Song Yihuan followed the Princess of Ning and Song Nanxin to kneel and pay their respects to the Emperor's carriage.
The sight of everyone bowing in unison not only shocked her but also Song Yixuan.
Since their birth, this was the first time the siblings had encountered such a grand occasion.
The sound of rolling wheels and the clatter of hooves came from afar, gradually approaching their direction. Song Yihuan hung her head, not daring to move the slightest bit. Her palms were slightly sweaty due to nervousness.
She stared at the turf and gravel on the ground. Soon, the carriage passed by in front of them. All she could see on the ground was a slowly passing shadow.
The wheels stopped, and the Emperor's carriage came to a halt at the very front. A moment later, Song Yihuan heard a eunuch shrill, "Please—Our Majesty, perform the kowtow ceremony!"
Everyone shouted in unison again, "Welcome Our Emperor!"
After kowtowing and paying their respects, a somewhat young - sounding voice came from the front, "All my beloved ministers, rise."
This voice sounded a bit familiar to Song Yihuan. Before she could think much, she was helped to stand up by Chunxing and then stepped aside.
"The Autumn Hunting and Heaven - Worshiping Ceremony is a grand event that has been passed down in our Yu State for hundreds of years. I'm truly delighted that all my beloved ministers have responded and are accompanying me to Xingzhou. The journey is long and tiring. If any of you feel unwell on the way, you can inform General Weiyuan. He will surely protect everyone."
The more Song Yihuan listened to this voice, the more familiar it seemed, but she just couldn't recall when or where she had heard it.
Immediately afterwards, she laughed at herself. She was just an unfavored concubine - born daughter of the Marquis Mansion. When would she ever get to meet the Emperor and hear his voice? She'd better stop daydreaming and avoid doing anything extra, lest people misunderstand that she was trying to curry favor with the Emperor.
There were many voices around her flattering the Emperor. Song Yihuan remembered the rule that one shouldn't look directly at the Emperor. From beginning to end, she quietly hid behind Song Nanxin, not showing herself or being ostentatious. She just hoped that the ceremony would end soon so that she could go back to the carriage.
At this time, the Emperor suddenly said, "By the way, the Crown Prince of the Ning Prince's Mansion has been married for a long time, but I've never had the chance to meet my sister - in - law. This is a good opportunity for me to meet her and get familiar with her."
Hearing this, Song Nanxin below showed surprise on her face, but more of it was excitement.
She never expected that the Emperor would name her in front of so many people! What an honor! Not only Song Nanxin, but even the Ding'an Marquis Mansion behind the procession was excited.
The Emperor's eyes searched on the side of the Ning Prince's Mansion. Song Nanxin composed herself and was about to step forward to pay her respects to the Emperor. The next moment, the Emperor said, "I've heard that my sister - in - law is extremely beautiful and very talented. I think the young lady in green over there should be my sister - in - law, right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene fell into silence. The expressions of the people in the Ning Prince's Mansion were thought - provoking, and the people in the Ding'an Marquis Mansion looked embarrassed.
Song Nanxin stood still on the spot, while Song Yihuan raised her head.
She saw a young man in a gorgeous dark - brown robe standing in front. At this moment, the man was looking at her with a smile, as if he was very interested in her.
Presumably, this was the young Emperor of their Yu State who had ascended the throne as a teenager.
Most of the people accompanying the Emperor's carriage to Xingzhou today were well - known figures in the capital. Most of them had met Song Nanxin. Everyone knew that the Emperor had mistaken the identity of the Crown Princess of the Ning Prince's Mansion, but no one dared to remind the Emperor at this moment.
It was the Princess of Ning who laughed and said, "Your Majesty is still so humorous. The Crown Princess is timid. Don't scare her. Crown Princess, come forward quickly to pay your respects to His Majesty."
Only then did Song Nanxin step forward and salute Jizi Huan, "Your humble subject's wife pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be in good health."
Jizi Huan patted his head and then showed a look of sudden realization. He said apologetically, "Sister - in - law, don't blame me. My eyesight is not very good. You and that young lady in green were standing together, so I mistook the person. I hope sister - in - law won't take it to heart."
Even though the Emperor had apologized in public, Song Nanxin still had a hard time expressing her grievances.
Wasn't the Emperor slapping her in the face by saying this, implying that her appearance was not as good as Song Yihuan's?
Many people present also sensed this meaning, and their faces showed meaningful expressions.
In terms of appearance, Miss Song Yihuan, the fourth daughter of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion, was indeed the most outstanding. It was a pity that she was the daughter of a concubine, and this concubine was a flirtatious woman who had killed the old lady of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion. So, even though she was beautiful, she was just a vase for people to admire.
However, being publicly pointed out by the Emperor for her outstanding appearance, did this Miss Song Yihuan catch the Emperor's eye?
Song Nanxin, with the upbringing of the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion, smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty has never seen your humble subject's wife before, so it's normal to mistake the person. In fact, not only Your Majesty, but many people often mistake us sisters for each other."
Jizi Huan raised his eyebrows and glanced at Jiling Chuan, who was standing coldly at the back - side, with a look of watching a good show. He squinted his eyes and smiled,
"Really? I didn't expect this young lady in green to be sister - in - law's younger sister. No wonder I thought she looked so familiar. On closer inspection, she really resembles sister - in - law by seven or eight points."
Since the Emperor had already mentioned her, Song Yihuan could no longer avoid this situation. She stepped forward and saluted properly, "Song Yihuan of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion pays respects to Your Majesty."
Jizi Huan smiled and said, "So this is Miss Song, the fourth daughter of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion. I've heard your name. Seeing you today, you're really as rumored."
Song Yihuan was stunned for a moment. She subconsciously grabbed the sleeve of her robe, and her heart was in her throat.
She was just an unfavored concubine - born daughter of the Marquis Mansion. How could the Emperor have heard of her? The rumors about her in the capital were all related to her mother. Could it be that the matter of her mother had spread into the palace and even the high - and - mighty Emperor knew about it?
The same speculation arose in the minds of everyone present at the same time. The looks in their eyes when they looked at Song Yihuan immediately changed.
They had thought that Song Yihuan had caught the Emperor's eye with her flirtatious face. They didn't expect that the Emperor had also heard the rumors about her. There was going to be a good show now.
Song Nanxin was secretly delighted. The anger she had felt from being mistaken by the Emperor just now disappeared completely. In order to make Song Yihuan more embarrassed, she deliberately pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Your humble subject's wife's younger sister has been living in seclusion in the inner courtyard. How did Your Majesty learn about her?"
Where else could it be? Naturally, from the rumors about her mother.
All the color drained from Song Yihuan's face. She bit her lower lip tightly. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed in public, and the pain made it hard for her to breathe.
Jiling Chuan, who was standing behind Jizi Huan, had been paying attention to her. Seeing the color fade from her face and her looking so fragile and on the verge of collapse, he looked at Jizi Huan and coughed softly in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
Jizi Huan put his hands behind his back and said with a smile, "Some time ago, a horse suddenly went crazy in the marketplace of the capital. It charged around wildly and injured many pedestrians. It almost trampled to death a young child. I heard that it was Miss Song, the fourth daughter, who stepped forward bravely and saved the child, so the child wasn't injured."
"Miss Song is not only beautiful but also kind - hearted. She stepped forward to save the child regardless of her own safety. She is truly a heroic woman. I admire her from the bottom of my heart."