She lowered her eyes and coldly watched the woman fall to the ground, her beautiful face...
Jiang Yuanfu's lips trembled slightly: "Cousin." Then she looked coldly at the daughter of the Right Censor-in-Chief who had just spoken so recklessly, and Liang Xi, who was kneeling on the ground without saying a word: "Both of you, get out of my sight!"
Qin Weixi stood up, about to leave. She was actually too lazy and had neither the energy nor the inclination to deal with these people.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the corridor, followed by a eunuch running in a panic. He lost his balance and fell to the ground, his official hat rolling off his head.
He stammered, "Your Highness."
Jiang Yuanfu's eyes flashed with suspicion for a moment, then she gestured to Zi Shu with her eyes. Zi Shu quickly understood and walked towards the eunuch, whispering, "What kind of behavior is this, all this panic? Get out of here!"
The eunuch steadied his official hat, pressed his head tightly to the ground, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, it was the blue-and-white plum vase that the late Emperor loved most, which was displayed in the Floating Jade Pavilion. When I returned from delivering potted chrysanthemums to the Kunning Palace, I found the vase broken. The Floating Jade Pavilion is the only way to enter the Imperial Garden." His voice lowered further, "So I dared to ask if one of the young ladies entering the palace accidentally broke it. I have disturbed Your Highness; I deserve to die!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanfu's expression changed drastically, and she grabbed a wine cup from the table and smashed it to the ground.
"You dog of a servant, are you trying to ruin my birthday banquet? If the plum vase is broken, go to the Empress Dowager and ask her who broke it. What does it have to do with me?"
She changed her usual temperament, coldly looking at the eunuch with his head down, and said, "Or do you simply not take me, the princess, seriously?"
As soon as Jiang Yuanfu finished speaking, a group of palace maids and eunuchs in the garden knelt down with their heads bowed.
At this moment, Jiang Rong stepped into the middle of the crowd, first bowing to Jiang Yuanfu, then pointing to Qin Weixi, and said, "Your Highness, after entering the palace today, I first accompanied my mother to the Empress's Palace in Kunning Palace to pay my respects. Afterwards, the Empress took my mother and others to admire the lotus flowers elsewhere. On the way through the Imperial Garden, I encountered Luo Zhaoxing behind the Fubi Pavilion. At the time, I noticed that her expression was strange, but I didn't think much of it. Now I realize that it must have been her who did it; she accidentally broke the late Emperor's plum vase!"
At this moment, Liang Xi raised her head and said, "Your Highness, I can also testify that after I entered the palace, I went to your palace to look for you, but I found that you were not there. So I came to the Imperial Garden alone. When I passed by the Floating Jade Pavilion, I happened to see Miss Luo leaving in a hurry."
Jiang Yuanfu suddenly swung her blade again: "You said you were going to find me?"
Liang Xi was suddenly startled, and after a long pause, he said, "Yes."
Qin Weixi had not expected that Liang Xi would be waiting for her here. She sneered inwardly, then walked around the crowd and approached Gu Rong to face her.
The two were inches apart. She looked into Jiang Rong's eyes and said calmly, "It wasn't me. I wouldn't do it."
With Jiang Rong's initial statement and Liang Xi's first identification, everyone present thought Qin Weixi would argue her case, but she responded with a lighthearted remark and a calm and composed expression, showing no sign of taking the matter seriously.
Jiang Rong gritted her teeth inwardly. Just then, Liang Xi's maid, who had been hiding somewhere, came out and said in a low voice with her head down, "I saw it. I was waiting for my young lady outside the Fu Bi Pavilion. When I saw someone, I hid. Who would have thought it was Miss Luo? I saw her looking sadly at the plum vase, and then she smashed it with one hand."
Zhao Shuhan immediately walked towards the crowd and said, "Nonsense, you're spouting nonsense! How did you, a maid from a household, get into the palace?" She looked at Liang Xi and said, "Don't you know that we are not allowed to bring our personal maids to palace banquets?"
