Fu Meier, on the other side, wasn't much better off. She gave a cold smile and had already sent the carriage back to her residence.
The hall was empty except for Master Minghui performing the rites of deliverance, with two servants standing guard to assist him. Later guests who wanted to pay their respects to Old Lady Ning were told to kneel outside. Many were unhappy, but there was nothing they could do.
"Hmph, she's not even the Crown Princess yet, she's so stupid. She got tricked by a concubine's daughter and was kicked out of the manor. How could she do such a thing? Does she think everyone else is stupid?"
"Tsk tsk, she's the Crown Princess? I heard my husband say that she wasn't originally supposed to be the Crown Princess. It's just that she seduced the Crown Prince, and the two of them were having illicit relations in broad daylight before the list was finalized. The Emperor couldn't let the powerful families lose heart, so he was also punishing the Crown Prince."
"I've heard about this too. I heard that a bunch of girls saw it. Ning Xihe was completely naked on the bed, looking extremely lewd and wanton."
"Yes, I heard about it too. The scene was extremely unpleasant. Even the Crown Prince didn't want to pay attention to her, but she kept pestering him."
"Yes, I heard that some people even heard her crying and kept begging the Crown Prince to grant her a favor. How could such a lowly woman be made the Crown Princess? Does this mean that all the noble ladies of the Great Zhou Dynasty are going to learn from her how to seduce men in such a lowly way, just like those sluts in our household? Isn't this kind of person only fit to be a lowly concubine forever? It's too good for her!"
Several ladies and young women huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. The topic grew increasingly heated, and each woman described it vividly, as if they had witnessed it firsthand. Most of these ladies, whether their own or relatives, had participated in the imperial concubine selection, and they were already resentful that Ning Xihe had taken the title of Crown Princess from them, especially since it was obtained through shady means. Their accusations became increasingly exaggerated, eventually portraying Ning Xihe as a naturally promiscuous, vile, and scheming woman. When these rumors reached Ning Xihe's ears, she was naturally furious. However, by then, countless versions of the story had circulated, and it was impossible to find the original source. Even in her anger, she couldn't pinpoint the origin of the rumors.
The Crown Prince even sent her some tonics, implying that she should take good care of herself and not move around too much before she got married, so as not to cause trouble. Of course, that's a story for later.
"Bang!"
"Get out! Stay put. If you dare cause any more trouble, I don't care who you are, I'll beat you to death!"
Two servants, their faces contorted with rage, threw the person to the ground. The person rolled twice before collapsing to the ground, their white robes instantly stained with mud. The two servants, however, were furious: "This wretched woman, she doesn't even know how lowly she is, yet she dares to provoke Princess Mingyue. Is she courting death?"
"What an idiot! He dragged us down with him. He's despicable! You bitch, why don't you just die!" One of them kicked the ground hard in the stomach. The man vomited, and the two of them vomited.
"You slut, you even tried to throw up on me! I'm so angry, I'm going to beat her to death!"
"Alright, alright, let's go back to the front. There are quite a few people from the manor today. Don't bother with this idiot. We'll have plenty of time to teach her a lesson later." The two men walked away, cursing and swearing.
Ouyang Rou sat up with a gloomy expression. The servants in the mansion no longer took her seriously, and today Ouyang Yue had done this. These servants felt that she had offended Ouyang Yue and had no respect for her at all. They even dared to beat and scold her. They all deserved to die. A bunch of lowly servants!
"Click."
"Who! Who's there!" Ouyang Rou was suddenly startled and quickly looked up, her face filled with panic.
From behind a tree not far away, a man dressed in gray clothes emerged. He stood quietly to one side, but his face was covered by a half-mask, which was incredibly terrifying at first glance. Ouyang Rou shuddered in fright: "You...who are you? What are you doing here?!"
The man didn't move, quietly watching Ouyang Rou. A gentle smile played on his lips, but paired with the iron mask, his expression was terrifying. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. I just saw someone bring you here and was a little worried, so I came to check on you. Are you alright?" The man's voice was very hoarse, but his tone was gentle, which naturally put Ouyang Rou at ease. She couldn't help but cry, "I...I'm fine. Please forgive my rudeness, young master."
