She merely complimented Liang Wentao, and the jealousy in a certain man's eyes was about to overflow.
Cheng Simian slightly raised her eyebrows and rarely showed a teasing smile.
"Asking like this shows immaturity on your part."
The Crown Prince's face darkened a bit.
"You can't make such a comparison. He is much older than me and has had a wife before, so naturally he knows more about how men and women get along."
Cheng Simian looked at him with a curved brow and eyes, as if holding back her laughter.
He also realized that his words just now made him seem even more childish.
"Anyway, I'm better than Liang Yuzhou. Look at how angry he made Wan Chu, and how much effort he had to put in to make up for it!"
He wasn't a competitive person, but in front of Mianmian, he didn't want to be outshone by other men.
Cheng Simian finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
The Crown Prince's face turned even darker.
"Mianmian, you..."
A gentle kiss landed on his lips, carrying a faint sweet fragrance. His mind went blank for a moment, and he completely forgot what he was going to say.
"Why compare yourself with others? The way you are now is exactly how I like you the most."
The depression in the Crown Prince's chest vanished instantly.
He felt extremely refreshed.
Cheng Simian didn't expect the Crown Prince to be extremely mature in matters of the heart.
She was mature and rational enough. In a husband - wife relationship, there always had to be one person who was a bit more emotional.
Otherwise, their daily life would be dull and lack fun.
A few days later, the storm of the car - crashing incident finally subsided completely.
Jiang Qianyu no longer needed to pretend to be ill.
Although there was no physical pain, her heart was heavy with worries.
She found Cheng Simian.
"Your Highness the Crown Princess, I'm so bold as to ask to meet Liang Wentao."
With her current status, making such a request was quite out of line.
Last time, the Crown Princess sent her to the Liang family to deliver a painting, and she was acting as an envoy between the Eastern Palace and the Liang family.
It was reasonable for her to meet Liang Wentao in the capacity of an envoy. But for her to ask to meet an outside man privately made her seem rather frivolous.
She had thought it over carefully before daring to speak up, but still, she blushed involuntarily.
Cheng Simian noticed that this was a sign that Jiang Qianyu had fallen in love.
Previously, she and the Crown Prince had conducted several probes into Liang Wentao and his family, and they no longer had any doubts about Liang Wentao's character.
He was a good man worthy of entrusting one's life to.
If Jiang Qianyu could marry him, both the Eastern Palace and the Liang family would benefit.
However, it would be quite inappropriate for Cheng Simian to directly arrange a meeting between them.
She was afraid of leaving room for gossip.
She could only create an opportunity for them to talk accidentally.
"By the way, the last time you accompanied me to visit the Empress Dowager, she said the steamed sugar cakes you sent were very delicious, softer and sweeter than those made by the imperial kitchen. The Empress Dowager has always remembered them."
Jiang Qianyu immediately understood.
"I'm deeply honored that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager likes them. I'll make some tomorrow and send them to Her Majesty's palace."
With this pretext, the next day, Cheng Simian took her to Yukun Palace.
The Empress mentioned the grand wedding of Princess Lingyang.
"The Princess Mansion has been renovated, and everything has been almost prepared. But His Majesty has been in poor health these days, and I've been feeling rather exhausted. Deciding who should handle Lingyang's wedding has become quite a headache."
How could Cheng Simian not understand the implication of the Empress's words?
"I'm the elder sister - in - law of the princess. It's my duty. If Your Majesty doesn't mind my clumsiness, please let me handle it."
The Empress showed a look of joy. "You're always so proper and meticulous. How could you be clumsy? I can rest assured leaving it to you."
A princess's wedding was a major event for the entire royal family. It had to be grand and dignified.
From the wedding process, etiquette, and dowry to the drinks and feasts for the guests, not the slightest mistake could be made.
The Empress glanced at Jiang Qianyu imperceptibly.
"Qian'er is smart and dexterous. She can also be your assistant."
She intended to cultivate her.
Jiang Qianyu knew very well that at this moment, she should gratefully accept the offer.
Assisting the Crown Princess in handling the princess's wedding was a good opportunity to show her ability.
If she did it well, it would also gain the Empress's and the Crown Prince's greater recognition.
Especially to gain the Crown Prince's favor.
But for some reason, Jiang Qianyu suddenly didn't want to be so eager to show herself in front of the Crown Prince.
No matter how hard she tried, with the Crown Princess setting such a high standard, she would only be a foil.
If she was too eager to claim credit and curry favor, what was the difference between her and a clown?
She stood up, walked in front of the Empress, and bowed.
"I'm honored by Your Majesty's trust, and I shouldn't decline. But I'm so shallow and stupid. I'm afraid I'll only make more trouble for the Crown Princess."
Her refusal surprised the Empress.
The Empress's gaze swept across that face which was not particularly outstanding but gentle and demure, then she smiled slightly and didn't insist anymore.
"It's windless today, warmer than usual. Many chrysanthemums in the imperial garden are in bloom. You accompany me to have a look."
The autumn wind was desolate, but the chrysanthemums in the imperial garden were blooming vigorously and brightly.
The Empress gently stroked a chrysanthemum petal with her fingertip and sighed, "They say that all the flowers and plants in the world love the bright spring, but there are also chrysanthemums, which are like noble gentlemen, blooming defiantly against the frost, not afraid of the cold."
Cheng Simian understood the subtext of the Empress's words.
"Although the spring scenery is beautiful, the autumn frost also has its unique charm. The chrysanthemum is wise. It doesn't like to chase the bustling spring but stands out alone in the autumn frost, which has become a good story."
Although they were clearly talking about flowers and plants, Jiang Qianyu blushed for some reason, and her heart skipped a beat.
It was as if someone had peeked into the little secret in her heart that had just germinated.
The Empress noticed Jiang Qianyu's absent - mindedness.
She finally understood that some things wouldn't happen naturally just because she had made arrangements.
Love was the most unpredictable thing in the world.
It seemed that Jiang Qianyu's decision not to be the concubine was not only to fulfill Hong'er and Mianmian but also to fulfill herself.
Otherwise, in the future, three people would be in pain.
After leaving Yukun Palace, Cheng Simian said to Jiang Qianyu, "I'm going to visit Princess Lingyang. You go back first. If you don't want to take the carriage, you can take the small path to the Eastern Palace. It's closer."
Jiang Qianyu understood. "The autumn scenery is so charming. If I take the carriage, I'll miss the beautiful scenery on the way."
After they separated, she took the less - traveled small path.
The path was long and narrow. The vines hanging down from the high walls on both sides had turned yellow. Her footsteps were light, shattering the silence in the space.
Up ahead, a tall and slender figure turned around upon hearing the sound.
It was Liang Wentao.
He was wearing a scarlet official robe, as energetic and high - spirited as when they first met.
"Qian'er."
This soft call was gentle and lingering, stirring up waves in Jiang Qianyu's heart.
She stopped in her tracks and didn't dare to take another step forward.
The scarlet figure was too dazzling, and she suddenly lost the courage to look directly at him.
"Lord Liang, I'm really grateful for you standing up for me. I don't know how to repay you. Please think twice before you act in the future. It's not worth offending the powerful for me."
Liang Wentao frowned.
He didn't like this kind of thanks at all.
Moreover, he didn't want Jiang Qianyu to always habitually place herself in a humble position.
"Qian'er, I like you. It's all worth it for me to do anything for you. You deserve a man who truly loves you."
The cold autumn wind blew into Jiang Qianyu's ears, but it suddenly seemed noisy.
Her heart was pounding against her chest violently, as if it was about to jump out.
"Qian'er, do you still insist on marrying the Crown Prince?"