Chapter 190 Drunkenness
The princess put down her wine cup, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and waved her hand, dismissing the palace maid who had served the wine.
If there truly were something entirely beneficial and without any harm, it wouldn't have been presented only when the Imperial Concubine was in charge of the banquet; it's just a nicer way of putting it.
"You're still too young to drink any more. Have someone warm some milk for you later."
"I understand, Mother."
Qi Yuxuan nodded obediently.
"Oh dear, the Princess dotes on Princess Chang Le too much. I remember Princess Chang Le will be of marriageable age after the New Year, right? She's a young lady now, how could she not drink a little bit of medicinal wine?"
A soft female voice suddenly sounded from the side and behind.
The princess glanced to the side, and when she saw the person who spoke clearly, her pupils contracted.
The reason was simply that the appearance of the person speaking was far too similar to that of the one who had been imprisoned in Feiyin Pavilion some time ago.
If I don't speak, people will almost suspect that it's the same person.
Upon closer inspection, however, one can discover that there are still some subtle differences between her and Gu Linyan.
"Mother, that is Consort Gu, whom Prince Duan has recently married. She is said to be a distant relative of Gu Linyan."
Qi Yuxuan explained in a voice that could only be heard by the two of them.
The eldest princess narrowed her eyes and murmured, "He's so blatant?!"
Regardless of the woman's true identity, since Prince Duan has acknowledged that she is related to Gu Linyan, his grand ceremony of marrying her as a concubine is tantamount to announcing to the world that he can support Gu Linyan.
Prince Duan and the Princess were not particularly close before, and besides, she was just a concubine, not even her sister-in-law.
The eldest princess merely glanced at Consort Gu indifferently and did not respond.
Despite being ignored like this, Consort Gu was not angry. She picked up the medicinal wine and tasted it with a smile, not caring at all that her words had fallen to the ground.
Prince Duan rose, looked apologetic, and stepped forward to the Princess, saying, "Sister, my concubine is of humble birth and has spoken somewhat rashly. I hope you will not take offense."
"Not at all, Brother Wang, you flatter me."
The two exchanged a few insincere words of politeness, when suddenly Prince Duan's gaze shifted, and he looked at Qi Yuxuan, revealing a humble smile:
"This must be Princess Chang Le, right? At such a young age, she has already shown the courage to assist in dealing with the epidemic in the capital. She is truly a force to be reckoned with!"
"I have only done my bit of effort, and it is my honor to be able to share the burdens of the people and His Majesty."
When the eldest princess and Qi Yuxuan went to pay respects to their ancestors, Prince Duan was not present, and she had never met this Prince Duan, who was rumored to be deeply affectionate but short-lived.
Upon seeing him now, the man was only in his forties, yet he already had a full head of white hair, each strand meticulously combed back. His handsome face, identical to that of the Qi family, was unusually clean-shaven, with a smooth chin.
"Good, it's rare for a young lady to have such ambition."
Prince Duan glanced at Consort Gu beside him and said:
"I've heard that Wen Yue and you had some harmless quarrels. Now that you've recognized the Princess as your godmother, you and Wen Yue are just cousins. We're family, so let's not be formal. When you have time, let Wen Yue host a gathering at the Duan Prince's residence. That way, you two sisters can put an end to your past grievances."
“Uncle Duan is right. My cousin Wen Yue and I had some misunderstandings in the past. If we can resolve these issues, I will be overjoyed.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Prince Duan returned to his original seat.
Qi Yuxuan also sat down, but her back was already covered with a thin layer of sweat. A strange feeling of fullness invaded her limbs and bones. She subconsciously touched her forehead and found it was a little hot.
"Princess? Why are you sweating so much?"
At this moment, the eldest princess was chatting with the other ladies next to her when she heard Lanxin shout, and immediately turned her head to look over.
You won't be surprised if you don't look, because once you do, you'll be shocked.
The little girl's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes, which were usually as clear as lychees, were now misty and glistening with tears, as if she were so drunk that she was about to faint.
"Yu Xuan!"
The eldest princess couldn't help but gasp in surprise. She lifted Qi Yuxuan by the back and pulled her into her arms, calling out several times but receiving no response.
What happened?
Princess Consort of Runing, who was nearby, immediately noticed something was wrong and sent her servants over to check.
"Is Princess Chang Le drunk? This medicinal wine makes you feel warm all over, how come Princess Chang Le is so drunk after only drinking it for a short while?"
"Could it be that the young lady was a bit of a drinker and couldn't keep her eyes open and drank too much?"
The two ladies beside her also cast glances in this direction, but the princess was protecting her tightly, and even with their necks craned, they couldn't see what Princess Chang Le looked like now.
Their actions were so obvious that even the Emperor and Empress at the head of the table were alerted.
The Empress glanced at the young girl's face, which was unnaturally rosy, and frowned slightly.
"What's wrong with Princess Chang Le?"
It's impossible for someone to get drunk right at the start of the banquet, right?
The emperor also turned his gaze over, and the imperial concubine sat up straight, her shy smile vanishing instantly.
"The young lady has a low alcohol tolerance. She has only drunk a little and she has already lost her composure. The Princess should take more care in teaching her. If she cannot drink, she should not force herself in the future."
As soon as the Imperial Concubine spoke, everyone at the banquet looked towards the Princess. Only when they saw the little girl in her arms, her eyes glazed with drunkenness, did they realize what had happened.
However, this wine clearly doesn't make one drunk, so why did Princess Chang Le react so strongly?
Zheng Yanling had long wanted to go and see for herself, but her mother held her hand firmly, preventing her from making any rash moves.
"Mother, the princess looks very unwell. Please let me pass over!"
Madam Zheng, however, held her tightly, and said in a low voice with a tone of disappointment:
"With the Eldest Princess around, what are you doing standing up for her? Do you think the Princess's mother can't protect her?"
"But……"
"No buts. You stay put and don't leave my side today!"
The family knew that my father-in-law and mother-in-law had secretly slipped away, but in order to let them leave in a carefree and pleasant manner, no one went to see them off, and they pretended not to know anything about it.
As it turned out, her daughter followed her out of the wall to secretly escort her grandparents out of the capital. She was caught by the Crown Prince and Princess Chang Le, who were passing by. Seeing her masked and acting suspiciously, they almost mistook her for an assassin trying to kill her father-in-law and were killed on the spot.
After the farewell, Zheng Yanling, looking disheveled, was escorted back to the Zheng residence by a maidservant from Princess Chang Le's side, and only then did the Zheng family learn of the incident.
At today's palace banquet, Madam Zheng will absolutely not allow Zheng Yanling to cause any more trouble.
Qi Yuxuan was still lying in the princess's arms, whimpering that she was in pain.
"He's drunk. I've already told them to bring him some hangover soup. My dear child, just be patient..."
The eldest princess still ignored the imperial concubine, and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Qi Yuxuan's face.
But the cold sweat on her face increased, and her complexion even turned from red to white. The color in her lips gradually faded, and her whole face turned pale and black. She didn't look drunk at all!
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