The man was taken aback, then thought for a moment and walked over with a limp. If you looked closely, you would see that his left leg was weak and he was walking mostly on his right leg. Ouyang Rou was stunned: "Young Master..." Ouyang Rou was so surprised that the gray-clothed man's eyes turned cold. Then he heard Ouyang Rou cry out, "Young Master's leg, why are our fates so tragic, that we have both been injured by someone?"
The man was taken aback: "How do you know that someone else injured my leg?"
Ouyang Rou gave a wry smile: "It is because I think that you, sir, have an extraordinary demeanor. You should be handsome and dashing, but now you are wearing an iron mask and acting like this. You must have been harmed by a villain."
"Yes, you're right. It was the most despicable and vicious woman in the world who caused this."
"What! Young Master, you've encountered someone like that too!" Ouyang Rou's eyes widened in surprise, and she cried even harder. "Why are there always such vicious people in the world? Why do they always come to hurt innocent and weak people? I'm so scared. I'm so scared that I might be killed at any moment."
The man looked at Ouyang Rou and couldn't help but ask, "You are the illegitimate daughter of the General's Mansion, and also the only daughter of the General's Mansion. Isn't Princess Mingyue also your sister? Who would want to harm you?"
Ouyang Rou suddenly retorted angrily, "Why not? Because it was her who ruined it! She's the most vicious person! I'm ruined, all because of her. She ruined my innocence, humiliated me in front of so many people, and prevented me from marrying into a good family. But she still wouldn't stop there. Not only did she repeatedly harm the concubines in the mansion, but she even killed my birth mother, and now she's killed my grandmother. She's so wicked, she..." Ouyang Rou suddenly widened her eyes, looking at the man with a hint of fear.
The man laughed: "Don't be afraid, I won't tell anyone. I think we're talking about the same person. She not only harmed you like this, but also crippled my leg. I also hate her so much that I want to tear her apart. So I won't tell anyone, don't worry."
Ouyang Rou, however, had some doubts: "You...who exactly are you? She has many enemies, and I don't know you..."
The man's face suddenly darkened: "Miss Ouyang, we've met before. I'm Huang Yu."
"What? Young Master Huang Yu?" Ouyang Rou almost jumped up, rushing towards Huang Yu in disbelief as if to get a closer look at his appearance. When she saw the right side of his face, Ouyang Rou was shocked: "You, how are you Young Master Huang Yu? Why is Young Master Huang Yu covering one side of your face? I remember you used to be very handsome and dashing. How could you allow your face to be covered by a mask?"
Huang Yu sneered, "Of course it's because of Xuan Yuan Yue that I'm in this state."
"Xuanyuan Yue, what heinous thing has she done now?" Ouyang Rou asked, her face contorted with rage.
Huang Yu looked at Ouyang Rou and sneered: "She broke her promise and didn't want to marry me, so she caused a lot of trouble that has brought me to this point."
Ouyang Rou couldn't help but ask curiously, "But wasn't this something Mother suggested?"
Huang Yu's expression darkened further: "Yes, both of them are involved in this matter, but the most hateful one is Xuan Yuan Yue. If she hadn't broken her promise to marry me, Ning Shi wouldn't have tried every means to delay and refuse, ultimately causing me to be arrested and imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture, which led to my current predicament. Both of them are the culprits behind my current situation, but Xuan Yuan Yue is the most despicable person. If it weren't for her, how could I have become this inhuman and ghostly state?"
Ouyang Rou gasped, "She did it all! She did it all! Who is she? Why would she do something like this to harm people? She's a jinx! She's a demon!"
Huang Yu nodded and said, "You're right, she's a jinx, and I swear I'll get rid of her!"
Ouyang Rou smiled bitterly: "Princess Huangyu, look at how badly she has harmed us. What else can we do? We can only swallow this resentment. I accept my fate. I am of lowly status. I cannot fight against her. I am very weak in front of her. I can only be deceived and oppressed by her. I don't want to be beaten and verbally abused by her people for no reason anymore. I can't take it anymore. I admit defeat. Since I know all her crimes, I can't resist. I don't have that ability."
“No, you can have it if you want it,” Huang Yu said, squinting her eyes.
Ouyang Rou looked up at Huang Yu in surprise, but after a moment she couldn't help but shed tears: "Young Master Huang Yu, from the first moment I met you, I knew you were a gentle and kind young man. You've comforted me, and I've truly resigned myself to my fate."
