"What, is that not permissible?"
Ouyang Qinglin looked at Ouyang Wan'er, his seductive eyes filled with a smile, but his smile was like an ice blade dipped in poison.
Ouyang Wan'er trembled in fear, not daring to meet Ouyang Qinglin's gaze. She turned and ran to the Emperor of Xia, grabbing his sleeve with a wronged expression, "Father Emperor, Third Imperial Uncle is bullying Wan'er, you must stand up for Wan'er."
She dared not do anything to Ouyang Qinglin, but her father was the Emperor of Xia, and her father would surely avenge her!
"Your Majesty, Wan'er is ignorant, please do not take offense with her."
The Emperor of Xia narrowed his small eyes, patted Ouyang Wan'er's hand, and turned to look at Ouyang Qinglin.
"Imperial Brother, Wan'er and several princes are all royal descendants, role models for all the people in the world. Therefore, they should pay more attention to etiquette and virtue. Today, she is a junior, and I am an elder. As a junior, she should naturally offer tea and show filial piety to an elder, shouldn't she? Imperial Brother!"
His wicked gaze swept over Ouyang Ting, and his thin lips curled up, "Imperial Brother, do you remember the night our uncle left?"
The bloody and terrifying scene flashed before his eyes, and Ouyang Ting's plump body trembled. That night was the one he most wanted to forget. Ouyang Qinglin held a bloody head in his hand, dripping blood as he walked past him. Such a scene had clearly scared him into a stupor.
"Wan'er, go and offer a cup of tea to your Third Imperial Aunt."
Ouyang Wan'er's delicate hand, which was holding Ouyang Ting's arm, stiffened. She turned her head and looked at Ouyang Ting with shock, "Father Emperor!"
Ouyang Ting frowned, roughly shook her off, and said unpleasantly, "Why aren't you going?"
Ouyang Wan'er's eyes welled up with tears. Supported by her personal maid, she approached Gu Qianying. As the tea was being prepared, Ouyang Wan'er gave her personal maid a look.
The maid understood. After the tea was prepared, it was handed to her by Ouyang Wan'er's personal maid.
She held the teacup, facing Gu Qianying, and said reluctantly, "Ninth Imperial Aunt, please have some tea."
Gu Qianying looked at Ouyang Wan'er, who was offering the tea, with a cold expression. "Didn't you have to kneel? Offering it with both hands would show sincerity, after all, I am your Third Imperial Aunt, you know."
"Gu Qianying! You..."
Ouyang Wan'er was about to explode with anger.
What?
She, a noble princess, was being asked to kneel to a commoner!
How could Ouyang Wan'er tolerate such an insult!
Tears welled up in her eyes, and her anger suppressed her last shred of reason. Just as she was about to erupt, Gu Qianying slowly stood up, walked around the table, and stood before her. "Your Highness, do not be hasty. I was merely joking with you just now. Please do not take it seriously."
Asking a princess to kneel to her, was she not seeking more trouble?
It was natural for a junior to offer tea to an elder, but whether one should kneel to offer tea depended on the identity of the person receiving the tea.
In the past, princesses who married into families never knelt when offering tea to elders. Disregarding the dignity of the imperial family was a grave offense!
Reaching out to take the tea,
Ouyang Wan'er suddenly smiled sinisterly at Gu Qianying. Before Gu Qianying's hand could touch the teacup, she abruptly let go, knocking over the teacup. The scalding tea poured towards Gu Qianying's face.
Ouyang Qinglin, who was closest to Gu Qianying, his wicked eyes narrowed sharply. He lifted his red sleeve, intending to intervene, but someone was faster than him.
A white figure instantly appeared in front of Gu Qianying, reaching out to embrace her.
Gu Qianying's wrist was suddenly pulled hard by the person behind her. Her steps faltered, and as she retreated, she bumped into the person behind her. She grabbed his embrace with her red sleeve. "Little thing, are you alright?"
The moment he missed Gu Qianying, Nangong Mo's grasp was empty. The tea splashed all over him, the heat soaking through his clothes. His white robe was still stained with steaming tea leaves.
Gu Qianying was slightly stunned and wanted to step forward, but was held tightly by Ouyang Qinglin.
"I'm fine."
Gu Qianying did not want to be so intimate with Ouyang Qinglin. She pushed Ouyang Qinglin away and turned to look at Nangong Mo, only to see Ouyang Wan'er wiping his clothes with a silk handkerchief.
Gu Qianying's breath tightened. The scene before her was somewhat jarring. She turned her face away.
Nangong Mo did not want to be so close to Ouyang Wan'er, but Ouyang Wan'er held onto his robe and refused to let go, speaking words that she thought were thoughtful, "Mo Bai, why did you rush over? This consort was not scalded, I'm fine."
In Ouyang Wan'er's opinion, Mo Bai had rushed over because he was worried about her.
Nangong Mo frowned, about to explain something, when whispers of praise for his good relationship with Princess Changping spread from the crowd.
Ouyang Wan'er was overjoyed.
She knew that Mo Bai liked her, otherwise, why would he rush over to save her?
The new Empress Chen glanced at Nangong Mo, then turned to Gu Qianying, sighing, "Alas, the misunderstanding has not been resolved, and it has deepened."
As the banquet was nearing its end.
The new Empress Chen looked somewhat weary. She turned and instructed her attendant, Jiu'er, to bring her the fetal-preserving medicine.
At this time, she usually needed to take her fetal-preserving medicine, and today would be no exception.
The attendant brought the medicinal soup. The new Empress Chen looked at her. This attendant looked somewhat unfamiliar. She frowned and asked, "Where is Jiu'er?"
Jiu'er was a first-rank attendant by her side, her personal maid, and the person she trusted most.
"Replying to Your Majesty the Empress, Sister Jiu'er accidentally sprained her ankle on the way. She specifically instructed this servant to bring Your Majesty the fetal-preserving medicine and to have Your Majesty drink it while it's hot."
"Yes, give it to me."
The new Empress Chen did not think much of it. She took a sip of the medicinal soup from the attendant's hand and frowned again. The taste of this fetal-preserving medicine was different from usual.
"Why does it taste... bitter."
As soon as she finished speaking, the new Empress Chen looked up and saw that the attendant had already disappeared.
Her face changed drastically, and she knew something was wrong.
She prepared to call out for help, but a sudden abdominal pain made her stand up, clutching her stomach, only to fall back down.
Beside her, the attendant cried out, "Your Majesty the Empress, what's wrong with you?"
In extreme pain, she saw blood beneath her. The new Empress Chen's face turned pale.
Two attendants helped her up.
Beside them, Ouyang Ting saw the pool of blood beneath Empress Chen and his face changed drastically. "Quickly summon the imperial physician!"
Everyone looked over at the commotion, their faces filled with shock.
"Ah, Your Majesty the Empress... this is..."
A commotion arose in the crowd.
The chief eunuch by Ouyang Ting's side hurried to fetch the imperial physician.
The new Empress Chen's abdominal pain was unbearable, and she was almost fainting.
Suddenly, a pair of hands firmly grasped her.
Raising her eyes slightly, she saw Gu Qianying's face.
Seeing her, the new Empress Chen clutched Gu Qianying's hands as if she had found a lifesaver, her hands trembling. "Qianying... please save the child in my womb, I beg you."
Gu Qianying quickly took the new Empress Chen's pulse and then felt her stomach.
"Poisoned, causing severe abdominal pain. If you wish to preserve the fetus, the abdomen must be opened immediately to remove the fetus!"