"Princess, I would like to see you, concubine Xiang." A palace maid came to convey the news.
Chen Xueying was playing cards. When she heard this, she frowned.
"Why did she come to me? Is there going to be a fight?" She looked slightly troubled and waved her hand.
"Please ask her to sit in the outer hall until I finish this round."
When Chen Xueying came out, Xiangbi was already sitting in the outer hall waiting, and she had already drank her second cup of tea.
"I've seen the Crown Princess." Concubine Xiang saw her coming out and immediately stood up and saluted.
Chen Xueying responded with a half salute, and the two of them took their seats. After exchanging a few words, they got down to business.
"Princess, my concubine came here this time to ask for something."
"What's the matter?" Chen Xueying asked casually.
She knew that she would not go to the palace for anything. She and this concubine were definitely not friendly before. She even hated Lu Zhao because she beat her son like a dog. But now she came to ask for a visit, and even Being willing to wait for so long and still having a good attitude shows that she has something important to ask for.
"That's right, the prince has reached the age where he should marry him. The concubines have always wanted to make arrangements for him, so they happened to take advantage of their summer vacation to call a group of girls over and let him have a look to see if they like any of them. But he has always said that he is a cripple, and because of his leg disease he has extremely low self-esteem and is completely uncooperative. Even if he is forced to come over to see her by his concubines, they all say that they are all good girls and he is totally unworthy of her!"
Xiangbi sighed deeply as she spoke, her eyes even turned red, and she looked like she was about to shed tears.
Chen Xueying couldn't help but want to roll her eyes. The prince still has low self-esteem? He is clearly a green tea guy, so why should he feel inferior?
Even in front of her sister-in-law, she has been miserable, let alone in front of her own mother.
It was obvious that since his legs became disabled, the prince had learned to take advantage of this weakness.
"Concubine Xiang, the prince usually doesn't like to talk. The custom in Northern Qi is that even the queen can't enter from the main entrance of the palace, and he always looks down on women. Everything he says must be an excuse. I'm afraid he looks down on all those good girls. No." Chen Xueying's words were quite rude and she choked Xiangbi directly.
He took out the brocade handkerchief and started wiping his tears, but he also stopped for a moment.
"Princess, I know that there was some unpleasantness in the quarrel before, but Qingming doesn't like to talk. It's not that he is arrogant. He just feels that his legs are disabled and no one takes him seriously. Even if he speaks, no one listens. . Why did you cause such a misunderstanding? He is actually a child with a gentle personality, and he will not feel that those girls are not worthy of him. He is only afraid that which girl he chooses will delay the rest of other people's lives in the future. "
Xiangbi's tone was excited, but her attitude was quite good. She did not argue with each other. On the contrary, she was explaining seriously.
Chen Xueying took a sip of tea and waved her hand to stop her excited explanation.
"Xiang concubine, there is no need to be so excited. I am just his eldest sister-in-law, and I don't have much contact with him. It has no impact on my impression of him at all. Why are you here this time? He doesn't like other girls. There is nothing I can do.”
She is not the one who will spend the rest of his life with the prince, so what she thinks of Lu Qingming is completely irrelevant.
The two of them didn't communicate much, except for the two times when the prince sold her tea, which was interpreted by Ye Jing as seducing her.
But when it comes to dealing with people, even Xiangbi, my own mother, has no way to deal with it, so what's the use of begging her.
"Actually, it's not that he doesn't want to see each other, he's just embarrassed. After all, the concubine is an elder. She led a group of young girls to meet him. They couldn't even say a few words. He could only show her face in a hurry and leave, which made everyone feel bad. It’s all awkward. I just thought about letting the princess take the lead and lead a group of little girls to play, and then let him lead a group of young people. Whether it’s meeting friends through literature, competing poems and drinking tea, or throwing pots and making orders, it’s all very interesting. The most important thing is that a group of people play generously and can better understand each other’s personalities.”
Xiangbi had obviously been thinking about this in her mind for a long time, but now she couldn't stand it anymore when she opened her mouth, and she kept talking.
"Also, after all, we are going to get married, not to make enemies. Qingming's body is indeed a big problem. It's not enough to just let him fall in love with others. Others must also fall in love with him, so organize a party like this. Then the two of them will have a good relationship. Even if you don’t see each other, it will be easier to understand, and let the other girls see Qingming’s temperament, so that we can talk about it later after understanding her a little bit.”
Chen Xueying chuckled lightly and said in a brisk tone: "Xiang concubine is really a motherly heart. Nowadays, it is the parents who order the matchmaker. It is really rare to hear of people like you making each other look at each other."
