Chapter 40 The Banquet (Part Four)
Moreover, many of the unmarried women present had someone they admired.
I've been wanting to find an excuse to go there for a while now.
The group arrived at the place where the men were, and they were composing poems and competing in archery.
Upon seeing Princess Ping'an, they all bowed in greeting.
"I think it would be better if we had a competition here, and everyone could show off their best skills?"
"I will do whatever the princess says."
Jiang Wanru was already impatient and wanted to find an opportunity to dance. Upon hearing Princess Ping'an's words, she immediately agreed.
really,
Princess Ping'an saw Jiang Wanru and asked, "Who are you?"
"Your Highness, my daughter is Jiang Wanru, the daughter of Marquis Ningyuan."
"Oh, I know, it's that illegitimate daughter who stole her elder sister's man."
Jiang Wanru felt embarrassed and lowered her head in grievance. "Your Highness, this is a misunderstanding."
"The original plan was to bestow my elder sister in marriage to the Prince of Langya."
“You don’t need to hide it,” Princess Ping’an said indifferently. “It’s just a way for aristocratic families to cover up their shame. Everyone knows it.”
"However, for a mere concubine's daughter like you to catch the eye of the Prince of Langya, you must have some seductive skills."
After Princess Ping'an finished speaking, she looked at Pei Anqing, who was walking over from a distance, and asked, "Young Master, don't you agree?"
Pei Anqing saw Jiang Wanru and said, "Princess, why do you have to be so rude? You've just come of age, and you already have countless male concubines in your household."
Hearing Pei Anqing's protective words, Jiang Wanru felt a warmth in her heart and looked up at him with her charming eyes.
But Pei Anqing's gaze lingered on Jiang Wanning beside him, and he didn't look away for a long time.
Princess Ping'an didn't care at all about what Pei Anqing said, "My mother is the most noble Grand Princess of the current dynasty."
“Even the current emperor has to address me as ‘aunt,’ so what I do is naturally beyond the reach of you.”
"This princess keeps male concubines, but whoever this princess takes a fancy to is his good fortune."
"But can the young master truly let go?"
Princess Ping'an said with a sneer, "Anyone with eyes can see that Jiang Wan Ning is much prettier than Jiang Wan Ru."
"Not only that, but he also has a high status."
“Those who climbed up from beggars have a different perspective.”
Prince Pei Yanchuan of Langya claimed that the refugees were rescued by the Crown Prince on his way to war.
Pei Anqing clenched his fists tightly.
"Princess, even a beggar can rise to his current position, so how did you manage to reach this rank? Was it because you were born into a good family?"
"But some people, despite being born into bad circumstances, end up with good results."
"Some people, even if they are born into good circumstances, their future is uncertain, wouldn't you say?"
"Are you threatening me again?" Ping An naturally understood the implication in Jiang Wan Ning's words.
"Hmph, what? You can't help but speak up for him now? Just for a man like that?"
Pei Anqing's face showed a hint of emotion. These days he had been repeatedly thinking about whether his actions were right or wrong.
He was clearly using Jiang Wan Ning, but he could no longer wait for her to contact him or give him gifts. Even when they met, her eyes were filled with indifference.
For some reason, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Today, Jiang Wan Ning publicly confronted the princess to defend herself, which shows that she was indeed acting out of spite in the past.
Originally, I planned to get rid of Jiang Wanning after Pei Yanchuan died, but now I think it's okay to keep her by my side.
Jiang Wan Ning lowered her head and chuckled softly, "Your Highness has misunderstood."
"I am protecting my future husband, Pei Yanchuan."
He then glanced at Pei Anqing again, "This transformation from having nothing to becoming the only non-royal king in Dongling is not thanks to the Crown Prince."
"It can only be said that the Crown Prince and the Princess were both born into good families."
As soon as Jiang Wan Ning finished speaking, Princess Ping An and Pei An Qing both looked embarrassed.
Princess Ping'an's face was tense, and her tone was displeased. "Hmph, you want to marry an old man who is seventeen years older than you? You think you're so capable?"
"Be careful, or you might become a widow after marriage."
Jiang Wan Ning lowered her head slightly, "There's no need for the Princess to worry about that."
Thirty-three years old, not an old man, is he? Not to mention he's only twenty-three, Jiang Wan Ning thought to herself.
"Princess, on such a fine day, why don't we do something else and have fun together?"
Taking the opportunity, Jiang Wanru said, "This humble woman is willing to offer a dance to the princess."
Princess Ping'an understood that Jiang Wanru wanted to put on a show for the men present, but she was just using her as a pretext.
Even so, she was happy to help.
It's because Jiang Wan Ning offended her earlier.
"Alright, then you dance a song, and I, the princess, will watch."
"yes."
Jiang Wanru curtsied, glanced at Pei Anqing, and walked to the center of the stage.
She took off her outer long robe, revealing the gauze skirt underneath.
"Hmph, I knew it. So she was prepared all along," Shen Ruzhi said irritably. "She's dressed like a peacock."
"Spreading its feathers everywhere."
Jiang Wanning, however, stared at Jiang Wanru on the stage, quietly admiring her.
The dance ended.
Princess Ping'an clapped her hands and exclaimed, "No wonder she was born from the belly of a famous courtesan in the capital!"
"These dance moves are truly unmatched by ordinary people."
Jiang Wanru was unfazed by Princess Ping'an's ridicule. She glanced at the men around her, whose faces all revealed greedy desires.
Even Pei Anqing, looking at his own frail figure, felt a surge of pride.
How can you not be proud when something that others can't have is yours?
That's enough.
So what if she's a courtesan? As long as she captures a man's heart, her social status doesn't matter.
"Miss Jiang's dance is indeed beautiful. No wonder the young master didn't want such a beautiful legitimate daughter of the Marquis's family, but instead wanted a concubine's daughter."
“Even if it were me, the princess, I would still choose the same option.”
"The young master is truly blessed," someone began to flatter.
"Yes, why didn't Your Highness take both of them into your lap back then? There's one so dignified, and one so worldly. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Another person whispered.
The others nodded in agreement.
Pei Anqing clenched his fist. That was what he had thought and done back then, but unfortunately, such a thing happened on the day of the engagement.
Pei Anqing looked at Jiang Wanning with deep affection in his eyes.
Jiang Wan Ning pretended not to see it.
Shen Ruzhi glared fiercely at Pei Anqing.
Princess Ping'an turned her head slightly and looked at the woman standing to the side.
The woman immediately understood, "The concubine's daughters in this Marquis's mansion are all so talented, I wonder what the legitimate daughters are like."
Why don't you, Your Highness, demonstrate it for us all?
Another woman chimed in, "Yes, Miss Jiang the Second followed the example of the Marquis's concubine. Did Miss Jiang the Eldest follow your mother?"
"Can you play the pipa well?"
“It’s just that the young master doesn’t have the good fortune of the Marquis of Ningyuan.” Another woman finished speaking and chuckled lightly without covering her mouth.
The others also laughed.
Shen Ruzhi rolled up her sleeves. "Is this short temper of mine going to go on forever?"
"I'm not talking about you, it's really a case of the emperor not being worried but the eunuch being anxious."
“You’re the eunuch, your whole family are eunuchs!” Shen Ruzhi pointed at the woman who spoke and said, “Wu Xinyi, I’ve discovered that you’re quite adept at being a dog.”
The woman named was the granddaughter of the Minister of Rites, who was usually very eager to curry favor with Princess Ping'an.
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