Chapter 279 Choosing a Concubine
Zheng Yanling had met many people at the girls' school, including Jin Yuan, and quickly understood her intentions.
Knowing how to treat people differently based on their status is a skill that every daughter of a noble family possesses, and coincidentally, this is exactly the kind of person Zheng Yanling dislikes the most.
“Miss Jin, it’s not us who should apologize, but another girl who was harassed and almost robbed by you. We can’t accept your apology.”
Zheng Yanling spoke without any politeness, and Jin Yuan's face turned red with embarrassment. She knew that Zheng Yanling was not easy to deal with, but she did not expect her to be so stubborn in front of the palace servants.
Jin Yuan forced herself to lower her voice and said, "Miss Zheng, I am truly apologizing. What happened that day was my fault, and I accept that you all hate me. I just want to know this young lady's name and where she lives, so that I can find an opportunity to apologize again in the future, right? You have to give me a chance to repent and start anew, don't you?"
Zhao Mei felt a little sorry for her, so she stepped forward and said, "My name is Zhao Mei. My family is in business. There's no need for an apology. What happened that day was due to our shop's lack of preparation. If Miss Jin needs anything in the future, you are welcome to come again."
Zhao Mei originally didn't want to deal with this Jin Yuan, but she wondered what her parents and brothers would do if it were her, and what Princess Chang Le would do. She suppressed her resistance.
Leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future. Jin Yuan is not an irredeemable villain. There are good and bad people in this world. She shouldn't shut people out because of this incident. She runs a business, so she can't just do business with good people.
Zhao Mei quickly consoled herself, but before she could finish speaking, Jin Yuan's expression immediately changed, and she said with a strange look:
"Zhao Mei? Your family is the Zhao family, the imperial merchants?"
Zhao Mei nodded: "Exactly."
Jin Yuan chuckled, finally understanding why she had seen Zhao Mei and Zheng Yanling at Qiongyu Tower the other day. It turned out that one came from a merchant family and the other dealt with merchants; both were people who couldn't be considered refined, so naturally they were birds of a feather.
She covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, took a step back, and stared blatantly at Zhao Mei from head to toe: "So that's why you reek of money. You're a businessman's daughter, tsk tsk..."
Zhao Mei's face turned deathly pale in an instant. She trembled and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Just as Zheng Yanling was about to shield her behind her and retaliate, the boat docked.
The palace maids on the boat, seemingly oblivious to the subtle nuances in the young ladies' words, respectfully gestured for them to proceed.
"Please disembark, ladies. A matron will guide you."
Jin Yuan glanced disdainfully at Zhao Mei and Zheng Yanling, and got off the boat first before them. Without even checking if the others had arrived yet, she took the initiative to talk to the guide waiting on the shore and try to build a good relationship with her.
Zhao Mei remained where she was, trembling with anger, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to fall but unable to, looking rather pitiful.
Zheng Yanling sighed softly. She was just afraid this would happen, but it still did…
She took Zhao Mei's hand and pulled her off the boat together: "Let's go too. Don't cry. It won't be good if the Empress Dowager and the Princess find out. Jin Yuan isn't worth it."
"Don't forget, we still need to make money together!"
Zheng Yanling's reminder made Zhao Mei seem to wake up from a dream. She quickly forced back the tears in her eyes, sniffed, and said, "I'm not crying... Let's go."
Come to think of it, she hadn't told Zheng Yanling that Qiongyu Tower was opened by her and the princess together; in fact, the three of them were making money together.
However, when she was looking at the shop, the princess had said that she should not reveal to anyone that the princess was also involved, so Zhao Mei did not dare to tell Zheng Yanling without permission.
However, the thought of making money finally cheered Zhao Mei up a bit.
Seeing the little girl stop crying and start smiling, Zheng Yanling breathed a sigh of relief.
If she really made someone cry, not only would the Empress Dowager and the Eldest Princess think she had a problem with the summer banquet and be displeased, but even if the Princess saw it, she wouldn't know how to explain it.
In short, she remembered Jin Yuan.
If she can't handle it, surely the princess can?
The island in the middle of the lake was meticulously decorated, with carved beams and painted rafters, and countless rare and exotic plants. The girls, who were all worldly-wise, were captivated by the scenery on the island.
Qi Yuxuan hadn't seen her two friends for a long time. Seeing their simple attire, she knew they weren't planning to compete for the position of Crown Princess. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy.
If the Crown Princess had to be chosen from the thirty girls present today, she would prefer Zheng Yanling or Zhao Mei. At least she knew they were both excellent girls. Even if they couldn't be a loving and harmonious couple with the Crown Prince, they could certainly live in peace and harmony.
She didn't know what was wrong with her. These weren't things she should be worrying about, but she just couldn't stop overthinking these past few days.
A group of lively and bright young girls bowed to the Empress Dowager, the Eldest Princess, and the Princess. Their delicate and clear voices softened people's hearts and made their ears melt.
The Empress Dowager smiled and raised her hand, gesturing for them to rise. She looked around but didn't see any girl who resembled Pingyin, so she had to ask:
"Which one is Miss Zheng, the granddaughter of Princess Pingyin? Come to me and let me see her."
This is the person she has high hopes for. In the past three days, the Empress Dowager has also figured out the background of the girls in the capital. Although Zheng Yanling is a bit unruly and her personality is not as quiet and gentle as that of ordinary girls, she has good character. What if the reason why the Crown Prince is unwilling to get close to women for a long time is because he does not like the kind of dignified girl who follows the rules?
The Empress Dowager believed that she had seen countless people and might just stumble upon a lucky match, bringing the two children together in the end.
Zheng Yanling, her heart pounding, took a few steps forward, moving from the back to the front, and stiffly bowed.
"This humble woman pays her respects to the Empress Dowager—"
However, perhaps because she hadn't performed such a proper bow in a long time, her movements looked somewhat awkward, and her demeanor was like a man bowing to a woman, so rough that it was hard to watch.
The Empress Dowager didn't pay attention to these trivial matters. She asked her to rise, came closer to examine the object, and praised it, saying:
"He has a good appearance and is also steady and calm. It seems that the rumors in the capital are not to be believed. He is clearly such a good child."
The eldest princess and Qi Yuxuan smiled and complimented her as well, with Qi Yuxuan being genuinely sincere.
She also thought Zheng Yanling was an excellent girl.
Those worldly rules and regulations could not bind Zheng Yanling; instead, they awakened her soul, allowing her to grow full flesh and blood and wings. If she had had such determination in her previous life, she should have been able to live a freer life.
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