AWB Chapter 83 Consort Chen Arrives
Chapter 83 Consort Chen Arrives
Qin Jiuwei was not far from Gao Yunzhi; she was the second position to Gao Yunzhi's right and below.
After all, Qin Jiuwei's husband was Xie Yanli, a man of high status, so the eunuchs naturally took his position into consideration.
But Gao Yunzhi was not satisfied; she wanted Qin Jiuwei to sit right next to her.
Granny Lin, who was standing next to Gao Yunzhi, also walked over to Qin Jiuwei and offered to lead the way.
Qin Jiuwei was taken aback at first, but quickly recovered, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Thank you for your kindness, Princess."
In her past life, Gao Yunzhi always had her sit next to her at every banquet she held.
This life is still the same.
Qin Jiuwei stood up, and Xie Jing followed behind her. Led by Granny Lin, they walked together to the seat next to the Princess and sat down.
The princess's action was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
The elegant smiles on the faces of the noble ladies instantly cracked.
"Why does the Eldest Princess favor her so much? She just punished Consort Qin for her sake, and now she's letting her sit beside her. How lucky is Qin Jiuwei!"
"First she married Prince Xie, and now she's gained the favor of the Eldest Princess. The Eldest Princess is the Empress Dowager's only daughter and the Emperor's own sister. If Qin Jiuwei can get close to the Eldest Princess, she can practically walk sideways in the palace!"
The noble ladies were truly indignant and couldn't help but mutter aloud.
Hearing the envious whispers of the crowd about Qin Jiuwei, Qiu Yueli clenched her handkerchief tightly until her knuckles turned white, her eyes filled with flames of jealousy.
Just bear with it a little longer, just bear with it a little longer. Now is not the time for her to show off. The princess just hasn't seen her good qualities yet...
Lady Hou was also holding her breath at this moment.
She had just taken Xie Wanning to chat with the noble ladies, but none of them seemed to like Wanning!
He then thought of currying favor with the eldest princess, hoping that with the princess acting as matchmaker, Wan Ning's marriage would go more smoothly.
As a result, she didn't even get to say a word to the princess before Qin Jiuwei sat down right next to her!
What right did she have? The resentment in Lady Hou's heart grew wildly like weeds.
Turning around, he saw Xie Wanning engrossed in drinking fruit wine and angrily slapped the wine glass out of her hand.
What are you still drinking for! You spineless coward!
Qin Jiuwei remained calm, seemingly oblivious to the gazes of others, only lowering her eyes and slightly adjusting her cuffs.
Their gazes fell upon the singing and dancing performance in the center of the banquet.
Gao Yunzhi would occasionally turn her head to talk to Qin Jiuwei, her eyes full of smiles.
Chatting with a beautiful woman is so pleasant; not only does she speak sweetly, but she also smells wonderful.
After several dances, Gao Yunzhi also lost some interest.
She waved her hand, signaling the dancers to all leave.
She then glanced around at everyone and said, "This princess loves poetry very much. Today, we will have a poem on the theme of 'Autumn Thoughts.' Whoever wins will be richly rewarded by this princess."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yueli's eyes immediately lit up; her chance had come!
She stood up somewhat hastily, her skirt swaying slightly with the large movement.
Qiu Yueli curtsied in Gao Yunzhi's direction. Her every move was graceful and delicate, like a fairy descending from a painting.
"Your Highness, I have composed a poem for the Beginning of Autumn. Please appreciate it."
Gao Yunzhi was surprised that someone had composed a poem so quickly, and her brows furrowed slightly. "Go ahead and say it."
Qiu Yueli said in a soft, gentle voice: "The wind is suddenly cool at the beginning of autumn, and the withered lotus leaves are half-hidden in the middle of the water. Fallen leaves flutter and seek old dreams, and cold stars are reflected in the secluded pond."
During the recitation of the poem, her gaze kept drifting towards the eldest princess.
He tried to discern a hint of appreciation in the princess's expression.
Gao Yunzhi's eyebrows twitched slightly; she was indeed a talented person.
