The queen looked at Xie Fengran's sincere face. The words she was about to say got stuck in her throat and she couldn't utter them. So she had to skip this topic.
The queen bestowed the bracelet just to assert her sovereignty. Who told her to take it back and enshrine it?
For a moment, the queen couldn't tell whether this eldest Miss Xie really didn't understand or was just feigning ignorance.
During the subsequent chat, the queen quietly sized up Xie Fengran.
She found that this young lady was indeed well - trained by the old Lady Xie. Her manners and etiquette were flawless, and her conversation and knowledge were also good. However, she was just too proper and rigid!
She was a bit too well - behaved.
For a moment, the queen hesitated whether such a woman could win the heart of the crown prince.
At least before the crown prince successfully ascended the throne, the queen didn't want any conflicts to arise in the crown prince's harem. If the future crown princess couldn't hold the crown prince in check, then things would be hard to say.
But looking at Xie Fengran's bright and charming face, the queen thought her worry was unnecessary.
With such good looks, even the imperial concubine couldn't compare. It was okay for her to be proper.
It was better than being frivolous anyway.
The queen successfully convinced herself. Then she took Xie Fengran and the fourth princess to the banquet together.
Xie Fengran couldn't refuse. She could only lower her head slightly, trying to minimize her presence.
However, when they appeared, they still caused quite a stir among the crowd.
Those blatant or subtle looks instantly engulfed Xie Fengran.
Everyone was speculating about the queen's intention while sizing up Xie Fengran.
"Isn't that the eldest Miss Xie? Why is she following the queen?"
"Don't you know? The queen bestowed a bracelet on her today and praised her in every way. And now she's taking her to the banquet with her. Could it be that she's taking her as a dry daughter?"
"You're just being sarcastic. There's no precedent in the royal family of taking a dry daughter. But the queen has really shown her too much favor. The Xie family is really blessed."
"Who made them good at raising daughters? Although Marquis Xie is a disgrace, with his disordered family affairs, the old Lady Xie comes from a great family. Her manners and etiquette are top - notch. No wonder the queen has her eye on the eldest Miss Xie."
The ladies were whispering to each other, but their eyes were all on Xie Fengran's every move.
They saw that this young lady walked with grace. Her skirt didn't sway as she walked. Every step seemed to be carefully measured, but it didn't look stiff at all. Her posture was so beautiful that she was like a painting, pleasing to the eye.
Even being stared at by so many people, she didn't look flustered or arrogant. She just followed behind the queen and the fourth princess.
After this inspection, even the most critical ladies had to admit that the eldest Miss Xie really lived up to her reputation.
Comparing her with their own daughters, they wished they could send their daughters back to be remade.
When the crown prince came in with the second prince, Qin Junxing and a group of young gentlemen, there were even more looks sizing up Xie Fengran.
When the crown prince came to pay his respects, he also said a few words to Xie Fengran.
The elegant crown prince, with a smile in his eyes, spoke gently to Xie Fengran. This made those who had feelings for the crown prince extremely jealous.
The looks they gave Xie Fengran were as if they wanted to pierce holes in her.
Feeling those burning looks from in front and behind, Xie Fengran thought that if looks could kill, she would really experience the feeling of being shot by a thousand arrows today.
Before the crown prince had left, Sun Jiming also said a few words to Xie Fengran. This time, one - third of the remaining young ladies glared at her.
Xie Fengran secretly thought that it seemed that this young master of the Sun family was also quite popular.
Since the queen and the crown prince were both present, the banquet began.
During the banquet, the queen also showed a lot of favor to Xie Fengran and praised her a great deal.
Since the old Lady Xie was not there, Xie Fengran sat with the fourth princess. Feeling the hostility from all directions, she felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles again.
However, she didn't show it on her face at all. She still remained calm. Her mental quality made the fourth princess sigh in admiration.
The fourth princess leaned over and whispered in Xie Fengran's ear, "Sister Xie, look at the looks of those young ladies. They look as if they want to devour you alive. It's so scary."
Xie Fengran smiled bitterly in her heart, but still had to maintain a perfect image on her face. She just leaned her head over slightly and whispered, "They can't come over and beat us. Your Highness, just pretend you don't see them."
"Sister Xie is right."
The fourth princess also imitated Xie Fengran's appearance, sitting upright and looking straight ahead, looking quite imposing.
It wasn't until the banquet ended that the fourth princess got up with the help of a palace maid and followed the queen towards the palace hall.
The queen saw that the fourth princess had good manners and praised her a few words.
After getting away from the looks of those ladies, the fourth princess moved her neck uncomfortably. With a long face, she said to the queen, "Mother, your daughter didn't make any progress. It's just that my body was stiff from sitting. I really wonder how Sister Xie managed to hold on!"
The queen: "..."
However, through this palace banquet, the queen basically achieved her goal. She just waited to summon the old Lady Xie to the palace the next day to discuss the marriage.
Anyway, all the discerning families knew her intention that night, and no one would be so unwise as to cause trouble.
When Xie Fengran returned to the mansion, it was already late. The nanny from Qingsong Courtyard came to convey a message from the old lady, saying that the eldest miss should have a good rest and didn't need to come to pay respects the next day.
Xie Fengran didn't insist. She had been exhausted all day and really needed a good rest. She also needed to think about how to tell her grandmother that this marriage was inappropriate.
However, what Xie Fengran didn't expect was that there was a change before she could speak up.
The next day, after the morning court, the emperor summoned his close ministers to the imperial study to discuss affairs. The crown prince and Qin Junxing were also there.
In order to show that he treated his nephew equally and didn't let down the trust of the Grand Princess, the emperor not only asked the queen to help his nephew find a match but also took him to participate in political affairs.
Now, who in the court didn't praise the emperor for his magnanimity?
At this time, the topic of the crown prince's marriage came up. Originally, this was a matter of the royal family, and the ministers couldn't interfere. But since all those present were the emperor's close ministers, they could say a few words.
The crown prince listened to the banter with a smile and didn't reveal a single bit of information. He just said that the queen had already made arrangements.
At this time, someone mentioned whether there was any progress on the marriage of the county prince and what kind of daughter - in - law the Grand Princess was looking for.
Qin Junxing wasn't as reserved as the crown prince. He directly said that his mother had submitted a memorial to the emperor.
The emperor hadn't seen the Grand Princess's memorial yet, but after hearing what Qin Junxing said, he asked someone to find this memorial sent from the northern border.
Sure enough, there was one from the Grand Princess. When he opened it, the general meaning was: Brother! Your sister only has this one son, and he even has our family name. He can be regarded as half a member of the royal family. His father died early, and I can't control him well. It's all up to your nephew's will when it comes to getting married. You can't let him be wronged! Otherwise, your sister will have to go back and discuss life and ideals with you!
After reading it, the emperor was silent for a moment. He looked up and asked Qin Junxing, "I wonder if Junxing has taken a fancy to any young lady?"