The World is Shocking 101. Princess Changle
Ye Li received an imperial decree from the Empress in the palace early in the morning. In fact, the Emperor did not summon her to the palace for questioning as soon as they returned to Beijing. She already admired Mo Jingqi's patience. With Ye Li's current status, no one in the entire capital can ask to see her at will except the Emperor, Empress and Empress Dowager. However, the Empress Dowager can be said to be semi-confined by Mo Jingqi now. The last time Ye Li entered the palace, such a thing happened. Prince Ding could have completely refused the Emperor's summons to see Princess Ding, so he summoned her in the name of the Empress.
The queen summoned Ye Li in the name of flower appreciation. It is said that the crabapple blossoms in the Yu Garden were in full bloom, so the queen ordered the royal ladies of the capital to be summoned to welcome Princess Ding and appreciate the flowers. Seeing the clusters of flowers in the Yu Garden, Ye Li vaguely remembered that this year's flower festival had passed. She couldn't help but smile. She was busy all day outside, so how could she remember what kind of grand event these rich ladies in the capital were thinking about? Ye Li was going to enter the palace, and Mo Xiuyao followed her directly without caring whether he had received the queen's invitation or not, which clearly showed his distrust of the royal family. Even if Mo Jingqi was so angry that his face turned black, he couldn't say anything. After all, the disappearance of Princess Dingguo has not been investigated yet.
"Prince Ding, the princess will definitely not get lost in my palace. Don't you believe in me anymore?" Empress Hua looked at the two people coming together and couldn't help but smile. Seeing Ye Li's eyes filled with a bit of sigh and envy, she smiled and teased the two. The Mo family and the Hua family had always been close, and Mo Xiuyao obviously had no ill will towards the empress. He smiled lightly and said, "Ali has never liked to be lively, and there are no elders in our house to teach her many things. It is inevitable that she is not clear about many things. I happened to be free today, so I came with her. Please don't blame me, Your Majesty." Such intimacy in public made Ye Li look at Mo Xiuyao a little uncomfortable. Mo Xiuyao's expression was normal, still gentle and dignified. The noble ladies present were full of admiration, and many more envious eyes were cast on Ye Li. Ye Li clearly saw the gloating smile on Hua Tianxiang's face as she followed the Queen, and could not help but secretly glared at her.
"Even I feel honored that Prince Ding and Prince Yi have come here. However... today, all the guests here are female relatives. If Prince Ding stays here, they will feel embarrassed." The Queen looked at the two of them with a smile and said, "So, Prince Ding should go somewhere else and don't disturb my flower banquet." Princess Zhaoyang, who was sitting aside, also laughed and said, "The Queen is right. When the second young master of Prince Ding's Mansion showed up, most of the girls in Beijing were frightened. Xiu Yao should not stay here and attract attention. With the Queen and me here with you, are you still afraid that your princess will get hurt?" Princess Zhaoyang, who was always a little cold, was obviously in a good mood and even started joking. However, the words spoken made the ladies present blush. They all lowered their heads and dared not look at the outstanding figure standing in front of the Queen.
Seeing the different expressions of the people present, Ye Li couldn't help laughing in her heart. She looked at Mo Xiuyao and said softly, "If you have something to do, go ahead and do it. I won't be a hindrance."
Mo Xiuyao nodded and said softly, "I will go see the emperor first, and I will wait for you to return home together later."
Ye Li nodded, and Mo Xiuyao said goodbye to the Queen and the Princess and turned away. Hua Tianxiang, who was beside the Queen, made ambiguous eyes at Ye Li. It was really annoying to be so affectionate in public...
After seeing off the eye-catching Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li sat down in the first empty seat below the Empress. Princess Zhaoyang, who was sitting opposite her, smiled at her kindly, but Princess Zhaoren and Princess Ronghua beside her were not so kind. Ye Li was a little helpless about this. She had no good or bad feelings towards Princess Ronghua, but this Princess seemed to look down on her, the Princess Ding. In the past, when Ye Ying was around, Princess Ronghua's firepower was mostly focused on Ye Ying, but now that Ye Ying was gone, Princess Ronghua's attention had obviously returned to herself. Looking at that extremely disdainful look, Ye Li laughed in her heart: Does this Princess Ronghua know that a large part of her future may be in her hands?
"Empress Yun is here! Wang Zhaorong is here!" The empress was about to speak when she heard a sharp voice from a palace servant outside. The empress could not help but frown, and it was obvious that she did not like the newcomers very much.
