Chapter 240: Hongliang becomes a princess again, this time conferred by the Empress Dowager herself!
Yan Lingji shrugged her shoulders, feeling tired and uninterested. “They’re not here for us. Let’s go back to sleep. I didn’t get any sleep last night. I’m exhausted.”
Hongliang’s previously uncertain expression suddenly froze.
“Didn’t sleep all night? Master, what were you up to last night?”
Yan Lingji gave her a sidelong glance.
What else could it be?
Now, they were all competing to have children.
How could I fall behind?
I worked hard the entire night, but I don’t know if it was effective.
“Why do you ask so many questions? If you want to go, you go. I’m going back to catch up on sleep.”
Yan Lingji yawned and turned to walk back to her courtyard.
She had no interest at all in accompanying the Empress Dowager for pointless chatter.
She had wasted an entire night last night, and her waist was still sore.
Hongliang pondered for a moment.
On second thought, she decided against it.
If she said something wrong, it might backfire.
Might as well go back and sleep with her master.
Just as she was about to ask Yan Lingji to wait, a palace maid quickly walked out of the front hall.
“Is this Princess Hongliang?”
Hongliang swallowed her words and stared blankly at the palace maid, nodding.
The palace maid made a small curtsy and said, “Princess Hongliang, the Empress Dowager requests your presence.”
“The Empress Dowager is seeking me?”
Hongliang craned her neck to peer into the main hall.
Dressed in an opulent phoenix robe, Zhao Ji was also looking at her.
Hongliang retreated a bit, knowing she couldn’t escape this time.
She knew it wouldn’t look good if she didn’t go to greet the Empress Dowager now.
Hongliang regretted not going back to sleep with Yan Lingji when she had the chance.
She steeled herself and walked into the main hall.
Zhao Ji’s eyes were on her the whole time.
It was as if she wanted to see what was so special about this Princess Hongliang, who made that man so adamant against exchanging lands with Han.
“Greetings, Empress Dowager.”
Hongliang performed a proper curtsy, while also sneaking glances at her.
She hadn’t seen clearly from outside.
Walking in, she realized that the Empress Dowager was even younger and more beautiful than she had imagined.
She looked like she was not yet thirty.
Her luxurious red phoenix robe was exceptionally ornate.
Her voluptuous figure couldn’t be concealed by the wide robe. Even from hints alone, she seemed seductive, even to Hongliang as a woman.
Her face had a natural charm.
Her eyes had the allure that only a mature woman could possess.
Hongliang secretly clicked her tongue.
Another vixen!
The Empress Dowager had to be over thirty, yet she looked about the same age as Lady Mingzhu.
Hongliang’s gaze involuntarily landed on Zhao Ji’s chest.
Even though she couldn’t see clearly, she was sure.
It couldn’t be smaller than Mingzhu’s.
“What are you looking at?”
Suddenly, Zhao Ji asked.
Since entering, this girl had been staring at her, eyes flashing, even Zhao Ji had noticed.
Hongliang, though from the royal family and not fond of formalities, understood some etiquette.
Staring directly at the sovereign was disrespectful.
Now, no longer a Han princess, she lived under Qin’s roof.
She had to bow her head!
With a quick thought, she chirped, “Empress Dowager, you are so young and beautiful. I’ve never seen such a charming woman before.”
She was really speaking against her conscience.
None of the women here were to be trifled with.
Her master, Yan Lingji, was unrivaled.
With her devilishly stunning beauty, she had made countless women feel inferior.
And Fei Yan’s nobility was just as impressive as the Empress Dowager’s.
Zhao Ji indeed had her own charm.
But not to the exaggerated extent Hongliang was praising her for.
Zhao Ji was taken aback by the compliment and rubbed her jade-like fingers on her fair cheek.
“Really?”
She knew Li Mo had gathered a group of beautiful women here, each with their own unique qualities.
Now, with Hongliang’s words, did it mean she was even more charming than them?
