Marrying the Crown Prince

As for who is better between the two, it's a matter of personal preference.

As for why Li Ziyan wasn't included in the list of handsome men in the capital, firstly, he lived a very secluded life and rarely appeared in public; secondly, he was of noble status, the future emperor, and no one dared to make fun of him.

Soon, the people who went to the peach blossom forest returned one after another. Zhou Zhou and his companions also bid farewell to the two princesses and returned to their mothers' side.

When Zhou Yue saw Zhou Zhou coming over, she happily grabbed her hand and shook it, saying, "Sister, you're so amazing!"

They beat the arrogant Fu Jingchuan so badly he couldn't even lift his head.

"You only realized how amazing I am now?" Zhou Zhou poked her forehead.

“Of course my sister has always been this amazing,” Zhou Yue scoffed.

Seeing how close the two sisters were, the Duchess of Qi spoke up, "Madam Du is so lucky. The Eighth Miss is mature and steady, and the Ninth Miss is beautiful and intelligent. They are so much better than my little monkey."

Su Ye, the eldest grandson of the Duchess of Qi, had just reached the age of twenty when he passed the imperial examination. On the day the results were announced, the Duke of Qi's mansion was bustling with activity for quite some time.

Therefore, the monkey she was referring to was not the kind of spoiled brat who only knew how to walk his birds and fight crickets.

Speaking of which, Su Ye hasn't gotten engaged yet.

"A family with a daughter is sought after by many families." Since Emperor Chenze has not explicitly stated that the eighth daughter of the Zhou family is the daughter-in-law he has chosen, why can't the Duke of Qi's family try to win her over?

When Du was called out by the Duchess of Qi, she was slightly taken aback, then covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Don't praise them, Madam. If they hear this, they'll be so proud of themselves."

"Well, we can all see how good this young lady is," the Duchess of Qi shook her head, smiling as she looked at Zhou Zhou. "Of course we should praise her."

After saying that, she beckoned to Zhou Zhou, "Good boy, may you come closer? I haven't seen someone as beautiful as you in a long time."

From the very first sentence spoken by the Duchess of Qi, Zhou Zhou knew this was going to happen, but she didn't go over directly. Instead, she looked at Old Madam Zhou.

Grandma Zhou smiled kindly, "The old lady said she likes you, so why don't you hurry over and pay your respects?"

This answer was not surprising at all.

Zhou Zhou walked lightly to the side of the Duchess of Qi, bowed and said, "This junior, Zhou Zhou, greets the Duchess. May you be blessed with good fortune and enjoy a long and healthy life."

"Oh my, your little mouth is as sweet as honey, and the words you say are truly delightful." The Duchess of Qi reached into her hair and pulled out a turquoise hairpin with the inscription "May all your wishes come true." "Here, I won't let all those nice words go to waste."

As the saying goes, one should not refuse a gift from an elder.

Zhou Zhou's fingertips twitched slightly, but she didn't say anything, quietly letting the Duchess of Qi insert the Ruyi hairpin into her hair.

Looking at the serene girl, the Duchess of Qi was even more pleased. "Wear this auspicious hairpin, and everything will go smoothly for you from now on."

"Thank you, Madam Xie." Zhou Zhou raised her smiling face, poised and graceful, without a trace of shyness.

Soon, the number of riddles solved was tallied, and the winner was He Xiao, who had put on peach blossom makeup.

When the Empress saw her makeup, a look of amazement flashed across her face. "Your makeup is quite interesting."

Women all over the world love beauty, and who can resist a makeup look that they've never seen before but is still beautiful?

"This is something I specially learned, but it's just some clever ideas. I'm afraid Your Majesty has made a fool of yourself." He Xiao's face flushed slightly with excitement, but her words were still polite.

Finally, someone important noticed me. It was worth spending over ten taels of silver at Yu Yan Fang.

What suddenly happened was both unexpected and delightful for Zhou Zhou; she felt as if silver was falling from the sky and about to hit her.

This trip was definitely worth it!

The peach blossom banquet came to a successful conclusion; whether one reaped a good harvest or a poor one depended on their own abilities.

Inside Consort Shu's Zhiluo Palace, the Eighth Prince Li Ziqi sat beside Consort Shu, and the mother and son discussed the Peach Blossom Banquet that day.

"What do you think of the eighth daughter of the Yongjing Marquis's mansion?" Consort Shu asked. "I remember you were classmates with her for several years."

Indeed, when they first came to Jingyang Palace to study, they were in the same department. At that time, Li Ziqi's impression of Zhou Zhou was that she was a quiet girl who didn't like to talk or show off.

Looking back now, I'm afraid she did it on purpose.

"She's deep and calculating, and not easy to get along with," Li Ziqi said, carefully choosing her words.

If you were to ask him who he's interested in right now, it would naturally be He Xiao, who is stunningly beautiful.

"Hmph, how many people in this palace are easy to get along with?" Consort Shu sneered. "If you really marry a parasitic wretch, can she manage such a large palace for you?"

Not to mention anything else.

"The crown prince chooses his consort based on family background, while princes choose their wives based on their merits."

Li Ziqi understood this principle, but he had to pour cold water on his mother's enthusiasm, saying, "It seems that Consort Xian also values ​​the eighth daughter of the Zhou family very much."

“A fair maiden is sought after by a gentleman. What?” Consort Shu glared at her coldly, displeased, “If Consort Xian has taken a liking to her, why can’t I?”

“No, not at all,” Li Ziqi said, both amused and exasperated. “It’s just that Miss Zhou is, after all, the niece of Consort Xian.”

With this connection, Zhou Zhou's chances of choosing the Fifth Prince are much higher.

"I don't think so. Marriage should not lead to enmity," Consort Shu shook her head. "This marriage, besides the parents' decision, also requires the consent of you younger generation to be successful. I don't think the two of them have a chance."

Li Zichen and Zhou Zhou are avoiding each other very closely; they don't seem like the couple that were rumored to be interested in each other at all.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Chenze was furious, his eyes sharp as knives, radiating a chilling aura as he coldly stared at Li Zichen kneeling before him. "Which family's daughter did you just say you wanted to marry?"

"Your Majesty, I have long admired Miss Qingwu and hope that you will grant me your wish." Li Zichen's voice was deep and firm, not like a casual remark.

Emperor Chenze gently placed his hand on the memorials on the table, concealing his raging anger. "Do you know that your mother has chosen a good girl for you?"

Li Zichen raised his head and looked at Emperor Chenze with burning eyes and utmost sincerity, "Your subject has never overstepped the bounds with my cousin. Your subject treats her as if she were his own sister."

After all, he was the son he had spoiled. Emperor Chenze suppressed his anger and tried to make his tone sound gentle, but it was actually incredibly sinister. "Do you know how much I value this only legitimate daughter of the Grand Tutor's family?"

Having already made things so clear, if Li Zichen continued to say anything, he would be challenging the emperor's authority.

Unfortunately, the greatest fortune in life is to find the person you love. How could Li Zichen be willing to give up like this?

“If there are two people in my heart, then everyone in the world is just a stranger,” Li Zichen kowtowed heavily, “Even if there are a hundred beauties in the world, only she enters my heart. Your son begs Your Majesty to grant my request.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Emperor Chenze slammed the memorial in his hand down, and it crashed to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Your Majesty, rest your anger."

The eunuchs and palace maids serving in the Hall of Mental Cultivation all prostrated themselves and knelt on the ground, trying to minimize their presence.