Chapter 5 Behind the Scenes: "Ah Xun"; In Public: Seventh Sister...
Although Rongyue is beautiful, she is too slender and her demeanor is too refined. The young master does not like this kind of person. On the contrary, the seventh young lady in front of him is much more lively and charming.
And that Chi family girl, whose ranking he didn't know, also suited his taste.
Seeing Rongyue's cold rebuke, he remained unfazed, relying on his noble status and utterly uninterested in this type of beauty. He chuckled and said, "Fifth Miss is too kind. As the saying goes, 'A fair maiden is sought after by a gentleman.' I'm a straightforward person, so I won't waste time with those roundabout words. It seems that you and I are destined to be apart, but I am quite interested in your seventh sister. Perhaps we can even become relatives in the future."
Yang Qing gritted her teeth. She had indeed come today hoping to find another marriage partner, but this partner might be the Second Young Master Yun, or one of Madam Mu's nephews or nieces, but definitely not the Prince of Ning's heir.
Although she knew her parents wouldn't agree, hearing the fat man say that still made her feel nauseous.
Rongyue stopped trying to reason with the young master, took Yangqing's hand, called Liantang, and led her maids and servants without even saying goodbye, heading straight for the second and third wives.
In front of everyone, the Prince of Ning's heir wanted to stop him, but he only stretched out one hand and immediately withdrew it.
This is the Grand Princess's residence; he cannot act recklessly here.
Seeing that her daughters all looked grave, the second wife couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
Yang Qing wanted to complain, but Rong Yue tugged at her sleeve, so she had to swallow the words that were about to come out.
Rongyue's smile was somewhat awkward as she pulled her two younger sisters to sit down, saying, "There's nothing much to see by the pool, and it got windy, so I brought my sisters back."
Those present weren't particularly stupid; judging from the sisters' expressions, they knew it wouldn't be that simple, and the second madam's face darkened even more.
The Third Madam hurriedly said, "That's true. Spring is for covering up and autumn for freezing. Right now, it's still chilly despite the warm weather. Your Seventh Sister has just recovered from a serious illness, so she should be very careful."
Upon hearing her name mentioned, Yang Qing thought that this was probably not enough. She pinched her thigh hard, her eyes reddening, before shyly hiding behind Rong Yue.
This made everyone even more aware that the Crown Prince must have done something outrageous. Princess Ning was still smiling, but in her heart she had cursed this unfilial son countless times. Couldn't she even pretend to be a gentleman for a moment?
But the Chi sisters didn't say anything, so she couldn't explain anything either, and just chuckled awkwardly along with them.
Next, the second wife took her leave with a cold face, and the third wife did not stay any longer, then left with Chu Ying.
Finding a discreet spot, the second wife quietly inquired, "What just happened?"
Yang Qing quickly spoke up before her sisters, recounting the actions of the Prince of Ning's heir, adding her own subjective embellishments. This only enraged the Second Madam, who exclaimed, "This is outrageous! He's just a prince from a remote place; does he really think he's someone important?"
The Chi family was once very prominent. Yang Qing's grandfather was the prime minister and is still very famous. When people hear of him, they all give him a thumbs up and praise him as Chi Qingtian.
But good people don't live long. My grandfather passed away before he was fifty. His children were still young and unable to support the family, so the Chi family quickly declined.
Now, Grandpa Chi has been transferred to a county as a magistrate.
Second Master, Yang Qing's father, stayed at the Imperial Academy for many years. He had a prestigious and respectable title, but in reality, he had little future.
If Li Shangxuan were to ascend the throne, that would be a different story.
The third master is a minor official of the seventh rank, while the fourth master has repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. Now he is studying with his nephews and nieces, and is waiting for next year's spring imperial examination.
This is also why the Second Master and Second Madam were unwilling to marry Rongyue to the son of Minister Yun. When the family is still around, everything is fine, but once they leave, the relationship cools down, and who can say for sure what will happen next?
The second wife's family was also a prestigious clan, and she married into the Chi family at the height of their power and influence. Although she had witnessed the fickleness of human relationships in recent years, she felt that she could stand taller as the teacher's wife after Li Shangxuan was named the crown prince.
Not to mention, there's a high chance that Tai Shui will become emperor.
The second wife was already very dissatisfied, and now when she heard that her daughter had been harassed, she immediately turned red with anger.
The Third Madam was extremely embarrassed. She really hadn't expected that her good intentions in arranging the match would lead to such a situation. She immediately cursed Princess Ning in her heart again.
But she could swear to God that she had absolutely no ill intentions. Early summer was the emperor's fiftieth birthday. Prince Ning was busy dealing with local affairs in Yunzhou and couldn't spare the time, but the princess and the crown prince were relatively free. They basically arrived in the capital after the New Year. But it was only half a month, so how could everything have gotten out?
The Third Madam loved socializing and got to know the Princess Consort of Ning through these social interactions. Upon hearing that the Princess Consort intended to marry her niece to the Crown Prince, the Third Madam was overjoyed and excitedly came over to discuss it with her Second Sister-in-law.
