There was a hint of teasing in her tone.
The queen looked as if she had been slapped in the face. Her face was gloomy and her eyebrows and eyes were filled with displeasure.
The surroundings fell into silence for a moment, making the long-drawn singing of the actors outside seem clearer.
"..." Yuan Zhitong maintained his kneeling posture, his pupils shrank sharply, and his deathly pale face showed some blue.
Naturally, she was unwilling to offer this cup of tea.
Today, the Emperor and the Prince of Andaman parted on bad terms, but this does not mean that the marriage between the two countries has fallen through. Her father had long told her that the Emperor seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the people of Nanhao, and the marriage might cause some waves, but it would not fall through. After all, this matter concerns both countries.
The concubines for the third princess had already been chosen, and they were just waiting for the emperor to issue an official decree. If she offered tea to the third princess now, wouldn't her status be even lower than that of a concubine? ! Moreover, she didn't want to marry far away to Nanhao and be bullied by others!
All the blood in her body seemed to have frozen. A cold shiver rose from the soles of her feet and gripped her heart.
At this time, Queen Mother Yin asked calmly, "Why are you disrespectful? Don't you have to apologize to Anle?"
Her knuckles tapped lightly a few times to the rhythm of the erhu and sandalwood boards, casually, as if she was immersed in the rhythm of the opera, and as if she was urging Yuan Zhitong.
When Anle heard her own name, she finally turned her attention away from the beautiful sisters on the stage and had no idea what was going on.
Anle looked at Yuan Zhitong who was kneeling and bowing to her, then looked at the cup of tea in Nanny He's hand, blinked, and asked stupidly, "Zhitong, are you going to offer me tea?"
Without waiting for Yuan Zhitong to answer, Anle shrank back, shook her hands, pouted and said, "But I don't want it!"
Yuan Zhitong: “…”
Anle had a stern face and said innocently and frankly: "Last time you offered tea to Aunt Jiuhuang, she refused it."
Anle was just stating a fact casually with an innocent look on her face, without a trace of disgust, but every word she said was like an ice needle piercing Yuan Zhitong's heart.
Yuan Zhitong: “!!!”
At the same time, Nanny He forcefully stuffed the teacup in her hand to Yuan Zhitong.
Yuan Zhitong stood there stiffly with the tea in his hand, not knowing whether to show respect or not.
After all, she was only sixteen years old and had never experienced anything. Her head was buzzing and she was unable to react calmly.
It was the Queen who took the lead in trying to smooth things over: "Zhitong, since you know you are wrong, you must reflect on it when you return."
The Queen had no intention of having Yuan Zhitong be a concubine accompanying the Third Princess.
The princesses of the royal family, including the wife of Prince Li, could see that the Queen was trying to smooth things over, and they secretly sighed in their hearts: In this game of chess, the Queen herself has surrendered.
Queen Mother Yin glanced at the Queen, her graceful face showing no emotion, she smiled faintly and let the Queen go.
She had not intended to let Yuan Zhitong cause trouble for the Third Princess and turn her into the next Jingle.
Queen Mother Yin picked up a cup of fresh tea and said, "So, I say, you should kowtow to apologize. How can you offer tea? It looks insincere."
"What does the Queen think?"
In the end, Queen Mother Yin asked the Queen in a lukewarm manner and passed the ball to the Queen.
In less than a cup of tea, the atmosphere in the flower hall changed direction several times, just like the fickle weather.
Queen: “…”
If the Queen was not facing the Queen Mother at the moment, she would have suppressed the other party with her majesty as the mother of the country. But now the Queen can only patiently "talk reason, rules and etiquette" to the other party.
She is now in the same dilemma as Yuan Zhitong. If she denies the Queen Mother's words, wouldn't that really mean that the Third Princess will have to take Yuan Zhitong's cup of tea?
That won't work.
In the Queen's view, Yuan Zhitong is a good chess piece.
However, precisely because the Queen knew what kind of person Yuan Zhitong was, she knew even more clearly that she must not let Yuan Zhitong be given as a dowry to the Third Princess. Regardless of whether the Third Princess would marry Nanhao in the future, or stay in Daqi to find a prince consort, she could not keep Yuan Zhitong to set a trap for her daughter.
No matter what, her daughter was born after she carried her baby for ten months, and she could not let her own daughter suffer any injustice.
