Chapter 1101 - 1106: Punishing Nangong Yu (3)
The words of Princess Zhao Yue sounded like she was speaking on behalf of Empress Mu and contradicting Princess Tuotuo, but if one listened carefully, one could detect the hidden meaning in her words.
Empress Mu had previously been promised to Saknu by the Retired Emperor and Empress Dowager Mo, so before marrying Nangong Yi, her previous identity had been erased. This time, she was married to Nangong Yi as the daughter of a Hanlin Academy editor to become the Empress. Although everyone was well aware of this, they unanimously kept their mouths shut and chose to forget, and nobody dared to bring up the matter proactively.
Yet Princess Zhao Yue repeatedly brought up her previous identity, first mentioning her dancing, and then her identity as a merchant girl. She described dancing as something only people of various trades and professions would do. Now that the Empress had ascended to nobility, she could not dance anymore; however, when she was a merchant girl, she had engaged in activities typical of such ordinary people.
By repeatedly exposing the Empress’ past, touching the Empress’s bottom line, everyone present felt anxious about Zhao Yue’s foolishness. Lady Li Guo was infuriated by her foolish and problematic granddaughter—this fool, golden on the outside but rotten inside, was not even capable of covering her own family’s shortcomings, let alone actively exposing them in front of outsiders.
In desperation, the Old Madame hurriedly said, "Since the Empress Dowager is indisposed, why don’t we find some other elegant entertainment?"
Lady Jian’an agreed, "The Old Madame’s idea is excellent. Why don’t we all engage in a poetry competition? The view in the Imperial Garden is so beautiful, and it is the Empress Dowager’s grace that hosts us today. This setting and occasion are most suited for composing and reciting poems. Please, Empress Dowager, make a decision."
Cai Wei knew well that the two ladies were trying to help her out. She herself loved poems and verses the most. However, the noblewomen that came today were of mixed quality. If it came to a poetry competition, and should someone who believed a woman’s lack of talent was her virtue fail to recognize the talent, it would be embarrassing for her and might offend that person. Therefore, she did not accept this suggestion.