Liang Xi pursed her lips and immediately retorted, "Years ago, when I was seriously ill, I still came to the palace to visit the princess, who had developed a leg ailment because of the Qin family's daughter's intercession. Therefore, the princess granted me the privilege of bringing my maidservants into the palace to attend to her. However, I did not allow my maidservants to enter the Imperial Garden. What is wrong with that?"
Qin Weixi smiled at Liang Xi, but Liang Xi had no idea what she was smiling about.
Qin Weixi did indeed pass by Fubi Pavilion today. She was summoned to Kunning and saw many yellow-glazed plum vases that she had never seen before.
That was the last time her grandfather entered the palace; her childhood memories were too fragmented. She only remembered that her grandfather was holding her little hand as they stood outside the Floating Jade Pavilion. The late emperor smiled at her grandfather: "Le Jin, come quickly, let's place this plum vase on that stone table together."
Grandfather laughed: "You can lift a goose-feather sword and draw a bowstring, so why can't you lift this plum vase?"
The late emperor rubbed his hands, feigning annoyance: "Oh dear, for every word I say, you have a hundred to say. Just let me go."
She paused there briefly, then slowly walked toward Kunning Palace.
At this moment, Qin Weixi suddenly glanced at the Liang family's maid and Gu Rong, who had just identified her, and said with a half-smile, "You all say you saw me knock over the plum vase, but did you also see me arguing with the Liang family's young lady?"
Today, she had originally gone to Kunning Palace to pay her respects to Empress Tao, but as she was about to leave after passing Fubi Pavilion, she saw Liang Xi. Liang Xi suddenly stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and said urgently, "Luo Zhaoxing, I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince stayed overnight at the Luo family's house that day, and went to court with red eyes the next day. But... but was it because of you?"
Qin Weixi watched her light yellow dress fall gently, not wanting to talk to her any further, and said indifferently, "Let go." She turned around, intending to leave, but Liang Xi seemed not to hear her, holding her arm tightly. Then Liang Xi suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "Luo Zhaoxing, do you know that my father told me that if I cannot enter the Eastern Palace, then I can be the Crown Prince's concubine. But Luo Zhaoxing, I, Liang Xi, am not willing to be inferior to others."
Upon hearing this, Qin Weixi suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at her coldly, his eyes revealing undisguised sarcasm: "What are you doing... wanting both? Being indecisive? Doesn't your father know that you are in love with my brother? But Liang Xi, if you want to enter the Luo family, you'll have to step over my dead body first."
Upon hearing this, Liang Xi suddenly released the hands that were binding Qin Weixi, then pursed her lips and walked towards Zhenhui's palace.
The atmosphere in the Imperial Garden was heavy, as if a storm was brewing. None of the noble ladies from prominent families who had come to the banquet dared to raise their heads. Then, Liang Xi suddenly heard Qin Weixi say, "Liang family, I have to consider anything you might offer in return. But the late Emperor..." She stopped there.
“Miss Liang, don’t try to use these petty tricks and schemes on me. I don’t have time for you.” After saying this, Qin Weixi looked at Jiang Yuanfu, who had remained silent. She smiled faintly, but there was no smile in her eyes. She said, “Afu, every banquet I’ve attended since returning to the capital has been because of our past friendship. I don’t think I need to attend these banquets anymore. Xiaopenglai, Xiaguangding, or anywhere else, we can meet again.”
Jiang Yuanfu opened her mouth, then looked at Liang Xi with a livid face: "Today is my birthday banquet!"
Liang Xi suddenly felt her mind go blank. Seeing Qin Weixi's indifferent attitude, recalling their conversation at Fubi Pavilion, and everything she had seen in the princess's palace, she suddenly took a step forward as if possessed and said again, "Princess, she disrespects the imperial family! If it's not her, then let her come with me to the Empress to have her opinion! Back then, in the Qin family's treason case, Luo Zhaoxing went far away to Jiangnan, leaving her home. How do you know if she hasn't harbored resentment towards His Majesty and the Empress all these years? Your Highness, that plum vase was the late Emperor's favorite treasure." As she spoke, she reached out to grab Qin Weixi.
