"This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress!" Jiang Chuwei clasped her hands together and performed a standard kneeling bow.
The Empress smiled and said, "Miss Jiang is indeed a beauty. No wonder Prince Yu, with his aloof nature, would fall for her."
The Empress's friendly tone made people think that she was very approachable!
She seemed to have forgotten that the person on the ground was still kneeling.
Princess Qingning spoke up promptly: "Aunt Empress, Prince Yu is very fond of Sister Jiang. He would be heartbroken if Sister Jiang bumped or bruised herself, especially since she's kneeling."
The Empress seemed to have just remembered: "Get up! Look at my memory!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Jiang Chuwei stood up.
The princess and Jiang Chuwei exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.
The banner of the Prince of Yu is really useful.
"Please take a seat."
Jiang Chuwei placed her hands on her knees, her posture upright and graceful. Her fingers were long and slender, her nails neatly trimmed. Her gaze was focused and lowered towards the Empress, as if she were waiting to hear the Empress's teachings.
The Empress looked at Jiang Chuwei: "Miss Jiang, your beauty is so outstanding. It's a pity that the Lady of Pingyang Marquis has kept you hidden for so many years, causing me to miss the opportunity to get to know you."
This was intentional; the Empress was reminding Jiang Chuwei that she had been married before.
Jiang Chuwei was now certain that the Empress disliked her intensely.
She went through it in her mind; the General's Mansion and the Crown Prince's Palace had no animosity.
That is, the Empress disliked Prince Yu.
As the mother of the nation, the emperor had just bestowed a marriage upon her, and she was so eager to summon her to the palace to humiliate her. Wasn't that a bit too shallow of her mind?
Jiang Chuwei said slowly, "Is Your Majesty mistaken? There is no Marquis of Pingyang's residence in the capital."
Before his execution, the Marquis of Pingyang had already been demoted to a commoner.
Is the Empress questioning the Emperor's decision by repeatedly mentioning the Marquis of Pingyang's residence?
If these words were to reach the Emperor, the Empress would also be reprimanded by him.
Jiang Chuwei thought to herself. Since the Empress's visit was ill-intentioned, there was no need to give her too much face.
In any case, she didn't openly contradict him; she simply answered truthfully.
Princess Qingning quickly added, "The Empress may not know, but the Pingyang Marquis's mansion no longer exists. Their family was convicted and executed."
The Empress said awkwardly, "In that case, I really am getting old. It hasn't been that long, and I've already forgotten."
"It's alright. As long as it wasn't intentional on the part of your aunt, I'm sure your uncle won't mind."
The Empress took a liking to Princess Qingning, wanting to see if she was truly innocent or doing it on purpose.
Unexpectedly, Princess Qingning had a completely innocent and guileless expression on her face.
It seems this person is really missing a screw in their head.
"Miss Jiang will become the Princess Consort of Yu in the future. You must always keep the etiquette of the palace in mind. I will send a few governesses to the General's Mansion to teach you etiquette." The Empress looked at Jiang Chuwei sitting upright and was secretly surprised. She had done very well.
But how could the Empress miss such a golden opportunity to torment her?
Sending a few governesses to the General's Mansion to "torture" the Empress for a few days in a legitimate way would also relieve her pent-up anger.
"Your Majesty, Prince Yu has already asked Princess Xiang to find a governess to teach me etiquette, so there is no need for Your Majesty to worry about it."
They raised the banner of the Prince of Yu once again.
"Wow, Sister Jiang! Brother Prince Yu is so considerate!" Princess Qingning exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
The two sang in perfect harmony, their voices blending seamlessly.
The Empress was displeased: "I didn't expect the Princess Consort of Xiang to be so concerned about the Prince of Yu, even hiring a governess. These things should have been done by me."
The implication is that the Princess Consort of Xiang is being too nosy, and that she is the proper mother-in-law.
Princess Qingning immediately defended her mother: "Mother has always been very good to Prince Yu, but I don't know why he isn't close to Father and Mother?"
This means that it is only natural for the mother to think of Prince Yu's interests, after all, the relationship between Princess Xiang and Prince Yu's birth mother is well known.
This also indicates that Prince Yu had no dealings with Prince Xiang's residence.
Even if the empress wanted to take it from the wrong place, she couldn't.
The Empress has once again taken a liking to Princess Qingning. Is she really as innocent as she seems?
Why does every sentence seem to imply an attempt to excuse oneself?
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your thoughtful consideration. I will definitely learn the palace etiquette well and not bring shame to the royal family."
Jiang Chuwei replied respectfully that she was being careful in everything she did, for fear that the Empress would use her mistakes to make a fuss.
Princess Qingning gave the impression of being like an eagle protecting its chicks today.
The Empress looked at the two of them and thought, "Never mind. It's not easy to make a move in Fengyi Palace. There's plenty of time in the future. Why worry about not finding a fault with her?"
"Miss Jiang, this is your first time visiting the palace. Why don't you stroll around with the princess?" the Empress suggested.
The princess, unusually, did not contradict the empress. She immediately said, "Sister Jiang! Qingning will take you around."
She had originally planned to go shopping with Jiang Chuwei today.
The palace is indeed a beautiful sight to behold.
Jiang Chuwei initially wanted to refuse, but then thought better of it.
The Empress should always be given face.
Regardless of the Empress's intentions, I just need to be extra careful.
The Empress summoned her trusted confidante: "Take Miss Jiang around and let her get familiar with the palace. She'll be coming to the palace many more times in the future."
"Your Majesty, Qingning wishes to stroll through the Imperial Garden alone with Sister Jiang today. Perhaps we should skip the others. Your Majesty wouldn't want to spoil Qingning's mood, would you?"
Princess Qingning looked longingly at the Empress.
The Empress pondered that Jiang Chuwei was determined to sever ties with her.
"Go ahead! Don't let your impulsive nature lead Miss Jiang astray."
After paying their respects to the Empress, Princess Qingning quickly pulled Jiang Chuwei away from Fengyi Palace.
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