Soon, two women in gorgeous clothes came slowly. The leading woman had a charming face and a slender figure, and her eyebrows revealed a bit of coquettishness. The woman next to her was only pretty, but her slender phoenix eyes outlined a bit of seductiveness. The two came forward and bowed, "Your servants greet the Empress." These two were the emperor's favorite concubines, and Concubine Yun was ranked among the four concubines. Except for Ye Li and the two princesses, everyone present had to stand up to greet them. The Queen glanced at the two of them and said calmly, "Stand up, why are Concubine Yun and Wang Zhaorong here?" Concubine Yun smiled and said, "I am sorry to disturb your Majesty. It's just... I and my sister heard that Princess Ding is also here today. We have admired Princess Ding's reputation for a long time and finally got this opportunity, so we asked the Emperor to come and pay a visit to Princess Ding." Concubine Yun said this naively, but she also pointed out to everyone that she came here with the Emperor's order, and she came to see Princess Ding on purpose. Originally, when the Queen summoned a lady of honor, even a concubine could not come without a letter. Her words not only cleared her of the charge of contempt for the Queen, but also pointed out the Emperor's favor for her.
"I don't deserve the honor. Ye Li has met Concubine Yun before." Ye Li smiled faintly, but did not stand up to greet. The Yun family and the Wang family were loyal to Mo Jingqi. The queen did not have Mo Jingqi's trust. Concubine Liu Gui had a cold personality. If Mo Jingqi wanted to test Ye Li, he would naturally send Concubine Yun.
Concubine Yun was slightly startled, and looked sideways at Ye Li who was sitting next to her. Most women are always hostile to women who are more outstanding than themselves. Concubine Yun was not very favored before, so naturally she had never met Princess Ding. But in recent days, she has heard a lot about Princess Ding. The Yun family is loyal to the emperor. Now the emperor has given up the Ye family and supported the Yun family, and he is also very fond of Concubine Yun. Although Concubine Yun has not yet overestimated her own abilities and wants to provoke the queen and Concubine Liu, she doesn't take ordinary people seriously. Therefore, she naturally pays more attention to Ye Li, who seems to be very jealous of the emperor. I thought I would meet a woman as graceful and noble as the empress or as beautiful as Concubine Liu. But when Concubine Yun turned around, she saw a woman sitting on the right side of the empress. She was wearing a light green dress with silver thread and peony pattern. Her dark black hair was casually tied up and she had two pearl tassel hairpins in her hair. Compared with the noble ladies with gorgeous clothes and exquisite makeup, she was more graceful and casual. It seemed difficult for people to connect her with the woman who commanded two thousand black cloud cavalry to guard the border city in the legend. It was even more difficult to imagine that the legend said that Prince Ding seemed to be very fond of this princess. Concubine Yun had also seen Su Zuidie. The Princess Ding in front of her was beautiful, but she seemed to be a little worse than the peerless Su Zuidie.
"Is this Princess Ding? Your Majesty, can I sit with Princess Ding? I have long admired Princess Ding's elegance and I really want to have a good chat with her." Concubine Yun suppressed her confusion and smiled brightly, making it impossible to refuse. The Queen glanced at her and said calmly, "In that case, you and Wang Zhaorong should sit with Princess Ding."
Concubine Yun's eyes flickered slightly, but she still responded happily, pulling Wang Zhaorong to sit next to Ye Li. Although she was unwilling to sit below Ye Li, she knew that Princess Ding would not give up her seat for her. In other words, even if Princess Ding really stood up and gave her a seat, she might not dare to sit down.
The gatherings of noble ladies were all similar, but today many of them had other things on their minds. When most of the people had arrived, the Queen personally got up and led everyone to the Yu Garden to appreciate the flowers. The Yu Garden was indeed full of flowers. Although it was early summer, the scenery was no less beautiful than spring. The noble ladies sat together in groups of three or four, chatting and appreciating the flowers. Ye Li and other high-ranking people naturally followed the Queen. After walking around the garden, the Queen led everyone to sit in the pavilion in the garden. The Queen asked with a smile: "Princess Ding rarely enters the palace. How about the scenery in this palace?" Ye Li smiled and said: "Of course it is rich and elegant, just like a fairyland." The Queen glanced at her and said: "You also said polite words to me. It is rich and elegant, but it is like a fairyland... Which fairyland is like this?" There was a little boredom and indifference in her tone. She shook her head and smiled: "If you ask me, it is better to let nature take its course. The scenery in this palace is extremely exquisite, but these clusters of things here and there are gathered together, which makes people a little dazzled. I have been to Prince Ding's Mansion before, and I believe it is very much to the Princess's liking?"
