Hearing this voice, the Third Princess couldn't help but tremble. She looked up in the direction from which the voice came.
Behind the kneeling crowd, a carriage was parked in the middle of the road. A man in a python - embroidered robe stepped out of the carriage.
Who else could it be but the Crown Prince!
"E - eldest brother!"
The Crown Prince ignored her. He walked straight through the crowd, came to Xie Fengran's side, helped her up, and sent her into the carriage.
Then he turned around, gave the Third Princess a cold look, and left along the same path after leaving a sentence, "Explain it to Father on your own after returning to the palace."
Xie Fengran was still in a daze after being helped into the carriage by the Crown Prince. Then the Fourth Princess grabbed her arm, "Sister Xie, what you said just now was so great! You should have seen the expressions on Zhang Yao's and Qin Zhaoyang's faces. It was simply amazing."
"Sister Xie, I've decided to follow you from now on. I admire you so much!"
The Fourth Princess turned into a little fan girl and wouldn't let go of Xie Fengran's arm.
Unable to pull her arm out, Xie Fengran had no choice but to let her be. She lifted the curtain of the carriage with her other hand to see the reaction of the Third Princess.
After being rebuked by the Crown Prince, the Third Princess was obviously flustered. So was Zhang Yao. She looked at the Third Princess in a state of confusion, "Your Highness, this..."
"I'm going back to the palace!"
Since the Crown Prince had seen this, she didn't dare to continue causing trouble for Xie Fengran. The most urgent thing was to go back and discuss with her mother how to smooth things over.
Otherwise, she didn't know how the Crown Prince would slander her!
She wasn't afraid of what Qin Zhaoyue would say in front of the Emperor. Anyway, the Emperor only regarded her as a child, but it was different with the Crown Prince!
The Third Princess gritted her teeth, secretly hating that Xie Fengran was so lucky.
Zhang Yao watched helplessly as the Third Princess took over the carriage of the Prime Minister's Mansion and headed towards the palace. She herself was invited off the carriage by the Third Princess's personal maid and stood by the roadside.
"Cousin, get in the carriage!"
Just as Zhang Yao was at a loss, a carriage stopped, revealing the face of her cousin from the Zhang family. "It's still a long way from here to the Prime Minister's Mansion. Get in, cousin!"
Zhang Yao gave her cousin a cold look and didn't move.
The cousin from the Zhang family sighed, "Cousin, we'll be husband and wife sooner or later. Why are you struggling like this?"
"Cousin, why did you talk nonsense in front of the Prince today and ruin my reputation?"
"Should I just watch you cuckold me?" The cousin from the Zhang family sneered. "Accept your fate, cousin. Uncle has already agreed."
Zhang Yao stared at him angrily and was about to flare up when her maid grabbed her.
"Miss, just give in to Young Master Zhang! If Young Master Zhang shouts something out on the street, it's you who will suffer!"
Zhang Yao shut up angrily and got into the carriage.
The maid thought for a while and also got into the carriage.
The cousin from the Zhang family moved closer to Zhang Yao and was about to do something when the maid got in.
He had to stop and glanced at the mistress and the maid.
Suddenly he burst out laughing, "Cousin, your maid is not bad. When you marry me in the future, leave her for me as a concubine - in - waiting. She'll be a good confidant!"
The maid didn't expect to hear such words. She couldn't help shivering and barely resisted the urge to run away.
Zhang Yao's cold eyes swept over the maid. She spat at the cousin from the Zhang family, "You're dreaming!"
On the other side, after returning to the palace, the Third Princess went straight to see the Noble Consort.
After hearing what the Third Princess said, the Noble Consort was also a bit frustrated, "I've told you not to conflict with the Xie family. Now the Crown Prince is eager to marry the daughter of the Xie family. You won't get any good if you get involved. Instead of wasting your energy on this, you should think about how to capture Sun Jiming's heart!"
The Third Princess felt a bit wronged, "But Young Master Sun ignores me. He only has that bitch Xie Fengran in his heart."
The Noble Consort sneered and tapped the Third Princess on the head with her finger, "You, you. No matter who is in his heart, as long as you can marry him smoothly, he'll be yours. It doesn't matter who is in his heart."
"Moreover, Xie Fengran is the one the Crown Prince has his eye on. Do you think Sun Jiming would dare to have feelings for her?"
Indeed, he didn't dare!
The Third Princess gritted her teeth. How could she not understand these principles? But just thinking that the man she had been longing for only had eyes for that woman made her unable to control herself.
But she didn't dare to disobey the Noble Consort's wishes. She could only nod, "Don't worry, Mother. I won't cause trouble for Xie Fengran from now on!"
The Noble Consort didn't comment. She ordered, "Your father is with Concubine Ning now. Go back to your palace and wait. If your father comes back, I'll send someone to find you!"
"Thank you, Mother. Daughter will go back now!"
The Third Princess was relieved when she saw that the Noble Consort was willing to help her. She turned around and went back to her palace.
The Noble Consort's personal wet - nurse saw the Third Princess off and then came back to report to the Noble Consort.
"Your Highness, the princess has gone back. You should go to bed early too!"
"Wet - nurse, I'm not sleepy yet. Send someone to tell them that when the Emperor comes out, invite the Emperor here!"
The wet - nurse agreed. After thinking for a while, she added, "Your Highness, this servant thinks the princess may not be convinced in her heart. Will she cause more trouble?"
"I know she's not convinced." The Noble Consort took off her nail guards, took the box from the maid's hand, picked out a bit of ointment, and gently rubbed it on her hand. "But I just need this unconvincing attitude of hers. If she were convinced, she would be well - behaved, and I don't need her to be well - behaved."
The people of the Noble Consort waited outside Concubine Ning's palace all night but didn't see the Emperor come out. The Third Princess was also in a state of uneasiness all night.
Unexpectedly, this was just the beginning.
The Emperor went straight to the morning court from Concubine Ning's place early in the morning. The Third Princess didn't even see his shadow. She had no choice but to continue waiting for the Emperor.
However, during the morning court, a censor directly impeached the Third Princess for disturbing the people. The Prime Minister Zhang was also impeached.
Censors can be said to be the most combat - capable group in the court. Even when impeaching a royal princess, they would go all out and spare no ink.
Citing classics, they extended the matter of blocking the carriage to the righteousness of the country. They were almost pointing at the Emperor's nose and saying that he was incompetent in educating his children.
Poor Emperor, just after getting up, heard this bad news, and his anger flared up.
When he heard Zhang Yao say that the common people were lowly people, he couldn't hold it back anymore. All his anger was directed at Prime Minister Zhang.
In the Great Yue, there was only one kind of lowly people - slaves. Ordinary common people were not allowed to be called lowly people.
Prime Minister Zhang was scolded badly. He lowered his head and didn't dare to say a word.
Naturally, what Xie Fengran had said was also repeated by the censor in front of the court.
The Emperor didn't expect that the girl from the Xie family would have such insights. He couldn't help nodding and muttering, "She has a bit of the old Marquis's style!"
But thinking of Xie Yi, he couldn't help sighing.
The old Marquis had a prominent reputation all his life, but he was ruined by his son.
There was a girl with outstanding insights in the Xie family!
Thinking of this, the Emperor felt more balanced. At least he had an outstanding son!