"No, you can't accept your fate, you have to take revenge!" Huang Yu suddenly reached out and grabbed Ouyang Rou. Ouyang Rou was startled and struggled, but Huang Yu said softly, "Don't move, just let me hold you like this. Actually, when I first met you, I felt that I liked you very much. But at that time, I knew that I was engaged to Ouyang Yue, so I couldn't break my promise and never gave up. But if I had another chance, I would definitely have chosen you back then."
Ouyang Yue slightly parted her lips, her red lips glistening with moisture, looking incredibly alluring: "No, Young Master Huang, please don't make fun of me. How can I compare to Xuan Yuan Yue? She is a princess, while I am just a concubine's daughter in the General's Mansion. How could Young Master Huang Yu like me? Besides, I... I am not a virgin either. How could I be worthy of such a fine man as you?"
Huang Yu frowned: "I said you are worthy, so you are worthy. What is that Xuan Yuan Yue? She doesn't even have half of your charm. Why do you need to belittle yourself and elevate her? In my heart, you are a thousand times better than her."
Ouyang Rou sighed, "Young Master Huang Yu, but with my status, it's ultimately impossible for us to be together."
Huang Yu said, "Rou'er..." Ouyang Rou trembled and her face immediately turned red: "Young Master Huang Yu, please don't call me that."
"No, I want to call you that. I like calling you that. You are a gentle and kind woman, and this name suits you best. Calling you this is the best way to address you."
Ouyang Rou's body went limp immediately. Huang Yu, seeing this, quickly pulled Ouyang Rou into his arms: "Don't worry, I will never let Xuan Yuan Yue go. She is our common enemy!"
Ouyang Rou lay on her side on Huang Yu's body, a flash of disgust crossing her face. Was Ouyang Rou stupid? No, she wasn't. Perhaps she had acted impulsively before due to inexperience and youth, but that didn't mean she hadn't changed after all she'd been through. She was still the same Ouyang Rou, but she had changed completely. She knew how to be flexible, how to use things appropriately, and how to assess situations. She wanted revenge; she had to take revenge on Xuan Yuan Yue. But with her own strength, that was absolutely impossible. Ouyang Rou had been trying to find a powerful ally, but Hong Yicheng hadn't replied. She couldn't see him at all, and the others wouldn't give her a chance to meet them. So she thought of Huang Yu, who had also suffered terribly at the hands of Xuan Yuan Yue.
She had already sent people to find out that Huang Yu had been crippled and had the character for "prisoner" tattooed on his face. While Xuan Yuan Yue had a deep-seated grudge against the Huang family, they would still come to pay their respects according to custom, even after Old Ning's death. Was Ouyang Rou's behavior in the hall intended to harm Ouyang Yue? Yes and no. If she could ruin Ouyang Yue's reputation and make her a target of public criticism, that would be ideal, but she knew her explanation was untenable. However, she was grateful for Ning Xihe and Fu Meier's appearance, which made things proceed more smoothly. She had long anticipated the outcome. Even if everyone suspected Ouyang Yue, they wouldn't ultimately do anything to her, and she had no evidence. Therefore, she didn't have much hope of ruining her reputation. Her true purpose, in fact, remained unknown to everyone.
Her target was the person in front of her—Huang Yu!
Since the Huang family had a deep-seated grudge against Ouyang Yue, Huang Yu naturally wouldn't enter the main hall. Since she couldn't see what Old Ning looked like before she died, she would most likely assume that those people were afraid of Ouyang Yue's current status. And since she was dragged away and abandoned by the servants, Huang Yu would follow along out of a sense of shared hatred. Sure enough, it was pretty much as she thought. Huang Yu clearly wanted to join forces with her to deal with Ouyang Yue and take revenge together.
Ouyang Rou has lost all standing in the General's Mansion. After this incident, she can imagine how difficult her life will be. She must find a backer beforehand; she must leave the General's Mansion first, and then find a way to take revenge. As Ouyang Yue's enemy, Huang Yu is naturally the best candidate. This man was shameless in his desire to marry Ouyang Yue, relentlessly pursuing her. Now that she is crippled, his initial desire to marry Ouyang Yue has turned into tenfold, a hundredfold, resentment. With such an enemy, Ouyang Yue might be too afraid to sleep at night. Cooperating with her, she can kill Ouyang Yue sooner or later.
