The next morning, after a simple breakfast, Tao Ti sat in front of the vanity mirror and got dressed.
A set of lotus-colored long skirt and a moon-white satin gown inlaid with silver silk. She is wearing a flying fairy bun, with a little makeup, brows and eyes are full, and her wrists are frosted. She looks like a lotus after the rain, beautiful, gentle and graceful.
Linglong looked at it for a while, and felt that it was too simple and elegant, and suggested softly, "Crown Princess, would you like to not wear another pearl flower, or choose another Bu Yao?"
"That's good. We're going to greet the queen. There's no need to dress too brightly and gorgeously." Tao Ti looked in the mirror, and after confirming that her dress was low-key without losing her identity, she stood up slowly and said, "Let's go, please be well." This matter should be done sooner rather than later, let’s try to go back sooner.”
"Yes." Linglong replied, following behind her obediently.
The sky outside was not yet fully lit, and it was faintly blue. Tao Ti sat on the sedan chair and yawned lazily, propping her head with one hand. To be able to get up so early... If I had to get up early every day, I'm afraid my mentality would collapse early.
When the sedan chair stopped at Ganlu Palace, the sky became bright and several princesses arrived one after another.
Tao Ti and them greeted each other, and immediately led into the main hall by the maids, and took their seats.
The princesses are either gentle, quiet, lively, or shy, each with its own beauty. Although this is only the second time they met, the sister-in-law got along pretty well, and the big guys chatted with each other, and the scene was still very pleasant.
Not long after, a eunuch reported in a slender voice, "The Empress is here—"
Hearing this, Tao Ti and the other princesses hurriedly got up and greeted each other.
I saw Empress Zhou, who was wearing a purple-red phoenix robe embroidered with gold silk, and supported by the second princess Pei Lingbi, slowly came out from behind the seven-foot-high phoenix-wearing peony screen. There was always a kind smile on her well-maintained face, and she said in a gentle voice, "Excuse me. I got up late today, so I kept you waiting."
Everyone said "I didn't wait long", and after seeing Queen Zhou took the seat, they sat down one after another.
As the crown princess, Tao Ti is naturally at the front. As soon as she looked up, she happened to meet the smiling face of Queen Zhou Zhou, and Pei Lingbi's face full of disgust—
No matter what to stare at, I am not afraid of the eyeballs staring down.
Tao Ti glanced at Pei Lingbi faintly, then stopped looking at her, and only exchanged pleasantries with Queen Zhou.
Since ancient times, there has been nothing to talk about between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, not to mention that she and Queen Zhou are not serious mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. How is the prince's health, how are you two getting along... It's a bit like a company leader condolences to a new employee.
Tao Ti was amused by her metaphor, and she relaxed a lot.
The two chatted back and forth for a few rounds, and the atmosphere was in a good mood, but Pei Lingbi on the side seemed to be covered in long hair and felt uncomfortable. When she found a gap, she hurriedly interjected, "I heard that the princess is tied up in the small room all day long. You cook the dishes in the kitchen, even the daily meals. Could it be that the cooking skills in the dining room of the Eastern Palace are so bad that you actually forced a princess into a cook? Hmph, this is going to spread, I thought Our royal family treats you harshly..."
Empress Zhou frowned slightly, "Is this true? If the Eastern Palace is not used to the meals, I can send a few new cooks there..."
Pei Lingbi said, "That's right, for changing cooks, is it worth doing the cooking yourself? How cheap..."
Realizing that the occasion was wrong, she didn't say the word cheap, but swallowed it back abruptly.
Tao Ti met Empress Zhou's caring gaze and smiled, "Don't bother your mother, the imperial chefs in the Eastern Palace are all very skilled. It's just that I can't be idle, and I like to think about food when I have nothing to do, so I begged His Highness to allow me to cook." a small kitchen."
After a pause, she rolled her black eyes, and looked at Pei Lingbi with "gentleness", "I never thought that sister Lingbi cared so much about Donggong, she could take such trivial matters to heart, I am really touched as a sister-in-law."
Pei Lingbi's face turned green, who cares about you, you are so moved! Why didn't I realize that this woman is so good at acting
No matter what Queen Zhou said, she was also the champion of this year's palace fighting, so she immediately understood the meaning of Tao Ti's words. A deep meaning flashed quickly in a pair of beautiful eyes, Fu Fen Shi Zhu still had a loving smile on his face, and praised, "I didn't expect you to be good at cooking, it seems that Yan'er is really married to a virtuous woman." daughter in law."
