Chapter 112: Confrontation

  Thank you to Weiwei-An for 2 votes, that time ^..^, Ye-Ming, abrd2, Flying Love Cry Fish, Doomsday Peach Blossom, Aiwei and each one vote of Pink Ticket...

  Also, Shallow has been a bit stuck with writing lately, and the plot development might be a bit slow... o(︶︿︶)o Sigh...

  "Master, what are you thinking about?" Yuanyang attended Qingjin after washing and dressing, looking at Qingjin who was obviously absent-minded, fearing that her own young lady was in a bad mood because Jing Wang left without returning to his room last night, and couldn't help but speak out, wanting to shift Qingjin's attention.

  Looking at her own daughter still wearing the wedding dress that she hadn't taken off all day yesterday, could it be that she had been waiting for King Jing all night? Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied with King Jing. What important matter could there be that's more important than spending the wedding night with her own daughter? She felt a slight dissatisfaction towards King Jing in her heart.

  "I wasn't thinking of anything..." Qing Jin replied faintly to Yuanyang, her voice somewhat listless.

  Yuan Yang heard Qing Jin's reply and was even more certain that Qing Jin had not slept at the Wang's residence last night. Yuan Yang couldn't help but sigh inwardly, knowing that her mistress's status was already awkward, and on their wedding night, they hadn't consummated their marriage with the prince. Soon, they would have to pay respects to the princess, and she wondered how the princess would mock her mistress.

  Qing Jin saw Yuanyang looking dazed and knew that she was definitely feeling indignant on her behalf. She spoke in a gentle tone, "Don't think too much about it, the prince has official business to attend to, of course he would prioritize his duties. Even if it were the princess, if the prince had official business to take care of, the princess wouldn't stop him either."

  "How can this be the same, yesterday was the master and king's wedding night, I reckon the king didn't stay in the bridal chamber last night, the whole palace already knows about it, the master will go to pay respects to the queen later. Don't know how many people will mock her!" Yuyang heard Qingjin's words and immediately responded with discontent.

  "You're really something, this is the Jing Wang Fu, what do you think it is... The wang fei is of noble birth and also the mistress of the manor. Yesterday, the wang ye left on official business, the wang fei will definitely represent the wang ye to say some comforting words to me, how could she mock me?"

  "The master's words are also known to the mandarin ducks. The princess will definitely not do these things openly, but it is inevitable that she will secretly mock the master, and there are also those in the palace who are lower than the master in status, who will definitely chatter randomly..."

  "...the mouth is on someone else's body. They want to say what they want, we can't control it, the fact that I didn't have a wedding chamber yesterday is true. Let them say what they want, as long as we don't mind ourselves." Qing Jin said casually.

  Hearing Qing Jin's careless words, Yuanyang finally spoke up with some understanding: "Master, are you unwilling to be with the King of Jing..."

  "Yes." Qing Jin openly admitted to Yuanyang.

  Yuan Yang was shocked and also somewhat enlightened when Qing Jin acknowledged it, "Yuan Yang is really stupid. Yuan Yang should have known earlier that the young lady was unwilling. What are we going to do about that young lady in the future?"

  "Aren't you going to persuade me?" Seeing Yuanyang, Qingjin couldn't help but ask after a brief moment of stunned silence, choosing to stand by her side.

  "Yuan Yang is a girl's person, the girl likes who, Yuan Yang also likes who, the girl dislikes who, Yuan Yang of course also dislikes who, no matter what, Yuan Yang always stands behind the girl, so the girl should never abandon Yuan Yang."

  Upon hearing Yuanyang's words, Qingjin had a thousand words and ten thousand phrases in her heart, but in the end, they all dissolved into one sigh: "You silly girl!"

  Seeing Mandarin ducks staring at her without blinking, Qingjin spoke again: "Alright, I promise you, no matter where we go, I won't leave you behind."

  "Thank you, miss!" said Yuanyang after Qingjin made her promise.

  "Still calling her a maiden, in the future we will be staying at Jing Wang Fu for a long time, this term of endearment for her, you..."

  "Master, I understand. From now on, I'll call her Miss."

  Qing Jin nodded and said, "Alright, hurry up and change me into a new set of clothes. Today is my first day in the Jing Wang Fu, I still need to go pay respects to the Wang Fei!"

  "Slave will go find master." Yuanyang curtsied to Qingjin, opened the large trunk that was sent into the new room yesterday, and took out a fiery red dress for Qingjin.

  Qing Jin saw in the mirror the bright red dress that Yuanyang had taken out and said, "Don't want a red one, bring me a blue one instead!"

  "Master, today is your first day of marriage." Yuanyang heard Qingjin's words and said somewhat disapprovingly.

  The main room of the Mu Rong family in Jing Wang Fu

  Murong wore a crimson dress, her hair styled in a chignon with a few loose strands framing her face, and on her head was the hollowed-out golden phoenix coronet that only princesses were allowed to wear. Her makeup was exquisite, exuding an aura of grandeur and majesty, elegance and luxury. She sat upright in the main seat, with her personal maid, Le Jiejie, standing beside her.

  On both sides of Murong's main seat, some distant concubines were seated. They were either charming and alluring, sweet and lovely, refreshing and elegant, or delicate and enchanting, each with their own charm.

  They sat neatly at the lower table of Murong's family, but their eyes were filled with meaningful glances that did not miss a single move of Murong's. Half a moment later, they had already cleverly understood that the queen was trying to give the new concubine a warning, and they began to show off their schadenfreude.

