Yue Jiang followed Cheng Suyun to the courtyard of the back hall. She saw Cheng Suyun lead the girl to the pavilion and then hide behind a pillar under the corridor to spy on them.
As soon as Cheng Suyun sat down, she began to arrogantly berate the girls who had come with her, using sarcastic and harsh words.
“Xiange, don’t get carried away just because you said a few nice words to your great-aunt and got some praise from her.”
“You are now living under someone else’s roof, staying in my Cheng family. If you don’t complete the tasks assigned by your great-aunt, you will be sent back to that filthy place sooner or later.”
"Of course, some of my cousins in the Cheng family have taken a liking to you. Perhaps they will pity you when you are no longer useful, and they will not be able to go back to that filthy place."
The girl called Xiange stood in front of Cheng Suyun, her attitude humble, her face smiling, and her words completely non-aggressive.
"Of course, I wouldn't dare to show off in front of the princess. I am fortunate to be where I am today because of the favor of Empress Dowager Cheng and the grace bestowed upon me by the Cheng family. I will be obedient and will definitely fulfill Empress Dowager Cheng's wishes."
Cheng Suyun had intended to bully Xiange by putting on airs, but the person in front of her was neither angry nor upset, leaving her with no leverage to use against her.
Ever since she came to the Cheng family, she has completely captivated the few members of the Cheng family.
Cheng Suyun went from being the most likely candidate for Crown Princess to being sent home, where her parents suddenly lost their former enthusiasm for her.
Because of her status as a princess, she was still highly sought after. Recently, with many people visiting her at the end of the year, they even started considering her marriage.
Having grown accustomed to living in the palace, Cheng Suyun's dreams of becoming the Crown Princess had broadened her horizons, making it impossible for her to be impressed by other people.
Fortunately, her great-aunt only took her home and did not ignore her. Cheng Suyun cried to her great-aunt, who was understanding. Only then did her parents say they would choose carefully.
But Cheng Suyun knew that no matter how she chose, she could not find a man as outstanding as the Crown Prince.
The fact that a woman of questionable origin could covet the Crown Prince's palace under the guise of being a member of the Cheng family infuriated her.
Fortunately, Cheng Suyun didn't believe it. Even His Highness the Crown Prince had someone like Yue Jiang, so what ability did Xiange have to squeeze in?
"Hmph, as expected of a vixen, she really knows how to talk. She's somewhat like the one in the East Palace, and even better than the one in the Longevity Palace."
Cheng Suyun's condescending sarcasm.
There was still no anger on Xiange's face. She curtsied and said, "Thank you for your praise, Princess."
Cheng Suyun had already gone this far, yet the person in front of her remained unmoved. She immediately felt it was pointless, and then she pointed to the ground in front of her feet and stretched out her leg, pretending to be calm.
"I've walked a lot today, and my legs are a bit sore. Kneel down and give me a massage."
This time, Xiange didn't readily agree. Instead, she took two steps forward and leaned close to Cheng Suyun's ear.
“Princess, we are in the palace now, with many people around. I am just a distant relative of the Cheng family, and it would be really inappropriate for people to see me kneeling down to massage your legs.”
"When the princess and I came out just now, we saw the third prince, who was with Empress Dowager Zheng, with a girl in pink."
Xian Ge raised her head, her eyes darting around, filled with nervousness: "I wonder where they went. They shouldn't be engaged, right? I wonder if they went into some room."
"What? You saw it and didn't say so earlier?" Cheng Suyun's eyes lit up when she heard this. Who else could the girl in pink be but Zheng Yutong?
Both she and Zheng Yutong were intended to be sent to the Eastern Palace by the two empress dowagers, but now her dream of becoming the Crown Princess has been shattered, while Zheng Yutong can still stay in the palace, with someone like the Third Prince by her side.
Cheng Suyun had nothing, and after comparing the two, she felt it was even more unfair. If she could expose Zheng Yutong's affair with the Third Prince, wouldn't she be able to vent her anger from the previous period?
Although the rear hall of Delin Palace could accommodate people to rest temporarily, it was not a place that just anyone could enter. Moreover, there were about a hundred rooms of various sizes, and it was quite conspicuous for her to search for them one by one.
Cheng Suyun's gaze fell on Xiange, and she instructed, "I'll keep an eye on the person for you. Go and find them."
Xian Ge looked troubled, shook her head and whispered, "No, not only did the Third Prince and a girl in pink sneak away, but the Crown Princess is also following us. We can't let the Crown Princess steal the credit!"
"Crown Princess?" Cheng Suyun suddenly heard Yue Jiang staring at her from all around. She became nervous and, following Xiange's hint, she indeed saw a glimpse of a garment under the corridor.
Cheng Suyun had just spoken ill of Yue Jiang, so she didn't dare to show her face at this moment.
She quickly thought, "I'll go find the Third Prince; you deal with the Crown Princess."
After saying this, she hurriedly left the pavilion with her maid, leaving Xiange alone inside.
Xian Ge bowed to the distant corridor and said, "Your Highness, thank you for your cooperation just now. You may come out now."
"How did you know I was following you?" Yue Jiang had been observing the situation for a while, and halfway through, the girl secretly made a gesture in her direction, so she deliberately gave herself away.
Therefore, Yue Jiang became increasingly certain that this girl she knew must have some kind of connection with her, so she walked to the pavilion and got straight to the point.
"You deliberately sent Cheng Suyun away just to see me alone?"
"The journey to Yue Kingdom is long, and it is not easy to see the Crown Princess. How can we let others disturb us?" Xiange's eyes fell on Yue Jiang's abdomen. Looking at her slightly protruding belly, she deliberately made room for Yue Jiang to sit down.
"Your Highness, your health is precious and cannot be compromised. Please do not stand with me, sit down and rest."
Seeing that she had confessed without being asked, Yue Jiang deliberately glanced at the maid beside the other woman.
Xian Ge laughed: "Bai Lan and Bai He are both my trusted confidantes, so the Crown Princess has nothing to worry about."
Yue Jiang nodded, walked to the stone bench and sat down. She looked up and asked, "What's your name? How did you end up at the Cheng family's house?"
Xiange: "Your Highness, my name is Xiange. I am not as lucky as Your Highness to marry into a foreign country as a princess. I can only get into the palace by taking advantage of the fact that the Cheng family is looking for a woman who can sing and dance and is good at seduction."
Yue Jiang scrutinized Xiange's appearance. Yue Jiang was not arrogant, considering herself the most beautiful among the group of women raised by the Yue Kingdom, but she was also one of the best.
The aesthetic sense of the Moon Kingdom was also quite good. Yue Jiang had never seen anyone who was not beautiful at that time, and she was very good at teaching each woman according to her appearance.
Xian Ge appears gentle and charming, but there is a hint of heroism between her brows. According to Yue Jiang's secret observation just now, all of her current actions are—learning from her.
Xiange should be a neat, decisive, and easy-going type.
Yue Jiang bluntly stated, "If you want to make contact with the imperial palace, the Cheng family needs to select a woman, and you'll be contacting the Crown Prince's palace, right?"
Xiange remained noncommittal, watching Yuejiang's reaction with a smile.
Yue Jiang stroked her belly without saying a word. They were all from the same place, so they were just playing mind games with each other.
As a newcomer, Xiange knew that if she wanted to gain any benefits, Yue Jiang would have to agree. She couldn't afford to offend Yue Jiang, so she had to humble herself first.
She asked sincerely, "Your Highness, may I enter the Eastern Palace to share His Highness's presence?"
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