Chapter 207: Secret Mockery
In the Yanshou Palace, Yuan Zitong sat next to Zuo, watching Yuan Ziyu and Huo Wan chatting and laughing intimately from afar, and the hatred and jealousy in her heart could hardly be suppressed!
Yuan Qilei was only a fifth-rank official, so naturally the seats where Zuo Shi and Yuan Zitong sat were basically at the back.
Zuo's face was covered with a thick layer of powder. There were still some slight red marks from the two slaps Yuan Qilei had given her the other day, which could only be covered up by applying thick powder. However, this made Zuo's face look a little pale.
There was a palace banquet today. Zuo's father was a fourth-rank official, so naturally Madam Zuo was also there. At this moment, she was chatting and laughing with the lady at the next table with her little daughter. When Madam Zuo met Zuo just now, she just nodded slightly!
Zuo knew Madam Zuo's attitude towards her, so she would not try to curry favor with her. She just sat quietly in her seat with Yuan Zitong.
"Oh, isn't this Miss Yuan?" Huo Na and Miao Yin returned to Yanshou Palace and saw Yuan Zitong sitting near the palace door at a glance, so they walked up to her and said with a smile.
Yuan Zitong turned around and saw that it was Miss Huo, with whom she had a secret conversation that day. She smiled and said, "Miss Huo!"
"I'm the fourth in line!" Huo Na smiled faintly, then pointed at Miao Yin and introduced her to Yuan Zitong, "This is the legitimate daughter of Scholar Miao, the third Miss Miao, and also the legitimate niece of Concubine Zhao."
"Miss Miao San, Miss Huo Si!" Yuan Zitong said hurriedly with a smile. Now, most of the ladies in this palace were nobler than her. Even if she was jealous in her heart, she had to keep a decent smile on her face.
"Oh, you are Miss Yuan?" Miao Yin looked Yuan Zitong up and down and laughed coldly: "Miss Yuan, aren't you wearing the latest spring clothes today?"
After hearing this, Yuan Zitong couldn't help but blush. Today she was wearing an old dress from previous years. Although the color was still bright, it was obvious that the style and material were very different.
Seeing Yuan Zitong's flushed face, Miao Yin stopped saying anything provocative or mocking Yuan Zitong. Although she looked down on Yuan Zitong, she still had to rely on this person to deal with Yuan Ziyu.
"Well, come to think of it, I really sympathize with Miss Yuan!" Miao Yin smiled faintly: "We are all daughters of the Yuan family. Even if the family has split up, we can't be treated differently like this. Look at what Miss Yuan is wearing. She really doesn't care about our sisters who are connected by the same bloodline at all."
Yuan Zitong bit her lip and said nothing when she heard this, but a look of grievance appeared on her face.
When Miao Yin saw this, she curled the corners of her mouth in satisfaction. Ever since Huo Na looked for Yuan Zitong last time, she had specifically told Huo Na not to look for Yuan Zitong again for the time being, just to see what Yuan Zitong would do next.
Sure enough, what Yuan Zitong did later did not disappoint her!
What she wanted was Yuan Zitong's jealousy and resentment towards Yuan Ziyu!
It seems that what she is going to do is really suitable for Yuan Zitong to be the first to take the lead.
"I wonder what talent Miss Yuan is going to perform today?" Miao Yin smiled and raised her eyebrows and asked Yuan Zitong.
"Talent!" Yuan Zitong blinked. She had no idea this was going on. Did everyone who came to celebrate the birthday have to perform a talent?
Seeing Yuan Zitong's expression, Huo Na couldn't help but open her eyes wide. "Oh my God, Miss Yuan, you must know that all noble ladies who come to the palace to celebrate a birthday must show their talents. This is an unwritten rule!"
"Haha, of course I know it!" Yuan Zitong curled the corners of his mouth and just found out!
Miao Yin smiled and said, "In that case, I'll be waiting to admire Miss Yuan's grace!"
