Chapter 44 is all about anger, nothing but anger...
But it turned out that Yang Qing was overthinking things.
Empress Ming ignored her completely. After the meal, Xin Wanyou said she wanted to go out of the palace with Yang Qing. She agreed without thinking, as if she didn't care about Yang Qing at all.
Although Yang Qing felt confused, she was also relieved and happily left the palace hand in hand with Xin Wanyou.
It was just the time when officials were leaving their posts, and the imperial city was bustling with people wearing official robes.
Yang Qing wanted to avoid these people, but Xin Wanyou was very excited, as if she had seen a monkey show, and stretched her neck to watch.
Yang Qing pulled her back, "Why are you still like this? We're in the capital, what will people think if they see us like this?"
Xin Wanyou didn't seem to care: "I've never seen this before. Why are these people wearing such colorful clothes?"
Yang Qing explained, "Their ranks are different, so their clothes are naturally different too. By the way, how have you been in the palace?"
It's very stuffy in the palace; Xin Wanyou probably won't be able to play to her heart's content.
Xin Wanyou said, "It's just so-so. Her Majesty the Empress is a very nice person, but there are too many rules here. Her niece talks so much that she can go on and on from morning till night. My head is about to explode from listening to her."
She didn't say her name, but Yang Qing knew who she was. Besides Ming Luoqi, who else would have so much to say?
Yang Qing smiled slightly, and then heard Xin Wanyou say, "You don't know, after you left, your Crown Prince never gave me a kind look again. I was terrified the whole way. I didn't dare to say a word, afraid that I might offend him and have my head chopped off. Oh dear, you're going to marry him in the future. Yang Qing, you're so pitiful."
Yang Qing agreed: "I think so too."
Xin Wanyou said, "Should I go and plead with the Empress for you? She's been so good to me. If I speak to her, maybe she'll help you cancel the marriage."
"That's not necessary."
The imperial edict was issued by the emperor, and Empress Ming could not change it. Moreover, why should Xin Wanyou have to beg? She probably didn't want Yang Qing to become empress in the first place, otherwise she wouldn't have sent her two nieces to the capital.
Thinking of this, Yang Qing lowered her voice and quietly asked, "Do you know why the Empress wanted to see me today?"
Xin Wanyou shook her head: "Isn't it only natural for a mother-in-law to want to see her daughter-in-law? Why does she need a reason?"
Yang Qing said, "But this is too strange. They called me here, but didn't say a word to me. What does this mean?"
Xin Wanyou rolled her eyes. "Maybe it's because you're not supposed to talk while eating or sleeping? There are so many rules in the palace. Ming Luoqi, that big mouth, is always complaining to me about these things."
Yang Qing didn't say anything more. Empress Ming was indeed a very proper person, but today she was clearly not like that. It was as if she looked down on her.
She was somewhat dissatisfied. What was wrong with her? She was more than a match for Li Shangxuan, so why did he look down on her?
What she was more curious about was why the emperor would so easily agree to make her the crown princess.
After all, her family background was so ordinary that she couldn't possibly offer Li Shangxuan any help.
She tilted her head and thought for a while, but still couldn't figure it out, so she decided to take it one step at a time.
Even if the sky were to fall, Li Shangxuan is taller than her, so he'll hold it up.
******
When Li Shangxuan received the news and rushed to Jiaofang Palace to request an audience, Yang Qing had just left. He had already sent someone to inform her, so he couldn't just leave directly. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and greet Empress Ming.
Empress Ming's expression remained unchanged, and she spoke a few more words than when facing Yang Qing, but she was still taciturn.
Li Shangxuan had grown into a tall and handsome young man. He looked nothing like her old rival, Consort Xue, but rather resembled the emperor in his youth.
Not only do they look like that old man, but their tastes are also the same. The two father and son are surprisingly consistent in some ways. They like the same type of girl, the kind she dislikes the most—soft and weak, lacking any backbone or integrity.
After seeing Li Shangxuan off, looking at her two nieces, each with their own strengths, she must have complained, "I really don't know where you two went wrong. How come you're so incompetent?"
Mingmiao lowered her head. Since entering the capital, her mind was initially focused on the Crown Prince's Palace. However, after accidentally meeting Chi Rongyue at a banquet, she inevitably developed a competitive spirit, which intensified over time.
Not to mention Li Shangxuan, she didn't even want to curry favor with Empress Ming. All she could think about was how to win against Chi Rongyue.
She had a high opinion of herself. As the daughter of a collateral branch of the Ming family, she shouldn't have had the opportunity to enter the Eastern Palace.
But she was just too outstanding. She was proficient in all eight arts of the literati: music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flowers, tea, and more. She wouldn't say she was the best in every one of them, but she was proficient in them all. She originally thought she was the best in the world, but she never expected that she was just a frog in a well.
The capital city is indeed the capital, a place of outstanding people and abundant resources. Chi Rongyue is about the same age as her, but she is her equal.
Ming Miao was somewhat unwilling to admit that Chi Rongyue might be even better than her in some aspects.
After this back-and-forth competition, she couldn't help but feel that being able to defeat Chi Rongyue would probably be much happier than being the Crown Princess.
