Music before the banquet in the palace

  Before the Banquet in the Palace

  Ye Li frowned as she watched the two men silently competing in drinking, Ye Shangshu's eyes were about to pop out but no one paid attention. Old Lady Ye tried to persuade them with a sentence but was directly ignored by Mo Jingli. Mo Xiuyao smiled and nodded at Old Lady Ye but didn't refuse Mo Jingli's offer to continue drinking. Ye Li glanced at Ah Jian standing not far away, Ah Jian sensed Ye Li's gaze and looked anxious as he gazed at the silently drinking Mo Xiuyao.

  Mo Jing Lei poured another cup of wine, and a hand as white as jade covered the cup. Mo Jing Lei's face sank, and he raised an eyebrow at Mo Xiu Yao: "What does this mean?" Ye Li put the cup in front of her, her expression calm: "Is the king drunk? The one blocking the wine is your concubine, why ask me about it?" Mo Jing Lei snorted disdainfully: "Men drink and women mind their own business. I won't stoop to a woman's level." Ye Li smiled coldly: "Women also wouldn't stoop to the king's level. But this afternoon, we still have to visit the Xu family. The king wouldn't want us to go with the smell of wine on us, would he? Not everyone can be as unrefined as the king. Especially since the Xu family is a family of scholars who value propriety and righteousness. The king wouldn't want us to be thrown out by our uncle, would he?"

  "Mo Xiu Yao, are you afraid of women now? You've become even more timid!" Mo Jing Lei's face darkened as he glared at Ye Li for a long time before coldly smiling at Mo Xiu Yao.

  Mo Xiuyao looked at him calmly, with a hint of a smile on his face. "Jing Lei, respecting your wife's opinion isn't a bad thing. Ah Li said that this afternoon we still need to pay our respects to Mr. Xu and Official Xu. You know, Master Hongyu really dares to sweep us out the door." Mo Jing Lei was indeed stubborn, "How would I not know? When visiting one's in-laws, you have to see both the maternal relatives and the paternal relatives? Don't waste words, Mo Xiuyao, are you going to drink this toast or not?"

  "I won't drink." Mo Xiuyao replied bluntly, and Ye Liuming, who was sitting next to him, could clearly feel that Mo Xiuyao's mood was unusually good. Even when talking to Mo Jingli, Ye Liuming couldn't help but hear a hint of teasing in his tone.

  “Cough... Li Wang, since Ding Wang still has something to attend to, let's not make things difficult for him. We can all get together and have a drink another time.” Fu Zhao reluctantly stepped in to mediate, as they had all grown up together in the capital city and had known each other since childhood. Mo Xiuyao and Mo Jingli had never gotten along since they were young, and unexpectedly, after so many years of not seeing each other, their animosity towards each other had only intensified. This made things awkward for the onlookers. Looking at Mo Xiuyao, Fu Zhao couldn't help but feel relieved - Mo Xiuyao's temper had improved a lot over the years, and he was even willing to listen to the queen's advice; if it were in the past, the two of them would probably have ended up fighting each other to the death.

  "Jing Li..." Ye Yinger softly advised, "Aren't we still going out this afternoon? Let's invite Ding Wang to drink next time."

  Mo Jingli narrowed her eyes and looked at her, humming softly before falling silent. The others also secretly let out a sigh of relief in their hearts. Ye Shangshu rubbed his slightly aching forehead and made a vow in his heart that from now on he would never let these two sons-in-law drink together at the same table again.

  After lunch, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao bid farewell to the Xu family and went directly to the Xu residence. As they were leaving, Xu Hongyu called Mo Xiuyao into the study alone for a half-hour conversation. Ye Li was ordered not to eavesdrop and had to wait outside the study. Several brothers of the Xu family, except for Xu Qingchen who was nowhere to be found and Xu Qingze who was being summoned by his aunt, were in the courtyard accompanying her. Xu Qingyan leaned on the table, smiling at Ye Li and said: "Sister-in-law, my father won't eat your husband, you don't have to worry about him." Ye Li glared at him with a bad temper, "Which eye of yours saw me worrying about him?" Xu Qingyan pointed to his eyes and smiled, "Both eyes saw it."