When Xiangbi heard what she said, she felt confident and felt that she was sincerely praising her.
"Then the Crown Princess agreed?" Xiang Bin's tone was quite urgent.
"No, I refuse. This kind of good thing has never happened to me. Before coming to Northern Qi to get married, I never met the prince. How could others have such a good life?" Chen Xueying said righteously.
"Of course, I am not the kind of unreasonable person. Xiangbin, your party sounds good. You can ask Gao Ming to hold it. Anyway, I won't do it."
These few words of hers immediately confused Xiangbi.
The Crown Princess's refusal was too straightforward, and she didn't know how to deal with it.
"Princess, are you because of what happened before? I solemnly apologize to you and His Royal Highness, but this matter is related to the prince's life-long matter, please-" After Xiangbi came back to her senses, she immediately began to plead, even her attitude Apologize sincerely.
Chen Xueying raised her hand directly, interrupting her apology.
"Concubine Xiang, there is no need to say more. It is a hot day. I came here to escape the heat. You can have a good time in your own palace. There is no need to worry about these things and only make me irritated. Please go back."
Afterwards, no matter how Xiangbi persuaded her, Chen Xueying refused to agree. Even when she refused, her words became colder each time.
In the end, Xiangbi couldn't resist anymore and had no choice but to leave.
"What are you doing, Xiangbi? I asked you to help organize this party. How shameless."
After the palace attendants were sent away, Ye Jing couldn't help but complain. She couldn't figure out why Xiangbi was so confident that she dared to ask Chen Xueying to do such a thankless thing.
"Who knows, maybe the prince is old and she can't sit still. Or maybe she has some evil thoughts and wants me to get involved before it can be carried out. But no matter what the reason is, I can't agree to her. This She can't sing when she's playing." Chen Xueying said nonchalantly.
Her original plan was good, but the plan couldn't keep up with the changes.
The next day, she actually received an instruction from Lu Wuji, asking her to lead a group of people to play.
"Your Majesty said that the Crown Princess is from Dayan, so she must be familiar with the summer vacation. Please take these young people to play together more, so as not to restrict them. The purpose of going out for the summer vacation is to relax, but you cannot let them be restrained. Get up." Qin Youan's oral instructions came in person and were full of praise as soon as they came over.
But the meaning revealed later made people not so happy.
"Mr. Qin, what do you mean by this? I am staying well in the palace and I don't even have enough time to spend with His Highness the Crown Prince. Why am I still given the task of raising children? Doesn't that mean I don't have time to meet with you? Your Majesty. Why should I, Your Highness, and your wife be separated when you have a beautiful woman by your side?"
When Chen Xueying heard this, she immediately understood that this was probably what Xiang concubine went to the emperor to ask for. She was really unwilling to accept it and couldn't help complaining.
Qin Youan guessed that she would be dissatisfied, but he never expected that she would use this excuse to clear the way.
"You two are in the same palace and should see each other every day." Qin Youan said in confusion.
We see each other every day, why don't we have time to meet each other?
Chen Xueying immediately curled her lips, with a dissatisfied expression on her face: "Although we are in the same palace, he is busy with government affairs during the day and is involved in many things. He is obviously here to escape the summer heat, and others can play leisurely, but he is more troubled. Duo stayed in the side hall for several days in a row, and when the palace opened his eyes every day, he had already left, and it was getting dark and he had not returned to the palace."
"This -" Qin You'an hesitated for a moment and then said: "Did you two have any misunderstanding?"
He felt that this matter was serious, so he went to sleep in the side hall. It proved that the couple was at odds and had nothing to do with other people. There was no way he could rely on this matter.
"We love each other so much that misunderstandings can arise. It is possible to give birth to a child. However, because he is increasingly busy, there were not many opportunities to meet each other. Now I am also busy all the time. This is to make us become the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl." Chen Xueying He complained dissatisfiedly and gave him a rather sad look.
Qin Youan suddenly felt a chill in his heart. He coughed lightly, did not dare to say more, and left quickly.
Of course, these latter words reached the emperor's ears. The Crown Princess was so dissatisfied, and she obviously wanted him and Lu Wuji to express their opinions.
Lu Wuji was playing chess with Jia Zhaoyi at that time. When he heard this, he couldn't help but frown, with a bit of dissatisfaction on his face.
"It's her honor to ask her to do something, so why are she so picky?"
