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Noble Consort suddenly didn’t know what to say. Was Beauty Lian truly foolish or just pretending to be? Her answers were completely irrelevant, leaving the Noble Consort at a loss for how to continue the conversation.

Others pondered deeply. What did Beauty Lian mean by her words?

Some palace concubines with deeper thoughts secretly speculated, was Beauty Lian hinting at the Noble Consort’s extravagant lifestyle?

They hadn’t expected that upon her arrival, she would give the Noble Consort such a bold warning; she indeed had nerves of steel, clearly not an easy opponent to handle.

With that thought, the way they looked at Lian Hua changed instantly as if seeing a formidable rival.

The Noble Consort paused, then cordially changed the topic, "I heard that Sister Lian was unwell recently, are you feeling better now?"

Lian Hua was stunned for a moment. Why would the Noble Consort say such a thing? When had she ever been unwell?

Suddenly realizing, oh right, it was the time Nanny Qi helped her to reject gifts and block visitors. She nodded in understanding and bowed her head in contemplation.

If she said she was well, then later on, if she wanted to go back, she would have no excuse;

If she said she wasn’t well, considering she had visited Xu Zhaoyi today, it wouldn’t make sense either. Perhaps these people would then spread rumors about Sister Zhaoyi being harsh, even forcing someone unwell to pay respects. That wouldn’t do at all;

So, it had to be this way!

Lian Hua made up her mind and looked up with a distressed expression, "Hmm... I’m still somewhat unwell, it comes and goes, hard to say for sure."

Noble Consort: "..."

Others: "..."

With her ruddy complexion and bright smile, she claimed to be unwell, as if she was trying to fool a ghost. Moreover, she said her condition fluctuated; why didn’t she pretend to cough a few times to make it more believable? It was incredibly phony!

Look how everyone in the hall waited for her, each person looking wilted and hollow with hunger, some even had pale faces from the hunger.

Yet there she sat, beaming with energy, still daring to tell such lies. Did she think the rest of the hall was blind?

The palace concubines in the hall all became frustrated, wanting to say something, but before they could, they heard the Noble Consort chuckle with good temper, ordered someone to offer a seat so as not to let Beauty Lian get uncomfortable.

In the contrast between the two, the winner was clear. The Noble Consort was forgiving and magnanimous, whereas the schemer from Canglan Court, bewitching and leading astray, really was no simple character!

Lian Hua smiled gratefully at the Noble Consort, went to her assigned seat and sat down directly, flashing a sweet smile at the people around her who looked at her disdainfully and turned their eyes away.

Lian Hua didn’t care. She lowered her head to look at the desk—why was there only a cup of tea?

She remembered the Noble Consort usually spared no expense, previously preparing quite the spread, so why were there no pastries today, and the color of the tea looked like too little tea leaves had been used, very light in color.

She looked up again at the Noble Consort and saw she only wore a single hairpin, which also looked old. She didn’t have the usual abundance of jewelry, nor did she exhibit the previously seen pearlescent splendor.

Lian Hua sighed and shook her head. It seemed that even the Noble Consort was having a hard time managing these days, forced to cut back on expenses, alas.

Seeing the Noble Consort also looking her way, she returned the gaze full of sympathy, giving the Noble Consort a shallow smile, then lowered her head again to look at the tea. She looked up once more at the Noble Consort, her expression filled with compassion.

She understood all too well; her own days had not been easy either and had only recently improved, so she was most empathic to the taste of hardship.

Though Noble Consort might not be much to speak of and had sought to use an excuse to get one over on her, an opportunity for payback would come eventually.

However, different matters should be treated separately.

Noble Consort did indeed evoke sympathy today, and being a discerning person, she would not be stingy with her compassion when it was called for.

Noble Consort had been watching Lian Hua closely and in an instant, understood the meaning behind her eyes, which ignited a burning rage within her as if she had been insulted!

This was a small banquet! A small friendly banquet!!!

What does a small banquet entail? It implies a casual gathering where dress is informal, without the need for strict formality. Attire should be casual yet subtly luxurious—that is the preferred choice.

What did Beauty Lian mean by looking at her with eyes that seemed to see through to a ruined household?

This detestable Beauty Lian, why did she keep staring at the hairpin on her head?

Did she not understand the value of this hairpin, a rare and precious relic left by noble families of the former court, unique in the world, and exceedingly exquisite, passed down through generations of noble families, something ordinary people wouldn’t even have a chance to glance at?

Moreover, wasn’t Beauty Lian said to come from a family that cultivated tea? Did she really understand tea, continually staring at the tea like that?

This was an imperial tribute, Tianshan Clearwater Green Tea, prized for its light, clear soup and transparent color—could it be that Beauty Lian suspected she was too stingy to use enough tea leaves?

It was truly like a Scholar facing soldiers, unable to argue his point, infuriating beyond words!

Noble Consort felt such anger that it caused a pain in her chest, and her temples throbbed.

But since no one had spoken these thoughts aloud, showing only pity with their eyes, how could she begin to explain? And how could she clarify things without seeming boastful, thereby losing her dignity and ending up at a disadvantage?

At this moment, Noble Consort felt so suffocated with anger that she couldn’t be bothered to speak anymore. She needed to calm down—speaking any further with Beauty Lian right now would make her explode with fury!

She believed that none of the Concubines in the palace were kind-hearted and that someone would eventually lose their patience. It wasn’t up to her to step in.

The atmosphere inside the court was somewhat tense at the moment; everyone else was in a wait-and-see mode, hoping someone else would be the first to speak up and create trouble.

After a moment of silence, Talented Lady Jia could not hold back any longer and directly began with a sarcastic remark, "Beauty Lian truly embodies simplicity and frugality.

Not to mention the Silk Flower of modest value she wears upon her head, her attire is likewise so plain and unshimmering, without a single piece of embroidery—indeed, it commands respect," she said, covering her mouth to laugh.

She had long heard that Beauty Lian was very shabbily dressed, and seeing her today confirmed it.

The clothes she wore might look nice, but they were exceptionally plain.

To think she even wore a Silk Flower on her head—even as a Beauty, she didn’t have a single piece of decent jewelry or clothes. It was truly pitiable.

With someone taking the lead, several others also began to laugh along.

Changzai Zhou, taking the opportunity to sip her tea, lowered her head to hide the contempt in her eyes.

This Talented Lady Jia was truly ignorant about quality; no wonder she could mistake fake Heavenly Silkworm Silk for the real thing.

Even if she could not discern the exact nature of the fabric of the skirt, she knew it was not cheap.

Noble Consort’s face turned unpleasant, and she brought a hand to her forehead in frustration. This fool! Of all things to comment on, she had to choose the clothing. Just because a garment lacked embroidery didn’t mean it was cheap—did this fool even know what this dress was?

It was the legendary Moonlight Skirt, made from a weaving technique long lost. She had once attempted to have such a skirt made for herself but failed. It was unexpected to see it today worn by Beauty Lian.

Moonlight Skirt, made from the rare Moonlight Brocade, appeared simple and unadorned indoors, similar to ordinary garments, but one could only see the exquisite patterns up close.

The most stunning aspect was that the skirt radiated a glowing aura under sunlight and transformed into an incredibly dazzling display under moonlight. The color rippled like moonlight when moved by the wind, hence the name Moonlight Skirt.

Given Beauty Lian’s status and capabilities, there was no way she could have made such a skirt for herself. Therefore, there was only one answer—this was a reward granted to her by His Majesty!