On the way to the Hua family, Royal Princess Shunan's heart was filled with hesitation, confusion, and a little fear that she couldn't express in front of her daughter.
"Mother, why does Hua Liuli's betrothal with the Crown Prince concern our family?" Yao Jiamin asked, "During this time, Hua Liuli has been recuperating in the palace. She only returned to her family's estate shortly before the Palace Examination results were released. If we go now, it would seem like we were desperately trying to gain favor with the Hua family..."
"Don't think too much," Royal Princess Shunan looked at her daughter, "We are, indeed, trying to gain favor with the Hua family."
Yao Jiamin: "..."
She suddenly felt so embarrassed.
"Over the years, Leyang has been my archenemy. I dislike the people she favors, and I make an effort to befriend those she dislikes," Royal Princess Shunan said, "She always loves to put on a show and takes advantage of the weak while fearing the strong. She rarely suffers losses. With the help of Fushou Junzhu, I've made her taste bitterness and stumble. The joy in my heart still hasn't dissipated."
"The Emperor, my Imperial Brother, had been gradually distancing himself from me because I criticized the Crown Prince. I never expected that in the end, it was because of the Crown Prince and Fushou Junzhu that I received the title of Royal Princess," Royal Princess Shunan sighed, her face filled with emotion.
Just when Yao Jiamin thought her mother would say something profoundly touching, Royal Princess Shunan said, "If I had known earlier that the Crown Prince and Leyang were at odds, I wouldn't have provoked the Crown Prince. I would have hugged his thigh long ago."
Yao Jiamin: "..."
"Mending the pen after the sheep are lost, it is not too late," Royal Princess Shunan took a deep breath, "Since we can't hug the Crown Prince's thigh, we can still hug Fushou Junzhu's thigh. My good girl, fortunately, you are friends with Fushou Junzhu, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to save face."
Yao Jiamin felt like crying but had no tears. She and Hua Liuli were really not friends.
"It's your good fortune that most girls your age are gentle and don't have many bad intentions, unlike our generation, where demons are everywhere..." In Royal Princess Shunan's mind, Leyang was the biggest demon.
As for Wei Mingyue... she was a devil.
Yao Jiamin's lips trembled intensely. She wanted to grab her mother's hand and shout: No, that's not the truth. Hua Liuli is not human, she's a tormenting devil. Wake up.
But she couldn't say it.
She had promised Hua Liuli before; she couldn't go back on her word.
Moreover, that day, after she helped her mother against Royal Princess Leyang, she had already made a promise to Hua Liuli. She would listen to Hua Liuli from now on. Although Hua Liuli hadn't made any specific demands, she couldn't plot against her behind her back.
Once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back. She couldn't use her tongue to take them back, so she could only silently let everyone misunderstand that Hua Liuli was a pure and gentle fairy.
Regret, she deeply regretted it. Incredibly regretted it.
Why did she offend Hua Liuli for the sake of a man?
Standing at the entrance of the Hua Family Estate, Royal Princess Shunan recalled the time when she was disciplined by Wei Mingyue and sighed deeply.
In youth, she didn't realize the value of fate, and in old age, she could only regret her mistakes at the Hua family's gate.
"Your Highness, please follow this servant," a clean and tidy maidservant led the mother and daughter into the inner hall. As they passed through the courtyard outside, they saw many unpacked gift boxes.
The Emperor had spent quite a bit to marry Hua Liuli into the Eastern Palace.
"Your Highness," Wei Mingyue saw the still graceful Royal Princess Shunan and smiled, "Please have a seat, Your Highness."
Upon seeing Wei Mingyue's smile, Royal Princess Shunan couldn't help but take a step back.
After offending Wei Mingyue back then, Wei Mingyue had smiled at her in the same way, and soon she had experienced the power of that smile. Now, whenever she saw Wei Mingyue smile at her, she felt afraid.
