"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Chu and Prince Chen each hold to their own opinions, but both sides have their reasons! Why don't we send someone to test the other party's tone before making a decision!" When the two parties were arguing, Yun Xuanzhi stood out and spoke loudly!
"Probing the situation? Does Prime Minister Yun want to bow to Northern Qi and reconcile? Now that Prince Rui is in their hands, we don't even need to probe Northern Qi to know what they want!" Prince Chen retorted coldly, with an icy light in his eyes that made people afraid!
Yun Xuanzhi was interrupted by King Chen. He frowned slightly, his eyes flashed slightly, and he was weighing the current situation in the court!
Unexpectedly, the Minister of War standing behind him stepped forward, his eyes fierce and his tone stern as he asked Prince Chen, "From your tone, Your Highness, are you planning a hard fight? If Northern Qi sends Prince Rui to the center of the two armies, do you want our soldiers to charge in or hold back? Moreover, Prince Rui is one of the commanders in this battle. If he is captured like this, it will only harm the morale of the army. If we don't appease him properly, I'm afraid that even if the enemy doesn't take action, our army will be torn apart!"
At this moment, Emperor Yugan shifted his gaze from the three men to the Minister of War, and then asked, "So, according to you, is it war or peace? We've been arguing for half a day, and you haven't even come up with a concrete plan. What's the point of me keeping you around?"
The voice suddenly turned cold, and Emperor Yugan's face was full of frost. There was a hint of anger in his eyes as cold as arrows. His intimidating and angry look made all the officials stop arguing immediately. They all returned to their previous cautious appearance and stopped speaking!
"Your Majesty, there is another urgent document from outside the door, which is eight hundred miles away!" At this time, the chief eunuch who had just left while everyone was arguing walked into Emperor Yugan, crouching down and whispered in his ear!
"Send it up!" Upon hearing this, Emperor Yugan's expression grew even uglier, and all the officials were filled with fear, wondering when the next incident would occur. They all felt that this night was truly unbearable, and they were not sure whether they would be able to enter the palace alive or not!
"Spread..." After getting Emperor Yugan's approval, the chief eunuch immediately shouted loudly outside the palace!
"Your humble servant pays his respects to the emperor!" A dusty figure rushed into the hall with a hint of anxiety. The soldier in the gray messenger uniform immediately knelt down on his knees in front of Emperor Yugan. On his back was a sealed round bamboo tube. The lid of the bamboo tube was sealed tightly. It was obvious that he came from the northern camp!
"Stand up and talk!" Emperor Yugan saw that the messenger had been running wildly all the way and was still panting slightly when he knelt down. His expression relaxed a little and his tone became even calmer. He asked him to stand up first and then report back!
"Yes!" Upon hearing this, the messenger stood up and moved methodically. Compared with the officials in the hall, he was less cunning and crafty!
He took the bamboo tube from his back, raised his hands above his head, and shouted, "Your Majesty, this is an urgent document from eight hundred miles away. Please review it!"
Emperor Yugan gave a look to the eunuch beside him, and the eunuch in charge immediately bowed slightly towards Emperor Yugan, then quickly walked down the jade steps with his clothes in hand, took the bamboo tube from the messenger's hand, and quickly returned to Emperor Yugan. In front of all the civil and military officials in the court, he opened the bamboo tube on the spot and took out the memorial inside!
Emperor Yugan took the memorial, opened it, and quickly read it. He then closed it again and once again looked expressionlessly at the silent crowd below. He said coldly, "Everyone, come and guess what is in this document!"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Emperor Yugan had no expression on his face and his voice was as cold as ever. How could they start to guess?
"Your Majesty, let me make a bold guess! Is there good news in this document?" At this time, Yun Xuanzhi spoke slowly after thinking for a moment!
This caused Emperor Yugan to look sideways slightly, and he asked him with interest, "Why does Prime Minister Yun have such a guess?"
Yun Xuanzhi raised his head and glanced at Emperor Yugan. Seeing that there was no anger on his face, he spoke again, "As a citizen of Western Chu, I naturally hope for good news every day!"
"Hahaha... Prime Minister Yun really knows how to read people's expressions!" Little did he know that after hearing Yun Xuanzhi's compliment, Emperor Yugan actually burst into laughter!
