The imperial city is decorated with lights and is bright everywhere.

The palace banquet was held at Nuanyuntai in the palace. After entering the imperial city, one still had to walk a long way. Many noble ladies who went to the banquet met Qin Xiaoning and came up to greet her enthusiastically.

Their attitudes were all respectful and flattering.

While socializing, Qin Xiaoning couldn't help but giggle, glancing at the man's gaze. She whispered to Lu Ji, "In the past, these women looked down on me. Now, it's really different from before."

She lowered her wide sleeves and gently squeezed the man's palm, whispering, "As the saying goes, a noble husband brings honor to his wife. I married a man like you, who brings me honor. I wonder how many women will envy me."

Lu Ji glared at the little woman and snorted inaudibly, saying in a teasing tone, "You pestered me so much to marry you back then, was it just for the position of princess?"

"That's right." As soon as she said this, the man's face changed towards her. The little woman smiled and continued, "Women in the world who can truly not covet fame and status are probably rare. It's true that I love the position of princess, but it's also true that I really like you and love you in my heart."

In the hazy night, under the dim lights, her eyes are brighter than the stars in the sky.

The man smiled.

He said with a hint of pride: "I told you long ago that as long as you treat me wholeheartedly, you can get any good thing."

The man knew the temper of the girl he raised very well. She was not someone who could be easily satisfied. Otherwise, she would not have run away when he doted on her so much.

The little thing has a big heart, and it is not easy to satisfy it.

Hearing him say this, she nodded subconsciously, but said: "If it weren't for your sincerity towards me, how could I have given myself to be your concubine?"

Lu Ji laughed: "I'm afraid he didn't do it willingly. He ran away when he saw the situation was not good."

The little woman snorted: "Don't always use this as an excuse. In this world, there is no one who is willing to be someone's concubine."

The young couple were walking towards the Nuanyuntai while quietly arguing when they heard a familiar voice calling from not far away: "Brother Lu, Brother Lu——"

Lu Ji quickly turned around, and when he saw the person clearly, he was so surprised that he couldn't help but slap his thigh.

“Brother Gu——” He turned and walked towards the other party: “Brother Gu, it’s really you.”

It turned out to be Gu Jianshen.

"Why didn't you tell me when you returned to Beijing?" Lu Ji stepped forward and punched the other person: "That's really mean."

Gu Jianshen bowed to Lu Ji and said, "Now, it's time to call Brother Lu your Prince."

"You and I are brothers, why are you talking to each other like this?" Lu Ji complained again, "Didn't you say it would take another seven or eight days to get here? Why did you come back earlier without informing me?"

"I arrived in the capital the day before yesterday and sent a visiting card to your residence, but I waited for a day but didn't receive a reply from you." Gu Jianshen rolled his eyes at Lu Ji: "You ignored me and instead blamed me."

When Lu Ji heard this, he immediately turned around and looked at Qin Xiaoning: "Have you received any visiting cards for me in the past two days?"

Facing the man's questioning, the little woman replied calmly, "I receive at least 80 of your visiting cards every day. I'm afraid they are mixed with those from Marquis Lu." Lu Ji's face turned cold, and he acted like a man, scolding his wife, "I let you run the household, and this is how you manage it. You're so muddleheaded."

The man said something, and the little woman immediately retorted: "Those who come to see you are officials from outside the capital. I have no say on whether to see you or not. Those visiting cards have always been managed by your personal attendants. How could they know that you treat Marquis Gu differently from others? I'm afraid they just think it's an ordinary visit from outside the capital, so they put it at the back."

As she said this, she rolled her eyes at the man and said, "You knew that Brother Gu would be coming to Beijing to take up his new post soon, but you didn't bother to tell the people around you, and instead you blamed me for not being a good manager. How can that make sense?"

Lu Ji frowned: "I said one thing, and you said ten things back." He then said harshly: "You are so rude, you deserve to be punished."

The little woman refused to give in: "Who knows who will take care of whom."

Gu Jianshen looked at the two of them and couldn't help but stand aside and laugh.

Lu Ji sighed and said to his good brother, "I've spoiled you. I'm sorry to make you laugh."

Gu Jianshen said hurriedly, "We are all family, Brother Lu, you are being too polite." Then he turned his eyes to glance at Qin Xiaoning, and whispered to Lu Ji, "It's not like we didn't see this before in Jiangzhou."

Qin Xiaoning pretended not to hear and just went to greet Zhang who was standing beside Gu Jianshen.

Gu Jianshen was a marquis, so his wife Zhang was naturally a noble. When she saw Qin Xiaoning, Zhang said, "This is my first time in the imperial city. I was afraid that I might break the rules. I was so worried. Fortunately, I met the princess."

Zhang was well versed in the ways of the world. After they parted in Jiangzhou, when she saw Qin Xiaoning again, her attitude was very different from when they first met.

The other party is no longer the humble concubine, but now the regent princess. In terms of status, she is much higher than hers.

"Princess, please take a look. Is there something wrong with my imperial robe? I always feel that it is very awkward to wear it." Zhang leaned close to Qin Xiaoning and lowered her voice: "Don't be afraid of you laughing at me. I couldn't wear this imperial robe in Jiangzhou. Today is the first time I wear it."

"Madam, please don't be so formal with me. Just call me Aning like before."

"How can this be done?" Zhang said hurriedly, "There are rules in the capital, and there are even stricter rules in the palace."

Although Zhang was born into a family of officials, his family was from a distant place after all, and he had never had the opportunity to come to the capital before. Now that he was in the emperor's corner, he was really scared.

Seeing that she was determined to do so, Qin Xiaoning stopped bothering her and said to her, "This imperial robe is gorgeous, but also heavy. It's normal that Madam is not used to wearing it. In fact, I am not used to wearing it either, especially the crown, which makes my neck sore."

Qin Xiaoning was a kind person. After chatting with her for a while, Mrs. Zhang felt a lot more relaxed. Lu Ji and Gu Jianshen walked in front, and the two women followed behind, chatting as they walked.

"We just arrived in the capital, and the house is not ready yet. I will invite the princess to visit me some other day. We haven't seen each other for more than a year. My Lord Gu often talks about you, saying that you didn't tell the prince to get married."

Qin Xiaoning smiled and replied, "We got married in a hurry, so we didn't inform our friends from other places."

Although Zhang didn't know the inside story of their marriage, she thought that for a prince from a noble family to marry a concubine of humble origin must have gone through some twists and turns.

"Princess, you are so lucky." Zhang sighed, and then glanced at Lu Ji who was walking in front: "You can meet a man as upright as the prince, this life is worth it." (End of this chapter)