The match between Ye Chao and the Northern Tribes seemed like a warm-up match, but this match was like a stone thrown into a lake, causing ripples.
Hsieh Hyun-chen used today's match to announce to the world that he was still healthy and strong. After two years of silence, he was still able to suppress the Northern Tribes.
After watching the match, everyone's mentality collapsed. Didn't they say that Hsieh Hyun-chen was seriously ill and was like an arrow at the end of its flight?
Was this called a seriously ill person? Was this called an arrow at the end of its flight?
He didn't look like someone who was about to die of illness. He had always been the demon king. The only difference was that in the past, he didn't hide his strength and showed it to the world. Now, he was more reserved.
He had always been there. And now, Hsieh Hyun-chen was back.
After the match, the Northern Tribes were in an uproar. On Ye Chao's side, the tsunami was not small either. The important people were good at maintaining their composure, so they couldn't tell. However, many of the lower-ranked officials were already thinking. Prince An was still alive and healthy, so he was still the first heir to the throne.
Looking at the situation today, with him by the side, if the throne was passed to someone else, no one would dare to take it.
After all, in terms of status, Hsieh Hyun-chen was the legitimate First Prince. He was the blood of the previous Emperor. It was a tradition that only the nomads outside the Great Pass had. In the Central Plains, it was always said that the eldest son would take over after the father died.
Hsieh Hyun-chen had status, ability, and military achievements. Other than his previous record of going crazy, he didn't have any shortcomings. If he didn't go crazy, Hsieh Hyun-chen would be the ideal heir to the throne.
Not to mention his ability, just his reputation in the various countries meant that if Hsieh Hyun-chen took over the throne, no country would dare to invade their borders for at least ten years.
This was very important for an imperial court that was plagued by internal and external troubles and was burdened by war.
After the match, there was an undercurrent in the garden. Previously, the Northern Tribes had only heard of Hsieh Hyun-chen's reputation. Now that they had seen it for themselves, they were shocked by Hsieh Hyun-chen's strength.
Originally, the terms of the negotiation had already been prepared, but after the meeting ended, the Yelv Yan had a grave expression on his face. He hurriedly went to discuss the matter of peace with the accompanying officials. On the Ye Dynasty's side, from the Emperor's assistant to the middle-ranking civil and military officials to the servants and eunuchs, they were all thinking about Hsieh Hyun-chen.
King An saw that everything was going well. The previous rumor about him not having long to live was probably just a rumor. Originally, all their plans were based on the premise that Hsieh Hyun-chen was dead. If Hsieh Hyun-chen was still alive, many of their standpoints would have to change.
The Emperor set up a banquet in the evening. In the afternoon, everyone played in the palace gardens. When it was time, they went to the Qing Palace to attend the banquet.
The womenfolk had gathered in groups to kill time in the garden. When they saw Mu Mingtang, they stood up from a distance.
"An Wangfei."
The men were secretly in an uproar, and the womenfolk were not calm either.
They originally thought that Mu Mingtang's glory would not last long, and that they would just casually deal with it. Even if they were respectful on the surface, their hearts were always disdainful.
But now they knew that Hsieh Hyun-chen might live for a long time, and that Hsieh Hyun-chen cared more about Mu Mingtang than they thought.
They could no longer treat Mu Mingtang with patience. If things went wrong, they might have to endure it for the rest of their lives. They had to be prepared. Mu Mingtang would always be this good, and even get better.
Everyone sighed when they thought about it. This morning, when the Empress Dowager scolded Mu Mingtang for being extravagant in Shui Xin Hall, they had the intention of watching a good show. They wanted to see the mother-in-law discipline her daughter-in-law, but the mother-in-law was scolded. They wanted to watch the fire burn from the shore, but the fire burned them.
Until now, Empress Dowager Lu still did not have the face to see people. The madams also had lingering fears about Hsieh Hyun-chen's death warning.
He could single-handedly defeat five Northern Tribes experts, but he was obedient to Mu Mingtang. He did not fight back when they hit him, and did not talk back when they scolded him. Just now on the polo field, everyone was watching. When Hsieh Hyun-chen won the competition, the first thing he did was to whip Mu Mingtang. And Mu Mingtang, under everyone's gaze, picked up her skirt and flew to Hsieh Hyun-chen's side.
The two of them chatted and laughed at the side of the field, and the people on the stage were watching them.
Married and unmarried women all sighed sourly in their hearts.
Forget it, it was not the first time they were shown affection. They could get used to it.
When Mu Mingtang walked over, she felt that everyone's gaze on her changed. Actually, these changes were very slight, but when she was in it, she could immediately feel the difference.
