freenovelworld Chapter 369 The Prince of Chang Le Arrives!
Chapter 369 The Prince of Chang Le Arrives!
"Your Majesty flatters me; it was merely a coincidence."
Seeing her calm and composed demeanor, even though she had clearly won first place, she showed no signs of excitement. This demonstrates her truly serene nature; she is a rare and remarkable person.
"You're being modest now. Guards, give them a reward."
"Thank you, empress."
A female official held a tray, on which lay a pair of emerald green jade bracelets. Upon closer inspection, they were smooth and lustrous, with a vibrant green color throughout. The value of these bracelets was likely more than a thousand gold pieces.
"Your Majesty, Prince Chang Le has arrived."
"Quickly, summon him in."
Today, Duanmu Chuze wore a crimson python robe, a gold and jade crown, and a white jade belt, which further accentuated his heroic spirit.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager, and greetings to my two sisters-in-law."
"Well, why are you late today? In the past, if it were something like this, you would have arrived faster than anyone else!" the Empress teased.
Duanmu Chuze curled his lip, "Mother, don't you feel guilty saying that to yourself? When have I ever attended such a banquet? Uh, no, it's a tea party."
The Empress was amused by his slightly playful expression. "Look at him, this little rascal, he really should get married and find someone to keep him in check."
Mu Xin Nuan's heart was instantly gripped. She remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she had cursed Duanmu Chu Ze, that harmful guy, no less than a hundred times!
Duanmu Chuze raised an eyebrow. "Mother, so you really agree to my marriage as soon as possible? I knew it! Mother loves me the most. I've begged Father several times, but he always refused. Now that you've spoken, Father can't say anything more."
After Duanmu Chuze finished speaking, ignoring the stunned expressions of the Empress and the Crown Princess, he went straight to Mu Xin Nuan, frowning, "What are you doing here? You are my princess consort, you should sit with me. Let's go."
As he spoke, he grabbed Mu Xin Nuan's wrist and led her to her seat.
This move immediately shocked many people!
Who is this Prince Chang Le? Although he appears gentle on the surface, he always avoids women!
The girls, especially those unaware of the inside story between the two, were completely stunned!
What happened next after the two sat down surprised everyone even more!
He simply took a tangerine from in front of him, carefully wiped it with a clean white handkerchief, and then peeled it himself. After peeling it clean, he broke off a segment and fed it directly to Mu Xin Nuan's lips.
Mu Xin Nuan was completely stunned by his actions!
What is Duanmu Chuze up to? Is he complaining that he hasn't attracted enough women and wants to show them his gentle and affectionate side? Or is he just looking for trouble because he's too bored?
In fact, Mu Xin Nuan really wronged Duanmu Chu Ze!
He did this simply to let everyone present know that he would cherish and protect his principal wife, and that such tenderness and consideration would be reserved only for her!
His purpose is obvious: firstly, it was for the Empress and the Crown Princess to see, and secondly, it was to make those girls who still had feelings for him give up on their dreams as soon as possible!
Of course, what Duanmu Chuze was thinking about at this moment was that he needed to think quickly about which young lady he should be colder to, or even more ruthless to, so that they would back down!
Mu Xin Nuan had no idea what he was thinking at that moment. She hated Duanmu Chu Ze to the core. Didn't this guy know that by doing this, he was clearly putting her on the spot?
Xie Yilin never expected that Duanmu Chuze would have such a side to him. It was simply too shocking!
Duanmu Chuze, whom everyone calls a hero, has never held a woman's hand before, nor has he ever shown such doting affection for a woman.
This completely overturned the image of the hero, Prince Chang Le, in people's minds!
Although Xie Yilin was envious, she knew who was sitting in the central hall. No matter how impulsive she felt, she wouldn't do anything in front of the Empress and the Crown Princess. It took a lot of effort to suppress the jealousy in her heart.
Xie Yilin held back, but the previous Miss Wang could not.
"The Prince is indeed different from the rumors. It seems that these rumors cannot be entirely believed! Your Highness, don't you agree?"
The Empress glanced at this niece, who was Wang Ziyu's half-sister. She couldn't quite remember her name, but it seemed to be either Wang Ziling or Wang Zijin.
"Alright, since Miss Mu guessed the first tea correctly and even described the brewing method perfectly, it has truly broadened my horizons."
The Crown Princess also smiled and said, "Mother, since this is a tea party, now that we've tasted the first cup of tea, shouldn't we let everyone relax a bit?"
"Good! You're very perceptive."
The Crown Princess smiled and flattered the Empress a couple more times. With a single glance, a group of beauties poured into the central hall, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.
Looking at the graceful figures of these dancers, each one of them beautiful and charming, I couldn't help but feel a little envious!
Compared to these dancers, which of the ladies seated here isn't from a prestigious family? Which one isn't exceptionally beautiful and talented? For most people, it's probably a bit uncomfortable that this unknown daughter of the Mu family has suddenly become involved with the Prince of Chang Le.
Mu Xin Nuan noticed a gaze fixed on her, and quickly turned her head to look. She found that it was her mother looking at her with some worry!
Mu Xin Nuan smiled in response, indicating to her mother that there was no need to worry. Her greatest support right now was this prince, so what was there to be afraid of?
Duanmu Chuze also noticed Li's unease, and like Mu Xinnuan, he smiled faintly at Li and nodded slightly.
This was tantamount to making a silent promise to the Li family, thus putting their minds at ease.
The interaction between the two parties did not attract much attention until the song ended and the dancers all left. Only then did Mu Xin Nuan see the extremely unfriendly look that Miss Wang had given her.
"Bring the second cup of tea." As soon as the Empress finished speaking, the lady-in-waiting beside her withdrew, and soon brought in several more palace servants to serve tea again.
This time, Xie Yilin naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to give Mu Xinnuan another chance. She simply sniffed the tea, took a sip, and then explained the name, type, and brewing method of the tea in detail, which earned the Empress's praise.