20demayo Chapter 132 The Sharp Tongue of the Beauty
Chapter 132 The Sharp Tongue of the Beauty
One sentence turned the tide.
Yes, so what if Jia Meiren gives birth to a prince? How can he be compared to the Crown Prince, who is at the height of his power?
Therefore, if the Crown Princess gives birth to a grandson, that would be the hope for the future of the Great Long Dynasty.
There was no point in them getting angry and upset at Jia Meiren. The jealous atmosphere that had filled the palace banquet instantly dissipated.
What a silver tongue!
No wonder she was able to climb from a lowly concubine to the position of Imperial Concubine!
He Lingyi had always known that among all her enemies, the most difficult to deal with was probably her aunt from her previous life. Now, after just one confrontation, she realized that she was right!
He smiled and replied in a neither too soft nor too hard way.
"Then I will take Jia Meiren's auspicious words as my guide."
"You're too kind, Your Highness."
No sooner had the two finished speaking than a voice came from outside, "Consort Qin has arrived! The Third Princess has arrived!"
Everyone's attention naturally turned to the outside of the hall.
Today, Consort Qin was also dressed in a grand manner, as was the Third Princess beside her. Compared to the other princesses, her status in the harem has always been unique.
Therefore, while the princesses around her were either timid or hesitant, she alone was proactive and enthusiastic. The moment she walked in and saw He Lingyi, she smiled and greeted her.
"The Crown Princess looks so beautiful today, she's a perfect match for the Crown Prince!"
She was sweet-talking and sweet-talking; who wouldn't like that? So even the usually cold and ruthless Crown Prince had a faint smile in his eyes as he looked at her, then stood up and bowed to Consort Qin.
"May Consort Qin rest in peace."
"Your Highness, please sit down. It's freezing cold. Did you catch a chill coming from the Eastern Palace?"
"It doesn't matter."
"That's good. I'm a little late because I went to Qi'an Palace to see His Majesty beforehand. He's feeling better now, but he's worried that the palace banquet will be too long and tiring, so he won't be attending."
"It's unfortunate that Father Emperor is unwell. Today, Consort Qin will be in charge of the palace banquet."
The Crown Prince was never one for many words, but his attitude was always clear.
Since that's the case, Consort Qin naturally took the throne, while the dragon throne next to her remained empty. The next level was for the Crown Prince and his wife, while Consort Tong, Consort Liang, and Consort Yi sat on the other side.
After everyone took their seats, the palace banquet began.
Because Consort Tong had just lost her son, the usual sixteen performances at the palace banquet were reduced by half. The remaining performances were either praising the peaceful and prosperous era of the Great Long Dynasty or celebrating the bountiful harvest and the prosperity of the people.
The overly glamorous and extravagant programs were removed, so the audience wasn't entirely satisfied, but they knew that it was quite good for the show.
Therefore, the concubines still flattered Consort Qin, saying that she had done an excellent job organizing the palace banquet.
He Lingyi sat upright, but could feel the resentful and malicious gazes that often emanated from next door. This Consort Tong really wasn't very bright; with such obvious emotions on her face, didn't she think about leaving herself a way out?
The woman sitting below, Jia Meiren, was much better at handling things than her, flattering everyone and wearing a happy expression.
She would occasionally stroke her belly, revealing her maternal heart, and then tug at the Seventh Princess beside her as if to make a gesture. He Lingyi watched coldly, and couldn't help but think to herself that if Madam Guo were alive, she probably wouldn't be as loving towards her children as she was.
“Lingyi, Lingyi.”
Just as she was thinking, the Crown Prince called out to her from the side. He Lingyi came back to her senses and saw the Crown Prince's somewhat worried expression. She asked him in a low voice.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"Are you alright?"
He Lingyi gave a reassuring smile, then shook her head to indicate that she was fine.
How could anything happen to her? Her enemies are still thriving there, they don't see her fall from grace, so how could anything happen to her?
A hint of disdain appeared at the corner of his mouth, and then he replied in a low voice.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I am perfectly fine."
Then, they raised their cups to toast Consort Qin, who returned the toast with a smile. Once they made a move, the others naturally followed suit.
Some people wanted to pay their respects to the Crown Prince, but seeing his cold face, no one dared to go forward and force him. Instead, they offered cups to He Lingyi several times in an attempt to become acquainted with him.
After the palace banquet, He Lingyi had gotten to know almost everyone she needed to know.
The Third Princess's cheeks were flushed red from drinking a few sips of fruit wine. Unlike the others, she walked straight up to He Lingyi and said happily.
"Let me offer you a toast, sister-in-law. Thank you for taking me out of the palace. I'm sure you'll like Tuanzi too when we meet."
"No way, I've never been interested in cats and dogs. I remember seeing a dog bite someone in the village when I was a child, and I still can't forget it. So I'd better stay away from them."
Upon hearing this, the Third Princess was slightly surprised.
However, she wasn't the type to force others, and after a moment of surprise, she said with some regret.
"I see. Then I'll take Tuanzi away from you."
"Alright, you decide."
The two were talking animatedly, while the crown prince was completely bewildered, only managing to interject at the very end.
"What dumplings?"
"Tuanzi is a cat I adopted from the imperial palace. My mother is allergic to cat fur, so she can't bring it back to keep. In the past, when my father went out, he would take me to the imperial palace to see it, but this time it's probably not possible. I wanted to ask my mother to let me go with my brother, the crown prince, to the sacrificial ceremony, but my mother disagreed. Fortunately, my sister-in-law is beautiful and kind-hearted, and she let me go with her, so I was able to see Tuanzi."
Beautiful and kind?
The Crown Prince somewhat agreed with the former, but not necessarily with the latter.
"It's just a cat, is it really worth all this concern?"
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is rich and powerful, how could he know the bitterness of us princesses? We look so glamorous and have everything at our fingertips, yet what we want is never what we desire. Unlike Tuanzi, who is so free and unrestrained."
The Third Princess had drunk a few more cups, and her words were tinged with sadness, but the Crown Prince did not take her words seriously.
"You are already a princess, so naturally you have to pay a price for this status. Look at your younger sisters, who share the title of princess with you, but they don't live even a tenth of the carefree life you have. Look at them, do you still feel that you are not satisfactory?"
The Crown Prince's words were both truthful and harsh.
The third princess wanted to retort, but she couldn't seem to find a reason to do so.
She could only sigh, then tugged at He Lingyi's sleeve and said in a coquettish tone.
"I'm just hoping my sister-in-law will give birth to a cute little niece for my brother, so she can also experience this pampered and unfree life and see if she'll be happy or not! Humph!"
Her words had a hint of playfulness in them, and the Crown Prince chuckled and shook his head, no longer participating in the topic. However, He Lingyi tapped the Third Princess's head and then added a sentence.
"Alright, don't make yourself unhappy during the New Year. We're going to the imperial palace in two days. Have you prepared food for that little cat? Although I don't keep pets, I've heard that animal food is very important, apparently related to the shine of their fur. Have you looked into that?"
When this was mentioned, the Third Princess paused, and He Lingyi took in the surprise and momentary hesitation in her eyes. It seemed that the Third Princess was getting more and more complicated!