In modern times, Qu Qingxi had a high alcohol tolerance, but she rarely drank alcohol because too much alcohol can easily make people lose their minds and do irrational things.
Qu Qingxi hadn't really drunk much alcohol since arriving here, and it was unclear how much she could drink. Just to be on the safe side, she only had one glass and then stopped.
Qu Qingxi was unaware that a gaze was fixed on her throughout the banquet.
The wine in front of Zhou Wenli was stronger. He was sitting diagonally opposite Qu Qingxi, so he had seen everything Qu Qingxi did. For some reason, he found Qu Qingxi rather cute.
He couldn't help but recall the time when he and Qu Qingxi were at Princess Anping's residence. When Qu Qingxi heard the truth about her background, the sadness and sorrow in her eyes were palpable. At that time, she was both charming and endearing.
Moreover, today, Zhou Wenli also noticed that Princess Mingxiu, who had previously performed the "Rainbow Feather Dance," had also come here. As far as he knew, Princess Mingxiu had been ordered by the emperor to be confined to the Marquis of Dingguo's residence and was not allowed to come out. This time, because the banquet was quite grand, basically everyone of some status would come.
In addition, Ren Nuanyun is not only Princess Mingxiu, but also the Crown Prince's fiancée, so of course she has to attend.
Ren Nuanyun had been feeling restless in the mansion for a long time. Originally, she didn't want to care about the emperor's orders at all, but the crown prince came to see her several times and sent her many good things, which finally calmed Ren Nuanyun down.
Ren Nuanyun was wearing a pale yellow outfit today. When she realized that her cool and aloof style was basically not working, she gave up on it. In particular, she was furious when she heard many people comparing her to Xu Yanyan and criticizing her for not imitating Xu Yanyan well enough and for not having that kind of temperament.
Xu Yanyan was naturally aloof and cold, and had been a cool and aloof beauty since childhood. It was an innate quality. Ren Nuanyun was just pretending to be aloof. If anyone wasn't blind, they would know who was truly aloof and who was just pretending.
Ren Nuanyun's visit today also had a major event in mind. When the Crown Prince sought her advice, he analyzed his current situation almost without reservation.
He subtly indicated that he might marry Xu Yingying, but that he had absolutely no feelings for her. Ren Nuanyun was initially very heartbroken and also found it strange that the Xu family would secretly betray the Crown Prince, since he was clearly the male lead.
Could there be a problem with the plot?
Ren Nuanyun had this suspicion for a long time, because she found that things were not going quite right. She was originally the protagonist, the female lead, and at the beginning, she had the aura of a female lead.
The Marquis and his wife doted on her, and the Crown Prince liked her, but for some reason, her luck began to turn bad.
In particular, the Crown Prince's demand that he marry Xu Yingying in order to win over Grand Tutor Xu is something that would never happen in the original story.
Although Ren Nuanyun was somewhat unwilling, there was nothing she could do. However, the Crown Prince promised her that as soon as he ascended the throne, he would immediately send Xu Yingying to the Cold Palace. Even if Xu Yingying married him, he would never consummate their marriage or dote on her.
After hearing the Crown Prince's words, Ren Nuanyun remembered that the Crown Prince's situation was indeed somewhat precarious. After hesitating for a few days, she finally agreed to the Crown Prince's request. However, she also came up with a plan to help the Crown Prince win over Xu Yingying.
Ren Nuanyun didn't want Xu Yingying to affect her position as Crown Princess, so she came up with a wicked plan. Grand Tutor Xu didn't want his daughter to marry the Crown Prince as a concubine. But what if something happened to Xu Yingying in the palace?
Ren Nuanyun has already instructed the Crown Prince to take action, and today is the best opportunity.
Thinking of this, Ren Nuanyun turned her head to look in Xu Yingying's direction. Xu Yingying was sitting with her mother. Xu Yingying had just turned 18 this year and was at the peak of her beauty.
Although she and Xu Yanyan are sisters born of the same mother, Xu Yingying and Xu Yanyan look very different. If Xu Yanyan is a snow lotus on the top of a snow mountain, then Xu Yingying is the most delicate peony in the garden.
Judging from her appearance alone, Xu Yingying has an extremely gentle, dignified and elegant appearance, with bright eyes and white teeth, and her eyebrows and eyes are like a painting.
Although Ren Nuanyun knew that the Crown Prince liked her, she was still extremely jealous when she saw Xu Yingying's appearance. Before, she had the blessing of the female lead's luck, so she didn't care much about the appearance of other women.
Now there's a huge mountain blocking our way, and to get over it, we have to take down Xu Yingying.
A hint of resentment and bitterness flashed in Ren Nuanyun's eyes. She suddenly became unsure whether the Crown Prince would be tempted after seeing such a beautiful face every day since Xu Yingying entered the house.
Ren Nuanyun squeezed her eyes shut, then concealed the deep thought in them. No, Xu Yingying cannot marry the Crown Prince, absolutely not.
In the past, Ren Nuanyun might not have thought anything of it, but now she suddenly realized some things. She couldn't guarantee that the Crown Prince would only love her forever. More importantly, Xu Yingying not only had beauty, but also a powerful maternal family like Grand Tutor Xu.
Aside from the Crown Prince's favor, she had nothing else; she lacked a powerful family background.
However, the Crown Prince is about to make his move today, and Xu Yingying is bound to get into trouble today, but the other man cannot be the Crown Prince.
But who else could it be besides the Crown Prince?
As Ren Nuanyun was thinking, she suddenly saw Qu Qingxi sitting there drinking.
Immediately, a plan popped into Ren Nuanyun's mind: if He Liufeng and Xu Yingying were to have an affair in public today, Xu Yingying would have no choice but to marry He Liufeng.
In that case, it wouldn't be me who's troubled. Qu Qingxi is indeed good-looking, and Xu Yingying is also beautiful. In terms of family background, although Qu Qingxi is the prime minister's legitimate daughter, she is not favored and has almost no connection with the prime minister. Even if Qu Qingxi suffers any grievances, the prime minister will not stand up for her.
But Xu Yingying is different. Xu Yingying has Grand Tutor Xu backing her up. Moreover, if Xu Yingying really had something happen with He Liufeng, Grand Tutor Xu could secretly put pressure on He Liufeng. Perhaps Qu Qingxi's reign as the Princess of Nanqing would end there, and she would become a concubine. What is a concubine? To put it bluntly, she is just a mistress.
Even if Qu Qingxi were still the principal wife, if the two met, Qu Qingxi would definitely not have an easy time.
If Xu Yingying marries He Liufeng and faces off against Qu Qingxi, Qu Qingxi will definitely be in great pain. After all, she thought He Liufeng only doted on her, but now a beautiful woman has entered the mansion and taken away her favor. Qu Qingxi will definitely feel like she is living a life worse than death.
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