RPAGF Chapter 711 What a clever trick! It actually managed to bewitch His Highness the Crown Prince.
Chapter 711 What a clever trick! It actually managed to bewitch His Highness the Crown Prince.
Chu Ruohan picked up the teacup, her fingertips gently stroking the inside of the cup, her eyes lowered, and she remained silent.
Gu Qingchen, however, had already stood up and bowed gracefully to the Empress, showing no sign of being intimidated by the spectacle.
"Your Majesty flatters me. Qingchen is unruly and only knows how to wield swords and spears. He is quite uncouth. If he were to follow His Highness the Crown Prince, I'm afraid he would also neglect his studies. In that case, Qingchen would become a sinner for all time."
These words were both self-deprecating and cleverly shifted all the blame for the "mismatch" onto himself. His words were witty, yet they also silenced the critics, leaving no room for criticism.
"Miss Gu is joking."
A gentle male voice came from outside the hall. Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an stepped in and smiled as he came to her rescue: "I think that the way of both literature and martial arts requires a balance of tension and relaxation. If you could get some guidance on riding and archery from Sister Gu, that would be a good thing."
Gu Qingchen was a year older than the Crown Prince, and his intimate way of calling her "sister" was clearly a sign of his protectiveness.
During the banquet, Qian Zhenyun, who had come with the Crown Prince, witnessed everything.
He didn't look in Gu Qingchen's direction, but kept his head down. However, he kept an eye on the movements in that direction out of the corner of his eye. His eyes were deep and made it impossible to tell his emotions.
The Crown Prince's obvious protection, coupled with the Empress's previous intentions, instantly made Gu Qingchen the target of public criticism.
An Qing'er, the young lady of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, dressed up with extra care today. She sat upright, clutching a silk handkerchief tightly in her hand, and her gaze toward Gu Qingchen was almost overflowing with jealousy.
Just as the atmosphere became delicate, a report came from outside the hall.
"Princess Jiahe of Prince Yong's Mansion has arrived——"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young girl in gorgeous clothes arriving late.
"I am late, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Upon seeing the newcomer, the Empress immediately smiled warmly and beckoned her to come forward.
"It's alright, come and sit down. This is Princess Jiahe, the legitimate daughter of Prince Yongding."
The Empress took Princess Jing'an's hand and introduced her to everyone, her warmth and intimacy no less than when she had spoken to Gu Qingchen earlier.
Chu Ruohan observed all of this and understood. It seemed the Empress had made up her mind to find a suitable candidate for the Crown Prince.
An Qing'er, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, Princess Jing'an of the Prince of Ding'an's mansion, plus her own daughter.
This is an attempt to pre-determine the positions of the crown prince's wife and concubine.
Chu Ruohan shook her head inwardly. Looking at her carefree daughter, she was now beaming with joy after being coaxed by the Crown Prince's words, her attention already focused on the exquisite pastries in front of her and the upcoming song and dance performance.
Despite the scheming and witty exchanges throughout the hall, she, the person directly involved, remained completely oblivious.
The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet officially began, and the Empress, accompanied by a group of noblewomen and ladies from both the inner and outer courts, moved to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
After a few rounds of drinks, the emperor steered the conversation toward state affairs.
He first specifically praised the newly appointed Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Gu Lü, and then highly praised the achievements of Duke Zhenguo, Gu Junze, over the years, once again pushing the Gu family's status to the forefront.
Chu Ruohan glanced at Gu Junze beside her. The latter held a wine glass, looking calm and composed, seemingly unaffected by this sudden imperial favor.
Looking at her daughter beside her, she was holding chopsticks, intently working on a plate of sweet osmanthus lotus root in front of her.
The father and daughter were two contrasting individuals: one was indifferent, and the other never cared.
Seeing this, Chu Ruohan simply let go of the ripples in her heart and stopped thinking about it.
However, just because the Gu family may not care doesn't mean that others can ignore it.
"Miss Gu is truly blessed to have such a distinguished father and a promising elder brother."
A voice suddenly rang out. An Qing'er's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but just loud enough for the ladies at the surrounding tables to hear clearly.
“We ordinary women only know needlework and embroidery; how can we compare to Miss Gu, a daughter of a military family?”
Her eyes darted around, finally settling on Gu Qingchen, a seemingly harmless smile playing on her lips.