The queen quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind, forced a smile, and nodded, saying, "Mother is right."
"It's better to follow the old rules."
The queen tried hard to act as if nothing had happened, but because she was trying too hard, her smile seemed fake.
After saying that, the queen turned her sharp gaze to Yuan Zhitong, and her gaze was like a knife, piercing straight into Yuan Zhitong's heart.
Not only the Queen, but the other female guests around also cast mocking and contemptuous glances at Yuan Zhitong, making Yuan Zhitong realize at once what it meant to be the target of public criticism.
She felt a mixture of various feelings in her heart, all of which rolled over and over again, and in the end only bitterness remained.
She knew clearly that she had no other choice.
In front of the Queen and the Queen Mother, the two most noble women in the Great Qi Dynasty, she was just a mere servant who could be trampled upon at will.
Yuan Zhitong thought of Chu Qianhuang again, and the picture froze on the face that was red and swollen from being slapped.
Chu Qianhuang's fate is a lesson for her.
A palace maid brought a cushion and took the teacup from Yuan Zhitong's hand.
Yuan Zhitong endured the soreness caused by bending her knees just now, and knelt on the mat with a slightly stiff movement, then kowtowed to Anle respectfully to apologize, with every move being gentle and respectful.
At this moment, Yuan Zhitong withdrew her soul, and the whispers around her could no longer reach her ears.
Yuan Zhitong stood up with the help of the maid, and looked at Chu Qianchen again, her eyelashes trembling.
Lu Xianjing had been enduring for a long time. At this moment, she said sarcastically, "Sister Tong is neither a concubine nor a slave. How can Princess Chen make her kneel down?"
Just now, when the Queen was talking to the Queen Mother, Lu Xianjing didn't dare to interrupt casually, for fear of being charged with disrespect by the Queen Mother. But now she has no scruples.
Chu Qianchen pursed his lips and smiled.
She had a fair and delicate face, upturned eyes, and a faint smile at the corners of her mouth.
Different from the noble ladies around her who strictly observe etiquette, Chu Qianchen, who is extremely beautiful, looks like a jade statue at first glance, but occasionally she reveals a kind of heroic spirit that looks down on the world.
There is flamboyance hidden beneath elegance.
There is pride beneath the peace.
There is a kind of neither humble nor arrogant bearing and an awe-inspiring and inviolable nobility.
There was no need for Chu Qianchen to speak, as Nanny He beside Queen Mother Yin spoke first: "This is the first time I've heard that a princess of a royal family is not worthy of the kneeling of the daughter of a second-rank official."
Nanny He glanced at Lu Xianjing nonchalantly, as if to say, how come you don’t even know the distinction between superiors and inferiors.
Yuan Zhitong was of no rank or status, and how others looked at her differently depended on her father and whether the empress dowager was willing to show her some favor.
"..." Lu Xianjing was speechless and almost tore the handkerchief in her hand.
Nanny He's attitude was the same as that of the Queen Mother. Lu Xianjing couldn't help but look at the Queen, but seeing that the Queen's face looked really bad, she closed her mouth reluctantly.
So, the cushion was moved in front of Chu Qianchen by another palace maid.
Yuan Zhitong lowered her little face, silent and motionless.
She knew that she was a chess piece in the game between the Queen and the Queen Mother, so she had no right to make active choices and could only passively respond. She had to do whatever the Queen asked her to do.
Now she is like a prisoner being tortured to death. If she wants to be freed, she can only endure the punishment as soon as possible. The longer she delays, the more painful it will be for her to be cut by the knife.
Yuan Zhitong took a resolute step forward, knelt down again, and kowtowed to Chu Qianchen to apologize.
When her forehead rested on the ground, her facial features were also hidden. Only the gentle voice with a flat tone could be heard saying, "Please forgive me, Princess."
Chu Qianchen didn't even look at her, and replied calmly, "It's good that Miss Yuan knows her mistake."
Yuan Zhitong apologized and was helped up by the maid again. She still had a smile on her face, and some of the powder on her forehead had been rubbed off, like a crack suddenly appearing on the once perfect mask.
Yuan Zhitong was finally able to sit down again, but this time he returned to Anle's side, with his brows lowered, like a shadow with no sense of existence.
"..." The queen's face still didn't look good, her eyebrows and eyelashes twitched several times. She rubbed her eyebrows, but still endured it.
