Concubine You was sitting at the front. She held the handkerchief and smiled at Meng Li:
"My sister seems to be in good spirits recently. Is she happy because the prince has chosen his concubine?"
Meng Li was sitting at the top. Hearing what Concubine You said, he turned his head slightly and looked at Concubine You.
said:
"Why do I think that Concubine You is happier than me when the prince chooses a concubine?"
"Look at your smile, the fine lines at the corners of your eyes are exposed."
It is true that Concubine You is beautiful, but after all, she has been in the palace for so many years, and the years have also left traces on her face.
Meng Li said expressionlessly, but the people listening below couldn't help but gloat.
I also thought it was funny, so the bolder and higher-ranking person just held the handkerchief in front of his mouth.
Concubine You's face stiffened, and she didn't know whether she should maintain the fake smile on her face.
"The crown prince's selection of a concubine must be a matter of universal celebration, and I will naturally be happy."
Concubine You said with a smile.
Meng Li did not answer, but continued:
"Sister, you see that the fine lines at the corners of your eyes have become more obvious. I have a box of beauty cream here. It works well. Can I give it to you?"
Concubine You was so angry that she couldn't hold back any longer. She said:
"Queen, it seems that you are relatively old."
Meng Li raised his eyebrows:
"how?"
She touched her face with her hand and said to Concubine You:
"If you didn't smile in front of me all day long, I wouldn't have said that to you. I'm too lazy to listen. You really took it as fun, didn't you?"
Concubine You glared at Meng Li without smiling.
Meng Li said:
"Yes, that's it. It looks better this way, like a cold beauty."
Meng Li didn't want to listen to what he said every day, but Meng Li didn't want to hear it. The client was willing to argue with Concubine You, but she couldn't bear Concubine You's smile, but she didn't like it.
It would be better if Concubine You saw her with a bad face.
In the plot, when the client was in despair, it was Concubine You who stepped down the hardest.
Concubine You was even more arrogant in private, and was the only one in the palace who dared to speak to the queen like this. All of this actually came from Qi Qingsheng's connivance.
The client had the means to deal with the imperial concubine, but Qi Qingsheng wouldn't let him.
In fact, Qi Zhengsheng also knew that the two palaces were fighting each other, but the emperor also had feelings for the second prince, and the palms and backs of his hands were full of flesh. It was not true that he only favored Qi Youyang's son.
Meng Li felt that Concubine You was quite successful as a substitute.
After all, now Qi Zhengsheng is almost taking the fake as real.
"The Queen is serious..."
Concubine You gritted her teeth, but she did not finish her words.
The atmosphere in the entire hall became condensed, and those who had covered their mouths and laughed before did not dare to laugh again.
Meng Li said calmly:
"Okay, it's okay, let's go back and rest."
The concubines left.
Zhiqiu, the most popular female official in front of the client, came over.
She said to Meng Li:
"Master, we have collected all the portraits. It's time to show them to His Highness the Crown Prince."
The person following her was dragging a tray with a portrait in it.
Zhiqiu said:
"Master, why don't you give His Highness a look first?"
If the queen doesn't like a woman, just take her out.
Meng Li nodded and said:
"Okay, let me take a look."
Zhiqiu asked people to arrange the portraits one by one. Meng Li looked at them one by one and asked:
"Is the secretary's daughter-in-law inside?"
The eunuch next to him was stunned for a moment, then bowed forward and replied:
"Yes, my dear."
Meng Li hummed and said:
"Find that girl and show it to me."
The eldest eunuch was in charge of this, Men Qing, and he quickly found the portrait of the secretary's eldest daughter.
Meng Li looked at the portrait for a while and said:
"There is no need to give this to the prince."
The eunuch asked:
"But what's your intention, the empress?"
Meng Li shook his head and said:
"No, don't do anything on your own." Meng Li's eyes were sharp.
The eunuch's body sank even further, and he even said that he knew.
Meng Li looked at the woman in the portrait for a while. This was the client's biological daughter. The portrait was not a real person, and he didn't know if it was due to preconceptions. Meng Li felt that the child's facial features were somewhat similar to those of the client.
He didn't even give the prince a chance to see it. Although the child was not selected in the plot, Meng Li still cautiously withdrew her portrait.
He couldn't help but sneer, after all, she was his own daughter, and Qi Zingsheng was willing to leave her out to be raised by others.
Another female official came in. She saluted Meng Li and then said:
"Your Majesty, your Majesty came down to court and said that he would wait for your Majesty at the Gilded Pavilion. His Royal Highness will also be there by then. Your Majesty asked your Majesty to prepare the portrait."
Meng Li nodded and said:
"good."
She returned to the dormitory to tidy up and headed towards the Gilded Palace.
When she arrived, Qi Pingsheng hadn't arrived yet, but Qi Youyang had.
At fifteen years old, he looked relatively immature. When he saw Meng Li, he quickly saluted and said:
"Greetings to the Queen Mother."
He bowed.
Meng Li didn't say anything about getting up, but asked:
"How is your Highness doing in the Prince's Mansion?"
"Thank you mother for your concern, everything is fine."
"Have you studied well with Taifu?"
"My son, I dare not slack off," the prince said quickly.
Meng Li made a sound and said:
"Get up, Queen Mother, I see you are very tired."
The prince stood up in response and started chatting with Meng Li. Meng Li's cold attitude made Qi Youyang couldn't help but wonder why his mother's attitude towards him was so cold today.
He asked somewhat cautiously:
"Mother, have you done anything wrong?"
Meng Li looked at Qi Youyang kindly and said:
"Where did the prince go? The queen mother thought that in the blink of an eye, the prince would grow up, and now it was time to choose a concubine. It was originally a happy event, but..."
Meng Li sighed.
Qi Youyang looked a little shy when he heard what Meng Li said, and then said:
"Mother, no matter what happens to her children, they are all her children."
Meng Li gave a standard and dignified smile.
Qi Qingsheng is here.
As he walked into the pavilion, Meng Li glanced at Qi Pingsheng.
The current Qi Zhengsheng is no longer the high-spirited young man he once was.
Instead, he turned into a middle-aged mature man with a slight beard.
The whole person has a kind of majesty, which is the temperament that he has been immersed in during these years of being an emperor.
Although Qi Pingsheng did not have many great achievements, he did not make the country miserable.
For the job of emperor, Qi Qingsheng did a pretty good job.
When Qi Pingsheng walked up to him, Meng Li bowed slightly. Qi Pingsheng gave Meng Li a hand and said:
"Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Meng Li said softly.
Qi Qingsheng was not talking to Meng Li, but looked at the prince and said:
"Do you have someone you like?"
The prince's expression immediately became tense. Qi Qingsheng knew that the prince already had someone he liked, so he couldn't help but nodded:
"Whoever I like, I will designate as the future crown princess."
Qi Zhengsheng didn't even ask the prince who he liked, what his family background was, and what he looked like.
Just so willful.