  Xu Qingfeng, who was usually thick-skinned, rarely showed some sentimentality, and said to Ye Li with a tinge of sadness: "I didn't expect that in just a few days, you'd become someone else's. If Ding Wang bullies you, come back and tell me, I'll definitely stand up for you." Ye Li nodded, her expression serious: "I remember, don't worry, brother." Xu Qingfeng sighed: "In a few days, I'll be leaving the capital, and I'll ask Er Ge to tell Er Sao to visit you at Ding Wang's residence often after she gets married."

  Xu Qingyan smiled and said: "Third brother, you don't have to be so exaggerated. The Ding Wang Fu is not a place of knives and fire, with us around, how dare anyone bully Li sister?"

  Xu Qingbai rolled his eyes and said, "Who is it that always hides behind others as soon as they see the Ding King?" How did the Xu family produce such a timid child, and yet they still expect him to stand up for Li'er?

  Xu Qingyan's face turned red, and she couldn't help but tremble as she thought of someone's methods. "Fourth brother, don't blame me for being timid. It's just that a certain person... is too ruthless." She recalled the two unlucky bandits in the other courtyard that night and still had nightmares about it for several nights after returning home. Now, whenever she saw Mo Xiuyao, her instincts made her want to hide behind Xu Qingbai. Ye Li looked at Xu Qingyan's guilty expression and, although she didn't finish speaking, she could guess the general idea. It seemed that a certain person had done something frightening that scared Xu Qingyan. However, Ye Li wasn't interested in prying further. Mo Xiuyao was a famous general who had emerged from the battlefield since his youth, and she hadn't expected him to be an untainted, elegant gentleman anyway.

  Back at the Wang Fu, Ye Li began to take over the various affairs of the Wang Fu. Just looking through the account books took her two whole days to figure out. At the same time, she couldn't help but secretly admire that the Ding Guo Wang Fu was indeed wealthy, with several generations of princes accumulating a vast fortune that left Ye Li in awe. When things were more or less under control, an invitation to a palace banquet arrived from the palace. Under the pretext of bidding farewell to the envoys from various countries, neither Mo Xiu Yao nor Ye Li could find any reason to refuse.

  Once again entering the imperial palace, Ye Li's mood wasn't very good due to her unpleasant experience last time. The horse carriage of Dingguo Wangfu didn't stop at the palace gate like ordinary nobles, but instead went straight in through the gate. Mo Xiu Yao wore a moon-white silver dragon cloud embroidery flying eagle shirt, with white jade and blue gemstone hairpin holding up his hair, looking elegant and refined, "A Li's mood isn't good?"

  Ye Li lazily leaned back in the carriage and said, "Nothing, the imperial palace always makes people feel a bit suffocated."

  Mo Xiuyao smiled slightly, "I don't know how many people have tried every means to get into the palace. Ah Li's idea is quite special."

  She glanced at him faintly and said, "Is it really that interesting to step on the corpses of countless people to climb up or be stepped on by others to climb up?"

  Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment and smiled, "The process is definitely not interesting, but most people can't see that process. They only need to fantasize about climbing to the top and standing above everyone else, the thrill of which is enough to make them forget everything." Ye Li raised an eyebrow, staring at him for a while before asking, "Do you think like that too, Xiuyao?" Mo Xiuyao hesitated, looking down at his hand on the armrest of his wheelchair, and after a long time, said in a low voice, "I don't just not want to be the one being trampled by others." The train car was silent for a while before Ye Li's voice quietly rose up, "I don't like stepping on anyone, but I also don't like being stepped on by anyone."

