A pair of jade-colored leather ankle boots embroidered with golden unicorns stepped off the carriage onto the back of a young eunuch.
A fair and effeminate face appeared before everyone.
Lu Siming was the son of Concubine Lan and ranked second among the princes, two years younger than Lu Sihong.
The crown prince had only inherited the empress's broad forehead and straight nose bridge. His face shape, eyes, and temperament were a perfect inheritance from the emperor, being elegant yet heroic.
Lu Siming was different from his elder brother. He had completely inherited Concubine Lan's beauty. Among the princes, he looked thinner and paler. His pair of eyes were enchanting and charming, making it hard to tell his gender.
Cheng Simian gave Lu Siming a casual glance and then lowered her eyes.
Lu Siming's gaze lightly swept across Cheng Simian's face, quietly suppressing the surprise in his eyes.
He bowed respectfully to the eldest princess. "Greetings to Your Highness. You've been ill for a while, but now you're looking rosy. You must be much better, right?"
The eldest princess looked at Lu Siming with a beaming and kind smile. "I'm much better. I should thank the emperor's great kindness. You're so considerate. Among my nephews, only you remember to ask about my illness."
Those in the know were aware that the eldest princess had just feigned illness to avoid the emperor's wrath.
After pushing an old nanny out to take the blame, the emperor believed her again, and naturally, her illness was cured.
Lu Siming played along with her knowingly.
The eldest princess used Lu Siming's concern to tell everyone that as long as the emperor was around, she would never fall from power.
It seemed like an ordinary greeting from a younger generation to an elder, but in fact, it helped the eldest princess assert her authority.
Lu Siming's mother, Concubine Lan, was recommended to the emperor by the eldest princess.
Concubine Lan had always been close to the eldest princess.
The eldest princess had been in a fierce struggle with the crown prince. She had long intended to use various forces to force the emperor to depose the crown prince and make Lu Siming the new one.
Concubine Lan's father, Gao Tianyu, didn't obtain a small seventh - rank military post until he was forty - five years old, ranking eighth in the military imperial examination.
The eldest princess accidentally met Concubine Lan and was attracted by her beauty. She sent her to the emperor when he was still a prince.
Concubine Lan was gentle, docile, and well - versed in the qin. She won the emperor's favor.
She was also lucky in child - bearing. Two years after gaining the emperor's favor, she gave birth to Lu Siming.
Gao Tianyu was promoted from a seventh - rank official to a fourth - rank general.
When the emperor first ascended the throne, the barbarians launched a large - scale invasion of Liangzhou City. Coincidentally, Liang Xuguang's father passed away, and he had to observe mourning for three years and couldn't lead the army.
Gao Tianyu was recommended by many court officials and led 80,000 troops to defend Liangzhou City.
In just half a year, he returned triumphantly. The emperor was overjoyed and promoted Gao Tianyu to a second - rank general.
During the three years when Liang Xuguang couldn't go to war, Gao Tianyu made many remarkable achievements. He was破格 granted the title of Marquis Anyuan from an obscure seventh - rank official.
Concubine Lan was also promoted from a low - ranking noble lady to a noble concubine second only to the empress.
Although Gao Tianyu was over sixty, he still led 50,000 troops because of the emperor's trust.
With his mother's favor, his grandfather's power, and the eldest princess's support, Lu Siming should have been ambitious and eager to compete with the crown prince.
However, he had always been indifferent to worldly affairs. He often claimed to be ill and rarely attended banquets or showed up in public.
People only knew that he was good at poetry, calligraphy, and painting. He was surrounded by a group of literati and lived a carefree life.
He never cared about national affairs.
But such a person was so well - versed in the ways of the world that with just a few words, he created an opportunity for the eldest princess to assert her authority.
A large crowd was kneeling in front of the palace gate. After the eldest princess finished speaking, there was complete silence.
She was very satisfied with her deterrence and enjoyed the worship and awe of the crowd.
Cheng Simian felt two rather heavy gazes fall on her head.
"Miss Cheng is still unmarried and pure. It's better not to talk too much about matters between men and women."
The eldest princess half - admonished and half - threatened. Then she glared fiercely at Song Wanchu. "You come from a noble family. You're different from some people. Don't make the wrong friends and be influenced by those who are immoral, talentless, and shameless."
Cheng Simian had openly confronted her for Song Wanchu's sake, which made the eldest princess extremely angry.
Although Cheng Yong was useless, stupid, and obsequious, Cheng Simian had many qualities that the eldest princess admired and was very useful to her.
The eldest princess was willing to give her some face.
She was reminding her not to take the wrong side.
Song Wanchu understood that the words "immoral, talentless, and shameless" were clearly referring to her.
The eldest princess had always spared no effort to attack and humiliate her with the most vicious words.
The eldest princess winked at the female official behind her.
This female official was here to serve in place of Aunt Fang today.
According to the eldest princess, Aunt Fang had been promised to Liang Yuchuan as a concubine and was no longer convenient to show up in public.
The female official was overjoyed. Upon receiving the eldest princess's signal, she took two steps forward and reached out her hand to Cheng Simian.
This was a signal from the eldest princess to win her over.
Cheng Simian had a noble temperament, like a fairy in the clouds. With her peerless beauty and talent, she was the focus of everyone as soon as she appeared.
The eldest princess took a special fancy to her, so everyone was even more curious about what she would do.
Cheng Simian knelt there motionless, but Rongshi stood up with the help of the female official.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for caring about my mother's poor health."
This simple sentence neither offended the eldest princess nor made her lose face.
The mother - daughter cooperation was seamless.
When Cheng Simian got up, she didn't forget to turn around and help the old lady, the Princess Jiahe, and Song Wanchu up one by one.
She didn't say which side she would take, but her silent actions showed her choice to everyone.
The eldest princess said nothing and left surrounded by her entourage.
But a glint of sharpness flashed across the corner of her eye and landed on Cheng Simian's face.
Lu Siming showed no emotion.
With a gentle smile on his face, he didn't spare his praise for Cheng Simian. "I've heard that Miss Cheng is proficient in poetry, calligraphy, chess, and painting. I was lucky enough to appreciate your calligraphy and paintings many years ago. I wonder if you've created any new works during your years in the south of the Yangtze River?"
"Second brother lives a carefree life and doesn't concern himself with worldly affairs. Why do you know so much about Miss Cheng's experiences over the years?"
Everyone's knees bent again.
Before the carriage came to a complete stop, the crown prince lifted the curtain embroidered with a five - clawed dragon and jumped off the carriage.
In the sunlight, his bright yellow dragon robe sparkled.
Lu Siming squinted his eyes slightly and lowered the corners of his eyes. He bowed his head respectfully. "Elder brother."
The crown prince was half a head taller than him, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, looking imposing. In front of him, the thin and pale Lu Siming seemed like a fragile item.
"Does elder brother also like Miss Cheng's calligraphy and paintings? I'm lucky to have a work of Miss Cheng's when she was fourteen. If elder brother likes it, I'll send it to the Eastern Palace."
The air pressure around the crown prince suddenly dropped.
Lu Siming looked up. In the sunlight, his face was almost transparent, with a hidden smile in the corner of his eyes.
The crown prince didn't respond to his words. Instead, he shifted his gaze and landed on Cheng Simian's face.
"If I'm not mistaken, the 'Picture of the Vast River and Mountains' you gave me, Mianmian, was painted with the Yunsha ink from Yongzhou. It has an elegant color and distinct layers, but it's afraid of moisture. The weather is fine today, so I asked someone to take it out to dry. I wonder, besides this, how else should it be preserved?"