My Aloof Lord Ex-Husband Begs for Remarriage
Chapter 398 Birthday Gift

Chapter 398: Chapter 398 Birthday Gift

Chu Nanli was surprised to find that Lin Fuying had become much more haggard in just half a month since they last saw each other.

Her complexion was pale, as if she could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

Even so, Lin Fuying still stubbornly held on, refusing to show weakness in front of Chu Nanli.

She managed to squeeze out a proper smile, "I hadn’t expected that Sister, having divorced the Prince, would still get the opportunity to enter the palace."

"Had I known Sister was coming, I would have told the Prince not to hurry to the palace to pay respects to the Empress Mother."

She moved closer to Chu Nanli, her tone slightly mocking, "Sister hasn’t seen the Prince for such a long time, you must, surely miss him, right?"

Chu Nanli couldn’t be bothered to respond to her words.

Actually, it was clear to any discerning eye that Lin Fuying’s condition was pretty bad.

Only she herself thought she could still flaunt in front of Chu Nanli.

"Ye Yunting’s illness probably hasn’t fully healed even by today, has it?"

Chu Nanli originally did not want to engage with her, but Lin Fuying, failing to read the room, insisted on blocking her way.

She looked at Lin Fuying leisurely, "Don’t you know, that day, he waited outside my door for several hours?"

Of course, Lin Fuying knew about this.

She had already tried hard to convince herself that even if Ye Yunting went to look for Chu Nanli, so what?

He hadn’t seen her, had he?

But hearing the person herself bring it up made her even more jealous.

Chu Nanli did not intend to let her off easily.

"I told you long ago, things obtained by theft don’t last."

If Lin Fuying hadn’t deceived him with the matter of Xingshan Temple back then, she wouldn’t be in such a miserable state now.

"Chu Nanli!"

Lin Fuying truly hadn’t expected that in such a short time, Chu Nanli would become even more sharp-tongued.

She was even more at a loss for a rebuttal.

Chu Nanli glanced at her indifferently, not feeling too triumphant.

But it was precisely such calm disregard that drove Lin Fuying even crazier.

However, considering that they were at the palace gate, Lin Fuying didn’t dare to do anything to Chu Nanli.

She feared that if these matters reached Ye Yunting’s ears, he would grow to despise her even more.

Chu Nanli couldn’t be bothered to continue dealing with her, walked past her, and directly stepped over the threshold of the palace gate.

Soon, under the guidance of a little palace maid, she arrived at the palace where the banquet was being held.

Today Yanyan naturally could not enter the palace with her, but in order to ensure she was well looked after in the palace, Ye Jiuxiao had arranged in advance for a palace maid to serve her.

The palace maid led her to her seat and whispered, "If there is anything you need, just command me. The Prince has already instructed me, and I will take good care of you."

Chu Nanli gave a slight nod, and considering people were seated to her left and right, she couldn’t talk much with the palace maid.

She had only been seated for a short while when the palace banquet began.

The Empress Dowager, accompanied by the Emperor and Empress, quickly appeared before everyone.

The outfit Chu Nanli wore today did not accentuate her belly much.

Even so, she still needed the support of a palace maid to rise and pay her respects.

When everyone had finished paying their respects, the Empress Dowager then spoke.

"Arise, all of you. Today, I am in good spirits, and there’s no need for you to be so restrained."

Although the Empress Dowager said this, not a soul present dared to take her words at face value.

If anyone showed a lack of manners before the Empress Dowager, from then on, their future would be without prospect.

Once everyone had taken their seats, palace attendants soon began to present their longevity gifts one by one.

The first presents to be brought forward were naturally some unremarkable congratulatory gifts.

After looking them over, the Empress Dowager simply nodded her head and then indifferently instructed the Palace Attendants to put them away.

Soon, it was Chu Nanli’s turn.

The gift she had prepared for the Empress Dowager was not some precious item.

It was merely an embroidered Hundred Longevity Map.

As soon as this item was presented, Chu Nanli clearly heard numerous whispered comments.

"How could the Empress Dowager possibly like such a shabby thing?"

"Look at this material, it must have been found haphazardly, right?"

"Today is the Empress Dowager’s birthday feast, could this person be intending to offend the Empress Dowager by offering such a gift?"

Perhaps it was because the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were seated on a high platform and couldn’t hear the whisperings of the people below.

As a result, these whispered comments were particularly unrestrained.

Especially after finding out that the person giving the gift was Chu Nanli.

Many inquisitive gazes were discreetly cast upon her.

Not long ago, the news of Chu Nanli demanding a divorce from the War King had spread, and many had heard of it.

After learning that the Emperor had truly granted the divorce, even more people had ridiculed Chu Nanli’s foolishness behind her back.

Now that Chu Nanli appeared in the palace today and presented such a birthday gift, it gave people even more to ponder.

Upon hearing that this birthday gift was from Chu Nanli, the Empress Dowager’s interest was piqued.

She looked towards Chu Nanli with a relaxed tone, "Nanli girl, what made you choose such a birthday gift for Ourself? Are you perhaps teasing Us?"

If it had been anyone else hearing the Empress Dowager ask in such a manner, they would have already started to sweat profusely.

But Chu Nanli was not the least bit flustered.

She stood up, neither humble nor arrogant, and began to speak, "This humble girl presents this item to the Empress Dowager for two reasons: firstly, to wish the Empress Dowager a long life of a hundred years and good health through the auspicious meaning of the Hundred Longevity Map."

"Additionally, this Hundred Longevity Map has another meaning."

The gift prepared by Chu Nanli naturally wouldn’t be meaningless.

The word ’longevity’ on the Hundred Longevity Map was written one by one by the children who were just learning to write at Jici Academy, and after they were done, she had the embroiderers stitch them onto the map.

In the process of embroidering, she asked the embroiderers to beautify them quite a bit, but one could still see the childishness of the writing.

"Each character represents the heartfelt wish of a child. This girl teaches these children daily that it is only due to His Majesty and the kind Empress Dowager that they can lead lives without worries of food and clothing, and naturally, they wish to pray to the heavens for the Empress Dowager each day."

Chu Nanli’s words struck a chord with the Empress Dowager.

At her age, she had seen plenty of rare and exotic gifts and was no longer surprised by them.

Thus, such sincere sentiment was the most precious thing within the confined palace.

Of course, even though Chu Nanli’s explanation was almost perfect, there were still those who showed their dissatisfaction.

Consort Yang Shu almost wore her disdain on her face.

In her view, no matter how eloquently spoken, such a thing wasn’t worth much money.

What was so precious about it?

But she reconsidered and thought that now Chu Nanli was only capable of presenting such pitiful gifts.

Didn’t that just perfectly prove that without her Yunting, Chu Nanli’s life was getting worse day by day?

She was still rational enough not to choose this moment to articulate her mockery.

Among those present, there were not a few who shared Consort Yang Shu’s thoughts.

But Chu Nanli didn’t care about these things.

She only saw that after she finished explaining the significance of the birthday gift, the Empress Dowager’s face revealed a truly heartfelt smile.

Only after pleasing the Empress Dowager could she smoothly bring up her other request.