Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister’s Scheming Daughter - Chapter 373

Hearing this, Lin Feiran bit her lips with some hesitation. Her slightly pale face made her look even more pitiful. “I thank Your Majesty for your care. It’s just that I had some misunderstandings with Princess Zhaohua before. I was worried that I would irritate her if I went to see her personally, so I didn’t dare to visit her.”

Noble Consort Li quickly interjected, “It’s because you think too much. In the past, everyone spoiled your rotten, and you behaved so badly that you had offended Princess Zhaohua a lot. Now, you have changed your temper, but you change too much, and you overthink things too much.”

Lin Feiran lowered her head slightly. Her smooth forehead was fair and bright. Tears slowly gathered in her eyes, but she forcibly suppressed them. “Aunt, I almost lost my composure. Please forgive me.”

What was more pitiful than a beauty shedding tears? Naturally, it was this image. The beauty wanted to talk but hesitated, and tears flooded her eyes. She was obviously heartbroken, but she suppressed her grievance with a smile.

As a result, many ladies who had a prejudice against Lin Feiran changed their minds one after another. After all, the girl was still young. It was normal for her to be confused for a moment and make some mistakes. It was good that she changed her temper.

Shen Ninghua held a cup of tea and smiled coldly. This pair of aunt and niece were really interesting. The two of them worked together to get her into this mess. With just a few words, they portrayed Lin Feiran as a good person who learned from her mistakes and turned over a new leaf. However, did she have to forgive her just because Lin Feiran became a good person? Did she commit a great sin if she did not forgive her?

Humph, they just used the sympathy of others to do evil things and forced people to eat humble pies! In this situation, if she refused to help Lin Feiran, everyone would think that she was being unreasonable and not being helpful and courteous.

Sure enough, after hearing the aunt and niece finished speaking, Baili Qingcang said, “Ninghua, I know that there are some grudges between you and Lin Feiran, but things have already passed and she has already turned over a new leaf. In addition, she is going to marry the Great Yue Kingdom’s prince in a few days. It is not good to have a scar on her body.”

Shen Ninghua stood up. “Father Emperor, it is just a simple matter, but it actually made Noble Consort Li and Miss Lin sad. I feel sorry about it. Previously, I was so occupied with a lot of things that I couldn’t be aware of all the things happening around me, and I didn’t know that Miss Lin needed Skin-Revitalizing Ointment. When the banquet is over, she can send someone to take it from me. Miss Lin, you should have told me earlier what you need. How do you expect me to know otherwise?”

Hearing this, many people thought in their hearts. They did not feel it just now, but now that they heard Princess Zhaohua’s words, they felt that Lin Feiran was too hypocritical. She did not even say that she needed Skin-Revitalizing Ointment and just cried here. Did she expect a princess to take the initiative to give it to her?

Looking at everyone’s reaction, Noble Consort Li still had a smile on her face, but she was a little annoyed inside. Her acting was on point at first, but Shen Ninghua’s response was so modest and straightforward that it made her look like she had made a big deal out of it. She quickly changed the topic.

“Feiran, Princess Zhaohua is magnanimous and does not care about your previous mistakes. Today, there are so many people as witnesses. You can’t be too rude. Go over and give Her Highness a glass of wine. Let bygones be bygones, and you should learn to get along well in the future. When you marry the Great Yue Kingdom and get away from your homeland, you will know that Da’an Kingdom is your eternal home.”

Noble Consort Li’s words made Baili Qingcang very happy. “Noble Consort, you are right.”

Lin Feiran quickly got someone to bring over the wine jug and personally poured two glasses of wine in front of Shen Ninghua. “Your Highness, this glass of wine is my apology. Please forgive me for my previous offense.”

Shen Ninghua took a glass and drank it without hesitation. “I didn’t care about it in the first place. It was you who was overthinking.”

Lin Feiran widened her eyes slightly and looked at her actions in disbelief. Did she not suspect that she had tampered with the wine? In her plan, she had expected that Shen Ninghua would reject her as soon as she proposed a toast, and then she would make a compromise and drink the two glasses of wine to prove her innocence. However, Shen Ninghua drank it without hesitation.

“Didn’t you come to propose a toast? Why didn’t you drink it after I drank one glass? Could it be that you are not sincere when you said that you want to let bygones be bygones?”

Lin Feiran trembled and quickly raised her hand to drink the wine. “No, Princess Zhaohua. I just saw that you drank with a heroic posture and looked so charming and smart. I just admire you in my heart.”

Shen Ninghua looked at her with a faint smile. There was deep ridicule in her eyes. Lin Feiran’s face turned red. She suppressed her anger and did not flare up. She respectfully retreated to Noble Consort Li’s side, but there were traces of tears in her eyes.

Baili Qingcang’s eyes darkened slightly as he glanced at Lin Feiran. Although she was the Lin Family’s Miss, she had been spoiled rotten. She had changed her temper a little, but she still looked petty-minded. Shen Ninghua had forgiven her, but she still came back with tears. Was she not sincere at all?

Noble Consort Li saw that Baili Qingcang’s expression was not right and quickly glared at Lin Feiran. She was also a little angry in her heart. After all, this was her birthday banquet. She wouldn’t mind if the girl pretentiously cried for a bit, but why did she cry so much? Was she addicted now? Did she not know that she could not shed tears on festive days?

Lin Feiran’s heart skipped a beat as she sensed the cold glare from Noble Consort Li. Knowing that she had gone too far, she quickly suppressed her tears and stood aside obediently. Only after seeing her performance did Noble Consort Li feel satisfied.

