The die was cast, and Ye Yingying had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk to the piano to start playing.
Seeing this, Madam Lan also felt that her daughter had lost face, so she angrily turned around and glared at Ye Yuqing.
He muttered under his breath:
"You useless thing, what did I bring you here for? Are you just going to watch your sister embarrass herself in front of everyone?"
Ye Yuqing didn't reply. She was already used to this kind of thing. Anyway, this mother and daughter would take out their anger on her.
Just now, it was clearly Ye Yingying who couldn't sit still and wanted to get up and fawn over Ye Yuqing. Now that her flattery has backfired, she's blaming Ye Yuqing. That's ridiculous.
The princess also noticed the unfriendly look in Madam Lan's eyes at Ye Yuqing, and then looked at Ye Yuqing and said:
"Yuqing, you've grown so much! I used to hold you when you were little. Come here and sit closer so I can have a good look at you."
Ye Yuqing was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected the princess to be so warm towards her today. She naturally knew about Ning Zixuan's affairs, but she never imagined that such a thing would happen to her.
Ye Yuqing thought she was just there to be a foil for Ye Yingying, but the princess called her name instead. So she quickly got up, bowed to the princess, and then sat down obediently next to her.
Seeing this, the princess nodded with great satisfaction and said:
"Yuqing has grown even more beautiful. I couldn't see her clearly from a distance, but now that she's in front of me, I realize how old we all are. Look at Yuqing's skin, it's as tender as a scallion."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yuqing blushed and lowered her head with a smile:
"The princess's elegance is beyond the reach of us juniors; we are all ashamed to look at her in comparison."
The princess took a sip of tea, pleased with these words.
"Yuqing, you mustn't talk about yourself like that. You're just as good as anyone else."
Madam Lan watched the two chatting and laughing from afar, her teeth practically grinding in hatred. She cursed Ye Yuqing inwardly as a shameless slut. If the invitation hadn't specifically mentioned bringing Ye Yuqing to the Prince Jing's residence, she would never have brought this jinx out to steal her daughter's thunder.
On the other side, Ye Yingying finished playing a piece and, seeing that no one was paying attention to her, awkwardly stood up and coughed a few times. Jiang Yuwei covered her mouth and chuckled, then said:
"Your Highness, I noticed that all the traditional arts and crafts are laid out in your residence today. Are you perhaps planning to have these young ladies demonstrate their skills?"
Upon hearing Jiang Yuwei's words, the princess remembered the important matter and looked around at everyone present, smiling faintly as she spoke:
"Today, I've prepared some things to liven things up. Would any of you young ladies be willing to show them off?"
Everyone understood what the princess meant. She hadn't mentioned showcasing talents before, but now that she suddenly brought it up, she probably wanted to test everyone's ability to perform on the spot.
Upon hearing this, Princess Anping blushed and glanced at Ning Zixuan's cold profile before standing up and saying:
“Your Highness, I have practiced these things every day since I was a child. If Your Highness would like to see them today, I will demonstrate them.”
The princess was very pleased to see Princess Anping being so proactive, so she nodded and said:
“Alright, let’s start with playing the zither. Miss Ye has already played, so now Princess Anping will play a piece.”
Princess Anping nodded, and as she got up to go to the zither, she couldn't help but glance disdainfully at Ye Yingying. Ye Yingying had just been humiliated by the Princess Consort, and now she was being looked down upon by Princess Anping.
Naturally, she was furious and angrily tugged at Madam Lan's arm, throwing a tantrum. Jiang Yuwei saw all of this and knew that a girl without a deep mind like her could not be the Crown Prince's consort.
Then the princess looked at Ye Yuqing and asked:
"Yuqing, can you play the piano?"
Ye Yuqing nodded slightly.
"I know a little, but I'm not very proficient."
The princess was quite pleased with her humble demeanor, and so she spoke:
"It's alright, we're just here to have some fun. Why don't you go up and play a tune later?"
Seeing that the princess was so kind to her, Ye Yuqing naturally couldn't refuse her, so she could only nod slightly. After Princess Anping finished playing her piece, she also went up and played a piece.
These young ladies from noble families learn to play the zither from a young age, just to impress others. There aren't many who are truly proficient in the zither, but once Ye Yuqing starts playing, everyone stops talking and quietly begins to listen to her music.
The music was melodious and gentle, with a touch of melancholy. Even Ning Zixuan couldn't help but glance at her a few times.
When the song ended, everyone felt a little unsatisfied and remained stunned for a while before praising it.
"I never expected the second young lady to play the zither so beautifully."
"Yes, I had only heard Madam Lan say that this second young lady was difficult to deal with, but I didn't expect that she was not like that after meeting her today."
"Are you stupid? What kind of methods does Madam Lan have? This second young lady isn't her own flesh and blood. She must hate her to the core. Why would she speak well of her in front of outsiders?"
Listening to the whispers of the crowd, Jiang Yuwei couldn't help but feel sorry for Ye Yuqing. It must have been difficult for her to survive in the Prime Minister's mansion with her status. Fortunately, she hadn't missed her that day.
If she is truly fortunate enough to be noticed by the prince or princess, then her later life can be considered to have turned from hardship to happiness.
As Jiang Yuwei was thinking this, she saw Ye Yuqing walk to her seat with a smile and sit down. The princess said happily:
"Oh my, I didn't expect Yuqing's piano skills to be so amazing. You were really being modest earlier. After listening to your music, it's clear that everyone's trip today was worthwhile."
Madam Wang nodded and, seeing this, hurriedly said:
"Who says otherwise? Yuqing looks so well-behaved and sensible, unlike my daughter, who really gives me a headache. She's already this age and hasn't even learned to play the piano yet. Sigh."
The princess had originally intended for Wang Yuru to demonstrate her skills as well, but since Madam Wang had spoken up, she naturally couldn't bring it up herself, lest it seem like she was intentionally trying to embarrass Wang. So, the princess paused and changed the subject.
"It's alright. No two people are the same. They all have their own strengths. Since Miss Wang can't play the zither, how about painting?"
Before Madam Wang could speak, Wang Yuru hurriedly stood up and said:
"Your Highness, please spare me. I can't learn those literary arts. I probably can't sit there all day like them, all suave and refined. Wouldn't it be better for me to go catch some fish in the river instead?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Zixuan couldn't help but spit out all the tea he had just taken a sip of.
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