After March, Song Yaozhu had the charcoal brazier removed during the day, and she would sunbathe in the courtyard when she had nothing to do.
"Your Highness, the Princess has sent another message."
Song Yaozhu put the fruit plate in her arms aside and glanced at Zhan Xin.
This wasn't the first time Yongle had written to "greet" her; the letters were full of questions about why she wasn't attending classes at the Fang residence!
Using the excuse that her foot injury had worsened, Song Yaozhu stayed home for quite some time.
She did indeed listen obediently to Xie Liwei's advice and "hide her talents and bide her time."
After reading the letter, Song Yaozhu stretched.
"Caijin, change your clothes, Princess, please leave."
Song Yaozhu had just left the Prince's residence when Yongle's carriage stopped right in front of her. A round head popped out from inside, "Get in!"
Song Yaozhu tilted her head and looked at her. "What did you say, Princess? The wind is too strong, I can't hear you."
Yongle grinned, "Aunt, please get in the carriage!"
Song Yaozhu then lifted her skirt and boarded the carriage. Inside the carriage, besides her, was Shen Qingyu. The two nodded to each other.
Where are we going?
"Enter the palace!"
Song Yaozhu's eyebrows twitched slightly as she looked at Yongle with a puzzled expression.
"The Imperial Concubine invited a group of unmarried young ladies to tea, and she invited me too. I'm the oldest one here who's not engaged yet, so I'm sure no one will play with me. How embarrassing!"
"Then there's no need to bring both of us along." They're still going to the palace! She promised Xie Liwei she'd keep a low profile; if she messes things up, who can she blame?
"There's nothing we can do, the teacher doesn't know how to scold people."
"So all I know is how to swear?" Song Yaozhu raised her eyebrows, looking angry.
"Yes, yes, that's it! Once you put on that face, no one will dare to say anything bad about me! The teacher is right, we should bring you along!"
"......"
They entered the palace chatting and laughing all the way. After paying their respects to the Imperial Concubine, the three of them found a place to sit down.
"Song Si is here too."
When I paid my respects to the Imperial Concubine earlier, Song Wenyue was sitting next to her. It seemed that the Imperial Concubine liked her very much.
"After the New Year's Eve palace banquet, there have been rumors that Song Si is quite favored by the Imperial Concubine. Could she be going to be my sister-in-law?" Yongle said anxiously.
"What, don't you like her?" Shen Qingyu asked in confusion. She hadn't had much contact with Song Wenyue, but a girl from the Song family must be of good character.
"I don't like her!" Thinking back to what happened at the First Prince's residence, she especially disliked Song Wenyue! A manipulative, feigning weakness. She wasn't even as likable as Song San, that black lotus!
"Let's have less contact in the future." Song Yaozhu's gaze swept over the group of girls and finally landed on Liu Manli.
Liu Manli is the youngest daughter of Liu Changwei, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
She was indeed a woman of unparalleled beauty; no wonder Prince Yong was infatuated with her.
After sitting for a while, Song Wenyue took the initiative to walk over.
"I didn't expect my sister to come back today. I should have come with her."
Song Yaozhu looked up at her. Song Wenyue's current attire was no longer as pure and untainted as a lotus rising from the mud; now she resembled a blooming flower, bright and beautiful.
"My sister is getting more and more beautiful now."
Hearing her praise herself, Song Wenyue proudly raised her chin and said with great pride, "Does sister know that the spring hunt is coming up in a few days? The Imperial Concubine has invited me to go with her to pass the time!"
This statement is quite revealing, as if the imperial concubine had accepted her as her daughter-in-law.
"Is that so? Then my sister must prepare herself well to serve Your Majesty."
After sitting for a while, Song Wenyue became restless and pulled Song Yaozhu up, saying, "I haven't seen my sister for a long time, and I have some private things I want to say to her."
As soon as the two left, Yongle spat, "They're already showing off before anything's even started!"