Originally, although they were smiling at her, their smiles did not reach their eyes. They always had a look of disdain that said, "Look at her". But now, their attitudes had completely changed. They truly recognized Mu Mingtang's honor from the bottom of their hearts.
Looking at the dishes on the plate, the height of the eyebrows, the direction of the wind changed really quickly.
Mu Mingtang noticed it, but did not care at all. In the past, when everyone looked down on her, Mu Mingtang did not care. Now that everyone was fawning on her, Mu Mingtang did not care.
They were just outsiders, what did it have to do with her?
When Mu Mingtang came in, everyone carefully held her. A madam smiled and said, "An Wangfei also came here to admire the flowers?"
"That's right, I saw that the hibiscus here was blooming well from afar, so I came to take a look." Mu Mingtang saw Jiang Mingwei and smiled, "So Jin Wangfei is also here. Jin Wangfei, Princess Wanyan. "
Jiang Mingwei personally felt that after Mu Mingtang came in, the focus of the pavilion instantly shifted from her to Mu Mingtang. Jiang Mingwei's heart became more and more hazy. She gave a perfunctory smile and bowed to Mu Mingtang to greet her, "Sister-in-law."
Today, Wanyan Duo also came to the palace to participate in the Dragon Boat Festival. She was standing behind Jiang Mingwei. Mu Mingtang's eyes swept over Wanyan Duo's hair, which was already coiled up, and then looked at Jiang Mingwei. She revealed a tacit understanding smile.
Although she was a woman, at this moment, she also felt that Xie Xuanji's luck with women was not shallow.
This was an unspoken rule that everyone tacitly understood. If one's hair was coiled up, it meant that she was no longer a young girl. Wanyan Duo had already been taken in by Xie Xuanji.
Jiang Mingwei felt her hair stand on end from Mu Mingtang's gaze. She was both annoyed and angry. Who would be willing to watch their own husband take in another woman? Jiang Mingwei also wasn't willing. But what could she do?
Especially when this troublesome woman was originally Mu Mingtang's concubine. It was Hsieh Hyun-chen who was rejected by Mu Mingtang and ran to Jiang Mingwei's courtyard.
Now, Mu Mingtang still dared to look at her as a joke with this kind of gaze?
Jiang Mingwei almost couldn't help but curse. Wanyan Duo still had her head lowered and had a docile appearance, "This concubine pays respect to An Wangfei. This concubine is now a member of Jin Wangfu and doesn't dare to use the title of Princess. An Wangfei can use this concubine's name to address me. "
Mu Mingtang was a bit surprised. This Wanyan Duo was very flexible and was a ruthless person. Mu Mingtang looked at Jiang Mingwei and sincerely congratulated her, "I've long heard that the Princess of the Da Yan Tribe is not inferior to men and has a big gully in her heart. Seeing you today, you really live up to your reputation. Congratulations to younger sister-in-law for having such a good helper. In the future, if there is anything in your fu that you can't make a decision, you can ask Wanyan concubine to make a decision for you. "
Jiang Mingwei's face was wooden as she forced a smile, "It's the Emperor and Imperial Mother's favor. Wanyan concubine represents the peace of the two countries. The Emperor has bestowed Wanyan concubine to Jin Wangfu because he trusts us. I am also very flattered."
Mu Mingtang laughed when she heard this, "Oh, since younger sister-in-law can't ask for anything, then I have to pass on this message to the Empress. In the future, there must be more of this kind of favor."
Jiang Mingwei couldn't smile anymore. At this time, there was a commotion outside the pavilion. Everyone raised their heads and discovered that Xiao Siyi had arrived.
Everyone knew that Xiao Siyi was the future Eighth Wangfei. The Northern Tribes didn't have rules that stated that unmarried couples couldn't meet each other. Once they were engaged, they were no different from the official Wangfei. Xiao Siyi always chased after the Yelv Yan. Outside, she didn't avoid it at all. The people of Ye Dynasty were used to it and didn't find it strange.
Usually, Xiao Siyi followed the Yelv Yan closely. She had never spoken to the women of Ye Dynasty. Now that she had come straight to the pavilion, it seemed like she was here to look for someone.
Reality proved that everyone's guess was right. Xiao Siyi was here specifically to look for someone. When she saw Mu Mingtang, her eyes lit up and she walked straight towards Mu Mingtang. Everyone understood. So it was for An Wangfei.
It was unexpected but reasonable. This niece of Empress Dowager Xiao had high standards. Perhaps only An Wangfei could enter her eyes.
Xiao Siyi's purpose was so obvious that everyone was silent as she walked over. Xiao Siyi stopped a few steps away from Mu Mingtang. Seeing that Mu Mingtang was ignoring her, she could only take the initiative to speak, "An Wangfei."