  "Your Highness, we've arrived. The Empress Dowager has invited the Princess." Ah Jin said in a low voice outside the carriage, which had slowly come to a stop. Ye Li estimated the location of the carriage in her mind and determined that it was not any place she had been before. Judging from the approximate location, they should be near the Empress Dowager's Fengde Palace. Mo Xiu Yao turned his head and said, "I need to go see the Emperor, I won't be able to accompany you inside, can you go in by yourself?"

  Ye Li nodded and stood up to get off the carriage. Mo Xiu Yao pulled her back gently and whispered, "Be careful yourself, if anything happens... immediately let Qing Luan go out and find Ah Jian, he's near Feng De Palace." Ye Li frowned, "But you..." Ah Jian was Mo Xiu Yao's personal bodyguard and the person he trusted most. If Ah Jian wasn't by his side... Mo Xiu Yao smiled wryly, "You don't think I only trust Ah Jian alone, do you? Don't worry, go."

  "Alright, see you later." Hearing him say that, Ye Li also didn't persist and got down from the carriage. Outside the carriage, people from Feng De Palace had been waiting and upon seeing Ye Li come down, they hurriedly came forward to say: "This servant greets the King's consort, this servant is here to welcome the King's consort on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress." Ye Li nodded, "Thank you."

  "I dare not, Your Highness, I'll follow you with the maidservants."

  Entering the Fengde Palace, there were already many noblewomen seated inside. The Fengde Palace was decorated with a dignified and grand atmosphere, yet not overly luxurious, and its refined details revealed a particularly elegant taste. Ye Li couldn't help but feel a little curious about this empress who didn't have a very prominent reputation among the people.

  "I have seen Her Majesty the Empress, may she live a thousand years in peace and prosperity." Ye Li walked into the grand hall and respectfully paid homage to the elegant woman on the throne.

  "The Queen Dowager is exempt from courtesy, and is granted a seat." The Empress's voice was gentle and calm, not at all like the high-and-mighty attitude of an empress.

  "Thank you, Your Highness." Ye Li stood up and was led by the palace maid to the empty position at the very front. Although Ye Li was one of the younger noblewomen present, her status was not necessarily high. However, as the wife of the Dingguo King, her identity naturally surpassed that of all other noblewomen. Even though Ye Li had arrived late, a place had still been reserved for her at the front. Ye Li glanced around casually and saw many familiar faces. The Grand Mistress of the Huaguo Duke's estate was accompanied by Hua Tianxiang, while the Shao Yang Princess and Shao Ren Princess were seated beside the rarely seen Qixia Princess and Ronghua Duchess. There was also the beautiful and charming Lei Wangfei Ye Ying. At this time, those seated in the Fengde Palace were either related to the imperial family or held some sort of title. Ordinary noblewomen with imperial decrees were not among them.

  She sat down, and Ye Li finally went to look at the empress sitting on the phoenix throne. The empress wore a bright yellow dragon robe, dignified and noble, showing the uniqueness of the queen. When Ye Li looked over, she also saw the empress smiling at her, and couldn't help but pause. The empress was not particularly beautiful, and as a member of the Hua Guo Gong Fu, Hua Tian Xiang's appearance was even more stunning than the empress. However, that calm and elegant demeanor was something that Hua Tian Xiang or any of the noblewomen present did not possess.

  "Is this the Princess of Jingguo?" a clear voice came from the opposite side, immediately drawing everyone's attention. Ye Li looked in the direction of the sound and saw a girl in colorful clothes sitting to the right of Princess Zhaoyang, apparently with an extraordinary status.

  The queen smiled and said, "That's right, this is the Princess of Dingguo. Speaking of which, Princess Lingyun has been unwell since she arrived in Chujing and hasn't met the Princess of Dingguo yet. Princess Dingguo, this is Princess Lingyun of Xiling Kingdom."

  Ye Li nodded and said: "Princess Lingyun is polite."

  As Ye Li, Ling Yun couldn't be careless even if she was a princess of a country. However, this princess who had been smiling slyly just now seemed to have not heard Ye Li's words and brazenly sized her up before saying: "I heard Brother Wang say that you drew out the Cloud-Enveloping Sword?" Ye Li nodded slightly and smiled shallowly: "I indeed saw the Cloud-Enveloping Sword." Princess Ling Yun was not satisfied with this answer, stood up and raised her chin: "This princess doesn't believe it, this princess wants to have a sword match with you."

