"As long as she dies, I will be the most honored woman in Northern Liang!"
Miao Nanyan glanced at the pale-faced Consort Jingyi kneeling on the ground. Consort Li's rank was higher than Consort Jingyi's. If Empress Dowager Hesheli were dead, she would indeed be the highest-ranking person among the previous generation of rulers of Northern Liang.
“When the late emperor was alive, I had to be mindful of his mood.”
"Now that the late emperor is dead, do I still have to defer to her?"
"Pah!"
Baili Yingfeng looked at the exhausted Consort Li after her roar.
His eyes held a complex expression, as if he were recalling the days he spent playing in the palace of Consort Li when he was a child.
"So be it, it's all over, and I'm free now."
Consort Li seemed to have exhausted all her strength, collapsing limply beside Prince Qi.
"Mother..."
Prince Qi supported Consort Li and wept bitterly.
"Chen Yuan, bestow a white silk ribbon upon Consort Li!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Bai Li Yingfeng, Bai Li Yingfeng, how dare you?!"
Prince Qi cried out in anguish, his eyes bloodshot, trying to grab Consort Li's hand to stop the eunuchs from taking her away.
"Live well!"
Consort Li looked at Prince Qi with tears in her eyes and a reluctant gaze.
"Brother, brother, I beg you, brother, please forgive Mother! Mother was confused for a moment, she will never dare to do it again!"
Prince Qi crawled to Baili Yingfeng's feet, grabbing his robes and pleading.
"Drag him away."
Without looking back, Baili Yinfeng led Miao Nanyan away from the main hall.
...
As the weather gradually cools down, the streets of Nanyang are bustling with activity as the annual Flower Festival arrives.
At Shenshi (3-5 PM), the palace began to bustle with activity, and a long row of sedan chairs lined the palace gates.
The officials brought their elaborately dressed daughters to the banquet, hoping to win the favor of a prince, become his principal wife, and gain a chance to rise in rank.
It's late summer now, and the nights are cool and pleasant, so the banquet will be held in the Imperial Garden.
On the way, Yun Duoduo rode in a sedan chair to the Imperial Garden. She was dressed very cutely and beautifully today, wearing a light pink dress, paired with white jade hairpins and gold bracelets with crocheted flowers.
She looked both wealthy and lively.
At the corner of the palace gate, the sedan chair lurched violently, and Yun Duoduo's head almost hit the wooden plank.
Ouch!
Yun Duoduo hurriedly grabbed the wooden planks of the sedan chair with her two little hands to steady herself.
"Halt! This is the princess's palanquin! How dare you bump into it? Don't you have eyes?!"
Ah Xiang shouted angrily.
The two eunuchs who bumped into the sedan chair were so frightened that they immediately knelt on the ground, and the plates they were carrying fell to the ground with a thud.
Yun Duoduo adjusted her hairpin, lifted the curtain, and saw the two people kneeling on the ground. She asked, "What happened? Why are you in such a panic?"
"Tonight is the banquet for the Hundred Flowers Festival. Why are you carrying your plates here instead of going to the Imperial Garden?"
Yun Duoduo looked around. This place was not close to the Imperial Garden or the Imperial Kitchen. The two little eunuchs were carrying plates, and she wondered what they were going to do.
The two eunuchs glanced up at Yun Duoduo, then hurriedly lowered their heads again, saying, "We deserve to die!"
"This servant deserves to die! Please, Princess, spare my life!"
Seeing that the two eunuchs looked strange, Yun Duoduo glanced at A Xiang. A Xiang grabbed one of the eunuchs by the chin and asked fiercely, "Speak, what happened?!"
"Which palace are you from, and what are you going to do?"
Yun Duoduo got out of the sedan chair and stood aside watching.
Aunt Xiang was usually very gentle with her, but after all, she was an old woman who had been in the palace for many years, and she would never be soft-hearted when it came to being ruthless.
"Speak quickly!"
Seeing that the two little eunuchs were meek and silent, Yun Duoduo stood aside and shouted in a cute but fierce way.
"Oh, who do we have here who's so arrogant?"
A woman's shrill, affected voice came from behind.
"So it's our Princess Yourong!"
"Princess Yourong, didn't you just return from the Northern Frontier? Your temper seems to have grown!"
"And Rong, I think you're quite sharp-tongued and mean-spirited!"
Consort Chen appeared before Yun Duoduo, dressed in luxurious attire.
Yun Duoduo turned her head and saw that it was Consort Chen. She looked displeased. She had never liked Consort Chen. Consort Chen was arrogant and ignorant because of her good looks, and she loved to meddle in other people's business.
However, because she was the birth mother of the second prince, Yun Yizhong, Yun Duoduo would show her some respect out of politeness.
Yun Duoduo nodded slightly as she looked at Consort Chen.
Consort Chen angrily flung the handkerchief in her hand, barely suppressing her anger.
[That brat, relying on His Majesty's favor, has always ignored her, her elder, and shown her utter disrespect to her stepmother.]
[If Zhong'er hadn't told me not to hold it against you, I would have dealt with you terribly!]
Ah Xiang and the servants of Fu Shuang Palace behind her bowed to Consort Chen. Although their master did not like this consort, she was, after all, his stepmother and a consort in the palace.
"Oh dear, I just remembered that the First Prince has been enfeoffed as the Prince of Rui and has been living outside the palace for quite some time now."
"I've heard that Princess Rui is pregnant. If she gives birth to a prince or a princess, do you think His Majesty will show favoritism?"
"Oh dear, by then, I'm afraid even His Majesty won't know who Princess Yourong is?"
Consort Chen covered her mouth, feigning surprise.
"Oh, Princess, you don't need to think too much. It's human nature to be fickle."
Consort Chen kept rambling on and on.
"But, Princess, even though your mother has advised you, you should make plans soon!"
Seeing Yun Duoduo's somewhat stunned reaction, Consort Chen felt extremely pleased.
She happened to run into Prince Rui and Princess Rui on her way here, and that's when she learned that Princess Rui was pregnant.
Yun Duoduo is just a little girl, at a time when she is prone to jealousy and rebellion.
Telling her about this would upset her, which is exactly what Consort Chen wanted.
[I simply cannot stand that brat's smug and carefree attitude in the palace.]
Seeing that Yun Duoduo neither spoke nor reacted, Consort Chen touched her hair and gracefully walked away.
"Your Majesty has excellent skills."
After the two had walked away, the palace maid beside Consort Chen said in a fawning tone.
"It both suppressed the princess's arrogant attitude and created a rift between Prince Rui and the princess."
"Now, the princess is favored by the emperor, and the eldest prince is on good terms with her."
"Given the current situation, the princess will likely distance herself from the eldest prince."
"The more support the eldest prince receives, the greater the chance that His Highness will become the Crown Prince."
"That is..."
Consort Chen touched her temples again and tidied her hair. "Do you see if there's any food stuck between my teeth?"
Consort Chen opened her mouth and bared her teeth, making the palace maids look closely.
"No, don't worry, Your Majesty, you will definitely outshine all the beauties."
Consort Chen nodded in satisfaction and walked gracefully towards the Imperial Garden.
...
[Is the eldest princess's wife going to have a baby?!]
[My daughter, Yun Duoduo, is going to have a niece. Am I going to be an aunt?]
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