Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Princess Yu, standing beside her, was talking to Princess Rui, her tone full of envy.

"...Congratulations, sister-in-law, on the birth of your precious grandson. Wan Ning is truly blessed to have given birth to such a son. Ce'er's feelings are crystal clear."

Princess Rui smiled demurely, which could be considered a response.

It seemed that everyone knew she was just a decoration, a decoration from the State of Chu.

But if she, as the Crown Prince's wife, didn't attend this banquet, it would be beneath the dignity of the Prince Rui's residence. Yet, even if she did come, she would only sit here and watch a spectacle of splendor that had nothing to do with her.

Ling Xi didn't know what they were thinking. Whether they were deliberately trying to embarrass her or it was unintentional, in any case, it wouldn't disturb her mind too much.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze inadvertently sweeping across the corner of the hall door. The butler standing respectfully at the door was no longer the former Butler Zhou.

Ling Xi paused, her hand holding the teacup trembling slightly.

I heard that Steward Zhou has been in the Prince's mansion for more than 20 years. He is an old man who watched Xiao Ce grow up and is always calm and composed.

As for the final outcome of the Yunqi Academy incident, she could only guess, because it seemed that the Prince Rui's Mansion had deliberately suppressed the matter.

It was said that Xiao Ce personally interrogated Zhou for a day and a night, and two days later, Steward Zhou completely disappeared from the Prince's residence. Clearly, the poisoning was related to Steward Zhou.

Ultimately, it seems that Butler Zhou was just using Ling Xi as a pretext; the ones who were truly harmed were Mu Wanning and the newborn child.

As for what grudge or grievance Zhou had with Mu Wanning, she had no idea and did not want to know.

She lowered her eyes, concealing the cold light in them, and resumed her indifferent demeanor.

All of her actions were observed by Xiao Ce, who was opposite her.

It wasn't that Xiao Ce was intentionally paying attention to her; it was just that she seemed so independent and out of place amidst the lively atmosphere.

She opened her beautiful eyes and casually looked around, seemingly unconcerned even when she heard the words of Yu Wang's aunt that were not very friendly to her.

No one exchanged pleasantries with her, and she seemed completely indifferent, simply sitting quietly in her seat, occasionally sipping her hot tea.

An ordinary woman would probably find it unbearable if her husband had a child with a concubine, but she accepted it very well.

It seems that this marriage was a transaction, a mission, for her, just like it was for him.

"Young Master has arrived!"

Sun Mama's clear voice came from outside the hall. The wet nurse carrying the swaddled baby slowly stepped into the main hall. The hall, which had been filled with laughter and light conversation just moments before, fell silent in an instant.

Ling Xi sat upright at the table, her gaze involuntarily following the figure. This was the first time she had seen the child. She had heard that Mu Wanning was weak after recovering from the poison, so the child had been taken to Princess Rui's courtyard and two wet nurses had been found for him.

Ling Xi finally became somewhat interested. She wanted to see what this baby, who was not yet full-term but looked no different from an ordinary infant and had almost been poisoned in the womb, looked like.

Without exception, every guest in the hall unconsciously craned their necks and peered into the room.

The wet nurse walked straight to Mu Wanning and carefully handed the child over. She reached out and took the child gently, looking down at the baby in the swaddling clothes with an unyielding tenderness in her eyes. She was completely different from the girl who had argued with her on the rockery in the garden.

Ling Xi watched this unfold and sighed softly in her heart. It turned out that becoming a mother could truly change a person a lot.

A moment later, Mu Wanning gently handed the child back to the wet nurse.

Next, the wet nurse steadily carried the child for the guests to see one by one, supported by two maids on either side, and slowly walked around the banquet table by table.

At each stop, soft exclamations of praise and congratulations arose from the crowd, and everywhere one looked, there was an undisguised joy.

Ling Xi eagerly awaited her child's turn at her table, but it was almost the very last time the child finally arrived.

Ling Xi found the round, soft little ball of flesh in the swaddling clothes quite novel; she had never seen such a small baby before.

The youngest of the brothers in the Chu palace was only three years younger than Ling Xi. How could she have ever seen such a soft and adorable little thing? A rosy, chubby little bundle, its features not yet fully developed.

Upon closer inspection, Ling Xi noticed that the child resembled Xiao Ce more, with strikingly similar features. It seemed that the Xiao family shared a common trait in their features, as did Xiao Xiao and the Crown Prince.

The delicate features that fell on the small baby's face lost their sharpness and gained a soft and gentle quality.

Overwhelmed with joy, she forgot that this was the child born to her husband and his beloved. She felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and her lips unconsciously curved upwards.

Her face was so tender it seemed like it could break at the slightest touch, making one want to gently touch it. She did indeed reach out her hand involuntarily, but her fingertips froze in mid-air, too afraid to make a move.

In that instant, the wet nurse holding the child seemed to have seen a ghost, and hurriedly took two steps back while holding the child, her eyes full of defensiveness.

Ling Xi slowly raised her eyes. The room was silent. Everyone's eyes fell on her, and the expressions on each person's face were intriguing.

Some chuckled inwardly, thinking that she, as the Crown Prince's principal wife, truly couldn't tolerate a son born of a concubine. Some showed sympathy, but only dared to watch from afar, remaining silent. Others watched coldly, waiting to see her make a fool of herself.

Her hand, suspended in mid-air without having "succeeded," seemed to become the most direct evidence of the "crime."

She unconsciously shifted her gaze to Xiao Ce and Mu Wanning. Xiao Ce remained relatively calm, his indifferent eyes still revealing emotions she couldn't decipher, while Mu Wanning had already sat up abruptly, her eyes filled with terror.

On the right, Princess Rui and Princess Yu both had their eyes wide open.

Princess Rui's gaze fell heavily upon her, fixed on her with a sharpness that seemed to pierce through her.

It was a wary precaution that had already condemned her, as if she really would do something to an infant in swaddling clothes in front of everyone.

Ling Xi curled her fingertips, and the slight novelty and tenderness she felt towards the baby vanished instantly.

She neither dodged nor avoided the gazes of the crowd, her lips curving into a barely perceptible smile. There was no explanation, no loss of composure, only utter disdain in her eyes.

Ling Xi sometimes felt that the people of Liang were truly incomprehensible. Did she, as the principal wife, have to be fiercely jealous of the concubines?

She was, after all, a noble princess of the Chu Kingdom. She didn't need to rely on Xiao Ce and the Prince Rui's mansion. She could live a very relaxed and carefree life. Why would she need to compete for favor with a concubine?

Besides, everyone knows that her relationship with Xiao Ce is merely a marriage alliance, so why would she be jealous?