Chapter 89. Perhaps, under everyone's watchful eyes...
Perhaps, Xie Miaoguo, who had been staying in the car the whole time, appeared in front of everyone and had some unspoken expectations in her heart, hoping that the Sixth Prince would make his stance clear first.
Even if... he is a prince, but as a prince, the second prince also pursued his sister relentlessly. Even though he couldn't win her over, he kept the position of princess vacant for many years, just waiting for the day when his sincerity would finally win her over.
A few days ago, the Empress summoned him specifically. Although she didn't say it very clearly, the implication was that His Majesty was very dissatisfied with the woman he had taken as a concubine outside. She even revealed that he would only issue the decree to confer the title of Prince on the Sixth Prince if the Sixth Prince agreed to take another wife.
Even if it's just for his own title, the Sixth Prince will inevitably have to choose a woman of high status to be his consort soon. As the daughter of the prestigious Xie family, Xie Miaoguo is confident that she is the best choice for the Sixth Prince, considering both her family background and her own beauty and talent.
But the Sixth Prince might not be her best choice. Xie Miaoguo even suspected that the rumors circulating in the capital recently might be the work of the Sixth Prince, which is why she came here today with anger and prejudice.
But... his carriage had been parked for so long, and he just completely ignored it!
Seeing that the Prince Cheng's convoy was about to start moving again if she didn't show up soon, Xie Miaoguo had no choice but to speak up.
Although she was somewhat angry, she couldn't bring herself to say the words she had prepared in front of the dignified Sixth Prince. Alighting from the carriage with a maid's help, Xie Miaoguo slightly raised her chin and, with her most elegant demeanor, slowly addressed the person in front of her: "I heard from my father that His Highness Prince Cheng would be returning to the capital soon. What a coincidence that we meet here today. Greetings, Your Highness."
Upon hearing the address "Your Highness Prince Cheng," everyone present turned to look at the jingling carriage, and saw another woman being carefully helped out by her maids, following two beautiful maids.
The moment she emerged, she was like a blazing, fiery flame, her meticulously drawn eyebrows and eyes exceptionally beautiful. Her hair was styled in a high bun, with long, flowing tassels of crimson gold cascading down her jet-black hair, exuding both nobility and elegance. Her flowing brocade robe, upon closer inspection, seemed to have light gold and crimson hues gently flowing across it. The robe was wide, and when the wind blew, it filled her sleeves, fluttering and swaying, further emphasizing her incredibly slender waist.
It also made her red dress look fiery red, and the large peonies embroidered on the hem of the skirt had layers upon layers of petals that almost rolled off the hem.
She stood quietly, yet the wind stirred her skirt, the flowers swayed, and she was captivating.
Xiao Yan's gaze was completely fixed on her outfit. Whoever lied to her that everyone in the capital was just a country bumpkin copying Jiangzuo style was right. She was certain that Jiangzuo didn't have this style. The embroidery on the dress was perfect, and her hairstyle matched the outfit perfectly. It was simply breathtaking.
Unfortunately, this beautiful woman looked over with a condescending gaze, and her expression hinted at arrogance and disdain. It was clear she wasn't there to make friends.
After Xie Miaoguo glanced at her, she turned her gaze to Qin Ji, and her eyes brightened even more. Xiao Yan sighed inwardly, "Well, at least she's not here to befriend me."
Qin Ji was a perceptive man, and the scrutinizing and arrogant gaze of the newcomer could not escape his notice. To be honest, this was the kind of gaze Qin Ji hated most, as it always easily reminded him of his childhood years living in the palace.
The gloom in his eyes flashed by in an instant.
But she's just a little girl, and he wouldn't hold a grudge against her just because of a glance.
However, regardless of where this Miss Xie came from, he had no patience for pleasantries. Since she said it was a coincidence, then he would accept it as a coincidence.