"Thank you, General Wei," Royal Princess Shunan forced a smile, thinking that she still owed Hua Liuli a favor. She had the servants present the prepared gifts as she carefully observed Wei Mingyue's expression to make sure she wasn't dissatisfied with this marriage. Only then did she continue, "Upon hearing that Fushou Junzhu is going to be my niece-in-law, I couldn't even eat properly due to joy. So, I took the liberty to come and congratulate."
"Oh?" Wei Mingyue smiled ambiguously, "I haven't been in the capital for years and have heard some rumors, not sure if they're true or false. Some people say that Your Highness and the Crown Prince don't get along well?"
"That... it's all a misunderstanding, yes, a misunderstanding," Royal Princess Shunan said, "Fushou Junzhu is beautiful, she is also a close friend of our Jiamin. I like her very much. After she marries into the imperial family, I will treat her like my own daughter. If anyone dares to bully her, I will deal with them severely."
Facing Wei Mingyue, Royal Princess Shunan had a strong desire to survive. Before Wei Mingyue could say anything else, she began praising Hua Liuli.
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for Your Highness?" Wei Mingyue sighed, "The girl's health is not good and she has been pampered by us these years..."
"Being gentle and delicate is charming, not a flaw," Royal Princess Shunan praised Hua Liuli once again and didn't forget to pull her daughter into the conversation, "This child of mine used to love running around everywhere. Since she met Fushou Junzhu, she has become more obedient. They say that those close to vermilion get stained red. If it weren't for Fushou Junzhu's guidance, this unruly girl would have caused so much trouble."
Yao Jiamin: "???"
Is this what a mother should say about her child?
Her mother usually criticized other people's children and praised her own. Why did she suddenly change? Yao Jiamin looked at the elegant and imposing Wei Mingyue and suddenly realized that she truly deserved the admiration in her mother's heart.
"It's boring for us elders to talk while the younger generation keeps accompanying us," Wei Mingyue, listening to the series of praises, smiled and said to Hua Liuli, who was sitting beside her, "Liuli, take Jiamin Junzhu to the backyard to play."
Yao Jiamin inwardly refused, but when faced with Hua Liuli's smiling eyes, she couldn't say it out loud.
She couldn't afford to offend her, and there was no way to avoid her. Besides following her, what else could she do?
Watching the two young ones leave hand in hand, Royal Princess Shunan smiled with satisfaction.
What a gentle and considerate young girl. It's great that Yao Jiamin can be friends with her.
"Hey," Yao Jiamin noticed that Hua Liuli's arm movements were still somewhat unnatural and asked with a hint of displeasure in her tone, "How are your injuries?"
"I'm fine. It'll heal slowly with time," Hua Liuli stood on her tiptoes, plucked a magnolia flower, and placed it in Yao Jiamin's hand.
"Why are you giving this to me?" Yao Jiamin looked at the magnolia flower with disdain but didn't throw it away.
"Flowers are given to beauties. I'm just trying to make you happy," Hua Liuli said, bringing Yao Jiamin to a small arched bridge. Below the bridge, a babbling stream flowed, and colorful koi fish freely swayed their bodies in the water.
"What flowers for beauties? Don't think I'll fall for your tricks," Yao Jiamin muttered quietly, occasionally glancing at Hua Liuli's injured arm, "Your swordsmanship is so powerful, how did you still get injured?"
"Those were highly skilled assassins. I had no problem escaping on my own, but what about the Crown Prince?" Hua Liuli leaned against the bridge railing lazily, "Do you know why I waited until those assassins left before taking action when we were kidnapped?"
"Why?" Yao Jiamin asked curiously.
"Of course, it's because those assassins were highly skilled, and I couldn't beat them alone," Hua Liuli said, "I endured for so long, all for the sake of escaping with you."
"Don't forget, they were after you. If it weren't for being implicated by you, why would I have been captured?" Yao Jiamin said in an annoyed tone, "Fortunately, this is Great Jin. If we were people from the Daimao Kingdom, even if we came back intact after being captured for dozens of hours, the rumors would drown us."
Hua Liuli smiled and remained silent.