"Young Master Huang Yu, I still cannot..."
"Don't worry, although I can't give you a formal title, I will still bring you to my manor. I truly love you and will never let you suffer." Huang Yu's eyes flickered, and he seemed to be making a very sincere promise. Watching Ouyang Rou collapse into his arms with her arms outstretched, he sneered inwardly. As a relative who had lived with Xuan Yuan Yue for over ten years, Ouyang Rou must know Xuan Yuan Yue very well. She must also know her weaknesses and some of her habits. Moreover, with his experience in the world of romance, he knew that Ouyang Rou was a wanton woman. Naturally, once she lost her virginity, she wouldn't be content with a life of leisure. Not only could he get revenge, but he could also find a passionate woman for free. Wouldn't that be wonderful!
The two hit it off immediately.
Two days later, Ouyang Zhide rushed back to the capital, first going to the palace to see the emperor, and then hurried to the general's mansion. When he saw Old Madam Ning lying in the coffin and Master Minghui earnestly performing a rite of passage for her, Ouyang Zhide knelt down with a thud: "Mother, your son is unfilial, your son is late!"
In the princess's residence, Princess Shuangxia summoned Ouyang Yue and Xuanyuan Chaohua and said, "Originally, since the Emperor's decree of marriage has been issued, arrangements should have been made as soon as possible for the wedding. However, Old Madam Ning has just passed away. Although she was not your biological grandmother, she was your grandmother for more than ten years, and you cannot forget that affection. You cannot observe mourning for her, as that would be disrespectful to the royal family and would invite gossip. I think you should consider your marriage to the Seventh Prince when you are of marriageable age."
Ouyang Yue nodded and said, "Yes, Grandmother has considered everything carefully. In fact, Yue'er had thought about this issue before as well."
"Yes, I will send someone to inform the Seventh Prince about this."
The death of Lady Ning meant that Ouyang Yue's marriage would have to wait another year. This didn't make much difference to the Princess's residence. Princess Shuangxia and Xuanyuan Chaohua naturally wanted to keep Ouyang Yue for a little longer, but Ouyang Zhide had to observe the mourning period.
When Ouyang Zhide returned victorious, Emperor Mingxian originally intended to send him back to the border to guard the city. However, due to the death of his mother, Lady Ning, he had to observe mourning in his hometown. Fortunately, Ouyang Zhide's family and ancestors were all in the capital, so he didn't need to be transferred to a distant post. However, he couldn't return to the border again, at least not for the crucial year of mourning. Emperor Mingxian ultimately decided to retain Ouyang Zhide as General Guide, but assigned him the position of Protector of the Suburban Training Grounds in the capital, in charge of training troops and conducting daily drills. The original commander would temporarily become his deputy. In reality, this was a sinecure; besides daily training at the training grounds, Ouyang Zhide had almost nothing to do. Meanwhile, official positions in all sectors of the capital were highly sought after and fiercely contested. Emperor Mingxian couldn't simply demote a high-ranking official to a position close to home just because Ouyang Zhide had lost his mother.
In an instant, Ouyang Zhide went from being the renowned General Guide to temporarily serving as the Protector of the Military Training Grounds. From then on, the gates of the General's Mansion became deserted. That's how realistic the capital was. Ouyang Zhide's loss of power directly caused many people to refuse to associate with him anymore, as it was a waste of their time.
Time flies, and another year has passed in the blink of an eye. Several major events have occurred in the capital this year. Emperor Mingxian had previously issued an imperial decree to grant marriages, and all the families began to prepare for the weddings. Starting two months after the death of Old Lady Ning, from the Crown Prince's residence to the Ninth Prince's residence, except for the Seventh Prince Baili Chen who was delayed because of Ouyang Yue, all of them held their grand weddings one after another, marrying their principal and secondary consorts. The most exciting event was when the Crown Prince married both his Crown Princess Ning Xihe and his secondary consort Lin Yingying at the same time. It is said that the Crown Prince actually picked up Ning Xihe directly on the day of the wedding and then went to the Lin residence to pick up Lin Yingying. Although only Ning Xihe was the one to perform the wedding ceremony in the end, the Crown Prince was implicitly telling everyone that although Lin Yingying was a secondary consort, she was equally noble.
