Chapter 127 – Rivals in love come from every road
Once Chu Qing-Yan heard this tone, she knew the person that came had bad intentions. However, the other party didn't reveal a first or last name so she didn't need to seem too eager and acknowledge the other party was talking about her.
And so, Chu Qing-Yan ignored her and followed the eunuch guide to walk forward.
"The person up front, halt!" Didn't expect the other person to ignore her, just now, the high pitched tone that was dragged now carried a trace of being utterly discomfited.
The person up front? Which one was that person?
Chu Qing-Yan expressed she didn't know and continued to walk forward.
Soon after came the sounds of footsteps from behind. Chu Qing-Yan frowned, that person had already pa.s.sed by her and was now standing in front of her.
"Really don't know how to behave, don't you know this young lady is calling you?" It was a twelve to thirteen year old girl with thick brows and big eyes. She was dressed in pink, her body still held the innocence of a child. Only that the thick expression of contempt on her face made Chu Qing-Yan unable to rouse any tender affections for her.
"Who really doesn't know how to behave?" Chu Qing-Yan raised a brow.
"The one who doesn't know how to behave is you!" The pink-clothed lady immediately retorted.
Chu Qing-Yan heard this and laughed. "It's good you know you don't know how to behave, don't block the way, I need to go in."
That pink-clothed girl hadn't reacted when a soft voice that carried a trace of ridicule came from behind Chu Qing-Yan. "Younger sister XiMo, this person is scolding you for not knowing how to behave."
Chu Qing-Yan once again raised a brow, it seemed that there was more than one rival that came.
Linghu XiMo heard this and immediately her brows went straight up. "Your courage is not small, you actually dare to scold this young lady!"
And at this moment, two girls pa.s.sed by her and walked to Linghu XiMo's side. One wore a moon skirt while the other wore an embroidered long skirt, both of them were about thirteen to fourteen years old. Only, just like Linghu XiMo, they looked at her with an expression of contempt.
The two people silently seized her up, while LingHu XiMo had a face full of anger. From this, Chu Qing-Yan knew that this Linghu XiMo was probably used as a stepping stone. She was being used to provoke her.
Chu Qing-Yan was too lazy to look at Linghu XiMo. "I think you're the one whose guts is not small, dare to block this young lady's road!"
The girl who had on a moon skirt laughed in a lightly mocking tone. "Look at your tone, people that don't know would think you have some kind of eminent family background."
Chu Qing-Yan blinked, was this what they call the sudden and unexpected disaster? Just walking down the road and someone wants to b.u.mp into it?
"Older sister Su-Er said it right!" Linghu Xiao-Mo echoed.
"No matter what kind of family background I have, it seems to have no relations with the several of you young ladies!"
"That's true, it's of no relation to us, only that we can't stand idly by and watch. You a crow, don't a.s.sume that you've climbed up Eldest prince, and think you have flown up to the top branch!" Linghu XiMo glared at her until her eyes went round and told her with disdain.
"That's enough from you guys!" Chu Qing-Yan held her forehead, she wasn't interested in arguing with these little girls.
"Hehe, Chu Qing-Yan, what ident.i.ty do you think you have to dare talk to us like this!" The voice that was gentle and carried a hint of ridicule once again rang from the girl wearing the long embroidered skirt.
"Older sister Ling-Qing said it right, you this petty and low crow!" Linghu XiMo placed her hands on her hips and said, full of contempt.
"What ident.i.ty? Princess Consort Ying's ident.i.ty, is it enough?"
Chu Qing-Yan originally didn't want to be serious with them, but these three just like this blocked in front of her. She couldn't walk past them, and that eunuch guide seemed to not want to offend these several people, so he stood by at the side making himself as small as possible. Therefore, she could only go into battle herself.
Crow? Actually cursed her as a crow, they were really drunk!
