Ye Yunniang looked at her lips in the bronze mirror; they were red, swollen, and cracked.
She glared at Jiang Mingzhe.
How can she face people?
"My wife is too delicious, I can't resist." Jiang Mingzhe's words made Ye Yunniang glare at him again and urge him to think of a solution, "You'll swell it up, so you'll figure something out."
Jiang Mingzhe ordered the carriage to stop.
"What are you going down there for?" Ye Yunniang asked, puzzled.
Jiang Mingzhe quickly brought in a snowball.
"It's cold, throw it away quickly." Ye Yunniang said, handing the hand warmer to Jiang Mingzhe.
Don't let your hands get cold.
Jiang Mingzhe didn't take it, but instead held the snowball close to Ye Yunniang's mouth.
"Hiss—" Ye Yunniang dodged backward; it was too cold.
"To reduce the swelling," Jiang Mingzhe explained.
Ye Yunniang looked at the snowball, then raised the mirror to look at her own mouth.
Despite the cold, she pouted and leaned closer to the snowball.
Slightly swollen, red lips, moist and glistening, drew closer and closer, and Jiang Mingzhe clenched the snowball in his hand.
The lips touched not ice, but skin.
"You... um..."
The carriage bearing the nameplate "Jiang" stopped at the palace gate. Jiang Mingzhe got off the carriage first, and after standing still, he helped Ye Yunniang.
Ye Yunniang kept a straight face and pursed her lips.
I don't want to make eye contact with anyone.
"My wife, this is how you attract attention."
"It's all your fault." We agreed to use snow to reduce the swelling, but he crushed it all.
"Yes, yes, it's my fault." Jiang Mingzhe held Ye Yunniang's hand.
Ye Yunniang was provoked.
"Autumn Frost, bring me the hand warmer."
The autumn frost on the carriage was quickly removed from the hand-stove.
Ye Yunniang took it and handed it to Jiang Mingzhe.
"I'm not cold." Jiang Mingzhe didn't answer.
Ye Yunniang placed the hand warmer into Jiang Mingzhe's hands.
"Take it carefully," Ye Yunniang instructed. "If you get cold, I'll be angry."
"Alright, I'll do as my wife says."
Ye Yunniang then handed another one to Granny Lu, who was old and afraid of the cold.
Autumn Frost's internal energy protection is unnecessary.
Queue up, get checked, and enter the palace.
Upon entering the palace gates, men and women must separate.
Ye Yunniang, accompanied by Granny Lu and Qiu Shuang, followed the eunuch leading the way into the inner palace.
Ye Yunniang was very curious about the palace, but she didn't dare to look around. She kept her eyes fixed on something three inches ahead.
But his ears were perked up, listening intently to the sounds around him.
It was very quiet, with only the faint sound of footsteps on the floor.
The eunuch led them to a large courtyard, where the sounds of string and wind instruments and voices could be heard.
As you approach, you can feel the heat emanating from inside the house.
The warmth inside made people quicken their pace unconsciously.
As she got closer, Ye Yunniang smelled a rich fragrance.
This instantly reminded Ye Yunniang of the rich, pungent fragrance that filled Old Madam Jiang's room at the Jiang family home.
Ye Yunniang held her breath, slowed her pace, and adjusted to the fragrance to avoid her nose itching and sneezing.
Entering the lobby, I felt warm all over.
Ye Yunniang took off the cloak and handed it to Qiushuang.
The important figures had not yet arrived, and the women who had arrived were walking around and talking.
Ye Yunniang was looking at which corner to sit in.
Zhong Zhaoli walked over and said, "Sister Yun is here. My mother is inside. I'll take you to her."
After the Jiang family and the Prince Jing's Mansion became godparents, Zhong Zhaoli started calling Ye Yunniang "Sister Yun".
Ye Yunniang followed Zhong Zhaoli to the location of the Zhong family's children and relatives.
"Mother, I've brought Sister Yun."
Ye Yunniang performed the junior's etiquette.
"Don't be shy, have a seat."
"Madam Xie."
“Your relationship with Zhaoli is special, so call me Auntie.”
"Auntie," Ye Yunniang changed her address.
"Hey, sit down." Chu Yuling gestured to Ye Yunniang to sit down next to her.
"Okay." Ye Yunniang sat down.
Zhong Zhaoli sat down next to her and saw that Ye Yunniang's lips were swollen.
"Sister Yun, why are your lips swollen?"
"Really?" Ye Yunniang feigned doubt, her heart pounding with anxiety, wondering how to explain.
"The wind has chilled you, have a cup of hot tea to warm you up," Chu Yuling said, easing Ye Yunniang's embarrassment.
"Alright, have some tea." Ye Yunniang lowered her head and drank her tea, avoiding Chu Yuling's knowing gaze.
Chu Yuling stopped Zhong Zhaoli from asking any more questions with a look, but inwardly she sighed at how good Ye Yunniang's relationship was with Jiang Mingzhe and his wife.
Chu Yuling asked Zhong Zhaoli to call Ye Yunniang to her side because Jiang Mingzhe sent generous gifts to the Duke of Zhong's mansion, requesting Chu Yuling to take care of his wife at the palace banquet.
Having received the generous gift, Chu Yuling was ready to take action.
Chu Yuling took the initiative to introduce the women at the banquet to Ye Yunniang, mentioning which families they came from and briefly explaining the political views of their husbands and sons in the court.
Ye Yunniang listened attentively, comparing the information with what she already knew.
Chu Yuling was very satisfied with Ye Yunniang's serious attitude towards learning, and said a little more.
As they were talking, Tong Tiemei came over and also spoke to Ye Yunniang.
The Duchess of Zhongguo and the Princess Consort of Jing both treated this unfamiliar lady very well. Many people at the banquet were curious about who Ye Yunniang was.
According to some sources, everyone in the capital now knows who Ye Yunniang is.
The gazes directed at her contained both curiosity and disdain.
"Don't worry about their opinions. When I married Xiao Luo's father, they looked at me like I was dirt on the ground," Tong Tiemei comforted Ye Yunniang with her own experience.
"I don't care."
Ye Yunniang always remembered Cai Damei's words: she, Ye Yunniang, was not gold, and it was impossible for everyone to like her.
Remember those who like you, and treat those who don't like you as vermin.
Normally, you don't need to pay attention to them. But if they don't know what's good for them, just shut them down.
Ye Yunniang thought it made perfect sense and has been doing it this way ever since.
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