By looking at Hongliang’s pure gaze, one could tell that such an innocent girl would certainly not lie.
Seeing her joyful expression, Hongliang nodded her head repeatedly like a pecking bird.
“Yes, yes, Empress Dowager, how do you maintain your beauty?”
“If someone didn’t know better, they would think you are an unmarried girl from some family.”
Hongliang’s sweet words, like they were dipped in honey, made Zhaoji burst into laughter.
No wonder the National Advisor was reluctant to use her for an exchange with Han, she turned out to be a little bundle of joy.
How could she have imagined that under Hongliang’s innocent exterior, there was a demon with a tail growing from her backside and horns on her head?
“Giggle, why is your mouth so sweet, little girl?”
“Come, come, let me take a good look at you.”
Zhaoji, with a beaming smile, waved at Hongliang.
She pulled her to her side, looking her up and down, and the more she looked, the more pleasing she found her.
Standing tall and graceful, Hongliang was in her early teens, even younger than Ying Zheng.
Looking at her, ripples of emotions rose in Zhaoji’s heart.
If only she could have such a well-behaved and adorable daughter.
By the time Li Mo arrived, Hongliang and Zhaoji had already become very familiar with each other.
Their intimacy was such that anyone unaware would think they were mother and daughter.
Initially, Li Mo was worried that Hongliang’s personality might offend the Empress Dowager, but who would have thought that Zhaoji would be so charmed by her.
Her face wore an incessant smile.
“Greetings to the Empress Dowager.”
Li Mo lightly coughed, but Zhaoji seemed not to have heard.
She continued murmuring closely with Hongliang.
“Greetings to the Empress Dowager!”
Seeing that neither of them was paying him any attention, Li Mo raised his voice a bit.
Zhaoji glanced at him and waved her hand, saying, “I heard you, I heard you, why so loud?”
“You wait a moment, let us ‘mother and daughter’ finish our talk.”
Hearing this, Li Mo was almost ready to jump.
“What did you just say?”
Did he hear wrong, or did she say it wrong?
Zhaoji turned her head, looking at him discontentedly.
“Why are you so loud? You scared me.”
Hongliang’s small hand gently patted her back, comforting her: “Mother, please calm down, don’t get upset and harm your health.”
Zhaoji immediately squinted her eyes satisfied: “My dear Hongliang is sensible, unlike some people, who only know how to make me angry all day long. Sooner or later, I will chop off his head.”
Hongliang nodded repeatedly: “Yes, yes, such a person should be chopped, for being so skilled and unwilling to teach others, selfish prick, good riddance.”
How could Li Mo not know whom they were talking about?
He scoffed, “Do you even know how to learn?”
Hongliang swiftly turned her head, “How do you know this princess can’t learn if you don’t teach?”
Li Mo lightly frowned, reminding her, “Don’t speak recklessly, be mindful of your manners in front of the Empress Dowager.”
Han Fei’s earlier warnings to Hongliang were not without reason.
If someone with ill intentions heard her referring to herself as a princess, it would bring her trouble.
One would think Hongliang would realize this point, but who knew, the more Li Mo reminded her, the more she became smug.
“This princess, this princess, what of it?”
Li Mo’s face darkened, as soon as he was about to speak.
Hongliang, as if greatly wronged, shrank by Zhaoji’s side.
Trembling and looking at Li Mo with pitiful eyes, she said, “Mother, you see, he is scolding me, you must stand up for Hongliang.”
A waft of green tea aura hit their faces!
Li Mo was completely dumbfounded.
Pointing at Hongliang, he asked Zhaoji, “What did she call you? Mother?”
At first, he thought he misheard, but now, on the second time, he couldn’t have gotten it wrong again?
Zhaoji patted Hongliang’s small hand affectionately.
Looking at Li Mo with a strange smile, she said, “Yes, I found Hongliang likable and have adopted her as a goddaughter.”
“Appoint her as Princess Hongliang, grant her Nanyang as a fief, is there a problem?”
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