  "Her Highness Zhen has arrived!" A clear and crisp announcement, everyone stopped their movements in unison, looking towards the direction of the door.

  Qing Jin walked into the main room with Yuanyang, and what she saw was Wang Fei Murong Shi sitting upright and properly at the head of the table, as well as the crowd gathering their gaze on Qing Jin with ill intentions.

  "Qing Jin pays her respects to the princess!" Qing Jin slightly bowed her head under the gaze of everyone, facing the first lady Murong.

  Murong heard Qingjin's voice, put down the teacup in his hand, and looked towards Qingjin. Unexpectedly, he saw that the newlywed Qingjin was not wearing red, but a wide-sleeved green robe with large patches of unknown red flowers embroidered on the sleeves and hem. The original plain green robe, under the foil of those red flowers, neither showed too much simplicity nor too much extravagance, but instead had a kind of eerie beauty.

  The Murong family originally wore crimson to suppress Qing Jin, but at that moment it was like a punch on cotton, however she had been a princess for several years and her lost emotions did not show at all. Instead, with a polite smile, she said to Qing Jin who was paying respects: "Royal Concubine Qing does not need to be so polite."

  "Thank you, Princess. If it's not too much trouble, please call me by my surname, Qingjin." Hearing Murong's words of courtesy, Qingjin lifted her head, revealing raven-black hair and pale skin, with bright red lips and sparkling black eyes, she smiled radiantly at Murong.

  "How dare you, you think you..." The wet nurse beside Mu Rong's family immediately stood up and scolded Qing Jin as soon as she heard her request.

  "Le Jiaojiao—" Murong's words were interrupted by Le Jiaojiao, who smiled faintly at Qingjin and said: "Alright, from now on I will address you as Imperial Concubine Gu."

  "Thank you, Princess!" Hearing Murong's words, Qingjin gave a bright and beautiful smile to Murong, as lovely as a demon.

  Murong saw Qingjin's beautiful and enchanting smile, her hand holding the handkerchief in her sleeve tightened involuntarily, but on her face, she smiled kindly and said to Qingjin: "Gu sister doesn't need to be so polite, Gu sister is someone the king personally values and asked the emperor for, this is an honor that even I, the queen, don't have. It's clear how much the king likes and values Gu sister, Gu sister must also be special in the king's heart." This sentence has two important meanings: one is to remind Qingjin that Murong is the king's legitimate wife; the other is to tell the concubines present that Gu Qingjin holds a special place in the king's heart, you want to rise through the ranks and compete for favor, Gu Ce Fei is your biggest obstacle.

  As expected, after Murong's words were finished, the eyes of Long Han's concubines sitting on both sides looking at Qing Jin were all filled with naked jealousy and hatred.

  "The princess smiled and said, 'Compared to Qing Jin, the princess is indeed the mistress of our Jing Wang Fu, a proper wife, and the one bestowed by Your Majesty. Why must you tease Qing Jin like this?' Qing Jin heard Murong Shi's words and countered with an unchanging smile on her face. She may not be good at fighting in the harem, but that doesn't mean she didn't understand Murong Shi's words. Her clear and crisp tone told these women who were hostile towards her that Murong Shi was indeed the proper wife of the man they were vying for, while she, Gu Qing Jin, was just a concubine."

  The women around, provoked by Murong's family, heard Qingjin's straightforward words and looked at her with a hint of restraint in their eyes, their hostility and jealousy no longer so apparent.

  "This princess is not joking with Sister Gu, this princess is speaking the truth." Upon hearing Qing Jin's one sentence that dissolved the killing move she had set up against Qing Jin, Mu Rong continued to speak with an unchanged smile.

  "Qing Jin's beauty is like a willow tree, but she can't be praised as the king's concubine. Besides, everyone should know that Qing Jin was previously engaged. The king's pursuit of Qing Jin is just for the sake of the greater good. The king was busy with official duties last night!" Qing Jin said this to Mu Rong Shi without hesitation, revealing her previous engagement. Those around them immediately thought of something and looked at Qing Jin with sympathetic eyes.

  "Be careful what you say, Sister Gu. Since you've already entered the Jing Wang Fu, you're our master's woman now. Let's not bring up past matters again. You were personally bestowed upon our master by the Emperor himself, and last night, Master didn't consummate the marriage with you due to official business. I believe, Sister Gu, that you can understand Master's situation, don't you?"

  Upon hearing Murong's words, she was given to Long Han Yuan by Ming Emperor. Qing Jin's heart was filled with cold intent, but her face smiled brightly as she said: "The princess is right, Qing Jin will certainly understand."

  "It's good if Sister Gu can understand, let someone arrange a seat for Concubine Gu..."

  The wet nurse beside Murong Yu heard his words and turned to leave, two little maids brought a chair and placed it below Murong Yu, then retreated in an orderly manner.

  "Gu sister is the highest-ranking concubine after me, from now on, Gu sister will sit in the position closest to me...". As she said this, Murong's gaze shifted and she spoke to the people sitting below her: "Our lord has now been conferred a king title, besides Gu Concubine, there can be another concubine. The four madams under the concubine are currently still vacant. In the coming days, everyone must cooperate with me, take good care of our lord, and strive to obtain a position as soon as possible. You should know that having a position and not having one makes a big difference..."