A few days later, the argument between the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince became more intense. Many officials' wives kept an eye on Yuqing Palace, and whenever they had the chance, they would send invitations to the Crown Princess to a banquet.
On this day, Qingyan also received an invitation from the Cao family and prepared to attend the banquet in person.
"Little darling, speak less at this banquet and try to keep an eye on the Crown Princess," Yin whispered to Qingyan.
Qingyan was stunned. Why was she asked to keep an eye on the Crown Princess?
"Father Emperor hopes that you sisters-in-law can unite as one and try your best not to embarrass the royal family again," Yin hurriedly instructed.
Qingyan was a little confused. They were definitely being very careful when they went out. As long as the Crown Princess didn't lose her mind, there wouldn't be any problems.
She rode in a sedan chair toward the Cao family's residence. Outside, she encountered the Crown Princess's sedan chair and stopped to wait for it to pass first.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the Cao family's gate, where Madam Cao was standing respectfully welcoming the women.
"Sister-in-law, you are a rare guest, rarely appearing at banquets. It seems that Madam Cao has a lot of influence." The Crown Princess turned her head and saw Qingyan standing in front of the sedan chair, and said sarcastically.
Qingyan smiled slightly, understanding why Yin had asked her to keep an eye on the Crown Princess.
As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding court ladies fell silent, staring nervously at the two of them.
"Your Highness is too kind. I've been preoccupied with the twins, so I've reduced my outings and gatherings," Qingyan replied with a smile.
In front of these unfamiliar officials from Jiangnan, Qingyan could not possibly leave an impression of being too aloof.
Just now, the Crown Princess's implication was clearly that Qingyan was an antisocial person.
The Crown Prince needs the support of officials in the south, and Qingyan will certainly not give up.
"Little darling, why did you argue with the Crown Princess again as soon as you came in?" Yin Genjue Luo Shi, who was in the distance, happened to hear what the two of them were saying. After watching the Crown Princess being welcomed in by Madam Cao, she came to Qing Yan's side and said this.
Neither of them brought their child today, because they didn't want the Cao family's bad habits to affect the child.
“Sister-in-law, she spoke first,” Qingyan sneered. “The master also instructed me to keep an eye on the Crown Princess.”
"Hehe, those few days, your family was staying in the suburbs and didn't know what happened in the city. The Crown Prince's concubines were all sold off by the Crown Princess." Yin Genjue Luo said in a low voice.
Qingyan was stunned. Could the Crown Princess really do such a thing?
"No... this really was made by the Crown Princess?" Qingyan exclaimed in astonishment.
The Crown Princess has always been very elegant and was a role model for her sisters-in-law. How come, after a few years, she has become increasingly unreliable?
Pfft!
Dong E laughed from behind. Qingyan's stuttering made Dong E feel that her manners were actually better than those of the Crown Princess.
"Sister-in-law, are you frightened?" Dong Eshi breathed a sigh of relief. "We sisters-in-law don't have that kind of courage. The Crown Princess sold off the young horses, and she hasn't even been punished by the Crown Prince yet."
Dong Eshi wanted to emulate the Crown Princess's actions, and she suffered greatly every time she saw Yinzhi go to those women's courtyards.
"Uh, uh, uh!" Qingyan laughed awkwardly. "Third Princess Consort, this is a matter for Yuqing Palace, it has nothing to do with us. You may enjoy serving the Emperor, but don't involve us." Qingyan refused directly.
She has already distanced herself from Consort Dong'e and is determined not to let Consort Dong'e have any leverage over her again. A previous instance of leverage almost led to Yin being framed.
Now, Qingyan gets extremely nervous every time he faces Dong Eshi.
"Let's go, we'll block the entrance, and the others won't dare to come over." Seeing that Qingyan was running out of things to say, Lady Yin Genjue quickly changed the subject. Seeing that the ladies-in-waiting in the distance dared not approach, she quickly persuaded Lady Dong'e to leave.
snort!
Dong E snorted coldly and walked right past the two of them.
Yin Genjue Luo changed the subject, which clearly displeased Dong E.
Among the sisters-in-law, Qingyan is the easiest to get information out of. Many things that cannot be said by her can be subtly guided to Qingyan and perhaps she will say them.
In the early days after entering the palace, Qingyan offended many people. As time went by, Qingyan became more and more cautious in her words and deeds, and Dong Eshi could no longer control her.
"Hehe, sister-in-law, I think that one is angry. Doesn't she have a good relationship with the Crown Princess? Why does she seem to have a strained relationship?" Qingyan rarely paid attention to the grudges and feuds between sisters-in-law, but she treated the grudges between the Crown Princess and Dong Eshi as if they were a storybook.
Yin Genjue Luo Shi laughed. Dong E Shi had been jealous of the Crown Princess because of the "thin horse" incident. Now, Yin Zhi disliked going to her room to write and always rested in the "thin horse's" room, which caused a rift between the couple.
On the other hand, the Crown Prince has been slowly awakening, and his relationship with the Crown Princess has undergone some subtle changes.
ah? !
As Qingyan listened to Yin Genjueluo Shi talk about the changes in the status of those two women in the inner quarters in Heyang, she also pondered that she should ask Yin to pay more attention to them.
Upon arriving at the Cao family's garden, Qingyan instantly regretted attending the banquet. Most of the women invited this time were of marriageable age. Yin Genjueluo and Qingyan were alone, while the remaining princes' wives were surrounded by several girls. Some of the court ladies even had the girls perform for them.
A melodious guqin tune filled the air. Qingyan and Yingenjueluo were chatting in the corridor when she turned her head to look at the pavilion. In the pink gauze, a beautiful young girl was playing the guqin.
"Who is that?" Qingyan listened to the music and found it quite pleasant, and looked at Wen Genjue Luo Shi with great interest.
Yin Genjue Luo turned her head and glanced at them, saying, "It should be the women arranged by the Cao family. Moreover, this banquet is a tea party, which is to let those women show their talents so that we can see if there are any we can recruit."
She understood the women of the court all too well. Apart from Qingyan, the remaining primary wives all had to face the struggles in the inner court. Having their own capable people to practice against the secondary wives and others would be more advantageous.
"My God!" Qingyan covered her mouth in disbelief. "The higher-ups are investigating the 'skinny horse' thing so thoroughly, and these people still dare to send them?"
"Out with the old, in with the new." Yin Genjue Luo sneered. Madam Cao and the others did not want their husbands to take in women, but they had carefully cultivated a large number of female relatives, waiting to send them to the capital.
Put yourself in their shoes!
None of them could live up to those four words. Looking at the huge backyard, with its hundred flowers in full bloom, Lady Yin Genjue Luo thought it was understandable that Madam Cao felt heartbroken.
"Don't worry, as long as they are carefully nurtured by our family, we know them inside and out. Who would say anything?" On the contrary, she admired Madam Cao for using this method to make Cao Yin rely on her so much that he never quarreled with her.
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