Consort Yu was furious to see that Old Madam Pei was not on her side at all, but she dared not act recklessly in front of Old Madam Pei, and Madam Pei did not tolerate her.
He turned his anger towards Yan Qingqing, clicking his tongue twice as he said, "This must be Lady Mingzhao."
She's really pretty.
Yan Qingqing cursed inwardly, thinking, "Damn it! Is Consort Yu going to cause me trouble?"
It's true what they say, people always pick the softest persimmons; is that supposed to be a compliment?
She's quite old, yet she says she's pretty.
So Yan Qingqing retorted without hesitation: "Your Highness Yu is joking. I am already a grandmother, and I am truly unworthy of the title 'Charming Lady'."
"But Your Majesty is in the prime of your life, like a woman of sixteen or seventeen, and especially your voice is like that of a nightingale, so enchanting that it stirs the heart. No wonder Your Majesty enjoys such enduring favor."
Upon hearing Yan Qingqing's words, Madam Pei covered her face with her handkerchief, trying to suppress her laughter. This Madam Mingzhao was truly to her liking.
Even if Consort Yu is somewhat beautiful, she doesn't look like a teenage girl, given her middle-aged appearance.
But she just likes to act young and speak in a high-pitched voice like other young girls.
Speaking of the emperor's favor, she hasn't been able to climb back up even after being demoted from the rank of Imperial Concubine to Consort for two years.
Everyone says that Consort Yu is favored, but as one of the few people who know the inside story, Madam Pei is well aware of the situation.
Consort Yu naturally understood that Yan Qingqing was mocking her, and her face immediately darkened. She said again, "Lady Mingzhao, don't respond with two sentences for every one of my words. I am praising you."
It has to be said that Lady Mingzhao is quite capable; she actually managed to get Lord Ling and Lord Wu to fight each other in the imperial court for her. That shows she's quite something.
In any case, I admit my inferiority.
Yan Qingqing cursed inwardly, "Damn it, this is never going to end!"
Xiao Mochen, standing to the side, also looked at Consort Yu with a gloomy expression. This woman actually dared to ridicule his aunt. He coldly said, "If Consort Yu does not know the facts, she should not speak rudely here. Lady Mingzhao is a meritorious person of our Great Yan Dynasty. She is not someone you can falsely accuse."
Upon hearing this, Madam Pei tugged at Xiao Mochen's sleeve, signaling him to stop.
After all, in terms of seniority, Consort Yu was his nominal mother, and if word got out, it would be bad for Xiao Mochen's reputation.
However, Xiao Mochen didn't care. If he couldn't even protect his aunt, what use was such a good reputation to him?
It would be better to break ties with them and be the bad guy.
Upon hearing this, Consort Yu looked at Xiao Mochen with a sad expression, as if to say, "You ungrateful wretch, how dare you speak to me like that?"
Her appearance disgusted Yan Qingqing. What kind of taste did the emperor have? Did all men like this kind of woman?
The emperor, who was diligently reviewing memorials in the palace, suddenly sneezed.
This made Eunuch Xiang very nervous, and he quickly stepped forward to ask, "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Did you catch a cold because the weather suddenly turned cold?"
"How about this old servant summons the imperial physician to take a look at you?"
The emperor waved his hand and said, "My body is not that weak."
It was just a sneeze; I guess it was Old Madam Pei talking about me, since today is her birthday.
Have all the birthday gifts been prepared?
Eunuch Xiang smiled and said, "It was prepared a few days ago as Your Majesty instructed."
Upon hearing this, the emperor nodded and said, "General Pei is guarding the border at the front line, and I cannot let him feel disheartened."
"Have someone pack our things; we're going to the General's mansion to offer birthday wishes."
General Pei not only guarded the southern border for many years, but also made great contributions to the emperor's ascension to the throne.
Eunuch Xiang quickly agreed with a smile, and then said jokingly, "Consort Yu just came to ask for instructions, and this old servant told her that you would be going there tonight, so she went ahead by herself."
"If the Empress knew you were going there now, she would definitely be waiting for the Emperor."
Upon hearing this, the emperor snorted coldly and said, "I only told you to say that to her because I didn't want to go with her."
On this joyous day, I should have gone with the Empress, but unfortunately she passed away too soon.
"Do you think the old lady would be upset if she saw me celebrating her birthday with another woman, even if that woman was her own niece?"
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Xiang pondered for a moment and quickly flattered, "Your Majesty is truly a man of great loyalty and righteousness, considering the Pei family so thoughtfully in every way."
The emperor waved his hand and said, "Alright, stop flattering me. Mo Chen went early this morning, and I heard that Lady Mingzhao went as well."
"If you don't leave soon, my son will become Lady Mingzhao's."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Xiang shook his head helplessly. The Emperor was actually jealous of Consort Mingzhao. How childish!
When Eunuch Xiang looked up, he saw that the emperor had already strode out of Hanlong Hall, so he quickly followed after him.
As for Yan Qingqing, she wasn't one to suffer losses.
Besides, she had said she would stand up for Xiao Mochen, so how could she let a child stand in front of her now?
Just as he was about to speak, Ling Ziyuan said, "If Consort Yu has any objections to my Ling family, she should take them out on me. Don't take it out on innocent people."
The reason I dared to beat Lord Wu in the Golden Hall was solely because he slandered me.
"I am in the prime of my life, and still unmarried. He claims I have an affair with Lady Mingzhao. How can I face anyone after this?"
After saying that, she winked at Yan Qingqing. Yan Qingqing wanted to curse again. She thought to herself, "What kind of filthy thing is she? I can't even live a normal life if I get involved with her."
However, the two had known each other for many years, and Yan Qingqing understood Ling Ziyuan's meaning.
So she put on a look of utter despair and said, "If it weren't for Consort Yu mentioning it today, I wouldn't have known that there were such rumors circulating in the court."
I am a widow, and now I am a renowned woman of the court; my reputation is of paramount importance.
Ever since arriving in the capital, I've been terrified of making a mistake. Unless there's a special circumstance, I haven't dared to even step outside my residence. But unexpectedly…
"I will now go to the palace and beg the Emperor to redress my grievances and give me justice. If the Emperor refuses to do so, I will kill myself by smashing my head against the golden palace wall."
After saying that, Yan Qingqing looked resolute and started to walk out.
Damn it, I'm going all out today. If I get the upper hand from Consort Yu this time, I'll be in deep trouble from now on.
Isn't it just pretending to be a green tea b*tch or a pure white lotus? You can do it any other way.
Not to mention Xiao Mochen and Ling Ziyuan were dumbfounded by Yan Qingqing's appearance, even Consort Yu was at a loss.
This is nothing like the Yan Qingqing they knew.
Old Madam Pei, seeing the situation clearly, quickly stood up, took Yan Qingqing's hand, and said, "Good child, don't listen to their nonsense, it's not true at all."
That Wu fellow was just making baseless accusations, and the Emperor has already severely punished him.
Later, it was discovered that he had committed many crimes, including embezzlement, bribery, selling official positions, and abducting women. He had been killed by the emperor long before you arrived in the capital.
For my wife's sake, let's just let this go today.
"Don't worry, if anyone dares to bring this up again, I'll be the first to slap them across the face."
Yu Fei had witnessed the power of Old Madam Pei when she was young, so upon hearing this, she couldn't help but shrink back, though a hint of malice flashed in her eyes.
Anyway, no matter what, Yan Qingqing won a complete victory against Yu Fei today, three against one.
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