His smile instantly broke the stagnant air in the hall. The other officials breathed a sigh of relief silently. Some of the timid ones even grabbed their sleeves and quietly wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads. They felt that serving the emperor was like serving a tiger. Just now they felt like they were under a thousand-year-old snow-capped mountain, but now it seemed like they were in March. The alternation of cold and heat was hard to accept, but they had to force themselves to accept it!
"I wonder what good news makes the emperor so happy?" Yun Xuanzhi's expression relaxed slightly when he saw that he guessed correctly, but he still asked cautiously!
"There's no need to argue. Hai Chenxi mentioned in the memorial that when he heard that Prince Rui was captured, he immediately led 10,000 soldiers to launch a surprise attack on the border garrison of Northern Qi at night. He actually captured the general of the garrison, who turned out to be the famous and mighty General of Northern Qi! This mighty General was a famous general of Northern Qi. He had made great contributions to Northern Qi's conquest of the surrounding tribes. He was also the father-in-law of the third princess of Emperor Ling Xiao. Now he was captured because he was not paying attention. I'm afraid it will cause Emperor Ling Xiao of Northern Qi a headache for a while! By then, we can naturally use this mighty general as a hostage to exchange for Prince Rui with Northern Qi!" Emperor Yugan spoke slowly, with a hint of calculation and shrewdness in his eyes. But the smiling eyes flashed with a frightening coldness. He must have hated Northern Qi just now, but now Hai Chenxi immediately gave the other party a warning, which was naturally very gratifying!
The ministers never expected that there would be a turn for the better so soon, and they all had expressions of disbelief on their faces!
But these words came clearly from the mouth of Emperor Yugan. Although they were still a little confused, they could only believe the facts before them. They all bowed to Emperor Yugan in unison and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Chu Feiyang listened to the officials' flattery and a sarcastic smile appeared on his lips. He glanced at Prince Chen indifferently and then said, "Your Majesty, that mighty general is extremely strong and skilled in combat. I think it would be safer to escort him back to Kyoto! In this way, Northern Qi will also be wary and will naturally not dare to act rashly! However, Prince Hai is afraid that he is too busy to escort the prisoners. In my humble opinion, I ask Your Majesty to send someone you trust to the border to avoid any problems along the way!"
"Your Majesty, I second the motion!" At this time, Yun Xuanzhi stepped out and spoke!
"I second the proposal!" The Minister of War followed immediately!
"I also second the motion!" Suddenly, voices of seconding the motion arose in the court, causing Emperor Yu Gan to nod his head involuntarily!
However, the person who was to escort him had to be loyal and reliable. Emperor Yugan swept his eyes across the court and finally stopped at Prince Chen. He was about to issue an order when he heard an urgent report coming from outside, which was eight hundred miles away!
"Announce!" Emperor Yu Gan took back the words that were on the tip of his tongue and asked the eunuch to announce that the official would come into the palace to meet him!
After a round of kneeling, the messenger, his face covered in sweat, raised the bamboo tube in his hand and handed it to the eunuch. Emperor Yugan took the memorial and read it with great joy. He immediately said, "Northern Qi has sent an envoy to our army camp, demanding a truce with Haichenxi! They plan to attend the ceremony of enthroning my concubine on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. At that time, we will exchange hostages in Kyoto!"
This time, even the need to send an escort can be waived!
But Yun Xuanzhi, Chu Feiyang, Prince Chen, and the others all looked serious. Yun Xuanzhi's eyes were filled with confusion, and he immediately asked, "Your Majesty, isn't Northern Qi changing too quickly? While General Weiwu is indeed important, he's still inferior to the status of Prince Rui! And they didn't even wait for us to propose reconciliation. They sent envoys so quickly, and took advantage of the imperial concubine's enthronement ceremony to come to the capital. I'm afraid there's something fishy going on!"
"I wonder if this memorial mentioned whether the idea of reconciliation was proposed by Emperor Ling Xiao or the Crown Prince of Northern Qi!" But Chu Feiyang asked such a question that puzzled everyone!
If the intention of reconciliation does not have the approval of Emperor Ling Xiao, even if Qi Jingyuan is favored by his father, the crown prince cannot overstep his authority in this matter!
