Luck Reliant Beauty – CH 066

Chapter 66: Cui Zi Xuan Arrives

Indeed, with so many people in Shu Capital liking Cui Zi Xuan, adding Princess Yihua wouldn’t make much of a difference. However, the Empress couldn’t help but notice from her daughter that Cui Zi Xuan treated Jiang Mi, this country bumpkin, quite differently!

Slowly, the Empress’s smile faded. She stared at Jiang Mi, thinking with a hint of annoyance, “She really is a country bumpkin, such an ignorant little brat!”

Then, Empress smiled again. She picked up a cup of tea, slowly sipped it, and softly said to Jiang Mi, “Yihua might have forgotten, the person, Shu State’s Young Master Cui, is the eldest son of the Cui Clan of Boling… Such a thousand-year-old family has always maintained strict rules and regulations; even if they were to take a concubine, they wouldn’t choose one with a tainted reputation…”

Although the Empress didn’t finish her sentence, everyone understood that the one with a tainted reputation, unworthy to be Cui Zi Xuan’s concubine, was none other than Jiang Mi!

For a moment, two noblewomen smiled enigmatically, while the palace maids standing behind the Empress covered their mouths with their sleeves to hide their laughter.

Under the disdainful gazes of everyone in the hall, Jiang Mi’s chubby face already showed a hint of grievance.

Seeing that she still dared to show her grievances, Empress grew even more impatient. She waved her hand and softly ordered, “Well, Princess Yihua rarely comes to the Emperor’s palace. Take her out for a stroll.” She was talking to the two palace maids behind her.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

The two maids quickly agreed and accompanied Jiang Mi out of the Empress’s palace, one on each side.

As soon as they stepped out of the palace gates, one of the maids said to Jiang Mi, “Princess Yihua knows perfectly well that my Princess Qingyue admires Young Master Cui and is determined to marry him, yet she dared to confess her feelings for Young Master Cui in front of Your Imperial Highness… Is Princess Yihua deliberately trying to oppose Princess Qingyue?”

Jiang Mi froze, turning to look at the palace maid, stammering in confusion, “But…but the Eunuch just instructed that if Her Imperial Highness asks any questions, I must answer truthfully. I…I didn’t know that those words couldn’t be spoken…”

The palace maid choked. At that moment, another palace maid beside her smiled gently, “Princess Yihua has only been at Shu Capital for a short time; it’s normal that she doesn’t know many rules.”

In the blink of an eye, she looked at Jiang Mi and said quite kindly, “There’s something the Princess might not know: although His Majesty and Her Imperial Highness don’t mind your background and have allowed you to enjoy wealth and luxury, to a certain extent, your marriage isn’t something you can decide for yourself.”

At this point, the palace maid smiled shyly, pursing her lips, and said, “Look at her; even a simple truth has made Princess Yihua cry.”

Jiang Mi lowered her head and obediently continued walking.

To one side. Another palace maid said, “I heard that the Ever-Changing Beauty Fragrance that was popular recently—is that formula hers?”

Here came the real question!

Jiang Mi was startled. The maid, having already decided that the country bumpkin Jiang Mi completely missed the hint, continued, “Her Imperial Highness really likes that fragrance. I wonder if the Princess brought the formula with her this time? If the Princess presented the formula to Her Imperial Highness, perhaps Her Imperial Highness would be more accommodating in her marriage.”

Fine, now she was directly asking for it…

At that moment, Jiang Mi thought, “She’d heard people say that the current Empress came from a military family and wasn’t very literate; now it seemed it was indeed true.”

Both palace maids were watching Jiang Mi…

In fact, the Empress had a specific purpose in summoning Jiang Mi to the palace. Her main intention was to see what this seemingly lucky Young Lady looked like and, incidentally, to mention the possibility of Jiang Mi marrying Prince Kang as a concubine. Of course, in the Empress’s mind, for a country bumpkin like Jiang Mi to become a concubine of the State’s Royal Prince was a huge advantage. To show respect, Jiang Mi should at least present her with her “Ever Changing Beauty Fragrance” formula. Although the formula was useless now, it was still a treasure in her hands. She could give it to her family later. In a few decades, the Formula would become a family heirloom.

The Empress, however, had her plans completely disrupted by Jiang Mi’s reply that she had “already had someone she loved.” So, she gave up on further playful banter and sent two palace maids to directly convey her meaning to Jiang Mi, leaving it to Jiang Mi to decide whether to comply.

…And indeed, Jiang Mi did not comply. She paused, then, her small red mouth agape, stammered, “But, but that Fformula was given to me by Cui Zi Xuan.” Jiang Mi’s voice was a little hurried. She said earnestly, “I’m telling the truth! Cui Zi Xuan told me that it had been moldy in his storeroom, and he found it by chance and threw it to me to try. If it worked, he’d give it to me as a betrothal gift…”

Knowing that Cui Zi Xuan would never marry her, Jiang Mi spoke with absolute confidence!

Unfortunately, Jiang Mi’s words were too flimsy to withstand scrutiny, and the two palace maids couldn’t believe her. Just as they were about to reprimand her, a magnificent, melodious male voice, like the strains of a zither, suddenly rang out from the bamboo grove ahead, “What she said is true!”

Jiang Mi whirled around, and to the surprise of the two maids, Cui Zi Xuan, dressed in a purple robe, strolled out leisurely, hands behind his back, followed closely by two eunuchs and maids.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Cui Zi Xuan walked slowly to Jiang Mi, glanced at her with a half smile, then turned to the two palace maids and casually said, “That ancient formula has been sitting unnoticed in my Cui family’s underground storeroom. Since Princess Yihua discovered its uses, the family has ordered me to reclaim it… Hmm, it should be popular in Wu Yue now, but unfortunately, the ingredients are rare, so its popularity will only last a month or two.”

There was a Southern Tang between Later Shu and Wu Yue. What happened in Wu Yue was entirely up to him to say. Jiang Mi looked up at Cui Zi Xuan, who was working well with her, feeling a bit uneasy about this wicked man’s occasional kindness.

Cui Zi Xuan clearly didn’t take the Empress seriously. After uttering his words, he curtsied gracefully to the two palace maids and said in a deep, elegant voice, “Ladies, would you mind returning my Princess Yihua to me?”

Cui Zi Xuan was incredibly charming. The two maids, not even hearing his words clearly, were captivated by his smile and voice, forgetting their bearings. They stammered, “Alright, alright.” Then, Cui Zi Xuan grabbed Jiang Mi’s small hand and, with an air of authority, led her out of the palace.

Jiang Mi was somewhat confused.

Cui Zi Xuan walked through the Emperor’s palace as if it were his own backyard. Occasionally, he would encounter a palace eunuch or two, who would all nod with elegant grace, and the eunuchs would treat him with the utmost respect. After walking for a while, Cui Zi Xuan turned and glanced at Jiang Mi. Seeing her still looking bewildered, Cui Zi Xuan let out a soft snort and said, “The Empress has discovered that you might truly be blessed and is now considering marrying you off to that son of hers, hasn’t she? Princess Yihua, if I, Young Master Cui, hadn’t come to your rescue today, you would have been in dire straits…” He then added softly, “So, how do you intend to thank me?”