Jia Zhaoyi chuckled lightly and immediately held his hand and said, "Don't be upset, Your Majesty. The Crown Princess is not picky. It's just that she has a good relationship with the Prince and his wife. Seeing that you asked her to play with others, in fact, there are also choices for the Prince." My wife's intention has made her lonely, and she is inevitably a little depressed. As you arrange her work, simply give the prince two days off so that the couple can be reunited."
Lu Wuji, who was still complaining at first, immediately agreed upon hearing this and asked Qin Youan to comfort Chen Xueying.
I have to say that the skill of pillow style should not be underestimated.
"It's in, it's in! It's amazing!" A cheerful voice sounded.
Chen Xueying was sitting on a chair, holding a cup of tea in her hand, looking at a group of little girls gathering together, each of them holding an arrow in their hand, waiting to throw the pot.
It was obviously a very simple activity, but this group of fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls got together and had a great time.
Young man, you have so much energy.
Just as she was thinking this, a group of young men walked in, led by the prince who was pushed in.
The folk customs of the Northern Qi Dynasty are fierce, and the defense of men and women is not as exaggerated as that of Dayan. It is perfectly fine to mix and play together.
The two sides just exchanged polite greetings, and the other side naturally joined the game.
Several burly young men quickly produced good results and won the full house.
The compliments from the girls and the envious looks from the same sex around them made these young people feel unprecedented satisfaction. The words gradually became more intense, and it was obvious that a winner would be determined.
What was originally a fun game gradually changed its flavor.
Some smart people among them have already started to look at each other.
Before they came, they had been reminded by their elders that the party held by the Crown Princess seemed to be for young people to have fun together, but it was actually for the Prince to choose a wife.
Now the scene was completely overwhelming. The prince with handicapped legs was pushed directly to the corner and became a background. However, the few young people who made up the number became the focus of everyone. You throw an arrow and I throw another. , and every arrow was thrown directly into the center, winning bursts of cheers, it was so lively.
Someone looked towards the Crown Princess for help.
After all, the host of this gathering is nominally her.
But she seemed unaware of what was going on. It was clear that the scene at this moment had deviated from the original purpose, but she remained indifferent and even asked someone to prepare new snacks.
"Princess, there are too many people throwing pots. It's really hard to play. I'm not good at throwing pots. The weather is quite cool today. Princess, there are a lot of delicious and fun things here. It opened my eyes and made me feel itchy. , I want to compose a poem, but I don’t know where I can find pen, ink, paper and inkstone?”
Finally, someone couldn't sit still anymore and immediately raised his voice and said.
Chen Xueying looked over and saw a woman with a pure temperament. She was the daughter of a bachelor, Zhao Susu, and one of the candidates for her future daughter-in-law.
Obviously this woman was quick-witted and generous. She took the initiative to make the request, but she also praised Chen Xueying and said she was writing poetry. She obviously wanted to praise the Crown Princess.
Chen Xueying blinked, but did not refuse her, and directly asked someone to lead her over.
"Well, the pavilion over there has been prepared for a long time. Anyone who wants to recite poems can go there. It's enough for you to hold a literary meeting." Chen Xueying pointed.
It is said to be a pergola, but it is actually made of cultivated grape trellises. The green leaves and the grapes hanging on the trellises make it quite interesting.
The space inside is large and shady. Tables, chairs, fruits and vegetables are all arranged, and there is an ice basin in the middle. It feels cool just looking at it.
Moreover, the pergola and the pot throwing place are separated by a lotus pond, which not only has a good view, but the sound insulation effect must also be good.
Zhao Susu immediately saluted and thanked her, invited the girl she knew well, and then asked the men if they wanted to have a literary party.
Many people responded, after all, the pot throwing here was under the eyes of the Crown Princess, while the pot throwing was obviously more relaxed over there.
It is said to be a literary meeting, but in fact, making friends through literature can make friends better. If there is a girl you like, you might be able to write a love poem or two to show off your literary talent.
Soon, half of the originally crowded people left, and many people found it too crowded and wanted to go to a more spacious pergola.
Zhao Susu, who was surrounded by people and walked forward, didn't feel very happy. She kept scanning with her peripheral vision, but she still didn't see the person she wanted to see.
Lu Qingming sat in a wheelchair and never moved. With so many people going to the pergola, he naturally saw it, but he remained indifferent. He was obviously not interested in the cultural meeting at all.
"Hey, hasn't the prince come?"
Fortunately, she was not the only one who thought so. She also asked at this moment. When everyone reacted, they sent someone to invite him. :,,
