The crown prince whispered sweet words to Cheng Simian.
The queen knew that these words also showed his determination: he wanted only Simian and no other concubines in his harem.
She understood her son's state of mind, and her eyes dimmed slightly.
After the banquet, the carriages at the palace gate left one by one.
Cheng Simian was about to get into her carriage when a furious shout came from behind.
Qin Xuanyan walked towards her with her head held high, followed by her loyal followers.
The one who shouted was Huang Shuyin.
It was also she who had distorted the facts and reported to the queen during the banquet.
There was nothing but contempt in her eyes as she pointed at Cheng Simian's nose. "You country bumpkin! You're really vulgar and rude. That jade bracelet should have been Sister Qin's. If Sister Qin hadn't been so generous, would you have been so lucky to get it? And you didn't even say thank you!"
Qin Xuanyan pretended to persuade, "Why bother arguing with someone like her? She's from the countryside and has never seen anything good, so of course she would grab it. Her father is a criminal who fawned on the powerful and committed all kinds of evil. How could he have raised a good daughter?"
Such blatant humiliation would be unbearable even for a maid.
Shuyi gritted her teeth so hard that they were about to break.
Even the arrogant Yu Concubine and Cheng Siyi in the past would not have dared to slander the young lady's character like this.
When had the young lady ever suffered such grievances?
Just because she wanted to repay the crown prince, she had become the target of everyone's attacks.
The young lady didn't even want the dignity and grace of being the crown princess!
Qin Xuanyan was sure that Cheng Simian couldn't bear such humiliation and would fight back.
Then, without her having to say a word, others would quarrel on her behalf.
Quarreling at the palace gate was not a very decent thing.
If word got out, it would be said that she was throwing a tantrum at the palace gate and not putting the royal dignity in her eyes. She was just an ignorant fool.
She had plenty of ways to spread the news and ruin Cheng Simian's reputation.
But when Cheng Simian heard the insults and curses, she was surprisingly calm.
She smiled sweetly, as if she wasn't angry at all. "I see. Miss Qin likes this jade bracelet. Since you're so indignant, how about we exchange? The phoenix hairpin bestowed by the queen will be mine, and the bracelet will be yours. Isn't that okay?"
With that, she generously took off the bracelet and held it out to Qin Xuanyan.
Her unexpected move caught Qin Xuanyan off guard.
"Who wants to exchange with you? Don't you know your own place? The phoenix hairpin bestowed by the queen is not something you can wear!"
Qin Xuanyan was so ashamed and angry that her face turned red. She could only use more intense words to satirize.
Little did she know that her petty and stingy appearance had already been seen by Dai Ying.
She motioned for the two maids behind her to keep quiet.
The three of them stepped back a few steps and hid in the dark, waiting.
In fact, the queen had already decided the outcome of this competition.
But Dai Ying really admired Cheng Simian's intelligence.
Watching her crush Qin Xuanyan was like watching a superior defeat demons and ghosts. It was really a pleasure.
Cheng Simian was calm and composed, with a perfect and impeccable smile.
"This is strange. You gave me the bracelet. It's okay if you still miss it, but you have to say it out loud, as if you've been wronged. It really makes people think that you're not truly modest and generous."
Although she was smiling, there was a chill in her voice.
It was like a superior easily tearing off the disguise of an inferior.
Qin Xuanyan's face turned purple with anger. It was really ugly.
"You..." She was so angry that she couldn't say a word.
Cheng Simian's eyes gradually turned cold. "I offered to exchange with you, but you attacked me with my background, saying that I'm not worthy. They're both gifts from the queen, one for each of us. This is the queen's fairness. You want the bracelet but are reluctant to give up the phoenix hairpin. Do you have some special status that allows you to monopolize both? Your narrow-mindedness makes you look like someone who has never seen anything good."
Her tone became more and more sharp. All the noble ladies felt a chill in their hearts.
No one dared to question her.
Qin Xuanyan almost bit her lips until they bled.
She clenched her fists and glared at Cheng Simian fiercely before storming off.
Her followers also scattered like birds and beasts.
