tallest building

As for the Princess of Chu, she had been looking for an opportunity to enter the palace these past few days. Unexpectedly, she woke up early to find it was snowing. She laughed and said, "Heaven is helping me!"

So they hurriedly packed their things and went to the palace.

To everyone's surprise, just as they arrived at the palace gate, they saw Princess Zhao's carriage parked there as well.

Princess Zhao stepped down from the carriage with the help of her maid, glanced back, and couldn't help but smile.

At this moment, the Princess Consort of Chu also got out of the carriage, her expression somewhat unnatural.

The matter concerning the Liu family is not over yet. Although it has not yet involved the King of Chu, both sides are well aware of the situation.

"What a coincidence that my sister is also coming to the palace today," Princess Zhao said. "It's so cold, why aren't you wearing something warmer?"

Princess Zhao was wearing a silver-fox fur coat, while Princess Chu was only wearing a lambskin coat.

"I thought the weather wasn't that cold yet, and besides, Er Mao's clothes were all put away before. Now that they've been taken out, they haven't been scented, so it's not appropriate for him to wear them right away," Princess Chu said with a smile. "Sister, you must be going to the palace to pay your respects to Her Majesty the Empress, right?"

"Of course, what about you, sister?" Princess Zhao asked without turning her head as she walked forward.

“In that case, I will go and pay my respects to the Eldest Princess first,” said the Princess Consort of Chu. “I will not disturb my sister and the Empress’s conversation any longer.”

“It’s alright if you come along. My sister and I have never said anything behind anyone’s back,” Princess Zhao said meaningfully. “Unlike some people who seem perfect on the surface but are actually only concerned with their own selfish interests.”

“Sister is right. Grand Tutor Dong’s family is known for its strict discipline, and his students and former officials are all over the world. Where would he have any favoritism?” Princess Chu replied casually.

Princess Zhao naturally understood the hidden meaning in his words, but she still said proudly, "The Dong family is known as the number one family in the Great Xia, and that's not something we made up. Since our ancestors, four generations have held high positions. No small family can compare to us."

After hearing this, the Princess of Chu stopped talking and just smiled.

The two parted ways halfway, and the Princess of Chu went straight to Mingcui Palace.

She had originally planned to visit the two princesses here first, and then go see her son, but she never expected that Ying Bai would be here.

"Oh, you've come at just the right time! Quickly, tell them to bring you another cushion." Princess Duanmin was very pleased. "It's cold today, so I've invited the children to come here for some roast meat. Doesn't it smell delicious?"

"Well, I did come here following the scent," said the Princess of Chu, smiling as she took off her outer coat. "I was wondering why my index finger was itchy this morning; it must be because of this."

"Mother, it's snowing. Why did you come to the palace? Is the road easy to walk on? Are you cold?" Ying Bai put down his chopsticks as soon as his mother came in and went to her side.

"Although it has snowed, it is not as cold as the dead of winter," said the Princess of Chu. "They went out to hunt wild game before dawn, and I wanted to bring it to the palace while it was still fresh so that His Highnesses and Her Majesty the Empress could taste it. It is my way of showing my care."

“Look, I knew it! Bai’er is such a filial and sensible child, he’s just like his mother.” Princess Duanmin looked at the mother and son with envy and said, “If I had a son this big, what worries wouldn’t I be able to solve?”

“Now that you see how good other people’s sons are, you want a son too,” the Princess teased her. “You’re old enough to have one, but you’ll have to be patient and raise him to this age.” “Whether I can have one is one thing, whether he’ll look like this after he’s born is another matter entirely.” Princess Duanmin picked up her banana leaf cup and drank a cup of hot wine, her cheeks instantly flushing red. “In my opinion, it would be better to adopt Bai’er as a godson…”

She was only halfway through her sentence when a maidservant beside her was placing venison on a bronze grill, and splattered oil droplets landed on the princess's hand.

The princess cried out in pain, and everyone quickly checked on her and brought her burn ointment.

Princess Chu and Ying Bai rushed forward to help, so they couldn't respond to Princess Duanmin's words.

Princess Chu ate some roasted meat here, and Consort Yun and Noble Lady Fang came over for a visit.

Everyone said, "No wonder we smelled such a wonderful aroma as soon as we walked in. Turns out they're grilling meat! They should at least share some with us; it's making our stomachs rumble."

As everyone chatted and laughed, offering them seats, the Princess of Chu gave her son a wink, and the two of them got up from their seats.

"It's been a long time since I've seen Consort Yun. You look much healthier than in previous years," Princess Chu greeted Consort Yun with a smile.

"I've been feeling alright lately, and I can occasionally go out for a walk. But I can't manage in the afternoon, and I have to go back to bed." Consort Yun was still a little out of breath when she spoke; she was indeed ill.

"I didn't call you because I was afraid there wouldn't be enough meat to go around, but now it's all good. Princess Chu has sent in a lot of fresh wild game, so you can eat as much as you want, just don't overeat," Princess Duanmin joked.

“We’re full, please have a seat,” said the Princess of Chu with a smile. “I had a late breakfast today, and if this meat hadn’t been so delicious, I would never have come here.”

After the two were seated, she smiled and said to everyone, "I've been here for a while now, and I must go and pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress before coming back. Otherwise, it would seem disrespectful."

“Go ahead! I know you’ve always been the most proper person.” The princess nodded. “But it’s hot inside and cold outside, so please make sure you’re dressed warmly.”

Princess Chu felt that the eldest princess had always treated her indifferently in the past, but recently, for some reason, she seemed much more affectionate than usual, and this was not just her imagination.

"Mother, let me go with you! The road is slippery." Ying Bai said, putting on his coat as well.

Princess Duanmin always praised him in front of everyone for being sensible and filial, so he naturally had to act like one.

The mother and son temporarily left Mingcui Palace because of the cold weather and the lack of people on the road.

The Queen Consort of Chu then asked her son, "How have you been in the palace these past few days? Has no one given you any trouble?"

"Ying Tong was naturally unhappy, and his words were sarcastic and sometimes even physical. However, he has been ill these past two days, and Princess Duanmin often invites me to her place, so Mother doesn't need to worry too much."

"Child, I came to the palace today to tell you that if you don't want to suffer such humiliation anymore, you need to grow up." The Princess Consort of Chu took a deep breath; the cool air pierced her lungs like icy needles, yet exhaling brought an indescribable sense of relief. "Your father and I have discussed this; simply enduring it won't help. You are far superior to that Ying Tong, why can't you fight back?" (End of Chapter)