Under the eaves, the eldest princess in a white brocade robe leaned quietly against the wall, her eyes fixed on the white envelope, without saying a word.
After a while, she said calmly: "It's okay."
It seems not surprising.
"But, the princess..."
Jinxiu was a little worried. Prince Lin already knew the eldest princess's identity. Wouldn't that ruin the princess's plan?
just in case……
Jinxiu looked at the eldest princess worriedly, but saw that the eldest princess had a calm expression and there was no emotion in her cold eyes.
"He should have known."
The eldest princess just spoke lightly and said something that made no sense.
Jinxiu was suddenly confused. What should she have known earlier?
What should Prince Lin have known long ago?
She was a little worried at first, but seeing the princess so calm, Jinxiu felt relieved.
At this moment, Li Piaomiao suddenly asked again: "Where is the Queen Mother?"
"The Queen went to the Eastern Palace to visit His Royal Highness the Crown Prince today, and she should have returned by now."
"Um."
Li Piaomiao nodded slightly and walked out the door.
Jinxiu watched her eldest princess disappear and sighed softly. After a moment, she suddenly muttered to herself, "Do you think our princess will marry that prince of the Lin Dynasty?"
After waiting for a while and receiving no response from behind, Jinxiu sighed again.
"Forget it, I won't ask you anymore. You're like a mute, it's useless to ask!"
Behind Jinxiu, a young woman in palace dress stared at her expressionlessly without saying a word.
…
In the cold and quiet imperial flower garden, even in the bitterly cold winter, the plum blossoms in the courtyard are still dazzling, becoming a rare touch of beauty in the world.
Under the eaves of the courtyard, two beautiful women were sitting.
"Yuxiang, are you saying... that kid wants to see Piaomiao?"
Across from Jiang Yuxiang sat a beautiful woman, approximately forty years old, with striking features and a graceful and dignified demeanor. Time hadn't left many traces on her face; between her eyebrows, her kind and gentle eyes held a strangely cold air.
She looks exactly like the eldest princess!
This person is none other than the current Empress, and also the biological mother of the Crown Prince Li Ci Ning, the eldest princess Li Piao Miao, and the third prince Li Yuan.
This alone is enough to solidify the Empress's status as the mother of the country, not to mention that the Empress is favored by the Emperor and has the support of the world-famous Xie family.
It can be said that she is the apple of everyone's eye and her status is difficult to shake.
After hearing Jiang Yuxiang's request, the Queen looked a little surprised.
Jiang Yuxiang sighed softly: "Yeah, that guy..."
At this point, she showed a bit of indignation on her face: "That boy is not a good boy and has a rude temper. This action is indeed a bit presumptuous... But, he is my sister's only child after all, so I have to help him!"
"Therefore, I have come to ask for your help, Her Majesty, to see if you can make some concessions secretly. If that doesn't work, that's fine too..."
The Queen looked at Jiang Yuxiang with a smile and chuckled, "Yuxiang, there's no need to be so polite. You and I have known each other for a long time. Although this move is indeed a bit inappropriate, it's not a bad idea..."
At this point, the Empress sighed, "Come to think of it, I'd also like to take a look at this son-in-law..."
The engagement between the eldest princess and the prince of Lin was ordained by the emperor. Although the empress was the head of the harem, she had no right to interfere in government affairs. She was somewhat curious about this son-in-law whom she had never met.
"I don't know what this kid looks like, and whether his character is really as good as the rumors in the capital..."
Jiang Yuxiang said, "Your Majesty, there's no need to worry. This boy doesn't have many good qualities, but he inherited my sister's looks, so he's just passable. As for his character, it's not as bad as the rumors in the capital say... Besides, he has Prince Lin's support, and the eldest princess is a goddess. Even if she marries him, she will never be wronged."
Unexpectedly, the Queen shook her head gently: "I'm not worried that Piaomiao will be wronged..."
"I'm actually worried that Prince Lin will be wronged."
Jiang Yuxiang: “?”
The Empress sighed, "Piaomiao was sent to the sword path since she was young, and she has mastered the swordsmanship. I heard that she has few rivals in the world today. Furthermore, she has an extremely cold personality, and isn't very close to me, her mother. With her personality, I'm afraid she'll easily offend others..."
"When Piao Miao marries him in the future, if there's any conflict between the two of them, I'm worried that this girl Piao Miao will attack Prince Lin..."
Jiang Yuxiang: "..."
Thinking of this possibility, Jiang Yuxiang's expression changed slightly.
Indeed, this possibility cannot be ruled out.
She had also heard of the reputation and deeds of Her Royal Highness the Princess. She was extremely skilled in martial arts and was said to be the person with the highest attainments in swordsmanship in the world today.
