Chapter 98
Perhaps only Princess Wenyi remained calm, while Princess Changning's face showed obvious shock.
She didn't understand what His Majesty meant. Not only did he not punish Lady Jiangyang, but he also ordered a maid to help her change her clothes. Did His Majesty favor her?
Thinking of this, Princess Changning's face showed not only surprise but also a hint of anger.
How could this be? How could it be allowed?
If we were to ask who Princess Changning admired most and liked most, it would undoubtedly be the late Empress.
The legendary most beautiful woman in the world!
Princess Changning had heard legends about him since she was a child. The three famous brothers, the once-powerful Prince Yu, the God of War Yang Yan, and Lord Du, as well as their emperor, had all been jealous of her.
Countless literary figures wrote poems and lyrics in praise of her beauty.
The phrase "beauty that could topple kingdoms" is more than just an adjective when describing her; the reason she was so devastated was because she brought down a nation.
After her death, Prince Yu committed suicide out of love, and their emperor remained chaste for her. Yang Yan was stationed at the border and never returned to the capital.
How could Princess Changning not yearn for such a legendary figure?
But now, the emperor, who has served her for generations, may have a new woman, and that woman is none other than the Lady of Jiangyang, whom she has just begun to like.
This left her feeling very conflicted. She felt that the little vixen had overshadowed the white moonlight in her heart, and she felt uncomfortable everywhere.
Princess Changning was sulking, and the quiet atmosphere in the guest hall was subtly filled with a restless energy.
Everyone present had heard the maid's report and began to speculate about the relationship between Emperor Chengyuan and Lady Jiangyang.
Most of the women thought this was impossible and unbelievable.
Emperor Chengyuan's affection for the late Empress was evident to all. Many people could not enter Emperor Chengyuan's heart. How could an orphan girl, who was already married, possibly win Emperor Chengyuan's favor?
Compared to the idea that Emperor Chengyuan had taken a liking to Lady Jiangyang, they were more inclined to believe that Emperor Chengyuan valued the Marquis of Jiangyang and was giving his wife a break, which was also quite unbelievable.
Only Yu Yingyan and the others, who had just met Rong Rong, were quite certain that Emperor Chengyuan had taken a liking to Lady Jiangyang.
It seems absurd, but it's the closest to the truth.
Don't say that Emperor Chengyuan was infatuated with the late Empress. With such extreme beauty, no matter how deep your feelings were, you couldn't resist the charm of Lady Jiangyang.
That's practically poison, a more terrifying kind of poison than love potion, domineering enough to make you fall in love with the other person without any resistance, and become infatuated with her.
Therefore, it is best for people with lovers not to see her. As for those who see her but are destined not to have her, it is hard to know whether to be happy or sad.
At this moment, Yu Yingyan and the others truly understood what it meant to be smitten at first sight, or to be doomed if they never met.
Even knowing that if the beauty's side wasn't His Majesty, it would be someone else, and it was unlikely to be them, they were still restless, filled with worry, jealousy, distress, and sorrow.
Yu Yingyan concealed the smile on his lips, his face turning cold and stern. He gripped the folding fan tightly in his hand, regretting that he hadn't been bold enough to stop the person earlier.
Lou Boshan's body temperature was even lower, his thin lips were pressed into a straight line, and his already icy face became even more unusually cold.
The reactions of everyone in the guest hall were observed by others. Some gritted their teeth inwardly, thinking that it was truly a miracle that the Lady of Jiangyang was still alive after all this.
Mu Fangfang tried her best to keep smiling, but the venomous glint in her eyes twisted her smile.
Why? On what grounds? Why does everyone treat Rong Rong differently?
Rong Rong is clearly vicious, with a heart of a snake, and she still tries to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. She should be despised by everyone. Why should anyone like her?
Look at these young masters from noble families, all of them are obsessed with her, they're all a bunch of scoundrels!
Mu Fangfang's eyes were cold and sinister, a far cry from her usual aloof and divine physician image. However, no one paid attention to her at the moment, as everyone's attention was focused on Emperor Chengyuan and Rong Rong.
Just as everyone was lost in thought, the Grand Princess rushed over.
"Mother!" Princess Changning rose to greet her guiltily, and everyone else followed suit.
The Grand Princess patted her daughter's head to comfort her, then sat down without making a sound, her eyes filled with an unfathomable darkness.
She really underestimated that woman. She doesn't know whether today's events are a blessing or a curse.
The arrival of the Grand Princess made the room quiet and somewhat oppressive; everyone held their breath and waited silently.
At the same time, in the Imperial Study, His Highness the Crown Prince, who was temporarily overseeing the country, finally finished reviewing the memorials that had accumulated over the past few days.
He relaxed his body and inadvertently glanced at a scroll on the bookshelf.
That was a portrait of the late Empress that the Emperor often looked at.
Originally, the Emperor wanted to take the painting with him when he went to the Lotus Garden, but he devised a plan to leave the painting behind.
If we keep reminding him of his past, Father's health will suffer.
His Highness the Crown Prince frowned, and as if possessed, he got up and walked towards the scroll.
He harbored resentment towards someone, but at the same time, he was also very curious: what kind of woman could make his father so infatuated with her? Even to the point of giving up power and the empire?
The most beautiful woman in the world? Isn't that too much of an exaggeration? He's seen plenty of beautiful women before. They can arouse desire, but that's all they are. Once you see too many, you get tired of them. They're fine for spice in life, but power is much more appealing.
The prince picked up the scroll and slowly unfurled it until the entire painting was fully revealed before his eyes.
Quiet, utterly quiet.
Perhaps there was also the sound of a thunderous heartbeat, but only the Crown Prince himself could hear it.
After an unknown amount of time, a sound came from outside the door, and the Crown Prince finally blinked his sore eyes.
He took a deep breath, calmly rolled up the painting, and put it back in its original place.
"Your Highness, Lord Zhang requests an audience!" came the voice of a palace attendant from outside the door.
The crown prince replied coldly, sitting upright at his desk.
Lord Zhang bowed his head and entered the Imperial Study. After exchanging greetings, he began to discuss matters concerning the border.
The prince was in a daze, his mind filled with only the portrait he had just seen.
What a beauty, the most beautiful woman in the world! Could there really be such a woman in this world?
It turns out it wasn't that he loved power more, but rather that the beauties he had previously encountered were too ordinary.
If he were facing the late Empress, he would probably do the same as his father.
All the previous resentment vanished in an instant, leaving only deep regret that he had not been able to see the other person.
There is also the unforgettable heartache, the pain of the other person's untimely death.
The saying "beautiful women often have tragic fates" has never struck him as deeply as he had ever felt the regret and sorrow it evoked.
If... the other party were still alive, if he were to ascend the throne...
At this point, the crown prince dared not think any further.
His gaze was heavy as he tried his best to restrain himself, attempting to banish the image of the late empress from his mind.
He wanted to return to being the qualified crown prince who cared for the southern frontier and prioritized the country, without indulging in personal desires or harboring evil thoughts.
The crown prince tried hard to suppress his chaotic thoughts, but he didn't know that some things become more rampant the more they are suppressed, and more insane the more they are restrained.
From the moment he saw the portrait, he was no longer the same person he used to be.
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