Qin Ji simply put on his usual elegant smile, then deliberately turned to look at the Xie family emblem on the carriage and the bell hanging on it before nodding to Xie Miaoguo and replying, "You must be Miss Xie. I hope Miss Xie is well."
With just a simple sentence, the chance encounter was considered over, and then he tried to help Xiao Yan back onto the carriage.
"Your Highness Prince Cheng." Unexpectedly, Xie Miaoguo interrupted her as she was getting into the carriage once again.
"Miss Xie, is there anything else you would like to say?"
"..." When asked such a question by Prince Cheng, Xie Miaoguo was momentarily at a loss for words.
She could sense that the prince's attitude towards her was different from what she had expected. He was not only indifferent, but his indifference was also tinged with annoyance.
At this moment, whatever I say seems to be at a disadvantage.
Because her feelings were no longer entirely repulsive as they had been before she came, she couldn't bring herself to say the words she had prepared in her mind beforehand, those subtle attempts to distance herself. But she also couldn't lower herself to say anything ingratiating; that would seem obsequious and beneath her dignity.
At this moment, Xie Miaoguo felt a pang of regret. Then she was startled, wondering why she had come to the city gate to ambush people because of a few words from others.
Was that person doing it on purpose? Yes, she must have done it on purpose!
It was only then that Xie Miaoguo realized that she seemed to have been secretly plotted against today. However, she could settle that score later; Prince Cheng was waiting for her to come home and talk to her.
"When I was walking around the palace, I heard Her Majesty the Empress mention His Highness the Prince quite a few times. Her Majesty misses His Highness very much. If His Highness were to return to the capital safely, Her Majesty would surely be very happy." With a quick glance, Xie Miaoguo finally found a suitable topic to deal with the awkward situation.
"Thank you for reminding us, Miss. Now that the Prince and Princess have returned to the capital, we will naturally send a memorial to His Majesty and His Majesty as soon as possible." He replied with a stiff but polite tone.
Upon hearing Qin Ji mention the title "Princess Consort," Xie Miaoguo seemed to finally realize that there was another person beside him. For the first time, her gaze fell seriously on Xiao Yan Hui, and she looked down at her with a superior gaze, saying, "Greetings, Madam. I have heard people mention you before. You are indeed as beautiful as the rumors say."
Her words seemed like a compliment, but they came across as forced; clearly, she struggled to utter the words "stunning beauty." Xiao Yan believed that in private, she would probably have used the word "vixen."
But honestly, even if she were praising someone, she was just the daughter of a courtier. How could she possibly be so presumptuous as to praise the Princess Consort? Besides, the title she used just now was "Madam."
It's quite interesting that, just because of some rumors, Xie Miaoguo, a young lady from a respectable family, started acting all high and mighty in front of her, a proper princess.
Upon hearing the word "Madam," Qin Ji's eyes sharpened, and he was about to speak when Xiao Yan gently tugged at his hand.
“Miss Xie, is that right? You are quite a beauty, but your manners are a bit lacking. Since you are here to pay your respects, you should first get off the carriage instead of standing there high up. You didn’t get off when you paid your respects to our Prince, did you? Did you forget? Secondly, you should address me as Princess Consort, calling me Madam is not proper.”
When Xiao Yan Hui said these words, both her tone and smile were exceptionally gentle, but every word she spoke carried a sharp edge.
Since she was being provoked so openly and showed no respect, Xiao Yan Hui was no pushover and naturally wouldn't give her any face either.
Moreover, she claimed to have come to pay her respects, but she stood high on the carriage, not even bothering to kneel or get off. It's hard to understand what kind of etiquette she was displaying.
She was not only disrespecting herself, but also disrespecting Qin Ji, the Prince of Cheng. It's a mystery how the Xie family raised such a daughter who doesn't respect imperial authority.
To be fair, even if Xiao Yan had transmigrated, she wouldn't have much of a fear of imperial power. She wouldn't dare to do anything that would provoke the imperial authority unless absolutely necessary.