Even though Queen Mother Yin had been calm and composed from beginning to end, anyone with eyes could see that she was supporting Chu Qianchen.
Maybe the Queen Mother really liked this daughter-in-law, or maybe it was just for Gu Jue that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were united in facing the outside world.
The queen was filled with anger, and felt that the queen mother's presence was an eyesore. However, she had to give in due to filial piety.
Queen Mother, it would be better for you to stay in Shouning Palace sickly like before! A cloud flashed across the Queen's eyes. Although she quickly lowered her eyelids and concealed the abnormality by holding up the teacup, her subtle change in expression still did not escape Lu Xianjing's eyes.
The farce came to a temporary end.
Everyone's attention shifted back to the stage, and the atmosphere was far less lively than before.
Except for the innocent Anle who was still happy, clapping hard at the stage and cheering from time to time, everyone else just watched the show silently.
The second act of "The Xiang Fei Fan" has been sung, and the atmosphere on the stage has become more lively, filled with the sound of stringed instruments.
The groom came with the bridal sedan to pick up the bride. The elder sister was about to get married, and the younger sister was reluctant to let her go. The two sisters hugged each other, crying and laughing, and almost missed the auspicious time for their wedding.
After bidding farewell reluctantly, they drove away carrying the bride's sedan chair, leaving the younger sister hugging her parents and crying bitterly, saying that if her brother-in-law treated her badly, she would definitely teach him a lesson on her behalf.
“Crackle…”
The sound of the drums imitating the sound of firecrackers was loud and harsh, beating chaotically on the queen's heart, adding a bit of anxiety to the queen's irritable heart.
The queen's mind was still not on the stage, she was still thinking about what had just happened.
Originally, the Queen was 90 percent sure about what she was going to say today, but after seeing how Queen Mother Yin defended Chu Qianchen just now, she became a little unsure.
The queen absentmindedly used the tea lid to brush away the foam floating on the tea, and hesitated.
Yuan Zhitong has calmed down a lot, but his face still feels hot.
She couldn't suppress the remaining shame in her heart. It was like a tiny insect gnawing at her heart over and over again.
She looked towards the Queen from time to time, again and again...
Next, Jingle, Yunhe and other guests who went out to appreciate the plum blossoms returned to the flower hall one after another.
Although these people didn't know what had happened before, they could sense that the atmosphere in the hall was different, and they all slowed down their steps and lowered their voices.
Her deceased mother was the empress dowager's cousin. It was because of this identity that she was favored by the empress and chosen as the third princess's study companion.
Today, Queen Mother Yin stepped on her to protect Chu Qianchen in front of so many people, and everyone saw it.
If "that thing" didn't happen today, she could imagine that even the Queen would no longer pay attention to her in the future.
If the queen gets tired of her and abandons her, and replaces her with someone else...
Yuan Zhitong's heart suddenly sank again, and she couldn't help but recall the scenes at Wanqing Restaurant yesterday, and the way Gu Jue treated Chu Qianchen with a focused gaze and as if no one else was around.
Yuan Zhitong bit the tip of her tongue, using the pain to calm herself down. Her eyes were filled with a thick haze that grew darker and darker.
But the Queen didn't speak, and she couldn't speak herself.
Yuan Zhitong withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyes, and continued to twist her fingers.
She was a little absent-minded and didn't notice that several people around her were also looking at her.
The wife of Prince Li and the wife of Prince Li's son looked at each other thoughtfully.
On the night of the hunting in the hunting palace last month, the Queen had asked Yuan Zhitong to serve tea to Chu Qianchen. At that time, the Princess of Li had already noticed some clues. After the commotion just now, she became more certain of her guess.
Nanny Shan beside the queen also looked at Yuan Zhitong and whispered something to the queen.
The queen sat upright in her seat, raised her index finger and took a sip of tea leisurely.
She looked down on Yuan Zhitong's anxious look, but she also knew that she didn't have any better candidate for the time being.
Over the years, Queen Mother Yin has been on guard against herself and the Emperor. If the candidate is replaced with someone else, the Queen is sure that Queen Mother Yin will not agree, and Chu Qianchen is a thorn in the side.
Even if I issued an imperial decree, Chu Qianchen could refuse it. With Empress Dowager Yin around, the decree from me, the queen, would be invalid.
Whenever the Queen thought of herself as the Queen Mother and still being suppressed by the Queen Mother, she couldn't help but reveal a suffocated look in her eyes and felt very anxious.