The family prospers together and suffers together. If Yangqing marries the Crown Prince and Rongyue marries the Heir Apparent, wouldn't her precious Chuying's marriage prospects also rise accordingly? Wouldn't he be able to choose from all the young talents in the capital?
Upon seeing what the Prince of Ning's heir looked like, the Third Madam wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
It's all her fault for being so eager to make things happen, without ever considering that a pie might actually fall from the sky.
Now she wanted to explain, but her usual quick wit seemed to have vanished, and she couldn't say anything.
While the second lady was furious, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the Prince of Ning sitting not far away, his eyes barely open, grinning as he looked in their direction.
Chi Chuying also noticed, her usual spoiled and willful nature completely gone. She clung tightly to the Third Madam's hand, saying in a panic, "Mother, why do I feel like that fat man is watching me? I'm scared..."
The second wife made the decision: "We can't stay here any longer, let's go home."
go home?
That won't do! Rongyue hasn't even met the young master of Minister Yun's family yet!
Yang Qing hurriedly said, "If we leave now, won't it be disrespectful to the Grand Princess?"
The second wife said, "We're not some distinguished guests. We're just passing by. We'll just let you know when we leave. The host won't even notice."
Yang Qing thought for a moment and then said, "But if we do that, won't Princess Ning use this to her advantage and make others think that we have been impolite?"
The Third Madam scolded, "You're still just a child, talking nonsense. Anyone with eyes can see whose fault it is. Alright, let's go. It's all my fault today. I'll apologize to you sisters when we get back."
Yang Qing was still reluctant to let go. What if Rong Yue missed out on her marriage because of her actions today?
The Third Madam had already put her arm around her and was about to leave, so Yangqing couldn't just stand there and act like a child; that would attract too much attention.
That's the only way I can comfort myself. How can a marriage be so easily ruined?
If it doesn't work this time, there's always another chance.
As long as the Prince of Ning's heir doesn't press too hard, the Second Lady will still have plenty of time to choose a suitable husband.
They hadn't gone two steps when the Grand Princess's residence suddenly erupted in commotion again. Chu Ying asked, "What's going on?" and a busybody immediately replied, "I heard it's His Highness the Crown Prince..."
Yang Qing realized something was wrong. She had never attended this banquet in her previous life, so she naturally didn't know that Li Shangxuan would be there.
Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher—if he comes, after meeting the Grand Princess, he will definitely come to see his mother.
Her attitude immediately changed drastically; she wished she could sprout wings and fly back to the Chi family, urging, "Why isn't Mother leaving?"
The second madam stopped and stared at Yangqing for a while before saying, "What Ah Xun said earlier makes sense. If we leave first, wouldn't it make us look like we're in the wrong? We shouldn't spoil the Grand Princess's mood. Staying is the right thing to do."
Upon hearing this, Yang Qing resented herself for saying those words earlier, and even more so for the talkative Chu Ying beside her. If it weren't for Chu Ying's insistence on saying that, she would probably already be on a carriage by now.
But the matter was already settled, and there was no point in complaining about anyone. Chu Ying was given several glares by Yang Qing for no reason, and she felt confused. But because the Prince of Ning was present, she didn't dare to breathe loudly. She wished she could turn into a flower or a blade of grass, just to avoid attracting the attention of that fat pig.
The once quiet and cozy Grand Princess's residence has become a completely different scene since Li Shangxuan's arrival.
Yang Qing knew that it was the same in her previous life. Li Shangxuan said he was interested in her, but their marriage was never finalized until he ascended the throne and then welcomed her into the palace to be his empress.
Aside from the Chi family, outsiders probably haven't even heard of Yang Qing. Those ladies and noblewomen naturally still harbor ambitions; although they weren't exactly commoners, they still want to rise to the top and become phoenixes.
The second madam looked as if she were facing a formidable enemy, and refused to leave. She pulled Yangqing to sit down and waited for the crown prince to come and see her.
Yang Qing could only sit down and wait. The place was full of women, and Li Shangxuan probably only stayed for a short while, said hello, and left.
She's always been the best at comforting herself.
Time seemed to pass incredibly slowly; she felt like an ant on a hot pan, constantly tormented.
When Li Shangxuan came to pay his respects to the Second Madam, she breathed a sigh of relief, but still kept her eyes downcast and refused to look at him.
After the group bowed, Li Shangxuan offered a few words of comfort, mostly just greetings. Before leaving, however, he casually asked, "Is Seventh Miss still not well?"
See? That's men for you. Yesterday he was calling her "Ah Xun" tenderly by the window, but today he only calls her "Seventh Sister" in front of others.
Yang Qing looked up, intending to glare at him, but unexpectedly met his eyes.
She had quickly accepted the fact of her rebirth, but upon seeing Li Shangxuan as a teenager, a strange feeling arose within her.
He is still the upright and honorable crown prince, wearing the skin of a virtuous gentleman and gaining the support of many people, showing no sign of becoming the absolute ruler he will be in the future.
Although his face was cool and aloof, it was not the majesty of a monarch, but rather the elegance and nobility of a gentleman.
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