With this kind of martial arts skills, Lin Jiangnian is definitely no match for him.
No wonder……
Jiang Yuxiang suddenly understood why Lin Jiangnian wanted to cancel the engagement.
However, she naturally would not mention this matter.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess has a somewhat cold temperament, but she also knows the big picture. I don't think she would do anything so impulsive..."
Jiang Yuxiang chuckled and spoke, but the Queen waved her hand and sighed, "Don't speak for her. She's my daughter, how could I not understand her?"
Jiang Yuxiang suddenly stopped talking.
Although the Empress was nearly forty years old, she was well-maintained and looked about thirty, about the same age as Jiang Yuxiang. They had previously interacted with each other, so their relationship was quite good.
"The two of them are engaged, so logically speaking, they shouldn't meet privately right now. But since you mentioned it, Yuxiang, I naturally won't sit idly by."
The Empress spoke, but quickly shook her head. "However, I can't guarantee that... Piaomiao is too aloof and cold, and she's used to having her own way. She might not listen to me, her mother."
Jiang Yuxiang had anticipated this and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. If Her Royal Highness the Princess is unwilling, that's fine too. There's no need to force it."
The Queen nodded slightly and was about to say something when she heard the voice of a palace maid coming from outside the courtyard.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess has arrived."
Hearing this voice, both of them were stunned.
"Piaomiao is here?"
The Empress was surprised: "Where did the sun come out today? She actually came to see me, her mother?"
Jiang Yuxiang didn't say anything. It was obvious that the Queen Mother and the Princess Royal didn't seem to be very familiar with each other.
At this time, footsteps were heard behind her. Jiang Yuxiang turned around and saw a person in white slowly approaching from the end of the corridor.
With just one glance, Jiang Yuxiang saw the cold aura of the eldest princess, as if she was keeping people away from her, so cold that it was shocking.
This kind of coldness was completely beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Jiang Yuxiang secretly sighed, the rumors from the outside world were indeed true. This eldest princess was truly not a normal... ordinary person!
The eldest princess approached slowly, and seeing the two people sitting under the eaves, she bowed slightly, "Mother, Aunt Xiang."
Jiang Yuxiang is only a few years older than Li Piaomiao, but she is familiar with the Empress Dowager and calls herself a peer. In addition, she is nominally Lin Jiangnian's aunt.
Therefore, she can also be considered the eldest princess's aunt.
"Piaomiao, how come you have time to come and see the Queen Mother today?"
The Queen Mother showed a look of concern. Although the relationship between mother and daughter was not very close, she was her own child after all, and the Queen Mother still cared about her daughter very much.
Li Piaomiao's face was expressionless as she replied, "I have nothing to do today, so I came to visit my mother."
“Okay, okay!”
The Queen's face was full of smiles, showing some relief. She glanced at Jiang Yuxiang again, and then she remembered something.
"By the way, you're here just in time. I just happened to want to ask your opinion on something..."
The Queen immediately mentioned: "Prince Lin said he wanted to meet you privately, what do you think..."
The Empress hinted that, knowing her daughter well, she would most likely be rejected. She was even prepared for some persuasion.
No matter what, the Prince of Lin was her fiancé. Meeting her fiancé in advance and getting to know him wasn't a bad idea.
However, to the Queen's surprise, as soon as she mentioned this matter, Li Piaomiao pondered for a moment and then agreed.
"good."
This made the Empress, who had prepared many tricks, freeze in place, and at the same time, she was a little bit unbelievable...
Piaomiao, actually agreed so readily?
Could it be that she is interested in that Prince Lin?
Thinking of this, the Empress couldn't help but feel a bit dazed and surprised. She had never met the Prince of Lin, but she had heard of his reputation, which was said to be extremely bad. But...how much better could those dandy young men in the capital be?
This was originally a political marriage, and it was never about personal feelings. But Piaomiao was her own daughter after all, so naturally she couldn't be completely indifferent.
But her daughter's reaction was completely beyond her expectations. The Queen looked back at Jiang Yuxiang and saw that she was slightly stunned. It seemed that she had not expected things to go so smoothly. It was so smooth that it seemed... wrong?
…
Jiang Mansion.
After returning home from the palace, Jiang Yuxiang hurried into Lin Jiangnian's courtyard and room.
"Aunt?"
At the door of the room, Lin Jiangnian, who was sitting cross-legged on the carpet practicing martial arts, heard hurried footsteps outside the door. He stopped practicing early and looked up to see Jiang Yuxiang rushing in.
"What are you doing?!"
