Prince Jing was completely bewildered, but Yun Yichen seemed to have a clue. This matter seemed to be closely related to that little girl. He remembered that his mother had invited a pair of sisters from the Xiao family to attend his sister's birthday banquet at Biyun Temple.
Only after hearing the laughter in the hall fade away did King Jing bring Yun Yichen in.
"Your Highness, I greet you." Seeing Prince Jing, Yin Qianhua hurriedly stood up to greet him. Her husband had been so busy on his trip to the northwest that he hadn't rested for days, yet he had put aside his official duties and rushed over specifically for their daughter's birthday. At that moment, Yin Qianhua felt both distressed and touched. For such a caring husband, for their children, Yin Qianhua felt that any grievances and criticisms she endured were worth it.
"Your servant greets the prince and the crown prince." A group of young ladies from official families came forward to pay their respects. Some of them who were the same age as Yun Yichen even stood at the front.
When Xiao Yao saw the father and son of the Yun family, she quietly moved to the back. She would be an eyesore on someone else's territory. She just hoped that the Prince of Jing would not cause trouble for her because she had taken the initiative to avoid them.
King Jing looked around at the ladies below. He had seen most of them before, except for the one wearing a blue skirt and a plump figure, whom he seemed to have never seen before.
"Your Highness knows almost all the ladies here, but there are two you have never seen before." Yin Qianhua said softly.
Don’t mention me, don’t mention me, Xiao Yao wishes she were invisible at this moment!
"Ping'an and Ruyi, come here." Yin Qianhua searched for a while before she saw the two sisters of the Xiao family at the back of the crowd. How did these little girls squeeze everyone to the back?
"Your servant Xiao Yao pays homage to Prince Jing and greets the Crown Prince." Xiao Yao looked at her toes and recited the lines in a formal manner.
"Your servant Xiao Yuan pays homage to Uncle King Jing and greets the Crown Prince." Xiao Yuan really didn't like Yun Yichen, so she omitted the word "cousin" that was on the tip of her tongue.
"Little girl, you already call your uncle, aunt, and cousin, so why don't you call your cousin?" Yin Qianhua asked.
"I, I..." I don't like him and I'm afraid of him, but I can't tell you this reason! Xiao Yuan lowered his head to avoid Yin Qianhua's gaze.
"They are..." King Jing asked in confusion.
"They are General Xiao's granddaughters. The elder one is Xiao Yao, and the younger one is Xiao Yuan."
"So she's General Xiao's granddaughter." King Jing had only glanced briefly at them before, but now he couldn't help but scrutinize the two sisters. The younger one was quite charming, and she even dared to look him in the eye—quite courageous. The older one, however, stood quietly with her head lowered, her features unclear.
Yun Yichen glanced at Xiao Yao. She was pretending to be well-behaved today. It was really easy for her to fool someone she met for the first time. Why didn’t she try to be smart and pretend to be a lady?
What does it mean to always keep your head down? Are you thinking of something bad, or is your conscience awakening and you're ready to turn over a new leaf?
"Ping'an, look what this is." Seeing that Xiao Yao refused to look up, Yin Qianhua came up with a plan.
Xiao Yao really looked up at Yin Qianhua. How could there be anything there? She didn't expect that the princess would also learn to lie.
Although the time was short, it was enough for King Jing to see Xiao Yao's appearance clearly. It was hard to imagine that a man as rugged and burly as General Xiao could have such a beautiful and graceful granddaughter. When he thought of Xiao Jingyan again, King Jing suddenly understood that this little girl looked like her uncle. Tsk tsk, ten years from now, the title of the most beautiful woman in Tianyu would definitely belong to this little girl.
What a pity! She's a little too young, otherwise she would be a good candidate for a daughter-in-law. He remembered that Xiao Jingkang and Xiao Jingyan had both said in front of him that General Xiao doted on this little granddaughter like no one in the world. He absolutely didn't believe it before, but now he finally believed it a little.
If Yun Yichen knew at this moment that his father was still planning to make Xiao Yao his daughter-in-law, he would definitely be so upset that he would want to bang his head against the wall. He positioned the two of them as enemies, not friends or anything more advanced.
"You have all been sitting here for a long time. Let's go for a walk in the garden. There is a small theater on the south side. Today they have music suitable for girls. You can order whatever you want and go have fun." Yin Qianhua greeted the group of young ladies from official families warmly and attentively. Her daughter refused to come out, so she had to come out to entertain them.
After hearing the princess' words, the young ladies formed groups of three or five, bowed, and walked outside.
"Our daughter performed very well today." Yin Qianhua was really satisfied. Not only did her daughter start talking, but she also insisted on not leaving until now.
"Really? I believe Ruonan's performance will get better and better." Seeing that his wife was happy and his daughter still had a smile on her face, King Jing encouraged her.
"The Xiao family...my cousin is pretty good." Yun Ruonan said shyly.