"Take these," Yao Jiamin sternly handed two boxes of ointment to Hua Liuli.
"What is this?"
"Scar removal cream," Yao Jiamin raised her chin, looking impatient, "As someone who is going to be the Crown Princess, it's not suitable to have scars on your body."
"Thank you." Hua Liuli reached out and embraced Yao Jiamin's neck, "You are a good sister who shares difficulties with me."
Yao Jiamin: "..."
In her previous life, she must have killed so many people that, in this life, she was repenting by becoming Hua Liuli's good sister. She wanted to push Hua Liuli away but was afraid of hurting her wound. She could only endure with a stern face.
Perhaps it was because she had been troubled by Hua Liuli too many times, her heart had already become as calm as water.
"Have you ever thought about how Xie Yao could summon so many highly skilled assassins?" Yao Jiamin couldn't help but remind Hua Liuli as she saw her being carefree playing with the koi fish, "The palace is treacherous. You lived at the border for so many years and don't know about the intricacies inside. Now that you are the future Crown Princess, there will only be more conspiracies against you, not fewer. You should be more cautious in your daily life."
"Don't we still have the Emperor and the Crown Prince?" Hua Liuli let go of Jiamin's neck, nonchalantly smiling, "Why do I need to worry about those things?"
"Are you really naive or just pretending to be naive? Can't you use the little tricks you use against me for something important?" Yao Jiamin couldn't help but say, "Although the Crown Prince is favored by the Emperor, his birth mother passed away early, and his maternal family is not from the capital. There are those who wish misfortune upon the Crown Prince and want to bring him down every day. I'm afraid someone might drag your Hua family down for the sake of harming the Crown Prince."
Yao Jiamin was about to say it outright—that if someone slandered the Hua family, accusing them of colluding with the Crown Prince to rebel and forcing the Emperor to abdicate, it would be the end for both the Hua family and the Crown Prince.
But when she looked at the smile on Hua Liuli's face, she became furious, "Forget it, do as you please!"
She was really wasting her breath.
For court officials, the marriage between the Hua family and the Crown Prince was a surprising event that caught everyone off guard. But for the common people, there was nothing wrong with it.
General Hua and General Wei guarded the borders for the country, so their daughter marrying the Crown Prince to become the future Empress was a wonderful thing.
In any case, the merchants were happy because they had a new promotional slogan.
The common people were also happy because the things they bought would be cheaper for the next two days.
In the evening, the main hall of the palace was brightly lit for the Qionglin Feast. The scholars who had passed the imperial examination were beaming with joy, carefully surveying the spacious and magnificent hall.
Emperor Changlong gave some encouraging words to the crowd at the banquet, had a drink, and then left, leaving several princes to entertain the scholars.
However, among the five princes, the Crown Prince was never a considerate and gentle person. After a few introductory remarks, he disappeared from sight for the rest of the time.
Ying Wang, on the other hand, tried to win over these scholars, but listening to their poetry and literary discussions made his head ache. Before the banquet was even halfway through, he found an excuse and slipped away.
Ning Wang, seeing that the Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince had left, was afraid that others would think he was staying to show off to gain popularity. He immediately covered his head, claiming to have a headache, and hastily left with his attendants. Before leaving, he even patted the Fourth Prince's shoulder and said, "Fourth Brother, Lin Daren is a renowned top scorer, and Consort Lin is also a talented woman, well-versed in poetry and literature. You must be just as capable. Benwang will leave it to you here."
After saying that, without paying attention to the Fourth Prince's expressionless face, he covered his forehead, cried out in pain, and left.
The Fourth Prince looked at the hurried figure of his Second Brother leaving and then glanced at the scholars who were praising each other. He stood up and prepared to leave.
"Your Highness, the Fourth Prince," A Ministry of Rites official saw the only remaining prince they could rely on about to slip away and quickly intercepted him, "These scholars have composed poems. You should take a look at who has the best one."
"What about the Fifth Prince?" The Fourth Prince stared at the Ministry of Rites official for a while, emotionlessly spitting out these words.
