When Jiang Mingwei realized this, she was shocked. Since when did the two of them switch positions?
Although they were both wangfei, Mu Mingtang was much more dazzling than Jiang Mingwei. The Emperor and Empress paid special attention to her, the high-ranking officials and nobles especially mentioned her to the younger generation, and even the people of Jing City were talking about her. Everyone could talk about An Wangfei.
And Jiang Mingwei had always been hidden under Mu Mingtang's light, so no one noticed. Very few people in Jing City mentioned that there was another popular candidate for the position of Crown Prince, Jin Wangfei, who was in the same year as Mu Mingtang.
Just like now, Mu Mingtang was ridiculing her in front of everyone, but no one dared to say anything bad about Mu Mingtang. In fact, no one even felt that this was something worth mentioning. But if the two of them were switched, and Jiang Mingwei said that Mu Mingtang was not good in the slightest, the Empress's people would immediately come out to scold her.
Everyone laughed for a while, and soon, it was time to take their seats. The palace maids came to the parlor to remind the furens to tidy up their appearance. The table was already prepared, and the banquet was about to start.
Hearing this, many people wanted to go out and change. Mu Mingtang also wanted to go out and get some fresh air, so she got up and left first.
After Mu Mingtang left, the furens in the parlor quietly let out a sigh of relief, and stood up one by one to leave. Soon, there were only a few people left in the parlor that was still jingling with ornaments.
Jiang Mingwei went to the side hall to tidy up her hair. As soon as she closed the door, Jiang Mingwei's face could no longer be concealed, and became completely gloomy.
The servant girls held their breaths. Jiang Mingwei was clearly in a bad mood, and no one dared to touch her at this time. The dowry servant girls of the Jiang family were ordered by Madame Jiang to look after Jiang Mingwei. Other people could hide, but they couldn't. If Jiang Mingwei brought her emotions to the banquet, that would be terrible.
The dowry servant girls had no choice but to brace themselves and go forward, advising: "Wangfei, you are educated and reasonable, and your heart is clear. Don't bother with those people. What you're scheming for is the future, while she's just a small profit in front of you. "
Jiang Mingwei knew what the maidservant was going to say just by listening to the beginning. It was nothing more than repeating the same old words over and over again, telling her to endure and give in.
But when would it end?
Last year, Madame Jiang had advised her to endure for a month or two. In any case, Hsieh Hyun-chen would not live past the New Year. When Hsieh Hyun-chen died, Jiang Mingwei would have the final say on how to deal with Mu Mingtang. At the end of the year, everyone had said that if they endured for another month or two, Hsieh Hyun-chen would be on his last breath and would not make it past the New Year.
However, in the end, it was already April. Hsieh Hyun-chen's health was getting better and better. It was said that he had recently started practicing martial arts again. It really did not seem like he was going to die of illness. And Mu Mingtang was becoming more and more unscrupulous. Jiang Mingwei kept retreating, but in the end, he did not take a step back and was forced to endure even more.
Jiang Mingwei suddenly felt a sense of terror. Was there really an end to this kind of life?
In her previous life, the Yelv Yan had told her this. He said that the Wangfei's family was too powerful and that even he was afraid of them. Therefore, he told Jiang Mingwei to endure until he ascended the throne. He would definitely seek justice for her. When the time came, Jiang Mingwei would have the final say on how to deal with the Wangfei.
But later on, the Yelv Yan did ascend the throne, but Jiang Mingwei did not feel proud and elated.
She had endured for too long. Her edges and corners had been ground down, and her brilliance had been obliterated. She had become dim and defeated. At that time in her previous life, she also thought that she was holding the script of true love. When the Yelv Yan came to power, the affectionate male lead would support his wronged true love and abolish his vicious and domineering wife.
As for what happened later on, there was no need to talk about it. In this life, she made a completely different choice. But the words that the people around her said to her were strangely the same as in her previous life.
They all told her to endure, to hope for a bright future, and to ignore the temporary unhappiness in front of her. All of these coincidences made Jiang Mingwei's hairs stand on end.
Even if she took a step back and said that in the future, she would be able to see the moon after the clouds parted, but she had endured the entire time. On the other hand, Mu Mingtang had always been better than her. Even if Jiang Mingwei really did become the final winner, she would not be able to get back at him. What was the point of being the winner? On the other hand, Mu Mingtang had been doing whatever he wanted from the start. He had been extravagant and no one could predict what would happen after he died. But when he was alive, Mu Mingtang was very comfortable.