"By the way," she said, looking at Shen Qingyu, "doesn't the teacher think that Song Si's attire resembles that of my aunt?"
Shen Qingyu smiled but remained silent; indeed, they looked very similar.
Song Wenyue pulled Song Yaozhu to a secluded spot where no one was around and asked urgently, "Sister, did you tell the Prince about what I told you last time?"
Song Yaozhu looked at her blankly. What was it again? She couldn't quite remember.
Seeing her indifferent attitude, Song Wenyue angrily twisted her handkerchief.
"Those ladies said they were willing to pay two thousand taels for a chance to sit in on the proceedings!"
oh!
Song Yaozhu suddenly realized that it was about her saying she wanted to whisper sweet nothings in someone's ear.
Two thousand taels! These people are really generous when it comes to their children. Tsk tsk.
Xie Liwei should have allowed her to earn this money, right?
Song Yaozhu patted her chest and said, "You can accept it. Let them wait for news."
Song Wenyue was overjoyed. Even if Song Yaozhu, this country woman, married into the royal family, what difference would it make? Her vision was limited. As soon as she heard about so much money, she was hooked!
"Sister, as the middleman, I don't know..."
"Then you can take 10%." She waved her hand generously.
Song Wenyue gritted her teeth. She had acted as a go-between, but only offered a 10% commission! If she had married Xie Liwei back then, all that money would have been hers!
After considering her plan, Song Wenyue gritted her teeth. Let her be smug for now! She'll get her comeuppance eventually!
After the two finished speaking, they were about to turn back when they suddenly saw someone coming this way. Song Yaozhu quickly pulled Song Wenyue behind a tree and squatted down, pressing her head down.
They were behind Weiyang Palace, a shady and deserted place with many weeds and withered trees. Most useless junk was piled up here, and there were plenty of things to hide in.
Just as Song Wenyue was about to ask her why she was hiding, she heard the voice of the person who had come in.
"Your Highness, we're still in the palace!" The woman's voice was sweet and flirtatious, clearly indicating she was meeting her lover.
“I know, that’s what makes it exciting, isn’t it?” Prince Yong chuckled. “I can’t see you outside the palace, so it’s better to be inside.”
"I also miss the Prince, but I don't know when the Imperial Concubine will issue an imperial decree to grant us marriage."
"It'll be soon! My mother said that as long as I do a good job this time, she will arrange a marriage for the two of us!"
"Then Your Highness must work hard! I will have my father assist you properly!"
Song Wenyue, hiding behind the bushes, was furious. She thought the Imperial Concubine was being friendly to her because she wanted her to be the primary wife, but it turned out that Liu Manli had already been chosen as the primary wife!
Song Yaozhu wondered if Liu Changwei was siding with Prince Yong.
The two lovers chatted intimately for a long time and kissed for quite a while before separating.
After the two left, Song Wenyue's eyes blazed with fury.
"Did my sister deliberately let me see this to humiliate me?!"
Song Yaozhu said in surprise, "What are you saying, sister? I had no way of knowing in advance that these two would be meeting here in secret. Besides, you're the one who dragged me here."
Song Wenyue choked up, "That's true."
Song Yaozhu patted Song Wenyue on the shoulder and said earnestly, "I know you want to marry Prince Yong, but they are in love with each other, so why should you interfere?"
After saying that, she stepped out.
Looking at her retreating figure, Song Wenyue's eyes revealed undisguised murderous intent.
She tried hard to recall the events of her dream and found many discrepancies. For example, the third prince in her dream was not granted the title of king, and his principal wife was not Liu Manli.
The dream and reality have changed a lot, and her sister, who was practically invisible in the dream, has also changed a lot.
But she still believes that the dream was her past life. Because of that sense of destiny, she believes it really happened.
Song Wenyue narrowed her eyes. Now that reality had changed, she was even more determined to fight and seize it.
She is destined to be an empress!
What about Liu Manli? She's just a woman obsessed with love, an obstacle to her becoming empress.
Simply flatten it!
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