After all, sending envoys to reconcile is a very important matter. Northern Qi has already invested a lot of manpower and material resources to support this war. How can it be said that it will give up so easily?
Although the Crown Prince always acts as the Emperor, if the Crown Prince were the only one to make the decision on such a major matter as a truce and peace, I'm afraid none of the officials of Northern Qi would agree!
"This memorial only mentioned the envoys sent by Northern Qi! What has Prime Minister Chu thought of?" Emperor Yugan asked the eunuch to take the memorial to Chu Feiyang for review. He spoke lightly, tapping the table with his right index finger, but many speculations were running through his mind. He must have had doubts in his heart!
Chu Feiyang took the memorial, read it carefully, and then returned it to his father-in-law. He pondered for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, the content of this memorial is quite ordinary! Prince Hai is writing to you now, probably waiting for your decision! And since Northern Qi is proposing a reconciliation, and the hostage exchange is taking place in Kyoto, even if the other party has any ideas, with Kyoto's current defenses, they can handle it! Don't you agree, Prince Chen?"
The contents of the memorial emerged in Chu Feiyang's mind. Everything was just waiting for Emperor Yugan's decision. It could be seen that Hai Chenxi was also a thoughtful person. Otherwise, if he took the initiative to decide on this matter, if something went wrong, the Sea King's Mansion would probably be doomed!
And what he said just now was also a reminder to Emperor Yu Gan that instead of guessing the other party's intentions, it would be better to keep the opponent under his nose to prevent any problems before they happen!
But there was one thing that made Chu Feiyang very curious. Qi Jingyuan was a cruel man. As the commander-in-chief of the war against Western Chu, Qi Jingyuan was the most prestigious pro-war faction in the court. But why didn't he stop Emperor Ling Xiao from issuing the decree of reconciliation this time?
Jiang Muchen did not answer Chu Feiyang's question, but looked at Emperor Yugan and said calmly, "Everything awaits the emperor's decision!"
The meaning is very clear. If Emperor Yugan thinks reconciliation is feasible, he will start mobilizing the city defense army to ensure the safety of Kyoto in the near future! If Emperor Yugan does not approve of reconciliation, then what Chu Feiyang said just now is all empty talk!
Emperor Yugan's eyes couldn't help but swirled between Chu Feiyang and Jiang Muchen. His fingers tapping on the table slowed down slightly, and after a while he spoke, "Since that's the case, Prince Chen, go and make preparations! The safety of Kyoto City is completely in your hands! Recently, all the affairs in the palace have been quite complicated. Concubine Yuande assisted the Queen Mother in managing the harem in the past, so I have ordered someone to bring Concubine Yuande back to the palace for a short stay. She can also give some advice on the matter of the consort's appointment!"
These words were to use Concubine Yuande to blackmail Prince Chen, forcing him not to act rashly. Only if he handled this matter well, would Emperor Yugan let Concubine Yuande return to Prince Chen's Mansion!
After he finished speaking, Emperor Yugan made a slight gesture to the chief eunuch beside him. The eunuch immediately winked at the young eunuch outside the palace. The young eunuch, receiving the instruction, immediately let go of his legs and ran out of the palace...
Jiang Muchen couldn't help but feel angry. Seeing Emperor Yugan's extreme precautions against him, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes, but his expression was as cold as ever. Then he said calmly, "I obey your command!"
"Summon Lord Wu to the Yangxin Palace, and everyone else can disperse!" Emperor Yugan saw that Prince Chen was able to keep his composure, so he waved his hand and asked all the officials to withdraw. Then he ordered Lord Wu, the commander of the imperial guard, to be brought into the Yangxin Palace, probably to discuss the defense matters in the palace!
On the second day, Emperor Yugan issued two imperial edicts in succession!
One is to agree to reconcile with Northern Qi and let Prince Hai personally escort the Northern Qi envoys to the capital of Western Chu to ensure their safety!
The second order was to order that all women from the families of officials of the third rank and above, regardless of whether they were legitimate or illegitimate, could participate in the ceremony of conferring the title of imperial concubine, in order to show the emperor’s virtue of benevolence and love for the people, and also to fulfill his long-cherished wish of sharing happiness with the people of the world!