Or perhaps, this Miss Xie only looks down on Qin Ji? That would be even more infuriating. Thinking of this, Xiao Yan Hui felt somewhat annoyed that she hadn't stood up earlier. Qin Ji had just arrived in the capital, and if word got out that Miss Xie had humiliated him, it wouldn't be good for either him or the reputation of the Prince's Mansion.
However, given Qin Ji's position and status, it was inappropriate for him to appear too concerned about arguing with a young girl. In such a situation, it should have been the princess consort, an official of the prince's residence, or one of the prince's personal attendants who stepped forward to reprimand her. But everyone was used to being casual in Jiangzuo and didn't seem to realize this at the moment.
It seems we should be more vigilant about these things in the future.
When Xie Miaoguo heard Xiao Yan reply that she hadn't dismounted to greet Prince Cheng, her face turned deathly pale. She finally realized the fatal mistake she had made.
The next second she almost staggered off the carriage and knelt down directly in front of Qin Ji: "Greetings, Your Highness. I was careless for a moment, please forgive me."
"You should ask the Princess for forgiveness." Qin Ji said only this coldly.
Qin Ji originally didn't want to argue with someone so insignificant about such a minor breach of etiquette, but since she had taken advantage of the situation and even refused to address Yan Hui as "Your Highness," she deserved to be taught a lesson.
Xie Miaoguo's eyes were filled with tears, and she bit her lip tightly. She felt infinitely humiliated, but there was nothing she could do. She could only turn to Xiao Yanhui again and say, "Please forgive me, Your Highness." Her tone was hard.
"Let's leave it at that this time." With that, Qin Ji and Xiao Yan quickly got back into the carriage, and this time no one called after them.
The two figures, hand in hand, quickly disappeared behind the closed carriage door. Xie Miaoguo remained kneeling on the ground, watching helplessly as the carriage door closed in front of her. Then, the driver's whip cracked on the ground with a sharp sound, and the entire caravan sprang to a halt upon hearing the noise.
She quickly got up, but the marching procession still kicked up a cloud of dust in her face.
"Smack!" He practically covered his face as he rushed into the carriage, the curtain and door slamming together with a loud thud.
Xie Miaoguo's two maids exchanged a glance, both seeing fear and bitterness in each other's eyes.
"Clap clap clap..." After the two of them went back into the carriage, the driver heard a few faint crisp sounds coming from inside.
Then came the reprimands and conversations, spoken in a lowered voice.
"Useless trash, you just stood by and watched me make a fool of myself? You two lowly servants, were you doing this on purpose?!"
"We dare not." The two maids knelt in the carriage, not daring to move.
Who are they? Mere servants. Would they dare to advise their young mistress against her behavior? The last matron who dared to do so was beaten so badly she couldn't get out of bed. Besides, no one, whether in front of the princes or the princesses, has ever questioned the young mistress's manners in this regard. She hadn't gone too far before, but who knew that today...
Feeling the force of the blows to their faces and kicks to their bodies, the two maids could only endure the pain.
“We’ve really offended Miss Xie today. Won’t this cause trouble for the Xie family…?” Xiao Yan said, leaning back against the soft cushions in the car.
"Our Yan Hui really had a powerful aura just now, completely dominating the situation. Very impressive!" Qin Ji smiled and gave her two thumbs up: "Cool!"
"I'm being serious with you!" Xiao Yan pressed his thumb down and glared at him.
"If Xie Tong isn't afraid to offend me, why would I be afraid to offend him?" Raising his eyebrows arrogantly, Qin Ji said gloatingly after being glared at by Xiao Yan Hui, "That Miss Xie is probably going to have a hard time going home today. Don't worry, Xie Tong is a rational person, so it's not that we offended him, it's that he'll bring generous gifts to our Prince's Mansion tomorrow to apologize."
"Having such a brainless daughter must be quite a problem for him."
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