The courtyard of the Cold Palace was very desolate. The palace pillars were somewhat mottled, and withered grass grew on the glazed tiles of the roof. Qingyan thought to himself, "The last winner in history, the Uya clan, has come to such an end."
Wuya noticed that the trees in the courtyard were already somewhat withered, and Qingyan couldn't even find a shady spot under the scorching sun.
"Qingyan greets you!" Qingyan was about to address her as Consort De when she remembered that Emperor Kangxi had already erased the title of Consort De from the Uya clan. If she said it, it would undoubtedly be a disgrace to the royal family.
Seeing Qingyan's embarrassed expression, Granny Teng couldn't help but feel a little amused. This princess was really honest; she hadn't even thought about how to address Wuya Shi when she came to pay her respects.
"Get out!" Lady Wuya was in a bad mood today. She had been imprisoned in the Cold Palace for many days, and Yin had not come to pay his respects.
The arrival of the banquet made Wuya feel ashamed. Why was her fourteenth son so cold-hearted?
"Fourth Master asked me to leave some silver for Granny Teng. If you need anything, just let Granny Teng use this silver to get it." Su Lan respectfully presented a purse, which Qing Yan took and handed directly to Granny Teng.
The sound of things being smashed came from inside the hall. Qingyan didn't pay much attention to it. Outsiders thought she was soft-hearted, so let them take advantage of that.
"Granny, if there's anything you need, please help me out," Qingyan whispered to herself before turning and leaving.
During this visit, Shu gained a new understanding of Qingyan. This young mistress had not been corrupted by the methods of the Manchu noble ladies. She had even secretly arranged things for someone as ruthless as Uya.
Upon returning to Chenggan Palace, Consort Tong led Qingyan towards Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager, despite her illness, was personally handling the matter. The wives of the princes with iron caps were all waiting for the royal family's decision. Their sons had been harmed by the bondservant families, and none of them would swallow this insult.
"Little darling, don't say anything, just stand aside and listen!" The Empress Dowager might use this opportunity to make trouble.
After Qingyan nodded obediently, Consort Tong led her inside.
Inside the palace, Consort Rong watched from afar as Lan Ya arrived with Qing Yan. She felt uneasy. Qing Yan and Dong E Shi were mortal enemies. The reputation of the Third Princess Consort was completely ruined, and Ma Jia Shi suffered even more.
The dispute between the legitimate and illegitimate daughters of the Dong E clan became the biggest scandal in the imperial family.
The relationship between Qingyan and Qingya is still undecided. Consort Rong has always wanted to control Qingya, causing Ulanara to lose face.
Reality, however, left her unwilling to accept it. Jue Luo feigned illness and did not come, and to her surprise, she was forced to come and learn etiquette by a nanny sent by Emperor Kangxi. Of the vast Ulanara direct line, only Qingyan served as its representative.
The fact that Consort Rong did not make trouble does not mean that all the women of the Ma Jia clan understood the situation.
After Consort Tong led Qingyan to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, Ma Jia's eldest daughter, standing to the side, gave Qingyan a disdainful look.
Ma Jia Ninghui was the eldest legitimate daughter of the Ma Jia clan, born in the same year as Yin.
Before Qingyan was born, Gaishan had always groomed Ninghui to be the fourth princess consort, and Qingyan had heard about Ninghui long ago. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at this former 'rival in love'. At this time, Ninghui was only a 15-year-old girl. Although she behaved very dignifiedly, the childishness on her face made her look like a child trying to play the role of an adult.
Ninghui was not much different from those socialites; her exquisite makeup, luxurious headdress and jewelry, and bright red cheongsam gave Qingyan the illusion of being a copy-paste.
Today, Qingyan only wore eyeliner. She always felt that these were the best years of her life, and that makeup would obviously affect her skin.
“Princess Ulanara, we haven’t seen your sister at our recent gatherings!” Ninghui glanced at the girl next to her, who immediately launched an attack.
This person was a confidante of Gaishan, the legitimate daughter of a collateral branch of the Tatara clan, and although she and the Fifth Prince's wife were from the same family, their relationship was extremely complicated.
Tatarasan Grand is one year younger than Ning Hui and has a very ordinary appearance. Standing next to Ning Hui, he completely becomes a foil.
"You are..." Qingyan had never entered the circle of socialites, so apart from the children of her colleagues who were close to Fei Yanggu, she basically didn't know anyone else.
Consort Rong listened intently to her niece's words, her face unusually grim.
“I am the granddaughter of Ma Jia Gaishan, the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household Department,” Ning Hui said proudly, tilting her head back.
Covering a mountain?!
She glanced at Consort Rong's position; wasn't that Consort Rong's father?
"You're the legitimate daughter? How come you're on good terms with my illegitimate daughter?" Qingyan was confused. Wasn't it said that legitimate daughters and illegitimate daughters were two completely different circles, and that illegitimate daughters could never integrate into the circles of legitimate daughters?
Why is it that when she's in front of these socialites, her refined and elegant style is more popular?
“Qingya is registered under Lady Ulanara’s name, so she can be considered a legitimate daughter.” Ninghui was hit where it hurt, but she stubbornly tried to save face.
Qingyan gave a cold smile. Since these people didn't want to admit it, there was nothing she could do.
"Alright, everyone's here!" The Empress Dowager said, sitting in the seat of honor.
Qingyan's adaptability was good, which led her to reassess Qingyan.
"Consort Rong, where is your daughter-in-law?" Dong Eshi hadn't come over, but the Empress Dowager's expression had turned sour.
The hall fell silent immediately. Dong Eshi was now under house arrest by the Emperor, and everyone outside the Cining Palace knew about it.
"Grandma, the Third Princess Consort has been confined to her quarters by His Majesty!" Consort Rong was visibly embarrassed.
Seeing Rongfei's expression, Consort Tong had no choice but to tell the Empress Dowager the truth.
Some socialites felt that the Dong E clan's reputation had been trampled underfoot once again. Back then, Consort Dong E was cherished and pampered by the late emperor, and the women of the Dong E clan became the objects of marriage for high-ranking officials.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
