A short night is hard to please! A stunningly handsome prince dotes on her exclusively.

Before Xin Mingwan could respond, Yuan Huaijun, seated above, glanced at the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix and then said, "Consort Ning is intelligent and virtuous, and she serves the Empress Dowager on my behalf every day, fulfilling her filial duties to the utmost. She is a model for the six palaces. This Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix must have taken a lot of effort. Consort Ning is indeed very skillful..."

Although he was not as cold and aloof as Yuan Huaixuan, he always had a calm and indifferent expression, and it seemed that he had never seen much emotional fluctuation on his face. He continued, "Pass down the order that Consort Ning is virtuous, kind and intelligent, and the pair of pearls that Qi Yun gave her at the beginning of last month shall be given to Consort Ning."

Song Yining's face immediately lit up with joy, and she quickly knelt down to express her gratitude. Those pearls were a rare treasure in the world, even surpassing the pearls on His Majesty's court hat!

The ministers below gradually came to a conclusion upon hearing this. Now that the six palaces were without a mistress or heir, and His Majesty valued Consort Ning so much, it was likely that the imperial heir would come from the Song family in the future.

Hua Buyu curled her lip dismissively and said, "What's so special about a pair of pearls? Why are you so happy? Yan Yan, I think you should hurry up and give them a gift. Maybe you can get a reward too."

Xin Moyan quietly made a shushing gesture, indicating that she should continue watching the show.

Cailian suddenly squatted down in the passage between the two of them and tactfully explained to them.

"Ladies, the one just now was Consort Ning, Song Yining, the eldest daughter of the Imperial Censor Song family. And the woman on your right with her face covered in thick powder and her makeup so heavy it's exaggerated, is Consort Ning's younger sister, Song Yiyao."

"This face is painted like a ghost's; it would be better if it weren't painted at all."

“Miss Hua, I heard from Sister Hongluan that the second young lady of the Song family was disfigured not long ago, causing a great uproar in the city. I just don’t know how her face healed so quickly.”

Xin Moyan found it a bit strange; Cailian didn't seem to be this gossipy!

"Cailian, why did you bother to find out about Miss Song's affairs?"

Cailian looked somewhat conflicted, but after much deliberation, she finally spoke up.

“Miss, actually, those people in the garden just now were all those who used to follow Miss Song and the others. It's just that those two got into trouble not long ago, which is why those women dared to climb up to Her Highness the Princess. And the ones who bullied you before were none other than Miss Song and her group.”

"So that's how it is. It's because her eldest sister is a concubine in the palace that she's so presumptuous. But how did she recover so quickly after being disfigured? And she was even able to attend the banquet!"

Hua Buyu stroked his chin, thoughtfully observing the women in the corner.

Xin Moyan also looked up and saw that Song Yiyao's makeup was so heavy that her features were almost invisible. However, it was precisely because of this that no one could tell that she had been disfigured. However, her expression was stiff and awkward, and she looked very dull. Could it be that she had facial paralysis?

"Anything else? Cailian, tell me quickly, what other weirdos have bullied my Yan Yan?"

As the two watched the imperial court and harem present their gifts one after another, they listened intently as Cailian introduced some of the more prominent young ladies from noble families.

"Also sharing the same hatred as the second young lady of the Song family is Xu Ning, the granddaughter of the Minister of Personnel. However, Sister Hongluan said that she broke her Achilles tendon at the Song residence on the day she went to visit the second young lady's illness and is still recuperating at the residence. She did not attend today."

"What a coincidence, you can break your Achilles tendon just by visiting someone in the hospital?"

After Xin Moyan finished speaking, she turned around curiously and looked at Hongluan standing behind her, asking in confusion, "Sister Hongluan, how do you know everything?"

Hongluan touched her nose, looking somewhat embarrassed. Her master had specifically instructed her and Qingque to keep an eye on the two of them and teach them a lesson once they recovered. How could she not know their situation?

“It’s broken, so it’s not that serious. Who else is here, Cailian? Point them all out to me.”

Cailian scratched her head, trying to recall the names of the other young ladies from noble families, when she suddenly glanced up and saw the woman sitting in the center of the banquet opposite them, looking at them with gentle eyes. She quickly lowered her head and dared not look over again.

"Cailian, what's wrong?"

Xin Moyan reached out and poured her a cup of tea. Thinking that Cailian was probably tired, she thoughtfully slipped a cushion next to her behind her so that she could sit for a while.

"Miss... this is against the rules."

"Just sit there quietly, with the hem of your clothes covering you completely, so people will only think you're kneeling."

"That's right, Cailian, don't be shy. Your legs will inevitably ache after squatting for so long. When the dishes are served, I'll secretly get you something to eat."

Upon hearing this, Xin Moling merely glanced helplessly at Hua Buyu before pouring herself a drink, ignoring their conversation as long as they didn't cause any trouble.

“Miss, Miss Qin is looking at you from across the way. Look up again later, and you will see the woman in the pink hibiscus flower flowing dress. Wait until Cailian finishes speaking, then you can go and see.”

The two were stunned by Cailian's words, wondering what kind of person needed to be so mysterious, but they still listened patiently to her finish speaking.

"The person sitting opposite is Qin Wu, the second young lady of the Qin family. The Qin family's ancestors were meritorious in supporting the emperor and were also very knowledgeable, so the position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince has been passed down for generations. And the father of that young lady is Qin Huai, the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince when His Majesty was still the Crown Prince."

"And then?" Qin Wu thought the question sounded familiar.

"Miss, have you forgotten? Miss Qin the Second is the concubine whom His Highness Prince Lie requested His Majesty to marry!"

Xin Moyan suddenly realized why the voice sounded familiar; it turned out to be the protagonist of the "handsome man and beautiful woman" discussion in the capital a few days ago!

"and then?"

Cailian continued, "This Miss Qin was born out of wedlock, but her half-brother Qin Yue was the only son of the Grand Tutor. In addition, the family had a strong tradition of scholarly lineage, so Miss Qin was not only outstanding in appearance and temperament, but also well-read and reasonable from a young age. She was a well-known talented woman in the entire Yuanqi. Later, the late emperor heard of her talent and made an exception to allow the Qin siblings to enter the Imperial Academy and study with other royal children and nobles."

"So... this imperial academy still distinguishes between legitimate and illegitimate children?"

"Yes, only those from aristocratic families are allowed to enter the Imperial Academy to study."

Hua Buyu scoffed, "Heh~ They're all just people with connections."

"Therefore, Miss Qin and His Highness Prince Lie spent their days and nights together at the Imperial Academy, which led to their friendship. And that's not all..."

Cailian whispered again, "This eldest daughter of the Qin family, Qin Shuang, is even more beautiful and talented than the second daughter of the Qin family. She is now the Consort Yun in the palace and is currently enjoying great favor."

"Oh? Then why not call her Frost Consort?"

"Consort Yun is exceptionally talented in all five musical instruments, especially the guzheng. Therefore, His Majesty bestowed upon her the title of Consort Yun. However, Consort Yun has been in poor health in recent years and rarely appears in public. She is not present today either."

"So even if Qin Wu is born out of wedlock, her fame is too great, and she's still a perfect match for a certain prince!"