The two imperial edicts were sent out of the palace at the speed of a meteor, which immediately caused cheers from all over Xi Chu!
After all, if the battle line is extended too long, the burden of heavy taxes and levies on the shoulders of the people will be heavier. Moreover, it was King Rui's own mistake that made him be captured. There seems to be no reason to let the people pay for his stupidity!
Therefore, being able to put out the war is the best thing for the people!
The women from the official families were also very excited. After all, it was such a grand ceremony and Emperor Yu Gan was so gracious that they finally had a legitimate reason to meet other men, as they usually found it difficult to do so. How could they not be happy?
The famous shops, gold shops and clothing factories in Kyoto were all crowded with people. All the shops made a lot of money and everyone was very happy!
On the eighth day of September, Emperor Yugan sent Yun Xuanzhi to meet Prince Hai and others. He was originally standing on the city wall, but when he saw Hai Chenxi's men coming to report, he immediately went down the city wall with the officials behind him, and they all mounted their horses and stood at the city gate waiting!
Prince Hai hurried back to the capital, escorting the envoys from Northern Qi. After meeting Yun Xuanzhi, they slowly stepped into the gate of Kyoto together!
Long before this, Prince Chen had already arranged the city defense work, and the people gathered boldly on both sides of the long street, waiting for Prince Hai to lead the envoys to walk across the bluestone road of the long street!
As everyone expected, Hai Chenxi, dressed in armor and riding a black warhorse, walked into people's sight with a serious expression. Behind him was a delegation of more than 3,000 envoys from Northern Qi!
A carriage wrapped in bright yellow silk followed slowly behind Prince Hai. Everyone's attention was attracted by the eye-catching color. They saw that the carriage was very grand and spacious. It was square in shape, one zhang long and wide. The roof and body of the carriage were made of bright yellow silk that only the royal family could use. The silk was lightly printed with "Dragon Roaring to the Sky". On each side of the car body, there was a light yellow dragon flying in the clouds. People couldn't help but secretly marvel at the grandeur of the Northern Qi royal family!
On the four corners of the eaves below the roof, there are glazed hydrangea palace lanterns hanging. If you look closely, you will find that the glazed hydrangea palace lanterns do not contain red candles, but luminous pearls as big as a baby's fist. If the previous carriage was impressive, then these priceless luminous pearls are now used by the Northern Qi royal family as street lamps, which can only be described as luxurious!
Suddenly, low cries of praise overflowed from the mouths of the people, all of them discussing the strong financial resources of the Northern Qi royal family. Even the night-shining pearls that ordinary people would only see once in their lifetime were used for this purpose!
The person sitting in this carriage was none other than the Crown Prince of Northern Qi, Qi Jingyuan. As the curtains on both sides of the carriage were hung tightly, outsiders could not see his face at all!
Following closely behind Qi Jingyuan's carriage were several smaller carriages. In terms of configuration, those carriages were a grade lower than Qi Jingyuan's carriage. The carriage bodies were no longer wrapped in bright yellow satin, but light yellow brocade. The brocade also lacked lifelike flying dragons, but was only decorated with clouds. Although the palace lanterns on the four corners were also glazed hydrangea palace lanterns, they no longer contained a complete night pearl, but several night pearls of uniform size. Although rare, they were not as priceless as those on Qi Jingyuan's carriage!
Then followed by more than twenty ordinary horse-drawn carriages, probably for officials from the Northern Qi Dynasty!
Finally, they were followed by a group of palace maids, eunuchs and guards, a mighty group of more than 3,000 people. Not to mention the guards who were all mighty and handsome, even the young eunuchs had handsome features, which was a feast for the eyes for the onlookers!
However, it was still early, and the palace banquet to welcome the Northern Qi envoys was scheduled for the evening. Therefore, Yun Xuanzhi first led Qi Jingyuan and others into the embassy, and after settling them to rest for a while, he nodded to Hai Chenxi, indicating that he should immediately follow him back to the palace to report!
The Northern Qi envoys were large in number, and even though they had the help of experienced palace maids and eunuchs sent from the palace, it still took them several hours to finish the mission!
