This dress is made of seaweed yarn, a very light blue color. It has been stained brown with tea, so it will definitely fade. I can't wear it out to meet guests anymore.
She wanted to be frugal and wear the same clothes a few times, but her family wouldn't agree.
Otherwise, outsiders might think she'd fallen from being the apple of the Li family's eye to a pitiful little thing...
Soon, Fu Peipei was half-dragged and half-supported downstairs.
The Crown Prince composed himself and bowed to the Third Princess and Jiayin in apology.
"I'm so sorry, my two sisters, this has happened so suddenly, please forgive me for making you laugh."
Jiayin smiled and shook her head, "Your Highness is too kind. There are always uninvited guests like this everywhere. It's just an accident."
The Third Princess waved her hand dismissively and replied, "Don't worry, Crown Prince, we won't be angry with you because of this fool. I'm getting married tomorrow, so if these people cause trouble again, it's none of our business."
"It's you. From now on, you'll probably be treated like a piece of fat by these women, who will be constantly trying to take a bite out of you."
The Crown Prince's expression was strange. After a long while, he sighed helplessly and replied, "Third Sister, you don't have to be so explicit. As the Crown Prince, I still need to save face..."
The Third Princess and Jiayin couldn't help but cover their mouths and burst into laughter, their bodies shaking with mirth.
The dignified Crown Prince, second only to Emperor Tianwu, was actually just like Tang Sanzang, unable to escape the fate of being coveted by countless female demons...
After exchanging a few more words, Jiayin and the Third Princess returned to Zhilan Palace.
The third princess is taller than Jiayin, so it's a bit difficult to find a dress for Jiayin to change into.
Fortunately, Jiayin had stayed here for a few months before and left some clothes behind, so she wouldn't be unable to leave the palace.
After sending off his two younger sisters, the Crown Prince sat in the waterside pavilion for a long while.
Eunuch Feng and his men stood guard at the door, heads bowed, not daring to breathe loudly.
Outsiders all thought the crown prince was calm and gentle, and that he would surely become a benevolent monarch in the future.
But no one had considered that a prince who grew up among the common people could gain the emperor's trust as soon as he returned to the palace, successfully establish himself in the court, be named crown prince, and take thirteen concubines.
How could an ordinary person do that?
Those who are clever on the surface are fools; those who succeed quietly are masters.
Sure enough, the Crown Prince went to the Imperial Study as soon as he left the Water Pavilion.
The emperor was reviewing memorials when he saw his son approaching. He smiled and said, "Where have you been? It's so hot outside, be careful not to get heatstroke."
The Crown Prince stepped forward and sat down, personally pouring her father some cool tea. He replied, "Jiayin came to the palace to deliver a dowry to my third sister. She took her to the waterside pavilion to cool off, and I happened to be nearby, so I went to join in the fun."
"Oh, that girl is here?" The Emperor put down his pen, a complex look flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Did she say when she would leave the palace? Add a couple more dishes at lunch and invite them over to dine together."
The Crown Prince shook his head, replying with a hint of annoyance, "I'm afraid my sister, the Princess, has already left the palace. It's all my fault for not taking good care of her; a small incident occurred."
After saying that, he recounted what had just happened.
The Emperor frowned and snorted coldly, "This Marquis of Dingbei was criticized for being heartless and ungrateful for a long time for breaking off his marriage and remarrying. Now, the daughter he taught is also so shameless, without the slightest bit of modesty and propriety of a woman."
The prince rubbed his temples, seemingly a little irritated.
"Father, if things continue like this, the harem will likely descend into chaos. I simply don't have the time to deal with all this jealousy and rivalry. Perhaps we should think of a way to give them something to do?"
The Emperor, feeling sorry for his son, immediately asked, "What's your plan?"
The Crown Prince smiled slightly...
After lunch, the Crown Prince left the Imperial Study, and the Emperor's edict was relayed.
