Wei Changying was very hungry, but Princess Qingxin had a distinguished status, so she had to say perfunctorily, "Your Highness, I have practiced some Kungfu."

"Is it fun to learn Kungfu?" Princess Qingxin remained a severe look, but her eyes showed a hint of curiosity.

Wei Changying sighed secretly and continued her words perfunctorily, "Your Highness, in my opinion, it is not fun because it is exhausted."

Princess Qingxin was a little disappointed, "It's tiring to learn the piano, dancing, and the pipa, so is the Kungfu. Are there no easy things to learn?"

Wei Changying pondered why she thought so. Could it be that the Empress wanted her younger daughter to learn some talent, but the spoiled little princess was so picky that she'd like to learn something easy? But any talent couldn’t be easily learned without hard work. Even if you were born with genius, you had to practice often in case you would forget the skills.

Although it was a bit ridiculous, Wei Changying was relieved. Judging from her words, she knew that Princess Qingxin might not have listened to Liu Ruoye's provocation. Of course, Princess Qingxin might have been pretending. But the princess was just ten years old, and not everyone was as clever as Liu Ruoye.

After thinking for a while, Wei Changying asked, "Your Highness, do you want to learn some talent?"

Princess Qingxin looked at her for a moment before whispering, "My mother often praises the eighteenth sister for writing good characters, so I also want to learn something. However, although the master in the palace says that I am extremely talented, I’m too busy to devote myself to such things. So, do you have a good idea?"

She lifted her chin and tried to make a dignified and reserved look. She said proudly, "If you can offer a good idea to me, I will reward you!"

Wei Changying thought, "You are the favored daughter of the royal family, and your age is just ten, why can't you distract yourself to learn talent? In the official families, how can a young lady not figure out any talent until the age of ten? She should have learned for several years." Wei Changying studied Kungfu at the age of five. She was told that her cousin sister Song Zaishui started learning singing and dancing at six years old.

Princess Qingxin hadn't selected any talent yet because Empress must have spoiled her so much that she was delayed. Now her purpose was not to cultivate sentiments. Seeing that Empress Gu praised her sister Princess Linchuan, she became jealous and wished to be commended by the Empress. But Wei Changying thought that there was no need for Princess Qingxin to worry. Although Princess Linchuan's calligraphy was excellent, her birth mother was the imperial concubine Mao rather than Empress Gu.

Besides, Honored Consort Deng invited Princess Linchuan to live in her palace, Princess Linchuan agreed before the permission of the Empress. Although the Empress raised princess Linchuan, they might not be at one.

Thinking of the early death of Princess Linchuan’s birth mother, the imperial concubine Mao... Who knew how she died?

It was unclear.

Empress Gu often praised Princess Linchuan, but she might not be sincere.

Princess Qingxin was young and didn't understand, so she envied her sister.

Although Wei Changying knew that it was a good chance to coax the princess, she did not want to be involved in the imperial harem battle, so she smiled obsequiously, "Your Highness, you have flattered me. I am stupid. After thinking for a while, I conclude that if you want to learn any talent well, you have to suffer."

Princess Qingxin was disappointed and changed to a stern look, "Such a fool! You are wasting my time!"

Wei Changying knew that she was a child and did not take it seriously. She just smiled and said, "Your Highness, I beg your forgiveness!"

The Princess rushed away angrily, Liu Di came back to serve and said meaningfully, "Young madam don’t need to worry, Princess Qingxin has been pampered. Once her hand was cut when she studied the piano, His Majesty was so worried, and he ordered that Your Highness shouldn't be pushed to learn anything.”

Wei Changying was stunned and then felt relieved. She didn’t want to be troubled, so she didn’t give her an idea. His Majesty had permitted his little daughter not to learn any talent. Given that, if Wei Changying had proposed something and Her Highness had adopted, when Her Highness had an accident or became tired, His Majesty would have punished Wei Changying. It would be difficult to defend herself!