The Dingguo Palace is large, but the layout is very comfortable and elegant, which makes Ye Li like it very much. Princess Zhaoyang also nodded and said with a smile: "The Queen is right. When I was young, I often liked to stay in Dingguo Palace. I was reluctant to come back every time."
Ye Liqian smiled and said, "Your Highness and the Princess are exaggerating. The Ding Palace has been full of military commanders for generations, so it is inevitable that it is a bit crude. The prince and I don't like the hustle and bustle either. We just want some peace and quiet."
Concubine Yun sat next to Ye Li and asked curiously, "I heard from the Emperor that Princess Ding once defended Yonglin in Yongzhou and assisted the garrison commander to resist the rebels of Prince Li to keep the Suixue Pass safe. Can the princess tell us what happened at that time? It turns out that the princess also has martial arts skills. No wonder she was able to scare Princess Xiling out of her wits with a single arrow last year." Ye Li smiled and said, "Your Highness, Concubine Yun is joking. It's just that the prince is worried. I have learned a few simple skills to protect my safety. It was the soldiers at the border who guarded Yonglin, not Ye Li. "Wang Zhaorong smiled and said, "Princess, you are too modest. I have also heard the emperor talk about it. The emperor also said that if it were not for your contribution, I am afraid that the Broken Snow Pass would have been lost long ago. Your Majesty has worked hard for the country of Great Chu. It is a pity that we have lived in the deep palace for a long time and cannot contribute to Great Chu like your princess. It is really a regret in my life."
"Huh? Wang Zhaorong also wants to contribute to Da Chu? How about I ask father to send you to the border to help Da Chu. Wang Zhaorong is so loyal to Da Chu, father will definitely be very happy." The crisp voice was heard outside the pavilion. Everyone turned around and saw Princess Changle, who was wearing a pink dress, blinking her bright eyes and looking at Wang Zhaorong with a smile.
Wang Zhaorong forced a smile and said, "Princess, you are joking. I am powerless..." Even though she was favored and valued by her family, Wang Zhaorong still did not dare to provoke Princess Changle. Princess Changle was the only daughter of the Queen and the only legitimate daughter of the entire Chu royal family. Although Mo Jingqi did not favor the Queen, he respected her very much, and he favored this simple and lovely princess even more. If Princess Changle really ran to Yu's study and said something nonsense, he would be in trouble.
Princess Changle rolled her eyes, glared at her with disdain and said, "Then why are you still talking nonsense? I thought you were too embarrassed to tell the emperor. Uncle Ding is also in the study. I will go and ask the emperor for you. Maybe the emperor will agree because of your loyalty."
"Changle, stop messing around." The Queen frowned in displeasure at Princess Changle's indecent behavior. Princess Changle made a playful face, stepped into the pavilion and greeted them properly, "My daughter pays respects to the Queen Mother, and has met Princess Ding and the two aunts." Princess Zhaoyang reached out and pulled Princess Changle over, saying with a smile, "It's been a long time since we last met. The little princess is about to grow up into a big girl." Ye Li took the lead with a smile. It was only a year since they last met, but Princess Changle had indeed grown up a lot compared to when she first met her outside Yaohua Palace. At least she didn't look like she would still hide in the bushes. Princess Changle obviously still remembered Ye Li, and she blinked at her while lying in Princess Zhaoyang's arms. Ye Li was slightly startled and gave her a faint smile in return.
Concubine Yun looked at Princess Changle who was acting coquettishly in Princess Zhaoyang's arms and said with a smile: "Princess, we just want to hear the princess talk about leading troops to fight in the border town. Princess, don't you want to listen?"
Princess Changle's eyes rolled and she smiled brightly, "I am a lady and will not pry into other people's private affairs. Only those bad women who are always thinking about scheming and framing others will go to great lengths to pry into other people's privacy. Concubine Yun, am I right?" The gentle smile on Concubine Yun's face was a little stiff, and she forced a smile and said, "Of course the princess is a lady."