"The Fifth Prince mentioned earlier that he wanted to create a painting of the Qionglin Feast and has already left early," The smile on the Ministry of Rites official's face remained unchanged, but he and a few other colleagues had already surrounded the Fourth Prince tightly from all directions.
The Fourth Prince had no chance of leaving before the Qionglin Feast ended.
In the palace, Consort Lin was reading a book when a palace maid hurriedly approached her and whispered, "Your Highness, tonight, the other princes have already left, only the Fourth Prince is accompanying the scholars at the Qionglin Feast."
"Really?" Consort Lin's face showed a smile.
"Nubi dare not lie, Your Highness."
"Good," Consort Lin put down her book, her smile becoming even brighter, "This child has always been reticent and uncooperative with whatever I want him to do. Now he finally knows how to win people's favor. I am even gratified."
The palace maid smiled and said, "He will only get better."
Compared to Consort Xian and Consort Rong, Consort Lin's maternal clan was not as wealthy and prominent. Compared to Consort Shu, her maternal clan was not as noble. In order to help her son advance further, she tried countless methods, but no matter how many means she had, they were useless against her son's lack of cooperation.
She couldn't understand why her own child, whom she had raised with her own hands, was so silent that it seemed like saying a few more words to others would cost him his life.
At the Qionglin Feast, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
The Fourth Prince held a thick stack of poems written by the candidates and evaluated them one by one with an expressionless face.
"Good," This was a poem written by Lin Sen.
"Acceptable," This was a verse by Xie Bangyan.
"Passable." This was a work by a certain candidate who ranked in the top five in the examination.
There were a few pieces he didn't even want to comment on and just placed them on the table.
The Ministry of Rites official looked at the candidates below, who were looking at each other, and felt a bit regretful. If he had known that the Fourth Prince would create such an atmosphere, he should have just let him go earlier.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Fourth Prince: Don't talk to me, I'm tired.
Candidates: What did we do wrong to be tortured like this?
On the way to the Hua family, Royal Princess Shunan's heart was filled with hesitation, confusion, and a little fear that she couldn't express in front of her daughter.
"Mother, why does Hua Liuli's betrothal with the Crown Prince concern our family?" Yao Jiamin asked, "During this time, Hua Liuli has been recuperating in the palace. She only returned to her family's estate shortly before the Palace Examination results were released. If we go now, it would seem like we were desperately trying to gain favor with the Hua family..."
"Don't think too much," Royal Princess Shunan looked at her daughter, "We are, indeed, trying to gain favor with the Hua family."
Yao Jiamin: "..."
She suddenly felt so embarrassed.
"Over the years, Leyang has been my archenemy. I dislike the people she favors, and I make an effort to befriend those she dislikes," Royal Princess Shunan said, "She always loves to put on a show and takes advantage of the weak while fearing the strong. She rarely suffers losses. With the help of Fushou Junzhu, I've made her taste bitterness and stumble. The joy in my heart still hasn't dissipated."
"The Emperor, my Imperial Brother, had been gradually distancing himself from me because I criticized the Crown Prince. I never expected that in the end, it was because of the Crown Prince and Fushou Junzhu that I received the title of Royal Princess," Royal Princess Shunan sighed, her face filled with emotion.
Just when Yao Jiamin thought her mother would say something profoundly touching, Royal Princess Shunan said, "If I had known earlier that the Crown Prince and Leyang were at odds, I wouldn't have provoked the Crown Prince. I would have hugged his thigh long ago."
Yao Jiamin: "..."
"Mending the pen after the sheep are lost, it is not too late," Royal Princess Shunan took a deep breath, "Since we can't hug the Crown Prince's thigh, we can still hug Fushou Junzhu's thigh. My good girl, fortunately, you are friends with Fushou Junzhu, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to save face."
Yao Jiamin felt like crying but had no tears. She and Hua Liuli were really not friends.
