Su Wenyuan left the palace with a big smile on her face; finally, there was no one to bother her in the mansion.
The first thing I did upon returning home was to have the people in the small kitchen move to a larger place.
Su Wenyuan didn't keep any of the people from the kitchen; keeping them would have been a problem.
"By the way, Meng Qi, go and tell the Prince that they have to hand over the silver they embezzled to compensate the maids and servants in the manor. They've been wronged for so many years, they deserve an explanation." Su Wenyuan announced another piece of good news.
Looking out the window at the lively atmosphere, Sheng Jingyu said, "I suddenly realize that this princess can do a lot for me."
Ye Shan continued, "Yes, Your Highness previously mentioned wanting to send them away, but the Empress blocked them. Now that the Princess is not afraid to break ties with the Empress, Your Highness need not worry about alerting them."
Sheng Jingyu laughed and said, "I was already surprised that I favored the princess today, but I'm not afraid. Only by giving her a nudge now and then can we expose more of her true colors."
If we're talking about the person who understands the Empress best, it has to be Sheng Jingyu.
His guess was spot on. Inside Chengming Palace, the Empress had been silent for almost half an hour.
Noticing the Empress's unease, Granny Cheng stepped forward and asked, "What is Your Majesty worried about?"
The Empress's face darkened. "Jingyu has raised them for many years, and it wasn't until recently that she discovered their embezzlement. Why is she suddenly targeting them? And she doesn't even care about the relationship with Consort Yu. Could it be that she's discovered what happened back then?"
Granny Cheng quickly lowered her voice and said, "Your Highness, please don't talk nonsense. The Prince fell ill on his own. He went blind because of his serious illness. It has nothing to do with anyone else!"
The Empress remained worried and pressed further, "Could it be that those old women discovered it?"
Granny Cheng replied, "How could that be? They did this so discreetly that even they themselves didn't know. This time, they just offended the Princess Consort. Perhaps the Prince is a bit biased towards the Princess Consort. But to say that they discovered anything is unlikely."
After careful consideration, the Empress analyzed, "If Jingyu really discovers this, there will definitely be something unusual. Given his current temperament, it's entirely possible that he might storm into the palace!"
Having figured all this out, the Empress felt relieved, but those old women were still a potential threat.
"Let's deal with it, so that I don't have to think about it in the future and cause trouble for myself," the Empress decided.
Granny Cheng nodded and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, everything will be foolproof."
"Of course I was at ease before, but ever since Su Wenyuan came along, I've become suspicious and Jingyu has become obsessed with her and started siding with her! This princess is trying to climb over me!" The Empress thought of the things she had suffered one after another.
Granny Cheng racked her brains for an explanation, but in truth, she couldn't find anything wrong with this princess.
It's normal for the prince to favor her since she manages the palace so well.
But she could only think these words in her heart; she absolutely could not say them aloud.
The Empress, her brows furrowed and eyes wide, demanded sharply, "Of all the girls I chose before, weren't they all better than her in looks, figure, talent, and character? Jingyu didn't even glance at her, let alone keep her..."
The Empress couldn't bear to continue, and could only sigh regretfully.
In her opinion, those girls who were sent to be concubines were much better than Su Wenyuan.
She didn't let Sheng Jingyu marry her as his principal wife, but kept her in the mansion like a cat or dog to keep her company, which Sheng Jingyu also disagreed with.
Granny Cheng's eyes lit up and she said, "When the prince first met those girls, he found them all annoying, just like Princess Chen. On her wedding day, the princess was also not well received."
"So you were later cursed?" the Empress asked impatiently.
Granny Cheng said, "Later they tasted the sweetness of it. Those girls didn't have a chance to let the prince know them. If Your Highness had been able to save their lives back then, perhaps those girls would be the ones favored now!"
"From what you're saying, you want to send a few more?" The Empress had a wicked idea.
Granny Cheng nodded and said, "Now that the princess is alive in the manor, who knows how many scheming maids are outside. If the prince doesn't keep them, we'll tell everyone that the princess is jealous."
The master and servant were both wicked, each harboring more malicious intentions than the other.
The next morning at court, after the official business was discussed, the emperor suddenly praised Su Yuan.
He said he raised a good daughter who is intelligent and capable.
Su Yuan didn't dare to ask any more questions after hearing that one sentence. On the way back to his residence, he became happier and happier as he thought about it.
When he returned and told Wang Shi, she was overjoyed and summoned Su Lin'er.
"The Consort Wan is hosting a banquet the day after tomorrow, and my daughter was praised today. Could there be some connection between the two?" Su Lin'er's lips curled up, unable to suppress the smile.
It's almost as if they're saying outright that she's the Crown Princess chosen by the Emperor.
Lady Wang laughed and said, "Whether it's related or not, the Consort needs to know about this. Don't forget to tell her the day after tomorrow. Once she knows, the connection will be established."
None of the three suspected Su Wenyuan. What ability could a concubine's daughter, who had been imprisoned in the backyard for many years, possibly have? Even the most intelligent among them couldn't see any of her talents.
The only person the Emperor could praise was Su Lin'er.
After all, Su Lin'er was a famous young lady in the capital, skilled in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to needlework and embroidery.
"I ordered a few clothes for you a few days ago. Go try them on tomorrow. If they look good, I'll make a few more sets." Madam Wang's eyes were fierce. "Once you become the Crown Princess, you must go to Prince Chen's residence and teach her a lesson."
Su Lin'er assured her, "Mother, don't worry, I won't let her get away with this."
The daughters of officials with status in the capital were all vying for this flower-viewing banquet.
That's the Crown Prince! Becoming the Crown Princess would not only bring her a noble status, but also bring glory to her family.
Not only were the young ladies anxious, but their parents were too. The Empress said that this flower-viewing banquet was just like a talent show, and she was absolutely right.
Several girls even got into a fight over jewelry, which became a laughing stock for many onlookers.
Clothes were being stolen, cosmetics were being snatched—the whole capital was in an uproar.
As soon as Yuexiu returned from the street, she told Su Wenyuan about these interesting things.
Su Wenyuan lay on the rocking chair, enjoying the breeze and sipping tea, feeling quite at ease.
"What good stuff did they manage to snatch?" Su Wenyuan asked curiously.
Yuexiu said, "I think none of them are as beautiful as the Princess's jewelry. Which set would the Princess like to wear tomorrow?"
Back then, the Prime Minister's residence also held a banquet. Su Wenyuan hid in the backyard and did not go out, but she was discovered by some girls dressed in their finest attire.
Led by Su Lin'er, the group did their best to ridicule Su Wenyuan. Su Wenyuan left in tears, but they still chased after her.
In the end, it was the ladies in front who called them, and only then did they leave.
Yuexiu still remembers this debt!
Su Wenyuan glanced at her and knew what she was up to. She casually pulled two hairpins from her hair and gave them to her, saying, "Not only do I have to look pretty, but you also have to dress up nicely tomorrow."
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