Xie Jingrun turned his head and saw the Empress Dowager looking at him suspiciously.
His face darkened, but he ultimately gave up the idea.
Emperor Zhaojing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Normally, Xingxiu was quite respectful to him, but he didn't really listen to him. He was really afraid that Xingxiu would go against his wishes and anger the Empress Dowager, putting him in a difficult position.
Just as Emperor Zhaojing was about to walk with Xie Jingrun to their seats, a sudden cough broke the silence of the plum garden.
Emperor Zhaojing looked in the direction of the sound and, upon seeing the person coughing, his expression softened. He said to Xie Jingrun, "Your cousin has also come to the palace."
Xie Jingrun glanced at it but didn't want to pay any attention.
Emperor Zhaojing reminded him, "When your maternal grandfather was dying, didn't he ask you to take care of this little cousin? She is already in poor health, yet she still came to the palace in the freezing cold. You can't ignore her."
Xie Jingrun paused when he heard him mention his maternal grandfather.
Rong Qingqing had already seen the person coughing; it was the girl in the pink dress from earlier.
When she looked over, the girl's cough worsened, and her fair face turned completely red from coughing. Standing there, she looked exceptionally weak and pitiful.
Even if she didn't know her, she couldn't help but feel pity for her.
Shangguan Yanran whispered, "Who is this person? Why would the Empress Dowager invite someone like this into the palace?"
It wasn't that she looked down on the other person, she just found it a bit strange.
The royal family had many taboos, and people who were obviously infected with diseases were always refused entry to the palace.
Not only was Shangguan Yanran puzzled, but the other noble ladies were also greatly puzzled, lowering their heads and whispering among themselves.
Seeing that everyone was looking at her, the girl became anxious and coughed even more violently.
Even the Empress Dowager couldn't bear to watch any longer. Just as she was about to send someone to summon the imperial physician, Xie Jingrun spoke up first: "Changlin, go and invite the imperial physician to examine Miss Biao."
"Yes," Changlin replied respectfully and quickly left the plum garden.
The plum garden suddenly fell silent, except for the girl in the pink dress who was still coughing.
Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, Xie Jingrun gave a few more instructions to a palace maid beside him. The maid nodded, immediately stepped forward, and helped the girl in the pink dress leave.
This scene alerted all the noble ladies.
Who is that girl in the pink dress, and why is His Highness the Crown Prince taking such good care of her?
Shangguan Yanran was equally surprised and couldn't help but lean close to Rong Qingqing's ear and whisper, "It seems that the woman's relationship with your Crown Prince is not simple."
Rong Qingqing noticed it too and nodded, "Maybe."
Shangguan Yanran was somewhat surprised by her calm reaction. Just as she was about to say something, she was pulled back to her seat.
She then noticed that everyone had returned to their seats, and she had no choice but to suppress her doubts.
Before long, the banquet began, and the palace servants quickly brought out delicious dishes.
Today the sun is shining brightly, and dining under the fragrant plum trees has a unique charm.
Rong Qingqing was looking at the exquisitely made plum blossom pastries on the plate. Just as she was about to pick one up and taste it, she suddenly heard Princess Huaiyin's joyful voice say, "Mother, since the plum blossoms are in bloom today, and it's rare for all the young ladies from noble families to gather together, why don't we have them compose a few poems on the theme of plum blossoms to liven things up? What do you think, Mother?"
This was exactly what the Empress Dowager was thinking. Hearing her say this, she went along with it and said, "That's fine. However, it's not limited to composing poems. You can also paint, write articles, or sing and dance on the spot."
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