Yun Xuanzhi had been observing Hai Chenxi's expression the entire way. He noticed that he looked rather frighteningly gloomy today. He also noticed that he hadn't seen Prince Rui among the envoys. He pulled the reins to bring his horse closer to Hai Chenxi and whispered, "Prince Hai, where is Prince Rui now?"
Hearing Yun Xuanzhi's question, Hai Chenxi's eyes darkened slightly, and he pursed his lips into a cold smile. He then said, "Prime Minister Yun, you don't think Qi Jingyuan is so confident that he would bring Prince Rui with him under the escort of this prince!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Xuanzhi's face darkened. He knew that Prince Rui did not return to the capital with the main force this time. He thought he would have to worry about it in front of Emperor Yugan later!
Because everyone is busy with the ceremony of conferring the title of Concubine Rong Rong tomorrow, tonight's palace banquet is only open to the Crown Prince of Northern Qi and several accompanying princes and ministers, while from the Western Chu side, only officials of the third rank and above are allowed to attend the banquet!
Although there was nothing important for the daughters of the various families, they would be able to meet the emperor tomorrow. All the young ladies were very excited. They took their new clothes and jewelry and asked their mothers and elders to help them choose, hoping to stand out from the crowd tomorrow!
Yun Qianmeng felt a headache when she saw Mu Chun placing a set of jewelry and the most popular clothes in Kyoto on the bed and carefully matching her outfit for tomorrow!
"Okay, stop working! Tomorrow's protagonist is the eldest daughter of the Rong family. If we dress too conspicuously, we might offend the other daughters as well as the new imperial concubine!" Qu Lingao's matter came to an end, and Yun Qianmeng was half relieved. Now the more important thing is to find the murderer who assassinated Yingqiu and catch the mastermind behind the scenes. This is the way to solve the problem once and for all!
As for this kind of banquet that she could attend at any time, Yun Qianmeng really had no interest in it!
What's more, Western Chu has always had a clear distinction between legitimate and illegitimate daughters, but Emperor Yugan's imperial edict was very strange. The Northern Qi Kingdom sent envoys to negotiate, which was a very solemn event. If the legitimate daughters participated, there would be nothing wrong with it. Why did Emperor Yugan allow the illegitimate daughters of each family to participate as well? Does this contain other meanings?
Therefore, it is better to dress casually for tomorrow's celebration and palace banquet to avoid any misunderstandings!
At this time, the little girl waiting outside came in to announce that Yun Yiyi had arrived. Before Yun Qianmeng could speak, she heard Yun Yiyi's voice coming in!
"Big sister is as beautiful as a fairy, on par with Princess Hai Tian. If sister dresses up carefully, she will surely outshine all the other beauties!" Yun Yiyi walked in with her maid. When she saw the gauze dress made of ice silk in Mu Chun's hand, the envy and jealousy in her eyes almost burned her entire eyeballs. Then, seeing Yun Qianmeng's nonchalant look, she felt nauseous and scolded Yun Qianmeng for not cherishing the blessing in front of her, but she couldn't help but feel pity for her. How great it would be if she was her uncle's eldest daughter!
Seeing Yun Yiyi's burning gaze, Mu Chun stared at the purple plum blossom embroidered dress in her hand with longing. She couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied with Yun Yiyi. Even if she coveted the eldest lady's status and things, Yun Yiyi seemed to be expressing it too obviously!
Moreover, every time he entered and left the eldest lady's inner room, he was so rude, which was really annoying!
"Please sit down! Sister, you'd better be careful with your words and actions. Although this is only at home, who knows if your remarks today will be spread to the Prime Minister's Mansion? If you offend the princess then, wouldn't it indirectly harm the future of your two cousins?" Yun Qianmeng took the bookmark and put it between the pages of the book she had just read, then closed the book and spoke lightly!
Upon hearing Yun Qianmeng's words, Yun Yiyi felt as if she had a brain hemorrhage. Fortunately, Yun Qianmeng said it so sincerely, but who knew that Yun Qianmeng and Hai Tian had been at odds for a long time, and now she actually put all the responsibility on her head. What a cunning Yun Qianmeng!
Suppressing the anger in her heart, Yun Yiyi retracted her envious gaze, then lowered her brows and eyes, and said pitifully, "Yiyi will remember what you said, sister! However, in Yiyi's heart, I envy you very much!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Qianmeng understood in her heart that Yun Yiyi must have been anxious for several days regarding the imperial edict to attend the ceremony!