  "I won't use a sword." Yeli said calmly.

  "How is this possible? You can't even use a sword, how did you pull out the Cloud-Embracing Sword?" Princess Lingyun glared at her with an intimidating tone.

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, "Princess, drawing a sword and using a sword are two different things. Who says that someone who can't use a sword can't draw one?" She really didn't understand why these princesses and young ladies had to force others into comparisons without considering whether the other person was capable of doing what they were being compared to. "This princess doesn't care, this princess just wants to compete with you. Are you afraid to accept the challenge?"

  Ye Li stood up, "The princess asked me in front of the empress and all the ladies of the capital, how could I not dare?"

  The Princess Lingyun smiled in satisfaction and said: "In that case, where is your sword?"

  "In fact, in this life of mine, I had never come into contact with any sword except for the Yun Jian. The sword that the Crown Prince of Zhen Nan sent over that day was also my first time touching such a weapon. So I didn't have a sword and even more so, didn't know how to hold one."

  "Pfft——Forcing someone who hasn't even touched a sword to compare swords with me...Your Majesty, can Tian Xiang go and compete in embroidery with the great general tomorrow, and then claim that my embroidery skills are the best in the world?" Hua Tian Xiang asked in a soft voice while leaning against Madame Hua's side. Her voice wasn't loud but somehow spread throughout the entire palace. Many people couldn't help but cover their mouths to stifle their giggles. The empress glared at Hua Tian Xiang with a hint of amusement in her eyes, "You're still proud of your mediocre embroidery skills." Hua Tian Xiang covered her face and laughed, "Why are you talking about me like that, auntie? I'm just trying to get a good reputation. The title of 'world's best' is so impressive!"

  Ye Li looked at Hua Tianxiang with gratitude, and Hua Tianxiang winked at her, leaning against Mrs. Hua and covering her face in a shy manner.

  The queen suppressed her smile and said to Princess Lingyun: "Princess, the king's consort is not skilled in swordsmanship, so let's just forget about this duel."

  Lingyun Princess's face had already been reddened by the fragrance of Huatian, and she gritted her teeth, saying: "She clearly drew out the Yunjian Sword, how could she not know swordsmanship? It was obviously intentional to play tricks on this princess."

  "Yun Jian is the thing of Ding Guo Wang Fu, and it's up to Ding Wang Fei to decide how to take it out. What does it have to do with you?" On the side, Rong Hua Jun Zhu slanted her eyes at Ling Yun Gong Zhu, sneering, "Are all foreign princesses this strange? Do they all like forcing others to compare and compete? Knowing full well that the other party won't back down. Why not just directly say let Ding Wang Fei admit defeat and acknowledge your sword skills are higher than hers?"

  "Enough!" The Empress intervened, seeing the situation escalate. "Ronghua, refrain from speaking nonsense in front of the two princesses." Ronghua County Mistress let out a soft snort and sat down beside Grand Princess Zhaoren, no longer speaking. Compared to Ye Lian, she disliked the proud and favored Xiaya Princess even more, and by extension, also disliked this newly arrived Lingyun Princess who was equally arrogant.

  The Empress has arrived!

  With a sharp announcement, Liu Guifei entered the hall in a yellow palace attire with a cold expression.

  "I have seen the Empress." The cold and proud Liu Guifei, as she was when they last met, only gave a slight bow to the Empress, it seemed that whether it was the Dowager or the Empress, this noble consort had no intention of giving them face. The Empress appeared to be accustomed to Liu Guifei's demeanor, and nodded slightly: "You may dispense with the formalities, Consort, why have you returned to Fengde Palace today?" Many of the noblewomen present also showed expressions of surprise, as Liu Guifei was known for not attending palace banquets, even though many of them entered the palace almost every month, yet they rarely saw Liu Guifei herself.