Only then did Mu Mingtang turn around and smile at her. "Miss Xiao. May I ask what Miss Xiao wants? "
"Nothing. I'm just a little curious." After speaking, Xiao Siyi didn't wait for anyone to greet her. She directly sat down on the empty seat opposite her. After sitting down, she glanced at Jiang Mingwei. She didn't hide her disgust, "Bad luck."
Although Xiao Siyi didn't mention a name, it was clear who she was referring to. The onlookers were embarrassed. Seeing that the three sitting down were all Wangfei and each of them was a strong candidate for the Empress of their respective countries, the madams who were resting in the pavilion were very self-aware. They all found excuses to leave with their maids.
This was the Wangfei's tea party. Those who didn't have enough status shouldn't join in.
The others dispersed one after another, creating an environment for the few of them to talk. After Xiao Siyi sat down, Wanyan Duo also came forward and bowed to Xiao Siyi, "Eighth Wangfei."
Although Xiao Siyi and Yelv Yan weren't married yet, everyone in the Northern Tribes addressed her as Eighth Wangfei. The Northern Tribes were a land of change and didn't care about reputation like the Ye Dynasty. Wanyan Duo addressed Xiao Siyi as Eighth Wangfei and Xiao Siyi enjoyed it very much.
Although Xiao Siyi and Wanyan Duo came together, they weren't very familiar with each other. The Northern Tribes' concept of country was different from the Ye Dynasty's. Xiao Siyi was a Khitan. Xiao and Yelu were two branches of the Khitan tribe. The Xiao and Yelu families shared political power. Every generation of Empress and Empress Dowager came from the Xiao family. Wanyan Duo was from the Ta Yan tribe, a branch of the Nuzhen tribe. In the Central Plains, it was probably a small vassal state of the Northern Tribes.
Therefore, when Wanyan Duo greeted Xiao Siyi, Xiao Siyi nodded and didn't say anything else. Xiao Siyi didn't feel that she and Wanyan Duo were of the same tribe. As for the love between siblings, it was even more out of the question.
Wanyan Duo didn't seem to want to say anything more to Xiao Siyi. After she bowed, she obediently retreated to the side behind Jiang Mingwei.
Wanyan Duo had only been in the Jin Wangfu for a few days. Now it seemed that she had adapted to the Han Dynasty's rules very well.
After Wanyan Duo left, Xiao Siyi looked at Mu Mingtang for a long time and suddenly asked, "I haven't heard of Wangfei before. This time, when I came to Dongjing, I found out that the famous Prince Qiyang was married. I don't know how Wangfei and Prince Qiyang met. Why didn't we know anything about it before? "
The Northern Tribes clearly saw that Hsieh Hyun-chen treated his Wangfei differently and sent Xiao Siyi to inquire about it.
In front of two armies, it was a battle of morale. Mu Mingtang didn't reveal her cards at all. She just smiled and said, "I came to the capital two years ago and married His Highness last year. It's normal that Miss Xiao hasn't heard of me. I don't know when Miss Xiao and Eighth Prince will get married. His Highness and I can't go to congratulate you in person. We can only congratulate Miss Xiao here in advance. "
Xiao Siyi smiled when she heard this. She only said that it would be soon and didn't say much. She still didn't give up on the previous topic and asked again, "I heard that Prince Qiyang was born with great strength and was invincible. I originally thought that Prince Qiyang would have a very fierce temper. I didn't expect that Prince Qiyang would be very gentle to Wangfei. Did Wangfei and Prince Qiyang really just meet each other? I thought that you had at least known each other since childhood. Looking at your relationship, you don't look like newlyweds. "
Mu Mingtang sighed silently. Why were they so curious about her relationship with Hsieh Hyun-chen? Mu Mingtang felt that these people might be thinking too much. There was really no story between her and Hsieh Hyun-chen.
Mu Mingtang explained, "I really didn't know who His Highness was until after I got married. The real childhood sweethearts were Prince Jin and Princess Jin. "
How could Mu Mingtang tell outsiders the truth? Although it was not a secret how she and Hsieh Hyun-chen met, it was not something that she could reveal to outsiders. What she said just now was not wrong. Although she had known Hsieh Hyun-chen for a long time, she did not know that Prince Qiyang was Hsieh Hyun-chen, her savior until the day of the wedding.
Xiao Siyi was waiting eagerly, but when she heard Mu Mingtang say that Jiang Mingwei was her childhood sweetheart, the smile on Xiao Siyi's face faded. In the end, she just said, "Oh."
Jiang Mingwei's expression was not very good. Xiao Siyi said that it was unlucky, but Jiang Mingwei also felt that it was unlucky. If it wasn't for the fact that he looked timid when he got up and left, Jiang Mingwei would not have wanted to sit at the same table as Xiao Siyi.
