lcionline Chapter 180 Flowers Bloom, Each Has Its Own Autumn
Chapter 180 Flowers Bloom, Each Has Its Own Autumn
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, and their gazes turned to Li Die, who was dancing gracefully on the painted boat.
Upon hearing the emperor's decree, Li Die was startled, but dared not slacken her efforts in the slightest.
She quickly stopped dancing, took light steps, and, supported by her maid, stepped onto the main painted boat.
She bowed gracefully, her voice soft and gentle: "This concubine greets Your Majesty."
"Rise and sit beside me."
Pei Yuanling's voice was calm and even, but his gaze was fixed on the other person's plain and delicate face.
The red dot between her eyebrows was particularly eye-catching, delicate and lovely.
Chu Qingyin sat in her seat, watching the people on stage interact with her, her heart completely unmoved.
"This concubine finds Consort Li's appearance somewhat familiar, as if I've seen her somewhere before."
Consort Qin sat closer to Pei Yuanling and also closer to Consort Li, so she could see them more clearly.
Her gaze shifted meaningfully between Chu Qingyin and that beauty, Li.
The two already looked somewhat alike, and now that Li Meiren had added a touch of red to her brow, they looked even more alike.
In the end, however, what the two of them learned was the same as that of Consort Chu.
"Now that Consort Qin has mentioned it, I also think that this Lady Li does resemble Consort Qiao somewhat," Consort De chimed in.
The two of them chatted back and forth, quickly attracting the attention of everyone.
Suddenly, the music faded, and the chatter grew louder.
Several of the concubines who had been living in the Prince's residence stared at Consort Li and whispered, "Her figure looks more like Consort Qiao's."
"you do not say."
Chu Qingyin could naturally hear their discussions.
She glanced at the beautiful woman, Li, who was dressed elegantly, but had clearly put a lot of effort into her appearance.
Her makeup today was intentionally modeled after mine, even down to the cinnabar mole. At first glance, you might mistake them for twin sisters.
The crowd's eyes kept shifting back and forth between the two, and they were all talking about it.
Lu Zhiheng raised an eyebrow and saw the person opposite him calmly pick up the wine glass on the table and drink it all in one gulp, without showing the slightest bit of jealousy.
Pei Yuanling seemed oblivious to the discussions around him, and simply had a maid place a table beside him, gesturing for Consort Li to sit down next to him.
Li Die gracefully sat down, a hint of smugness flashing in her lowered eyes.
At this moment, Consort Qin smiled meaningfully and said slowly, "Your Majesty, Consort Li's dance today reminded me of Consort Qiao's stunning dance at the banquet in the past. It was so similar."
Seeing this, Empress Wang smiled and said gently, "Yes, Your Majesty, I think that Consort Li's dance moves and even her spirit are somewhat similar to those of Consort Qiao. Could it be a predestined fate?"
Pei Yuanling toyed with his wine glass, his gaze shifting between Chu Qingyin and Li Die.
After a moment of silence, he smiled faintly and said, "It's only somewhat similar in appearance. How could Consort Qiao's talent and character be easily imitated?"
Upon hearing this, Li Die's smile froze instantly, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
"And there are hundreds of kinds of flowers, each with its own merits, so there is no need to compare them."
Pei Yuanling casually pointed to a plate of specially made pastries on the table and asked Chen Zhongliang to put it on Li Die's table.
When Chu Qingyin was mentioned, his tone was extremely indifferent, as if she were not his favorite concubine, but merely a concubine.
"Try this excellent lotus-shaped pastry."
"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty."
Li Die's face immediately lit up with a smile, but she still followed the Empress's teachings and acted in the manner of the deceased Consort Chu, not daring to show her joy too much.
Chu Qingyin picked up her wine glass, took a small sip, and ignored those comments.
Today's events must have been arranged by Empress Wang long ago.
Pei Yuanling was incredibly shrewd; how could he not know the slightest thing? Yet, he hadn't revealed a single word to him.
Perhaps because he deliberately avoided pregnancy, he thought of acting out a scene with someone to stimulate himself.
She lowered her eyes, suppressing the bitterness in her heart.
Fortunately, she doesn't have much affection for Pei Yuanling now.
If this had happened in the past, she would have been so jealous that she would have flipped the table long ago if someone had compared her to her like this.
Everyone had different expressions. Qin Rong'er saw that she was unmoved and her gaze was shifting back and forth between Pei Yuanling and her, which made her suspicious.
These two were inseparable just a few days ago, how did they suddenly change?
Could it be that Consort Qiao has displeased His Majesty, and His Majesty is doing this on purpose?
Lu Zhiheng sat opposite Chu Qingyin, watching her reaction thoughtfully.
Her feigned indifference was truly amusing.
On the painted boat, candlelight flickered, casting shadows on the faces of the people, making the apparent peace seem even more illusory.
Pei Yuanling chatted casually with Li Die seemingly without intention, but his gaze kept drifting towards Chu Qingyin, trying to catch her emotional changes.
However, Chu Qingyin simply sat quietly, her eyes cold and indifferent, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.
Pei Yuanling's expression immediately darkened.
The food on the table seemed utterly tasteless.
It's one thing that she doesn't want to get pregnant with his child again, but now she doesn't even care that he's having affairs with other women?
"Besides the fact that the lotus flowers are in full bloom today and I have invited you all to this banquet, I also have some good news to announce."
Empress Wang had a perfectly timed smile on her lips, and her voice was dignified, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.
"Princess Yongning, who was married off to the Rongdi tribes, sent back a letter saying that she is currently pregnant."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy.
Even those who were not familiar with Princess Yongning offered several words of congratulations.
The tense atmosphere eased somewhat because of this incident.
Seeing this, Empress Wang said, "I think that the princess is willing to marry far away for the sake of peace between our Daqing and the Rongdi. As concubines and relatives, we should do our part."
Empress Wang's gaze slowly swept over everyone, maintaining her kind and amiable smile throughout: "I intend to take a hundred bolts of silk and several boxes of top-quality tonics and medicinal herbs from the imperial treasury of Fengyi Palace as a congratulatory gift for the princess and her unborn child. What does Your Majesty think?"
"So good."
Pei Yuanling nodded slightly, indicating his agreement.
Although the Emperor and Empress did not mention the matter of sending gifts to pray for blessings, everyone present was shrewd and naturally understood the meaning behind their words.
"Your Majesty's idea is brilliant. Princess Yongning is far away in a foreign land. Sending her silk and medicinal supplements from her hometown will allow her to feel the care and concern from the palace."
Consort Qin spoke first, a perfectly timed smile on her lips: "Coincidentally, I recently acquired a statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, who grants children. It would be perfect to give it to Princess Yongning."
"Consort Qin is very thoughtful." Empress Wang nodded appropriately to her to show her approval.
Consort De quickly chimed in, "Your Majesty, I am not very talented, but I have recently copied a few Buddhist scriptures, so I will send them along to pray for the unborn child of Princess Yongning."
As for other gifts, there will naturally be plenty as well.