Linghu XiMo, Liu Su-Er, as well as Ye Ling-Qing, these three people heard this and became even more angry. One of them was the second daughter of the Minister of Rites' younger brother, one of them was the eldest daughter of the Minister of Appointment's official wife, and another was the eldest daughter of Imperial Tutor's official wife. It could be said they were among the debutantes of the capital. The upper cla.s.s all had their own circles and liked to keep people out, especially towards people who completely lacked any status to go up.
They didn't know where this Chu Qing-Yan popped out from. All of a sudden, she entered the circle with a high ident.i.ty and has always been famously discussed but never seen. Everyone mocked her for not having power and wealth but being able to luckily become Princess Consort Ying. That was a position so many people dreamed of possessing! Although His Highness Prince Ying always had his face concealed with a mask, him just standing there would give off an inexplicable aura, it was enough to make people fascinated. Moreover, his ident.i.ty was displayed there, a stately prince's ident.i.ty, on top of the legendary t.i.tle of war G.o.d, which of these weren't good reasons for girls in the capital to hasten over like cranes?
Even if rumours outside said he killed his wives, people had always been conceited. All those girls thought that if they were to become Princess Consort Ying, then His Highness Prince Ying's fate of killing wives would be changed.
At least, that was what Liu Su-Er who stood in front of Chu Qing-Yan thought.
Liu Su-Er looked at Chu Qing-Yan. Although she was only 10 years old, her height was almost the same as hers. Her appearance was pretty and attractive already without reaching full bloom. Don't know how she would look like when grown up, then a burst of jealousy came from her heart. At that time, before the imperial edict to bestow the marriage came down, her father already had thoughts to let her marry His Highness Prince Ying. However it was a step too late, as His Majesty had already conferred Chu Qing-Yan to be betrothed to His Highness Prince Ying. Those days, she was so angry that she couldn't even eat.
Therefore now seeing Chu Qing-Yan, she was itching to tear this face into shreds.
And the reason why Linghu XiMo and Ye Qing-Ling wanted to find trouble for Chu Qing-Yan was not because of Xiao Xu, rather it was because of Xiao Ran.
Now that the entire court was discussing who would be heir to the throne, the eldest prince Xiao Xu who was the son of the official wife had the most support. Although the second prince was a great talent, his natural disposition was dissolute. The cabinet ministers of the court were still mostly prejudiced against him. The third prince was sickly, always accompanied by medicine soup all day long, afraid he had no fate with being heir to the throne. And the fourth prince was most doted upon by Western Xuan emperor, he was smart and gifted, so he also had quite a considerable amount of support.
Although Linghu XiMo and Ye Qing-Ling were still young, they often heard their fathers talk about politics in the court at home. Also, because their family members wanted them to fly up to the top branch to become the phoenix (1), deep in their hearts they had eyed the position of Fourth Prince's Consort for a long time. However, not long ago, came rumors that Fourth Prince often came out of Prince Ying's manor, not because he was looking for Prince Ying but because he was playing together with Princess Consort Chu Qing-Yan. As a result, there were rumors that said Chu Qing-Yan harbored evil intentions, want to have two feet in different boats, and use her good looks to bewitch the innocent Fourth Prince.
Therefore, this play of three girls besieging Chu Qing-Yan occurred.
If Chu Qing-Yan were to know the truth, perhaps she would spurt out a mouthful of blood, Big Block of Ice's matter made sense, but where did the rumor of Xiao Ran pop out from, wasn't it too fake?
And at this moment, a pair of master and servant walked over from afar, seeing the play occuring up ahead, the servant said to the master at the side. "Miss, looks like the rumors you wanted this slave to spread is effective!"
"Not bad, you did well!" I just want to make Chu Qing-Yan into the target of scorn for everybody to attack!" A ruthless voice came out from those red lips, carrying a trace of strangeness.
This pair of master and servant weren't just anybody. They were the pair that Chu Qing-Yan had come across by fate before, Imperial tutor's younger brother's granddaughter Yao Ying-Ruo and servant Liu Ye.
1) Phoenix. The queen/empress is often referred to as the phoenix while the emperor is the dragon.