip out of the palace to attend the banquet.
Why would a princess of the royal family appear in the Jiang family mansion, whose official rank is only a third-grade vice minister who has just arrived in the capital?
What was it about the Jiang residence that attracted the Sixth Princess?
Or has the Jiang family secretly climbed up to Consort Zhao or Grand Secretary Zhao?
Regardless of what people's motives were, quite a few families came to the banquet today.
After Qiao Qinghe and her two companions entered the mansion, they were led to the flower hall where the banquet was being held.
Many people had already arrived in the flower hall. Upon seeing Qiao Qinghe and the other two, everyone stood up to greet them.
However, when they saw the Sixth Princess and Su Rongrong supporting Qiao Qinghe's arms on either side, and the three of them clearly showing respect for Qiao Qinghe, many people showed an expression of disbelief.
After exchanging greetings, a person stepped out from the crowd and said to Li Jingyue with a friendly smile, "Sixth Princess, you look much better. It must be because you are celebrating a happy occasion."
The person who arrived was none other than Qiao Qinghe's mortal enemy, the Lady of Annan.
"I am well, Madam." Li Jingyue replied with a smile, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
The Countess of Annam and her mother were on good terms, and she often acted as an elder to her mother, who always told her to respect the Countess of Annam.
Otherwise, she wouldn't even bother with this person, let alone smile at him.
Despite being a noble lady, she insisted on spreading rumors and being a gossip, which was extremely annoying.
What's most infuriating is that this person even dared to gossip about her.
If it weren't for this person, the news of her discord with Li Sanqi wouldn't have spread outside the palace and become gossip among outsiders.
Ha, she and Li Sanqi are at odds, but that's their business as royal sisters. How can outsiders have the right to interfere?
What's most infuriating is that outsiders say she's sickly, unloved, and of low status... in short, inferior to Li Sanqi in every way. She's completely unworthy to be compared to Li Sanqi. Yet she still thinks too highly of herself and confronts Li Sanqi head-on; it's utterly presumptuous.
Who knows how much of this gossip is actually thanks to this person?
But unfortunately, her mother and her concubine had a very close personal relationship, which made her furious just thinking about it.
"The princess's wedding is imminent, and it is not proper to ask the princess to leave the palace at this time. However, I have been asked to do so by someone, so I have no choice but to trouble the princess to make this trip."
Lady Annam took Li Jingyue's hand, shook it affectionately, and promised with a smile, "Princess, don't worry, I will definitely add to your dowry when you get married."
Li Jingyue withdrew her hand without showing any emotion, and replied with a smile, "You're too kind, Madam. If it weren't for Madam's request to my mother, I wouldn't have had the chance to leave the palace."
"If anyone should be thanking someone, it should be me thanking Madam."
Li Jingyue spoke politely and responded appropriately, but in her heart she had already rolled her eyes to the heavens.
As a royal princess, her wedding was conducted according to the regulations of the Ministry of Rites, and her dowry was also prepared by the royal family.
Who does she think she is? How dare she say she'd add to her dowry?
Her mother was on good terms with her, so she really treated her as Li Jingyue's elder?
Qiao Qinghe, who had been standing aside, now looked at Li Jingyue and found her behavior utterly fake.
Li Jingyue was already very fake in front of her before, but now that she's in front of Lady Annan, she's even more fake, to the point that she can hardly bear to look at her.
Finally, after sensing Li Jingyue's resistance to Lady Annan, Qiao Qinghe spoke slowly and deliberately.
"I knew it! The Sixth Princess wasn't feeling well, so why did she suddenly leave the palace to attend the Jiang family's banquet today? Turns out, she was invited by the Lady of An'nan?"
Lady Annan frowned. She was already trying her best to control herself from paying attention to Qiao Qinghe, as if she didn't exist.
But why did Qiao Qinghe have to run into him herself?
"So what if it is? Does Madam Qinghe have a problem with that?"
Lady Annan said in an unfriendly tone, "Heh, even the Consort Xian didn't say anything, and the Sixth Princess was happy to come, so why is the Old Madam meddling in other people's business?"
Qiao Qinghe wasn't angry and said with a smile, "Madam Annan, what are you saying? I'm just curious about the relationship between the Jiang family and the Annan Marquis's mansion. It's just a banquet, yet it has alarmed the Consort Xian in the palace and even made a big fuss to invite the Sixth Princess out of the palace."
"Tsk tsk, the Jiang family has already established a connection with the Marquis of Annan as soon as they arrived in the capital."
"I wonder, did the Jiang family actively seek to curry favor with the Marquis of Annan, or did the Marquis of Annan actively seduce the Jiang family?"
"You..." The Earl of Annan's chest heaved violently with anger. "Old Madam Qiao, do you really have to make things difficult for me?"
She had originally decided to temporarily live peacefully with Qiao Qinghe because of her daughter and two grandchildren.
But this old lady just wouldn't stop fighting, and kept stepping on her sore spots!
Qiao Qinghe looked at Madam Annan with a surprised expression. "Oh dear, I, this old woman, only asked the question that everyone was wondering about. How did that make you so upset?"
"Ask everyone, who isn't curious about why the Sixth Princess came to the Jiang residence for the banquet?"
"Who wouldn't be curious about your relationship with the Jiang family?"
"All the ladies here are reserved people, but I, this old woman, can't keep my mouth shut. Instead of getting caught up in my curiosity, I might as well just ask it out loud."
"Well, Lady Annam, would you be willing to satisfy this old woman's curiosity?"
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