"I'll go see third sister," Wang Qingyao said.
Han Suiqin offered an understanding smile. "The tea ceremony is about to begin. Why doesn't Princess Consort Wang wait until it's over? Then we can all go visit Zhen'er sister together."
She used to call her Princess Consort, but now she had subtly shifted to Princess Consort Sister. Han Suiqin was clearly putting a lot of thought into these titles.
Wang Qingyao smiled. "You all compete. I don't know how to prepare tea."
"You don't?" Han Suiqin was taken aback. Her surprised expression seemed quite genuine, indicating her true astonishment.
Even she, a girl from a small town, had hired someone to teach her tea preparation. How could Wang Qingyao, a daughter of a third-rank official in Duanjing, not know how?
However, she quickly understood.
The third-rank official was Wang Da. Wang Qingyao was merely his niece by a different branch, and with her parents deceased and an inauspicious title, which elder in the Wang family would bother teaching her?
Wang Qingyao showed no embarrassment, still smiling. "Yes, I don't."
"Why doesn't Princess Consort Ding'an know how?" Wei Yu asked, feigning innocence. "Is it because you're too foolish to learn?"
"Ayu," Wei Qing quickly chided her.
Wei Yu pouted. "I'm just curious. I thought all the girls in Duanjing knew how to prepare tea."
Wang Qingyao: "Heh, just assume I'm foolish. Alright, I'm going to see third sister now."
Wang Qingyao spoke in a tone meant to placate a child, her face radiating an "I won't stoop to your level" attitude. Wei Yu felt like she had punched cotton, finding it rather pointless.
Feng Jiangduo followed Wang Qingyao. Han Suiqin called out to her, "County Princess Nange..."
Feng Jiangduo looked back at her. "I don't know how either."
Han Suiqin: "..."
Seeing that Wang Qingyao and Feng Jiangduo had no apparent animosity, Wei Yu narrowed her eyes. Hmph, what a pair of good sisters. Had they cleared up their misunderstanding so quickly? Or was Feng Jiangduo innocent, while Wang Qingyao harbored suspicions?
Wei Yu's gaze darkened. It seemed the misunderstanding wasn't enough. Given Wang Qingyao's personality, she hadn't erupted!
Before Wang Qingyao had walked far, she heard a maid's voice, a mixture of excitement and pleasant surprise, approaching from a distance.
"Miss Han, Miss Han, His Highness Prince Qi has sent someone to deliver a set of tea ware for you. Please come to the front courtyard to take a look."
Han Suiqin's face lit up with joy, though she tried to suppress it, not wanting her happiness to be too obvious.
She feigned nonchalance as she addressed the others. "Perhaps His Highness heard I was hosting a tea party." She smiled faintly. "He's spent money again. I'll be right back."
She followed the maid away.
Wei Yu sneered contemptuously. It seemed this future Princess Consort of Prince Qi hadn't realized she was merely a shield, still believing Prince Qi was genuinely fond of her!
Wei Yu found it amusing.
Fang Yuan whispered to Zuo Yun, "It seems Prince Qi is quite fond of Miss Han!"
Wang Qingyao let out a cold laugh. Prince Qi was truly putting on a complete act. It seemed that besides this tea set, he had sent many other things to the Wang family.
After all, Han Suiqin was his beloved.
Wang Qingyao entered the Prosperous Stars Pavilion. Feng Jiangduo had little acquaintance with Wang Qingzhen and disdained any pretense, so she waited outside the courtyard.
Wang Qingzhen, having been deeply wronged, had not left her room or seen the sun for days. Her face was pale, and she was as thin as if malnourished.
Upon seeing Wang Qingyao, her eyes reddened, her lips quivered, and she began to cry.
Aunt Ying, who was by her bedside, said, "Third Miss, the Princess Consort has come to see you. You should be happy. Why are you crying?"
Aunt Ying was unaware that Wang Qingyao already knew about the affair between Wang Qingzhen, Han Suiqin, and Prince Qi, and was trying her best to conceal it.
After all, the last time she had asked Wang Qingyao to mediate, Wang Qingyao had flatly refused and warned her not to set her sights on the princes.
If Wang Qingyao found out Wang Qingzhen had acted on her own, would she still be willing to help Wang Qingzhen out of anger?
If Wang Qingzhen's marriage could be facilitated by Princess Consort Ding'an, how bad could it be?
Unfortunately, even if she married a prince like Han Suiqin, she would never compare to Han Suiqin.
Aunt Ying firmly believed that Prince Qi was the prince destined to inherit the throne.
The thought of Wang Qingzhen missing out on the position of Empress filled her with resentment and grief, no less than Wang Qingzhen's.
Wang Qingyao said, "Aunt Ying, could you please step out for a moment? I'd like to speak with third sister alone."
Aunt Ying led the maids out of the room.
Seeing that no one else was present, Wang Qingzhen cried even harder. "Second sister, originally... originally the position of Princess Consort of Prince Qi was mine."
Wang Qingyao feigned ignorance. "What do you mean? You don't know yet, do you? The Emperor originally intended for Prince Qi to marry Princess Yinyue as his princess consort. But Prince Qi pleaded with the Emperor, saying he was enamored with Miss Han and wished to marry her as his princess consort."
Wang Qingzhen was stunned. She didn't know this. She also didn't know that a prince who married a foreign princess would be unable to inherit the throne. She only thought that Prince Qi cherished Han Suiqin, and her heart ached with bitterness.
"It's not because, it's not because..."
It wasn't because Han Suiqin was the one serving Prince Qi that day. If it had been her, Prince Qi would have been equally enamored with her and pleaded with the Emperor for her sake.
Wang Qingzhen thought this as a matter of course.
"Because of what?" Wang Qingyao said. "You and Han Suiqin are completely different people. Even if Prince Qi met both of you at the same time, he would still like Han Suiqin and not you."