"I remember that the master did not hold a wedding ceremony with her yesterday, so what kind of master is she? She is nothing more than a decoration."
"Yeah, they're starting to get sentimental now."
They were all talking animatedly, each saying their own thing. Rouge stared at them with a cold face, and after carefully observing them, she realized that all of them were concubines. Among them, three women hadn't said a word from beginning to end, maintaining a high-handed attitude as if they didn't need to associate with others. However, the women around them treated them with utmost respect and followed their lead.
Yesterday, Green Lotus mentioned that there were three ladies in the Crown Prince's residence: Lady Lian, Lady Lin, and Lady Mei. She also said that Lady Mei was very charming and had risen from the ranks of a singing girl. She was exceptionally alluring. After taking a closer look, Rouge quickly recognized which of the three women was Lady Mei.
Because she was indeed very alluring, with a pair of slender, almond-shaped eyes, a captivating gaze, and a slender waist that could be grasped in one hand. When she walked, she was graceful and elegant, truly a natural beauty.
Yan Zhi exclaimed in admiration, then shifted her gaze from Lady Mei to the other two ladies.
She was like a crescent moon, serene and otherworldly, simply standing there, radiating a pure and beautiful aura.
The other one looks adorable and charming; when she smiles, two dimples appear, making her teeth even more radiant.
However, although these women are beautiful, they are all capable of staying in the Crown Prince's residence. They are definitely not as harmless as they appear. For example, right now, these three ladies are fanning themselves with eight-treasure round fans while listening to the ridicule from the concubines around them, as if they are watching a show. In fact, those women are just following their lead.
Rouge saw that the women showed no sign of leaving, and she couldn't help but feel a headache coming on, fearing that they might disturb their master inside.
She didn't want her young lady to clash with these people on her very first day at the manor, but it was clear these guys weren't going to let her off the hook.
They came here today not to pay their respects, but clearly to give the young lady a hard time.
"Ladies, please go back, please go back."
No sooner had Rouge finished speaking than one of the women, dressed in red and with a pretty face, confronted her: "Who do you think you are? How dare you stop us from paying our respects to the Crown Princess? If the Crown Princess retaliates, can you bear the consequences? Get out of my way!"
As soon as the woman in red finished speaking, someone behind her burst into laughter and echoed her words.
"Yes, we should pay our respects to the Crown Princess."
As the group was talking, someone moved closer and tried to push Rouge away.
Just then, a calm voice rang out from the doorway: "You've certainly put your heart into this."
Although it was very light and faint, the sarcasm was not hard to hear.
The women looked up and saw a woman leaning against the door, her eyes still sleepy, her face full of displeasure. She was rubbing her hair with one hand, looking frustrated because she was sleep-deprived. Her hair was a mess, and she was glaring at them fiercely, which startled the group of women in front of the door, causing them to back away.
Unexpectedly, the Crown Princess had such a face; she was indeed as ugly as the rumors suggested.
The women in the Crown Prince's residence all thought this way, and then they were indignant that such a woman had occupied the position of Crown Princess.
Moreover, this woman is utterly shameless, repeatedly sending gifts to the Crown Prince to express her affection for him. Doesn't she even know what kind of person she is?
"Oh, our Crown Princess is up?"
Someone couldn't help but speak up. Hai Ling squinted over and saw a woman wearing a bright yellow bubble dress. She was quite pretty, but her words were very sarcastic.
Once one person speaks, the others become fearless, and one after another, they speak.
"Yes, Her Highness the Crown Princess must have had trouble sleeping last night and waited for His Highness all night. We are truly guilty for coming at this hour. We should have waited for Her Highness to sleep a little longer before coming."
Hailin sized up the group of women and quickly realized that those who were talking were actually the real gunmen; the silent ones were the real powerhouses.
The three women who stood silently against her were the real ruthless ones. If she guessed correctly, these three were the third wives of the Crown Prince.
Lady Lian, Lady Lin, Lady Mei.
These three women brought a group of women over early in the morning, not to pay their respects, but to intimidate her.
I knew all along that everyone in the Crown Prince's residence was formidable, and that I wouldn't get any advantage by coming here.
However, she didn't expect this backlash to come so quickly. Yesterday, the Crown Prince embarrassed her so badly, and today someone came knocking on her door.
Presumably, everyone in the capital knows that she is out of favor, that the Crown Prince didn't even hold a wedding ceremony for her, and that she became a discarded woman on her wedding day.
Hai Ling laughed, her eyes flashing with a cold light, and a chilling aura emanated from her as she met the faces of those who had spoken.
Gradually, the voices subsided and faded until no one dared to speak, all intimidated by Hailin's gaze.
At this moment, the three onlookers finally spoke up.
"We have come to pay our respects to the Crown Princess."
"Alright, now you may begin to pay your respects to me."
Hai Ling didn't stand on ceremony. She took two steps out from the door and gave a direct order. Her whole body was shrouded in coldness, and her lips were tightly pursed. She looked at the three women at the head of the group and waited for them to greet her.
The three women were stunned. They had only been putting on an act, thinking that this woman would never ask them to pay their respects. They had already given her a warning, so she certainly wouldn't dare to ask them to pay their respects. They would just pretend they didn't see her in the future. Who knew that this woman would actually ask them to pay their respects so directly?
This caused the group of women in front of the door to change their expressions.
They all came here intending to give the Crown Princess a hard time, but they never expected to encounter such an unpredictable woman.
For a moment, no one spoke. The air around them seemed thinner because of the coldness emanating from Hai Ling. Many people couldn't help but regret that they hadn't come looking for trouble. This woman was clearly not someone to be trifled with. They had heard that many things had happened in the General's Mansion, but no one had been able to do anything to her. Even the daughter of Grand Tutor Ye couldn't handle her.
Hai Ling looked at the group of women, many of whom had changed their expressions, but don't think that this would make them let her go.
"Didn't you say you were here to pay your respects? Or are you here to cause trouble instead?"
The next sentence was rather sinister, and the chill emanating from her body intensified. Some timid women began to tremble, while even the bolder ones like Yan Lian, Gu Lin, and Pei Mei were at a loss. However, they were unwilling to pay their respects to this woman. If the Crown Prince had truly married her, it would be perfectly reasonable for them to pay their respects. But if the Crown Prince was unwilling to marry her, what kind of Crown Princess was she? Although they knew she wasn't the Crown Princess, her social standing was still evident. If they didn't pay their respects, they would be seen as troublemakers, coming to cause trouble for the Crown Princess so early in the morning. Not to mention anyone else, if the Empress found out, they would be in trouble. The Empress hated women who couldn't see their own place and couldn't distinguish right from wrong.
Just as the Third Madam was in a dilemma, footsteps sounded again on the bluestone path, and the person walked over while talking.
"Cousin, since I'm here today, I should pay my respects to the Crown Princess."
Her sweet and cheerful voice suggested that the speaker was in a very good mood.