No wonder that Princess Qingxin told Wei Changying, an imperial madam that she met for the first time, that she envied Princess Linchuan. Among the people that the princess could often ask in the palace, who would not know what His Majesty had said? Who dared to violate the imperial command? Since Princess Qingxin couldn't find the answer, and she wished to be superior to her sister with some talent, she would ask everyone she met. Probably it could have hurt someone who had catered to Her Highness or had sincerely come up with an idea?

Wei Changying thought that it was really dangerous to live in the royal family. Since Princess Qingxin just left and no one else would notice her, she picked up the chopsticks and ate some cold dishes and dim sum in the case. She hoped that nobody would interrupt her because she was starving.

After a few dances, Empress Gu asked the dancers to retreat and left the musicians to play the music alone. She held the golden cup and started to chat about domestic affairs with nearby seats.

Several duchesses were asked first, who were called Duchess Run, Duchess Dai, and Duchess Ying. She also praised the princesses, who came with the duchesses. One of them, called Chengxian Princess, was teased by the Empress. She was so embarrassed that she picked up the round silk fan on the case to cover her face. Her grandmother Dutchess Run was busy defending her. Hearing that, Wei Changying knew that this princess had been granted to Gu Yiran recently.

Wei Changying paid attention to Gu Yiran’s fiancée, who might have a connection with her in the future. As her name indicated, Princess Chengxian looked very demure. Her face was comely, not so delicate, but her disposition was elegant because she was the lady of a noble family.

After the dutchesses, next were the imperial madames. There were three first-class imperial madames. According to the age, Empress Gu talked and asked about the condition of Old Madam Deng first. Then she praised Pei Old Madam’s granddaughters for their beauty. Then she mentioned Liu Ruoyu, not Liu Ruoye. Seeing this situation, Wei Changying knew the imperial edict that granted marriage to Mrs. Liu, Liu Ruoyu, as the Crown Princess had probably been announced today.

Finally, she asked about Madam Su, the youngest madame among the first-class imperial madames. Probably because before people were together, the Empress and Honored Consort had already expressed their concerns to Madam Su and Wei Changying; at the moment, they just mentioned that Shen Cangfeng worked hard and that Madam Su was good at teaching children. She continued to ask about other madames.

Wei Changying sipped the lychee drink slowly and carefully memorized the names of these ladies, so as not to forget to greet them when meeting in the future.

Wei Changying was seated behind the Honored Consort, not far from the position of the Empress. Because Wei Changying had been practicing martial arts for many years, she was unavoidably more sensitive than ordinary people. She even saw that there were full of small sweat beads on Empress Gu's forehead.

But some ice cubes had been placed around the Empress.

After supporting to chat with everyone, Empress Gu said some polite words, let everyone feel free to move, and excused to change clothes. Wei Changying estimated that she went down to relax in a cool place.

To express her attention to Princess Linchuan, Empress Gu’s dress was slightly less than that of the ceremony. The twelve flower hairpins were all made of gold; not to mention, to show the honorable status of the Empress, there were also many jewels embedded in it. The Empress's clothes were more particular than Wei Changying's wedding dress. Wei Changying used to practice martial arts for many years, and she was younger than the Empress when she was married, but she had been tossed almost to death by the clothes and decoration, not to mention Empress Gu, who was forty years old.

Wei Changying sneered secretly that it was not easy to be the motherly model of the nation.

As soon as the Empress left, although Honored Consort was still there, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. The madames greeted and talked to each other, taking the opportunity to be intimate. The ladies also looked for their familiar companions, gestured, or smiled to each other; some even started to move boldly.

Wei Changying was ordered to serve in front of the Honored Consort; she dared not to walk away, in case that the Honored Consort suddenly asked for service. Looking at the lively scene, she was envious. Her lineal cousin sister Su Yuli squeezed out of the crowd and went to her seat, quietly laughing, "Our mother let me ask if you are comfortable with it?"

The lineal aunt was so considerate. Wei Changying had a grateful look at her and said, "Thanks for your concerns. Sorry to bother you to come here with me. I'm here all good." Then she asked Su Yuli to sit down and talked with her. Seeing that, Liu Di, who served her, retreated and left them alone.