If that was the case, then who was the true winner?
Right now, Mu Mingtang had already left her sphere of influence. Instead, she had been overshadowed by the other party's brilliance. Being overtaken by someone who was not as good as you was much worse than not being able to catch up to the person in front of you. Jiang Mingwei could not accept it, especially when that person was Mu Mingtang.
In her previous life, when she died miserably in a foreign country, Mu Mingtang was in the Ye Dynasty and was gloriously conferred the title of Empress. In her previous life, Jiang Mingwei did not know that Mu Mingtang had beaten her to it. But in this life, if she was surpassed by Mu Mingtang again, then what was the point of her rebirth?
When the dowry maidservants saw that Jiang Mingwei's expression was still not right, they all advised: "Wangfei, you have to look further. You are the Jin Wangfei, many people have high hopes for you. You don't have to destroy the accumulation of such a long time for a moment of unhappiness. "
That's right, Jiang Mingwei thought. She was Xie Xuanji's official wife. In this life, she was the one who married the male lead and became the male lead's only official wife.
No matter how many women came and went, whether they were favored or disfavored, no one could shake her position as the first wife.
In her previous life, Jiang Mingwei followed the wrong man and died with hatred. In this life, she did not want to repeat the mistakes of her previous life. Jiang Mingwei was very sure that the male lead she saw in the novel was Xie Xuanji.
Xie Xuanji was undoubtedly the destined son of the male lead in the novel. He was both intelligent and brave, and had many fortuitous encounters. Although there were many twists and turns in the middle, he was destined to ascend the throne and wear the yellow robe. Hsieh Hyun-chen was just a name that was briefly mentioned in the background introduction of the novel.
Jiang Mingwei successfully married Xie Xuanji. She did not need to do anything. In the future, she was destined to win big and become the mother of the country. As for Mu Mingtang, she was wrong from the beginning. It did not matter that Mu Mingtang surpassed her now. No matter how good Mu Mingtang was now, she was still advancing on the wrong path. She was afraid that it would be better to stay where she was.
Jiang Mingwei thought of the plot in the novel and felt slightly relieved. Even the fear she felt just now seemed to have calmed down. Just now, she suddenly had doubts and could not tell who was the substitute. Now that her mentality was stable, she was not on the wrong path. Everything was developing according to the plot in the novel.
Jiang Mingwei reorganized the plot and confirmed that this was the famous peace negotiation plot. Only then did she calm down. She let a maid tidy her hair and walked out slowly.
Now, the palace was busy everywhere. The foreign envoy banquet was about to begin. It involved the country's reputation, so no one could make the slightest mistake.
Jiang Mingwei was especially so. She was already the Emperor and Empress's nominal wife. If she made another mistake, her situation would be really bad.
There was a small garden outside the reception hall. At this moment, people were coming and going. It was very lively. Jiang Mingwei walked on the road. When the palace servants saw her, they all stopped to greet her.
Jiang Mingwei smiled and nodded. As she dealt with the people outside, she recalled the next part of the plot in her heart.
In the novel, Xie Xuanji's life was a legend. He was originally the son of a small official. His biggest dream was to become a minor seventh-rank official in the yamen. He did not expect that he would suddenly become a prince and unintentionally enter the path of fighting for the throne. After becoming a prince, Xie Xuanji continued to stand out. His intelligence and ability were gradually known by everyone.
The peace negotiation was a very important part of Xie Xuanji's plan to win people over.
If the Lantern Festival was the starting point for Xie Xuanji to become famous, then the peace negotiation was the starting point for Xie Xuanji to gather power. In the original plot, Xie Xuanji shocked the world during the Lantern Festival fire. After that, the Northern Tribes negotiated peace. Xie Xuanji was given an important task by the Emperor to be in charge of finalizing the terms of the agreement.
After a long tug of war, Xie Xuanji and the Northern Tribes fought a battle of wits and bravery and successfully won many benefits for the imperial court. The Emperor was overjoyed and gave Xie Xuanji a part of his real power to test his ability. Xie Xuanji naturally did not disappoint and slowly entered the center of power in the imperial court. Thanks to Xie Xuanji's real power, in the subsequent battles between the Ye Dynasty and the Northern Tribes, he was able to gain merits time and time again. In the end, he was able to become the new Emperor.