"The queen mother is absurdly praised." Tao Ti cooperated with a shy expression, lowered her head, and said softly, "The queen mother is the mother of a country, and she is an example for all women in the world. My daughter-in-law should learn more from you, the queen mother."
This business exchange blows, and blows the awkward atmosphere into harmony.
Empress Zhou raised her red lips and smiled sincerely, "Look at this sweet little mouth, he is really a good boy." Turning around and glaring at Pei Lingbi again, "You, you are not too young anymore, don't always think about playing, Talk to your sister-in-law when you have time. If you are half as smart and sensible as your sister-in-law, I don't have to worry about being complained by your husband's family after you get married."
Pei Lingbi was already annoyed by Tao Ti's neither salty nor bland attitude, but now she heard her mother compare herself with Tao Ti, she was even more upset.
She bit her red lips, her brows were full of arrogance, "Queen Mother, I am a princess! Even if I get married, I am a king and my husband's family is a minister. Even if I am not, they would not dare to lend them a hundred courage Blame!"
Having said that, she glanced at Tao Ti and muttered in a low voice, "Pretending to be."
Pei Lingbi was sitting next to Empress Zhou, and Empress Zhou could hear the murmurings clearly, her face darkened a little, she called "Lingbi" as a warning, raised her eyes with a guilty smile, and looked at Tao Ti , "Ah Ti, Lingbi has been spoiled by Ben Gong since she was a child, she can't speak out of her head... But her heart is good, so don't argue with her."
Tao Ti thought to herself: What a heart. On the face, there was a gentle and generous smile, "I am her sister-in-law, and I am also her elder, so I will naturally tolerate her a lot."
Sure enough, when these words came out, Pei Lingbi's complexion became darker obviously. Where did this bitch have the face to be her elder? Is this taking advantage of her
Seeing Pei Lingbi's incompetence and fury, Tao Ti was very happy to see it.
After a cup of tea, a palace lady came to report to Queen Zhou, saying that the concubines were already waiting outside.
Seeing this, Tao Ti and the other princesses were very discerning, and got up in time to leave.
Empress Zhou smiled and said politely to Tao Ti, "Ah Ti, come to Ganlu Palace if you have time."
Tao Ti naturally agreed, and retreated with everyone meekly and politely.
As soon as she walked out of the main hall, she saw many concubines waiting in the courtyard. Tao Ti still remembered a few familiar concubines, so she smiled and nodded with them as a greeting.
Suddenly, her sleeves were gently pulled.
Tao Ti withdrew her gaze, and stared blankly at the little girl beside her, "Princess Six?"
The sixth princess is the youngest child in the palace, she is eight years old this year, she is a beautiful little girl with a round face. Compared with the other princesses, the sixth princess doesn't talk much, she spends most of her time listening to her sisters and never speaks on her own initiative. The only thing she ever said to Tao Ti was "Sister-in-law Wanfu".
Seeing her suddenly pull her sleeve now, Tao Tiying's black eyes were full of surprise, "What's wrong?"
The sixth princess blinked her watery black eyes, and as if mustering her courage, said in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, don't take the words of the second sister to heart, she has always been like that... Well, it's not worth being angry about her."
Her voice was soft, and her pink face was still childish, but those clear black eyes carried a maturity that did not match her age.
Children who grow up in the palace are more precocious. Tao Ti bent down, raised her hand to touch her little head, and said with a smile, "Thank you... But don't worry, I didn't take those words to heart."
Probably because her behavior was a bit intimate, the sixth princess was slightly startled for a moment, before she said, "Well, that's good."
Perhaps the little girl in front of her is too cute, or she is the first member of the royal family to express kindness to her, Tao Ti didn't know why, suddenly became interested, and warmly invited, "Do you have other friends?" Are you busy, if you are free, would you like to go play with me in the East Palace?"
The sixth princess was dumbfounded again, this cute little appearance was like an emoji of a hamster holding melon seeds.
"I... can I?"
"What's wrong with this?" Seeing the little girl's expectant and hesitant look, Tao Ti thought she was shy, so she reached out to her with a bright smile, "Let's go? I happened to have a bath before going out. Order peach gum, and I will make you dessert later."
Looking at the hand as white as jade in front of her, the sixth princess's black and slender eyelashes trembled. In the end, she still couldn't resist the smile of the concubine's sister-in-law, and put her little hand in her palm.
The sixth princess didn't know why, but she had an inexplicable trust in the concubine's sister-in-law.
The concubine's sister-in-law seems to be different from all the people in the palace. She is like a bright sun hanging in the sky, like a vibrant vine, always full of vitality and hope... People can't help but want to get close, To keep warm, to draw light.