Instantly, everyone looked at Yu Qingwu.

Qiu Shiyi Niang looked aggrieved and pursed her lips. Before Yu Qingwu could speak, she sighed in a very magnanimous tone, "It's alright, I was just asking. I suppose Consort Yu simply forgot?"

"Consort Yu probably prepared it but forgot to bring it. You don't know, Consort Yu is in charge of the Prince's household affairs now. She's busy with many things, so forgetting is normal."

At that moment, someone spoke from the crowd.

It was You Wanwan, Xie Qiyun's principal wife. She was holding a box of apricot-colored lipstick in her hand, a smile playing on her lips. She looked at Yu Qingwu while pretending to speak up for her, "Consort Yu, am I right? You must have forgotten to bring it. Otherwise, why does everyone else have it except for Shiyi Niang?"

Heh, this You Wanwan is quite the master of sarcasm.

She says she's busy with many things on the surface, but in reality, she's accusing her of deliberately giving Qiu Shiyi Niang a hard time.

I wonder what her reaction will be when those two maids are sent to her later?

Qingwu sneered inwardly, her eyes smiling. She gracefully glanced at Qiu Shiyi Niang and answered You Wanwan without any pretense, "Elder Sister-in-law is mistaken. I indeed did not prepare a gift for my maternal aunt today."

"However, I can't be blamed for this. Before coming to the palace, His Highness the Crown Prince did not tell me that Maternal Aunt Qiu would be here as well. Therefore, I only prepared gifts for my elder sisters-in-law and the princesses..."

Her tone was gentle and refined, and she was generous and amiable, without a hint of guilt or fear.

She didn't seem like the petty woman that the rumors suggested at all...

In an instant, You Wanwan choked, and Qiu Shiyi Niang's face became even more unsightly.

Wasn't Yu's words deliberately revealing to everyone that the Crown Prince didn't care for her?

You know, rumors outside said that the Crown Prince broke off his engagement with Shen Rou in order to marry her.

In addition, she had been frequently visiting Fengzao Palace these days, and she was already the default Crown Princess.

But now...

Seeing the surprised expressions on everyone's faces, Qiu Shiyi Niang's face turned red, and she looked extremely embarrassed at Xie Jin Yan, who was eating melon seeds on the side.

The princesses, imperial concubines, and commandery princesses also looked over.

Xie Jin Yan leaned back in his chair, as if he hadn't heard them at all, and was busy teasing the birds beside him.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Qiu Shiyi Niang couldn't hold back anymore. She bit her lip, walked towards Xie Jin Yan, and called out softly, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Huh? Is there something, Maternal Aunt?" Xie Jin Yan turned his head and asked very respectfully.

As if he had just come back to his senses...

Hearing this, Qiu Shiyi Niang's face turned even redder.

The other imperial concubines and princesses also showed strange expressions. The Crown Prince actually called Qiu Shiyi Niang of the Qiu family "maternal aunt" along with Yu, which was clearly a deliberate slap in the face!

But didn't the rumors outside say that the Crown Prince broke off the engagement with the Shen family for Qiu Shiyi Niang? Could it all be fake?

Everyone looked at Qiu Shiyi Niang, then at Xie Jin Yan, and all looked at each other in dismay.

Qiu Shiyi Niang was even more embarrassed now, but she was still unwilling.

Especially when she thought of the humiliation she had suffered in the Shen family while serving Qiu these days, she couldn't wait to tear Yu Qingwu into pieces.

Today, she must make this lowly merchant's daughter, Yu Qingwu, completely disliked by these noble women. In the future... after she marries into the Crown Prince's residence, she can better control this woman.

Old and new grudges surged together, and the resentment in Qiu Shiyi Niang's eyes deepened.

She suppressed her emotions and looked at Xie Jin Yan again, with a forced smile, deliberately reminding him, "It's nothing, I just wanted to ask you if Her Majesty the Queen didn't tell you that I was also here today, which is why you didn't mention it to Consort Yu, causing such a misunderstanding."

