Chapter 15
**Chapter 15: Slapping the Face of Prince Heng**
Liu Ruyan was dressed in white today, the main color of her attire still pure as snow. The white fabric was adorned with beautiful green plum blossoms, and she wore only two jade hairpins in her hair, making her appear as ethereal and graceful as frost and snow.
With a faint glance at Prince Heng, Liu Ruyan curtsied and walked directly to the ladies' seating area to take her place. She was as indifferent as a chrysanthemum, unconcerned with the opinions of the outside world.
The ongoing rivalry between Prince Yan and Prince Heng seemed utterly pointless to Liu Ruyan. Life is but a fleeting hundred years, and in the end, everyone returns to dust. What is the meaning of power struggles?
The cold and proud Liu Ruyan had never considered the dire consequences that would befall the entire royal residence if Prince Yan were to lose in his power struggle.
The princess's expression was not pleasant. Liu Ruyan, in a lively spring banquet, still chose to wear all white...
Prince Heng continued to pick at others, his jade fan making a whooshing sound as his gaze landed on the plump and fair Zhang Miaoyu.
Zhang Miaoyu was dressed in vibrant colors, but unfortunately, her figure was too stout, making her look like a colorful sugar dumpling from a distance.
Prince Heng teased, "Sister-in-law Zhang, there are plenty of delicacies at today's banquet. Feel free to eat your fill."
Zhang Miaoyu's eyes curved into crescent moons, her voice sweet as honey, "Sure! Thank you for the reminder, Prince Heng."
She lifted her skirt, her chubby figure resembling a dumpling as she hurried to the ladies' seating area, looking like a famished refugee rushing to a disaster relief site.
The princess rubbed her temples.
Zhang Miaoyu only knew how to eat every day, her mind filled with nothing but fat! She had no intelligence whatsoever!
Prince Heng's gaze shifted, landing on the pale-faced Liu Qiao'er, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Liu, is there a famine in the royal residence? Oh dear, my second brother is indeed a wise king; even his own women are starving."
Liu Qiao'er lowered her head and quickly left.
Even when faced with such ridicule, Liu Qiao'er dared not retort or defend herself.
She vaguely remembered that in her past life, after Prince Yan ascended the throne, Prince Heng had directly raised a rebellion in the provinces. It took Prince Yan over a decade to drive this stubborn Prince Heng out of the territory of the Kingdom of Qing. Prince Heng then occupied a small country outside the borders, declaring himself king and frequently harassing Qing's borders.
In short, Prince Heng was also a formidable and fearsome character.
Liu Qiao'er dared not provoke Prince Heng; she needed to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention. Even if it meant living on plain meals every day, as long as she could preserve her life, it would be worth it.
The princess felt a headache coming on as she listened to Prince Heng mock the concubines of Prince Yan.
The imagined power struggle was filled with blood and intrigue—complex and venomous, where all were mere ants.
In reality, the power struggle was about openly mocking your opponent's women—simple yet deadly, shameless but effective.
To save face, the princess desperately sought an excuse: "With the frequent border conflicts in Qingyue, the ladies of the royal residence are tightening their belts, contributing to the soldiers at the front."
Prince Heng laughed heartily, "Sister-in-law, don’t make excuses. The soldiers at the border lack nothing, and Yan Capital is still prosperous. Tsk, tsk, I see my brother Yan is just stingy, unable to even take care of his own women."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Wei arrived late, lifting her skirt as she walked. The remote location of Fangfei Garden made her heavy attire cumbersome, and she moved slowly.
Shen Wei respectfully curtsied, her voice clear, "Greetings, Princess. Greetings, Prince Heng."
Prince Heng casually turned his head, nearly blinded by the golden hairpin atop Shen Wei's head.
She had started dressing up before dawn, her black hair styled into a beautiful flying bun, with two golden hairpins at the ends. A pink peony flower adorned the right side of her hair. She had red flower stickers on her forehead and small round pearls on her cheeks, dressed in a blue butterfly skirt adorned with flowers and flowing water.
Her figure was as graceful as a willow, vibrant and captivating.
Though she was elegantly dressed, the quality of her jewelry was inferior to that of the princess, ensuring she did not overshadow her.
Prince Heng was momentarily taken aback, suddenly feeling a bit of pain in his face.
He had just mocked the Yan residence for being poor, and now here was a dazzling beauty before him.
The princess felt a sense of relief in her heart.
Although she looked down on Shen Wei's humble origins, Shen Wei had indeed saved the royal residence's face today.
After completing her greeting, Shen Wei supported Cai Lian's hand and made her way to the ladies' seating area, sitting at the very end.
Prince Heng felt uncomfortable all over. He shook his jade fan and deliberately picked at her, "With the frequent border conflicts in Qingyue, the ladies of the royal residence are dressed so extravagantly. I wonder how they are contributing to the soldiers at the front."
The princess replied coolly, "The soldiers at the border lack nothing, and Yan Capital remains prosperous. Naturally, our Yan royal residence is not impoverished."
Prince Heng snorted coldly and walked to the men's seating area on the left.
His dark eyes swept over Shen Wei in the corner, but he quickly lost interest and resumed drinking.
Shen Wei was indeed beautiful, but unfortunately, her beauty lacked uniqueness. Her movements were too stiff, devoid of any liveliness.