Su Yuli sat down and said quietly, "Did the mother of Princess Qingxin come over just now? This Highness is a little indulgent, and what does she tell you?"

Wei Changying lowered her voice and said, "Her Highness asked me whether there is something easy to learn."

"Don't give her an idea!" Su Yuli said anxiously and whispered, "One of my cousins, Nianchu, gave an idea for her to learn painting. This Highness learned a few days and lost patience, she complained to His Majesty. Knowing that it was Nianchu's idea, His Majesty scolded my uncle, saying that he was unable to cultivate the children so that they had made trouble for the princess. Nianchu cried at home for a few days. Today when getting in the palace, she was still worried and scared!"

Wei Changying said unexpectedly, "I'm not familiar with this Highness's temperament, so I didn't dare to give her an idea." Looking in the direction of Su Yuli, it was a girl about 13 or 14 years old, with a pretty appearance, two hair buns hung up, wearing a red dress.

The girl's eyes were very flexible, and it could be seen that she was not a calm person. But at the moment, she was sitting motionlessly and upright, as if she had been taught to be obedient.

Su Yuli said, "Nianchu was most lively and noisy as usual, who used to go to the palace to play with a few princesses. Because of that, she dare not enter the palace now. My aunt has been coaxing her for several days, so she is here today, not asking for leave for a disease."

Wei Changying thought Su Nianchu looked young, but His Majesty fussed about a little girl. She stopped thinking because she couldn't comment on the Emperor.

She said to Su Yuli, "I saw your cousin for the first time. Is she on a collateral branch?"

Su Yuli shook her head and whispered, "It's not a collateral branch. We share the same great-grandfather. Speaking of that, her grandfather and my grandfather are lineal brothers. It's just that his grandfather went away early and had only a son. After my uncle transported the coffin to Qingzhou in the same year, he observed mourning for three years. Later, he returned to the capital. At that time, thinking that my uncle had no lineal brothers, my grandfather wanted him to marry a lineal daughter of a big family. But somehow he fell in love with Princess Lingxian. My grandfather was angry about this. My uncle was also stubborn. After that, he didn’t go to our family except on New Year's day! But Princess Lingxian often sends people to present something to our family. In fact, my grandfather hasn't been annoyed for long, but my uncle has never mentioned it, and my grandfather just keeps his face."

Wei Changying was surprised, "It turned out to be the daughter of the princess. That's the lineal granddaughter of His Majesty and Princess Qingxin's niece!"

"You don't know. Princess Lingxian's birth mother is the deposed imperial concubine Mrs. Huo," Su Yuli reminded her. Mrs. Huo had been His Majesty's Shu Consort. She had murdered Sixth Prince, the only son of Honored Consort Deng, who was loved by His Majesty, and colluded with Ji Ying, the head of the Imperial Hospital. So she was deposed of the title of consort, shifted to a common person, and committed suicide by imperial order. Although her daughter was not deprived of the title of Princess Lingxian, she was no longer to be seen after that.

After all, His Majesty had nearly 20 princesses. Taking the three unmarried princesses in the palace for example, Princess Linchuan and Princess Qingxin had much favor of the Emperor, but Princess Angie, the daughter of Madam Zhenyi, was inferior to them.

Therefore, although Su Nianchu was His Majesty's lineal granddaughter and Princess Qingxin's lineal niece, when she entered the palace, she might not be more superior to the daughters of official families. Wei Changying subconsciously glanced at the woman around Su Nianchu. It must be her mother, Princess Lingxian, who looked the same as others except for a careful expression.

Empress Gu talked one by one with the imperial madames, but she did not say anything with Princess Lingxian, who should also call her mother. Besides, the two sisters of Princess Lingxian, Princess Linchuan, and Princess Qingxin, were seated on the most prominent positions and were admired by everyone, showing their nobleness as the daughters of His Majesty. But Princess Lingxian, who was also a princess of His Majesty, was seated among the imperial madames as an outsider; besides, her position was further behind among them. Wei Changying signed secretly, "Kinship is worthless in the royal family…."