Mo Xuetong did not know why the Empress Dowager suddenly summoned her. It was not yet time for the banquet and she was resting in Anhe Palace when she heard the Empress Dowager’s call. Having no choice, she hurriedly got up, tidied up and brought Mo Lan with her to Cining Palace. It was well-prepared this time and there was even a sedan chair. It was said that King Xuan was in the Empress Dowager’s palace and had ordered someone to prepare it especially.
Mo Xuetong got on the soft sedan chair while Mo Lan followed beside her. When they arrived at Cining Palace, Mo Xuetong found that the place had changed a lot, and there seemed to be more people.
The Sixth Princess happened to come here as well when Mo Xuetong got off the sedan chair. She said that the Empress Dowager had also summoned her. Both of them had no idea what had happened and went in together.
There were many people in the hall, including King Chu, King Yan, King Ning, and King Xuan. All the princes had come, and even Qin Yufeng was there. On the other side sat King Chu’s second consort, and Consort Yan. Beside the Empress Dowager, there was a woman wearing a veil, and her eyes were full of hostility. Mo Xuetong thought she should be Princess Caifeng, who had lived in her manor but she had not seen before!
She had seen Hu Qianyue, who was next to the princess, several times. The situation looked quite odd.
Princess Caifeng had been looking at Feng Yuran all the time. She felt that she could not see enough of him. Feng Yuran had been avoiding her for the past few days. Even though she had lived in King Xuan’s Manor, Princess Caifeng had not seen him since they had met at the banquet. She only felt that King Xuan was extremely handsome. Even though he was a man, he was so beautiful that even her appearance was not comparable with his.
She thought that she was the only woman who was worthy of such a man!
Thinking of this, she felt that what she had done was right. What kind of person was Consort Xuan? Not only was she sick, but it was said that she was young and had a low status. Her father was only a third-grade official. How could this woman be worthy of the handsome King Xuan?
“She might as well die earlier and give her position to me!”
As she thought about this, she heard a report from outside. “Here come Consort Xuan and Sixth Princess!”
The Empress Dowager waved her hand slightly and answered casually, “Come in!”
Soon, two women came in side by side. They were about 15 or16 years old. Under their slender eyebrows, the beautiful eyes were bright, and their skin was as white as snow. One of them wore a light pink coat and a red skirt. She looked graceful and attractive, but had a dignified mien. She was the Sixth Princess whom Princess Caifeng had seen before.
Then the other one standing beside her should be Consort Xuan!
She looked around and saw a pair of jet-black watery eyes which were like black jade or crystal. When she rolled her eyes, there seemed to be a light flowing in them, which made people unconsciously immersed in them. The light blue dress made her beautiful face look a little otherworldly. Her face was a little pale, and she stood there weakly, but in an instant, others became a background to her. The beautiful Sixth Princess immediately became a part of the background, and was not eye-catching at all.
“Consort Xuan is so pretty!” Princess Caifeng heard the gasp she made. She watched as Mo Xuetong approached and greeted the Empress Dowager graciously. Then, she exchanged glances with Feng Yuran. There was a deep affection between the two of them. Even though they were very far away, Princess Caifeng could still sense it.
Mo Xuetong rolled her eyes with a hint of charm in innocence. Princess Caifeng found she was as pretty as Feng Yuran. As the two of them looked at each other from a distance, it made one feel as if they were meant for each other.
Princess Caifeng had always been proud of her beauty. When she saw this, she was both jealous and hateful. Consort Xuan’s importance had increased in her heart. It seemed that King Xuan would not allow her to marry into his manor if Consort Xuan did not die. Even if he allowed, she could only be a second consort. With such a beautiful first consort competing with her, she could imagine how difficult it would be for her to be the second consort. Therefore, Consort Xuan had to die.
Fortunately, there was an opportunity today for Mo Xuetong to court death. A sinister smile flashed across her eyes. She looked away and said to the Empress Dowager with a charming smile, “Consort Xuan is so stunning. I almost could not take my eyes off her. I thought that King Xuan is extraordinarily handsome and could make one unable to forget him at first sight. I didn’t expect that Consort Xuan is not an ordinary person either.”
The Empress Dowager’s expression was slightly displeased. Princess Caifeng sounded as if she was expressing her affection for Feng Yuran. She was the next Consort Ning the Empress Dowager had appointed. If the girl had a crush on Feng Yuran, she would naturally feel very uncomfortable. However, she could not say anything now. She patted Princess Caifeng’s hand benevolently and said with a smile, “You are right. However, your beauty is also peerless. King Ning even mentioned you to me the other day. He has never forgotten it.”
In the last banquet, Princess Caifeng had removed her veil, so the people present had all seen her before. Now that her face had been injured, it was normal for her to put on a veil. Girls had always paid more attention to their looks. The Empress Dowager knew the reason, so she did not think that Princess Caifeng was being impolite!
This meant that King Ning took a fancy to Princess Caifeng. Princess Caifeng’s face flushed at once and she said shyly, “Your Majesty, you flatter me!”
She turned around and smiled at Mo Xuetong, who was seated beside You Yue’e. “Consort Xuan, I’ve been troubling you for staying in King Xuan’s Manor for the past few days. Qianyue, come here!”
She turned to Hu Qianyue, and the latter understood what she meant. She immediately took out a small jewelry box and handed it to Mo Xuetong, saying with a smile, “Consort Xuan, Her Highness has long wanted to visit you, but we heard that you were unwell. We did not expect you to come to the palace today. So this gift is just a little token to show our grat.i.tude to you.”
It was obvious that she had taken it out in a hurry as the jewelry box looked very ordinary, which made Princess Caifeng a little unhappy. Before Mo Xuetong reached out to the jewelry box, she put a hand on it. With a frown, she looked at Hu Qianyue. “Qianyue, don’t you bring that South Pearl necklace of mine?”