"I've heard that Miss Gu is highly skilled in martial arts, capable of killing a bull with a single punch. Is that true?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than several suppressed chuckles came from the next table, laughter filled with undisguised malice.
In an instant, everyone's attention was focused on Gu Qingchen.
This is a classic example of the tactic of flattering noblewomen to their detriment.
Admitting it would confirm her own rudeness and vulgarity, which runs counter to the standards of a gentle and virtuous noblewoman; denying it would appear hypocritical and pretentious, losing the frankness expected of a daughter of a military family.
Gu Junze's face darkened, but his hand was gripped by someone.
He looked up, and Chu Ruohan shook her head at him: "Let Qingchen handle this kind of girly squabble!"
Gu Qingchen slowly put down his chopsticks, his face instantly darkening.
What she is least adept at dealing with is this kind of subtle and veiled verbal sparring.
Her hands clenched into fists unconsciously under the table. She almost lost her temper on the spot, but her remaining rationality told her that this was a palace banquet and her mother was right beside her. She could not be disrespectful.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, and was about to speak up to help Gu Qingchen out of the predicament.
However, just as he stood up, Qian Zhenyun, who was standing next to him, stood up first.
Qian Zhenyun did not approach Gu Qingchen, but instead, holding his wine glass, smiled and said to An Qing'er across several tables, "Miss An, you are mistaken."
An Wanru was taken aback, clearly not expecting anyone to interrupt, especially the son of a commoner doctor whom she looked down upon.
Qian Zhenyun said loudly, "I have heard that there is a wealthy merchant in Jiangnan who loves to boast, saying that his daughter is so strong that she can kill a bull with one punch."
"Later, a martial arts contest was set up to find a husband for his daughter. A poor scholar came to the door, but he neither fought nor wrote essays. He only asked the rich merchant one question."
He paused deliberately, keeping everyone in suspense and building up their curiosity.
Even the emperor on the dragon throne showed some interest, leaning forward slightly.
Qian Zhenyun then cleared his throat and, mimicking the scholar's tone, asked with a swaying head, "May I ask, Father-in-law, did your daughter kill a bull or a cow?"
"If it's a female cow, who's responsible for the calf inside her belly—yours or mine?"
The room fell into a deathly silence at first, then someone couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Immediately afterward, as if a fuse had been lit, a burst of laughter erupted, instantly dispelling the awkward and tense atmosphere from before.
"Haha! This scholar is interesting!"
"Whose calf is it? That's a real problem!"
Even Zhao Yunci, sitting on the dragon throne, couldn't help but chuckle, pointing in Qian Zhenyun's direction and laughingly scolding, "Slippery!"
That smile sealed its fate.
The tense atmosphere from just moments ago vanished, replaced by laughter and chatter.
Gu Qingchen stared blankly in that direction. She had been brimming with anger, ready to flip the table without a care, but this sudden joke completely extinguished it.
She looked at the man who stood ramrod straight, a smug smile on his face.
The instigator, An Wanru, blushed and paled in turns.
She had intended to embarrass Gu Qingchen in public, but instead, she became the "bragging rich businessman" in the joke, left standing there, surrounded by laughter, so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into the ground.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an sat down again, his gaze towards Qian Zhenyun filled with undisguised admiration.
He whispered to the eunuch beside him, "Qian Zhenyun may seem mercenary, but he is actually wise beyond his years and a remarkable man."
A storm targeting Gu Qingchen was easily resolved by Qian Zhenyun with an almost absurd joke, deflecting the conflict with minimal effort.
He sat down again, as if nothing had happened. He simply raised his wine glass towards Gu Qingchen across the clinking of glasses, a reassuring smile in his eyes.
The singing and dancing resumed, as if to completely drown out the little episode that had just occurred.
Gu Qingchen, however, felt somewhat agitated. The clamor and scheming in the hall made her feel suffocated.
She whispered something to Chu Ruohan, then excused herself to change her clothes and temporarily left the table, wanting to find a quiet place for a moment.
The night in the Imperial Garden was much cooler than in the main hall, and the fragrance of chrysanthemums helped her relax her tense nerves a little.
She strolled along, wanting only to find a corner where no one would bother her.
However, just as she reached a secluded corner behind a rockery, a sweet yet clearly hostile voice came from behind her.
"Miss Gu, you have some impressive skills. You've managed to bewitch His Highness the Crown Prince."