Princess Changle snorted softly, turned around and said to the Queen, "Mother, can I invite Princess Ding and my cousin to play with me?"
The Queen smiled and said, "That depends on whether Princess Ding is free to play with you. You are not young anymore, what are you thinking of pestering others to play all day long?" Princess Changle smiled and said, "I like Princess Ding." The Queen turned her head and smiled at Ye Li, "This girl is ignorant, Princess, please forgive me." Ye Li smiled and said, "How could that be? The princess is kind and lovely. It is Ye Li's honor to be liked by the princess. Where would the princess like to take me to play?"
Princess Changle happily left Princess Zhaoyang's arms, and ran out holding Ye Li in one hand and Hua Tianxiang in the other, "Come with me." Ye Li was agile, but Hua Tianxiang was dragged by Princess Changle and stumbled. The Queen helplessly ordered people to follow and watch them.
Princess Changle dragged the two of them around in the Yu Garden, running all the way to the rockery in the northwest corner of the Yu Garden before stopping. She looked back to see that the palace maids behind them had not caught up, then she frowned in relief and complained softly, "These people are so annoying, they follow us everywhere."
Ye Li smiled and said, "They are here because of the Queen and the Emperor's orders. If they can't find you, they might be punished." Princess Changle waved her hands and said, "Don't worry, my mother is a good person and won't punish palace maids casually. But those people are annoying. They like to tell my father and other concubines what I said. This princess hates them. You follow me."
Princess Changle climbed up the rockery with a smile on her face, and turned back to say to the two people: "This place is very big, they won't be able to find us if we climb up."
Ye Li looked around and found that the rockery was indeed quite large. If she hid inside and didn't look carefully, she might not be able to find it. But... "Princess, what are we doing climbing up there?"
Princess Changle looked back at her, touched her bun with pearls in it and said, "Uncle Ding said that a bad woman made you unhappy, and asked me to find a place to hide you, and he will come to pick you up later. Well... and think about it, doesn't your cousin have something to tell you?"
Ye Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Hide her? She bet that Mo Xiuyao definitely didn't say that to Princess Changle. She looked sideways at Hua Tianxiang who was also surprised, and Hua Tianxiang also looked at Princess Changle. Princess Changle snorted, turned back and continued to climb up, "Who am I? Father wants to marry cousin Xiangxiang to Beirong. I asked the nanny and she said Beirong is a very bad place, the people are rude and barbaric, and there is no delicious food in Youleng. I went to ask Uncle Ding, and Uncle Ding said that Princess Ding has the final say on this matter, so now we can talk about it. Come up."
The two had no choice but to follow her up. There was indeed a place on the hillside where people could hide. It was quiet and there must be people here all the time. Sitting on the rockery, Ye Li smiled and said, "So, the princess wants me to ask you not to let Tianxiang marry to Beirong?"
Princess Changle looked at her eagerly, "Will you agree?"
Ye Li smiled and asked, "What good will it do if I agree?"
Princess Changle thought for a moment and said, "I can give you all my treasures. I have a lot of treasures. They were all given to me by my father. My mother said they are very valuable. Can I?"
"Changle..." Hua Tianxiang's eyes were slightly red. Of course, she didn't want to marry into the Northern Rong. But she, her father, mother, grandparents all knew that the emperor said that Princess Ding was fully responsible, but if he really wanted her to marry, even Li'er would be powerless. He just wanted the Ding Palace to bear the reputation of offending the Hua Palace, so neither her grandparents nor she herself had any intention of talking to Li'er from the beginning, which only made her embarrassed.
"Why doesn't the princess want Tianxiang to marry?"
Princess Changle bit her lip and looked at the two of them. After a while, she said hesitantly, "My mother said... only princesses can marry into a foreign country. But we don't have a suitable princess now, so we have to choose someone else to marry into a foreign country. My mother said these... are all royal affairs, and I... this princess is still young, otherwise this princess would go to marry into a foreign country by herself... My grandmother and my uncle and aunt will be sad that my cousin Xiangxiang is gone. My aunt even cried in front of my mother..." Princess Changle spoke intermittently, but the two of them understood. Princess Changle believed that Tianxiang was suffering for her to marry into a foreign country, so she came to Ye Li so anxiously. After she finally finished speaking, Princess Changle looked at her hopefully, "Princess Ding, can you please not let my cousin go to marry into a foreign country?"
Ye Li smiled faintly and nodded, "Yes, I promise you."