Guided by the palace maids, Yun Xi ascended the steps all the way to the highest seat.
Under everyone's gaze, she bowed respectfully and said,
"Yun Xi from the Prime Minister's Mansion pays respects to Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Queen, and Lady Yu..."
After seeing Yun Xi's appearance clearly, the emperor's eyes lit up. Then he exchanged a glance with the queen.
Before he met her, he only thought that the eldest daughter, who was cherished like a precious pearl by the prime minister, was a sickly girl who couldn't do without medicine, nothing special.
But according to what the queen told him, Yun Xi not only presented the relic that the Su family had fetched for her but also contributed ten thousand taels of gold to build a temple.
Even he, the emperor, couldn't help but be shocked!
Although all land under heaven belongs to the emperor, the Su family in Jiangcheng has been a well - known and extremely wealthy merchant family for hundreds of years.
Not only in the State of Liu but also in the State of Li, most of the commercial firms were under the control of the Su family.
With such great wealth and the prime minister's power in the court, fortunately, Yun Xi was just a woman. Maybe she could be used by the royal family. Otherwise...
He would never allow such a threat to exist!
"Quickly, rise," the emperor said with a beaming smile.
"Just now the queen was still talking about you with me. Now that I see you, you are truly beautiful and refined. Since the queen likes you, sit down and keep her company to relieve her boredom."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Yun Xi was affectionately pulled by the queen and sat down on the empty seat reserved for her beside the queen.
The emperor then turned around and looked at Yun Sheng sitting below him.
"The prime minister is really blessed."
While listening to the emperor's greetings, Yun Xi met her father's complex gaze. It seemed that he had something to say but hesitated. At this moment, a clear and gentle voice rang in her ear.
"No wonder you're the one the queen sister values. Miss Yun is not only brave and resourceful but also extremely beautiful. It's just a pity..."
This place was on a high platform with a great view. So, Yun Xi's performance in the arena before was clearly seen from here.
The one who spoke at this moment was the eternal rival of the queen, Concubine Yu in the Western Palace.
But the implication at the end of Concubine Yu's words sounded quite malicious!
Just as Yun Xi was about to reply, the queen spoke first, and her words were sharp.
"What a pity? Concubine Yu, why don't you finish your words at once? The habit of keeping people in suspense is not a sign of good breeding!"
Concubine Yu was the niece of Empress Dowager Li. She entered the palace five years later than the queen and had a son. She was deeply favored by the emperor.
But Concubine Yu was a concubine - born daughter. Her mother's status was very humble. Yet, she almost rivaled the queen in the harem, which made the always proud queen feel deeply humiliated.
The two were like fire and water and had been fighting openly and secretly!
Insulted by the queen, Concubine Yu was not angry. She calmly picked up the teacup and took a sip.
"It's a pity that Miss Yun was just a little short of becoming the Princess of Xian and our imperial sister - in - law. Sister likes her so much. I'm just feeling sorry for you."
Concubine Yu knew the queen's mind about getting close to Yun Xi. But her son was only ten years old and couldn't compete with the crown prince at all.
Naturally, she couldn't allow the queen to get ahead!
After what happened in the morning, the queen had already given up the idea of making Yun Xi the crown princess.
But seeing Concubine Yu being so arrogant, her face turned extremely ugly.
"Concubine Yu, as a concubine in the harem, you should never learn from the common people and ruin others' reputations just to show off your eloquence! Neither the emperor nor I know about this matter. Where did you hear it from? If the empress dowager knows that you are so outspoken, will she still protect you?"
The reason why Concubine Yu was firmly established in the harem and could rival the queen was that, on the one hand, the emperor doted on her, and on the other hand, she had the empress dowager as her shield.
However, even the empress dowager would never indulge her once it involved the interests of the imperial power...
Realizing that she had overstepped the mark, Concubine Yu immediately subdued her arrogance. She smiled and took Yun Xi's other hand and said,
"I only believed the rumors because I like Yun Xi. Yun Xi, you won't blame me, will you?"
Hearing Concubine Yu refer to herself as "I" and looking at her amiable smile, Yun Xi broke out in a cold sweat.
"Your Ladyship Concubine Yu is being too serious," Yun Xi said awkwardly as she withdrew her hand.
"Since it was just believing a rumor by mistake, Your Ladyship is also a victim. How could Yun Xi dare to blame you?"
Then, Yun Xi turned to look at the queen and quickly diverted the topic from herself.
"I've heard that Her Majesty the Queen's ancestral home is Huai'an, known as the capital of cuisine. Yun Xi is very yearning for it. Can Yun Xi beg Her Majesty the Queen to introduce a few Huai'an delicacies? When I have the chance to go there, I can have a good taste."
Hearing Yun Xi mention her hometown Huai'an, the queen, who was originally unhappy, softened her expression a little. She said with pride and longing,
"Huai'an is not only famous for its delicious food but also for its beautiful scenery and historical sites! The crown prince has traveled for several years and once said that his favorite place was Huai'an..."
Yun Xi had been listening attentively, ready with a handkerchief in case she drooled.
But the queen didn't mention the delicious food at all and started introducing the scenic spots and historical sites in Huai'an. Yun Xi couldn't help but feel extremely disappointed.
When mentioning the crown prince, the queen's eyes softened. Her gaze fell on Yun Xi's clear and spotless eyes.
Suddenly, she noticed that Yun Xi and her son looked a bit alike.
Born into the royal family, one was often involuntarily involved. A single mistake could lead to being at others' mercy and falling into an abyss of doom!
Only by hardening one's heart and planning carefully at every step could one stand undefeated!
However, the crown prince was quiet and indifferent, having no interest in power. So, she had to exhaust all her efforts to build an extremely solid chessboard for him!
This was probably how all parents loved their children.
Because of that slight resemblance, the queen couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for Yun Xi.
The queen raised her hand and stroked Yun Xi's fair cheek. But when she saw the hairpin on Yun Xi's head, her eyes flashed, and her gaze was fixed.
"This hairpin is very unique."
Suddenly, she remembered what a royal guard had reported to her after Yun Xi left her tent.
It also seemed to be related to the hairpin...