Faced with Empress Ming's questioning, she felt guilty and dared not say more.
Ming Luoqi, standing to the side, was quite unconvinced. She had been very attentive to Li Shangxuan. Although they didn't have many opportunities to meet, she would immediately rush over to greet her cousin, the Crown Prince, whenever she saw him.
She dared to say that even his biological mother wouldn't care about him this much.
But the Crown Prince's cousin's attitude was very strange. He always had a helpless expression on his face, and the people around him also had expressions that seemed like they wanted to laugh but were trying to hold it in. It was very strange.
These people are really strange. She always checked herself carefully and there was absolutely nothing shameful on her face or clothes.
But this was in front of Empress Ming. Even though Empress Ming's temper had improved a lot, she only dared to mutter complaints, "My niece is clearly very hardworking, but I don't know why, my cousin the Crown Prince seems to dislike me."
The grievance in her voice seemed genuine. Empress Ming merely glanced at her and said nothing more, waving for the two sisters to leave.
However, the love and affection of young people, though seemingly profound, are also shallow. After many years, they may not be able to help but laugh when they think back on their youthful folly.
Whether she becomes the Crown Princess or not, Li Shangxuan is destined to become Emperor, and there will definitely be more than one woman in the harem. Miaohe is intelligent and refined, while Luoqi is naive. She believes that given time, Li Shangxuan will definitely change his mind.
The Ming family must have a place in this harem.
****
Li Shangxuan finally breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the Empress's palace.
Heaven knows how fast her heart was beating when she saw Ming Luoqi, afraid that she would pounce on her again and start chattering away.
He had never seen such a talkative girl before.
Rong Shan, suppressing a laugh, said, "Your Highness, don't worry. With the Empress around, Miss Luo Qi won't come to talk to you."
He thought to himself that if it weren't for Miss Chi, Miss Luo Qi and His Highness would really be like a pair of sworn enemies. He had been following Li Shangxuan for so long and had never seen him look so worried.
When His Highness thought of Miss Chi, he would laugh one moment and be angry the next, but he never seemed to be truly worried. What was certain, however angry he was in private, was that whenever he saw Miss Chi, he could only smile.
Rongshan still hoped that Miss Chi would become the Crown Princess. If their master was in a good mood, they, as servants, would also have an easier time.
Li Shangxuan said, "Tell me after you've found out more about it."
Upon hearing that Empress Ming had summoned Yang Qing to the palace, he rushed over in a hurry, but to his surprise, not only did he not get to see her, he didn't even get to witness her heroic rescue.
Although Empress Ming didn't say anything, he felt embarrassed, as if he had misunderstood her.
Rong Shan chuckled and said, "Your Highness is right. If this happens again, I will definitely find out the truth before reporting back to Your Highness."
Li Shangxuan simply hummed in agreement and said nothing more, but in his heart he wondered why Yang Qing couldn't have so many words.
It used to be much better, but now every time she sees him, she's either angry or angry, and I don't know why she gets so angry.
He wanted to talk to her more, but each time it ended with her getting angry and kicking him out.
His distress was genuine, but if Yang Qing knew, she would definitely sneer and spit on him.
For such an obedient and adorable little dog as Xiaobai to call Li Shangxuan a dog is simply an insult to Xiaobai.
Fortunately, she couldn't hear Li Shangxuan's thoughts, so she was still happy chatting and laughing with Xin Wanyou.
Xin Wanyou speaks in a very interesting way. Everything she says has a natural humor to it, which makes Yang Qing laugh. If only Li Shangxuan were as witty and perceptive.
Have you met that young master surnamed Yang? He's really handsome. Tell me, could I marry him?
Yang Qing was taken aback, and her first reaction was to advise, "You absolutely must not drug him."
Xin Wanyou scolded, "Why are you still holding onto this? They changed it a long time ago."
Yang Qing said, "I was just giving you a few instructions for nothing, in case you forget and cause a lot of trouble."
Xin Wanyou said, "No way! I'm the kind of person who learns from my mistakes. Tell me quickly, can I marry that young master?"
Yang Qing said, "I don't know either. If you want to ask, I'll inquire later to see if he's ever been engaged."
If Xin Wanyou had feelings for Yang Jiarong, Yang Qing thought it was quite possible, after all, didn't Yang Jiarong have a grandfather who was devoted to medicine?
Today, I took Xin Wanyou for a stroll in our own courtyard. Because the Second Madam is here, who is particularly fond of flowers and plants, the Chi family's garden, although not large, is very ingenious. Although it is autumn now and there are no bright flowers, the green bamboo is still there, and the pavilions and terraces are still there. Looking at it this way, it is also a very nice autumn scene.
After parting ways that evening, the two agreed to meet again, but no specific date was set. Indeed, Xin Wanyou faced many inconveniences while in the palace.
The invitation to the lake tour was still sent from the Crown Prince's palace. This time it was sent openly and handed to her by the Second Madam, so Yangqing had no choice but to go.
She still felt very strange, a mixture of resentment and joy. She hoped he wouldn't try anything again when they met tomorrow, or she would definitely teach him a lesson.
Imagining the scene of kicking him into the river, Yang Qing finally smiled with satisfaction and drifted off to sleep.
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