Determine the facts? Why do we need to determine the facts for everything?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Rong standing in the crowd, smiling sinisterly at her.
Qin Weixi sneered inwardly. She'd forgotten to check the almanac before leaving home; all she saw were demons and monsters. Then, her gaze turned cold as she looked at Liang Xi and said, "I'm telling you to let go."
Zhao Shuhan immediately stepped in front of Liang Xi to protect Qin Weixi.
“So what if I don’t give in! You stubborn mule!” Liang Xi said.
Pei Qing suddenly stepped forward and said coldly, "I think you're the stubborn one!" With that, he used all his strength to try and break Liang Xi's hands, which were firmly bound to Qin Weixi's arm, apart with a single palm strike.
Qin Weixi frowned slightly. Before Liang Xi could react, she was thrown over her shoulder. She looked down coldly at Liang Xi, who lay on the ground, her face pale, and said, "Get your chicken feet off me!"
Two groups of people emerged from the fork in the road behind the crowd.
One of them is Qingpai, the head maid of Kunning Palace.
One of them is Chu Yening, the Marquis of Jingning, who was exiled to the border for ten years before returning home.
Qingpai was quite surprised to see that the visitor was none other than the Marquis of Jingning, and quickly curtsied. She then instructed her maids to help Liang Xi to her feet, and smiled at the crowd, saying, "Today is the Princess and His Highness the Crown Prince's birthday, but it was just playful banter among the young ladies; let's call it a day." She looked at Liang Xi, "Miss Liang, won't you come with me to see Her Majesty the Empress? Madam Qian is still enjoying the scenery with Her Majesty at the Bibo Pond..."
Before Qingpai could finish speaking, everyone saw the Marquis of Jingning stride up to the kneeling eunuch, step on his bent back, and grind it repeatedly. But his expression remained nonchalant as he asked, "Look at this palace, who is your master?"
Qin Weixi strode towards him and whispered, "Chu Yening."
The young ladies from noble families present gasped in surprise, as did Pei Qing and Liang Xi. However, no one noticed that Jiang Yuanfu, hidden among them, had turned deathly pale. Princess Yongtai, Jiang Rong, clenched her fists tightly.
In his youth, he was an exceptionally brilliant young man. While other young men in the capital were still striving for fame and fortune, he was already fighting alongside his father, a highly decorated general, clad in armor and wielding a spear...
But her father had told her that no matter how General Chu Lanze performed on the battlefield, even if he repeatedly achieved great feats, the heir of the Marquis of Jingning was a real little tyrant, and the Chu family would probably be destroyed by him one day. But no matter how absurd his actions were, General Chu or the other three great families would protect him, so the matter of entering the Marquis's family was not something she could even dream of.
That day, Jiang Rong stood on the pavilion, seeing off the Marquis of Jingning's heir to war alongside other noble ladies who, like her, admired him. She witnessed the heir, with an unprecedented warmth on his face, embracing a young girl as they rode out of the city together. She also saw with her own eyes that the girl was the younger sister of Qin Shuoguang, the heir of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.
She immediately retorted, "Father, you favored the heir of the Duke of Dingguo back then, fine, it was the will of parents, and I waited. But what has happened after all that waiting? Didn't the daughter of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lord Zhu, get there first? Even if the heir of the Marquis of Jingning is like that, so what? Did Father see him fighting on the battlefield with a spear in hand? Aren't you the heir of the Prince of Jing? Wasn't Grandfather the one most missed by the late Emperor? Now that he has entered the gates of the Marquis of Jingning's mansion, Father, you should fight for it for your daughter."
However, her father slapped her hard across the face.
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