When Jiang Mingwei thought of this, he suddenly felt slightly absent-minded. She glanced at the four women present and found that there were two Empresses, three Wangfei, and two favored concubines.
In her previous life, Mu Mingtang and Xiao Siyi were both Wangfei and later became Empresses. When Jiang Mingwei died, the two of them, one in the south and one in the north, confronted each other. In her previous life, Jiang Mingwei was Yelv Yan's favored concubine, and Wanyan Duo was Mu Mingtang's most powerful Wangfei.
However, in this life, many things had changed. Mu Mingtang's status had changed. She had gone from Xie Xuanji's Wangfei to Hsieh Hyun-chen's Wangfei, and Jiang Mingwei had gone from being Xiao Siyi's concubine to being the mistress who controlled other people's lives.
Wanyan Duo had accidentally become Jiang Mingwei's rival.
The other three women did not know of their past fates. Jiang Mingwei sighed in his heart for a moment before burying all the secrets in the depths of his heart.
Xiao Siyi sighed and said, "When I came to the Central Plains this time, the thing I couldn't stand the most was the etiquette of the Central Plains women. What do they mean by not leaving the house, what do they mean by parents' orders and matchmakers' words? If they only found out what kind of person their husband was on the day of the wedding, then what was the point of the wedding? Among so many people, you're the only one I find pleasing to the eye. I originally thought that you would be different from the others. "
Jiang Mingwei sat to the side with a slightly stiff expression. Mu Mingtang smiled and did not refute, "Miss Xiao's true temperament is far from mine. I don't know anything about marriage, so I'll leave it to my parents to arrange. "
Xiao Siyi did not care about etiquette, but Mu Mingtang could not. No matter what, she could not accept the reputation of being married privately.
Xiao Siyi curled her lips and said, "Boring. I see that Prince Qiyang treats others like an evil spirit, but he treats you differently. I thought you had something special about you. "
When Mu Mingtang heard this, he deliberated for a moment before slowly saying, "Miss Xiao probably misunderstood His Royal Highness. His Royal Highness is just slow to warm up. Don't be fooled by his fierce appearance, he's actually very gentle and kind. You'll get to know him after a while. "
After Mu Mingtang finished speaking, everyone, including Jiang Mingwei, showed a complicated expression, "Prince An … is gentle and kind?"
"That's right. Don't be scared by his reputation. In fact, his nature is not bad. The rumors are false, so he's described as a fiend. "
Jiang Mingwei was silent. Even Wanyan Duo silently raised her eyebrows, looking as if she did not dare to agree.
They felt that the rumors were not wrong. Hsieh Hyun-chen was indeed that fiendish.
Only Mu Mingtang was an exception.
Xiao Siyi had a horrified expression. She looked at Mu Mingtang for a while before hesitating to speak, then slowly said, "You Han people have a saying, 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. I didn't understand it before, but now I do."
When the people on both sides heard this, they laughed. They were young girls after all. With this kind of laughter, the distance between each other was shortened.
Mu Mingtang was frequently teased today. Just now at the polo field, he was ridiculed by many people. Now that he was told that beauty was in the eye of the beholder, even if Mu Mingtang had a big heart, he was somewhat embarrassed.
She tried to explain, "No, this is true."
"I know. Prince Qiyang is indeed very gentle to you." Xiao Siyi was too lazy to listen to her. After she finished speaking, she sighed, "If I was born in a Han family, I could only listen to others when it came to matters of marriage. I would have to marry whoever my parents wanted me to marry. I would definitely kill myself. If I can't decide my own birth and can't even marry a man I like, then what's the point of living? "
Although Mu Mingtang and Xiao Siyi's positions were completely different, putting aside the country's position, she actually admired Xiao Siyi's character very much. In the palace, in front of everyone, she dared to say without hesitation that she would only marry the man she liked.
That was really good.
After Xiao Siyi finished speaking, Mu Mingtang and Jiang Mingwei did not answer. They could not answer this kind of words. If they did, it would be troublesome. Xiao Siyi sighed for a while. Suddenly, she was curious and asked Mu Mingtang, "Don't you have any regrets? You were arranged to be engaged and then married. It's good that you made the right bet. If you made the wrong bet and the husband was not the one you liked, what would you do? "
Hearing this, Mu Mingtang was stunned for a moment. She shook her head and smiled softly, "No."
If she did not have any regrets, the person she married was the one she liked.
The Emperor asked several princes to accompany the Yelv Yan to stroll in the garden. The hibiscus was lush and lively. When they got closer, they found that there was a pavilion behind the hibiscus bush. There seemed to be someone inside.
Before the men had time to remind them, they heard Mu Mingtang's voice, "Miss Xiao probably misunderstood the Prince …"
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