But the Third Princess seemed to be bewitched, and didn't care when she was criticized.
They continued to eat their egg tarts obediently, without even flinching and leaving.
Now, even Jiayin was curious and asked, "Wait a minute, shouldn't you be shouting for a fight and jumping up and down in anger?"
"Has your temper improved, or have you lost your mind?"
The Third Princess dodged Jia Yin's claws reaching for her forehead, and said with a bite of egg tart in her mouth, "Do you think I'm stupid? If I argue with you, I won't get any more egg tarts."
"Besides, you may have a sharp tongue, but you have a good heart. I can tell that!"
After saying that, she quickly grabbed an egg tart from Jiayin's box, took a big bite with a smug look on her face, and smiled as if she had won the whole world.
Jiayin sighed inwardly; this was another pitiful child…
Despite being a princess, she never experienced the warmth of family affection, nor did she have any friends with whom she could get along and treat each other sincerely.
He used to have a somewhat eccentric personality, but now it seems like he's been corrected a little...
Thinking this, she softened a little and took out another canteen from her bag, which was filled with hot milk tea.
The third princess took a cup and drank it with great satisfaction...
Their eating, drinking, chatting and laughing created their own little world, which quickly attracted the attention of others.
The Empress Dowager sat above, chatting with an old lady of noble birth. She glanced down and said with a smile, "Our Third Princess has rarely smiled since the Empress fell ill."
"Princess Kang Le is truly capable; she managed to make her so happy..."
The old lady, not knowing what the Empress Dowager meant, could only give a vague reply, "Yes, seeing them so young and delicate, like flowers, I'm truly envious."
The Empress Dowager sighed, "You have many children and grandchildren in your family, and you don't lack people to keep you company."
"Unlike me, who is pitiful. The emperor has few children, and I am truly lonely by his side every day."
The old lady, who held the title of Lady, smiled and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. The Third Princess is a filial and lively girl. You can have her pay her respects to you more often."
The Empress Dowager smiled, as if she had suddenly remembered something, and said, "That's a good idea."
After saying that, she turned to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the Third Princess has grown up and needs to learn some rules and skills."
"But it won't do if the Empress stays ill and can't take care of the Princess!"
"Why don't we let the Third Princess move to my palace for a while, so that we can get closer to each other?"
The Emperor was taken aback. Although he didn't know what the Empress Dowager was planning, his intuition told him that something was wrong.
He laughed and said, "Mother, the Third Princess is as mischievous as a monkey, too lively. You're used to peace and quiet, so don't worry about her."
"I have already found four nannies for her, and she has already started learning what she needs to learn."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, feigning genuine concern for her son, and said, "This is the time for your grandmother to lend a hand, Your Majesty, please don't stand on ceremony."
Are you worried that the Third Princess finds this old woman boring, or that Shou Kang Palace is too quiet and she can't get used to living here?
The emperor wanted to curse them out in his heart, but in front of so many people, he had to maintain the facade of maternal love and filial piety, so he could only quickly say, "Mother, you're overthinking it. That's not what I meant."
"Even if you don't say it, I know you're worried about the Third Princess." The Empress Dowager smiled kindly. "How about this, I see that the Third Princess is getting along very well with Princess Kangle, so why don't we let Princess Kangle come to the palace as well?"
"It's perfect timing to accompany the Third Princess to my Shou Kang Palace for a while; the two young girls will have company!"
The emperor's expression immediately changed.
Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Liu Bang!
All the talk about teaching the Third Princess and sharing his burdens were just excuses.
The Empress Dowager wanted to lure Princess Kangle into the palace, keep her under her control, and manipulate the Li family and Marquis Xinting!
"Mother, Kangle is still young and it's not good for her to leave her family. Let the Third Princess go and keep you company!" the Emperor said in a calm tone.
Everyone could guess that he was unhappy.
But the Empress Dowager seemed not to notice, and continued, "Didn't all the women of the Li family go to the south? Now the princess is all alone at home, which is lonely and pitiful. It's a good opportunity for her to come to the palace to keep the Third Princess and this old lady company."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I love little girls the most. With hundreds of servants throughout the palace, how could I possibly be afraid of not taking good care of Princess Kangle?"
Now that things have come to this point, if the Emperor were to object further, it would be tantamount to openly arguing with the Empress Dowager.
He remained silent with a gloomy face, subconsciously glancing at the Third Princess and Jiayin.
In the past, the Third Princess might have gloated, but now, after being beaten down by reality, she has grown a lot.
Although she didn't know what her grandmother wanted Jiayin to do in the palace, she was sure it wasn't anything good.
The Third Princess quickly said, "Grandmother, I'll go stay with you. Don't let Princess Kangle enter the palace!"
"She's just a country bumpkin, she doesn't know the rules of the palace, and she's likely to upset you."
The Empress Dowager gave her granddaughter a reproachful glare and laughed, "You child, you mustn't say that in the future."
“Princess Kang Le was born into a farming family, but the Li family has made a contribution by contributing high-yield grains, and now they are also a family with two noble titles. If we are serious about it, there are not many families in Tianwu that are more glorious than the Li family!
"Besides, I know you like Princess Kangle and get along well with her, but I just can't bear to see her leave home."
"But don't you think about it? It's a blessing for Princess Kang Le to study and learn etiquette with you. In the future, when it comes to marriage, she can find a better family because of this."
"As a good friend, you can't let her have her way!"
"No, I..." The third princess was still young, and her face turned red as she was blocked, so anxious that she wanted to stomp her feet.
The Marquis and Li Laosi, who were on the other side of the screen, also turned cold upon hearing this.
The Marquis stood up to speak, but Li Lao Er forcibly pulled him back down.
The Empress Dowager may have arranged this play to force the Marquis to make his appearance.
At that time, they could easily accuse the Marquis of being arrogant, disrespectful to the imperial family, and to prove his innocence, he would have to relinquish his military power...
Just then, Jiayin stood up and said with a smile, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, I am honored that you like me and want me to come to the palace to accompany you."
"But I am ignorant of etiquette, I don't know how to take care of people, I speak bluntly, I can't stand the cold, let alone hunger, and I get dizzy when I kneel down and kowtow."
"If I were to come to your side, would you dislike me because of these things?"
"No," the Empress Dowager smiled kindly. "You are still young, you can learn these things slowly."
"But, Your Majesty, I do not wish to learn. My grandmother said that girls should be cherished and pampered, and do not need to learn those rules."
"Besides, people's hearts are treacherous these days. The Empress Dowager is kind-hearted and has sent a nanny to teach me manners. But if the nanny has ulterior motives and mistreats me, I will definitely cry all the way home because I am spoiled."
"At that time, everyone in the capital will probably think that the Empress Dowager dislikes our Li family and is deliberately keeping me in the palace to bully me. That would be a terrible thing, wouldn't you say?"
Jiayin's little mouth is so talkative, and her expressions are so rich.
She was happy one moment and worried the next, expressing her meaning clearly and understandably.
She can enter the palace, but she cannot suffer any grievances.
If they are wronged, they will make a scene and let the whole world know, without giving anyone any face!
A cold glint flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes; she hadn't expected such a young maid to be so difficult to deal with.
But the more this is the case, the less she can give up.
This girl is the apple of the eye of the Li family and the Marquis of Xinting; we must keep her firmly in our grasp!
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