Her hair was cloud-like and beautiful! She opened her eyes and found herself back in the third year

Qin Yizhen almost lost control of her expression.

The thought of Princess Huizhen bowing to her and calling her "aunt" made her feel like her world was collapsing.

This is moral depravity and human absurdity.

Although Cheng Yan's voice wasn't loud, it wasn't deliberately kept quiet either, and Princess Huizhen, sitting opposite him, could barely hear it even with her ears perked up.

When Cheng Yan told her to bow to Qin Yizhen and call her aunt, the powder on her face almost burst open.

"Uncle!" Her face contorted, her voice filled with painful struggle, "Are you still my uncle?"

How can you act like that as someone's uncle!

You married my sister, fine, but you also made me, her older sister, call her aunt. Is that how you treat people?

Princess Huizhen seemed to see a dark and hopeless future, and at that moment she even felt like dying.

Seeing Princess Huizhen's breakdown and distorted expression of resistance, Qin Yizhen blinked and suddenly realized that marrying Cheng Yan wasn't without its advantages.

At least... at least next time Princess Huizhen bullies her, she'll make the other girl call her aunt.

Hmm... Anyway, as long as she doesn't feel embarrassed, it'll be Princess Huizhen who breaks down.

Putting everything else aside, Cheng Yan is her maternal uncle, and this aunt is truly her aunt.

Princess Huizhen was devastated all by herself. The two people opposite her completely ignored her. Qin Yizhen even asked Cheng Yan, "Isn't this bad? Isn't this a little awkward?"

Cheng Yan said, "It's okay. Just let her call you a few more times later. You'll get used to it and won't feel awkward anymore."

Is this a plan to sacrifice the niece to please the wife?

Princess Huizhen gritted her teeth in hatred; she wanted to sacrifice her uncle to the heavens.

Cheng Yan and Qin Yizhen only talked for a short while before a military officer came forward to offer them a toast.

Cheng Yan spoke with everyone, and although he was still very serious and didn't say much, he listened patiently and occasionally offered a word of encouragement, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

Qin Yizhen sat quietly beside him, watching him intently, seemingly forgetting to look away.

After dealing with two groups of military officers who came up to offer him a toast, Cheng Yan sat down and waved his hand in front of her eyes.

Qin Yizhen then came to her senses and looked away.

What were you looking at just now?

"Just spacing out," Qin Yizhen replied.

"Staring blankly?" Cheng Yan didn't believe it. He clearly noticed that she was looking at him, so he asked directly, "Not looking at me?"

Qin Yizhen paused, but refused to admit it, and pretended to pick up the small bowl and take a sip of the shark fin soup that had just been served.

A small porcelain bowl held a bowl of golden soup, and the aroma of its freshness wafted out. She ate it with great relish.

Just then, the singing and dancing in the hall stopped, and twelve beauties carrying various musical instruments took to the stage. Before long, the clear sound of the zither rang out, accompanied by the sound of the flute and the harp.

The audience listened with rapt attention, applauding repeatedly.

Qin Yizhen watched the performance quietly, refusing to look at him, and said, "Why should I look at you? It's not like we haven't met before. Besides, what's so interesting about you? All you have are a pair of eyes and a mouth."

OK OK.

You're just being stubborn, right?

For a moment, Cheng Yan really wanted to let her know what it meant to say, 'Even if it's just a pair of eyes and a mouth, it's still his eyes and his mouth.'

But she raised her eyebrows slightly, as if she was a little proud of herself for winning the argument, and then thought better of it and stopped talking.

Since she's so happy, let her be happy for a while.

I'll settle the score with her when I get home.

Seeing that she had quickly finished her bowl of soup, he pushed his own portion over to her, saying, "This is for you too."

With the national treasury not being full, there was no need to hold any palace banquets. For example, the birthdays of Empress Dowager Cheng and Emperor Jing'an were not celebrated. Throughout the year, there was only one celebration during the New Year festival, and even during the Mid-Autumn Festival, only some mooncakes and other food were given as rewards.

However, this celebration banquet is held almost every time.

It wasn't about bestowing glory upon victorious soldiers, but rather about ensuring the stability of the court and the realm. Each such palace banquet served as a declaration to the world:

Our soldiers are very capable fighters.

However, they saved money wherever possible. Empress Dowager Cheng advocated frugality and prepared only twelve dishes, including wine, tea, fruits and snacks, mutton, goose, duck, chicken, fish, etc., with just the right amount of food.

For example, this shark fin soup is served one bowl per person.

Shark fin soaked in golden broth is a delicacy served to the emperor.

Qin Yizhen was about to shake her head and say that she wouldn't eat when she heard a commotion suddenly coming from the crowd below. She turned her head and saw Fang Shixin standing in the noisy crowd.

Her face was flushed, she was agitated, and she was shouting and yelling as if she had gone mad.

"Qin Yizhen, you vixen! You slut!"

"You vixen! It's all because of you! It's all because of you that Cheng Yan was ruined!"

"What a wonderful person he was! He deserves to be remembered for eternity and revered by the world! It's all because he married you that he has to bear such a stigma!"

"You're the one who ruined him!"

Fang Shixin was so excited that she trembled all over, cursing and swearing. The people around her screamed and wished they could stay three feet away from her.

Fang Shixin felt her mind was in a daze, as if a sharp awl was hitting her head hard, causing her great pain.

At that moment, a squad of Imperial Guards walked through the crowd, knocked her unconscious, and took her away.

After the person left, there was a period of silence.

After a while, they began to whisper among themselves:

"How is this going?"

"She was fine just a moment ago, how did she suddenly go crazy?"

"And she even insulted the princess, she really has a lot of nerve..."

"This is suicidal..."

"Outrageous!" Empress Dowager Cheng exclaimed in fury. "Whose daughter is this, behaving so improperly before the palace and spouting such nonsense!"

If it were simply that Fang Shixin suddenly went mad, Empress Dowager Cheng would suspect that she had been framed and would probably protect her to some extent, and would also investigate who had the audacity to harm someone at the palace banquet.

But her absurd words and the insults directed at Qin Yizhen enraged Empress Dowager Cheng.

It should be noted that the marriage between Cheng Yan and Qin Yizhen was arranged by Empress Dowager Cheng. Fang Shixin kept saying that it was because Qin Yizhen married Cheng Yan that Cheng Yan was harmed. Doesn't that mean she was wrong?

"Your Majesty, please forgive us! Your Majesty, please forgive us!" Fang Shixin's father, Fang Shaoqing, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and his wife stepped forward to kowtow, their faces filled with fear and trepidation.

Cold sweat kept appearing on his somewhat round and chubby face. He didn't dare to reach out and wipe it away, so he could only let the beads of sweat drip onto the ground.

"Forgive me?" Empress Dowager Cheng's cold phoenix eyes swept across the room. "Deputy Minister Fang of the Court of Judicial Review, I was unaware that you had so much dissatisfaction with my decisions. Should I hand over this position to you and let you make the decisions?"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare!" Fang Shaoqing was sweating profusely. "Your Majesty is wise, and I would never dare to question Your Majesty's decisions. It was all... it was all that little girl's ignorance and nonsense!"

"Yes, she was just talking nonsense out of ignorance!"

"Once we return, I will certainly teach her a lesson and make her understand right from wrong!"