Although she is living in the Prime Minister's Residence now, she cannot attend tomorrow's palace banquet because her second uncle does not hold an official title. She came here now, probably to discuss countermeasures with me!
After all, if Yun Yiyi could find a good marriage, it would lay a good foundation for the future of brothers Yun Yiheng and Yun Yijie!
Yun Qianmeng took a sip from the teacup, letting the tea flow into her stomach before she slowly spoke, "Why envy others? As long as you study the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting diligently, and become famous in Kyoto in the future, why worry about not finding a good match?"
Yun Qianmeng immediately understood what Yun Yiyi was thinking, causing a hint of surprise to flash across Yun Yiyi's lowered eyes. Her heart trembled slightly, and just thinking about music, chess, calligraphy and painting gave her a headache!
Why should she have to work so hard to get a chance to become famous, even if she didn't know whether it would happen or not, while Yun Qianmeng was born as a rich lady who attracted everyone's attention? Isn't this difference too unfair?
If she could find a good husband and be a housekeeper for life, what would be the use of all those arts?
What the world sees is a person's identity, background and status. Those things used for entertainment are just icing on the cake!
Gritting her teeth secretly, Yun Yiyi actually stood up and immediately knelt on both knees in front of Yun Qianmeng, tears still in her eyes, she said, "Since you know the purpose of Yiyi's visit today, please help me! Yiyi has no other thoughts, just wants to see the majesty of the royal family, that's all! I don't ask to enter the palace as a young lady, even if I have to pretend to be a maid by your side, I am willing to do so! Please pity Yiyi and have mercy on Yiyi!"
This action was somewhat unexpected to Yun Qianmeng. Yun Yiyi always had a ladylike temper. She would only see people kneeling to her, but never kneeling to others!
But I didn't expect that today she would actually kneel down in front of me in order to attend the palace banquet!
If I don't agree, it will be seen as inhumane and cold-blooded if it gets out!
But if I agree, and something goes wrong with Yun Yiyi in the palace, then I will probably be responsible for it!
At this time, Yun Yiyi was also very nervous, fearing that Yun Qianmeng would refuse. After all, she had already knelt today. If Yun Qianmeng still did not agree, she would lose face!
"Cough cough cough..." Unexpectedly, Yun Qianmeng actually coughed a few times at this time!
Mu Chun immediately put down the dress in her hands, picked up the silk cape beside her, walked behind Yun Qianmeng, and carefully put it on her body, saying with concern, "Miss, please be careful and be careful not to catch a cold! It's autumn now, and the temperature difference between day and night is large. Miss, you can't get sick because of craving for coolness!"
Yun Qianmeng waved at Mu Chun, indicating that she was fine. She then bent down to help Yun Yiyi up, and said with some embarrassment, "Of course I understand your intentions! But you can see that my body is not working well. I just opened the window for a while and I already have some signs of catching a cold. I'm not sure if I can attend the palace banquet tomorrow! If you really want to, why don't you go see Ruoxue? I believe she won't let you down!"
As she spoke, Yun Qianmeng coughed a few more times until her face turned red. Then she drank a sip of tea to suppress the discomfort in her heart!
"Fourth Miss, our young lady is indeed unwell. Please go back! The eldest lady needs to rest!" Mu Chun saw Yun Qianmeng's gesture to her, and spoke smartly. She called in the two little girls at the door, and helped Yun Yiyi out of Qiluo Garden!
"Miss, are you really okay?" Yun Yiyi was forcibly taken away, but Mu Chun looked at Yun Qianmeng worriedly!
Yun Qianmeng's expression immediately returned to normal, but a strange light flashed in her eyes. She told Mu Chun to tidy up the clothes and jewelry on the bed, and then she sat in front of the dressing table, picked up the rouge she had never used, and carefully studied it...
At Chou time on the second day, all the mansions began to get busy. Carriages of various colors set out from the gates of each mansion, carrying the young ladies and ladies of their families to the palace gate!
Yun Yiyi didn't know what method she used, but she actually made Yun Ruoxue agree to take her into the palace. She was seen dressed up as Yun Ruoxue's maid, and got on the carriage right after Yun Ruoxue and Yun Yan!