  "Your Majesty said that the Empress's palace was lively, so I came to take a look," Consort Liu said coldly. "Doesn't the Empress suspect anything?" The Empress's slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she still spoke magnanimously: "Since you have this interest, please sit down quickly." She waved her hand and ordered the palace maid to prepare a seat for Consort Liu. However, Consort Liu walked directly in front of Ye Li and asked: "May I sit here?" Ye Li smiled lightly: "If Your Ladyship doesn't mind, then please sit down."

  When Liu Guifei sat down beside Ye Li, the Empress no longer bothered to prepare a separate seat for her. The Empress had always kept a respectful distance from Liu Guifei, the Emperor's most favored concubine. Fortunately, although Liu Guifei was often extremely arrogant and sometimes even unreasonable, she was somewhat restrained when facing the Empress. Today's coldness and unreasonableness were already at the limit. At least compared to the Dowager Empress, the Empress felt that she had maintained a somewhat strange balance.

  Liu Guifei sat beside Ye Li with a cold and stern face, the noblewomen who had originally wanted to talk to Ye Li, the newly appointed Empress, also temporarily put their thoughts on hold. Although they didn't know if Liu Guifei was someone who never gave people face, if they went up to provoke her and ended up offending her, it would only end badly for themselves.

  No one talked to Yelü, so she had no choice but to sit in her seat and listen to others speak. Fortunately, she was also a person who could sit still.

  "I've already heard about what happened in the palace from others." Originally thinking that Consort Liu wouldn't speak to her, upon hearing the soft voice beside her, Ye Li was slightly taken aback.

  "You're really useless! Last time, Princess Nan Zhao was better at dancing than you, and this time, Princess Xi Ling is better at swordsmanship than you too! What can you actually do?" The voice of Consort Liu was filled with discontent and disdain. Fortunately, her voice was extremely low, otherwise the rumor that Consort Ding was scolded by Consort Liu at her first palace banquet would have spread throughout the capital.

  Listening to Consort Liu's rebuke, Ye Li couldn't help but laugh and cry. If she remembered correctly, this Consort Liu had only admired Mo Xiu Yao, not his mother, so why was there such a tone of disdain? "Your Highness, I'm not interested in dancing, and... the Ding Kingdom doesn't need a queen with exceptional dance skills either. As for swordsmanship... it seems that's not something the young ladies from good families in the capital should learn."

  "Concubine Liu hummed softly and said, 'You forgot to mention that your painting skills are mediocre, and even when writing poetry, you need someone to write for you. Be careful with me, if you dare to lose face, I won't forgive you.'"

  Girl, you're really not Mo Xiangyu's daughter?

  "What is Princess Liu and Queen Ding talking about? They seem so happy?" Suddenly asked by Empress Zhao of the opposite side.

  Yu Guifei raised her head and looked at her for a while before saying, "Did Princess Zhaoren see that I was happy?" Princess Zhaoren was choked and couldn't speak for a moment. Ye Li sighed inwardly, envying Yu Guifei's straightforward personality. Unfortunately, not everyone had the privilege of being so direct. If it weren't for the emperor's protection and favoritism, someone with Yu Guifei's temperament would probably not last long in the palace, no matter how good their family background was. Seeing Princess Zhaoren's speechless and blackened face, Yu Guifei seemed to be in a good mood, gazing at the person opposite her with pride and saying, "Isn't Princess Zhaoren asking what I said to Crown Prince Ding's consort? I said since Crown Prince Ding's consort doesn't understand swordsmanship, why not have me accompany Lingyun Princess for a sparring match?"

  "Imperial Concubine!" The Empress frowned in disapproval.

  Liu Guifei didn't seem to care, but instead coldly stared at Lingyun Princess and said: "Princess, what do you think?"