What kind of vision do you all have? How could I not see what was so good about that little girl? My thoughts weren't entirely right. At least today, the little girl looked a bit like a lady from a noble family, but you know what? That wasn't her true appearance at all.
From the moment he entered the hall, the little girl never looked up at him. She was guilty and pretending. The reason why he didn't expose her was just for Mr. Xiao's sake. Otherwise... Forget it, if she is as sensible as she is today in the future, he will kindly let her go and never care about the past again.
Having said that, why did this girl ignore me? It was clearly her fault, but now it seems as if I am in the wrong. Thinking of this, Yun Yichen felt weird. No one has ever dared to ignore me like this. I must not let her develop this bad habit. I must make her correct her attitude when I have the chance.
So there are people in this world who, if you pay attention to them, will look down on you; if you ignore them, they will think there's something wrong with your attitude. To sum it up, no matter what you do, it's wrong.
"I have something else to do. I'm just coming over to take a look and then I'll be leaving. Ruonan, can your father have dinner with you?"
Yun Ruonan nodded slightly in response.
"Achen is staying here to take care of your mother and sister, did you hear me?"
"Father, there are only women here, and I don't want to stay!" Yun Yichen objected.
"You can go to the front yard. If everything is normal, you don't have to show up. If something happens, how can we handle it without a man?"
"There are many guards here. If you are worried, just send some more."
"You represent the palace, and they are just guards. How can your roles be compared? Your presence here represents the palace and your father's attitude towards the officials. It seems I've been taking you around for nothing these days."
"Father, don't be angry, your son will stay." If you want me to stay, just tell me directly. Don't you feel exhausted by all the reasoning and preaching?
The scenery of the palace courtyard is really nice. It has the gracefulness of Jiangnan gardens, and reflects the grandeur and magnificence in many details. Whether it is the garden, the waterside pavilion, or the pavilions and attics, they are all exquisite works and are beautiful beyond words!
The Xiao sisters and Yuan Jing were together. They had walked through the garden, admired the rockery, and were sitting in the attic looking out into the distance.
Some other young ladies were just hanging around the hall, refusing to go far. Yuan Jing had a straightforward personality and was the type to speak her mind. Otherwise, she wouldn't have told jokes about Xiao Yao and the parrot in front of so many young ladies.
"Third sister, look at these people below. They refuse to leave the door of the hall." Yuan Jing said sarcastically.
"Can't you speak a little more quietly? It's none of our business where others like to be. We just need to take care of ourselves." Yuan Min, the oldest of the five, said.
In Tianyu, there were several princes, nobles, and officials who didn't want their daughters to marry into the Jingwang Mansion. Not to mention that Yun Yichen was a handsome and outstanding royal child. Even if he was completely useless and a playboy, there would still be a large number of families who would take the initiative to send their daughters to him.
"Are they waiting there for dinner?" Xiao Yuan asked puzzledly.
"Then let's go down too." Yuan Ying said. Look how smart they are. They don't even have to climb up and down.
"You are two little idiots. Look at Ping An, he never asks such questions that even a fool wouldn't ask." Yuan Jing laughed at her two sisters.
"I won't compare myself with Ping An." She is pretty and smart, so why should I embarrass myself by comparing myself with her? Yuan Ying doesn't think she is stupid at all.
"Sister is sister, and we are ourselves. There is no comparison." Xiao Yuan has always believed this.
Xiao Yao, who didn't expect that she would be criticized even if she didn't say anything, looked up at the sky speechlessly. No matter what she did, it was wrong. Why did you always stare at her?
"Look, Prince Jing is coming out." Yuan Ying was sharp-eyed and was the first to see the two people walking out of the hall. She saw the father and son returning to the front yard together, then Prince Jing left and Yun Yichen stayed.
"This time we are like a sheep walking into the tiger's mouth." Yuan Ying said firmly.
"Have you read too many storybooks? I think you should tell your grandmother when you get home today and ask her to find a nanny to teach you the rules." Yuan Min said.
"Ladies, the princess invites you to take your seats." A maid came over to deliver the message.
Yin Qianhua set up today's banquet in the flower hall. When Xiao Yao and the others arrived, the table was already full of dishes.
"We're just waiting for you to start the meal. Where are you going to enjoy the scenery?" Li Yuer seemed concerned, but actually she had something else to say.
The whole group of them were in the garden, but no one knew where these few people had gone. Among the five people, there were relatives from the princess's family, and a general's granddaughter who was still young but extremely outstanding. They were all strong enemies and had to be guarded against!
"The scenery of this villa is very beautiful. I took my sisters and walked away without realizing it. I am really sorry for keeping you waiting for a long time." Yuan Min explained gently and politely.
Yin Qianhua frowned when she heard Li Yuer's words. She was so young but she was already talking with hidden meanings. She must not let her son marry such a daughter-in-law in the future, so as not to disturb the family.
I wonder what kind of daughter-in-law my son will marry in the future. I am both looking forward to it and a little worried, Yin Qianhua thought as she entertained the girls.
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