As soon as Jiang Yuxiang entered the room, she noticed the temperature was quite high, steam rising. Lin Jiangnian's breathing was rapid, his body flushed as if scorching, and a heavy breath seemed to be moving in and out. His eyes, in particular, held a certain lingering desire. Just a glance at him made Jiang Yuxiang's heart skip a beat, and she felt a strange emotion.
She quickly turned her eyes away and took a deep breath. The strange feeling in her heart became stronger. She quickly retreated to the door and took a few breaths of fresh air outside. It was then that she felt much better.
Then he looked up at Lin Jiangnian with a suspicious look: "What are you doing in the room?"
Meeting his aunt's suspicious gaze, Lin Jiangnian sighed, "Practice."
"Practice?"
Jiang Yuxiang's eyes grew increasingly suspicious. He didn't look like he was practicing martial arts at all. Or was he... practicing some unorthodox martial arts?
Lin Jiangnian also noticed his aunt's strange look, but instead of explaining, he changed the subject: "Aunt, why are you so anxious to come here? What's the matter?"
"What do you think?"
Lin Jiangnian then remembered something: "She agreed?"
"Of course!"
Jiang Yuxiang showed a hint of pride on her face: "Don't you see who your aunt is? If your aunt takes action, is there anything she can't do?"
"Amazing, awesome! Auntie is truly amazing! I admire you so much!"
Lin Jiangnian gave her a thumbs up.
Jiang Yuxiang rolled her eyes. Although Lin Jiangnian expressed his admiration, there was no sign of surprise on his face.
It's like... it was expected?
She curled her lips and said unhappily, "It has nothing to do with me. I just mentioned it to the Queen, and unexpectedly ran into her. She agreed as soon as I mentioned it..."
At this point, Jiang Yuxiang also vaguely felt that something was wrong: "Isn't her agreement a little too straightforward..."
Lin Jiangnian smiled without saying anything. He naturally knew best why the eldest princess agreed.
"Anyway, this time it's all thanks to my aunt for helping me."
Lin Jiangnian's face was full of sincerity.
"You have some conscience, kid."
Jiang Yuxiang rolled her eyes at him, then looked at Lin Jiangnian's handsome appearance and the blush that had not yet completely faded. She took another look and couldn't help but feel moved.
Jiang Yuxiang felt inexplicably panicked. She looked away, calmed herself, and said, "The princess agreed to meet you in the city in three days. She will let you know the meeting place when the time comes."
After saying this, Jiang Yuxiang turned and left. Her steps were even a little hurried as she left.
…
The courtyard next door, the backyard.
Third floor, attic.
On the attic balcony, Zhiyuan sat quietly, gazing at the scenery outside. In the distance, he could vaguely see most of the Jiang Mansion.
Xiao Zhu stood respectfully by, looking at Sister Zhiyuan cautiously, feeling puzzled.
Something is wrong with Sister Zhiyuan today!
Xiao Zhu couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt that Sister Zhiyuan was different today. Today, Sister Zhiyuan's emotions were more intense than usual.
In the past, Sister Zhiyuan was always calm and composed, but today, Xiaozhu has seen Sister Zhiyuan's expression change many times. She even looked dazed most of the time... and sometimes her face turned red!
Something is wrong!
Sister Zhiyuan, what happened?
Xiao Zhu was puzzled, but didn't dare to ask. He just followed Sister Zhiyuan obediently, being well-behaved.
She also wanted to secretly go to His Highness... but she didn't dare.
Just then, footsteps were heard from behind the building.
Xiao Zhu subconsciously turned around and saw Jiang Yuxiang appear.
"Kite?"
Jiang Yuxiang walked slowly closer, saw Zhiyuan sitting in the courtyard, and glanced at Xiaozhu beside her.
"You go down first."
"yes."
Xiao Zhu nodded respectfully, but his expression was already filled with excitement.
You can go find His Highness now!
Jiang Yuxiang sat down next to Zhiyuan and glanced at her lightly: "What are you thinking about?"
"Are you thinking about that guy?"
Zhiyuan was startled, her expression slightly unnatural. She turned her head away, a barely perceptible blush creeping up her cheeks.
"No."
"Really?"
Jiang Yuxiang moved closer to Zhiyuan, looking at him with a playful look.
A blush quickly rose on Zhiyuan's fair and pretty face.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore!"
How could Jiang Yuxiang not see Zhiyuan's thoughts? She quietly looked at the beautiful face in front of her, which even she couldn't help but want to kiss.
How cute!
How could that guy not be tempted?
only……
Jiang Yuxiang's mind suddenly flashed back to the image of the eldest princess she had met today. She couldn't help but sigh, "But Zhiyuan, you better be careful..."
"That guy, who knows when he might be seduced by another woman..."