The seventh prince had already searched along another route but had not found it, so he had to arrange for many palace guards, eunuchs, and maids to search for it.
However, because the palace is busy hosting the Empress's flower-viewing banquet today, there are very few people available.
When Ye Qingxue and Qiu Shen found the Seventh Prince, he was panting heavily, sweating profusely, and pale-faced, clearly very worried about Xiao Xiuqiu.
Ye Qingxue returned the small embroidered ball to him.
The Seventh Prince held the little creature in his arms, his eyes lighting up. He brought it to his lips and kissed it several times: "I was so scared! I thought someone had kidnapped this little guy! It's so tiny, where am I supposed to find it!"
Then he kept thanking Ye Qingxue and Qiu Shen, and asked them where they found the little embroidered ball.
Ye Qingxue replied, "It was found in the direction of the Cold Palace. It was so frightened that it probably thought there were fewer people there and it was safer, so it flew in that direction."
Qiu Shen said, "Seventh Prince, your bird not only knows how to fly, but it really dares to fly!"
The Seventh Prince was slightly taken aback, then chimed in, "Indeed, they even dared to go to the Cold Palace!" He poked Little Embroidered Ball's head hard as a warning.
Ye Qingxue smiled, curtsied, and then turned and left with Qiu Shen.
The Seventh Prince caught up with him, saying, "I didn't know such a thing would happen today. I didn't bring a thank-you gift. I will send it to your residence tomorrow. Thank you so much for today."
Ye Qingxue smiled and said, "It's nothing, Seventh Prince, you're too kind."
The Empress's flower-viewing banquet was held in Qionghua Palace.
Qionghua Palace is located in the southeast corner of the palace, surrounded by meticulously maintained gardens. The gardens are planted with various precious flowers, such as peonies, herbaceous peonies, and crabapple trees, and the fragrance of the flowers is refreshing and delightful.
The palace buildings are decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, with upturned eaves and corners. In front of the palace is a wide lotus pond, where lotus flowers are in full bloom, filling the air with fragrance.
When Ye Qingxue arrived with Qiu Shen, the place was already bustling with activity.
"Oh dear, Miss Ye entered the palace before us, yet she only arrived at Qionghua Palace now. Could it be that she has been staying with the Seventh Prince the whole time?" A sharp female voice rang out.
Ye Qingxue didn't recognize him and didn't intend to pay him any attention. She just led Qiu Shen inside, but the person swayed over and actually stepped on her skirt.
If Ye Qingxue had been even a little slower in retracting her foot, she would have either fallen or her skirt would have torn, making her a laughingstock for everyone.
Ye Qingxue turned around and saw a young woman wearing a light green dress. She was quite pretty, but her actions ruined her beauty and made her look despicable.
Ye Qingxue remembered her; she was standing next to Ning Rong when Ning Rong spoke ill of her at the palace gate.
Her name seems to be Hu Qimei.
Now, as Hu Qimei comes forward to make things difficult for her, Ning Rong stands aside and watches.
Clearly, Hu Qimei is a knife in Ning Rong's hand.
Ning Rong is the daughter of the Prime Minister's family. The Ning family holds a high position and wields great power. The Hu family lives by attaching themselves to the Prime Minister's family, so Hu Qimei is willing to be the vanguard who charges into battle for Ning Rong.
Or perhaps Hu Qimei wanted to bully her and embarrass her in order to curry favor with Ning Rong, the daughter of the Prime Minister.
But Ye Qingxue had no idea when she had offended Ning Rong.
Perhaps it was because she had recently made meritorious contributions and her appearance was quite outstanding that Ning Rong disliked her?
Sometimes, people hate you or target you not because you did anything wrong, but because you are too good, and the other person is narrow-minded and jealous.
Don't always look for your own faults; also look for the ugliness in others.
"What, Miss Ye has climbed up the social ladder, so she doesn't want to talk to us ordinary girls anymore?" Hu Qimei continued sarcastically.
The Empress had not yet arrived, and the flower-viewing banquet had not officially begun, so Hu Qimei acted with impunity.
The others chuckled softly upon hearing this.
This laughter is a show of support for Hu Qimei's evil deeds.
"It's just that the Seventh Prince brought you into the palace. It's not even close to being settled yet. Isn't it too early for Miss Ye to be so arrogant?" Hu Qimei said again.
Ye Qingxue's icy gaze fell on her face, and she said in a cold voice, "Take your feet off my skirt."
Hu Qimei raised an eyebrow but did not answer. Instead, she turned to the palace maid beside her, took a cup of tea from her hand, and poured it onto Ye Qingxue's skirt.
As he fell, he said, "I won't, what can you do about it?"
Ye Qingxue watched her movements and her face, and after a moment said, "Hu Qimei, is that right? I'll remember you."
Her voice was not loud, and when it reached Hu Qimei's ears, it seemed to carry no threat whatsoever.
Ning Rong, who was watching the commotion from the sidelines, raised an eyebrow and sneered, not taking her words to heart.
Ye Qingxue's skirt, trailing on the ground, was dirty, but Hu Qimei seemed determined to stomp on it a few more times, making it even dirtier.
Unexpectedly, Ye Qingxue suddenly spun around, pulled her skirt outwards, and Hu Qimei screamed "Ah!" as she fell heavily to the ground.
He fell flat on his back!
The ladies and daughters present gasped in shock, staring blankly at the scene before them, unable to recover for a long time.
The maid was terrified and immediately stepped forward to help Hu Qimei up. However, the ground was dirty because Hu Qimei had spilled tea, and the tea had been mixed with flowers that had been trampled on. Hu Qimei's clothes were also stained, making her look rather disheveled.
“Miss Ye, Meimei only wanted to offer you a cup of tea, why did you push her down?” Ning Rong questioned.
Ye Qingxue sneered: "Is she serving me tea? Or is she deliberately making things difficult? I have no relation to her, I'm not her elder, nor am I the mistress of her household, why would she serve me tea? Who would believe that!"
"You!" Ning Rong was speechless!
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