Chapter 54: Not As Good
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Mingzhu didn’t even look at Yuwen You. She quickly stepped forward to support Lady Cui and whispered, “The sun is hot. Mother, take it slow. No need to get angry over unrelated people.” With that, she walked away.
Yuwen You stood alone in place, his heart truly growing cold. He thought that after experiencing that incident, when they met again, he would provoke her, and Mingzhu would surely scold him or give him a hateful look. But she didn’t even spare him a glance, treating him as if he were nothing, not even worthy of a quarrel.
He was accustomed to her affection and love. Suddenly, everything had changed, and she no longer harbored any hatred towards him. He felt a sudden panic and unwillingness. How did she change so quickly?
If none of this had happened, she would probably be standing coyly by his side at this moment, cheekily asking him if she looked good… Yuwen You withdrew his gaze somewhat awkwardly, adopting a seemingly indifferent demeanor as he strode forward confidently. Many people were waiting to see him make a fool of himself, so he couldn’t afford to show any weaknesses.
As expected by Mingzhu, nearly half of the palace’s female relatives who came to celebrate had arrived. They were sitting around the Great Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager Min, Imperial Consort Min, and others, chatting and laughing. Upon hearing the announcement, they all turned to look at Mingzhu and the others, with expressions of schadenfreude and scrutiny in their eyes.
Since she dared to come, she wasn’t afraid of gossip. With a smile on her face, Mingzhu followed her mother and sister-in-law forward, calmly and gracefully performing the greetings. The Great Empress Dowager, who doted on her the most, didn’t even wait for her to finish the greeting before having a palace maid pull her up and inspecting her hand closely, saying, “You’ve lost weight.”
Empress Dowager Min half-covered her face with her fan and smiled, “And even more beautiful.”
Imperial Consort Min just smiled amiably, while Consort Xiao echoed, “She was always destined to be a beauty, and now she’s blossoming even more.”
Mingzhu lowered her eyes, lips curved in a smile, assuming a demure and quiet demeanor, letting them talk while she remained silent.
The Great Empress Dowager exclaimed in surprise, “Oh, you’ve suddenly become so gentle and elegant… No wonder they say you’ve matured.” With a hint of pity, she held Mingzhu’s hand and rubbed it gently, feeling that she had been frightened by Yuwen You.
Mingzhu glanced at the Great Empress Dowager, feeling a sourness in her heart. Her aunt had maintained her appearance well, although she was nearly fifty years old, she looked only in her thirties. But in the end, she suffered from illness and aging… The last time she saw her aunt, her aunt was already seriously ill, knowing that the family was in danger but unable to do anything about it, just holding her hand silently shedding tears. At that time, she didn’t understand why her aunt refused to confide in her. Now she understood, because she was powerless, and even if her aunt spoke to her, it would be of no use, only adding to her troubles.
Seeing Mingzhu’s eyes reddening, the Great Empress Dowager thought she was upset about her marriage to Yuwen You, and didn’t want to be laughed at, so she secretly pinched her hand. “It’s good that you’ve matured. It’s good that you’ve matured. Go wish the Imperial Consort a happy birthday and let someone bring you some delicious food.”
Empress Dowager Min reached out and took Mingzhu’s hand, looking at her affectionately. “Seeing the Great Empress Dowager dote on Mingzhu like this… makes me envious. Are you feeling better?”
Empress Dowager Min was in her early thirties and looked like a young woman in her twenties, her voice sweet and her smile bright. Her hand was soft and smooth, icy cold, like a poisonous snake wrapping around Mingzhu’s body, causing goosebumps all over her. She almost wanted to shake off those hands when she remembered the means this woman used. She endured it and gave her a much warmer smile than usual. “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Mingzhu is much better now. Thank you for the medicine you sent. Otherwise, I might still be unable to get out of bed now.”
Empress Dowager Min was slightly surprised, as if she couldn’t understand why Mingzhu suddenly became so sociable, but she didn’t care too much, affectionately saying, “Why be so polite with me? Go wish the Imperial Consort a happy birthday and then sit aside to rest. You’ve just recovered from a serious illness, so don’t force yourself.”
Mingzhu moved to Imperial Consort Min and greeted her with a smile, “May the Imperial Consort stay forever youthful, and may her blessings grow with each passing day.” Because she was grateful for Imperial Consort Min’s care in her past life, she also praised Imperial Consort Min’s appearance and attire sincerely.
Imperial Consort Min smiled happily. “Thank you, thank you.” She then asked Lady Cui, “Madam, how did you raise such a good child? She’s nothing like our Ying Wang, who looks like a silent gourd.”
Suddenly, a palace maid announced, “The princes have arrived.”
Then the Second Prince Yuwen Yang took the lead, followed closely by Yuwen Chu, Yuwen You, Yuwen Long, and several other princes. They all greeted the two empress dowagers first, then congratulated Imperial Consort Min on her birthday. Imperial Consort Min praised and thanked them one by one, holding Mingzhu’s hand lovingly and looking at Yuwen Chu with fondness, saying, “I was just talking about you with Lady Fu. Since childhood, you’ve been quiet and reserved, never knowing how to say anything heartfelt or sweet to me, unlike Mingzhu, who knows how to please me.”
Yuwen Chu had been standing quietly, listening to Imperial Consort Min speak. At her words, he raised his eyes and glanced lightly at Mingzhu. Today, he was dressed as a prince, looking exceptionally dignified and handsome, exuding an air of authority. Mingzhu was already apprehensive of him, and seeing him look at her like this, she pretended not to notice and looked away, but coincidentally met Yuwen Long’s gaze. Yuwen Long took the opportunity to smile at her and even winked at her, making Mingzhu feel nauseous, as if she had eaten a fly. She couldn’t help but give him a cold look before lowering her eyes to look at her own shoes.
After chatting with Imperial Consort Min and her son for a while, and learning that other noblewomen had come to celebrate the birthday, Imperial Consort Min finally let go of Mingzhu’s hand and kindly instructed her to go play. “Go over there and have fun. If you want anything, just tell the palace maid. You’re used to being here and familiar with the place, so don’t make yourself uncomfortable.”
Mingzhu glanced at Lady Cui, seeing her nod before quietly walking away.
Those who could come to the palace to congratulate were not ordinary people; they were either from the imperial family or noble families, or they were relatives of officials ranked third or higher in the court. Young unmarried girls like her were even rarer, mostly huddling in corners whispering quietly.
When Mingzhu walked over, they all stopped and quietly watched her, although they didn’t dare to provoke her, their expressions were disdainful and mocking.
Mingzhu was impatient to indulge herself in pleasing them, so she simply adopted her usual arrogant attitude and briskly walked past them. But then she heard someone gently call out, “Little Sister Fu.”
Mingzhu turned around and saw a graceful and petite noblewoman with fair skin and a gentle smile standing up from the crowd to warmly greet her, “Come sit over here.”
It was none other than Jiang Shanshan, the future Ying Wang consort and the eldest daughter of the Changxing Marquis.
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