Gluttonous Crown Princess - Chapter 31.1

Zilan Courtyard.

The ladies chatted about various family matters while the unmarried young ladies sipped tea while viewing the flowers, chatting casually.

When they saw Pei Lingbi arrive, everyone got up to pay their respects.

Being a royal princess, even though Pei Lingbi had a proud and haughty personality, she was surrounded by admirers who heaped praise and admiration upon her.

Pei Lingbi also enjoyed the sensation of being the centre of attention. After exchanging a few pleasantries with those around her, she cast her bright eyes towards Zhou Muyan, who was wearing a light veil.

A hint of a smile flashed in her eyes, but she expressed surprise and concern, saying, “Oh, Muyan, you’re here too? I heard you had a bout of spring rash. Are you feeling better now?”

Zhou Muyan’s expression was somewhat enigmatic as she lowered her gaze and replied, “Thank you for your concern, Cousin. I’m doing better now.”

“That’s good to hear. When I heard Imperial Mother mention this, I was really worried for you,” Pei Lingbi said as she reached out to hold Zhou Muyan’s hand. She scrutinized her face, which still had faint red scars visible despite the thick layer of makeup, and thought, She’s so eager to come out to join this gathering even though she hasn’t yet fully recovered. What a restless person.

The two cousins engaged in a back-and-forth conversation. To outsiders, it seemed like they had a close and enviable sisterly bond.

Pei Lingbi was aware of the recent conflict between Zhou Muyan and Tao Ti. Seeing Zhou Muyan now, she put on a gentle front and said comfortingly, “The Crown Princess has always been difficult to get along with. Don’t mention being rude to you; even with me, she’s coarse and impolite.”

“Ah, does she behave that way even with you?” Zhou Muyan exclaimed exaggeratedly.

Pei Lingbi nodded and sighed, “Ah, I really pity Brother Crown Prince. He’s truly unfortunate to have married such a woman.”

Their conversation was neither too loud nor too soft, but it was just loud enough for those around to hear.

The noble ladies present had all met Tao Ti of the Marquis Yong Wei’s residence before. In their impressions, she was someone “decent-looking but reserved, taciturn, and somewhat dull.” If it weren’t for her engagement to the Crown Prince since young, a person like her with such modest virtues and lack of charm would never have been deemed worthy of being Crown Princess.

Crown Prince Pei Yan was exceptionally handsome and dignified, but was weak and plagued by frequent illnesses, and had a short life expectancy. In the eyes of these noble ladies, Pei Yan was like a pure and gentle moon. They all held a kind of admiration for him, an admiration that said, “He’s only for admiring from afar and not for casual interactions.”

They might not want to marry him, but they certainly didn’t want to see an ordinary woman like Tao Ti become his Crown Princess.

A woman like her being the Crown Princess was a defilement of the Crown Prince!

Now, hearing Pei Lingbi and Zhou Muyan’s words, the noble ladies couldn’t help but step forward and ask, “Is the Crown Princess truly so rude and overbearing?”

Pei Lingbi was waiting for this question; she immediately put on a helpless expression and began to list Tao Ti’s various flaws in detail.

Zhou Muyan also chimed in, eager to further tarnish Tao Ti’s reputation and make it as odious as possible!

“Sigh, to think that the Crown Prince, who is as pure and gentle as the moon, married such a woman. It’s like a bright moon shining on a drainage ditch!” The eldest daughter of the Huang family sighed and turned to look at Song Yuning, who had remained silent on the side. “Yuning, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Song Yuning was wearing a light willow-green dress today; her slender figure made her resemble a gentle and affectionate willow branch.

Hearing her companion’s words, she glanced at Pei Lingbi and Zhou Muyan, then covered her lips with a handkerchief and said in a low voice, “I won’t comment on how much of what the Second Princess said is true for now. As for what Zhou Muyan said, it’s all nonsense! We both witnessed with our own eyes what happened in the Heavenly Brocade Court the other day. Zhou Muyan is completely distorting the truth.”

Eldest Maiden Huang looked at Song Yuning with a puzzled expression and muttered, “Yuning, that Crown Princess stole your beloved. Why are you still on her side?”

Song Yuning’s complexion paled slightly, and her brows furrowed even tighter. She shook her head and said, “Juan, please don’t mention things like ‘beloved’ and whatnot ever again.”

Eldest Maiden Huang simply thought she had struck upon a sensitive topic and shut her mouth sullenly, not saying any more.

On the other hand, the situation escalated with the words of 许闻蝉 (Xǔ Wén Chán), who couldn’t hold back any longer and retorted, “The Crown Princess isn’t like how you all describe!”

On the other hand, it started to get noisy on Pei Lingbi’s side. It turned out that Xu Wenchan couldn’t hold back any longer and retorted, “The Crown Princess isn’t like how you all describe! She has a good temperament, treats people kindly, and is respected by everyone in the Eastern Palace. The Fifth Prince and the Sixth Princess both consider her as family, and as for the Crown Prince, his treatment of the Crown Princess is beyond words. They are deeply in love and inseparable!”

Her voice was loud, and as her emotions were running high, her face turned red after the outburst, and her chest heaved with every breath.

There was a momentary silence among the noble ladies.

However, when they came back to themselves, the expressions on their beautiful faces, whether heavily made up or lightly adorned, all bore smiles with a hint of disdain.

They had never held Xu Wenchan in high regard and found it amusing to hear one incapable and uneducated person defending another mediocre and reclusive person.

“It seems like birds of a feather flock together,” Pei Lingbi said with a mocking smile.

The noble ladies immediately tittered with laughter.

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