Finally, Cheng Simian's ears were quiet.
She sat in the carriage and showed a hint of impatience.
If it weren't necessary, she wouldn't have bothered to deal with people like Qin Xuanyan.
But then she thought that if she became the crown princess, she might have to face such situations every day.
It really wasn't easy to repay the crown prince's kindness.
She gently rubbed the space between her eyebrows and sighed silently.
It would take at least one year, at most three years. There was no other way. She could only face the challenges head-on and endure slowly.
Shuyi told the coachman, "Go home. The young lady is exhausted today."
Just as the carriage was about to turn around, they heard Dai Ying's voice outside.
"Miss Cheng, please wait. The queen would like to see you."
By now, most of the carriages at the palace gate had left.
Aunt Dai Ying didn't say in front of all the noble ladies that the queen wanted to see her.
This time, she was no longer the target of the noble ladies.
This meant only one thing.
She had passed today's assessment.
The queen was satisfied with her.
But the queen also wanted to talk to her alone and give her a warning.
Cheng Simian got out of the carriage and followed Dai Ying back to the Yukun Palace.
In the main hall, they could faintly hear the voices of the queen and the crown prince.
Dai Ying said politely, "Please wait in the side hall, miss. I'll report to the queen and then come to fetch you."
After she left, the door of the side hall was wide open.
The voices in the main hall could be clearly heard.
First, Dai Ying reported what she had seen and heard at the palace gate.
The queen didn't say a word, but the crown prince's voice was cold.
"Qin Xuanyan is too arrogant. How dare she criticize my future crown princess?"
The crown prince, as her future husband, scolded Qin Xuanyan. Obviously, he thought she had been wronged and was standing up for her.
Cheng Simian felt a warmth in her heart.
In fact, the scene at the palace gate was also expected by the queen.
With Qin Xuanyan's personality, she couldn't possibly be willing to be a clown in front of the crown prince after failing to show off. She would definitely cause trouble for Cheng Simian.
Cheng Simian didn't feel wronged at all. It was easy for her to deal with Qin Xuanyan.
The crown prince should also know that the queen was deliberately testing her.
He didn't have to be so angry on her behalf.
But that angry remark seemed to be his first instinctive reaction.
It was just like...
A man who loved her would naturally be angry when he heard that she had been humiliated.
Cheng Simian's heart fluttered slightly.
Although she didn't feel wronged and was used to being strong, she had never met a man who would truly speak up for her over the years.
The crown prince's sincerity touched her.
The queen's voice came slowly.
"As you said, Miss Cheng is dignified and generous in public. She can also handle others' aggression calmly.
I deliberately left out one gift to test her and Qin Xuanyan. Qin Xuanyan gave the bracelet to Cheng Simian to show off her generosity in front of me. But as soon as she heard that the bracelet was given by the emperor at the queen's coronation ceremony, she became annoyed. It shows that she has a small mind."
The queen's test was two-fold.
If Qin Xuanyan had gotten the bracelet, the queen would have still given her the phoenix hairpin.
Then she would have promoted her to a high position and deliberately ignored Qin Xuanyan to observe their reactions.
Either way, Qin Xuanyan would have lost completely.
"Qin Xuanyan is narrow-minded, petty, and indecisive. She is really not qualified to be the crown princess."
The queen sighed and couldn't help but feel regretful. "Qin Feng is also a well-read man. Your father has praised him for his integrity many times. How could his daughter be inferior to the daughter of a criminal?"
The crown prince's face darkened little by little.
"Mother, if you have something to say, just say it."
The queen didn't beat around the bush either. "I agree that you can marry Cheng Simian as the crown princess, but we can't ignore the Qin family either. Qin Feng is one of your father's most trusted ministers. In the future, he will also be your right-hand man. Since Qin Xuanyan is not qualified to be the crown princess, ennoble her as a concubine consort. In the future, under the queen, she can be a noble concubine. This is not a bad deal for the Qin family."
Cheng Simian slightly curled her lips.
So, the queen had specially called her back to let her hear this.
The test was far from over.