But the night before, Mu Chun had already reported to Yun Xuanzhi that Yun Qianmeng had suddenly caught a cold and would not be able to attend the banquet the next day!
That night, Yun Xuanzhi invited a doctor to take Yun Qianmeng's pulse. He still hoped that Yun Qianmeng could attend the palace banquet the next day, but the doctor said that it was not suitable to go out in such weather. Yun Xuanzhi was very disappointed and could only agree to let Yun Qianmeng recuperate in the mansion!
Without Yun Qianmeng, Yun Ruoxue's expression was full of arrogance. She looked at Yun Yan who was silent in the carriage, and then glanced at Yun Yiyi who was dressed as a maid with disdain. Yun Ruoxue suddenly felt that she had won the battle, so she did not cause trouble for the two of them. The three of them got off the carriage peacefully when it arrived at the palace gate!
As soon as she got off the carriage, Yun Ruoxue saw Su Qianyue, who was dressed in a gorgeous dress. She immediately left behind Yun Yan, who had just stepped out of the carriage, and walked to Su Qianyue's side, smiling and saying, "Cousin!"
Su Qianyue turned slightly and saw that it was Yun Ruoxue. However, she didn't smile as enthusiastically as usual. She just curled her lips slightly. Then she looked past Yun Ruoxue and looked behind her. She asked in a rather cold tone, "Where is your eldest sister? Why can't I see her?"
Yun Ruoxue was slightly displeased when she saw Su Qianyue's cold attitude towards her. She replied with a hint of annoyance, "Why would you do anything for her if you have nothing to do? She's unlucky. She said she caught a cold last night and couldn't even get out of bed this morning. If you still want her to enter the palace like this, wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Prime Minister's Mansion?"
However, after listening to Yun Ruoxue's nagging, Su Qianyue took her maid to the other young ladies, leaving Yun Ruoxue standing there awkwardly. Yun Ruoxue's face turned slightly red with anger, and she bit her lower lip hard with her teeth. It took her a long time to take her eyes off Su Qianyue's back, and she didn't understand why Su Qianyue was so indifferent to her today!
"Second sister, let's go over there quickly and line up!" At this time, Yun Yiyi, who had waited for a long time but did not see Yun Ruoxue move, spoke anxiously, and even reached out to grab Yun Ruoxue's sleeve, pulling it hard a few times to remind her!
Anyway, she wasn't wearing fancy clothes today, so naturally she couldn't bear to see Yun Ruoxue stand out too much, so she used this name to wrinkle Yun Ruoxue's dress!
'Pah!' Yun Ruoxue was no fool, so she naturally saw through Yun Yiyi's little trick. She even reached out and violently opened Yun Yiyi's hand in public, saying sternly, "How can you be so careless, little girl? You wrinkled my clothes, can you afford to pay for it? Take it with you to the carriage, Xier will take care of it here!"
Yun Yiyi didn't expect Yun Ruoxue to be so ungrateful and embarrass her in front of all the ladies!
However, she couldn't reveal her identity in this situation, so she could only kneel down in front of Yun Ruoxue, crying and begging for mercy, "Miss, I was wrong. I won't dare to do it again! Please let me follow you!"
As she spoke, tears began to fall from her eyes. However, her last sentence caused the young ladies and maids around her to look at her with contempt!
"I didn't expect that this girl is also trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful! Miss Yun, you are really magnanimous. You dare to use such a girl!" A lady dressed in a very noble manner spoke slowly. The cherry-like mouth behind the silk had already been cracked to the maximum extent. She was not only mocking Yun Yiyi, but also laughing at Yun Ruoxue!
Hearing this, Yun Yiyi's face turned pale instantly, while Yun Ruoxue's eyes flashed with anger. She winked at Xier, asking her to force Yun Yiyi into the carriage. Only then did she re-enter the circle of aristocratic ladies!
Fortunately, it is not yet fully light, otherwise if others recognize Yun Yiyi, the Prime Minister's Mansion will lose face!
At this time, a gorgeous carriage slowly drove over. When everyone saw the word "Hai" embroidered on the carriage, they knew that Hai Tian had arrived!