After saying that, he changed the subject and said with a casual laugh, "I wonder what talent Miss Yuan Er will perform today?"
After saying that, he smiled gently at Zuo and Yuan Zitong, and took Huo Na back to his seat.
After Miao Yin and Huo Na left, Yuan Zitong's face turned cold and she whispered to Zuo: "I wonder what mother thinks of Tong'er? She actually wants to frame her like this."
Although Zuo disliked Yuan Zitong very much, she had no intention of framing or abusing her. At most, she would give her a little embarrassment when Yuan Zitong came to pay her respects, but she would ignore her at other times and pretend that she didn't have this stepdaughter.
Therefore, after hearing Yuan Zitong's words, Zuo frowned: "Tong'er, where did you get this from?"
"I'm supposed to be performing at the palace banquet. Didn't Mother know that? And yet she refused to tell Tong'er. If Third Miss Miao hadn't told me, and I hadn't known the truth and hadn't stood up to perform, wouldn't that have been disrespectful to the Queen Mother? If I had been disrespectful to the Queen Mother, wouldn't that have ruined my reputation? If that were the case, how would Father treat me? What good marriage prospects would I have in the future?"
Yuan Zitong learned the day before yesterday that Zuo was kicked and beaten by Yuan Qilei, and she knew that Zuo was not favored by Yuan Qilei now. If it was a few days ago, she would never question Zuo like this. But now, if Zuo dared to use this as an excuse to reprimand her, then she would just tell Yuan Qilei about the matter. If she could suppress Zuo's arrogance, maybe Zuo would not dare to do anything about her marriage in the future.
"You..." Zuo was so angry that she fell backwards. However, she couldn't argue with Yuan Zitong at this moment. She just shouted angrily, "If I harm you in a situation like this, what good will it do me? In the end, it will be me and your father who will lose face."
Yuan Zitong was stunned for a moment when she heard this. She turned to look at Zuo, narrowed her eyes, and then turned to look at the people from the Zuo family who were closer to the front. After a little thought, she understood.
"Mother, please calm down. Tong'er was just angry for a moment. I hope you won't blame me if I said something inappropriate!" Yuan Zitong said hurriedly.
"Of course not, as long as Tong'er doesn't blame her mother!" Zuo's voice was slightly cold, and she turned her head away and no longer looked at Yuan Zitong.
Yuan Zitong secretly curled her lips, feeling a little regretful that she shouldn't have been so quick to speak.
If she thought about it carefully, after all, although Zuo was only a few years older than her, she was still her stepmother. Even if her father was not pleased, she could still interfere in her marriage. If they really fell out and were determined to make her life miserable, others would not be able to say anything. At most, they would just say that she had bad luck.
How can that be?
Now, Yuan Zitong, in addition to hating Yuan Ziyou to the core, is obsessed with her own marriage, fearing that she will be manipulated by the Zuo family.
How can she prevent Zuo from interfering in her marriage?
Yuan Zitong bit her lip secretly and thought to herself.
"Tong'er, what are you thinking about?" Yuan Qilei's voice sounded beside Yuan Zitong.
At this time, Yuan Zitong discovered that a group of officials had entered the hall and sat in their respective seats.
Just as Yuan Zitong was about to answer, she heard the eunuch's shrill voice: "The Emperor has arrived, the Empress Dowager has arrived, the Empress has arrived, the ladies of the palace have arrived, the princes and princesses have arrived, the Princess of Linyang has arrived—"
When Yuan Zitong heard this voice, her mind suddenly became clear. The random thoughts she had at home the day before yesterday gradually took shape. If she could get what she wanted, the Zuo family would never be able to interfere in her marriage.
The buzzing voices in the hall suddenly disappeared, and everyone knelt down and bowed respectfully!
"Long live the emperor!"
"Long live the Empress Dowager!"
"Long live the Queen!"
…
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(End of this chapter)
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