Having fought against Prince Yan for many years, Prince Heng naturally knew the ins and outs of the Yan residence. Over the past few years, Prince Yan had been cold and indifferent to the women in his household. Shen Wei was currently favored, but who could say she wouldn’t fall out of favor in a few days?
...
At the ladies' table, Shen Wei secretly popped a candied fruit into her mouth. She had been busy dressing up all morning and had barely eaten anything.
When the spring banquet began, she wouldn’t dare eat much; it seemed she was destined to go hungry today.
Cai Lian served Shen Wei from behind, stealing glances at Prince Heng across the way, growing increasingly suspicious. "My lady, the fabric of Prince Heng's clothing is Floating Light Brocade... it looks so familiar."
Hearing this, Shen Wei also took a furtive look at Prince Heng's attire.
The pattern of the fabric...
Shen Wei was astonished; it seemed to be the half bolt of Floating Light Brocade she had secretly sold! The quality and the pattern were unmistakable.
Covering her face with her round fan, she whispered, "Cai Lian, when you sold that half bolt of Floating Light Brocade, did anyone follow you?"
Cai Lian replied, "My lady, don’t worry. That day, I left the royal residence wearing a veil and changed into ordinary clothes. After selling the brocade, I walked around the streets for a while before returning home. No one should have noticed."
My lady, there’s more to this chapter, please click the next page to continue reading; it gets even more exciting!
Shen Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief.
...
On the other side of the ladies' table, the maid Xue Mei was pouring tea for Liu Ruyan. She glanced at the stunning Shen Wei and then at Liu Ruyan, who was dressed in pure white.
The comparison was stark.
Xue Mei couldn’t help but murmur, "My lady, you wear silver-white and pale colors all year round. Why not try something more vibrant?"
Liu Ruyan shook her head lightly, "Bright colors are vulgar."
She loved white, pure and noble.
Shen Wei, adorned in gold and silver, wore jewelry that was all bestowed by Prince Yan. In Liu Ruyan's eyes, Shen Wei was no longer an independent person but a puppet dressed up by Prince Yan.
How pitiful, completely losing herself.
Liu Ruyan felt a pang of sympathy for Shen Wei.
Xue Mei: "..."
But Xue Mei genuinely thought that although Shen Wei was dressed vibrantly, she didn’t look vulgar at all! Her brightness was just right, making her stand out in the crowd.
Shen Wei looked beautiful, and her maid Cai Lian was also dressed exquisitely; the pair looked particularly pleasing to the eye.
Xue Mei lowered her head and glanced at her own simple maid's attire. She spent her monthly allowance on her family, and the proud and aloof Liu Ruyan didn’t care for gold and silver trinkets.
Liu Ruyan had never rewarded Xue Mei with money, but she would occasionally give her a few cups of leftover good tea.
Xue Mei didn’t want the tea; to her, good tea and bad tea tasted the same, and she would rather have the money.
...
As the spring banquet was about to begin, guests arrived one after another. With Prince Yan's esteemed status, all the guests were high-ranking officials.
Sitting in the corner, Shen Wei looked around, bored.
Before long, a delicate-looking girl in a green dress sat down in the empty seat next to her. The girl seemed unfamiliar with such grand occasions and appeared somewhat timid.
A young man in a dark robe approached, gently comforting her, "Rouer, don’t be afraid. In such a public place, she won’t bully you."
The green-dressed girl timidly said, "Brother Yunting, I shouldn’t have come today. What if I anger the princess..."
She lowered her head in fear.
The young man reassured her, "Don’t worry, I’m here."
After chatting for a while, the young man in the dark robe left.
The green-dressed girl nervously took a sip of tea, only then noticing the strikingly beautiful Shen Wei.
Her gaze fell on the luxurious golden hairpin in Shen Wei's hair, and after a moment, she cautiously and respectfully greeted, "I... I’m Dantai Rou, which noble family do you belong to, sister?"
Upon hearing the name "Dantai Rou," Shen Wei's eyes sparkled as she recalled the gossip Cai Ping had shared with her recently.
Dantai Rou's name had been widely circulated in Yan Capital lately.
Not because of her beauty or noble status, but rather because she was a distant relative of the princess, with a father who was a minor official just transferred to Yan Capital.
Dantai Rou had only recently arrived in Yan Capital, and to everyone's surprise, the Vice Minister of Rites, Yan Yunting, had fallen head over heels for her.
Who was Yan Yunting? A renowned young talent in Yan Capital, a favored minister of the crown prince, with an unlimited future ahead.
It was truly astonishing that a celestial being like Yan Yunting would fall for a girl of ordinary looks and background.
Everyone in Yan Capital knew that the fourth princess had long harbored feelings for Yan Yunting, pursuing him for years. Upon learning that Yan Yunting liked Dantai Rou, the fourth princess was furious and repeatedly tormented Dantai Rou.
This matter had stirred up quite a commotion, becoming the talk of the town.
Shen Wei maintained a calm expression and introduced herself, "I am Shen Wei, a concubine of Prince Yan."
Upon hearing the term "concubine," Dantai Rou's expression turned strange, a flicker of disdain flashing in her eyes.
Seeing Shen Wei adorned in gold and silver, resplendent as a peony, Dantai Rou had assumed she was a noble young lady... only to find out that such a fine girl was a concubine.
Dantai Rou no longer engaged with Shen Wei, rising to take a seat in the adjacent empty spot, leaving a space between them.
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