When the carriage arrived at the palace gate, a sedan chair was immediately carried out. Hai Tian walked out of the carriage with a beautiful face. It was still early and the vision was still a little dim, but Hai Tian's appearance made all the young ladies pale in comparison, especially her expensive but lightweight ice silk dark purple floor-length dress, which made all the young ladies look admiringly!
Only the Sea King's Palace has the financial resources to allow Hai Tian to stand out from others just by dressing well!
As soon as Hai Tian stepped out of the carriage, a palace eunuch stepped forward, knelt on one knee and greeted Hai Tian with a shy smile, and then said in a friendly manner, "Her Majesty the Dowager Concubine Yuande has been waiting for the princess for a long time, and has specially ordered this servant to wait for the princess here!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the officials' ladies and wives were in an uproar. Although they did not talk loudly in order to maintain their image, everyone had mixed feelings in their hearts, and there was more hostility in their eyes when they looked at Hai Tian!
The most obvious ones were Su Qianyue and Qu Jingqing who had arrived earlier. Their faces turned slightly pale, and their eyes were filled with hatred for Hai Tian's good luck!
After the eunuch finished speaking, he immediately moved aside and walked to Hai Tian's right side. He respectfully raised his left arm for Hai Tian to use so that he could help her sit in the sedan chair!
Hai Tian had never thought that Concubine Yuande would actually have someone waiting here. She felt unhappy for a moment, but she couldn't offend Concubine Yuande in front of everyone. She said with some embarrassment, "I appreciate your kindness, Concubine! However, there is only one sedan chair. If Hai Tian rides in it, what will happen to my mother?"
The eunuch had already come prepared. He clasped his hands together and clapped them twice in the air. Then, another sedan chair was carried out from behind the city wall by four strong eunuchs!
It seems that Concubine Yuande will not give up unless she sees Hai Tian today!
"In that case, let's go and pay our respects to the Queen Mother!" At this time, the Princess of the Sea stepped out of the carriage and spoke with a smile on her face!
When everyone saw her come out, they half-knelt and saluted, "Greetings to the Sea Princess, and to the Princess!"
"Everyone, get up!" Princess Hai smiled lightly and spoke gently, then led Hai Tian into two sedan chairs one after another. The eunuch immediately ordered people to hold them steady and took them to the bedroom of Concubine Yuande!
"I'm so lucky to have the favor of Concubine Yuande!" A young lady said with a hint of sourness!
"That's right. It is said that Concubine Yuande was not satisfied with the previous Yun Qianmeng. It turns out that she has set her eyes on Princess Haitian! In terms of status and position, Yun Qianmeng is not bad either, but she does not have the eyes of Concubine Yuande!" Another young lady felt sorry for Yun Qianmeng, and at the same time envied Haitian's good life!
"What nonsense are you talking about! Does the Concubine Dowager want to marry anyone she sees? Your vision is too superficial!" Xing Jindie, who was beside Su Qianyue, could no longer hold back and retorted!
The young lady glanced at Su Qianyue mockingly, then stared at Su Qianyue's slightly nervous face and said, "At least Princess Haitian isn't rushing to Prince Chen's Mansion!"
Hearing this, Su Qianyue's hands holding the handkerchief suddenly tightened, and a dangerous light flashed in her eyes. The lady who spoke was not a fearful person. Instead, she laughed at Su Qianyue coldly with an even more sarcastic look!
Xing Jindie wanted to speak, but was stopped by Su Qianyue, who pulled her to a place with fewer people!
"Sister Yue, why are you afraid of that little bitch?" Xing Jindie was dissatisfied with Su Qianyue's evasive attitude and complained unhappily!
"Why bother to compete with such a person? Even if you defeat her verbally, can it help Lord Xing get a promotion?" But Su Qianyue has calmed down now. Ever since the emperor removed her name card, it is hopeless for her to enter the palace as a concubine in this life. That's why she turned her target to Prince Chen. As long as she can marry into Prince Chen's mansion, isn't she afraid that she will not find a reason to deal with that bitch just now?
But now we are at the palace gate. If it is reported that I have said bad things to someone, won’t my image be completely ruined?
Besides, it is a good thing that Yun Qianmeng is not here today, so that she won’t cause any trouble and cause trouble for others.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com