"It's your good fortune that most girls your age are gentle and don't have many bad intentions, unlike our generation, where demons are everywhere..." In Royal Princess Shunan's mind, Leyang was the biggest demon.
As for Wei Mingyue... she was a devil.
Yao Jiamin's lips trembled intensely. She wanted to grab her mother's hand and shout: No, that's not the truth. Hua Liuli is not human, she's a tormenting devil. Wake up.
But she couldn't say it.
She had promised Hua Liuli before; she couldn't go back on her word.
Moreover, that day, after she helped her mother against Royal Princess Leyang, she had already made a promise to Hua Liuli. She would listen to Hua Liuli from now on. Although Hua Liuli hadn't made any specific demands, she couldn't plot against her behind her back.
Once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back. She couldn't use her tongue to take them back, so she could only silently let everyone misunderstand that Hua Liuli was a pure and gentle fairy.
Regret, she deeply regretted it. Incredibly regretted it.
Why did she offend Hua Liuli for the sake of a man?
Standing at the entrance of the Hua Family Estate, Royal Princess Shunan recalled the time when she was disciplined by Wei Mingyue and sighed deeply.
In youth, she didn't realize the value of fate, and in old age, she could only regret her mistakes at the Hua family's gate.
"Your Highness, please follow this servant," a clean and tidy maidservant led the mother and daughter into the inner hall. As they passed through the courtyard outside, they saw many unpacked gift boxes.
The Emperor had spent quite a bit to marry Hua Liuli into the Eastern Palace.
"Your Highness," Wei Mingyue saw the still graceful Royal Princess Shunan and smiled, "Please have a seat, Your Highness."
Upon seeing Wei Mingyue's smile, Royal Princess Shunan couldn't help but take a step back.
After offending Wei Mingyue back then, Wei Mingyue had smiled at her in the same way, and soon she had experienced the power of that smile. Now, whenever she saw Wei Mingyue smile at her, she felt afraid.
"Thank you, General Wei," Royal Princess Shunan forced a smile, thinking that she still owed Hua Liuli a favor. She had the servants present the prepared gifts as she carefully observed Wei Mingyue's expression to make sure she wasn't dissatisfied with this marriage. Only then did she continue, "Upon hearing that Fushou Junzhu is going to be my niece-in-law, I couldn't even eat properly due to joy. So, I took the liberty to come and congratulate."
"Oh?" Wei Mingyue smiled ambiguously, "I haven't been in the capital for years and have heard some rumors, not sure if they're true or false. Some people say that Your Highness and the Crown Prince don't get along well?"
"That... it's all a misunderstanding, yes, a misunderstanding," Royal Princess Shunan said, "Fushou Junzhu is beautiful, she is also a close friend of our Jiamin. I like her very much. After she marries into the imperial family, I will treat her like my own daughter. If anyone dares to bully her, I will deal with them severely."
Facing Wei Mingyue, Royal Princess Shunan had a strong desire to survive. Before Wei Mingyue could say anything else, she began praising Hua Liuli.
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for Your Highness?" Wei Mingyue sighed, "The girl's health is not good and she has been pampered by us these years..."
"Being gentle and delicate is charming, not a flaw," Royal Princess Shunan praised Hua Liuli once again and didn't forget to pull her daughter into the conversation, "This child of mine used to love running around everywhere. Since she met Fushou Junzhu, she has become more obedient. They say that those close to vermilion get stained red. If it weren't for Fushou Junzhu's guidance, this unruly girl would have caused so much trouble."
Yao Jiamin: "???"
Is this what a mother should say about her child?
Her mother usually criticized other people's children and praised her own. Why did she suddenly change? Yao Jiamin looked at the elegant and imposing Wei Mingyue and suddenly realized that she truly deserved the admiration in her mother's heart.
"It's boring for us elders to talk while the younger generation keeps accompanying us," Wei Mingyue, listening to the series of praises, smiled and said to Hua Liuli, who was sitting beside her, "Liuli, take Jiamin Junzhu to the backyard to play."
