Meng Qi followed Song Chengze out and said, "Okay, then I'll discuss this with you after the fifteenth palace banquet."
Song Chengze turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"
"It's about Ms. Li, and... " Seeing Song Chengze's puzzled face, "We'll talk about it later. It's a good opportunity for me to sort it out in the next few days."
Song Chengze nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
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The first month of the year is always very busy, especially with the travel between the various royal palaces, and Meng Qi cannot miss any of them.
But she deliberately postponed the New Year banquet at Prince Rui's Mansion after the fifteenth day. If Song Chengze's plan succeeded, after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, no one would have the time and energy to come to her house for the banquet, and she would save herself a worry.
Other royal palaces arranged their New Year banquets before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, as if whoever arranged the banquet earlier in the month was more capable.
It was Meng Qi's first time at Prince Duan's mansion. Princess Duan was incredibly thin, her eyes hollow and lifeless, with a forced smile on her pale face. Meng Qi felt a little sorry for her. She was also a second wife, but she wasn't as high-ranking as she was. Concubine Xiang and Prince Duan were clearly taking advantage of her. She was also rumored to be a fiercely competitive household within Prince Duan's inner court. Without a child, how could she possibly stand firm?
But the heartache only lasted for a moment. After Princess Duan looked at him with eyes full of fighting spirit, Meng Qi couldn't help but stroke his forehead again.
Looking at Ms. Li and Ms. Xu from Prince Jing's Mansion standing together, Meng Qi's lips curled up slightly. In order not to arouse Ms. Li's suspicion, she always brought her with her when she went out during the first month of the year, so that she could take her to Prince Cheng's Mansion with a legitimate reason.
After returning from Prince Duan's mansion that day, Ms. Li, fearing she had seen Meng Qi watching her talking to the female historian from Prince Jing's mansion, came to explain, saying that the female historian was also an acquaintance in the palace. She hadn't seen Ms. Zhang on several visits to the palace with Princess Rui, so she specifically inquired about her.
Meng Qi sneered, thinking that this was probably what Princess Jing wanted. It seemed that the only insider that Prince Jing had placed in Prince Rui's Mansion was Ms. Zhang. She was very satisfied with this result.
When she went to Prince Jing's mansion again, she, unsurprisingly, attracted great attention from the Hong family. Meng Juan carefully accompanied Mrs. Hong. When everyone asked how the old lady was doing, Mrs. Hong glanced at Meng Juan and said that she had not recovered well since she got hurt by her anger last time. Meng Qi understood that the last incident was probably referring to the two things that happened after Meng Juan married into the Hong family.
She didn't know how things in Song Chengze's palace were arranged, nor did she know how he had arranged things on the Hong family's side. But judging from the way Meng Juan spoke to her that day, it seemed that the time was not yet ripe.
Princess Jing was surprisingly warm to her. She took her hand and asked her what she would wear to the palace banquet on the 15th day, and also asked her which daughter she thought would win the first prize.
Every year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the young ladies of the noble families in Beijing would perform their talents, one to liven up the atmosphere, the other to increase their own status. Every year, the young ladies would scramble to attend. This year, Meng Wan's sister-in-law, the third daughter of Prince Shen's mansion, would be attending.
Meng Qi recalled Fang Hua's sparkling eyes the last time she'd entered the palace to discuss this matter. She knew Zhou Yingning and Fang Hua had a long-standing grudge. Like her own mother, Zhou Yingning was a woman who flattered the powerful and bullied the weak. She had fawned over Yong An, yet she used Fang Hua as a comparison. Given this opportunity, Fang Hua wouldn't let her off lightly.
Princess Jing even remembered that Meng Qi had a fluorescent flowered dress, and she insisted that she wear it to the palace that day, saying that the lanterns on the dress would illuminate her, and she would definitely be the most beautiful focus in the whole place.
Meng Qi pretended to cooperate, "It will look better than Princess Yong'an's soft gauze dress, right?"
Princess Jing covered her mouth and said, "Of course, as long as you wear that skirt, no one can get past you."
Seeing Princess Jing looking at her as if she was a fool, Meng Qi looked at her with an innocent and complacent look.
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