However, having met countless people in her life, what she disliked most was someone like her who was impatient and trying too hard to show off.
However, Gao Yunzhi ultimately valued talent and did not publicly express her disgust for Qiu Yueli's eagerness for quick success.
Instead, she curved her lips into a smile, "This poem is indeed quite good."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yueli couldn't help but smile, and her cheeks flushed slightly with excitement.
She knew that with her talent, it was only a matter of time before she gained the favor of the eldest princess.
All the noble ladies were carefully raised by their families, so they had naturally read poetry and knew that Qiu Yueli's poems were quite good.
Now that the eldest princess was praising her, they all chimed in with their own praise.
"Miss Qiu is truly exceptionally talented, with exquisite word choice, perfectly blending the scenery of the beginning of autumn with melancholy and sorrow."
"It seems that Miss Qiu will win today."
"Moreover, Miss Qiu is not only talented, but also very beautiful. It's the first time I've seen such an ethereal woman."
Hearing the praise from everyone, Qiu Yueli raised her chin slightly, her expression carrying a hint of arrogance.
Gao Shuyu sat in her seat, looked at Qiu Yueli, frowned, and asked, "Who is this person?"
Yu'er quickly replied, "This is a relative of the Lady of the Xie family. She just moved into the Marquis's residence recently."
Gao Shuyu looked at her with disgust. How could such a woman be allowed to get close to Prince Xie?!
At the pavilion on the artificial hill not far away, Gao Xian turned his gaze to the aloof and handsome man beside him.
"Yanli, what do you think of this poem?"
Before Xie Yanli could answer, a smiling female voice suddenly rang out at the banquet.
"How dare they recite such a poem in public?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a figure in light color slowly walked in.
Her gait was not as dignified as that of noble ladies, but rather very casual, as if she were taking a leisurely stroll.
Qin Jiuwei narrowed her eyes slightly when she saw her. Consort Chen?
Consort Chen was not dressed in extremely luxurious palace attire, but only in a pink and white brocade long dress with a few elegant plum blossoms embroidered on the hem.
Her hair was not styled in any bun; only a silver hairpin was inserted in her hair, and a pair of small pearl earrings dangled from her ears.
Her face was free of makeup, her almond-shaped eyes were bright and clear, and she exuded a fresh and refined aura.
She raised her chin slightly, and when her gaze fell on the crowd, it was filled with obvious disdain.
The moment Gao Yunzhi saw Consort Chen, she silently rolled her eyes.
Here we go again, looking down on everyone all day long, I don't know what he's so proud of.
Consort Xian and Consort Chen were mortal enemies. When they saw that she had actually come, they immediately slammed the wine cup in their hands onto the table.
What bad luck, I'm not drinking anymore.
Qiu Yueli still didn't know who this woman was.
But soon, the noble ladies beside her all stood up and bowed gracefully to her.
"Greetings, Consort Chen."
Consort Chen? Qiu Yueli's eyes widened instantly.
She's the Emperor's beloved Consort Chen?!
Before Qiu Yueli could react, Consort Chen had already walked up to her.
"Did you write that poem just now?" Mo Qingkui raised an eyebrow at her.
Just as Qiu Yueli was about to nod, she heard Consort Chen scoff disdainfully, "It's really poorly written!"
Qiu Yueli, who always prided herself on being a talented woman, looked extremely displeased after being humiliated like this.
She asked in a choked voice, "Your Highness, may I ask where exactly this poem is lacking?"
How could Mo Qingkui know where she went wrong? She knew nothing about appreciating poetry.
She simply couldn't stand the way other women fawned over and praised this woman's poems.
Mo Qingkui scoffed, "Once you hear my words, you'll naturally understand the difference."
After she finished speaking, she slowly began to recite, "Withered vines, old trees, and crows at dusk; a small bridge, flowing water, and a humble dwelling; an ancient road, a west wind, and a lean horse. The setting sun sinks in the west; a heartbroken traveler is at the ends of the earth."