Granny Cheng said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do about it. If we make such a big fuss and the prince doesn't marry them in the end, their reputation will be ruined, and no one will dare to propose marriage to them."
The Empress snorted coldly and said, "So that's why Su Wenyuan isn't in a hurry. She's doing her job as a princess consort perfectly well, just waiting for me to summon her. Fine, one more time won't make a difference! Go and call her here."
"Let the three of them meet, and with my help, it would be best to finalize this matter today," the Empress said confidently.
The two girls, one from the Grand Tutor's family, was named Yan Jiao, and the other from the Vice Minister of Rites' family, was named He Meiqiu.
The two walked hurriedly. Yan Jiao said, "It was the Empress who brought it up at first, but she hasn't issued an edict yet. We haven't even met Prince Chen. If this continues, we'll both lose face big time."
He Meiqiu followed behind and said, "Who says otherwise? We have to get an explanation today."
As soon as the two women arrived before the Empress, they began to weep and complain that their reputations were ruined.
They also said that the rumors outside were still spreading, but the prince had not yet said he wanted to marry them.
"I certainly hope he will marry her, but there is already a princess in the household, so this matter must be discussed with the princess first," the Empress said, looking troubled.
Even though Su Wenyuan hadn't said anything yet, the Empress made it sound like Su Wenyuan was obstructing things.
He Meiqiu sobbed, "We can't very well ask the princess what she means!"
Everyone's eyes are on them now. If they go to Prince Chen's residence, it will seem like they're in a hurry to find men for themselves.
The Empress said, "It's alright, I've already sent someone to invite the Princess. This matter can't be rushed. Even if the Princess doesn't agree, I will find a way. It's not up to her to decide."
The two exchanged a glance and accepted the Empress's reassurance.
The Empress made thorough preparations, imagining all sorts of things Su Wenyuan might say.
Seeing their serious expressions, even the other two seemed a little nervous.
Given the Empress's aura, how did Princess Consort Chen have the courage to go against her?
Finally, Granny Cheng returned, but her face looked terrible.
"This servant went to Prince Chen's residence but did not see the Princess Consort. The maid said that the Princess Consort was ill and could not come to see Her Majesty the Empress. If Her Majesty has any urgent business, please go to the Prince. If there is no urgent business, please wait until the Princess Consort is feeling better."
The Empress suddenly stood up and asked angrily, "Ill? She fell ill just because I invited her?"
Not only did they use illness as an excuse, but the messages they sent back were also quite blunt.
What do you mean by "if there's an emergency, go see the prince"? Do you think she wouldn't dare to go see Sheng Jingyu?
Granny Cheng said, "I didn't get to see the Princess Consort either, so I came back to report."
The Empress was so angry she almost lost her composure. All her preparations had been for nothing; Su Wenyuan had never intended to come at all.
Moreover, she had just finished bragging to the two of them when Su Wenyuan slapped her in the face.
Yan Jiao asked worriedly, "Is this the Princess's attitude?"
She realized that Su Wenyuan was truly unafraid to offend the Empress.
The Empress was just one step away from marrying a concubine, and she couldn't possibly allow herself to lose face.
She then said sternly, "Her position as princess is entirely determined by me. My attitude is Prince Chen's attitude. She has only been a princess for a few days, and she already thinks she can go against me? Go against Prince Chen! Dream on!"
Seeing that she was talking too much, Granny Cheng quickly gave her a meaningful look.
Yan Jiao and He Meiqiu were somewhat surprised by the Empress's reaction.
In everyone's memory, the Empress was always gentle and generous, and this was the first time she had ever been so angry.
At the same time, they also understood why the Empress was in such a hurry to find a concubine; it turned out that she was at odds with the Princess.
This is good for them; the Queen will surely favor them.
"I raised Prince Chen, so the Princess Consort's attitude is not important. As long as I agree, Jingyu will definitely marry you," the Empress assured her.
Yan Jiao looked delighted and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, we will definitely take good care of the Prince and be filial to Your Majesty."
The Empress breathed a sigh of relief; finally, she had a word that pleased her.
"I will invite her to the palace again tomorrow. If she still says she is ill, I will go to Prince Chen's residence to see her myself."
Previously, the Empress had been evasive, but now she has made her point completely clear.
The two of them felt more confident as they left the Queen's palace.
Since the Princess Consort and the Empress are at odds, it is very likely that the Prince will divorce his wife in the future, at which point they will have the opportunity to advance their relationship further.
Although Princess Consort Chen did not come today, her attitude clearly indicated that she did not welcome them into the residence.
But if you think about it carefully, this can also be considered a way of escaping.
He didn't dare to speak directly to the Empress, so he pretended to be sick and hid from her.
The Empress has already spoken; if she continues to avoid him tomorrow, the Empress will personally go to Prince Chen's residence.
With that in mind, they should hear good news tomorrow.
When the Empress's words reached Zhuyue Pavilion, Su Wenyuan was reviewing the female lead's identity information.
Asking Yuexiu to inquire about information was useless; in the end, she still had to ask Meng Qi. Meng Qi told Ye Shan, and the information was delivered.
Seeing how attentive she was, Ye Shan couldn't help but explain, "The prince and this Miss Lu only met many years ago, and they don't have any real relationship."
“Would Yi Pingxiang really lie if it’s really nothing? On my wedding day, he couldn’t eat a thing.” Su Wenyuan didn’t believe it.
"Your Highness, Your Highness!" Meng Qi ran up and down, "The Empress said that if you're still sick tomorrow, she'll come to the Prince Chen's residence..."
Su Wenyuan said nonchalantly, "There's no need for her to come. I'll go to the palace tomorrow morning."
The reason I didn't go to the palace today is because those two girls were also there. The three of them teamed up, and if Su Wenyuan wasn't careful, those two girls would have taken advantage of the situation to move into Prince Chen's residence.
Tomorrow, only the Empress will be there; she will then go and argue with her.
The idea was good, and the plan was perfect, but accidents always happen unexpectedly.
Su Wenyuan asked Yuexiu to fetch the clothes she had made. Her clothes were too flashy, and she needed a few less luxurious ones to wear around the mansion.
They were all modified from the store's ready-made products, with some added designs, which Su Wenyuan came up with based on her own preferences.
As soon as Yuexiu arrived at the shop, she saw a group of girls crowding inside.
She didn't join in the fun; she went straight to the shopkeeper.
"I've come to pick up my clothes. Where's your manager? Have the clothes my lady ordered been altered yet?"
The waiter said with a forced smile, "I'll go tell the manager right away. Miss, please sit here and wait for a while."
The shopkeeper didn't know Su Wenyuan's identity, only that she was a lady of noble status. Upon hearing that she had come to pick up her clothes, he quickly went to find her.
On the other side, Yan Jiao and He Meiqiu's group were immediately dissatisfied when they saw the shopkeeper abandon them.
So many of them came today, and before they could even choose two pieces of clothing, the shopkeeper left.
"Where has the shopkeeper been? Doesn't he know what's important and what's urgent? We need these clothes urgently; we have to go to the palace tomorrow," He Meiqiu complained.
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