  Although Princess Lingyun had not been in the capital for long, she knew that Consort Liu was the most favored consort of the Emperor of Dongchu. In any case, she would never dare to lay a hand on Consort Liu. Regardless of winning or losing, if she accidentally hurt Consort Liu, the Emperor of Dongchu would definitely investigate and she would be at a disadvantage. After all, they were still in the territory of Dongchu. "Just now was just a joke between Princess Lingyun and the Queen of Dingguo, Princess Lingyun is young and ignorant, how dare she lay hands on Your Highness?"

  "Alright, Imperial Consort. Princess Lingyun is just being childish, and besides, she doesn't know that the Crown Princess doesn't understand swordsmanship, it's not intentional humiliation towards our Great Chu." The Empress said calmly, her expression unusually firm and unyielding. As an Imperial Consort, taking the lead for the Crown Princess was a double-edged sword for Liu Imperial Consort. Moreover, before she entered the palace, her admiration for the Crown Prince was no secret among many of the nobles. What she needed to do now was find a suitable excuse for Liu Imperial Consort's actions.

  Accompanying the empress for a while, as it was still early for the palace feast, the empress invited all the ladies to go to the imperial garden to stroll and enjoy themselves. Everyone thanked her and bid farewell to the empress before heading towards the imperial garden. As they were about to leave, Liu Guifei was detained by the empress. The moment they stepped out of Fengde Palace, Hua Tianxiang immediately approached and smiled at Ye Li, saying: "I've seen the Ding Wangfei."

  Ye Li glanced at her and said, "Are you too idle?"

  Hua Tianxiang waved her hand and said, "How can I put it, according to the rules, I should at least pay my respects to the Crown Princess. How was it, didn't Consort Liu give you a hard time earlier?" Ye Li was puzzled, "Why would she give me a hard time?" Hua Tianxiang looked at her silently, with a pitiful expression, "Ah Li, I told you to go out more often, but you wouldn't listen. You shouldn't be unaware of Consort Liu..." Realizing that it wasn't a good idea to gossip about a consort in the palace, Hua Tianxiang leaned in close to Ye Li's ear and whispered, "Before Consort Liu entered the palace, she was quite... taken with Crown Prince Ding." Ye Li was speechless, even Hua Tianxiang knew this news, it seemed that it wasn't just a matter of being taken with him. She nodded, "I know, she didn't give me a hard time."

  Hu Tianxiang walked beside Ye Li, shrugging and saying: "To be honest, I was startled when she stood up for you. Looking at her expression, it doesn't seem like she has any other intentions towards you either."

  "Is Liu Guifei's swordsmanship good?" Ye Li decided not to tell Hua Tianxiang about the various contemptuous things Liu Guifei had done to her after all.

  Hu Tianxiang sighed, with a face full of envy and jealousy. "To say, all these years in the capital city, every year they hold this 'First Talent' and 'First Beauty' competition... it's all just a joke. But Liu Guifei... she was truly a talented beauty. It's said that the Hundred Flowers Banquet that year was the most spectacular one since the founding of Chu Kingdom. The two participants who took part in the competition were exactly the top two beauties of Chu Kingdom, as described by Han Mingyue. Just thinking about it is exciting...". Ye Lixi nodded in agreement, "I can imagine how intense the competition must have been, even without seeing it. In the end, did Liu Guifei win?"

  "No, she lost." Huatian Xiang said regretfully, "At that time, Liu Guifei was only 13 years old, and Su Zui Die was already 16 years old. Even if the current Liu Guifei is a stunning beauty, at 13 years old, she was just a beautiful young girl. So, the number one beauty of Chu Jing is Su Zui Die, and the second painting of Liu Guifei's was painted by Han Mingyue when Liu Guifei was 15 years old. Of course, in terms of looks alone, I really haven't seen any woman who can surpass Su Zui Die. It's not Liu Guifei's fault that she lost."

  "Hmm. Then?"

  Then the two of them went head-to-head. The Hundred Flowers Festival that year was basically just about those two. Su Zuiyan took first place in dance, painting, poetry, and music, while Liu Guifei won chess and calligraphy, with second place going to the other girl. After Su Zuiyan got engaged, she stopped participating in the Hundred Flowers Festival competitions. However, Liu Guifei went on to win first place in every single competition at the festival for the next three years, including dance, painting, poetry, music, and more.

