"I have a bold idea. Would you like to come with me and do it?"
"I'm willing to do anything for You Ran."
Normally, Tang Lei would have wanted to kill Liu Zhiyuan with his eyes after hearing his words, but today Tang Lei didn't care about that.
"Why is Your Majesty so enthusiastic about these social activities? Isn't it more comfortable to just lie around in the palace and massage your legs when you have nothing to do?"
The next morning, before Li Youran had even woken up, the Second Prince's wife urged her to change into a magnificent dress, board a carriage, and sway towards the royal temple.
"Her Majesty the Empress naturally dislikes these activities, but there's nothing she can do. As the Empress, she enjoys special privileges and naturally has to bear the responsibilities that come with them."
The Second Prince's wife was also very tired. She imitated Li Youran, propped her head up with her hand, leaned against the carriage, and continued speaking with her eyes closed.
"With the imperial examination over, many new nobles have emerged in the capital. Her Majesty the Empress's invitation to visit the royal temple is nothing more than a pretext to gather information."
As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." The Empress's invitation to these women to go to the royal temple was naturally for a reason.
These newly arrived ladies of the nobility were attending such a banquet for the first time, and any ladies who wished to befriend them would naturally rush to strike up a conversation.
The Empress could discern the distribution of power and the existence of these cliques from the actions of these people.
By understanding these things, the Empress can gain a clearer understanding of the situation in the court and the relationships among the people involved, thus enabling her to better manage the situation.
Thinking of all this, Li Youran suddenly remembered Tian Alang and then Tian Da Niang, who gave her a headache. She figured that Tian Da Niang must have been invited this time as well.
Li Youran frowned, turned over, and buried her head deeply. She felt exhausted, both physically and mentally.
When Li Youran and the Second Prince's Consort arrived, the area outside the royal temple was already filled with carriages.
Although the carriages varied in size and specifications, they all had one thing in common: they were all tidied up early that morning and looked exceptionally new.
"Congratulations, Princess."
Li Youran originally wanted to enter quietly with the Second Prince's wife, keeping a low profile as much as possible, because they didn't want to get entangled with these women, as it was too tiring.
Unexpectedly, Li Youran was caught red-handed the moment she showed her face, after all, she was currently a prominent figure in the capital. Everyone knew that Li Youran had been betrothed by the Emperor, and the wedding date had been set for soon.
"Second Prince's Consort, in a few days we will no longer be able to address you as such."
Besides Li Youran, there's also the Second Prince's Consort. After all, in a few days, the Second Prince's Consort will become the Crown Princess.
Right now, everyone is taking advantage of the opportunity to see the Second Prince's Consort to say as many nice things as possible, since once she becomes the Crown Princess, it won't be so easy to see her anymore.
“I never imagined that I, an old lady, would see such a magnificent temple. I am truly fortunate to have my grandson.”
Just as Li Youran and the Second Prince's wife were talking to the women around them, Aunt Tian was helped over by a group of elderly wives of officials.
"Madam Qian, you are a blessed person. Your grandson is also intelligent and capable, and is highly appreciated by the Emperor. He has become the top scholar at a young age and has a bright future ahead of him. Your good days are yet to come."
"After some time, I'll find you a granddaughter-in-law and a great-grandson, so that four generations can live together and enjoy the happiness of family life."
The officials' wives said some nice things, and Aunt Tian was so flattered by their words that she laughed so hard she could barely open her eyes.
"The Fourth Prince's Consort is so young, yet she is able to manage the entire Fourth Prince's residence and keep it in perfect order. It can be said that she has thoroughly mastered all the rules of being the head of the household. I will have to go to the residence to learn how to manage a household in the future."
"Everyone knows that the Fourth Prince and his wife are inseparable. It is said that since the Fourth Prince married his wife, he has not been willing to leave the house and only wants to stay with her."
Several women surrounded Hu Qinqin, chatting and saying nice things to each other.
Qinqin responded politely, while at the same time glancing towards Li Youran.
Li Youran stood out in the crowd. She wore a pale yellow gauze dress, which made her skin appear even whiter. Her thick, black hair cascaded down to her waist. She wore a few pieces of jewelry, but anyone with a discerning eye could tell that each piece was priceless.
Upon seeing this scene, Hu Qinqin felt a sudden surge of hatred.
She discreetly covered the bracelet on her hand with her sleeve. It was clearly her most presentable piece of jewelry, but compared to the white, smooth jade bracelet on Li Youran's hand, it paled in comparison.
Mutton fat jade is extremely rare. If a man owns a piece of mutton fat jade, it is a great achievement. Yet Li Youran actually used mutton fat jade to make a bracelet.
This is truly the first of its kind in the entire capital city.
"It's getting late, let's go inside quickly,"
Upon hearing Li Youran's words, everyone remembered the Empress and rushed towards the temple, as no one was as important as the Empress.
After everyone else left, Li Youran followed them away. She turned back to look at Hu Qinqin, who had already turned her head away. But Li Youran knew that the burning gaze was definitely Hu Qinqin's.
The women discussed nothing more than family matters, romantic relationships, and daily necessities.
Making a wish is nothing more than praying for the safety of one's family and a healthy pregnancy. Therefore, Li Youran found this prayer for blessings quite boring, and she withdrew early to cool off under a grape trellis in the temple.
"Help! Help! Help!"
Li Youran vaguely heard a woman's cries for help coming from the backyard. Without thinking too much, she hurriedly ran towards the backyard.
When Li Youran arrived, she saw a young maid in white fall into the water. Li Youran was a good swimmer, so she didn't have time to think. After all, a life was at stake, so she rushed towards the pond, her only thought was to save the young maid.
But at that moment, the little maid suddenly stopped struggling in the water and swam towards the other side of the pond.
This puzzled Li Youran. If it was Huishui, why was she struggling and calling for help in the water...?
Just as Li Youran turned around, a wet man suddenly appeared behind her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
