Princess Chunhui assumed she had hit the nail on the head; otherwise, why would Li Shiyue blush? Thinking this, Princess Chunhui's expression grew even more disdainful. Now that Xu Yunci had seen through his cousin's intentions, he was determined to thank her properly.
She had just turned her head when she met Xu Yunci's icy gaze with a joyful expression.
She couldn't help but take a half step back, and if it weren't for the maid's support, she would have almost lost her footing and fallen to the ground. She knew that Xu Yunci was aloof and didn't care about any young ladies, but just now his gaze was deep and unfathomable, as if he were looking at those inanimate objects.
"Brother Li Ze..."
Xu Yunci didn't even look at her, and walked up to Li Shiyue: "You two go back first."
Li Shiyue nodded slightly and glanced at Princess Chunhui, whose face was full of injury and surprise: "Okay."
As the three sisters entered the Duke's mansion, Xu Yunci's slightly gentle expression instantly turned cold, as if it had just been an illusion.
He finally looked at Princess Chunhui with a reluctant gaze, but his phoenix eyes were full of indifference: "Please be careful with your words, Your Highness. My cousin is not yet married; do not tarnish her reputation."
"There is a difference between men and women. Your Highness, please do not call me by my courtesy name. Call me Crown Prince, or simply by my given name."
"Your Majesty, I am merely the heir of the Rongguo Duke's mansion, an outsider, and unworthy of being addressed as 'brother' by Your Majesty. With so many people coming and going, it is not appropriate for the Xu family to receive guests today. I urge Your Majesty to be mindful of this."
He told her to respect herself?
Princess Chunhui's eyes instantly filled with tears, and she shouted angrily, "Xu Lizhe!"
Is he an idiot? She's been trying to meet up with him all these years, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Does Xu Yunci not know her feelings for him?
She stared intently at Xu Yunci, hoping to find a flaw in his expression, but she found none. Angrily shoving aside the maid, she got into the carriage and shouted, "Back to the palace!"
Princess Chunhui sat in the carriage, seemingly sulking and refusing to look outside.
Whether it is the outer city or the inner city of the imperial city, the Funing Hall where the emperor resides and the Kunning Hall where the empress resides are located on the same central line.
Kunning Palace was the center, and the twelve palaces to the east and west, along with the thirty-six gardens, were the residences of the imperial concubines. Consort Fu's palace, Pixiang Palace, was the most magnificent part of the Western Six Palaces.
When the Emperor was still the Crown Prince, Consort Fu was a concubine and the daughter of a marquis. She only had Princess Chunhui as her daughter. After the Emperor ascended the throne, he conferred upon her the title of Consort.
Palace affairs were all in the hands of the Crown Princess in Chonghua Palace. Consort Fu was already over forty years old, but she did not look like a woman who had given birth. Years of maintenance and pampered life made her look like a young woman in her early twenties.
"Did Chunhui leave the palace again today?"
Consort Fu's voice was melodious, with a slight upward tilt at the end, and her peach-pink eye makeup added a touch of alluring charm.
A young woman beside him nodded and took the handkerchief from the palace maid.
Consort Fu frowned slightly: "Did you go to see Prince Xu again?"
The young woman looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, and her features were very similar to those of Consort Fu. She smiled slightly and was more dignified than Princess Chunhui: "How could Her Majesty not know what my cousin is thinking? Today, Prince Xu is on leave and has probably gone to the Rongguo Duke's mansion."
“Your Highness is seventeen this year. The customs of the Great Yong are open, and most girls get married at seventeen or eighteen. Princess Chonghua married the Crown Prince at eighteen. Your Highness should also find a suitable match for Your Highness.”
Consort Fu raised her hand to her forehead, her ten fingers slender and white like scallions: "How could I not know? But you have seen it all these years, I'm afraid it's just that I have feelings for him but he doesn't reciprocate."
“Chunhui is my only daughter, how can I not plan for her? Although the Emperor has four sons and one daughter, after the Emperor passes away, none of the four, including the Crown Prince, will be Chunhui’s brothers from the same mother. It’s a pity that I don’t have a prince of my own.”
"Chunhui is a princess, but to put it bluntly, she's just a girl. Her personality is so spoiled by the emperor that she can't handle anything."
Consort Fu looked worried and took the young woman's hand, saying, "Yun Ning, it's all thanks to you for keeping us company in the palace. Otherwise, this palace would be so boring."
Fu Yunning, with a dignified expression, grasped Consort Fu's wrist in return: "Aunt, what are you saying? I am also willing to stay with you and my cousin. I am all alone in the Marquis's mansion. I would rather stay with you every day. After Father remarries, it is fine not to return to the Marquis's mansion."
Consort Fu looked distressed, but before she could speak, Princess Chunhui stormed in from outside the hall, repeatedly calling out, "Mother, Mother, Mother!"
Consort Fu's eyes twitched, and she released her grip on Fu Yunning's hand.
Princess Chunhui acted as if she didn't see Fu Yunning, took two steps forward, brushed past her, and stood in front of Consort Fu.
With red eyes, he pleaded, "Mother, please go and ask Father for the imperial decree to grant us this marriage. I don't want to wait any longer."
Fu Yunning glanced at Consort Fu, took two steps forward, patted Princess Chunhui on the shoulder, and said in a gentle tone, "What's going on? Why are you suddenly asking for a marriage decree? Didn't you say you were willing to wait for Prince Xu's approval?"
At this point, Princess Chunhui flew into a rage, stood up abruptly, and without caring that Fu Yunning behind her was almost knocked over by her force, she started talking about what happened in front of the Duke's mansion.
“I am a princess. My father’s decree is something he can’t refuse. A poor, lowly cousin came to seek refuge with me, and he dared to treat me like this. I’ll teach him a lesson.”
Fu Yunning smiled at the palace maid who was helping her, lowered her eyes to hide the sarcasm in them, and remained silent.
Princess Chunhui was unaware that she was shaking Consort Fu's arm, and the pleading in her eyes softened Consort Fu's heart, who loved her daughter dearly.
Consort Fu was naturally willing for Princess Chunhui to marry into the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, especially since Princess Chunhui had her eye on Xu Yunci, who was the future head of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion and also the Crown Princess's younger brother.
Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the Crown Princess will become the Empress. Xu Yunci will inherit the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, and Princess Chunhui will marry into it. She won't have to worry about not having a prince or Princess Chunhui not having a powerful backer.
However, the problem was that the emperor did not agree, and Xu Yunci had no interest in Princess Chunhui.
“You said you came to the Duke’s mansion as a cousin. Xu Yunci will be the Duke of Rong in the future, and his elder sister is the Crown Princess. How could he marry a poor cousin as his wife?”
"You've lost your mind because you're so angry."
Consort Fu helped her daughter up: "If your father had agreed to this decree, it would have been issued long ago. His Majesty disagrees simply because he is afraid that the Chonghua Palace is too powerful. Wait a little longer, until Xu Yunci realizes your worth and speaks to His Majesty on his own. That would be the true sincerity of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion."
Princess Chunhui trusted her mother, Consort Fu, and was comforted by her words. Consort Fu raised her hand and touched her cheek, her voice gentle: "Look at your tear-stained face, go and wash it off."
Looking at Princess Chunhui's retreating figure, Fu Yunning couldn't hide her contempt and sarcasm. How could the aloof and noble Prince Xu possibly like someone with such character?
She regained her smile, moved closer to Consort Fu, and said some sweet words that made Consort Fu laugh and cry.
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