Cui Xiaoqiu smiled and said, "Great. I happen to have some friends here. I didn't get to properly entertain them last night, so I'll treat them to lunch today."
He didn't drink much last night; his friends drank for him.
"OK."
Yanran waved her hand and happily headed towards Tang Zhuyun's Palace of Eternal Peace.
There were indeed many people there.
In the bright and sunny March, Tang Zhuyun simply had wool blankets laid out in the courtyard, and everyone sat on the ground, laughing and chatting happily.
The largest group is Ren Yingying's "family".
Ren Yingying asked Jinse, "How are things going with that guy?"
Jinse nervously plucked the strings of her pipa a few times, her face unconsciously turning red.
Yuanyang smiled and said, "Someone is telling people that the Crown Princess should make the decision! Don't worry, they'll be asking you for help soon."
Ren Yingying: "Quickly send someone to tell him that I agree! Let the child be happy!"
Jinse: "..."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Ren Yingying: "You should be getting anxious. Look, even the youngest Jinjin is a mother now! Aren't you all worried? Come on, Jinjin, sit in the middle so we can all share in the joy."
Jinjin gave birth to twins last year, a boy and a girl. Because they were too young, Great Confucian Scholar Kong couldn't bear to part with them, so they stayed in the border town.
Ren Yingying was incredibly envious.
She had twins at once, now she has both a son and a daughter!
She now wants to have another pair of twins, a boy and a girl, so that Jingjing will have a sister and someone to inherit the family business.
Jinjin was eating a snack, her cheeks bulging, still as Lovely and innocent as ever.
Tang Zhuyun chuckled and asked the Hua Cha beside her, "Are the grandmothers all well?"
Hua Cha is now a mother of two, and her figure is a bit fuller than before, but her eyes and brows reveal a more capable air about her as the head of the household.
--Don't let her gentle nature and quiet demeanor fool you; she has that little tyrant Xue Lie completely under her thumb.
This is probably the principle of using brine to curdle tofu—one thing subdues another.
Hua Cha smiled gently and said, "Everything is fine. The old lady specifically instructed me to tell Her Majesty that everything is well and that you shouldn't worry. As long as you and the Emperor are well, that's all that matters."
Tang Zhuyun smiled and nodded.
This is family.
Even though we're thousands of miles apart, I only worry about whether you're doing well.
The children ran around in the yard flying kites, while Wuxian, who didn't like to move, was drawing, with Guagua "giving him pointers" from the side. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.
Qu Hua was bored and wanted to find an excuse to slip away and find Yanran.
She had absolutely no interest in these trivial family matters.
If it weren't for playing with her adorable little niece Qu Jingjing, she wouldn't have made it this far.
Women become vulgar after marriage, and men and children are so boring.
Unexpectedly, Yanran returned, walking right into the trap.
Qu Hua was immediately delighted and beckoned her to sit down next to her.
The two of them hadn't even had a chance to catch up properly!
Yanran a newlywed, Yanran was bound to be the subject of some teasing.
She wasn't shy at all, and chatted and laughed with everyone in a generous manner. Then she took a fruit plate and sat down next to Qu Hua.
"How have you been lately?" Yanran asked, popping a piece of apple into her mouth.
Qu Hua was not a warm-hearted person, and she especially disliked writing letters.
She is also very open-minded about friendships.
When we're together, let's have a lively time; when we're apart, let's each be well.
It's better to meet face-to-face than to pour out your heart to each other.
"It's alright," Qu Hua said. "I'm just unlucky; I'm completely tied down by Mu Ziyu."
"What? You're pregnant?"
"No, it's his father who had a stroke."
"Huh?" Yanran was taken aback.
"His father and stepmother were locked in a power struggle, and he ended up with a stroke and paralysis. Mu Ziyu's visit this time is also to meet the Emperor; he will soon become the new Prince of Liaodong."
"Then you'll be a princess? Congratulations!"
Such a young princess!
Qu Hua: "What's there to congratulate me on? Everyone's staring at me, staring at me... I've disliked my mother's life since I was little, and now I've become a princess."
Isn't it tiring to wear a mask and deal with so many people every day?
I have so much to complain about, but everyone else is just congratulating me.
Qu Hua: This good fortune is for you, do you want it?
Why doesn't Mu Ziyu have some kind of innocent, scheming, or manipulative woman among them, so she can legitimately extricate herself from this predicament?
Not only that, but there are always conspiracy theories that suggest that the couple caused the Prince of Liaodong to suffer a stroke.
Some people say that Qu Hua was unlucky; she had only been married for a short time when she caused her father-in-law to suffer a stroke.
In response, Qu Hua said that if she had known she could prevent the old man from having a stroke, she would have entered the family long ago.
Although becoming a princess was frustrating, it was still better than watching scumbags and scoundrels flaunt their power in front of her.
Qu Hua was an unconventional princess.
The Prince of Liaodong originally wanted to show off her mother-in-law's authority in front of her, but she was directly sent to the nunnery.
To say she's unfilial?
Tell me!
If you're so capable, why don't you pull her down from her position as princess?
She thanked her!
In short, this is a story about "I don't want to be a princess, so I'm just going to throw caution to the wind and beat up anyone who messes with me."
Qu Hua, however, was still not satisfied and always felt that life was too boring.
"Let's not talk about it, it's annoying," Qu Hua said. "How was last night? Was Cui Xiaoqiu enough?"
Yanran: "... Enough, enough! Quality over quantity is key."
Don't introduce her to any gigolos; she doesn't need them.
Qu Hua: "What a pity."
If you don't have fun when you're young, you'll regret it when you're older!
As they were talking, Qu Jingjing stumbled over, picked up an apple from Yanran's fruit plate, and stuffed it into Qu Hua's mouth.
Qu Hua instantly lit up with a smile as she hugged her little niece, "What worries could you possibly have? Seeing this little one has made them all disappear."
Yanran teased Jingjing deliberately, "You sure know how to use someone else's flowers to offer to Buddha. Taking my fruit, I'm angry!"
Jingjing blinked her little eyes, then stretched out her chubby little hand with its dimples, took a piece of apple, and stuffed it into Qu Hua's mouth.
Yanran: "... Are you trying to annoy me? Are you doing this on purpose?"
Qu Hua loudly, "No, she asked me to help her snatch it."
"Um?"
Qu Hua reached out and placed the fruit platter in front of her. Jingjing immediately hugged it, while watching Yanran warily to prevent her from snatching it away.
Yanran: "..."
How can there be such a smart and assertive little girl!
Neither Qu Nian nor Ren Yingying have this kind of personality!
Qu Hua proudly, "She looks just like me! This is my own daughter!"
Yanran: "Who would dare to marry her in the future!"
"Who said we're going to get married? We're going to be queens and marry queens!" Qu Hua said.
Her niece is exceptional, surpassing even her mother in talent.
All the things she never did, Jingjing will do in the future!
For example, be a queen!
Qu Nian: I lack a fan, nothing else.
Meanwhile, Ren Yingying was secretly whispering to Tang Zhuyun.