Marrying the Crown Prince

Such provocation was intolerable to Consort Mei. "Sister Consort De is extremely rude. Anyone with eyes can see that the flower ball was in Qingwu's hands. How come you see her differently?"

Could it be that those eyes on his face are just for nothing?

"Oh dear, Consort Xian, if it weren't for you skipping over Sister Zhou, how would this flower ball have ended up in Qingwu's hands?" Consort De's cherry lips curled up, her eyes full of innocence.

Zhou Zhou is Consort Mei's niece, but Consort De calls her "Sister Zhou," which is practically a direct way of saying that Consort Mei is old enough to be her mother.

"It's quite a coincidence. I haven't introduced my Zhou Zhou to Consort De yet," Consort Mei thought to herself, though she still smiled. "Zhou Zhou, this is probably the first time you've met this lady. She's like a sister to me. You'd be happy to call her 'aunt'."

Zhou Zhou obediently stood up and bowed deeply in the direction of Consort De, saying, "Zhou, a daughter of the Yongjing Marquis's family, greets her aunt and wishes her good health, longevity, and happiness."

Consort De was only a few years older than Zhou Zhou. Hearing this, the smile on her face cracked a little. "He is indeed a good child."

"Since he's such a good child, shouldn't Consort De give him a gift?" The Imperial Concubine, not wanting to miss out on trouble, also joined the fray.

Consort De had adjusted her mindset. She touched her head and took out a gold-inlaid jade phoenix hairpin with a pearl in its bead. "This was given to me by His Majesty when I was conferred the title of Consort. It is also worthy of the status of the Zhou family's younger sister."

Upon hearing Consort De's words, the girls present began to whisper among themselves.

Consort De seemed unaware of what was happening, and after speaking, she handed the items to her personal maid.

The palace maid presented the hairpin to Zhou Zhou.

Zhou Zhou accepted the hairpin, bowed again, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Thank you, Aunt. This hairpin is so precious. I will certainly enshrine it and offer incense to it every day, so as not to fail Your Majesty's grace."

Consort De gave a light scoff, which could be considered a response.

The Duchess of Qi, sitting next to Old Madam Zhou, flashed a hint of admiration in her eyes and said to Old Madam Zhou with a touch of reproach, "You have such a good granddaughter, why do you keep her hidden from everyone?"

"Nothing is as good as what you say, old lady. If she knew, she'd be strutting around like crazy." Old Mrs. Zhou smiled broadly, speaking modestly, but her pride was evident.

In fact, Zhou Zhou was not as secluded as the Duchess of Qi claimed. She did attend various banquets with Madam Zhang and Madam Du, but she always sat quietly, like a transparent person, so not many people noticed her.

Seeing that the battle was over, Empress Chu made her appearance. "Look, with this interruption, I've forgotten who got the bouquet."

"Since Her Majesty the Empress has forgotten, why not pass it on again?" Consort Shu, who had been sitting silently to the side, suggested.

She was fine until she opened her mouth, and even Consort Mei turned her head to look at her.

You know, this Consort Shu has always stayed out of things, and this is the first time she has taken the initiative to get involved. As a result, she came in to speak up for her. How could she not be surprised?

Just then, the eunuch announced loudly again: "His Majesty the Emperor has arrived! His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Of course, there were more than just these two people; there were also a group of princes, marquises, nobles, and unmarried sons of high-ranking families.

Upon hearing the chief eunuch's chant, Empress Chu took the lead in rising and walking at the front, followed by everyone else, who all performed the grand kowtow, saying, "Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years! May Your Highness live a thousand years!"

"Rise, no need for formalities," Emperor Chenze said, striding over in his black casual robes. He took Empress Chu's hand and led her to the highest seat. "We are not in the court, so there is no need for you to be so formal."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Everyone stood up after Emperor Chenze sat down.

Emperor Chenze slowly glanced around before speaking in a gentle voice, "When I arrived, you were all having a lively conversation. I wonder what you were talking about?"

"Your Majesty, we are playing a game of musical chairs," Consort De answered before anyone else could. "It just so happens that Miss Zhou got the flower ball, and we are discussing what kind of performance she will give."

Consort De's tone was no longer as charming as before; instead, it was serious and solemn, which gave her a dignified appearance.

Men are like that; no matter how charming and alluring their women are in private, they must be dignified, elegant, noble, and aloof in public.

Upon hearing Consort De mention the Zhou family's daughter, Emperor Chenze recalled the hints Consort Mei had given him a few days earlier—that she intended to marry the eighth daughter of the Zhou family.

Since she is his future daughter-in-law, there is no reason not to see her.

Thinking of this, Emperor Chenze spoke again, "Where is the eighth young lady of the Zhou family?"

Once the emperor spoke, regardless of who had received the bouquet just now, from this moment on, the bouquet was in Zhou Zhou's hands.

However, some astute individuals noticed a crucial detail: Consort De hadn't specified which Zhou family girl it was, yet the Emperor directly named the Eighth Miss, indicating that she was someone the Emperor had already taken notice of.

When her name was called, Zhou Zhou stood up, walked to the center, and bowed deeply. "This humble woman greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty. May Your Majesty have all your wishes fulfilled and Your Majesty have all your successes."

"Yes, raise your head and let me see you," Emperor Chenze said.

Zhou Zhou slowly raised his head and calmly looked at Emperor Chenze.

To be honest, although she had been a palace attendant for many years, this was the first time she had looked directly at the emperor's face like this.

Emperor Chenze was more handsome than she had imagined. Although he was already in his forties, time had not left too many marks on his face. Instead, it had added a touch of composure. His eyebrows and eyes were sharp, but his gaze was gentle and profound, softly probing into the hearts of others.

Time may have passed, but the man's charm remains undiminished.

At the same time, Emperor Chenze was also observing Zhou Zhou.

He only remembered that the eighth daughter of the Zhou family was his daughter Li Zixi's study companion, and that Consort Mei was quite fond of this niece. Other than that, he had no other impressions.

The emperor, preoccupied with countless affairs of state, had long forgotten the young girl who was once exceptionally skilled at chess.

The emperor looked down at Zhou Zhou. Zhou Zhou's face was considered good, but with thousands of beauties in the harem, Emperor Chenze had seen hundreds, if not thousands, of beauties. Beauty alone was not enough to attract his attention.

Furthermore, an ordinary young girl would feel nervous to look directly at the emperor, but this child's eyes were clear, showing neither sorrow nor joy, nor apprehension.

It is worth mentioning that during the dozen or so steps she took to walk forward beside Consort Mei, including when she just bowed, the pearls and jade around her did not sway much, but only gently, as if a breeze was blowing and she was swaying in the wind.

Your posture and demeanor are dignified, and your character is upright and prudent. Excellent!

"He's a good child," Emperor Chenze said with great satisfaction, praising, "like your aunt, with bright eyes and white teeth, and a kind and gentle heart."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty," Zhou Zhou replied respectfully, lowering his eyes.