"Actually, it's nothing, but I'm just afraid that others will gossip about Consort Yu, so..."

"There's no misunderstanding. I deliberately didn't tell A'wu; there was no need." Before Qiu Shiyi Niang could finish speaking, Xie Jin Yan suddenly interrupted her.

Hearing this, Qiu Shiyi Niang was stunned, and her eyes instantly turned red.

She looked at Xie Jin Yan in confusion, her voice a little choked, "Your Highness the Crown Prince... why is that? Did I offend Your Highness somewhere, making you unhappy? I came to the palace today at the invitation of Her Majesty the Queen..."

Qiu Shiyi Niang wiped her tears as she spoke, glancing at Xie Jin Yan sideways. She deliberately mentioned the Queen just now, hoping that the Crown Prince would favor her a little for the Queen's sake, so as to give Yu Qingwu a hard time.

But she never expected that the Crown Prince would be so infatuated with Yu that he was outrageously unwilling to even give the Queen face.

Therefore, she deliberately mentioned it again.

Xie Jin Yan put down the birdcage and slowly stood up, his eyes gradually impatient.

He stared at Qiu Shiyi Niang coldly for a moment, then lazily replied, "Maternal Aunt Qiu has not offended me, but when I look at you, I feel sorry for my eldest sister-in-law, and I also feel sorry for my mother's vision. Who would have thought that the most talented woman in the capital would be the kind who offers herself up on a pillow..."

???

What does the Crown Prince mean by this? Could it be... Qiu Shiyi Niang and the First Prince?

Everyone was shocked.

Yu Qingwu was also shocked, but soon, she reacted.

She stepped forward and grabbed Xie Jin Yan's wrist, calling out in a low voice, "Your Highness, don't say anymore. She is, after all, my maternal aunt..."

As soon as these words came out, the hall was even more chaotic.

Listening to the Crown Prince's implication, I'm afraid this Qiu Shiyi Niang is already the First Prince's woman! If that's the case, she still wants to marry the Crown Prince; she's simply shameless!

A group of princesses, commandery princesses, imperial concubines, and noble ladies looked at me, and I looked at you, all with shocked expressions.

You Wanwan's body shook even more violently, and her face turned black.

Looking at Qiu Shiyi Niang's eyes, it was as if she wanted to tear her apart.

But soon, she calmed down and immediately stood up to defend her husband, glaring at Xie Jin Yan and loudly retorting, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, please be careful with your words! My prince is fine, but you are talking nonsense like this; how will Miss Qiu live in the future?"

Xie Jin Yan snorted and didn't answer.

He only glanced at her with sarcasm, then took Yu Qingwu's hand and said softly, "A'wu, let's go."

After saying that, the two stepped out of Fengzao Palace.

When the Queen came out, she only saw Qiu Shiyi Niang standing in the front hall, crying.

You Wanwan kept patting her back to comfort her, while the other women exchanged gossip with their eyes.

Queen Zhou swept her cold gaze over everyone, her face turning green, "What happened?"

Hearing this, everyone was afraid to speak.

Only Queen Zhou's biological daughter, Sixth Princess Xie Ruizhi, stepped forward timidly, looking extremely embarrassed at Qiu Shiyi Niang, then at You Wanwan, and stuttered, "Replying... replying to Mother Empress, just now, Royal Brother and Royal Sister-in-law came, and Royal Brother said..."

"Said the Eldest Royal Brother and Qiu Shiyi Niang were having an affair."

As soon as these words came out, the air fell into dead silence again.

Everyone held their breath unconsciously...

Qiu Shiyi Niang had already cried her eyes out, kneeling in front of Queen Zhou in grievance, crying, "Your Majesty the Queen, I don't know what I did wrong to provoke the Crown Prince to slander me so!"

"Don't worry, if the Crown Prince really slanders you, this palace will definitely stand up for you." Queen Zhou's face was cold, and she appeared just on the surface, but the look in her eyes at Qiu Shiyi Niang gradually turned gloomy...