Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 141: Whose Young Lady Are You?

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Whose Young Lady Are You?

Qi Yu stated her own name, and fearing they might not recognize the characters, she also located a sheet of white paper for Song Ling to write down the two characters.

She decided it would be better not to display her own calligraphy, lest the two children begin to question their life choices.

The young apprentice pharmacists did not recognize the characters, but thought her name sounded very nice.

Qi Yu then asked, "What are your names?"

Mentioning this, the apprentice pharmacists seemed somewhat disheartened.

Qi Yu, puzzled, glanced at Manager Qian for help.

Manager Qian coughed once and explained, "They are orphans without any names, My Lady could choose some for them."

Qi Yu suddenly understood, patted their heads, offered a few words of comfort, and named each of them.

The older one was named Qi Mu, while the younger one was named Qi Xuan.

Having received names, both children visibly perked up with joy. Qi Yu did not want them involved in laborious work, so she had them stay beside Song Ling, learning to write and recognize medicinal herbs.

At noon, as the door shut, Qi Yu beckoned the two little ones, "Come."

Qi Mu and Qi Xuan ran over happily, their faces flushed, and Qi Yu wiped the sweat from their foreheads before taking them to the back courtyard for a meal.

The children were very fond of her, and before leaving, they looked up longingly, reminding her, "Sister Yu, you must come early tomorrow."

Qi Yu nodded with a smile and returned to the Prince Residence with Song Ling.

Having changed back into the attire of a Princess, Qi Yu still felt uncomfortable; she could hardly bear these layers upon layers of clothing.

Yet she was due to attend a banquet and could not afford to dress too casually.

Today’s banquet was an appreciation-of-flowers event hosted by the Empress, as Dazhao had a tradition of flower viewing in March. Each year the Empress would set up a banquet in the Imperial Garden, inviting harem concubines and ladies from prominent families in the capital to admire the flowers together.

Qi Yu had little patience for such social events, but her status required her attendance.

Otherwise, who knows what rumors might emerge from the palace the next day.

Her relationship with the Empress was already tense, and at this juncture, it was not wise to create a public stir; they still needed to show each other some courtesy on the surface.

However, she and the Empress had already been at odds with each other for some time.

After entering the palace, the first thing Qi Yu did was visit the Cuiwei Palace to see the concubine, who was in better spirits than before; then, they both proceeded to the Imperial Garden.

On the way, they encountered several concubines from the harem, who all greeted the favored concubine with great respect.

They also enthusiastically greeted Qi Yu, which caused her to frown slightly, sensing that something was amiss.

What kind of place was the harem? It rivaled Hollywood in terms of acting prowess; its inhabitants were skilled in flattery and opportunism.

She had met these concubines before, but they had never shown such enthusiasm towards her, being cold at best.

When things deviate from the norm, there is often something amiss; Qi Yu speculated that the Empress had likely woven new plots involving her.

But one does not slap a smiling face; she too politely addressed each one as Princess.

After exchanging greetings, she thought how tiring it must be for Li Tianze, facing so many noisy and theatrical concubines day in, day out. She marvelled at how he could stand it.

Together they arrived at the Imperial Garden, where the Empress and Li Huaixi were admiring the flowers with several ladies from prominent families.

Upon her arrival, Li Huaixi immediately turned his head away with a cold snort, making no effort to be polite.

Qi Yu was not embarrassed; she remained unperturbed as she mingled with those who had approached to greet her.

Qi Anran, who stood beside Li Huaixi, kept glancing over here, and Qi Yu noticed this burning gaze and chuckled softly to herself.

Her dear sister was probably wondering why her face hadn’t been disfigured yet.

Qi Yu pretended not to see it; she delighted in the splendid flowers of the Imperial Garden and the various pastries prepared by the Imperial Kitchen, appearing content and at ease.

Lingya was the last to arrive, and as soon as she made her appearance, she overshadowed the other concubines and ladies, whose looks were either plain or flamboyant but in a vulgar way.

Qi Yu clicked her tongue softly, feeling somewhat regretful — as beautiful as she was, Lingya couldn’t escape the fate of being a pawn.

As a guest of honor from Tulan, Lingya only needed to greet the Empress.

Her face veiled with a thin layer of gauze revealing only those enchanting, captivating eyes, she said, "Empress, I wish you peace and prosperity."

The Empress glanced at her with a cold tone, "Princess, there’s no need for formalities."

Lingya rose to her feet, took her seat without any intention to mingle, conveying an aloofness uniquely her own.

Some ladies from prominent families could not stand it and whispered, "She’s just a princess from a foreign land, putting on quite the airs!"

Someone immediately echoed, "Indeed, I heard she wanted to marry into the Prince Qiu Residence before, as if she could match them!"

Having found a common adversary, the previously rather quiet Imperial Garden suddenly became lively.

The ladies eyed Lingya with contemptuous looks while making snide and mocking comments.

After listening for a short while, Qi Yu found it rather uninteresting.

These ladies claimed to be well-read, yet not a single one of them could grasp the concept of respect.

After excusing herself to the concubine, Qi Yu walked over to Lingya and said in a low voice, "I hope you’ve been well recently, Princess."

Upon seeing her, Lingya’s expression grew colder, and she did not respond.

Qi Yu did not take offense at her attitude, but someone else spoke up for her, "The Princess is speaking to you!"

Lingya gave that person a glance, then turned to Qi Yu and replied indifferently, "Thanks to the Princess, I am managing."

Qi Yu smiled, plucked a branch of flowers, and twirled it between her fingers, "Then that is very good."

Only the two of them understood the implications behind their brief exchange, but someone nearby couldn’t help but interfere, addressing Qi Yu, "Princess, why bother with her? She’s but a princess from a barbaric land, doesn’t know the first thing about manners!"

Qi Yu glanced toward the source of the noisy voice, seeing a woman with a melon-seed face and thin lips, who seemed somewhat unfamiliar, and asked, "Whose daughter are you?"

Song Yuting now covered her mouth genteelly and answered, "To reply to the Princess, the concubine is my aunt. I am Song Yuting from the General Zhenyuan Residence."

Qi Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, so she was Li Mingjue’s cousin.

She had heard that the concubine came from a distinguished background, but since the old General was not in the capital and Li Mingjue didn’t talk much about it, he only mentioned it briefly to her.

These past two years, with the border conflicts intensifying, only this Miss Song and a handful of womenfolk remained at the General Residence, while the old General and the other men fought on the front lines to protect their homeland.

During the festivals, Qi Yu had asked Li Mingjue whether they should pay a visit to the General Residence, but he said that only a few women were there and they seldom interacted, implying it was not necessary to make a special trip.

Seeing that Li Mingjue was somewhat critical of these women, Qi Yu did not bring it up again.

Now, having met Miss Song, she roughly understood the source of Li Mingjue’s displeasure.

If one were indeed entangled by such a person, it would truly be an inescapable nuisance.

Qi Yu inwardly sighed, not letting it show, and gave a slight nod, "So you are the third Miss, my apologies for not recognizing."

Seeing that Qi Yu’s demeanor was still acceptable, Song Yuting showed a hint of pleasure and seized the opportunity to express her wish, "Cousin-in-law, I feel quite lonely in the residence by myself, may I stay at the Prince Residence for a few days?"