Yao Jiamin inwardly refused, but when faced with Hua Liuli's smiling eyes, she couldn't say it out loud.
She couldn't afford to offend her, and there was no way to avoid her. Besides following her, what else could she do?
Watching the two young ones leave hand in hand, Royal Princess Shunan smiled with satisfaction.
What a gentle and considerate young girl. It's great that Yao Jiamin can be friends with her.
"Hey," Yao Jiamin noticed that Hua Liuli's arm movements were still somewhat unnatural and asked with a hint of displeasure in her tone, "How are your injuries?"
"I'm fine. It'll heal slowly with time," Hua Liuli stood on her tiptoes, plucked a magnolia flower, and placed it in Yao Jiamin's hand.
"Why are you giving this to me?" Yao Jiamin looked at the magnolia flower with disdain but didn't throw it away.
"Flowers are given to beauties. I'm just trying to make you happy," Hua Liuli said, bringing Yao Jiamin to a small arched bridge. Below the bridge, a babbling stream flowed, and colorful koi fish freely swayed their bodies in the water.
"What flowers for beauties? Don't think I'll fall for your tricks," Yao Jiamin muttered quietly, occasionally glancing at Hua Liuli's injured arm, "Your swordsmanship is so powerful, how did you still get injured?"
"Those were highly skilled assassins. I had no problem escaping on my own, but what about the Crown Prince?" Hua Liuli leaned against the bridge railing lazily, "Do you know why I waited until those assassins left before taking action when we were kidnapped?"
"Why?" Yao Jiamin asked curiously.
"Of course, it's because those assassins were highly skilled, and I couldn't beat them alone," Hua Liuli said, "I endured for so long, all for the sake of escaping with you."
"Don't forget, they were after you. If it weren't for being implicated by you, why would I have been captured?" Yao Jiamin said in an annoyed tone, "Fortunately, this is Great Jin. If we were people from the Daimao Kingdom, even if we came back intact after being captured for dozens of hours, the rumors would drown us."
Hua Liuli smiled and remained silent.
"Take these," Yao Jiamin sternly handed two boxes of ointment to Hua Liuli.
"What is this?"
"Scar removal cream," Yao Jiamin raised her chin, looking impatient, "As someone who is going to be the Crown Princess, it's not suitable to have scars on your body."
"Thank you." Hua Liuli reached out and embraced Yao Jiamin's neck, "You are a good sister who shares difficulties with me."
Yao Jiamin: "..."
In her previous life, she must have killed so many people that, in this life, she was repenting by becoming Hua Liuli's good sister. She wanted to push Hua Liuli away but was afraid of hurting her wound. She could only endure with a stern face.
Perhaps it was because she had been troubled by Hua Liuli too many times, her heart had already become as calm as water.
"Have you ever thought about how Xie Yao could summon so many highly skilled assassins?" Yao Jiamin couldn't help but remind Hua Liuli as she saw her being carefree playing with the koi fish, "The palace is treacherous. You lived at the border for so many years and don't know about the intricacies inside. Now that you are the future Crown Princess, there will only be more conspiracies against you, not fewer. You should be more cautious in your daily life."
"Don't we still have the Emperor and the Crown Prince?" Hua Liuli let go of Jiamin's neck, nonchalantly smiling, "Why do I need to worry about those things?"
"Are you really naive or just pretending to be naive? Can't you use the little tricks you use against me for something important?" Yao Jiamin couldn't help but say, "Although the Crown Prince is favored by the Emperor, his birth mother passed away early, and his maternal family is not from the capital. There are those who wish misfortune upon the Crown Prince and want to bring him down every day. I'm afraid someone might drag your Hua family down for the sake of harming the Crown Prince."
Yao Jiamin was about to say it outright—that if someone slandered the Hua family, accusing them of colluding with the Crown Prince to rebel and forcing the Emperor to abdicate, it would be the end for both the Hua family and the Crown Prince.
But when she looked at the smile on Hua Liuli's face, she became furious, "Forget it, do as you please!"
She was really wasting her breath.
