CHAPTER 455: CHAPTER 454: YOUR MAN GOT HIT

Chu Yu had just opened her eyes when she heard Yingtao saying that a messenger from the Crown Princess Consort’s people had come to announce that today’s banquet was cancelled.

"Cancelled?" Chu Yu rubbed her eyes, beginning to feel some discomfort, "How could she go back on her word like this? The invitations have already been sent out to all the ladies and misses, where does this leave the face of this Princess?!"

Early in the morning, this Yan Wanqing really knew how to give someone a headache.

Yingtao knew that Chu Yu had misunderstood her, and quickly explained: "The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess Consort have decided to combine the flower viewing banquet with the martial arts competition, so that people from both countries can enjoy the event together. That’s why they cancelled today’s flower viewing banquet and rescheduled it for the day after tomorrow. The invitations from yesterday have already been recalled by the Crown Princess Consort, and they haven’t been sent out yet."

So that was the case; Chu Yu felt much more at ease now.

"Then the day after tomorrow, it won’t just be the ladies and misses." A mischievous smile curled the corners of Chu Yu’s lips.

Yan Wanqing, oh Yan Wanqing, aren’t you known as the female Zhuge Liang? How is it that you don’t even understand these basic social graces? Let’s see how you will manage to get off the stage the day after tomorrow!

To think being pregnant has made you lose your mind.

"The day after tomorrow is great, this Princess still has time to prepare." And by then, outshine them all!

However, the person Chu Yu had just labeled a fool was leisurely enjoying breakfast and tea, appreciating the fresh flowers and chirping birds through the window.

After finishing breakfast, Yan Wanqing asked slowly, "Where is mother?"

"Madam should be in the Buddhist hall praying now," Cong Ge glanced at the time outside, it was still very early.

Yan Wanqing nodded. Since entering the Imperial Palace, her mother couldn’t conveniently return to the Yan Family home, so Xiao Pingfeng, in a show of filial piety, had built a Buddhist hall in her courtyard.

"I have no pressing matters today, so I will join mother in prayer." She stood up and walked outside.

Cong Ge was slightly surprised.

The miss had never believed in these things.

What’s with today...

Even Madam Sun, when she saw Yan Wanqing coming, there was surprise in her eyes, but she didn’t speak of it.

"I pay my respects to mother." Yan Wanqing smiled sweetly, then pressed her palms together and knelt beside Madam Sun on the soft mat.

Madam Sun closed her eyes, her prayer beads kept moving, and she murmured sutras under her breath.

The Buddhist hall was silent, filled only with the curling fragrance of sandalwood and accompanied by the sounds of birds in the early morning, everything was uncomfortably peaceful.

When Madam Sun finished reciting sutras and opened her eyes, seeing her eldest daughter’s pure and clean profile, she softly broke the silence, "What brings you here today?"

Yan Wanqing heard her voice and slowly opened her eyes, her curled eyelashes catching the golden morning light, making her appear holy and divine at that moment.

As a mother, Madam Sun couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

Ever since her eldest daughter became pregnant, she had become increasingly radiant and captivating.

"I wanted to fast and pray with mother, to pray for blessings for the child in my womb."

Upon hearing this, Madam Sun rolled her eyes, "Are you still lying through your teeth to your mother?!" To put it crudely, if you were to fart, she would know what kind of shit you’re taking.

Tsk tsk tsk, the Buddhist hall is a place of purity; such words should not be spoken here.

Yan Wanqing coughed lightly: "Recently, I’ve felt a rise in murderous intent and wanted to calm my mind in front of the Buddha."

These words immediately sharpened Madam Sun’s gaze.

Her daughter’s self-control was well-known; what could have happened that made her struggle to suppress her murderous impulse?

"It’s not as severe as mother imagines, but praying to Buddha always has its benefits." Yan Wanqing didn’t want to elaborate.

Ever since returning to the Capital City, she had been beset by troubles from within and without.

From head to toe, there were problems.

Even though Xiao Pingfeng was always resolutely on her side, standing with her, those people and their affairs were unavoidable. Recently, she heard that some officials were secretly gathering to coerce Xiao Pingfeng into not establishing her as the empress.

Even though she knew that Xiao Pingfeng would settle things in the end, the state affairs of Dawei Kingdom were already very busy, and she truly didn’t want to distract him further because of her own issues.

She became increasingly irritated the more she thought about it.

The result of her irritation was the desire to have everyone in the Stormy Building slaughter all those old things.

"This is for you." Madame Sun took off a long string of green beads from her wrist, each bead smooth and well-maintained by its owner.

Without hesitation, she slipped it onto Yan Wanqing’s wrist, her tone serious and heartfelt, "Don’t go back today. Stay in the Buddhist hall and recite sutras and chant. Wanwan, you were born defiant, see to it that the previous incident does not happen a second time."

Yan Wanqing: "..." Was this really something her own mother would say?

What did she mean by being born defiant?

"Mother?" Before she could finish her sentence, Madame Sun picked up a scripture from the table, "Finish copying this today. Don’t leave until you have."

Yan Wanqing looked at the thick stack: "???"

Madame Sun sighed deeply, "If this doesn’t work, I can only call your brother into the palace to spar with you."

With that, she left helplessly, shaking her head and not forgetting to instruct Cong Ge to keep an eye on Yan Wanqing until she finished copying the sutras and delivered them to her.

Yan Wanqing had a blank expression on her face. Looking up, she saw the magnificent Buddha statue; looking down, there was the thick stack of scripture. To copy or not to copy?

When she was young, she had defied her mother’s discipline. What had happened afterwards?

It seemed she had been hung from a tree by her brother for an entire day...

Yan Wanqing looked at her belly; she was pregnant, surely her brother wouldn’t be so heartless, right?

But with her brother being the way he was, he wouldn’t hang her from a tree, but he would think of other ways to punish her.

With that thought, Yan Wanqing resignedly sat down: "Cong Ge, prepare the writing brush and paper."

She wondered if copying the scriptures could curb her desire to end those old folks.

If it worked, she would come back tomorrow!

When the sun had set a good while ago, Yan Wanqing finally left the Buddhist hall, stretching lazily only after seeing Cong Ge carrying the scripture towards her mother.

"Yan Wanqing." A gentle male voice slowly drifted over.

Yan Wanqing: "?"

That voice, wasn’t it her elder brother’s?!

She looked up and sure enough, she saw her brother Xiao Pingfeng sitting leisurely on a tree branch, looking down at her with a wanton straw dangling from his lips.

"What are you up to, big brother? This is the inner court of the Imperial Palace, aren’t you afraid of being shot to death by a stray arrow?" Yan Wanqing frowned as she spoke.

Yan Li’an hummed lightly and leapt down from the treetop, "You have become ever so dull."

"How did you get into the palace, big brother?" Those old things only wanted to catch her slip-up—if her brother entered the palace unconventionally, he might be reported to Xiao Pingfeng again.

Just the thought gave her a headache.

Seeing his sister worried, Yan Li’an raised his eyebrows slightly, "As you can see, I just walked in."

"You just walked into the Imperial Harem like this?" She was doomed, surely this would be reported.

Yan Li’an chuckled lightly, his mood to tease her fading, "The Crown Prince gave your brother a waist token, look at you panic."

"Why did brother come to the palace?" Hearing that Yan Li’an entered the palace through normal procedures, Yan Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief. But then she thought, her brother wasn’t truly summoned by her mother to give her a beating, was he?

That brought up serious matters.

Yan Li’an’s expression became grave.

"I came to inform you that one of your people was beaten, with severe injuries."

"Who?" Yan Wanqing furrowed her brow.

"Chang Kuan."