Ouyang Yue didn't care much about other people's affairs, but she couldn't be careless about her own.
The princess's residence was bustling with activity early this morning, as it was a momentous day—the coming-of-age ceremony for Princess Ouyang Yue. After this ceremony, she would be considered an adult and could do things that adults could do, such as her upcoming marriage!
☆, 169, a pleasant surprise! (Votes~)
On this day, guests arrived at the princess's residence one after another in an endless stream. Princess Shuangxia, who rarely attended banquets and disliked hosting them, was dressed particularly formally today and received guests in her Shuangxue Pavilion. Her elder brother, Xuanyuan Chaohua, was also very energetic and instructed the servants in the residence to receive the various dignitaries from the court. Everything was handled in an orderly manner.
Inside Liuyun Pavilion, things were even busier. All the maids were constantly carrying and holding things in and out, some even running around with sweat on their faces, but they had happy expressions on their faces.
"Princess, this red dress is so festive."
"Princess, this gold one is nice; it looks especially elegant."
“Princess, I think this dark purple one is better; it’s mysterious and very elegant.”
"This two-tone one is nice; it's bright and elegant."
"It's not good to wear jewelry with this dress."
“What’s so hard to match? There are plenty of princess jewelry options. Just match that jade and gemstone set, or this gold and silk jeweled set…”
"This set goes better with jewelry. Look, this one, this one... and this one too, they all go well together, and they look especially beautiful when worn."
In the dressing room, Ouyang Yue sat before her vanity, watching the arguing maids behind her. A headache arose within her, and a quick glance around only amplified it. The dressing room had already been overflowing with clothes and jewelry, but now it was practically overflowing. Clothes were divided into three sections, hanging everywhere, each with its own small shelf displaying rouge, powder, and jewelry. Each piece of jewelry was roughly equivalent to two outfits, but in reality, there were more pieces of jewelry than clothes. Ouyang Yue was finding it all incredibly frustrating.
"Alright, it's just a coming-of-age ceremony. Just dress simply today. You won't be an adult until tomorrow anyway." Ouyang Yue waved her hand, about to interrupt the servants who were getting more and more excited and had already started gesturing and matching their outfits without moving anything.
These servants were not only from Liuyun Pavilion, but some were also transferred here by Princess Xuanyuan Chaohua and Princess Shuangxia because of their coming-of-age ceremony today. Everyone wanted to chime in, but with each person saying something, the content became too much. They had been choosing for almost an hour and still hadn't made a decision. Ouyang Yue really couldn't stand it anymore.
“Princess, today is your coming-of-age ceremony, you mustn’t be careless,” Lan Cai, who was beside Princess Shuangxia, couldn’t help but advise. The others fell silent, but their expressions clearly said, “That’s right.”
"Alright, alright, are you princesses or am I? Just do as I say. At this rate, how am I supposed to even leave the house today?" Ouyang Yue's face darkened, and her aura instantly changed, making the entire dressing room seem a bit colder. The maids immediately dared not breathe.
Ouyang Yue waved her hand: "Chuncao, Lancai, do my makeup, hurry up, or we'll miss the auspicious time."
"Yes, Princess." The two immediately stepped forward and began to apply makeup to Ouyang Yuekai's face.
"Princess's skin is so fair and smooth. It seems that my few scrapes didn't do much good." Lan Cai's main job was to open the face, but after doing a few scrapes, she smiled and put the scrapes away, looking at Ouyang Yue with some admiration in her eyes. Ouyang Yue smiled. If Lan Cai could arrange beauty treatments for Li Rushuang, she wouldn't be too careless herself. Of course, she also had her own skincare routine, and to be honest, the results were really good.
Chuncao laughed: "Of course! Our princess's skin is made of water; so many people envy it."
The somewhat somber atmosphere instantly returned to a relaxed and carefree state. Although Ouyang Yue usually managed things quite loosely, she was still a princess after all. Sometimes, not letting things slide would only make people more unruly. Ouyang Yue was quite adept at giving a slap followed by a sweet treat.
However, since it was her coming-of-age ceremony, it was impossible for her to dress as simply as Ouyang Yue had suggested.