  Ye Li's heart was pleased and she couldn't help but feel a little envious, no wonder Liu Guifei could look down on her with disdain. Indeed, Ye Li had the capital to be proud of herself. Looking at Ye Li's nonchalant expression, Hua Tianxiang said in a bad tone: "Can you try to make an effort? Don't you have any sense of crisis?" Ye Li sighed and said: "You're thinking too much." She was not on the same level as Liu Guifei, that kind of talented woman. If she had to learn to be like that kind of unparalleled genius, she would rather go play a month-long wilderness survival game. Let her draw maps, gun structures, no problem, but let her pick up a brush to paint and she could only manage to draw flowers and plants, the last time at the Hundred Flowers Banquet was already an extraordinary performance.

  "Whatever." Huatian Xiang waved her hand randomly and glanced at Lingyun Princess, who was staring at the two of them from a distance. "How did you manage to offend Lingyun Princess again?" Ye Li sighed, "I'm certain I've never met Lingyun Princess before. I only met that West Hill Town's Nan Wang Shizi." Huatian Xiang was puzzled, "Then why does she have an expression like she wants to eat you up?"

  "Yan Yun Jian?" This was the only thing she could think of that had anything to do with Princess Lingyun.

  "Yan Yun Sword? That's something from the Dingguo Royal Palace, what does it have to do with Princess Guan Lingyun?"

  "Everyone knows that was sent back from Xiling. Probably Princess Lingyun couldn't bear to part with it. Let's take a look somewhere else." Ye Li gazed at Princess Lingyun, who was walking towards her, and suggested.

  Hua Tianxiang rolled her eyes, "Is it good fortune or bad luck, bad luck can't be avoided. Don't tell me you want to run wildly in the Imperial Garden?"

  "The Queen of Tingguo." As she spoke, Princess Lingyun had already arrived in front of them, and the noblewomen surrounding them couldn't help but steal glances in their direction with an air of nonchalance.

  "Princess, is there anything else?"

  Princess Lingyun said: "I want to have a private conversation with the queen."

  Ye Li furrowed her brow and said: "I don't know what there is to discuss with the princess."

  Princess Lingyun's face slightly sank, saying: "This princess has come thousands of miles, can't even let me take a walk in the Imperial Garden?" Ye Li nodded helplessly and said: "If that's the case, please go ahead, Princess." Princess Lingyun hummed softly, raised her head and walked forward first. Ye Li made a reassuring face to the worried Hua Tianxiang and followed with a light sigh. These young people nowadays... truly lack discipline!

  The Princess Lingyun dismissed her maid, and Ye Li naturally didn't want to let Qing Luan and the others follow. The two walked side by side along the small path of the Imperial Garden, Ye Li asked: "Is there something you want to tell me, Princess?"

  Lingyun Princess turned her head and looked at her, humming softly: "You are not worthy of Ding Wang."

  Ye Li's lips curled into a smile, "Your Highness is overpraising me. Marrying well and marrying high isn't it just proof that I've found a good mother-in-law and a good husband?" Ling Yun disdainfully said: "You don't need to pretend like this, I've already investigated you clearly. A low-key and unknown young lady from the Shangshu Mansion, who was even jilted by the Lei King, only gained some fame in Chu Jing after being betrothed to the Ding Wang by the Emperor. Even if you became the number one talented woman of the capital, how could you be a match for the Ding Wang?"

  "Oh, is that so?" Ye Lian's expression remained unchanged as she asked lightly: "Even if I'm not a match for the Crown Prince, what does it have to do with you, Princess?"

  Princess Lingyun raised an eyebrow, with a slightly smug smile: "You'll soon find out what relationship I have with Ben. The Determined King is mine, Ye Lian, if you know what's good for you, then roll away." Ye Lian furrowed her brow, staring seriously at Princess Lingyun for a long time before asking: "Princess, may I ask a question?"

