Chapter 956: Chapter 956: The Stand-in Empress vs. the True Love Concubine (Part 21)
When the concubines and Noble Ladies with Imperial Titles arrived at the Empress’s palace, they saw the Empress engaging in an amiable conversation with the Crown Princess Consort.
Rumor had it that the Empress and the Crown Princess Consort had an exceptionally close relationship, almost like that of a real mother and daughter. Previously, these Noble Ladies thought it was an exaggeration, but now it seemed it might indeed be true.
Lu Xi entered the palace today with her mother, Madam Prime Minister.
She had taken great pains to dress up.
On the Empress’s birthday celebration, dressing plainly as if in mourning was out of the question; everyone aimed for a festive appearance.
However, even festivity has its subtleties. With only a few bright colors available, standing out in the crowd becomes very challenging.
Madam Prime Minister had originally chosen a red dress for her daughter. In such settings, red is always appropriate and prevents any decorum faux pas, but it’s also difficult to shine in the crowd.
Madam Prime Minister was a wise woman, as evidenced by the trouble-free backyard of the Prime Minister’s Residence and her excellent reputation in the Capital City.
Today, the Empress was the center of attention, along with the newlywed Crown Princess Consort.
She didn’t want her daughter to become the center of attention in such circumstances.
Unfortunately, Lu Xi did not heed her mother’s advice.
When Madam Lu saw her daughter walk out from the courtyard, her gaze paused.
The light purple long dress perfectly showcased her slender figure, her face adorned with exquisite makeup, and her hair embellished with delicate tassels, both luxurious and retaining the girlish charm.
Beautiful as it was, it was a bit too attention-grabbing.
Madam Lu instinctively wanted to frown, but seeing the time, it was too late to go back and change, so she could only bring her daughter onto the carriage.
"Xier, why don’t you listen to mother’s advice?" Madam Lu sighed.
Having given birth to two sons before her daughter, she regarded her as a precious jewel and had raised Lu Xi with a somewhat domineering disposition.
Lu Xi smiled gracefully, but with a hint of coquettishness in her voice: "Mother chose a red dress for me, I don’t even know how many people will be wearing red today, and I don’t want to match with them."
Seeing the pride and anticipation in Lu Xi’s eyes, Madam Lu sighed.
She, as a mother, understood a bit of her daughter’s thoughts.
The Crown Prince already had a Crown Princess Consort, and it was rumored that the couple was very affectionate. She had often urged her daughter to put such thoughts aside, but her daughter always evaded the subject.
As someone who had been through this, how could she not understand the little thoughts hidden beneath her daughter’s gentle exterior?
However, the Crown Princess had only recently married, and it’s said that the Crown Prince stayed in the Crown Princess Consort’s quarters every night.
Such a formidable person was certainly no simple character.
Suppressing her concerns, she only instructed Lu Xi to act with discretion in the palace, to not draw attention.
Lu Xi outwardly agreed, but no one knew what she was thinking inside.
Gu Shengyin sat beside the Empress, smiling serenely as she graciously accepted the open and subtle flattery of the noble ladies.
"The robe Her Highness the Crown Princess is wearing is truly a masterpiece," remarked a Lady Marquess with a beaming smile.
Purple is not an easy color to carry off; a bit too much and it becomes vulgar, too little and it lacks presence. Thus, not many wore purple today.
Among these people, in terms of both the intricacy of craftsmanship and the rarity of the fabric, Gu Shengyin’s garment was undoubtedly the finest.
Gu Shengyin maintained a friendly yet reserved smile, engaging in conversation with ease among the circle of noble ladies.