After the words fell, several people stayed where they were. Well, the melon was eaten by the real owner.
But isn’t this a bit too different from the rumors?
A few people looked at Lan Shuang again, not believing it, but Lan Shuang didn't care and let them look openly.
She dressed up nicely when she went out today. Since her facial features were already very delicate, she didn't need to put on any makeup. Just a light sweep of her eyebrows, the outline of her brow peaks, and a touch of red lips would make her look bright and charming.
She focused most of her attention on her hair bun. This time she wore a low bun, similar to the fallen horse bun, but more dignified. A pair of golden butterfly hairpins were symmetrically inserted at the back, and she wore a hollow golden crown with a phoenix pattern on her head. A little red chalcedony hung on her forehead, reflecting her bright eyes and white teeth, making her look extremely beautiful.
In addition, she has changed her core, becoming more confident and fearless, and her temperament has changed. She is much more beautiful than before. No wonder the person who spoke did not recognize her.
"Are you Princess Ming?" the woman asked suspiciously, still seeming unconvinced.
Zhen Han finally found a chance to act. She stepped forward and shouted, "How dare you! You don't even show respect to the princess when you see her?"
This voice finally brought everyone back to their senses, and they greeted each other as if they had just woken up from a dream.
"Your humble servant greets Her Majesty the Princess—"
Lan Shuang looked at the woman opposite her, who bowed reluctantly: "Greetings, Princess."
Lan Shuang finally nodded in satisfaction. "No need to be polite. Today is the Empress's Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet. For her sake, I will not bother with your slandering me behind my back. I hope you will read more and talk less when you return home."
"Remember the princess's teachings."
The men straightened up. The woman in the lead seemed a little dissatisfied, but someone behind her pulled her back and whispered, "No matter what, she's still a princess on the imperial jade disc. Are you challenging her? Do you want to live?"
The woman gritted her teeth and finally closed her mouth.
Lan Shuang stretched out her hand, and Zhen Han immediately gave it to her. Lan Shuang took it and left with a smile.
At this time, she couldn't help but sigh with 888: "It was really good to have power and influence in ancient times. At least you wouldn't be bullied so easily."
888: "Yeah, look at the mission identity I chose for you, the host. Otherwise, we would be in trouble."
Lan Shuang: "? Isn't the original owner miserable? She's in this situation now, but I took the lead, right?"
888: “…”
Okay, that's right.
Lan Shuang walked along the path into the chrysanthemum garden and saw many people, most of whom were unmarried young men and women. It was more like a chrysanthemum viewing banquet or a blind date meeting.
"This servant greets Princess Ming and pays his respects to her."
A pretty palace maid came over and saluted Lan Shuang. Lan Shuang smiled and said, "No need to be polite. You are——"
"I am Yunxi, the maidservant beside the Queen. Her Majesty invites the Princess to come in for a chat. Please follow me."
"Lead the way."
Lan Shuang followed Yun Xi around the octagonal pavilion and entered a side hall. This should be the place where the queen rested. It was very spacious, with precious incense burning inside, and at first glance, all they could see were priceless porcelains.
What a queen who knows how to enjoy life.
"Empress, Princess Ming is here." Yunxi lifted the curtain and shouted inside.
"Please come in." The queen's voice was neither too high nor too low, and sounded calm as if she were in a superior position.
"Princess, please—"
"Hmm." Lan Shuang replied softly, and quickly entered the inner room. After walking around a screen, she saw the queen sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of tea slowly. When she heard the noise, she raised her head slightly, glanced at her, and smiled slightly: "You are here, no need to bow, sit down."
Lan Shuang nodded: "Thank you, Queen."
She sat down on the stool brought by the palace maid and looked at the queen inconspicuously. Although she was old, she could still see the charm of her youth. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes did not affect her beauty. The queen must have been a top-notch beauty back then, right?
When the queen looked over, Lan Shuang withdrew her gaze and pretended to look at her hands in a docile manner.
Then she heard a soft sigh.
"Xiao Baba, let me tell you, words that begin with a sigh usually don't say anything good."
888 was confused: "Ah? What do you mean?"
Lan Shuang snorted. "There are usually only two ways to start this kind of conversation. Either they express their misfortune about your situation, say thank you for your hard work, and then take your hand to try and get closer to you. Or they try to get close to you first, then complain, ultimately achieving their goal."
888 thought thoughtfully: "Then what kind of person does the host think the queen is?"
Lan Shuang: "I bet fifty cents it's the former."
888: "I bet it's the latter."
Lan Shuang smiled: "Okay, then we'll see."
The next moment, the Queen really pulled Lan Shuang's hand over, holding it in her own. She patted the back of her hand with her other hand and whispered, "You've been through a lot in Prince Ming's Mansion these days, haven't you? Old Nine's temper really made things difficult for you."
Lan Shuang's little self laughed wildly in his heart, his hands on his hips: "Look, what did I say!"
888: "It's a routine indeed! Host, those storybooks you read were not in vain."
"That's right." Lan Shuang smiled and pretended to be serious.
"Your Majesty, why do you say that? The prince treats me very well."
Lan Shuang glanced at the Queen as she spoke, hesitated to speak, and lowered her head, truly showing the appearance of a little punched bag.
The Queen immediately revealed an expression that said, "I knew it." She waved her hand, forcing the maids to leave. Only the two of them were left in the palace. "Now that there are no outsiders, you don't have to hide anything anymore. After all, I'm your sister-in-law. We're family, so let's not talk about it. If you've been wronged, just tell me and I'll take care of it for you."
Her words were sincere and her eyes were gentle, and she seemed to be a truly tolerant and kind sister-in-law.
Lan Shuang was slightly moved, and tears seemed to well up in her eyes when she looked at her, "My Lady..."
"Ah," the Queen replied, "It's easy to imagine. Old Nine has a very hot-tempered and impatient personality, easily ignited, like a firecracker. I thought he'd become more restrained after getting married, but I didn't expect that incident with Liu Lang to happen again. I'm really sorry for you. If it weren't for your cleverness, you wouldn't even have the chance to sit in front of me right now."
Lan Shuang picked up the handkerchief and pressed the corners of her eyes.
The queen's eyes flickered slightly when she saw this. It seemed that the couple were indeed incompatible in appearance and spirit.
After thinking for a moment, she tentatively asked the question that concerned the emperor the most, "Have you consummated your marriage?"
Lan Shuang looked up anxiously, a little embarrassed, then lowered her head again, shook her head, and said hesitantly: "No, the prince doesn't like me and has never come to my courtyard to sleep."
The queen covered her mouth in feigned surprise, then frowned, "Ah? How could this be?"
Lan Shuang: “…”
"888, I can't go on like this. The Queen's acting is too exaggerated! If this were in modern times, she'd definitely be the queen of bad movies!"
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