The only person she can use is Yuan Zhitong.
The hesitation between the queen's brows became more intense. At this time, the head palace maid looked at the leak in the pot and quietly reminded the queen.
The Queen came back to her senses and quickly calmed down. She said to Chu Qianchen as if nothing had happened, "Sister-in-law, the auspicious time is almost here. I'll have to trouble you to put flowers on Anle's head."
According to the customs of the Great Qi Dynasty, the ceremony of the coming of age of the noble ladies of the royal family was extremely solemn, no less solemn than the ceremony of the coming of age of the noble ladies of the royal family. At the ceremony, the elders would put flowers in their hair and bless them.
Chu Qianchen is Gu Jue's princess consort. Gu Jue is the only legitimate son of the late emperor besides the current emperor, so the task of pinning flowers for the third princess was given to her.
Like Queen Mother Yin, Chu Qianchen also had some affection for Anle, so he did not refuse.
She had been sitting for a long time and wanted to get some fresh air, so she took Jiang Yuan out of the flower hall.
Chu Qianchen decided to pick plum blossoms without thinking, so he went towards the plum forest.
It snowed yesterday, and the white snow is still piled on the branches and roofs, adding a unique charm to the surrounding pavilions, carved beams and painted buildings, rockery and flowers.
Compared with spring, summer and autumn, there are the fewest flowers in winter. In this season, what you can appreciate in the Imperial Garden is not flowers, but snow.
Chu Qianchen was not in a hurry. He walked at a leisurely pace, bypassing a lake, passing through several corridors and paths, and passing by several rockery pavilions, and then he saw Merlin appear in front of him.
The plum forest is also covered with white snow. When the wind blows, snowflakes fall down, accompanied by the fragrance of plum blossoms.
Those snowflakes with the scent of plum blossoms danced in the air, fell on the lake rocks, drifted over the treetops of the pine trees, or brushed against Chu Qianchen's cheek.
Just by looking at this dreamlike scene, Chu Qianchen's heart calmed down.
She raised her hand, picked a red plum blossom, and put it under her nose to smell it.
The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold.
Chu Qianchen turned the red plum branch with snowflakes on it in his hand and decided to give this snow-resistant plum branch to the third princess.
Chu Qianchen did not stay in the plum forest for long. She only picked three or four plum blossoms, then turned around with her small flower basket. She saw a woman in a purple cloak with mink fur walking towards her not far ahead.
In the cold wind, the cloak fluttered in the wind, making the woman's already slender figure even more fragile.
As the person came closer, her face gradually became clear. It was Princess Jingle.
Chu Qianchen remembered the last time Jingle came to see her, and she had an inexplicable intuition in her heart that Jingle came to see her specifically again.
really--
"Nineth Emperor's wife."
Before Chu Qianchen could say anything, Jingle called her.
Her expression and voice were as gentle as ever, so gentle that it made people feel fragile. The purple cloak made her skin look as white as snow and her temperament was gentle.
Jingle stopped three steps away and met Chu Qianchen's eyes. The smile on her face deepened, as if just looking at Chu Qianchen was a pleasant thing for her.
She thought of something and her smile faded. She looked around like a frightened deer and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no one around.
She hurriedly said, "Sister-in-law Jiuhuang, you have to be careful."
She repeated the same opening remarks as she had made in the Hunting Palace. Chu Qianchen was stunned, and a hint of smile appeared in his eyes.
She told Jing about it last time, and she remembered it.
So, this time, Chu Qianchen smiled and said, "I remember it."
Jingle smiled shyly, and her pair of dark eyes brightened a little, as if she had received great praise and affirmation.
She clenched her hands into fists within her cloak and reflected silently in her heart.
Last time, many of the things she wanted to say were said by her wet nurse, and she felt upset for a long time afterwards.
This time, she would be able to speak for herself.
Jingle took two deep breaths, mustered up her courage, and said what she had rehearsed countless times in her mind: "The Queen wants to give Yuan Zhitong to the Ninth Prince as a concubine. They plan to come and persuade the Queen Mother today, and use her to force you to agree."
Jingle heard Yuan Zhitong and Lu Xianjing talking about this matter in private yesterday. She was worried that Chu Qianchen would be plotted against by them, and she didn't sleep well last night. From the moment she saw Chu Qianchen in Fengluan Palace this morning, she had wanted to remind her, but there were too many eyes around, and Chu Qianchen was not alone, so Jingle really had no chance to say it.