The palace was excessively extravagant, and frugality was encouraged.
Therefore, expenses in various places will be reduced by half, and a batch of palace maids and eunuchs will also be released from the palace.
In addition, due to the severe drought, the concubines in each palace personally copied 108 volumes of scriptures to pray for rain.
Upon receiving the imperial edict, the concubines outwardly complied respectfully, but in private they were practically grinding their teeth in frustration.
They entered the palace to enjoy wealth and luxury, but in just a few days, their food, clothing, and daily necessities have been reduced by half.
Moreover, they also had to copy scriptures. Although they could secretly have palace maids write them for them, they still had to write a dozen or so out of more than a hundred books to make it look like a formality.
They don't eat well, they don't dress well, and they have to do hard labor. They're not much better off than the nuns in the temple!
Some people quietly comforted themselves, telling themselves that if they gritted their teeth and persevered, they could finish copying the scriptures in ten days or so and still find an opportunity to "accidentally" meet the Crown Prince.
Unfortunately, they didn't know that Kunning Palace was also using ice to suppress a "powerful weapon".
After copying the scriptures, one must observe a period of mourning lasting at least one year...
Forget about vying for favor; even the nightly shifts of serving the emperor have to stop now…
Since Jiayin had left the palace and couldn't travel around too much, she had Shuiling spread the word that she had arranged to meet Xu Xi, Meilan, and Baozhu in a private room upstairs at Xiankelai Restaurant the next day.
The procession of the Third Princess will pass by the side street next to Cyclamen Restaurant. They cannot accompany her to the wedding, but will watch their good sister enter the hall of marriage and become a wife.
Mei Lan and the others readily agreed. Even though their families were very strict, they were willing to let them get closer to the Third Princess, as this would also raise their social standing.
Even after they get married, occasional contact with the Third Princess will make their in-laws wary and dare not neglect them...
The next day, before dawn, the Imperial Guards blocked off the road from the palace gates to the princess's residence, cleaned it thoroughly to ensure there was no dust, and then laid out bright red felt carpets.
The people ate their meals early and then rushed out to join in the fun, occupying advantageous positions, just waiting to grab some lucky money and cakes to share in the joy.
At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the gates of the Lu residence opened, and Lu Zong, dressed in a red robe, stepped out and mounted his tall white horse.
A large red brocade ball was tied to the horse's head and wrapped all the way to the saddle.
Lu Zong was already good-looking, of noble birth, and with a gentle and refined temperament; the bright red color made him even more festive.
However, if you get close and look closely, you can easily see the dark circles under his eyes.
The onlookers, watching from afar, couldn't help but shout and jeering.
Immediately, stewards and servants from the Lu family came forward carrying baskets, throwing out handfuls of wedding money and cakes, causing the crowd to scramble and shout as they did so.
"Wishing the prince consort and princess a long and happy marriage!"
May you have a son soon!
Unfortunately, Lu Zong simply cupped his hands in greeting and didn't say a word.
Jia Xu and several classmates, all dressed in brand-new robes, followed him out of the mansion. Seeing this, Jia Xu quickly mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and walked to his friend's side, whispering, "Brother Lu, today is a joyous occasion; let's focus on the important matters!"
Lu Zong remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding.
Fearing further delays and unforeseen complications, Lu Feng stepped forward and said, "Young Master, the auspicious time cannot be delayed; let's set off immediately."
Lu Zong took a deep breath, pulled on the reins, and led the wedding procession toward the palace.
In Zhilan Palace, the Third Princess had just finished her makeup, and the nannies and maids were all beaming with delight as they complimented her.
"The princess looks absolutely stunning today! There is no bride in the entire Heavenly Martial Kingdom more beautiful than her!"
Unfortunately, the Third Princess only glanced at her reflection in the mirror, her face showing no sign of joy.
Instead, her hand, tucked into her sleeve, was tightly clutching a small porcelain bottle…
Two updates today!
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