“Your Majesty, take a look. The flowers all over the imperial garden can’t compare with Princess Zhaohua. Her beauty is really enviable.”

Consort Lan wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief. Hearing this, she smiled and chimed in, “You take the words out of my mouth. Princess Zhaohua’s appearance is famous in the entire Da’an Kingdom. Moreover, Her Highness is so beautiful, and her etiquette is on point. An ordinary person will be praised tremendously if she can learn half of what Princess Zhaohua knows.”

“Consort Lan, you say all the nice words. I can’t find a suitable word to praise her.”

Consort Lan smiled even more brightly. “Noble Consort, please forgive me. How can I not praise such a beautiful and gorgeous person?”

Noble Consort Li covered her mouth and laughed, “Your Majesty, quickly reward two plates of candied dates for Consort Lan. Her mouth is even sweeter than honey!”

A smile finally appeared on Baili Qingcang’s face as he listened to their banter. “Maids, bring the pastries in front of me to Consort Lan.”

Consort Lan quickly stood up to thank him. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Shen Ninghua, who was the main character of their topic, did not say anything. She just sat in her seat with a faint smile on her face, as if nothing could shake her. The other ladies who came to the banquet were a little unhappy. They were all from noble families. Were they really inferior to Shen Ninghua?

Baili Junyi sat opposite Shen Ninghua and raised his wine cup slightly to her. There was a bright smile in his eyes. Shen Ninghua picked up the teacup and took a sip. She saw the smile in his eyes that almost overflowed. Her mood could not help but be a lot better. Noble Consort Li could make enemies for her all she liked. When the time came, she would make her suffer!

When it was time for presenting the birthday gifts, the Crown Prince took the lead to stand up first. “Father Emperor, today is Noble Consort’s birthday. I have prepared something. I hope Noble Consort can accept my humble gift.”

Noble Consort Li quickly stood up and bowed. She looked at the Crown Prince in surprise. “Crown Prince, you are flattering me.”

The smile on Baili Qingcang’s face suddenly became stiff. The Crown Prince was the future emperor. Even if Noble Consort Li was the number one person in the harem, she was only a Noble Consort. Other than the Empress, no one was worthy of the Crown Prince’s flattery. His action was in itself tarnishing the Crown Prince’s prestige, especially in front of so many noble ladies!

However, the Crown Prince did not notice that there was something wrong with Baili Qingcang’s expression. After the Empress’ death, he almost had no sense of existence in the harem. The officials who originally supported him gradually distanced themselves from him. This time, he thought for a long time before taking advantage of the birthday banquet of Noble Consort Li to highlight his existence.

The gift that the Crown Prince gave Noble Consort Li was extremely precious. There was even a huge red coral tree that shone brightly under the sunlight. At a sight, people knew it was a rare treasure.

Baili Junyi and Shen Ninghua looked at each other and smiled in their hearts. The Crown Prince’s move was not brilliant, but he had inadvertently helped them a lot.

Looking at such a precious gift, Baili Qingcang became even more dismayed. “Good, Crown Prince. Step down and let your other brothers present their gifts!”

The Crown Prince, who did not get the praise he had anticipated, froze slightly, but he obediently retreated to the side.

The gifts that the Second Prince sent were nothing special. They were ordinary jewelry and porcelain, but the amount increased by one half compared with previous years. With so many luxurious things piled together, everyone felt a little dazzled and overwhelmed upon the sight.

Noble Consort Li was a little nervous. Weren’t these gifts a little too lavish?

Baili Jinchuan had also made a mistake. Baili Qingcang did not intend to pay attention to him at all. He directly waved him off and called the Third Prince up. “What gift did you prepare for Noble Consort?”

The Third Prince was in a good mood. Witnessing his Mother’s glory, he was also proud. When he heard Baili Qingcang’s question, he hurriedly asked people to carry the gifts up. The boxes of gifts were placed in a row. They were brocades, jewelry, and precious jade vases, almost dazzling everyone’s eyes.

Originally, Baili Qingcang commanded the Third Prince to come forward because he was pissed off by the Crown Prince and Second Prince. He did not expect that after seeing the Third Prince’s gifts, he would be even more annoyed, and the smile on his face completely disappeared.

Baili Junyi and Shen Ninghua lowered their eyes to hide the smile in their eyes simultaneously. It was not that they were deliberately making things difficult for Noble Consort Li. Noble Consort Li’s own son was making things difficult for his mother!

Noble Consort Li almost couldn’t retain the smile on her face. She was so focused on how to plot against Shen Ninghua that she did not specifically ask her two sons what gifts they had prepared for her. She originally thought that they had a sense of propriety. She did not expect that they would actually make such a big mess. Didn’t they realize that their birthday gifts were only a little less extravagant than the ones they had given to Baili Qingcang in the past?

Baili Qingcang twitched his lips slightly. He wanted to see what these sons had given Noble Consort Li.

“Not bad, you are so considerate. Fourth Prince, what about you? What gifts have you prepared?”

Hearing Baili Qingcang’s praise, the Third Prince was extremely satisfied and left. The Fourth Prince hurriedly walked up and wanted to take advantage of Baili Qingcang’s good mood to get a compliment. “Father Emperor, the gift I give to Mother can be said to be unique. Come, quickly bring my gift up.”

The palace servants carried two shelves covered with red cloth over. The Fourth Prince stepped forward and lifted the red cloth. A jade screen was revealed in front of everyone. The screen was engraved with mountains, rivers, trees, birds, and animals. Each of them was lifelike and their value was no less than the coral tree presented by the Crown Prince.

As soon as the red cloth was lifted, Noble Consort Li was so anxious that she couldn’t sit still. She was on pins and needles.