However, Xie Xuanji's path to power seemed to have encountered a small problem. During the Lantern Festival, there was no fire in the palace. Naturally, Xie Xuanji did not gain any merits. What was worse was that Jiang Mingwei did not predict the future and ruined things. He implicated Xie Xuanji and made the Emperor angry.
However, Jiang Mingwei comforted himself. It was just a small mistake and would not affect the overall situation. Now that things had developed to this point, the plot of the book and the real world was still going in the same direction.
In the 4th year of the Sui Peace Treaty, the Northern Tribes still sent people to negotiate peace. The Emperor still placed great importance on it and prepared a feast for them.
This meant that the plot had its own restrictions. The final outcome would be the same as in the book.
As Jiang Mingwei thought about the plot, he walked towards the State Banquet Hall. The banquet for the foreign envoys was held in the Great Banquet Hall. At the flowerbed by the side door, Jiang Mingwei and Mu Mingtang bumped into each other.
Mu Mingtang did not want to enter the banquet too early. Thus, she walked around the outside of the palace. She calculated that it was about time and walked back. She did not expect to bump into Jiang Mingwei. At this moment, people were coming and going. There were many distinguished guests. Mu Mingtang and Jiang Mingwei maintained a peaceful appearance. They nodded at each other and did not say anything.
Jiang Mingwei was just thinking about badmouthing Mu Mingtang. However, when she saw the real person, she had no choice but to take a step back. He bowed slightly and said, "Sister-in-law, after you."
Mu Mingtang replied politely. Then, he swaggered in front of her without any sense of modesty. Jiang Mingwei followed behind. She was sneering in her heart. She did not expect to see someone she did not expect to see when she looked up.
The person was wearing the Northern Tribes' uniform. Her long hair was braided and combed into a bun. She was bright, flamboyant, and heroic.
Jiang Mingwei was stunned. It was as if she was struck by lightning. This person was her nightmare in her previous life. Jiang Mingwei dreamed about this person in the middle of the night. It was as if she could see this person sneering and asking people to pour cold well water on her head.
It was the Yelv Yan's official consort. Jiang Mingwei's vicious and domineering mistress in her previous life, Xiao Siyi.
Mu Mingtang did not expect to see someone behind the door. When she saw the woman who was obviously dressed in a foreign race's uniform, she was wary. However, she only smiled politely. The woman was also looking at them. When she saw Jiang Mingwei behind them, her expression changed. She was displeased.
Mu Mingtang turned around. She did not know why Jiang Mingwei was so shocked. It was as if he had seen something disgusting but had no choice but to tolerate it.
No wonder the woman was displeased. Jiang Mingwei's expression was too much. Mu Mingtang's curiosity was also piqued by Jiang Mingwei's actions. She could tell from her attire that she was from the Northern Tribes. Logically speaking, it was her first time in the Ye Dynasty, so she shouldn't know anyone. Why did Jiang Mingwei have such a big reaction when he saw her?
Mu Mingtang suddenly had an idea. Perhaps they did know each other. It was true that this was her first time in the Ye Dynasty. However, Jiang Mingwei had been to the Northern Tribes before.
Could it be that they met in the Northern Tribes? Mu Mingtang's eyes kept moving between the two. The more he looked, the more suspicious he found. If they had met in the Northern Tribes before, then why did this woman act as if she did not know Jiang Mingwei? If they had never met before, then Jiang Mingwei's expression was as if he had seen an enemy. It did not make sense.
The commotion caused by the three women at the side door quickly attracted the attention of others. Yelv Yan was originally busy with business. Today was the first official meeting between the Northern Tribes and the Ye Dynasty. It was very important. However, after chatting for a while, he suddenly realized that Xiao Siyi had disappeared.
Xiao Siyi was the Xiao Family's legitimate daughter. She was the Empress Dowager's niece. Her status was very high in the capital. Originally, she was not part of the peace negotiation team. However, Xiao Siyi insisted on going with him. Thus, Yelv Yan had no choice but to bring the women with him. However, no matter what, Xiao Siyi was brought up by Yelv Yan. If something happened to Xiao Siyi in the Ye Dynasty, he would not be able to explain it to his father and the Empress Dowager.
