Liu Shushu finally returned. She paused for a moment when she saw Qingying, then frowned.
She left home earlier than Qingying today, so the two did not meet.
"Sister, it's been a long time." Qingying gave her a gentle smile.
Liu Shushu couldn't help but smile at her, "What are you saying, sister? We live in the same mansion, how can it be that we haven't seen each other for a long time?"
Qingying blinked innocently and said, "But I really haven't seen my sister in a long time."
She was speechless for a moment, opened her mouth, but couldn't find any words to refute it.
Like a cat drawn by the scent of fish, Wu Miaoqing immediately interjected with a sarcastic remark: "Living in the same mansion, yet we don't see each other for days on end. I wonder if your family mistreats your concubine's daughter, or if you, Liu Shushu, are simply unruly and never home?"
Her words were quite clever; no matter which point Liu Shushu admitted, she would be wrong.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Liu Shushu turned her head and glared at her, but then she was stunned when she saw who it was. She pursed her lips and asked, "Wu Miaoqing, why are you meddling in our family affairs?"
Wu Miaoqing snorted lightly, her eyebrows almost reaching the sky, "What family matter? I was just standing up for someone."
Liu Shushu was not afraid of her at all. She chuckled and mocked, "That Miss Wu is really quite idle. She spoke up for me before, and now she speaks up for my sister. It's a real pity that she's not going to be the Chief of the Capital's Security Bureau."
Upon hearing this, everyone around couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Wu Miaoqing remained unfazed, her gaze still dismissive, and slowly said, "I don't know who was it that came in and tried to get close to me. I want to solemnly declare that I am not familiar with you, and I have never spoken up for you."
She paused, her sharp eyes sweeping over Liu Shushu's face, and said, "Don't flatter yourself. I wasn't speaking up for you at the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. I just simply couldn't stand Liu Qingying."
Her words, coupled with her gaze, seemed to say: Liu Qingying is prettier, and I only targeted her out of jealousy, while you are plain-looking and not worthy of my attention.
Qingying actually found Wu Miaoqing quite cute at that moment.
Liu Shushu was furious with her. Her eyes were glaring at her as if they were about to spit fire. She gritted her teeth and barely managed to keep herself from fighting in public. She used to be a skilled fighter in the martial arts world, but she wasn't good at arguing with women.
Seeing her face turn red with anger, Wu Miaoqing had no intention of letting her off the hook and continued, "Compared to her, I can't stand you even more now. You are the eldest daughter of the Liu family, and it's perfectly reasonable for the Liu family's things to belong to you, but His Highness the Crown Prince is not; he is Liu Qingying's husband."
"We sisters here all witnessed His Highness the Crown Prince proposing to Liu Qingying at the autumn hunt. If you're going to use the fact that you saved His Highness the Crown Prince as an excuse, I won't accept it!"
Xie Jiaoying also stepped forward to speak at the right time, "Yes, the imperial decree for the marriage was personally requested by His Highness the Crown Prince from His Majesty. Now, just because you saved him once, you want to persuade him to cancel the engagement? There is no such logic in this world!"
Wu Miaoqing continued, "Don't think that you have done a great favor by coincidentally saving His Highness. When His Highness was missing, Liu Qingying prayed for blessings at Chongfu Temple for a whole month. Don't think that praying to gods and Buddhas is just about kneeling in front of the Buddha statue and saying a few words. Her chanting and copying of scriptures is no easier than you going up the mountain to collect herbs."
"She waited anxiously at home for His Highness the Crown Prince for ten months, more than three hundred days, worrying about him every day. She even spent her own money to send countless supplies to the Northern Border. Meanwhile, you've only known him for less than three months in total. What gives you the right to brazenly and comfortably steal her husband away?"
Wu Miaoqing spoke earnestly, truly feeling indignant on Qingying's behalf.
Qingying was surprised, but also felt a touch of emotion.
Although the noble ladies present were not necessarily on good terms with Qingying, they were aware of these matters. After Wu Miaoqing said this, they all felt indignant on Qingying's behalf.
Suddenly, the ladies at the banquet all looked at Liu Shushu with eyes full of condemnation and contempt.
Liu Shushu lowered her head and clenched her clothes tightly with her hands on her lap.
She was concerned about saving face, and soon couldn't stay seated any longer, so she left the table early, like a defeated rooster.
This time, Qingying didn't say a word the whole time, so as not to give Pan Shi any reason to punish her again.
However, not long after, she heard that Wei Huaixu had left after Liu Shushu, and she felt very bad. Despite having experienced so many disappointments, she still held onto a glimmer of hope for Wei Huaixu, but each outcome made her sad.
Xie Jiaoying held her hand tenderly and whispered, "Just pretend he's dead, don't linger on the past, okay?"
She shook her head and refused almost without hesitation, "I can't, I can't bear to... Sister Xie, if I lose even this marriage contract, I will really have nothing left."
"But at least... you should be kinder to yourself."
She smiled and said, "It's okay. Those who make my life difficult won't have it easy either."
Xie Jiaoying was stunned for a moment, then looked at her suspiciously.
I always felt that her smile was strange.
Just then, firecrackers went off outside, and everyone left their seats to watch the wedding ceremony. Qingying pulled her up, and she swallowed back the question that was about to come out of her mouth.
When Princess Yongning and Song Changrun were getting married, Qingying noticed that Jinheng was standing at the back of the crowd, watching the scene from afar. His eyes were bright and glistening with tears.
Today is the day his beloved girl is marrying another man, and he can only watch helplessly as one of the guests who have come to offer their blessings.
There's nothing he can do.
Jin Heng knew very well that he came from a poor family and that it was only through the Emperor's promotion that he had achieved his current status and power. Although Princess Yongning was raised by the Empress Dowager and was pampered, she did not have anyone who could truly support her. To put it bluntly, the two of them were just pets of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. If they dared to rebel, their fate would be predictable.
He dared not gamble with Wei Yinqiu's life; he would rather she marry someone else, at least she could live a peaceful life.
Perhaps because of their similar circumstances, Qingying felt a certain resonance with Jinheng. Seeing his restrained grief, her heart ached for him as well.
Qingying suddenly had a bold idea...
After watching the wedding ceremony, she did not return to the table with the others, but instead used changing clothes as an excuse to avoid the crowd.
She asked Tong Xia to invite Jin Heng over.
Jin Heng was taken aback when he saw her, his face full of confusion: "Miss Liu, what brings you to me?"
Qingying gave him a serene smile. "Grand Tutor Jin, would you be willing to make a deal with me?"
Jin Heng became wary, but his face remained calm. "I wonder what kind of deal Miss Liu is referring to?"
“It’s very simple.” She held out her hand, with the broken jade ring in her palm. She said, “Help me put it back together, and I will give you and the princess a wedding night.”
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