“Your Highness, we were in such a hurry to come and didn’t know that Consort Xuan would come to the palace…” Hu Qianyue whispered. Even though she spoke in a low voice, everyone in the hall was looking at her. It was hard not to hear their conversation.
Hu Qianyue knew that Mo Xuetong was about to enter the palace, but she sounded as if she knew nothing about it. Mo Xuetong knew that they were acting. Her eyes flashed and she smiled politely. “Princess Caifeng, you’re too polite. You’ve brought excitement to our manor when you lived in these few days. I haven’t thanked you yet.”
The South Pearl necklace? Could it be that she was thinking about the Empress Dowager’s necklace?
“How could it be? Consort Xuan, I’ve troubled you for so long by living in your manor. Now I have seen your stunning appearance, I like you very much. I really want to have a good relationship with you, Consort Xuan. I can’t let you suffer no matter what. How can I give such a gift to you?”
Princess Caifeng seemed to really have a good impression of Mo Xuetong. Thus, a dissatisfied expression appeared on her face when she saw Hu Qianyue gave her such an ordinary gift. “I always feel that someone like Consort Xuan is worth better accessories. My South Pearl necklace was bestowed by Father. Other than the one on the altar in the temple, this is the most precious one in the whole Southern Barbarian Lands. Only that kind of pearl is worthy of a beauty like Consort Xuan. But I did not take it.”
She looked unhappy as she spoke, and her beautiful brows also furrowed slightly.
For a moment, the hall quieted down strangely.
Mo Xuetong was waiting for Princess Caifeng and Hu Qianyue to continue. Since they had acted like this, they would not make such a simple and harmless regret. You Yue’e tugged at her handkerchief angrily. She remembered that the jewelry box that Hu Qianyue took out was the same as what she had given her earlier. Why did it deserve her while it didn’t deserve Mo Xuetong?
A look of curiosity appeared on the Sixth Princess’s face as she waited to see what would happen next.
Mo Yarui didn’t pay much attention to it. She was just a second consort. Any person here had a higher status than her, so she didn’t have the right to speak here.
The Empress Dowager was displeased at this sight. Wasn’t it just a South Pearl necklace? It wasn’t a big deal. Why did everyone look unhappy? The people from the Southern Barbarian Lands were indeed a little petty. When Princess Caifeng married into King Ning’s Manor in the future, she had to teach her a lesson so that she wouldn’t embarra.s.s King Ning.
“Come on, give the South Pearl necklace in my palace to Consort Xuan as a gift from Princess Caifeng.” The Empress Dowager waved her hand graciously. Even though the South Pearl necklace was beautiful, it was not as important as Princess Caifeng in the Empress Dowager’s eyes. It was an object after all. So what if it was extremely valuable? It could not compare to the power behind Princess Caifeng.
Having been in the palace for so many years, the Empress Dowager had seen many treasures. She was not so small-minded!
Looking at the vexed look on Princess Caifeng’s face and Hu Qianyue’s tearful eyes, which showed that she had done it wrong, the Empress Dowager felt that it was not worth it at all.
With the Empress Dowager’s order, there were naturally palace maids who went to the warehouse to find the box. The Empress Dowager opened it when it was sent to her. She had a look at it and praised it. Then, as the Empress Dowager had too many good things, it was casually thrown into the warehouse.
Upon seeing the South Pearl necklace that the Empress Dowager had asked the palace maid to bring out, Princess Caifeng expressed her grat.i.tude over and over again. She also said that she would send her own necklace to the palace in the future. The Empress Dowager showed her politeness and did not say anything else. In the Empress Dowager’s eyes, it was not a big deal to give it to others even if this necklace was the most precious. So there was no need to push it around.
“Well, now that Princess Caifeng is going to return a gift to me, I can just take it. I’ll reward her next time!”
“Consort Xuan, this necklace is the most beautiful one in the entire Southern Barbarian Lands. My Father always put it on the altar in the temple. Even I have never been allowed to touch it casually. I didn’t expect that my elder brother would send this necklace to the Qin Kingdom this time. That’s great. I’ll make a gift of it. May you always be the most beautiful woman.”
A smile appeared on Princess Caifeng’s face again. She looked as if she had gained a great bargain. However, what she had said made both You Yue’e and Sixth Princess unhappy. She praised the other woman’s unparalleled beauty again and again, making other women present awkward!
You Yue’e even looked at King Yan, Feng Yulei, with a distressed expression on her face. Fortunately, Feng Yulei’s behavior was normal. He only glanced at Mo Xuetong’s face lightly before looking away politely. Only then did she rest a.s.sured. You Yue’e’s heart was still filled with confusion and she was unease about the mistake of changing the bridal sedan chair on the day of their marriage.
Feng Yuran’s gaze landed on the brocade box as he smiled slightly but his eyes were filled with darkness!
“Your Highness, you are too polite. I do not dare to accept such a precious gift. Please take it back.” Mo Xuetong pushed the jewelry box to Princess Caifeng again with a smile as if she had been frightened. Her bright eyes were as innocent as deer’s and she could not help but lean back.
And when she leaned back, she saw clearly that the box had been opened!
The box was sent to her by Feng Yuxuan back then. Mo Xuetong did not open it but looked at the seal carefully. The seal was very old and it was obvious that it had been there for a long time. Now that she found that the seal was the Empress Dowager’s, she knew that the older woman had looked at it. In her past life, more than one had died when the box had been opened again!
Princess Caifeng had spent so much effort today to make such a scene, and it turned out that she wanted to kill her!
What a malicious woman and what a vicious plan!
