Chapter 4 In such a hurry to get yourself married off?
"Speaking of which, although it was the Imperial Sister-in-Law who snatched Sister Man away from you, who would have thought it turned out to make a fine match for you two!"
The Fifth Princess said deliberately in a loud voice.
She refused to believe that Murong Jiu would keep her composure and not explain to the Second Imperial Eldest Brother after the conversation had steered towards the consummation of marriage.
As expected, she saw Murong Jiu slowly lift her head.
The Fifth Princess's heart leaped with joy, but the next moment, she heard Murong Jiu say, "If I'm not mistaken, the Fifth Princess, who has only just come of age and not yet left her boudoir, is gossiping so eagerly about others' affairs, could it be that she is also in a rush to get herself married off?"
"What, what nonsense are you talking about!"
The color of the Fifth Princess's face changed, she had just reached the age for marriage talks and could not afford to be involved in any scandal that would make her the subject of ridicule; otherwise, the Emperor would send her off to a Foreign State to marry!
After all, the Emperor values reputation above all!
"What are you all doing here, waiting for me?"
A gentle voice tinged with authority came from behind, and the stunningly beautiful Noble Consort Qi emerged, descending the ceremonial stairs like a lotus blossom with each step.
She had been favored for more than twenty years and still looked to be in her thirties, her skin was well-maintained, a translucent white like jade, her eyes gleamed with brightness, she retained some girlish naivety, and her figure was exquisitely shaped, making her appear otherworldly.
Despite new young women entering the palace every year, the Emperor's affection for Noble Consort Qi had never waned.
With such confidence at her back, it only accentuated Noble Consort Qi's distinguished and luxurious air.
She only glanced at Murong Jiu before she frowned and turned her gaze away, her disdain clear without words.
"Your servant pays respects to the Esteemed Eldest Prince, the Second Prince, and the Fifth Princess."
Emerging from behind Noble Consort Qi was a bewitchingly beautiful lady who gracefully curtsied to everyone present, then held Noble Consort Qi's hand in a gesture that was both respectful and intimate.
"Ninth Sister."
She called out to Murong Jiu affectionately.
Murong Man!
A cold light flickered in Murong Jiu's eyes.
Her nominal elder sister, Murong Man!
In contrast to her own tarnished reputation, Murong Man was praised as the talented woman of Capital City, celebrated far and wide, with countless suitors like carps crossing the river.
Not only was she the study companion of the Fifth Princess, but she was also a favorite of Noble Consort Qi and had long been treated like a daughter-in-law, often summoned to the palace for companionship.
Thus, Murong Jiu, who married Jun Yuyan in place of Murong Man, naturally became an object of Noble Consort Qi's disdain.
In Noble Consort Qi's eyes, she was the shameless thief who stole her elder sister's wedding.
However, Noble Consort Qi was completely unaware that Murong Man was in fact an agent of the Empress, and her affections lay not with Jun Yuyan but with Second Prince Jun Haoze.
Because of these people's schemes, Noble Consort Qi eventually did not meet a good end.
But at this moment, Noble Consort Qi was oblivious.
"Sister Man!"
With great enthusiasm, the Fifth Princess approached, pursing her lips and whispering softly, "The person who should have become my Eldest Imperial Sister-in-law was you, yet someone else took your place, and it frustrates me so."
"Don't say that, Princess, what's done is done, it can't be helped. Seeing Ninth Sister and the Esteemed Eldest Prince happy puts my mind at ease. Please don't bear any grudge on my account,"
Murong Man hastened to say, glancing cautiously at Jun Yuyan with tears brimming in her eyes as she forced a smile.
Murong Jiu sneered internally. Murong Man's act was incredibly deceptive, one might think she harbored deep feelings for Jun Yuyan if they didn't know any better.
In fact, she must already be having an illicit affair with the Second Prince.
Hearing this, Noble Consort Qi's face indeed showed a pained expression, and her look towards Murong Jiu was even more full of disdain.
It was only Jun Yuyan whose expression beneath the mask remained unchanged as he spoke indifferently,
"The Emperor has arrived."