For court officials, the marriage between the Hua family and the Crown Prince was a surprising event that caught everyone off guard. But for the common people, there was nothing wrong with it.
General Hua and General Wei guarded the borders for the country, so their daughter marrying the Crown Prince to become the future Empress was a wonderful thing.
In any case, the merchants were happy because they had a new promotional slogan.
The common people were also happy because the things they bought would be cheaper for the next two days.
In the evening, the main hall of the palace was brightly lit for the Qionglin Feast. The scholars who had passed the imperial examination were beaming with joy, carefully surveying the spacious and magnificent hall.
Emperor Changlong gave some encouraging words to the crowd at the banquet, had a drink, and then left, leaving several princes to entertain the scholars.
However, among the five princes, the Crown Prince was never a considerate and gentle person. After a few introductory remarks, he disappeared from sight for the rest of the time.
Ying Wang, on the other hand, tried to win over these scholars, but listening to their poetry and literary discussions made his head ache. Before the banquet was even halfway through, he found an excuse and slipped away.
Ning Wang, seeing that the Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince had left, was afraid that others would think he was staying to show off to gain popularity. He immediately covered his head, claiming to have a headache, and hastily left with his attendants. Before leaving, he even patted the Fourth Prince's shoulder and said, "Fourth Brother, Lin Daren is a renowned top scorer, and Consort Lin is also a talented woman, well-versed in poetry and literature. You must be just as capable. Benwang will leave it to you here."
After saying that, without paying attention to the Fourth Prince's expressionless face, he covered his forehead, cried out in pain, and left.
The Fourth Prince looked at the hurried figure of his Second Brother leaving and then glanced at the scholars who were praising each other. He stood up and prepared to leave.
"Your Highness, the Fourth Prince," A Ministry of Rites official saw the only remaining prince they could rely on about to slip away and quickly intercepted him, "These scholars have composed poems. You should take a look at who has the best one."
"What about the Fifth Prince?" The Fourth Prince stared at the Ministry of Rites official for a while, emotionlessly spitting out these words.
"The Fifth Prince mentioned earlier that he wanted to create a painting of the Qionglin Feast and has already left early," The smile on the Ministry of Rites official's face remained unchanged, but he and a few other colleagues had already surrounded the Fourth Prince tightly from all directions.
The Fourth Prince had no chance of leaving before the Qionglin Feast ended.
In the palace, Consort Lin was reading a book when a palace maid hurriedly approached her and whispered, "Your Highness, tonight, the other princes have already left, only the Fourth Prince is accompanying the scholars at the Qionglin Feast."
"Really?" Consort Lin's face showed a smile.
"Nubi dare not lie, Your Highness."
"Good," Consort Lin put down her book, her smile becoming even brighter, "This child has always been reticent and uncooperative with whatever I want him to do. Now he finally knows how to win people's favor. I am even gratified."
The palace maid smiled and said, "He will only get better."
Compared to Consort Xian and Consort Rong, Consort Lin's maternal clan was not as wealthy and prominent. Compared to Consort Shu, her maternal clan was not as noble. In order to help her son advance further, she tried countless methods, but no matter how many means she had, they were useless against her son's lack of cooperation.
She couldn't understand why her own child, whom she had raised with her own hands, was so silent that it seemed like saying a few more words to others would cost him his life.
At the Qionglin Feast, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
The Fourth Prince held a thick stack of poems written by the candidates and evaluated them one by one with an expressionless face.
"Good," This was a poem written by Lin Sen.
"Acceptable," This was a verse by Xie Bangyan.
"Passable." This was a work by a certain candidate who ranked in the top five in the examination.
There were a few pieces he didn't even want to comment on and just placed them on the table.
The Ministry of Rites official looked at the candidates below, who were looking at each other, and felt a bit regretful. If he had known that the Fourth Prince would create such an atmosphere, he should have just let him go earlier.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Fourth Prince: Don't talk to me, I'm tired.
Candidates: What did we do wrong to be tortured like this?
