I just want to be a princess, no, you want to be a queen

"I hope you won't blame me for my rudeness." Since the Queen Mother didn't allow her to pursue the matter, Qin Miao could only swallow the bitter fruit alone and put on a smile.

Inside Shoukang Palace, a drama of sisterly love unfolded, filled with laughter and joy. Lu Mingyang admired Qin Miao's acting skills, and she felt that Qin Miao felt the same way about herself.

A tall figure appeared at the door, his thick eyebrows raised in question. It looked like he had been standing there for a while.

The Queen Mother was puzzled: "Zheng'er, since you are here, why don't you come in?"

"I didn't know it was so lively here at the Empress Dowager's." Chu Mingzheng controlled his eyebrows and smiled in accordance with the local customs.

Qin Miao and Lu Mingyang stood up and saluted together.

Chu Mingzheng stepped forward quickly and held Qin Miao's arm. "My cousin is still ill, so there's no need to be so polite."

As for Lu Mingyang, who was only a glance away from him, he didn't even look at him.

Xu Pei smiled and tried to smooth things over. "Your Highness and the Fourth Young Lady are so in tune with each other that they even say the same thing. Miss Cousin will be blessed in the future."

But Aunt Xu's attempts to smooth things over were useless. Chu Mingzheng ignored Lu Mingyang the entire time at the dinner table, only serving his beloved cousin dishes and soup.

Although Lu Mingyang didn't mind, it was too embarrassing with a room full of palace maids and eunuchs watching. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager pinched her several times to prevent her face from falling to the ground and being stepped on.

Perhaps because she had just been offended, the ladylike Qin Miao no longer cared about her modesty and clung to Chu Mingzheng's arms. Lu Mingyang could only sit across from them and watch them being affectionate with each other.

Although the Queen Mother may not be partial in major matters, in daily interactions, everyone should always remember the rules of hierarchy and do whatever is comfortable for them.

The Queen Mother chatted with the two of them and became happier and happier as they talked.

"Zheng'er, why are you here today?"

"The Emperor gave me an errand. I came out of the Diligent Administration Palace and heard..." Chu Mingzheng silently glanced at Lu Mingyang and continued, "...my cousin is at the Empress Dowager's, so I came here specifically to ask for a meal."

"What errand?"

Chu Mingzheng smiled and said, "Grandmother, since it's just an errand, it's inconvenient to tell."

The Empress Dowager didn't want to know what her grandson was doing. She was only concerned about the relationship between father and son. She reminded him, "You are the eldest son, so the Emperor will inevitably be harsh on you. Since you have an assignment, do it well, but don't overwork yourself."

Qin Miao said considerately: "Don't worry, Auntie, Miao'er will take good care of cousin's health."

Chu Mingzheng asked gently, "Still calling me aunt?"

Only the queen can call the Empress Dowager "Imperial Grandmother", right?

Lu Mingyang lowered her eyes and silently ate her food. After dinner, seeing that the Queen Mother wanted to talk to them, she found an excuse to leave.

"Then go back!"

The Queen Mother watched Lu Mingyang leave, and belatedly realized that she had neglected her, so she also let Qin Miao leave, leaving Chu Mingzheng alone.

"Come here!" The Queen Mother beckoned.

Chu Mingzheng smiled and leaned forward: "What's wrong, Grandmother?"

Seeing her grandson's smiling face magnified in front of her, the Queen Mother said, "Look how beautiful you are these days."

Things had developed to the point that the Queen Mother least wanted to see, and she could only helplessly give advice.

"I know you like Miao'er more, but Lu is your principal wife after all. In matters concerning the harem, it's best not to treat everyone unfairly. You still have to give her the respect she deserves in public."

Chu Mingzheng didn't care: "Grandmother, look at her silly look, she doesn't care about these things at all."

The Queen Mother was displeased: "No matter what, remember what the Imperial Grandmother said and don't treat her unfairly."

No woman could remain undeterred and resentful after enduring injustice. Men didn't understand these things. But she, who had made her way from the Eastern Palace to the Harem, surely saw through them all.

But things have developed to this point, and she can only try her best to keep his backyard stable.

The Queen Mother showed a loving look and patted the back of her grandson's hand: "After you get married, don't play around too much and give birth to a son as soon as possible."

Secretly, she hoped Qin Miao would give birth to Chu Mingzheng's son, but with his body, being able to give birth to a child was already a blessing from heaven, so how could she dare to ask for anything else? Moreover, as the Queen Mother, she couldn't say such biased words.

……

After leaving Shoukang Palace, Yang Nian'er looked back and said angrily, "Why is Prince Ningyuan like this?"

It's a waste of time for me to speak well of him. I am really blind.

"It is human nature to favor what one loves."

Thinking of the affection between the two, Lu Mingyang felt a little emotional: "Nian'er, do you think I shouldn't be the princess?"

As a concubine, she could stay in her own little courtyard, eat and drink well, and be invisible. But now, she has nowhere to hide, and she is an eyesore between the two of them.

"Second sister, you don't want to give up your position as princess, do you?"

Lu Mingyang thought about it and shook his head firmly.

"He promised me that, and I didn't use any dirty tricks to snatch it away. Why should I give in? Besides, they love each other, so it's worth it to suffer a little. I don't like him, so why should I suffer?"

"That's right!" Yang Nian'er nodded fiercely: "Second sister, don't be silly. No matter how much Prince Ningyuan likes her, you are the principal wife. When she sees you, she has to be obedient."

"That's right!" Lu Mingyang smiled and pinched his sister's cheek: "You must be hungry. I'll take you to eat something delicious."

The two walked forward hand in hand, and faintly heard the voices of two palace maids talking in the imperial garden.

"I heard that the Queen Mother allowed Miss Qin to enter the palace through the main gate."

"Of course, the Queen Mother would definitely side with her own family. I just feel sorry for the daughter of the Lu family."

"Yes, I heard that Duke Qin is as wealthy as a country. The Chengyang Marquis's Mansion was not rich to begin with, and 70% of it was taken away by the Imperial Clan Court, making it even poorer. When the time comes, the principal wife will be overshadowed by the concubines during the Ten Miles of Red Wedding. That would be interesting."

The young maid said, pursing her lips and sneering, "Well, the dowry can be inflated. But if someone is not careful enough and trips and drops the empty box, I'm afraid people will laugh at them for months."

Another maid patted her gently, seeming a little reluctant. She sighed, "If Marquis Lu were still here, His Majesty would have given him some respect. Miss Lu would never have endured such humiliation. Even if the dowry is not comparable, the Second Young Master of the Lu family leading the Imperial Guards to stand on the road would be as imposing as it could be. Who would dare to act rashly?"

The mocking maid also nodded, "It's because she has no family to rely on. I'm afraid she will suffer in the palace in the future."

"It's better to endure the bullying. The only thing I'm afraid of is that she'll be deposed after only a few months as a princess."

"elder sister!"

Amidst the two young palace maids' chatter, Qin Miao's cheerful voice was heard. The two young palace maids glanced at each other and hurried away. After they had walked away, they looked back.

A young palace maid worriedly said, "The Imperial Concubine only told us to tell Miss Lu. If Miss Qin hears it, will something happen?"

Another shook his head, "It's better if she hears it."