It was not until she saw Chu Qianchen coming out to pick flowers that Jingle knew the opportunity had finally come, so she came out under the pretext of changing clothes and hurried over to remind her.
After saying this, Jingle finally felt relieved.
She remembered another thing, stretched her right hand out from her cloak, and rolled up her sleeves, revealing a white wrist.
The scar on the wrist has scabbed off, leaving only a faint pink mark, so faint that it is almost invisible.
"Sister-in-law Jiuhuang, the ointment you gave me is very useful." Jingle said with a smile on her face.
The Ninth Emperor's wife is really nice. She clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment and has a lot in her mind.
No one has ever been as good to me as the Ninth Emperor's wife.
Jingle looked at Chu Qianchen's sparkling eyes, as if he was looking up at the bright moon in the night sky. His expression was graceful and docile, as soft as a piece of white dough that could be kneaded and flattened by anyone.
Chu Qianchen pointed to Jingle's right wrist and said with a smile: "Wait until spring, everything will be fine."
Jingle retracted her wrist into her cloak again, and when she saw Chu Qianchen looking at her, she became more and more embarrassed. She felt embarrassed to be looked at by Chu Qianchen, and even felt ashamed of herself.
It was impossible for her to live like the Ninth Emperor's wife in her lifetime, so could she achieve 50%, no, 30%? ! Jingle's face flushed instantly, and she tried to turn around in panic.
Seeing that she seemed to be about to run away like last time, Chu Qianchen stopped her: "Wait."
So Jingle froze in place, with a bright red glow on her cheeks.
Chu Qianchen picked a red plum from the basket and handed it to Jingle.
Jingle pursed her lips and smiled. Her joy came from the heart, making her smile pure, gentle and beautiful, just like the clusters of snow-white pear blossoms on the branches in March.
Jiang Yuan in the back looked at the aunt and sister-in-law with a strange expression. Jingle was obviously several years older than Chu Qianchen, but the feeling between them was completely reversed.
The princess is really good at being someone's "sister," Jiang Yuan thought.
Jiang Yuan was just stunned for a moment, and then he saw Chu Qianchen and Jingle returning shoulder to shoulder and walking towards the flower hall and the stage.
The two of them talked as they walked.
Jingle was very familiar with every part of the palace. With her leading the way, Chu Qianchen didn't have to worry about finding his way. The two of them passed through several winding corridors. Suddenly, a low male voice came from a warm pavilion in front of the right:
"Sister Chen!"
His voice was slightly hoarse, unable to conceal his excitement.
A few sparrows that were pecking at food around the pavilion were startled and flew away. Their wings brushed against the pine trees, and the swaying pine branches mixed with the sound of the wind, blowing away the low male voice.
The next moment, the Second Prince Gu Nanzhao, wearing a prince's dragon robe, walked around the screen and out of the warm pavilion, staring at Chu Qianchen who was approaching without blinking.
His eyes were as bright as stars, so focused, as if he could only see her, and the ecstasy in his heart could not be suppressed, and it was fully revealed on his face.
Someone had sent him a message earlier, saying that Chu Qianchen had asked him to meet here, so he came here immediately. When he saw that there was no one in the warm pavilion just now, he had suspected that the person had lied to him, but he still did not leave.
He waited here for more than a cup of tea and finally saw Chu Qianchen coming.
At this moment, the past passed through his mind like a tide. Gu Nanzhao looked at Chu Qianchen with eyes that seemed to be from another world, full of affection. He had many things he wanted to say to her.
Sister Chen should be the same!
Although they were only two or three meters apart, Gu Nanzhao felt as if there were thousands of mountains and rivers between them.
He wanted to get closer to Chu Qianchen, so he took another step outside the pavilion. However, Chu Qianchen was talking to Jingle and walked past him on a bluestone path without looking back.
Gu Nanzhao: “…”
Gu Nanzhao froze for a moment, and the joy froze on his lips, turning his face into a strange, stiff one.
"Sister Chen!" Gu Nanzhao called again, his voice three points higher.
He quickly chased in the direction of Chu Qianchen, raised his right hand two inches forward, then stopped. He did not dare to pull Chu Qianchen, for fear of offending the beautiful woman.
(End of this chapter)