"The Emperor has arrived!"
His voice had hardly fallen when a high-pitched eunuch's voice echoed from not far away.
Everyone hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects.
"You may all rise."
The Emperor walked over, his voice sounding very authoritative, but as he approached Noble Consort Qi, it softened considerably, and he asked with concern, "My beloved consort seems pale, did you not sleep well last night?"
"Yesterday was Yanyan's grand wedding, and I was just too happy to sleep well," replied Noble Consort Qi, her tone gentle.
As someone who had been a favorite for many years, she naturally wasn't without intelligence. With Yanyan's wedding gone awry, as Sister Man had said, what's done was done, and with the Emperor's personality, he would never allow them to separate. That would bring shame upon the Imperial Family; it was better to leave the error uncorrected.
Thus, she did not voice any dissatisfaction with the wedding, so that the Emperor would cherish her and Yanyan even more.
If she spoke out, it would seem like dissatisfaction with the Emperor.
Murong Jiu hadn't expected Noble Consort Qi to say these words. In her previous life, she hadn't interacted much with Noble Consort Qi and didn't know her well; she remembered her as someone prone to impulsiveness, which was why she had been tricked today.
But upon reflecting, she realized that the Second Prince had deliberately extended his hand, making it look as though she was throwing herself into his embrace, and had intentionally said things that led to misunderstanding, causing her to share her grievances. Those words indeed went too far; as Jun Yuyan's birth mother, Noble Consort Qi must have seen that scene and would've undoubtedly been unable to suppress her rage.
But now, with no one provoking Noble Consort Qi, she remained clear-headed and did not make any mistakes.
The Emperor indeed appreciated Noble Consort Qi's sensibility. He patted her soft hands and said, "Later, I will take you back to the Hibiscus Palace, so the Imperial Physician can take good care of you."
After saying this, he glanced at Jun Yuyan and Murong Jiu, then, holding Noble Consort Qi's hand, walked towards the Empress's palace.
The rest followed behind.
The Second Prince deliberately lagged a few steps; seeing this, the Fifth Princess knew he wanted to speak with Murong Jiu, so she immediately grabbed Murong Jiu's arm and forcefully stopped her.
Jun Yuyan stopped in his tracks, his icy gaze falling on the Fifth Princess's face.
"Let go."
The Fifth Princess's heart trembled, and she subconsciously released her grip.
The Second Prince frowned and whispered, "Please wait a moment, elder brother. I have a few words I'd like to impart to Ninth Sister."
Standing beside Jun Yuyan, Murong Jiu looked expressionlessly at the Second Prince and said, "You should address me as Imperial Sister-in-Law. Between an uncle and a sister-in-law, propriety must be observed. Surely the Second Prince isn't ignorant of the rules?"
"Jiujiu, what are you talking about?"
The Second Prince looked incredulous. Why did Murong Jiu seem like a completely different person?
Things shouldn't be this way, where had it gone wrong?
"Let's go."
Murong Jiu ignored him and walked into Weiyang Palace with Jun Yuyan.
During the tea ceremony, she felt the Second Prince's gaze fixed on her continuously.
"Everyone may leave. My beloved consort and Yu Yan, stay."
After the tea was served, the Emperor dismissed everyone, leaving only Noble Consort Qi and Jun Yuyan to talk.
No sooner had they left than Eunuch De, who was close to the Emperor, approached Murong Jiu and said, "Princess Consort Ling, may I have a word with you? His Majesty has a few things he wants me to convey to you."
Murong Jiu's heart sank; this Eunuch De was privately an ally of the Empress.
She hadn't forgotten that, in her previous life, on this very day, an incident that infuriated the Emperor had occurred, nearly costing her life and was a key reason why both Jun Yuyan and Noble Consort Qi faced severe punishment!
It was also the beginning of the Empress and the Second Prince killing two birds with one stone, turning the tables in their favor!
"Let's go, Princess Consort Ling!"
Eunuch De's shrill voice urged her on.