  "Say."

  "Excuse me, does Xiāo Yáo know which onion you are?" asked Ye Lì. "According to what I know, Xiāo Yáo hasn't left the house in at least seven years. Even with a conservative estimate, if you two had met before, it would have been when the princess was around 7 or 8 years old. Excuse me... do you think Xiāo Yáo remembers who you are? Or does he not recognize you at all?"

  "What's wrong with that? I am the most noble princess of Dalin, can't even compare to you?" Princess Lingyun glared at her angrily.

  Ye Li looked at him strangely, "If the princess really wanted to marry Ding Wang, shouldn't she have appeared before our wedding and competed with me? Now that we're already married, what does it mean for her to appear now? You know, the Ding Wang Fu has never had a precedent of taking two consorts or divorcing one wife to marry another. Or is the princess willing to be humiliated as a concubine? If not... even if I died, the princess would still only be a step-wife entering the Ding Wang Fu, and on every first and fifteenth day, she'd have to kowtow and burn incense in front of my spirit."

  "You... you wishful thinking! This princess will definitely become the empress of the emperor!" Princess Lingyun said angrily.

  "Think whatever you want." Ye Lili looked at her sympathetically, "But I think the meaning of Zhen Nan Wang's words seems to be different from yours, don't you?"

  The princess's eyes flashed with a hint of resentment. If it weren't for the fact that Lei Tengfeng had immediately placed her under house arrest in the embassy upon their arrival in Chu Jing, claiming she was ill until after the Crown Prince's wedding, she would have been released by now. Why did she come to find Ye Lian only now? Ye Lian smiled and continued, "Speaking of which, there aren't many instances where a princess in her prime is sent on a diplomatic mission to a neighboring country... usually it's for... a marriage alliance? I seem to recall that Xiling suffered from a snow disaster last winter, could it be..." There were many things she didn't want to think about, but that didn't mean she couldn't understand them. As for Princess Lingyun, Ye Lian wasn't worried in the slightest - no matter how capable the princess was, the Emperor would never allow Mo Xiuyao to marry a Xiling princess and cause trouble for himself. Not just Xiling princesses, but also Beijun and Nanzhao princesses had nothing to do with Mo Xiuyao. Only this little princess in front of her couldn't see the situation clearly, thinking that coming directly to find Ye Lian and asking her to back down would get her what she wanted. Ye Lian really didn't want to look down on these princesses' intelligence, but... were there any normal ones among the younger generation of princesses? Or was it just because they were too young?

  "What exactly did you see in Wang?" Looking at Lingyun Princess's determined face in front of her, Ye Li asked curiously.

  Lingyun Princess hummed and said, "What do you know? Ding Wang is the most outstanding man in this world, the youngest and also the most powerful general, and also the most talented man in this world. Of course, I will marry the best man in the world."

  "He doesn't seem as great as you said he was," Yeli reminded him.

  "You are truly... You are so rustic that it's unbearable, and every word you say makes me feel extremely disgusted. The Emperor must have been blind to have chosen someone like you. I know it was the Emperor of Eastern Chu who ordered him to marry you. How could a woman like you possibly understand how exceptional he is?"

  Looking at the dignified and elegant woman in front of her, Ye Li reflected on whether she should really be ashamed. Compared to this princess, Yang Xiangru was so normal, and Ye Ying was so lovely.

  "I will definitely become Queen Ding's wife!" Princess Lingyun said firmly.

  "Work hard, and I wish you success." Ye Li said calmly.

  "I will definitely become the Queen of Ding!" Lingyun Princess gritted her teeth and said, then jumped down to the artificial lake by the side of the road.

  "Ah-ah! Help! The princess has fallen into the water!" A shrill cry echoed through the imperial garden.

  Ye Li cursed softly and also jumped into the water.

  Damn it, there are so many crazy people these days! Moxuyao, you'd better be prepared for your own death!