After dressing and getting ready, Granny Shan sent someone to tell her that it was time for the coming-of-age ceremony. Ouyang Yue nodded and said, "Let's go to the venue."
As a royal princess, the coming-of-age ceremony should have been presided over by the Emperor or Empress. However, since Ouyang Yue was not a direct member of the royal family, it had to be handled by Princess Shuangxia, a direct female ancestor. Therefore, the ceremony was held in the princess's residence. Although it could not be held in the palace, there were still quite a few people present today.
From the Crown Prince and Crown Princess directly appointed by the Emperor, to all the princes and princesses present, down to the civil and military officials who are well-known, and some outstanding people from various forces in the capital, if the Princess's residence had not been large enough, it might not have been able to accommodate so many people. Today's coming-of-age ceremony is being held in the largest garden of the Princess's residence. At this moment, a three-meter-high platform has been erected in the center of the garden, and it is decorated with flowers all around.
"Princess Mingyue has arrived."
"Your humble servant pays respects to Princess Mingyue. May the princess live a thousand years!"
"This humble subject pays homage to Princess Mingyue, may the princess live a thousand years!"
Amidst the bows of a crowd, Ouyang Yue was followed by more than twenty maids. She wore a golden phoenix-patterned gauze dress with a ten-meter-long train, which slowly appeared, trailing behind the maids. Ouyang Yue did not wave for them to rise, as she had not yet reached her destination. However, this was merely a matter of etiquette, and it did not prevent these people from looking up at Ouyang Yue. They saw that Ouyang Yue was majestic and dignified, walking slowly towards the high platform. Her hair was simply scattered casually, and the fine breeze occasionally stirred the strands of hair, causing them to sway slightly. Yet, it seemed that Ouyang Yue's appearance brought out a wonderful fragrance that was intoxicating.
Because of their status, the Crown Prince, princes, and high-ranking officials all sat in the main seats, arranged in two rows below Princess Shuangxia. At this moment, they couldn't help but be amazed when they looked at Ouyang Yue.
In the past, Ouyang Yue rarely wore makeup because it was troublesome, and even when she did, she didn't like to cover her entire face with a thick layer of rouge, opting instead for light makeup. But today, her makeup was noticeably more radiant. Her already fair complexion was now even more translucent, like a peeled egg. Her eyebrows, as black as ink, were beautifully arched, her nose was small and high, and her lips were vibrant and full. A touch of bright red cinnabar on her brow made her face even more radiant and captivating, radiant yet not delicate, beautiful yet not sharp, noble yet not arrogant.
Today was Ouyang Yue's fifteenth day. She used to prefer loose and comfortable clothes, but this adult garment she wore today was very heavy. It was prepared by Princess Shuangxia, who had commissioned the five best embroiderers in the capital to spend a month preparing it; it was practically tailor-made for Ouyang Yue. Only now could many people no longer help but sigh that Princess Mingyue had indeed grown up. Although the garment was heavy, it accentuated Ouyang Yue's graceful and beautiful figure, highlighting her curves. Her breasts were now prominent, her waist was even more slender, and her figure was increasingly tall and elegant. She walked slowly and steadily, her steps perfectly synchronized, a faint smile on her face—everything about her was undeniably beautiful.
Crown Prince Baili Cheng looked at Ouyang Yue with a deep sense of resentment. He couldn't help but glance back at Crown Princess Ning Xihe, who was dressed in a red robe embroidered with gold thread, heavily made up, and adorned with jewelry. His eyes flashed with a dark glint, but he quickly turned away. If it weren't for this vile woman, he would have married Xuan Yuan Yue now. He had to admit that Xuan Yuan Yue hadn't attracted much attention before because she was too young and hadn't fully matured. Now, seeing her with her ample bosom and increasingly alluring figure, her beautiful and seductive appearance, and her noble and elegant demeanor, a phrase suddenly flashed through his mind: this is what a princess should look like. He felt a surge of desire, but unfortunately, he had no chance now. She was Baili Chen's princess consort, chosen by his father's personal decree. His quota of one consort and two concubines was already full; he was not qualified to marry Xuan Yuan Yue. He simply couldn't allow a princess to marry into the Crown Prince's household as a concubine.