Yelv Yan could only leave the others and quickly go outside to look for Xiao Siyi. He immediately saw Xiao Siyi at the side door. Yelv Yan let out a sigh of relief. He strode in that direction. "Tong Tong, why are you here?"
Hearing his voice, the three women turned around. Yelv Yan didn't notice them earlier. Now that he walked closer, he was caught off guard and saw a familiar face.
Jiang Mingwei.
Last time, she had left without saying goodbye. He did not expect that they would meet again under such circumstances.
Mu Mingtang was stunned when she saw Yelv Yan's expression. She turned to look at Jiang Mingwei, who was inexplicably avoiding her gaze. Then, she looked at Xiao Siyi, whose eyes were gradually burning with jealousy. She suddenly understood.
When Mu Mingtang was in the Jiang Family, she occasionally heard the servants gossiping. They said that the person who had eloped with Jiang Mingwei had a very high status. It seemed that he was a prince of the Northern Tribes. At that time, Mu Mingtang happened to hear it and remembered it.
Could it be … the Eighth Prince in front of her?
The "Tong Tong" that Yelv Yan mentioned was also a noble of the Northern Tribes. The Yelv Yan immediately called her by her nickname. It was obvious that they had a close relationship. They were most likely engaged.
Mu Mingtang sorted out the relationship between the three people. Tong Tong was the official fiancée. The Yelv Yan had feelings for both women. Jiang Mingwei was the woman who had eloped with the Yelv Yan. Later, she returned to the country and became the princess of another man. Now, the three of them met at the peace meeting between the two countries …
Heavens, Mu Mingtang was shocked. What kind of luck did she have recently? Why did she always appear at the scene?
Mu Mingtang was waiting for them to make a fuss. In the end, Yelv Yan was only surprised for a moment when he saw Jiang Mingwei. He quickly restrained his expression and turned to bow to Mu Mingtang. "An Wangfei, I am Yelv Yan, the Eighth Prince of the Northern Tribes. This time, I am in charge of the peace meeting with the Ye Dynasty. Tong Tong is my fiancée. Her name is Xiao Siyi. She is young and ignorant and does not know Han etiquette. If she has offended you, An Wangfei, please forgive her. "
This development surprised everyone. Jiang Mingwei did not want to meet the Yelv Yan in this kind of situation. However, the Yelv Yan did not even look at her. He turned to greet Mu Mingtang. This was too disappointing.
Also, why did he know Mu Mingtang? Why did he specifically talk to Mu Mingtang?
Xiao Siyi also had the same thought. She was already unhappy when she saw Jiang Mingwei. Although she did not know Jiang Mingwei, she still remembered the Han woman that the Yelv Yan had brought back. However, that Han woman ran away and this matter was left unsettled. Now, with Jiang Mingwei's behavior, it was not hard for Xiao Siyi to guess who he was.
Not only did the Yelv Yan have relations with other women, he was also attentive to another Han woman. He took the initiative to introduce himself and even apologized for her. Xiao Siyi had always done whatever she wanted in Shangdu. When had she ever apologized to others?
Xiao Siyi was immediately angry. She glared at him and said, "I did not do anything wrong. Why should I ask her to be magnanimous? Not to mention that I did nothing wrong. Even if I really did something wrong, what kind of status does she have? How can I apologize to her? "
Yelv Yan frowned. He had a headache over Xiao Siyi's temper. He was about to scold Xiao Siyi to shut up. This was Ye Dynasty. She could not behave atrociously here. However, before Yelv Yan could speak, another person's voice came from behind him.
"She is my Wangfei. Do you think she is worthy?"
Everyone turned around and saw Xie Xuanchen standing under the flowering tree in a black robe. His eyes were beautiful and murderous, like a sharp blade that had been unsheathed. "Has the Xiao Clan been reduced to such a state all these years? A little girl dares to be impudent in front of my people. "
The Xiao Family was a famous family in the Northern Tribes. They had intermarried with the Yelu Royal Family for generations. Xiao Siyi was very angry when she heard that her family was being belittled. However, Hsieh Hyun-chen's gaze was inexplicably terrifying. Xiao Siyi wanted to speak several times, but she did not dare to speak. In the end, she could only ask suspiciously, "Who are you? How dare you speak of our Xiao Family like that?"
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